South Africa: Tourism Minister welcomes end of Cape Town taxi strike

Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille has welcomed the agreement reached by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town to end the devastating taxi strike.

On behalf of the tourism sector, I wish to express our collective relief that the taxi strike in Cape Town has been called off, she said on Friday, a day after the stay away was called off immediately.

The strike also dealt a heavy blow to many industries and has severely impacted the lives of residents in Cape Town with children not being able to get to school, people not being able to get to places of work or access other essential services like hospitals and clinics.

Meanwhile, almost a dozen of Golden Arrow buses were torched due to arson attacks since the taxi strike that started on 3 August 2023.

Visitors to South Africa have also been impacted by the strike and the violence, which affected residents and visitors, is strongly condemned.

De Lille said she hopes that all parties do all they can to implement the agreement peacefully with no further disruptions, damage to infrastructure and attacks on people.

The loss of human life during the strike is deeply tragic and we convey our deepest condolences to all families and friends who lost loved ones during the taxi strike violence.

We sincerely hope that such devastating acts are never repeated again and that all organisations together with government, will work to resolve disputes amicably and within the framework of the law.

The Minister said the violence and attacks on human lives are unacceptable and uncalled for in the tourism sector.

We urge all parties to continue to engage peacefully and collaboratively to see progress and fairness for all.

As a society, she said it was important to acknowledge the important role that all sectors play in the country, including the taxi industry.

But we must all obey the rule of law and show respect for others as no one is above the law. We hope that all aspects of life, work and travel can now continue as we all work together to grow our economy and create more jobs for our people.

Meanwhile, she conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the tourist who was killed in this incident in Nyanga, Cape Town last week in an incident that is believed to be related to the taxi strike.

I plead with law enforcement agencies to find the perpetrators of this violent crime as soon as possible.

According to the reports, the tourist British tourist has been identified as Kar Hao Teoh, 40, who was shot from close range after taking a wrong turn into Nyanga as he drove from Cape Town International Airport with his wife and two-year-old son.

The BBC said Teoh was a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.  SAnews.gov.za



This story has been published on: 2023-08-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Hawaii wildfire's death toll is expected to rise as the forest fires on the island continue to blaze.

Now, the deaths caused by this natural catastrophe reached over 90.

Hawaii Wildfire's Death Toll is Expected to Rise

According to WSB-TV's latest report, the wildfires in Hawaii already took the lives of 93 individuals.

"The number of confirmed fatalities increased to 93, with two of them identified," said the County of Maui via its official Facebook post.

Officials added that the police hadn't confirmed their families' names and the pending notification.

John Pelletier, the police chief of Maui, said that their crews and cadaver dogs only searched around 3% of the area.

"We've got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles and it is full of our loved ones," said Pelletier.

As of writing, federal emergency workers are marking ruins of houses with a bright orange X to identify the areas that were already searched. Places where human remains are found, are marked with X that had an HR mark.

Pelletier said that the identification process they are conducting is very challenging.

He shared that whenever they pick up remains, they fall apart. The police chief added that the remains they were looking for were burned by a fire that melted metal.

Gov. Josh Green said that the wildfires that Hawaii is facing are the worst natural disaster on the island.

Read Also: Maui Wildfires: Blazes Kill at Least 6, Displaces Thousands, Overwhelms Hospitals

Hawaii Wildfire's Severity

CBS News reported that the wildfires in Hawaii were the deadliest natural disaster the U.S. state ever faced.

It surpassed the 1960 tsunami, which took the lives of 61 people. Experts even claim that these wildfires are more severe than the 1946 tsunami, which killed over 150 individuals on the Big Island.

Gov. Green said that the only thing they can do right now is to wait and support those living.

He added that their main focus is to reunite people when given the chance and provide them with housing and health care assistance.

Related Article: Maui Wildfire: Apple iPhone's Emergency SOS Satellite Feature Saves Family Trapped in Flames

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Talibans Massively Successful Opium Eradication Raises Questions About What US Was Doing All Along



SATURDAY, AUG 12, 2023 - 11:30 PM



Authored by Alan MacLeod via MintPress News,







The Taliban government in Afghanistan  the nation that until recently produced 90% of the worlds heroin  has drastically reduced opium cultivation across the country. Western sources estimate an up to 99% reduction in some provinces. This raises serious questions about the seriousness of U.S. drug eradication efforts in the country over the past 20 years. And, as global heroin supplies dry up, experts tell MintPress News that they fear this could spark the growing use of fentanyl  a drug dozens of times stronger than heroin that already kills more than 100,000 Americans yearly.



The Taliban Does What the US Did Not



It has already been called the most successful counter-narcotics effort in human history. Armed with little more than sticks, teams of counter-narcotics brigades travel the country, cutting down Afghanistans poppy fields.

In April of last year, the ruling Taliban government announced the prohibition of poppy farming, citing both their strong religious beliefs and the extremely harmful social costs that heroin and other opioids  derived from the sap of the poppy plant  have wrought across Afghanistan.

It has not been all bluster. New research from geospatial data company Alcis suggests that poppy production has already plummeted by around 80% since last year. Indeed, satellite imagery shows that in Helmand Province, the area that produces more than half of the crop, poppy production has dropped by a staggering 99%. Just 12 months ago, poppy fields were dominant. But Alcis estimates that there are now less than 1,000 hectares of poppy growing in Helmand.

Instead, farmers are planting wheat, helping stave off the worst of a famine that U.S. sanctions helped create. Afghanistan is still in a perilous state, however, with the United Nations warning that six million people are close to starvation.



Data from Alcis shows that a majority of Afghan farmers switched from growing poppy to wheat in a single yearThe Taliban waited until 2022 to impose the long-awaited ban in order not to interfere with the growing season. Doing so would have provoked unrest among the rural population by eradicating a crop that farmers had spent months growing. Between 2020 and late 2022, the price of opium in local markets rose by as much as 700%. Yet given the Talibans insistence  and their efficiency at eradication  few have been tempted to plant poppies.

The poppy ban has been matched by a similar campaign against the methamphetamine industry, with the government targeting the ephedra crop and shutting down ephedrine labs across the country.

A Looming Catastrophe



Afghanistan produces almost 90% of the worlds heroin. Therefore, the eradication of the opium crop will have profound worldwide consequences on drug use. Experts MintPress spoke to warned that a dearth of heroin would likely produce a huge spike in the use of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, a drug the Center for Disease Control estimates is 50 times stronger and is responsible for taking the lives of more than 100,000 Americans each year.

It is important to consider past periods of heroin shortages and the impact these have had on the European drug market, the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) told MintPress, adding:

Experience in the E.U. with previous periods of reduced heroin supply suggests that this can lead to changes in patterns of drug supply and use. This can include further an increase in rates of polysubstance use among heroin users. Additional risks to existing users may be posed by the substitution of heroin with more harmful synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and its derivatives and new potent benzimidazole opioids.



In other words, if heroin is no longer available, users will switch to far deadlier synthetic forms of the drug. A 2022 United Nations report came to a similar conclusion, noting that the crackdown on heroin production could lead to the replacement of heroin or opium by other substances such as fentanyl and its analogs.

It does have that danger in the macro sense, that if you take all that heroin off the market, people are going to go to other products, Matthew Hoh told MintPress. Hoh is a former State Department official who resigned from his post in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, in 2009. But the response should not be reinvade Afghanistan, reoccupy it and put the drug lords back in power, which is basically what people are implying when they bemoan the consequence of the Taliban stopping the drug trade, Hoh added; Most of the people who are speaking this way and worrying out loud about it are people who want to find a reason for the U.S. to go and affect regime change in Afghanistan.

There certainly has been plenty of hand-wringing from American sources. Foreign Policy, wrote about how the Talibans war on drugs could backfire; U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty claimed that the Taliban were turning a blind eye to opium production, despite the official ban. And the United States Institute of Peace, an institution created by Congress that is dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, stated emphatically that the Talibans successful opium ban is bad for Afghans and the world.

This looming catastrophe, however, will not hit immediately. Significant stockpiles of drugs along trafficking routes still exist. As the EMCDDA told MintPress:

It can take over 12 months before the opium harvest appears on the European retail drug market as heroin  and so it is too early to predict, at this stage, the future impact of the cultivation ban on heroin availability in Europe. Nonetheless, if the ban on opium cultivation is enforced and sustained, it could have a significant impact on heroin availability in Europe during 2024 or 2025.



Yet there is little indication that the Taliban are anything but serious about eradicating the crop, indicating that a heroin crunch is indeed coming.

A similar attempt by the Taliban to eliminate the drug occurred in 2000, the last full year that they were in power. It was extraordinarily successful, with opium reduction dropping from 4,600 tons to just 185 tons. At that time, it took around 18 months for the consequences to be felt in the West. In the United Kingdom, average heroin purity fell from 55% to 34%, while in the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, heroin was largely replaced by fentanyl. However, as soon as the United States invaded in 2001, poppy cultivation shot back up to previous levels and the supply chain recommenced.

US Complicity in the Afghan Drug Trade



The Talibans successful campaign to eradicate drug production has cast a shadow of doubt over the effectiveness of American-led endeavors to achieve the same outcome. It prompts the question, What were we actually accomplishing there?!' remarked Hoh, underscoring:

This undermines one of the fundamental premises behind the wars: the alleged association between the Taliban and the drug trade  a concept of a narco-terror nexus. However, this notion was fallacious. The reality was that Afghanistan was responsible for a staggering 80-90% of the worlds illicit opiate supply. The primary controllers of this trade were the Afghan government and military, entities we upheld in power.



Hoh clarified that he never personally witnessed or received any reports of direct involvement by U.S. troops or officials in narcotics trafficking. Instead, he contended that there existed a conscious and deliberate turning away from the unfolding events during his tenure in Afghanistan.



Left, a US Marine picks a flower as he guards a poppy field in 2012 in Helmand Provine. Photo | DVIDS. Right, A man breaks poppy stalks as part of a 2023 campaign to target illegal drugs in Afghanistan. Oriane Zerah | APSuzanna Reiss, an academic at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the author of We Sell Drugs: The Alchemy of U.S. Empire, demonstrated an even more cynical perspective on American counter-narcotics endeavors as she conveyed to MintPress:

The U.S. has never really been focused on reducing the drug trade in Afghanistan (or elsewhere for that matter). All the lofty rhetoric aside, the U.S. has been happy to work with drug traffickers if the move would advance certain geopolitical interests (and indeed, did so, or at least turned a knowingly blind eye, when groups like the Northern Alliance relied on drugs to fund their political movement against the regime.).



Afghanistans transformation into a preeminent narco-state owes a significant debt to Washingtons actions. Poppy cultivation in the 1970s was relatively limited. However, the tide changed in 1979 with the inception of Operation Cyclone, a massive infusion of funds to Afghan Mujahideen factions aimed at exhausting the Soviet military and terminating its presence in Afghanistan. The U.S. directed billions toward the insurgents, yet their financial needs persisted. Consequently, the Mujahideen delved into the illicit drug trade. By the culmination of Operation Cyclone, Afghanistans opium production had soared twentyfold. Professor Alfred McCoy, acclaimed author of The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade, shared with MintPress that approximately 75% of the planets illegal opium output was now sourced from Afghanistan, a substantial portion of the proceeds funneling to U.S.-backed rebel factions.

Unraveling the Opioid Crisis: An Impending Disaster



The opioid crisis is the worst addiction epidemic in U.S. history. Earlier this year, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas described the American fentanyl problem as the single greatest challenge we face as a country. Nearly 110,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021, fentanyl being by far the leading cause. Between 2015 and 2021, the National Institute of Health recorded a nearly 7.5-fold increase in overdose deaths. Medical journal The Lancet predicts that 1.2 million Americans will die from opioid overdoses by 2029.

U.S. officials blame Mexican cartels for smuggling the synthetic painkiller across the southern border and China for producing the chemicals necessary to make the drug.

White Americans are more likely to misuse these types of drugs than other races. Adults aged 35-44 experience the highest rates of deaths, although deaths among younger people are surging. Rural America has been particularly hard hit; a 2017 study by the National Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau Federation found that 74% of farmers have been directly impacted by the opioid epidemic. West Virginia and Tennessee are the states most badly hit.

For writer Chris Hedges, who hails from rural Maine, the fentanyl crisis is an example of one of the many diseases of despair the U.S. is suffering from. It has, according to Hedges, risen from a decayed world where opportunity, which confers status, self-esteem and dignity, has dried up for most Americans. They are expressions of acute desperation and morbidity. In essence, when the American dream fizzled out, it was replaced by an American nightmare. That white men are the prime victims of these diseases of despair is an ironic outgrowth of our unfair system. As Hedges explained:

White men, more easily seduced by the myth of the American dream than people of color who understand how the capitalist system is rigged against them, often suffer feelings of failure and betrayal, in many cases when they are in their middle years. They expect, because of notions of white supremacy and capitalist platitudes about hard work leading to advancement, to be ascendant. They believe in success.



In this sense, it is important to place the opioid addiction crisis in a wider context of American decline, where opportunities for success and happiness are fewer and farther between than ever, rather than attribute it to individuals. As the Lancet wrote: Punitive and stigmatizing approaches must end. Addiction is not a moral failing. It is a medical condition and poses a constant threat to health.

A Uniquely American Problem



Nearly 10 million Americans misuse prescription opioids every year and at a rate far higher than comparable developed countries. Deaths due to opioid overdose in the United States are ten times more common per capita than in Germany and more than 20 times as frequent in Italy, for instance.

Much of this is down to the United States for-profit healthcare system. American private insurance companies are far more likely to favor prescribing drugs and pills than more expensive therapies that get to the root cause of the issue driving the addiction in the first place. As such, the opioid crisis is commonly referred to as a uniquely American problem.

Part of the reason U.S. doctors are much more prone to doling out exceptionally strong pain medication relief than their European counterparts is that they were subject to a hyper-aggressive marketing campaign from Purdue Pharma, manufacturers of the powerful opioid OxyContin. Purdue launched OxyContin in 1996, and its agents swarmed doctors offices to push the new wonder drug.



Approximately 1 million fake pills containing fentanyl seized on July 5, 2022, at a home in Inglewood, Calif. Photo | DEA via APYet, in lawsuit after lawsuit, the company has been accused of lying about both the effectiveness and the addictiveness of OxyContin, a drug that has hooked countless Americans onto opioids. And when legal but incredibly addictive prescription opioids dry up, Americans turned to illicit substances like heroin and fentanyl as substitutes.

Purdue Pharma owners, the Sackler family, have regularly been described as the most evil family in America, with many laying the blame for the hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths squarely at their door. In 2019, under the weight of thousands of lawsuits against it, Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy. A year later, it plead guilty to criminal charges over its mismarketing of OxyContin.

Nevertheless, the Sacklers made out like bandits from their actions. Even after being forced last year to pay nearly $6 billion in cash to victims of the opioid crisis, they remain one of the worlds richest families and have refused to apologize for their role in constructing an empire of pain that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Instead, the family has attempted to launder their image through philanthropy, sponsoring many of the most prestigious arts and cultural institutions in the world. These include the Guggenheim Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Yale University, and the British Museum and Royal Academy in London.

One group who are disproportionately affected by opioids like OxyContin, heroin and fentanyl are veterans. According to the National Institutes of Health, veterans are twice as likely to die from overdose than the general population. One reason for this is bureaucracy. The Veterans Administration did a really poor job in the past decades with their pain management, particularly their reliance on opioids, Hoh, a former marine, told MintPress, noting that the V.A. prescribed dangerous opioids at a higher rate than other healthcare agencies.

Ex-soldiers often have to cope with chronic pain and brain injuries. Hoh noted that around a quarter-million veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have traumatic brain injuries. But added to that are the deep moral injuries many suffered  injuries that typically cannot be seen. As Hoh noted:
A perpetual motion machine is an imaginary device that can accomplish more work than the energy it consumes. Inventors have devised countless concepts for such a machine, but none has worked because all of them violate the 1st law of thermodynamics: energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted into other forms. An internal combustion engine converts chemical energy into horsepower. An atom bomb converts nuclear energy into heat. In the real world, a machine's output is always less than its input.

Fortunately, California is considering an exception to that law  legislatively.

California is developing a workaround to thermodynamics out of shear necessity  due to its energy predicament. It has a small energy conversion problem and a huge energy policy problem. Making electricity is easy. Figuring out how to make enough electricity without violating leftist dogma is quite a bit harder.

California's population has grown an astounding 162 percent since 1958. Yet the state hasn't built a new power plant (other than wind or solar) since the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant came online in 1985. The state simply does not have the electrical generating capacity to meet its current needs  making it more dependent on imported power than any other state in the Union.

California currently imports between 20 and 30 percent of its power from other states. The "save the planet" zealots have become dependent addicts, ensuring continued profitability for the evil pushers of environmentally destructive energy.

That dependence on other states is a simple engineering problem to solve. If you don't have enough electricity, just build more power plants. We actually know how to do that.

The thing making California's electricity shortage a huge issue is not the availability of energy or technology. The problem is California's energy policy. The state hasn't built a new power plant in almost 40 years because it has committed to reaching 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Within the next 22 years, Californians will have saved the planet by making themselves totally dependent on windmills that stand idle on calm days and solar panels that go dormant when clouds pass over.

How's that conversion to renewables working for California? It succeeded in making the state dependent on its neighbors for electricity  so it's not working especially well. But there is a time-honored leftist tradition: if something isn't working, do more of it. Therefore, California's Legislature has mandated that by 2035, all new cars sold in the state must be zero emission  which translates to electric. If renewables can't satisfy current needs, just place more demand on renewables and tell the utilities to suck it up.

There are two entirely foreseen (to sentient beings) consequences of the E.V. (electric vehicle) mandate. The first is that California's electricity shortage will be getting worse  much worse. Those E.V.s use a lot of juice to recharge, and they will all be plugged in at the same time  when people get home from work. The second consequence is that the market for obsolete, gas-guzzling, smog-producing used cars is going to explode in California  increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the state that is trying to eliminate greenhouse gases.

Luckily, California is known for its innovators, and they've come up with a creative solution to their electricity shortage. Just mandate that all the new E.V.s incorporate bidirectional charging  as Senate Bill 233 proposes. This means that when the cars aren't being driven, their batteries can either be recharged from the grid or discharged into the grid. Therefore, the stored energy in millions of parked electric cars can be used to meet the state's electricity shortfall during times of peak demand. When my car is plugged in at night, it can be used to charge my neighbor's car. After his car is fully charged, it can be used to charge my car. It's genius!

With a little "out of the box" thinking, the problem is solved. Just mandate that more battery-powered machinery be brought online, and then resolve the electricity shortfall by forcing those machines to supply electricity to one another. It will meet electric demand without more electric generation. What could go wrong?

It's the solution inventors never thought of: perpetual motion by legislation. More energy out than energy in, by mandate. Just require by law that electricity be pushed back and forth between batteries to come up with the power they need but don't have. It's a little like using two credit cards to meet a budget shortfall  only done with electricity.

Unfortunately, as stated above, it's also a violation of the laws of thermodynamics. Something will have to be done about those troublesome laws. Reality can't be allowed to stand in the way of progress, after all. Perhaps California could pay some scientists to reach consensus that the 1st law of thermodynamics can be waived for "save the planet" expedience. If scientists reach consensus, that makes it reality  right?

California's dreamin' is going to make a day in the life of the average Californian in 2045 quite entertaining for the rest of us. Let's say Joe Pompous arrives home in his $60,000 E.V. after a long day of propaganda creation for the Disney Corporation. He gets out of his car and takes a moment to admire its sleek lines, and pat himself on the back for his environmental stewardship. Noting that his car's charge is down to 30 percent, he plugs it in to recharge overnight.

Joe goes inside and cranks up his AC to avoid suffering the downside of anthropogenic global warming. As he starts dinner on his planet-friendly electric stove, he tunes in to MSNBC on his 60-inch plasma TV and begins unwinding for the day.

The next morning, after a brisk workout on his electric treadmill and a hot shower delivered by a planet-saving electric water heater, he heads to the garage for his daily commute.

Much to Joe's dismay, his car's battery has been drained overnight  due to that bidirectional charging thingy. No problem. He'll just summon an Uber. Thank Gaia the voters gave Uber a waiver to AB 5 so it could stay in business. Wait: "What do you mean, the Uber battery is dead, too?"

Joe decides that since he can't get to work, there won't be any propaganda production today. He'll just spend the day doing yard work with his electric mower instead. After changing into his work duds, Joe notices his neighbor, Karen, gazing disgustedly at her dead E.V. Apparently, there won't be any censorship done at Facebook today, either. In fact, there won't be much commerce of any kind done in California today, since everyone commutes by E.V. Fortunately, it will be planet-friendly "all electric" loafing.

After completing his yard work, Joe gets a beer from his electric refrigerator to unwind. As he relaxes by his electrically heated pool, he contemplates green enlightenment...and thinks about moving to Idaho.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Idaho. He has written for American Thinker and American Free News Network. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.

Image via Pexels.
It appears that time is running short when it comes to the question of whether China will attack Taiwan. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, a Chinese victory is not inevitable. If regional nations and other, more powerful countries are willing to think outside the box, there may be a way to settle the matter, despite Chinas history of refusing to abide by the international agreements it signs.

The Chinese will surely wish to attack during the tenure of the Biden administration for three reasons:

1. Joe Biden is in Chairman Xis pocket.

2. China is ready now, while the USA is not.

3. All Pentagon war games show China victorious.

Given the advantages that China has, is it still possible to resolve this crisis without war?

China wants dominion over Taiwan; Taiwan wants self-government. There would seem to be no common ground for settlement. Yet the true ground for settlement is the existence of uncertainty.

Is China facing any uncertainty?

Yes, China does face uncertainty, and the fact that China has not yet seized Taiwan is solid evidence that Chairman Xi is acutely aware of this uncertainty.

What is this uncertainty? Simply this: Although it might seem objectively clear that China will emerge from a Taiwan War victorious over the US and Taiwan and whoever else dares engage, it is also objectively clear that China herself will not emerge unscathed. China will pay a price.

A missile exchange with the US will undoubtedly send many Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) capital ships to the bottom and may well punish PLA facilities on the mainland. If the Taiwanese were to fight as they talk, seizing Taiwan would end with Taiwans infrastructure being significantly destroyed, undermining the value of Taiwan as the prize.

Thus, a Chinese victory will come with a price. Is dominion over Taiwan worth that price? Could dominion be achieved without paying that price? Is there a path without war that would both give China sufficient dominion and Taiwan sufficient liberty to forge a settlement?

YouTube screen grab (edited).

Moreover, is a Chinese victory really assured? The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) ran the Battle of Taiwan war game 24 times, seeking to answer two fundamental questions: (1) Would the Chinese win and (2) At what cost? Their answers, unlike the Pentagons, are (1) No! and (2) Enormous!

CSISs wargaming predicts, The US Navy loses two aircraft carriers and 10 to 20 large surface ships. China loses 155 combat aircraft,138 major ships, and 10,000 troops.

So, there is some uncertainty. And uncertainty means settlement is possible. China wants dominion over Taiwan, and Taiwan wants self-government, meaning the rule of law under a constitution and laws enacted by elected representatives.

China loves to claim that it favors a rules-based international order. Could China be moved to accept a rules-based government in Taiwan? Would it be possible for China to reach an agreement with Taiwan, Japan, the USA, the Philippines, and others, on a constitution for Taiwan and allow Taiwan to be self-governing under this constitution?

This brings us to the case of Hong Kong. Hong Kongs transition on July 1, 1997, from British rule to Chinese rule could have been a shining example of international cooperation and Chinese liberality had China not reneged on the treaty consummating the handover of Hong Kong to China.

The Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 was the treaty that set forth the conditions and provisions of the handover, an executive summary of which would be that Hong Kong would become an autonomous Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China and, for a period of fifty years, would retain its common law and capitalist systems, would soon allow universal suffrage. These and many other assurances were to be expressed in a constitution of Hong Kong, called the Basic Law of Hong Kong that The National Peoples Congress of China would enact, which it did on April 4, 1990. Article 45 of the Basic Law provides that the ultimate aim is the selection of the chief executive of Hong Kong by universal suffrage, and Article 68 provides that the ultimate aim is the election of all the members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong by universal suffrage.

Immediately after the handover, pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong began agitating to implement the promise of universal suffrage. Seventeen years later, on August 31, 2014, the issue came to a head with a decision by the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) that the next Chief Executive election in Hong Kong would allow universal suffrage. But that decision was a scam, so hedged about with conditions and provisos that it made universal suffrage actually impossible, with power and control remaining in Beijing. As explained by Hong Kong writer Kong Tsung-Gan in Umbrella, The NPCSC ruling of 31 August 2014 said it was allowing HK to proceed to universal suffrage while imposing such restrictions as to leave its version of universal suffrage so divergent from international law as to be anything but.

This scam resulted in massive protest demonstrations, totally shutting down the city center. This, in turn, led to Chinas National Peoples Congress enacting the crackdown embodied in the Hong Kong National Security Law of June 30, 2020.

In addition to the Chinese reneging on their promises to Hong Kong, the case of Philippines v. China also shows that China cannot be trusted to honor and comply with treaties or to follow international law.

Philippines v. China was an international law action that the Philippines brought on January 22, 2013, before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. In it, the Philippines complained that the nine-dash line that China placed on maps to assert territorial control over nearly all of the South China Sea violated the UN Convention On The Law Of The Sea (UNCLOS).

Chinas defense wasnt substantive but procedural. It held that the tribunal had no jurisdiction over China because China had not signed the Convention. On July 12, 2016, the PCA ruled that China had signed the Convention, that the PCA had jurisdiction over China, and that Chinas claims to waters within the 9-dash line had no legal basis and hence no legal effect.

China denounced the ruling and ignored it.

Given Chinas history of ignoring past agreements and defying international law, how does one enforce a treaty with China other than by war?

While this is above my pay grade, here is a suggestion: Find a method of applying economic pain to China for noncompliance. To get there, let the settlement treaty be one not just between China and Taiwan but, instead, a treaty among numerous signatories. The treatys terms would hold that, if the Permanent Court of Arbitration finds China in non-compliance, then each of the signatories will apply a specified economic sanction against China. There are, of course, six ways from Sunday to arrange the details of that, and success will depend entirely upon the negotiators' grit, determination, charm, insight, and creativity.

Can it be done? I hope so.
Most of us have trouble thinking to the end of the month. This can be demonstrated by the fact that 64% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Actually, most are permanently in debt, what with credit card balances, car payments, student loan debt, and the rest. The point is that it's human nature not to look ahead, not to prepare. As long as we have the essentials, it's difficult to project into next week, next month, or next year.

That fact explains many things, including the public's lack of concern about a $33-trillion federal debt. Another striking example is the public's fascination with what has been a warm summer. This summer has seen record heat or near-record heat in some places  though every summer sees records in some places  and is said to be on track for a global heat record (though several factors, including increased urbanization  with more heat sensors located closer to heat-generating concrete  complicate the data).

It was inevitable that many on the left, including Hawaii's Democrat governor, would blame the Maui fires on drought driven by "climate change," despite lack of evidence for a causal relationship. In a convincing piece in the Washington Examiner, Nicholas Clairmont refutes that claim, noting that "there no evidence climate change ... is the cause of this particular drought trend."

Yes, 2023 was a hot summer, but summer has been hot in the past, and it is supposed to be hot. What the public is missing is that the beginning of winter is just a few months away, and this winter is likely to be very cold and costly in lives lost, lost productivity, and emergency expenses.

What are the odds of a very cold winter in 202324? Several factors are involved. First, we have not had a very cold winter in years. The "abandoned slot machine" theory suggests that it's time to have one, if not this winter, then soon.

Second, volcanic activity has been on the rise, and volcanoes do contribute to cold winters. Large volcanoes spew sunlight-blocking ash into the stratosphere, lowering temperatures, as did the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. Recent volcanic activity in Iceland, Indonesia, Guatemala, Tonga, Hawaii, Sicily, Russia, and elsewhere has emitted sunlight-blocking ash with the potential for lower temperatures this winter.

The Farmers' Almanac has been more accurate than climate scientists in predicting the weather, perhaps because the Almanac's editors don't have a political ax to grind. This year's prediction is for a winter that is "colder and wetter" in the eastern half of the country and extremely cold in the central U.S., while New England and New York will be snowy and bitterly cold. In sum, the Almanac states, "We expect more snow and low temperatures nationwide."

What will this year's cold, wet winter do to the ordinary American? Biden has driven electricity rates up by 30% on average, so whatever happens, this winter will be costlier. The average American household will pay $1,268 to heat its home through the winter using electricity  Biden's preferred method of heating.

Colder winters also bring about more illness, as humans spend more time inside dry, disease-spreading environments for longer periods of time. The CDC, predicting a "tripledemic" this winter, is already suggesting a return to masking. Mask mandates have not been shown to reduce the spread of disease: if anything, they increase death by isolating and stressing people and limiting their access to needed health care, including necessary operations and checkups. But leftist governors  and presidents  love to impose mask mandates, and more may be coming.

It's not just COVID. Colder temperatures take a stark toll in deaths due to pneumonia, flu, exposure, and other cold-related illnesses. And greater snowfalls result in more vehicular deaths and injuries. As the New York Post points out, annually there are about 2,300 heat-related deaths in the U.S., but some 100,000 die each year from the cold. How many will die from a colder-than-average winter?

How much planning has gone into dealing with the possibility of a colder than expected winter? So far as I can tell from White House news releases and presidential remarks, none. The White House seems even less proactive than the working guy living paycheck to paycheck. Less, in fact. At least the average household has a valid excuse in that its money doesn't go as far as it did under President Trump. As for the White House, it can print as much as it likes, and it has.

The likelihood of a cold, dark, wet winter filled with death, disease, heavy snowfalls, vehicular deaths, and higher heating bills, and higher bills for everything else, isn't something to ignore, but the Biden administration seems to ignore every rational threat  like China, for example  while exploiting every irrational danger, like "boiling" climate change.

A rational response would be to begin planning for and alerting the public to the dangers and likelihood of a colder than normal winter. But that would upset the global warming narrative, which is why we haven't heard much about the cold. Not since our moms insisted we wear an extra set of wool socks.

Biden won't say it, so I'll say it for him: prepare for a long and costly winter  the kind Shakespeare, who knew a lot about the cold (living through one of the coldest periods in modern British history), describes in many of his plays, including King Lear, Richard III, and Hamlet.

One can learn a great deal from Shakespeare, but I doubt if many of Biden's young advisers are conversant with his plays. And when it comes to Biden's climate policies, one quote in particular comes to mind: "Nothing can come of nothing" (King Lear, Act I, Scene 1).

Prepare for the cold. Add to your savings. Prepare your vehicle for winter. Guard your health as best as you can. And pray for a conservative victory in November 2024.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).

Image: 358611 via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
If you read nothing else this week, read Victor Davis Hansons article in American Greatness detailing how Obama began the most radical revolutions in our history. As legal matters -- the lawfare waged against former President Trump and the Department of Justices pussyfooting around the Biden bribery took this weeks center stage, its useful to note his remarks on the weaponization of justice in this country.

Heres a sample:

Administrations and their efforts to stock the justice department with supporters come and go. But in the last decade the Left has viewed the Department of Justice as a political extension of the party -- whose unchecked power must properly be directed to hurt enemies and help friends. [snip] Never in U.S. history have the Department of Justice and sympathetic state and local prosecutors indicted a leading opposition candidate and likely nominee of one of the two major parties, and at the beginning of a presidential campaign. Donald Trump is currently charged with nearly 100 felonies by at least two prosecutors. He likely eventually will be hit with more than- 500 indictments, from four prosecutors, every one of the latter with a long record of either leftwing associations or Democratic service. The mass murderer Charles Manson faced less legal exposure. No one believes Trump would have been indicted on such counts -- most of them involving allegations from years past -- were he not running for President. One count that Donald Trump is not charged with is bribery, or taking money while in office, a crime cited as impeachable in the Constitution and germane to the accusations that Joe Biden and his family raked in millions from foreign governments due to the improper use of his prior Vice Presidency. [snip] Given such asymmetry in the application of the laws, conservative or even apolitical Americans are apprehensive that any political prominence will draw the attention of government in effort to either indict or bankrupt them with legal expenses. The last four FBI Directors have either admitted they lied under oath, or preposterously under oath claimed ignorance or amnesia about events directly under their control. Or they simply stonewalled subpoenas and testimonies about alleged FBI crimes. The former CIA Director admitted to lying twice under oath. The FBI hired social media corporations to suppress election-cycle news deemed unhelpful to the Left. The agency, along with Democratic operatives, helped hatch the election-cycle conspiracy of the 2015-2016 Russian-Collusion hoax, and the 2020 Russian disinformation laptop hoax. [snip] On the prompt of a Joe Biden campaign official (and now Secretary of State) and a former interim CIA director, 50 former intelligence officials lied to the electorate that an authentic but incriminating Biden computer was a likely Russian planta fact known to be lie but not disclosed as such by the FBI.

Jack Smith, with a long history of partisan conduct, is the prosecuting attorney in the case in the District of Columbia charging Trump with disinformation regarding the 2020 election, a confection of dubious legal basis. This week, the parties argued before District Court judge Tanya Chutkin the prosecutions right to muzzle Trump during his campaign as he and his team poison public opinion and a potential jury pool with leaks and accusations of wrongdoing. Judge Chutkin has a history of sentencing J6 defendants to longer sentences than even the prosecution requested. She warned counsel for Trump that politics had no place in her courtroom, but in at least one transcribed exchange with one of those defendants she tipped her hand, expressing her view that it was wrong that Trump was not yet jailed:

1 judges are taking their fair share of these cases, myself

2 included; and every case presents a different defendant and

3 a different situation, and I know I and my other colleagues

4 endeavor to treat each defendant as an individual and not as

5 part of a mob. But we have to be mindful of what happened

6 that day.

7 Every single time that I see videotape or hear recordings

8 of what happened that day, I am struck anew with both the

9 horror of what was going on that day and how close we came --

10 how close we came to not fulfilling one of the basic functions

11 of our democracy, which is a peaceful transfer of power, which

12 we lecture other governments all over the world on and we're

13 supposed to be an example of, and we were not that day.

14 And so while Mr. Langmack is correct in that your

15 background didn't involve any criminal activity, the events

16 of that day and the seriousness of those events cannot be

17 understated. This was nothing less than an attempt to

18 violently overthrow the government, the legally, lawfully,

19 peacefully elected government by individuals who were mad

20 that their guy lost. 1 seem woefully ignorant; not to the ideals of this country;

2 and not to the principles of democracy. It's a blind loyalty

3 to one person who, by the way, remains free to this day.

Depending on which source you read about her decision on this -- she either slapped down the prosecution or preserved Trumps right to free speech.

In actuality, I think she is allowing the prosecution to interfere with his reelection bid, and has greased the ladder to intervention by the Supreme Court.

An online poster with the nom de pixels Shipwrecked Crew is a very experienced criminal lawyer. I credit him, far more than the journalism majors, wet behind the ears, who make up most of the legal commentary in the major media. He says this about this weeks Chutkin order.

It invites a ton of litigation over whether discovery provided by the [prosecutor] is properly designated as sensitive because it allows [him] to make the initial determination with no judicial oversight. So the Prosecutor controls what material the defendant can discuss in public. That wont stand up to scrutiny. Theres a suggestion in her comments that not only the prosecution, but the Pretrial Services branch as well, will be monitoring Trumps public statements, [T]he idea that either the executive Branch or the Judicial Branch is going to monitor political speech for -- a candidate who enjoys the presumption of innocence still -- that will consist of noting evidence of his innocence for purposes of a advancing his political campaign, is a situation that presages a battle that might very well get Trump out of the District Court and onto an appellate track. Decisions by the District Court that impact pretrial release are immediately appealable -- unlike most other issues at the District Court level in a federal criminal case. Once on that road, a lot of other options begin to present themselves. Then it becomes a matter of pushing the envelope in what you can get higher courts to take up as collateral matters.

Receiving more coverage this week was Fridays appointment of a special counsel to handle matters involving Hunter Biden -- and perhaps his father and other family members.

Once upon a time in America we had a statute permitting the appointment of independent counsels. They operated independently of the Department of Justice but with oversight by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Appellate Court of the District of Columbia. After the Ken Starr probe of the Clintons, Congress in 1999 allowed the relevant statute to lapse. The Department then adopted regulations respecting creation of special counsels. Such appointees must have a reputation for integrity and impartial decision making and are supposed to come from outside the government. They report to the Attorney General, who can fire them. In fact, the requirement the counsels are supposed to come from outside the government was ignored in 2003 when James Comey appointed Patrick Fitzgerald special counsel in the Plame case. And the department ignored the clear terms of the regulation again in 2020 when John Durham was appointed to investigate charges of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

To avoid any confusion, let me begin by explaining the difference between a Special Counsel and an Independent Counsel. Its a significant and historical one. Essentially, special counsels offer a cover for Attorneys General by allowing a not really independent person to act as a buffer -- a front if you will -- to shield them from politically sticky stuff. At the end of their work, such counsels are to prepare a written report to the Attorney General who in his discretion decides whether or not to make the report public.

In this case, the appointment of David Weiss as special counsel was met with disbelief. Professor Jonathan Turley details why this was such an outrageous move by Attorney General Garland:

This is, after all, the same Weiss who headed an investigation that was trashed by whistleblowers, who alleged that his investigation had been fixed from the outset. It is the same Weiss who ran an investigation in which agents were allegedly prevented from asking about Joe Biden, obstructed in their efforts to pursue questions and compromised by tip offs to the Biden team on planned searches. It was also the same Weiss who reportedly allowed the statute of limitations to run out on Hunters major tax offenses, even though he had the option to extend it. It was the same Weiss who did not indict on major tax felonies and cut a plea deal that brushed aside a felony gun charge. It was the same Weiss who inked a widely panned sweetheart deal that caused a federal judge to balk and trash a sweeping immunity grant -- language that even the prosecutor admitted he had never previously seen in a plea deal.[snip] The immediate effect of this belated appointment will be to insulate Weiss and the Department from Congress as it prepares to interview Weiss and members of his team. Yet if that was truly his purpose in doing this, Garland might have been too clever by half. First, since Garland did not appoint someone from outside of the Department (as envisioned under Section 600.3 of the statute). Of course, Garland could insist that, although this appointment from inside the Justice Department violates the statute, Special Counsel John Durham was also selected from the departments ranks. Yet that does not excuse the appointment of a prosecutor who has been accused of conflicts of interest and false statements -- the very antithesis of a special counsel who is supposed to have a reputation for integrity and impartial decision-making.

Did Garland think this appointment would foreclose any further work by the House Oversight Committee into President Bidens corruption? The editors of the Wall Street Journal opine that now both Messrs. Weiss and Garland will claim they cannot cooperate with the committee because of an ongoing investigation

We are now going to have a presidential election debate adjudicated in effect by special counsels. Dont expect any of this to calm our partisan furies or restore faith in nonpartisan justice.

Shipwrecked Crew predicts Weiss will offer a diversion deal on the gun charge and avoid a felony, noting that the charge potentially has constitutional problems. Hunters big problem, he thinks, is that the departments tax division has already authorized a felony tax evasion count for 2018 in California, and while as a U.S. Attorney in Delaware, Weiss couldnt bring that case there, as special counsel he can bring an indictment in California, The statute of limitations on that count doesnt take effect until 2024. If so, its unclear which judge would preside over the trial. As he believes any Biden appointee would recuse, Turley thinks Weiss might also pursue Hunters failure to register as a foreign agent and other crimes detailed in the now abandoned plea bargain.
We like to think of the Taliban as barefoot, snaggle-toothed, stone-age barbarians waving rifles, who, through the miracle of Joe Biden's incompetence, managed to humiliate the U.S. militarily on the world stage in 2021.

But it turns out they're competent in more than one thing, and arguably heroic.

According to ZeroHedge:

It has already been called the most successful counter-narcotics effort in human history. Armed with little more than sticks, teams of counter-narcotics brigades travel the country, cutting down Afghanistans poppy fields. In April of last year, the ruling Taliban government announced the prohibition of poppy farming, citing both their strong religious beliefs and the extremely harmful social costs that heroin and other opioids  derived from the sap of the poppy plant  have wrought across Afghanistan. It has not been all bluster. New research from geospatial data company Alcis suggests that poppy production has already plummeted by around 80% since last year. Indeed, satellite imagery shows that in Helmand Province, the area that produces more than half of the crop, poppy production has dropped by a staggering 99%. Just 12 months ago, poppy fields were dominant. But Alcis estimates that there are now less than 1,000 hectares of poppy growing in Helmand. Instead, farmers are planting wheat, helping stave off the worst of a famine that U.S. sanctions helped create. Afghanistan is still in a perilous state, however, with the United Nations warning that six million people are close to starvation.

Who would have thunk these guys could solve not one, but two, supposedly intractable problems at once, not only saving their own population (and ours) from the ravages of drug addiction but also making a big dent in the global hunger crisis brought on by Russia's war against Ukraine? And they did it in less than a year.

Wow. Just wow.

That's serious moral cred from just about the last people you'd ever expect to solve any problem whatsoever, let alone an 'intractable' problem.

And I am sure it was done pretty crudely, with little use of pronouns and no respect for the criminal class. But they got it done.

That raises questions about just what the U.S. has been doing all these years as the opium trade grew -- and grew -- to the point where a sizable percentage of the Afghan population were hopelessly addicted to opium and heroin, and the nation became a pariah state because of all its drug production. Were U.S, drug eradication efforts useful at all? This went on for decades, with absolutely zero progress. If anything, U.S. efforts produced the opposite of their intended effect, given the descent of the country.

The problem was so bad the Soros-led punditocracy managed to create the "narrative" that the problem was intractable, unsolvable, impossible to do anything about, so the only "solution" was drug legalization. That created the current homeless/drug addict problems in America's blue cities, which is being responded to with yet another layer of incompetence.

Now the Taliban has marched in and shown the world how it's done. I'm sure it was draconian. I am sure there was a lot of 'swift and certain' punishment for resisters. But they got it done, much as President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador got rid of crime in his country by jailing every last criminal in sardine-box conditions as a means of deterrence. Yes, it's very crude and there's probably a lot of bad behavior, but drug dealers are merciless and crude, too. Maybe what it takes is coming down to their level instead of all the bureaucratic regulations and human rights concerns of the U.S. swamp ethos abroad.

Now the U.S. stands humiliated a second time.

The Taliban is now in the oddly catbird position of being able to advise other nations awash in drug production/cartel disasters -- looking at you, Colombia -- on how to get rid of this problem in the space of a year. If the Taliban went over to Colombia, offered to show the Colombians how to get rid of their country's newly resurgent cocaine production problem -- at a price, of course, of kicking out the U.S. military presence there to help eradicate drugs -- who would criticize them?

That of course would be rather bad news for the U.S., getting kicked out like that on its most important South American ally owing to its incompetent results. With Colombia now run by a far-leftist, I would argue that there's a not-zero chance of this scenario happening.

So much for the U.S. being a "can do" nation. The Taliban took that title from us, too. Maybe a future administration can learn from them about what works. It won't happen with this one.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License

This one may be even more humilating:
According to those leftists who seem okay with having Biden at the head of the 2024 Democrat party ticket, Joe Biden is just a friendly guy who did nothing more than say hi to people. It was Hunter who was selling an illusion that his clients were buying access to Joe Biden. And if you believe that, Ive got a bridge in Ukraine to sell you that honest!hasnt had any damage from Russian shelling. At least, thats according to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-CA).

Before getting to Goldmans novel interpretation of whats been going on with Joe and Hunter Biden, a little history:

While Vice President, Joe often took Hunter with him on official trips. On those same trips, we know that Hunter met rich people who were corrupt or had ties to our geopolitical opponents. They looked at this guy with no discernable skills and a long history of raging addictions and decided that they wanted to give him tens of millions of dollars.

Then, tens of millions of dollars that Hunter Biden received got spread throughout the Biden familys bank accounts. Hunters laptop shows him complaining that he was forced to fund the whole family. And we know at least one major deal required 10% for the Big Guy, someone his business associates have identified as Joe Biden himself.

Then, on almost two dozen occasions, when Hunter was having meetings with these fabulously wealthy people connected to corrupt governments or to governments of countries that are Americas geopolitical opponents, Joe just happened to call in, and Hunter couldnt resist putting Joe on the speaker to talk about such scintillating topics as the weather.

Then theres Burisma. We learned recently that a confidential informant reported that Burismas head said that, despite Hunter being dumber than a dog, he was worth the $83,000 a month Burisma paid him because that got the company access to Joe Biden and the protection Joe could provide them against potential legal problems. Joe Biden later proudly boasted how he used the threat of withholding American funds to get fired the same Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma.

In sum, Hunter Biden was a man without any useful skills and with multiple high-risk behaviors. Nevertheless, as his father took him around the world on Air Force Two, he managed to bring in multi-multi-multi-million-dollar contracts from corrupt or foreign-government-connected businesses. He complained that this money went, not to him, but to his family, including the infamous 10% for the Big Guy. Hunter and his company did nothing tangible for these companies. However, his father, the Vice President, called into Hunters meetings with representatives of these companies and ended up on the speaker so all could hear him.

Those of us with suspicious minds see a very distinct pattern: Joe Biden, while Vice President, arranged for his son to be in the right place to meet Eastern European (and other oligarchs) and Chinese businessmen tied to Xi Jinpings government. Despite the red flags around Hunter and his overall uselessness, these same people entered into massive contracts with Hunters businesses, not because of what Hunter did but because it gave them an in with the Vice President of the United States (who had seemingly put Hunter in their path).

Later, to ensure that they knew they were getting their moneys worth, that same Vice President called Hunter during their meetings with Hunter. Once on the speaker, Joe didnt havent to say anything compromising. It was enough that he was making it clear that he knew what Hunter was doing and was a party to those dealings.

If Hunter was scamming these investors by implying he had Joes ear, Hunters identity as Joes son would have been enough to seal the deal. However, when he deliberately called during meetings, Joe Biden was signaling, What Hunters promising is real. I know whats going on, and Im here for you.

Joe Biden seems to have been well-bought. Theres the Ukraine matter, of course, including his dumping American dollars and weapons in Ukraine, which looks even shadier thanks to this photo:

SHOCKING: Here we have then Vice President Joe Biden being briefed by Amos Hochstein before his trip to Ukraine where he threatened to withhold aid. At the time, Hochstein was in coordinating talks between Hunter Biden and Burisma.



This photo shows just how deep the pic.twitter.com/qR8IT5fPMx  Travis (@Travis_in_Flint) August 10, 2023

And when it comes to China, Biden undid every single protection Trump put in place to help American trade and control Chinese expansion. Its impossible to know how many other of Bidens actions resulted not from weird policy decisions but from payoffs. Its against this background that Dan Goldman steps in to assure us that Joe Biden did nothing wrong. Its all on Hunter, who used his family name to create the illusion of power:

Goldman: "The president saying hello to people when he puts them on the phone is not at all doing anything to influence any policy." pic.twitter.com/wQjDjjqX8j  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2023

In the same interview, Goldman says that David Weisss appointment to Special Counsel in the Hunter Biden matter is proof of Joe Bidens and Merrick Garlands probity:

Goldman: "This is something that is routinely treated in a civil way ... not criminally ... that's why this plea deal [with Hunter Biden] has broken down, because of the threat of Trump's weaponization of the DOJ if he were to become president." pic.twitter.com/vQuoFow4ry  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 13, 2023

The opposite is true. David Weiss is the prosecutor who wanted a corrupt plea deal that he crafted to deceive the court. Moreover, his appointment as Special Counsel not only violates DOJ regulations for special prosecutors but also insulates the DOJ from congressional elections.

Rep. Goldman sounds ridiculousuntil you remember that the entire Democrat establishment (politicians, bureaucrats, and the media) has his back.

Image: Dan Goldman on CNN. Twitter screen grab.
With Joe Bidens physical and mental health an obvious issue, his sex and race-driven choice of Kamala Harris as his veep is worrisome for the less delusional Democrats. They know that the prospect of her inheriting the presidency might scare away some voters from a ticket headed by a then-80 year old in 2024, or if, God forbid, Bidens life were cut short after the nominating convention, they would be stuck with an obviously imbecilic candidate.

But Biden, or those who pull his puppet strings, seems to be sticking by Kamala. In an email to supporters, he wrote:

Picking Kamala as my eventual vice president was one of the best decisions I made as a presidential nominee, the president said.

Three years ago today, President @JoeBiden announced @KamalaHarris as his running mate.

The same message was also tweeted out by The Democrats X (formerly Twitter) account, asking Dems to reply by telling where they were when they heard the news, as if it were one of the most important moments of their lives.

Three years ago today, President @JoeBiden announced @KamalaHarris as his running mate.



Comment below where you were when you found out  pic.twitter.com/6OcknV3CIs  The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 11, 2023

But other Democrats are unsheathing their long knives in an effort to scare off supporters from inflicting the frequently incoherent Kamala on the party and the nation a second time. See, for example, a truly nasty fact check from reliably leftist Politifact.

Choosing Kamalas statement on ABC television, There are polls that also say I have great approval ratings, Politifact wrote:

No recent public poll shows Kamala Harris with great approval ratings

IF YOUR TIME IS SHORT

Among more than 100 publicly released polls dating to October 2021, none shows Vice President Kamala Harris with approval ratings that outweigh disapproval ratings.

FiveThirtyEight, a polling aggregation website, shows the average for Harris recent approval polls have hovered around 12 points "underwater."

See the sources for this fact-check

Of course, dumping Harris, even if Biden does not or cannot run again, risks alienating Blacks, South Asians, and feminists to whom identity politics trumps ability, admittedly a popular inclination among the Democrats most loyal supporters. So those trying to warn off the party from a suicide mission with Kamala have their work cut out for them.

This will be highly entertaining, albeit dismayingly risky for the nation, with the prospect of a President Kamala Harris a real danger, especially given the electoral flim-flammery at the Democrats disposal.

Photo credit: X (formerly Twitter) video screengrab
August 11 got me reminiscing: 52 years ago, on August 11, 1971, I got my first QSL card.

Whats a QSL card? Its basically a picture postcard that radio stations send to listeners as verification they actually had listened to that station. Youd mail in a reception report with details about what you heard and how well the signal was received and a QSL card came in the post. It was/is a big thing in shortwave radio, that part of the spectrum just above the AM band where stations broadcast internationally. My first QSL was from Radio Prague.

A 12-year old kid getting mail from an then-Iron Curtain country was a big thing. Gleaning cards from around the world was exciting!

My aunt gave me an old shortwave radio she had and, from that began a hobby that coincided with the golden age of shortwave radio: the 1960s-1980s. I probably gathered about 40 or so QSL cards. My most exotic catch? The Sierra Leone Broadcasting Station, Freetown, West Africa. Not bad for a kid in Perth Amboy, New Jersey!

Shortwave radio was ascendant in those days for two reasons: without the internet, there was no other rapid communications network and, in the middle of the Cold War, both sides were out to make friends and influence people. The East was especially active: who would have thought that one of the most powerful English broadcasters was Radio Tirana, Albania?

Shortwaves changed a lot since then. For one, its a shadow of its heyday. Because of its Cold War connections, the fall of the Soviet Union led to a lot of stations going off the air, mostly because they couldnt afford and/or didnt see the need to stay on it. The peace dividend was also taken out of the hide of shortwave radio, and some of the most popular stations, like Radio Australia, are gone.

The rise of the internet also altered the information landscape. Why listen to a station with a lot of crackly static whose reception depended on solar conditions when you could have crystal clear audio on demand over the net at a fraction of the cost? Other popular stations (also driven by information diplomacy on the cheap) also went that route and became shadows of their former selves: think Radio Canada or Swiss Radio International.

This isnt just memory lane. I want to raise the question: how are we winning friends and influencing people (especially in their own languages) today?

The biggest international broadcastersVoice of America, Voice of Russia (old Radio Moscow), China Radio International (old Radio Peking)are alive and kicking. And, reverting to pre-Cold War history, private broadcasters (especially religious ones) have taken to the airwaves.

My experience showed that mediums effectiveness. I learned a great deal about geography and politics through that radio. It was also my first exposure to disinformation, nor was my instinctual reaction one of cancellation: my certificate as an Honorary Listener of Radio Sofia, Bulgaria attests to that. In the early 1970s, not many of my peers knew about the Sino-Soviet rift, much less could hear its practical expression when switching between Radio Tirana, Radio Sofia, and Radio Belgrade. My expertise in Central European affairs probably began with that radio. Shortwave may not have made me a friend of our opponents, but it enabled me to understand where they were coming from, both literally and sub-text.

Thats not to say that all change is bad, much less that it can be stopped. The Internet puts lots of choices at peoples fingertips, and the chances of learning about other countries and cultures are there, albeit differently. Whether those differences are as stark as they were 52 years ago perhaps says something about the West, too: have we given up propagating whats uniquely ours in the name of values relativism?

That said, theres still something different and exciting about a scratchy announcement, This is Radio Tashkent, the voice of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, that FM-quality internet just doesnt provide.

John M. Grondelski is an independent scholar writing from Falls Church, Virginia. All views expressed are his own.

Image: Mark Pitcher, via Flickr // CC BY 2.0
Yesterday marked another epic though largely forgotten battle in the long war between Islam and Christendom.

A few weeks after liberating Jerusalem from Muslim control in mid-July 1099, the First Crusaders received their first major challenge: a massive Muslim army, consisting of Egyptians, North Africans, Arabs, sub-Saharan Africans, and Turks, led by al-Afdal Shahanshah (1066-1122), the vizier and effective ruler of Fatimid Egypt, was making its way to besiege Jerusalem and annihilate the insolent Christians.

Although the Sunni Turks and Shia Fatimids had been at each other's throats for decades, "fear of the Christians ... drew them together." For Robert the Monk, who tended to see temporal conflicts as reflective of eternal ones, that "writhing serpent," Satan, had "in his venom" stirred up the "whole of the Orient."

Rather than taking a defensive posture and barricading Jerusalem, Godfrey de Bouillon, the de facto king of Jerusalem, decided to go out and give battle with his entire army on August 10. Knowing that everything was on the line  and that they were outnumbered by and far from as refreshed as the Fatimid army  the knights marched barefoot in the desert heat, carrying a fragment of the True Cross, which had been recovered on May 5 in Jerusalem, while loudly imploring God for aid.

They met and were augmented by the forces of Count Raymond and the two Roberts, the counts of Normandy and Flanders. Altogether, the Crusader army consisted of about one thousand knights and ten thousand infantrymen; the Muslim army was as much as five times larger.

On August 11, the Franks, having neared the coastal city of Ascalon, where al-Afdal's forces were encamped, captured Muslim spies and ascertained the opposing army's status and layout. With such information, Godfrey decided that a surprise attack was in order. Thus, today in history, at the crack of dawn on August 12, the tired Christian fighters attended Mass, partook of Communion, and then, once again, rode out to victory or death.

And again, as at Antioch, the much larger and overconfident Muslim army was taken unawares. The vizier was shocked to learn that, instead of abandoning or at least barricading themselves inside Jerusalem, the Christian infidels had actually dared to rush out and intercept him. "Either they have lost their senses," he exclaimed before his chiefs, "or they love death as much as life." Either way, "exterminate them from the earth!"

A wild battle ensued and continued for the greater part of the day. The Christians had the upper hand. "[W]ith drawn swords in the hands of his followers," Albert writes, "Godfrey visited severe destruction on the enemy." Robert of Normandy also distinguished himself in battle, slaughtering the vizier's standard bearer, and Raymond "killed innumerable enemies and forced many more to plunge in the sea." By late afternoon, thousands of Muslims lay dead or dying on the sands outside the walls of Ascalon. The rest fled back to Egypt  even as the Crusaders "pursued the enemies of the Cross of Christ."

The reader is left to muse on Vizier al-Afdal's lamentation to Allah and his prophet, reportedly made moments before his army was routed by the Crusaders (as recorded in Robert the Monk's contemporary account, which was informed by a Muslim deserter):

O Mahommed, our master and protector, where is your strength? ... Why have you abandoned your people like this to be mercilessly destroyed and dispersed and killed by a wretchedly poor and ragged people, a people who are the scrapings of other races, the lees, rust and slag of the whole human race. ... Are those who have such power really men or are they in fact gods from Hell? Maybe Hell split asunder and let these men spew forth. ... If they were really men they would fear death; but as it is they have no fear of returning to the Hell from which they emerged. ... O Mahommed, Mahommed. ... This is what the Christians say to insult us: that the power of the Crucified One is greater than yours because he is powerful on earth and in heaven. And it certainly seems to be the case now that those who place their trust in him win, whilst those who revere you are defeated. ... So whose fault is it that we are reduced to this state? Why should we give you every honor and receive nothing in return? O Jerusalem ... if you ever fall into our hands I shall raze you to the ground and completely destroy the Sepulchre of the One buried in you.

Note: This account was excerpted from and is documented in Chapter 1 of Raymond Ibrahim's Defenders of the West: The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam.

Image via Pixabay.
The Zuck v. Musk fight may not happen anytime soon.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently posted that anything X.com CEO Elon Musk says about the fight is not official until Zuckerberg says so, as the latter hasn't confirmed his readiness to fight in the octagon.

Musk first challenged Zuckerberg into a "cage match" in June, though he has yet to show he was prepared to take on this fight.

Zuck v. Musk Fight Details Discrepancy

Zuckerberg mentioned in a Threads post that he has been ready to fight since the day Musk challenged him. However, as Musk has yet to agree on an actual date for when the fight will happen, the decision to fix one falls on him.

He then advises people to assume that anything Musk says about the fight has not been agreed on by himself and Musk. Zuckerberg adds that he wants to share details on his next fight when he's ready and that he's "not holding [his breath]" for Musk.

Zuckerberg's statement about his fight with Musk seems to be stems from Musk's recent X.com post saying that everything in the camera frame will be Ancient Rome. He also said that he already spoke with the Italian Prime Minister and Minister of Culture regarding the fight; he claims they agreed on an "epic location."

"Everything done will pay respect to the past and present of Italy," the X.com owner posted.

Read More: Taylor Swift's Version of 1989 Now Available for Digital Pre-Order

Additionally, Musk said his fight with Zuckerberg will be livestreamed on X.com and Meta since it will be managed by the foundations Musk and Zuckerberg founded.

However, there is reason to believe that Musk could be stalling for time to fight Zuckerberg. He previously posted that the exact fight date is still in flux due to medical problems on his end - he needs to get an MRI of his neck and upper back the following day.

Musk added he may require surgery before the fight can happen, which he underwent on the same day, per The Verge. He may need a few months to recover from the surgery before he can fight if he does at all.

When Is The Fight?

As previously mentioned, the date for the Zuck v. Musk fight is still in flux and has yet to be decided by both parties. However, based on Musk's activity, the fight could happen in a few months or longer, if it happens at all.

Regardless, Zuckerberg has yet to break his consistent record of saying he's ready to fight Musk and is only waiting for a date to show Musk his mettle.

All of the proceeds that the fight will make will go to a charity for veterans, Musk previously revealed. However, finding a solution to how the fight will be livestreamed isn't as cut and dry.

Musk previously said that the fight would be livestreamed on X.com, but Zuckerberg opposed it, saying they should use a more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity.

Related Article: Zuck vs Musk Cage Fight Will Stream on X, Zuck Says Otherwise
(ANSA) - ROME, AUG 13 - Penitentiary police officers have intervened to prevent a young inmate from committing suicide at a jail in Potenza, the Basilicata regional secretary of the autonomous union of prison police (Sappe), Saverio Brienza, said on Sunday.

The incident took place on 10 August.

The prisoner, a 20-year-old Italian of Roma origin, tried to hang himself from the bars of his cell after tying together his bedding, but was rescued by two assistant police chiefs at the jail.

Brienza highlighted the "shameful" reduction in the number of prison officers in Basilicata prisons, while Sappe Secretary General Donato Capece called on Justice Minister Carlo Nordio to "Set up permanent working group on the critical situation in prisons immediately".

Prison police personnel are "exhausted by the relentless rhythm of service due to the constant and violent acts of aggression," he added.

The poor conditions and chronic overcrowding in Italy's prisons has come back into the spotlight after the suicide of two female inmates at Le Vallette prison in Turin and the death of a male prisoner in Calabria on Saturday.

Nordio has said the solution is to readapt former army barracks as prisons for people convicted of minor crimes.

However, prisoners' rights association Antigone and unions representing penitentiary police officers insist that more prison staff and non-custodial measures as an alternative to imprisonment are needed. (ANSA).


A total of 509 people crossed the English Channel in 10 boats on the day six died when a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of France.

The latest Home Office figures take the provisional total for the past three days alone to more than 1,600, with more than 16,600 having made the journey so far this year.

A Cabinet minister defended the Governments immigration strategy on Sunday amid renewed pressure, including from Tory MPs, over its stop the boats pledge following Saturdays fatal incident.

(PA Graphics)

At least six people died and at least 58  many of them Afghans  were rescued after a boat got into difficulty of the coast of Sangatte on Saturday.

According to the accounts of survivors, around 65 people had originally boarded the overloaded vessel before a passing ship saw it sinking and raised the alarm at around 4.20am.

Wales Secretary David TC Davis admitted the crossings would continue to be a problem, but insisted some boats were being stopped.

We have stopped a lot, he told Sky News.

Rishi Sunak has made tackling the crossings one of five key priorities for his leadership and asked people to judge him on his management of the problem.

MPs have called for action against criminal people-smuggling gangs profiting from the journeys while campaigners have described the deaths as an appalling and preventable tragedy.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Conservative backbencher and former party chairman Sir Jake Berry said: We must put a stop to the vile people smugglers who trade in human misery and whose actions result in the loss of life.

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said action to deter criminal gangs facilitating the journeys is desperately needed.

Care4Calais said the incident was an appalling and preventable tragedy, while the Refugee Council warned more people will die unless more safe routes to the UK are created.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the incident as a tragic loss of life and said she had chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday.

It comes after the Government was accused of allowing its small boats week of linked announcements on immigration to descend into farce following the removal of dozens of asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Senior Conservative backbencher David Davis said the startling incompetence of the Home Office had been laid bare after all 39 people on board the 500-capacity vessel were disembarked due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply.

However, ministers intend to push on with plans to hire more barges to house asylum seekers, as well as student halls and former office blocks, The Telegraph reported.

All 39 people on board the 500-capacity Bibby Stockholm barge were disembarked after Legionella bacteria was discovered in the water supply (James Manning/PA)

The people who had been on the Bibby Stockholm, which had been billed as a cheaper alternative to expensive hotels for those awaiting the outcome of their claims, are now back being housed in other accommodation.

The Home Office has said the health and welfare of asylum seekers remains of the utmost priority and that the evacuation took place as a precautionary measure, with all protocol and advice followed.

Minister David TC Davies on Sunday defended the Governments handling of the setback, saying its evacuation of people from the vessel actually demonstrates how were putting the safety of people first.

Asked whether the incident points to a wider failure within the Home Office, he told Times Radio: No, it doesnt. It doesnt at all. The checks were being made.

But shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said a better, fairer system is needed to tackle the backlog of asylum applications and cut the need for temporary accommodation.

She told the same programme that prosecutions of people smugglers are falling under the current Government.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton said the Governments small boats week of linked announcements on immigration was a hostage to fortune.

He told Times Radio: I think it was probably not a good idea to have a small boats week. It was a hostage to fortune and clearly it depends on how many people are risking their lives coming across the Channel, which is dependent on the weather and how people smugglers are operating.

But Mr Loughton, a member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, also said part of the problem lies with France, calling on the countrys authorities to intervene.

Without the French actually intercepting and detaining those boats, then we have a problem stopping that, he said.

Secondly, the Home Office has got to do a lot better in speeding up the processing times of those people who do then come to the UK to see whether they have a legitimate asylum claim or not.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Mail on Sunday the incident was a wake-up call for all those who speak only of rights, but seem incapable of balancing those rights against the terrible risks that people are undertaking.
Sir Tony Blairs institute has continued to advise and receive money from the government of Saudi Arabia since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it has emerged.

The Sunday Times reported the former prime ministers organisation is involved in a multimillion-pound partnership helping with a modernisation drive in the country led by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The prince, who is the Gulf states de facto leader, was accused of ordering the assassination of dissident Washington Post journalist Mr Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

He has denied any involvement and blamed rogue agents.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (Leon Neal/PA)

Sir Tonys spokesman confirmed that the Tony Blair Institute had continued its involvement in Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, a wide-ranging programme of economic reform devised to boost tourism and reduce reliance on oil, after Mr Khashoggis death.

According to a statement, anxieties were initially expressed internally as the institute considered how to proceed with the partnership, which started in 2017, following the killing.

But ultimately, Sir Tony was of the view that continued engagement was justified despite the terrible crime, and no senior staff or board member opposed the decision, the spokesman said.

The renewed engagement of the USA and Western nations with Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman illustrates why this decision was correct, a statement said.

It comes after the Financial Times reported that Rishi Sunak invited the prince to the UK in the autumn. Downing Street declined to comment at the time.

A UK visit would be the latest sign of Western countries welcoming the crown prince back into the diplomatic fold after he was frozen out following the murder.

A man holds posters denouncing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Britain is aiming to strengthen its ties with the kingdom despite concerns over its human rights record as it seeks to attract investment from the oil-rich Gulf following Brexit.

The FT said details of the trip have not yet been finalised, quoting an official as saying: Its more up to them, given we need them more than they need us.

Mr Sunak met Prince Mohammed on the margins of the G20 summit in Bali last November, where the leaders discussed social reforms and civil liberties  but not the murder of Mr Khashoggi, No 10 said at the time.

US President Joe Biden raised the subject in his own talks over energy and security issues when he met the crown prince last year, indicating that he thought the Saudi leader was responsible for the killing.

A statement from Sir Tonys office said that he took the view then and is strongly of the view now that the programme of social and economic change under way in Saudi Arabia is of immense and positive importance to the region and the world the relationship with Saudi Arabia is of critical strategic importance to the West, and that therefore staying engaged there is justified.
Teenagers receiving their A-level results must expect lower grades than last year so universities and employers can properly distinguish between candidates, the Education Secretary has said.

In England, this years national A-level results on Thursday will be similar to those before the pandemic.

It comes after Covid-19 led to an increase in top A-level grades in 2020 and 2021, with results based on teacher assessments instead of exams.

Gillian Keegan wrote in the Sunday Times: During the pandemic, results were higher because of the way grades were assessed  now grades will be lower than last year and more similar to 2019.

Pupils and parents might wonder why.

It is vital that qualifications hold value so that universities and employers understand the distinction between grades when recruiting, and pupils get the opportunities they deserve.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, has suggested 59,154 fewer A* grades and 35,505 fewer A grades will be awarded to sixth-formers this year compared with last year.

He added that nearly 50,000 students could miss out on getting the A* and A grades they could have expected last year if this summers grading returns to pre-pandemic standards.

But schools minister Nick Gibb has said additional protection is in place this year where grade boundaries will be altered if senior examiners find national evidence of a drop in standards compared with 2019.

School leavers are expected to face more competition for university places due to a growth in 18-year-olds in the population and international demand.

Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, told school leavers to research options and prepare a plan B ahead of A-level results day.
The 1975 are being asked to pay 2m in damages for allegedly breaking contract terms during a controversial show in Malaysia.

Last month, the British bands performance at Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur was cut short when frontman Matt Healy kissed bassist Ross MacDonald while criticising the countrys anti-LGBT+ laws, under which homosexual acts are illegal.

Malaysias government called the band extremely rude, adding that they would not be permitted to perform in the country again. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said that the government had called the organisers of the festival, which was then cancelled outright.

Future Sounds Asia (FSA), organisers of the festival, alleged that the band had given a pre-show written assurance they would adhere to all local guidelines and regulations and should acknowledge their liability and compensate FSA for damages incurred.

FSA claimed that Healy was to blame for the event cancellation due to his abusive language, equipment damage and indecent stage behaviour, and the organisations lawyers confirmed to PA that they are asking for 2,099,154.54 to be paid in compensation.

Ticketholders missed out on sets from artists including The Kid Laroi and The Strokes.

The claim against The 1975 is essentially for breach of contract, said David Mathew, legal counsel for FSA. They entered into a binding contract with Future Sound Asia to perform and the position of Future Sound Asia, among others, is that this contractual obligation was breached.

Further, Mr Healys representative categorically provided a pre-show written assurance that Mr Healy and The 1975s live performance shall adhere to all local guidelines and regulations during their set in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the assurance was ignored.

Mr Matthew added: Future Sound Asia is taking action in response to The 1975s breach of contract.

Their actions have had repercussions on local artists and small businesses, who relied on the festival for creative opportunities and their livelihoods. In this connection, Future Sound Asia wishes to move forward in a way that will give the Malaysian community affected some closure.

Matty Healy kissed bandmate Ross MacDonald in protest against Malaysias anti-LGBT+ laws (Getty Images)

The FSA previously said if the final warning is not addressed, then legal proceedings in English courts will begin.

Following the incident, the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital said that The 1975 had been blacklisted under a body that oversees foreign artists playing in Malaysia. The 1975 then cancelled two tour dates, at the We the Fest in Jakarta, Indonesia, and at the Taipei Music Centre in Taiwan.

The Independent has contacted Healy for comment.

Additional reporting by Agencies
A California man is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least five women across Los Angeles and West Hollywood, according to officials.

Andrey "Cosmo" Nguyen, 37, is charged with seven counts of rape by use of drugs, three counts of sexual penetration by anesthesia or controlled substance, one count of forcible rape, one count of oral copulation by anesthesia or controlled substance, one count of sale/transportation/offer to sell a controlled substance and one count of sexual battery.

Between June 2021 and June 2023, Nguyen allegedly drugged and assaulted women between the ages of 18 and 21, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said Friday in announcing the arrest.

GRANDMA, 84, SLAMMED TO GROUND AFTER ALLEGEDLY BEING ATTACKED ON LOS ANGELES BUS, VIDEO SHOWS

"The violence and trauma that the five survivors in this case endured is abhorrent and will not be tolerated," Gascon said in a statement. "My office is committed to working tirelessly to prevent sexual assault, support survivors, and hold abusers accountable. We encourage any additional victims of Andrey Thanh Nguyen to come forward."

Nguyen was arrested Wednesday and pleaded not guilty at an arraignment the following day, Gascon said. Bail was set for $1,230,000 and his next court date is scheduled for August 30.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

LOS ANGELES COUNCILMAN, ACTIVIST WON'T FACE CHARGES OVER HOLIDAY FIGHT THAT WENT VIRAL

Nguyen allegedly drugged and assaulted women between the ages of 18 and 21 over the course of two years.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating the case.

Officials believe there may be additional victims and are asking the public to reach out with information identifying any victims.
Editors Note: Find Mondays Maui wildfires story here and live coverage here.

The long recovery process from the Maui wildfires that killed at least 93 people was underway Sunday as some residents returned to Lahaina and many struggled to find a place to stay.

Were short on housing here, Mike Cicchino told CNN. His family is staying in Kihei after the fire encroaching on his Lahaina home forced him to take refuge along the seawall for 12 hours. We just went through a nightmare, and were about to go through another nightmare trying to, basically, not stay homeless.

Hawaiian officials have stressed in news briefings the island is not closed to tourists  particularly the eastern side that was unaffected by wildfires. Cicchino said that is effectively forcing evacuated residents of west Maui to compete with island visitors for housing.

Live updates: Maui wildfires leave trail of death and destruction

I hate to say it, but I think they should put a little hold on people coming to visit because we dont have any places for locals to stay, he said. Theyre going to need those hotel rooms.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said work is being ramped up to get displaced Lahaina residents into temporary housing. Some of the first individuals will go into hotels today, and then large numbers tomorrow and the days subsequent to that, Green said Sunday, adding there were 500 rooms the government was paying for.

Rental homes will also serve as temporary homes, the governor added in a nine-minute video update. Airbnb is going to offer us hundreds of typically short-term rentals in a longer term capacity, so we can put people into a place for months.

At the checkpoint on the two-lane road around the northern shoreline to Lahaina, Maui police officers working 12-hour shifts were checking IDs to make sure only residents and people with a hotel reservation could continue down the road.

While things were chaotic the day prior, Sunday saw an orderly stream of people go through the checkpoint in Waihee, which is normally 20 minutes from Lahaina. People who lived outside historic Lahaina were able to return and stay, but no one is allowed inside the restricted burn zone.

Whipped by winds from Hurricane Dora hundreds of miles offshore, the fast-moving wildfires wiped out entire neighborhoods, burned historic landmarks to the ground and displaced thousands. Officials believe the fire that scorched Lahaina traveled 1 mile every minute when wind gusts increased, Green said Sunday.

As crews continue working to identify the 93 killed, the death toll is expected to rise. The Maui wildfires are the deadliest in the US in more than 100 years, according to research from the National Fire Protection Association.

This is the largest natural disaster weve ever experienced, the governor said at a Saturday night news conference. Its going to also be a natural disaster thats going to take an incredible amount of time to recover from.

Heres the latest:

 Identifying the victims: Only two of the victims have been identified, according to Maui County officials, and authorities expect the death toll to rise. Just 3% of the fire zone had been searched with cadaver dogs, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said, adding, None of us really know the size of it yet. He urged those with missing family members to contact authorities to coordinate a DNA test to assist in the identification process.

 Thousands displaced: Estimates indicate the fires have displaced thousands of people, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN on Thursday. A total of 2,700 structures were destroyed in Lahaina, Green said Sunday.

 Fire containment: Firefighters have made some progress in their battles against the three largest wildfires. The deadly fire in hard-hit Lahaina is 85% contained, according to Maui County officials. The Pulehu Fire  located farther east in Kihei  was declared 100% contained Saturday, but not extinguished, according to officials, while a third inferno in the hills of Mauis central Upcountry was 60% contained as of Sunday.

 Mauis warning sirens were not activated: State records show Mauis warning sirens were not activated, and the emergency communications with residents was largely limited to mobile phones and broadcasters at a time when most power and cell service was already cut.

 Disaster response under review: Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez will lead a comprehensive review of officials response to the catastrophic wildfires, her office said Friday. My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review, Lopez said in a statement. The governor on Sunday said he had authorized a comprehensive review. We will find out what we could have done to prevent such loss of life, he said.

Everythings gone, resident says



One longtime Maui resident told CNN on Sunday she lost a friend who tried to save her pets.

Susan Slobodnjak said she lives just outside of devastated Lahaina and also said she was unaware of the fires wrath as it approached.

They were stuck in their home without power or water. I had no idea what was going on just 2 miles down the road, she said, We had no information.

Slobodnjak, who has lived on the island for 31 years, said she drove through the popular tourist town on Friday.

Everythings gone. she said.

As searches of the burned ruins continue, officials warn they do not know exactly how many people are still missing in the torched areas.

We are in a period of mourning and loss as we search for more people who are still unaccounted for, Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Democrat who toured the devastation, told CNN Sunday, adding Hawaii is in a state of shock.

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier on Saturday said it was premature to assign even an approximate dollar amount to the damage done on Maui, the governor estimated that the losses approach $6 billion.

The devastation is so complete, that you see metals twisted in ways that you cant imagine, Green said. And you see nothing from organic structures left whatsoever.

We come at this like an ohana

More than a dozen federal agencies have been deployed to Hawaii to assist in the recovery efforts, including FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services.

FEMA has 416 people in the state, including Administrator Deanne Criswell, according to the governor.

Local sites and attractions meant for summer revelers are now on the front lines of the relief effort: Pacific Whale Foundation, which typically operates eco-tours across Maui, is instead using its ship to transport supplies like batteries, flashlights, water, food and diapers to people in need. And at the Lahaina Gateway and the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, food and water distribution sites have been set up, according to Green.

Thousands of pounds of food have been donated and are on the way, the governor said Saturday.

We come at this like an ohana (family) because its going to be, in the short term, heartbreaking. In the long term, people are going to need mental health care services. In the very long term, well rebuild together, Green said.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation will set aside a runway at Kahului Airport  the primary airport on the island of Maui  to accommodate incoming relief supplies, officials announced Saturday.

Volunteers unload supplies to be transported to people in need at Kahului Harbor in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday. - Evelio Contreras/CNN

Hirono echoed told CNNs Jake Tapper she believes the recovery will be long, and the state will need a lot of resources.

I visited one (shelter) with some 400 residents sleeping on cots, she said. We are going to need to provide them with short-term and long-term housing.

Meanwhile, tourism authorities are focused on helping visitors get off Maui, alleviating the pressure on residents and traffic, so that attention and resources can be focused on the islands recovery, Hawaii Tourism Authority spokesperson Ilihia Gionson said Saturday.

Gionson, who is a native Hawaiian, said residents will draw strength from the deep history of Lahaina  a former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom  and the very powerful spirits of Maui.

Its really in the families and in the hearts of the Kamaaina, the residents of those places, that those kinds of stories, those kinds of histories live, he told CNN. So, our hearts, our prayers, all of our Aloha is with those families who have lost loved ones, who have lost their homes, who have lost businesses, livelihoods, lifestyles  its just devastating.

Wildfire damage is shown in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Saturday. - Rick Bowmer/AP

Road closures on main highway into Lahaina

Residents hoping to take the Honoapiilani Highway north into devastated Lahaina had met with frustration Saturday when they were turned away after hours of waiting by authorities, who had opened the main roadway only to close it later, citing traffic and hazardous conditions.

Some residents had slept in a mile-long line of cars overnight, hoping to enter Lahaina from the south by morning. Among them were Steven and Giulietta Daiker, who said they were nearly up to the main checkpoint after hours of waiting when they learned they were going to be turned around.

They couldnt have told us that three miles back, or couldnt have been on a bullhorn or on the radio? Steven asked.

Its not just frustration. It feels sickening, Giulietta added.

Officials say they have to limit access as conditions remain hazardous where homes were leveled by the fires.

Were not doing anybody any favors by letting them back in there quickly, just so they can go get sick, Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. said at Saturdays news conference.

A huge blessing

As many families seek their loved ones, the family of Timm TK Williams Sr. was relieved to hear from the 66-year-old veteran and grandfather after about four days without contact.

Brittany Talley previously told CNN her family had not heard from her grandfather since Wednesday, when he shared a photo of the fire and let the family know he was evacuating.

That changed Saturday when, Talley said, her grandfather, who uses a wheelchair and forearm crutches, was able to text her mother to let the family know he was safe.

Thousands of people are experiencing the worst moment of their lives right now, Talley said, so receiving a text was a small gesture, but a huge blessing for my entire family.

CNNs Mike Valerio reported from Maui, and Andy Rose and Nouran Salahieh reported and wrote from Atlanta and Los Angeles. CNNs Steve Almasy, Michelle Watson, Cole Higgins, Sara Smart, Rebekah Riess, Paul P. Murphy and Haley Britzky contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  A measure that allows multiple-occupancy public restrooms to be labeled gender-neutral was among more than 40 bills signed into law Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The measure amends the states Equitable Restroom Act of 2019, which mandated all single-occupancy public restrooms to be available to all genders. The new law takes effect immediately.

A similar ordinance was passed by the Chicago City Council in 2021.

The bill passed by a 35-20 vote in the Senate this spring over strong opposition from Republicans. State Sen. Neil Anderson of Andalusia proclaimed that hed likely lose it if his 10-year-old daughter ever wound up sharing a public bathroom with a man.

Im telling you right now, if a guy walks in there, Im gonna beat the living piss out of him, he said.

Before the House followed up with a 63-41 vote, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, condemned Andersons remarks, saying when one of our colleagues threatened physical violence as a result of this bill, that is what we should be concerned about.

This bill is a victory for all who support the freedom of businesses to make their own decisions about how to conduct their day-to-day operations, Cassidy said.

In a statement released by Equality Illinois, an advocacy group that championed the legislation, Democratic state Rep. Katie Stuart of Edwardsville said theres been a lot of confusion due to claims that this bill would force businesses to change their bathrooms. I cant stress enough how false that is.

This bill is about removing a prohibition, not about imposing requirements, beyond those which are necessary to set basic standards for those establishments that may choose to make the change, Stuart said.

Among other bills signed into law on Friday by the governor:

A bill that allows a restaurant or retailer under certain conditions to fill or refill a consumer-owned container with ready-to-eat or dry bulk foods. The bill becomes effective in January.

A bill that promotes salary transparency and equal pay by requiring businesses with 15 or more employees to include the pay scale in job postings. This law takes effect in January 2025.

A measure that restricts the sale, sharing and access of automated license plate reader data by law enforcement when it interferes with someones abortion rights, particularly if they come to Illinois from out of state, or allows for the detention or investigation of a person based on their immigration status. The law takes effect in January.

A bill expanding the liability for the actions and service of ride-share drivers. That law takes effect in January.

A bill establishing compensation guidelines for children featured in video blogs, or vlogs. This bill also takes effect in January.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. hearkened to America's past in his first campaign appearance in Iowa.

The environmental lawyer is mounting a campaign to challenge incumbent President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. Kennedy is a controversial figure who has promoted conspiracy theories about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kennedy has also represented residents affected by pollution and environmental contamination in high-profile legal cases. He is spending the weekend touring the Iowa State Fair and holding town halls with potential caucus-goers, including in Des Moines and Council Bluffs.

"I'm seeing Americans live at a level of desperation, of depression, that I never thought I'd see in this country," he said at the Des Moines Register's Political Soapbox in front of a large crowd Saturday afternoon. Marianne Williamson, the other Democratic challenger to Biden, also appeared at the Soapbox on Saturday.

Kennedy, who has never held elected office, is the son of Attorney General Bobby Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. Both were assassinated in the 1960s.

Kennedy draws the support of about 15% of voters in national Democratic primary polls, according to polling analyst FiveThirtyEight. Biden currently polls at 64.3%.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s opposes carbon pipelines in Iowa

The post-war period he grew up in, Kennedy said, was a time of great prosperity for the middle class, where American-made products had powerful worldwide appeal, as evoked history and childhood memories of his father and uncle.

Now, he said, there is a colonial system in Iowa and around the country where the land base is owned by a corporate kleptocracy stripping wealth from the public as people struggle economically.

Candidate tracker: Des Moines Register Political Soapbox to bring 13 presidential hopefuls to the Iowa State Fair

Kennedy presented a centerpiece of his Iowa campaign to the crowd during his speech: his opposition to the proposed carbon capture pipelines that could crisscross Iowa and other Midwestern states.

In his speech, he also lamented the loss of family farms dotting the landscape to large swaths of land owned by big corporations.

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy speaks at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox during day three of the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Des Moines.

Multiple companies have proposed pipelines that would transport liquefied carbon dioxide away from ethanol plants and to other others for burial under the ground. The pipelines have attracted significant controversy in Iowa over eminent domain and environmental concerns.

Former Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, his campaign manager, held a map on stage showing where the proposed pipelines would cross through several Iowa counties on the way to Illinois.

Robert Kennedy Jr. looks to appeal to voters outside the Democratic Party

Kennedy is not expected to run as an independent, Kucinich previously told the Register in early August, but his campaign has said that Kennedy would appeal to Republicans and independents.

Kennedy has also emphasized his opposition to the United States' role in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. After his speech, Kennedy told reporters that he would negotiate with Vladimir Putin to end the war.

"That is not about Ukrainian freedom," he said of the American role. "It is about using Ukraine in a proxy war in a geopolitical dispute between two big powers."

He drew widespread condemnation from Democrats and advocacy groups in July over his comments that COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people and spare Chinese people and Ashkenazi Jewish people. Rita Hart, the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, on Friday called Kennedy's comments anti-Semitic, which he denied to reporters on Saturday.

Kennedy toured the fair on Saturday, including an interview on WHO Radio and a scheduled appearance at the butter cow.

The Democratic National Committee voted this year to strip the Iowa Caucuses of their first-in-the-nation status. It remains unclear when Iowa Democrats will hold their caucuses and what would happen if they defy the national party.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would negotiate with Russia to end Ukraine war
All Id want is $1 per year': This NYC grocery billionaire wants to buy CNN  he says he'd even run the embattled network for pennies. Who is this mogul and why is he so interested?

Another billionaire has added a media company to his wishlist: John Catsimatidis, the chairman and CEO of grocery chains Gristedes Foods and D'Agostino Supermarkets. Hes recently been telling news outlets hed be willing to purchase CNN from Warner Bros. Discovery.

Id go run the place tomorrow morning, and all Id want is $1 per year and a piece of the upside, the grocery mogul, told the New York Post.

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Catsimatidis comments come at a difficult time for the media outlet, which has faced declining viewership and turnover in the C-suite over the last year. Chief executive Chris Licht was let go after a brief one-year stint as head of the company and a disastrous town hall with Donald Trump that the networks most lauded reporters roundly criticized. David Zaslav, the chief executive of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery and cited as Lichts strongest backer, is now looking for a replacement to turn the struggling company around.

And given the opportunity, Catsimatidis says he could run CNN better.

Catsimatidis has big plans for CNN

In an interview with Fox Business Maria Bartiromo, the grocery CEO said he believed he could quadruple viewership rapidly.

CNN only has, what, 400,000 viewers every night, he said. I told them  Ill have it up to 2 million in one year.

Catsimatidis also indicated that hed be willing to consider joint ventures to finance the deal and that he could double the profits relatively quickly if given control.

His strategy would include making the content more bipartisan in an effort to broaden viewership  though his lack of televised media experience and highly partisan views raise inevitable doubts.

Read more: Earn extra cash for your weekend with these quick money hacks

Who is John Catsimatidis?

Born in Greece and raised in New York, Catsimatidis is an entrepreneur, politician and radio show host. Besides grocery stores, his holdings include a real estate firm, an aviation company, an oil refinery and the Hellenic Times newspaper.

He also hosts The Cats Roundtable radio show. His radio station WABC-AM 770 is ranked 11th in New York City based on Neilsens data.

Forbes estimates his net worth at $4.1 billion.

As for his political leanings, Catsimatidis was a registered Democrat who donated to the Bill Clinton campaign until 2009. He later decided to run for mayor as a Republican and has been a prominent voice on the conservative aisle ever since.

He supported Donald Trump during the 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns (reportedly to the tune of more than $600,000) but has recently said that he trusts the courts to legitimately adjudicate recent charges against the former president.

Is CNN even for sale?

Financial struggles in the media industry have ignited speculation about spin-offs and mergers. CNNs parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has been sending mixed signals to financial observers. The company has laid off staff in an attempt to tackle its $50 billion debt burden.

CNN has seen primetime viewership decline 25%, while annual profits have slipped from $1.25 billion to $750 million. Investment bankers believe the outlet could be sold for $5 billion to $6 billion if its ever put on the market.

However, CNNs parent companys stock is up over 30% in the first half of 2023.

And while it may be disappointing for a few interested buyers to hear  including former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker  the network certainly isnt on the market right now. And Warner Bros. Discovery hasnt given any sign they intend to sell the brand.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
The view of buildings and apartment complexes in Seoul / Newsis



Financial authorities to curb rising household debt with age cap



By Anna J. Park



Since major bankers newly launched 50-year maturity mortgage loans in July, balances for lenders' loan products have swelled quickly in just a month, raising concerns about the aggravated household debt situation in the country.



According to the financial industry, the accumulated amount of 50-year maturity mortgage loan balances held by KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank and NH NongHyup Bank stood at 1.28 trillion won ($960 million), as of Thursday.



NH NongHyup Bank was the first among major local banks to introduce the new mortgage loan product on July 5. NongHyup's move was soon followed by Hana Bank on July 7, KB Kookmin on July 14 and Shinhan Bank on July 26. Woori Bank will also start offering 50-year maturity mortgage loans on Monday.



The total weight of the 50-year maturity loans, out of approximately 800 trillion won of the country's entire mortgage loan balance by the banking sector, is still miniscule. Yet, considering that it's been only about a month since the major banks began providing the 50-year maturity mortgage loans, the current loan balance of 1.28 trillion won at the major banks demonstrates the popularity of the new loan products.



With customers flocking to the product, financial authorities are considering putting an age cap in order to limit the subscriptions to the product. The move aims to reduce the snowballing size of household debt, a key risk factor of the Korean economy. Government officials during a household debt inspection meeting on Thursday attributed the introduction of the 50-year maturity mortgage loan as a key cause of the recent hike in household debt.



As of Sunday, the total household debt balance by five major local banks  KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHYup  stood at 679.8 trillion won, which is up by 668.5 billion won from the end of last month.



Although not confirmed yet, it is likely that the financial authorities will soon advise lenders to enforce the age cap on borrowers, making only those under the age of 34 eligible for the 50-year maturity loans. Currently, among the five major commercial banks, only Shinhan is already applying the age limit of 34 years on borrowers, when it comes to long-term mortgage loans over 40 years.



However, some consumers express discontent over the government's direction: "Mortgage loans mean that homes are being put up as a collateral. Then why should it be limited only to young people?" a netizen wrote in an online board at a major portal site, Sunday.



"The age should at least go up to 45 or so; 34 years old sounds too arbitrary," another netizen wrote, adding that the mortgage loans of such long maturity could help some households aiming to purchase their own home.



Some banking insiders pointed to the fact that banks' launch of the 50-year maturity loans was originally aimed at following through the government's policy direction to lower borrowers' burden on paying back principals. It is also in line with the government's move to ease loan restrictions early this year to relieve the real estate market. They say the financial authorities' move to curb the 50-year maturity mortgage loans seems like blaming banks on systematic matters like household debt or the real estate slumps.


Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., jumped ahead of his Republican colleagues on Friday and introduced articles of impeachment against President Biden.

While several congressional committees are building a multipronged case to remove Biden from office, Steube said it was past time to take action. He filed articles of impeachment against Biden charging that the president had been complicit in his son Hunter's alleged crimes and had worked to shield him from justice.

"Its long past time to impeach Joe Biden," Steube said in a statement. "He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of Americas citizens."

Steube filed four articles alleging high crimes and misdemeanors by Biden.

DOJ, FBI, IRS INTERFERED WITH HUNTER BIDEN PROBE, ACCORDING TO WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY RELEASED BY GOP

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla, walks to the Capitol for a vote on Thursday, April 27, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The first accuses the president of abusing the power of his office by allegedly accepting bribes, committing Hobbs Act extortion and honest services fraud related to use of his official position. These charges arise from Biden's alleged involvement with his family's business dealings, including Hunter and James Biden's (the president's brother) alleged effort to sell access to then-Vice President Biden between 2009 and 2017 in exchange for "payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, on Wednesday released a memo purporting to show that foreign payments to the Biden family totaled more than $20 million  though Democrats say none of the evidence shows that President Biden accepted any payments or committed misconduct.

The second article charges that President Biden obstructed justice, citing IRS whistleblower testimony that "members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department (DOJ) officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden." Both the Justice Department and special counsel David Weiss, the U.S. attorney appointed to investigate Hunter Biden, have denied that the Biden administration impeded Weiss' work.

The third and fourth articles accuse Biden of "fraud" and paying for Hunter Biden's illegal drugs and trysts with prostitutes, respectively.

SECRET SERVICE CLOSES WHITE HOUSE COCAINE INVESTIGATION, SAYS IT IS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY SUSPECT

"The evidence continues to mount by the day  the Biden Crime Family has personally profited off Joes government positions through bribery, threats, and fraud. Joe Biden must not be allowed to continue to sit in the White House, selling out our country," Steube said.

On the same day, Steube introduced legislation to require the Secret Service chief to write a report on the illicit use of controlled substances in the White House. The move comes after the Secret Service closed its investigation into cocaine found at the White House last month without identifying a person of interest. Steube named the bill the "Helping Understand Narcotics Traces at the Executive Residence (HUNTER) Act."

"The United States Secret Service (USSS) refers to themselves as one of the most elite law enforcement agencies in the world. Its completely unacceptable that the USSS has failed to find who is responsible for bringing cocaine into one of the most secure buildings in the world," he said. "The American people deserve answers. My legislation demands information on the closed investigation into the cocaine found at the White House in July and focuses on how Congress can provide oversight to prevent future illicit usage of controlled substances in the White House."

Steube's articles of impeachment have jumped ahead of at least four GOP-led committee investigations pursuing avenues to impeach Biden or his top officials. The White House has ridiculed suggestions that Biden should be removed from office.

CNN'S JAKE TAPPER CHALKS UP BIDEN FAMILY MONEY REVELATIONS AS SLEAZY BUT NOT CRIMINAL DURING COMER CLASH

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (center) has spoken dismissively of Republican attempts to impeach President Biden (left) over his alleged involvement with Hunter Biden's (right) business dealings.

"Were not going to get into what House Republicans want to do or may not do  hypotheticals. Thats on them. Thats for them to speak to. What I can speak to is exactly what were doing today." press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in July.

"The economic data is so much better than economists had expected. And so, thats because of the work that this President has done. Thats going to be our focus. Our focus is going to be on what we can do to make Americans lives a little bit better, giving them that extra breathing room."
A court showdown is set for Monday in the battle over Alabamas congressional map and whether the Republican-led state defied the Supreme Court by not drawing a second majority-Black district.

Challengers have filed objections to Alabamas new map, which lawmakers passed after their previous design was struck down for likely diluting the power of Black voters.

On Monday morning, a three-judge panel sitting in Birmingham, Ala., will hear arguments on the legality of the new boundaries.

Alabama is in open defiance of the federal courts, one group of challengers wrote in their objection.

No matter the decision, state officials say a map needs to be finalized by about Oct. 1 to have enough time to prepare for next years primary.

If the court strikes down the new map, it could instead appoint a special master to draw the lines for the 2024 elections.

The hearing is the latest development in a legal battle that has already reached the Supreme Court and is being closely watched by both political parties.

In one of the Supreme Courts highest-profile decisions of the year, the justices affirmed the three-judge panels ruling with a 5-4 June decision, finding that the Legislatures map likely violated the Voting Rights Act and handing a win to voting rights advocates and Democrats.

The panel had ruled a new design will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.

Last month, the GOP-controlled Legislature convened for a special session in a new attempt to come up with a map.

It maintained Alabamas one existing majority-Black district, though it decreased the Black voting-age population there by 5 percentage points.

But the map notably did not go as far to create a second majority-Black district, only increasing the percentage of Black voters in the 2nd Congressional District from 30 percent to 40 percent.

Alabama argues the map is compliant because it prioritizes traditional redistricting principles.

The 2023 Plan prioritizes the Black Belt to the fullest extent possibleeven better than Plaintiffs alternativeswhile still managing to preserve long-recognized communities of interest in the Gulf and Wiregrass. Plaintiffs cannot produce an alternative map with a second majority-black district without splitting at least two of those communities of interest, the state wrote in court filings.

But the plaintiffs in the original lawsuits  individual voters and voting rights advocates  are urging the court to block the Legislatures latest attempt as an illegal racial gerrymander.

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, one group of challengers wrote.

Another group wrote the map is not legal for a very simple reason: it fails to create a remedial district in which Black voters have an opportunity to elect a candidate of their choice. The demographic statistics of [the map] speak for themselves.

The state, meanwhile, claimed it is the challengers proposals that would run afoul of Supreme Court precedents.

Their objections boil down to one thing: the Legislature didnt do enough to prioritize race over neutral principles and thereby ensure that Democrats can reliably win in at least two congressional districts in Alabama, the state wrote in court filings.

The case is being closely watched on both sides of the aisle.

The National Republican Redistricting Trust, the primary group responsible for coordinating the partys redistricting strategy, urged the court to uphold the Legislatures map.

This is nonsense. Far from being contrary to the Supreme Courts ruling, Alabamas 2023 Plan faithfully follows itand the Plaintiffs plans disregard it, the group wrote in an amicus brief.

Rep. Terri Sewell, Alabamas lone Democrat in Congress, who represents the singular majority-Black district, filed a brief alongside members of the Congressional Black Caucus supporting the challengers.

In the face of a clear judicial mandate to enact a redistricting scheme that creates two majority-minority districts or something quite close to it, the Alabama legislature has demonstrated that it remains willing and eager to engage in racially discriminatory vote dilution in contravention of a federal decree, the lawmakers attorneys wrote.

Such an attempt must not be tolerated; the Courts holding must have teeth.

The Justice Department had backed the challengers before the Supreme Court but it did not side with either party in the latest iteration of the case.

The department did, however, submit to the panel a 21-page analysis of relevant case law.

Whether Districts 2 and 7, the two districts with the highest concentrations of Black voters in the 2023 Plan, provide an equal opportunity for Black voters to elect candidates of their choice hinges on how the districts perform for Black-preferred candidates in a functional analysis, the Justice Department wrote.

Should the 2023 Plan fail to cure the likely Section 2 violation, the Court must design and effectuate its own remedial plan, the brief continued.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Home Office spent at least 35,000 on fear-based social media adverts that intended to deter asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats, but instead targeted tourists and business travellers.

The Facebook and Instagram campaign, repeated in several languages, told people dont risk your life and seek asylum in the first safe country you reach. But the government has no way of telling if they reached the right people or had any effect.

Research seen by The Independent shows that the Home Office paid Meta - Facebooks parent company  for hundreds of posts shown to people in parts of northern France and Belgium between January 2021 and September 2022.

Targets were primarily selected by language, including Arabic, Kurdish and Persian, and by interests including Afghan football and cricket, various Syrian cities, Iranian cinema, Iraqi cuisine and Vietnamese radio stations.

Some adverts were sent to people where online data suggested they were away from their homes or families, but others were shown to Facebook and Instagram users who live and work around Brussels, Calais and Dunkirk.

University of Edinburgh lecturer Ben Collier, who conducted the research, said the government had created weird patchwork profiles that could result in the adverts reaching asylum seekers  but also caught a lot of other people.

Theres people from Jordan, Mexico  clearly holidaymakers who are getting hit with these ads, he said.

As far as I can tell, the Home Office are just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks, except they don't have anything to tell them.

Data viewed by The Independent shows that some adverts reached fewer than 1,000 people, while others reached over a million.

One targeted Arabic speakers aged over 18 who had recently been in Brussels, while others were aimed at smaller groups, such as Vietnamese people travelling away from family in Calais, and Arabic speakers who had just left Brussels with interests in Afghan sport.

Calculations using the lowest estimates of Metas advertising spending data showed the posts cost at least 35,000.

A selection of adverts shown to target audiences on Facebook and Instagram in an effort to deter small boat migrants (Meta ad library)

Dr Collier said the campaign was part of a wider nudge approach aiming to influence behaviour, which had become increasingly fear-based and nastier from the Home Office in recent years.

Messages repeated in several languages told people: Even if you survive an illegal boat trip, UK laws will not allow you to work or earn money.

Researchers studied data showing where the adverts appeared on peoples feeds and pages and found that some were seen as far away as Mexico, Jordan, Oman and Bangladesh  clearly hitting an unintended audience of holidaymakers or business travellers.

Most of the adverts were removed from Facebook and Instagram after a matter of weeks in 2022, because they did not contain the disclaimers required for political messaging.

A report by the Scottish Institute for Policing Research said: There is clear evidence that [the campaign] has been seen by Arabic, Pashto, Vietnamese, and Albanian speakers in a number of locations who are extremely unlikely to be seeking asylum.

This means that, for example, in Brussels, there are Arabic-speaking residents who will be targeted by this advert, when their French-speaking neighbours will not see it.

The report, which also covered social media targeting by law enforcement bodies, accused the Home Office of engaging in the invasive targeting of extremely vulnerable refugees.

The adverts explicitly use a fear-based approach, including graphic depictions of boats sinking at sea, dogs searching trucks, and military-style drones, it said.

The adverts were shown to people in parts of France and Belgium that small boat migrants frequently travel through on journeys towards the UK (AFP via Getty Images)

This includes asserting that they will be considered a people smuggler and imprisoned if they help steer the boat, that they will be betrayed by people smugglers, that they are likely to die in the Channel, and that drones and dogs will be used to find them.

Part of the campaign was run under a contract for private company Seefar, which The Independent previously revealed had been paid at least 2.7m of public money since 2016.

Projects listed included France migrant comms and overseas communications, which were linked to a website accused of masquerading as a non-partisan charity.

Dr Collier said the data used in the attempted targeting of potential small boat migrants was very intimate and had been picked up by the platform spying on these people as they go around on the internet.

But he said that Meta was the only tech giant to release detailed information on the tactic, warning: So much of this stuff is going on Google search and Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok as well, and we just can't see what's being done.

This is just a tiny snapshot of government use of these types of campaigns.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.
WASHINGTON  For President Joe Biden, the legal troubles of his son appeared to be going away last month when Hunter Biden's attorneys reached terms with prosecutors to resolve tax evasion and gun charges.

Then the deal fell apart.

Now, with Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing a special counsel Friday to investigate the criminal case, the legal drama over Hunter Biden is sure to hang over the entirety of Joe Biden's 2024 reelection bid.

Not only does the special counsel designation of David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has overseen the case for five years, signal a wider inquiry, the Justice Department also said in a motion Friday that it expects a trial over the charges already filed against Hunter Biden. The motion all but ensures a circus of television cameras outside a federal courthouse following the president's son just as the 2024 campaign will be in full swing.

"This is not good for the president," said Richard Painter, a law professor at University of Minnesota who was chief ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush. He said Republicans will stay fixated on Hunter Biden's legal problems even more so if former President Donald Trump, the GOP primary front-runner, becomes their nominee.

"Obviously, this is going to be made into a big issue in the campaign," Painter said. "Given the fact that Trump has been indicted three times and may be indicted a fourth time, the Republicans are going to grab for whatever they can."

President Joe Biden, with son Hunter Biden, arrives at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, on February 4, 2023. The US Justice Department on Friday escalated its investigation into President Joe Biden's son Hunter, naming a special counsel amid allegations he engaged in illicit business deals overseas.

How damaging is a special counsel probe for Joe Biden?

A federal judge in Delaware refused last month to accept a plea deal between Hunter Biden and prosecutors after the judge raised concerns about the terms of the agreement, including assurances Hunter Biden's legal team sought for immunity from any future criminal charges.

Had the judge accepted the plea agreement, it wasn't going to quiet Republicans who called the arrangement a "sweetheart deal" and accused Garland of politicizing the Justice Department. But it would have at least put Hunter Biden's legal ramifications to rest as Joe Biden, 80, seeks a second term while already facing questions about his age and lingering anxieties about the economy.

"It's not something any candidate would wish to have happen," said Todd Belt, professor and political management program director at George Washington University.

Still, Belt said, voters typically "disentangle" misbehavior of family from the candidate. And he said the appointment of a special counsel  in a possible matchup with Trump  may burnish Joe Biden's image as the candidate who adheres to the law even when his son is the target.

"In a weird way, it is actually beneficial in terms of how he would wage his campaign against Trump  the return to the Trump chaos versus normal function of government under Biden," Belt said.

Even before the special counsel elevation, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee had accelerated its investigation into Hunter Biden as they seek to tie actions from then-Vice President Joe Biden to his son's business activities as chairman of the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma.

Republicans have seized on testimony from Devon Archer, a business associate of Hunter Biden's, who said the president's son put his father on the speakerphone 20 times with his business partners present. But Archer said business was never discussed, and Republicans have yet to present evidence supporting their claims that Joe Biden accepted bribery payments.

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Department of Justice, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Washington. Garland announced Friday he is appointing a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president's son ahead of the 2024 election. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) ORG XMIT: DCSS406

Nevertheless, House Republicans have increasingly started talking about an impeachment inquiry.

"It clearly means that it's going to hang over the entire remainder of the election cycle," veteran Democratic campaign strategist Joe Trippi said. "But I think that was clearly going to happen in any case."

Biden allies point to polling that suggests most Americans are far less concerned with Hunter Biden than House Republicans. A majority of Americans, 58%, including 63% of independent voters, said Hunter Biden's legal problems won't influence their decision whether to vote for Joe Biden in 2024, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in June.

Democrats are bullish on abortion access as a major driver for their base as well as suburban independent voters after last year's Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Voters in Ohio, which voted Republican in the past two presidential elections, overwhelmingly rejected a measure Tuesday that would have made it more difficult for voters to protect abortion rights via referendum.

Democrats also reject any conflation between the legal problems for Trump, who has been indicted for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and withholding classified documents, and those of the president's son.

"The reality is, Trump is a former president who is running for president. Hunter Biden isn't on the ballot," said Trippi, a senior adviser for The Lincoln Project, a political group formed before the 2020 election to help defeat Trump. "And thus far, there's been no evidence tying (his business dealings) to Joe Biden."

Where Hunter Biden's case goes from here

House Republicans indicated the special counsel designation will not affect their congressional investigations into the overseas business dealings of Biden family members.

"This action by Bidens DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said in a statement. "House Republicans will continue to pursue the facts for the American people."

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, slammed Garland's appointment of Weiss as special counsel, saying it is "part of the Justice Departments efforts to attempt a Biden family cover-up" after his committee's "mounting evidence" he says has implicated Joe Biden.

"The Biden Justice Department is trying to stonewall congressional oversight as we have presented evidence to the American people about the Biden familys corruption," Comer said.

Rep. James Comer Jr., R-Ky., Chair of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, attends a committee hearing with IRS whistleblowers, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Garland, as he announced Weiss' appointment from the Justice Department headquarters, made clear the Hunter Biden investigation remains open.

After the terms of his plea agreement unraveled in court, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty last month to failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on $1.5 million in taxable income he made in 2017 and 2018. He faces a separate charge for possessing a firearm in 2018 as a drug user.

Prosecutors filed a motion Friday saying that the two sides are at an "impasse" and that the government expects the Hunter Biden case to go to trial. The Justice Department is seeking to move the case to either a federal court in Washington or California, which prosecutors argue would be the appropriate venues for the charges.

As special counsel, Weiss will have the authority to bring charges in any federal court he chooses.

For his part, Joe Biden has made no effort to distance himself from his son. Im very proud of my son, he told reporters in June after Hunter Biden initially struck the plea agreement on the tax evasion charges.

Hunter Biden traveled with his father to Ireland in the spring. He has attended state dinners and sometimes joins his father and other family members for weekends at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.

But it seems a good bet Hunter Biden, who made several appearances on the 2020 campaign trail for his father, will be less visible in 2024.

Painter said that he does not expect to see the president's son making campaign stops during his father's reelection bid. "I doubt it," Painter said. "I very much doubt it."

Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to federal tax charges after judge rejects plea deal

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

Reach Miles Herszenhorn on X @mherszenhorn.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden controversy set to hang over Joe Biden's 2024 campaign
Located along Mexico's southwest coast in the state of Guerrero, the village of Barra de Potosi is a bit off the beaten path. You won't find any mega resorts full of tourists here, but the area is a popular vacation destination for humpback whales, which travel thousands of miles just to breed in this patch of the Pacific.

"They're coming down here for this warm, topical, salty water where they can come and really relax," said Katherina Audley, the founder of the non-profit Whales of Guerrero. A decade ago, she began working with local fisherman here to develop a conservation-focused eco-tourism program. "We talk about here, 'When the whales win, everyone wins,'" she said. "And that's something that people in the community here really understand."

Former fishing boats have been repurposed into whale-watching vessels, which are really TAIL-watching vessels. When whales dive, they flash their tails, known as flukes. And during the months when the humpbacks are in residence here, they put on quite a show.

Audley took these photos out on the boat.

/ Credit: Katherina Audley

Back on land, we got online, and that's where this tale gets a little deeper. One whale was ID'd as CRC-18946, another as CRC-18241. Turns out, we weren't the first to watch these whales.

Photos of whale flukes uploaded to HappyWhale.com can be matched with other sightings of the same whale around the world. / Credit: CBS News

Every whale's tail is unique  the ridges at the top, the colors and patterns of the fluke. It's like a fingerprint, a clue.

Audley said, "This whale algorithm has allowed us to instantly put together six sightings for this whale."

It's all possible thanks the website HappyWhale.com. Anyone in the world can upload a fluke photo, and Happy Whale will analyze it and match it up to all other known sightings.

Tracking sightings of whale CRC-18241, identified through their distinctive, fingerprint-like tail. / Credit: CBS News

Both whales we photographed in Mexico had been seen the year before near Monterey, California, which is also where you're likely to spot the human behind Happy Whale. Ted Cheeseman grew up whale watching in Monterey Bay, which is full of whales in the summer months; they come to feed here. He went on to work as a naturalist, guiding expeditions all over the world.

While scientists have used flukes to identify whales for decades, Cheeseman couldn't understand why the process had remained so cumbersome: "Eventually these catalogues got so big that it would take, you know, an hour to figure out, is my whale in here? Or is it a new whale?" he said. "Flipping through a physical book and then, you know, more recently flipping through photos on a computer."

Cheeseman figured there had to be a better way. He and his co-founder Ken Southerland approached Silicon Valley companies for help in developing an algorithm. If facial recognition was possible, couldn't the same principles be applied to fluke recognition?

"Being able to track individuals is very, very powerful," Cheeseman said. "We have our privacy concerns. Are we being tracked individually? Well, thankfully, the whales don't really care!"

This aquatic invasion of privacy has been hugely helpful for researchers. Since launching in 2015, Happy Whale has received more than 100,000 submissions. Looking at the map on the site, it's clear to see the links between the whale population in California and Mexico, and the links between other whales that travel from Alaska to Hawaii.

Cheeseman said it has happened a lot where a whale not sighted for years suddenly pops up again on the Happy Whale grid.

Whales are full of surprises. They don't always migrate to the same spots, and we still don't know exactly how they find their way. We know humpback whales sing  their songs are incredibly complex  but we still don't know why.

Happy Whale just helps us understand the who.

"It makes the whales fun to learn about," Cheeseman said. "If you know that whale by name, you're going to care more about that whale. And if you care more about that whale, you care more about the oceans."

On my Monterey Whale Watch trip in May, we saw a whale that had never been uploaded before. I added my photo to the site, and now I'll get updates every time that whale is spotted.

Conor Knighton spotted this whale off Monterey. Its unique fluke had not been previously documented. / Credit: Conor Knighton

Who knows? Maybe it will pop up in Mexico next winter.

Audley said, "Those of us that have whales that we care about, that's really the first email we look at in the morning, is these Happy Whale updates."

Does she get feedback every day? "Every day, yes. It's so exciting when you're on a boat with people and they are seeing whales maybe for the first time. And then for it to go from a big gray mass to an individual whale that has a whole history, it's very powerful for people to get connected to them that way."



For more info:

Whales of GuerreroHappywhale



Story produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Chad Cardin.

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A study of the practicality of composting biosolids sludge from Fresnos sewage-treatment plant has been put on hold after a City Council member raised concerns over potential odor and environmental effects for the West Fresno community.

At its meeting Thursday, the Fresno City Council postponed authorizing a $400,000 feasibility study of options for processing treated human sewage sludge as a possible cost-saving measure for the citys Public Utilities Department. Councilmember Miguel Arias, whose southwest Fresno district encompasses West Fresno as well as the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility  the citys sewage treatment plant southwest of Fresno  called for a two-week delay on a vote to hire a consultant to conduct the study.

My contention is that West Fresno has the highest concentrations of pollution in the country (and) has the vast majority of brownfields in the region, Arias told The Fresno Bee, and has historically been a dumping ground physically and literally for the most environmentally damaging uses: industrial, landfills, garbage facilities.

Neighborhods in southwest Fresno have some of the highest pollution burdens in the state, according to the CalEnviroScreen mapping tool from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. The sewage treatment plant is located about 2.5 miles from the nearest extent of the Fresno city limits, but some residential neighborhoods  and West Park Elementary School  are in the unincorporated area west of the city limits.

I want us to press pause until we sit down with a group of community leaders in West Fresno to review this prior to us moving forward,  Arias told Brock Buche, Fresnos public utilities director. Youre asking to spend $400,000 on a consulting contract before we know whether there is community support for such a facility.

Buche said the goal of the study is to evaluate if (composting) is a viable treatment option for our biosolids rather than a a commitment to build and operate a composting facility.

Biosolids, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are a product of the wastewater treatment process.

During wastewater treatment the liquids are separated from the solids. Those solids are then treated physically and chemically to produce a semisolid, nutrient-rich product known as biosolids, the agency states on its website. The terms biosolids and sewage sludge are often used interchangeably.

The sewage-treatment plant currently produces about 325 tons per day of biosolids, Assistant Public Utilities Director Rick Staggs told The Bee.

Buche said the city now pays for all of that sludge to be hauled by truck out of Fresno for further processing such as composting. Were just looking at how do we keep the operation efficient and cost-effective, he told The Bee. This is one of the solutions mentioned in (the citys 2019 biosolids) master plan.

Arias said the residents of West Fresno, where industrial development has long been concentrated in the citys history, deserve a heads up about what the department is considering. Why only study one region of the city, the most polluted region, for this location? Arias asked Buche.

Its all associated with the waste stream coming from the treatment plant, Buche answered. We have two by-products that come out of that facility: We have clean water that goes into percolation ponds, and we have the solid materials that are treated and deactivated so they are non-biological material, biologically inactive material.

So its treated human s--t,  Arias interjected. Residents are asking, Why are you putting a human s--t farm in our neighborhood?

The scope of work for the consultant, Tetra Tech BAS Inc., includes workshopping with staff at the treatment plant to confirm the most suitable area for a composting facility at the plant site. The evaluation will consider accommodation of up to three technology types of composting identified in the proposed contract as windrows, covered aerated static piles and in-vessel within a covered building.





One of the options is to have open-air compost piles, per your consultants scope of work, Arias said, referring to the windrow style of composting. Which on any windy day would dramatically affect peoples ability to open their windows or not.

I dont want to spend half a million dollars on evaluating this option only to hear from residents and end up in litigation because nobody communicated with them, he added.

City Manager Georgeanne White was visibly frustrated by Arias use of profanity to describe the material. Labeling it like that is very inflammatory, she said to Arias. It is treated biowaste, just like we have treated wastewater that West Fresno was begging to have come into their community. White was referring to a purple pipe program that brings treated water from the plant back into the city for landscape irrigation and other non-drinking uses.

In moving to push the issue off to the councils Aug. 24 meeting, Im not asking to obtain united support from the community, Arias said. Im asking to touch base with community leaders who for decades have litigated the city and other agencies for the oversaturation of environmentally damaging operations in that part of town.

White relented and said the city would work to convene a meeting with West Fresno leaders.

The council agreed on a 6-1 vote to delay considering the consultant contract, with northwest Fresno Councilmember Mike Karbassi opposed.

I recognize that well have very few answers (for West Fresno residents) at this point, Arias said after the council meeting. But at the very least we should hear their concerns and be able to incorporate those concerns into any feasibility study, and also look at other sites around the city.

Stagg said after the vote that sewage treatment is a highly regulated activity.

Were talking about air regulations, water regulations, he said. Obviously were in a very strict air district, so obviously this discussion about open rows and all that wouldnt happen in this county anyway.

Buche told The Bee that producing compost from the biosolids kind of changes the dynamics of the citys costs. Right now were paying to have it hauled off, he said. If its composted, it becomes a material that has more of a beneficial value and can be sold. One aspect of the feasibiity study would be to examine what is the market for compost, he added, and how do we deal with it once weve made it into compost?

The regional sewage treatment plant southwest of Fresno is the seventh largest wastewater treatment plant in Califonria, according to the public utilities department. The department also operates the smaller North Fresno Wastewater Reclamation Facility on Copper Avenue in northeast Fresno.
Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Explosive wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed dozens of people, displaced thousands and reduced much of the vibrant, centuries-old town of Lahaina to ash.

As residents are beginning to return to the historic town, Hawaii is starting to reckon with the unfathomable loss left by the deadliest blaze in the US in a century. What weve seen has been catastrophic, said Josh Green, the governor.

Meanwhile, many remain missing and people are continuing to frantically search for those they havent heard from yet. Large swaths of the island remain without cellphone service or electricity. Recovery from the fires, which were fueled by drought-desiccated landscapes and fanned by hurricane winds, will be long, officials warned. Here is how the devastation unfolded, and what we know so far.

***

When and how did the fires start?

Brush fires earlier this week were stoked by strong, dry winds and quickly spread into populated areas. The speed and strength of the blazes took local officials by surprise. Weve never experienced a wildfire that affected a city like this before, Green said during a Thursday news conference.

***

How did the fires spread?

The first major fires appeared to have started just after midnight on Tuesday. The blazes ballooned and by late morning had spread to Lahaina. Winds brought by Hurricane Dora, a Category 4 storm building over the Pacific Ocean, helped the fire zip across coastal Lahaina with alarming speed. The fire spread so quickly some residents ran into the ocean to escape  the Coast Guard has rescued more than a dozen people from the water.

By Wednesday morning, the historic town had essentially been razed to the ground. Other fires in Kula and on Pulehu Road in the central valley picked up Tuesday afternoon.

***

What we know about the death toll

The death toll stood at 96 on Sunday, but that number is likely to rise. Specialized search and rescue teams from California have joined the efforts to find survivors and identify fatalities.

Understand this: Lahaina Town is hallowed, sacred ground right now because our iwi are in that ground, said the Maui police chief, John Pelletier, at an afternoon news conference, referring to remains. We have to get them out. We will get them out as fast as we can.

***

Firefighting efforts continue

Mauis small firefighting staff have been joined by national guardsmen and other rescue teams as they battle flare-ups and seek out survivors. The island only had about 65 firefighters working at a time and 13 fire engines designed for urban, rather than off-road or wildland, use.

Youre basically dealing with trying to fight a blowtorch, said Bobby Lee, the president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association.

Crews are still fighting fires, across Maui as well as on the island of Hawaii, in areas and ecosystems that have not previously faced significant wildfire threats. Experts say that though the fires across the islands are driven by many factors, the climate crisis has undeniably exacerbated matters.

***

What we know to have been destroyed

Lahaina, which was established in the 1700s and was once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, has been decimated. Leafy streets lined with art galleries and shops have been singed beyond recognition. At least 2,200 buildings, including homes, schools and places of worship, have been destroyed or damaged in the fires, officials said.

Interactive

The oldest house on Maui, the Baldwin Home Museum, was razed by the fires, and a beloved 150-year-old banyan tree was singed, though it remains standing. The Waiola church  which is considered the first Christian church on Maui  and the 90-year-old Hongwanji Shin Buddhist temple have been destroyed as well.

The hall of historic Waiola church and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji mission engulfed in flames. Photograph: Matthew Thayer/AP

A burned-out boat is seen in the waters fronting Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town. Photograph: Marco Garcia/Reuters

The scene in Lahaina on Thursday looked like a wasteland, with homes and entire blocks reduced to ashes. Photograph: Tiffany Kidder Winn/AP

Interactive

***

Road to recovery

Recovery has barely begun. Though thousands of tourists are being evacuated from the island, thousands of locals remain in need of housing. At shelters, residents have been compiling handwritten lists of missing persons.

With swaths of the island without cellphone service, and other areas still inaccessible due to the fires, the true number of fatalities and missing persons remains unclear.
Photograph: Nick Otto/AFP/Getty Images

La-Kingya Singleton almost didnt answer the call. It was after 5 pm and from an 800- phone number. I thought it was a robocall, she said.

But it wasnt. It was someone from the In Her Hands initiative  the largest guaranteed-income pilot program in the southern US, and which focuses on Black women. The caller told her she had been selected, by lottery, as one of 650 women to receive an average of $850 a month, for two years, no strings attached  a concept known as guaranteed income.

I never thought in a million years I would be selected, the 42-year-old Atlanta mother of three adult children recalled. Ive never been lucky.

That was last spring. Now the program  run by the Atlanta-based nonprofit organization the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund (GRO Fund), in partnership with GiveDirectly, the largest backer of guaranteed-income projects in the US  has reached its halfway point.

Related: Affirmative action for the privileged: why Democrats are fighting legacy admissions

For Singleton, this has meant she has lived a year in an Atlanta apartment, after becoming homeless when she couldnt find a landlord to accept her city housing voucher during the pandemic.

And for the pilot, it means preliminary data is now available showing the effectiveness of guaranteed income as a means of combating poverty in Georgia  slightly more than half the women have saved some money, compared to none at the projects outset; three times as many women have been able to afford childcare; and the share of women whose cell phone service was interrupted due to unpaid bills dropped from 60 to 40 %.

These and other findings come as more than 100 projects centered on giving cash with no restrictions or requirements have started in the last several years, leading a group called Mayors for a Guaranteed Income to launch a nationwide speaking tour in recent weeks, screening a new documentary on these efforts called Its Basic.

Researchers say the growing body of evidence from guaranteed-income projects has the potential to spur a reevaluation of how government can more effectively create a social safety net for historically-marginalized populations.

The flurry of activity includes cities such as Rochester, New York, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Philadelphia announcing new projects.

Literally every week or two we learn of a new pilot, said Sean Kline, associate director at the Stanford University Basic Income Lab. These last two years, a number of factors has led to the proliferation of experiments, he added. Theres growing inequality and economic insecurity and the pandemic, a public health crisis, led to an economic crisis  [and] in 2020 and 2021, police murders brought racial justice to everyones attention.

Unlike the Georgia pilot, which has relied on private donations, many efforts to date run by local government are using federal, Covid-related funds. Some, like In Her Hands, are aimed at particular populations, such as public housing residents, or mothers, or entrepreneurs. In Georgia, potential participants had to demonstrate earning 200 percent of the federal poverty level or less  or $29,160 for a single person and $60,000 for a family of four.

Racism and sexism are such pernicious forces Michael Tubbs

Outcomes and research showing the efficacy of guaranteed income will be key to moving beyond small-scale projects and on to state and federal programs, said Kline. In addition to his group at Stanford, the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania is also studying the issue.

Researchers also point out that the Child Tax Credit  offered earlier in the pandemic and not renewed by Congress earlier this year  showed poverty can be reduced by offering no-strings-attached funds, and that the growing body of evidence from guaranteed-income pilots, together with the tax credit experience, should help convince lawmakers to turn these ideas into policy.

Outcomes in Georgia show that the 650 women enrolled have spent most of their monthly payments on utilities, food and rent. But program researcher Leah Hamilton, social work professor at Appalachian State University, said the pilot is also using surveys and other means to measure issues like mental health, and whether participants are more likely to reach goals with the help of guaranteed income. The idea, said Tyler Hall, communications director at GiveDirectly, is to determine how did this change their life?

Singleton said most of her monthly payments go to rent  $2,224. She works at three jobs to cover her costs  as a paralegal, as a realtor and as a shopper for Shipt. The program helps with my stress, she said. At the same time, her monthly costs dont allow her to pay off past debts, and she worries what will happen when the program ends. I cant plan for the future  especially with my rent being as high as it is, she said.

When Michael Tubbs was mayor of Stockton, California, in 2019, he launched a pilot program. He went on to found Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and produced Its Basic. He said the biggest obstacle to turning guaranteed income into public policy is political will. Data alone wont overcome that obstacle, he said; its going to take a lot of storytelling  which he plans to do on the national tour currently under way.

Opposition to giving cash directly to people in poverty is particularly acute when it comes to Black women, Kline said  due to historic racist perceptions of those suffering from poverty. It takes challenging longstanding, harmful narratives that are often racialized and gender-based  of the welfare queen and whos deserving of help, Kline said.

The welfare queen idea comes from the racist and sexist Reagan-era notion that Black women take public money, spend it frivolously, and dont work. The concept has long been disproved, but can still persist in policy debate. Racism and sexism are such pernicious forces, Tubbs said.

In Her Hands is focused on Black women because they earn US 63 for every dollar that white men earn in Georgia, according to the program; and in Old Fourth Ward, one of the three areas the program focuses on  and where Singleton lives  38 % of Black women live in poverty.

Asked about the stereotypes that persist in policy discussions around poor people in general and Black women in particular, Singleton noted that, as helpful as the money is, the Georgia funds are about alleviating some of the burdens of poverty. She still has to work more than full-time.

Were forced to budget if we want a safe environment for our children, she said. As a Black woman, if you dont know how to budget, youre forced to learn how. Weve learned to survive with what we have.
WINDHOEK (Reuters) - Namibia has suspended imports of live poultry, birds, and poultry products from Denmark and the Netherlands following the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the two European countries.

European countries have borne the brunt of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, in recent years which has led to the culling of millions of birds in the past two years, affecting the supply of poultry meat and eggs.

The suspension will affect poultry products packaged in Denmark on or after June 28 and poultry products from the Netherlands packaged on or after July 11, Namibia's veterinary services directorate said in a statement dated Aug. 2, which was released on Friday.

Consignments of affected poultry products will be sent back to their country of origin or destroyed at the importer's cost, it said, adding cooked poultry meat products for commercial purposes may still be imported under a veterinary permit.

The southern African nation consumes an estimated 2,500 tons of chicken every month, relying on imports mainly from neighbouring South Africa, to meet demand.

(Reporting by Nyasha Nyaungwa; Editing by Bhargav Acharya)
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP)  Insurgents opened fire Sunday on a convoy carrying Chinese citizens in the restive Baluchistan province in southwestern Pakistan, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said.

There were no Chinese casualties as a result of the attack in the port city of Gwadar, the embassy said. It said it strongly condemns this terrorist act," urging the authorities to investigate, punish the perpetrators and prevent such attacks from happening in the future.

The Pakistani military, reporting on the same incident, said insurgents attacked a military convoy in Gwadar and that troops returned firing, killing two attackers. The military made no mention of a Chinese presence, but typically escorts convoys carrying Chinese citizens.

The military said there was no harm to civilians or security forces.

Chinese companies operating in Gwadar and other parts of Baluchistan have been targeted in the past by Baluch insurgents.

The Baluchistan Liberation Army, a separatist group, claimed responsibility for the daylight attack and said it lasted for hours.

Baluchistan has been the scene of a low-level separatist insurgency for over two decades. Separatists initially demanded a share of the wealth in the province, which is rich in gas and minerals, and later called for separation from Islamabad.

Pakistani forces claim to have largely quelled the insurgency but attacks still take place.

Also on Sunday, the military said security forces killed four militants in an overnight shootout following a raid near the Afghan border in the northern Bajur district. A soldier was also killed in the heavy exchange of fire.

The military said it seized weapons, ammunition and explosives, including a suicide vest.

Bajur was the scene two weeks ago of a suicide bombing at a political rally that killed 44 people and wounded 200. The Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility.
Foreign Minister Park Jin, left, shakes hands with Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta during a meeting in Kigali, Aug. 12, in this photo provided by Seoul's foreign ministry. Yonhap



Foreign Minister Park Jin visited Rwanda and held talks with senior officials on ways to strengthen cooperation in technology and other future-oriented areas, his office said Sunday.



Park held talks with his Rwandan counterpart, Vincent Biruta, in Rwanda's capital of Kigali on Saturday (local time), and the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening strategic dialogue between the two countries' foreign ministries, according to Seoul's ministry.



Park is the first Korean foreign minister to visit the African nation in 10 years.



The two ministers also signed an agreement for loans Korea will provide through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund from 2022-2026 and vowed to expand their development cooperation to health, infrastructure and other areas.



The ministers noted the bilateral relationship has grown based on 60 years of development cooperation since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations and agreed on the need to step up cooperation in future-oriented areas as two countries strong in technological innovation, the ministry said.



Park noted Rwanda's economic cooperation potential as the country develops into an ICT and logistics hub in east Africa while recording over 8 percent economic growth.



The same day, Park held separate talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and expressed hope to increase bilateral cooperation beyond development projects to ICT and future cutting-edge technologies.



Kagame responded that the two countries should create opportunities for mutual growth, noting Korea is a model nation for Rwanda as a country that has achieved economic growth with advanced human resources and skills.



Park sought Kagame's support for Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo and requested the president's attendance at a Korea-Africa summit slated for next year.



Park is currently on a four-nation tour to Ethiopia, Zambia, Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates to seek the countries' support for Korea's expo bid. (Yonhap)


ANTALYA, Turkey (AP)  Standing in an old Orthodox church in Antalya with a Bible in one hand and a candle in the other, the Rev. Ioann Koval led one of his first services in Turkey after Russian Orthodox Church leadership decided to defrock him following his prayer for peace in Ukraine.

Last September, when President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists, Moscow Patriarch Kirill required his clergymen to pray for victory. Standing in front of the altar and dozens of his parishioners in one of Moscows churches, Koval decided to put the peace above the patriarchs orders.

With the word 'victory' the prayer acquired a propagandistic meaning, shaping the correct thinking among the parishioners, among the clergy, what they should think about and how they should see these hostilities," Koval said. It went against my conscience. I couldnt submit to this political pressure from the hierarchy.

In the prayer he recited multiple times, the 45-year-old priest changed just one word, replacing victory with peace  but it was enough for the church court to remove his priestly rank.

Publicly praying or calling for peace also poses risks of prosecution from the Russian state. Shortly after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, lawmakers passed legislation that allowed prosecuting thousands of people for discrediting the Russian army, a charge that in reality applies to anything that contradicts the official narrative, be it a commentary on social networks or a prayer in church.

Similar to Putins authoritarian regime, Kirill built a harsh hierarchy in the church that demands total conformity, Andrey Desnitsky, professor of philology at Vilnius University in Lithuania, told The Associated Press. If a priest refuses to read the patriarchs prayer, his loyalty is suspect.

If you are not loyal, then there is no place for you in church, added Desnitsky, a longtime expert on the Russian church.

When the war started, most priests remained silent, fearing pressure from the church and state authorities; only a small fraction have spoken out. Of more than 40,000 clergymen in the Russian Orthodox Church, only 300 priests signed a public letter calling for peace in Ukraine.

But each of the public voices against the war is crucial, said Natallia Vasilevich, the coordinator for the human rights group Christians Against War.

It breaks what seems to be a monolithic position of the Russian Orthodox Church, she told AP.

Since the beginning of the war, Vasilevichs team has counted at least 30 Orthodox priests who faced pressure by religious or state authorities. But there might be even more cases, she says, as some priests are afraid to talk about repressions, fearing it will bring more.

The Russian Orthodox Church explains the repressions against the priests who spoke against the war are punishment for their so-called engagement in politics.

The clergy who turn themselves from priests into political agitators and persons participating in the political struggle, they, obviously, cease to fulfill their pastoral duty and are subject to canonical bans, Vakhtang Kipshidze, the deputy head of the churchs press service, told AP.

At the same time, the priests who publicly support the war in Ukraine do not face any repercussions and moreover are supported by the state, Vasilevich said.

The Russian regime is interested in making these voices sound louder, she added.

The priests who refuse to join this chorus or stay quiet can be reassigned, temporarily relieved of their duties, or defrocked  losing their salary, housing, benefits, and most importantly their ministries to their flock.

I never questioned the choice I made, Koval said. I, my whole soul, my whole being opposed this war. It was impossible for me to support the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine with my prayer.

After a Russian Orthodox Church court decided he should be defrocked, Koval appealed to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who has asserted a right to receive petitions of appeal from other Orthodox churches' clergy, over Russia's objections.

In June, the Constantinople patriarchate decided that Koval was punished for his stance on the war in Ukraine and ruled to restore his holy rank. The same day, Bartholomew allowed him to serve in his churches.

The Rev. Ioann Burdin also wanted to leave the Russian Orthodox Church after he spoke out against the war at a small church near Kostroma and the local court fined him for discrediting the Russian army. He asked the patriarch to approve his transfer to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church but instead, Kirill banned him from service until the priest made a public apology.

My position, which I first stated on the website, then in the church, and later during the trial was an expression of my religious convictions, the priest told AP. Since all people are brothers, then any war, any military conflict, one way or another becomes fratricidal.

Not allowed to serve in the church, Burdin brought his sermons to a Telegram channel where he guides Orthodox Christians confused by the patriarchs support of the war.

During his more than two decades in power, Putin has massively boosted the Russian Orthodox Church's standing, increasing its prestige, wealth and power in society after decades of oppression or indifference under Soviet leaders.

In turn, its leaders, like Patriarch Kirill, have supported his initiatives. The church has thrown its weight behind the war in Ukraine and it has been commonplace to see its clergymen blessing troops and equipment heading into battle and invoking Gods blessings in the campaign.

The Rev. Iakov Vorontsov, a priest in Kazakhstan, was shocked and desperate when he first heard the news of the war. He was hoping the church would step in to mediate the conflict. But neither his peers nor his superiors supported his calls to preach peace.

I realized that no one hears the words about peace, the 37-year-old priest says. It should have been conveyed to the people, to our flock, but it was not. And then I realized that I have another tool: social networks.

While his anti-war posts on Facebook received support online, the offline reaction was hostile. His superiors reassigned him several times, forbade him from giving sermons, and told parishioners to stay away from him. In the end, the priest lost hope and decided to temporarily stop serving in the Russian Orthodox Church.

They wanted me to leave, and in the end, they got it, the priest says, sitting in his apartment without a black robe that he wore for the past 13 years. But I didnt renounce my rank, I just decided for the time being that I cant be among these people in this situation.

The patriarchs influence goes far beyond the boundaries of his country and his orders apply even to priests serving abroad. In February, Kirill suspended for three months the Rev. Andrei Kordochkin, a priest at an Orthodox church in Madrid, for his anti-war stance.

Kipshidze said Kordochkin was punished for inciting hatred among his parishioners. But the priest says its a warning to dissuade him from further criticism.

I dont think that there is something that I have done wrong canonically, Kordochkin said. If there is no canonical crime, then it means that canon law is simply used as a mechanism of political repression.

Since the first days of the war, Kordochkin has publicly condemned the Russian invasion and has been regularly praying for peace in Ukraine. He believes priests should not remain silent and must convey a Christian message to people.

We have a duty to speak out, whatever the cost of that will be.

___

Associated Press journalists Iain Sullivan in Madrid and Vladimir Tretyakov in Almaty, Kazakhstan, contributed.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley told Iowa State Fair-goers Saturday it is important to help women who have abortions, even though she is pro-life.

The 51-year-old Republican presidential hopeful said at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox that she finds it unlikely that Republicans will be able to pass a federal ban on abortion and they should stop demonizing women who decide to have abortion.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year some states have allowed abortions to continue. Others, like Iowa, have passed near-total bans and been "pro-life," Haley said. But it would be challenging for any Republican administration to sign a federal ban, given the makeup of Congress, Haley said.

"In order to pass a federal law, you have to have a majority of the house, 60 Senate votes, and a signature of a president. We haven't had 60 Senate votes in over 100 years," Haley said. "We might have 45. So no Republican can ban abortion any more than a Democrat can ban state laws."

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox during day three of the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Des Moines.

Republicans in South Carolina  where Haley served as governor from 2011 to 2017  proposed subjecting women who have abortions to the state's homicide laws. Under South Carolina law, a person convicted of murder faces at least 30 years in prison and the possibility of the death penalty, according to NBC News.

But Haley said that is the wrong approach. She said she had a college roommate who was raped and people need to be compassionate.

"We have to stop demonizing that issue and humanize that," Haley said. "What we need to do is save as many babies as we can and support as many moms as we can."

Haley on the campaign trail has touted that the U.S. needs to be tougher on adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran. She has called China a "national" threat for infiltrating the U.S.

SFA Fund, a federal Super Pac that supports her, just released its first political TV ad in Iowa and New Hampshire, with Haley's stance against China front and center.

On the Soapbox Saturday, Haley said Chinese businesses are buying Iowa land and hog farms.

"We're going to make sure we deal with China once and for all, and Iowa is the front line," Haley said. "Iowa is an important state. Everybody likes to think that it's because of the caucus. But when you look at what is happening with the threat behind China, think Iowa."

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks with a young girl during Gov. Kim Reynolds' Fair-Side Chat during day three of the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Des Moines.

On Saturday morning, Haley said during her Fair-Side Chat with Gov. Kim Reynolds, ahead of her appearance at the Register's Soapbox, that Chinese companies steal millions of dollars worth of research at American colleges and "spread Chinese propaganda."

"They steal $600 billion worth of intellectual property from us every year," Haley said.

A former U.N. ambassador, Haley said she's negotiated with China and Russia before. With speaking to Chinese leaders, she said "you go to them with strength."

"The first thing is we make sure they no longer buy U.S. soil, and we take back what they've already purchased. We go to our universities, and we say: 'You either take Chinese money or you take American money, but the days of taking both are over,'"she said. "We get that infiltration out of our universities. We go to China, we say we will end all normal trade relations with you until you stop killing Americans."

F. Amanda Tugade covers social justice issues for the Des Moines Register. Email her at ftugade@dmreg.com or follow her on Twitter @writefelissa.

Philip Joens covers retail, real estate and RAGBRAI for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at 515-284-8184, pjoens@registermedia.com or on Twitter @Philip_Joens.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: GOP candidate Nikki Haley speaks on abortion, China at Iowa State Fair
By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) -A Russian warship on Sunday fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.

In July, Russia halted participation in the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce via the Black Sea. Moscow said that it deemed all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons.

On Sunday, Russia said in a statement that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship had fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship's captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

Russia said the vessel was making its way toward the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was currently near the coast of Bulgaria and heading toward the Romanian port of Sulina.

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministry said.

The Russian military boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter, the ministry said.

"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the defence ministry said.

A Turkish defence ministry official said he had heard an incident had taken place involving a ship heading for Romania, and that Ankara was looking into it.

Reuters could not immediately reach the vessel or its owners for comment.

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the incident was a "clear violation of international law of the sea, an act of piracy and a crime against civilian vessels of a third country in the waters of other states."

The adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, added on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that "Ukraine will draw all the necessary conclusions and choose the best possible response."

Zelenskiy did not mention the incident in his nightly video address.

Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the southern military command, stressed that the Russian statement had not been confirmed by other official sources. "I believe that attention should be drawn to this and the peculiarities of hybrid warfare should be kept in mind," she said in televised remarks.

"This statement could be a signal to all civilian vessels in the Black Sea," she said, and called for all transportation and navigation there to be conducted under international guarantees. Russia, she added, was trying to assert its right to stop a ship or deploy aircraft in the Black Sea and "face no consequences."

BLACK SEA AT WAR?

Firing on a merchant vessel will ratchet up already acute concerns among shipowners, insurers and commodity traders about the potential dangers of getting ensnared in the Black Sea - the main route that both Ukraine and Russia use to get their agricultural produce to market.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's top agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. Russia is also dominant in the fertiliser market.

Since Russia left the Black Sea grain deal, both Moscow and Kyiv have issued warnings and carried out attacks that have sent jitters through global commodity, oil and shipping markets.

Russia has said it will treat any ships approaching Ukrainian ports as potential military vessels, and their flag countries as combatants on the Ukrainian side. Russia also struck Ukrainian grain facilities on the Danube.

Ukraine responded with a similar threat to ships approaching Russian or Russian-held Ukrainian ports. Ukraine also attacked a Russian oil tanker and a warship at its Novorossiysk naval base, next door to a major grain and oil port.

Ukraine and the West say Russia's steps amount to a de-facto blockade of Ukrainian ports that threatens to cut off the flow of wheat and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to world markets.

Russia dismisses that interpretation and says the West failed to implement a parallel agreement easing rules for its own food and fertiliser exports.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge in Moscow, Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara and Dan Peleschuk in Kyiv; Editing by Nick Macfie and Diane Craft)
LAS VEGAS  Chinas hackers have been positioning themselves to conduct destructive cyberattacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, a top U.S. cyber official warned Saturday.

Speaking at a panel at the Def Con hacker conference in Las Vegas, Jen Easterly, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, said, I hope that people are taking seriously a pretty stark warning about the potential for China to use their very formidable capabilities in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan straits to go after our critical infrastructure.

Such attacks would reflect a significant pivot from the type of cyberactivity historically attributed to China, which for years has largely consisted of a barrage of espionage and theft of data but not destructive attacks designed to harm systems.

Chinese officials have denied reports of state-sponsored hacking and say that China is itself a frequent victim of cyberattacks, alleging that the U.S. is the champion of hacking. In May, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning referred to hacking reports as a collective disinformation campaign by the U.S. and its allies.

Easterlys comments mirrored several other alarms raised this year about Chinas potential to conduct destructive cyberattacks. In May, Microsoft warned that hackers affiliated with the Chinese government were targeting critical U.S. infrastructure.

In its most recent Annual Threat Assessment, published in February, the national intelligence directors office said that China almost certainly is capable of launching cyber attacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure services within the United States, including against oil and gas pipelines, and rail systems.

Last month, The New York Times reported that the U.S. was more actively hunting for Chinese hackers in critical infrastructure than previously had been known.

China would almost certainly would consider undertaking aggressive cyber operations against U.S. homeland critical infrastructure and military assets worldwide if it believed conflict with the U.S. was imminent, the report said.

The hackers affiliated with campaigns targeting U.S. infrastructure are particularly adept at living off the land, where they use victims' existing computer processes rather than introducing new malicious software, a practice that makes them harder to detect, Easterly said.

David Pekoske, the director of the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees the security of U.S. pipelines, ports, railways and aviation, said at the panel that critical infrastructure operators need to prepare for such cyberattacks immediately not to be caught off guard in the future.

Time is not our friend in this quest. We need to move very, very quickly. Thats why weve moved so quickly and so have our industry partners," Pekoske said. "We need to be ready now."
Hawaii State Sen. Angus McKelvey started hearing explosions in Lahaina as he was running errands. Hours later, he said he could see burning embers raining down from the sky and several homes on fire as he drove to his brother's house to check on the family pets. A nearby apartment building stood engulfed by large balls of fire, and by the time he returned home, flames were lighting up his condo.

As the destruction spread, McKelvey never heard emergency sirens or alarms. He didn't see police overseeing evacuations. Like other residents trying to flee the area, he said, he was uncertain about what to do next.

For the rest of the night Tuesday, McKelvey saw Lahaina, the historic tourist town he was born and raised in, erupt in flames "like a war zone."

McKelvey is part of a growing chorus of voices questioning what, if anything, went wrong in Maui in fires that have claimed at least 93 lives, destroyed more than 2,200 structures and scorched more than 2,100 acres. Locals are questioning whether residents were given enough notice via sirens or other notifications as the wildfire swept through. There are also questions about whether the area had the resources to help people, including enough firefighters.

About 1,000 people were still missing, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said.

"There probably should have been a more aggressive activation at the onset, more preparation," McKelvey told USA TODAY. "We heard about the red flag warning as brush fires were definitely a concern initially, not this cataclysmic totality that overwhelmed the community."

Summer Gerlingpicks up her piggy bank found in the rubble of her home following the wildfire Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that wiped out a historic town.

Fire weather watch was issued two days before wildfires began

The warning signs came early, McKelvey said. On Aug. 6, the National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a "fire weather watch" for the state after fears about Hurricane Dora soaking the area subsided. "Strong and gusty winds, combined with low humidities ... may lead to critical fire conditions across leeward areas over the coming days," the watch said.

The next day, on Aug. 7, the weather service issued "a red flag warning" as dry areas, combined with "strong and gusty easterly winds" of 30 to 45 mph with gusts up to 65 mph, were expected. "Any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly," officials warned.

And that's exactly what happened early Aug. 8 as catastrophic wildfires swept through Maui's west side fueled by intense winds with gusts as high as 80 mph from Hurricane Dora to the south.

Burnt out cars line the sea walk after the wildfire on Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens sounded before people ran for their lives from wildfires on Maui that killed multiple people and wiped out a historic town. Instead, officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations  but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Did warning sirens sound before the fires?

It's still unclear what steps local officials took to warn residents.

"I think this was an impossible situation," Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said on NBC's "Today" show on Friday. "I cant comment on whether or not the sirens sounded, but I know the fires came up so quickly and they spread so fast. There were some initially, when there was a smaller fire. Homes were evacuated."

Hawaii Emergency Management records showed no indication warning sirens were triggered before the fires erupted, officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Adam Weintraub said the departments records dont show Mauis warning sirens were triggered Tuesday when the Lahaina fire began.

Instead, the county used emergency alerts sent to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, Weintraub said. But power and cellular outages may have limited the alert's reach.

Mauis ability to fight the fires may also have been hampered by a small staff, said Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association. A maximum of 65 firefighters are working at any given time in Maui County, and they are responsible for fighting fires on three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai, he said.

Those crews have more than a dozen fire engines and two ladder trucks, but the department does not have any off-road vehicles, he said. That means fire crews cant attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach roads or populated areas.

Business owner J.D. Hessemer told CBS News he evacuated before the fires hit his neighborhood but never heard an emergency alert. "The winds were just getting out of control. Power lines were down everywhere and we had to reroute," Hessemer told "CBS Mornings" on Friday. "We just decided it was not safe to stay around for the day."

People running out of food, fuel

Elizabeth Pickett, co-executive director of the nonprofit Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, told the Honolulu Civil Beat the fire was foreseeable.

"We keep hearing from certain elected officials and other people being quoted in the media, 'We had no idea, this is unprecedented,'" Pickett said Thursday. "But actually, those of us in the wildfire community, meaning our fire agencies, our forestry natural resource management community, we have long been working to increase our risk reduction efforts."

McKelvey said more people should have been told to leave their homes.

"I think there wouldve been a stronger urge to evacuate with some better planning," McKelvey said. "It's hard."

He said there is "an urgent and desperate need" for power lines to be restored. If not, he hopes federal officials will consider bringing in mobile vans or trailers that offer wireless coverage to ravaged areas as shortages of food, water and fuel grow.

"There are so many questions that need to be answered," McKelvey said. "But right now, there are a lot of people worried to death about their family members and friends who are missing and don't know if they are alive or dead."

Wildfires can be difficult to predict, disaster expert says

Despite the weather service's official warnings, Karl Kim, executive director for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center at the University of Hawaii, said Thursday that even he was surprised by the level of devastation and deaths from the fast-spreading wildfires.

"Even the best of us can be second-guessed by a red flag warning, not considering how that it might affect us directly," Kim said.

Hawaii has among the largest integrated outdoor all-hazard public safety warning systems in the United States. Despite nearly 400 sirens islandwide to alert residents of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, flooding, volcano eruptions and earthquakes, wildfires can be difficult hazards to track, Kim said. He said he doesn't know whether any of those sirens were triggered by the fires.

"Out of all of the threats, wildfires are the most difficult to predict, unlike hurricanes and volcanos, because we have much better detection alerts and warning systems in place" for those, Kim said. "A wildfire can be triggered in many different ways, by strong winds, lightning, people disposing of cigarette butts, and other human causes."

He said the tragedy shows the need to understand the science of wildfires, as well as use technology such as costly mobile sensors that detect gas, smoke and flames, particularly in remote wildfire-prone areas. Questions are being raised on where to place them and how to connect them to the internet or satellite communication systems.

A sensor unit that could be attached to a tree could cost about $250, Kim said. That cost, however, does not include any installation, connection service, maintenance and periodic testing.

Kim said the Maui wildfires involved a deadly combination of incredibly strong winds and "dry fuel," including brush, grass, trees and centuries-old wooden structures for houses, buildings and businesses.

"The wildfire took out main sources of communications as word didn't spread fast enough by phone and other means," Kim said. "And by the time you start smelling the smoke, unfortunately, it may be a little too late. This is a harsh wake-up call."

'Plenty of blame to go around'

Kim said that while there might have been warnings about possible fire dangers, many people tend to ignore them for various reasons, including longstanding tendencies that they "won't directly affect me."

Those beliefs are not uncommon, said Tricia Wachtendorf, a sociology professor and director of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. She said many residents might have been more focused on a hurricane hitting the island instead of the risk of fire danger.

"We don't associate these two types of natural hazards, in this case, a hurricane and a wildfire, as being related," Wachtendorf said.

There's a lot to learn going forward in terms of weather patterns, climate change and urbanization, Kim said. He called it "one of the most unprecedented disasters" in Hawaii's history.

"There's plenty of blame to go around, as it would be wrong to focus narrowly on the emergency response systems due to this incredible force of nature," Kim said. "This is a signal for us to do even more work on our preparedness and improving our technology and communications systems. And above, all understanding our own behavior patterns."

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Hawaii wildfires burned, many didn't hear sirens. What went wrong?
Late last week, imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny was handed a harsh judgment: After a court hit him with a new 19-year sentence in a penal colony, he was sent immediately to a punishment cell.

It was a stark contrast to the fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Back in June, Prigozhin led the abortive mutiny that presented the biggest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in over two decades of rule. While Prigozhins troops stopped short of Moscow, a furious Putin said in a televised speech that those on the path of treason would face punishment. Almost two months later, in the case of the Wagner chief, this simply hasnt happened.

Clearly, the price for confronting Putin is not fixed. Perhaps more surprisingly, Prigozhin hasnt even kept a low profile since the June uprising.

Just weeks after the insurrection, Prigozhin popped up on the sidelines of the recent Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, shaking hands with a dignitary from the Central African Republic (CAR).

To be sure, the mercenary boss was not striking a martial pose: While subscribers to his Telegram channel have become accustomed to seeing him in camouflage and tactical gear, Prigozhin was spotted in a polo shirt and mom jeans, cutting a seemingly more mild-mannered figure than in months past.

Prigozhin was seen in St. Petersburg with a CAR dignitary on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in July. - Orchestra_W/Telegram

But pity the poor Russian diplomat who has to explain why Prigozhin  whose forces shot down Russian military aircraft and killed Russian military servicemembers on their march toward the capital  remains at large.

Thats exactly what happened when CNNs Christiane Amanpour confronted Andrei Kelin, the Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom, about the bizarre spectacle of Prigozhins post-mutiny appearance.

Wagners insurrection, Kelin conceded, might constitute a form of high treason. But the ambassador went on to explain that Putin has decided to let bygones be bygones.

The president has qualified it when it has started, then it was all over, Kelin said. Now hes traveling someplace, so we do recognize some hero deeds by Wagner groups, alluding to Wagners apparent battlefield successes around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Amanpour, however, pressed Kelin further.

What I would like to understand, why is it that people like (jailed dissident Vladimir) Kara-Murza, the intellectual, others, Navalny are in jail for verbally protesting and disagreeing with the Russian government, but Prigozhin, who tried to commit a coup against the Kremlin, maybe even against the President himself  an armed coup  is still wandering around free in Russia? He was photographed meeting with African leaders during this weeks summit in St. Petersburg, why is he not in jail for treason?

Kelin evaded at first, saying he didnt recall that Russian soldiers died during the Wagner mutiny. Pressed by Amanpour, Kelin conceded that he had no explanation. Longtime observers, too, are searching for explanations about Prigozhins future.

Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, was interviewed by CNN's Christiane Amanpour on August 4.

Experts believe that the Wagner boss still has value to Putin, even though the stature of both men has diminished.

Prigozhins stock with the Kremlin has clearly taken a hit, said Candace Rondeaux, director of Future Frontlines, an open source intelligence service at the think tank New America. But since Putin lost even more stock after the mutiny it seems he believes some utility remains in keeping Prigozhin around.

Prigozhins business acumen  and his skill at concealing commercial gains through an opaque network of front companies and offshore operations  are an asset for Putins Russia, which has been hit by sweeping Western economic sanctions, Rondeaux said.

At this point, Prigozhins networks of shell companies are the best insurance Putin has to keep Russias war economy, she said. But its not likely to stay that way forever  eventually something has got to give. And there is a good chance once it does well see more spectacular events closer to the border between Poland and Belarus.

Rondeaux was referring to the recent relocation of some Wagner fighters to Belarus. The move  apparently part of a deal brokered to end the June mutiny  has already raised alarms in Poland, a NATO member next door to Belarus.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently said that 100 troops from Wagner were moving toward a thin strip of land between Poland and Lithuania, with the possible intent of posing as migrants to cross the border.

Its unclear exactly how many Wagner troops are in Belarus, and whether or not they have access to heavy weaponry. But Morawiecki seemed to be pointing to one potential scenario for Wagner mischief: Promoting some kind of destabilization along NATOs eastern frontier.

Wagners African footprint

And then there are Prigozhins plans for another region: Vulnerable and unstable countries in Africa, where Wagner has already conducted a series of operations.

Speaking after Wagner fighters relocated to Belarus, Prigozhin suggested he remained focused on this core African market.

To ensure that there are no secrets and behind-the-scenes conversations, I am informing you that the Wagner Group continues its activities in Africa, as well as at the training centers in Belarus, Prigozhin said in an audio message shared on Telegram accounts associated with the Wagner group.

Prigozhins forces are already implicated in activities in Sudan  where Wagner has supplied the militia battling Sudans army  and has operated extensively in the CAR and in Libya.

He may also sense opportunities in Niger, after a recent military coup threatened to spark a major regional crisis. In a recent Telegram message, Prigozhin hinted that Wagner might be ready to offer its services there.

What happened in Niger has been brewing for years, Prigozhin said. The former colonizers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check. 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.

Then followed his hard sell. The population suffers, he said. And this is the (the reason for the) love for PMC Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner. Because a thousand soldiers of PMC Wagner are able to establish order and destroy terrorists, preventing them from harming the peaceful population of states.

That might be dismissed as pure bluster and salesmanship. But its worth noting that Prigozhins sale pitch was at odds with the view of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which called for the prompt release of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum by the military.

And thats where things can still get interesting back in Russia. By defying Putin and evading punishment, Prigozhin seems to have built and sustained a competing center of gravity to the Kremlin.

In a recent analysis, Tatiana Stanovaya, senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said Prigozhin had effectively chipped away at the power vertical  Putins longstanding system of top-down rule.

Putins much-hyped power vertical has disappeared, she wrote. Instead of a strong hand, there are dozens of mini-Prigozhins, and while they may be more predictable than the Wagner leader, they are no less dangerous. All of them know full well that a post-Putin Russia is already here  even as Putin remains in charge  and that its time to take up arms and prepare for a battle for power.

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The Maui wildfire, which devastated the town of Lahaina, has now become the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history with the death toll rising to 106.

On Aug. 15, the County of Maui shared a press release stating that at this time, 106 human remains have been discovered.

"We offer our deepest condolences to the families who are beginning to receive notifications about their loved ones, Mayor Richard Bissen said in the release. As a community, we offer our prayers of comfort in this most difficult time.

Two victims have been officially identified and their next of kin have been notified by officials as of Aug. 15: Robert Dyckman, 74, of Lahaina, and Buddy Jantoc, 79, of Lahaina.

Officials told TODAY Aug. 16 that they expect to identify up to 20 new victims a day.

Jeff Hickman, spokesperson for Hawaiis Department of Defense, told TODAY on Monday, Aug. 14, that with so little of the search done, "the fear is the number will get higher."

"They want to be meticulous and do it right," Hickman says. "Right now theyre doing cars and soon theyll start to entire buildings."

With 1,100 people in shelters and a flood of donated items like water, baby formula and pillows, Hickman told TODAY that the biggest thing people can do now to assist in the recovery is to send monetary donations. (TODAY put together a list of credible relief organizations accepting donations.)

At a press conference on Aug. 12, attended by NBC News, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the damage from the fires was estimated at close to $6 billion making it likely the largest natural disaster in the states history. It's also estimated that 2,207 structures were destroyed or damaged in Lahaina and the majority of buildings impacted were residential, according to damage assessments.

Maui police restricted access to West Maui, but Honoapiilani Highway was temporarily open for residents to leave Lahaina. Maui County officials added that Lahaina remains barricaded, warning people to stay out of the area due to "hazards including toxic particles from smoldering areas."

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told NBC affiliate KHNL of Honolulu on Aug. 10 that as residents return to the impacted area, they needed to be mentally prepared.

This will bring Hawaii together, but prepare yourself for the emotional turmoil because if I feel it  and I have the experience as an emergency guy who saw tragedy in the course of 25 years in the hospital  it will be shocking to a lot of other people, he said of the rising death toll.

Green later said on Aug. 14 that around 86% of the more than 2,200 structures that were destroyed in the wildfires had been residential.

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Dora, which has been passing south of the islands of Hawaii, has caused some of the strong winds and "dangerous fire conditions" since Aug. 8.

Hawaii has been under an emergency proclamation for the wildfires since Aug. 8.

What happened in Lahaina?

Many of the people killed in the wildfires were in Lahaina, where the flames overtook the historic town of about 12,000 people on the west coast of Maui.

Aerial video showing the scope of the destruction reveals the town has been largely reduced to ash.

The town's treasured 150-year-old banyan tree was also burned, the NBC News reports, though it still may survive.

When the death toll was 36, the town's mayor said that the city would continue to be in a "search and rescue mode."

"We've had many dwellings, businesses, structures that have been burnt  many of them to the ground," Maui Mayor Richard T. Bissen said on Aug. 9, adding that thousands are now in shelters.

Green said in a statement on Aug. 9 that "hundreds of local families" have been displaced in the "terrible disaster," which was fueled by winds from Hurricane Dora and underlying drought conditions.

Thursday morning, Green told local news stations he had been notified that President Joe Biden had approved a national disaster declaration for Hawaii.

In an Aug. 10 press conference, Green said it will take years to rebuild and possibly billions of dollars.

When you see full extent of the destruction of Lahaina, it will shock you, he said. It does appear like a bomb and fire went off, if I may. And all of those buildings virtually are going to have to be rebuilt.

Residents were forced to evacuate

More than 11,000 people have already been evacuated from Maui and another 2,000 are expected to leave by Aug. 11, officials said.

Local hospitals have been overwhelmed by people with serious burns, and thousands of people are being housed in evacuation centers, NBC News reported.

Everyone I know is now homeless, Maui resident Dustin Kaleiopu said on TODAY on Aug. 10. In 36 hours, our town has been burnt to ashes, nothing left.

Ed Sniffen, director of the Hawaii Department of Transport, said at a news conference at 8 p.m. local time on Aug. 9 (3 a.m. Thursday ET) that 11,400 people had been flown out so far. He added that 600 others were expected to stay overnight at the airport in order to leave on the next available flights.

United Airlines sent empty airplanes for its regularly scheduled flights to Maui to be used as passenger flights to evacuate people to the mainland, the airline said in a statement on Aug. 10.

American Airlines said it expects to operate all of the scheduled flights to and from Maui on Aug. 10 and has added an additional flight to help with the evacuation. Also, customers whose travel plans are affected by the wildfires can rebook without fees, cancel or receive a refund.

A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii (Ty O'Neil / AP)

US Coast Guard rescued 17 people from water

The U.S. Coast Guard said during a press conference on Aug. 11 that their crews rescued 17 survivors from the water of Lahaina Harbor the evening of Aug. 8 and into early Aug. 9.

Capt. Asa Kirksey, the commander of Coast Guard sector Honolulu, said that there were other people in the water who were helped by other agencies who responded to the urgent broadcast to all mariners "indicating what we thought would be a mass rescue."

She said eight good Samaritan vessels also responded to a report of what they initially believed to be as many as 100 people in the water and clinging to the sea wall. She added that it was unclear exactly how many people were rescued from the ocean by other parties.

Kirksey said approximately 300 Coast Guard personnel had mobilized and continued searching "in case we received additional reports of persons entering the water."

All 17 survivors rescued by the Coast Guard were reported to be in stable condition, Kirksey said. She added that it wasn't clear the age breakdown of the people rescued but a Coast Guard surface swimmer had managed to "save five people including two children from the water."

Originally, the Coast Guard had said in a news release that 14 people were rescued on Aug. 8.

What caused the fires in Hawaii?

The National Weather Service shared the morning of Aug. 9, that Hurricane Dora is to blame for "dangerous fire conditions" and extreme wind gusts.

Top wind gust speeds above 80 mph were clocked across Hawaii this week, according to data from the National Weather Service.

While well to the south of the Hawaiian Islands, Hurricane Dora is creating strong winds across the Islands which are creating dangerous fire conditions. https://t.co/12ut6VYhbx  National Weather Service (@NWS) August 9, 2023

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning the morning of Aug. 9, warning of impending critical fire conditions. The strong winds, low humidity and high temperatures will likely contribute to "extreme fire behavior."

The winds were expected to bring 35 mph gusts as temperatures were likely to climb to 107 degrees, according to the NWS.

"Any fires that will develop will likely spread rapidly," the warning advised.

The U.S. Drought Monitor also notes that much of Maui was and is in drought conditions.

Biden calls Hawaii wildfires devastating and promises help

President Joe Biden spoke out on Aug. 10 about the wildfires, remarking that anyone who lost a loved one or had their home damaged or destroyed is going to get help immediately.

Biden  who spoke at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah  was there to mark the first anniversary of the PACT Act, NBC News reports.

He also thanked emergency responders for their brave actions and working around the clock to help.

The president also noted that FEMA is coordinating disaster assistance. He said he has directed all available federal assets on the island to assist local emergency response crews to work as quickly as possible to fight these fires and evacuate residents and tourists.

In the meantime, our prayers are with the people of Hawaii  but not just our prayers, he concluded his comments on the wildfires. Every asset we have will be available in them. And weve seen their homes, their businesses destroyed and some have lost loved ones. And its not over yet.

On Aug. 11, Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters the White House is continuing to monitor the situation and helping to coordinate resources.

We are coordinating federal resources to swiftly get there to support the work that has to be done both in terms of recovery, but to just support the folks on the ground, she said.

It is tragic what has happened there. I have full faith and confidence in the leadership in Hawaii to stay on top of this, but they will have our full support, Harris said. Our prayers are with the families and with the leaders.

She added that she would like to tour the damage but doesn't want to distract from the needs of victims and first responders.

Are the wildfires in Hawaii still burning?

On Aug. 15, Maui County said in a release that the Lahaina fire was 85% contained, the Upcountry/Kula fire was 75% contained and the Pulehu/Kihei fire was 100% contained.

A fire that led to sudden evacuations in Kaanapali the night of Aug. 11 was 100% contained within about two hours.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Five books for sale on Amazon were removed after author Jane Friedman complained that the titles were falsely listed as being written by her. The books, which Friedman believes were written by AI, were also listed on the Amazon-owned reviews site Goodreads.

It feels like a violation, because its really low quality material with my name on it, Friedman told the Guardian. The Ohio-based author has written several books about the publishing industry, and the fraudulent titles mimicked her real work. How to Write and Publish an eBook Quickly and Make Money and A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Compelling eBooks, Building a Thriving Author Platform, and Maximizing Profitability were two of the listed books. Friedmans real books include The Business of Being a Writer and Publishing 101.

One of the falsely attributed books descriptions read: This book offers practical strategies, tips, and techniques to help writers streamline their writing process, accelerate their eBook publication timeline, and maximize their earning potential.

Jane Friedman. Photograph: Ross Van Pelt

Friedman was first made aware of the scam titles through a reader who noticed the listings on Amazon and emailed her after suspecting that the books were fraudulent. It looks terrible. It makes me look like Im trying to take advantage of people with really crappy books, she said.

Having had experience with AI tools such as ChatGPT, which is designed to provide humanlike responses to user commands, Friedman immediately thought the books were AI-generated after reading the first few pages. Ive been blogging since 2009  theres a lot of my content publicly available for training AI models, the author wrote on her website.

The books were if not wholly generated by AI, then at least mostly generated by AI, Friedman said. She began looking for ways to get the titles taken down immediately and submitted a claim form to Amazon. Yet according to Friedman, as she had not trademarked her name, Amazon told her it would not remove the books.

However, the books had been taken down from both Amazon and Goodreads by Tuesday, which Friedman suspects is due to her speaking out about the issue on social media. Unless Amazon puts some sort of policy in place to prevent anyone from just uploading whatever book they want and applying whatever name they want, this will continue, its not going to end with me, said Friedman. They have no procedure for reporting this sort of activity where someones trying to profit off someones name. On her blog, she called on the sites to create a way to verify authorship.

Fraudulent titles have been listed on Amazon in the past. In 2018, business writer Patrick Reames said that a scammer had used his social security number to pose as him and publish a book under his name.

When asked about Friedmans case, an Amazon spokesperson told the Guardian: We have clear content guidelines governing which books can be listed for sale and promptly investigate any book when a concern is raised. We welcome author feedback and work directly with authors to address any issues raised. We invest heavily to provide a trustworthy shopping experience and to protect customers and authors from misuse of our services.


At the end of the Marian prayer, the pontiff addressed young people in St Peter's Square, who participated in the recent WYD in Lisbon. He lamented again the latest tragedy involving migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, and called for peace in Cameroon and "tormented Ukraine". Citing the Gospel, he mentioned the presence of Jesus who "saves".

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis addressed the crowd gathered today in St Peter's Square today for the Angelus. After the prayer, he greeted young pilgrims from Taiwan and wished them a good journey. He mentioned the tragedy of migrants who died in the Mediterranean and renewed his prayer for "tormented Ukraine.

A few days ago, "another tragic shipwreck" occurred in the Mediterranean and "41 people lost their lives: I prayed for them, Francis said. It is with sorrow and shame that we must say that almost 2,000 women, men and children have already died in this sea since the start of the year, trying to reach Europe.

For him, this is an "open wound" on our humanity; for this reason, he called on political leaders to "heal it with solidarity and brotherhood; at the same time, he expressed encouragement to those who try "to prevent shipwrecks" to continue their work.

It is with special affection that the pontiff greeted young people from Salvador, Mexico, Argentina, and Italy who participated in WYD; he added that tomorrow, the eve of Mary Most Holy, "a pilgrimage will take place in Cameroon for peace."

"Let us join our brothers and sisters in Cameroon" in this "pilgrimage for dialogue" so that "concord and peace" can be achieved in that African country, as well as in the "tormented Ukraine", which "suffers so much" as a result of the ongoing war.

His last prayer was for the victims of recent fires in Maui, Hawaii.

Before the Angelus prayer, speaking about the episode in the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus walks on the waters of the Sea of Galilee to meet his disciples who are making the crossing by boat, the pope said that we do not grasp immediately the message behind the walking on the water.

At that time, the vast waters were seen as haunts of evil powers that man was not able to master, Francis explained. " Particularly when storms made them turbulent, these abysses were symbols of chaos and reminded people of the darkness of the underworld.

Once in the middle of the lake when it was dark, the disciples were are afraid of sinking, of being sucked in by evil. And here comes Jesus, walking on the waters, who tells them, Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.

Francis said as much to the young people at the recent WYD in Lisbon. This is the "sense of the sign: By walking on the waters, He wants to say, Do not be afraid. I have put your enemies under my feet  not people!  not that type of enemy, but death, sin, the devil  He tramples on these enemies for us.

Speaking about the Gospel, the pope said that with Christ we are no longer alone "in the turbulent waters of life." Faced with fear, the disciples call on and welcome Jesus, expressing through prayer, the certainty that the Lord can save us. [. . .] Let us repeat it too, Francis said, above all in stormy moments  Lord, save me!

Afterwards the disciples welcome Jesus on the boat, which is "the boat of our life" which often sails in a "turbulent" sea. " He does not spare us the hard work of sailing, rather [. . .] he pushes his disciples to depart. He invites us to face difficulties so they too might become salvific places.

In concluding, the pope said, may Mary, Star of the Sea, help us to seek the light of Jesus.
Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin, left, shakes hands with his Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta during a meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, Saturday. Marking the first visit in a decade by a Korean foreign minister to the African country, Park signed a memorandum of understanding with Rwanda, focusing on strengthening strategic dialogue between the two nations. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
by Alessandra De Poli

Sister Marie and Sister Teresa brought new life to the congregation of the Lovers of the Cross in Kompong Cham after the fall of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. As they say in their testimony, their journey began in the 1990s, and went hand in hand with the countrys reconstruction.

Milan (AsiaNews)  Sister Marie and Sister Teresa are the first two Cambodians who brought religious life back after the fall of the Pol Pot regime through preaching of the Gospel in a market. Their story is also that of a Church reborn, featured in this month's issue of Mondo e Missione, the magazine published by PIME missionaries.

After the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, breathing fresh air in Cambodia was possible in the early 1990s. Marie, whose name before she was baptised was Ang Songvat, worked as a secretary in the mornings, and as a seamstress at the Kompong Cham market in the afternoons. She also attended evening classes to get her high school diploma, which had not been able to complete because of fighting involving armed guerrillas in some parts of the country.

At the market, she befriended a woman who would change her life, although she did not know that yet. This woman was Bun Nath, who sold fish with a colleague, Bun Tharin, and who had heard about Christianity thanks to a French priest before the missionaries were kicked out in 1975.

Bun Nath was only a child when she regularly visited the home of Fr Andre Lesouef, a member of the Foreign Missions of Paris, who in 1968 was appointed as the first apostolic prefect of Kompong Cham, capital of the homonymous province, located about 120 kilometres east of the countrys capital Phnom Penh.

At the time, the clergyman welcomed non-Christian children at his rectory and talked to them. When he returned to Cambodia in 1992, all the works of the Catholic Church had been lost. Or so it seemed.

Bun Nath, now an adult, wrote a letter to the 70-year-old missionary, who lived in the capital Phnom Penh. Fr Andre not only managed to find her, but he baptised her, the first Christian in the reborn Cambodian Catholic Church.

Ath the market, Bun Nath spoke about her experience with Christianity, but the questions of the woman who would later become Sister Marie became increasingly complex.

So Bun Nath asked Bun Tharin to take Songvat to Fr Andre who was now assisted by two Thai nuns, Pelagie and Xavier, of the congregation of the Sisters Lovers of the Cross, an order founded in Thailand by Fr Lambert De la Motte in the 17th century.

Bun Tharin had met Fr Andre and heard about him from Bun Nath, but had never thought of converting to Christianity from Buddhism. She had finished middle school but then, due to her familys economic hardships, had started to work at the fish market.

When she met the French missionary, Songvat did not really find the answers she was looking for, but was greeted with a question: "Do you want to study the Word of God?" asked Father Andre.

Following this meeting, the two women began separately to study the catechesis with the missionary. Between 1994 and 1996, when they were still under 30, they were baptised. Marie and Teresa are happy with their choice but it was not an easy decision.

"We were Buddhists by tradition, but I felt touched by the enlightenment of the Lord. Culture is something that you absorb from the outside, but the Word of God came to meet us during the journey, said Sister Marie.

Because of Fr Andres increasingly poor health, Marie and Teresa continued the catechesis with the Thai sisters. "Their Khmer was rudimentary," they say. "But our faith was firm and motivated, it went beyond the formality of the lessons."

At one point, Sister Pelagie proposed to Marie to give evening sewing and writing lessons at her house to a group of girls not yet baptised. When Teresa also went to live with them, the two women began to think about consecration.

Fr Andre was taken aback by the request of the two women but understood that their vocation was genuine. Marie and Teresa had already decided to join the Sisters Lovers of the Cross because the charism of the congregation is simple, based on a Christianity of the earliest proclamation, based on the sharing of life.

Sisters Pelagie and Xavier brought to Cambodia a copy of the orders constitutions in Thai, a language that Marie and Teresa learnt in order to translate into Khmer. To be sure that they had not misrepresented the content, they compared their translation with the French version.

And this is how the congregation put down roots in Cambodia again. Before the Khmer Rouse regime, there were other Sisters Lovers of the Cross but they were either killed or had fled abroad. This rebirth went hand in hand with the countrys reconstruction.

In 2002 they began their novitiate and in 2004 they made their first religious profession and were assigned to a mission in Prey Veng, where they were responsible for some student residences for girls and a programme of initiation into the Christian faith.

This is, more or less, what they are still doing today. Songvat stayed in Prey Veng, while Tharin lives in Stung Treng, north-eastern Cambodia, with nine other professed sisters.

Looking back at their lives, Sister Marie and Sister Teresa, who are now in their 60s, note that, after their baptism, they no longer performed traditional Buddhist religious rites with their family at festivals in pagodas. They could not understand why they were so different.

"At the time we did not know how to answer our own questions, but today, they explain, we understand that the Word asked to be proclaimed precisely in that particular context.

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.
by Shafique Khokhar

Participants in a conference on minority rights on Thursday urged the government to respect its commitments to establish a national commission to protect the rights of Christians, Hindus and members of other religious minorities. Everything done so far has proven ineffective. Voice for Justice Chairman Joseph Jansen is troubled that peaceful demonstrators demanding an end to [. . .] atrocities find themselves subject to arrest and mistreatment.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Pakistani organisations defending the rights of Christians, Hindus and other minority religions have condemned the violent police crackdown in Islamabad against protesters from the Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) during the National Minority Day observance last Thursday, 10 August. On that same day, a conference was held to mark the observance.

According to Joseph Jansen, who chairs Voice for Justice, the unwarranted violence against peaceful protesters stands as a grave violation of democratic rights and is an affront to the principles of justice".

On this significant occasion, dedicated to shedding light on the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan, it is disheartening to witness the very custodians of the law resorting to aggression against those championing the cause of equality and justice. We call upon the authorities to immediately release the detained peaceful protesters and ensure their safety and well-being, Jansen said.

It is deeply troubling that while individuals responsible for heinous acts like abduction, rape, and violence against minors continue to evade accountability, peaceful demonstrators demanding an end to such atrocities find themselves subject to arrest and mistreatment, he added.

On Thursday, participants to the meeting organised by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) urged political parties to keep their commitments to defending minority rights.

Although Pakistanis are overwhelming Muslim, the notion of protection and equality for Christians and Hindus was reiterated on several occasions in the countrys history, CSJ executive director Peter Jacob noted, such as Quaid-e-Azam Ali Jinnahs 14 points (1929), the Lahore Resolution (1940), Jinnahs address to the National Assembly on 11 August 1947, and the Liaquat-Nehru Pact (1950).

Regrettably, Jacob added, the National Assembly has passed a National Commission for Minorites Bill, 2023 without addressing its gaps; now , the onus is on the Senate to introduce amendments in the Bill to make the prospective minority rights body truly functional, and effective, independent, [and] autonomous.

In this regard, the Joint Action Committee for the Rights of Peoples (JAC) explained that the bill is not in line with either the UN Paris Principles or the directives of the Supreme Court of 19 June 2014. For this reason, the JAC urges the government to set up the permanent commission it had promised.

In 2014, the Supreme Court ordered the government to create a minority rights institution with a mandate to monitor the practical realization of the rights and safeguards provided to the minorities under the Constitution and law, and frame policy recommendations for safeguarding and protecting minorities rights.

Instead, the Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs, since 1990, formed ad hoc commissions which failed to make any progress towards policy reforms and redressing complaints related to minorities rights because they lacked a sound legal basis, broad mandate and competence, independence and autonomy, adequate powers and resources. We wish that the government had learnt from the past experiments and the issues faced by the previous minorities commissions.
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Hyundai has finally detailed the 2024 Santa Fe, almost a full month after they revealed the official photos of the model. But there was something that did not get the spotlight that it deserved that day: it was the bad-boy looking Santa Fe XRT Concept.

Photo: Hyundai

The day the 2024 Santa Fe made global debut, Hyundai also unveiled a concept car based on it. And the photos speak volumes. Yet you can't expect to be a concept car and take the spotlight from the production version. But the XRT came and went with not much ado.The concept is pretty much based on the range-topping 2024 Santa Fe Calligraphy, but with some add-ons that make it look more rugged and adventure-ready.It keeps the angular design and the H theme, just like the model set to enter production soon. But it is yet unknown if the XRT concept will turn into an actual trim, off-road-oriented and rugged looking. "Tailored to cater to divers needs of outdoor enthusiasts," as the carmaker describes it.The five-spoke wheels in black wear more rugged BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. It is designed to handle challenging terrains with confidence and ease, Hyundai explains. Furthermore, they use big words to describe the version with an off-roader personality. It ignites the ultimate venture spirit, they claim, mentioning the "thrill of the wild" in the same sentence.There is a roof rack, and there is a spare tire, also mounted on top of the car, unlike many popular off-roaders, which would rather have it put it at the rear, like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Jeep Wrangler. But there is where Hyundai mounted a ladder. There are two hooks at the front, and GoPros shows up on the front fenders so the driver gets to see exactly where he puts wheels in the off-road.Hyundai keeps the interior a secret for the moment. So we can only assume that the cabin should match the theme of the exterior.Still, we are not sure if the South Koreans are planning to really sell this version as it shows up in the photos or to offer various accessories for extra money.The carmaker will roll off the 2024 Santa Fe with two powertrains stateside. The range-topping version of the fifth-gen Santa Fe is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter with 277 horsepower (281 PS) and 311 lb-ft (421 Nm) of torque, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. All these figures take it to an acceleration from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph) in 8.0 seconds. Top speed is 131 mph (210 kph).The entry-level version comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder 1.6-liter unit integrated into a hybrid powertrain, which is capable of 177 horsepower (180 PS) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque. This one comes with a six-speed auto and takes forever to go from 0 to 62 mph: 9.5 seconds. The needle of the odometer stops at 118 mph.Hyundai gave up on the plug-in hybrid variant, which came with all-wheel drive and a combined system output of 268 horsepower.The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe will be on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Market launch for North America and Europe is scheduled for the first half of next year. That is most likely the moment we will find out pricing.
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With the Goodwood FoS wrapped and packed for a while, now it's the best time to focus our attention on the Monterey Car Week and all the goodies that precede it. Deployed in California over a matter of ten days starting August 11, this is a string of celebrations jam-packed with events, from legends of the Autobahn to the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, and from The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering to the culmination of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.There is something for everyone, of course, from carbon fiber-clad Shelby Cobras to exotic supercars like the Maserati MCXtrema or hypercars like the Bugatti by Sur Mesure Chiron Super Sport ' Golden Era ' that took no less than two years to complete! That gold-and-black work of art features hand-drawn elements all over the body and represents yet another exquisite way of saying goodbye to the W16 era of Bugatti madness.But I'm not going to talk about Monterey while all of its novelties are still tucked behind the curtain. Instead, let me tell you how this final summer month already feels like we're completely back in action across the automotive industry. And we have just three significant introductions to thank for that. Or to hate them  as not everyone loves work as much as casually surfing the waves or lying out in the sun at the beach. Oh, there I go; my mind wanders off.Back to the task at hand, August kicked off in the grandest style possible with the introduction of the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser. It's the light-duty version of the J300 Land Cruiser that was presented two summers ago and follows proudly in the footsteps of the J70 lineage that branched out in 1990. The Japanese automaker delivered a show of force as it launched (online) all versions for their respective regions  with the model dubbed Land Cruiser Prado in Australia and parts of Europe, as well as Land Cruiser 250 at home in Japan.But that doesn't matter much for the regular folk in America, as Toyota is keeping things simple with the 2024 Land Cruiser moniker. Plus, there are just three grades to choose from  including a limited, 5,000-unit First Edition that looks like the well-dressed version of the base Land Cruiser 1958 said to arrive during the early part of 2024 with round LED headlights and a mid-$50k starting price. On the other hand, the regular Land Cruiser is squared like only the J80 models from the 1990s knew how, and all three are motivated by Tacoma's 326-hp hybrid i-Force Max powertrain.After a few days of slack time when automakers simply waited for the Land Cruiser hype to wind down, a couple of carmakers wanted the red carpet and spotlight all for themselves, just ahead of the tidal wave of novelties brought by the Monterey Car Week 2023. First, Cadillac was brought to New York City and overturned Times Square to reveal the first-ever all-electric Escalade IQ . It's big enough to slot between the regular-powered Escalade and Escalade ESV but also stylish enough to initiate a new design era for the fifth generation.However, it has less to do with its ICE-powered siblings and more to do with the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra EV, and especially the GMC Hummer EV, plus the latter'sversion. Luckily, it also boasts some Ultium upgrades and power can reach up to 750 hp, but more importantly, the range will be no less than 450 miles or 724 kilometers thanks to a humongous, 200+24-module battery pack. Towing is not an issue, either, given the 8,000-pound rating  which is 3,628 kg. And neither is relaxation because the 2025 Escalade IQ will offer the perks of Super Cruise, dubbed as the automotive industry's "first true hands-free advanced driver assistance system."Anyway, as much as anyone favors this model for the sleek design that partially hides the mammoth dimensions, it's going to be a hard sell if General Motors keeps the $130k asking price. But then again, they are also selling a $340k Celestiq, so we're not surprised if this will sell because it's 'fashionable' and cool. However, if I had a big family and had to go home with a three-row model this past week, I would probably favor the boxy 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe that just had its (second) unveiling  the official world premiere  in Santa Fe, New Mexico And you want to know why? Well, simply because it looks excellent and you can also dress it up like the XRT Concept (no relationship with the Mitsubishi prototype of the same name that previewed the latest Triton/L200 mid-size pickup truck in Asia) if you don't want to be street-savvy in a Calligraphy trim model. Adventurous SUVs are making a comeback because people seem to like them rugged and tough  even if the Santa Fe is, in fact, just another unibody mid-size crossover SUV with two powertrains (178-hp hybrid and 277-hp turbo gasoline). So, in the end, which one is your favorite, the unique Bugatti Chiron, the Land Cruiser, the Escalade IQ, or Santa Fe. And why?
The short-lived Pontiac Phoenix has never been a hit, or at least not as big as other Pontiacs. The GM brand produced the car for seven years, launching two generations almost entirely based on Chevrolet models.

The first-generation version launched in 1977 as a 2-door coupe and a 4-door sedan. A 3-door hatchback joined the lineup a year later. All models sported rear-wheel-drive support and manual or automatic transmission, depending on the ordered engine.The laziest version, which focused on providing an economical drive to the supermarket, was the 151 (2.5-liter) four-cylinder unit known as Iron Duke. The next option in the queue came from Buick  the 231 (3.8-liter) V6. Chevrolet also donated two engines, both of them in V8 configuration. The first was the 305 (5.0-liter), while the latter and the top option on the first-generation Phoenix was the 350 (5.7-liter).The Phoenix posted on eBay by seller cpemotorsportsllc is a 2-door coupe fitted with the 231 V6 engine. The car was sold new at Valley Pontiac in Auburn, Washington, and after all these years, it retains its tip-top shape and perfect working condition.The only thing that's been changed since new is the paint. The car recently received a professional respray, so it looks new. The seller says you won't find any rust or bondo, as everything has been carefully fixed to align with the original Pontiac quality when the Phoenix rolled off the assembly lines.The vehicle spent its entire life in a garage, but the last time it was licensed was in 2001. It has full documentation and 61,000 miles (98,000 km) on the clock. The seller says the vehicle belonged to an older couple who passed away, and they found it sitting in a barn  though no other specifics were shared regarding the storage condition.However, you can tell the Pontiac was meticulously cared for, thanks to its impressive condition and because nothing is missing. It has almost everything original and in perfect shape, including the glass, the Landau roof, and the wheels.As most petrolheads probably know, a Pontiac Phoenix isn't a highly desirable classic, though it makes for a neat daily driver, especially in such an impressive condition. The bidding for this Phoenix starts at $500, but the seller has also enabled a reserve. Its value is unknown, but I don't think you'll get your hands on this Phoenix without paying at least $5,000.Interested buyers who want to check the vehicle in person must travel to Sandy, Oregon. A title is also available, and so is the complete documentation since new to confirm the low mileage. The car is ready to leave its current home on its wheels, as it's already fully road-worthy.
Although the Roadster was Tesla's first product and the Model S started the EV revolution, it's the Model 3 that defined not only Tesla but the EV market as a whole. Six years after its launch, the Tesla Model 3 is in for a significant overhaul. Here's everything we know about the upcoming model.

Photo: @klwtts via Twitter

Cosmetics first: what to expect at the design level

Photo: @omg_tesla via Twitter

The cabin sees more radical changes

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Photo: @xiaoteshushu via Twitter

The Tesla Model 3 "Project Highland": what's beneath the surface

Photo: CATL

What new technologies will the revamped Tesla Model 3 feature?

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Photo: @greentheonly via Twitter

Tesla will cut down on vertical integration with more outsourcing

Photo: @JayinShanghai via Twitter

The Tesla Model 3 Highland will start Price War 2.0

People are talking a lot about the Model Y these days, as it is on track to becoming the most-sold vehicle on the planet this year. It outshone the Model 3, capitalizing on people's love for SUVs and crossovers. Still, without the Model 3, Tesla wouldn't have been where it is now, and the Model Y would've not existed. Tesla's electric sedan put a lasting mark on the car market and industry, being crowned the best-selling electric vehicle in 2018, 2019, and 2020.Still, few people know that the Tesla Model 3 was also extremely close to derailing Tesla's entire vehicle program and possibly its future. Elon Musk admitted in 2020 that the Model 3 production ramp-up wasn't easy, describing it as "production and logistics hell." Musk confessed that Tesla was a month away from going bankrupt in 2019. Thankfully, Tesla raised billions after promoting self-driving efforts during Autonomy Day in April 2019. We're still waiting for Tesla's robotaxis, but the money saved the company and turned it into a success story.The Tesla Model 3 is an integral part of that story, especially after Giga Shanghai started production in 2019. The Chinese gigafactory contributed to Tesla's success just as much as the Model 3, thanks to massive efficiency improvements compared to Tesla Fremont. It's telling that Tesla will start the refreshed Model 3 production in Shanghai before starting producing the new model in the US. Known as "Project Highland," the revamped Model 3 is Tesla's best effort to appease the customers with new, exciting features while at the same time optimizing costs.Based on the information I got, the refreshed Tesla Model 3 will offer many new features that customers love without breaking the bank while cutting costs in less important or obvious areas. And because people tend to associate a new model with a fresh design, Project Highland will receive striking, albeit cosmetic, changes while keeping the body panels mostly unchanged. Make no mistake, though, the refreshed Model 3 will be the most significant model overhaul Tesla has ever attempted, so expect to make a lasting impression when it arrives later this year.Although we've seen many prototypes of the refreshed Tesla Model 3 testing toward the end of 2022, they looked like regular cars with front and rear cladding, or bras, as people call them. Only this spring did we notice the first change to the car's body. It was minor, affecting the repeater camera, but a change nonetheless. By then, it was also apparent that the front bumper was less prominent than the production model.The best picture of Project Highland's new design leaked on the internet in April, surprising everyone. Although it was unlikely to have been the final design, it revealed that Tesla was aiming for a more radical change than it went with the Model S and Model X refresh. It was an instant hit, despite the picture showing no obvious ultrasonic sensors or additional cameras, as it was rumored before that. Rumors still claim that the refreshed Model 3 will feature a front camera in the bumper's lower section, although ultrasonic sensors are history.The leaked picture shows that the front bumper is more streamlined, while the headlights are the most significant change design-wise. These are matrix-LED headlights , and the only question that remains is whether they will be adaptive or fixed. Although all current headlights on Tesla models are adaptive-capable, the feature is not enabled in the software. Hopefully, people buying the new electric sedans will not have to wait forever before the projectors can modulate light to offer curved lighting and glare-free high beams.Sadly, a similar picture leak with the Tesla Model 3 rear never surfaced. However, some lucky carparazzi managed to snap pictures of Project Highland prototypes with more revealing camouflage at the rear . The photos revealed that the turn-signal light is now vertical, matching the rendering floating on social media. The same images showed a new rear diffuser, although I don't know whether this is standard equipment or exclusive to the Performance variant.This is where the Tesla Model 3 owners spend most of their time, so it's vital that Tesla gives it a massive makeover . It's also where Tesla's cost-cutting measures are the most obvious, although themaker will compensate with new features. Probably the one that will make the biggest impression on people is the ambient lighting, which fans and customers have requested for years. It also requires minimal effort on Tesla's part, being cheap and easy to integrate into the cabin.There are also more significant changes, and I'd start with those that will be most welcome. Chief among them are the new ventilated seats , another highly-requested feature. A leaked picture from June shows the new seats reportedly in a supplier warehouse. They were wrapped in perforated vegan leather and featured a blower. This will surely add to the production costs, so expect Tesla to save money in other areas, which will be less pleasant.More prototype pictures revealed that Tesla would have a redesigned dashboard, which the test drivers covered with black fabric. Despite that, it became evident that Tesla opted for a stalkless design similar to the Model S/Model X. A drone video confirmed this, as it recorded the driver swapping the finger on the center display to put the car in reverse. The same video shows a flat-bottomed steering wheel with fewer buttons, hinting at an airbag horn instead of the touch-sensitive switch.Earlier this week, fresh leaks from China revealed a new dashboard with an integrated instrument panel cover and trims. The move unites three separate parts into a single-piece dashboard, a cost-cutting measure that would not affect the overall impression. The integrated trim shows a metallic pattern, replacing the wood decorations of the current model. This has been rumored for a long time and is now confirmed. Another leaked picture shows the door panel now has a cheaper fabric trim instead of Alcantara.This is an area where guessology reigns supreme, as nobody has ever seen a Project Highland body in white. The security measures at Giga Shanghai appear to be air-tight, and the employees working in the Project Highland area are prohibited from entering with smartphones. Still, we can infer from the Model Y changes that the same optimizations will be implemented in the Tesla Model 3 production. This undoubtedly means the use of megacastings and a structural battery pack.When Tesla introduced the megacastings in the Model Y production, it allowed it to cut costs significantly. The megacastings eliminate the need to bond or weld hundreds of body parts together, cutting down the manufacturing time. They also eliminate many steps from the assembly process, including time-consuming thermal treatment. Tesla said the production line is also shorter and requires fewer assembly robots and workers. As you can see, megacastings might offer the most important cost-reduction benefit.A structural battery pack is also in store for the refreshed model. We don't know yet what form factor Tesla will use for the Model Highland, especially as rumors indicate that it will outsource the production to third-party suppliers. Since 4680-cell production does not have significant yields to cover Cybertruck needs and still be enough for other models, it will likely be another form factor. The LFP cells used in the current Model 3 RWD are prismatic. However, CATL, Tesla's main battery supplier at Giga Shanghai, also produces cylindrical cells.Since we're already talking about the Tesla Model 3's battery, there is solid evidence that CATL will supply Tesla with its latest technology. This means replacing the lithium-iron-phosphate battery cells used for the Model 3 RWD base model with the M3P cells the battery giant announced earlier this year. The name gives away chemistry, which consists of three metal elements (M3) plus phosphorus (P). The three metals are manganese, zinc, and aluminum, which makes the M3P still a ternary battery but of the phosphate system.The improved chemistry is enough to increase energy density, raising the battery capacity level to 66. This represents a 10% improvement over current LFP packs of the Model 3 RWD, which have a 60-kWh capacity. This makes us confident that the base-version Tesla Model 3 Highland will increase the range to 300 miles/480 km. If Tesla also improves aerodynamics and drivetrain efficiency, it could offer more than that.We already know that the EV maker will transition to a new generation of electric motors using very few or no rare-earth materials. These materials are crucial to producing powerful permanent magnets used in electric motors. Experts are still puzzled how Tesla would manage to ditch rare earths like neodymium without affecting the motor's performance, but I'm sure we'll soon find out. Before launching the Model 3, Tesla used exclusively induction motors which don't have permanent magnets, hence no rare-earth materials. Later, it started using DC permanent magnet motors, and based on a slide from this year's Investor Day, it will continue to use them.Elon Musk is convinced Tesla will crack vehicle autonomy soon, so expect the refreshed Model 3 to adopt the recent Hardware 4 Autopilot computer and sensor suite. People talking to Tesla employees are adamant that the upcoming electric sedan will feature an additional front camera. However, I've seen no evidence of that in leaked pictures of the prototypes caught testing. Since the removal of ultrasonic sensors, the enormous blind spot in front of the hood is an issue for the park assist system, so it would be wise for Tesla to put a camera there.Other than that, I wouldn't hold my breath on the radar sensor. Although the Model S and Model X do come with such a sensor, it is not supported in software at this time. I have seen no evidence that the Model Y fitted with Hardware 4 sensor suite has a radar, and it's unlikely that the Tesla Model 3 will have one. Even more far-fetched is the steer-by-wire system rumored recently. If it's not on the Cybertruck, it won't be on the Model 3, that's for sure.As volumes grow, Tesla is less and less inclined to make everything in-house, something that made it famous and allowed it to control every aspect of the manufacturing process. Vertical integration is what made Tesla so cost-efficient, but it also added logistic headaches. That's why the EV maker is trying to outsource more, a massive strategy change that will allow suppliers more leeway.The first thing that Tesla is rumored to abandon is producing the seats for the Model 3. The seats have been widely appreciated for their comfort and are considered one of the best features of Tesla cars. The change might have already started, though, as some Tesla Model 3s were recently delivered with different headrests. Based on owners' comments on social media, they don't feel different, so hopefully, this change will not affect quality.Most importantly, Giga Shanghai insiders claim that Tesla is also outsourcing battery pack production to its partners. Previously, it bought battery cells from suppliers (or even produced them itself) and assembled them into packs at the gigafactory. Now, at least for CATL's battery packs that go into the Model 3 RWD, Tesla will buy the packs complete with the thermal and battery management system. The move became obvious after Tesla laid off half the employees working at the Phase 1 battery line at Giga Shanghai.All these cost-reduction measures will save a lot of money in the manufacturing process. Thanks to recent upgrades, Giga Shanghai will become even more efficient than it already was. This is why rumors from China indicate that Tesla aims for a massive price reduction for its base model. This could amount to about 15% of the current price, which starts at 232,000 yuan ($32,255). This would put the base version Tesla Model 3 RWD at below 200,000 yuan (less than $28,000), undercutting even the cheaper EVs on the Chinese market, such as the BYD Seal and BYD Han.The refreshed Model 3 was rumored to have already started trial production at Giga Shanghai. The most recent information indicates that production of the current model will end on August 14 , while the volume production of the new model is expected to start in September. The first deliveries are scheduled in October, in line with current delivery estimates for the Model 3 in Europe (October-November). The Tesla Model 3 sold in Europe is supplied exclusively from Giga Shanghai.
The McLaren Speedtail is the fastest and most technologically advanced road car that the carmaker has ever built. And it came with a price tag to match: $2.25 million.

Photo: RM Sotheby's

The McLaren Speedtail came with an insane top speed

Photo: RM Sotheby's

It was the forbidden fruit in America, yet so many Americans bought it

Photo: RM Sotheby's

NHTSA

It is absurd. It is insane. And it is the McLaren Speedtail. The model came as the fourth iteration in the McLaren Ultimate Series, after the Senna, the P1, and the F1. And it is the most aerodynamic and fastest car that McLaren has ever built.A worthy successor to the McLaren F1 from the 1990s, the futuristic Speedtail stayed true to the three-seater layout, with the drivers seat up front in the middle for better visibility. But with a three-decade hiatus between them, the technological gap is obvious.It is powered by a hybrid system, which integrates a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, working alongside an electric motor, churning out 1,036 horsepower (1,050 PS) and 848 lb-ft (1,150 Nm) of torque.The dielectric-cooled-and-insulated battery pack is a paradigm of innovation. Back then, it was labeled as the most power-dense battery that had ever been on a production vehicle.Passengers seats integrated in the chassis, dihedral doors (spectacular, but nothing out of the ordinary for the McLaren models), and a carbon fiber monocoque are part of the plan for the Speedtail.It is super light and super fast. It does the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) run in 2.9 seconds, and the needle of the odometer goes all the way to a top speed of 250 mph (403 kph).The Brits came with an adjustable multi-lid suspension and active aerodynamics. So everything you see on the elongated body is not just for show. For those in search of some overdose of adrenaline, McLaren equipped the model with a Velocity Mode. Once engaged, the car goes closer to the tarmac by 1.4 inches, changes the aerovane configuration, and retracts the sidev-view camera to provide extra aerodynamics and stability at high speeds.McLaren only built 106 such units, and the series was instantly sold out despite the daunting starting price of $2.25 million, before checking any option boxes.What we have right here is one of the 106. It is actually number 72 of 106. It is finished in a unique color combo of There Grey over Rich Brown, and there is Tan Semi-Aniline leather upholstery. The carbon fiber steering wheel is wrapped in Rich Brown leather, while Tan leather covers the headliner, door sills, and passenger seats.Polished Zircon trim, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber show up on the number 72's unique exterior and interior.The Speedtail got the electrochromic glass, which darkens at the push of a button. It also uses HD cameras instead of the conventional mirrors.Considering the level of customization that McLaren brought in the limited-production run, there can't possibly be two Speedtails alike.The car runs on 10-spoke Diamond Cut lightweight wheels, housing the black-painted calipers.Finished in Stealth titanium (the name is so relevant!), the exhaust is discreetly integrated into the rear diffuser. Meanwhile, the exterior badging is elegantly rendered in machined aluminum.A practice implemented with the McLaren F1 back in the 1990s, the company also offered bespoke luggage for the Speedtail buyers.Only those who were pre-selected by McLaren could get their hands on a Speedtail. The owner paid 1,836 million pounds to drive the car home ($3.326 million), 86,000 pounds of them ($107,363) going on optional equipment. It seems like they drove it home and not much anywhere else, because the odometer indicates only 177 miles (285 kilometers). Now it goes under the hammer with RM Sotheby's and is expected to fetch between $2.2 and $2.6 million.The listing claims it is in impeccable condition, and it only had one single owner since it first drove through the factory gate. Every single intervention on this car was exclusively performed by authorized McLaren facilities in Texas and California.Manufactured back in 2020, the hypercar is currently in the United States on a 'show and display' exemption, which allows certain privately imported cars to be exempted from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) if the car in question meets a standard of historical or technological significance.The model is not considered safe enough because it is not equipped with the mandatory side-mounted airbags. Yet 35% of the 106 cars that McLaren built were bought by American customers.Now any transfer of ownership must get the green light from the, and there is no way a dealership could buy it.Whoever takes this car home is restricted to 2,500 miles (4,023 kilometers) per year. The McLaren Speedtail is no daily driver, so that doesn't exactly sound so tragic. They must also have their car available for inspection by NHTSA until it turns 25 years old.
Korean oil tanker MT Hankuk Chemi, operated by DM Shipping, departs the Iranian port of Rajai, after being released, along with its captain, in this April 2021 file photo. Iranian authorities had seized the ship near the Strait of Hormuz in January 2021, alleging violations of environmental regulations. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs



By Nam Hyun-woo



South Korea unblocked frozen Iranian funds, following the release of five Americans from prison to house arrest in Tehran in a deal made between the U.S. and Iran, drawing anticipation that frozen relations between Seoul and Tehran may be thawing.



Central Bank of Iran Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin said Saturday that all of Iran's frozen funds in South Korea have been unblocked and they would be used for "non-sanctioned goods." The U.S. said those funds would be used "to buy food, medicine, medical equipment that would not have a dual military use."



Following the deal, Iran's official news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency, reported that Iranian funds worth $6 billion in South Korea have been converted into euros in a bank in Switzerland.



Since 2019, an estimated $7 billion had been held in two South Korean banks  Woori Bank and the Industrial Bank of Korea  after the U.S. placed sanctions on Iran. According to Farzin, it lost $1 billion due to currency devaluation.



During this period, relations between Seoul and Tehran have aggravated.



In 2021, the Hankuk Chemi, an oil tanker operated by South Korean shipping company DM Shipping, was seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps between January and April 2021. At the time, Iran accused the vessel of polluting the water with chemicals and breaching environmental regulations, but it was widely interpreted as Tehran's protest against the frozen funds.



In January this year, relations between the two nations met further turmoil after Seoul's President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea and the United Arab Emirates are in similar positions, respectively facing North Korea and Iran as their main enemies and biggest threats. Following the remarks, South Korea and Iran both called in each other's envoys to lodge protests.



The tensions have had a tangible impact on trade between the two nations, resulting in a downtrend in the two countries' trade. According to the Korea International Trade Association, South Korea's trade with Iran amounted to $17.43 billion in 2011, but plunged to $177 million in 2021 and $195 million in 2022. During the period, most South Korean firms ceased their Tehran operations, and only four companies were keeping personnel there as of September last year.





gettyimagesbank
13 August 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s also accelerated the penetration of the West, namely the United States, into many post-Soviet areas. For many countries that had just been freed from the shackles of a totalitarian regime, the United States seemed like a savior. It recalled a moment travelling back to some 33 years ago: a young schoolboy selling Marlboro cigarettes on the street mockingly watching his classmates on their way to school...

In those days, wearing jeans and buying American cigarettes were against the rules of the Soviet regime, but people called it democracy. The USA had begun to capture their hearts with this charm that it dressed up as "democracy". Such policy of the United States had a global character. Not only the post-Soviet regions, this policy began to spread rapidly in parallel in the Middle and Far East. The USA, which gradually made people taste the elixir of democracy, began to exert its influence on political circles. After 10 years, the separatist policy of the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan was repeated. The United States applied its 20-year poisonous policy in Vietnam to the Middle East in the same form and sowed a great discord in the Islamic world. Even some facts confirm that the September 11 event was the basis for the US invasion of the East. But why Afghanistan and Iraq were included in the plan?

In 2001, after the Al-Qaeda armed groups, designated as terrorists by the United States (according to the United States), allegedly carried out a terrorist operation in New York, Congress prepares a plan to attack the East. The United States, which entered Afghanistan first, placed its military bases there and militarized the country from within, creating a serious internal panic. Later, the United States, targeting its most severe opponents, enters Iraq. Unfortunately, Libya had to suffer a similar fate; in Iraq, like Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi was lynched and killed in front of the people's judgment. After these events, the fate of both countries changes dramatically. The USA, which brought chaos to the country under the name of democracy, soon became the financier of terrorist groups there. Adhering to the Middle East plan, the United States soon managed to devastate Syria and began to spend large amounts of financial resources for new terrorist organizations in those areas, especially in the border regions with Turkiye. For that reason, networks of some businessmen engaged in illegal arms trade in the United States started to be active. It also started to carry out its dirty work internally through those networks in the territories it has turned into war zone, such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. For example, terrorist organizations such as PYD and YPG, created by the USA supposedly to fight ISIS, were armed and placed in military camps in exactly this way. The White House could not get directly involved in this case, because it would have to face Turkiye. However, in a series of anti-terrorist operations carried out by Turkey, it has been clearly proven how the United States finances terrorism.

And finally, the US's FETO attack against Turkiye once again proved how dangerous a player it is. Today's US sponsorship of many self-serving terrorist leaders such as Fethullah Gulen and Pastor Andrew Brunson fully confirms these views.

The USA, which tries to present itself as a dove of peace, also does much in Ukraine today. For example, in February 2022, when Ukraine started a war, the conflict could be resolved through certain negotiations with less losses. It is true that Ukraine defends its territorial integrity, but when we take a closer look at the processes, it is more noticeable that the United States incites Ukraine to take drastic steps with various promises and then withdraws. Official Washington, which turned Ukraine into a battlefield by arming it to a certain extent at the beginning of the war, is already taking a step back. Even Ukrainian officials have begun to admit that the US is trying to make Ukraine come to terms with the invasion.

Such maneuvers are not new. To remind, the USA has once tried to persuade Azerbaijan to accept the occupation of its lands. The United States, which wants to resolve the conflict in favor of Armenia with the help of the OSCE Mink Group and other leaders, has repeatedly tried to put pressure on official Baku. However, it failed in every way. There is no doubt that the United States, adhering to its traditional policy of hypocrisy, is preparing to make secret deals on the issue of Ukraine.

All this is a clear indication that the United States, in addition to its hypocritical policy, is also a seditious force.

The successive publication of anti-Azerbaijani articles in the US press in the last six days also shows the seeds of sedition directed against the South Caucasus, more specifically, against Azerbaijan.

This is not to say that the very fact of publishing such articles is surprising, after all, the American popular press, the Washington Post has long ceased to be an equal opportunity platform. More importantly, the latest article published by David Ignatius in the abovementioned media outlet completely repeats the theses of the Armenian propaganda machine. After reading the article, you can see all the familiar theses about the "blockade", about "the dying of hunger" and, of course, about so-called "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing". No evidence, as one would expect. Actually, the "article" of Ignatius did not provide any new "information", and by and large was a repetition of all previous works by other authors, simply stated in other words.

But the saddest thing is that such an influential media organisation of the USA, which is recognized as an example of democracy, is subjected to Armenian influence. It seems that Ignatius received the necessary amount from the Armenians, whom he sympathized with, to write his article, which spreads anti-Azerbaijan sentiment. Of course, they can say that this is capitalism and democracy. Why not...if the issue is Armenians, then the position of David Ignatius and some pro-Armenian persons like him holding some positions in a number of US organizations is clear.

The press agency that represents the USA and at the same time is supposed to promote the democratic principles, human rights, freedom of speech and finally peace should not forget that the partners who dictate anti-Azerbaijani views to them are the forces trying to prevent peace in the South Caucasus. Undoubtedly, the role of the United States in any conflict that may occur in the next stage as a result of such an approach can be considered exceptional.

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Elnur Enveroglu is AzerNews deputy editor-in-chief, follow him on @ElnurMammadli1

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
13 August 2023 13:30 (UTC+04:00)

By Akbar Hasanov, Day.az

To begin with, I will present information that was confirmed by the Armenian media and the Garabagh separatists. So, with the mediation and accompaniment of the ICRC, 10 patients of the "Republican Medical Center" CJSC of the so-called "Ministry of Health of Artsakh", together with their escorts, were taken to specialized medical centers in Armenia on August 12 to receive emergency specialized medical care.

It was also indicated that during the day it is planned to return 9 patients to the Garabagh economic region of Azerbaijan, along with accompanying persons, who were sent to Armenia for treatment within the framework of the state order, in ICRC vehicles during the day. That is, the Armenian side recognizes that there is no 'blockade' of the Garabagh economic region of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan also confirms that the passage through the Lachin border checkpoint is open. It is indicated that in the direction of Khankendi-Gorus, a total of 9 vehicles belonging to the ICRC, 30 people (of which 3 members of the ICRC, 9 drivers, 10 patients, 7 accompanying persons, 1 medical worker) passed through the checkpoint.

Against this background, we see that Armenia applied to the UN with a request to urgently convene a meeting of the Security Council "in connection with the so-called blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan and the deterioration as a result of the humanitarian situation". The statement was published on the UN page at X (Twitter). I consider it important to acquaint readers with the scale of the recorded cynicism and stupidity of official Yerevan.

The Armenian government asks for the intervention of the UN Security Council, as the main body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, "to prevent massive atrocities, including war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide".

The first thing that comes to mind in this regard is that for decades Armenia has calmly ignored the adopted resolutions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. That is, to appeal to an international organization, whose resolutions the RA itself does not comply with, is some kind of completely amazing "trick" even for the Armenian side. Especially since another event happened today.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan reported on the shelling of the positions of the Azerbaijani army by the Armed Forces of Armenia on the border by Armenian illegal armed groups (IAF) in the zone of temporary deployment of Russian peacekeepers in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. So these same Armenian illegal armed formations should have been disbanded precisely in accordance with the resolutions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly.

This, as we see, did not happen. And the responsibility for what happened lies with the official Yerevan, which, instead of implementing the UN resolutions already adopted more than two decades ago, is itself scribbling slander in the UN Security Council. Moreover, it does not cite arguments, but myths that have been repeatedly refuted even by Armenian bloggers close to RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, in fact, exposes Pashinyan in a truly idiotic way. He has repeatedly recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh economic region and enclaves? Recognized. Accordingly, what the RA MFA is doing now is an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of our country. And they are also trying to involve the UN Security Council in this adventure.

In fact, it was an attempt to get the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution that would mean disrespect for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. In Yerevan, they understand that this is simply impossible, because it will be the opening of the notorious "Pandora's box", which will lead to a "parade of separatists" everywhere and everywhere?! If they do not understand, then I will remind you of the event that just happened.

The US, UK, France, Albania, Japan and Malta issued a joint statement on the 15th anniversary of Russia's invasion of Georgia. In this document, they called on Russia to return South Ossetia and Abkhazia under the control of official Tbilisi. Why was this resolution adopted? Because there is a recognition of the territorial integrity of Georgia.

But the just position of official Baku is based exactly on this - on the principle of the territorial integrity of states. Going contrary to which, the UN Security Council will put in a ridiculous light its support for Ukraine in the war that Russia imposed on it. It is impossible to maintain the territorial integrity of Ukraine, condemning the occupation of its territories by the Russian Federation, while following the lead of official Yerevan, which is pushing the UN Security Council to openly support the Karabakh separatists! But, we have already seen more than once that the voice of reason and the actions of the Armenian leadership are two non-intersecting lines.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
13 August 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

By News Centre

The EU on Saturday welcomed the completion of oil transfer from the decaying ship FSO Safer in the Red Sea waters off the Yemeni coast.

The successful transfer of the estimated 1.14 million barrels of light crude oil is key to averting an imminent environmental disaster in Yemen and the Red Sea, Peter Stano, lead spokesperson for foreign affairs, said in a statement.

Stano underlined that the successful operation is an indication that cooperation is possible among the conflicting parties, along with UN coordination and Yemen's international partners.

The EU, he said, has provided 3 million (nearly $3.3 million) in support of the UN-coordinated plan to address the environmental threat posed by the FSO Safer tanker in the Red Sea.

The FSO Safer oil tanker, a floating storage and offloading unit, is located in the water 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of the port of Hudaydah. It has been used for storing and exporting oil from sites in the oil-rich central province of Marib.

Controlled by Houthi rebels, the decaying tanker with over 1 million barrels of crude oil lacked maintenance since 2015.

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12 August 2023 13:51 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani presidential aide and head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev has criticised an article published by The Washington Post columnist David Ignatius about the Lachin road and said that the columnist justifies the occupation, Azernews reports.

The presidential aide wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

"David Ignatius' column in The Washington Post is an article in a series of pre-written typical propaganda/disinformation columns against Azerbaijan. Show me who your friend is and I'll tell you who you are! David Ignatius is a good friend of Ruben Vardanyan. The latter is a criminal oligarch.

Ruben Vardanian transferred 2 billion to offshore banks through dirty money laundering schemes. David Ignatius found a cosy haven in the Aurora Initiative of Ruben Vardanian, who parachuted down to Garabagh last year and was glorified by Ignatius.

Ignatius, just as he did in 2016 when he illegally visited the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan, continues to support and act as a defender of the separatist proxy regime sponsored by Armenia, misinterpreting all the facts on the ground and justifying the occupation.

As a journalist who travelled to the then-occupied lands of Azerbaijan in 2016, you turned a blind eye to the vandalism committed there. Your biased article on the functioning of the Lachin road does not surprise anyone. But such articles by The Washington Post remind me of the orders of the Soviet Politburo," Hajiyev said.

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13 August 2023 12:21 (UTC+04:00)

The Western Azerbaijan Community has spread a statement in connection with Armenia's intention, under the guise of a "humanitarian crisis", to convene an emergency session of the UN Security Council and try to adopt a resolution against Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing to Community.

It was noted that it is a clear example of hypocrisy that Armenia, which for 30 years ignored known Security Council resolutions and even showed intolerance for referring to them, is now hoping for a Security Council resolution.

"The work that Armenia must do in the field of international humanitarian and human rights law is to ensure the safe and dignified return of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis expelled from their homeland.

The Western Azerbaijan Community regards the above intention of Armenia as a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, a gross interference in its internal affairs and a rejection of the provision on mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity contained in the Prague and Sochi statements of October 2022 and the Brussels statement of July 2023, and calls on Armenia to put an end to actions deliberately aggravating the situation in the region," the statement reads.

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13 August 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Chairman of the Board of Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan (KOBIA) Orkhan Mammadov has met with the senior management of the World Halal Summit, Azernews reports, citing KOBIA.

At a meeting with the management of World Halal Summit, international experience and opportunities for co-operation in holding halal forums were discussed.

The meeting exchanged views on international experience of holding halal forums, participation of local SMEs in the exhibition to be held in November in Istanbul, and implementation of joint projects.

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13 August 2023 11:46 (UTC+04:00)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Azerbaijan for another batch of humanitarian aid in his video address, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijan is ready to provide a new batch of humanitarian aid including demining equipment. This is one of areas of activity with our partners, added the President.

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13 August 2023 19:37 (UTC+04:00)

China has vowed "resolute and forceful measures" over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States, Azernews reports, citing TRT Word.

"China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," an unnamed spokesperson for the foreign ministry said on Sunday in a statement published online.

Lai - the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential elections next year - is officially making only transit stops in the US en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena.

He is expected to continue to Paraguay, then stop in San Francisco on his way back.

Taiwan is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the island democracy one day - by force, if necessary - and ramped up political and military pressure.

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13 August 2023 20:39 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish security forces on Saturday arrested a Supreme Court judge wanted for being a member of the Gulenist Terrorist Group (FETO), who orchestrated the defeated coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Azernews reports, citing dailysabah.

Necmeddin Ozmen, a former investigative judge who had been a wanted fugitive of Turkish law for the past seven years, was caught in the Etimesgut district of the capital in an operation conducted by the organized crime department as he was about to flee abroad.

In addition to being a ByLock user, an encrypted messaging app developed and exclusively used by FETO, Ozmen had been using different disguises and addresses, as well as identity cards of other people, which he used to dodge the law.

Furthermore, they seized euros, U.S. dollars, Swiss francs and gold amounting to a total of TL 1.5 million ($55,395.31) on his person.

He is currently held at the Ankara Police Headquarters as he is processed, authorities said.

Turkiye accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

An unknown number of FETO members, mostly high-ranking figures, fled Turkiye when the coup attempt was thwarted. A large number of the group's members had already left the country prior to the coup attempt after Turkish prosecutors launched investigations into other crimes of the terrorist group. Despite Turkiye's extradition requests and bilateral legal agreements, many FETO members still freely enjoy their lives in different countries around the world. In the aftermath of the 2016 coup attempt, Turkiye has sped up extradition processes for members of FETO abroad.

The U.S., where FETO's fugitive head Fetullah Gulen resides, is the subject of most extradition requests. Turkiye has sent several extradition requests for Gulen to Washington so far but, unfortunately, has seen little progress on this subject. Gulen, who arrived in the U.S. in 1999, currently lives in a luxurious retreat in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.

He never leaves the well-guarded compound but occasionally gives interviews to foreign media. Ankara formally requested Gulen's extradition on July 19, 2016, and has been pressing the U.S. ever since, sending hundreds of folders full of evidence implicating Gulen and FETO in the coup attempt.

The issue has been raised in bilateral meetings between Turkish and American officials in phone calls, letters and other exchanges.

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13 August 2023 21:26 (UTC+04:00)

Turkiye has come very close to eliminating PKK terrorism in its stronghold in northern Iraq, Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Saturday amid ongoing operations in the region, Azernews reports,citing dailysabah.

The Turkish Armed Forces have largely cleared the Zap region where Operation Claw-Lock has been continuing since April last year, Guler told Turkish news broadcast A Haber in an interview.

The terrorist group has dug out numerous caves and hideouts across the mountains where they stash weapons and ammunition, as well as six to nine months of food and supplies, Guler explained and assured troops were constantly combing through the region searching for fugitive terrorists.

His remarks followed the news that Turkiye has eliminated over 21 terrorists in northern Iraq and Syria combined since last Thursday in retaliation for the killing of six Turkish soldiers in harassment fire by the PKK in Iraq.

The PKK has been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands since the 1980s in its campaign of violence. Persistent counterterrorism operations reduced the number of its members hiding in Turkiye to below 120. Still, the terrorist group has more members camping in mountainous territories of northern Iraq and Syrias northeast near the Turkish border.

Ankara has launched a series of operations to root out terrorists hiding out in its neighbors and plotting cross-border attacks in Turkiye, repeatedly warning that it would not shy away from targeting terrorist threats if Iraqi officials failed to take necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group.

In the last two years, intensifying operations in northern Iraq have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the group's influence in these regions, Turkiye also aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.

Terrorists know they cannot avoid the end that awaits them and thats why they attempt harassment fire and attacks. We unfortunately lose soldiers to their attacks but we will continue fighting these groups, Guler said.

Abandoned by their ringleaders to die from starvation in the mountains, the terrorists of course prefer surrendering to Turkiye, the minister added.

In recent years, Turkiye has also stepped up domestic operations and efforts across its borders against the terrorist group and convinced a substantial number of members to abandon the PKK. Since the start of 2023, dozens of terrorists  125 in 2022  have turned themselves in to Turkish authorities.
Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo briefs reporters on an upcoming trilateral summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the presidential office building in Seoul, Aug. 13. Yonhap



This week's trilateral summit involving South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lead to the establishment of a "key framework" for security cooperation among the three countries, a presidential official said Sunday.



Yoon is scheduled to depart Thursday to attend the summit at the U.S. presidential retreat Camp David, near Washington, the following day, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters.



Talks are also under way to arrange a South Korea-U.S. summit and a South Korea-Japan summit on the sidelines, he said.



"Through this summit, we will be able to create a key framework in the future for trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, and institutionalize it," Kim said during a press briefing at the presidential office, noting the leaders will use the summit to discuss a common vision and basic principles for trilateral cooperation, as well as to build comprehensive and multilayered cooperation mechanisms across diverse sectors at every level.



Kim said the summit will also serve to further strengthen trilateral security cooperation for peace and stability in the region in the face of common threats, with the leaders holding in-depth talks on practical cooperation measures to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.



In addition, the three leaders will discuss measures to cooperate for joint regional prosperity and future growth, including ways to cooperate on cutting-edge technologies and strengthen partnerships to respond to economic security issues, such as supply chain and energy risks.



Moreover, Kim said the summit will serve as a "pivot" in the three countries' pursuit of freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.





Figure Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo briefs reporters on an upcoming trilateral summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the presidential office building in Seoul, Aug. 13. Yonhap
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Localized flooding is possible..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 68F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Localized flooding is possible.
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Rain ending early. Remaining cloudy. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Localized flooding is possible..

Tonight

Rain ending early. Remaining cloudy. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Localized flooding is possible.
Three Oregon Coast Beaches Hiding Ancient, Even 'Ghostly' Secrets

Published 08/06/23 at 6:21 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Coos Bay, Oregon)  One axiom seems a constant when it comes to pop culture vs. science: real science is always far stranger than science fiction. (Photo of Coos Bay ghost forest courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more)

So it goes on the Oregon coast, where the ancient ghost forest stumps contain some delish surprises to tickle the brain with  and stretch it out a bit. Once proud stands of trees, they were slowly engulfed over a period of time and choked to death by sand and sediment, and then ironically protected from decay over millennia by the very thing that killed them.

This is also true for some famous rock structures here, especially down south, where attractions like Face Rock have origin stories that may have your head swimming.

Here's three such beaches:

Coos Bay's Freaky Stumps of Mystery



Photo courtesy Brent Lerwill

At Coos Bay's Sunset Bay, there are a couple of sets of ghost forests, including one that is astonishingly old. Another isn't that old, but it's surprising for a couple of reasons.

The main attraction is viewable year-round, which is unusual for ghost forests along the Oregon coast. At Sunset Bay, a small bundle of ancient stumps sit in and around the tideline of the famed cove, sometimes accessible and sometimes not  it depends on sand levels. Winter usually opens these up more to inspection, but unlike the most spectacular frozen-in-time stumps at Newport or Arch Cape  which only show in winter and are far older  they're around here all the time.

Like Newport and Arch Cape, most of the winter-only stumps are around 4,000 years old  twice as old as the famous ones at Neskowin. Sunset Bay's trees are only 1200 years old, but that's significant because this is about when the Vikings first ventured over to England (if you're a fan of the show Vikings, you'll get it).

The other fascinating aspect here is that until recently, no one had a clear idea of what caused them. The idea of an earthquake often gets tagged onto ghost forest origin stories even though it's not correct for the ones you find in the sand. You'll find this incorrect theory all over every media story done about them (see why it's not true Explanations of Neskowin Ghost Forest Wrong, Say Oregon Coast Geologists). With Sunset Bay's stumps, even literature being handed out to visitors was wrong. But regional geologists Ron Metzger and Curt Peterson pointed out they had been carbon-dated to the year 800  and there was no massive quake then that could've dropped them abruptly.

Like the other beach stands, these were slowly engulfed. You can see the article below.

The work of Peterson and Roger Hart around 2000 proved all that, and they uncovered something startling here near Coos Bay: the oldest ghost forests in the state (well, almost) are sticking out of a cliff around here. They clock in at 7,000 years old. The Unheralded Ghost Forests of South Oregon Coast / Coos Bay in Photos

South Coast is Crazy Old. Like Seriously Crazy.



Face Rock, courtesy Manuela Durson - see Manuela Durson Fine Arts for more

Oregon's north coast is  compared to the south coast  easy to understand in terms of geology. Well, almost. You may well have to be a genius to completely understand this stuff. But the south coast's origin stories are just a trainwreck in your brain. It's unbelievably complex. Most things there are this insane mixture of rocks from different times all fused together. You often can't point to a structure there and say it's one age. Landmarks and cliffs there are a mixed bag of different ages fused together (actually called a conglomeration).

A good example is Bandon and its Face Rock, along with the Kittens, Cave of the Winds, Howling Dog Rock, Wizards Hat Rock, etc. In the case of Face Rock, some of it formed as much as 201 million years ago. Other parts mixed in are from 56 million years ago to some older stuff, according to geologists Marli Miller from UofO and Metzger (until recently with Southwestern Oregon Community College).

The age of Face Rock would be one thing; the age of the rocks in Face Rock would be another, Metzger told Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

What Face Rock is made of is called a melange  a mixture of various rocks. Some of it is bluechist (a really hard rock), some is lava, lots of sedimentary rock (stuff that floated down to the bottom of the ocean), and more. Essentially, some of it was part of a major formation that got crunched up against another, and the smooshing action caused it all to get super heated as other rocks slowly fell in. Events like that happened in various periods over the next 150 million years, and then whatever was left was some massive outcropping that was slowly whittled away.

There's stuff on the south coast that is indeed older, and almost every beach has multiple different stories, geologically.

Miller said Bandon is a kind of preview of all that.

Just walk about the sea stacks at Bandon - a lot of them are sandstone, Miller said. But a lot of them are highly fractured and faulted. Go down the beach and another block is different altogether. Its really wild to see all these different rock types kind of thrown together. How Bandon's Face Rock Was Created A Wild S. Oregon Coast Geologic Tale

Netarts Has the Oldest Ghost Stumps



Photo Tom Horning

It's hard to wrap your head around, if you get to know ghost forest stumps at all. Netarts, up on the north Oregon coast, has a specimen that's 80,000 years old, winning the contest for oldest ghost forest here by a long shot. They are deeply embedded in a cliff in this bay near Oceanside.

On its own, it's really just a wizened, ruddy-looking thing, not particularly remarkable nor pretty. Yet Seaside geologist said this seven-foot elder is that old. New Ghost Forest Found at N. Oregon Coast's Happy Camp









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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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Seriously Quaint Oregon Coast Frontier Town That U.S. and International Travelers Must Know

Published 08/05/23 at 10:51 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Astoria, Oregon)  For those traveling from Europe or Asia, and those coming from other states in the U.S., there is one little burgh on the U.S. West Coast that has a distinctive mix of elements that run from the historical to the untamed and the truly curious. It's a place where rugged meets the upscale, where serious time travel leads you down hints of Euro influences as well as a frontier vibe, and where a tasty culinary scene caps a day of adventures in architecture or beach explorations. (All photos Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Astoria sits at the mouth of the Columbia River, several miles inland along the bay, and it's a standout historical site as it's the oldest town in most of the western U.S. [Astoria History Timeline: 200 of Years At the Top of Oregon Coast ] The result is a bit of roughhewn, Old West meets post-industrial small city, and a good smattering of Victorian-style mansions that give it a slight European flavor. Originally starting out as a remote American outpost in the early part of the 1800s, it was briefly fought over between the Brits and yanks, and then quickly grew to a commercial hub of various kinds over the next 150 years. Now, it's a unique cultural center and fishing port famous for a lot of things  not the least of which is its place in big movies like Goonies, Kindergarten Cop, The Ring and Short Circuit, among others.

Downtown has numerous buildings from the middle of the 20th century that bring you back to the '50s or '60s, showing a town that was starting to go urban, with classic big city architecture that feels like vintage Los Angeles or Portland. Other parts are remnants of its existence in the 1810s through the early 20th, like all the old vestiges of piers everywhere.

The monster fishing industry, shipping and timber made for a lot of wealthy locals early on who could afford to build lavish yet rough-around-the-edges mansions, many in the Victorian style. The neighborhoods here are chock full of them, and most if not all are on the National Register of Historic places.

See Official Oregon Coast Lewis and Clark Guide

History oozes from every pore of Astoria, really, and the atmospheric vibes of those elderly pilings and the town's waterfront walkways bring mountains of atmosphere, evoking all kinds of historic imagery. To the new visitor, it's often a puzzle to look at: what were those now-ragged wooden beams sticking out of the salt water? On each one, canneries of one kind or another thrived for decades, usually tuna. Some buildings remain, and these are often famous hotels right on the water or even a shopping mall or two.

One must-see is the Astoria Underground Tours, which take you beneath the city to the remains of the town that burned down at one point in the early 20th.

Astoria's food and beer scene is nationally renowned, a place stacked with microbreweries at almost every turn, and a good many hosting those inimitable waterfront views. This north Oregon coast town is almost spellbinding when it comes to watching those massive ships lumbering in the distance. They're unfathomably gigantic, really.

Even Star Trek once recognized the town: According to Star Trek: 'Astoria. On Earth's Oregon Coast. It's Heaven'

A quick ten-minute drive south puts you into Fort Stevens State Park and right into the past of World War II and the Civil War. The old battlements here are one of the Oregon coast's most spectacular attractions. Concrete bunkers that once housed enormous guns played an integral part in guarding the area, beginning in the Civil War and then again as World War II got underway. It's one of the few places in the United States that were fired upon by a foreign power, with a Japanese submarine lobbing shots onto the beach one dark night. Battery Russell, Staircases and Entrance of the N. Oregon Coast Fortress

A plaque commemorating the gathering in later decades of the original sub crew and Fort Stevens crew is a fascinating look at how history can take interesting turns.

The beaches of the north Oregon coast begin here, and then they don't stop for another 362 miles. Fort Stevens also includes the wreck of the Peter Iredale, which is one of the most photographed shipwrecks in the entire world. Travelers from other countries and other states have helped make it famous for over 100 years now.

Hotels in Astoria - Where to eat - Astoria Maps and Virtual Tours







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This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is CJ Staff The U.S. Supreme Court will not take up cases from North Carolina dealing with drunk-driving prosecutions and an out-of-state sales tax dispute. The court issued orders Tuesday morning denying requests to hear the cases next fall.The court offered no commentary about its decisions. Justices considered both cases during a conference Thursday.In Quad Graphics v. N.C. Department of Revenue, the plaintiff is a company based in Wisconsin. It argued that its business transactions take place outside North Carolina. That means this state's Revenue Department has no authority to assess sales tax.The department disagrees. Looking into transactions with North Carolina-based customers from 2009 to 2011, revenue staff assessed Quad Graphics $3 million in sales tax and penalties in 2018.The N.C. Supreme Court upheld that decision last December in a 6-1 ruling. The lone dissenter, Republican Justice Phil Berger Jr., argued that his colleagues should have deferred to a 1944 U.S. Supreme Court precedent in a case called Dilworth.Berger wrote.Quad Graphics made the same argument in its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. It had support from the N.C. Chamber Legal Institute, American College of Tax Counsel, National Association of Manufacturers, National Federation of Independent Business, and the Council on State Taxation.State lawyers asked the high court to reject the case. The last court filing from Quad Graphics rebutted the state's arguments.the company's lawyers wrote.by a 2018 case called Wayfair.Quad Graphics' lawyers argued.Justices decided not to accept Quad Graphics' invitation to revisit Dilworth.A separate case, Diaz-Tomas v. North Carolina, involved prosecution of drunk-driving offenses. If a defendant misses a court date, state law allows prosecutors to proceed with aThe case disappears from the court's docket, but the criminal charge remains.Only the district attorney can restore the case to the court's calendar. Two DWI defendants claim prosecutors have abused that power. Prosecutors coerce defendants into pleading guilty and giving up their right to appeal, according to a petition to the nation's highest court. Without a plea, the cases remain in legal limbo.The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously last November against plaintiffs Rogelio Diaz-Tomas and Edgardo Nunez. The two men hoped the nation's highest court would reverse that decision.Their lawyers accused N.C. district attorneys ofU.S. Supreme Court precedent by reviving a practice declared unconstitutional in 1967.according to the U.S. Supreme Court petition.the petition continued.plaintiffs' lawyers argued.The high court will not revisit its Klopfer ruling.Though the Supreme Court decided not to take either the Diaz-Tomas or Quad Graphics cases, North Carolina will generate national legal headlines in the days ahead.The U.S. Supreme Court will decide soon what to do about Moore v. Harper. That redistricting dispute has generated national interest because of its link to a legal theory identified by left-of-center critics as the Independent State Legislature Doctrine.The high court heard oral arguments in the case last December. But recent action at the N.C. Supreme Court has convinced soma parties that the nation's highest court should drop the case.Justices in Washington, D.C., also will decide soon whether the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill can continue to use race as a factor in admissions decisions. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last October in a case brought by the group Students for Fair Admissions.
The widow of former President Barack Obama's personal chef sent out a tribute to her late husband after he was found dead on Monday in a pond near the Obama family estate in Martha's Vineyard.Authorities said divers recovered the body of Tafari Campbell, 45, from the Edgartown Great Pond after a paddle boarding incident in which he was seen getting into the water, struggling to stay on the surface, and submerging without resurfacing.Sherise Campbell, Tafari's wife, said in an Instagram post on Tuesday.The message came from an account for Sweet Sage, a Washington, D.C., metropolitan-area baking and catering business owned by Sherise Campbell.A joint statement from Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama called Tafari Campbell aand awhom they invited to continue working for them upon leaving the Executive Residence in early 2017.their statement said.The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) said a joint-agency search operation got underway after Martha's Vineyard Police and firefighters responded to a call at 7:46 p.m. on Sunday about a male paddle boarder who disappeared in the pond. An initial statement from the agency said another paddle boarder was with Campbell and witnessed him go under the water.With the help of side-scan sonar from a boat, divers were able to recover the body approximately 100 feet from the shore at a depth of about 8 feet on Monday morning, MSP said in a second statement. The agency also said an investigation into the fatality was being conducted by the State Police Detective Unit for the Cape and Islands District and Edgartown Police.A third release from MSP identified Campbell as the deceased paddle boarder and described the drowning as anThe agency additionally noted that Barack and Michelle Obama were notat the residence at the time of the incident.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Korea Nabeel Munir speaks ahead of Pakistani musician Ali Abbas' concert at the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul, Friday, in celebration of the 40 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and Pakistan. Courtesy of Embassy of Pakistan in Korea
By Jeff Larson, The Back Pew

Because of the soft, insipid teaching so current in the church and Christian circles, many of Gods people will go to almost any length to find some easy accommodation with their families. They will not take a bold stand in loyalty to Christ. They are afraid of a confrontation with their culture.

-W. Phillip Keller in Predators in our Pulpits

https://christianactionleague.org/the-ostrich-church-consultant/
We are in the midst of one of the most radical revolutions in American history. It is as far-reaching and dangerous as the turbulent years of the 1850s and 1860s or the 1930s. Every aspect of American life and culture is under assault, including the very processes by which we govern ourselves, and the manner in which we live.

The Revolution began under the Obama administration that sought to divide Americans into oppressed and oppressors, and then substitute race for class victimization. It was empowered by the bicoastal wealth accrued from globalization, and honed during the COVID lockdown, quarantine-fed economic downturn, and the George Floyd riots and their aftermath. The Revolution was boosted by fanatic opposition to the presidency of Donald Trump. And the result is an America that is unrecognizable from what it was a mere decade ago.

Here are 10 upheavals that the Left has successfully wrought.

Free expression. In large swatches of American societyparticularly the corporation, the media, the government, the public schools, and the universityit is suddenly dangerous to speak freely. At a DEI workshop, politely object that whiteness does not account for all the challenges of marginalized peoples, and you will become either ostracized, reprimanded, or perhaps fired.

Suggest to a class that man-made climate change and the state remedies for it, are still under debateand your career and livelihood are endangered. In 2020, state that Covid lockdowns would do more eventual damage than the virusand your career was through. Express doubt that there are more than two biological sexes, and if an athlete or high school principal you will be shunned or rendered professionally inert.

The government, in league with social media, censors the news. Liberal universities often first require McCarthy-era type diversity statements for one to be hired. Commissars review syllabi to spot incorrect or improper speech or insufficient DEI zeal.

The Left now seeks to modify the First Amendment, and its empowerment of hate speech, defined as most anything impeding the progressive project. The state and the universities properly issue word lists of approved vocabularies.

The old ACLU or Sen. Church Committee would now probably be deemed rightwing. The methodologies of Joseph McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover are the preferred models, once they were rebooted to the right cause.

The Weaponization of Justice. Administrations and their efforts to stock the justice department with supporters come and go. But in the last decade the Left has viewed the Department of Justice as a political extension of the partywhose unchecked power must properly be directed to hurt enemies and help friends. Nomili wonder Eric Holder described himself as Obamas wingman and became the first Attorney General to be held in contempt for ignoring a congressional subpoena.

Never in U.S. history have the Department of Justice and sympathetic state and local prosecutors indicted a leading opposition candidate and likely nominee of one of the two major parties, and at the beginning of a presidential campaign. Donald Trump is currently charged with nearly 100 felonies by at least two prosecutors. He likely eventually will be hit with more than- 500 indictments, from four prosecutors, every one of the latter with a long record of either leftwing associations or Democratic service.

The mass murderer Charles Manson faced less legal exposure. No one believes Trump would have been indicted on such countsmost of them involving allegations from years pastwere he not running for President.

One count that Donald Trump is not charged with is bribery, or taking money while in office, a crime cited as impeachable in the Constitution and germane to the accusations that Joe Biden and his family raked in millions from foreign governments due to the improper use of his prior Vice Presidency. For what reason did Joe Biden lie that he never discussed his sons business? Why did Hunter complain to his daughter that Joe demanded half of his own grifting income? Why would a Vice President serially call disreputable Ame1rican grifters and foreign corrupt oligarchs? Can Joes lifestyle ever be reconciled with his reported income?

Given such asymmetry in the application of the laws, conservative or even apolitical Americans are apprehensive that any political prominence will draw the attention of government in effort to either indict or bankrupt them with legal expenses.

The last four FBI Directors have either admitted they lied under oath, or preposterously under oath claimed ignorance or amnesia about events directly under their control. Or they simply stonewalled subpoenas and testimonies about alleged FBI crimes.

The former CIA Director admitted to lying twice under oath. The FBI hired social media corporations to suppress election-cycle news deemed unhelpful to the Left. The agency, along with Democratic operatives, helped hatch the election-cycle conspiracy of the 2015-2016 Russian-Collusion hoax, and the 2020 Russian disinformation laptop hoax. The FBI played a central role in many of the 2024 indictments. In other words, the FBI along with the DOJ, has sought to warp three presidential elections in a row.

On the prompt of a Joe Biden campaign official (and now Secretary of State) and a former interim CIA director, 50 former intelligence officials lied to the electorate that an authentic but incriminating Biden computer was a likely Russian planta fact known to be lie but not disclosed as such by the FBI.

The Attack on the Supreme Court. Once the Court achieved a more or less predictable conservative majority, the Left sought to diminish it in a variety of ways. It has called for packing the Court with leftist jurists to create a new 15-justice bench. Leftist law professors in the Ivy League, in neo-Confederate nullification and insurrectionary style, call for the nation to ignore Court rulings on abortion and affirmative action.

The Senate minority leader led a throng to the doors of the court, threatening justices by name: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You wont know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.

Protestors now mob the homes of individual justices hoping to intimidate them and alter their upcoming opinionsconfident that the Department of Justice will exempt them from any legal consequences of such felonious behavior.

The media routinely accuses conservative justices of improper or illegal behavior, without worry about the emptiness of the charges. A traditionalist justice now accepts that a controversial ruling can result in media charges that he is corrupt, in shrieking protestors mobbing his home, in a mob assembling at the doors of the Court, in disruptions during Court hearings, in politicians issuing threats to his person, in congressional calls to alter the century-and-a-half make-up of the Court, and in Ivy League law professors urging the country to ignore majority decisions.

In sum, conservative jurist must be careful where and when he goes out in public.

The Media-Democratic Fusion. If one were to listen during the last few years to NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, PBS, MSNBC, or CNN, or read the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, or the Los Angeles Times, then one would have believed the following:

A) Donald Trump worked with the Russians to throw and win the 2016 election. As part of that skullduggery, frolicking amid prostitutes he urinated on a Moscow hotel bed to spite Barack Obama. B) He was mentally incapacitated as president and should have been removed under the 25th C) In 2020, his campaign once more worked with the Russians to create an exact replica of Hunter Bidens laptop, replete with dozens of lurid fake photos and hundreds of cleverly doctored emails to smear the Biden family and aid his own reelection effort. D) Trump as chief conspirator preplanned a violent and armed insurrection that sought to storm and permanently occupy the government, violently hijacking the balloting and seizing the presidencyresulting in the murder of a Capitol police officer and the subsequent deaths of other traumatized officers. E) For the last eight years, none of Trumps political opponents have ever destroyed subpoenaed evidence, conspired to hire foreign nationals to compile false and lurid files on him to subvert his political campaigns, or used their political offices to help solicit foreign money for family lobbyists. F) Trump is the first major candidate and politician who allegedly overvalued his real assets to obtain a loan that he repaid; the first to have concluded non-disclosure agreements with potential embarrassing liaisons; the first ex-president to remove sensitive files to his personal residence; and the first to phone a state official to whine about the integrity of the vote count. G) He is the first losing presidential candidate or major politician to question an election result or to seek redress through government agencies to rectify the purported corruption of the balloting.

In sum, for the first time in American history, nearly all the major communication and journalistic networks have been fused with a political party. They believe the new role of the media is to advance a shared progressive cause, oppose and even defame common opponents, and feed their audiences things that are not, and cannot possibly be, true.

The Destruction of Common Law. By defunding the police in major cities, and by showering leftwing district attorney candidates with millions of dollars in campaign funding, the Left systematically eroded the law as we know it in our major cities.

As a result, downtowns are after-dark, no-go zones, as once great metropolises resemble veritable combat theaters. Cities are becoming depopulated as consumers and businesses no longer find it safe to conduct commerce. Criminals and homeless now routinely break the law with impunity. Public violence, defecation, urination, fornication, and injection do not even rate as misdemeanors.

The Left has redefined violent crime to such an extent that shoplifting is no longer actionable. Flash mobs that take over streets and swarm to loot stores are rarely if ever arrested. Security officers who apprehend thieves or intervene to stop violence are more likely to be prosecuted than criminals themselves. There is no longer any immigration law; it has been utterly destroyed by Joe Biden. Seven-million illegal entrants flood into the U.S. and, along with the Mexican government, make demands on their hosts to accommodate their illegality.

In sum, in blue states and at the federal level, leftwing prosecutors and justices decide to enforce or ignore statutes, pile up or reduce indictments, increase or decrease punishments not on what the law entails, or evidence directs, but on the race, class, or ideology of the perpetrator, usually in connection with the particular status of his victims. If asymmetry in race, class, or ideology is suggested, then the law must modulate in redistributive fashion to contextualize the crime and criminal as a victim rather than a victimizer. The result is the veritable destruction of law and order as we once knew it.

The Erosion of the Military. Rarely has the American people polled so little confidence in the U.S. military. It perceives the Pentagon mission largely one to greenlight social change through the rapidity of the chain of command, not necessarily to maintain deterrence, much less to win all its wars.

The Left has ensured that our armed forces are underfunded, short on munitions and weapons, and military officers are used to promote progressive social agendas. Officers expect to be promoted or stalled on the basis of their views on race and gender.

Those who traditionally died at twice their numbers in the general population in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are ostracized and in near record numbers leaving, while their friends and relatives are no longer enlisting in the military.

Former Pentagon four-star officers violated the Code of Uniform Military Justice in attacking a sitting president with the harshest invective, invoking comparisons to Hitler and Mussolini, again predictably from a leftwing point of view.

The public expects the Joint Chiefs to be both appointed on ideological considerations, and from time to time even to free-lance to contact enemy counterparts should they feel a conservative president is dangerous to world peace.

There is no longer any social stigma or legal jeopardy for retired officers in working as defense contractor lobbyists or board members, after revolving from or soon back to the Pentagon.

Sexes. The heterosexual male and female, marriage, and the nuclear family are all to be suspect. There are three sexes or perhaps still more. English language pronouns are inadequate to reflect sexual diversity.

So adherence to such ossified languages is career endangering. An epidemic of childlessness, singlehood, and collapsing fertility rates are either of no national importance or illustrate the preferred non-nuclear family model. Powerful hormonal drug regimens and permanent radical sex-change surgery should be the choices of minors alone who know best when they choose to transition to another sex. Graphic sex manuals and drag queen shows with simulated sex acts can perhaps acculturate preteens to the dangers of growing up in an oppressive normative binary society.

Sex, but not race, is constructed, and thus a matter not of biology but of individual choice.

Race, Not Class. Racial inequality and lack of parity are due to whiteness. Racial quotas, segregated dorms, graduations, workshops, and safe spaces are exempt from civil rights statutes given they are necessary to achieve equity. Integration and assimilation are the opiates of the masses. Apartheid and segregation are misunderstood modalities, and thus, if enlightened, sometimes necessary corrective measures.

Reparations are to supersede ineffective affirmative action. Wokeness liberates us to see how race explains everything in America, past and present. At universities and in popular culture proportional representation of various ethnicities and races is no longer sufficient remedy.

Instead reparatory hiring and admissions are required to atone for prior generations of discrimination. It is taboo to suggest that cultural conditions not just race accounts for inequality. Everything from meritocracy to promptness to physical fitness is racist in nature, requiring DEI experts to expose and inform about the systemic nature of American racism.

Debt is a Construct. Modern monetary theory proved that annual deficits and national debt are just a state accounting challenge. So printing more money is an act that properly diminishes the value of existing capital improperly horded by parasitic profiteers. Spreading the ensuing cash wealth to the more deserving and victimized is long overdue social justice.

At any time, the national debt can be deconstructed by renouncing usurious bond obligations, appropriating private retirement accounts, or further inflating the currencyif governments are committed enough to social justice.

Universities. It is now heresy that universities should be places of disinterested inquiry and inductive investigation. They can properly instead become a valuable tool in ridding society of racist and sexist forces, platitudes about free speech and equality under the law, and the tyranny of private property, capitalist profiteering, and white, male heterosexual Christian oppression.

So the role of a university is to create a brief safe space in which graduates can leave with proper training about the terrible history of the United States and the ways in which it must be dismantled and then be rebuilt by the properly trained experts from the ground up. Counterrevolutionaries or deluded liberals and their quaint adherence to a racist and archaic Bill of Rights have no place on these islands of progressive resistance.

None of the above was true at the millennium; all are nowwith more still to come.
An Irish Goodbye star said he found some misrepresentations upsetting.

Seamus O'Hara (second from right) pictured with colleagues from Oscar-winning short film An Irish Goodbye

A Co Antrim actor has found strength in calling himself Northern Irish after a strange hostility towards his nationality during the Oscar success of short film An Irish Goodbye.

Seamus OHara, who played Turlough in the film, which also starred James Martin and won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in March 2023, has recalled feeling strange about being asked to step out of embassy photos and the films exclusion from the list of Irish nominees.

Our film was a part of the Green Wave this year in Hollywood, he tweeted.

"First started feeling strange when the reporting in RoI was omitting Irish Goodbye from the list of Irish nominees.

"It got enough kick back that eventually we were being included in that list.

"However being included in this way found all manner of instances where institutions simply didnt know how to categorise us. Irish? British? Northern Irish?! Ulster?!! Northern British Irish Ulster? What are they?!

"There were embassy pictures we were asked to step out of.

It was at this stage, he continued to explain, that he started finding strength in calling myself Northern Irish."

"This doesnt diminish my Irishness, Mr OHara added.

"It establishes a particular kind of Irishness that Im proud of, and I felt no kinship to the strange hostility from some brands of Irish."

The actor said he cant really be upset about it anymore despite feeling that way at the time of the incidents.

But this is where we are, he told followers on social media.

"I manage my expectations of others  NI is extremely complex and we dont even really know how to talk about ourselves yet.

"We havent found comfortable ways of defining ourselves yet.

"But the conversation in the North is active and very very exciting.

"Artists from the North are coming together in a way that hasnt happened in a long time.

Mr OHara was reflecting after one of the best weekends of my life at the Listowel Writers Week  a literary festival in Co Kerry  which came at the end of a run of BAFTA, Oscar and IFTA wins for the critically acclaimed short film.

"Being Irish/Northern Irish in London, LA and Dublin are three different experiences, he said.

It comes after Mr OHara admitted that being described as anything other than Irish over the last year has been upsetting.

He was quote-tweeting an Irish Post article in which Belfast publisher and poetry editor Stephen Connolly hit out anti-Northern Ireland attitudes shown by locals at the Listowel Writers Week he had been hired to curate.

Mr Connolly said he had been met with comments like: Could they not have got anyone Irish to do it?, with one complaint comparing his running of the festival to unionist gerrymandering of the NI local government system in the 1960s.

Another person approached him in the foyer of the venue after one of the events and said, I have been involved with this festival before and I just want to tell you that youve ruined it.

The Belfast native has since had his curatorship of the Listowel Writers Week terminated after just one year.

Cushendun actor OHara tweeted in support of Mr Connolly and shared his own experience of the week-long festival.

"Ive had the most interesting year being described as anything other than Irish by the Irish, which as an Irishman is pretty upsetting, he said.

"I attended Listowel and it was a beautiful meeting of artists, however the youre not the right kind [of] Irish, please leave was strong.

OHara, who has also appeared in television sensation Game Of Thrones, recently hit out at politicians in Northern Ireland for showing a terrible failure of leadership and sending voters a dangerous message that democracy does not work.

Speaking to the PA news agency at the time on the wider political situation here, the actor said the current situation with a lack of Stormont is a national disgrace.

Theres a serious lack of accountability. Theres a serious lack of leadership at the moment, he said.

Acknowledging his position as an artist rather than a politician, he added: But I do understand the qualitative value in at least pretending to be leading.

"Have we not learned enough? Can we not learn from our lessons and see that the way forward, the way out of these deadlocks is to sit down at a table and talk and compromise where it can be found.

"Its difficult. Its not meant to be easy, but weve learned that thats what works. And weve also learned that thats what the general population of the country want to happen.
More than 100 investors have signed up for an investment summit here next month which promises to deliver rocket fuel to the economy, it was announced today.

The Department for Business and Trade in London said there would be more than 100 corporate leaders coming from the US, Middle East, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions to learn about NIs innovative businesses during the event on September 12 and 13.

The summit is part of a package promised by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to show off the attractiveness of Northern Ireland in a new era under the Windsor Framework.

According to the business and trade department, the summit marks a significant opportunity to demonstrate Northern Irelands innovation and technological strengths across its internationally renowned sectors, including advanced manufacturing, software and technology, financial and professional services, and emerging health and life science.

It also said the summit would help create a sustainable and inclusive economy, boosting growth and generating higher-paying jobs for communities across Northern Ireland.

Speakers will include Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Secretary Michael Gove, US Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland Joseph Kennedy III and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris (below).

US multinational financial group Citi has been confirmed as the events principal partner, with its boss, David Livingstone, to give a speech.

After coming to set up in Belfast in 2005 with the intention of employing 375 people, Citi now employs more than 4,000 members of staff over four locations in Northern Ireland.

Minister for Investment Lord Dominic Johnson said: As the UKs second-largest tech hub outside London, we are witnessing a great transformation of business and communities as overseas investment floods into Northern Ireland.

This Septembers Investment Summit will provide the rocket fuel for Northern Ireland businesses to launch into new frontiers across technology, finance and more.

Mr Heaton-Harris added: In just four weeks, leading investors and international businesses from around the globe will see first-hand the talent and expertise Northern Ireland has to offer.

The summit is a fantastic and exciting event which will support the UK Governments vision for a prosperous Northern Ireland 25 years on from the signing of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

Panel sessions at the event will focus on why global investors should choose Northern Ireland, with breakout sessions for each of the key growth sectors.

Meanwhile, An Irish Goodbye directors Tom Berkeley and Ross White will host a session on Northern Irelands thriving creative sector.

Earlier this month Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie wrote to Downing Street, with cross-party support, to express concerns about the investment conference going ahead without a devolved government in place.

He had suggested postponing the investment conference for a few weeks, to coincide with the visit of a US trade delegation, in order to give more time to talks regarding the restoration of Stormont.
The company have been threatened with an injunction over software provided to NI schools.

ESS claims the software has been effectively pirated

More than 1,000 schools in Northern Ireland could have their return for the new term disrupted after the company who provides software for recording key information were hit with legal action.

Capita have been threatened with an injunction after allegedly providing software which it sold to private equity for 400 million to schools in NI without a licence, the Telegraph has reported.

Education Software Solutions (ESS) has asked the High Court to intervene in a row that risks disruption at 1,100 state schools.

ESSs system helps them keep track of attendance and record vital safeguarding information.

Capita sold the software to ESS  set up by private equity firm Montagu  for 400m in 2020 as part of company Chief Executive John Lewis plans to reduce a 1.1 billion debt.

The outsourcer continued to provide the software to schools in Northern Ireland under licence, but ESS claims the permission to do so expired in March.

Capita disputes this, telling the court it accepted commercial terms for an extension of the licence proposed by ESS during a phone call.

ESS wants the High Court to declare that no valid extension was made and have threatened to apply for an injunction forcing the software to be deleted across Northern Ireland.

Around 1,100 schools in Northern Ireland could be forced to delete copies of the software provided by Capita, which ESS claims are effectively pirated.

A Capita spokesperson said: Capita wholly rejects the accusations by ESS and intends to robustly defend its position in any ensuing legal proceedings.
Woodward also urges Heaton-Harris and police to get a grip on data leak

Former NI Secretary Shaun Woodward has said the Prime Minister may need to be more engaged if the Stormont institutions are not restored by the autumn.

The ex-Labour MP was speaking on GB News yesterday as he also claimed current Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris needs to get a grip on the situation surrounding the PSNI data breach.

During a visit to Belfast last Wednesday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there is an opportunity to restore power-sharing in the coming months, pledging the Irish Government will do everything we can to assist that.

Mr Varadkar added that if the Executive was not up and running by autumn, it may be time to start having conversations about alternatives, about plan B.

Thats very much a conversation that Im keen to have with the UK Government, he said.

I dont want to speculate too much, because I still believe it is possible to get the institutions up and running in the autumn.

I do think the suspension has gone on for a long time. There is drift and thats not good for Northern Ireland.

When asked by GB News host Camilla Tominey what he thought plan B might look like, Mr Woodward said the Prime Minister would need to be more engaged with the process.

He said: What I really feel whats missing is what we saw under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and less so increasingly with Conservative Prime Ministers. We need the engagement of the British Prime Minister, it doesnt matter whether theyre Tory or Labour.

The British Prime Minister needs to be in there making these people work together.

Meanwhile, speaking about the PSNI data breach, Mr Woodward said the police and other parties, including Mr Heaton-Harris, need to get a grip on actually whats happened and protecting people, and after weve protected them lets worry about suing people for mistakes.

Last week, Mr Heaton-Harris said he is being kept abreast of developments in relation to the breach, describing it as very serious.

Information on more than 10,000 PSNI officers and staff was mistakenly released to the public in response to a Freedom of Information request last week.

The data contained the names, ranks, locations and other personal data of every serving police officer and civilian employee within the force.

In recent days, law firm Edwards and Co has confirmed it has been working closely with the Police Federation for Northern Ireland since the recent data protection breach.

Its no good getting money if somebody subsequently loses their life because their identity has been compromised, said Mr Woodward, who served as NI Secretary from June 2007 to May 2010.

He added that he didnt think it would be helpful if Chief Constable Simon Byrne resigns from his post over the leak.

Right now, we need somebody to find out whats going on.

Im not sure it would actually help if, because of a mistake, the Chief Constable leaves his job, leaving nobody at the top of the tree to try to sort out what is actually happening, and to protect the officers concerned.

Mr Byrne cut short his holiday to deal with the crisis. He has since confirmed he has no plans to resign.

Mr Woodward also heaped praised on the PSNI during the show, saying that while in his post as Secretary of State he found these men and women to be extraordinary public service people, and we owe a huge debt to them for protecting the people of Northern Ireland.

A UK Government spokesperson said: "The PSNI has the Governments full support in responding to the data breach and our focus is on providing appropriate and proportionate support and expertise.

"The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland continues to be kept updated on developments."
No arrests were made as more than 10,000 people took part in the parade on Saturday.

Standard Bearers led the General Committee of the Apprentice Boys to the Cenotaph. Picture: Martin McKeown.

The Apprentice Boys of Derry and bands parade in the city (PressEye)

The Apprentice Boys of Derry and bands parade in the city (PressEye)

The Apprentice Boys of Derry and bands parade in the city (PressEye)

The Apprentice Boys of Derry and bands parade in the city (PressEye)

Police are investigating reports of an assault in Londonderry following Saturdays annual Apprentice Boys of Derry parade.

It is understood the incident in the Waterside area involved a bandsman from outside the city.

"Police received a report of an assault in the Spencer Road area of Derry/Londonderry shortly before 6pm yesterday, Saturday August 12, said a PSNI spokesperson.

"Enquiries are ongoing and anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 1295 of 12/08/23.

Earlier on Saturday, police also dealt with an altercation between band members and the public during the annual Apprentice Boys of Derry Parade in Londonderry.

"Police were made aware of two incidents on Saturday afternoon, August 12, involving verbal exchanges between band members and members of the public, they said.

"Both of these occurred in The Diamond area. Those involved were spoken to, and no further issues were reported. At this time, there have been no parade-related arrests.

Standard Bearers led the General Committee of the Apprentice Boys to the Cenotaph. Picture: Martin McKeown.

Thousands of spectators lined the city streets for one of the biggest events in the parading calendar.

About 10,000 Apprentice Boys and more than 140 bands were taking part, marching through the old walled city and across the River Foyle to the Waterside area.

The annual parade marks the anniversary of the ending of the Siege of Derry in 1689 and there was a dry start as hundreds of marchers walked on the city's historic walls.

The ancient ramparts on the walls, where tourists still pose for photographs next to cannons that actually fired in the 1688-89 siege, are revered by members of the Apprentice Boys.

The walls remained unbreached during 105 days of siege warfare  the longest in military history in Britain or Ireland.

The main parade followed a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial and a service in St Columb's Cathedral and a costumed pageant recreating the 17th century battle for the city.

The Apprentice Boys of Derry and bands parade in the city (PressEye)

Among those on the march were DUP politicians Gregory Campbell, Jim Shannon and Edwin Poots.

Apprentice Boys governor Graeme Stenhouse said members and bands were coming to the city to "enjoy the day".

"It is a celebration but at the same time you have to remember why we are here, what we are commemorating," he told the BBC.

"The message that goes out is conduct yourself in a proper manner, to never disgrace our history or culture or identity."
A teenage boy arrested in connection with a serious assault and robbery on Temple Bar on Friday night has been charged by gardai.

Three tourists from the UK were badly injured and hospitalised as a result of the assaults.

Gardai in Pearse Street charged the male teenage juvenile in relation to the robbery and serious assault that occurred on Fownes Street Upper, Dublin 2, on Friday at 10pm.

He is due to appear before the Children's Court tomorrow morning.

Read more Three tourists in hospital after Temple Bar assaults - calls for public order gardai to patrol Dublin every night

Gardai in Pearse Street arrested the teen after three men, aged in their 20s, were taken to St James's Hospital to be treated for their injuries

"All three men have been released from hospital  investigations ongoing, a Garda spokesperson said.

Its understood the men suffered broken noses and one had a fractured eye socket due the assault.

In response to this latest assault of tourists in Dublin, Fine Gael Councillor Ray McAdam told Independent.ie that the Garda Public Order Unit should be on the streets of the inner city every night, particularly around OConnell Street and Temple Bar.

This incident in Temple Bar reiterates to me the need for the Public Order Unit needs to be in place from at least 6pm every evening from OConnell Street through to Temple Bar.

"Dubliners, tourists and everyone in the city centre must be reassured that there exists a highly visible police presence to maintain public safety and apprehend those involved in these senseless attacks. Garda boots on the ground visible to all is what is necessary to stamp out this type of anti-social and criminal activity occurring on our city streets, Cllr McAdam said.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said in a statement: Violence on our streets will not be tolerated and has to be dealt with in the strongest possible manner. Those who perpetrate this street violence and thuggery will be brought to justice."

The minister has assured An Garda Siochana the Government will provide whatever resources are needed, a spokesperson said, adding that the minister recently announced an extra 10m in funding for Garda overtime to provide for 240,000 extra Garda hours, or 20,000 extra Garda shifts in the city to the end of the year.

The commissioner has outlined his operational plans to increase Garda visibility, involving both covert and overt, proactive and reactive policing operations. Proactive policing responses will involve further targeted intelligence led operations (including surveillance), searches of people and locations, and increased focus on the congregation of large groups of people who can be perceived as engaging in anti-social behaviour will be undertaken.

While the deployment of specifically tasked units would be operational policing matter for the Garda Commissioner to consider, national resources including the Garda Air Support Unit, Garda Mounted Unit and Garda Dog Unit in addition to other national units and Roads Policing Units are being strategically deployed to enhance Garda visibility in the city centre and its environs, the spokesperson said.

The minister said she was prioritising the early commencement of new legislation to increase a range of maximum sentences, including tor assault causing harm, assaulting a Garda and for conspiracy to murder

Any attack must be condemned in the strongest terms. A tough and firm response will send out the message that we will not tolerate this thuggery on our streets. Any witnesses to any assault is urged to contact An Garda on the Garda confidential line, Ms McEntee said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Cambodia to reaffirm his countrys commitment to the south-east Asian country after Prime Minister Hun Sen handed the role to his son following a one-sided election (Kok Ky/Cambodias Government Cabinet/AP)

Chinas foreign minister visited Cambodia over the weekend to reaffirm his countrys commitment to the south-east Asian country after its prime minister handed the role to his son following a one-sided election last month.

Wang Yi is the first foreign leader to visit Cambodia, days after Hun Sens announcement that his 45-year-old son Hun Manet, the countrys army chief, is replacing him.

A video of the meeting was posted on Hun Sens Telegram channel on Sunday.

Hun Sens spokesman, Eang Sophalleth, told reporters after the meeting that Wang Yi expressed Chinas willingness to co-operate with the newly-appointed prime minister.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives at Phnom Penh International Airport for a two-day visit to Cambodia (Heng Sinith/AP)

Hun Sen, the longest-serving government head in Asia, and his party sealed a landslide victory in the countrys general election after barring the main opposition group  the Candlelight Party  from contesting the polls on a technicality.

Western nations and rights groups criticised the election, saying it was neither free nor fair.

Wang Yi met Hun Sen, his newly appointed son and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.

He praised the election, saying it was free and fair, with more than 80% of Cambodians participating in the presence of several dozens of foreign observers.

On August 7, King Norodom Sihamoni formally appointed Hun Manet as the new premier. He will take office on August 22 when the new National Assembly adopts the new Cabinet.

Hun Manet won his first seat in Parliament in the election, and the handover from his father is part of a larger, generational shift, Many younger politicians  mostly educated in the West  are expected to take up ministerial positions, including Hun Sens youngest son and others related to older party members.

Cambodia is a key Chinese diplomatic partner, helping dampen criticism of Beijing within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, several of whose members are engaged in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

In return, China has gained an outsized role in Cambodian politics and the economy, as seen in the numerous Chinese-funded projects, hotels and casinos dotting the landscape.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh (Kok Ky/Cambodias Government Cabinet/AP)

Chinas state banks have also financed airports, roads and other infrastructure built with Chinese loans. More than 40% of Cambodias 10 billion dollars in foreign debt is owed to China.

In June last year, China and Cambodia broke ground on a naval port expansion project that has raised concerns from the US and others that it could give Beijing a strategically important military outpost on the Gulf of Thailand.

Hun Sen in 2019 reportedly granted China the right to set up a military base at the Ream Naval Base. He has long denied that, saying Cambodias constitution prohibits foreign military facilities.

The ageing leader, who turned 71 last Saturday, said that stepping down as prime minister is not the end yet and he will serve in other positions at least until 2033, which would take him to half a century in office.

He is expected to retain a large amount of control as president of his Cambodian Peoples Party and as the Senate president.
Oh Seong-gyu, the last surviving Korean independence fighter known to live in Japan, is escorted by Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Min-shik during a welcoming ceremony held at Gimpo International Airport, Sunday, marking the homecoming of the 100-year-old independence fighter. After undergoing a medical examination, Oh will attend a ceremony commemorating the 78th National Liberation Day on Tuesday. Yonhap
Pictures of cops arresting Saoradh members published online to exploit paranoia

Stephen Murney being arrested in Dungannon on August 9

Dissident republicans have been told to exploit the security breach paranoia within the PSNI by plastering images of serving officers online.
Northern Ireland

Neigbours relieved that deaths of elderly couple in Co Down not being treated as suspicious
One of the last pictures of Colm Murphy

Only two of the five dissidents named in court as being responsible for the Omagh bomb are still alive.

Liam Campbell and Seamus Daly, who were found liable for the Real IRA atrocity in a civil action taken by the victims families, continue to live in the Louth border area.

Three of the others identified in the legal challenge are now dead  Colm Murphy, Michael McKevitt and Seamus McKenna.

Michael McKevitt

Murphy, who died in April aged 70, was a senior member of the Provisional IRA before moving to the Real IRA in the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement. He formed the splinter group ONH (Oglaigh na hEireann) after the terror gang split around 2008.

One of the last pictures of Colm Murphy

In 2002 Murphy, from Ravensdale outside Dundalk, was convicted of conspiracy to cause the Omagh bomb and sentenced to 14 years in prison. However, he was cleared after a 2010 retrial.

Prior to his death the veteran republican was linked to dozens of IRA murders in south Armagh during the 1970s, including the Kingsmill massacre in which 10 innocent Protestant workmen were shot dead.

Murphys nephew Sean Hoey, from Jonesborough in south Armagh, stood trial for the Omagh murders but was cleared two years later, with the evidence lambasted by a judge.

Liam Campbell

In 2021 Michael McKevitt, who was a close friend of Murphys and married to the sister of hunger striker Bobby Sands, died aged 71 after a lengthy cancer battle.

From Blackrock, Co Louth, he was a founding member of the Real IRA after its split from the Provisional IRA.

McKevitt made legal history in the south when he was convicted of directing terrorism and membership of the Real IRA and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The Irish government introduced the offence in response to the Omagh bomb.

Seamus McKenna, who was acquitted of involvement in the Omagh bomb in the civil action taken by the victims families, died in July 2013 after falling from scaffolding. The builder, who joined the IRA as a teenager, was 58 years old.

Seamus Daly

McKenna is suspected of driving the car bomb into Omagh and leaving it on Market Street, where it exploded, killing 29 people and unborn twins.

He followed Michael McKevitt and Colm Murphy into the ranks of ONH after they split from the Real IRA.

Of the two Omagh bomb suspects still alive, Liam Campbell is the most high-profile.

He was extradited from Ireland to Lithuania last year after a 10-year legal battle to face charges connected to attempts to buy arms.

However, the case against the 60-year-old collapsed and he returned home.

Seamus McKenna

Campbell was one of the founding members of the Real IRA and was sentenced to eight years in jail by the Special Criminal Court for membership of the organisation in 2004.

Seamus Daly, who is believed to have driven the Omagh bombers away from Market Street, was charged with involvement in the attack in 2014, only for the case to be withdrawn 10 months later.

The 52-year-old was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment in 2004 for membership of the Real IRA.

cbarnes@sundaylife.co.uk
Paranoid thug wants to drive foreign nationals out of estate

CCTV footage of one of the attacks

A convicted UDA drug dealer has been linked to a sectarian attack on the home of a Polish couple who have pleaded to be left in peace.
Lightstock

The Church and Christian community at large has been completely revolutionized with the internet. While in some ways, it is an amazing thingyet research shows that church attendance has declined. Many churches are now streaming their services and it is really ideal to be able to catch up virtually when we cant make it due to being sick or traveling. However, there has been a rise in people forsaking attending church in-person, according to Pew Research, ever since the pandemic occurred.

Believers may find themselves asking, does it really matter if I go to church? Cant I just watch something online? In our busy world, it is quite convenient to wear our pajamas while sitting on the couch, and simply listen to a church service online (especially when you add in the mix of a family, laundry, work, and the to-do lists that are seemingly endless!). However, the Bible has a lot to say about this topic and it specifically addresses the importance of gathering together.

So while it may be tempting to quit attending church, and instead listen to a podcast or online streamed church service, here are 7 reasons why going to church matters:

The Bible teaches gathering.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

When we look closely at these verses, it appears that people having a bad habit of not meeting together for church was a problem even in biblical times. The writer of Hebrews even addresses this issue and encourages Believers to meet together so that we can encourage each other. The Bible instructs us to gather together so that we can spur each other on. Life can be very difficult and our church communities can be a place of help and guidance in troubled times. We can encourage one another when we need it most, and simply putthe Bible says not to forsake meeting together with other believers. Why? The church is a place that God uses to stoke our spiritual fires, through others, and spurs us on to keep the faith. When we meet together and share testimonies, hurts, troubles, and report praises of how God is moving in our lives, we are not just being a church, but we are being a family.

We all gain something from meeting together.

What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NIV)

Each one of us has a gift, talent, or skill that can be shared with our Christian community. When we are absent from church, we cannot share the gifts that God has given us with our community. So many people are positively impacted because people are willing to share a testimony, pray for one another, or share their talents that God bestowed on them at church. If we arent gathering together, we are limiting what God can do through us. God generously gives different giftings and skills to all, so that we may share them with one another. For example, God gifts some with outstanding musical talents and several people who have those gifts choose to share their skills with the church through singing and playing instruments, giving glory to God.

Through going to church, we all gain something from the people around us and that is exactly how God intended it. We each have a purpose in serving God, and serving our community.

Isolation is opposed to Gods plan.

You might be thinking that you dont need church, and that you can just follow God on your own. While you absolutely can pray and read your Bible at home, isolation is not Gods plan for your life. Humans are social creatures, as God created us to be, and we all need community. When you consider the life of Jesus, even He as God in the flesh, had close relationships (and if anybody could have done the spiritual life alone, it would have been the Lord).

Think of it this wayhave you ever watched a lion pride hunt? They strategically work together to isolate their prey from the pack because they understand they are most vulnerable when this occurs. They target weaker animals in a pack, and then work together to isolate them, and then they kill them. The enemy of our souls is not much different and we are stronger when we stay together. We need other Christians and spiritual leaders in our lives because we wont have all of the answers when life becomes challenging, and we are not meant to do life alone.

Church teaches us the Bible.

It is at church that we learn about God, His Word, and build a foundation for our faith. The Bible is taught by leaders at church and it is a place to bring questions, as we gain deeper understanding together.

It is through the Bible that we learn who God is, what His character is like, and how we can relate to Him. Learning the Bible is vital to our spiritual health and necessary to overcome lifes difficulties.

Christians in the Bible met together.

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42 (NIV)

When we open the Bible in Acts, we see how the church functioned. Christians were meeting together frequently and doing life together. They prayed together, worshiped together, ate meals together, listened to teaching together, and enjoyed fellowship with one another. We are called to do church in the same manner.

The church is the body of Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 12, we read that Believers are the body of Christ and we all have different functions, and we all need one another. The scripture shares how we need each part of the body to function, and that is true of Believers. If we are missing different parts of our body, we will surely notice it. And we cannot say to another part of the body that we dont need that part. We need all parts of the body, and that includes each person who professes Jesus!

We share joy and pain.

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:26-27 (NIV)

Life can be full of success, joy, and accomplishments but it can also be filled with trouble and brokenness. When we have a church community, we have people that we celebrate the good times with and we also have a community to lean on in times of trouble. We arent meant to do our faith walk alone, and we can help others in their times of distress. Likewise, when we go through troubled waters, there are people there to support us.
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Two Vietnamese brothers were killed in a construction site accident in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 9. Newsis



Gov't vows to examine safety measures of construction sector



By Anna J. Park



Recent data showed that one out of 10 construction accident fatalities in Korea last year turned out to be foreign workers. With the rapid increase in the number of foreign construction workers, it is expected that the number of accidents involving foreign workers could rise further in the future.



According to statistics released Sunday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the total number of people killed in construction site accidents last year stood at 402, and 47 of them, or 11.7 percent, were counted as foreign nationals.



This was the first time for the government to disclose the number of foreign fatalities. The land and employment ministries have been releasing the total number of construction accidents and fatalities in the construction sector every quarter.



While no tally for foreign fatalities in this year's construction accidents has yet been disclosed, incidents of foreign workers dying at construction sites have continued to occur lately.



Most recently, two Vietnamese brothers were killed at a construction site in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 9. They were pouring concrete, when the concrete floor suddenly collapsed. The brothers were only a year apart, and it's been known that the younger brother came to Korea about two years ago, following his older brother who had already been in the country for several years.



Two days earlier on Aug. 7, a worker in his 20s of Myanmarese nationality was crushed to death by a dump truck in Hapcheon, Gyeongsang Province. He had been working as a signalman at a highway construction site there. On Aug. 5, another foreign worker in his 30s died after falling while performing rope work at a construction site in Songdo, Incheon.





A safety sign displays text in Myanmarese and Thai at a subway construction site in front of Seoul Station, Sept. 22, 2021. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
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Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says he has instructed state Attorney General Anne Lopez to work toward a moratorium on land transactions in the Lahaina area that was devastated by fire last week
PITTSFIELD  A union that represents General Dynamics laborers in Pittsfield says it voted to rejected a contact proposal, teeing up continued negotiations between the union and the company.

The vote came after two weeks of negotiations between officials at the defense contractor and the union, he said. The union bargaining committee and the company reached a proposal, but an "overwhelming majority" of the approximately 150 members of IUE-CWA Local 81255 voted "no" on the proposed contract Thursday, said the union's business agent James Mole.

The union membership includes workers who manufacture systems that are used in nuclear weapons and submarines, and Mole declined to provide the exact vote split.

"In the coming days union officials will meet to discuss the next steps to take on behalf of the members. The union's sole goal is to put a package in front of the membership they can be proud of, and feel represents their hard work and dedication they provide to a company raking in billions of dollars in profits," Mole said in a statement.

A company spokesperson said in a statement that it is working with the union to arrive at a contract.

We are currently in negotiations with IUE-CWA Local 81255 and we will discuss the proceedings directly with union leadership," said spokesperson Tom Crosson. "We are committed to developing mutually beneficial agreements for all involved and we feel it is appropriate to keep these deliberations among our two organizations.

The sticking points are wages and health care benefits, he said, though he declined to discuss the negotiations in detail because they are ongoing.

"The membership was not satisfied with the contract," Mole said.

Member Sean Comer said that the rejected proposal would have required members switch to a different health insurance setup that would increase the burden they carry financially. He said union members are trying to stay positive, but some fear that the company is going to come back with a worse offer.

"Unfortunately I think the company is concerned only with lining its pockets at our expense," he said.

Mole said the union bargaining committee will enter another round of negotiations with the company in coming weeks. Union officials previously said it was pushing to eliminate a tiered wage system that means that newer workers make about $10 less than workers who have been with the company longer.

Members and their supporters rallied in Park Square in Pittsfield in June to raise awareness about the union's requests. More recently, the union commissioned a billboard near General Dynamics' Pittsfield outpost that reads, "Supporting our troops that protect our freedom; a fair contract is essential."
Do you feel worn out? Do you need some encouragement today? Going to the Psalms is a great place to be reminded to pour out our hearts in praise, and cry out to Him in our struggles. Psalm 8 is a beautiful portion of Scripture which tells of the majesty and wonder of our great God. We will read through this stunning piece of art and worship to see how Psalm 8 can refresh your soul today.

Psalm 8:1 - Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

Reading the word Lord is one thing, but verse one shares Lord, our Lord. This strongly indicates how personal and amazing God is to His children. He is not only the Creator of all, He is personal and loves us deeply. The perfect Father loving His own in and of itself is majestic.

What is the most exquisite sight you have ever encountered? The Lord painted that sunset or fashioned those mountain peaks. He was the One who made everything. The Great Artist who is behind the creation is more majestic than any of it. He has formed the entire world. His glory is seen above in the stars and sky.

Psalm 8:2 - Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

When we ponder the innocence and simplicity of a child, we are reminded that God has many times spoken of the value in childlike faith. Jesus Himself welcomed the little children and said the kingdom of heaven belonged to them (Matthew 19:14). It is amazing to think that just in child-like prayer and seeking Christ, there is a stronghold over our enemy. He silences our foes and the avenger, not because we are great, but because He is God. A child or an infant is completely dependent on his parents for survival, and yet the Lord emphasizes that in a little ones praise, the enemy is defeated. Jesus has won. We just need to lean on Him.

Psalm 8:3 - When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place.

As we think about the work of our Creator God  the vastness of the universe that is made from His very breath, His fingers involved in creation  we remember how small we are in comparison. His sovereignty gives us peace. We know that He is in control and we can rest in Him.

Psalm 8:4 - What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

In all of His glory, who are we, that God would take notice and care for us? We are His creations, and yet He has called all who believe in Him to be children of God.

Psalm 8:5 - You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

We have been crowned with the glory of God through Jesus. We can celebrate this joy.

Psalm 8:6 - You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:

God has provided us with authority in Jesus over the plants and the animals. We have everything on earth under our feet. This is both a gift and a great responsibility. As we look around at nature and ponder that we are part of this creation, but over this creation, we have been given a unique calling to care for and cultivate the earth. We are sinful and do not do this perfectly, but what a privilege to be co-laborers with God in this, and even more so, co-laborers with Christ in the gospel message.

Psalm 8:7 - All flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild,

God has provided dominion over animals. We think about farmers or even just house pets. As we witness humanity ruling over the animals, we can remember that our Creator has entrusted us with their care. We will fall short, but it reminds us that He is the perfect Provider.

Psalm 8:8 - The birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

It is so much fun to watch the birds and the fish. Our family loves to watch the dolphins jump though the ocean while we sit on the shoreline. There is something so exciting as we sit and watch over Gods creatures.

Birds remind us not to worry, that God is taking care of us because He cares for them, and we are worth so much more. As we view creation, we learn with more depth just how loved we are by the Lord.

Psalm 8:9 - Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This Psalm ends the same way in which it started. This is no accident, but repeated for a purpose. The psalmist is in awe of the majesty of the Lord. His name is greater than any created thing in the heavens or on the earth. He is the only one deserving of our worship and our honor. As fantastic and beautiful as people, animals, and nature are, He is more glorious and more wonderful than anything we could ever imagine.

Today, we can be refreshed knowing that this beauty, this wonder, this higher One is not only our Maker, but our Savior, our Father, our Friend, and our First Love. Even though He is the King of kings reigning above all, He still values the details of our personal daily lives, the minute features in which we may believe have no significance, the trials which seem to be unending, the dreams in the deepest parts of our hearts, and the questions we have about who He is matter to Him. The mystery of the gospel can be simple enough for a child to understand but complex enough in which no one could ever uncover the fullness of it. Praise be to God.

Photo credit: Unsplash

Emma Danzeys mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, inspiring young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew for over two years and mom to baby Graham. Drew and Emma serve with Upstate CRU college ministry in South Carolina. Emma is an avid writer for Salem Web Network and provides articles on the Bible, life questions, and on the Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 viewed article on Crosswalk for the year 2021. All the glory to the Lord! She had the joy of hosting Her Many Hats podcast where she explored the many roles that women play while serving One God. Most recently, Emma has released her first Bible Study Book, Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness.
 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

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GBI Strategies LLC, the entity associated with the suppressed police report in Michigan predating the 2020 Election, exhibits a flow of multiple millions through its financial records, yet it claims a residential address as its official headquarters.

On October 8, 2020, an individual deposited a batch of around 8,000 to 10,000 fully completed voter registration applications in Muskegon, Michiganan event that was unmistakably observed by City Clerk Ann Meisch.

After examining the voter applications, the following findings emerged:

Several forms seemed to have been filled out by the same person.

Multiple forms contained inaccurate or nonexistent addresses.

Errors were present in the provided phone numbers.

Signatures displayed inconsistencies.

On October 16, the Muskegon Police Department was contacted to initiate an investigation.

Subsequently, on October 20, the same individual submitted an additional 2,500 forms.

The intervention of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels Office occurred on October 21. Two members from AG Dana Nessels Criminal Investigation Division were assigned to oversee the process. Strangely, however, she never made any public mention of the investigation.

Michigan State Police also joined the effort, with an assigned investigator conversing with the female suspect. The suspect revealed that she was receiving a weekly payment of $1150 to find unregistered voters and provide them with a form so they can get registered to vote or obtain their absentee ballot.

Following weeks of meticulous documentation and investigation, the Michigan police handed the case over to the FBI. Remarkably, the FBI chose to conceal the findings promptly after assuming control of the investigation.

The report identified the entity GBI Strategies as the orchestrator of the plan. GBI Strategies LLC:

holds affiliations with the Biden campaign and several Democratic campaign committees.

commenced its operations in 2014.

received a payment of $1,571,386 from the Doug Jones for Senate campaign in 2018.

This organization had divisions spanning across the country

GBI Strategies was implicated in what the report indicates as extensive and systematic voter fraud occurring in various areas within the state.

During their investigation at a specific Michigan location (Southfield), the police discovered:

Voter registration forms that were partially filled out.

A collection of pelican cases in the room with semi-automatic rifles joined with suppressors, optics and customized pistols.

A case holding 4 rifles and 4 pistols.

A multitude of new phones and a substantial quantity of pre-paid payment cards.

According to Michigan State Senator Ruth Johnson, a former Secretary of State:

My estimate is over 800,000 ballot applications were sent to non-qualified voters in Michigan, including many individuals who moved or died, and even some individuals who were underage or non-citizens. Many were sent to people who had moved out of state.

Gary Bell oversees GBI Strategies LLC, a left-leaning campaign consulting firm, with a mailing address in Alexandria, Virginia. A quick online search also reveals that GBI Strategies, LLC, is registered in Tennessee. Despite an impressive professional background, Gary Bell maintains a limited online presence and a discreet profile.

Compmo Group has indicated that Gary Bell oversees a network of over 70 organizing operations spread across 20 states, while also providing logistical and consulting assistance to another 7 states. Bells affiliations extend to a diverse array of far-left political organizations, including the DSCC, DNC, Black PAC, IBEW, and SEIU, among others.

A query conducted verifies that Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings (read below) reveal far-left Black PAC groups paid GBI Strategies a total of $11,254,919 in 2020.

Further anomalies concerning GBI Strategies LLC were documented in this report. At present, GBI Strategies LLC is actively recruiting personnel. A review of Job Searcher indicates that there are currently multiple job openings within GBI Strategies, spanning various locations across the United States.

Edwin Pierre, as stated on his LinkedIn profile, was employed by GBI Strategies LLC in Flint, Michigan, during the 2020 Election. He appears to continue serving as a Regional Manager at the company.

According to a business source, GBI Strategies LLC is purportedly situated at 8241 Floral Spring Dr., Cordova, Tennessee (outside Memphis). The listed owner is Gary Bell Cossett.

Investigating the Cordova, Tennessee, location reveals a residence with two white vans parked in the front. Its worth noting that white vans were identified on Election Night in Detroit, transporting boxes of ballots that were unloaded beneath the election center well after polls had closed. While these white vans appear distinct, the presence of two such vans raises questions about their purpose at this location.

Notably, GBI Logistics LLC also operates at 8241 Floral Spring Dr., Cordova, Tennessee. This entity reports one operational truck. The address for this company points to Cordova, Tennessee, with a mailing address at 5809 Fifer Dr, Alexandria, VA 22303-1916.

The duplex property at 5809 Fifer Dr., built in 1950, spans 896 square feet and contains two units. Gary Bell is linked to this address, along with 40 other individuals.

This duplex address matches the address used by GBI Strategies when Black PAC reported expenditures to GBI Strategies LLC.

Additional insights and inquiries into GBI Strategies LLC continue to surface. Records from the state of Tennessee indicate that GBI Strategies LLC was dissolved as a registered entity in 2017.

Former Serb politician Srjdan Nogo has unloaded on the entire theft of the 2020 election, as Serbia is where much of it took place. Dominion Voting Systems has numerous connections to the Democratic Party in the USA, as revealed by the politician in the eye-opening interview video.

As our knowledge about GBI Strategies LLC expands, so does the number of unanswered questions surrounding it.

Read the document below:





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A mixed flock of Far Eastern and Eurasian curlews roost at a tidal flat on Yeongjong Island, Incheon, Aug. 1. Korea Times photo by Saul Latham





By Saul Latham











The endangered Far Eastern curlew, the world's largest migratory shorebird, is passing through the Korean Peninsula once again on its annual migratory journey south. In the last three decades, the curlew's population has dropped by 80 percent, largely due to developments around the ecological wonder that is Korea's West Sea, pertaining to the largest body of tidal flats on the planet. In the last 50 years, 66 percent of the tidal flats in the West Sea have been reclaimed for human use. This is in the face of millions of shorebirds who rely on them for survival.







Nevertheless, the remarkable curlew, with its distinctive long curved bill and long legs, can still be seen in Korea, passing through on extraordinary journeys across vast oceans and geopolitical divides. But for how much longer will the curlew grace the tidal flats of Korea

? And if we lose her, what else have we really lost?







On Yeongjong Island in Incheon, half a million travelers fly daily in and out of Incheon International Airport. Just a short walk away from the roaring engines of the runway, the curlews come to roost and feed at critical habitats that were once abundant but now are threatened. Every year, as they have done for thousands of years, the curlews journey up to 15,000 kilometers from the far south in Australia and New Zealand, stopping just once around the tidal, nutrient-rich West Sea, to reach northern China and eastern Russia to breed. In July and August, the curlews stop again in South Korea, on a south-bound return journey. Thus goes the rhythm.







On Aug. 1, this shy creature stood at the water's edge at the Yeongjong getbol. Beside her mingled the equally remarkable bar-tailed godwit, which recently broke the record for the longest known non-stop flight of a bird, travelling 13,560 kilometers over the vast Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Tasmania.







Urbanization and development are fast eroding the unique tidal ecosystems which the curlew and its kin rely upon.?Experts agree that the alarming decline of the curlew is due largely to the rapid urbanization and development around the West Sea. China accounts for much of this loss, as does democratic South Korea which has continued the pursuit of an industrial war born out of its rule under dictatorships. And yet, in a poetic twist, the vast unmodernized estuaries of North Korea still provide large portions of critical habitat for migratory shorebirds.







Much of the reason these specific habitats are critical is that they provide the unique nutrients and protection not found anywhere else. And the reason the curlew stops only once on its journey is that it does not rest on the sea, for it cannot take off again due to a lack of webbed feet. Hopelessly innocent to the rising war rhetoric that shackles the region, the curlew flies freely between geopolitical divides, a symbol of peace and reflection of our better nature.







Last autumn, the tidal flats of Maehyangri in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, echoed with the "croo-lee" of the curlews as they rested on a shoreline haunted by the military violence of the recent past. They had arrived from the south, where, in Australia, the species is listed as critically endangered.







Kim Su-hyeok, an office worker from Seoul, crouched peering with binoculars through a wire fence on the causeway which cuts through the contiguous Hwaseong Wetlands. There he watched the curlews wading at the edge of the water on the furthest, most undisturbed corner of Maehyangri's tidal flats.







In the background, Nong Island sat, for decades the target of incessant, tragic and toxic military shelling practice. Behind on the horizon through hazy skies, the silhouettes of giant industrial architecture loomed large.?







"For me, birdwatching has a way of turning a normal place into something special," Kim said.?







But these tidal flats are no ordinary place.?







"The Hwaseong Wetlands?are among the most important remaining wetlands in the Republic of Korea," Nial Moores, director of Birds Korea and an expert in avian biodiversity, told The Korea Times,







"Local NGOs (and Birds Korea) are pushing for possible registration of the area as a UNESCO world heritage site, and have worked on two different vision statements and planning documents to support conservation."







While providing the habitat critical for the rapidly declining curlew population's survival, along with about 150,000 other shorebirds yearly, the Maehyangri tidal flats were the target of incessant daily shelling from military aircraft of the U.S.' Koon-Ni Range military facility for half a century. The human toll included death, depression, hearing loss, insomnia, anxiety and cardiovascular disease. The ecological toll was also alarming. After the closure of the facility in 2005, arsenic, cadmium, lead and copper were found in toxic abundance in local mud and mollusks.







A view from a Koon-ni Range bunker out to the Maehyangri tidal flats and Nong Island in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, once the target of incessant shelling, March 26 / Korea Times photo by Saul Latham





In the decades since the 1950-53 Korean War, the West Sea region has witnessed unprecedented urban development. About two-thirds of this ecosystem's tidal flats have been lost over that time. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the West Sea tidal flats ecosystem as an endangered habitat.







This ecosystem is known as the heart of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF) which is host to the greatest number and diversity of migratory birdlife on the planet and stretches from Australia and New Zealand up through eastern Asia into Siberia and Alaska. It is the home to the highest number of threatened waterbird species in the world, some of which fly unimaginable distances across the globe, including the bar-tailed godwit?and the curlew.







Moores has spent decades stressing the importance of this area. "The story of this area is one that really needs to reach people in Korea, in Australia and along the whole flyway," he said. Protecting the flyway and its endangered inhabitants requires transnational cooperation.







At present, there is peace in Maehyangri. The artillery shells and twisted metal have been cleaned up and can be viewed at the Maehyangri Peace Village. But across the coastal banks where old military trenches run through abandoned lookouts, a calamity of trash lies discarded. Bottles line the high tide mark along with polystyrene foam and fishing nets. Nearby are office chairs, a foam mattress, mounds of plates and?a KT phone box lying on its side, an awkward chunk of metal and a victim of progress.?A resentment lingers, and the environment bears it.







There are plans in the works for the area. Moores is concerned for the future of this ecosystem and its inhabitants. "The local and provincial government is now pushing to construct an international airport in the heart of the wetlands  which would be devastating for bird populations locally, and would 

 have an especially negative impact on the Far Eastern curlew at the population level," he said.







Additionally, the proposal for a hotel just meters from critical roosting habitat, even be it for eco-tourism, could also prove disastrous for the shy and easily disturbed curlew. According to Birds Korea, resting sites along this coastline have almost no protection and differences in jurisdictional authority have proven an obstacle to sustainable management.?







For now, Kim will continue to follow the birds here. "I didn't realize there were so many beautiful birds in Korea until I started birdwatching," he said.?He recognizes the complexity and challenge of balancing human development with ecosystems. "I know this is not a simple problem. As a bird lover, I oppose any development that could cause habitat loss. I'm concerned about where the birds will go if they can no longer live in their current habitat."







The story of Maehyangri's tidal flats are but a chapter in a much larger picture that has emerged along the west coast of Korea over the last few decades. The curlew and vast biodiversity that calls the extensive getbol system home are seeing enormous upheavals on multiple fronts. Undoubtedly, the most serious example of this is the Saemangeum reclamation project, a grand vision and world record-holding image of anthropocentric utilitarianism and environmental catastrophe.







The curlew remains a symbol of peace and freedom and preservers as a non-human creature of inherent value outside the utilitarian measure of humanity. As inter-Korean tension seizes humanity, as military drills send aircraft into the skies, the curlew continues doing what it has always done  flying.






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Postal Code
Jason Momoa has warned holidaymakers not to travel to Maui as the Hawaii island continues to deal with the destruction of the wildfires.

The native Hawaiian actor has been resharing resources to social media over the past few days to inform his followers about the devastation on the island, where at least 80 people are confirmed to have died.

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Alongside a video shared on his Instagram which showed the raging fire, the Aquaman star wrote: Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now.

Do not travel to Maui. Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.

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Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.

In the video post, which the actor reshared from another account, it said: Our community needs time to heal, grieve and restore.

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That means the less visitors on island taking up critical resources that have become extremely limited the better.

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Burnt areas in Lahaina on the Maui island, Hawaii following a wildfire (Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources via AP)

The fires, which started on Tuesday, are being fuelled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane.

They are the deadliest the US has seen since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and devastated the town of Paradise.

Residents of Maui have been asked to return to their communities which have been devastated by the wildfires.

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Hawaiian Governor Josh Green has warned the death toll would likely rise above 80 as search and rescue operations continue.
A child pedal cyclist was seriously injured after a collision with a car in Cork earlier this morning.

Gardai in Carrigaline attended the scene of the incident on the Cork Road into Carrigaline at the Ballinrea roundabout which occurred at around 9:20am.

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The child has since been removed from the scene to Cork University Hospital and remains in critical condition.

The road was closed for a time but has since reopened.

Investigations are ongoing.
A man has been granted strict bail amid concerns for an unidentified male whose head was allegedly stamped on repeatedly after intervening in an "extremely violent" attack on two women in Dundalk.

Lokman Benharkou (29), who resides in asylum accommodation at the Carnbeg Hotel, Armagh Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, was charged with assault causing harm to two women at Park Street at about 1.30am on Friday.

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The Algerian national was granted bail with strict conditions when he appeared before Judge Susan Fay at a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court.

She heard gardai remain concerned about the unidentified man who suffered serious facial injuries during an incident captured on CCTV.

Garda Michael Doherty said there were "serious concerns" for the male who left the scene before gardai and paramedics arrived, and no one in the takeaway knew him.

'Very serious injuries'

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The court heard that the male "yet to be identified had sustained very serious injuries as the suspect had stamped on his head a number of times, knocking him unconscious and causing serious facial injuries."

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Mr Benharkou's reply to charges of attacking the two women was, "I'm sorry, I apologise for what I have done".

Garda Doherty objected to bail due to the seriousness of the incident, which he described as unprovoked and "extremely violent in nature".

It was alleged a man went into a takeaway, got into a verbal altercation, and attacked three people before leaving in the direction of Earl Street, Dundalk.

Gardai observed the accused at Earl Street, and he told them, "I was just defending myself; I have done nothing wrong".

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The two women told the garda that the man had entered the takeaway agitated and started to shout abuse at them.

It was alleged that he punched one of the women in the face, and she "immediately fell to the ground"; her female partner "jumped in front of the male to prevent further assaulting her partner. At that point, it was claimed he punched her in the back of the head, also knocking her down to the ground.

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The court heard another male "intervened "and was punched, fell to the ground, and the accused allegedly began to "stamp" on his head three or four times, "knocking him unconscious".

According to the garda's evidence, the accused left the takeaway but returned soon after and assaulted the male again on the ground, "punching him to the head and face several times".

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One of the women suffered a cut to her lower lip, had a sore and swollen jaw and received medical attention. However, gardai were trying to ascertain the identity of the injured male.

Flight risk concerns

The garda also voiced flight risk concerns and told the court that the accused lived in a direct provision centre, having come to Ireland 11 months ago; before that, he spent 11 years in the UK.

Cross-examined by defence counsel Kevin McCrave, he agreed the accused had the presumption of innocence and no prior convictions or other cases pending. He accepted that gardai had yet to speak to the injured male.

The court heard the accused had applied for refugee status, and the defence submitted that the accused would surrender his travel documentation and obey other conditions.

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Pleading for bail, Mr McCrave submitted there had been hearsay evidence about the yet-to-be-interviewed and identified male, and while it was quite concerning, the reality was unknown.

The accused also had two charges for theft of 5 and a phone from a man in Dundalk on August 6th.

Judge Fay granted bail to Mr Benharkou and added a list of conditions to his 100 bond. She warned the accused, who is yet to indicate a plea, he must notify gardai of any address change, sign on daily at the local garda station, obey a 10pm-7am curfew, be contactable by phone 24 hours a day, remain sober and have no contact with witnesses.

She also ordered him to surrender his passport, not apply for a duplicate, and stay out of parts of Dundalk.

Mr Benharkou was granted legal aid and ordered to appear at Dundalk District Court on September 6th.
Minister Simon Harris says the government will not stand for "thuggery" on the streets of the capital.

As the Irish Examiner reports, It comes as gardai arrested a teenage boy in connection with a serious assault and robbery which left three men hospitalised.

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The juvenile is due to appear before the Children's Court on Monday morning.

The incident occurred on Fownes Street Upper in Temple Bar at around 10.05pm on Friday.

Three men, all aged in their 20s, were brought to St James' Hospital for treatment for injuries sustained during the incident. All three have since been released.

It is understood the men are tourists from the UK.

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Speaking on Sunday at the 101st Collins Griffith Commemoration at Dublin's Glasnevin Cemetery, Mr Harris referred to recent attacks on tourists, as a stain on Ireland's cead mile failte.

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"To be very clear, thuggery can not and will not be tolerated in our capital city. People are trying to go about their lives, trying to enjoy our city and enjoy our communities.

"Ireland is known as a country of cead mile failte. It is a stain and a huge difficulty when this happens."

Calls for more gardai for the capital have been increasing since July, among those seeking action is Lord Mayor Daithi de Roiste.

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"I was very clear when I first got elected that there are not enough guards on the streets of Dublin, we don't have high-visibility policing," the Lord Mayor said.

"Now, I applaud what has been happening. I have been out in the city every night of the week this week. I have seen a much-improved garda presence across the streets of Dublin.

"It's that old adage, it goes back to 1997, tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime."

Local councillor Danny Byrne echoed the Lord Mayor's comments saying that people in the city need to see more officers on the streets.

"If there are attacks on people willy-nilly on the street, it is giving Dublin a really bad name," he said.

"The world is so small now. People across the globe are getting these reports on their phones and it is really bad for Dublin's international reputation."


By Jeffrey Miller







When I first arrived in Korea in December 1990, I never could have imagined that it would be my home for over three decades. What started as a temporary adventure turned into a transformative journey, deeply intertwining my life with the vibrant tapestry of Korean culture, people and experiences.







Arriving in Korea two years after the monumental 1988 Seoul Olympics was an extraordinary time, filled with exhilaration and excitement  in fact, I lived just down the street from the Olympic complex. The city was still basking in the afterglow of successfully hosting the world's most prestigious sporting event. The Olympic Games had not only showcased Korea's ability to organize and execute a global spectacle but had also propelled the nation onto the world stage, leaving an indelible mark on its identity.







As I settled into life in Korea, I had the privilege of witnessing the tangible benefits of the Olympic legacy. The international spotlight that had been cast on the nation continued to attract visitors, investors and opportunities. The influx of cultural exchange, tourism and business development brought a vibrancy to the country, fostering an environment ripe for growth and innovation.







As the years unfolded, Korea revealed itself to be a land of immense beauty, rich history and warm hospitality. The captivating landscapes, from the lush green mountains to the tranquil coastlines, became my sanctuary, offering solace and inspiration. The country's cultural heritage, steeped in tradition and reverence, awakened a profound appreciation for its past and an understanding of its present.







Korea's people, with their resilience, kindness and strong sense of community, embraced me with open arms. From the bustling streets of Seoul to the tranquil villages in the countryside, I encountered warmth and generosity that transcended language barriers. The friendships I forged, both with fellow expatriates and Koreans, became an integral part of my journey, providing a sense of belonging and support.







As the years went by, I had the privilege of witnessing Korea's remarkable transformation. The nation's rapid economic growth and technological advancements catapulted it onto the global stage, earning it a reputation as an innovative powerhouse. The sights of bustling cityscapes, state-of-the-art infrastructure and a burgeoning cultural scene showcased Korea's progress and its unwavering spirit of determination.







Throughout my time in Korea, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in various professional endeavors that further deepened my connection to the country. From teaching at ELS and Yonsei University to writing for The Korea Times and teaching at Woosong/SolBridge in Daejeon, each experience contributed to my personal and professional growth. The diversity of roles allowed me to witness Korea's educational, social, cultural and historical landscape in ways I never dreamed possible.







One of the defining chapters of my time in Korea was the opportunity to write for The Korea Times. As an expat, the Times' Thoughts of the Times column became a platform for me and many others to share our thoughts, experiences and perspectives on life in Korea.







In the warm embrace of Korea, I encountered the intricate companionship of love and death. Korean Buddhism offered solace as I journeyed through these potent experiences. Amid this backdrop, the shadow of death cast its presence, taking not only my mother, grandparents and friends from afar but also serving as a poignant reminder of life's delicate nature. Amid these emotional tides, the task of raising my four children became a wellspring of strength, a testament to the human spirit's fortitude in the face of life's deepest trials.







As I now face the prospect of saying goodbye to Korea, the weight of that decision is heavy. The memories, the growth and the sense of belonging that Korea has provided me will forever hold a special place in my heart.







My unexpected journey in Korea has been a testament to the power of embracing new experiences and the transformative nature of immersion in a foreign culture. Korea became my home in ways I never could have foreseen. I am forever grateful. While the time has come to bid farewell, the imprint of Korea will forever remain a part of my identity.









) is the author of several novels set in Korea, including War Remains, Bureau 39, and No Way Out.



Jeffrey Miller ( sparksjam@gmail.com
Gardai have arrested a teenager in connection with the "serious assault and robbery" of three tourists in Dublin's Temple Bar.

The three men, all aged in their 20s, were badly injured and taken to St James's Hospital following the assault at Fownes Street Upper on Friday night.

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All three have since been released from hospital, gardai said.

A garda statement on Sunday morning said a male juvenile teenager had been arrested over the incident. He is currently detained at a garda station in Dublin city centre.

Sinn Fein TD Louise OReilly described the incident in Temple Bar as deeply shocking and totally unacceptable.

My thoughts are with the three people receiving hospital treatment for their injuries and I wish them a speedy recovery, she said.

Dubliners, those who call this city home, tourists and gardai, all deserve to be safe in our capital city.

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Ms OReilly said her party has outlined proposals to tackle crime in Dublin.

A sticking-plaster approach to policing our capital city will not cut it  we need real reform to keep communities safe, she said.
Sunday's front pages look at the future of Ryan Tubridy at RTE and the shortage of school teachers in Dublin.

The Business Post reports that Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has strongly rebuked Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other ministers warning them not to raise expectations ahead of Octobers budget.

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The Sunday Independent reports that RTE and Ryan Tubridy are at a make-or-break stage in negotiations to return the presenter to the airwaves.

The Ireland edition of The Sunday Times says schools are facing a scramble for teachers with 264 positions still open in the capital weeks before the new term begins.

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A senior police officer in the North was shopping when sensitive documents were stolen from his car, the Sunday Life claims.

The British papers are dominated by the deaths of six people after a boat sank off the coast of France while trying to cross the Channel.

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The Observer, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People all lead with the story, which has prompted anger over the Governments asylum policy.

Tomorrows front page pic.twitter.com/96lA28STtA  The Observer (@ObserverUK) August 12, 2023 Advertisement

Sunday's front page: How many more must die before Tories get a grip? #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/cHLOFI2KHD pic.twitter.com/E25atigBXd  The Mirror (@DailyMirror) August 12, 2023 Advertisement

Meanwhile, the Sunday Express carries the headline: For pitys sake stop the boats.

Elsewhere, The Sunday Telegraph reports ministers are looking to hire more barges and use office and student accommodation blocks to house migrants.

The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph:



'Ministers want more barges for asylum seekers'#TomorrowsPapersToday



Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/Bt0wv79EvQ  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 12, 2023

Tougher A-level grading is needed to halt a surge in university dropouts, according to The Sunday Times.

SUNDAY TIMES: Tougher A-Level grading vital to halt university dropout surge #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/8KX3fsbFOW Advertisement  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 12, 2023

The Independent continues its campaign calling on the British government to grant UK asylum for thousands of Afghan refugees.

INDEPENDENT DIGITAL: Get these brave men and women to safety in UK #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/hLWj1WknlX  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) August 12, 2023

And the Daily Star Sunday says boffins have a secret plan to contact aliens by inviting them to play chess.
QMS Media chief executive John ONeill has rejected suggestions the outdoor advertising companys private equity owner, Quadrant, is looking to cash in as the sector goes from strength to strength.

Despite chatter in the market about potential interest in the business from new buyers, ONeill told this masthead there is no sale in play and Quadrant would look to realise more value in the company before it looked to cash in on its 2019 investment.

The private equity firm made a cash bid for the ASX-listed company four years ago valuing QMS at more than $420 million, a deal ultimately backed by its board.

A billboard in the middle of the al fresco dining destination of Dixon Street in Chinatown. Credit: Steven Siewert

Since then, QMS won the most lucrative outdoor contract in Australia, the City of Sydney council with a 10-year contract worth $450 million. ONeill has previously said the contract generates QMS $4 million to $5 million each month.
Wayne Haylen (second from right) burns his conscription card with fellow protestors Greg Barker (left) and Barry Robinson in 1966. Credit: James Brennan Fitz: And you certainly got that, as it blew up big in the papers. We at the Herald ran the photo  noting you to be the son of a former federal Labor parliamentarian, Les Haylen! What did your father say? WH: He knew all along. He was absolutely supportive of me being active in demonstrations and being one of the leaders in NSW of the anti-conscription movement against Vietnam. Fitz: All right, but I know you had to go to court, so I put this to the defendant  again you. Wayne Roger Haylen, formerly of Canterbury Boys High, you were studying law. Conscription had been mandated by the legally elected government of the day. It was effectively the law of the land that you had to go. You were on your way to being a legal practitioner and yet you burn your card in defiance of the very laws that you would be sworn to uphold! WH: Well, there was no serious offence, just of burning your draft card. The only offence was in not showing it to an authorised officer.

Fitz: Ah. Thats the loophole! WH: Well, in fact, I got advice after I did it, from Neville Wran and Lionel Murphy. The actual burning of the National Service Certificate was not a serious offence. They said they will fine you, and that is what happened in the end in the local court: it cost 20 bucks. I also asked them, will this stop me being put on the roll of authorised legal practitioners? And they had a look at it and said, in so many words, that according to the precedent it was a personal act, not a criminal act. And they were right on that, too. Fitz: How did you ultimately get out of it? WH: The minister for the army called my godfather, leader of the opposition Arthur Calwell, and said, Tell Wayne we dont want him as hell be too disruptive. Tell him to turn up to the medical and we will fail him. I didnt want to do even that, but my parents convinced me that was the best way, and thats the way it happened. Wayne Haylen, pictured in 2001 after being appointed to the Industrial Court of NSW. Credit: Tom Cliff

Fitz: So, youre out. But youre still the infamous war protester who publicly burnt his papers. When we talked on this one time before, you told me you were getting so many white feathers, there must have been a nude chicken somewhere in Sydney! WH: Yes, and that upset me because these people were sending these things to me and making claims about my lack of manhood in not fighting for my nation, but they wouldnt sign their own name. I would have loved to have had a discussion with them, but they were hiding. Fitz: Lets have that discussion now. Let me take their position: Why should I, or my son, brother, father, uncle or friend go off to fight the commies when you stay home? (You lousy bastard!) WH: Because it was a political war, right? Australia wasnt under attack from Vietnam. We went there because the Americans were there. The British had already failed to control Vietnam. The French had already failed. And Australia was only there because prime minister Menzies thought it would be electorally advantageous for the people to understand that were all under threat from communism  and that meant you couldnt vote for the Labor Party, who opposed going to the Vietnam War. And I knew through my father that the generals had been consulted, were dubious about being in the war anyway, and had said they didnt want conscripts. Peter Kocan outside North Sydney police station in 1966 after the attempted assassination of opposition leader Arthur Calwell. Wayne Haylen, Calwells Godson, was among those who accosted Kocan after the shooting. Credit: Fairfax Media

Fitz: OK, so take me to the night of June 22, 1966. Leader of the opposition Arthur Calwell has just finished a passionate diatribe against the Vietnam War inside Mosman Town Hall. WH: Yes, and Im there, and I thought he was strong, but he had given a hint that he was thinking about a policy compromise that would support sending conscripts overseas. I was angry. So when he got in the car outside, I approached. Seeing me, he wound down the window, heard my angry words, and wound the window up again in my face. I turned away and right on that instant, from out of the shadows, a man brushed past me and fired his sawn-off gun, shattering the window. Fitz: The call goes out: Hes just assassinated Calwell! You are the coward of the county, the draft dodger with enough white feathers over the past three months to fill a pillow. What do you do? WH: I chased after him. Fitz: You chased after a man, into the darkness; a man who has just shot someone. And the bloke still has  to use the technical expression  a f---ing GUN! Why did you chase such a dangerous man?

WH: That was something the police officer asked me. And the answer is: I was angry. I just thought, This is appalling. You dont do this. You dont shoot politicians because of their bloody views. Not in this country. You argue with them, you dont shoot them. So I ran after him and finally grabbed him. He threw a punch that whizzed by my ear, and I got another bloke whos coming across the road to help, and we took him back to the police. Loading Fitz: I presume that the government of premier Sir Robert Askin plastered you in bravery awards. WH: No. I know some Labor people approached Askin and said, These fellows deserve some recognition and bravery award. And he just said, Its all politics and Im not going to do it. So the police commissioner stepped forward and gave us a citizens award for bravery and 50 bucks. Fitz: Good effort. And they said it was that closed window that saved Calwell because it deflected the bullet and he was only hit by flying glass. Is it odd to you that, to that point, there had been three assassination attempts in this land on public figures  Governor Phillip copping the spear at Manly in 1790; Prince Alfred being shot at Clontarf in 1868; and Calwell being shot in Mosman in 1966? I mean, only three attempts, and they were all on the mean streets between Mosman and Manly, a matter of miles!

WH (laughs): No, I never thought of that. Fitz: So did all those who said you were a coward now say you were a hero? WH: Not really, no. Fitz: Well, at least none of your Vietnam involvement either way hurt your legal career because, after first becoming a QC, you rose to be a judge in the industrial court. But last week, when I talked to Vietnam vet Don Barnby, I gave him the floor on what he wanted to say to the protesters of 50 years ago. I now offer you the chance, your honour, to make your own remarks to the veterans, from the bench, 50 years on. WH: I thought those of you who went were as brave as hell. And I thought it was disgraceful that you were sent to a war like that after accepting the argument that you were fighting communism. By that stage the Chinese werent even in the same room as the Russians about communism  and the Vietnamese were even in another room altogether. But, I repeat, I thought you were incredibly brave. What made me most angry is how you were treated upon your return, how the government didnt look after your needs. So many of you came back shockingly drained and in all sorts of bad conditions, mentally and physically. You deserved better.

Fitz: Fifty years on, the defence, and the prosecution, rests. Bravo, both of you. Lets have lunch with Don. Ill arrange. WH: Id love that. Lets go to Machiavelli in Clarence Street. Its not far from where medicals were conducted for conscripts. Twitter: @Peter_Fitz *Do you know of an extraordinary story like this? Please email pfitzsimons@smh.com.au Quote of the week
The trial of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins has been a gift to critics of the #MeToo movement.

It is a bitter irony, or perhaps bitterly apt, that the trial was aborted last year after a juror brought into the deliberation room an academic paper about the incidence of false complaints of rape. The paper had not been presented in evidence, and jurors are bound to decide their verdict only on evidence led in court.

Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen/Rhett Wyman

The discovery of the unauthorised material meant the presiding judge, Justice Lucy McCallum, was forced to declare a mistrial.

One imagines there was a lively debate among the jurors about whether Higgins had made up her claim, and how common it was for women to do so. Even within the sanctum of the jury room, it seems the case was a totem for the broader debate around sexual assault.
Two men are on the run and three are in hospital after a triple-stabbing at a Melbourne CBD strip club.

An altercation broke out at the Mens Gallery, at the corner of King and Lonsdale streets, about 6am on Sunday.

Police collect evidence at the Mens Gallery on Sunday morning. Credit: Luis Ascui

Two men, a 23-year-old from Dingley Village and a 20-year-old from Lysterfield, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

A third man, a 20-year-old from Dingley Village, self-presented at hospital with a non-life-threatening arm injury.
Its still one of the greatest ever moments in sport.

In 1983, the yacht Australia II, owned and built by a West Australian syndicate helmed by Alan Bond, snatched the Americas Cup from its home country after 132 years.

Alan Bond celebrates in 1983. Credit: Alamy

On September 26, it will be 40 years since that historic win when then Prime Minister Bob Hawke declared the following day that any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work today is a bum!

The win is considered one of Australias greatest-ever sporting accomplishments and now the state government will commemorate it with a free festival in Fremantle on September 24.
Chinas military is becoming dangerously arrogant and is fuelling the risk of a confrontation with the United States by refusing offers to communicate with commanders in the Indo-Pacific, one of Americas most senior military officials has warned.

Lieutenant General Stephen Sklenka, deputy commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said he feared that China would seek to establish a military base in Solomon Islands or another Pacific nation as it sought to dominate the region.

The Chinese Coast Guard allegedly used a water cannon against Philippine vessels in the South China Sea. Credit: Reuters

Sklenka added that he saw value in Republican congressman Mike Gallaghers idea of positioning US hypersonic missiles in Australia and other key locations across the Pacific as a way to deter China from launching an invasion of the self-governing island of Taiwan.

We do not want this fight to happen, and to do that you need to present a credible, combat-capable force west of the international date line, he said in an interview on the sidelines of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue in Canberra.
United States ambassador Caroline Kennedy has flagged a potential plea deal between Julian Assange and US authorities that could end Americas pursuit of the WikiLeaks founder and allow him to return to Australia.

As hopes fade among Assanges supporters that the Biden administration will abandon its extradition request, a David Hicks-style plea bargain has emerged as the most likely way for Assange to avoid a drawn-out criminal trial on espionage charges and a possible lengthy jail term in a maximum security US prison.

Assanges legal options to avoid being extradited from the United Kingdom to the US could be exhausted within two months, coinciding with a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Washington D.C. in late October.

Asked whether she believed it was possible for the US and Australia to reach a diplomatic outcome on the Assange matter, Kennedy said it was an ongoing case being handled by the Department of Justice.
Childrens wellbeing in particular has suffered after two years of school closures and uncertainty wrought by the pandemic. A Senate inquiry report published last week showed school refusal among struggling or anxious kids is on the rise. Childrens Commissioner Anne Hollands has renewed her call for a dedicated federal minister to co-ordinate policy in that space. But McBride said she believed the current approach  in which responsibility is shared between health, education and youth ministers  was appropriate. We have a very collaborative and cohesive approach to this, which is I think is what it needs because the levers that can be pulled often sit outside health directly ... were working in very close partnership to make sure we can reliably and consistently provide the support that children and families need, she said.

McBride acknowledged Australians young and old had been struggling with mental illness at rising rates. Loading Suicide in particular is an issue that affects every community she visits. Its something that we are very determined to try to turn around ... At the same time, we have to make sure that what we do is evidence-based, that its safe, and that its effective and properly evaluated, she said. The Labor governments report card in mental healthcare has so far been mixed. Its budget investment in the psychologist workforce was welcomed by the sector, as was the creation of two new lived experience peak bodies in January.

McBride points out Labor is investing in research as well as opening 61 Head to Health centres for mental health support, strengthening Headspace centres for people under 25, and launching new Kids Hubs for younger children. Theres now 16 [Head to Health clinics] up and running around Australia where you can walk in without an appointment, without a diagnosis, without a referral and get the right kind of support and care, she said. But her governments most controversial decision in mental health was to revert the number of Medicare-subsidised psychology sessions from 20 to 10 a year. While the measure expanded access for thousands more people to enter the system, psychologists say it has left those with complex mental illnesses lacking support. McBride said the government is still looking at that program; its full response to an evaluation is yet to come. But she pointed out that states and territories also had a responsibility to do more for people living with complex mental illnesses such as bipolar, schizophrenia or obsessive compulsive disorder.

McBride said she is taking a collaborative approach to suicide prevention, which she described as a subtle shift involving conversations with the ministers responsible for finance, housing and industrial relations about the levers they can pull in their own portfolios. Loading Theres normally three or four contributors [to] distress  it could be relationship breakdown, financial security problems, insecure housing, she said. Although suicide is complex and individual, rates of suicide can reflect communities. Carolyn Nikoloski, the chief executive of peak body Mental Health Australia, said she supported that whole-of-government approach. But we also know the mental health service system itself is inadequate right now. Thats where we need government to step up, the myriad issues with the service system have been documented for years, she said.

The sector expects a more detailed response from the government about its plans for system reform by the end of the year. When asked how Australians should judge her efforts by the end of this term, McBride said her goal was to see fewer people in crisis, feeling hopeless and ending up in the hospital system. As for whether the government was also aiming to improve out-of-pocket costs, wait lists and regional services? We need to. Thats what the Australian public have trusted us to do, she said. People would always like things to happen sooner, but were working very determinedly towards a better mental health system of care for all Australians.


By Min Seong-jae



A series of random stabbings and possible copycat crimes in recent weeks sparked fear and mass panic in Korea. In two separate incidents, an assailant with a knife killed and wounded multiple people near major subway stations in and around Seoul. In Daejeon, a man entered a high school and stabbed a teacher. And dozens of people have been apprehended for making online threats for similar crimes.



These are the so-called "don't ask why" crimes, aimed at random victims whom the assailants have no connection with. The attackers' motivations are unclear as well. These types of crimes are rapidly on the rise in Korea, long considered to be a safe country.



We don't know exactly why such crimes are rising in number. And the details and circumstances of one case will be different from another. But one can find a pattern in these crimes. That is, the assailants are almost always young males who are in the relatively lower rungs of society. They are socially isolated, in poor economic condition and possibly in a state of anger and frustration towards society. They may also exhibit signs of toxic masculinity, or destructive male dominance and aggression. A similar trend was observed in Japan in the 1990s and 2000s when the country saw a high number of random stabbing attacks on streets. Japanese researchers found that social isolation and economic frustration were the main motivators behind the attacks. And in the United States, some profiles of mass shooters are eerily similar to those of the knife attackers in Korea.



What this means is that the possible cause of these crimes is as much individual as social. Sure, individual mental problems may have been the direct cause of the crime, as the police often claim. But the social conditions  the disintegration of family and community, and little safety net and welfare for those who lag behind in society  must have contributed to the rising crimes.



The United States has approached the issue of mass shootings as that of individual outlier behaviors, not as a social problem, due to the lobbying of gun rights groups and deep-rooted culture cherishing the individual right to own guns. The consequence is an ever-rising number of innocent deaths by mass shooters. Korea is fortunate to be virtually gun-free (imagine the disastrous scenes if guns were allowed in Korea). But as long as these crimes are considered to be isolated incidents committed by the mentally ill, more innocent lives will be lost.



Separately, media coverage of these crimes requires caution to prevent future copycat crimes. Such things as repeated showing of panicked people and delivery of the statements by the attackers may cause trauma to the viewers and provide potential criminals with a new motivation. The U.S. media know this well, as they often got criticized for irresponsibly delivering the details of the mass shooters' manifestos, their motivations and life trajectory, the types of weapons used, how the attacks were executed, etc., creating a sense of fear and the possibility of imitation. This type of coverage is sensational and attention-seeking and shifts our attention away from structural and social focus to that of individual misdemeanors.



It is important to strictly punish criminals according to the rule of law. But strong punishment alone will not prevent these crimes from occurring in the future. Those who commit this type of crime are isolated and uncared for in society and won't be deterred by the possibility of harsh punishment because they feel that they do not have much to lose. A society of warmth and care for others is needed.





Min Seong-jae is a professor of communication and media studies at Pace University, New York City. He is a 2023-24 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Korea.












Singapore: Glove-making giant Ansell has been accused of leaving workers from Myanmar high and dry and afraid of being forced back to their conflict-ravaged home country after laying them off suddenly from its factory in Thailand.

The ASX-listed personal protective manufacturer employs hundreds of Burmese migrants on the production line of its facility east of Bangkok, which is a key operation in its global supply chain.

Ansells factory in Thailand is at Lat Krabang, an industrial district east of the capital. Credit: Supplied

But migrant worker advocates and leading human rights lawyers claim the company has left workers at risk of forced labour and human trafficking by severely underpaying them in compensation packages after they were abruptly told last month that they would no longer have jobs.

We are very worried about our future, said one of the 42 retrenched workers, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of concern about how they could be treated.
London: Tourism and Trade Minister Don Farrell has not denied he supported granting extra flights to Qatar Airways as a way of boosting Australias tourism sector, which has struggled to recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Farrell has been reported as having privately backed giving Qatar Airways extra landing rights but has never commented publicly on the matter as the Albanese government comes under pressure to explain its reasons for blocking the airline, which will keep European ticket prices sky-high.

Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The block benefits Qantas, which has reported super-profits partly as a result of the fares it can charge while demand outstrips the number of seats available on flights, and has been criticised by the travel industry.

Asked by this masthead during an interview alongside his Kiwi counterpart from his winery in the Clare Valley in South Australia following talks focused on boosting trans-Tasman trade as a way of diversifying each others markets, Farrell said he did not have a say in the final determination.
Hawaiis Attorney-General, Anne Lopez, said her office will be conducting a comprehensive review of decision-making and standing policies surrounding the wildfires. My department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review, she said in a statement on Friday, adding that now is the time to begin this process of understanding. The Associated Press created a timeline of the wildfires, using information from multiple sources including the countys announcements, state and local Emergency Management Alerts and interviews with officials and survivors. Thomas Leonard lies on an air mattress at an evacuation centre at the War Memorial Gymnasium on Thursday after his Lahaina apartment burned down. Credit: AP The timeline shows public updates on the fires were spotty and often vague, and much of the countys attention was focused on another dangerous, larger fire in Upcountry Maui that was threatening neighbourhoods in Kula. It shows no indication that county officials ever activated the regions all-hazard siren system, and reveals other emergency alerts were scarce.

In the hours before the wildfires began, however, warnings about high winds were frequent and widely disseminated by the county and other agencies. A hurricane passing far to the south was expected to bring gusts of up to 105 km/h, residents were told on Monday. Loading The Upcountry fire started first, reported not long after midnight on Tuesday, and the first evacuations near Kula followed. The fire near Lahaina started later, around 6.37am on Tuesday. Some homes in Lahainas most inland neighbourhood were evacuated, but by 9.55am the county reported that the fire was fully contained. Still, the announcement included another warning that high winds would remain a concern for the next 24 hours. The power also went out early that morning, leaving several thousand customers in the Lahaina/West Maui region and Upcountry without electricity. Several downed power lines required repair.

By 11am, firefighting crews from several towns and the Hawaii Department of Lands had converged on the Upcountry fire, but wind gusts reaching 129km/h made conditions unsafe for helicopters. At 3.20pm, more Upcountry neighbourhoods were evacuated. The Lahaina fire, meanwhile, had escaped containment and forced the closure of the Lahaina Bypass road by 3.30pm. The announcement, however, didnt make it into a county fire update until 4.45pm and didnt show up on the county Facebook page until nearly 5pm, when survivors say flames were surrounding the cars of families trapped downtown. Wildfire damage is shown on Saturday in Lahaina, Hawaii. Credit: AP But while the Lahaina fire was spreading, Maui County and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency officials were making other urgent announcements  including a Facebook post about additional evacuations near the Upcountry fire and an announcement that the acting governor had issued an emergency proclamation. In the Upcountry evacuation Facebook post at 3.20pm, Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea shared an ominous warning.

The fire can be a mile or more from your house, but in a minute or two, it can be at your house, Giesea said. Mike Cicchino lived below the Lahaina Bypass in one of Lahainas more inland neighbourhoods. He went to his house at 3.30pm and minutes later realised his neighbourhood was quickly being enveloped by flames. Sydney Carney walks through her home, which was destroyed by wildfire, in Lahaina, Hawaii on Friday. Credit: AP He yelled to the neighbour kids to get their mum and leave. He ran inside to collect his wife and the dogs they were watching. Cicchino, along with others in the neighbourhood, then jumped in their cars to leave. He listened for announcements on his car radio, but said there was essentially no information. The governments social media attention turned from Upcountry back to Lahaina at 4.29pm, when Hawaii EMA posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the local Maui EMA had announced an immediate evacuation for an inland subdivision in Lahaina. Residents were directed to shelter at the Lahaina Civic Centre on the north side of town.

Just before 5pm, Maui County shared a new Lahaina fire report on Facebook: Flareup forces Lahaina Bypass road closure; shelter in place encouraged. Many were already running from the flames. Lynn Robison evacuated from her apartment near the waterfronts Front Street at 4.33pm. The shells of burned houses and buildings are left after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Lahaina, Maui. Credit: Reuters There was no warning. There was absolutely none. Nobody came around. We didnt see a fire truck or anybody, Robison said. Lana Vierra left her neighbourhood less than 2 kilometres away around the same time. Her boyfriend had stopped by and told her hed seen the approaching fire on the drive.

He told me straight, People are going to die in this town; you gotta get out, she recalled. There had been no sirens, no alerts on her mobile phone, she said. Loading But access to the main highway  the only road leading in and out of Lahaina  was cut off by barricades set up by authorities. The roadblocks forced people directly into harms way, funnelling cars onto Front Street. All the locals were pigeonholed into Lahaina in that corner there, and I felt like the county put us into a death trap, Cicchino said. Nathan Baird and his family escaped by driving past a barricade, he told Canadian Broadcaster CBC Radio.

Traffic was all over the place. Nobody knew where to go. They were trying to make everybody go up to the Civic Centre and ... it just didnt make sense to me, Baird said. I was so confused. At first, I was like, Why are all these people driving towards the fire? Cicchino and his wife became trapped by walls of flame as Front Street burned. They ran for the ocean, spending hours crouching behind the sea wall or treading water in the choppy waves, depending on which area felt safest as the ever-changing fire raged. At 5.20pm, Maui County shared another Lahaina fire update on Facebook: Evacuations in one subdivision were continuing, but access to the main highway was back open. The US Coast Guards first notification about the fires was when the search and rescue command centre in Honolulu received reports of people in the water near Lahaina at 5.45pm, said Captain Aja Kirksy, commander of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. The boats were hard to see because of the smoke, but Cicchino and others used mobile phones to flash lights at the vessels, guiding them in.

Loading Cicchino helped load children into the Coast Guard boats, and at one point loaned his phone  which had been stashed in his wifes waterproof pouch  to a member of the guard so they could contact fire crews. He said the rescue took hours, and he and his wife were finally brought out of Lahaina around 1am on Wednesday. Maui County Facebook posts about 8.40pm on Tuesday urged residents in the surrounding area who werent affected by the fires to shelter in place, and said smoke was forcing more road closures. A commenter pointed out the communication problems just before 9pm. You do realise that all communication to Lahaina is cut off and nobody can get in touch with anyone on that side, the commenter wrote. Riley Curran, who fled his Lahaina home after climbing up a neighbouring apartment building to get a better look at the fire, doesnt think there is anything the county could have done. Its not that people didnt try to do anything. Its that it was so fast no one had time to do anything, Curran said. The fire went from 0 to 100.

But Cicchino said it all felt like the county wasnt prepared and government agencies werent communicating with each other. I feel like the county really cost a lot of peoples lives and homes that day. I felt like a lot of this could have been prevented if they just thought about this stuff in the morning, and took their precaution, he said. You live in a fire zone. They have a lot of fires. You need to prepare for fires. The all-hazard sirens are tested each month to ensure they are in working order. During the most recent test, on August 1, they malfunctioned in three separate incidents in three counties. Mauis siren tone was too short, so officials repeated the test later that day, successfully. Karl Kim directs the National Disaster Preparedness Training Centre, a University of Hawaii-based organisation that develops training materials to help officials respond to natural disasters. Kim said its too soon to know exactly how the warning and alert system might have saved more lives in Lahaina, and noted that wildfires are often more challenging to manage than volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and even earthquakes because they are more difficult to detect and track over time.
Quito: The political party of Ecuadors assassinated presidential hopeful, Fernando Villavicencio, picked his would-be vice presidential candidate to replace him as the party standard-bearer on Saturday (local time), just a week before the election.

Villavicencios Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced on social media it had tapped Andrea Gonzalez to replace the slain 59-year-old as its presidential candidate in the August 20 vote.

Andrea Gonzalez attends a press conference on behalf of the campaign while wearing a bulletproof vest, in Quito, Ecuador, on Thursday. Credit: Reuters

Villavicencio, an ex-lawmaker and journalist with a long track record of exposing corruption, was gunned down last week after leaving a campaign event in the capital Quito despite his own government-provided security detail.

Six suspects  all Colombian nationals whom police accuse of links to criminal groups  have been charged with the murder and remain in custody after a judge on Thursday ordered they remain behind bars as the investigation into the crime continues.
India's flagship overseas firm ONGC Videsh Ltd has sought another three-year extension to explore for oil and gas in a Vietnamese block in the contested waters of the South China Sea, officials said.

If granted, this will be the eighth extension for OVL, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Officials said the seventh extension to explore for oil and gas was till June 15, 2023 and the company is in talks with Vietnamese authorities for another three-year extension.

OVL, they said, has submitted a proposal for a three-year extension of the exploration phase-1 to the regulator PVN and the approval is awaited.

The company has so far not found any commercially recoverable oil and gas reserves in the block in the 17 years it has been exploring there but has continued presence there because of India's strategic interest in the South China Sea.

Vietnam too wants the Indian firm to counter China's interventions in the contested waters.

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OVL had signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with Vietnam's national oil firm PetroVietnam for deepwater exploratory Block-128 having an area of 7,058 square kilometres in Offshore PhuKhanh Basin, Vietnam in May 2006.

An investment licence was issued to it on June 16, 2006, thereby giving effect to the PSC.

The firm has completed the licence requirement of shooting 3D seismic data and reprocessing of 2D seismic data as well as drilling of the committed one well.

Officials said OVL acquired 3D seismic data and reprocessed 2D seismic data to fulfil a part of the minimum work programme of the phase-1 of exploration period. Also, petroleum system modelling studies have been carried out based on data provided by PetroVietnam.

OVL first took a two-year extension of the exploration period till June 2014 and then another for one year. A third extension was granted on May 28, 2015, and a fourth in 2016.

It got the fifth extension for two years in 2017 and a sixth from June 16, 2019 to June 15, 2021. The seventh extension for two-years was till June 15, 2023.

Another official said the company had a couple of years ago drilled a well on the block but it could not reach the target depth and so it now has to drill the well all over again.

The company has not found any hydrocarbon in the block but is continuing to stay invested to maintain India's strategic interest.

The block lies in the part of the South China Sea over which China claims sovereignty. In 2011, Beijing had warned OVL that its exploration activities off the Vietnam coast were illegal and violated China's sovereignty, but the company continued exploring for oil and gas.

OVL made a foray into Vietnam as early as 1988 when it bagged the exploration licence for Block 06.1. OVL owns a 45 per cent stake in Block 06.1 and its share of condensate and oil equivalent gas production from the block was 0.693 million tonnes during the 2022-23 fiscal.

The production sharing contract (PSC) for Block 06.1 ws till May 18, 2023 but the Vietnam government has extended it for another 16 years.

The 955 sq km Block 06.1 located in Nam Con Son basin has two producing fields -- Lan Tay and Lan Rosneft -- and has a 35 per cent stake while the remaining 20 per cent is with PetroVietnam.

The firm in 2006 got two exploration blocks -- Block 127 and Block 128. While Block 127 was relinquished due to poor prospects, the other block was retained.

The first extension for Block 128 followed China putting the area under the block for global bidding.
The Taliban-led Herat Chamber of Industries and Mines said that a 70 per cent decline in manufacturing activities was witnessed within its industrial town, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

The decline in manufacturing activities occurred due to severe power shortages, which led to the loss of thousands of jobs for the local people.

According to officials, a significant portion of Herat city, covering its industrial hub, depends on imported electricity from Iran. However, there has been a reduction of 70 per cent in the volume of energy imported from Iran over the past week.

This decline in the inflow of imported electricity has caused concerns regarding the stability of Herat's power supply and its potential impact on various sectors, including the industrial sector, which heavily relies on a consistent and abundant source of energy, Khaama Press reported.

Hamidullah Khadim, head of the Taliban-led Chamber of Industries and Mines in Herat, said, "Herat industrial town has 30 megawatts of electricity, of which approximately 70 megawatts of electricity has been cut from the substation of Herat industrial town by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and this problem continues all the time," according to Khaama Press report.

Khadim stressed that they have engaged in several discussions with the Taliban-led officials regarding the issue. However, no concrete action has been taken to address the issue.

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In the meantime, the factory owners and Herat residents expressed their concerns regarding the inadequacy of the inflow of electricity from Iran. The situation has sparked concerns among the local residents due to the persistent shortages in the supply of electricity, affecting various sectors and aspects of daily life.

Meanwhile, Nisar Ahmad Elyas, a spokesperson for the Taliban-appointed Herat governor said that the local administration is actively making efforts to address the issue, as per the Khaama Press report. Elyas said that the administration is committed to finding a solution to the issue.
Over 68,000 Army soldiers, around 90 tanks and other weapon systems were airlifted by the Indian Air Force to eastern Ladakh from across the country for rapid deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after the deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley, top sources in defence and security establishment said.

The IAF deployed its Su-30 MKI and Jaguar jets in the region for round-the-clock surveillance and intelligence gathering on the enemy build-up, apart from putting several squadrons of combat aircraft in "offensive posturing" in the wake of the clashes on June 15, 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades, they said.

The troops and weapons were ferried by the transport fleet of the IAF within a "very short period of time" for quick deployment in various inhospitable areas along the LAC under a special operation, the sources said while highlighting how the force's strategic airlift capability has increased over the years.

In view of the escalating tensions, the IAF had also deployed a sizeable number of remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) in the region to keep a hawk-eye vigil on Chinese activities, they said.

The IAF aircraft airlifted multiple divisions of the Indian Army, totalling over 68,000 troops, more than 90 tanks, nearly 330 BMP infantry combat vehicles, radar systems, artillery guns and many other equipments, they said.

The total load carried by the transport fleet of the IAF, which included C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster aircraft, was 9,000 tonnes and displayed the IAF's increasing strategic airlift capabilities, they added.

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Following the clashes, a plethora of fighter jets, including Rafale and Mig-29 aircraft, were deployed for combat air patrol while various helicopters of the IAF were pressed into service for the transport of prefabricated structures, ammunition and spares of military equipment to mountainous bases.

The sources said the range of surveillance by Su-30 MKI and Jaguar fighter jets was around 50 km and they ensured that the positions and movements of Chinese troops were accurately monitored.

The IAF also quickly enhanced its air defence capabilities and combat readiness by installing various radars and bringing a range of surface-to-air guided weapons to frontline bases along the LAC in the region, they said.

The strategy was to strengthen military posture, maintain credible forces and monitor the enemy build-up to effectively deal with any situation, the sources said, referring to India's overall approach.

The IAF platforms operated in extremely difficult circumstances and accomplished all their mission goals, said a source without sharing further details.

The overall operation demonstrated the IAF's growing airlift capability compared to what it was during 'Operation Parakram', said another source.

Following the terrorist attack on Parliament in December 2001, India had launched the 'Operation Parakram' under which it mobilised a huge number of troops along the Line of Control.

The government has been giving a major push to infrastructure development along the nearly 3,500 km long LAC following the eastern Ladakh faceoff.

The Army has also taken a series of measures since the Galwan Valley clashes to enhance its combat capabilities. It has already deployed a significant number of easily transportable M-777 ultra-light howitzers in mountainous regions along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

The M-777 can be transported quickly in Chinook helicopters and the Army now has the flexibility of quickly moving them from one place to another based on operational requirements.

The Army has also powered its units in Arunachal Pradesh with a sizeable number of US-manufactured all-terrain vehicles, 7.62MM Negev Light Machine Guns from Israel and various other lethal weapons.

The Indian and Chinese troops are still locked in the over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

The ties between India and China nosedived significantly following the fierce confrontation in the Galwan Valley.

Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the region.

A fresh round of high-level military talks between the two sides is scheduled to take place on Monday.

In the dialogue, India is set to press for early disengagement of troops from the remaining friction points.

On July 24, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of a meeting of the five-nation grouping BRICS in Johannesburg.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday assured women who attended his 'Janata Darshan', a public grievance meeting, here that residents of the state stranded in different parts of the world will be brought back.

At the meeting in Gorakhnath Temple complex, a few women from Deoria and Kushinagar whose relatives are stranded in Thailand, Oman and some other countries sought the chief minister's intervention in the matter.

"Don't worry. People of Uttar Pradesh who are stranded in other countries will be brought back," he said and directed officials to contact the embassies concerned and make necessary arrangements for their return.

Adityanth listened to the grievances and problems of around 200 people at the Janta Darshan and directed officers to deal sensitively with aggrieved people.

He also instructed officials to take strict legal action against those encroaching on others' properties and repressing the weak.

"Ensure that no goons, mafia or criminals occupy land illegally. In criminal cases, the accused should be arrested by registering an FIR," the chief minister said.

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To those seeking financial aid for treatment of serious ailments, he said that no treatment will be hampered due to lack of money and assured them of all full help.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday took a swipe at the opposition alliance, likening it to an "old wine in old bottle" and claimed it was a group of leaders involved in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore.

Shah attacked the opposition Congress, saying during its rule, India's economy did not go beyond the 11th rank in the world, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi took it to the 5th position in one shot.

He was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for a regional centre of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Mansa town in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a group of 26 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Shah said, "The UPA and Congress are a group of leaders involved in Rs 12 lakh crore corruption. They have now changed their name, haven't they? But you must refer to them as UPA...Who will vote for those who have committed a scam of Rs 12 lakh crore?"



"Haven't you heard the saying: 'Old wine in a new bottle'. But here both the bottle and the wine are old. So, do not get cheated. Under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP will return to power with full majority," the Union minister said.

Shah further said many of us have not seen the country's struggle for independence and have not got the opportunity to die for the nation.

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"Many people say had they been there, they would have sacrificed their life for the nation. We do not need to sacrifice our life for the nation, but nobody can stop us from living for the nation," he said.

"Let us raise five children, starting from our home, who are filled to the brim with patriotism, whose entire life is dedicated to the country. Let us raise five children who live for our language, literature, culture, village, state and the country," the BJP leader said.

Shah also said that while he is not against English as a language, it is our responsibility to keep the Gujarati language alive.

"If a student does not learn Gujarati, he will not recognise Gujarat, and the country. And if he does not recognise the country, he will never do anything good for it. If we do not introduce our children to the 15,000 years' old culture of our country, then we shall be responsible for endangering our culture," he said.

India has shown the path to the world for thousands of years, Shah said, and appealed to people to help create an India which is on top in fields ranging from education, space, security and economy.
At least one person was killed and several others were left unaccounted for after an explosion destroyed three houses and damaged at least a dozen more on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, CNN reported citing the local authorities.

The first responders who rushed to Plum, a borough in Allegheny County, found people trapped under debris and took three people to a hospital. One among them continues to be in critical condition, the officials said.

Another person, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Steve Imbarlina, assistant chief for Allegheny County Emergency Services.

Apparently, the incident started when one house exploded, engulfing two neighbouring homes in flames as well, CNN reported citing the county. Multiple other homes also got damaged with windows blown out.

Crews from 18 different fire departments rushed on the scene to put out the flames and sift through the rubble as "several" people remained unaccounted for Saturday afternoon.

However, it has still remained unclear what triggered the explosion, as the authorities say that the cause is still under investigation.

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The visuals show one of the homes exploding in a ball of fire, shooting up a thick plume of smoke and scattering debris in the area.

The aerial footage of the neighbourhood shows three structures completely burned to the ground, surrounded by heavy debris that covered surrounding lawns and homes. Several cars near the scorched area could also be seen charred black and smoking, CNN reported.

By 4:30 p.m. (local time), the area was still considered an "active scene" and first responders were expected to remain there for hours, according to the county. Plum is about 15 miles northeast Pittsburgh.

Gas was turned off in the area while emergency crews worked at the scene, authorities said at a news conference, adding multiple representatives from different gas companies were at the scene. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are also assisting residents impacted by the explosion, the county said, according to CNN.


A Marine's honor trumps a commander's career



President Yoon Suk Yeol highly values the military and those who serve their country. That's natural for a national leader and commander-in-chief.



So, Yoon sincerely mourned the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun of the Marine Corps last month. Chae was swept away by a torrent at a stream in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, while searching for victims of the flooding.



But some presidential aides do not seem to share their boss' sentiments.



After Chae's death, a Marine Corps investigation unit listed eight officers, including a major general and the commander of the 1st Marine Division, on suspicion of negligent homicide and other charges. However, the military relieved the probe team's leader, Colonel Park Jeong-hun, from his post, putting him under investigation for insubordination.



According to Col. Park, he reported the probe result to Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, won Lee's nod and sent it to the civilian police. Later, a defense ministry official phoned Park several times, proposing to delist officers above Chae's battalion commander from the charge.



At a press conference last Friday, Park said he regarded it as "external pressure," claiming all this started after he sent news release materials to the presidential office at the latter's behest. He also refused to undergo the military prosecution's questioning over his alleged insubordination, doubting its impartiality. Instead, Park called for a committee to "investigate the investigation process of military prosecutors."



It may be premature to jump to a conclusion, as all facts and details are not in yet. The presidential aide suspected to be involved in it also denies all allegations, saying he has never seen the probe results. Still, one thing seems clear: the investigation report approved by Defense Minister Lee was returned to the ministry by "someone higher and more powerful." In Korea's power structure, there is only one such place  the presidential office. Can one think all these are unrelated but work separately?



Like many accidents, Corporal Chae's case also has many implications.



On July 19, Chae's superiors did not even distribute life vests to Marines before putting them into the strong current. Division Commander Major Gen. Lim Seong-keun gave many instructions. For instance, he ordered the men to wear the Marines' "red shirt" and not smile before the camera.



But most of his instructions were to maximize the PR effects of his division serving civilians. None concerned his men's "safety." Some officers even took issue with the Marines' "improper salutation" to superiors while working.



If Col. Park is to be trusted, the military leaders are killing Corporal Chae twice  by not protecting him appropriately and unduly protecting the superiors responsible for his preventable death.



According to reports, Kim Tae-hyo, President Yoon's right-hand man in national security affairs, Defense Minister Lee and Major Gen. Lim were former colleagues working at the now-defunct Cheong Wa Dae under former President Lee Myung-bak more than a decade ago. Was this all an operation to save a general instead of a private, unlike in the film?



Pfc. Chae was promoted one rank posthumously, received the highest order as a Marine and was buried at the National Cemetery. His parents thanked the government for these measures. However, they did not forget to ask the authorities "not to repeat the tragedy that took away our son." They did not say so, but the best step is to reaffirm the value of service members' lives by holding all officers, high and low, accountable.



The incident is especially regrettable as it occurred under a leader who puts the military and service members above all else to "maintain genuine peace by force." It also comes in the aftermath of various mishaps within barracks, such as excessive hazing and sexual violence, many of which were hushed up or downplayed. How could parents send their children to boot camp while unsure of their safety, even during peacetime?



President Yoon has been criticized for punishing only lower officials in socially controversial incidents, being compared to "cutting off the tail to save the lizard's head."



He must not let that happen, especially not in the military.


Kim Young-eun, left, poses with the co-founders of Freedom Speakers International, Lee Eun-koo, right, and Casey Lartigue Jr. Courtesy of Casey Lartigue Jr.



By Kim Young-eun



Two years ago, when I clicked on a video recommended on YouTube, I saw a beautiful young woman who had defected from North Korea being interviewed by a foreign show host in fluent English. Her name was Park Yeon-mi.



She is now a YouTuber with more than 1 million subscribers, and a human rights activist in the United States. The content was interesting, but I was more curious to see a woman who had defected from North Korea speaking English so well. I learned that she barely attended school in North Korea, but after arriving in South Korea in 2007 at the age of 13, she passed all elementary, middle and high school qualification exams within a short time. She later attended Columbia University in New York City, published two best-selling books, is an international speaker, and has been interviewed many times, including by media commentator and podcast host Jordan Peterson.



I can only imagine the amount of effort it took for her to achieve those things. Her remarkable growth and warm personality in her videos immediately made me a fan, and I have watched every video she's posted without missing a single update. I have been influenced a lot by Yeon-mi.



Carol S. Dweck's 2007 book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," discusses growth mindsets and fixed mindsets. A growth mindset involves the belief that one can develop skills and talents through hard work, the right strategies, and guidance from others. Having a fixed mindset means believing intelligence, talent, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable. Dweck writes that everyone has both mindsets in different areas. I have a growth mindset when it comes to human relations, but in the field of intelligence, I used to have a fixed mindset. I previously believed that those who excelled academically were born with talent. The thought that their brains were superior to mine made me doubt my potential and led me to put in less effort.



After reading "Mindset" and seeing Yeon-mi's fascinating journey from starvation in North Korea to graduating from Columbia University, I realized I had no excuse. I had to change my perspective. She is strong proof of the growth mindset. She has taught me about North Korea and to believe that I can achieve anything if I put my heart into it.



North Korea was a topic that I had hardly thought about before. It was not because it was forbidden, but because it was simply not something people were interested in. I asked myself for many years if Korean unification was really necessary. All I knew about North Korea was that it was very poor and ruled by the Kim Il-sung family. It may have been geographically close, but it was a world away from me. However, while watching Yeon-mi's videos, I realized that North Koreans are not different from me. They are my siblings who look like me and speak the same language.



Listening to her experiences in North Korea and China, it was shocking that this was not a novel, but something that happened in the 21st century in which I was living as well. It was heartbreaking that someone who looked like me and spoke the same language had suffered this much pain. And I felt sorry for my ignorance and for not knowing about this pain. My eyes are now wide open.



North Koreans have also realized that their lives could change by altering their political system even though they were born in the North. If I had been born in North Korea, I would have suffered the same pain they endure. I am grateful to my ancestors who fought for the freedom of Korea, and I know that I became a free citizen because I happened to have been born in the Republic of Korea.



Inspired by Yeon-mi, I have become more interested in North Korean defectors, and I truly respect them. I have never done anything to risk my life before, no matter what challenges I have faced. However, North Korean defectors have all chosen to risk their lives. What they have overcome resonates with me more than any biographies I have read.



Even now, South Korean society is significantly less interested in North Korea and North Korean defectors than the international community is. And while defectors arrive on South Korean soil with hope, they still must endure a lot of discrimination. If we think we are better than North Korean defectors and look down on them without seeing their potential, does that mean we have fixed mindsets and set limits on ourselves, saying things like "I can't do it" and "That doesn't make sense?" In South Korea, where freedom and human rights are guaranteed, Yeon-mi's life shows that anyone can succeed if a North Korean defector can. If there is a difference between the people of our country and North Korea, it is just that we have been given the opportunity to make our own choices, while they have not.



After following Yeon-mi's social media accounts, I discovered that she learned English speech skills from Freedom Speakers International (FSI). I knew this was where I had to spend my time and money, and I have been a supporter ever since. Not long after I became a sponsor, I received a call from an unknown number. When I answered the phone, it was a staff member from FSI. They called because FSI mainly operates through donations from overseas sponsors. They were curious about who I was since I was a rare financial donor from Korea. I introduced myself with great pleasure and ended the call cheerfully. I didn't make it obvious, but I was heartbroken throughout the call. At that moment, I realized how indifferent the people of the Republic of Korea were about North Korea and North Korean defectors. It was embarrassing as a Korean to learn that foreigners were working harder than we were to help us with what we should have been doing. I felt like people from abroad were doing our work.



The development of the world has centered on those who believe in innovation and possibilities that others think impossible. FSI co-founders Casey Lartigue and Lee Eun-koo saw the potential of North Korean defectors, empowering a global human rights activist like Park Yeon-mi I was wondering if there was anything else I could do for North Korean defectors and wanted to get more involved in their lives, so I found the courage to call FSI. I thought it would be great if I could meet one of the FSI staff, but instead, I was fortunate enough to meet with both founders. I have since learned that Casey was Yeon-mi's mentor at the beginning of her journey as an author and public speaker and that she credits him with changing her life. As Yeon-mi said in one of her videos, Casey empowers North Korean refugees because he believes in them even before they believe in themselves. After meeting them, I doubled the amount that I donate each month.



What would the Republic of Korea look like if more South Koreans opened their hearts to North Korean defectors and treated them with sincerity? I think the experience that North Korean defectors have of living in both North Korea and South Korea will be incredibly valuable in the future. I would like to express my gratitude to the FSI representatives who have been making every effort to help North Korean defectors meet their potential since a decade before my eyes were opened. And if I ever get the chance, I would like to meet every North Korean defector out there and tell them how much I truly respect them and support their lives.





Kim Young-eun is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHO) of the Hyundaejisung publishing company. This blog post was edited by Irene Yoon, co-manager of publications at Freedom Speakers International (FSI).




Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 10:25AM

WhatsApp users have different ways to protect their accounts, such as using passwords and two-factor authentication. Soon, they will have another option: passkeys. Passkeys are a new, more secure way to sign in without typing passwords. WhatsApp is working to implement this feature, which many apps and websites already support.

WABetaInfo found a hidden menu in the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android. The menu says: "You can now use your fingerprint, face, or screen lock to verify if it's you with a passkey." The feature is not ready yet, but it shows that WhatsApp users may soon be able to use passkeys instead of passwords.

Passkeys are part of an industry-wide effort to create a better authentication system. The technology was developed by FIDO Alliance, a consortium of tech companies including Apple, Google, and Microsoft. With passkeys, users can sign in with facial recognition or biometrics without creating or typing passwords.

Source
Mitsubishi has named its new compact crossover the Xforce. Rolling out for the Indonesian market first, but confirmed for the Philippines as...
In this ongoing series, we profile the most interesting independent animation filmmakers working today  the artists who, through short films and other projects, change our ideas of what the medium can do.

This weeks subject is one of the more underappreciated indie filmmakers, British animator, Stephen Irwin.

In a sentence: On the borders of narrative and non-narrative, reality, fantasy, and horror, Irwins films combine the influences of David Lynch, Struwwelpeter (a twisted German fairy tale book), and the Brothers Grimm as they explore the mysterious and often dark undercurrents of childhood.

Where to start: Moxie (2011). Black comedy at its finest. Welding distorted live-action footage (the background sets are made primarily from parts from doll houses) with black and white drawings, this 2011 Grand Prize winner at the Ottawa International Animation Festival is a haunting, bleak, yet somehow funny (in spurts) tale about a troubled, angry young bear with pyromaniac tendencies who struggles with the loss of his mother.

What to watch next: The Black Dogs Progress (2010). A small black dog is abandoned, beaten, raped, and burned by an assortment of crappy owners. This technical marvel incorporates flipbook animation and unfolds across multiple frames like pieces of a sadistic jigsaw puzzle.

Other key works: Hidden Place (2012), The Obvious Child (2014), Wood Child & Hidden Forest Mother (2020), Boy Oh Boy (2021)

Influences: Chris Ware, David Lynch, Don Hertzfeldt

Says: I tend to make things up as I go along to a certain degree. I always write a script, make a storyboard and an animatic, but I know things will likely change as it comes together and Im free to change what I want. The endings arent usually decided until Im well into production because I need to see how the thing looks and feels as it comes together.

Currently working on: Irwins latest short, World to Roam has just begun its festival circuit life. Beyond that, hes bouncing between animating a new Boy Oh Boy film and writing a new short.


By Kim Sung-woo



The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a measure to address gaps in carbon prices between countries. Its main purpose is to prevent so-called carbon leakage, a phenomenon that occurs when production facilities move from countries with strict carbon regulations  which often leads to weakened competitiveness in terms of business environment  to countries with looser carbon regulations.



The EU will become the first in the world to implement the CBAM. For certain goods imported into the EU, the bloc plans to charge additional prices such that importers of such goods will ultimately pay a price equivalent to the amount paid by EU companies that produce the same goods under the EU emission trading system for carbon emissions.



For the past couple of years, the EU has achieved a few key milestones in bringing the CBAM into the reality. The CBAM was first presented in draft form by the European Commission (EC) in July 2021. In December 2022, the EC, the Council of Europe, and the European Parliament agreed to expand the target goods to steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizer, electricity and hydrogen. While the CBAM in principle applies to direct emissions only, i.e., carbon emissions generated from a source owned and controlled by a company, the EU authorities agreed to extend the CBAM to indirect emissions, i.e., carbon emissions arising from electricity and heat used by a company, under certain conditions. In April 2023, with approval of the Council of Europe on five key legislations for the Fit for 55 package (i.e., reducing carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to the 1990 level), the final CBAM introduction plan took effect. In June 2023, the EC also unveiled the Implementing Regulation, which stipulates items for reporting, reporting procedures, emissions calculation formula, etc. The EU is basically all set to launch the CBAM.



Once the "transitional period" between October 2023 and December 2025 is completed, the CBAM will come into full force. During this transition period, exporters to the EU will be required to report the amount of carbon emissions for each product that qualifies as a target goods, and after the transition period, they will bear the cost of purchasing CBAM certificates corresponding to the amount of carbon emissions. Of course, the carbon price already paid to the exporting country through the exporting country's emission trading system, if any, will be deducted from the CBAM certificate price.



What does this mean for Korea? The new CBAM regime will likely strain exports from Korea to the EU. As of 2021, Korea's exports of CBAM target goods to the EU amounted to about $4.8 billion. Notably, steel and aluminum accounted for $4.3 billion and $500 million, respectively, comprising almost all of the $4.8 billion volume. The Korea Energy Economics Institute predicted that Korea's estimated cost of purchasing CBAM certificates would be 259.6 billion won (approx. $197 million), and the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade predicted a 21.9 percent drop in aluminum exports and a 20.6 percent drop in steel exports to the EU. Moreover, given that the target goods may continue to expand to include other goods with a high risk of carbon leakage, such as petrochemicals, Korea is expected to face an increasingly larger burden.



The burden of the CBAM, however, is not only on Korea but also on many of its competitors. China, the world's largest carbon emitter, may face tougher challenges than Korea. While we do not want to smile at someone else's grief, it is important to look at not only the impact of the CBAM in absolute terms but also in relevant terms vis-a-vis other countries to objectively assess our competitive edge. As an illustrative example, Korean importers of solar facilities benefited from the U.S. regulations on Chinese importers of solar facilities. Further, Korea might be better positioned than some other major exporters to navigate this new environmental reform at the global scale as the country has already been eight years into implementing a nationwide carbon emission trading system  Korea is the second country in the world to implement such a nationwide emission trading system.



To enhance the competitive edge in the era of CBAM, Korea needs to take various steps in and outside of its border. First and foremost, it needs to analyze the potential impacts of the CBAM in relative terms by comparing its impacts on other competitors who export target goods to the EU.



Korea also needs to communicate closely with the importing countries in the EU while also making an effort in reducing carbon emissions within its border. This is to ensure that the emissions trading system in Korea is widely recognized among the importing countries. Monitoring the response strategies of countries hit hard by the CBAM, such as China, the U.S., Russia and Turkey, is also a prudent strategy. In addition, the Korean government should support vulnerable businesses by analyzing carbon emissions for each product in the value chain of major export industries, while also expediting improving energy efficiency in the industrial sector and expanding the supply of renewable energy in the power generation sector.



The CBAM will only be the starting point for a new international carbon pricing regime across borders. Responding to this unprecedented era with the right strategy and with the right timing will prepare us for the next challenges on the horizon, such as climate clubs and other forms of carbon tariffs.





Kim Sung-woo is head of the Environment & Energy Research Institute at Kim & Chang.




Johnny Hardwick, a voice actor, producer, writer, and story editor on King of the Hill, died on August 8 at his home in Austin, Texas. He was 64.

Hardwicks death was confirmed by the coroners office, but no cause of death has been announced.

Hardwick is best known for voicing the iconic conspiracy theorist Dale Gribble on King of the Hill, which ran for 13 seasons and 259 episodes from 1997-2010. Hardwick voiced Dale for the shows full run and appeared in all but one of its episodes.

Born John Michael Hardwick in Austin, Texas, he attended Texas Tech University and graduated with a degree in journalism.

He began his performance career doing local stand-up comedy in the early 1990s. His act became more popular over time, and he eventually appeared on The Jon Stewart Show and at L.A.s The Laugh Factory.

It was during one of those Laugh Factory performances that Hardwick caught the eye of King of the Hill co-creator Greg Daniels. He and Mike Judge were developing the Texas-set series at the time, and Hardwicks southern comedy seemed a natural fit.

In a 1999 interview with the Austin Chronicle, Hardwick recalled:

I was doing a comedy showcase out in L.A. and Greg Daniels happened to be there with his wife, who was a development person at WB at the time. So I happened to be on this stage talking about my dad in Texas, and Greg just sort of hired me as a writer. And then, after a series of incredibly lengthy auditions, I ended up with the part of Dale Gribble.

Hardwick was a producer and writer during the original seasons of King of the Hill. He received Emmy nominations as a supervising producer in 2001 and 2002 and shared an Emmy win as a producer in 1999 when the show won the award for best animated program.

Apart from his work on King of the Hill, Hardwick appeared on reality shows including Ace of Cakes and Boomer vs Zoomer. He also continued to voice the Dale Gribble character in other media including a King of the Hill video game. He also maintained a Youtube page where he could regularly be seen in Dales traditional orange cap and reflective sunglasses.

A King of the Hill revival had been rumored for several years and was officially ordered at Hulu in January of this year. Hardwick was attached to reprise the role of Dale alongside other returning cast members. He did not complete his voice work on the revival before his passing.

Hulu and 20th Television Animation released a statement after news of Hardwicks death was made public which reads: Johnny Hardwick was an incredibly beloved member of the King of the Hill family, whose tremendous talent, brilliant humor, and friendship will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to work with him over the past 25 years. Our deepest condolences go out to his friends and family as we mourn the loss of one of the animation greats. His voice gave life to one of our most iconic characters, and he will be truly missed.
Models try out SK Telecom's AI service A. Friends at a pop-up store at the Lotte World Adventure amusement park in Seoul, Sunday. The company said it will invest $100 million in the U.S. AI company Anthropic to further improve its capabilities in the generative AI business. Courtesy of SK Telecom



By Baek Byung-yeul



SK Telecom will invest $100 million in U.S.-based generative AI startup company Anthropic in a bid to improve its competence in the emerging technology and further develop various language-based AI services for global markets, the mobile carrier said Sunday.



The company said it decided to invest in the U.S. company, best known for its Claude AI chatbot service, to strengthen cooperation with each other in the AI business. The announcement came a month after the company launched the Global Telecom AI Alliance with global mobile carriers including Deutsche Telekom, e& and Singtel in July, to jointly develop a telecom AI platform.



Headquartered in San Francisco, Anthropic is a generative AI-specialized company founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers. In addition to winning the investment from SK Telecom, the company recently secured investments from U.S. tech giants such as Google and Salesforce.



SK Telecom cited the U.S. company's technological prowess as the main reason for the partnership.



"Anthropic has a strong safety record with its Constitutional AI technology to minimize the harmful effects of generative AI services. In May, U.S. President Joe Biden invited the CEOs of four companies, including Anthropic, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, to the White House to discuss the security and safety of AI technology," SK Telecom said.



With the investment, the two sides will jointly develop a large language model (LLM) and build an AI platform, SK Telecom said. SK Telecom owns its AI assistant service A.  pronounced as "A dot"  and it expects it can create more synergy by cooperating with Anthropic.



"The two companies will jointly develop a multilingual LLM for global telecommunications companies, including Korean, English, German, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and more. SK Telecom plans to further enhance the performance of the LLM it has already developed, while expanding the new multilingual LLM model with Anthropic to demonstrate the synergy of cooperation," the company said.



Anthropic's Claude service will also be provided to Korean enterprise customers through SK Telecom. As an official partner, SK Telecom will be responsible for attracting business customers and expanding Anthropic's business here.



"With the strategic investment in Anthropic, a world-class AI technology company, we will begin our collaboration," SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang said. "We plan to combine SK Telecom's Korean language AI technology with Anthropic's global AI capability to lead the AI ecosystem alongside global telecom firms."


The TBI said a man who was shot and killed by Chattanooga Police on Friday night pulled a gun after getting out of his car at the Speedway at Third and Holtzclaw.

He was identified as Roger Sylvester Heard Jr., 34.

Heard's last arrest in Hamilton County was July 16, 2020, for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

The TBI said, "Preliminary information indicates that some time after 9:30 p.m., officers with the Chattanooga Police Department attempted to arrest Heard on outstanding warrants, at a business at 1330 East 3rd St.

"Reports from the scene indicate that during the encounter, Heard exited a vehicle and produced a pistol. At that time, multiple officers discharged their service weapons, striking Heard. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

"During the use of force incident, one officer sustained gunshot wounds and was also taken to an area hospital, where he was treated and has since been released.

"TBI agents continue to work to independently determine the series of events leading to the shooting, including collecting evidence and conducting interviews. Throughout the process, investigative findings will be shared with the District Attorney General for her review and consideration. The TBI acts solely as fact-finders in its cases and does not determine whether the actions of an officer were justified in these types of matters; that decision rests with the District Attorney General requesting TBIs involvement."

The TBI also said, "At the request of 11th Judicial District Attorney General Coty Wamp, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to the fatal officer-involved shooting."

The TBI does not identify the officers involved in these types of incidents and instead refers questions of that nature to the respective department to answer as it sees fit, it was stated.
A man called police from the Chick-fil-A, 1804 Gunbarrel Road, and said that one of his trailer's tires was slashed while he was there around 11 a.m. He said he left the trailer parked in the lot for about 15 or 20 minutes while he was inside, and when he got back out to it, he discovered that the tire was flat and had slashes (cuts) in it. He said it will cost around $130 to replace it.



* * *

A man called police and told them he knew where his stolen vehicle was located. Police located the vehicle at the location provided by the man on Cherokee Boulevard. The vehicle was unlocked and had the keys on the driver's side floorboard. The owner came and the vehicle was released to him, along with being removed from NCIC. No suspect was on scene at the time and the vehicle was unoccupied when located.

* * *

A man at a business on Kellys Ferry Road told police a woman has been squatting inside one of their storage units. He said he did not want any charge pressed against her. He just wanted police to speak with her and ask her to move somewhere else. Police met with the woman and she agreed to pack her things and leave.

* * *

While on routine patrol, police observed a black can with a large red flammable sign left in a grass field at 103 Jubilee Dr. Due to the heat in the area and the location of the suspicious item being close to both the airport and an auto shop, police were concerned of accidental fire or possible arson. Police stopped to kick said can to see if it had liquid. It did. Police walked into the auto shop to ask if the can belonged to them. It did not. Auto shop assisted in the proper disposal of the hazardous can.

* * *

An EPB employee at 4240 Benton Dr. called police regarding damage done to an EPB pole. The employee said he believes a construction truck hit it and caused it to split in half. There was a concrete truck on scene for LambCon; however, the driver said his truck had just pulled up and there was no damage to his truck. The EPB employee stated he just needed a report done for EPB to be able to fix the pole.

* * *

Police conducted a traffic stop in the 1400 block of N. Moore in regard to a black Mercedes displaying an expired GA temporary tag. Police made contact with the driver and asked him to exit the vehicle. The man presented with a tattoo on his left forearm. He was very disgruntled. Police verified the registration and released him with a verbal warning, as he said he was in the process of acquiring a license plate.

* * *

A man on Mountain Creek Road called police and wished to turn in a backpack that they found. He said that it was next to the sidewalk there, and when he looked through it, there was an ID for a woman inside. Police took the backpack and will be turning it into CPD Property, and making it releasable to the woman.

* * *

Police responded to an auto theft in progress at the Speedway, 4355 Hwy. 58, and spoke to the victim. He said he went into the gas station and left his pick-up truck running with the keys in it, and when he returned, it was gone. The vehicle is a 1999 white Ford F150 that has gold under-trim and a blue bicycle in the bed. Officers were able to locate the vehicle traveling southbound on I-75, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop before it fled, evading police, into Georgia. The officer who attempted to stop the vehicle said the suspect was a white male wearing a fedora or cowboy hat. The surrounding authorities were notified and the vehicle was entered into NCIC as stolen.

* * *

The manger at a business on Watauga Street told police he observed a woman to be carrying a beer as well as a bag of chips. The manager went on to inform police he had seen this woman placing the bag of chips back, but was unsure if she had re-taken it. Police were informed that the next time this woman was observed, she was outside the business walking off the property. The manager told police he did not observe anything on her person as she walked away, but was unsure if anything was possibly taken.

* * *

A disorder was reported at the Circle K, 4900 Brainerd Road. An employee told police she was having an issue with a homeless person who was refusing to leave the store. She said she wanted the man to leave and not return. Police spoke with the man and identified him. He said that he was looking for a place to buy cigarettes. He left the area on foot without incident.

* * *

The security company watching the Public Storage at 5624 Highway 153, called police reporting that two people were dumpster diving there. Police approached a man who said that he was living in the apartment there with his wife. Police recalled other people living in this apartment, but did recall that the storage company had someone living on site to care for the property. The man woke his wife, who called the district manager. Police have spoken with the manager by phone in the past about who should be living on site. The manager confirmed that the woman and her husband were lawful residents of the apartment, and should be there. Police asked the manager to communicate that with the security company, and she agreed.

* * *

A man told police he parked his vehicle on the side of Emmeline Way He said when he returned to his vehicle, the back driver's side window was broken. There were cameras in the area, however, they did not capture anyone hitting the vehicle.

* * *



An employee at Ross Dress 4 Less, 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd., told police she last saw her phone around 9 p.m. the night before, sitting on the register. She then discovered it was gone when she left work around 9:30 p.m. She checked with the manager, who said she looked at the camera video, but didnt see anything. She then tracked the phone to an address on Ooltewah-Georgetown Road in Ooltewah. I told her she would need to contact the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for assistance if she wants to try to find her phone there.

* * *



A Ford Edge with TN tag was reported parked behind 5 Below store at 5764 Highway 153. The store cameras spotted the vehicle pulling up behind the store at approximately 8 a.m. Police attempted to contact the owner of the vehicle, with no success. The store manager is aware of the vehicle and will contact the property manager to see what they would like to do.

* * *

The owner of Peach Cobbler Factory, 301 E Martin Luther King Blvd., told police that a women came into the business and filled out a job application. When the owner came from the back she observed that the women was in her bathroom After five minutes the owner started knocking on the door, telling the applicant she needed to leave. The owner said that the women began cussing her, calling her all sorts of names before leaving the business. Police viewed the application and a picture the owner had of the woman, and police were able to identify her.
Stacy Leeds (left of bottom podium), Cherokee Nation, dean of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, swears in Mary Smith (right of bottom podium), Cherokee Nation, as the president of the American Bar Association on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023.
SK Telecom's corporate logo is seen at its main office in downtown Seoul. Yonhap



SK Telecom, Korea's largest wireless carrier, said Sunday it will invest $100 million in the U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic in a partnership deal to expand its footprint in the AI sector.



Anthropic is a San Francisco-based AI safety and research company, with products like the AI assistant Claude. It was founded in 2021 by former members of OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT.



SK Telecom said it planned to collaborate with Anthropic to develop an AI platform, as well as a large language model (LLM) that supports various languages, including Korean, English, German and Japanese.



Anthropic's chief scientist and co-founder Jared Kaplan will lead the development of a new LLM, SK Telecom said.



Based on the collaboration, SK Telecom plans to bolster its own LLM model to better and more efficiently serve customers' needs.



Last month, SK Telecom signed an agreement with Deutsche Telekom, e and Singtel to form the global Telco AI Alliance "to accelerate AI transformation of the existing telco business and create new business opportunities with AI services."



SK Telecom said the new partnership with Anthropic is expected to help accelerate multilateral efforts to develop the Telco AI Platform.



"We aim to take a leading role in fostering an AI ecosystem jointly with global telecommunication companies, based on SKT's AI technologies specialized in Korean and Anthropics' global AI competence," SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang said. (Yonhap)


Death toll in Maui wildfires rises to 93; local churches provide aid amid their own suffering

As the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over a century has claimed 93 lives in Maui, Hawaii, with the death toll expected to rise as search efforts continue, local churches are providing help despite having suffered significant losses themselves.

The fast-moving blaze has destroyed the historic resort town of Lahaina, causing an estimated $5.5 billion in damages, and burning over 2,100 acres, according to Reuters, which said the death toll had reached 93 on Saturday, according to the Maui County website, surpassing the previous record of 85 deaths in a 2018 fire in Paradise, California.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has warned that the death toll could increase as more victims are discovered. Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier stated that dogs trained to detect bodies had covered only 3% of the search area.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that more than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed in Lahaina.

Residents questioned the states emergency notification systems, as sirens intended to warn of natural disasters never sounded, and power and cellular outages hampered other alerts, according to the newswire. Officials said a terrifying mix of elements, such as failures in the communication network and wind gusts reaching 80 miles per hour, made coordination almost impossible.

The disaster began just after midnight on Tuesday in Kula, 35 miles from Lahaina. Power was knocked out in Lahaina, and a brush fire was reported but contained by 10 a.m. However, the Lahaina fire flared up around 3:30 p.m., leading to frantic evacuations. Some residents described having little warning as the fire destroyed the town.

In a stunning contrast, the historic Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lahaina remained untouched, with viewers hailing the phenomenon as an act of God. Msgr. Terrence Watanabe expressed shock at the apparent divine intervention, and members of the church community expressed gratitude, according to New York Post.

Basically, what we know is the fact that all of Lahaina Town has been consumed by fire. Its all gone. The church, Maria Lanakila [Our Lady of Victory], is still standing, as is the rectory, he told The Pillar.

Pastor Kawi Keahi and his wife, Shalia, who lost their home and the Kings Chapel in Lahaina, spoke of escaping the blaze and helping others.

Shalia told ABC News that their neighbor informed them that the fire was right above them, leading them to evacuate with their children and dog in their car.

The traffic was congested. Everyone was trying to leave, recalled Pastor Keahi. While they were still on their way, the fire had crossed over past their home. The sky behind them was dark black  Like everything was just going up in flame, he said.

While the people should have evacuated, they were walking around, he added.

It kind of felt like people were kind of giving up, Shalia said.

Pastor Keahi said that many families were not as fortunate as they were, unable to leave the area with their loved ones. They died with their families. My heart just breaks for them.

Shalia added: We are thankful to be part of a big church. We have many locations. And so our church in Kahului is helping in the efforts to get supplies together. And as soon as we get the green light to go in and get supplies to the homes in Kahana and Napoli,  we are going to do that. We are providing a place to stay for the people that are coming out.

Its the communities faith that will bring comfort and prayer, the pastor said.

Pastor James Morocco of King Cathedral in Maui told Fox News that his church has set up a relief fund for displaced people. A lot of people are helping, he said, expressing gratitude.

California Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship has also set up a relief fund to help the Maui-based congregation and others in the community.

The effort will not only help Harvest members rebuild their lives but also benefit other people in the community whove been devastated by this, and provide hope and comfort in the Name of Jesus, Laurie said in a video message.

The Christian humanitarian group World Help is working with local partners in Lahaina to assess the areas of greatest need and will provide assistance through those partners in the region.

The groups president, Noel Brewer Yeatts, described the devastation as looking like a war zone, with many losing everything. Acknowledging that the healing and rebuilding process will take years, World Help has created a donation page specifically to benefit the victims of the Maui wildfires.

FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said the agency had 150 people on the ground, with additional search teams arriving soon. Officials have secured 1,000 hotel rooms for those who lost their homes, and more than 1,400 people have been taken in at emergency shelters.
Religiously diverse parents sue Maryland school district for right to opt kids out of LGBT lessons

A group of interfaith parents rallied together as oral arguments began as part of a lawsuit seeking to restore their right to shield their children from sexual LGBT materials after a Maryland school district said they could not opt their children out of lessons they find offensive and inappropriate for elementary school aged children.

Parents from Christian, Muslim and Jewish backgrounds have accused Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) of denying them the right to determine the religious upbringing of their children. The parents are concerned that certain books allowed in the schools expose their children to controversial ideas about identifying as the opposite sex and sexual experimentation.

Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel for the Becket law firm, told The Christian Post that books at the center of the lawsuit were for students in Pre-K and elementary-school levels. According to Baxter, two of the books parents object to include Pride Puppy and Uncle Bobs Wedding.

Becket filed a federal lawsuit in May in the U.S. District Court for Maryland on behalf of parents right to decide the types of materials their children are exposed to and make the choice to opt them out of such lessons. The parents sued MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight and school board members over a decision not to notify or allow parents to opt their children out of LGBT materials in class.

The reason why the district decided parents cannot shield their children from certain content, according to Baxter, is that some may find it hurtful if these students are allowed to opt out.

Baxter noted that Maryland requires parents to be notified or have the option to opt their children out of lessons on family life and human sexuality if the parents feel the subject matter is inappropriate. The attorney said that the district is arguing that the requirement only applies to health classes, not English or language arts.

The Becket attorney disagrees with this analysis, asserting that schools cannot just define materials on gender and sexuality as part of an English lesson to work around the requirement.

The law says any family life and human sexuality objectives, he said. And there's no question that the objective is to promote a specific ideology of gender and sexuality.

Montgomery County Public Schools did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment.

Oral arguments for the case began Wednesday, with members of Kids First, an association of parents and teachers that support parental rights, holding a rally in the parking lot outside the court beforehand.

Its an important case for respecting the right of children to have the guidance of their own parents, and school boards dont have the right to cut children off from their parents, Baxter told CP.

The attorney also emphasized the importance of religious diversity in the United States, noting that Montgomery County is a reflection of that diversity, citing the different faith backgrounds of the parents involved in the lawsuit. Baxter argued that there must be acknowledgment and respect for diversity by providing religious accommodations, even if the beliefs are controversial.

You know, there's going to be some difficult issues where people feel strongly, he said. But that's the point of the First Amendment, which is to say we're required to respect the religious beliefs we don't like or agree with, and that allows the parties to feel like they are part of our democratic system.

Baxter explained that Becket asked the judge to reinstate the opt-out option throughout the course of the lawsuit, and has asked the judge to release a decision about that accommodation by Aug. 28, the start of the 2023-'24 school year. Regarding how long litigation might take before the case is decided, Baxter indicated it could take four to five years.

The attorney also clarified that these parents are not advocating for the banning of LGBT books, they just want to have the right to shield their children from content they believe is inappropriate.

As CP reported last month, a group of interfaith parents demonstrated in Montgomery County to demand that the district restore its parental opt-out option. Zainab Chaudry, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Maryland, told CP the district introduced the LGBT books last fall.

While MCPS initially honored parents requests for their children to be excused from studying certain books, the district started requiring all students to participate in LGBT-inclusive lessons in March.

"It's deeply troubling on many levels because it sets a very dangerous precedent when it comes to religious freedom for all communities," Chaudry said. "This is not a Muslim issue; this is not a Jewish issue or a Christian issue. This is an issue for any student of any faith who chooses to be opted out of content that conflicts with their religious beliefs," she continued.

"This sets a very dangerous precedent for that, and it's actually fuel for more bigotry in some cases because, unfortunately, people feel that the school system is not receptive to their voices."
This week in Christian history: William Penn arrested, Bartolome de Las Casas stands for Native Americans

Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance.

Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births and notable deaths.

Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while others might be previously unknown to many people.

The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week in Christian history. They include the arrest of William Penn, Bartolome de Las Casas denouncing Spanish mistreatment of Native Americans, and a prominent fundamentalist pastor meeting with the pope.

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Does the Bible prohibit profanity?

Most Christians take for granted that profanity is sinful, but does the Bible actually address it? Back in 2013, I noted with concern that it is increasingly common to hear about worship leaders getting drunk after church services and dropping f-bombs while they boast about their liberty in the Lord. Now, my good friend John Cooper, the frontman for the Christian rock band Skillet, has confronted the use of profanity in Christian music.

Coopers podcast was titled, The Rot in Christian Music, which, for him, was reflective of a larger spirit of compromise in the Church that starts with leaders and works its way down through the Body. And he referenced a recent article by Kevin McNeese titled, What the Bleep Is Happening in Christian Music, where McNeese revisits the continuing trend of Christian artists including adult language and themes in their music.

But are we all overreacting? Perhaps this is simply a matter of us trying to impose our spiritual preferences on others? Worse still, perhaps we are acting as legalistic judges?

Many believers would immediately point to Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Surely, we would reason, profanity is unwholesome. Case closed. Or is it?

According to one Christian podcaster (and former pastor), this is a misinterpretation of the word unwholesome, which, he claims simply referred to things like gossip, which would grieve the Spirit. As for profanity, while this leader was convicted by the Lord to stop using it publicly, since it offends many of his Christian followers (and thereby violates the second half of Ephesians 4:29), he felt no conviction from the Lord to stop using strong language privately if he felt strongly about something.

Plus, he argued, the very words we refer to today as profanity didnt exist in Pauls day.

Was he right?

As to his second point, it is patently absurd.

The English language didnt exist in Pauls day, so of course, Paul was not referring to words that are considered profane in English. That is beyond obvious. That would be like saying, Paul was not against internet porn, since the internet didnt even exist yet. Seriously!

As with all scripture, Paul was laying out a principle, which is then worked out and interpreted in every age and cultural context.

In our day and in every culture, everyone knows what profanity is.

Here in America, certain words cannot be used on regular TV networks or in G-rated movies. Those same words will be bleeped out by censors.

This is not in dispute. The question is whether Ephesians 4:29 explicitly addresses the issue.

The Greek word translated unwholesome in the NIV is sarpos, which is normally used in the New Testament in the sense of pertaining to being of poor or bad quality and hence of little or no value (particularly in reference to plants, either in the sense of seriously diseased or of seedling stock, that is, not budded or grafted) ... (Louw-Nida Lexicon).

In Ephesians 4:29, where it is speaking of words rather than of the fruit of a tree, the Louw-Nida Lexicon explains that this pertains to that which is harmful in view of its being unwholesome and corrupting ... In Eph 4:29 sarpos is in contrast with that which is agathos good for building up what is necessary. In such a context agathos may be interpreted as that which is helpful, and by contrast sarpos may be understood to mean harmful.

But what, exactly, does this mean?

New Testament scholar Andrew T. Lincoln, author of one of the leading commentaries on Ephesians, noted that the word is employed elsewhere in the NT in its literal sense of rotten or decaying of a tree and in contrast to agathos [good] in Matt 7:17, 18.

As for here in Ephesians, What is prohibited under the category of evil talk (cf. Col 3:8; Eph 5:4) includes obscenity, abusive language, and spreading malicious gossip. The focus is on the destructive power of words and the harm they can produce in communal life (my emphasis).

Ironically, the Christian podcaster I just mentioned rebuked those who sent him Ephesians 4:29 regarding his use of profanity, urging them to do their studies properly before sending him a verse. It was actually he who failed to exegete the verse properly and understand the semantic domain of sarpos.

So, in the opinion of Prof. Lincoln, a top New Testament scholar, unwholesome words would include obscenity (such as using the f- word, for example). He also referenced Colossians 3:8, which reads, But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips (my emphasis).

Would anyone argue that profanity is not included under the category of filthy language? Greek scholar Robert Mounce defines the word aischrologia, which is translated as filthy, to mean vile or obscene language, foul talk. Without a doubt, aischrologia includes profanity.

Not only so, but just a few verses after Ephesians 4:29, Paul wrote this (also cited by Lincoln): Nor should there be [among you] obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4, my emphasis).

The Greek word translated obscenity is aischrotes, defined by the authoritative BDAG New Testament Greek Dictionary as behavior that flouts social and moral standards, shamefulness, obscenity (their emphasis).

Just think of a politician dropping an f-bomb, getting a raucous response from the crowd, precisely because it flouts social and moral standards. That is the very thing Paul is forbidding. This should not be found among you as followers of Jesus!

So, in just three verses, Paul urges believers to get rid of any speech that is unwholesome, that is filthy, or that is obscene. Case closed indeed! He also writes, Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Colossians 4:6). This cannot possibly apply to profane speech.

Whether a Christian feels convicted about this or not is immaterial. (A cheating husband might say, I dont feel convicted by the Spirit about my affair, but that would be meaningless.)

The Word of God, reflecting the heart and mind of God, clearly prohibits profanity. Let us, then, be raised up to His pure standards, starting with the purification of our hearts and minds, rather than trying to bring Him down to ours.

There are far worse sins than the use of profanity, and a Christian who slips up should not feel condemned. But under no circumstances should we try to justify our fleshly behavior by twisting the Word of God.
India's Christians protest discrimination

Christians in India came together on August 10 to observe 'Black Day', voicing their opposition to the denial of fundamental rights to Dalit Christians and Muslims.

These groups have been excluded from affirmative action programs of the Indian government based solely on religious grounds. The annual 'Black Day' serves as a poignant reminder that this religious discrimination must come to an end.

This year's protest took the form of a 'silent demonstration' near the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Various organisations including the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), the National Council of Churches in India, and the National Council of Dalit Christians united for the cause.

The planned gathering at Jantar Mantar, a traditional protest site, was denied permission, prompting the alternative location.

Father Vijay Kumar Nayak, Secretary of the CBCI's Office for Scheduled Castes/Backward Classes, spoke with Christian Today, underlining the significance of the protest.

"We are showing our solidarity with the sufferings of the Dalit Christians and Muslims, and we will continue to fight for the justice of these poor and marginalised. So, the movement will go on till we get justice," said Nayak.

A crucial panel currently reviewing the demands of Dalit Christians and Muslims is set to present its report soon. This commission is examining the possibility of incorporating Christian and Muslim Dalits into India's affirmative action policies.

"We are completely against the setting up of the commission," said Nayak. "It is a delay tactic that they want to play and we want them to expedite the matter," he clarified.

The tradition of observing August 10 as a "Black Day" started in 2009 among Dalit Christians, evolving over time to involve various Christian denominations. This united observance protests a historic 1950 presidential decree, issued on the same date, which revoked reservation benefits for marginalised individuals who chose to convert from Hinduism to other religions.

"Because it was on August 10, 1950, that this decree was enforced, it is a 'Black Day' for Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims," said Nayak to Christian Today.

The term 'Dalit' signifies 'oppressed', 'broken', or 'crushed', reflecting the profound loss of identity and dignity they historically endured. Over a quarter of India's massive population of 1.4 billion comprises Dalits, often referred to as 'untouchables'. Born into a life of marginalisation and human rights violations, they are relegated to menial tasks for the benefit of upper castes.

Mahatma Jyotirao Phule coined the term "Dalit" to replace "Untouchables," aiming to offer a more compassionate and accurate descriptor. Post-independence, India's constitution recognized these groups as "scheduled castes," rendering them eligible for special consideration and government aid.

Currently, over 200 million Dalits exist in India. They face historical injustices due to their caste-based identity. The reservation policy, a quota-based governmental initiative, seeks to rectify this through affirmative action, ensuring equal opportunities for marginalised communities.

The concept of caste-based reservations in India has a history dating back to the late 19th century, starting with princely states. Post-independence, Articles 15 and 16 of the Indian constitution guaranteed seats in educational institutions and job reservations for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, ensuring equal opportunities.

However, the 1950 Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order excluded Dalit Christians and Muslims from this framework, a direct contradiction to the principle of equality. While amendments included Sikh and Buddhist Dalits, those of Christian and Muslim faiths remained excluded, despite sharing the legacy of discrimination.

"This is purely discrimination on the basis of religion," emphasised Nayak.

"Therefore, we have challenged it in the Supreme Court. We were told that the matter would be taken up on July 11, but they did not take it up," added Nayak, distressed by the delays.

After nearly two decades, a pending civil right petition before the Supreme Court continues to advocate for the rights of Dalit Christians and Muslims. In response, the Supreme Court appointed a commission under former Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan in 2022 to assess these demands. Balakrishnan aims to submit a comprehensive report in 2023.

The struggle for the rights of marginalised groups continues, symbolising a 70-year endeavour to achieve the justice, equality, and unity envisioned by the Indian Constitution.

 Christian Today India
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Slovenian Scouts wave their hands as they leave Kia's education center in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group





By Baek Byung-yeul







Scouts who stayed at Hyundai Motor Group's training facilities to escape Typhoon Khanun, which hit the Korean Peninsula last week, expressed their gratitude to the automotive group as they returned home after completing their activities at the World Scout Jamboree, the group said Saturday.







The automotive group offered around 1,000 Scouts from six countries  the Netherlands, Finland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Slovenia and El Salvador  four of the group's affiliate training facilities, including Hyundai Motor, Kia and Hyundai Engineering for five days.







Hyundai Motor Group also took great care to introduce the Scouts to traditional and modern Korean culture and the nation's automotive industry, which ranks third globally, by offering a variety of programs during their stay, including learning K-pop dance and experiencing the automotive manufacturing process.






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CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio  In a playful twist, this summers all-Mozart program at Blossom Music Center featured a couple of pieces that werent by Mozart.

Call it counterintuitive, but The Cleveland Orchestras concert on Saturday, Aug. 12, stayed true to the spirit of this singular composer. The traits that typify Mozarts style  a combination of instant charm and endless resourcefulness  were also the qualities that brought together the entire evening.

Of course, having an expert interpreter on the podium didnt hurt either. Guest conductor Nicholas McGegan, a specialist in period performance and the former longtime music director of San Franciscos Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, kept a masterfully light touch throughout, letting both the repertoire and the players shine for themselves.

That was the natural approach to take with the star piece on the program, Mozarts Clarinet Concerto. Cleveland Orchestra audiences are used to principal clarinet Afendi Yusuf stealing the show from his seat in the ensemble, though familiarity didnt make this weekends debut any less exciting. In his first concerto appearance since joining the Orchestra in 2017, Yusuf gave an artful, authoritative account of a work every clarinetist knows inside and out.

Like many benchmark pieces, Mozarts Clarinet Concerto was written at a moment of innovation. The clarinet was still finding its limits and coming into its own as an orchestral instrument at the end of the 18th century. You wouldnt have guessed this, however, from the ease with which Yusuf navigated the extremes of his solo part, starting with the many-octave-spanning passagework of the first movement.

The modern challenge is making the concerto sound fresh again, and Yusuf succeeded in putting a personal stamp on the piece. He drew listeners into the emotion of the Adagio, playing long stretches of the movement barely above the level of a whisper, and then went all out in the extroverted technique of the finale.

Two very different updates to Mozart introduced each half of Saturdays program. The evening started traditionally enough, with McGegan leading a historically minded reading of the composers Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and reinvigorating the accents and gestures that can lose shape in other performances.

Guest conductor Nicholas McGegan leads the Cleveland Orchestra in a performance Saturday, Aug. 12, at Blossom Music Center. (Photo: Roger Mastroianni)Roger Mastroianni

After intermission, a modern-day retort came in the form of Elena Langers Suite from her 2016 opera Figaro Gets a Divorce. This Figaro may have premiered in the 21st century, but its as much a contemporary send-up of marriage as a timeless rebuke of romance, taking its cues from a pair of pessimistic plays (one by the original Figaro author of the Enlightenment era, the other by a tortured 20th-century playwright).

The concept is promising, and Langers music mostly delivers as underscoring, creating a sparse and textured background against which a sinister comic plot can play.

The concert ended with only a minor connection to Mozart, though still in a satisfying way. Felix Mendelssohns Symphony No. 4 Italian has moments that evoke the Classical era  the minuet of its third movement in particular  but the similarities have less to do with form than feeling. Its not every composer who can write music thats so immediately appealing.

##

Peter Feher is the managing editor of San Francisco Classical Voice, one of classical musics leading online publications, and a correspondent for the website ClevelandClassical.com. He lives in Cleveland.
Gettyimagesbank



Hyundai Bioscience said Sunday it will develop a broad-spectrum antiviral drug with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), a federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.



Hyundai Bioscience USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Bioscience, signed a Non-Clinical Evaluation Agreement (NCEA) with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) under the NIH.



Under the contract, Hyundai Bioscience USA will provide Xafty (CP-COV03), a candidate for COVID-19 antivirals, to the NIAID, which will conduct various non-clinical experiments with it.



The partnership between Hyundai Bioscience USA and the NIAID is part of the Antiviral Program for Pandemics (APP) that the U.S. government has run since the COVID-19 pandemic.



The APP is aimed at developing "safe and effective antivirals to combat" the virus that caused COVID-19, as well as building "sustainable platforms for targeted drug discovery and development of a robust pipeline of antivirals against viruses with pandemic potential."



Hyundai Bioscience said the two parties will conduct experiments to see if Xafty can treat 10 viruses, including MERS and RSV, and continue working together through the phase 2 clinical study.



In June, Hyundai Bioscience filed the results of the clinical study of Xafty with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency for emergency use authorization on COVID-19.



It said the antiviral has shown high efficacy even in the high-risk group for COVID-19. (Yonhap)


Former U.S. President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12. AP-Yonhap



A Georgia prosecutor probing whether Donald Trump and his allies illegally sought to overturn the state's 2020 election results is expected to seek an indictment from a grand jury next week.



Two witnesses who previously received subpoenas confirmed on Saturday that they have been told to appear before a grand jury in Atlanta on Tuesday, the clearest indication yet that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will lay out her case to the jury after more than two years of investigating.



Geoff Duncan, the state's former lieutenant governor, told CNN that he had been asked to testify on Tuesday.



"I'll certainly answer whatever questions are put in front of me," said Duncan, a Republican who has criticized Trump's false conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.



An independent journalist, George Chidi, said in a post on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that he had also been instructed to appear on Tuesday.



A spokesperson for Willis's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. She has already indicated she would seek charges by the end of next week, and security measures have visibly increased around the county courthouse in recent weeks.



If Trump is charged in Georgia, it would mark his fourth indictment in less than five months, and the second to arise from his efforts to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 victory. He was charged earlier this month in Washington federal court with orchestrating a multistate conspiracy to reverse the election results.



Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the Washington case, has also charged Trump separately in Florida with illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office and with obstruction of justice.



Manhattan prosecutors, meanwhile, indicted Trump this spring for falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to a porn star who says she had a sexual encounter with Trump years ago.





Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to the media about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, at an office of the Department of Justice in Washington. AP-Yonhap
If you have heard that new weight loss medications mean you can eat all the junk food you want and still lose weight  you've heard wrong. Still, it's undeniable that a huge shift is underway in how obesity and overweight is being treated by doctors due to a new class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists. The drugs are more successful in achieving weight loss and appear to have fewer side effects than previous generations of obesity treatments. Their quick adoption is expected to have far-reaching consequences in many economic sectors. One such prediction came Monday from Morgan Stanley analysts who forecasted a 1.3% drop in calorie consumption in the U.S. by 2035. They expect the change will force a response from the food and beverage industry as it works to adapt. "Although the overall impact on US calorie consumption is moderate, the food industry is already contending with soft volume growth stemming from shifting consumer preferences," wrote analyst Pamela Kaufman, who is one of the report's authors. Read more As weight loss drug stocks rallied on a landmark study, these stocks were over sold, analysts say This pharma ETF just enjoyed its best week of the year as investors cheer new weight-loss drugs Why this landmark cardiac study means a bigger market for Lilly's blockbuster weight loss drug This under-the-radar biotech could be the next way to play the obesity drug boom "We believe the food industry will need to address shifting consumer behavior stemming from broader adoption of these drugs, which reduce calorie intake, resulting in lower consumption broadly across food categories, but with more significant effects on unhealthier foods such as confections, baked goods, and salty snacks," she said. The report cited food companies such as Hostess Brands , Hershey , Campbell and Mondelez as ones that are most at risk. The firm also sees the potential for dwindling crowds at restaurants as consumers cut back on trips to fast-food chains and coffee shops as a result of their new habits. Chains like Cava, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Sweetgreen could fare better as their products include salads and items like chicken grain bowls that are healthier options when people are dining out. The shift in behavior is notable because it will affect a sizeable demographic group that represents a disproportionate share of food consumption, the analysts said. Also, within the impacted categories, Morgan Stanley said the drop in calorie consumption will be greater than the overall decline, possibly in the range of 2.5% to 3%. How the drugs work To better understand why, first look at how the drugs work. Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro mimic the body's hormones to slow the passage of food through the digestive system, regulate insulin in the bloodstream and communicate with the brain to reduce food cravings. The result is people taking these drugs feel full longer, and have less of a desire to eat. That makes it easier for them to make good food choices, restrict calorie consumption and lose weight. In fact, some patients taking these medicines say they have to sometimes force themselves to eat due to a lack of appetite. Others on social media have shared accounts that the medicine makes the very thought of drinking a glass of wine or eating a slice of cake utterly unappealing. If they do overindulge, patients have reported severe discomfort and an increase in the gastrointestinal side effects sometimes associated with the medications. These types of patterns were seen in consumer research Morgan Stanley conducted in June and July among 300 patients taking these medicines. Those polled ate fewer meals, developed an aversion to higher fat and sugary foods, and dined out less often, they said. The new behavior resulted in 20% to 30% fewer calories consumed each day, according to the report. The size of the market Morgan Stanley's biopharma analysts expect the number of people taking anti-obesity medication to grow "nearly fivefold over the next 10 years." That equates to some 7% of the U.S. population, or about 24 million people, they said. This estimate reflects that a large number of people could benefit from the medication. About 45% of the U.S. population has obesity, and 70% are overweight, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But Morgan Stanley isn't baking in an expectation that hurdles to taking the drugs will be reduced over time. Currently, it expects 40 million people have health insurance plans that would cover the medication. "Manufacturer supply constraints and the evolution of insurance coverage will likely impact broad [anti-obesity medication] accessibility, and this is a key question around use of these mediations," the analysts said. "It is unclear how insurance coverage will expand over time; it may depend on comorbidity trials (heart failure, sleep apnea). Given the high cost of the drugs, some employers have recently suspended coverage, which could be a risk to greater uptake long term." The companies have been working to resolve supply constraints and greater access to medication is expected to come as more insurance companies cover it. That could happen as more drugs within this class are approved and force list prices down. Mounjaro, for example, is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration later this year for weight loss. It is currently being sold as a type 2 diabetes treatment. The effort toward greater patient access also took a step forward on Tuesday with the early results of a study from Novo Nordisk that showed a reduction in heart disease and stroke when patients took Wegovy and lost weight. Industry analysts expect that the finding will help convince insurers to cover the drug, which can cost more than $10,000 a year, because it could lower health-care costs over time. Lawmakers also will need to be convinced of this in order for Medicare patients to gain coverage. Right now, the federal program is prohibited from covering obesity medications. Early signs from Walmart Before waving off Morgan Stanley's prediction as a hypothetical exercise, consider Walmart's comments during its fiscal first-quarter earnings call in May. The company is the nation's largest grocer, and it said it was seeing changes in consumer behavior that were pressuring its earnings. "The thing that I will say that's different this year is it's not just a shift to food and consumables," chief financial officer John David Rainey said during the call. "We've also seen in there, in the first quarter, a shift to health and wellness more, and part of that is related to these GLP-1 drugs that are to treat diabetes, ... we're certainly seeing an uptick in that. For us, that comes at a lower margin, and so that has some impact on our business as well." Rainey was referring to the idea that grocery items like fruits and vegetables have a lower profit margin than more discretionary items. Morgan Stanley's survey showed obesity patients were shopping the perimeter of the grocery store more heavily, with purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables up 46% and poultry and fish up 23%, for example. Consumption of weight-loss management foods such as protein bars and nutritional shakes also grew by 31%, they said. But these consumers cut back on confections (down 66%), carbonated and sugary drinks (down 65%) and cookies (down 65%), they said. Morgan Stanley beverage analysts Dara Mohsenian and Eric Serotta said they see weight loss drugs as "an incremental headwind" but said it is "manageable in magnitude." One reason they cited is that long-term estimates already reflect a shift in consumption patterns due to health and wellness trends. This is particularly true for alcoholic beverage companies where lower long-term per capita consumption is already projected. The Morgan Stanley survey found 22% of patients completely stopped drinking alcohol and 17% stopped drinking carbonated or sugary drinks once they began treatment with GLP-1 medications. Keurig Dr Pepper, with its coffee business accounting for about 30% of corporate sales, offers some diversification from at-risk beverage categories, Morgan Stanley said. The stock, which is down 5% year to date, is among Morgan Stanley's top picks. The good news for these food, beverage and restaurant companies is that the changes are likely to be gradual, giving management time to adapt and innovate, the analysts said. Coffee chains offer an idea of how this could play out. Those taking anti-obesity medications may still order a low-calorie coffee or tea, but they will likely cut back on the snacks or indulgent coffee drinks. "We think lost sales from certain customers trading away from sugary options could be offset by beverage innovation for new healthier options (that often lead to higher check). A prime example of this is the recent move to alternative milks, which have become much more popular at [Starbucks ] and often carry an up-charge," the report said.
Taiwan's William Lai speaks during a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Taipei on September 5, 2017.

China's foreign ministry on Sunday condemned a brief U.S. visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he was a separatist and "troublemaker through and through" and Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty.

Lai, front-runner to be Taiwan's next president at elections in January, arrived in New York late on Saturday for what is officially a transit on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei.

In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, China's foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States.

"Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said.

Taiwan is the "core of China's core interests" and facts have shown again and again that the reason for the rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan trying to "rely on the United States to seek independence", it said.

"China is closely following developments and will take resolute and vigorous measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

China has an especial dislike of Lai, who has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence", though he has repeatedly said on the campaign trail he is not seeking to change the status quo, but that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
Merger arbitrage investors have been struggling this year. Their luck could start to turn soon. In July, the Federal Trade Commission lost an appeals court bid to block Microsoft's acquisition of video game maker Activision Blizzard. The FTC also agreed to withdraw from a trial against Microsoft slated for August. This could open the door for merger arb to make a comeback. At its core, merger arbitrage involves buying stock in a company targeted in a takeover or merger then selling those shares as the deal closes. It is sometimes paired with a short bet against shares of the acquirer. Essentially, investors in this space are betting on the likelihood of a deal closing. That said, there are risks to this strategy, making it difficult for regular investors to implement it. This strategy has yielded steady returns going back to 2013. In 2021, it returned more than 10%, according to according to data from Hedge Fund Research. However, hedge funds employing it have lost 2.78% year to date, while the S & P 500 is up more than 16%. The tide, though, could be turning for merger-arb. "My opinion is that the opportunity of merger arbitrage will probably be very good over the next several years," said Andrew Beer, Managing Partner at Dynamic Beta Investments. "I think the courts will limit the [FTC's] ability because the likely legal conclusion is that it has been exerting or trying to block deals beyond the scope of its legal authority to do so." Tough 2023 Merger arbitragers have been challenged this year as the pipeline for M & A transactions hit a drought  thanks in part to higher rates and falling stock prices. Global M & A activity dropped 40% in the first half of 2023 compared with the same period a year ago, according to Dealogic. Dealmaking also became more unpredictable as competition watchdogs have been more aggressive in going after corporate takeovers. "Investors were too fearful that even solid deals that we did not think faced significant antitrust scrutiny were trading at very wide levels in terms of spreads and return opportunities," said John Orrico, chief investment officer of Water Island Capital, which runs the $1 billion arbitrage fund. The antitrust risk was evident in widening the gap between the stock and deal prices. In May, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block Amgen' s $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics , the first pharmaceutical deal the agency tried to block since 2009. Horizon's stock plunged 14% on May 16 following the FTC announcement. It has since rebounded around 8%, but the spread between Horizon's the agreed deal price and where shares are trading now has widened to about $12 per share. HZNP 6M mountain Stock plunged on May 16 "It's been very challenging this year, because of the headwinds, fewer deals, heightened antitrust regulation has made it a more difficult market," said Salvatore Bruno, chief investment officer at IndexIQ. Tide turning? In the past few weeks, merger investors have been more confident in their bets on deals that have drawn regulatory scrutiny after the revival of the Microsoft-Activision deal. "For the first half of the year, we were basically flat but then we're up close to 2% in July. Part of that is due to the sentiment improving," said Orrico of Water Island Capital. "For instance, Microsoft and Activision winning in court, helps bring in spreads out of the deals because people realize the law is on their side." The agency's loss has since narrowed the spread on some pending deals. marking a stark reversal in merger-arb portfolios. Shares of Activision Blizzard jumped 10% the day after the ruling, bringing the spread closer to the offer price of $95. Meanwhile, VMware's planned $61 billion combination with Broadcom was cleared by both the European and British competition regulators, sending VMware shares jumping by around 3% from a month ago. ATVI VMW 3M mountain Stock performance of ATVI and VMW That said, merger arbitragers should not expect totally smooth sailing from here. Regulators are not backing down from their aggressive approach  though recent court rulings bolster confidence that these deals will be completed. On Monday, the FTC agreed to dismiss a federal court case against Intercontinental Exchange 's $11.7 billion proposed acquisition of mortgage provider Black Knight . The agency sought to block the deal in March, noting it would lead to higher costs for lenders and home buyers. "It just takes time to bear out in court. For those companies willing to fight or spend the time and money and see their mergers delayed, it's gonna pay off, and it has paid off for many of them already," said Orrico. An FTC spokesperson told CNBC that "the FTC only brings cases when the facts show that a proposed merger would stifle competition. The FTC's actions are firmly grounded in the law and decades of precedent, and we will continue to act to protect consumers from unlawful businesses practices and monopoly power that can lead to higher prices, lower wages, and reduced innovation." Play the gap Merger arbitrage can be a tricky strategy for regular investors to incorporate. However, there are some ways to do it. Investors can buy into the following funds for exposure to merger arbitrage: The Arbitrage Fund (ARBNX) The Merger Fund (MERIX) The NexPoint Merger Arbitrage fund (HMEAX) The First Trust Merger Arbitrage ETF (MARB) The IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) To be sure, many of these funds charge a hefty fee. The ARBNX, MERIX, HMEAX and MARB funds all have an expense ratio north of 1%. The MNA fund charged 0.76%, still well above what 0.09% charged by the SPDR S & P 500 Trust ETF (SPY). Investors can also directly purchase the target company's stock in takeover situations. Kroger and Albertsons , the two largest biggest grocers by revenue, just notched a regulatory win after a judge dismissed a consumer lawsuit challenging the $25 billion merger. With Albertson's trading for about $21.7 a share and Kroger's offer at $34.10 a share, it presents a spread of more than 50% on the deal closing. The transaction is expected to close in early 2024. Intel tabled a $5.4 billion bid that values Israel-based Tower Semiconductor at $53 a share. Tower Semiconductor is trading for around $34 a share such that the arbitrage spread stands at more than 50%. However, the deal was expected close by June 2023 but has been delayed because of pending regulatory approvals.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks on the stage during a campaign rally in Windham, New Hampshire, August 8, 2023.

Former President Donald Trump could face an unprecedented fourth indictment over his alleged efforts to overturn his loss in Georgia's 2020 presidential election, and top Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling said Sunday that the criminal cases have been "giving oxygen" to Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

Sterling, a Republican, said that Trump lost the state in 2020 and that his repeated claims of election fraud have been unsubstantiated. But because of the "tribal" nature of political parties in the U.S., Trump's supporters are inclined to believe him.

"He's making himself a victim, he's making himself a martyr, and a lot of the American people are coming behind him because they do feel like some of these things are a little bit of a stretch," Sterling told the ABC program "This Week."

Sterling warned about the potential for violence back in December 2020, before an angry mob of rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He said Sunday that election-related violence remains his "biggest concern," as individuals could be radicalized to do something "stupid."

The Atlanta prosecutor overseeing the investigation in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, is expected to present her case to a grand jury in the week ahead, NBC News reported. That presentation could lead to an indictment of the former president in the case on state charges.

If that happens, it would be the fourth time Trump has been charged in a criminal case since March, and the second time he has been indicted in connection with his efforts to prevent President Joe Biden from taking office.

Sterling said he testified before the special grand jury, the panel that initially investigated the case, and participated in two interviews with the DA's officers. He said if or when he is called to testify going forward, he will "tell the truth and answer honestly."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 12)  The local government of Taguig City on Saturday denied it forcibly took over 14 enlisted men's barrio (EMBO) public schools from Makati City Friday night.

This is after a Makati City official said on Saturday that "enforcers" from Taguig City's Public Safety Department allegedly "attempted to forcibly take possession of several public elementary and high school buildings" that belong to Makati.

The Supreme Court in June rejected Makati's second motion for reconsideration challenging the earlier ruling on the two-decade territorial dispute with Taguig City on the jurisdiction over the Bonifacio Military Reservation, which includes the 10 EMBO barangays.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay later on complied with the high court's ruling and stated that the city government would coordinate for a seamless transition.

"Makati has already created a transition team headed by the undersigned to sit down with Taguig," said Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza in a statement Saturday.

"We were ready to offer arrangements that would benefit the students. But Taguig apparently was not sincere and was, in reality, intent on using force," he added.

Taguig City on Friday released the list of 14 EMBO public schools that are ready for the opening of classes.

The city government explained that it stood by the Department of Education's Memorandum Order 2023-735, which recognizes the SC ruling, and was working for a smooth transition of affected public schools that were transferred to its jurisdiction.

"In line with this, the DepEd Superintendent of Taguig and Pateros has requested assistance from the City of Taguig, including the deployment of security personnel to ensure the welfare of the students, teachers, and staff, and the peaceful and orderly conduct of the aforesaid activities," the Taguig City Public Information Office said in a statement.

"However, in reaction to these preparations, the City of Makati in connivance with their private security firm and a few allied barangay officials, illegally barricaded the public schools and streets, which in at least one instance led to a school principal being prevented from entering her own campus," it added.

Taguig City also criticized Certeza's statement, saying that while the SC ruling might be hard to accept, "professionalism, duty to the people, and adherence to the law must rise to the top."

For his part, Certeza said Taguig cannot simply take over buildings owned by Makati City despite the SC ruling.

"We also wish to inform Taguig that these public schools are properties owned by the City of Makati. The improvements were paid for by the City of Makati. The decision of the Supreme Court involved a boundary dispute. It did not transfer to Taguig ownership of properties owned by the City of Makati," Certeza said.

"Taguig's attempt to unlawfully enter and take possession of properties owned by Makati shall be treated as a criminal act and Makati shall be constrained to institute the appropriate criminal and administrative cases," he added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13)  The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is ready to help Filipinos affected by the Maui wildfires.

"There are less than two thousand Filipino citizens in Maui. In case any of these Filipino citizens require medical or financial assistance funding, we at DFA are ready to authorize the Consulate to distribute the funds," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said on Sunday.

De Vega said no repatriation is expected as those affected are permanent residents of Hawaii.

"We are just verifying that there are no Filipino casualties or among (those) missing," he added.

In an interview with CNN Philippines, Kit Zulueta Furukawa, director of the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce, said there are no official reports on how many Filipinos were affected by the wildfires.

She added that Filipinos are the second largest ethnic group in the island. Furukawa said their group has established a bayanihan fund for economic recovery efforts after the fire.

Latest reports say at least 93 people have died from the wildfires.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13)  Authorities have yet to release a clear breakdown of casualties in the Maui, Hawaii wildfires as flames in major areas are still not fully contained, according to the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu.

They come up with these figures, regarding fatalities, those still missing, those evacuated out of the island of Maui, wala silang [they have no] breakdown according to ethnicity or citizenship, Philippine Consul General in Honolulu Emil Fernandez told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend on Sunday.

These are information that are quite general, Fernandez said.

Due to the circumstances, Philippine authorities have yet to provide the number of affected Filipinos in Maui.

But according to the consul, the consulate in Honolulu has so far received some 30 calls from Filipinos seeking help to locate their loved ones.

They come up with these figures, regarding fatalities, those still missing, those evacuated out of the island of Maui, wala silang [they have no] breakdown according to ethnicity or citizenship, Philippine Consul General in Honolulu Emil Fernandez told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend on Sunday.

These are information that are quite general, Fernandez explained.

The latest death toll from the fires is at 93, which Maui authorities expect to further increase.

READ: Crews work to identify many of the 93 victims found so far in Maui wildfires, now the deadliest US fire in over a century

Once bodies are found, itll take some time to identify the person and [that are] likely dental remains. Thats one challenge, Fernandez explained.

Either we refer them to organizations such as the US Red Cross na meron nang sistema to locate individuals who may be missing, Fernandez said. We obtain kanilang pangalan, full details, addresses para tulungan din sila hanapin.

[Translation: Either we refer them to organizations such as the US Red Cross that already has a system to locate individuals who may be missing. We obtain their names, full details, addresses to help them find them as well.]

Filipinos make up around 18% or 27,000 of the 155,000 inhabitants of the island, according to Fernandez.

The director of the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce earlier stated that Filipinos are the second largest ethnic group in Maui.

READ: DFA ready to assist Filipinos affected by Maui fires
Governor of Hawaii Josh Green, left, and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, Jr., speak during a tour of wildfire damage on Saturday, Aug. 12, in Lahaina, Hawaii. AP-Yonhap



Anger was growing Saturday over the official response to a horrific inferno that levelled a Hawaiian town, killing at least 89 people in the deadliest wildfire in the United States for over 100 years.



More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed as the fire tore through Lahaina, according to official estimates, wreaking $5.5 billion in damage and leaving thousands homeless.



Hawaiian authorities have begun a probe into the handling of the fire, with residents saying there had been no warning.



"The mountain behind us caught on fire and nobody told us jack," Vilma Reed told AFP.



"You know when we found that there was a fire? When it was across the street from us."



Reed, whose house was destroyed by the blaze, said she was now dependent on handouts and the kindness of strangers.



"This is my home now," the 63-year-old said, gesturing to the car she has been sleeping in with her daughter, grandson and two cats.



Lahaina, a town of more than 12,000 and former home of the Hawaiian royal family, has been reduced to ruins, its lively hotels and restaurants turned to ashes.



A banyan tree at the center of the community for 150 years has been scarred by the flames, but still stands upright, its branches denuded and its sooty trunk transformed into an awkward skeleton.





Hawaii stevedores and other volunteers prepare donations for the victims of the Maui wildfires at Pier 1, where they will ship them to Maui next week, in Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Aug. 12. Reuters-Yonhap



Deadliest in century



Governor Josh Green told reporters Saturday that the number of confirmed dead would continue to grow.



"There are 89 fatalities that have been measured," he said. "It's going to continue to rise. We want to brace people for that."



The new toll makes the blaze the deadliest in the United States since 1918, when 453 people died in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to the non-profit research group the National Fire Protection Association.



Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said only a fraction of the disaster zone had been searched, and only two of the 89 victims have been identified because of how badly they were burned.



"The remains we're finding are from a fire that melted metal," he said. "We have to do rapid DNA to identify every one of these.



"When we pick up the remains... they fall apart."





The burnt wildfire wreckage of a boat is seen Thursday, Aug. 10, in Lahaina, Hawaii. AP-Yonhap
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13)  Most Filipinos believe the Marcos administration should engage in diplomacy or other peaceful methods to further assert the countrys territorial rights over the West Philippine Sea, according to an OCTA survey published on Saturday.

The study conducted from July 22 to 27 found that 70% of the 1,200 participants want a peaceful resolution in the territorial dispute.

Filipinos also opted for other top priority measures, including the use of military action (65%) and modernizing and strengthening the Philippine militarys capability to protect the countrys territory (61%).

The non-sponsored survey has a  3% error margin at 95% confidence level.

The Senate earlier adopted a resolution condemning Chinas continued harassment of Filipino fisherfolk and persistent incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

Last Aug. 5, a China Coast Guard vessel blocked and fired water cannons at Philippine vessels on the way to Ayungin Shoal for a resupply mission.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it was looking at deploying Navy reservists to increase its presence in the disputed waters.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 13)  Unidentified gunmen ambushed the vice mayor of Ungkaya Pukan town and government escorts in Basilan, leaving one dead and several wounded Saturday noon, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) said Sunday.

At about 3:45 p.m., one platoon of the Alpha Company of the 64IB (Infantry Battalion), together with Vice Mayor Ahmadin Baharim of Ungkaya Pukan and JPST (Joint Peace and Security Team) onboard two KM450 and two civilian vehicles were ambushed in Barangay Ulitan, Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan Province by more or less 10 unidentified perpetrators, the Westmincom said in a statement.

The ambush took place when Baharim and his government escorts were inspecting Brgy. Ulitan in preparation for an upcoming medical outreach program for the local community.

Authorities said the firefight lasted five minutes and resulted in the death of one soldier. Nine others, including one police officer, were wounded.

This act is a clear manifestation of the perpetrators' disrespect to their local government officials, the military, and their fellow Basilenos, hence, we will not stop until these heartless individuals are identified and neutralized, the Westmincom said.

Joint Task Force Basilan said authorities are investigating if members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are involved in the shooting.
Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, August 13)  Monsoon rains caused flooding and erosion in parts of Calbayog City in Samar, local authorities said Sunday.

The continuous rains on Sunday morning caused rivers in the city to overflow, causing severe flooding in low-lying barangays such as Danao, Acedillo, and Bontay.

Flooding in these barangays is reportedly knee to waist deep, while some homes in Acedillo were reportedly damaged by soil erosion.

A section of the Gadgaran-Navarro road also eroded, leaving it impassable to all types of vehicles, the Calbayog City Information Office said.

The road, which was already damaged before the heavy rains, is due for repair this year.

Calbayogs Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office on Sunday morning began inspecting flood and erosion-prone areas around the city.

Tacloban-based journalist Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.
NEW MEXICO

Compensation for wildfire victims passes $14 million

ALBUQUERQUE  More victims of a devastating wildfire sparked last year by the U.S. Forest Service in northern New Mexico are getting compensated, with payouts to landowners totaling more than $14 million by the week of Aug. 7, federal emergency managers said.

Congress set aside nearly $4 billion at the end of last year to pay claims resulting from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. Officials have acknowledged that the recovery process would be long and challenging, but many residents and some lawmakers have been frustrated with the pace.

Angela Gladwell, the director of the claims office, said more than 1,600 notices of loss have been filed so far and that her office has around $50 million worth of claims that are currently being processed. She estimated her office would be operational for the next five to six years to ensure that "everyone gets every penny that they are due."

The claims office also recently began working with the National Flood Insurance Program so that eligible claimants can receive five years of flood insurance protection, with premiums paid by the claims office. One of the big concerns for residents has been post-fire flooding.

Numerous missteps by forest managers resulted in prescribed fires erupting last spring into what became the largest wildfire in New Mexico's recorded history. The blaze forced the evacuation of thousands of residents from villages throughout the Sangre de Cristo mountain range as it burned through more than 530 square miles of the Rocky Mountain foothills.

The fire destroyed homes and livelihoods  and forced the Forest Service to review its prescribed fire polices before resuming operations last fall.

MONTANA

Poor track conditions caused fatal 2021 derailment: report

HELENA  Poor track conditions that should have been flagged by a freight railroad company's inspectors caused the derailment of an Amtrak train in Montana that killed three people and injured 49 others in 2021, federal investigators said on July 27 in a final report.

The severity of the injuries were made worse by the Amtrak train's lack of seatbelts and windows that weren't strong enough to keep passengers from being ejected when the train derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board found.

Amtrak's Empire Builder derailed Sept. 25, 2021, in northern Montana while it was en route from Chicago to Seattle and Portland, Oregon, with 165 people on board, including its crew. It was traveling on tracks owned by BNSF Railway.

Six people were ejected from the train's observation car, which has larger windows and was one of three cars that ended up on its side. One person who had been riding in the observation car died, as did two people who were in the vestibule between the observation car and the car behind it, the NTSB said.

Investigators found that a train inspector's workload likely prevented him from doing a timely walking inspection of the area before the derailment.

The inspector had noticed problems with the joints on the tracks during a riding inspection two days before the derailment, but he and a manager didn't stop to check out the joints. BNSF had also ordered trains to go no faster than 50 mph in that area seven times in the two months before the derailment  a period in which it was replacing railroad ties.

BNSF railroad spokesperson Lena Kent defended the company's inspection record and touted its use of advanced technology that alerts personnel to dangerous track conditions.

Investigators also found that if a locomotive equipped with an automated vehicle-track interaction monitoring system had traveled over the area, it might have detected the deteriorating track conditions and BNSF would have had an opportunity to make repairs, or at least issue a warning to train crews to travel slowly through the area. The NTSB is recommending that all trains be equipped with that technology.

Rare otter attack injures three floating on inner tubes

BILLINGS  A rare attack by a river otter in southern Montana injured three women floating on inner tubes and inflicted wounds serious enough that one victim had to be airlifted to a hospital, authorities said on Aug. 3.

The attack happened near the town of Cardwell on a remote stretch of the Jefferson River, a tributary of the Missouri River that's popular with anglers and recreational floaters.

At least one otter swam up to the adult women at about 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 2 and attacked them, said Morgan Jacobsen with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. The women were able to get to shore, where one of them called 911, he said.

One woman's wounds, on her face and arms, were so severe that the helicopter was used to fly her out, Jefferson County Undersheriff James Everett said. The others had injuries to their arms.

Northern river otters are members of the weasel family and can reach up to 20 pounds  as heavy as a small dog  and up to 47 inches long. They primarily eat fish.

"If folks are attacked by an otter, our recommended response is to fight back, get away and get out of the water," Jacobsen said.

IDAHO

Jury convicts 5 for conspiring to riot at Pride event

COEUR DALENE  Five members of the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front were convicted on July 20 of misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot at a Pride event.

A Kootenai County jury found Forrest Rankin, Devin Center, Derek Smith, James Julius Johnson and Robert Whitted guilty after about an hour of deliberation, news outlets reported.

A total of 31 Patriot Front members, including one identified as its founder, were arrested June 11, 2022, after someone reported seeing people loading into a U-Haul van like "a little army" at a hotel parking lot in Coeur d'Alene, police have said.

Police found riot gear, a smoke grenade, shin guards and shields inside the van after pulling it over near where the North Idaho Pride Alliance was holding a Pride in the Park event, Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White has said.

Documents found with the group reportedly outlined a plan to form a column outside City Park and proceed inward, "until barriers to approach are met.

Those arrested came from at least 11 states, including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia and Arkansas.

Rioting is generally a misdemeanor in Idaho. Conspiracy to riot is punishable by up to one year in jail, as well as a $5,000 fine and up to two years of probation.

ARIZONA

Woman injured in bison attack says 'yes' to marriage proposal

PHOENIX  An Arizona woman who suffered fractured vertebrae and collapsed lungs after being gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park has said "yes" to her boyfriend's hospital proposal.

Chris Whitehill said he planned to propose to Amber Harris during their vacation in the park, but after spending just one night there, an encounter with a bison upended those plans.

The couple from the Phoenix area had walked to a lodge for some coffee on July 17 and decided to walk through a field to Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming, Harris posted on Facebook the next day.

They noticed two bison and watched one "drop and roll in the dirt, like a dog would," she wrote. "He got up on his feet and started walking, then running toward us."

The bison "struck her head-on and she was airborne," Whitehill told KPNX-TV in Phoenix, adding, She landed pretty hard on her back."

Harris, 47, was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where she was recovering from seven fractured vertebrae, collapsed lungs and bruising.

That night, Whitehill "got down on one knee beside my hospital bed, Harris wrote in a Facebook post that included a photo of the ring on her finger. "Without any hesitation I said yes!"

The bison attack was the first in Yellowstone in just over a year, park officials said.
Colorado Springs native Caroline Johnson will hold book signings for her recent memoir, "Jet Girl." The book details her time spent in the U.S. Navy as a weapons systems officer in the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Singapore mountaineer dies of altitude sickness during Kilimanjaro climb in Tanzania

A mountaineer from Singapore, named Darrel Phee Chin Ann, 28, has died of altitude sickness during a climb of the famed Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, East Africa, according to information confirmed by the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.

An MFA spokesperson told the media company CNA that the ministry was extending consular assistance and support to the family of the deceased.

Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, is considered essential training ground for climbers who wish to later attempt Mount Everest. Photo courtesy: Instagram/kiliwarriors

Darrel was part of a group taken to Tanzania by the Singapore-registered agency Adventures Unlimited. A Facebook post by the agency dated August 2 showed the group at Changi Airport, all with smiling faces. The post said: Team Kili is ALL IN for the ultimate adventure! Get ready to join us on this thrilling journey as we attempt not only the highest peak in Africa but also our own limits!

Sadly, Team Kili will now return to Singapore one climber short. As per information released by the agency, Darrels oxygen level dropped and his heart rate increased during the hike to the Kilimanjaro summit. He was sent to the climbers camp with the help of a guide.

Once back at the camp, he received treatment, but his altitude sickness did not get any better. Eventually, Darrel died of asphyxiation and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), a condition in which fluid builds in the lungs and hinders oxygen circulation in the body.

Though Mt Kilimanjaro is not one of the highest peaks on the planet  its height is 5,895m  it is called the roof of Africa and is considered an essential training ground for climbers who want to reach the roof of the world, Mount Everest.

Also read: RIP Shrinivas Dattatraya: Wife of missing Indian-origin climber from Singapore accepts end of search on Mt Everest

A post by Adventures Unlimited said: AU remains committed to transparency and accountability to our participants. We hope that you can support us in this difficult time, understanding the spirit of adventure that drives us, as hikers, despite its inherent uncertainties.
For a show that has Live in its title, Saturday Night Live gets more than its fair share of laughs from sketches that arent performed before a live audience. And it didnt just start with Lonely Island  SNL has been airing short comedy films from the get-go. Here are 10 classic sketches from the shows nearly 50-year run that didnt need bodies in the seats to bring the laughs

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

1 Fall Preview Play In the earliest days of Saturday Night Live, filmmaker and comic Albert Brooks was on board to contribute short films. The relationship was doomed from the start, thanks to Brooks penchant for turning in 13-minute opuses that didnt exactly fit the shows format. But Brooks still contributed some classics, like this ode to fall television schedules. Skip the preview for Medical Season and check out Brooks trying to convince two women to join him for group sex in the sitcom The Three of Us, a veteran who becomes an animal doctor in Black Vet and an all-child version of Death of a Salesman.

2 Dont Look Back in Anger Play Advertisement Advertisement In addition to Brooks, Gary Weis and Tom Schiller also contributed short films to the show during those first few years. Schillers La Dolce Gilda is a classic, but his tour de force was Dont Look Back in Anger, featuring an aging John Belushi dancing on the graves of his castmates. They all thought Id be the first to go, he joked. I was one of those live-fast, die-young, real-good-looking-corpse types, you know. But I guess they were wrong. There they are, all of my friends. This is the Not Ready For Prime Time cemetery. Unfortunately, of course, those who thought Belushi would go first were right.

3 White Like Me Play Advertisement Advertisement Early SNL wasnt afraid of taking on issues around race, from Richard Pryors Word Association sketch to Eddie Murphys groundbreaking White Like Me. As The New York Times points out, jokes like When white people are alone, they give things to each other for free still resonate.

4 Synchronized Swimming Advertisement Advertisement I watched the synchronized swimming on television in August. I was just fulminating about the outrage of these people, you know, getting the same medals as real athletes, Harry Shearer says in SNL oral history Live from New York. Dick (Ebersol) said, You know, by the time we go on the air in mid-September, nobody will remember the Olympics, and I said, Well make em remember.

5 Love Is a Dream Advertisement Advertisement Schiller breaks our hearts once again with a perfectly swell film starring Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks, two SNL legends who passed away too soon. If youve never seen this, says HuffPosts Carol Hartsell, get ready to cry.

6 Waynes Worlds Madonna Fantasy Advertisement Advertisement Why is this Waynes World sketch totally excellent? Were down for the integration of a live sketch with a filmed segment, Mike Myers penning a sketch so he could make out with Madonna at a time when she ruled the world, and Dana Carvey writhing in a black bodysuit that shows off his impressive unit. Party on, Garth.

7 Lazy Sunday Play Advertisement Advertisement Sure, many of us have seen Lazy Sunday a million times (it holds up!), but its arguably one of the top five most important SNL sketches ever, creating new relevance for an aging show in the digital era.

8 Totinos with Kristen Stewart Play Advertisement All of the Totinos commercial spoofs are hilarious, with subservient Vanessa Bayer doing anything to please her hungry guys. But whos pleasing Bayer? Kristen Stewart, thats who. Marrying a Totinos Super Bowl commercial with Blue Is the Warmest Color is surprising, erotic and hilarious. Beck Bennett can get his own freaking Tostinos! Advertisement
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Thursday, Aug. 10, in Salt Lake City. AP-Yonhap



President Joe Biden's comment about China being a "ticking time bomb" referred to internal economic and social tensions that could have an effect on how Beijing interacts with the world, a White House official said Friday.



White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that one area of concern regarding China was "the way that they bully and coerce and intimidate countries around the world" by offering high-interest infrastructure loans and then seizing assets when countries defaulted.



He said that concern explained the administration's request for supplemental funding of $3.3 billion to boost the World Bank's lending to developing countries and provide a credible alternative to what he called China's "dangerous" loans. The request was unusual since supplemental budgets are usually reserved for emergency needs, including wars and disasters.



Kirby de fended the funding request, saying, "Yes, this is an urgent need for us to be able to provide an alternative."



Biden's comments on China, made during a political fundraiser in Utah, drew a sharp response. Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu warned Washington against "scapegoating" Beijing and fanning "division and confrontation."



"We oppose the U.S. side seeking to make an issue of China, smearing China or talking down China's prospects," he said in a statement to Reuters on Friday, without mentioning Biden.



Biden told donors: "China is a ticking time bomb ... China is in trouble. China was growing at 8 percent a year to maintain growth. Now close to 2 percent a year," he said, misstating its growth rate. Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed the economy grew 4.5 percent in the first quarter and 6.3 percent in the second, with gross domestic product up just 0.8 percent in April-June from the previous quarter after a 2.2 percent expansion in the first quarter.



Liu said China's GDP growth continued to provide an important support for the development of the global economy.





Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the joint press conference of the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, Shaanxi province, China, May 19. Reuters-Yonhap
If someone makes fun of your work, you might struggle to come up with a response. Well, Id like to see you do better! you might shout (terrible choice, maybe they can do better). Or you might offer, Yeah, well, your moms a whore (another bad line, as that fact is irrelevant). If you really lose self-control, you might even screw up and say, Thanks for the feedback; Ill consider that going forward.

Either way, you should take some inspiration from how the masters handled it.

5 Harper Lee Offered to Enroll Critics in First Grade You might have heard that Florida recently removed To Kill a Mockingbird from its school libraries. That didn't really happen, even if Floridas working hard at removing just about every other book. However, school districts in other states like Mississippi, California and Washington have pushed the book out, with varying degrees of severity and for wildly varying reasons. And the strongest pushback against the book came when it was brand-new. In 1966, a county in Virginia removed To Kill a Mockingbird from its schools when a board member, after catching his son reading it, labeled it immoral and improper for our children. That was bad enough, but when The Richmond News Leader printed a bunch of letters from parents voicing support for the move, Harper Lee had to write to the paper as well with a response. She defended the book, naturally. Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that To Kill a Mockingbird spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners. She said she had to check the calendar and see whether it was 1984 because calling it immoral stinks so much of doublethink  and okay, you might cringe at that since equating stuff to 1984 is so cliche today, but this was a more incisive observation back then. J. B. Lippincott & Co. The point also hit differently in the 1960s, when the year 1984 was still in the future. Advertisement What Ive heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read, she wrote, about the school board. So, she sent in $10 to the newspaper, money that I hope will be used to enroll the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice. Putting her joke aside, she earmarked that money for the Beadle Bumble Fund, which the papers editor had set up to pay the fines of people convicted of breaking dumb laws. Recently, the fund had started sending free copies of To Kill a Mockingbird to any child who requested one.

4  I Shit Better Than You Think  Profanity in a comeback is powerful when it comes from someone unexpected. If you tell a hater, Yeah, well go fuck yourself, that might not leave much of a mark, but if Queen Camilla said it, people would take note. Advertisement So, if we heard that The Rock replied I shit better than you think to someone online, we wouldnt get too excited. But the man behind this bold boast was instead Ludwig van Beethoven. In 1825, the music critic Gottfried Weber covered Beethovens piece Wellingtons Victory in his magazine Cacilia. He did not speak kindly of it. Play Advertisement Advertisement Instead of describing to us in notes the horrible approach and onset of battle, wrote Weber, he actually lets us hear real drums advancing from opposite sides, lets us hear real cannon noises, somewhat like a landscape painter who, instead of painting the rising sun in his picture like Claude Lorrain, cuts a round hole in his sky. This was not a compliment. It is not musical colors that van Beethoven makes use of here, continued Weber, not the means of musical art, but rather the deceptions of scenic acoustics. Historians later found Beethovens own copy of this magazine. At this spot on the page, he wrote Ach, du erbarmlicher Schuft, was ich scheisse, ist besser, als wie du je gedacht. That meant, Ah you wretched cur, what I shit is better than anything you ever thought of. Advertisement Weber never saw these words, but when youre an aggrieved commenter, just writing your thoughts out is sometimes all you need.

3 Ice Cube Suggested Police Write an Anti-N.W.A Song Speaking of classical music, N.W.A received a lot of pushback over Straight Outta Compton back in 1988. MTV refused to play the video for the albums title track, even though the group had specifically recorded a special clean version of the song, just to be nice. The Fraternal Order of Police declared a boycott against protecting N.W.A or any other group who recorded anti-police music. Truly, there was a wide campaign against the album, which pushed it to become the best-selling rap album in history up to that point. Audio Achievements The third platinum certification came from people buying it and burning it in protest. Advertisement Advertisement According to Ice Cube, police would regularly pull him over and vent at him about how offended they were by Fuck tha Police. He said he had a response for them, and though we cant confirm that he really ever did say it to cops in person like he claimed, he did share it with the world through an interview: Yo, man, it's a free country. Come up with a song that says Fuck N.W.A. But don't give me a ticket. Let me go! It's funny, till you realize that police almost certainly did chant that sort of thing, except probably without using any abbreviations.

2 In Defense of Boring Movies Experts assure us that Andrei Tarkovsky was one of the greatest directors of all time. Those experts do not include the folks at Goskino, the Soviet Unions State Committee for Cinematography. Goskino previewed Stalker, Tarkovsky movie about magic and telekinesis and a sentient landscape, and they said it started out too boring. Advertisement Replied Tarkovsky, The film needs to be slower and duller at the start so that the viewers who walked into the wrong theatre have time to leave before the main action starts. So, if you dont like Tarkovskys openings, youre not the sort of person who gets to see the movie at all. Goskino If you cant handle me at my worst, then you dont deserve me at my best. Stalker would go on to inspire the video game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Development on that games sequel has been delayed by Russias invasion of Ukraine, so even today, Russian authorities cant get out of this franchises way. Advertisement
The elegant but otherwise unremarkable house just off Spilsby Road in Boston seems an unlikely setting for the start of a political revolution.

'A group of us were gathered round my kitchen table,' local teacher Anne Dorrian recalls, 'and we agreed we had to do something. We couldn't just sit back and let things carry on as they were.'

The meeting had been called to select a slate of candidates for the newly-formed Boston Independent party to challenge the sitting Tory council at the upcoming local elections.

Among the disparate group of plotters were a psychiatrist, a hospital cleaner, a piano instructor, a paediatrician and a world champion wrestler.

'We were all from different backgrounds,' Anne explains, 'but we had one thing in common. We were tired of the way the main parties kept ignoring local people. They couldn't be bothered to listen to what people in Boston were actually saying to them.'

We hear a lot about the Red and Blue Walls of British politics. But this corner of Lincolnshire now sits squarely behind the Grey Wall, those growing parts of the country where people have opted to turn their backs on the political status quo and take matters into their own hands

There are signs that as disillusionment with Rishi Sunak grows, and Keir Starmer fails to generate any significant enthusiasm, more and more people are looking outside of the political mainstream

We hear a lot about the Red and Blue Walls of British politics. But this corner of Lincolnshire now sits squarely behind the Grey Wall, those growing parts of the country where people have opted to turn their backs on the political status quo and take matters into their own hands.

At the end of their fateful gathering in February, Anne and her colleagues had identified 30 candidates to stand as councillors.

And by the time the last ballot paper had been counted on the night of this year's May 4 local elections, 23 of them had been elected; the Tories had been swept from power; and every Labour councillor had lost their seat.

Anne  who is now Boston Borough Council leader  believes there were several local factors that lay behind this electoral earthquake.

'The streets weren't being cleaned. A lot of local shops have been closing down or left empty. Anti-social behaviour had become seen as a big problem.'

By the time the last ballot paper had been counted on the night of this year's May 4 local elections, 23 Boston Independent candidates had been elected; the Tories had been swept from power; and every Labour councillor had lost their seat

But there was one issue in particular that finally pitched the normally mild-mannered residents into open revolt: the Christmas decorations.

'That was the straw that broke the camel's back,' Anne claims. 'This is a proud town, and how it looks is important to local people.

'We hadn't any decorations for a couple of years because of Covid. Then the council announced because of budget cuts the Christmas lights would have to be scaled back. That got people's backs up. Then it emerged they'd bought a plastic Christmas Tree for the town centre, but it was going to cost over 20,000.'

Against this backdrop of Conifergate, then Tory council leader Paul Skinner had little chance of resisting the grey tsunami.

'Our secret weapon was shoe-leather,' Anne claims. 'We hit as many doorsteps as we could. While the Conservatives were just sending out leaflets, we were meeting residents face-to-face. They could see we were listening to them, and that got a favourable response.'

Walking round Boston's market square, with the imposing spire of St Botolph's Church looming above, it's easy to find support for Anne and her band of political insurgents.

In Maudes The Jewellers, Andrea welcomes the fact she's now represented by a party that identifies with the problems she and her fellow small business bosses are facing.

'We've got people who understand what it's really like here in Boston. They run local businesses, too. So when something affects us, it affects them. They actually feel it.'

Pensioners Geoff and Maureen agree. 'They can't do much worse than the other lot,' says Maureen. But it's clear there are some other factors feeding into this repudiation of Boston's ruling political class.

In 2016, a report by the think-tank Policy Exchange identified the town as 'the most divided place in England' after an influx of agricultural workers from Eastern Europe saw its migrant population soar by 460 per cent. I was told that tensions had eased.

But in the window of the local recruitment agency, there is an advert in Romanian urgently requesting broccoli-cutters. Next to it sits a hand-written notice proclaiming 'IF YOUR [sic] LAZY AND DON'T WANT WORK DO NOT ENTER'.

Anne Dorrian says she and her colleagues are aware of local concerns. 'We've made a point of ensuring we have representation from our migrant community on the council,' she insists.

And they're making some progress. Lina Savickiene, whose nine-year-old daughter was stabbed to death by a Lithuanian fruit-picker last summer, secured election under the Boston Independent banner after a campaign focused on community safety.

But despite local goodwill, significant challenges remain.

'Fair play to the Independents, but I just don't think it will make any difference to me,' market trader Jeannie tells me. 'I've been working a stall here since I was aged six, and as soon as I get the chance I'm getting out. All the shops are dying. It's impossible to make a living here.'

Yet Anne Dorrian remains undaunted. 'We've only been in power 100 days,' she insists, 'but we're already making a difference. We're starting to introduce covert and overt CCTV to tackle fly-tipping.

'We've sat down with the police to start putting in place a proper action plan for tackling anti-social behaviour. And we've just installed eight new planters in the square that have brightened the place up a little bit.'

And crucially, she's also pledged to deliver the residents of Boston a proper Christmas.

'The lights will be back  it's going to be a proper four-day extravaganza,' she proclaims proudly.

The success of the Boston independents could easily be dismissed as a quirky one-off. And it's clear a number of factors unique to the area have been in play.

But in May's local elections, almost 1,500 councillors were elected from parties other than the Conservatives, Labour or the Liberal Democrats.

And there are signs that as disillusionment with Rishi Sunak grows, and Keir Starmer fails to generate any significant enthusiasm, more and more people are looking outside of the political mainstream.

'This is my second office,' Dave Blackwell tells me as he sips his tea outside the Bay Cafe on Canvey Island.

'It's a good place to come and meet people. They feel they can be honest with me and give me some. And then I can listen and give a bit back.'

Dave became leader of Castle Point council after his Canvey Island Independent Party formed an historic alliance with the People's Independent Party  a pact which saw the Conservatives ousted from power for the first time in almost two decades.

'Everyone was fed up with their antics,' he reveals. 'They just weren't listening. People were looking for alternatives. And that was us.'

Previously a Labour councillor, Dave quickly became disillusioned. 'I came in with the Blair landslide,' he says, 'but it was so controlling. I'd be warned, 'You can't do that, it isn't party policy.' But people don't care about whether something's policy or not. They just want what's best for them and their family.'

I'd been told, 'If you cut Dave Blackwell, he bleeds Canvey' and after chatting to him, it is clear this is no exaggeration.

He explains how he has lived on the island all his life. His dad was from Bow in East London and his mum from Walthamstow.

'This was the playground of the East End in the 1950s. It was where the workers came to have a decent day out.'

Whereas Boston's political upheaval was the product of numerous local factors, Dave attributes the Independents' political triumph to a single issue.

The previous Tory-run council had unveiled a plan to build 5,000 new houses in Castle Point, with 2,000 on Canvey Island. It would have meant building on the Green Belt, homes he claims would have cost 450,000 to 500,000.

'That's way out of most people's price range. We don't have the infrastructure to deal with that. It can already take an hour to get off the island at peak times.'

Although it's obvious there are differences in what motivated the residents of Lincolnshire and Essex to so dramatically upend the Westminster apple cart, as I stroll along the seafront some similar themes begin to emerge.

'We're rebels down here,' says Sophie, who runs the Bay Cafe. 'Dave gets that. He's one of us. He lives here. So if something impacts me, it impacts him.'

Again, it's equally clear Dave and his new breed of council colleagues still have a lot of work to do in aligning their ambitions with local expectations. Soon after being elected in May, the new councillors identified a 1.2 million shortfall in the maintenance budget for the local Knightswick Shopping Centre, money they now intend to spend on a long overdue refurbishment.

'That's nice,' says TJ, who runs the Glitz and Glamour Homeware store, 'but to be honest I think they'd do better to knock the place down and start again.'

Jyoti, who manages the Trade Counter Discount Store next door, also has mixed feelings.

'What we really need is for someone to do something about business rates. That's what's hurting us in here.'

Despite this scepticism, Dave Blackwell intends to carry on with his mission of reforming the local council.

In his sights are the huge number of council staff who are still working from home. He says the council caretaker recently told him that on one particular day only 21 out of 200 officers were actually in the office.

'The rest were working from home. But council tax payers are paying to heat and light these huge offices. And no-one's in them. We're going to have to do something about that.'

It's unclear what, if any, impact these mini, local uprisings could have on the national political picture.

Despite my prompting, neither Anne Dorrian or Dave Blackwell would admit to having any ambition to become an MP.

'I'm not interested in that sort of politics any more,' Dave insisted. 'Politics just gets in the way of doing things.'

At next year's General Election, Sir Keir Starmer faces an independent challenge from North East mayor Jamie Driscoll, who he recently ousted

But the British people's growing admiration for those with an independent streak could still influence next year's General Election.

There are persistent rumours of some sort of electoral pact between the Reform Party, UKIP and Laurence Fox's Reclaim insurgents.

Sir Keir Starmer faces an independent challenge from North East mayor Jamie Driscoll, who he recently ousted.

And there is increasing speculation that Jeremy Corbyn will stand as an independent in Islington North.

This weekend, there are reports that Rishi Sunak is preparing a Cabinet reshuffle to try to reboot the Government.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is said to be considering a new raft of policy announcements to counteract internal party fears he is failing to fully capitalise on voter discontent.

And up in Boston? Anne Dorrian and her colleagues are busy baking cakes for the town's summer fair.

Perhaps it's the guardians of the Grey Wall who hold the key to Britain's political future.
Taiwan's Vice President William Lai waves after his speech prior to his departure to Paraguay inside the Terminal of Taoyuan international Airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan, Aug. 12. EPA-Yonhap



China on Sunday vowed "resolute and forceful measures" over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States it said it was closely monitoring.



Lai  the frontrunner in Taiwan's presidential elections next year  is officially making only transit stops in the United States en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena.



Taiwan is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the island democracy one day  by force, if necessary  and ramped up political and military pressure.



"China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," an unnamed spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement published online.



Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China.



The Harvard-educated doctor-turned-politician has previously described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker", and reiterated this week when speaking with a local television channel that Taiwan was "not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC)".



"The Republic of China and PRC are not subordinate to each other," he said, using Taiwan's official name.



On landing in New York on Sunday, Lai said on Twitter, now rebranded as X: "Happy to arrive at the Big Apple, icon of liberty, democracy and opportunities," adding that he was greeted at the airport by representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan, the United States's de facto embassy for the island.



"Looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York," he wrote.



Lai is expected to continue to Paraguay, then stop in San Francisco on his way back.



Airspace incursions



In the week leading up to Lai's departure, incursions by the Chinese military around Taiwan's waters and airspace  which have been happening near-daily in the past year  were larger than usual.



On Wednesday, the defence ministry said 33 Chinese warplanes and six vessels had been detected around the island in a 24-hour window.



"China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the U.S. and Taiwan, is resolutely opposed to separatists seeking 'Taiwan independence' entering the U.S. under any name and for any reason, and firmly opposed to any form of official contact between the U.S. government and the Taiwanese side," China's foreign ministry spokesperson said.



"China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and strongly condemns the U.S. insistence on arranging William Lai's 'transit' to the U.S.," the spokesperson added, labelling Lai a "downright troublemaker". (AFP)




Never let it be said that Greenpeace lacks a sense of its own importance. After the government broke off all contacts with the ecological campaign group, following its invasion of the Prime Minister's family home in North Yorkshire (draping it with black cloth in protest over new North Sea oil licensing), Greenpeace issued a statement of epic pomposity.

It declared last Thursday that to block its access to meetings with civil servants and ministers was a 'worrying signal about the future of our democracy'.

In an interview with the Guardian, the directors of Greenpeace's UK arm, Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum, said that 'important meetings' had already been cancelled and that this 'unprecedented' move 'could have disastrous consequences for environmental policy'.

I don't think so. On the contrary, I can think of many reasons why Greenpeace  while it has a kind of PR genius at drawing attention to itself  should never have been given such high-level access to government in the first place.

Its most spectacular action against our North Sea oil industry was in 1995, when it launched a ferocious campaign to prevent Shell from dismantling, at sea, an offshore oil-storage installation, Brent Spar.

After the government broke off all contacts with the ecological campaign group, following its invasion of the Prime Minister's family home in North Yorkshire (draping it with black cloth in protest over new North Sea oil licensing), Greenpeace issued a statement of epic pomposity

Greenpeace insisted the depot contained more than 5,000 tonnes of crude oil, and that to release this into the ocean would be an ecological catastrophe. Shell repeatedly said that the Brent Spar contained between 50 and 100 tonnes of a mixture of oil and silt  a relatively trivial amount.

Greenpeace then occupied the Brent Spar, combining that with what the oil company described as 'violence against Shell service stations, accompanied by threats to Shell staff'.

This eventually compelled Shell to bring the entire Brent Spar structure onshore, at vast expense, where its contents were disposed of, to no net environmental gain. Even Nature magazine described this as 'a needless dereliction of rationality'.

Oh, and by the way, Shell had given the correct figure all along. But when it was proven that Greenpeace had inflated the amount almost 100-fold, the organisation's UK 'head of science' dismissed this as just 'a minor mistake'.

Bear that in mind when you read Greenpeace complaining that it provides valuable 'evidence' to civil servants, now made unavailable to them after the government announced that 'Greenpeace's criminal activity demonstrates that they are not a serious organisation'.

To be fair, it is a very serious organisation, with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues and thousands of employees.

I am much more concerned about its history of serious and effective misinformation than I am about its intrusion at the PM's home, scandalous though it is that the local police were unable to prevent it.

For example, it has been the most vehement and successful campaigner against 'golden rice', a not-for-profit project, backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which would modify conventional rice with the genes for beta-carotene so that it provides much more vitamin A per bowl  and save countless lives in the developing world.

Greenpeace has done everything it can to block this, because of its ideological opposition to any form of GM technology.

The most telling critic of its campaigning against golden rice is Mark Lynas, (pictured) once a Greenpeace supporter who had participated in the destruction of GM crops being tested by scientists in the UK

The most telling critic of its campaigning against golden rice is Mark Lynas, once a Greenpeace supporter who had participated in the destruction of GM crops being tested by scientists in the UK.

Lynas is now a convert to the potential benefits and declared: 'Vitamin A deficiency is one of the leading causes of death in South East Asia. It has led to blindness and the deaths of about a quarter of a million people a year.'

He denounces Greenpeace's highly successful campaign against its introduction as 'just superstition. There are tens of thousands of kids who are dead who wouldn't be dead otherwise. I don't see how you could put this any other way'.

Lynas in 2008 won the Royal Society's prestigious prize for science writing, in recognition of his book Six Degrees: Our Future On A Hotter Planet.

It is in this context  climate change  that Greenpeace's profoundly anti-scientific approach has had the most perverse consequences.

Along with many in the environmentalist movement, Lynas had come to recognise that, if countries want to produce reliable, non-intermittent energy without CO2 emissions, then only nuclear power fits the bill. Wind and solar power alone can't do it.

Yet Greenpeace, whose origins were in the movement against the testing of nuclear weapons  the clue is in the name  has been most influential of all in its opposition to civil nuclear power.

It is true that the birth of this industry was linked to the military programme: Winston Churchill gave the go-ahead for the world's first nuclear power station, at Calder Hall, because it would supply weapons-grade plutonium. The official reason was to inaugurate a new era of clean energy. And it did.

But Greenpeace continues, falsely, to equate civil nuclear energy with weapons of mass destruction. Its website declares: 'Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous and expensive. Say no to new nukes.'

The truth is that nuclear energy is extraordinarily safe, if you measure it in terms of deaths caused, relative to power generated. According to the authoritative Statista organisation, nuclear power, even over the decades that included the Chernobyl disaster, has been responsible for fewer deaths per thousand terawatt hours than hydro-power, and even wind power.

Japan's Fukushima plant disaster in March 2011 is frequently cited by Greenpeace. It was indeed crazy that the plant had been built on top of one of the world's most active geological faults.

But, despite the fact that it was hit by a colossal earthquake, followed by a tsunami, and the reactor suffered three nuclear meltdowns, none of the deaths were a consequence of this. They were all from drowning, as inhabitants were swept away by the mountainous tidal wave.

Ten years later, the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) released its official report on the effects of the Fukushima incident. It announced: 'No adverse health effects among Fukushima residents have been documented that could be directly attributed to radiation exposure.'

UNSCEAR went on to estimate that the future effects on health from radiation increases 'are not likely to be discernible. There has been no credible evidence of excess congenital abnormalities related to radiation exposure'.

Yet the Germans, influenced by Greenpeace scare stories about Fukushima, have just completed the closure of their entire nuclear-energy industry.

The result has been self-defeating in terms of their campaign to reduce CO2 emissions. To avoid the blackouts that would be caused by over-reliance on its vaunted wind-power programme, over the past 12 months Germany has recommissioned almost 20 coal-fired power stations.

So, following Greenpeace-approved policies has led to a return to the most carbon- intensive form of mass energy production  much more carbon-intensive than the North Sea oil whose support by the Government Greenpeace used as justification for its invasion of Rishi Sunak's home.

Labour Party candidate Alistair Strathern dressed up as a zombie in a Greenpeace protest outside Parliament last November

This is a matter that the electors of Mid Bedfordshire might like to put to their Labour Party candidate, Alistair Strathern, when that constituency has the by-election contingent on the anticipated resignation of its sitting MP, Nadine Dorries.

For Mr Strathern dressed up as a zombie in a Greenpeace protest outside Parliament last November (alongside his partner Megan Corton-Scott, a full-time political campaigner for Greenpeace).

Meanwhile, in the context of the war in Ukraine, Greenpeace has claimed that the Russian seizing of Europe's largest nuclear plant, at Zaporizhzhia, shows the risks of civil nuclear power (though its reactors are built to withstand even a jumbo jet crashing on them, and these immense casings prevented any breach during the shelling by Russian troops).

Perhaps Greenpeace might like to consider a different aspect at the heart of its 'peace' mission. If Ukraine had not acceded to the demand by the Western powers, when it gained independence, to relinquish all the nuclear weapons it had inherited from the Soviet Union, would Putin have dared to launch his war?

It would almost be worth having Greenpeace's directors back for one last meeting in Whitehall, just to see the look on their faces when asked this question.
Even after the tragedy at the weekend, as you read these words, thousands of migrants are still waiting near the beaches of northern France for the right moment to launch their perilous crossing to Britain.

The deaths of at least six Afghans in the Channel, and the dramatic rescue of dozens of others, will do nothing to dent their ambition.

Part of the reason so many migrants are willing to make this journey, despite its risks, is that they know French vessels are increasingly ready to usher them into British waters, from where they are more likely to be picked up and taken to safety.

Indeed, this weekend a French warship was escorting the migrants dangerously overloaded boat when the latter capsized, throwing almost 70 people into the water.

British ships still took more than a dozen survivors back to Dover, even though the incident took place just six miles off the French coast.

A group of migrants are pictured in the Channel in July on a new, more sturdy kind of vessel

Migrants are seen in a dinghy crossing the English Channel on 10 August, 2023

Speaking to yesterdays Mail on Sunday, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith described the French ships chaperoning of migrant boats as madness and an incentive, adding: The whole thing encourages them to risk the journey more, which is a mistake... They end up dying.

He is right, of course. But what do you expect?

The French have promised for years to help to stem the numbers of migrants crossing the Channel  and British taxpayers have paid them handsomely to do so. But its been like handing money to a dodgy builder: Theyre always after more.

I take no pleasure in saying this, but  I knew this would happen. Last November, Rishi Sunak flew to France to embrace Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and announced a new pact to shut down the unlawful Channel crossings.

Friends. Partners. Allies, the Prime Minister gushed, speaking of his optimism and confidence. At the time, I warned in these pages: I hope Im wrong. But I fear wed be better off chucking cash in the Channel than handing more millions to Emmanuel Macron.

And so it has transpired. For all the tokenistic changes  the British officers embedded in French police-control rooms, the drones flying over the Channel and monitoring the crossings  the number of migrants has only increased.

UK taxpayers are now set to hand over almost 500million to France for their efforts to stop the boats, including 125million in 2023-2024.

Some 100,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since 2018, with more than 500 on Saturday alone. To be blunt, the French might as well have put Inspector Clouseau in charge of the job.

I have lived in France for almost 25 years, and know the country well. Many of my French friends are incredulous that successive British governments have tolerated surrendering such riches for such pathetic results. Several, frankly, believe the UK has been conned.

My contacts in the French police are equally scathing in their assessment of the local ambition  or lack of it  given to tackling the problem.

When a handful of officers enthusiastically slashed the traffickers inflatable boats with box cutters last year to render them useless, they were sternly reprimanded.

And when a handful of migrants are occasionally arrested largely, it seems, for symbolic or propaganda purposes  they are simply bused to downtown Calais, to be released to try their luck again the next day.

Year by year, all but unimpeded by the French, the smugglers have found easier and faster ways to ferry the migrants across the Channel.

The latest innovation is to use taxi boats  a sort of Uber for migrants. These larger, nippy, Turkish-made inflatables are perfectly designed for the passage across one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes.

A dinghy approaches Britain after making the perilous crossing from France on 10 August

A dinghy passes by a cargo ship in the English Channel, en route to Britain, 10 August, 2023

Because the French authorities typically make only the most desultory effort to intercept the migrants once they are in the water, the smugglers taxi boats can simply wait offshore, and the migrants then swim or wade through the surf to clamber on board.

The brazen traffickers operate in broad daylight, often  as recent pictures attest  to the astonishment of beach-goers.

The fact is that it is not in Frances interest to stop the boats: Once migrants are in Britain, theyre Britains problem.

So despite this weeks deaths, I fear this crisis will only get worse. The question now arises: How much longer will UK taxpayers continue to be willing to pay for it?

Jonathan Miller is author of France, A Nation On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (Gibson Square)
Bella Macey scraped the top off an old blister while on holiday In Fiji with her family in May - and the 10-year-old's life has been a living hell ever since.

Speaking to FEMAIL, her mum Emma explained the blister became infected after Bella went swimming.

Within days she had developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), the most painful medical condition known to man, in her right leg.

Now Bella's whole limb is affected - a raindrop hitting her leg makes it feel like it is being torn apart.

'She describes it as stabbing, burning, stinging, like lightning,' the distraught mother said.

Emma Macey and her family were on holiday in Fiji when her eldest daughter Bella popped a blister - changing their lives forever

The family were having the time of their lives for the first few days - then everything 'went to hell'

Australian doctors were quick to diagnose the condition once the family returned to Melbourne but admitted the treatment options available here were limited.

Emma went online and found a treatment facility in the US.

She took a leave of absence from her corporate job and hopped on a plane with her eldest daughter, leaving her husband Chris and youngest Olivia behind.

That was three weeks ago - and there's since been some functional improvement in Bella's right leg.

But she still can't sleep with anything touching it and even travelling by car to the treatment centre each day is difficult.

'We will go over a slight bump in the road and the pain will be unbelievable, she will be screaming and crying,' Emma said.

The good news is that Bella is now using crutches instead of a wheelchair.

The bad news is there's been no change in the intensity of her pain.

The youngster scraped the top off an old blister and got an infection shortly after

She then developed the most painful condition on the planet - which spread to cover her whole right leg from toes to her groin

'She dropped the crutch on her leg in a session recently and we had to cancel any other treatments that day, she was howling in pain,' Emma said.

'She is feeling exhausted and defeated and really misses the simple things.'

Emma expects to be in the US for 15 or 16 weeks but won't come home until her daughter is pain free.

'We can't go home. I need my daughter in remission. She can't live like this,' she said.

Paedeatric cases of CRPS are more likely to stay in remission, giving the family hope.

But beyond her brave face, young Bella is terrified.

Bella's pain got to the point where she could no longer walk and had to rely on a wheelchair

Emma says her daughter is no longer the care free, bubbly girl she always was

'She has seen the articles on this, she knows there is no cure and she wonders what will happen if this treatment doesn't work,' Emma said.

'The pain is worse than labour or amputation. When this first happened people thought she just had a sore foot. But it is so much worse than that.'

The family were originally booked in for their Fijian vacation in March 2020 - but canned it when Covid-19 hit.

The May date seemed perfect because it coincided with Emma's 40th birthday.

WHAT IS CRPS? Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a broad term describing excess and prolonged pain and inflammation that follows an injury to an arm or leg. CRPS has acute (recent, short-term) and chronic (lasting greater than six months) forms. If you have CRPS you will have changing combinations of spontaneous pain or excess pain that is much greater than normal following something as mild as a touch. Other symptoms include changes in skin color, temperature, and/or swelling on the arm or leg below the site of injury. Although CRPS improves over time, eventually going away in most people, the severe or prolonged cases are profoundly disabling. Because of the varied symptoms, the fact that symptoms may change over time, and the difficulty finding a positive cause in some cases, CRPS is hard to treat. There is no treatment that rapidly cures CRPS. Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Advertisement

The doting parents knew it would be a holiday for their two girls to remember but couldn't have imagined why.

Bella has developed allergies since getting struck down with CRPS. Her mum hopes these are also eliminated once doctors get on top of the cruel condition.

Emma wants other people with CRPS to know they aren't alone.

'I joined groups on Facebook and they have been a huge help,' she said.

The exhausted mum can't wait to be back home and to have her family together.

Bella is in the US getting treatment due to lack of relevant medical facilities in Australia

Some function has come back to her leg but the pain is still relentless

'We just need a week or so of nice family time. Not a holiday though - we won't be brave enough to have one of those for a while.'

The Macey family have a Go Fund Me to help support the cost of treatment which could total more than $300,000.

'The cost of the treatment depends on how long we are here for, what extras are beneficial and how she responds to everything,' Emma said.
A lesbian who is dating a woman with a rare condition that means she doesn't grow has clapped back at haters who call her 'disgusting' because her partner 'looks like a child.'

Tiny Texie, 31,, and Anastasia Graves, 23, fell in love in early 2020, after Ana was hired to work as Texie's makeup artist - and now, they're gearing up to walk down the aisle together.

But thanks to Texie's small stature, the 'mixed-height' couple, who live in Chicago, Illinois, have been subjected to a slew of nasty comments both in-person and on the internet.

While chatting with Truly recently, Ana explained that she often receives hateful messages from people who tell her she shouldn't be with Texie - who measures three feet and six inches - because of her height, and encourage her to date someone 'regular' instead.

A lesbian who is dating a woman with a rare condition that means she doesn't grow has clapped back at haters who call her 'disgusting' because her partner 'looks like a child'

Tiny Texie, 31, and Anastasia Graves, 23, fell in love in early 2020, after Ana was hired to work as Texie's makeup artist - and now, they're gearing up to walk down the aisle together

But thanks to Texie's small stature, the 'mixed-height' couple, who live in Chicago, Illinois, have been subjected to a slew of nasty comments both in-person and on the internet

In addition, she said she's received 'threats' and she even once had a drink thrown at her while she was out on a date with Texie - but she insisted that she's not going to let the hate bring her down.

'We're always going to face judgement. I don't care who judges me for me loving her,' she told the outlet.

Texie called Ana her 'shield,' explaining that she 'always' has her back and tries to protect her from trolls.

Ana explained that she often receives hateful messages from people who tell her she shouldn't be with Texie

'There's been times where it's been very hard for both of us. Ana's even gotten drinks thrown at her, she's been threatened as well,' she said.

'But she's never let me struggle in any way, shape or form, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally.

'She's always my backbone. She's helped me with a lot of struggles I've had, especially with people on social media. If someone comes up to me and tries to harm me, I have a shield.'

Texie suffers from Kenny-Caffey syndrome, an extremely rare hereditary skeletal disorder that causes abnormalities in development.

'The primary outcome of Kenny-Caffey syndrome is short stature,' RareDiseases.org reported. 'Intelligence is usually normal. Fewer than 60 cases have been reported in the medical literature.'

She said she's received 'threats' and she even once had a drink thrown at her while she was out on a date with Texie - but she insisted that she's not going to let the hate bring her down

'We're always going to face judgement. I don't care who judges me for me loving her,' she told the outlet

Texie suffers from Kenny-Caffey syndrome, an extremely rare hereditary skeletal disorder that causes abnormalities in development

'Not a lot of people have it, and people in the medical field hardly know anything about it,' Texie explained.

Texie is currently the 'oldest person with the condition

'I have the same bones as an average woman but they're just small. They're shrunken.

'But it also means I have brittle bones, so I have to be very careful with what I do.'

Texie, who is currently the 'oldest person with the condition,' said strangers usually 'automatically' assume that she's a child despite her best efforts to dress and look like an adult.

In addition, she said people accuse her of 'feeding pedophiles' and call her 'sick' if she dresses too maturely.

'I do have to wear child's clothes sometimes, but I try my hardest to make them adult-like in the best way that I can,' she continued.

'I get bullied on TikTok daily, I get my stuff taken down daily because I look like a child.

'But guess what? I can't help it. I act like a grown adult because that's who I am.'

In addition, Texie said people accuse her of 'feeding pedophiles' and call her 'sick' if she dresses too maturely

Texie and Ana, who got engaged on New Year's Day, recently set out on a quest to find the perfect wedding dress for Texie, which was documented by Truly

After trying on a slew of flower girl dresses, the social media star was left frustrated because she explained that she wanted to wear a real wedding gown for their big day

In the end, she picked an adult dress - a strapless number with a sweetheart neckline and glittering embellishments - which a tailor said they would alter to fit her

Texie concluded the video by sharing a strong message to her haters: 'I hope that people of all shapes and sizes can find love. Stop judging'

Texie, who describes herself as the 'world's smallest proportioned entertainer and social media influencer,' has racked up more than 5.4 million followers on TikTok, where she often shares clips of herself dancing, partaking in popular trends, and speaking about her condition.

Texie and Ana, who got engaged on New Year's Day, recently set out on a quest to find the perfect wedding dress for Texie, which was documented by Truly, and it posed as a difficult task due to her size.

After trying on a slew of flower girl dresses, the social media star was left frustrated because she explained that she wanted to wear a real wedding gown for their big day, rather than kids' clothes.

In the end, she picked an adult dress - a strapless number with a sweetheart neckline, a long, flowing skirt, and glittering embellishments - which a tailor said they would be able to alter to fit her.

Texie concluded the video by insisting that Ana has always 'seen her for her' and 'not for her height,' and sharing a strong message to her haters, she concluded: 'I hope that people of all shapes and sizes can find love. Stop judging.'
After recounting the story to her TikTok followers users agreed it was a 'red flag'

On her fourth date with the guy he let her foot the $40 bill from a restaurant

It was the perfect meal, the polite chatter flowed smoothly into more daring conversation, your eyes locked onto his, he held your stare until the bill arrived.

When it comes to dating, that awkward moment when the waiter arrives with the credit card reader can perhaps tell you more about the other person than any amount preceding charm and wit.

Do you split it? Offer to pay? Damn it, shouldnt he pay?

A TikToker has sparked a heated debate online after admitting she got the 'ick' from her date who didn't pay his half of the bill

One TikTok influencer has sparked a heated debate after admitting she gets the 'ick' when her date doesn't pay his part.

Ashleigh Nekeman, from Brisbane, has added to the ongoing dating discussion on the app concerning dating etiquette.

Taking to her account @ashleighnekeman, she recalled a recent date about a guy she met on Hinge, who left her disappointed as he let her foot the bill.

In the video, the dissatisfied 29-year-old told her followers this was her fourth date with the guy and she suggested going for massages and afterwards they both decided to get some sushi.

Detailing the encounter, she said: 'So we have our lunch and I'm still trying to figure out do I actually like this guy or what's going on.

'Then it comes to paying for our meal and the lady asks us 'how would you like to pay?' and he straight up says lets split it and I was just a little bit like... okay.'

She explained that the total of the bill came to $40 and on their other dates they had both paid their way.

Nevertheless, they told the server that they would pay their half, but found she had trouble splitting it.

She continued: 'She was struggling with the bill and I just say to her 'if it's easier we can pay together and she says yes please.'

'And I look at him and he's not looking and he's not offering to pay so I was like okay well I'll pay for it.'

The dissatisfied 29-year-old was put off her date and even refused to kiss him, making up an excuse after he leaned in

Ashleigh explained she was even more put off when her date didn't ask her for her bank details to transfer the money afterwards.

'So I have the ick now and he walks me to my car and goes in for a kiss and I make up an excuse and make up an excuse like 'Oh sorry I just ate sushi I'm not going to kiss you,' she added.

READ MORE: Women reveal how they REALLY feel about men paying for dinner in a fascinating online thread but who do YOU think should pick up the bill? Advertisement

Finally, she wrapped up the video by asking her followers: 'Am I just asking for too much for someone to pay for food when we're on a date?'

The video has caused quite the stir, with many in disagreement with Ashleigh in the comments.

Gaining over 112,000 views and hundreds of comments, one person wrote: 'So youre broke, just say it and move on to another guy who will pay for your food that youre eating.'

While others, more sympathetic to Ashleigh's case said: 'The ick is valid.'

Another agreed: 'Runnnnnn babe! A real man will provide no matter what. If he can't even buy you a plate of food then he's a waste of energy.'

Another user wrote: 'Him wanting to split the bill isn't necessarily a red flag. But him not paying you back is.'
If you weren't already aware, things are a little shaky out there in the job market. One HR consultancy found that 26 per cent of UK organisations reported that they were likely to make redundancies in 2023.

And 49 per cent also said they were expecting to cut costs this year, with 37 per cent of organisations saying they are cutting down on new hires.

Jobbio x MailOnline: Unlocking your potential We are excited to announce a strategic partnership between MailOnline and Jobbio's Amply network. This partnership will transform the way job opportunities are shared, making it easier for job seekers to connect with their perfect positions. For thousands of fantastic career opportunities, visit the Mail Jobs board

Add that to 2022 and 2023's round after round of tech and banking layoffs - globally, this year, tech companies have let more than 226,000 employees go - combined with worries over the swift rise of generative AI, and workers have a good reason for significant job fears.

Another recent report estimates that two-thirds of all occupations may be at risk of some degree of automation thanks to AI. Of those at-risk occupations, AI may be able to replace around a quarter of the tasks involved.

It's not all bad news, though. As AI becomes more powerful, it could drive a 7 per cent increase in global GDP, and lift productivity growth by 1.5 percentage points over a 10-year period. Plus, it has the potential to create new job opportunities, which can't be overlooked.

How to stay relevant

Savvy workers will know that taking steps to keep themselves relevant is a great idea. That's echoed by a recent Future of Jobs report that says 60 per cent of workers will require training before 2027.

The report also found that softer skills such as analytical thinking, creative thinking, leadership and social influence abilities, plus curiosity and lifelong learning, are the skills expected to see growing demand.

Formulating a career backup plan now is a great way of helping you to stay relevant - and super-employable - into the future.

Also known as career cushioning, in a work environment fuelled by post-pandemic uncertainty, more and more workers are taking the time to really think about their career goals.

From auditing your current CV and seeing where the gaps are, to exploring if there are any internal promotion opportunities where you currently work, to developing a side hustle as a means to exit your job, career cushioning is a smart way to ensure you always have a back-up plan.

Career cushioning involves assessing CV gaps, internal promotion options, and establishing a side hustle to create a reliable backup plan

Expert advice

There are a number of other ways you can build out your career backup plan. Research is an important first step.

Ask yourself where you see your career going, and given those recent workforce woes, explore if your current trajectory is still a viable option. If not, assess the steps you will need to take to move to a different sector or role where there is higher demand.

For the majority of UK workers, their career progression is no longer linear, as they find themselves in the era of the 'squiggle career'. Where once workers may have expected their career path to always trend upwards, this path is not defined by an upward trajectory.

Instead, a squiggle career is one that is fluid, has dips and peaks, allows you to move sideways to explore new opportunities - and ultimately offers a different way to create a long and interesting working life.

Embracing this idea, taking a helicopter view of where your industry is going, and getting an overview of which jobs and companies are on the rise, are all great ways to give you the means of visualising how you can take your next steps at a company you'd be excited to work for.

Embrace new skills through courses, workshops, and online platforms to stay current with industry trends and technologies

According to jobs expert Owen Murray, a former tech recruiter who now provides bespoke career advice, one thing, in particular, stands out for those who are looking to futureproof their work lives.

'ABL: always be learning, keep a student mindset,' he says.

Through a willingness to be open to new skills, you'll stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies in your field. 'You can do this through courses, workshops and online platforms,' Murray advises.

Another crucial element to add to your arsenal so that you can build a bullet-proof working life is to learn how to effectively network.

'Build and maintain a strong professional network,' Murray says. 'Instead of asking yourself how I can futureproof my career, ask yourself 'who', Set up informal coffees, a video chat - or even check in with your network on professional social media platforms.'

Networking can't be underestimated, and getting it right can really help. In fact, vital for those who want to move up in their career, with 85 per cent of jobs filled this way.

Looking for a career with longevity? Discover thousands of opportunities on the Mail Job Board today
A BBC producer has questioned whether Netflix knew she was bisexual before she herself did.

Ellie House, 24, claims that the streaming platform began recommending LGBT shows to her months before she came out.

It recommended You Me Her, which deals with LGBT themes, and also other shows featuring lesbian or bisexual characters. She came out as bisexual in 2019 following a long-term relationship with a man.

Ellie told The Times: 'It's not like Netflix 'turned' me gay - that's not how it works - but it felt like it knew something I was still figuring out.'

She was also aware that none of her friends of a similar age were getting recommended this content.

So puzzled, the producer has now investigated the phenomenon in a World Service radio documentary, Did Big Tech Know I was Gay Before I Did?

Ellie was recommended You Me Her by Netflix - a show about a married mother who realises she is bisexual

In it, she explains how she was initially recommended You Me Her, a comedy about a married US woman who doesn't realise she is gay until she meets a bisexual woman.

Several months later, House was recommended Gypsy, which chronicles a married woman's affair with a younger woman.

Netflix collects data on the shows you watch, the time of day you watch and how long for.

Ellie told the BBC that she downloaded the information that Netflix and other tech companies, such as Facebook and Instagram had on her.

She was entitled to do this under UK data privacy laws.

The streaming giant collects data on its users, including how long they watch for and when and what trailers they watch

She discovered that Facebook kept track of other websites she visited - such as a language site and a hotel site. It also had had the coordinates to my home address, in a folder titled 'location'.

According to Greg, watching certain shows that are not specifically gay can still have the algorithm predict 'your propensity to like queer content'.

She revealed that Instagram had a list of more than 300 different topics it thought I was interested in, which it used for personalised advertising.

Meanwhile, Netflix had recorded every trailer and programme she had ever watched.

It also told Ellie that what the user has watched and how is a better indication of their tastes than demographic data, like age or gender.

She said there was 'no evidence' any of the platforms had tagged anything to do with her gender.

Two months after she downloaded TikTok in March 2021, it started recommending her videos of 'hot bi girls'. This was despite her using the app for work.

Spotify too suggested a playlist it described as 'sapphic' - a word to describe women who love women.

Interestingly, it was not only Netflix that seemed to have worked out House's sexuality.

Greg Serapio-Garcia, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge specialising in computational social psychology, told the documentary while no one is explicitly telling Netflix that they're gay, the platform 'can look at users that have liked queer content.'

He explained that a user doesn't have to have previously streamed content tagged LGBT to receive these suggestions and that the recommender systems go deeper than this.

So too if you watch continuously or skip to the credits.

Greg explained that while the habits don't seem like anything on their own, taken together across millions of users, they can make highly specific predictions.

He added that this concerned many people in countries where it is still illegal to be gay.
Upscale private schools in swanky neighbourhoods attract the offspring of the rich and famous - even royal children have to go somewhere.

One of them is the exclusive Wetherby Prep school in Notting Hill, London, which was attended by Princes William and Harry, as well as the Beckhams' sons Romeo and Cruz.

The elite boys school - which is rumoured to cost their moneyed parents a minimum of 8,000 a term - first became high profile back in the 80s, when Princess Diana was famously snapped on a school run with the the boys all dressed up in uniforms of grey and red felt blazers.

Wetherby was founded in 1951 and has since also gone on to welcome famous alumni like Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark, Hugh Grant and Julian Lloyd Webber.

Places continue to be highly sought after, and the news that Nadim Nsouli, founder of premium school group Inspired, had acquired the school in June means it really is now on the global map.

The elite boys school - which is rumoured to cost moneyed parents a minimum of 8,000 a term - was propelled to fame when Princess Diana was famously snapped on a school run (Pictured: Princess Diana taking Prince William and Prince Harry to Wetherby school in London - 1989)

Nadim has created a multi-billion empire of global premium schools. He now controls over 100 schools that play home to 80,000 pupils around the world. (Pictured: A General View Of Wetherby Prep School 11 Pembridge Square London)

In an interview on his website, he spoke of Inspired's reputation for acquiring the best. He said: 'I know what my product is: premium education.

'We're charging high fees and we have many competitors. Therefore, teachers have to be top, heads the best and facilities state of the art.

'I believe that Inspired has the best school brands in the sector. The results of our top-ranking schools across the world speak for themselves'.

David and Victoria Beckham's sons also attended the exclusive pre-prep school, which was recently acquired by Inspired (Pictured: David Beckham (centre) and children Romeo James Beckham (left) and Cruz David Beckham (right)

Nsouli, 54, has created a multi-billion empire of global premium schools, a telling journey that began with four schools in South Africa ten years ago, reports The Times.

The proud father-of-four now controls over 100 schools that play home to 80,000 pupils around the world.

Belonging to New York's Georgetown alumni, he began his career as a lawyer in 1994 before joining the media and telecommunications teams at prestigious investment banking firms J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley in London.

He also founded venture capital firm Lago Ventures, and later became a managing director at Providence Equity Partners, before founding Inspired in 2013 - which has grown rapidly to acquire top schools across the US, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Although climactic, Nadim's business wins have been marked with a painstaking tragedy.

Nadim Nsouli (pictured), 54, acquired Wetherby Prep school in London in June. The private pre-prep school in West London was once attended by many royals including princes William and Harry, and Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark

Married to his wife Simone, the couple share four children: Lyla, Zeyd, Aidan and Liv.

However, in 2011, the couple received the devastating news that their firstborn, Lyla, had brain cancer.

Aged just two-and-a-half, Lyla was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an untreatable, aggressive brain cancer and given only months to live, states the Lyla Nsouli foundation - which was set up in her honour.

Lyla passed away from her illness in the arms of her parents in January 2012.

'In reality, we had no indication that something was wrong until the devastating diagnosis' said her parents. 'We miss her terribly. She was truly our pride and joy'.

The tragedy has inspired Nadim's philanthropic efforts, with the foundation now providing funding to various cancer research institutes.
A body positivity influencer says she now refuses to cover up on holiday, saying she's striking back and getting 'sassy' with those who stare at her bikini body.

British 'body acceptance' model Lauren Edge, 33, took to TikTok to explain that she was no longer hiding her size 16 figure from the world, but instead would be proudly displaying it in a bikini this summer.

The wife and mother-of-three posted a video showing how she previously concealed her bikini-clad body to please inquisitive stares. While in the next clip, she said she now 'stares back' so haters can feel as 'uncomfortable' as they once made her.

People praised her fearless spirit saying she looked 'beautiful', while one person suggested the awkward looks were provoked by secret admiration.

Alongside the video, Lauren wrote: 'I can't stand people who stare. I love getting sassy with them!'

British 'body acceptance' model Lauren Edge, 33, took to TikTok to show off her size 16 curves while also striking back at the haters who, she says, stare at her

The wife and mother-of-three explained that she was no longer hiding her size 16 figure from the world, but instead would be proudly displaying it in a bikini this summer

The clip opens up with Lauren sitting poolside while dressed in a stunning floral two-piece as she huddles up under what appears to be an extra-large towel.

She looks timid and stares away from the camera, before adding: 'How I used to act when people stared at me in a bikini'.

In the next scene, a bolder Lauren emerges and we see the content creator step out of her chair and proudly model her full figure while staring directly into the camera.

'I stare back at them to make them feel as uncomfortable as they've tried to make me. They always look away' she explained.

The video has proven hugely popular, racking up nearly 150,000 views and 127 comments.

One fan said she looked 'amazing'.

A second compliment said: 'Good for you girl be confident and beautiful'.

Inspired by Lauren's confidence, another said: 'Beautiful lady, I am a pear-shape lady, wish I had your confidence'.

People praised Lauren's fearless spirit, saying she looked 'beautiful' - while one person suggested the awkward looks were provoked by secret admiration

Meanwhile one user explained the looks may come from a place of admiration: 'I think that maybe they are staring because you are absolutely beautiful! No need to feel ashamed or uncomfortable with yourself'.

One person confessed they too get carried away when they see a 'beautiful' body: 'I confess, I do stare at women sometimes but only when I like what I see. My eyes lock on beautiful things'.

Similarly in Texas, a woman flaunted her curves online despite claiming she was not 'summer ready'.

Zulma Melecio, took to TikTok, to reveal that her 'mood for this summer' was accepting her body as it is.

The curvaceous woman, who recently tied the knot with her longtime partner Dalton, looked every inch the perfect model.

People adored the look and said that she was 'beautiful'.

She wrote: 'Accepting the fact that my body is not summer ready but that won't stop me from enjoying my summer.'

In the video, she made sure to display her body from different angles, and left no curve undone.

She twirled around in a circle, revealing a slinky bandeau top that she paired with turquoise blue shorts.

She paced back and forth in front of the camera and appeared to be delighted with what she saw.

As did many others, as expressed in nearly 50 comments.
A woman from the US has said all you need to get rid of stains from your coffee pot is two ingredients - salt and ice.

TikTok user Mariha Waters, of Missouri, shared her DIY coffee pot cleaning hack with her followers.

In her video at @marihanotcarey, she demonstrated how to tackle a tarnished coffee pot.

She told fans that after filling the pot halfway with ice, the trick was to add a generous amount of salt.

She explained: 'I just opened the top of this shaker and I'm just going to pour some salt in there and it has a reaction to it.'

Mariha showed her hack, which involved filling the coffee pot with ice before adding salt to get rid of the stains

Mariha then moved the pot in a circular motion to remove the stain.

'It's starting to change the color of the ice,' she said.

She then dumped the contents in the sink, revealing the ice had absorbed the coffee and was now a dark brown.

After rinsing it out, it was perfectly clean.

TikTok users took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the tip.

One wrote: 'This was so awesome and worked well.'

But they also revealed they had shaken their pot so hard the glass had cracked.

Mariha, of Missouri, revealed how the hack got her coffee pot sparkling clean, with followers being impressed

Some of TikTok followed her advice, but one user said it broke their pot. Another said they added lemon juice

It comes after an expert at everyday hacks has revealed that you have been putting Band-Aids on wrong as he showed the correct way to cover your wounds.

Jordan Stallion is a US-based content creator who frequently shares tips and tricks on his TikTok account, where he boasts over 10.7 million followers.

Most recently, Jordan shocked viewers by sharing that they had been using Band-Aids 'incorrectly this entire time.'

He revealed that you should cutting the bandages in half before overlapping the halves together.

Jordan Stallion is a US-based content creator who has revealed that you have been putting Band-Aids on wrong as he showed the correct way to cover your wounds

He revealed that you should cutting the bandages in half before overlapping the halves together

After you create the cuts, put the white part on your injury and then take the top tab and fold it down to form a V-shape and then do the same with the bottom

Cover that wound! The correct way to put on a bandage Cut a line at the top and bottom while the paper is on

Apply the white part of the Band-Aid to the injury and fold the top tab down to form a V-shape

Do the same with the bottom tab Advertisement

He first duetted Julien Blancs video asking others on the video-sharing platform to reveal the things that blew their minds when they learned it.

In the viral clip, which has so far amassed over 2.1 million views, he said: 'We've been putting Band-Aids on incorrectly this entire time.'

He explained that if you have a cut on your finger, the Band-Aid is meant to be put on a certain way.

He said you should leave the paper on the medical strip and then grab a pair of scissors.

'You're going to cut a line right down the middle from the top and bottom parts,' he explained.

After you create the cuts, put the white part on your injury and then take the top tab and fold it down to form a V-shape and then do the same with the bottom.

Jordan revealed that this is much more effective because the normal way of putting it on only works until 'the sweat starts affecting the adhesive, and then eventually, itll fall right off your finger.'

'This also works with toes cuts as well, have fun,' Jordan said at the end of the clip.

People on the video-sharing platform were shocked and flooded the comments section

People on the video-sharing platform were shocked and flooded the comments section.

One person wrote: 'Bro, why wouldn't they come pre-cut then?'

'So you're just going to tell me this [now] and I have been working in nursing for 30 years?' someone else added.

Another person commented: 'I do this every time, its my favorite hack.'

'Wound care nurse here, and I approve this message,' someone else wrote.
A woman walks past a ruined building in central Donetsk, the capital of the self-proclaimed state of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, Saturday. AFP-Yonhap



Seven people  including a 23-day-old baby girl  were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country's Internal Affairs Ministry said.



Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family  a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl  and another resident.



Two men were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.



The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar's comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumors that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.



"Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement," she said.



Kherson regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Sunday that three people had been wounded in Russian attacks on the province on Saturday.



Ukrainian military officials said Saturday evening that Kyiv's forces had made progress in the south, claiming some success near a key village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and capturing other unspecified territories.



Ukraine's General Staff said they had "partial success" around the tactically important Robotyne area in the Zaporizhzhia region, a key Russian strongpoint that Ukraine needs to retake in order to continue pushing south towards Melitopol.



"There are liberated territories. The defense forces are working," General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraine's southern forces, said of the southern front.



Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the over 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line as Ukraine wages a counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons and Western-trained troops against Russian forces who invaded nearly 18 months ago.



Ukrainian troops have made only incremental gains since launching a counteroffensive in early June.



In Russia, local officials reported on Sunday that air defense systems shot down three drones over the Belgorod region and one over the neighboring Kursk region, both of which border Ukraine.



Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian border regions are a fairly regular occurrence. Drone attacks deeper inside Russian territory have been on the rise since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. In recent weeks, attacks have increased both on Moscow and on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014  a move that most of the world considered illegal.



Firing drones at Russia, after more than 17 months of war, has little apparent military value for Ukraine but the strategy has served to unsettle Russians and bring home to them the conflict's consequences.



The Wagner mercenary group has played a key role in Russia's military campaign, but there is a "realistic possibility" that the Kremlin is no longer providing funding, according to British defense officials.



In its latest intelligence briefing, the Ministry of Defense said it believed Wagner was "likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process" in order to save money, and that the Kremlin had "acted against some other business interests" of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. The officials assessed that Belarusian authorities were the "second most plausible paymasters."



Thousands of Wagner fighters arrived in Russian-allied Belarus under a deal that ended their armed rebellion in late June and allowed them and Prigozhin to avoid criminal charges. (AP)




A entrepreneurial mum has grown her makeup business into a multimillion-dollar beauty empire in just three years.

Hilary Holmes established two brands, Hilary Holmes Makeup and Holme Beauty, after her love for makeup started in high school to mask teenage insecurities and provide an escape from her tumultuous home life.

After working for 15 years as a makeup artist in Australia and the UK, the 39-year-old learned how important it is to see and celebrate each client's unique beauty, an ideology she brings to the forefront of her brands' ethos.

Hilary Holmes Makeup provides masterclasses in her Melbourne salon. With Holme Beauty, Hilary and her team have developed a small-but-specialised range of products that have been flying off the shelves since launching in 2021.

Throughout her life, Hilary, from Melbourne, has grown from strength to strength in the face of adversity, having battled with her weight and body image as well as post traumatic stress disorder.

In spite of her struggles, Hilary has worked hard to build a beauty business that goes against the grain, all the while raising her two children, Adelaide, five and Obie, two, with her husband-of-nine-years, Ben.

Hilary Holmes (pictured) established two beauty brands after her love for makeup started in school to mask teenage insecurities and provide an escape from her tumultuous home life

Through Holme Beauty, Hilary and her team have developed a small-but-specialised range of products that have been flying off the shelves since launching in 2021

'I found makeup very similar to how most people find makeup and that was in the thick of teenage years not feeling very good about yourself and feeling you need to fit in with everyone else,' Hilary told FEMAIL.

'I found it initially because I was so insecure. I was quite overweight and I had no friends. It was a tough period but then I swung quite quickly into how creative makeup allowed me to be.'

Hilary Holmes' 'real girl' beauty and makeup morning routine First, I apply cleanser, serum, moisturise, sunscreen. I really just shove it on, you can be intentional all you like and massage and do all the things but if I'm being real just shove that on. Then I use Holme Beauty base primer in two tones. I use my skin tone all over my face then a darker shade on my contour areas. I apply a bit of concealer under my eyes, a swipe of blush on my cheeks, a slap of mascara and finish with a bit of lipstick. I use the setting spray religiously. I don't touch up ever. It's designed to lock in the makeup and help with the longevity Advertisement

At the time, Hilary was in her final year of school, being bullied for her weight and would rather explore the makeup counters at department stores and beauty shops instead of going to her mum's home where she sometimes lived with three siblings.

'My parents divorced when I was very young,' she said.

'I had quite a tumultuous living environment so I was out a lot and I found myself hanging out in the CBD before and after classes,' she said.

Hilary found solace immersing herself in the glamorous cosmetic displays and would occasionally be able to afford a small eye shadow pigment for herself.

She even still has a pearly-pink pigment from Napoleon Perdis, where she spent many hours, in her makeup bag today 20 years later.

'The fashion industry didn't have me because I was so much bigger, I couldn't walk around and try on clothes, so I felt like makeup was that one thing that didn't discriminate based on my size and allowed me to play with it,' she said.

Once Hilary left school, she moved out of home and enrolled at university where she studied agricultural science and would use makeup to express herself at the numerous social events that often go hand-in-hand with student life.

After graduating, she tried to find a job as a makeup artist, but being self-taught no one would take her on, so she made the move to London where she quickly found work.

'It was a bit of a culture shock going over there because I went from really white Australia, not knowing about different communities and religions, to smack-bang in the middle on London,' Hilary recalled.

'I was really craving uniqueness. In Australia there was, and still is, an obsession around being blonde, tanned, and that never spoke to me.'

After graduating uni, Hilary tried to find a job as a makeup artist, but being self-taught no one would take her on, so she made the move to London where she quickly found work

'When I went over there, it was great to see a kaleidoscope of people and viewpoints and skin tones and makeup looks.'

Hilary found another job with a well-known cosmetic brand where she underwent a training program and learned the tricks of the trade from a 'plethora of creative artists'.

'Because I'm self-taught I really extended myself to see what different artists did. I watched and evaluated how they did things and I adapted myself to take on different bits from everyone,' she said.

'The way I learned was by watching, seeing, listening and doing, as opposed to being shown in an educational format.'

Hilary worked for the same company for seven years between the UK and Australia, where she spoke to countless clients about their beauty needs.

Knowing she didn't want to work in retail her whole life, Hilary broke away and started freelancing, bringing all the lessons she had learned over the years with her

'It started my obsession with seeing past the retail, service-based situation to actually really listening and understanding and seeing individuals in terms of what they were looking for, how they wanted to feel and what they needed from me to know how phenomenal they were,' she said.

Knowing she didn't want to work in retail her whole life, Hilary broke away and started freelancing, bringing all the lessons she had learned over the years with her.

Hilary's people-focused mentality spoke to her clients and business boomed.

She founded Hilary Holme Beauty in 2016, opening her very first salon in Geelong, then another in South Melbourne.

Throughout the years, while freelancing and running her salon, Hilary gave birth to her daughter, which brought up unresolved trauma from her childhood.

'From the outside people saw me as this very vivacious, very smiley, loud, outspoken person, but internally I had a world going on that was deep and dark,' she said.

She founded Hilary Holme Beauty in 2016, opening her very first salon in Geelong, then another in South Melbourne

'I got married and felt safety in that so it allowed me to explore areas that I hadn't been able to, but then I got pregnant and gave birth to my beautiful little girl, unfortunately that flushed up all of my PTSD.

'When you are a young girl who's been mistreated, then you give birth to another little girl, all the things that happened I saw what could potentially happen to Adelaide, so it was a lot to manage.'

Hilary's weight issues were also holding her confidence back and she opted to have bariatric surgery in the same year she opened the salon, which saw her shed 50kg but also raised several new issues.

'I saw myself go from undesired and unappreciated in society to very swiftly I was able to fit into a standard size range and people treated me very, very differently,' she said.

The pandemic 'shut her entire business down' but Hilary spent her time focusing on being mum, welcoming her second child Odie, as well as launching Holme Beauty in July 2021

'It's been transformative but it's come with a lot of backlash and health problems. I'm tired from working on my body; it's been a tough eight years.'

Nevertheless, she persisted, having 'fallen in love' with her new solo venture before Covid hit.

The pandemic 'shut her entire business down' but Hilary spent her time focusing on being mum, welcoming her second child Obie, as well as launching Holme Beauty in July 2021.

'I'm a makeup artist, I'm a perfectionist and I have a science background. I want to create a product that's absolutely phenomenal, performs incredibly, looks amazing on the skin and is great for skin health,' she said.

Through Holme Beauty, Hilary and her team developed a small range of quality and affordable items including base primers, a setting spray, highlighters, lip glosses, blushes and brushes and accessories.

Hilary wanted to set Holme Beauty apart from other brands and flip the dynamic by creating the high quality, easy-to-use and luxurious products she knew customers her were looking for.

Through Holme Beauty, Hilary and her team developed a small range of quality and affordable items including base primers, a setting spray, highlighters, lip glosses and blushes

'A lot of brands come from the angle of, 'We are the leaders, we are the aspirational ones, we are the dictators of what we do, we're going to put something out and we'll tell you you want it',' she said.

'I want it to be based upon talking, seeing and hearing the everyday person. We can still be aspirational, luxe, beautiful and gorgeous but what do you want? What are you looking for? What are you trying to achieve?'

The $65 base primer come in five shades and has been a huge hit with Holme customers.

Customers have even been wearing the primer, which is meant to create a solid base for makeup, by itself to give themselves a glowing complexion.

'Once you start using it, you can't not have it in your routine,' Hilary said.

The $64 base primer come in five shades and has been a huge hit with Holme customers. Many have even been wearing the primer by itself to give themselves a glowing complexion

Shoppers have been using her products in a range of different ways. Many swipe the highlighter over their eyelids for extra shimmer and apply the Holme blushes on their lips

She said the primer is one of many 'happy mistakes' she has discovered since developing her own makeup line as shoppers have been using her products in a range of different ways.

Many swipe the highlighter over their eyelids for extra shimmer and apply the Holme blushes on their lips.

Hilary loves hearing feedback and even tear-jerking messages from her customers which make her vision for a successful beauty brand that empowers people closer to reality.

'It's about enabling people to understand how stunning and how incredible they are and focus on the face they have, to want to show that off as opposed to trying to emulate another beauty standard they can't achieve,' she said.

Hilary loves hearing feedback and even tear-jerking messages from her customers which make her vision for a successful beauty brand that empowers people closer to reality

Holme Beauty is showing no signs of slowing with revenue going fro $600,000 to $3.6million in just three years

'You're born with this face and you die with this face. If you spend your whole life hating it, you've done something you cannot change, you'll spend your entire life hating something that's actually magnificent.'

Holme Beauty is showing no signs of slowing with revenue going from $600,000 to $3.6million in just three years.

Hilary's team has tripled in the last few months and they have a staggering 66 per cent return customer rate so she knows she onto a good thing.

'It sounds funny but so many people are driven by money and fame and fortune, I don't care for any of that, I just care about making this a difference,' she said.

'If I've been able to change someone's perspective on themselves in such a dramatic and monumental way, then I couldn't be any more proud of the work that I do.'
Doctors ignored her pain, fatigue and weight loss for months

For four months, Eva Casey was told the excruciating pain she felt radiating from beneath her right ribcage was 'all in her head'.

GPs, hospital staff and specialists all turned her away - some with a packet of strong, heavily restricted opioid pain killers and others with a roll of the eye, quips about going to therapy or scripts for antidepressants.

One even admitted he thought the 36-year-old probably had an eating disorder and was making excuses to avoid eating.

But they were wrong.

And two weeks ago the Irish-born dental assistant, who had just lived the 'best year of her life' in Australia, was diagnosed with gastric cancer.

The young woman had been sent home from hospital for four months in a row - before telling her fiance Kaillan she would stay until someone took her seriously

Eva Casey was diagnosed with cancer after going to hospital in July 20

Eva is relieved to finally know wat's causing her pain but told FEMAIL she is furious so many medical professionals ignored her calls for help.

In just four months Eva went from working out with her Crossfit community every day to being in so much pain she could barely get out of bed.

The once energetic, gymnastics obsessed young woman felt tired for the first time in her life and lost 16 kilos, dropping to just 39kg.

'As soon as the PET scan tech came over and told me a few areas had lit up I knew it was cancer,' she said.

Further investigations showed the cancer restricting flow from the stomach to the small intestine.

'I had been telling doctors it hurt to eat, it was like a stabbing pain, and now we know it was because my stomach was actually closed off,' she said.

Eva's symptoms started four months ago - she started feeling pain at night, was tired, stopped performing at the gym and lost a lot of weight

Eva went from being fit and heathy to losing 16 kilos and dropping to just 39kilos

She can't wait to be healthy enough to return to the gym where she met her partner and built a strong Australian community

Eva started feeling the stabbing pain in February - at first it was just at night and she assumed she had been eating too late.

But then she started feeling sluggish at the gym, and the pain slowly became more and more acute.

By March she couldn't sleep and was starting to feel the pain throughout the day.

Doctors had told her she had low iron and also told her there was nothing else to worry about.

'They gave me every pain killer, Tramadol, Endone. But they weren't doing anything. I don't even take Panadol usually. I couldn't understand why they weren't getting to the root of the problem.'

Eva will now go through chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to try to get rid of the disease

Her mum and dad were in Australia when she was diagnosed

'I didn't want to take them and then when I did they had no effect,' she said.

Eva went to three different hospitals across Perth before landing in the waiting room at a fourth.

'I told my partner that I wasn't going to leave until I got answers,' she said.

But she didn't have to push that hard - the doctor who saw her was happy to investigate her symptoms.

Eva's mum and dad were in Australia when she was diagnosed after flying out to help support her when they realised she was sick and unable to get help.

Her current medical team also don't understand why she was turned away so often when she had all of the classical symptoms of cancer.

'My pain specialist asked one of the doctors I had been to previously why they hadn't taken the weight loss and pain more seriously and they said because they thought I was just anorexic,' she said.

Eva hopes to return to her happy, healthy self soon

Others said they though the young woman was stressed.

But she said she has nothing to be stressed about. In fact 2022 was the 'best year of her life' and she assumed 2023 would follow suit.

She met her fiance at the gym, decided to stay in Australia, got engaged, adopted a dog and started building a house.

'I was fit and healthy and happy, I have never had mental health concerns, and I have never really ever been sick.'

Eva has started eating again, using a feeding tube, to get her body working.

She has also started chemotherapy and is expecting to go through radiotherapy and surgery to beat the disease.

Her friends and family have set up a Go Fund Me to help her pay her medical bills as she won't be able to work for the foreseeable future.

'I just want to say if you think something is wrong then push, make them do the tests,' she said.

Eva and Kaillan were due to get married in November but have had to cancel their plans.

'I just hope we will have the chance to do it in the future,' she said.
Polio paralysis emerged again in New York last July for the first time since 1990

Lockdowns stopped viruses from circling as they would have done in the past

Now that the dust has settled on Covid, experts are warning that the fallout from the pandemic might kill more people than the virus ever did.

Increasingly, evidence shows that lockdowns, mask mandates, school closures and canceled hospital appointments triggered a mental health crisis, robbed children of vital learning and created a ticking time bomb scenario for cancer and heart disease patients.

But those pandemic measures appear to have made the US population more vulnerable to pathogens  both old foes, novel viruses and even ancient diseases thought to have been resigned to history.

A hepatitis outbreak in 2021 was linked to lower immunity due to less social mixing during the Covid pandemic, killing 22 children. It was linked to a virus that, before lockdowns, rarely caused sickness in people.

Not mixing socially meant no exposure to common germs, which train the immune system to fight off future infections. It is crucial for everyone but particularly children.

There is evidence to suggest leprosy may be becoming endemic in the southeastern US. Meanwhile, there has been the first US outbreak of polio since 1990 after a case emerged in New York. Missed vaccines due to Covid shot misinformation have allowed measles to return, with an outbreak in Ohio children last December. In 2022, an outbreak of monkeypox sparked fears of a new pandemic

Cases of polio are reappearing in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Malawi, while Nigeria accounts for more than half of all cases of polio

A surge in leprosy cases, a chronic bacterial infection, was also pinned on lockdowns, as they led to fewer cases being picked up. The rise in Florida was the first-time leprosy cases peaked since 1983.

And childhood vaccination rates across the US plummeted from 66 percent to 50 percent during the pandemic  blamed on a mixture of vaccine hesitancy caused by concern about the Covid jabs and hospitals going down to reduced capacity.

The result is that children are left without the natural armor to defend against new viruses their immune system encounters.

Why are polio vaccine rates dwindling? Officially eradicated in the US in 1979, polio has crept back in since the pandemic. New York declared an emergency after an unvaccinated man in his 20s was diagnosed with polio paralysis in July last year. Before then, the last time someone was paralyzed by the disease in New York was in 1990. So, why are vaccination rates falling across the board? Complacency Many experts believe we have 'forgotten' the horrors of now-eradicated diseases that were once devastating to society. Some parents have become complacent and no longer view the disease as a 'concern' to their child, according to Professor David Heymann, an infectious disease expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Polio hasn't caused an outbreak in the US since 1955, which means millions of Americans have never encountered the virus. According to the WHO, 23 million children globally missed out on basic vaccines through routine immunization services in 2020  3.7 million more than in 2019. Stay at home Covid messaging Experts have also warned that telling the public to stay at home during Covid contributed to a fall in uptake. Rise in vaccine hesitancy There was a rise in the anti-vax movement before Covid, but the push to get everyone vaccinated against that virus has fueled the problem. Conspiracy theories and fake news about vaccines proliferated on social media throughout the pandemic, gaining more traction than ever before. Skepticism about the Covid vaccines is believed to have eroded confidence in other traditional jabs. Advertisement

Leprosy

Leprosy is a disease caused by a slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae.

A lack of tests and appointments during the pandemic allowed the virus to spread unchecked.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the pandemic hindered programs that would have reduced leprosy, leading to a 37 percent reduction in case detection between 2019 and 2020.

Recently, Florida has seen a massive surge in leprosy cases, with rising evidence suggesting the disease is becoming endemic in the southeastern United States.

The CDC reported 159 new cases in 2020, with almost a fifth coming from central Florida.

The illness is renowned for being extremely slow to develop. The bacteria reproduce slowly, and people may not develop symptoms for decades after exposure.

The average time from exposure to symptom appearance is around five years, but some people may not develop signs for more than 20 years after coming into contact with the bacteria.

Symptoms of leprosy include patches of discolored skin, numbness, muscle weakness, eye problems, nosebleeds and ulcers on the soles of the feet.

More than 200,000 people are thought to be diagnosed with the disease worldwide annually, with 60 percent of cases in India.

Measles

Measles  one of the most contagious yet preventable diseases  previously caused epidemics every few years and Is responsible for two million deaths, mostly children.

The US was declared measles-free in 2000, meaning it had eliminated endemic measles transmission for at least a year.

Measles is so contagious that around 95 percent of the population must be vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

MMR coverage was at just 93 percent nationally among kindergarteners this year.

Since the start of the Covid pandemic, vaccination coverage for measles has been consistently dropping.

According to the CDC, a record high of almost 40 million children missed their measles vaccine in 2021.

Misinformation surrounding Covid vaccines spooked parents, causing them to reject normal childhood shots, despite immunizations being the most effective way to protect children from measles.

Schools were also shut, meaning vaccinators could not do their usual shots in term time.

The drop is a blow to worldwide efforts to eliminate the virus, leaving millions of young children vulnerable to infection and death.

In the past few years, the UK, Greece, the Czech Republic and Albania have all lost their measles-free status.

The first signs of a measles infection are cold-like symptoms, including a high temperature, a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a cough and red, sore and watery eyes.

A rash, made up of raised red blotchy patches that join together, usually appears on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.

Polio

The US suffered its first case of person-to-person transmission last year in three decades.

While cases had been detected since then, they all linked back to countries where the virus is endemic, like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Polio vaccine coverage in the US has declined in recent years to less than 95 percent coverage - above the 80 percent needed for herd immunity. But in poorer parts of the country, coverage is as low as 37 percent.

Global panic ensued when New York declared a state of emergency after an unvaccinated man in his 20s was diagnosed with polio paralysis in July last year.

He had a strain linked to a live vaccine, which suggests the virus originated outside of the US.

Officials detected polio in sewage 70 times in New York, and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report revealed the virus may have been circulating in New York as early as April 2022.

It is the first time of onward spread since 1993.

Experts are still unsure what exactly triggered the virus' return, but lockdown is a wildly held theory, as is lower vaccine rates.

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, typically in the legs.

Many scientists believe that, after decades of successful take-up of the polio shot, an increasing number of families turned down the chance to get their children vaccinated due to fear and misinformation, leaving them exposed to infection.

The WHO reported that compared to 2019, 6.7 million more children missed the third dose of polio vaccine.

Vaccine hesitancy is thought to be a factor. Limited access to vaccines exacerbated the problem, as it became harder to get them during lockdown.

New York was forced to declare an emergency after a vaccination campaign did not increase rates.

The above graph shows leprosy cases in the US by year over the last decade

The graph shows the number of monkeypox cases reported to the CDC during 2022. The national outbreak of the virus exploded since the first case was detected in Boston in late May 2022. In 2023, the number of cases per day has remained below 15

The US had 30,671 monkeypox cases as of August 9, 2023. California was hit the hardest with 5,808 cases

Monkeypox

While the reason for the monkeypox outbreak of 2022 is unclear, the timing was suspicious. It came just as the world emerged from pandemic lockdowns and began to drop social restrictions.

The monkeypox virus had only sporadically been detected in the US, but then the nation became the epicenter of a global outbreak, with 30,00 of the world's 86,000 cases in America.

Monkeypox is thought to have been able to spread among Americans due to waning immunity against smallpox, a virus from the same pox family.

Routine vaccination of the American public against smallpox stopped in 1972 after that disease was eradicated.

Hepatitis A has been on the rise since 2017 because of outbreaks among drug users and people experiencing homelessness, as well as men who have sex with men, the CDC said

The graph shows the global distribution of severe hepatitis cases in young children, as of May 31, 2022. Cases are highest in the UK and US due to lockdowns preventing children from building up natural immunity to the virus

Hepatitis

A global outbreak of hepatitis cases in young children exploded at the end of 2021, sickening over 1,000 people in 35 countries.

Nearly 50 children required liver transplants worldwide, and 22 died.

Most cases were spotted in kids younger than five years old, who suffered diarrhea and nausea before developing jaundice  yellowing of the skin and eyes.

Scientists initially struggled to identify the cause of the surge in cases but ultimately linked it to lockdown.

Researchers pinpointed a usually-harmless virus as being the main culprit for the liver illness.

Two separate studies concluded that adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) played a 'significant role'.

In May 2023, the UK government confirmed that the majority of cases were due to adenoviruses.

The virus, which does not normally cause any illness, cannot replicate without a 'helper' pathogen, such as an adenovirus  which usually just causes cold-like symptoms.

Adenoviruses surged alongside the hepatitis outbreak, which experts believe is because children had weaker immunity upon their return to a pre-pandemic world.

Adenoviruses usually cause respiratory illnesses such as the common cold, bronchitis and pneumonia.

If you caught it before Covid, there was a higher chance of nothing happening because of the general broader immunity to the virus family.

Dr Antonia Ho, lead author of studies investigating the cause of lockdowns on global health from MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, said Covid lockdowns and restrictions led to 'reduced circulation of seasonal viruses.'

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that is usually caused by a viral infection or liver damage from drinking alcohol.

Some cases resolve themselves, with no ongoing issues, but a fraction can be deadly, forcing patients to need liver transplants to survive.

Cases of the flu surged during the 2022-23 season, thought to be due to lower immunity because of lockdowns

Super Colds

Along with more serious diseases, Covid restrictions dramatically reduced immunity to even the regular flu and cold.

In March, a 'super cold' broke out in Australia as health experts warned of more respiratory illnesses as the country reopened.

The super cold first appeared in the UK in November 2021, with victims suffering flu-like or Covid-like symptoms but repeatedly testing negative for Covid. The super cold can be difficult to differentiate from the Omicron strain of Covid-19.

It was likely no worse than a normal cold but hit people harder due to a lack of immunity driven by lockdowns.

Experts say the exacerbated illness is due to immune systems being overwhelmed with new germs after being sheltered in an almost two-year isolation period.

The super cold usually involves an extremely sore throat, a hacking cough and migraines, and similar symptoms to Covid such as aches, pains, fever and fatigue.

Americans were hit with a severe 2022-2023 flu season, making up one part of a 'tripledemic' of Covid, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Experts have pointed to lockdowns, mask mandates and other pandemic orders over the past few years as reasons why the flu season was worse than those past.

It was the worst flu season America has suffered since the swine flu pandemic of 2009 - and at one point in December 2022, hospitals were more full than they had ever been during the pandemic.

According to the CDC estimates, there were more than 54 million illnesses and up to 58,000 deaths due to the flu during the 2022-23 season.
It could lead to decreased death anxiety and improved happiness

Death meditation is a wellness practice about coming to terms with death

One of the latest wellness trends has people wrapping themselves up as mummies and picturing their dead bodies to imagine and come to terms with their eventual death.

Death meditation, a mindfulness meditation practice centered around thoughts of a person's death, has taken social media by storm, with 2.5 million views on TikTok and 3,000 posts on Instagram.

Additionally, classes aimed at making practitioners feel at peace about dying have popped up in major cities like New York and Los Angeles.

While the practice seems new, it has ancient roots.

There are several types of death meditation, and some are based on particular Buddhist traditions. One of these is maranasati, or mindfulness of death, which reminds practitioners they could die at any moment and should be prepared.

One death meditation practice involves visualizing the body's inevitable decay to let go of attachments to the material world. In some more intense sessions, participants wrap themselves in white sheets to make themselves look and feel like mummies

Maranasati teaches that death is not a scary concept, rather it is a natural process, and thinking about it can lead to a more positive outlook.

Another death meditation practice involves visualizing the body's inevitable decay to let go of attachments to the material world.

In some more intense sessions, participants wrap themselves in white sheets to make themselves look and feel like mummies or they will write their own eulogies to read out loud to a group.

One class was advertised on Instagram as 'a breath-guided meditation intended to contemplate death in many forms.'

While some methods may be more extreme, death meditation can take a lighter approach, such as imagining details about key moments in your life, such as who was there, how you felt, what it smelled like, and what it sounded like.

'It's amazing for people that have anxiety related to death and dying and intrusive thoughts related to it,' Dr Carolyn Rubenstein, a licensed psychologist in Florida, told DailyMail.com.

This is because death meditation can be a form of exposure therapy, a technique meant to help overcome fears and anxieties by forcing patients to confront them.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a popular form of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment. The practice involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress. It is often touted as a universal tool for boosting mental well-being by reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Mindfulness has become popular in recent years as a way to improve mental and physical well-being. Celebrities endorsing it include Emma Watson, Davina McCall, Angelina Jolie and Oprah Winfrey. Advertisement

'It doesn't mean that you have no fear or no anxiety, but you're able to look at [death] through both the lenses of emotion and logic...so that you are able to focus on the present moment and what's happening right now,' Dr Rubenstein said.

Research suggests that death anxiety, known as thanatophobia, has become more prevalent since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A study of Lebanese patients published last year in PLOS One found death anxiety was the most common form of fear related to the pandemic.

Additionally, a Chinese study published in March found elderly patients aged anywhere from 60 to 96 were most likely to experience death anxiety during the pandemic.

'People are more willing to talk about [death anxiety]. People are sharing, whereas I think in the past people were more hesitant to share that fear,' Dr Rubenstein said.

'Especially with Covid, spirituality and a sense of connection, especially for yourself, became something that people focused on a lot more.'

Opening a dialogue about these fears helps people learn to acknowledge them.

Another study from the University of Kentucky suggested contemplating death could lead to increased happiness.

'Thinking about death fosters an orientation toward emotionally pleasant stimuli,' study authors Dr Nathan DeWall and Dr Roy Baumeister wrote.

Dr Rubenstein does not recommend people with severe depression or suicidal ideation practice death meditation.

'You don't want to increase the thoughts related to death and dying and becoming been more comfortable with it for someone who's already feeling kind of close to that,' she said.

She does suggest easing into the practice slowly rather than immediately wrapping yourself in a white sheet to look like a mummy. She recommends picturing death as a part of nature's circle of life or starting with remembering pets who have passed away since their lifespans are shorter.

From there, consider your own death.

'You recognize that death is a real thing,' Dr Rubenstein said.

'We're not immortal, and having that recognition is important so that you make the most of today.'
SPICY KING PRAWNS

It's the simple ingredients that bring so much joy to this prawn dish and, when cooked on a barbecue, the flavour deepens with all the smokiness added to it

It's the simple ingredients that bring so much joy to this prawn dish and, when cooked on a barbecue, the flavour deepens with all the smokiness added to it.

SERVES 4

12 raw king prawns

grilled lemon halves, for squeezing

FOR THE MARINADE

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

big pinch of salt

 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 tsp pomegranate powder (available from spicemountain.co.uk)

 tsp chilli powder

1 red chilli, finely chopped

To prepare the prawns, peel off the shells, keeping the heads and tails intact, and de-vein them. (If you prefer, you can remove the heads and tails, but retaining them makes cooking on the barbecue much easier.)

Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place the prawns in the marinade, cover the bowl and leave them to marinate for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.

Light the barbecue. Once the coals are ready for cooking, place the prawns on the barbecue grill. (If you removed the heads and tails, you might want to skewer the prawns to make them easier to handle.)

Grill for roughly 2 minutes on each side until cooked through. (Alternatively, cook the prawns in a frying pan over a medium heat for roughly 2 minutes on each side.) Serve with grilled lemon halves for squeezing.

PANEER SKEWERS

Paneer is a great flavour carrier. In this recipe, its plainness is the perfect base for the blend of spices, which is mixed with yogurt and gram flour to keep the paneer moist

Paneer is a great flavour carrier. In this recipe, its plainness is the perfect base for the blend of spices, which is mixed with yogurt and gram flour to keep the paneer moist.

SERVES 4

1 red onion, cut into chunks

1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 green pepper, cored, deseeded and cut into chunks

225g paneer, cubed

sunflower oil, for brushing

lemon wedges, for squeezing

naan, to serve (optional)

FOR THE MARINADE

3 tbsp gram flour

150ml natural yogurt

 tsp salt

1 tsp amchur (mango powder, see note, right)

1 tsp garam masala

 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

TO FINISH

2 tbsp ghee

1 tsp chilli flakes

 tsp chaat masala (see note)

First, soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes (this stops them from burning). Next, make the marinade. Toast the gram flour in a pan over a low heat for 2 minutes until it begins to change colour. Transfer the toasted flour to a bowl with the remaining marinade ingredients and mix well.

Light the barbecue. While the coals are heating, prepare the skewers. Put the onion, peppers and paneer into the marinade and gently coat them with the mix. Thread the onion, pepper and paneer pieces on to the skewers and brush them with the sunflower oil.

Place the paneer and vegetable skewers on the barbecue grill and cook for 6-8 minutes, turning them occasionally so that the vegetable chunks and paneer cubes are charred all over. When they are done, put them on a serving plate. (Alternatively, cook the unskewered marinated vegetables and paneer in a frying pan in some oil for 4-5 minutes until golden.)

To finish, melt the ghee in a small pan over a low heat, then remove it from the heat. Stir in the chilli flakes and chaat masala, then pour the mixture over the skewers and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing and naan on the side, if liked.

NOTE Chaat masala is a sharp and tangy spice mix. It is, along with the amchur, available from Waitrose and spicemountain.co.uk

CHICKPEA SALAD

I like salads with bite, and this one has tons. The chaat masala adds heat as well as sourness, and the refreshing dressing binds all the elements together

I like salads with bite, and this one has tons. The chaat masala adds heat as well as sourness, and the refreshing dressing binds all the elements together.

SERVES 4

2 tbsp rapeseed oil H 1 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli, finely chopped H  tsp salt

2 tsp chaat masala (see note, below right)

2 x 400g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cucumber, roughly chopped

1 red onion, roughly chopped

1 little gem lettuce, roughly chopped

FOR THE DRESSING

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

10-12 mint leaves, finely chopped

pinch of salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the cumin seeds and green chilli. Let them sizzle for a few seconds then reduce the heat to low. Mix in the salt and chaat masala, followed by the chickpeas. Cook over a high heat for 5 minutes until the chickpeas are slightly crispy. Transfer to a serving bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.

Once the chickpeas have cooled, add the cucumber, onion and lettuce to the bowl.

Put the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve immediately.

NOTE Chaat masala is a sharp and tangy spice mix. It is available from Waitrose and spicemountain.co.uk.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SALAD

You can also serve the spiced cauliflower alongside a main meal, or use it as a filling in wraps or sandwiches, as well as pastry

A humble vegetable is transformed into something spectacular in this delicious salad. The spiced roasted cauliflower combines well with fresh coriander, peanuts and a simple dressing. Enjoy it warm or let the cauliflower cool down and have it at room temperature. You can also serve the spiced cauliflower alongside a main meal, or use it as a filling in wraps or sandwiches, as well as pastry.

SERVES 2

1 small cauliflower with leaves retained, cut into pieces

1 red onion, cut into chunks

 tsp salt

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp chaat masala (see note)

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

2 tbsp blanched peanuts

1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped

handful of coriander, finely chopped

FOR THE DRESSING

2 tbsp olive oil

 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp honey

pinch of salt

pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the cauliflower and onion into a roasting tin, then sprinkle the salt, chilli powder and chaat masala on top. Drizzle over the oil. Mix it all up and ensure the veg is coated well in the oil and spices.

Roast the cauliflower and onion for 20 minutes, then remove the roasting tin from the oven and give the vegetables a good stir. Return the tin to the oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through.

Meanwhile, put the peanuts into a small frying pan and toast them over a low heat for 3-4 minutes until golden and crunchy. Now roughly crush the toasted peanuts using a pestle and mortar.

Put the roasted cauliflower and onion into a large bowl. Add the crushed peanuts, spring onions and coriander.

For the dressing, combine the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve immediately.

NOTE Chaat masala is a sharp and tangy spice mix. It is available from Waitrose and spicemountain.co.uk.

MASALA SPATCHCOCK CHICKEN

You could use this marinade for a whole chicken or pieces, too  just adjust the cooking times accordingly (you'll need more time for a whole chicken, less for chicken pieces)

All the basic ground spices from your cupboard go into this dish. I use spatchcock chicken on the barbecue, as it cooks evenly and faster than a whole one. You could use this marinade for a whole chicken or pieces, too  just adjust the cooking times accordingly (you'll need more time for a whole chicken, less for chicken pieces). I serve this with tamarind-marinated grilled potatoes.

SERVES 4

1 spatchcock chicken, around 1kg-1.5kg

FOR THE MARINADE

2.5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

6 garlic cloves, grated

2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp salt

2 tsp garam masala

 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin H 2 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl. Put the chicken in a baking tin, then spread the marinade all over the chicken. Make sure you cover both the top and underside.

Cover with foil and leave to marinate for as long as you can in the refrigerator  at least an hour, preferably overnight.

Light the barbecue and, when it is ready, place the chicken on the barbecue grill. Cover and leave to cook for 25 minutes before turning it over. Grill for a further 25 minutes or until done (check by inserting a knife into the thigh  if the juices run clear, then the chicken is cooked).

Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a serving plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Alternatively, cook the marinated spatchcock chicken in an oven preheated to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 50-60 minutes or until done.

ROAST TOMATO RAITA

There are so many layers of flavours in this simple dish of charred tomatoes sitting on a bed of spiced thickened yogurt

There are so many layers of flavours in this simple dish of charred tomatoes sitting on a bed of spiced thickened yogurt. The sum is truly greater than the parts.

SERVES 4

500ml natural yogurt

8 tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp sunflower oil, for brushing

 tsp salt

 tsp chilli powder

FOR THE TADKA GARNIS

2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

1 tsp mustard seeds

10 fresh curry leaves

Pour the yogurt into a square of muslin, tie it to a wooden spoon, then rest the spoon across the rim of a deep pan so that the bundle of yogurt is suspended within the pan. Leave for 1 hour to allow excess liquid to drain from the yogurt into the pan.

Light the barbecue. Once the coals are ready, brush the tomatoes with the oil and place them on the barbecue grill. Cook for 5-10 minutes until roasted on the underside. Now turn the tomatoes over and cook for another 5 minutes until roasted all over. (Alternatively, cook them in a hot frying pan until golden.)

Remove the yogurt from the muslin, add half the salt and half the chilli powder and mix well. Spread the yogurt on a serving plate, then arrange the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle over the remaining salt and chilli powder and set aside.

To make the tadka garnish, heat the ghee in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the mixture begins to sizzle, pour it over the tomatoes and yogurt and serve.

NOW BUY THE BOOK

Our recipes are from Chetna's Indian Feasts by Chetna Makan, with photographs by Nassima Rothacker, which will be published by Hamlyn on 17 August, 26. To pre-order a copy for 22.10 until 27 August, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25.
Fraudsters are now prepared to play the long game in their latest despicable bid to prise cash from vulnerable people.

In one case, a scammer conducted a WhatsApp conversation with an elderly woman that lasted four days while pretending to be her daughter, before conning her into transferring 3,500 believing it was to pay for a desperately needed laptop.

And now finance experts have issued new warnings after over 'Hi mum' scams after she narrowly avoided having her savings raided - only being saved by an automated bank check.

The victim, who asked not to named, revealed she felt like an 'utter fool, and completely violated' after she was convinced to loan her 'daughter' 3,385.58 for a new Apple MacBook so she could access online banking.

Unscrupulous scammers posing as the children of their potential victims email hundreds of targets with a text or WhatsApp message claiming that they have a new number because they have lost or broken their phone.

Fraudsters are now prepared to play the long game in their latest despicable bid to prise cash from vulnerable people with 'Hi mum' scams. In one case, a scammer conducted a WhatsApp conversation with an elderly woman that lasted four days while pretending to be her daughter, before conning her into transferring 3,500 to pay for a desperately needed laptop

Then over several days, the scammer will affirm the idea that they are talking to their 'child' with innocent texts, even answering calls with static noises saying the microphone is broken on their spare phone.

Cyber security expert Professor Steven Murdoch warned Britons to be wary of these convincing 'Hi mum' cons, which are a type of Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam.

APP scams are when someone is tricked into sending money to a fraudster posing as a genuine payee, according to the Payment Systems Regulator.

The professor of security engineering at University College London told MailOnline: 'A common strategy is to make it urgent. Something terrible is happening and if you do not pay it is something worse will. It puts people under pressure and makes people not think.'

He said the 'Hi mum' scam works slightly differently as 'this one is over several days and last part is indicating urgency - but building trust over long period is different'.

Scammers used to more frequently 'spoof' numbers, making an incoming call look like it is a known number, but Prof Murdoch said that this is becoming less common as phone companies have taken steps to prevent this.

He added: 'All banks have automated checks but how well they work will vary and they will not reveal publicly how they work as if people knew it would be easier to bypass.

'Some of these systems are not as sophisticated as some people assume - it's not often an advanced machine learning algorithm.'

He said experts create simple rules such as a transaction being flagged if it is to a new account and more than a certain amount - but that if criminals knew that amount they would ask for one penny less.

Offering advice to anyone worried about scams like 'Hi mum', Prof Murdoch said: 'Take time to do anything and be very sceptical of anyone who says you have to act with urgency. If you are not sure, you should slow down and ask for help from someone you trust or call your bank.

Cyber security expert Professor Steven Murdoch warned Britons to be weary of 'hi mum' scams, which is a type of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud

Fortunately, Barclays put a block on the victim's account, saving her money from the fraudster

'If the banks give advice that works out badly they will reimburse you.'

He added that it was hard to give 'universal advice' as the nature of scams is constantly changing, but said that ;finding a way to talk to this person would have been a good idea' but that criminals can use voice deepfakes to impersonate people.

The victim told MailOnline she received a text from an unrecognised number saying: 'Hi Mum, I am an idiot I have dropped my phone and screen is smashed so am using my old phone, can you message me on this number so I know you have received it!'

The woman responded: 'Hi  yes I have it'

Her 'child' replied: 'Great  I am just transferring all the data from my broken phone onto this one.'

She received no texts the next day, but a day after they had a text asking: 'Hey, are you busy?'

The victim replied: 'Just got back from a nice lunch with Jane[a friend]  I am available now.'

She then tried to call her 'daughter' but only heard crackling noises at the other end.

The scammer texted: 'Hi  did you just try to call me? The mic on my old phone is water damaged so I can't take calls on it at the moment.

'I am having real trouble paying bills because my banking app doesn't recognise this phone.'

'Oh no how annoying,' the woman replied.

A day later, the scammer pounced and asked for a favour, texting: 'I have a problem can you help me out?'

'Of course I will if I can,' she replied.

'I still cannot connect to my banking app and I need to pay an invoice. It's for 3,385.58. I know it's a lot but I will pay you back tomorrow as soon as the banks are open.'

The woman asked: 'What is it for?'

Her 'daughter' replied: 'It's for a Macbook I bought and I need to pay so I can use it to get my phone sorted. Can you pay it in for me?'

The mother replied: 'OK I will try.'

The scammer responded by sending over a name, sort code and account number for they payment.'

She entered the details and tried to transfer the money through Barclays online banking but the payment would not go through as it asked for security checks.

The victim told her daughter: 'Oh no it's asking for security checks, it hasn't gone through yet.'

But the scammer reassured their 'mother': 'Probably take a while as you've not paid into this account before.'

But then Barclays blocked the victim's account and prevented any payment from going through, and she texted her 'daughter': 'What the hell  Barclays have blocked my accounts I will ring them!'

The victim said how the slow communication 'lulled me into a false sense of security' even after her daughter had warned her about the 'hi mum' scam.

She told MailOnline: 'I knew all about the "hi mum" scam  my daughter had warned me and I had read the stories. But this is different, not asking for money at first.

'I was busy, and it just lulled me into a false sense of security when they didn't ask for money up front and didn't even send that many texts. When they eventually did ask I was just worried and wanted to help as fast as possible.

'I feel an utter fool, and completely violated. It just horrific that people are out there doing this.

'I am so grateful to Barclays fraud team for spotting this and stopping it so fast.'

Barclays have been approached for comment.
Feeling wealthy? Or the reverse? We will hear a lot about worldwide wealth this week as Credit Suisse launches its annual Global Wealth Report.

The bank has been calculating who has the most money  and in which countries  for the past 14 years, and looks as if it will continue to do so, despite the takeover by UBS. While we don't yet have the details, we can see a pattern from previous reports  with some quite remarkable results.

So which country had the most dollar millionaires at the end of 2021? The US of course.

Which country had, on average, the greatest wealth per head? Switzerland, unsurprisingly, for it is great at attracting global billionaires. The US was number two, as it is pretty good at creating them.

But, on the more meaningful tally of the wealth of the median person  that is, someone right in the middle of the wealth spectrum, with as many poorer people below them as richer ones above  the winner was Australia. That Antipodean everyman or woman, right in the middle of the wealth range, had net assets of nearly $275,000, or 215,000, as that is US dollars, not Australian ones. Next in line came Belgium, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Centre stage: That Antipodean everyman or woman, right in the middle of the wealth range, had net assets of nearly $275,000, or 215,000

The UK was number nine, with the median Brit worth more than $141,000, just behind the Canadians and Dutch, and slightly ahead of the French, though easily surpassing other rich countries such as Japan, Norway and Italy.

So where was that middle person in the US? Right down at number 18, worth just over $93,000. And the Germans? They didn't even make the top 20.

Canada has lower gross domestic product (GDP) per head than the US, and lower average wealth, but the man or woman in the middle is wealthier than the equivalent middle-class citizen living below the 49th parallel.

Why does all this matter? For lots of reasons. For a start, there is so much focus on GDP growth and GDP per head, that we tend to forget that what is important to most people is whether they feel financially secure.

Wealth is security  not the only form but a mightily important one. You can understand why many middle-class people in the US find things a struggle. Despite the huge and sometimes ostentatious wealth of the very rich, they have less personal wealth than their counterparts in the UK.

Or take Germany. It has a very successful economy, creates lots of jobs, and is the largest net contributor to the European Union's budget. Financially the country is very strong, with relatively low national debt compared with just about everywhere else.

However, you can understand the resentment when Germans realise that at a personal level they own fewer assets than many other EU citizens, including Italians and Spaniards. You can also understand why so many Britons, and of course others, want to emigrate to Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

It is not simply that there is no inheritance tax in those three countries, or that there are larger homes. The person in the middle is likely to end up richer.

There are some caveats. Housing is one. The reason Hong Kong is so high up the list is because it has about the most expensive residential property in the world.

People are rich because of the value of their flat, but have to put up with very little living space.

Germans are poor, not in their daily lives, but because the median person rents their home.

Or take the contrast between Britons and Americans. US homes are in general bigger and cheaper. So if you value living space, that middle-class Briton is worse off, whatever the figures suggest.

Another note of caution is public services. If a country has really good public services, that is a form of wealth. Some European countries, including Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands, seem able to combine well-funded services with high personal wealth.

So do Australia and New Zealand. And Canada compares well against the US on that score.

So what next? We will get the results in a couple of days, and there are two things I will look out for. One will be inequality. The top 1 per cent own 45 per cent of global wealth. But prior to the pandemic that proportion was slowly falling. Has the decline resumed?

The other will be the projections. Last time they thought the number of UK millionaires would rise rapidly in the next few years, faster than in the US, Germany or France. Do they still think so? If so, could we be doing something right?
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

D.R. writes: My financial adviser David Howe came to me with an offer to invest in shares. I sent him 25,000. I later found he bought the shares in his own name, but he said this was not a problem.

However, I contacted the company and they say he told them the 25,000 was merely a personal loan from me to him.

He has now offered to repay my 25,000 plus 3 per cent interest, but only when he eventually sells the shares.

Done deal: D.R.'s financial adviser came to him with an offer to invest in shares

Tony Hetherington replies: David Howe is indeed a financial adviser, based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, but it is important to explain that this is only true since December 2020.

When the two of you discussed his plan to buy shares in Adviser Services Holdings Limited (ASHL), it was September 2020 and  he emphasises  he was nobody's financial adviser at that time, although it was clear he planned to join ASHL and take a stake in the company, which he did.

It is also clear that you transferred 25,000 to Howe's bank account, and in later text messages you told him: 'I want to see all share details.' To which he replied: 'I'll send you the certificate now pal.' He did not send the certificate, and when you asked: 'Think you can sell my shares?' He replied: 'Possibly'.

What struck me when I read these texts was that Howe did not reply by saying, 'What shares, what certificate?' That would surely be the normal reaction if you had simply lent him 25,000.

To get to the bottom of this, I asked Michael Couzens, the boss of ASHL whether it would be normal for one of his advisers to borrow 25,000, with no written terms. He agreed that the whole situation was 'confused'. His company had been caught in the middle of your dispute with David Howe. But one thing stood out, he told me. You could never have become a shareholder in ASHL because shares were only offered to employees or people about to join it.

ASHL had questioned Howe about the text messages, and he had dismissed them as mere banter between friends. But if the 25,000 was a loan, it was hard to see why there was no proper agreement. I invited Howe to comment, and I asked how it could be right for him to say he would repay you only when he sold his shares. If there was an agreement, then any informal loan is repayable on demand. Howe's response was to say that he and you were friends at the time.

He added: 'I hope that you can see now that there is malicious intent in this accusation.' I replied that I could not see any malice. You were entitled to the shares or the money, and it was hardly malicious to expect one or the other.

According to Howe, he had never even sought a loan from you. He says you insisted on providing the money so he could buy the shares for himself. And you refused to consider putting any agreement in writing.

He added that he had offered to pay you back, with interest at 8 per cent, not 3 per cent, but you turned him down. This offer of immediate repayment still stood, he explained.

When I relayed this to you, you told me to say yes please, you would take the repayment and interest, making 27,000 in all, to draw a line under the whole matter.

I told Howe you would accept the deal. A week later he said he was 'on annual leave' and would see his solicitor when he got back, so a formal contract could be drafted. The 'immediate' repayment seemed to evaporate. Instead, Howe referred to paying up 'within a reasonable time frame'.

Howe sent me the contract. Happily, it simply made clear that the payment ended the dispute. You signed it, and 27,000 has landed in your account, three weeks after you said yes to the 'immediate' repayment.

It is a decent ending of sorts, but I remain bewildered by the idea that a professional adviser would borrow such a large sum with absolutely no evidence of the loan, interest, or repayment terms.

Evri's charges don't stack up

Mrs J.G. writes: On two or three occasions, courier company Evri has invoiced us for additional charges, claiming parcels were overweight in spite of our careful weighing. So, we began to photograph our parcels on the scales.

Recently my husband sold a bike, and we packed, measured and weighed everything meticulously.

Five days later an invoice arrived for 10.80, saying our parcel was both oversized and excessively weighty!

Weighty issue: Evri has been invoicing _for additional charges

Tony Hetherington replies: The heart of the problem was that Evri  which used to be called Hermes  would not deliver the bike until you paid up. With the buyer becoming impatient, you felt forced to fork out, and sure enough, within three hours the bike was delivered.

You told me you had measured the packaging to the millimetre and then weighed the bike, which was comfortably below Evri's 15-kilo limit. But trying to complain left you going in circles, even being told you were complaining to the wrong complaints department.

Evri told me it apologises to you and your husband, adding: 'When they contacted our customer service team, we immediately acknowledged the error and refunded the extra charge.' Immediately? You first complained by phone on July 6, and then by email on July 10. I contacted Evri on July 29. Your refund arrived on July 31.

Enough said.

I am owed 35k... why is it delayed?

Ms J.P. writes: I came across the article you published last October about delays in payment by Sun Life Financial of Canada.

When I called them to check on the progress of my claim following the death of my father, I was told they were only working on claims submitted five or six months earlier, while my own claim was only one month old.

They gave various excuses such as Covid and the migration of their systems. The amount due is 35,000.

Concern: SLFC says it is now working on a backlog of claims

Tony Hetherington replies: Sun Life Financial of Canada (SLFC) had given me the impression claims were answered speedily except in really complex cases. That said, a number of readers have told me that when they have chased up a claim, they have been told delays were caused by the migration of data from one computer system to another.

Apart from complaining about delays, you asked SLFC to return the certified copy of your father's will which you had supplied, so I enquired about this as well.

SLFC admitted that a new system launched last year caused delays, but it added: 'Responding to our customers' claims in a timely manner remains our top priority.'

Your 35,000 has now been paid, plus interest. But SLFC mistakenly destroyed the certified copy of your father's will so cannot return it. It has offered a further payment to compensate for this.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Claims: Labour MP Liam Byrne

The saga of Labour MP Liam Byrne and his claims of short-seller Fraser Perring's alleged links to Russia has rumbled on these past months as the financier continues his vendetta against the ex-New Labour Minister.

Byrne told the Commons in March that Perring was 'a not infrequent visitor to Moscow' and called on the Government to ensure that 'short-selling groups are not another weapon in Putin's arsenal'. Perring denies the claims.

The MP said he had been told about trips to Russia, but has so far failed to disclose his source.

However, several people have told Whispers that the source is thought to be Christopher Steele, ex-head of the MI6 Russia desk, who now heads intelligence firm Orbis.

Steele previously authored a report which mentioned the pee tape  a recording alleged to show Donald Trump watching two prostitutes urinate on a bed previously used by the Obamas  which the property mogul vehemently denied.

UAE tries to 'woo' female journalists

Several female journalists received an email this week from the media office of Ras Al-Khaimah, one of the seven emirates in the UAE, inviting them to 'an exclusive Women in Media dinner' in London's Shard skyscraper.

The UAE has a mixed record on women's rights.

Domestic violence remains legal and women still need approval from their male guardian to take up work.

One may want a glass of champagne before bringing it up.

ShareSoc follows Archie Norman's lead

Remember the recent uproar when Marks & Spencer made its annual shareholders' meeting digital-only?

The move seemed to fly in the face of chairman Archie Norman's campaign to give investors a greater say in the running of the companies they own.

Now Whispers learns that ShareSoc  champion of private investors' rights and a staunch fan of Norman's campaign  has followed suit.

Its AGM this year was also online-only 'to keep costs down and make it more accessible', an insider admits.

Next year's meeting will be hybrid so members can also gather in person. But the damage has been done.

'I can see no excuse for this,' said an AGM regular. 'They should be setting an example.'

Jon Lewis not tempted by US switch

Capita's Jon Lewis surprised the City recently saying he would step down at the end of this year.

He has been there since 2017, when he was parachuted in to turn the outsourcer around after a slew of profit warnings. It was profitable for Lewis, who has raked in 7 million since he got there.

But it is peanuts to what he could earn in the US.

Is he tempted? No, he tells Whispers. Taking on more non-executive roles is his preference and that 'it's about quality of life'.

Perhaps a decade at US oil services giant Halliburton, where he was brutally passed over for the top job, also puts him off.

Contributors: Francesca Washtell and Patrick Tooher
Warnings about the potential threats of artificial intelligence (AI) technology have been coming thick and fast from a wide range of industries.

But the use of cutting-edge AI could benefit us all by dramatically speeding up the development of new medicines in a 'game- changing' moment for the sector, according to one of Britain's biggest drug firms.

GlaxoSmithKline has begun using AI  which recently shot to prominence amid the growing popularity of websites such as ChatGPT  to make its medical treatments more personalised for individual patients, which in turn can increase the effectiveness of drugs.

Through its network of AI hubs around the world, the largest of which is based near King's Cross station in London, the firm's scientists also use AI to help speed up clinical trials.

Most trials involve a process at the beginning during which researchers wade through mountains of anonymous medical data to identify patients who are likely to respond well to a new treatment for illnesses such as cancer.

Effective: GlaxoSmithKline has begun using AI to make its medical treatments more personalised for individual patients

These recruitment efforts are often the longest part of the drug development process, but GSK said that using AI has allowed it to analyse massive quantities of data, making some parts of the clinical trial procedure up to five times faster.

AI has also been found to be useful for increasing the chances of a new medicine being successful in treating patients.

For example, when developing a new drug to treat chronic hepatitis B  a disease which has no cure and kills almost 900,000 people every year  GSK said it took data from an earlier trial and used AI to identify five different patient groups and to predict how they would respond to a new drug. This could increase the chances of success by up to seven times.

In the lab, AI is being used to help GSK's scientists assess hundreds of potential root causes for a disease in the time it previously took to assess just one.

Kim Branson, GSK's head of AI, told The Mail on Sunday: 'AI is game-changing for drug discovery. Our research teams used to look at potential drug targets individually, but they can now investigate hundreds at a time.

'We have already been able to use AI to cut the time it takes to recruit patients for clinical trials, crunch through many times more data than a human being can and categorise patients to predict their response to a potential treatment.'

GSK is not the only British firm bringing AI to the pharma industry. AIM-listed Poolbeg Pharma, based in London, is using it to analyse data from patients infected with flu with the aim of developing treatments to make symptoms of the illness less severe.

Poolbeg chief executive Jeremy Skillington said: 'Lots of biotech companies are now linking in with technology companies and joining forces to bring biology and chemistry into the worlds of technology and computers. This is where AI has hit a very interesting crossroads where they can apply super computers to understand biology.'

He added: 'Once people see AI will save time, will save cost, will improve your risk ratio, then pharma will be all in because they are all looking for new drugs, new targets and new medicines.'

The use of AI in the pharmaceutical industry is likely to boost the economy as Britain positions itself as a life science superpower and a hub for global AI development.

It also provides hope for the UK to rejuvenate its status as a centre for clinical trials and drug creation, which received acclaim for developing Covid vaccines.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, shakes hands with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's son during a meeting in Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, In this photo provided by Kok Ky/ Cambodia's Government Cabinet. AP-Yonhap



China's foreign minister visited Cambodia over the weekend to reaffirm his country's commitment to the southeast Asian country after its incumbent prime minister handed off the job to his son following a one-sided election last month, officials said.



Wang Yi is the first foreign leader to visit Cambodia, days after Hun Sen's announcement that his 45-year-old son and the country's army chief, Hun Manet, is replacing him.



A video of the meeting was posted on Hun Sen's Telegram channel on Sunday.



Eang Sophalleth, Hun Sen's spokesman, told reporters after the meeting that Wang Yi expressed China's willingness to cooperate with the newly-appointed prime minister.



Cambodia's foreign ministry later released a statement citing Wang Yi as expressing China's support for "the Kingdom's emerging government leadership."



Hun Sen, the longest-serving government head in Asia, and his party sealed a landslide victory in the country's general election after barring the main opposition group  the Candlelight Party  from contesting the polls on a technicality. Western nations and rights groups criticized the election saying it was neither "free" nor "fair."



Wang Yi met with both Hun Sen, his newly appointed son as well as Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. He praised the election saying it was free and fair, with more than 80 percent of Cambodians participating in the presence of several dozens of foreign observers.



On August 7, King Norodom Sihamoni formally appointed Hun Manet as the new premier. He will take office on Aug. 22 when the new National Assembly adopts the new cabinet.



Hun Manet won his first seat in Parliament in the election, and the handover from his father is part of a larger, generational shift: Many younger lawmakers  mostly educated in the West  are expected to take up ministerial positions, including Hun Sen's youngest son and others related to older party members.



Cambodia is a key Chinese diplomatic partner, helping dampen criticism of Beijing within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, several of whose members are engaged in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.



In return, China has gained an outsized role in Cambodian politics and the economy, as seen in the numerous Chinese-funded projects, hotels and casinos dotting the landscape. China's state banks have also financed airports, roads and other infrastructure built with Chinese loans. More than 40% of Cambodia's $10 billion in foreign debt is owed to China.



In June last year, China and Cambodia broke ground on a naval port expansion project that has raised concerns from the U.S. and others that it could give Beijing a strategically important military outpost on the Gulf of Thailand.



Hun Sen in 2019 reportedly granted China the right to set up a military base at the Ream Naval Base. He has long denied that, saying Cambodia's Constitution prohibits foreign military facilities.



The aging leader, who turned 71 last Saturday , said that stepping down as prime minister "is not the end yet" and he would serve in other positions at least until 2033, which would bring him to a half-century in office. He is expected to retain a large amount of control as president of his Cambodian People's Party and as the Senate president. (AP)




A whistleblower repeatedly raised concerns about further delays and spiralling costs at Rio Tinto's Mongolian copper mine, according to a report seen by The Mail on Sunday.

Richard Bowley, a former project manager with the mining giant, was submitting monthly reports to the Mongolian government about construction progress at the Oyu Tolgoi mine throughout 2022.

He separately also told members of the team at Oyu Tolgoi, which is run by Rio and the government, of his concerns.

The FTSE 100 miner is already facing a lawsuit that accuses it of fraudulently assuring investors that the mine was on plan and on budget in 2018 and 2019  even as it was falling up to two-and-a-half years behind schedule and running as much as 1.5 billion over budget. Rio denies the claims.

But Bowley said there were still problems late last year in the run-up to a takeover deal connected to the project.

Scrutiny: The miner is already facing a lawsuit that accuses it of fraudulently assuring investors that the mine was on plan and on budget in 2018 and 2019

The revelations are included in a report titled Bad Minds Make Bad Miners, seen by the Mail on Sunday, which was submitted to the Mongolian government and details allegations of misconduct at the group made by two whistleblowers.

A spokesman for the company said: 'Rio Tinto has not seen a copy of the report. Rio Tinto has complied with all disclosure obligations. Many of these claims are subject to ongoing litigation and are without merit.'
The annual general meeting used to be a highlight for thousands of ordinary shareholders.

It was a chance to mingle with directors, ask awkward questions and hold the board to account. There was even the occasional bun fight to liven up the proceedings.

But now the death knell may be sounding for the traditional AGM. It is being replaced by virtual events with in-person meetings now very much in the minority.

An analysis of AGMs held in the first half of this year shows three-quarters were 'hybrid'  a mix of online and physical. Just one in ten were in-person only.

'Hybrid meetings are becoming the norm,' said Pete Fowler, chief operating officer of Lumi, which provides technology for most FTSE 350 AGMs and conducted the research. 'We are at a real turning point in shareholder democracy,' he added.

Going out of fashion: The AGM is being replaced by virtual events with in-person meetings now very much in the minority

The figures come hard on the heels of the recent controversy over Marks & Spencer's AGM.

Chairman Archie Norman is leading a campaign called Share Your Voice to give investors more say in how their companies are run.

But he incurred the wrath of shareholders when it emerged that their annual meeting would be online only and filmed in a small TV studio.

'M&S did allow a couple of us into the studio,' said Danny Wallace of The Engagement Appeal, a shareholder rights group. 'But this was only due to the pressure from the Press.

'Without that, we would have been in separate rooms watching a screen. M&S were keen to keep us apart.'

The Mail on Sunday also revealed that under-fire water supplier United Utilities moved its AGM from central Manchester to a business park in Warrington and made the meeting in-person only.

That prompted claims from environmentalists that it was 'retreating to its bunker'.

Fowler said: 'For real shareholder democracy, all meetings must allow virtual participation and be more accessible for nominee shareholders.' Nominees do not hold shares in their own name, but in a pooled account at a stock- broker. Companies cannot communicate with them directly.

M&S, Interactive Investor and Lumi recently teamed up to give nominee holders a chance to vote at AGMs. But the number of votes cast so far this year is down 16 per cent at 1.6 million, according to Interactive Investor.
Nanoco faces a showdown tomorrow with activist investors who want to overthrow the board.

The Manchester-based nanotechnology company settled a legal dispute earlier this year with Samsung, which it previously accused of stealing its designs to use in its QLED TVs.

Nanoco has since been criticised by a group of rebel shareholders led by businessman Tariq Hamoodi who are unhappy with how the litigation was handled. They believe the settlement, which came to 125 million, should have been higher.

BAttle: The Manchester-based nanotechnology company settled a legal dispute earlier this year with Samsung

Two proxy advisers, Glass Lewis and ISS, have recommended Nanoco's investors back the board at the meeting, which will vote on whether to remove directors.

Investors including Harwood Capital have thrown their weight behind the board. Founder Christopher Mills has previously said it would be 'highly irresponsible' to support the revolt.
Treasure hunters are baffled by a mysterious note that washed up on the banks of the River Thames.

The message in a bottle - discovered in a clear container - carried a four-line poem that appears to be a clue for a treasure quest.

Shared between mudlarkers - people who hunt riverbeds for historical treasures - the unusual find sparked intense debate as the hobbyists tried to work out what it meant.

The message read: 'Wide and heavy, Filling out the town, North of Freehold, I can be found.'

But - far from pirate legends - the cryptic verse was printed by a computer in a calligraphy font and then laminated.

The mystery has left members of the mudlarking community scrambling for answers - as they tried to read between the lines of the short note

But - far from pirate legends - the cryptic verse was printed by a computer in a calligraphy font and then laminated

Shared between mudlarkers - people who hunt riverbeds for historical treasures - the unusual find sparked intense debate as the hobbyists tried to work out what it meant

The mystery left members of the mudlarking community scrambling for answers - as they tried to read between the lines of the short note.

Some said it must be a treasure map - while others theorised it may have come thousands of miles across the sea.

Posting the find on the forum, the man who discovered it said: 'I have a bit of a puzzle for you today.

'I was on the Thames last week and found this message in a bottle!

'It looks like some kind of cryptic clue but it's too tricky for me, so I need to call on the collective brain to try and solve this one!!

'I could be wrong but does this have a hint of the US about it? Maybe our friends across the pond can help?'

A investigative commenter said that it could be from a town in New Jersey, while another speculated that there is also a Freehold in Massachusetts.

Others, however, thought it is more likely to be related to Freehold in Lancashire - which is still more than 200 miles from where it was found.

The message in a bottle - discovered in a clear container - contained a four-line poem that appears to be a clue for a treasure quest

One said: 'Definitely clues to something purposely hidden.'

Another added: 'Wide and Heavy are both capitalized so those might be names of something too rather than a description.'

And a third joked: 'I wish I had scrolled past this! Now I need to know who wrote this, why they wrote it, what it means and what we're looking for.'

But some thought the answer may be far more benign - as one joked: 'I think this is a scavenger hunt clue and now that its gone there will be a load of lost and confused people on the beach looking for it!'

And a second joked: 'Looks like they couldnt answer it either, so tossed it in the river and went for a beer!'

Another lady claimed it may be a reference to an online game.

She sparked laughs from members when she said: 'Apparently Freehold is a dungeon in the World of Warcraft online role-playing game.'

But another said: 'It seems to have been purposely set among the stones. I doubt it would look so pristine had it traveled across the Atlantic to find its way onto the Thames foreshore.

'If its a scavenger hunt clue, Id think its somewhere in London, perhaps a pub?'
Shoppers have become all but too familiar with Shrinkflation - when brands and supermarkets reduce the size of products while charging the same amount for them.

But with the soaring cost of raw materials, there's a subtle new tweak manufacturers are making behind the scenes, and shopping are starting to notice.

Customers. already battling with the cost-of-living crisis, are now claiming their favourite products are looking and tasting slightly different.

And it's all down to the latest trick-of-the-trade: Skimpflation.

The subtle art of quietly reformulating recipes or downgrading ingredients in a bid to keep costs down.

Customers are now becoming accustomed to products being tweaked as pricey ingredients are reduced or removed altogether from brands

Customers noticed a change in taste as Morrison's guacamole has been altered to contain less avocado

With the war in Ukraine making certain products more scarce, brands are reducing expensive ingredients such as olive oil in foods.

In many cases there is no information on packaging to indicate anything has changed.

For example, olive oil butter spreads, including supermarket own brands and Bertolli now contain less olive oil, while some packs have even shrunk in size as well.

Sainsbury's olive spread, which it says is made with 'mediterranean olive oil' used to contain 21% olive oil, but now has just 10%.

One customer wrote: 'This used to have 21% olive oil in it which, with its cheaper price than the popular brand, made it a good alternative. Now the recipe only has 10%. Profit first. '

Others said the change had altered the product's consistency and that the spread 'now just doesn't taste good'.

Aldi's Bramwell's Real Mayonnaise contained 9% egg yolk, but has now been reformulated to just 6% plus another 1.5% of free range egg yolk.

And Tesco has changed its luxury soft extra large tissues, making them smaller and thinner.

Buyers who noticed the change complained on the supermarket's website.

One said: 'These are no longer extra large, and are thinner too. No longer buying these. Interesting how a business consciously makes a product worse.'

Sacla's char-grilled aubergine and roasted garlic pesto now contains less aubergine and basil

Another commented: 'These tissues have changed. They are now nothing like the description. They are not luxury, soft, gentle and definitely NOT extra large. Very inferior. '

A single sheet has been shrunk by 300mm by 260mm to 280 mm by 235 mm, the Guardian reported.

Meanwhile it's bad news for pasta sauce lovers, as customers say Sacla's Char-grilled aubergine pesto has been altered and has now gone 'greasy', while its price shot up from 2.90 to 3.35 in just months.

The recipe now contains 34% aubergine instead of 36% and less basil than the old version, while adding 5g of roasted garlic.

Sacla told MailOnline that it had tried to 'intensify the flavour and make it more interesting'.

But some shoppers disagreed. One reviewing the product on the Waitrose website wrote: 'Greasy texture and odd flavour that I didn't enjoy. Different to the old version.'

'This used to be purchased frequently. The new jar with the new recipe pesto was a surprise. It tasted disgusting, very garlicky and of nothing else. It was not even a nice garlic taste. The texture also changed to a smooth puree that is quite unpleasant.', said another reviewer.

Aldi's Specially Selected pesto rosso has also been tweaked, and now comes with 3% less sun-dried tomatoes and 6% less extra virgin olive oil per jar.

Aldi's Specially Selected pesto rosso contains 3% less sun-dried tomatoes and 6% less extra virgin olive oil per jar

Morrison's have been tinkering wit guacamole, to include 77% avocado, including 46% puree, down from a total of 80%. The ingredients now also contain an unspecified amount of onion rather than the 5g previously labelled.

'The taste has certainly changed. Very sour taste, most went in the bin.', one reviewer wrote, while another said that the sauce now just tasted of lemon juice.

M&S, on the other hand, have adapted their hand-cooked crisps, with the salt and vinegar flavour using sherry vinegar in place of pricier balsamic vinegar.

It also quietly substituted its 'mature cheddar and red onion' flavour for 'mature cheddar and spring onion', while rebranding the line.

The Ocado website still displays the old packaging while listing the updated ingredients, and previously admitted that it had used non-British potatoes in its 'British crisps'.

Shoppers have already got used to Shrinkflation - where products reduce in size but not in price. Pictured: Four items in Tesco

It comes as MailOnline recently revealed that some wine makers are reducing the alcohol content in their beverages in order to offset a new UK duty introduced this month.

Ele Clark, Retail Editor for Which? told MailOnline: 'It does seem a little sneaky if supermarkets and food manufacturers are quietly altering some recipes to cut costs at a time when customers are already watching the pennies.

Olive oil was slashed from 21% to 10% of Sainsbury's olive spread

'Shoppers are more likely to notice shrinking pack sizes and higher prices on the products they buy than to read the labels each week to check the proportion of ingredients hasn't changed.

'Manufacturers and supermarkets should be upfront about changes to popular products so that customers can make an informed choice.'

A spokesperson for M&S denied that it was downgrading products to save costs, and said the changes to the crisps were a result of customer feedback rather than a cost saving,

Tesco said that its Luxury Soft Gentle tissues were the most popular in its own brand tissue line and that there had been no change to the quality.

Sainsbury's said it regularly reviews and reformulates products for a number of reasons including to 'improve health credentials, cost-saving and responding to feedback'.

A source from Aldi said that the discounter aims to match the quality of leading brands, and alters its products and ingredients in line with them.
A rural community in Michigan has hailed a 'huge victory' after a Chinese-owned industrial firm backed out of buying local farmland.

Residents of the idyllic Green Charter Township, around 50 miles east of Lake Michigan, say they were 'bullied' into accepting the takeover, but refused to do so.

Gotion, a company that 'pledges allegiance' to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), did, however, complete the purchase of 260 acres of derelict industrial land in the township and 10 acres of disused farmland last week.

It comes as data shows Chinese firms now own more than $2billion worth of US farmland, up from just $162million a decade ago, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The CCP has a stake in 383,935 acres of American agricultural land as of December 2021, according to the latest figures released by the US Department of Agriculture.

China owns 383,935 acres of US farmland as of December 2021, with almost half of it in Texas

Residents of the idyllic Green Charter Township in Michigan are leading a fightback against the Chinese land grab, hailing a 'huge victory' after Beijing-backed firm Gotion pulled out of the purchase of farmland in the area. (L-R) Residents Kelly Cushway, Lori Brock, Debbie Diegert and Jeff Thorne protest the deal

By comparison, Bill Gates owns 248,000 acres of US farmland, while Jeff Bezos owns 420,000.

It has sparked a national debate over why the US is allowing a hostile state to buy up vital land across the country amid concerns over espionage and security.

Hundreds of residents in Green Charter Township, Mecosta County, have previously turned out to protest the Gotion deal, in which the firm is to be paid $175million in direct taxpayer funding to help it build the facility.

Questions have also been raised over allowing a CCP-subsidiary to move into a site that is just 100 miles away from a US military camp where the Michigan National Guard has been training troops from Taiwan - a territory neighboring China some security experts, including among the US military, say Beijing is preparing to invade.

In a statement confirming the purchase of 270 acres of land in Green Charter Township last week, Gotion said it had 'listened to concerns of local residents and decided not to purchase two large parcels of land zoned for agriculture use at this time'.

Resident and realtor Lori Brock, 58, who has led the local opposition to the deal, said the concession was a 'huge' victory for the community, but warned the fight was 'far from over'.

'We don't want that factory in our community no matter what,' she told DailyMail.com

'We want an American company. Not one that is backed by the CCP.

'We're almost at war with China right now. Why are we allowing them to buy land here and we can't buy land in China? It doesn't make sense.

'We're fighting [the deal] tooth and nail.'

Brock, 58, a local realtor said residents wanted an American business, not one backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), to invest in the community

A billboard expresses the feelings of many residents of the 3,200-strong township, who oppose the building of a battery factory in the area by CCO-subsidiary Gotion

Protest placards litter the roads entering the town, around 50 miles east of Lake Michigan

Residents gathered to discuss their concerns regarding the Gotion deal when DailyMail.com visited the town last weekend

Camp Grayling (pictured), a Michigan base used by the US military to conduct training exercises, is around 100 miles away from the land bought by Gotion

The Michigan National Guard has been training troops from Taiwan - a territory neighboring China that some security experts say China is preparing to invade

A sign saying 'private property, no trespassing' marks the entrance to 260 acres of disused industrial land bought by Gotion. It sits opposite a small private airport and animal shelter in Green Charter Township

The animal shelter, is allegedly refusing to sell their property, which would allow for a larger entrance way to Gotion factories

Gotion has broken ground on one large portion of land in Green Charter Township, MI

The takeover of US farmland by Chinese companies comes amid wider concerns over CCP infiltration into American society.

DailyMail.com has previously revealed the locations of three Chinese 'community centers' in San Francisco, Nebraska and Houston suspected of secretly working for Beijing.

Meanwhile, a top Republican warned last week that China is 'in our house' following a raid on an illegal Chinese-run virus lab in California.

US farmland owned by China represents only around 1 percent of all foreign-owned land in the country.

But some politicians fear the CCP could use corporations under its control to take over America's food and energy supply, or use these businesses for espionage.

There are also concerns that wealthy foreign owners could price domestic farmers out of the market.

Almost half of all Beijing-owned US farmland is in Texas, with more than 100,000 acres in Val Verde County held by Chinese billionaire and former People's Liberation Army captain Sun Guangxin, through Brazos Highland Properties LP and Harvest Texas LLC.

Critics of the Gotion deal have highlighted a clause in its business filings that states the company 'shall set up a party organization and carry out party activities in accordance with the constitution of the Communist Party of China'.

The company has said it plans to bring four Chinese nationals to help set up the factory in Michigan for a short period of time.

In July, former director of the US National Counterintelligence and Security Center William Evanina told a congressional committee that it was '100 percent' likely that the plant would be used to spy for the CCP.

He stressed that the threat came from the CCP, not the Chinese people.

Chuck Thelen, the company's vice president of North American operations, denied that the CCP had 'penetrated' the company during a virtual town hall earlier this year.

He told the DailyMail.com: ' The continued prejudice-fueled propaganda is insulting, inflammatory and flat-out divisive.'

'Gotion Inc. and the Green Charter Township Board have fulfilled every state and federal check that Mr. Moolenaar has required, and when presented with positive outcomes, that should be celebrated for the region and its citizens, we continue to see political scare tactics from the congressman that are designed to mislead constituents instead of empowering the people that he was elected to represent,' he added.

China now owns more US farmland (383,935 acres) than Bill Gates (248,000), but less than Jeff Bezos (420,000), according to US Department of Agriculture figures

More than 100,000 acres of farmland in Texas is owned by Chinese billionaire Sun Guangxin

Michigan Congressman John Moolenaar (R.) said in a statement: 'Mecosta County residents have overwhelmingly spoken out against this deal while being bullied and kept in the dark by Gotion and local officials who signed non-disclosure agreements that go against the public's right to know.

'The simple facts are that Gotion is a subsidiary of a company that pledges allegiance to the CCP and it should not be receiving taxpayer money to build in Michigan.

'For our state to welcome CCP investment in Michigan 100 miles from the same facility where the Michigan National Guard has worked with military officials from Taiwan is a dangerous double standard that puts national security at risk. This land purchase is the wrong direction for Michigan and our communities.'

The Gotion deal is the latest in a string of Chinese takeovers of US farmland in recent years.

In 2021 alone, five Chinese investors bought 14 parcels of US land covering almost 60,000 acres with a total value of $85million, according to Department of Agriculture data.

But there are signs communities and lawmakers are fighting back.

The mayor of Grand Forks, Minnesota, has said he will stop the US branch of Chinese firm Fufeng Group from building a $700million corn mill on the outskirts of the town after an Air Force official published a letter citing a security risk due to its proximity to an Air Force base.

Sun Guangxin's plans to buy more than 100,000 acres for a wind farm in Texas were blocked by officials.

In Congress, lawmakers have introduced bipartisan bills to block the ability of buyers from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran to purchase US agriculture.

Meanwhile, more than 20 states are considering measures aimed at restricting existing limits around foreign ownership of US farmland, according to the National Agricultural Law Center.

A graphic rendering of the battery plant Gotion seeks to build in Green Charter Township

A fence demarcates some of the disused farmland that Gotion had intitally sought to buy in the township, before they backed down in the face of local opposition

Residents are worried that a large industrial factory will disrupt the serenity of the community

But others have said the threat from Chinese land ownership is exaggerated. The proportion of US land controlled by Beijing doesn't represent a risk to the country's ability to feed itself, according to an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Texas state Rep. Gene We (D.) has said the Chinese community is being scapegoated.

The Chinese Embassy has previously said the US stands to benefit from overseas investments and described talk of land purchases as a means of infiltration as a 'malicious generalization'.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D.) has welcomed Gotion's $2.4billion investment in Green Charter Township, which she said would create 2,350 'good-paying jobs'.

Jim Chapman, supervisor of Green Charter Township, told DailyMail.com that the 'majority' of residents saw the deal as 'an unbelievable economic opportunity' and accused those who opposed it of displaying a 'NIMBY attitude'.

He described Gotion, which was founded in China in 1998 before being incorporated in California in 2014, as 'truly an international company'.

Plans for the factory must now pass an environmental review by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

Local entrepreneur Jeff Thorne, 64, is worried about the effects of possible chemical pollution from the Gotion plant on the nearby Muskegon River, a major artery for Lake Michigan

Kelly Cushway, 68, who bought his first farm in the township in 1977, says the plant does not belong in the 'quiet and peaceful' community

The Muskegon River runs through Green Charter Township and Big Rapids, MI

Residents have highlighted the potential toxicity of lithium production at the plant as a particular cause for concern.

Entrepreneur Jeffrey Thorne, 64, who has lived in the area for almost 40 years, highlighted the threat of chemical pollution to the Muskegon River, a major artery for Lake Michigan.

'There is a lot that's been said by politicians over the years about protecting our great lakes and yet here they're bringing a very toxic type of chemicals into our area,' he added.

'My daughter and son-in-law farm close to 2,000 acres of crop farming and just got into beef cattle farming so it just doesn't fit into the overall plan of the community we live in.'

Kelly Cushway, 68, who bought his first farm in the township in 1977, echoed his sentiments. 'It's a rural community. It's very quiet and peaceful hereI just can't imagine the town changing.'
A young elementary school teacher who miraculously survived being stabbed 16 times by her ex-boyfriend claims she was saved by the ghost of a woman who died in her hometown - and has seen 'shadow people' ever since the attack.

During a dramatic podcast series, Eilish Poe, 25, who lives in Fort Collins, northern Colorado, opened up about her traumatic near-death experience - and the paranormal activity that has haunted her life since.

Poe was wearing pink flamingo patterned pajamas and matching slippers when she was stabbed in her neck, torso and arms during a rabid attack by her suicidal ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Crossley, on November 4, 2020.

Crossley, 25, had broken into her home while she was at work and lay waiting in her crawl space for 26 hours before pouncing on her as she went to check on her pet bunny rabbit.

But what Poe didn't tell police was that during what felt like her final moments, she saw three 'crystal clear' ghosts of people who have died in her lifetime - and claims one of them helped her reach her phone as she struggled to stay alive.

Eilish Poe, 25, has revealed she was saved by a ghost after being stabbed by her ex-boyfriend at her home in Fort Collins, northern Colorado, on November 4, 2020

Jonathan Crossley, 25, camped out in Poe's crawl space for 26 hours before launching his near-fatal attack on her at her home on the 200 block of Tiger Cat Way

Crossley watched 'gory' YouTube clips from three horror/ thriller films while in the crawl space (pictured) - Parasite, Midsommar and Kill Bill - while conspiring to kill the elementary teacher

Crossley had brought a backpack full of snacks, water and books with him before jumping Poe as she walked down the stairway.

He attacked without saying a word or showing the slightest expression, and hours later he threw himself 150 feet from a cliff edge.

Poe previously told police that she had tried fighting back while frantically screaming at an Amazon Echo to call her roommate for several minutes as he slammed her head against a wall and stabbed her.

As she lost dizzying amounts of blood and pleaded with Crossley to stop, her last resort was to play dead in the hope he would leave - and it worked.

She lay crying in a pool of her own blood for several minutes until confident her ex had gone - and told officers she managed to find her phone and dial 911 despite having lost the ability to use her arms.

This month, almost three years after the horrific incident and 10 surgeries later, Poe described her paranormal experience in a tell-all five-episode series of the Otherworld podcast hosted by Jack Wagner.

Her story starts with the tale of how a three-month 'summer fling' with Crossley, two years her senior, turned into a near-death experience which she believes opened the door to 'another world' inhabited by 'shadow people'.

Poe, originally from Fate, Texas, said she first met Crossley two years prior when they were both working with children at a school summer camp.

Crossley, an avid reader, film fanatic and aspiring history professor, moved to Spain for a teaching job shortly after - but they reconnected after he returned to live with his parents in the summer of 2020, ostensibly due to the Covid pandemic.

Their Colorado-based relationship was initially 'light and fun' but Crossley soon began demanding something more serious - which 23-year-old Poe was not ready for.

Poe said she was 'very upfront with him from the start', but their relationship turned 'sour' with him yelling at her and his friends over trivial disagreements.

But her troubles really began when she tried to break up with him at a Fort Collins brewery and he refused to accept their relationship had ended - constantly turning up at her house with chocolate and flowers.

'He wouldn't leave... he kept leaving really intense voice messages saying 'I love you, I'm not going to let you go,'' Poe said. 'I was scared.'

Poe tried to fight back and resorted to playing dead to make Crossley leave - which he did, before jumping 150 feet to his death from Arthur's Rock overlooking the city

She detailed her traumatic near-death experience - and the paranormal activity which has haunted her life since - during a tell-all five-episode series of the Otherworld podcast hosted by Jack Wagner

After a few months, Crossley's unwanted advances abated and Poe thought she was out of the woods. But on November 3, 2020, he texted her saying he still wanted to reconcile.

Poe said. 'I was like, how is he this persistent - why would you want to be with someone who really doesn't want to be with you?'

What she didn't know at the time was that Crossley was sending these messages while conspiring to kill her from a crawl space in her home, after managing to break in through a ground floor window.

In episode two of Otherworld, Poe recalls his horrific attack while she in home alone 26 hours later.

'November 4 was a Wednesday,' she said. 'I got home from work and realized the basement door was open, which was weird at first... but I really didn't think it was too bizarre that it was open. I just closed it, I really didn't think too much of it.'

Poe said she changed into flamingo-patterned pajamas with matching 'poofy and pink' flamingo slippers in her home on the 200 block of Tigercat Way, and went to check on her pet bunny called Boomer.

She then heard a noise and turned around to see Crossley charging towards her.

Her rabid ex attempted to put her in a chokehold. She fought back - striking him with her elbows and knees, aiming for the groin.

'He then pushed me down the stairs and I hit my back pretty bad - I still have injuries and trauma from that,' she said. 'He grabbed me by the back of my hair - it was really long at the time. He shoved my head into the wall five or six times.

'After that he took out a knife, like a normal kitchen knife... it was like four inches long probably... he overpowered me.'

Poe said time slowed down at this point, and she screamed at Crossley in an attempt to make him stop.

'I tried to get into his head and I was being very specific with what I was saying - how could you do this to me, why would you want to hurt me - things like that, calling him by name, because he was so detached,' she said.

Poe said she then had 'one of the most disturbing thoughts I've ever had' which was: 'I'm going to have to kill him'.

She lunged for the knife, but grabbed the blade, which sliced her hand 'to the bone'.

Going for an alternative approach, Poe said she attempted to make emergency calls using her phone's 'Siri' command, and using the 'Alexa' function on her housemate's Amazon Echo - but to no avail.

Poe loves flamingos and was wearing flamingo-patterned pajamas and matching bright pink poofy slippers when Crossley launched his vicious attack almost three years ago

Crossley attacked Poe without saying a word or showing the slightest expression. Poe previously told police that she had tried fighting back while frantically screaming at an Amazon Echo to call her roommate for several minutes as he slammed her head against a wall

As Crossley continued to knife her, she resorted to her final maneuver - which would ultimately save her life.

'I don't know how it came into my head, but I had within the last month listened to an interview - a podcast or documentary or something of survivors - and the person said the way they got out of that situation was by playing dead,' she explained.

Poe said she stopped fighting and let her arms flop limply into her lap as she lay on her back defenseless.

'He stabs me one final time. This was the deepest one, directly under my right collar bone,' she said. 'It actually ended up puncturing my lung, I'd find out later.'

Poe said the puncture created a 'big exhale' sound as she rolled onto her side, which she believes convinced Crossley she had died.

'As quickly as he started he just stopped,' she said. 'He stared at me still on his knees. Time was so strange during this thing, it felt like five minutes, but realistically he probably just stared at me for like 10 seconds.'

With her eyes slightly open, Poe said she saw Crossley leave, letting the door hit her body on his way out.

She then began a frantic search for her phone, but realized her left arm 'didn't work at all' and she could only use the fingers on her right side.

Her window of opportunity to survive felt like it was quickly closing.

It was when she laid back helplessly feeling like she was at death's door that her mind-blowing paranormal experience began.

'This is the part that I don't normally tell a ton of people,' she said. 'But it's when some strange stuff started happening.'

Poe describes seeing a 'carousel of people' appear in a bathroom doorway two feet from where she was lying in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairs.

She saw three 'ghosts' of people she had lost within her lifetime.

'My paternal grandmother was standing right there,' Poe said. 'She passed away in 2014. She was standing there just kind of quaintly smiling at me. She didn't wave or anything like that.

'She was wearing like a navy sweater and gold necklace, like a chain necklace - my dad wears it all the time. It's like an actual thing that she wore frequently.'

Poe said she felt 'comforted' and even 'joyful' to see her grandmother - Jeanie - who she never got to say goodbye to.

'Before she passed she had a lot of back issues, she was pretty hunched over, but she was standing tall, and just, there, so clearly there,' she recalled.

'And then she wasn't. She was just gone. And a second later, as if Jeanie faded out, the next person faded in.'

Poe, pictured in several hospital snaps, initially tried to fight back against her crazed ex, until he knocked her to the ground and pulled out a kitchen knife. She only survived by playing dead, prompting him to leave - and she said a ghost helped her reach her phone to dial 911

Poe describes seeing a 'carousel of people' appear in a bathroom doorway two feet from where she was lying in a pool of blood at the foot of the stairs

'My paternal grandmother was standing right there,' Poe said, describing her first encounter with a ghost as she lay in a pool of her own blood. 'She passed away in 2014'

Poe's best friend from high school, who had taken her own life in February 2020, appeared in Jeanie's place.

She said the friend, Vicky, appeared with her hair tied up in a scrunchie, wearing a green sweatshirt and a choker.

'It is a crystal clear image of what she was wearing, and she was also just standing there, and the same as Jeanie she had this comforting smile on her face,' she said.

'I felt so f***ing happy to see her, because she committed suicide. I am still grieving for her three years later, but it felt like a bonus time, even just for five seconds, or however long it was, to see her and be near her again.'

But the third and final ghost Poe saw was somewhat less comforting.

A woman in her hometown named Alyssa Burkett, who was murdered aged 32 by her ex-boyfriend who wore 'blackface' as he stabbed and shot her 'in broad daylight' just a month before.

'When I saw her I felt no comfort, I felt just an overwhelming sense of urgency, of she is here to warn me - do not let this be you, this can't be you,' Poe said.

'She had on a tight purple t-shirt. I don't even know when the last time I saw her in person was or had a real conversation. She was there for a reason, she was there to get me out of there.

'The other two were smiling and happy, but when I saw Alyssa her eyes were like bulging out of her head, she looked frantic, it was urgent.'

Poe said Alyssa 'pushed the air' with her hands. 'When that happened it felt like her energy was passing through me,' she said.

'The next thing I know, she literally pulled me up, and I was sitting upright, and I hadn't been sitting upright on my own, the entire time.'

She said that this action saved her life.

'A lot of people have been like: 'that was just your brain surviving, or an angel' - but what I am telling you is it was as real as seeing an alive person in the room, it wasn't ghostly,' she said.

'They were there. I really do feel like maybe we all have access to this stuff and we don't see or experience them until we're in a time of need.

'I think Alyssa was there to help me live, she was there as a warning.'

After being 'lifted up' by Alyssa, Poe stopped seeing the ghosts and began scrambling for her phone once again.

Poe' also saw her best friend from high school, who had taken her own life in February 2020. She said the friend, Vicky, appeared with her hair tied up in a scrunchie, wearing a green sweatshirt and a choker

The third and final ghost Poe saw was somewhat less comforting. A woman in her hometown named Alyssa Burkett, who was murdered aged 32 by her ex-boyfriend who wore 'blackface' as he stabbed and shot her 'in broad daylight' just a month before

It turned out the device had been in her vest pocket the whole time as she was 'getting weaker and weaker', and she 'tried five ways to get it out' with numb fingers.

She heard a 'thunk' as it finally fell to the ground.

'Thank God it landed face up,' Poe said. 'I tried to type in the emergency button on the iPhone and my fingers were so soaked with blood that I couldn't type anything, it wasn't sensing my touch on the screen.

'I ended up - and you can try this if you have an iPhone - I used my knuckles and I pushed in the volume and the lock, and then it appeared - Emergency SOS.

'I tried to slide it but it wasn't working.'

Desperate Poe tried using her nose instead.

'I slide my little nose across the screen and clicked my nose again on the speaker button and then I hear '911 what's the address of your emergency' and I just rolled onto my back so relieved,' she said.

Audio from police bodycam footage shows the moments Poe told officers 'I was stabbed by my ex boyfriend so many times... please hurry', before they turned up to her home seven minutes later, with EMTs arriving after another five.

Almost three years later, Poe is convinced the ghosts she saw that day were real - and she has seen a new kind of phantom since.

'People have a lot of opinions on what it really was, what they think it could have been,' she said. 'But in reality, they weren't there. They don't know.

'I was not unconscious, throughout this whole thing I've been coherent, and probably the most awake I have ever been in my entire life because I'm literally trying not to die - you're pretty wired in that situation.'

In the days that followed her life-changing ordeal, Poe said she learned her ex had died by jumping 150 feet from Arthur's Rock, a precipice which overlooks their hometown.

While the first two ghosts Poe saw were comforting, the third - a woman named Alyssa from her hometown who died the month prior in a horrific stabbing incident by her ex-boyfriend - appeared 'frantic' and pulled her up so she could reach her phone

Almost three years later, Poe is convinced the ghosts she saw that day were real - and she has seen a new kind of phantom since

In the days that followed her life-changing ordeal, Poe said she learned her ex had died by jumping 150 feet from Arthur's Rock, a precipice which overlooks their hometown

Months later, she began seeing what she describes as 'shadow people', which no-one else around her can see.

'I started seeing these shadowy figures, they used to only be in the corner of my eye,' she said.

'Then it kind of escalated to seeing them in front of me as clear as can be, but also not clear because it was a staticky type person, a figure always in the shape of a human.

'I've seen them probably between 50 and 100 times - like a lot.

'They never approach me apart from one specific time, and the second I start to walk towards it or acknowledge it, it's just gone.'

She said the 'most prominent' shadow-person she saw came while she was sitting in her car after leaving a coffee shop in downtown Fort Collins.

'I am in my car, just sitting there, I hadn't even turned the engine on, and I hear three loud knocks, as clear as day, on the window.

'Of course I freaked out - I'm alone and nobody's there. Then I look over and there's a shadow figure in my car - that had never happened before.

'I freak out and I open the door. When I opened the door, it was gone.'

Poe said she spoke about the paranormal encounter with her therapist later that day, and a clearer vision of the phantom came to her as she retold the experience.

'When I was telling her about it - eyes closed - instead of a shadow figure next to me I could see a middle-aged woman with straight black hair probably just past her collarbone in length, dark brown eyes.

'She was just staring at me and smiling at me, then she was gone.'

Poe has dismissed the idea that these visions are purely down to PTSD.

Poe believes her near-death experience opened a gateway allowing those who are passing between this world and the next to enter her life

Crossley even replayed a scene which involves an elderly person jumping to their death from a cliff in the horror film Midsommar 'eight times' while in the basement

'I think it's more due to having a near-death experience and literally tasting death,' she said.

'I think because I almost crossed over, because it was so close, maybe those shadow people are people who are in the between of crossing over and they're in the middle somewhere, maybe that's why I can see them.'

'I feel like I have evidence that something happens,' Poe said, adding she now believes in an afterlife of some form.

Poe also said that when she returned to her home, the spot where he attacked her felt physically 'cold' - not just to her but to visitors too.

'In the exact spot where everything happened it would feel cold,' she said.

'And it wasn't just for me, it was for several people. I brought several people, and two people didn't know where it happened, but they could feel it too.

'The energy was so powerful that they could feel that's exactly where it went down...

'I think that on some level, he's tethered there. I think his soul is tethered to that house, because the energy is so so off there.'

Poe revealed she has even become slightly 'psychic' since the ordeal, predicting her co-workers pregnancy to the exact 10-week term after feeling like she had been punched in the abdomen randomly while showering.

She even foresaw that Crossley had committed suicide before being told by police, and narrowed it down to two possible locations when quizzed by detectives in hospital - one of which was Arthur's Rock.

Poe also said she has started feeling 'energy' from old objects in antique and thrift stores, sometimes so strong she feels like she will throw up.

'A lot of things like that happen to me where I'm talking to somebody and it feels like a kind of cloud over me,' she said.

'I'm not sure I would want to call myself a psychic, because It's not something I can control, it just kind of happens.

'Sometimes it feels very dark and disturbing and extremely uncomfortable. Or it feels nostalgic. Going into a store and literally feeling a darkness over an item, that's new.'

Poe said she has always been 'open to the idea of something paranormal' or 'something out there after death', but she is 'even more open to it now'.

In the podcast discussions, Poe also gives toe-curling details about how her ex spent his 26 hours in her crawl space. Police found horror books, granola snacks and water he brought with him. He also watched horrific stabbing clips from films on YouTube while he lurked there

While in the crawl space, Crossley watched clips from Oscar-winning film Parasite - which follows the story of a poor South Korean family secretly living in the basement of their unwitting wealthy employers, and involves a graphic stabbing scene

'I definitely don't have it figured out, but I think seeing two of my favorite people in the entire world, in that really really dire moment opened up everything more, and made me feel like people and souls are out there for us in ways that we don't understand,' she said.

The elementary teacher added that when she was released from hospital and slept in her roommate Megan's room - unable to return to her own as the place she last saw Crossley before he attacked her - she began having vivid dreams about him.

Around four times a week, Crossley would appear in her dreams 'just staring' at her and expressionless like the day he launched his attack.

She would yell at him and one time he responded to her question: 'Why did you do this to me?'

'He asked the question,' how can you not see it?' I said, 'see what?' He said 'I did this because I'm still in love with you, I'll always be in love with you'.'

'It was one of those things where it was like, if I can't have you, no-one can,' Poe surmised.

She said her father also stayed in Megan's bedroom for a time after the stabbing, and while sleeping there, he had near-identical dreams about Crossley.

In the podcast discussions, Poe also gives toe-curling details about how her ex spent his 26 hours in her crawl space.

She said he watched clips from three movies on YouTube - all films they had seen together while dating.

They included the Oscar-winning film Parasite, which follows the story of a poor South Korean family secretly living in the basement of their unwitting wealthy employers - and involves a graphic stabbing scene.

Crossley also watched 'the Kill Bill scene where the bride is fighting like 80 people with a sword'.

Flamingo-loving Poe was checking on her pet bunny rabbit Boomer when Crossley launched his near-fatal attack on the stairwell

A scene from Parasite - one of the three horror/thriller films which Crossley watched clips from in the basement before pouncing on Poe

Crossley even replayed a scene which involves an elderly person jumping to their death from a cliff in the horror film Midsommar 'eight times'.

Police also found two horror books by Joe Abercrombie - Best Served Cold and The Blade Itself - in his rucksack.

Poe said she is now 'angry' that Crossley's friends did not tell her he had a history of violence against women, including him beating up his high school girlfriend.

She said she believes his evil streak comes from him 'romanticizing' life like in the literature and films he consumed to such an extent that he could not deal with reality.

'The reason he handled rejection was so poor was because he rehearsed things a different way in his head,' she said.

Poe said as she recovers from the mental and physical scars of her horrifying ordeal, the 'shadow people' have been haunting her less frequently.

She theorizes that this is because they entered her psyche as she sat on the precipice between life and death, and they are beginning to fade from view as she grows further from this point in time.

Her physical reality means she faces constant hospital fees for surgeries - having had 10 operations so far since the stabbing.

A fundraiser established for the survivor has so far raised more than $66,000.
Shocking new photos lay bare the devastating homeless crisis tormenting downtown LA - where filthy ramshackle tent cities are plagued by zombie-like residents smoking drugs, while others hawk stolen goods on street corners.

There are currently an estimated 42,260 people sleeping rough in the City of Angels - a startling 10 percent rise compared to just last year, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported.

Just this week, it emerged that the city had resorted to sending mobile teams with oxygen cylinders to Skid Row in a desperate bid to prevent overdoses amid its crippling opioid crisis.

Workers from the non profit Homeless Health Care Los Angeles are now patrolling the streets among snaking lines of makeshift dwellings where homeless people can be seen sleeping among the few belongings they own - as others in dire health inject or smoke illicit substances.

The shocking scenes illustrating the homelessness crisis have emerged from downtown LA's Skid Row showing filthy ramshackle tent cities

Homeless people can be seen sleeping among the few belongings they own in some images

Others appear to try and forget their present state by injecting or smoking illicit substances in dreary images emerging from downtown LA

The number of homeless people in LA has more than doubled in the past decade.

There was a 9 percent rise in homelessness in Los Angeles County between 2022 and 2023, with the unhoused population now totaling 75,518 people, according to the latest data from the LAHSA.

The city of Los Angeles saw an estimated 10 percent rise to a total of 46,260 people.

LA Mayor Karen Bass was recently met with hisses and boos at a meeting about housing the homeless in the city as seen in videos posted to social media.

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, who represents LA City Council District 5, proposed an interim housing project on LA's Westside, which elicited fury among the residents attending the meeting.

The aim is for the project to be set up on an 'underutilized city-owned parking lot at the intersection of Pico Blvd. and Midvale Ave.'

'It will add desperately needed interim beds to the Fifth Council District's homeless housing supply,' Yaroslavsky said.

The number of homeless people in LA has more than doubled in the past decade

According to the latest data from the LAHSA, there was a 9 percent rise in Los Angeles County between 2022 and 2023, with the unhoused population totaling 75,518 people

The city of Los Angeles saw an estimated 10 percent rise to a total of 46,260 people

In June, LA Mayor Karen Bass announced the lofty goal of ending street homelessness in LA by 2026

The County of LA Homeless Initiative unanimously approved a $609.7 million budget to decrease the scourge

Yaroslavsky said over 70 percent of these individuals and families sleep in tents, parks, cars or on sidewalks because of a lack of temporary and permanent housing.

'Anyone who has walked or driven on the Westside can tell you that the increase in the number of people living in tents is alarming,' said Yaroslavsky.

'We cannot keep waiting for the problem to solve itselfwe need real solutions that we know work, and we need them quickly.

'While thousands of units of permanent housing are being constructed across the City, no interim units are in the pipeline in Council District 5. We need interim solutions now that we know will work.'

After praising Yaroslavsky, Bass received boos from the audience.

An existing facility that houses the homeless in North Hollywood has been widely criticized by local residents after crime rocketed, including a nearby stabbing.

'I understand that safety is the number one concern, and safety is my concern as well,' Bass retorted.

'But this problem is that people are on the street so we have to think how to get them off the street today.

The budget will go towards: Reducing encampments to bring unsheltered people indoors, increasing interim and permanent housing placements and ramping up mental health and substance use disorder services for people experiencing homelessness

The $609.7 million represents an additional $61.8 million over last year's allocation of $547.8 million, an increase of 11 percent

The remaining fees will go towards: administration, local jurisdictions, stabilization success, coordination, target prevention to avoid reentry to homelessness and connectivity to allow people to exit sleeping rough

In June, Bass moved a total of 14,381 people under a roof through various programs

This is but a small dent of the tens-of-thousands that remain on the streets, however, and countless are dying from rampant drug use

In June, Bass announced the lofty goal of ending street homelessness in LA by 2026.

'My goal would be, really, to end street homelessness,' she said. 'There will still be people in shelters and interim housing, but to at least not have people dying on our streets,' she said in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.

According to the County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative financial year 2023-2024 budget, four weeks after homelessness was declared a 'local emergency,' the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $609.7 million budget for Los Angeles County.

The budget will go toward: reducing encampments to bring unsheltered people indoors, increasing interim and permanent housing placements and ramping up mental health and substance use disorder services for people experiencing homelessness.

The $609.7 million represents an additional $61.8 million more than last year's allocation of $547.8 million, an increase of 11 percent.

The proposed budget will include 30 percent or $182.2 million for interim housing and 44.3 percent or $270.22 million for permanent housing.

Two people appear zombie-like as they look through their belongings on the side of the road

A man could be seen smoking from a small pipe, it was unclear what he was inhaling

Mobile teams with oxygen cylinders have been sent to Skid Row to prevent overdoses amid the opioid crisis

The remaining cash will go toward: administration, local jurisdictions, stabilization success, coordination, target prevention to avoid reentry to homelessness and connectivity to allow people to exit sleeping rough.

Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles who is the first woman and second African American elected to the city's chief executive.

She started her term with a focus on housing people immediately and hoped to increase safety and opportunity in every part of LA.

That same month Bass moved 14,381 people under a roof - including 8,726 through LAHSA intakes, 1,323 via the mayor's Inside Safe initiative, 1,591 using emergency vouchers, 1,397 using other tenant-based voucher programs and 1,344 people who were housed in new permanent housing units.

But tens of thousands still remain on the streets, with many succumbing to rampant drug use.

Mobile teams with oxygen cylinders have been sent to Skid Row to prevent overdoses amid the opioid crisis.

Workers from the non-profit Homeless Health Care Los Angeles also carry naloxone, a medicine commonly known as Narcan, that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Set over four square miles, there are 4,400 homeless people in Skid Row, with 2,695 unsheltered, according to the 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count

A woman strolling around with coffee and body wash was seen walking the streets

Listerine and socks could be seen sitting on tables being sold by street hawkers

For overdoses involving more than one drug, including non-opioids that do not respond to naloxone, oxygen can be used to help stabilize people faster, address a range of drug threats and stop the brain from being damaged more severely.

Mouth-to-mouth breathing is the most straightforward way of doing this, but the teams from the nonprofit use masks hooked up to oxygen cylinders, the LA Times reported.

Kailin See, senior director of programs at OnPoint NYC, said an opioid overdose is fundamentally 'a slow cessation of breath,' so 'it makes sense that really your No. 1 tool should be oxygen.'

Mayor Karen Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles, who is the first woman and second African American elected as the city's chief executive

The Overdose Response Teams work daily between 9am and 3pm, covering a downtown route based on where the overdoses have occurred.

People flag the black carts for Narcan, clean pipes and syringes, condoms and other harm reduction supplies.

As of July, the new teams had reversed 58 overdoses since they started out on foot in December, with the monthly numbers increasing rapidly after the carts began rolling in February, according to Homeless Health Care.

LA County officials said they were not aware of any other community group in Southern California using oxygen to tackle the issue.

The LA County Public Health Department argued to address the problem, the following changes need to be made: increasing the distribution of naloxone, improving access to medications such as methadone and buprenorphine for staving off addiction; expanding mobile clinics for homeless people; and pushing forward with supervised sites where people can take drugs so that trained staff can intervene and prevent overdoses.

Last year, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a state bill to set up supervised injection sites in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland, but he said he remained open to the discussion if local officials came back to the California Legislature with 'comprehensive plans'.

An explosive rise in drug overdoses ramped up deaths among homeless people in Los Angeles County in recent years, along with the increasing toll of traffic collisions and homicides, according to a public health department report released in May.

Deadly overdoses more than doubled in the Skid Row area over two years, with more than 110 deaths in 2021, according to the L.A. County Department of Health Service

A man was seen picking at his skin where there was a large black laceration on his lower leg

The neighborhood has the densest concentration of people experiencing homelessness in the county

Deadly overdoses more than doubled in the Skid Row area, just outside the downtown core, over two years, with more than 110 deaths in 2021, according to the L.A. County Department of Health Service.

For people in the 90013 ZIP Code, which Skid Row is a part of, overdose deaths were more than 77 times the countywide rate when adjusted for age.

Set over four square miles, there are 4,400 homeless people in Skid Row, with 2,695 unsheltered, according to the 2022 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.

The neighborhood has the densest concentration of people experiencing homelessness in the county.

The death rate rose 55 percent among people experiencing homelessness in LA County between 2019 and 2021, a much higher increase than in the years before the Coronavirus pandemic, public health officials found.

There were more than 2,200 county-wide deaths among homeless people in 2021, marking the first time the agency has reported an annual toll of more than 2,000, said Will Nicholas, director of the Center for Health Impact Evaluation at the LA County Department of Public Health.

He said that 'it's becoming more deadly or dangerous to be homeless.'

Drug overdoses accounted for more than a third of deaths among homeless people in LA County in 2020 and 2021 combined, according to the report.

A man who appears to have been sleeping rough was seen dozing by a bicycle

The death rate rose 55 percent among people experiencing homelessness in LA County between 2019 and 2021

Drug overdoses were the leading cause of death, accounting for more than a third of deaths among homeless people in LA County in 2020 and 2021

In 2021, 71 percent of all fentanyl deaths among people experiencing homelessness also involved methamphetamine

The dramatic rise of fentanyl appears to be linked to the soaring rate of overdose deaths, public health officials said.

The percentage of overdose deaths involving fentanyl among homeless people almost tripled from 20 percent in 2019 to 58 percent in 2021.

Fentanyl deaths almost always involved combinations of drugs. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs to enhance the high, but a small amount can be deadly.

In 2021, 71 percent of all fentanyl deaths among people experiencing homelessness also involved methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine was involved in nearly 77 percent of the overdose deaths.
Quebec is hitting the brakes on its euthanasia program, warning of rising numbers of 'non-compliant cases,' and telling doctors to be more prudent about who gets a lethal injection.

DailyMail.com has seen an official memo to warn Quebec doctors about fatal jabs that shouldn't have been allowed, and urging them to give patients more time to reconsider a monumental decision.

Quebec saw its number of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) cases rise to nearly 5,000 last year  making it a global euthanasia hotspot, where 7-8 percent of all deaths are due to lethal jabs.

In June, it relaxed its rules to let people with Alzheimer's and other serious, incurable diseases apply for MAiD before their condition got worse.

Colette Julien ended her life earlier this year under Quebec's assisted dying program, which saw cases jump by 54 percent last year

Dr Michel Bureau, president of Quebec's commission on end-of-life care, says doctors need to be more rigorous over who gets MAiD

Dr Michel Bureau, president of Quebec's commission on end-of-life care, described some 'confusion' over the new law and said several MAiD cases were being approved each month that should not have been allowed.

It's unclear how many of these cases were pushed through.

'It is too early to conclude that there has been a drift in the MAiDs administered, but great rigor is required for providers and great vigilance for the commission,' says the memo, which was issued on August 4.

Poll Should doctor-assisted suicide be available where you live? Yes No Not sure Should doctor-assisted suicide be available where you live? Yes 4990 votes

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The document warned that doctors had been sharing 'erroneous information' about the new rules, which only permit advanced directives in some cases, and do not come into effect until March 2024.

The memo also warns that some MAiD applicants did not get long enough to decide whether an assisted death was right for them.

Doctors should offer them 'spaced out' appointments, so they had more time, it said.

It also indicated that practitioners were getting lax over getting a second doctor to approve requests for lethal jabs.

When a doctor rejects an application, that 'closes the file' on the case, said the memo.

'Shopping around for a favorable second opinion is not an acceptable practice.'

In 2021-22, Quebec found 15 assisted deaths, 0.4 percent of the total, did not follow the rules. In six of those cases, the person did not have a serious and incurable condition, according to the commission.

The numbers for 2022-23 are not yet known.

The new guidelines come as euthanasia continues to make headlines across Canada.

Kathrin Mentler, 37, this week revealed how she went to hospital seeking help for suicidal thoughts, only to be told that there were no psychiatrists available and was asked instead whether she had considered euthanasia.

'How can this be standard procedure for suicide crisis intervention?' asked Kathrin Mentler, 37

The memo was sent out to doctors across the French-speaking province earlier this month

Lisa Pauli, 47, who says she wants to apply for euthanasia when she is eligible because of her severe anorexia, in Toronto, Ontario

A 'BEAUTIFUL UNDERTAKING' Colette Julien, like thousands of sick Canadian compatriots each year who seek an end to their suffering and dignity in death, requested medical assistance in dying (MAiD), as it is officially known. 'I've reached the end of the road and am not interested in trying to extend my life a couple of months,' Julien told AFP a few days before being pricked with a fatal injection. A note written by Colette Julien in her apartment in Montreal, Quebec 'I just want to be at peace,' said the diminutive 77-year-old. It was a carefully considered decision, she said, that was partly motivated by fears of losing her autonomy and freedom. 'When you're sick, you have to depend on others. Me, depend on others excessively? No, no, no, no,' said the retired nurse, who was diagnosed with lung cancer that spread to her brain. Nancy Carpentier, Julien's niece who helped care for her when her health began to fail, expressed strong support for her final wish to avoid the kind of suffering that Carpentier's father went through in his last days. A doctor-assisted death, she said, is 'a beautiful undertaking.' It allowed Carpentier to spend 'quality time' with her aunt, have long chats and share a 'moment of reflection' with her, she said, adding that she hopes to have the courage to seek an assisted death should she herself fall badly ill one day. Advertisement

'I very specifically went there that day because I didn't want to get into a situation where I would think about taking an overdose of medication,' said Mentler, a first-year counselling student.

'How can this be standard procedure for suicide crisis intervention?'

Others say they can't wait for assisted dying to become available to those suffering from mental health problems, which is set to happen in March 2024.

Toronto resident Lisa Pauli, 47 has wrestled with the eating disorder anorexia for decades, believes nothing will cure her and wants a doctor to end her suffering with a lethal injection.

'Every day is hell,' Pauli, who weighs 92 pounds, told Reuters.

'I'm so tired. I'm done. I've tried everything. I feel like I've lived my life.'

Against this backdrop, the new memo has divided opinion in Quebec, which euthanizes more residents than Canada's other provinces and even such countries as Belgium and the Netherlands, which have much older assisted-dying laws.

Alex Schadenberg, director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, a campaign group, said it was worrying proof that MAiD deaths were taking place 'outside of the parameters of the law.'

'It is clear that none of these euthanasia deaths have resulted in any disciplinary action, and yet the patient is dead,' said Schadenberg.

He also warned that the official data could be an undercount.

Doctors report euthanasia cases back to the commission themselves, and could 'clean up' their files afterward to avoid awkward questions, he said.

The federal government should 'complete an investigation into all euthanasia deaths, to indicate the level of abuse of the law that exists in Canada,' he told DailyMail.com.

Supporters of MAiD, however, say the numbers are rising because more people understand it's an option.

Georges L'Esperance, a neurosurgeon and the president of the Quebec Association for the Right to Die in Dignity, said the memo may stigmatize procedures and deter some doctors from offering it.

'Many doctors will be intimidated by that kind of memo,' L'Esperance told CBC News.

'They will say that they don't want to [administer] any MAID because they have fear.'

Many Canadians support euthanasia and the campaign group, Dying With Dignity, says procedures are 'driven by compassion, an end to suffering and discrimination and desire for personal autonomy.'

Rights groups say the country's regulations lack necessary safeguards, devalue the lives of disabled people, and prompt doctors and health workers to suggest the procedure to those who might not otherwise consider it.

Canada has among the highest rates of assisted dying in the world

Quebec's euthanasia rate jumped a staggering 55 percent from 3,102 in 2021 to 4,810 last year, official data show.

That means between 7-8 percent of all deaths are assisted suicides, making it a leading cause of death after cancer and heart disease.

Nearly 90 percent of those getting lethal injections had cancer, neurodegenerative or neurological diseases, or respiratory or cardiac ailments.

Most were in an advanced or terminal phase of their sickness.

In June, Quebec's regime was expanded to allow persons suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, to request an assisted suicide in advance  before their mental competence degrades.

Quebec's unusually strong support for MAiD has stoked controversy in the past, including a top Quebec medical body last year advocating that lethal injections should be made available to seriously ill newborns.

Dr Louis Roy, from the Quebec College of Physicians  said newborns who enter the world with 'severe malformations' or 'grave and severe syndromes' should be entitled to a doctor-aided death.

Addressing Canada's Special Joint Committee on MAiD, Dr Roy said euthanasia should be available to 'babies from 0-1 years  whose life expectancy and level of suffering mean it would make sense to ensure they do not suffer.'

The number of MAiD deaths in Canada has risen steadily by about a third each year from the previous year

Canada is on track to record some 13,500 state-sanctioned suicides in 2022, a 34 percent rise on the previous year, according to Schadenberg's analysis of official data.

The number of MAiD deaths in Canada has risen steadily by about a third each year from the previous year

Canada's road to allowing euthanasia began in 2015, when its top court declared that outlawing assisted suicide deprived people of their dignity and autonomy. It gave national leaders a year to draft legislation.

The resulting 2016 law legalized both euthanasia and assisted suicide for people aged 18 and over, provided they met certain conditions: They had to have a serious, advanced condition, disease, or disability that was causing suffering and their death was looming.

The law was later amended to allow people who are not terminally ill to choose death, significantly broadening the number of eligible people.

Critics say that change removed a key safeguard aimed at protecting people with potentially decades of life left.

Today, any adult with a serious illness, disease, or disability can seek help in dying.

Euthanasia is legal in seven countries  Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain  plus several states in Australia. It's only available to children in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Other jurisdictions, including a growing number of US states, allow doctor-assisted suicide  in which patients take the drug themselves, typically crushing up and drinking a lethal dose of pills prescribed by a physician.

In Canada, both options are referred to as MAiD, though more than 99.9 percent of such procedures are carried out by a doctor. The number of MAiD deaths in Canada has risen steadily by about a third each year from the previous year.
There has been a huge backlash against plans to build a 24-hour McDonald's in a sleepy, picturesque village as residents worry about anti-social behaviour and the potential threat to wildlife.

A restaurant is being proposed on the A361 at Hilperton, near Trowbridge in Wiltshire.

It may be small, but it has a rich history with mention of the settlement in the Domesday Book in 1086.

Apart from a petrol station and a pub, the village doesn't have very many shops or other amneities.

But locals are fuming at the plan to build a 24-hour, drive-thru fast food chain as they worry about it being built on a greenfield site and could potentially attract boy racers to the area.

Hilperton,Wiltshire,where fast food chain McDonalds have put in a planning application for a 24hr restaurant

Protesters stand on the Hilperton monument with their anti-McDonald's banner on display

A man with a 'Grumpy' t-shirt on holding a 'burger off' sign as other protesters hold anti-McDonald's signs

Pictured left, Rachel Kingsmill who set up the anti-McDonald's Facebook group and has helped organise the fight back

Pictured, a meeting in Hilperton Village Hall to discuss the proposals. Mrs Kingsmill claims no one who attended spoke in favour of McDonald's

A protester holds up a placard on the proposed site for the drive-thru McDonald's restaurant

Now there has been a popular uprising as residents have launched a grassroots campaign against the McDonald's.

Rachel Kingsmill, 47, started a protest Facebook group, McDonald's Hilperton - I'm NOT lovin' it!, to fight back against the proposals.

She told Mail Online: 'We live in an ancient semi-rural village which dates back to the Domesday Book.

'It's a nice place to live. We have families, working professionals, a local pub a dog walking field and there's no big commercial zone, no big retail.

'So, McDonald's have applied for planning permission to build a very large 24-hour drive-thru restaurant on a green space on the edge of our village.

Hilperton is situated in Wiltshire in a semi-rural area. It is also classed as a 'ceremonial county'

A 'No to McDonald's' sign hangs on a wooden fence near the proposed site. It has proved controversial in the village

Residents fear the site could potentially be hazardous to wildlife and because of increased traffic

A church in the picturesque village of Hilperton, Wiltshire which dates back to the Mediaeval times

'It's on an already busy road, there's no pavement, no crossing and it will be on the opposite side of the road to most children walking to and from school which we think is dangerous.

'As far as we know, they've not consulted anybody that lives here. They haven't spoken to the parish council and nd as far as I know, they've not spoken to any of the residents.

'But when we had our meeting, councillor, Ernie Clark stated that anybody can apply for permission to do anything and then it's up for the people impacted by it to put forward their views and object or whatever.

'But I would have expected a big organisation like McDonald's to engage the public before they even went ahead, because they spent money on the planning application.'

Mrs Kingsmill noted that there is already another McDonald's not too far away from the proposed location.

She claims it has attracted antisocial behaviour with boy racers causing a nuisance.

She added: 'McDonald's does attract antisocial behaviour.

Hilperton is a pretty village and residents worry that the McDonadl's could cause a whole range of issues

The old village stocks in Hilperton. Village stocks were used in medieval times as a form of punishment for minor offenders

The site where the restaurant will be. Residents object to the site as they claim it is greenfield

The village pub in Wiltshire, the Lion and Fiddle. The new McDonald's could affect the businesses in the area

Hilperton is a picturesque village. All sorts of different people have banded together to protest the planned site

A young lady wears an anti-McDonald's t-shirt. There has been an organised protest against the scheme

Hundreds of concerned villagers pack out the Hilperton Village Hall. There is a vocal majority who are against the plans

'There is a 24-hour drive-thru on Bradley Road.

'What happened was boy races started congregating in the car park and revving up and down the road late at night.

'Now there's barriers that close in the evening so nobody can enter the site. So all those boy racers will come to the Hilperton one instead.'

Although, the protesters claim that they are not against the site because it is McDonald's but mostly because of the threat to wildlife.

'It's not because it's a McDonald's,' Mrs Kingsmill added, 'we would have the same concerns it if it was a Marks and Spencer.

'Because we're a village, we have a neighbourhood development plan.

'So everybody who applies to build in the village has to take care of the badgers for example and other endangered species.

'And we have a bat corridor along the proposed site.

'Bats usually only come out when there is no light and having a great big neon light running 24 hours is obviously going to affect them.

Protesters attend near the site of the proposed restaurant. Many locals are concerned about antisocial behaviour

Although, many claim they are more concerned about wildlife than they are about the McDonald's

An anti-McDonald's banner hangs on a monument. Although, Mrs Kingsmill said she would be opposed if it was any other store and not just that it's a McDonald's

'Plus, the light will attract insects and wildlife so it could potentially take a food source away from another area.'

Mum of one Jane Rigby, 37, said: 'When it was first announced our initial concerns were the increase in antisocial behaviour from car meets, point to point racing especially being the only 24/7 location, these groups will pivot to here as a central meeting point.

'There are also concerns regarding the increased traffic and noise pollution that this site will bring and the risk of fatalities due to the lack of suitable access from all areas. People will be walking on grass verges on 50mph roads.

'I'm not an old person or soon to be pushing up the daisies like those who are pro the proposal believe everyone who is objecting to this is.'

When the village called a meeting to discuss the proposed site, around 200 people arrived.

Out of the hundreds of people, not one single person allegedly spoke out in favour of the restaurant.

Mrs Kingsmill said her organisation leaflet dropped the entire village to tell them about the public meeting.

But there does seem to be some support as people tore down an anti-McDonald's banner in favour of a new banner calling for the restaurant.

Although, the new banner is said to have caused damage to a monument due to someone ramming in metal pegs to keep it in place.

A consultation is currently in place but local politicians have criticised it as being "one sided".

Mrs Kingsmill said her organisation leaflet dropped the entire village to tell them about a public meeting discussing the McDonald's

But some people appear to be in favour of the proposed drive-thru as shown by this pro-McDonald's banner

A mock-up of what the McDonald's sign may look like made by an anti-drive-thru protester on the Facebook group

In an email seen by Mail Online, local councillor Antonio Piazza said: 'McDonald's should organise a meeting with the local parish council and meet residents face-to-face to understand their concerns.'

Dr Andrew Murrison, MP for Trowbridge, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: 'Many of us are trying to enhance the townscape in and around Trowbridge.

'It's difficult to see how this drive through with the associated clutter is going to improve the gateway to the town.

'I am not surprised that I'm getting so many messages from constituents and residents about this proposal.'

A McDonald's Spokesperson said: 'We will take into consideration the feedback from the Hilperton community and further clarify our position on these points, should we receive a planning committee date.'

The planning application is on the Wiltshire Council's planning portal.

Comments can be make until August 18 and the council hopes to decide on the application by October 10.

Mrs Kingsmill said the local Parish Council has set aside 15,000 to hire a planning consultant to help fight the proposals.
Disgruntled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) workers have exposed political interference in their work after complaining that union leaders who demand better working conditions are labelled opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters.

ZBC workers, who last year demanded to meet President Emmerson Mnangagwa over their poor working conditions, say the environment had become toxic.

The workers wrote to Information ministry permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana in October last year seeking President Emmerson Mnangagwas intervention over their welfare grievances.

Almost a year after the fiasco, the workers have written to the ministry complaining about the deteriorating conditions of service.

"Kindly note that the employees had requested the committee to reach out to His Excellency, but found it prudent to sincerely engage the ministry with the hope that the issues would be resolved amicably at ministerial level," the workers committee said in correspondence shared on ZBC WhatsApp platforms.

"However, with the lack of tangible progress on the raised issues, we are afraid that the employees' call for the committee to pursue the president's route will be inevitable since the ministry has taken so long to resolve the burning issues.

The workers said ZBC management had not shown commitment to implement the National Employment Council collective bargaining agreement since October last year.

Its also failing or unwilling to pay the Cimas medical aid subscriptions, with the employees and their families being turned away daily at a time when they are also broke," the workers said.

According to the employees, committee members are now labelled CCC activists who are inciting other ZBC employees to demand better salaries.

As we are fighting for a better living, take note of this; the-powers-that-be took advantage of the elections to sell a wrong narrative to the authorities that the worker's committee members are CCC members who are inciting the ZBC employees to strike and sabotage both the company and government, the committee said.

All communication to the workers is now coming through the heads of departments or directors thus disregarding the workers' committee and this is why the rest of the employees are not aware of the goings on implying a serious information gap because that's a wrong channel.

The executives are saying this to the minister: the employees are satisfied and grateful enough with the salaries they are receiving, it's only the workers' committee and a few individuals who are making unnecessary noise and pulling in the wrong direction.

They added: Let's keep coming to work every day, obey your supervisors, let's be one's keeper, let us serve the government diligently knowing that even if all the other authorities try to paint a wrong picture of the ZBC employees, lies have short legs and the truth shall always set us free.

Information deputy minister Kindness Paradza told The Standard that the matter was private between the employer and the workers.

"The issue of staff welfare in any organisation is a confidential matter and should be handled privately, Paradza said.

ZBC is run by a board of directors and the ministry provides policy guidance to the board.

As a ministry we don't deal with administrative issues.

ZBC has been accused of bias towards Zanu PF in the coverage of political parties ahead of the August 23 elections.

CCC, which is the main opposition party in Zimbabwe, says it is denied coverage by the state-owned broadcaster. Standard
In the days before a suicide bomber killed 13 service personnel at Kabul airport in 2021, U.S. military commanders were aware of the threat and twice missed chances to take out the deadly terrorist network behind the plot, according to a new book.

The Taliban, who had seized control of Afghanistan, refused a request to raid a hotel that was a known staging post for ISIS-K, who carried out the atrocity.

And at around the same time, superior officers vetoed a plan for a drone strike elsewhere because of the 'negative response' of the Taliban to such a raid.

Taken together, the shocking conclusion is that the bloodiest moment in President Joe Biden's presidency might have been avoided if American troops had not been reliant on their enemy for protection in the final days of the evacuation.

A total of 183 people were killed in the blast, including the bomber.

The details are set out in 'Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End,' which is published by Center Street on Tuesday  the two-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover.

Some 13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide attack at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in 2021. A new book reveals the U.S. had two opportunities to disrupt the terror group behind the attack, but were thwarted by the need to work with the Taliban in the final chaotic days of the withdrawal from Afghanistan

The blast was outside The Baron Hotel, at the Abbey Gate of Kabul airport. Westerners were staying in the hotel before their evacuation flights

Horrifying footage from Kabul airport shows dozens of Afghans lying in blood after two ISIS suicide bombers attacked crowds who were hoping to flee the Taliban

A man injured in the Kabul terrorists attacks on Thursday arrives at hospital to be treated. Among those killed in the two bomb attacks were 13 US troops, including 11 US Marines and one Navy medic

Medical staff bring an injured man to a hospital in an ambulance after two powerful explosions, which killed at least six people, outside the airport in Kabul on August 26, 2021

In this frame grab from video, people attend to a wounded man near the site of a deadly explosion outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021

Slides shown during a Pentagon briefing show how the US dead and wounded were close to the canal where the bomber detonated his explosives, and had clustered together to search potential evacuees. The worst hit were standing on a wall overlooking the canal

It describes how the effort to bring home American troops from a 20-year-war collapsed into confusion, as Taliban gunmen raced through the country and seized Kabul in a matter of weeks.

Tens of thousands of people descended on Hamid Karzai International Airport trying to flee the country's brutal new rulers.

With the Taliban in control of Kabul, U.S. forces made a deal with their foe of two decades, relying on their enemy to help keep the airport safe.

It ended in bloodshed. A suicide bomber with the Islamic State's local affiliate detonated his deadly payload on August 26 at the airport's Abbey Gate, where U.S. Marines were stationed to handle the crush of people.

'Our findings  tucked away in the Pentagons own documents and in the own words of military officers personally involved in the Afghanistan evacuation  provide more damning evidence about the dangerous stupidity of relying upon terrorists like the Taliban to provide security at Kabul airport,' said Jerry Dunleavy, one of the book authors and an investigator. He is helping lead the Afghanistan withdrawal investigation for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, although he wrote the book in a personal capacity.

He and co-author James Hasson, a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan, pieced together the story with interviews and information that in some cases was hiding in plain sight.

For example, a key insight comes from the official Central Command report into the bombing. It was published earlier this year after a freedom of information request.

It includes an interview transcript describing how intelligence channels were humming with warnings two days before the attack

An officer, whose name is redacted, describes a meeting of ambassadors and military attaches in Kabul.

'Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End' by Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson is published Tuesday by Center Street.

The Americans killed in the blast were: (left to right, starting with top row) Cpl. Daegan W. Page - Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo - Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover - Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza - Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum - Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui - Cpl. Hunter Lopez - Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz - Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss - Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez - Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak - Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola - Sgt. Nicole L. Gee

'I shared intelligence about the pending attack, so everyone was aware, and knew it was happening,' said the officer. 'The intelligence community didn't know the gate, but assessed it would be Abbey Gate due to the number of people there.'

The gate was initially due to close around then but the British government and others lobbied to keep it open as they sought to rescue their last remaining citizens.

The threat of an attack was so high, report Dunleavy and Hassan, that Marines there were ordered on to one knee all night to reduce their exposure to an explosion. A day later medical units were told to be on alert for a mass casualty event.

Another officer described how there were was daily coordination with the Taliban on security, and nightly intelligence meetings between U.S. units to share latest information.

'Units at H.K.I.A (Hamid Karzai International Airport) used Chat Surfer to disseminate information on threats,' he said.

'Intelligence officers knew that ISIS-K. was staging in a hotel 2-3 kilometers west of H.K.I.A., and D2 asked the Taliban to conduct an assault on the hotel, but they never did.'

The identity of D2 is revealed in other documents as General Chris Donahue.

The book uses information obtained through freedom of information requests to piece together the events leading up to the attack. In one interview, an officer says the Taliban never acted on a request that the raid a hotel being used as a staging post by ISIS-K terrorists

Taliban forces took control of Kabul on August 15, 2021, triggering a haphazard evacuation of foreign nationals and vulnerable Afghans. And it meant US forces had to rely on Taliban help

Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the US Army 82nd Airborne Division, pictured boarding a C-17 cargo plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30, 2021

He was commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division during the evacuation and became famous as the last American service member to leave Afghanistan when he boarded a C-17 transport plane - a moment immortalized in a green-tinged photograph taken with a night-vision lens.

The location of the hotel was close to where the U.S. launched a botched drone strike in the aftermath of the suicide attack. It killed 10 civilians including seven children.

The investigation into the botched strike reveals the other missed opportunity in the build-up to the airport attack.

The report includes the sworn statement of an officer who had 'target engagement authority' to conduct strikes in defense of American forces.

They described how nine days before the attack, intelligence indicated that I.S.I.S.-K planned to attack international forces and the Taliban in order to disrupt the 'establishment of stability and governance.'

'As a result of the threat reporting, we conducted a targeting effort focused on ISIS K threats leading into Kabul,' the officer continued.

The strike unit was 'authorized to look at ISIS-K targets' but had to submit detailed proposals for permission to engage.'

The evacuation was marked by chaotic scenes as Afghans flooded the airport in a desperate effort to escape the country's brutal new rulers during August 2021

There were also heroic images of Marines and soldiers helping people to safety

But it was rejected. Rear Adm. Peter Vasly, commander U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Forward and Donahue had 'both determined conducting a strike was infeasible due to the negative response.'

Dunleavy said: 'Combined with the courageous testimony from Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, these findings show the Abbey Gate attack was not inevitable  and likely was preventable if our leaders had done more to protect the brave troops under their command.

'The Gold Star families deserve the truth from the Biden administration.'

In a hearing earlier this year, Vargas-Andrews, described how he was stationed in a snipe tower on the day of the blast.

He said he identified a person in the throng that matching the description of a suspected suicide bomber just hours before the attack. He said his superiors failed to act on his warning.

The result was one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in the last decade of the war. At least 160 Afghans also died.

Hasson said three different officers  across two separate investigations  stated that the military and the intelligence community were tracking ISIS-K members likely linked to the Abbey Gate bombing, and that they were nearly certain that an attack was imminent, but no offensive measures were taken.

'Leaders in D.C. made one unforced error after another throughout the withdrawal, and each mistake compounded the risk to the men and women on the ground.

'Ultimately, it led to U.S. commanders tailoring decisions to the desires of Taliban leaders who had them surrounded, and to the loss of thirteen brave Americans.'
Militants who left fingerprints on IEDs meant to kill Americans in Afghanistan and a prisoner freed by the Taliban were among more than 65 terrorists allowed into the United States after the catastrophic withdrawal.

Most of them could still be roaming the country, and the government cannot track them down.

The damning revelations made in a new book add to the laundry list of blunders from the Biden administration during and after the disastrous evacuation of Kabul in August 2021.

It has been two years since the two weeks of carnage at Hamid Karzai International Airport that led to the deaths of 13 American service members, hundreds of Afghans, and thousands left behind.

Yet the evidence of the U.S. government's disastrous handling of the departure of troops after 20 years and the evacuation of allies is still coming to light.

Sixty-five individuals identified as 'national security risks' were granted entry into the U.S. in the 12 months after the withdrawal, Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson write in Kabul: The Untold Story of Bidens Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End.

Militants who left fingerprints on IEDs meant to kill Americans in Afghanistan and a prisoner freed by the Taliban were among more than 65 terrorists allowed into the United States after the catastrophic withdrawal, a new book has revealed

The book also reveals how the Biden administration missed two chances to prevent the Kabul suicide attack and the dire impact of putting the Taliban in charge of security.

The dangerous individuals let into the U.S. included multiple men whose DNA was found on explosives defused by American forces.

Another was a prisoner 'liberated' by the Taliban while they were running riot across the war-torn country on the way to Kabul.

Despite assurances the Taliban wouldnt surge to power and the US-backed Afghan government would hold, the capital toppled as the Western military left.

An Afghan-American interpreter even identified many Taliban fighters on the tarmac, ready to board flights bound for the U.S.

Many were allowed to travel unchecked because of alarming flaws in the vetting process and severe shortages in staff dealing with the roughly 82,000 evacuees taken to the U.S.

Around 70 percent of those who came from Afghanistan were not American citizens, green card holders or under the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, according to a Congressional memo released in the aftermath.

The dangerous suspects took seats on flights meant for U.S. citizens and allies.

Thousands were left behind as the final U.S. soldier left Kabul after 20 years - and many are still trying to get out if they have managed to evade capture by the Taliban.

Many were allowed to travel unchecked because of alarming flaws in the vetting process and severe shortages in staff dealing with the roughly 82,000 evacuees taken to the U.S. A photo inside a U.S. military evacuation plane on August 2021

For their book, Dunleavy and Hasson have interviewed multiple service members, senior intelligence officials and high-ranking members of allied governments.

The harrowing accounts of Americans and Afghans abandoned by the government paint another damning picture of the failures of the Biden administration.

Sixty-five individuals identified as 'national security risks' were granted entry into the U.S. in the 12 months after the withdrawal, Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson write in Kabul: The Untold Story of Bidens Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End

They also reveal the daring stories of veterans who launched operations in Afghanistan to help get out allies and interpreters who fought alongside the U.S. military.

One of those was Gulum, an American interpreter of Tajik ancestry, who was on the front lines at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

He served commanding generals and stayed until the final evacuation flight left.

During the chaos, he intercepted two men with trademark long hair and trimmed beards he knew were Taliban fighters on the U.S. side of the airport.

Another telling sign was they didn't have women or children with them, in stark contrast to the desperate families clambering to get to safety.

Gulum warned commanders and said they needed to be interviewed before getting on a plane.

The pair couldn't provide the correct paperwork and visas and were ejected from the airport.

When they walked off they met a Taliban commander who greeted them by name and got in a truck.

Even though they were intercepted before they could get on a Western evacuation flight, several more escaped undetected.

One prisoner managed to make it to the U.S., even though his record was flagged when he was landed and vetted in a third country safe haven.

Derogatory information about his background was shared with Customs and Border Protection, but a supervisor let him carry on his journey.

He was in the U.S. for three weeks before Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tracked him down and kicked him out of the country.

The damning revelations made in a new book add to the laundry list of blunders from the Biden administration during and after the disastrous evacuation of Kabul in August 2021

It has been two years since the two weeks of carnage at Hamid Karzai International Airport that led to the deaths of 13 American service members, hundreds of Afghans, and thousands left behind

Many more completed the journey, made it into the U.S. and could still be here.

'As of February 2022, the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC) had identified at least fifty Afghan military-age male evacueesnone of whom was an SIV applicantwho had been flagged as significant security risks by the Defense Department,' a damning passage reads.

By August 2022, that number had risen to sixty-five.

The NGIC identified them by matching their intake files with biometric data stored on Defense Department servers.

The individuals identified by NGIC included men whose fingerprints had been found on IEDs defused by US troops.

None had been flagged during the initial screening process because the administration had compared evacuee profiles only against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) databases.

One of the suspected terrorists freed was a prisoner 'liberated' by the Taliban while they were running riot across the war-torn country on the way to Kabul. Pictured is Bagram Airfield in the summer before the withdrawal

The CBP databases only have records of individuals who have been stopped at American borders.

Men who had lived in Afghanistan all their lives were not included.

And even though these individuals had been flagged as huge security threats, the US government has no way of tracking them down.

CBP also failed to collect fingerprints from roughly 1,300 evacuees who entered the United States and

At least 417 evacuees first names were listed as unknown, and the last names of another 242 were likewise missing.

The records of another 11,110 evacuees listed their dates of birth as January 1.

These scant details were only recorded for those who went through the vetting process.

A damning Department of Homeland Security report of the evacuation said untold numbers of people who left Afghanistan got into the United States without undergoing any checks.

They also frequently lacked elementary details such as evacuees names, dates of birth, or identification numbers.

In September 2022, despite the glaring problems, the State Department relaxed their rules to let in more Afghan applicants - even if they had worked for the Taliban.

If these individuals could prove they were only civil servants or provided limited material support, their requests to get into the United States would be accepted.
Sir Tony Blair's institute has continued to advise and receive money from the government of Saudi Arabia since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it has emerged.

The Sunday Times reported the former prime minister's organisation is involved in a multimillion-pound partnership helping with a modernisation drive in the country led by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The prince, who is the Gulf state's de facto leader, was accused of ordering the assassination of dissident Washington Post journalist Mr Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

He has denied any involvement and blamed rogue agents.

Sir Tony's spokesman confirmed that the Tony Blair Institute had continued its involvement in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a wide-ranging programme of economic reform devised to boost tourism and reduce reliance on oil, after Mr Khashoggi's death.

The Tony Blair Institute had continued its involvement in Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, a wide-ranging programme of economic reform devised to boost tourism and reduce reliance on oil, after Mr Khashoggi's death

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who is the Gulf state's de facto leader, was accused of ordering the assassination of dissident Washington Post journalist Mr Khashoggi

According to a statement, 'anxieties' were initially expressed internally as the institute considered how to proceed with the partnership, which started in 2017, following the killing.

But ultimately, Sir Tony was of the view that continued engagement was 'justified' despite the 'terrible crime', and no senior staff or board member opposed the decision, the spokesman said.

'The renewed engagement of the USA and Western nations with Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman illustrates why this decision was correct,' a statement said.

It comes after the Financial Times reported that Rishi Sunak invited the prince to the UK in the autumn. Downing Street declined to comment at the time.

A UK visit would be the latest sign of Western countries welcoming the crown prince back into the diplomatic fold after he was frozen out following the murder.

A man holds posters denouncing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Britain is aiming to strengthen its ties with the kingdom despite concerns over its human rights record as it seeks to attract investment from the oil-rich Gulf following Brexit.

The FT said details of the trip have not yet been finalised, quoting an official as saying: 'It's more up to them, given we need them more than they need us.'

Mr Sunak met Prince Mohammed on the margins of the G20 summit in Bali last November, where the leaders discussed social reforms and civil liberties  but not the murder of Mr Khashoggi, No 10 said at the time.

US President Joe Biden raised the subject in his own talks over energy and security issues when he met the crown prince last year, indicating that he thought the Saudi leader was responsible for the killing.

A statement from Sir Tony's office said that he 'took the view then and is strongly of the view now that the programme of social and economic change under way in Saudi Arabia is of immense and positive importance to the region and the world the relationship with Saudi Arabia is of critical strategic importance to the West, and that therefore staying engaged there is justified'.
A brain cancer survivor's family have hit out at medical authorities for denying their loved one another potential lease of life from 'miracle surgeon' Dr Charlie Teo.

Almost four years ago Les McNab, then 58, was given six months to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour deemed to be inoperable.

However, Mr McNab and wife Jodie refused to give up hope and turned to Dr Teo, who specialises in high-risk high-reward surgeries that others won't take on.

The tumour was successfully removed and Mr McNab was given precious time with his family and has even become a grandfather.

His cancer has since returned and the family now face the prospect of having to spend thousands of dollars to fly overseas for the operation.

Dr Teo was found guilty of unsatisfactory conduct by the Professional Standards Committee in July, effectively banning him from operating in Australia.

In a letter posted to social media, Ms McNab accused the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) of having 'blood on its hands'.

Almost four years ago Les McNab, then 58, was given six months to live after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour deemed to be inoperable

'To the disgusting hyenas  with personal vendettas spreading false and misleading information about Dr Charlie Teo,' she wrote.

'Hang your heads in shame. HCCC you got it so wrong.'

'Australia is a free country? Bulls**t. Now we are robbed of the right to have the best surgeon in Australia, if not the world, operate on Les in his own country.

'My husband's only hope now is to be sent to a surgeon he has never met and put his life in his hands. This has caused immense anxiety and stress for Les and myself.'

'You all have blood on your hands. What you have done to Charlie is a national disgrace.

'People are literally dying when they could have been saved.'

The couple, who live in north Queensland, have found a Singapore surgeon who is willing to operate under Dr Teo's supervision, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Although Dr Teo will offer his services for free, the operation will cost around $50,000 plus accommodation for Ms McNab and other travel expenses, a financial burden Mr McNab says he is not prepared to put upon his family.

'You (the HCCC) all carried on about Charlie's costs (which was lies). Now it will cost families more to travel to other countries, which is out of reach for most families,' Ms McNab wrote in her letter.

In placing restrictions on Dr Teo the HCCC found he failed to properly inform two of his patients of the risks involved with 'experimental' operations that they failed to recover from and inappropriately charged $35,000 to a vulnerable patient.

The restrictions include that Dr Teo needs to get permission from colleagues before operating, which have forced the controversial and colourful surgeon to admit his career in Australia is all but over and he will have to operate overseas.

Dr Teo (pictured with wife Traci Griffiths) was banned from operating in Australia for 'improper conduct'

Kellie-Anne Goodwin met Dr Teo aged 21 when the brain cancer she had been battling since she was nine returned and other doctors told her it was inoperable

Dr Teo previously performed a full resection on Mr McMcNab, which left him cancer-free for three years

'(Les) has become a granddad twice now, he would've missed all of this stuff,' Ms McNab told Channel Seven in October.

'We live in a free country, we should be able to choose what surgeon we want to treat us.

'It's our choice to take that risk. It's our choice to choose him as our doctor.'

Mr McNab is just the latest of the controversial neurosurgeon's patients to swoop in and defend Dr Teo.

Kellie-Anne Goodwin met Dr Teo aged 21 when the brain cancer she had been battling since she was nine returned and other doctors told her it was inoperable.

Now in her late 30's, Ms Goodwin is confined to a wheelchair but told The Saturday Telegraph she is extraordinarily grateful for the life Dr Teo has given her and would always 'have his back'.

Her mother Kathryn Fordham told the newspaper Kellie-Anne had 'basically come back as a baby' following her first operations as a child and needed help to relearn how to walk, talk and look after herself.

But she fought through and graduated high school only for the cancer to reemerge in her early twenties when her oncologist told her there was nothing that could be done.

The pair defiantly raised money with the help of the local community and travelled to Sydney to seek the neurosurgeon's help.

She said Dr Teo explained the risks clearly to them including that Kellie-Anne could lose significant brain function.
Students whose grades were awarded by teachers during the coronavirus pandemic are dropping out of university in record numbers, according to new data.

Approximately 30 per cent of young people attending university who received A-level grades from teacher assessments have dropped out of some courses, according to reports.

The pandemic saw examinations replaced with teacher-led assessments of pupils' aptitude - and a generous increase in the number of top-level grades handed out in 2020 and 2021.

With examinations now back, parents are being warned to temper their expectations for their children ahead of results being released on Thursday - the first 'normal' results day since 2019.

Writing in The Sunday Times, education secretary Gillian Keegan said teens must expect lower grades than last year so universities and employers can properly distinguish between candidates.

Thursday will be the first 'normal' A-level results day since 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic examinations were replaced with teacher assessments of pupil performance

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said pupils must expect lower results this year. She wrote in a Sunday newspaper: 'It is vital that qualifications hold value'

Pupils at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School in Bristol receiving their A-level results in 2022. Experts believe thousands could lose out on university places as grades fall back into line as a result of a return to pre-pandemic marking schemes

Ms Keegan wrote: 'During the pandemic, results were higher because of the way grades were assessed  now grades will be lower than last year and more similar to 2019. Pupils and parents might wonder why.

'It is vital that qualifications hold value so that universities and employers understand the distinction between grades when recruiting, and pupils get the opportunities they deserve.'

In England, this year's national A-level results on Thursday are expected to be similar to those before the pandemic.

However, tens of thousands of pupils could be set to miss out on university places as a result of grades falling back into line with pre-pandemic levels.

The number of A* and A grades being awarded is expected to fall by around 75,000 with the return of examinations, according to The Sunday Times.

Education bosses say this is not necessarily cause for concern, but instead a more realistic reflection of teens' academic performance.

One source told the paper: 'It is not in young peoples interests to have grading arrangements that do not appropriately support their progression.'

Some experts have warned that teens who were given generous grades in their GCSEs during the pandemic will find their confidence dented if their A-level results fail to live up to their expectations.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said youngsters would likely have a 'hard time' explaining to future employers why they were soaring high in their more junior exams.

He told the Guardian: 'I really feel for the 2023 generation. On paper they look like a bunch of geniuses, because they got their GCSE results in the year of highest grade inflation. But now with their A-level results they will suddenly be among the most disadvantaged.'

Data from the Student Loans Company shows more than 32,600 students have withdrawn from their loans in the last academic year - an early indicator of learners dropping out.

Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, has suggested 59,154 fewer A* grades and 35,505 fewer A grades will be awarded to sixth-formers this year compared with last year.

He added that nearly 50,000 students could miss out on getting the A* and A grades they could have expected last year if this summer's grading returns to pre-pandemic standards.

But schools minister Nick Gibb has said 'additional protection' is in place this year where grade boundaries will be altered if senior examiners find national evidence of a drop in standards compared with 2019.

School leavers are expected to face more competition for university places due to a growth in 18-year-olds in the population and international demand.

Clare Marchant, chief executive of Ucas, told school leavers to research options and prepare a plan B ahead of A-level results day.
As the enfant terrible of the British art world, Damien Hirst found fame  and a significant fortune  pickling sheep, a cow and even a tiger shark.

But if there is any animal safe from the artist's renowned creativity with formaldehyde, it's his girlfriend's pet chihuahua.

Hirst, 58, who has an estimated fortune of 300 million, was spotted engaging in a uncharacteristic display of affection towards the pampered pooch while having lunch at his favourite restaurant Scott's in London's Mayfair.

Showing off a rarely seen softer side, the artist snuggled up to the dog and gazed into its eyes as his girlfriend, 29-year-old former ballerina Sophie Cannell, fed treats to it.

Hirst, who wore a pale pink knitted beanie, later demonstrated his devotion to the dog by carrying it in a cross-body sling.

Damien Hirst (left) is spotted engaging in a uncharacteristic display of affection towards his girlfriend's pet chihuahua at his favourite restaurant Scott's in London's Mayfair

Damien Hirst's 29-year-old former ballerina Sophie Cannell is seen holding her pet chihuahua at Scott's in Mayfair, London

The father-of-three also seemed happy to carry its stuffed fox toy, fleece blanket and Louis Vuitton pet carrier. Sophie was also seen with the carrier.

After he burst on to the art scene in the 1990s with his controversial exhibitions, Hirst is said to be the UK's richest living artist, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

He made his name as part of a group of provocative Young British Artists, securing the backing of influential art collector Charles Saatchi and winning the prestigious Turner Prize in 1995.

He is best known for his pickled animals  including The Golden Calf, an animal with 18-carat gold horns and hooves preserved in formaldehyde which sold at auction for 10.3 million, his diamond-studded skulls and colourful spot paintings.

Until 2012, Hirst lived with his American partner Maia Norman and their three sons in Devon.

The former ballerina Sophie Cannell is pictured carryng her dog's Louis Vuitton pet carrier in Mayfair on Friday

Damien Hirst found fame  and a significant fortune  pickling sheep (pictured), a cow and even a tiger shark

A visitor looks at 'The Golden Calf' by Damien Hirst during a preview of an upcoming auction of his work 'Beautiful Inside My Head Forever' at Sotheby's in London September 8, 2008

He has been with Ms Cannell for more than four years, and is believed to have met her while she was working as a waitress at the Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in London.

Hirst declared his love for her last year in a predictably unconventional way  immortalising her in a sculpture, based on her body, as part of one of his four works for Richard Caring's new Mayfair restaurant Bacchanalia.

The artist has also gifted Ms Cannell a 166,600 18-carat gold Rolex Pearlmaster studded with 713 gems.

That's one way to make sure you stay out of the dog house.
Former President Barack Obama's gay sex fantasy has been revealed in a newly-redacted 1982 letter to his ex girlfriend.

Obama, then 21, wrote to Alex McNear in November 1982, with whom he had been in a relationship during his time at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

He delved into the topic of homosexuality and confessed that he 'loves making love to men daily, but in the imagination,' according to the previously-redacted portion of the letter, which was obtained by the New York Post.

Obama described homosexuality as a way to detach from the present and potentially evade the recurring theatrics of earthly existence.

'In regard to homosexuality, I must say that I believe this is an attempt to remove oneself from the present, a refusal perhaps to perpetuate the endless farce of earthly life.'

Former President Barack Obama's gay sex fantasy was revealed in a newly obtained 1982 letter to his ex girlfriend, acquired by The New York Post

Obama, then 21, wrote to Alex McNear in November 1982, with whom he had been in a relationship during his time at Occidental College in Los Angeles

He delved into the topic of homosexuality and confessed that he 'loves making love to men daily, but in the imagination,' according to the redacted portion of the letter

He admitted to a daily intellectual connection with men, but claims it was solely within the realms of imagination.

'You see, I make love to men daily, but in the imagination,' he said in the letter reported by the Post.

The letter, over 40 years old, was addressed to a former girlfriend and has resurfaced due to the extensive interview conducted by biographer David Garrow.

Obama explored the concept of an androgynous mindset, expressing his desire for a perspective that encompasses people as a whole, rather than segregating them into gender categories.

'My mind is androgynous to a great extent and I hope to make it more so until I can think in terms of people, not women as opposed to men,' he said.

Obama described homosexuality as a way to detach from the present and potentially evade the recurring theatrics of earthly existence

The letter, over 40 years old, was addressed to a former girlfriend and has resurfaced due to the extensive interview conducted by biographer David Garrow

McNear, after their relationship had concluded, chose to redact the more explicit sections of the letter

Despite these confessions, Obama admitted in the letter that he has accepted his identity as a male and chooses to live by it.

'But, in returning to the body, I see that I have been made a man, and physically in life, I choose to accept that contingency,' he added.

When their relationship had concluded, McNear chose to redact the more explicit sections of the letter, but she did explain that Obama had detailed same-sex longings.

However, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Garrow managed to locate and incorporate these passages in his biography titled 'Rising Star.'

The letter is currently held by Emory University, which does not allow its photography or removal.

But Harvey Klehr, a friend of Garrow, was able to transcribe the redacted segments by hand and shared them with the author.

Klehr provided the concealed section of the letter to The Post for publication.

Obama, now a father of two, has been in matrimony with his wife Michelle since 1992, and has also come out in the past against homosexual marriage.

In 2004, Obama declared: 'I don't think marriage is a civil right,' and said he believed that homosexuality is 'not a choice.'

He changed his view while in the White House, and helped celebrate the federal legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.

Obama, now a father of two, has been in matrimony with his wife Michelle since 1992, and has also come out in the past against homosexual marriage

Garrow, who years ago revealed Barack Obama's gay fantasies has also labeled the former president 'as insecure as Trump' - and says he is too 'lazy' to serve on the Supreme Court in a bombshell interview from early August

In response to the revealed contents of the letter, Garrow asserted that there was nothing atypical about Obama's sexual fantasies during his youthful years

In response to the revealed contents of the letter, Garrow asserted that there was nothing atypical about Obama's sexual fantasies during his youthful years.

Addressing the matter, Garrow said, 'As a historian and not a psychologist, I observe that it's well-known that a significant majority of individuals have their share of sexual fantasies.'

Garrow, who years ago revealed Obama's alleged gay fantasies, has labeled the former president 'as insecure as Trump' - and says he is too 'lazy' to serve on the Supreme Court in a bombshell interview earlier this month.

Sitting down for a lengthy Q&A with Tablet on August 2, historian David Garrow also renewed claims Obama's first memoir was fabricated - slamming it as 'fictionalized' and an attempt at 'inventing a racial identity struggle that never happened'.

In 2004, Obama declared: 'I don't think marriage is a civil right,' and said he believed that homosexuality is 'not a choice'

Addressing the matter, Garrow mentioned, 'As a historian and not a psychologist, I observe that it's well-known that a significant majority of individuals have their share of sexual fantasies'

Previously, in the 1,078-page biography Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama, Garrow unmasked how a young Obama considered a gay relationship while at college, and cheated on Michelle with his ex during their first year of dating.

It also revealed how the ex-head of state - has made a career from speaking engagements and several book deals - once called America a 'racist society' in an unpublished manuscript from his days at Harvard Law.

Already aired for some six years, Garrow, 70, addressed many of these revelations in the 16,000 word interview, while also offering some new insight on the man commonly thought to be the Democratic Party's most influential figure.

'He has no interest in building the Democratic Party as an institution,' he told Tablet. 'I think that's obvious.'

'I don't think he had any truly deep, meaningful policy commitments other than the need to feel and to be perceived as victorious, as triumphant,' he said of the two-term president, who was succeeded by Trump in 2016.

He added: 'I've sometimes said to people that I think Barack is actually just as insecure as Trump, but in ways that are not readily perceived by the vast majority of people.
A heartbroken father is fighting to stay in Australia to care for his son as he faces deportation after his work sponsorship abruptly ended.

Andrea Tindiani, 37, moved abroad from Italy in 2012 on a working holiday visa, before gaining sponsorship from his employer the next year in Victoria.

The 37-year-old had his son Marley, who is now nine-years-old, in 2014 before separating with the child's mother Emily.

Mr Tindiani was made redundant in 2016 due to restructuring in his company, and quickly churned through a cycle of student visas until 2021, when he unsuccessfully applied for a Confirmatory Residence Visa.

After calling Victoria home for the last 11 years, he has been left no choice but to face the Administrative Appeals Tribunal as he fights to stay with his family.

Andrea Tindiani (pictured left) moved abroad to Australia from Italy in 2012, before having his son Marley (pictured centre) with the child's mother Emily (pictured right) n 2014

'I am reaching out with a heavy heart, to let you know that last week the Tribunal has REFUSED to grant me a Confirmatory Residence visa,' the distraught father shared on Facebook on August 4.

'Despite living here for 11 years, having supported thousands of Aussie Men on their transformation journey, being an incredibly committed father to my son Marley, a great ex partner and a good member of my community.'

The Bendigo local wrote there is one last hope, with recommendation from the Tribunal for Minister of Immigration Andrew Giles to consider his case on strong compassionate grounds.

Mr Tindiani told A Current Affair there were no other visas available for him.

'I have worked hard to build a secure future for my son and our family,' he wrote in a petition.

'Throughout this time, I have gone to great lengths, both financially and emotionally, to navigate the complexities of temporary visas and make sacrifices to be present for Marley despite the uncertainties and obstacles.'

'My son, Marley, deserves his father by his side. I understand the profound importance of this, having grown up without a father myself.'

The 37-year-old has called Victoria home for the last 11 years, exhausting all temporary visa options to stay with his son

Mr Tindiani works as a facilitator for men (pictured) and said he is a 'good member of his community'

'Marley shouldn't have to endure the trauma, hardship, and heartache of losing his father,' Mr Tindiani shared.

The Italian-born father has maintained an amicable relationship with Marley's mother and is actively involved in all aspects of parenting, including picking his son up from school and caregiving.

Mr Tindiani's case has been sent to the immigration minister who will decide this family's fate.

He launched an online petition, which has already drawn in more than 14,000 signatures and raised more than $6,000.

'As a young boy I lacked a male role model,' he said in his petition.

'As a mature adult I understand the negative impact it had on me and what it took to father myself.

'I don't want my son to unnecessarily experience similar hardship. I want to be here for him.'
Six Royal Mail staff have been sacked after enjoying cups of tea and coffee at two pubs while on break.

The postal workers were dismissed from their jobs at the Prenton Delivery Office in Wirral, Merseyside, earlier this week following the incident, according to the Communication Workers Union.

They were among a group of 11 workers were suspended after they were found to have been taking their work breaks at the Caernarvon Castle and the Swan pubs where they would enjoy cups of tea and coffee, Birkenhead News reported.

Of the remaining five postal workers, three have been reinstated, one was given a penalty, while the outcome of the other individual is unkown, the CWU said.

The sackings came after locals in the area complained they were receiving their mail more than a week late, with one resident claiming to have missed a two hospital appointments as a result.

Six Royal Mail staff have been sacked after enjoying cups of tea and coffee at two pubs while on break

Oxton councillor Stuart Kelly has criticised the move saying: 'Whatever their internal management problems, people in Oxton and Prenton want a proper post service and it is essential that Royal Mail focus on providing that.'

Joe Thomas, who lives in Oxton, told Birkenhead News that he has only had one piece of mail through his letterbox this week.

He later went in to see if there was any other post and said: 'I asked if they had any more post. It was chaos in there.

'He did find it but it was in the wrong place. I could tell his frustration. They work really hard and were helpful but it was clear that it had been ongoing.'

Another resident, Steve Roper, is still waiting on important bank letters to arrive.

He told Birkenhead News: 'It's been poorly managed. What is the problem with someone having a cup of tea? I know for a fact when it was really hot, I have offered cans of Coke or bottles of water.'

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'As a responsible employer we always investigate any incidents where the behaviour of our employees is alleged to have fallen below the standards expected.

'Any decision to dismiss an employee is only done so in line with the clear rules and regulations that govern employment law for all UK businesses and our internal standards.'
More than half of the population would support Prince Harry being removed from the order of succession to prevent him ever becoming King, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday reveals.

Of the 1,504 people questioned by Deltapoll, 52 per cent supported the move to strip the Duke of Sussex of his position as fifth in line to the Throne, behind his brother the Prince of Wales and Williams children George, Charlotte and Louis.

Only 27 per cent of people opposed the idea of stripping Prince Harry of his birthright and 21 per cent had no view.

Furthermore, 51 per cent of those polled said that Harry and his young family should have their titles revoked.

At present the Prince and his wife retain their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their children Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2, can use their titles as Prince and Princess as they are the grandchildren of the reigning monarch, King Charles.

More than half of the population would support Prince Harry being removed from the order of succession to prevent him ever becoming King, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday reveals. Pictured: Prince Harry in Singapore this weekend.

Some 45 per cent said their opinion of Harry had deteriorated in the past year since the death of the Queen, while only 12 per cent said it had improved

Notably, the poll reveals that Prince Harrys popularity has taken a downturn since the death the Queen.

People were asked: How would you say your view of Prince Harry has changed, if at all, since the passing of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022?

Some 45 per cent said their opinion of Harry had deteriorated in the past year while only 12 per cent said it had improved.

The Prince and Princess of Wales fared much better in the opinion ratings, with 76 per cent saying that they thought that both Prince William and Catherine were doing well in their new roles.

Most people also chose Prince William as the senior Royal best-placed to secure the future of the Commonwealth.

The poll results raise the question of if Harry should also be stripped of his constitutional role as a counsellor of state  which technically allows him to stand in for his father on matters of state.

It comes as Buckingham Palace last week deleted any reference to Harry as His Royal Highness on the official royal website.

The poll also revealed a boost for King Charles. The majority of those questioned  70 per cent  said that the King was performing his duties well as he nears the end of his first year on the throne.
Two Zanu PF supporters that were linked to the violence that led to the death of a Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist in Harare a fortnight ago are still on the run.

Tinashe Chitsunge met his death when he was pursued and pelted by a mob of Zanu PF supporters in the Glen View high density suburb.

Last week, police arrested 12 suspects and they have since appeared in court.

Police spokesperson, Paul Nyathi, yesterday confirmed that two other suspects were on the run.

We are still looking for two other suspects in this matter, Nyathi said.

We made ourselves clear that we are still doing some investigations on the issue.

Chitsunges murder confirmed the escalating cases of political violence in the country in the lead up to the elections.

CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was also a victim of political violence after his convoy was attacked by suspected Zanu PF activists in Mutasa, Manicaland.

International organisations and human rights groups have lamented the high level of political intolerance and violence.

After Chitsunges murder, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe said the law enforcement agency would account for the perpetrators of political violence.

It does not matter which party they belong to. Whether you are political or apolitical; violence is violence and crime is crime. It will be dealt with accordingly, Kazembe said in his statement.

The United States Embassy in Zimbabwe recently raised concerns over the ongoing political violence as the nation heads toward the polls.

Last week, political parties signed a peace pledge to ensure that the country ends the culture of experiencing violence and bloodshed every time it holds elections.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission) said the cases of political violence were disturbing and unacceptable.

Section 67 (2) (b) of the constitution guarantees the right to campaign freely and peacefully for a political party or cause of own choice and therefore the commission strongly condemns all political violence as it is a violation of political rights and freedoms, ZHRC said in a statement. Standard
Church leaders have shared a promising health update about the sole survivor of the poisonous mushroom lunch that claimed the lives of his three family members.

Dozens of parishioners gathered at Komburra Baptist Church, in Victoria's Gippsland region, at 10.30am on Sunday to pray their pastor Ian Wilkinson makes a full recovery and for the souls of his wife Heather, her sister Gail Patterson, and Gail's husband Don.

Sunday marks just over two weeks since the four highly-respected members of the community fell sick after eating a deadly beef Wellington cooked up by the Pattersons' former daughter-in-law Erin at her home in nearby Leongatha on July 29.

Around 50 churchgoers braved dismal weather as they carried cakes and other baked goods into the parish tea room before piling into the tiny pews in the adjacent chapel.

Opening the service, church leader Laurie revealed he had received 'encouraging' news earlier in the morning that Ian was needing 'less' medical support as he fights for life in Melbourne's Austin Hospital, awaiting a liver transplant.

Parishioners flocked to Korumburra Baptist Church on Sunday to pray for the their pastor Ian Wilkinson

Three parishioners bearing flowers are pictured making their way into the chapel

A woman and man are pictured walking into the church carrying a jam-filled cake

Laurie said Ian was now stable and asked for the church community to keep him and both the Wilkinson and the Patterson families in their prayers.

Paying tribute to the departed, Laurie said Don, Gail, Ian and Heather have been referred to as the 'Fab Four' within the community.

The Fab Four is a nickname for The Beatles and its members John Lennon, Ringo Star, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

However, Laurie said while the name sounded showy the poisoned quartet were the complete opposite.

'Today, four of our church members are not with us. Three are at rest with the Lord,' he said.

'I've heard Don, Gail, Heather and Ian referred to as the Fab Four,' he said.

'But unlike billboards that call for attention, they were more like signposts. Gently guiding people in faith.'

As the impacts of the lunch continues to rock the tight-knit community, the service largely centred on the tragedy.

Church leaders shared tributes about the 'Fab Four', updates about how the parish community was coping, and sermons about finding hope amongst grief.

Ian Wilkinson and Heather Wilkinson (both pictured) became severely ill after they ate wild mushrooms. Mrs Wilkinson died on Friday while her husband remains in a critical condition in hospital

Gail and Don Patterson died after eating the mushrooms. Erin was previously married to their son, Simon

Parishioners were told pastor Ian is showing 'encouraging' signs of improvement in hospital, where he remains in a critical condition

Churchgoers were urged to continue to keep the Patterson and Wilkinson families in their prayers

Despite the devastation, Laurie said the church has been touched by the myriad of messages of support they have received from across the globe.

The support has also been enormous locally, he said, with members of the church treated to free coffees earlier this week after an anonymous donor left funds for them at the local bakery.

A newsletter was also handed out to parishioners, advising the church is being opened from 1pm to 2pm daily for all those who wish to come and pray for Ian, a 'wonderful man of god', as he remains critical in hospital.

In the pamphlet, there was also a heartfelt message from the Wilkinsons' daughter, Ruth.

'Please pass on our sincere thanks to our church family for all the prayers and support,' it read.

'We truly appreciate the care and the kindness and fell upheld by the love.'

Other religious groups have also reached out to rally behind the group as they continue to process the loss of their three top tier leaders.

Parishioners prayed for the recovery of Ian and for the souls of his three departed loved ones

One man wearing a hat is pictured leaving church, clutching a bible

The local Catholic Church will hold a day of prayer for the victims and their families on August 19.

The Wilkinsons' daughter Ruth left a message in this week's church newsletter for parishioners

The health update comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed on Thursday that Erin Patterson arranged the lunch in a bid to reconcile with her ex-husband.

Simon, his parents Don and Gail, both 70, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and her pastor husband Ian, 68, were on the invite list.

However, Simon pulled out at the last minute.

The two couples fell ill later that evening and took themselves to local hospitals, initially believing they had gastro.

As their conditions deteriorated, they were transferred to hospitals in Melbourne where medical experts realised their symptoms were consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning.

Gail and Heather died on Friday August 4. Don passed away the following day.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Mr Patterson suffered from a mystery stomach illness last year that almost claimed his life.

Sources said the cause of the illness was unclear and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Erin Patterson was responsible.

Erin Patterson is pictured outside her Leongatha house earlier this week

Detectives questioned Erin Patterson at her Leongatha home on Saturday and seized several items as part of their investigation - including a vegetable dehydrator found dumped at a nearby tip.

The kitchen aid is undergoing forensic testing to determine whether it was involved in the preparation of the meal - which police believe contained death cap mushrooms, toxic fungi that grows around Victoria in autumn.

Erin was released without charge as the investigation into the deaths continues and denied any wrong doing while speaking to reporters outside her home earlier this week.

She said she 'loved' her four guests who had always treated her with kindness and that she was devastated by what had happened.

While speaking to police, she reportedly said she purchased the lethal ingredient at a local supermarket, before giving a no-comment interview when called back for a second-round of questioning.

On Thursday, it was revealed Erin's lawyers had been forced to camp outside her home to hand deliver her legal instructions after she went missing.

Erin told a waiting media pack just before 10am that she was en route to visit her lawyers in Melbourne.

The deadly family gathering took place at Erin Patterson's home (pictured) in Leongatha, in Victoria's Gippsland region, on July 29

Police are testing a vegetable dehydrator found at a nearby tip (pictured)

But a representative of that law firm was seen waiting outside her Leongatha home about 5pm to hand deliver a letter from the firm.

The man told Daily Mail Australia it was the only way Ms Patterson could be contacted after homicide squad detectives confiscated her phone and computer devices.

Police were later seen doing a drive-by of Ms Patterson's home just before sunset.

It is understood lawyers acting for Ms Patterson are concerned for her wellbeing amid the media firestorm outside her rural property.

The legal representative would not answer questions about the contents of the letter or whether charges against Ms Patterson were imminent.

But he did concede it was unusual to have to hand deliver instructions to a client in this manner.

Ms Patterson had still not returned to her home just before dark on Thursday, forcing the representative to leave without delivering his letter.
An army veteran being held in a famous prison known as 'Dante's Inferno' in Abu Dhabi has been forgotten by the UK government, according to his father.

James Hutchinson, 52, is being detained at Wathba jail after he was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in July.

The Brit has apparently been told he will not be released until he pays 170,000 in 'blood money' compensation to the family of a Sudanese cyclist he killed in 2013, according to The Mirror.

It comes after insurers already paid around 15,000 in compensation to the family of the cyclist in 2014 after a judge ruled Mr Hutchinson was partially responsible for the road accident.

The prisoner's father, RAF veteran Malcolm, said: 'I'm begging the British Government to sort this out.

Brit James Hutchinson, 52, (right) is being detained at Wathba jail after he was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in July

'The embassy over there doesn't seem to be interested in his plight.'

Malcolm, 74, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, flew to the UAE last week in a desperate bid to help his son, who he said is in a bad way.

'James looked dishevelled and was in low spirits when I saw him in jail. I'm very worried,' said Macolm.

Previous inmates at the prison have talked of sharing cells with up to 40 other people, adding that temperatures rose to 50C and 'rotten garbage' was left around.

The road accident which killed the Sudanese man was on a dark road in the UAE city of Ras Al Khaimah.

Mr Hutchinson assumed the ordeal was resolved after his insurer paid the required compensation, and is believed only to have discovered the family made a further civil claim against him for the new amount in 2021.

The Brit has apparently been told he will not be released until he pays 170,000 in 'blood money' compensation to the family of a Sudanese cyclist he killed in 2013

Previous inmates at Wathba jail have talked of sharing cells with up to 40 other people, adding that temperatures rose to 50C and 'rotten garbage' was left around

He also claimed a court case went ahead without him knowing.

Later on his bank account was emptied of a further 15,000 and a warrant was issued for his arrest. No criminal charges were filed in relation to the crash.

Mr Hutchinson was a sergeant in the Army Air Cops and has a wife and little girl, seven, who live in Russia. The father was also diagnosed with cancer in 2015.

Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said: 'Without urgent diplomatic intervention, James could spend years in prison.

'It's disturbing the UK does not take care of its servicemen when they face wrong full detention in an allied nation.'

An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are providing consular support to a man detained in UAE and his family, and are in contact with the Emirati authorities about his case.'
The man who murdered police sergeant Matt Ratana is preparing to challenge his whole life sentence in a bid to get out of prison early.

Louis De Zoysa, 26, is planning to appeal the ruling that found him guilty of shooting Sgt Ratana, 54, while handcuffed in a custody suite, sources told the Sun.

He is expected to say he was unfit to stand trial after he claimed he was having an 'autistic meltdown' and did not deliberately shoot the New Zealander, which the jury disputed.

De Zoysa will also highlight the judges refusal to allow the jury to visit the cell where he shot the Met officer in September 2020 and say that the judge misdirected the jury during his trial.

His planned appeal comes after he was convicted of murder last month after jurors were shown distressing CCTV footage of the former tax office data analyst using a legally bought revolver to gun down Sgt Ratana.

Louis De Zoysa was sentenced to life by a High Court judge at Northampton Crown Court

Sergeant Matt Ratana was two months away from retiring when he was fatally shot

De Zoysa said his 'hypermobility' allowed him to blast the 54-year-old even though his hands were cuffed behind his back.

New Zealand-born officer Sgt Ratana was just two months away from retiring when he was killed in the early hours of September 25, 2020.

He was the first police officer ever killed inside a police station in the UK.

De Zoysa was arrested on the street and police officers found seven bullets on him and two bags of cannabis.

But the search failed to detect the gun, which De Zoysa was still hiding in a holster under his armpit when he went into the Windmill Custody Centre in Croydon.

He had bought the revolver at an online antiques auction in June 2020 and made the bullets himself on the farm where he lived.

One bullet hit Sgt Ratana in the chest while a fourth shot hit De Zoysa in the neck and he suffered a stroke which left him with severe brain damage.

Sentencing De Zoysa in July Mr Justice Johnson said: 'Sgt Ratana had devoted his life to public service, he put himself in danger to protect the public and protect and safeguard those who came into custody.

Screen grab taken from body worn camera footage issued by the Metropolitan Police of Louis De Zoysa being put into a police van before the murder

Chilling footage from inside the cell showed the moments before Sgt Ratana was shot dead

'His family are all rightly immensely proud of the man you killed.

'They recognise that you bear the sole responsibility for his murder. They say in victim impact statement that for the officers on duty that night they have nothing but support, admiration and respect.

'You said that you had an autistic meltdown. You said you had diminished responsibility.

'You did not have an autistic meltdown. Your actions were voluntarily, controlled and deliberate.

'You acted in cold blood. You intended to kill Sgt Ratana. You deliberately aimed the gun at his chest at near point blank range.

'Even as he fell to the ground you re-aimed and fired a second shot at him.

'Autism does not cause people to be violent. Autistic people are no more likely to commit violent offences than anyone else.

'Autism is not to blame for your decision to murder Sgt Ratana, you are responsible for that.'
Brazen people smugglers continued to advertise dangerous Channel crossings to would-be migrants last night, despite six deaths after an overcrowded boat capsized.

Dozens of adverts offering small-boat journeys to Britain remained on TikTok and Instagram, with money-grabbing thugs trying to lure clients with assurances of safety. One told an undercover Mail on Sunday reporter that we would not suffer the tragic fate of those who died if we paid 3,000 for a journey from Calais to Dover leaving at dusk.

When we raised concerns about the boat that sank, they told us: Not all of them drowned. We make journeys every day, most of them successful. The sea will be super calm. Come now!

Yesterday, Border Force sources revealed dinghies were getting more and more overcrowded. The one that capsized yesterday had nearly 70 people on board.

Last month saw the highest average number of migrants per boat ever at 50, but August is set to eclipse that. And despite the tragedy, just over 500 migrants crossed the Channel yesterday, making it the fourth busiest day of the year.

People smuggler video advert for Channel crossings, dated 12 August. It translates: 'France to UK. This boat will be available very soon'

One Albanian people smuggler offering crossings on TikTok posted footage of migrants dragging a small black boat into the Channel from France hours before the tragic journey set off.

When our undercover reporter messaged them, they said they were sending boats every day. We voiced concerns about safety and they replied: Dont worry. [The people who drowned] were not our customers. We got people across last night, no problem at all. No one drowned, they all survived.

Asked if they knew why the tragic boat had capsized, they said: Dont know. Just unlucky.

The smugglers TikTok account dodges the social networks filter by replacing words such as UK and France with emoji icons.

Another TikTok account, run by Kurdish gangs, posted a video yesterday of a small boat in a seaside warehouse in France. The boat was prepared for a trip across the Channel.

The caption read: France to UK. This boat will be available very soon.

An insider in the UKs Albanian community said: People smugglers have been freely advertising their lucrative business on social media for a long time. But it boggles the mind that they are continuing to do it after six people drowned.

Peter Bone MP, former chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on human trafficking, said: These criminal gangs do not care a single jot about human life.

'People are just a commodity to them. The Mail on Sundays investigation shows these people are among the most evil on the planet. Sadly, the fact they are continuing to offer these journeys even after todays tragedy doesnt surprise me one bit.

These are not good people helping poor refugees seek a safer life. They are charging individuals through the nose for incredibly dangerous journeys across the Channel with promises of comfort and fortune.

'Their assurances that the trips will be safe are lies. They dont care if someone drowns, they only care about the money.

We can only hope this acts as a wake-up call that tough action is needed to stop people plying this utterly evil trade.
Five foreign nationals have been charged over an alleged plot to install ATM card skimmers and create fake bank cards to swindle Australians out of their money.

A joint police operation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), NSW Police and Queensland Police led to the arrest of the five people, who are alleged to be part of an international crime syndicate targeted by the US Secret Service.

It follows the United States Secret Service (USSS) arresting five Romanian nationals who were allegedly targeting Americans receiving welfare benefits via electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards.

They allege the accused installed ATM skimmers to clone a person's EBT card details and PINs, then at the beginning of each month they would re-encode the cloned bank cards to visit ATMs and withdraw the newly loaded funds.

During a search, US authorities found a receipt for a consignment sent to Australia and tipped off the AFP.

Five foreign nationals have been charged over an alleged plot to install ATM card skimmers and create fake bank cards to swindle Australians out of their money

A joint police operation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP), NSW Police and Queensland Police led to the arrest of the five people, who are alleged to be part of an international crime syndicate targeted by the US Secret Service

The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) alleges syndicate members were operating in Australia and had allegedly received a number of suspicious packages believed to contain ATM skimmers sent from the United Kingdom, China and the US.

It is alleged one of the men arrested used multiple fake identities to open bank accounts, subscribe to telecommunication services and book short-term accommodation.

On August 4, the AFP and NSW Police executed a search warrant at a short-term rental property in Rhodes in Sydney's inner-west.

They seized $12,935 in cash, multiple skimming devices, false identity documents, including passports, bank cards in other people's names, electronic devices, card readers, SIM cards and handheld electrical tools.

Further inquiries led to officers discovering an alleged faction of the syndicate was operating in Brisbane.

The police identified an ATM syndicate members would likely attend and on August 3, investigators observed a 37-year-old man and 21-year-old man approach the ATM, where they were arrested.

The police executed a search warrant on an Upper Mount Gravatt property on August 4 where they arrested a 34-year-old Romanian man.

Two Romanian nationals, a man, 33, and a woman, 32, appeared in Parramatta Local Court on August 5 charged with producing a document, knowing the document was false or misleading and that the document was produced or purportedly produced under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, possession, making or providing false foreign travel documents and possession or control of thing with intent to dishonestly obtain or deal in personal financial information.

The two face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear in court on October 25.

They allege the accused installed ATM skimmers to clone a person's EBT card details and PINs, then at the beginning of each month they would re-encode the cloned bank cards to visit ATMs and withdraw the newly loaded funds

The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) alleges syndicate members were operating in Australia and had allegedly received a number of suspicious packages believed to contain ATM skimmers sent from the United Kingdom, China and the US

A Romanian national, 37, and a Polish national, 21, appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 4 charged with two counts of possessing equipment for the purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence and one count each of obtaining or dealing with identification information and obstruct police.

They face a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear in court on September 6.

A Romanian national, 34, has been charged with two counts of possessing equipment for purpose of committing/facilitating the commission of an offence and obtaining or dealing with identification information.

He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, if found guilty, and will next appear at Brisbane Magistrates Court on August 23.

AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Stainton said Australia was a 'lucrative target' for cybercriminals in the digital age.

'We know that personal data has become incredibly valuable to criminals,'' he said.

'The AFP and our law enforcement partners will charge criminals who steal from hardworking Australians and bring offenders before the courts.'
Three men needed hospital care after a stabbing incident in a Melbourne strip club.

An alteration between two groups of men happened at The Mens Gallery on Lonsdale St in central Melbourne at around 6am on Sunday morning.

One of the men taken to hospital suffered serious injuries, while the other man had non life-threatening injuries.

A third man later presented at the hospital with an arm injury.

Melbourne police have cordoned off strip club The Men's Gallery after a stabbing incident occurred there on Sunday morning

Police are seeking two men in connection with the stabbings.

The suspects are believed to have fled on foot.

Lonsdale St has been closed in both directions between King and Spencer Street with the Men's Gallery taped off as a crime scene.
The Commons has been denied a cat to get rid of an infestation of rats and mice  because there are so many of the rodents.

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said last night that it had told the Commons it was 'an unsuitable environment' for a moggie.

The House's rodent problem is so great, poisonous traps have been laid  which can kill a cat, too.

A spokesman for Battersea, on the other side of the Thames, said it had successfully 'rehomed working cats' to three Government buildings  including 'Larry' being sent to Number 10, 'Gladstone' going to the Treasury and 'Palmerston' (now retired) being given to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Commons has been denied a cat to get rid of an infestation of rats and mice  because there are so many of the rodents (stock image)

Rodents scurrying around are a regular sight each evening in parts of the rambling 19th Century Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames (stock image)

However, the spokesman said that at the Commons, 'the site was deemed to be an unsuitable environment for a cat due to the use of poisonous rodent traps.

The traps are toxic to cats as well as vermin and it would have been a clear health and safety risk for any cat residing in the area'.

Rodents scurrying around are a regular sight each evening in parts of the rambling 19th Century Palace of Westminster on the banks of the Thames.

Just as well, perhaps, that one regular feline visitor to the Parliamentary estate  the Commons Speaker's cat 'Attlee'  sticks mainly to Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle's official quarters.
The owner of Geronimo the alpaca has revealed she has been having bereavement counselling for two years after the animal was put down.

Helen Macdonald, 52, lost a four-year fight to keep her beloved pet alive when he was put down by Government vets in August 2021 over disputed claims that he had bovine tuberculosis.

She has been unable to work since 2017 after Defra issued a movement restriction on her farm and has been getting counselling ever since his death.

Helen told the Mirror: 'I miss him every day. He's never far from my mind. I have nightmares about what it was like for him, being tortured. I get counselling as I still relive what happened.'

The eight-year-old champion alpaca, who was born in New Zealand before being brought to Britain, was consigned for slaughter after he twice tested positive for bTB in 2017.

Geronimos owner Helen Macdonald (pictured), 52, has revealed she has been having bereavement counselling for two years after the animal was put down

Helen lost a four-year fight to keep her beloved pet (pictured) alive when he was put down by Government vets in August 2021 over disputed claims that he had bovine tuberculosis

Miss Macdonald has always disputed the results of the bTB test  but the legal battle concluded with a High Court ruling in July 2021 that he should be destroyed.

In August that year, Defra officials and dozens of police officers forced their way on to Miss Macdonalds farm to take Geronimo away.

She said Avon and Somerset Police had questions to answer for facilitating murder and accused Defra of bully boy tactics that are frankly unforgivable.

Miss Macdonald has a herd of alpacas that she uses to make luxury products including scarves and pashminas at her farm.

She started breeding the animals 19 years ago. Geronimo, a pedigree alpaca worth 15,000, had won competitions in New Zealand for his jet black wool.

Leading vets had demanded the Environment Secretary commute Geronimos death sentence so he could be studied instead of slaughtered.
A surveillance expert has reassured Australians there is no need for alarm over facial recognition technology that was being rolled out across several stores.

Auror founder and chief executive Phil Thomson insisted locals did not need to become worked up over fears their privacy would be breached.

His assurance comes after Bunnings sparked backlash last month for signage informing shoppers about facial and number plate recognition technologies which may be in use.

Bunnings is the latest store to adopt the technology with supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths increasing monitoring to cut down on thefts.

Auror is a retail surveillance platform designed to crack down on in-store thefts.

It raised concerns over privacy breaches following an investigation by Crikey which revealed the Australian Federal Police had suspended use of the software pending review - with more than 100 of the company's staff using it without considering privacy implications.

However, Mr Thomson said Auror has been 'mischaracterised', with the platform having been built 'from a first principles privacy-by-design approach'.

40 per cent of Australian retailers are using Auror, a surveillence platform, to help battle increasing retail thefts (pictured, stock image)

What is Auror? Auror is a surveillence platform that helps retailers 'protect their profits, people, and property from crime'. It allows users to report incident reports, distribute CCTV footage, track the movements of cars and even predict crime hot spots, according to the company. The platform was founded 11 years ago and has since been utilised by 40 per cent of Australian retailers. Advertisement

'[It has been] lumped in with different technologies,' he told News.com.

'We are a crime reporting platform, so after an event occurs like shoplifting or theft or fraud, a retail store worker will use this as their business tool to capture what's happened,' he said.

'We aren't cameras, we aren't CCTV. Privacy is really important.'

Anyone that has not been involved in a crime event has nothing to worry about, Mr Thomson added.

Auror was more secure than traditional methods retailers used to share information and footage with investigators, such as paper reports, USBs and CDs, with secure, encrypted access to approved police and other users, he argued.

The company's website states the software uses machine learning to aggregate data sources to investigate crimes - even 'prevent[ing] crime before it happens'.

'When we talk about preventing crime they take it to mean prediction, but what it means is allowing stores to know who's offended in the area,' the founder assured.

'We're not predicting where they're going to act, we're just providing the information to the store network so the retailer can let other stores in the area know this crime group has just been in the area and who to look out for.'

Mr Thomson said Auror does use AI in data matching to assist in identifying offenders but it is always reviewed by humans.

The platform doesn't have the capability to provide facial recognition, he added, but can help provide the right alerts.

Social media users were outraged last month when an image of new signage appeared outside hardware superstore Bunnings, warning customers facial recognition and number plate recognition technologies may be in use (pictured)

'If that vehicle arrives back at their store, who are the people who've been associated with that vehicle and if they've used a weapon in the past,' he said.

'It changes the approach of the store manager to maybe not approach that person, if they were violent in the past.'

Social media users were outraged last month when an image of new signage appeared outside hardware superstore Bunnings, warning customers facial recognition and number plate recognition technologies may be in use.

The images 'may be used and images shared with police for crime prevention and safety purposes', the sign read.

One Bunnings ex-employee shared the number plate scanning has been in place for a while, adding employee's would get alerted when cars with reported thefts came in.

Majority of self-serve checkouts have installed cameras that watch shoppers, with artificial intelligence able to detect any inconsistencies or if the trolley is not empty when the customer tries to pay (pictured)

Another user outwardly shared their concerns, writing: 'just a glimpse of Australia's incoming dystopian police state'.

Similar technologies have started to appear in major supermarkets, with facial recognition cameras being installed across the country in Woolworths and Coles self check outs.

'Shoplifting has taken off recently  and the escalation is worrying for retailers,' MST retail analyst Craig Woolford told Sydney Morning Herald.

Majority of self-serve checkouts have installed cameras that watch shoppers, with artificial intelligence able to detect any inconsistencies or if the trolley is not empty when the customer tries to pay.

Mr Thomson concluded platforms like Auror are helping Australian retailers catch the thieves which are setting them back $15 million a day in products being stolen.
GOP 2024 hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy suggested that he'll try to move forward in a spirit of 'national renewal' that would lead him to consider a pardon for Hunter Biden if he's elected president.

Ramaswamy, while trailing former President Donald Trump, has recently shown himself competitive with the likes of Governor Ron DeSantis for second place in Republican primary polls.

Speaking in Iowa Saturday, where he made headlines for performing Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' for a crowd of supporters, the 38-year-old spoke about his plan to shut down the FBI and reinvent the Department of Justice.

He said that he will 'systemically pardoned anyone who was a victim of a political motivated persecution' as part of his 'great revival.'

That includes Trump, peaceful January 6 protesters and 'members of the Biden family in the interest of moving the nation forward.'

Entrepreneur and political novice Vivek Ramaswamy suggested that he'll try to move forward in a spirit of 'national renewal' that would lead him to consider a pardon for Hunter Biden

Ramaswamy said that he will 'systemically pardoned anyone who was a victim of a political motivated persecution' as part of his 'great revival.' That includes Trump, peaceful January 6 protesters and 'members of the Biden family in the interest of moving the nation forward.'

'It is a broad theme of this candidacy, leading us to a national renewal rather than a national divorce. It's part of a broader vision of an American revitalization,' he told the New York Post.

Ramaswamy said this as he joined the chorus of irate Republicans who criticized the choice of David Weiss as special counsel to investigate the president's troubled son, as a plea deal on his tax and gun crimes was thrown out.

'The Hunter Biden Special Counsel is just a fig leaf designed to distract,' he wrote on Twitter Saturday.

'David Weiss is the *same* person who negotiated the farcical Hunter Biden 'plea deal' that a federal judge rejected handedly. Don't buy the deflection, it's just a smokescreen.'

The appointment is a move from Garland to undermine claims from Republicans and IRS whistleblowers that U.S. Attorney David Weiss doesn't have full authority and is being driven by the Biden administration.

But top GOP lawmakers investigating Hunter and the Biden family immediately trashed the move, calling it an effort to interfere with Republican probes.

They also questioned why Weiss can be trusted when he signed off on the first Hunter deal deemed a slap on the wrist, before it unraveled.

The biotech entrepreneur is the youngest contender for the 2024 Republican nomination but he has had a surprising burst in polling on the race.

Ramaswamy said this as he joined the chorus of irate Republicans who criticized the choice of David Weiss as special counsel to investigate the president's troubled son, as a plea deal on his tax and gun crimes was thrown out

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed Delaware U.S. attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden

U.S. Attorney David Weiss will be able to continue his investigation as special counsel, a designation designed to protect it from political interference

He came in fourth in the latest DailyMail.com survey of Iowa voters. And a few national polls showed Ramaswamy in second place above DeSantis. He comes in third in the RealClearPolitics polling average of the race.

Trump still leads the contest by double digits.

But there is no question Ramaswamy, who brings a lot of energy to the campaign stage, has some momentum on his side. He's already reached the qualifications to be on stage for the first GOP presidential debate, which is on August 23rd in Milwaukee.

Polls show younger Republicans and voters with college degrees like the 38-year-old.

In late July, polls began to show Ramaswamy tied with DeSantis for second place at 12 percent, outpacing more experienced candidates.

Behind DeSantis and Ramaswamy every other Republican contender is polling in the single digits.

Born in Ohio to immigrant parents from India, Ramaswamy earned a biology degree from Harvard University and then finished Yale Law School.

He made a fortune after starting a biotech company and is the author of several books, including 'Woke, Inc.' The books helped Ramaswamy gain exposure in conservative circles.

Vivek Ramaswamy ramped up the crowd at the Iowa State Fair with a performance of Lose Yourself

Ramaswamy, 38, ended his fair-side chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds Saturday rapping to Eminem's Lose Yourself.

The crowed cheered him on and Reynolds gave him a high-five when he finished his performance.

Reynolds had asked the business mogul his favorite walkout song and Ramaswamy said his was Lose Yourself. She joked she was showing her age by not knowing that tune.

Ramaswamy spent Saturday at the annual event campaigning for votes. The day is proving a busy one for people interested in the 2024 presidential contest: GOP contenders Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are also campaigning on the fair grounds.
AN ARMED robber, Ntabiso Ncube, who fatally shot a police officer in Bulawayos New Luveve suburb in 2021 after a foiled robbery, has been sentenced to life in prison.

The sentence was passed by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo recently.

In handing the sentence, Justice Moyo said the late Mr Gibson Tafara Madzimure died under circumstances of a violent crime, which deserved punishment with a harsh sentence.

She said Zimbabwe was a peaceful country that had a low rate of gun crime and the only way to preserve that was to incarcerate criminals who engaged in extreme violence.

Presenting the States case, Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza said Ncube (43) of Lobengula West suburb sustained a fractured arm and lost a finger during a shootout with the police in August 2021 at the house of a suspected illegal foreign currency dealer.

He said during the shootout, Ncube shot the late Madzimure in the head.

Madzimure was pronounced dead on arrival at Mpilo Central Hospital. He was part of a team that foiled an armed robbery by Ncube and his colleague. Ncube was arrested a day later at a house in Bulawayos Lobengula West suburb, said Mr Jaravaza.

He said after shooting Madzimure, Ncube fled the scene under a hail of bullets from the police and in the process, dropped a CZ pistol.

The court heard that Ncube left a trail of blood at the crime scene.

Mr Jaravaza said following investigations, police later arrested Ncube at his hideout in Lobengula West suburb.

He said on the day police officers foiled Ncube and colleagues planned robbery, they had received information that the pair intended to rob the victim.

A police crack team was set up, which also included members of the Police Special Tactics Troop (PSTT). The late Madzimure was among members of the crack team that laid an ambush at the victims house, said Mr Jaravaza.

The late Madzimure and his colleagues were later involved in a shootout with Ncube leading to his death.Chronicle
Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown says he once threatened to 'kick the s**t' out of Joe Biden for getting 'handsy' with his TV star wife Gail Huff.

Brown, 63, said he had given Biden, 80, a clear warning during his swearing-in ceremony in 2010 with the then Vice President - and recounted the alleged incident on Tom Shattuck's Burn Barrel podcast.

'I told him I'd kick the s*** out (of him). I told him to stop, so yes,' he said on Wednesday.

Shattuck had asked if Biden had been getting 'handsy' with Huff, 60, or 'sniffing her hair,' a bizarre behavior the president has repeatedly been accused of.

While declining to get into specifics, Brown replied affirmatively about the inappropriate behavior, then said: 'No, no. It's old news, it's old news.'

A clip of the swearing-in shows Biden with his hand around Huff's lower back for a few seconds, although she did not appear uncomfortable during the encounter - and it is unclear if this is when the alleged impropriety happened.

Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown threatened to 'kick the s**t' out of Joe Biden for 'getting handsy' with his TV star wife Gail Huff at his 2010 swearing-in ceremony. The night the alleged incident happened is pictured

At one point during their encounter, Biden could be seen with his hand on Huff's lower back

While reluctant to spill the tea, Brown admitted that he felt Biden was acting inappropriate with his TV star wife

'Was he like hair sniffing Gail, or was he handsy with Gail - or did I imagine it? Shuttuck asked.

'Yeah, yeah, yeah,' Brown replied.

'He didn't act the way I thought he should,' Brown added.

'And, you know, we called him on it, and that's it.'

Shuttuck added that Biden's history of touching women in ways that make them feel 'skeeved out' is not okay.

'This thing with his granddaughter really stuck. Also I think people are irked out about all the hair sniffing and things, Shattuck said. 'Women are skeeved out by that stuff and he's not a good guy. You know him.'

Brown offered an explanation for Biden's odd behavior, claiming the president has dementia.

'I spent quite a bit of time with him. I enjoyed his company,' Brown recounted.

'But we all know people who have dementia and have the beginning of Alzheimer's, and he's got it,' he said.

'This thing with his granddaughter really stuck. Also I think people are irked out about all the hair sniffing and things, Shattuck said

Brown offered an explanation for his odd behavior, blaming his creepiness on early on set dementia

Biden has been accused of inappropriate behavior with multiple women over the years

'I mean, it's the walk. It's the way he's mumbling, his anger outbursts. And it's a shame that we can't do better in this great country.'

Biden has been condemned over his inappropriate behavior repeatedly over the years.

Earlier this month, the 80-year-old President was caught pretending to gobble up a little girl before sniffer her in his usual style.

He was engaging with the mom and daughter on the tarmac as he prepared to fly back to Washington from Europe.

In June, Biden groped actress Eva Longoria in a viral video. The moment was captured prior to a White House screening of Eva Longoria's directorial debut film, 'Flamin' Hot

Biden was in Helsinki following the NATO summit in Lithuania, where he was also slammed for making a creepy comment to a female Finnish reporter.

It is just one of the latest bizarre clip of the president, who has often raised questions in the past for his interactions with youngsters.

In June, Biden groped actress Eva Longoria in a viral video.

The moment was captured prior to a White House screening of Longoria's directorial debut film, 'Flamin' Hot,' with Biden seen putting his hand on the Desperate Housewives' star's chest.

Last year, Biden was put on blast after he appeared to grab a young girl by her shoulder telling her 'no serious guys till you're 30' while posing for a photograph with the teen and her friends at Irvine Valley College in Irvine, California.
A woman fired for not typing enough while working from home has shared a blunt message as she hit back at online trolls.

Suzie Cheikho, 38, was sacked in February as a consultant at Insurance Australia Group when bosses monitored her keystrokes and found she was only typing around 10 words an hour between October to December last year.

Ms Cheikho appealed for unfair dismissal at the Fair Work Commission but lost her case in July, ending her 18-year stint at the insurer.

The case has made Ms Cheikho a magnet for media and online attention, much of it unfavourable, but in a defiant TikTok and Instagram video posted on Saturday she declared all those watching her were really 'fans'.

'This is a message for the all the haters out there,' the post's voiceover says while displaying a montage of news articles and TV reports featuring Ms Cheikho.

Suzie Cheikho has become the subject of unwanted media and social media attention since it was revealed she was sacked by her employer for not typing enough while working for home

'If you don't like what I do but you watch everything I am doing you're still a fan.'

In her accompanying caption Ms Cheikho urged her followers to 'stand up for what you believe in'.

'Always stay true to yourself even when the odds aren't in your favour, opinions don't pay my bills.'

She finished her message with hashtags: #bullyingawareness #bully #harrassmentwillnotbetolerated #viral #suziecheikho #fyp.

Ms Cheikho revealed she had been able to support herself through TikTok while she looked for work elsewhere.

'I make a small percentage of money off TikTok - just enough to cover my bills,' she previously told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's all to do with my mental health you see - I'm an advocate because of the mental health issues have suffered - so I raise awareness by talking about it on "lives".'

After her story burst into the headlines Ms Cheikho posted a video on her social media complaining about the feedback she was receiving.

'Im literally getting harassed through Facebook, Linked-In, TikTok,' she said.

'What do you want me to do? I cant get a f***ing job.'

One of those online critics was recruiter Alexandar Lyons Solutions, which accused Ms Cheikho of being the type of employee that gives working remotely a 'bad name'.

'Suzie Cheikho was in fact fired for not doing her job,' they wrote in an Tik Tok post about the case.

Ms Cheikho says the notoriety of her sacking has made her 'unemployable' and she is turning to social media to earn some extra cash

'This is the kind of employee who gives off the wrong impression when talking about remote working.'

On Wednesday Ms Cheikho said the unfavourable publicity surrounding her sacking has made her 'unemployable' but found a way to use her new notoriety to make ends meet now that she is receiving Centrelink payments.

Having grown her TikTok followers to nearly 10,000 followers she is taking part in a 'TikTok battle' with another so-called micro influencer at 7pm on Monday.

During such live-streamed battles, TikTokers can receive virtual 'gifts' from followers which can be converted into cash.

In their submission to the Fair Work Commission IAG said there were 'significant periods where no or minimal keyboard activity was present' while Ms Cheikho was working from her Sydneyhome.

Her log-in times times showed she hadn't worked 7.8 hours for 44 out of 49 working days while part of the insurers communications team.

IAG claimed Ms Cheikho's failure to work 'during her designated working hours' and her 'missing deadlines and not communicating effectively' put additional pressure on her work colleagues and contributed to the company being fined by a regulator.

According to Fair Work Commission findings, Ms Cheikho also received a formal warning in November 2022 about her work output and was put on a performance improvement plan.

She allegedly attended a performance meeting with her manager via Teams with the word 'F***' written across her hand.

The tribunal found the company had a 'valid reason' for firing Ms Cheikho.
The Coalition is split on what they would take to the next election should the Voice to parliament referendum fail.

While neither the Liberals or the Nationals support a Voice to parliament, both support constitutionally enshrined recognition of Indigenous Australians.

While Mr Dutton has pledged to legislate local and regional voices, a fracture has emerged over what the Coalition would take to voters at the next election should the referendum fail.

Speaking on ABC's Insiders on Sunday, Nationals leader David Littleproud said he had concerns over 'regional models'.

'What it means to us in regional and remote areas is hundreds of thousands of square kilometres - not 20 square kilometres across a couple of suburbs,' he told host David Speers.

Mr Littleproud said while the Nationals party room had not come to a final position, he said the party did not need to agree with the Liberal's position on legislating local and regional voices

The Coalition is split on what they would take to the next election should the Voice to parliament referendum fail

Mr Littleproud said while the Nationals party room had not come to a final position, he said the party did not need to agree with the Liberal's position on legislating local and regional voices.

'Well, that's OK. I'm in the National Party. And if the National Party doesn't get comfort with that, that's what we stand for,' he said.

Mr Littleproud said regional bodies would struggle to property represent massive land masses that were made up of 'hundreds of diverse communities'.

He instead signalled his support for local Indigenous bodies, saying empowering local elders would deliver better outcomes for First Nations people.

Mr Dutton does not support a national Voice to parliament, but has thrown his support behind legislating local and regional voices.

The apparent split in the opposition comes a day after NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman backed in the proposed Voice to parliament, saying the rewards 'outweigh the risks'.

Mr Speakman said he came to his conclusion after having 'taken the time to reflect carefully' on the proposed Voice.

'It is a proposal for a purely advisory body on behalf of Indigenous Australians, who are far and away the most disadvantaged people in our nation,' he said.

'On balance, I think the potential rewards outweigh the potential risks, and I personally support a Voice in the Australian Constitution.'

While Mr Dutton has pledged to legislate local and regional voices, a fracture has emerged over what the Coalition would take to voters at the next election should the referendum fail

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Mr Speakman for his 'very clear statements' on Saturday as he made a pointed message to the Coalition, and undecided voters

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated Mr Speakman for his 'very clear statements' on Saturday as he made a pointed message to the Coalition, and undecided voters.

'There were people during the Republic Referendum who said, 'Oh, I don't particularly like this model. I will wait for the next vote.' That was last century,' he said.

'It is 2023, we are still waiting and there is no vote on the horizon. I say to Australians, this is an opportunity. Don't miss it.'

'(To Peter Dutton I say) Don't use this issue to cause division. Don't use this issue. It is something that I have pleaded with him on. I've put the case very strongly.

Mr Albanese has yet to set the date for the referendum, but after confirming a visit to the United States for late October, it's increasingly likely Australians will head to the polls in the first few weeks of October.
Newly-released body camera footage shows marketing executive Tiffany Gomas having another meltdown after being kicked off an American Airlines flight - and even warning that her father is a cop.

The July 2 incident sparked safety concerns when 38 year-old Gomas, her Goyard bag under her arm, barreled to the front of the plane and told fellow passengers she was disembarking because the aircraft wasn't safe.

And now the new clip from a Fort Worth police officer's bodycam shows officers about to confront Gomas as she speaks to an employee at the airport, NewsNation reported.

She sounds on the brink of tears after asking the timetable regarding the infamous flight moments after she'd had the meltdown that went viral.

'I don't care if I ever fly with y'all ever again, I want to know about this flight right here. Do not let that plane leave, I'm being dead serious. Do not let that plane leave.'

Newly-released body camera footage shows marketing executive Tiffany Gomas warning people on her infamous flight that her father is a cop and demanding they not let the flight she was kicked off leave

Local authorities then find Gomas outside the airport but in apparent steadfast refusal to leave in a second clip.

'My dad's a cop, f**k you, dude. F**k you' she say before requesting the police officer, who is remaining calm, to 'get the f**k out of my face.'

DailyMail.com has been unable to confirm whether Gomas was telling the truth about her father working in law enforcement.

The policeman simply tells her to 'have a nice day' which Gomas repeats back at him as the video ends.

Gomas told DailyMail.com Thursday that her life has been 'blown up,' since her extraordinary rant last month landed her off an American Airlines flight and in the news.

Seen in exclusive pictures for the first time since footage of the passenger accusing a 'motherf***er' at the back of the plane of being 'not real,' went viral, Gomas said: 'My life has been blown up. It's frightening. Things go viral and everything changes.'

The original video showed a visibly shaken Gomas telling passengers: 'I'm getting the f*** off and there's a reason. I'm telling you right now that motherf***er back there is not real and you can sit on this plane, and you can die with them or not. I'm not going to.'

'I don't care if I ever fly with y'all ever again, I want to know about this flight right here,' Gomas says on the verge of tears. 'Do not let that plane leave, I'm being dead serious. Do not let that plane leave'

Speaking from her $1.6million Dallas, Texas home this week, Tiffany Gomas finally broke her silence on her viral 'meltdown' on an American Airlines flight last month

The 36-year-old revealed her life has 'blown up' since her now-viral meltdown on an American Airlines flight and is now consulting a lawyer

Gomas also claimed that much of what has been circulating in the media or online is 'inaccurate' but declined to elaborate

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in Dallas, a recalcitrant Gomas said: 'No one knows anyone else's story, and no one should judge. No one knows what it's like.'

Dressed in a fitted white tank and black leggings, her long hair slicked back in a bun, the 38-year-old owner of Uppercut Marketing which promises its clients, 'We make you look really really good,' stood at the door of her $1.6million property and said she was consulting a lawyer.

'They're staking out my house. They're staking out my neighbors. They're going through my mail,' she said.

'So much of what's out there is inaccurate,' she added but when asked for specifics she declined to comment further.

Passengers on Flight 1009 from Dallas Fort Worth to Orlando that day were forced to deplane after a 'distraught' Gomas suggested the plane was not safe, forcing staff to rescreen the aircraft.

Tiffany Gomas's meltdown was caught on video last month when she frantically demanded to get off a plane, claiming someone in the back of the aircraft was 'not real'

Passengers turned their head as she seemed to point to the back of the plane while speaking about a guy who 'was not real'

Gomas's meltdown was apparently sparked by an argument with a relative with whom she was traveling and whom she accused of stealing her airpods.

'The female then started claiming the aircraft was not safe and did not want the aircraft to leave due to her believing it would not make it to its destination,' the police report states.

The marketing executive, who is based in Dallas, was issued a warning for Criminal Trespass, but she was neither charged nor taken into custody

'Due to the statements the flight attendants felt the aircraft needed to be rescreened. [The airline manager] explained that the passenger was denied boarding and they wanted her escorted to the public side.'

She marched off the plane but by the time TSA officers arrived to escort her back the public side of the airport the visibly upset woman was trying to get back on.

Passengers on the plane were eventually forced to deplane and be screened through security again as a precaution.

Dallas Fort Worth Department of Safety police officers tried to speak with a 'distraught' Gomas but she refused to cooperate.

She was eventually escorted back to the non-secure side of the airport but, despite her earlier hysteria, made repeated attempts to come back through TSA screening and into the boarding area.

Gomas, who was clutching a $1,900 Goyard tote bag in the clip, heads up her own marketing firm and lives in a $1.6million luxury four-bedroom property complete with a swimming pool

Police later found Gomas sitting on the curb outside the airport waiting for an Uber.

They issued her with a warning for Criminal Trespass, but she was neither charged nor taken into custody.

The marketing executive, who was seen clutching a $1,900 Goyard tote bag in the clip, was deemed a 'rising star' in 2017, when she served as Vice President of Client Services at Elevate Brand Marketing.

She now heads up her own marketing firm, UpperCut Marketing, which boasts big name clients such as Xbox, Microsoft and others, but has since locked down its public profiles.

Gomas resides in a $1.6million luxury four-bedroom property complete with a swimming pool.

She bought the home in the affluent neighborhood in January 2022 for $572,530, before renovating the entire space.
A Kiwi father has died after being electrocuted at a construction site leaving behind his wife and two children.

Wesley Talakai, 38, was delivering timber to the worksite of a house being built on Tauhinu Road in Greenhithe, a northwestern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand on August 5.

Mr Talakai, who is originally from Tonga, was helping to unload the timber from his truck as a crane operator tried to move the packets of wood.

But the tradesman was electrocuted when the raised crane accidentally touched high voltage power lines that were above Mr Talakai's truck during the operation.

Emergency services were called to the construction site by the owner but Mr Talakai died at the scene.

Wesley Talakai (pictured with his wife Tasha Talakai and two sons), 38, tragically died after he was electrocuted at a construction site on August 5

Mr Talakai leaves behind a wife, Tasha Talakai, and two boys aged 12 and five.

His funeral is scheduled for next week with family from Tonga set to fly over to attend.

The family has also received support from the local Tongan community in Auckland.

Lisa McKenzie, who is a close friend of Ms Talakai's, reflected on the tragedy.

'They are the nicest, most loving family. He was so devoted to her and anyone they came into contact with, they carried light and were nice to everyone, and like a really sweet family,' she told the New Zealand Herald.

'It's sad for anybody but heart-wrenching for this family because they were so closely connected.'

Mr Talakai was delivering timber to the construction site of a house being built on Tauhinu Road (pictured) in Greenhith a northwestern suburb of Auckland, New Zealand

Ms McKenzie has set up a Givealittle page to support the family which will go towards covering their bills.

'Let's help this beautiful Christian homeschooling family through our donations, which will allow a bit of breathing space, by paying to keep a roof over their heads, food, electricity, and other basic necessities,' she wrote.

WorkSafe has commenced an investigation into the incident.

The investigation could take up to 12 months.
Horrifying footage shows the moment up to 50 looters ransacked a luxury accessories concession at a Los Angeles Nordstrom store.

The footage shows men in dark hoodies and face masks ransacking the department store at Westfield Topanga Mall, even resorting to attacking security guards with bear spray.

Videos have rapidly circulated on social media, depicting the mob shattering display cases and grabbing high-end designer accessories, some still affixed with electronic security tags.

One of the thieves was even seen pulling a large metal display shelf behind him as he fled, with a luxury leather bag still affixed to it by a security tag.

The group sprinted to the door in an attempt to make swift exit from the store, securing as much merchandise as they can carry.

The thieves took off with thousands of dollars worth of luxury handbags and designer clothing, an LAPD spokesman told NBC News.

The group swarmed the store at around 4pm on Saturday, scooping up armfuls of items, some inadvertently dropping amid the chaos, as they maneuvered around shattered glass and overturned mannequins.

A shocking video has captured a scene of mob-style mayhem, showing a smash-and-grab robbery involving up to fifty looters at a Los Angeles mall

The footage shows men in dark hoodies and face masks ransacking the Nordstrom store at Westfield Topanga Mall, even resorting to attacking security guards with bear spray

The men appeared to be targeting the luxury Italian fashion brand Bottega Veneta, known for its signature woven leather handbags.

Investigators believe the group stole about $60,000 and $100,000 worth of merchandise.

The criminals used bear spray to attack at least two security guard at the store. The extent of their injuries are unclear.

Bear spray, deployed from pressurized canisters, contains capsaicin and other ingredients that can inflame the eyes and upper respiratory system.

Mall goers were not evacuated and it is unclear if anyone was injured. There have no arrests reported at this time. Police are searching for 30 to 50 suspects.

Witnesses watched the looters free, several in vehicles, including Lexus and BMW cars.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass responded to the incident in a statement issued Saturday evening: 'What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable,' she wrote.

In the statement, Bass assured the public that the police will find those responsible.

The same Nordstrom store at Westfield Topanga, was looted in November 2021 when robbers attacked a security guard with bear spray and stole designer purses

Videos have rapidly circulated on social media, depicting the mob shattering display cases and grabbing high-end designer accessories, some still affixed with electronic security tags

The group swarmed the store at around 4pm on Saturday, scooping up armfuls of items, some inadvertently dropping amid the chaos, as they maneuvered around shattered glass and overturned mannequins

The thieves took off with thousands of dollars worth of luxury handbags and designer clothing, an LAPD spokesman told NBC News

Mall goers were not evacuated and it is unclear if anyone was injured. There have no arrests reported at this time. Police are searching for 30 to 50 suspects

The group sprinted to the door in an attempt to make swift exit from the store, securing as much merchandise as they can carry

The men appeared to be targeting the luxury Italian fashion brand Bottega Veneta, known for its signature woven leather handbags

'Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable. The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future,' she added.

The same Nordstrom store at Westfield Topanga, was looted in November 2021 when robbers attacked a security guard with bear spray and stole designer purses.

Just last week, stunned bystanders caught the shocking moment a gang of at least 30 brazen thieves ransacked a Yves Saint Laurent store in an upscale California shopping center.

Videos posted online showed multiple people in dark clothes, hoods and masks running into and then quickly out of the store at the Americana at Brand shortly before 5pm Tuesday.

Glendale police said the thieves got away with about $300,000 worth of merchandise, after they overwhelmed the staff and took everything they could in less than a minute.

None of the thieves used any weapons in the brazen scheme, and no injuries were reported.

An investigation is ongoing, as California continues to deal with a spate of robberies after lawmakers lowered the punishment for thefts of merchandise under $950.

Robberies have become almost commonplace in California, where thefts of objects valued at $950 or less are misdemeanors.

Those convicted of such a crime can face six months in a county jail, but in most cases cops do not even bother to press charges.

Last month, another group of brazen thieves stole roughly $300,000 in jewelry from a store in La Verne.

The thieves were caught on camera slamming a white sedan into the Rodeo Jewelers on July 1 before they started smashing cases.

The robbery occurred in broad daylight and the owner, who came out from the back of the store, was assaulted with a chair while confronting the group.

That same weekend, thieves also got away with over $700,000 in rare wines imported from France and Italy and for sale at a California shop.

Shoplifters could be taking advantage of a new law that downgrades property theft of less than $950 to a misdemeanor - meaning it's punishable for only up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

In many cases, the thieves face no pursuit and no punishment.

The California Senate also passed legislation in May that prevents employees to confront active shooters or shoplifters in California.

Supporters say it protects staff from violence, but stores and employees themselves say the move will only embolden further shoplifting.
He alleges Biden used his influence to protect Hunter from the law

A Florida congressman has filed articles of impeachment against Joe Biden over claims the president helped his son Hunter commit crimes and cover them up.

Representative Greg Steube, a Republican, filed four articles claiming that the president is guilty of using his position as vice-president to facilitate his son Hunter's alleged crimes and shield family members from the law.

In a statement released Friday, the staunch Trump-ally said it is 'long past time to impeach Joe Biden.'

'He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of Americas citizens,' the statement continued.

'The evidence continues to mount by the day  the Biden Crime Family has personally profited off Joes government positions through bribery, threats, and fraud. Joe Biden must not be allowed to continue to sit in the White House, selling out our country.'

Florida Congressman Greg Steube, pictured in April, said he introduced articles of impeachment because it is 'long past time' to remove Biden from the White House

In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, listing the reasons for his push to impeach Biden as: 'Bribery. Extortion. Obstruction of justice. Fraud. Financial involvement in drugs & prostitution.'

Steube claimed President Biden used his influence while vice-president to enrich his son Hunter

The first article of impeachment filed by Steube alleges that Biden abused his office as vice president by taking bribes linked to Hunter and his brother James' business activities between 2009 and 2017.

The pair are accused of selling access to Biden during his stint as vice president. James and Hunter received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Chinese energy firm in 2017.

Hunter also held a well-paid position on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, despite having little knowledge of the energy industry.

Steube noted the suspicious business dealings in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, listing the reasons for his push to impeach Biden as: 'Bribery. Extortion. Obstruction of justice. Fraud. Financial involvement in drugs & prostitution.'

The second article of impeachment claims Biden obstructed a federal probe into Hunter's alleged tax crimes.

Hunter has denied failing to pay federal taxes on $4.4 million of income in 2017 and 2018.

He had been due to accept a sweetheart plea deal, but a Delaware judge threw it out last month over concerns its terms were overly broad and favorable towards the first son.

IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler claims the Department of Justice stymied tax chiefs' probe into Hunter Biden's alleged financial impropriety.

Steube speaking at a political rally for Donald Trump on July 3, 2021

Steube's other two articles claim the president committed fraud and that he also paid for his wayward son's drug-and-hookers habit.

He has leap-frogged at least four other GOP-led committee probes into Biden which could trigger separate impeachment proceedings.

President Biden has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

The Florida lawmaker has also introduced legislation he hopes will force the Secret Service to write a report on cocaine found in the White House.

Drugs were found in the West Wing in early July, with the Secret Service sparking incredulity after claiming they were unable to work out who'd brought the substances into one of the most heavily-monitored buildings on Earth.

Last week, the Soldier of Fortune website claimed the drugs likely came 'from someone within the Biden family orbit' and that the president knows whose they are.

Steube named his bill targeting the cocaine scandal the 'Helping Understand Narcotics Traces at the Executive Residence (HUNTER) Act.' The President's son has battled a well-publicized addiction to crack cocaine, but was reportedly not at the White House at the time.

Steube also introduced a bill targeting the Secret Service's failure to find the culprit who brought cocaine into the White House last month, which he named the 'Helping Understand Narcotics Traces at the Executive Residence (HUNTER) Act'

The articles of impeachment are not the first to be filed against President Biden, with more than a dozen previously introduced against the president and his officials during his time in office.

Some have speculated that Republican lawmakers have pushed for impeachment in retaliation for the two impeachments handed down to Donald Trump in 2017 and 2021 respectively.

Speaking of attempts to remove Biden from office, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last month: 'Were not going to get into what House Republicans want to do or may not do  hypotheticals.

'Thats on them. Thats for them to speak to. What I can speak to is exactly what were doing today.

'The economic data is so much better than economists had expected. And so, thats because of the work that this president has done.

'Thats going to be our focus. Our focus is going to be on what we can do to make Americans lives a little bit better, giving them that extra breathing room.'
More than two agonising years after Maryam Hamka was last seen alive the discovery of her remains has allowed the devastated family to bring her 'home'.

The 36-year-old's last known sighting was on April 10, 2021 as she left a Woolworths supermarket in the inner northern Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

Victoria Police announced on Monday afternoon they had found Ms Hamka's remains at about 10.30am that day in bushland off Rogers Road in Cape Schanck, on the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne.

Ms Hamka's sister Hannah said she was sitting with her mother, kids and other sister Amel when they saw police approaching the house.

The family of Maryam Hamka have expressed their relief but also their devastation after police found her remains following a more than two-year search

Maryam Hamka poses with her mother Susan before she went missing after last being seen in April 2021

'I ran to the door and I said, 'Have you found my sister?' and he (the officer) said, "Maybe we should talk inside",' Hannah told the Herald Sun.

'My family is pretty devastated to be honest. It feels so surreal now.'

Ms Hamka's former boyfriend, Toby Loughnane, is set to stand trial for her murder, while his friend Oscar Newman is accused of helping him clean a blood stain at his house in the exclusive Melbourne south east suburb of Brighton.

Police allege Mr Loughnane murdered Ms Hamka on April 11, 2021 at his Brighton home.

Mr Loughnane has pleaded not guilty with his trial set to take place in Victoria's Supreme Court.

Hannah said the family can now bury Ms Hamka's remains with some 'dignity' and in a place they could visit her.

'She's home with us ... shes not out there, like she was nothing,' Hannah said.

Once the coroner releases her body to her family a funeral will be held.

On the second anniversary of Ms Hamka's death, Amel posted a heart-breaking tribute on Facebook.

'Two years ago today you lost your life,' it read.

'Two years normally doesnt seem like a long time, but its seemed like an eternity without you Maryam Hamka.

Missing you so much, youve left a huge void in our lives, a hole in our hearts. We think about you all day everyday.

'Our fight for justice for you sis has been so mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting but we will never give up until justice is served and I know Allah is Big we will get justice in many ways insha Allah.

'Allah Yarhamik sis. We love you so much.'

Ms Hamka's former boyfriend Toby Loughnane has pleaded not guilty to her murder ahead of his trial later this year

Mr Loughnane's friend Oscar Newman has pleaded not guilty to assisting in the murder of Ms Hamka

During a preliminary hearing last year, the court heard a significant stain with a blood-like appearance was found on a section of carpet at the bottom of the stairs in Mr Loughnane's Brighton home.

But no DNA profile could be obtained from the sample, forensic expert Maxwell Jones told the court.

That could have been because a small amount of blood was spread out, consistent with situations where a person has tried to clean up blood, he said.

'That may be one explanation as to why we got such a broad luminol reaction in that area of carpet,' he said.

Magistrate Johanna Metcalf found after a committal hearing that began in May there was sufficient evidence to support a murder conviction even without Ms Hamka's remains.

Mr Newman, will also stand trial charged with assisting Loughnane to avoid apprehension between April 11 and 15.

He has also pleaded not guilty.

Mr Loughnane remains behind bars in custody while Newman remains on bail.
An inferno ripped through and destroyed 200 vehicles at a scrapyard in Essex where Mercedes-Benzes and Porsches are kept by a car auction firm.

A video shows the blaze taking hold of the yard, in Purdeys Way, Rochford, on Friday evening as the intense heat from the flames starts to melt the metal.

Some 60 firefighters were battling the burning yard at the height of the fire with people living nearby told to shut their windows.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause.

The blaze first took hold at around 9pm with crews still on site more than 12 hours later.

The fire was brought under control two hours later but crews worked through the night to dampen down the site before packing up at around 11am on Saturday.

Pictures show the devastating damage caused by the flames. Cars stacked in rows of three storeys were left nothing but melted, twisted metal, with piles of ash on the ground.

The inferno first took hold at Copart UK's Rochford scrapyard at around 9pm on Friday. Firefighters got the fire under control around two hours but remained at the site until 11am on Saturday

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said around 200 of 2,000 cars were destroyed in the blaze

Resident Dinah Symonds told the BBC she was awoken by explosions and feared the flames would spread towards her home.

She added: 'That's what really concerned us more than anything else but it was quite spectacular.'

The site is operated by car auction firm Copart UK, reported the BBC, with it due to have a sale on Monday.

Some of the cars listed for auction on the firm's website include a 15,000 Mercedes-Benz, 41,500 Range Rover, and a Porsche Cayenne V6 with a retail value of 9,975. It is currently not known if any of the vehicles up for auction tomorrow were destroyed in the blaze.

Around 10 percent of the vehicles at the scrapyard were wiped out with Essex County Fire and Rescue Service saying there were 2,000 cars at the site.

A spokesman for the scrapyard said the cause of the fire would be investigated 'once safe to do so'.

Pictures show the devastating damage caused by the flames. Cars stacked in rows of three storeys were left nothing but melted, twisted metal, with piles of ash on the ground

A spokesman for the scrapyard said the cause of the fire would be investigated 'once safe to do so'

The scrapyard is a car auction site with models such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz all being listed for sale on the firm's website

 Slide me  Before and after the fire took hold of the scrapyard with firefighters seen carrying a hose as flames take hold of the yard in the background

According to its latest accounts on Companies House for the year ending July 31, 2022, Copart had a turnover of 189.9million and made an operating profit of 58.8million.

The firm has sites in 15 UK towns and cities, as well as in Germany, Spain, and Finland.

A fire service spokesperson said during the incident: 'Nearby residents are being advised to close their windows.

'The cars are stacked in rows of three storeys. Firefighters have the fire contained and have created a fire break to stop the fire spreading to the remaining cars.'
A child was reportedly attacked by a dog in a horrifying incident that was seen by shocked bystanders, as police rushed to the scene in Birmingham.

Paramedics and specialist dog unit officers raced to the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham after receiving panicked calls, where the savage attack reportedly took place.

According to reports, the bulldog was seized by police after the child was grappled to the floor in the attack.

The youngster was check over for injuries, but their condition is currently unknown.

Paramedics and a specialist dog unit officers raced to the Washwood Heath area of Birmingham after receiving panicked calls

Force Response WMP tweeted: 'BHLPA C Team Stechford Response & Specialist Dog Unit officers responded to reports of a child being grappled to the floor by a bulldog in the Washwood Heath West Midlands area.

'A bulldog was seized via police. West Midlands Ambulance Service arrived and assessed the Child.'
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A woman who desperately wants to become a police officer to help tackle a crime wave plaguing her community, was turned down because she's a 'loud and proud' sex worker.

Lisa Lewis, an OnlyFans model and escort, moved from New Zealand to Darwin after seeing a TV interview last May with acting Northern Territory police commissioner Michael Murphy.

Mr Murphy appealed for recruits to help deal with the Alice Springs crime explosion, saying 'Anyone who wants to come and join us, please come and put an application in online.'

Ms Lewis did so, but she has now accused the NT Police of discrimination after her application was knocked back because of her 'declared history', The Australian reported.

Her complaint to the NT Anti-Discrimination Commission could become a test case of laws banning discrimination against someone over sex work.

Lisa Lewis (pictured right), who desperately wanted to become a police officer to help tackle the Northern Territory's crime wave, has been turned down because she's a sex worker. She is pictured after having run onto the pitch at an All Blacks game in 2006

Poll Should sex workers be allowed to become police officers? Yes No Depends Should sex workers be allowed to become police officers? Yes 275 votes

No 382 votes

Depends 130 votes Now share your opinion





Ms Lewis' application had advanced to the point where police recruiters asked for her fingerprints, identification documents, driving record, medical history, details of 'declarable associates' and her criminal history.

She declared her two brushes with the law - running onto the pitch in a bikini at an All Blacks game in 2006 and a common assault charge for pushing a man who knocked her teeth out in 2012.

The NT Police guidelines say 'simple offences' such as common assault will not exclude someone from being recruited if they happened more than 10 years ago.

But Ms Lewis said she got a call from a police recruitment officer who said due to her 'unique profession' her application would be sent to the police integrity panel.

The officer asked if Ms Lewis was currently employed as a sex worker - which is not illegal in either New Zealand or the Northern Territory - and she said she was.

In a letter to the integrity panel, she said she still worked in the sex industry 'because I need money to live and survive' and that she would quit if she joined the police.

Brendan Muldoon of the Professional Standards Command wrote to Ms Lewis on July 27, rejecting her application and banning her from reapplying for five years.

Lisa Lewis (pictured), an OnlyFans model and escort, moved from New Zealand to Darwin after seeing a TV interview last May with acting NT police commissioner Michael Murphy

Ms Lewis is pictured running onto the pitch during a rugby Test between the All Blacks and Ireland in 2006

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'As a result of your declared history, the panel has determined that your application is unsuccessful,' Commander Muldoon wrote.

'Furthermore, you have been excluded from applying for a position with the Northern Territory Police Force until 27/07/2028, this being five years from the date of the determination.'

Ms Lewis asked for her application to be reconsidered, but Assistant Commissioner Bruce Porter said the process followed NT Police policies.

'All offers of employment are at the discretion of the Commission and are based on the suitability of a candidate,' he wrote.

Ms Lewis said the police seemed to have a problem with how she makes her living.

'I've always been a loud and proud sex worker,' she told The Australian journalist Sarah Elks.

'It's a legal job, I pay more tax than most New Zealanders. I've only just moved here and I don't have anything to be embarrassed about.'

She said the NT police have no right 'to discriminate under moral principles' and that sex worker are law-abiding, just like any other workers.

'I just want to ensure the NT police are held accountable for their actions  if they have a history of rejecting sex workers, maybe they should think twice about it.'

Ms Lewis has since applied for a job with the Victorian police.

She sent a message to Daily Mail Australia (DMA) saying that when she was a child she wanted to be a 'forensic scientist to examine crime scene evidence to assist in the prosecution of crime or absolve an innocent person from suspicion'.

The Northern Territory Police told DMA it 'will not be providing any information regarding the recruit application process for Ms Lewis, also noting a complaint has been referred to the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission'.
A man has been charged with murder after a mother-of-two was stabbed to death at her cottage in a picturesque village.

Kelli Bothwell, 53, was found by first responders on the evening of August 5, at her home in Sprotbrough, near Doncaster, after reports of a 'dispute' at the house.

The mother-of-two died a short time later, with police putting the entire village in lockdown in the immediate aftermath.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed Paul Cousans, 52, of Sprotbrough was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The 52-year-old was charged yesterday evening.

Kelli Bothwell, pictured, died after being stabbed at a cottage in Sprotbrough, near Doncaster

The mother-of-two was found fatally injured by emergency services on August 5, and died a short time later

A police officer steps out from the cordon outside a row of cottages in Sprotbrough

Multiple police vehicles parked on Main Street in the picturesque village after the incident

Officers said a 52-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder after the incident

It came after at 8pm last Saturday, police were called to reports of a dispute inside a property on Main Street during which the mother-of-two was stabbed.

South Yorkshire Police said: 'Despite the best efforts of officers and ambulance crews, she sadly died a short time later.

'A post-mortem has since concluded that Kelli died of a stab wound.'

Cousans is now remanded in custody to appear before Sheffield Magistrates Court on Monday.
Brittany Higgins' ex-boss Linda Reynolds said she never used the word 'rape' during her initial complaints about Bruce Lehrmann.

Senator Reynolds made the extraordinary revelation on 7News Spotlight on Sunday night during her first ever television interview about Ms Higgins' allegations.

Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her inside Senator Reynolds' office, when she was the defence industry minister, inside Parliament House in March 2019. He strongly denies the allegations.

The former Liberal staffer made her allegations against Mr Lehrmann public for the first time in February 2021, in an online article by Samantha Maiden and in a TV interview on The Project with Lisa Wilkinson.

The senator said she was shocked when she watched The Project episode and found out Ms Higgins had accused her of treating her allegations like problem, rather than taking them seriously.

'It hurt,' Senator Reynolds said.

Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) featured in an episode of 7News Spotlight on Sunday night

'It more than hurt, it completely devastated me, the allegations that were aired about me, you cannot think of anything worse or a worse allegation of any woman that you covered up the rape of a young woman in your own office.'

She also revealed she never got her designer Carla Zampatti jacket back after Ms Higgins wore it home the morning after her alleged rape.

Ms Higgins previously told a court she got it from a charity bin in the minister's office, which Ms Reynolds on Sunday said 'made me laugh'.

'It was my wardrobe,' she said.

I just thought I'd lost it.'

'I never got it back.'

In the interview, Mr Lehrmann also slammed former Prime Minister Scott Morrison for apologising to Ms Higgins in 2021 over her alleged rape - before her allegations had been tried in a court.

He also claimed he was denied the right to the presumption of innocence, and he will likely launch a multi-million dollar lawsuit: 'It'll have to be - I will never ever work again.'

Senator Reynolds said also said she only found out there were sexual assault allegations a week after she had a meeting with Ms Higgins in her office.

She also claimed Ms Higgins never used the 'r-word' during that conversation and, when she found out there were rape allegations, she believed Ms Higgins should, go straight to the police.

She said 'one of the things that completely devastated me was that the allegations that were aired about me'.

Brittany Higgins (pictured centre) alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her in 2019. He denies that allegations

'You cannot think of anything worse - worse than an allegation to make of any woman that you covered up the rape of a young woman in and one in your office.'

The former minister also said the outgoing ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, should have been 'sacked' - claiming he painted her as 'the perfect villain' during the rape trial in October last year.

Mr Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow was also interviewed, and primarily spoke about the conduct of Mr Drumgold - claiming his client 'didn't get a fair trial'.

The lawyer explained he felt as though the prosecutor was intentionally keeping him in the dark about a range of elements during the trial.

The Spotlight interview comes almost a week after the findings of a Board of Inquiry was handed down by the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr - in the form of a lengthy report comprising almost 900 pages.

The inquiry, chaired by former judge Walter Sofronoff, looked into the way his trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year was handled by police and Mr Drumgold.

The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold (pictured during the trial), has resigned

Mr Sofronoff found the chief prosecutor 'knowingly lied' to the Supreme Court Chief Justice and had 'lost objectivity and did not act with fairness and detachment as was required by his role'.

Mr Drumgold resigned as the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions last week after the inquiry into the handling of Mr Lehrmann's rape trial made several adverse findings against him, which he has refuted.

On Sunday night, Mr Whybrow told Spotlight the Sofronoff report proved there was 'a loss of objectivity' in the case against his client.

He said it was extraordinary that Mr Drumgold was able to conduct his case the way he did.

'The fix was in, things happened, there was an almost, I don't know how to explain it but we were up against it from the start and this case ... it was hard.'

Last week, Mr Lehrmann told Daily Mail Australia he was looking forward to divulging more details about his trial, from his perspective, on Sunday night.

'I have plenty to say after today's mess of a press conference but I'll wait until I sit down with Liam Bartlett again this Sunday on 7News Spotlight,' he said.

The first trial was called off because a juror brought banned research material into the court, before Mr Drumgold dropped the charge entirely in December due to Ms Higgins' mental health.
Protesters have gathered outside the Bibby Stockholm to demand an end to migrants being housed on the controversial barge.

Nearby the barge in Portland, Dorset, dozens of demonstrators could be seen holding placards saying 'Time to bin the barge' and 'Portland Port imports disease'.

In one photo, two people holding a flag with the words 'No barge, stop the boats' could be seen next to a woman holding a placard with 'My outrage can't fit on this sign' written on it.

It comes after 39 migrants on board the Bibby Stockholm were evacuated on Friday when deadly legionella bacteria was found in the vessel's water system.

And today, the Government has come under renewed pressure to tackle the crisis of migrant crossings in the Channel following the deaths of six people after a boat sank of the coast of France.

Nearby the barge in Portland, Dorset, dozens of demonstrators could be seen holding placards saying 'Time to bin the barge' and 'Portland Port imports disease'

In one photo, two people holding a flag with the words 'No barge, stop the boats' could be seen stood next to a woman holding a placard with 'My outrage can't fit on this sign' written on it

Others took aim at Portland Port chief executive Bill Reeves, holding placards scrawled with 'Legionella! How do you sleep Bill Reeves?' and 'Bin Bill's barge'.

Routine tests of the barge's water supply were reportedly carried out on July 25 but the results only came back when asylum seekers began boarding the barge on Monday, according to Sky News. The results showed levels of legionella bacteria 'which require further investigation'.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advised the Government on Thursday evening to remove all six people that arrived on the Bibby Stockholm that day, but the Home Office decided to evacuate all 39 as a precaution.

Although nobody onboard had shown symptoms of the disease, officials insisted that all migrants be disembarked while further assessments are carried out.

A letter from the Home Office that was leaked to the Guardian has reportedly informed asylum seekers that they will be tested for Legionnaires diseases if they do begin to show symptoms.

What is Legionnaires' disease and how can you catch it? Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia or lung infection caused when a person breathes in air that contains legionella bacteria in droplets of water. If these bacteria get into water supplies in buildings, they can cause a risk to humans through air conditioning systems, humidifiers, showers, spa pools and taps or showers that are not often used. Legionnaires' disease can only be contracted from contaminated water, usually when it is inhaled in aerosol form, and does not spread from person to person. It is normally caught in places such as hotels, hospitals or offices where bacteria has got into the water supply  and it is less common to catch it at home. You cannot usually get it from drinking water that contains the bacteria or places such as ponds, lakes and rivers. Symptoms include a cough, shortness of breath and chest pain or discomfort, particularly when breathing or coughing. You can also have a high temperature and flu-like symptoms. Treatment in hospital may include antibiotics given directly into a vein, oxygen through a face mask or tubes in your nose and a machine to help you breathe. Advertisement

The migrants will be taken to hotels which are said to be far from Weymouth, where few rooms are available during the height of the school summer holidays.

One Syrian migrant onboard the barge told MailOnline this afternoon that he had not been given any information and had not been told to leave. He said: 'The place is very empty but no one has said anything to us. We will have to wait and see, but it is worrying.'

With a capacity of up to 506, the Government is still hoping that use of the Bibby Stockholm, together with former military bases, will help reduce the 6million a day it is spending on hotel bills for asylum seekers.

But opponents have claimed the barge is unsafe and a 'floating prison', while lawyers of some migrants due to board this week have successfully argued to allow them to stay in hotels.

It was only four days ago that the first 15 men were taken onboard the vessel.

Support workers, who have spoken to some on board, claimed the asylum seekers were not being kept informed about what was happening.

Heather Jones, of the Portland Friendship Group which is supporting the migrants, said: 'I have had texts and phone conversations from some of them and they are still on board, they haven't been evacuated yet.

'Nobody has told them anything. They have had to ask me what the problem is. One of them was really concerned because he had just drunk a glass of water and he was asking me if he was going to be OK.

'I told him it is probably a precautionary measure but they shouldn't be hearing it from me.

'They don't know where they are being taken to. Hopefully it will be back to the hotels where they have come from.'

There was a small group of campaigners from Stand Up To Racism at the port entrance holding placards saying 'Legionella death trap' and 'human rights'.

Lynne Hubbard, from the group, said: 'The Home Office have admitted they carried on admitting asylum seekers on the barge even though they found out about legionella on Monday.

'They would have been drinking the water and showering in it. That shows pretty clearly what the Government thinks of asylum seekers and how much they value their lives. They are heartless.

'An asylum seeker in there we are in contact with told us to get in touch with his family in case he dies of Legionella. That's how frightened they are.'

It comes as the Government is facing more pressure to get a grip on the crisis of migrant crossings in the Channel following the deaths of six people after a boat sank off the coast of France.

Campaigners described the incident as an 'appalling and preventable tragedy', while MPs called for action to stop criminal gangs profiting from the dangerous journeys.

Some 59 people were rescued by British and French coastguards on Saturday after an overloaded vessel carrying migrants got into difficulty near Sangatte.

It comes as the Government is facing more pressure to get a grip on the crisis of migrant crossings in the Channel following the deaths of six people after a boat sank off the coast of France. Pictured: A rescue boat enters the port of Calais after a boat carrying migrants across the Channel capsized

Campaigners described the incident as an 'appalling and preventable tragedy'. Pictured: The RNLI brings people ashore

Some 59 people were rescued by British and French coastguards on Saturday. Pictured: Border Force officials bring people ashore from the channel, some carrying babies in their arms

According to the accounts of survivors, around 65 or 66 had originally boarded the boat, France's Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said.

Those rescued were mostly of Afghans and some were Sudanese, according to multiple reports.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Conservative backbencher and former party chairman Sir Jake Berry said: 'We must put a stop to the vile people smugglers who trade in human misery and whose actions result in the loss of life.'

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said action to deter criminal gangs facilitating the journeys is 'desperately' necessary.

Care4Calais said the incident was an 'appalling and preventable tragedy', while the Refugee Council warned 'more people will die' unless more safe routes to the UK are created.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the incident as a 'tragic loss of life' and said she had chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday.

The RNLI bring people ashore at Dover Docks on Saturday after rescuing them from a capsized vessel in the Channel

It comes after the Government was accused of allowing its 'small boats week' of linked announcements on immigration to descend into farce following the removal of dozens of asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Senior Conservative backbencher David Davis said the 'startling incompetence' of the Home Office had been revealed after all 39 people on board the 500-capacity vessel were disembarked due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply.

However, ministers intend to push on with plans to hire more barges to house asylum seekers, as well as student halls and former office blocks, The Telegraph reported.

The people who had been on the Bibby Stockholm, which had been billed as a cheaper alternative to expensive hotels for those awaiting the outcome of their claims, are now back being housed in alternative accommodation.

The Home Office has said the health and welfare of asylum seekers 'remains of the utmost priority' and that the evacuation took place as a precautionary measure, with all protocol and advice followed.

A total of 509 migrants crossed the English Channel on Saturday, bringing the total for this year to 16,679, according to Home Office figures.
This is the dramatic moment that armed police swooped on a beach and arrested a suspected gunman wearing camouflage after two people were threatened.

Police were called to reports of a man walking around sleepy Charmouth, in Bridport, Dorset, brandishing a firearm at 7.42am on Saturday.

Dorset Police said that at least two people were threatened by a man before armed officers descended on the area and launched a huge search operation.

Officers, including a dog unit, supported by the NPAS helicopter scoured the coastal village and nearby clifftops before arresting a man, in his 50s, at 9.30am - almost two hours later.

Footage shows a man in a camouflage jacket and shorts being led away on the beach in Charmouth by six firearms officers and two policemen.

Dorset Police said a suspected gun was recovered and the man was detained on suspicion of possessing a firearm in a public place. He was later released on bail and taken to hospital 'to receive the appropriate care'.

This is the dramatic moment that armed police swooped on a beach and arrested a suspected gunman wearing camouflage after two people were threatened

Dorset Police said a suspected gun was recovered and the man was detained on on suspicion of possessing a firearm in a public place. He was later released on bail and taken to hospital. Pictured: Armed officers were called to the scene

Stunned residents of Charmouth - a seaside village along the Jurrasic Coast which is known for its dramatic cliffs - have revealed their shock of seeing the gunman.

Ali Ferris, a manager at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, told local media that 'you'd never expect it in sleepy Dorset'.

Ms Ferris, who was about to lead a guided fossil tour with about 50 people, including children, told Bridport News: 'It became real when the police with guns turned up. We saw a gunman in the distance.

'To be honest it was a bit of a surreal experience because it's not what you would expect to see. You'd never expect it in sleepy Dorset.'

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: 'A man arrested in connection with a reported firearms incident in Charmouth has been released on police bail while enquiries continue.

Locals were left stunned that a man brandishing a weapon was walking around the sleepy Dorset village

Charmouth (pictured) is a seaside village along the Jurrasic Coast which is known for its dramatic cliffs

'At 7.42am on Saturday 12 August 2023 the ambulance service contacted Dorset Police to report that a man, suspected to be in need of medical treatment, was walking around Charmouth with a gun.

'During the incident it is alleged that two people were threatened by the man. No one was injured.

'A man, aged in his 50s, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm in a public place. A suspected firearm was recovered.

'He has since been released on police bail and has been taken to hospital to receive the appropriate care.

'An investigation remains ongoing and detectives continue to appeal for witnesses to get in touch.'
It comes as Home Office data revealed 509 migrants made the perilous crossing

People smugglers refused to provide life jackets to the UK-bound migrants who drowned in the latest small boats disaster in the English Channel, it emerged today.

Instead, they packed the six Afghan men into one of a number of inflatable dinghies that left northern France in the early hours of Saturday morning with no emergency equipment.

The aim was to stretch police resources across a number of beaches, making sure that as many people as possible got to Britain.

It comes as Home Office figures revealed a total of 509 migrants crossed the English Channel on the same day the migrants perished.

Details of the disaster emerged on Sunday as Herve Berville, France's Minister for the Sea, explained how smugglers are now 'saturating' the coast with people who want to get to Britain.

People smugglers refused to provide life jackets to the UK-bound migrants who drowned in the latest small boats disaster in the English Channel, it emerged today. Pictured: Migrants ashore at Dover Docks on Saturday that had been rescued

It comes as Home Office figures revealed a total of 509 migrants crossed the English Channel on the same day six people died. Pictured: Emergency responders give medical care to those brought ashore in Dover on Saturday

'There were a lot of people on the water last night, with a fairly rough sea,' Mr Berville said during a visit to Calais this weekend.

'The smugglers have a strategy of saturating the coast - they trigger simultaneous crossings between Dunkirk and Boulogne, to occupy the police.'

Describing the situation overnight Friday to Saturday as a 'a mess', Mr Berville said: 'Put 60 people on a boat in a force three or four wind, and it's deadly.'

He described the smugglers as 'criminals, who send young people, women, adults to their death, through these dangerous maritime routes.'

On Sunday, the search continued for two men unaccounted for after six were confirmed dead in a boat that deflated off Sangatte, the Calais beach.

Regis Holy, skipper of the Notre-Dame du Brisban lifeboat, said he helped retrieve five of the bodies.

The Home Office data reveals the number of migrants crossing the Channel this year has reached 16,679, compared to 45,755 at the end of last year

He confirmed that none were wearing life jackets, and that the boat they had been passengers in 'was punctured'.

'You don't get used to it,' Mr Holy told Liberation newspaper. 'Handling a body is difficult, it is heavy, the clothes are wet.'

Mr Holy said it was initially impossible to see anybody in the dark, but French Navy aircraft then provided lights from above.

Smugglers charge around 1000-a-head for a passage to Britain on a crowded boat, and usually provide life jackets as a basic safety measure.

READ MORE: Protesters gather outside Bibby Stockholm demanding an end to the barge - after migrants aboard the vessel were disembarked due to Legionella bacteria discovery Advertisement

But August is seen as one of the best months for getting people across, and it is feared that the criminals are becoming ever more reckless.

The latest disaster comes almost two years to the day since the worst English Channel small boats accident ever.

An inflatable dinghy with 29 people on board collapsed on November 24 2021, and the 27 who died were later identified as 16 Kurds from Iraqi Kurdistan, four Afghans, and five other nationalities.

French emergency workers in a telephone centre were later blamed for failing to answer their distress calls properly, but the people smugglers responsible for organising the boat have never been brought to justice.

There were 755 people recorded as crossing the Channel in small boats on Thursday  the highest daily number so far this year.

Since current records began in January 1 2018, 100,715 migrants have arrived in the UK after making the journey.

Home Office data reveals the number of migrants crossing the Channel this year has reached 16,679, compared to 45,755 at the end of last year.

It marks a further setback for the Government's 'stop the boats' pledge, which is one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's five key priorities for his leadership.

More than 100,000 people have now made the journey since 2018 and the latest figures take the provisional total for the year so far to 16,679.

On Saturday, at least six people died and 59 - many of them Afghans - were rescued after a boat got into difficulty of the coast of Sangatte, France.

A rescue boat enters the port of Calais after a boat carrying migrants across the Channel capsized

According to the accounts of survivors, around 65 people had originally boarded the overloaded vessel before a passing ship saw it sinking and raised the alarm at around 4.20am.

The Government is under renewed pressure to tackle the crisis of migrant crossings following the incident.

MPs have called for action against criminal people-smuggling gangs profiting from the journeys while campaigners have described the deaths as an 'appalling and preventable tragedy'.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Conservative backbencher and former party chairman Sir Jake Berry said: 'We must put a stop to the vile people smugglers who trade in human misery and whose actions result in the loss of life.'

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said action to deter criminal gangs facilitating the journeys is 'desperately' needed.

Care4Calais said the incident was an 'appalling and preventable tragedy', while the Refugee Council warned 'more people will die' unless more safe routes to the UK are created.

Rescued migrants sitting on a French rescue ship after a migrant boat tried to cross the Channel

Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the incident as a 'tragic loss of life' and said she had chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday.

It comes after the Government was accused of allowing its 'small boats week' of linked announcements on immigration to descend into farce following the removal of dozens of asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Senior Conservative backbencher David Davis said the 'startling incompetence' of the Home Office had been laid bare after all 39 people on board the 500-capacity vessel were disembarked due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply.

However, ministers intend to push on with plans to hire more barges to house asylum seekers, as well as student halls and former office blocks, The Telegraph reported.

The people who had been on the Bibby Stockholm, which had been billed as a cheaper alternative to expensive hotels for those awaiting the outcome of their claims, are now back being housed in other accommodation.

The Home Office has said the health and welfare of asylum seekers 'remains of the utmost priority' and that the evacuation took place as a precautionary measure, with all protocol and advice followed.

Minister David TC Davies on Sunday defended the Government's handling of the setback, saying its evacuation of people from the vessel 'actually demonstrates how we're putting the safety of people first'.

Asked whether the incident points to a wider failure within the Home Office, he told Times Radio: 'No, it doesn't. It doesn't at all. The checks were being made.'

But shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said a 'better, fairer system' is needed to tackle the backlog of asylum applications and cut the need for temporary accommodation.

She told the same programme that prosecutions of people smugglers are 'falling' under the current Government.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton said the Government's 'small boats week' of linked announcements on immigration was a 'hostage to fortune'.

He told Times Radio: 'I think it was probably not a good idea to have a small boats week. It was a hostage to fortune and clearly it depends on how many people are risking their lives coming across the Channel, which is dependent on the weather and how people smugglers are operating.'

But Mr Loughton, a member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, also said part of the problem lies with France, calling on the country's authorities to intervene.

'Without the French actually intercepting and detaining those boats, then we have a problem stopping that,' he said.

'Secondly, the Home Office has got to do a lot better in speeding up the processing times of those people who do then come to the UK to see whether they have a legitimate asylum claim or not.'
Top authors have staged a walkout from one of the UK's biggest book festivals in protest of its main sponsor's links to the fossil fuel industry.

Author and climate activist Mikaela Loach was one of several writers who left their panels at Edinburgh International Book Festival on Saturday in a stand against the festival's main sponsor Baillie Gifford, accusing the 115-year-old investment firm of buying into 'companies who make money from fossil fuels.'

In a video posted to Instagram, the 25-year-old author, whose recently published her first book, 'It's Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World', was filmed stopping a panel discussion titled 'Changing the Climate Narrative' with her own message for audience members:

'I can't actually in good faith continue just talking about these issues without doing something, especially give that the festival is sponsored by an investment firm that is bankrolling this climate crisis,' she said.

'Baillie Gifford are an investment firm that have 5 billion of investments in the fossil fuel industry,' she alleged.

Mikaela Loach (Furthest right) said she was not happy with Baillie Gifford being the festival's main sponsor

The author starkly said: 'I don't know if my ancestral land will still be there if I have children. And the reason for this is because of investments in fossil fuels'

She was one of several to walk out of their panel appearances over the investment firm's sponsorship of the top festival

Baillie Gifford manages a staggering $292.8 billion in assets, according to its own reports

The firm hit back, claiming that just 2% of its clients' money was invested in the fossil fuel industry

The writer, who is of Jamaican descent, added: 'I think especially recently, if you look across the world, Maui is literally on fire as we've seen right now.

'I don't know if my ancestral land will still be there if I have children. And the reason for this is because of investments in fossil fuels.

'The reason for this is because of fossil fuel companies not caring about the climate crisis, whether they say they do or not. So, we have to remove that finance from them, any tactic that we can we have to stop them from being able to exist.

'Edinburgh Book Festival, you wouldn't burn books, so why are you burning the planet? Drop Baillie Gifford,' she demanded.

After she walked off stage, dozens of protestors then took to the streets of Edinburgh carrying signs and banners that railed against the investment firm.

Fellow author Jessica Gaitan Johannesson, who helped organise the walkout with Loach, said they staged the protest because they 'care deeply about the festival and its people' and 'don't want to see it contribute to the destruction of people's lives'.

The walkout came after climate activist Greta Thunberg pulled out of an appearance at the festival for the same reasons, accusing Ballie Gifford of 'greenwashing'.

The investment management firm, which manages an eyewatering $292.8 billion in assets, rejected Thunberg's claims that it invests 'heavily' in fossil fuels, saying just 2% of its clients' money was invested in the sector.

Dozens took to the streets of Edinburgh to protest the investment firm's involvement with the festival

More than 50 leading authors and writers demanded that the festival find different sponsors if the investment firm did not divest from fossil fuel companies

Thunberg wasn't the only one who moved against the event's organisers.

More than 50 leading authors and writers demanded that Edinburgh International Book Festival find different sponsors if the investment firm did not divest from fossil fuel companies.

Leading writers including Ali Smith, Zadie Smith, and Gary Younge, all threatened to boycott next year's event if no action was taken.

In the open letter, dozens accused Baillie Gifford of 'making huge profits from global disaster' and claimed the investment management firm wanted to 'hide behind esteemed cultural institutions, like the Edinburgh Book Festival, as sanction for its continued operations'.

Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said the festival would consider the authors' concerns 'carefully' and keep an open mind about how to proceed.

Responding to the letter, Mr. Barley said: 'We fully acknowledge your concerns about the devastating impact of fossil fuel exploitation on the climate: as individuals and and as a charity we firmly agree.

'For these reasons, we promise to think about your letter carefully. The last thing we want is to let anyone give the impression we are on opposite sides.

'Just as we promise to listen carefully to you, we ask that you allow us some time to consider your comments. We'd also like to share with you the reasons why we have accepted this sponsorship agreement.

'Like all arts organisations in the UK, we wouldn't have enough funds to operate without private sponsorship. We looked very closely at the work of Baillie Gifford and it seems to us that they are, in fact, investing in companies that are seeking to resolve the crisis.'

The investment firm is so closely attached to Edinburgh International Book Festival that the events curated for school-aged children have been put under the 'Baillie Gifford Schools Programme.'

On top of this, a programme run specifically for primary school children, where pupils aged 11 and under are set to 'celebrate the power of self-care under the theme "Happy Healthy You"', is being run as the Ballie Gifford Gala Day at the end of August.

Former NHS doctor and Strictly Come Dancing star Dr. Ranj Singh is set to speak with primary school-aged children at the event.

Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford have been contacted for comment.
Mary-Louise McLaws, who dedicated her career to preventing diseases and led Australia through the Covid-19 pandemic, has died aged 70 after battling cancer.

Her husband, Richard Flook, announced she had died on Saturday night at Wolper Hospital in Sydney's Woollahra, saying 'Our dear Mary-Louise passed away in her sleep'.

Ms McLaws was a respected professor of epidemiologist, having worked for the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an advisor to China and aiding in disease control in 10 countries outside of Australia including Bangladesh, Cambodia and China.

On home soil, Ms McLaws was seen as a reliable advisor to lead Australia through the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting border closures and enforcement of face masks to slow the spread of the disease.

She had been on leave from her position at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) since January of last year after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

Mary-Louise McLaws (pictured), who dedicated her career to preventing diseases and led Australia through the Covid-19 pandemic, has died aged 70 after a battle with an illness

Born in Tasmania on March 31, 1953, to Jewish parents, Ms McLaws had previously worked with the Sydney South West Area Health Service as the director of the Public Health Unit.

Under her leadership, massive strides were made to eliminate HIV and both Hepatitis B and C, while Swine flu was limited and controlled.

She became an advisor for the WHO in China in 2002, later working on the ground in Hong Kong to control the outbreak of SARS.

Ms McLaws would go on to write over 180 research papers and personally supervise the research of numerous PhD students.

Federal deputy chief medical officer, George Rubin, described Ms McLaws as 'the most trusted voice in Australia' while the nation was placed under pressure during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Her latest commendation was being appointed as an Officer of Australia in the general division during the Queen's Birthday Honours in July of 2022.

Ms McLaws was seen as a reliable advisor during the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting border closures and enforcement of face masks to slow the spread of the disease

Mr Flook confirmed his late wife was well cared for by the nurses and doctors at Wolper Hospital 'and had enjoyed the visits of her many friends who have been so supportive of her and our family'.

'We will be planning her funeral service at Emmanuel Synagogue in the next few days.'

Speaking to the ABC's Virginia Trioli in June last year, Ms McLaws said she was taking each day as it comes after her cancer diagnosis.

'I assume that I will die, I don't know when, and I'm just enjoying life and friends, and I think that's what you have to do,' she said.

She is survived by her husband Richard and her children Zia and Zachary.
Prosecutors in Georgia are allegedly in possession of texts and emails directly connecting members of Donald Trump's legal team to the January 2021 voting system breach in Coffee County.

Investigators believe there was a 'top-down' push by Trump's team to access voting software - and messages obtained by CNN are said to show how Trump lawyers tried to seek access to the county's voting systems.

Just six days before they gained access, local elections official Misty Hampton, who is accused of helping with the breach, wrote and sent a 'written invitation' to attorneys working for Trump, CNN reports.

Katherine Friess, an attorney working with Giuliani, allegedly shared the written invitation with Trump's allies on January 1, 2021 - just days before Biden's inauguration.

In recent days, Fulton County Courthouse has had security ramped up in place as District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to announce soon a possible grand jury indictment in her investigation into the former president.

Fulton County Courthouse has had security ramped up in place as Fani Willis (pictured) is expected to announce soon a possible grand jury indictment in her investigation into the former president.

This comes amid the backdrop of Trump's laundry list of legal problems - including 40 federal charges in Florida, the Stormy Daniels hush-money case in Manhattan, and federal indictment related to the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol

According to CNN, Friess shared it with workers from Sullivan Strickler, a firm hired by Trump's attorneys to examine voting systems in the Georgia county.

One of the employees at the firm then sent this text to a group chat with colleagues: 'Most immediately, we were just granted access  by written invitation!  to Coffee County's systems. Yay!'

Friess also sent a 'Letter of invitation to Coffee County, Georgia' to Bernie Kerik, a former NYPD Police Commissioner, on the same day.

Kerik was allegedly working with Rudy Giuliani to find evidence that would back up their claims of voter fraud - which was part of the desperate hunt for evidence to delay Joe Bidens inauguration.

According to prosecutors in Georgia, these communications allegedly link Giuliani to the voting breach. But this has been shot down by his attorneys.

Robert Costello, his attorney, said: 'Rudy Giuliani had nothing to do with this. You can't attach Rudy Giuliani to Sidney Powell's crackpot idea.'

This comes amid the backdrop of Trump's laundry list of legal problems - including 40 federal charges in Florida, the Stormy Daniels hush-money case in Manhattan, and federal indictment related to the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol.

And he may be facing more charges next week, this time in Georgia.

On Saturday, Donald Trump said he'd never 'take a plea deal' as Georgia prosecutors are preparing to go before a grand jury early next week with their investigation into election interference by the former president and his allies.

'We did nothing wrong. We don't ever take a plea deal. We don't take plea deals. It's a wise guy question,' Trump told reporters on the tarmac of the Des Moines airport after he visited the Iowa State Fair.

'We don't take plea deals because we did nothing wrong. It's called election interference,' he said.

A plea deal could keep the former president from facing jail time if convicted in any of the three arraignments that he faces.

Two witnesses in the case, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and independent journalist George Chidi, revealed on Saturday they had been told to appear Tuesday before a Fulton County grand jury to testify about efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results in that state.

The courthouse has more security in place as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to announce soon a possible grand jury indictment in her investigation into former President Donald Trump

Barricades run along the street in front of the Fulton County Courthouse on August 8, 2023

That signals Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is moving forward with a grand jury presentation where she's expected to seek charges against more than a dozen people stemming from her investigation into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Her investigation has focused on efforts to pressure state election officials, the plot to put forward fake electors and a breach of voting systems in rural Coffee County, Georgia.

It began soon after Trump made a phone call to the state's top election official, Republican Brad Raffensperger, and urged him to 'find' enough votes to alter the outcome. Trump called it a 'perfect phone call' and said he was doing nothing wrong.

If Trump is indicted in Georgia, it would follow his federal indictment earlier this month related to his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Unlike with federal convictions, however, if re-elected president, Trump could not attempt to pardon himself if convicted of state crimes in Georgia. He could also undergo a state trial if he's in the Oval Office. Traditionally, the Justice Department doesn't prosecute presidents but state attorneys have no such rule.

If Trump is indicted in Georgia, he will have to travel to Atlanta in the aftermath to be booked and arraigned.

Numerous security measures are in place at the courthouse in the downtown area.

In a post on his Truth Social site on Saturday, Trump again called the Georgia investigation a 'witch hunt.'

He has called all the investigations against him a political prosecution as he makes another bid for the White House.

Additionally, Trump has been spending money at a high rate for his legal defense.

In the first half of 2023, his political action committee received $67 million in donations but spent over $90 million, with $27 million of that going to Trump's legal bills, an average of 30 cents out of every dollar they've collected.

That stands at a deficit of $23 million, with the ex-president potentially forced to reach into his own pockets after he was indicted again just weeks ago.
A passenger aboard an American Airlines plane that dropped more than 18,000 feet over the weekend is describing his and other passengers' harrowing experience.

Harrison Hove, a University of Florida professor, recounted the Thursday ordeal both online and in a video interview, recalling how the aircraft descended in a matter of seconds after travelers heard a 'loud bang' and a strange smell filled its cabin.

He described the experience as 'terrifying', and shared a series of startling photos he said failed to capture the intense burning odor, loud noise, and ear-popping sensation that passengers were subjected to during the incident.

Data from FlightAware, the US's top flight tracker, shows how the Florida-bound twin jet Embraer ERJ-145 dropped 18,600 feet within 43 minutes of takeoff, doing so in a matter of just six minutes.

Hove and 49 others forced to don oxygen masks during the ordeal were later told the descent was caused by a 'possible pressurization issue', after the plane fell another 1,400 feet in five minutes before stabilizing. Thankfully, no one was injured.

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A passenger aboard an American Airlines plane that dropped more than 18,000 feet over the over the weekend has described his and other passengers' experience. It happened Sunday, when a Florida-bound Embraer ERJ-145 (model seen here) dropped 43 minutes after takeoff

'We started to descend really fast, and once we were breathing, you started to smell this burning smell, so that's when I got really nervous,' Hove, speaking to WBTV News in Charlotte, recalled of the flight's saga after taking off from Charlotte Intl.

'The initial moments were really scary, really freaky,' the professor, who had been heading back to his home in Gainesville, continued. '

'Because your mind wanders and you have a void of information.'

The instructor added on social media: 'I've flown a lot. This was scary.'

The statement, shared less than an hour after Hove and others touched down in Florida, was accompanied with photos that showed how officials were forced to deploy oxygen masks to compensate for the change in pressure seen during the descent.

Hove disclaimed the snaps failed to 'capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops' passengers were forced to undergo.

Images show masks dangling from above, and Hove - along with multiple others- seen frantically relying on them for breathing during the roughly 11-minute ordeal.

At the time, Hove - after remaining in the dark as to what caused the scare - wrote that he and others were told after disembarking that 'something failed midflight and depressurized the cabin.'

Offering the update in real time on X, he added of the odor he and others were met with moments before, '[It] can apparently be attributed to using the oxygen canisters.'

'The wing flaps came out to immediately lower our altitude so there would be more oxygen,' he added of how pilots actually intentionally descended to deal with the technical issue.

'It was terrifying but turned out ok.'

Data from FlightAware , the US's top flight tracker, shows how the plane dropped 18,600 feet within 43 minutes of takeoff, doing so in a matter of just six minutes

Speaking to outlets in North Carolina, the passenger recalled his flight's scary saga after it took off from Charlotte International Sunday

He and 49 others eventually made it to Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida, but not until after oxygen masks were deployed and the aircraft descended some 20,000 feet in just over ten minutes - before stabilizing

Less than an hour after the plane evened out, Hove and other passengers disembarked at Gainesville Regional, set just 10 minutes from his school where classes just recently resumed for the fall.

As outlets like Fox News picked up the story, American Airlines issued a statement formally explaining the reason for the unforeseen turbulence, confirming the sudden drop in altitude was due to a pressurization issue.

"American Eagle flight 5916, operated by Piedmont Airlines, from Charlotte (CLT) to Gainesville, Florida (GNV) landed safely in GNV on Thursday,' the update, aired to Fox Business Saturday, said.

'While inflight, the crew received an indication of a possible pressurization issue and immediately and safely descended to a lower altitude.

'We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience and thank our team for their professionalism.'

Despite the scare, Hove hailed the flight's pilots and three-person crew for their handling of the situation.

'Kudos to our amazing flight crew-cabin staff and pilots on American Air 5916,' he wrote in his now viral X update.

The incident comes as turbulence-related mishaps have surfaced as the latest flashpoint for anger against the already embattled airline industry, which has faced backlash over months of cancellations and reports of poor service.

Last month, an American Airlines passenger has revealed that she and other travelers were forced to vacate a plane set to take off because the pilots had reached a cap on their flying time - all after enduring a five hour delay.

During their lengthy layover - which Gray said lasted five hours - the family was reportedly told by a gate agent that ' the plane was in a hanger being repaired,' hence the delay.

The announcement sent the hordes of passengers into a frenzy, as they struggled to find alternative routes to their respective destinations.

Gray said she and her husband and two daughters arrived at Charlotte Saturday morning after returning from their European vacation.

Upon arriving at the airport, the family found themselves stranded for hours after a series of delays. The shortage, experts familiar with the industry say, first surfaced after the companies reduced staffing early in the pandemic, and have since struggled to bounce back.

Multiple travelers have taken to Twitter to complain about recent experiences with the airlines - airing grievances ranging for broken or lost luggage, unannounced cancellations, and all-around bad service.

On Sunday morning, a 1,297 flights into or out of the US were reported as either canceled or delayed by FlightAware.com, with 479 of them cancellations

As of 10:15am American - the largest airline in the country - accounted for 228 of those disruptions.

Travel rates, meanwhile, have returned to pre-pandemic paces.
Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson set her up as the 'perfect villain' on The Project, when the former staffer first went public with her rape allegations.

Senator Reynolds made her explosive claims on 7News Spotlight during her first-ever televised interview about Ms Higgins sexual assault allegations against former colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

The ex-Liberal staffer alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her inside Ms Reynolds office in Parliament House, when she was the defence industry minister, after a night out in March 2019. He strongly denies the allegations.

On Sunday night, Ms Reynolds said she was 'devastated' when she watched the episode of The Project in February 2021 - when Ms Higgins first aired her allegations on national television.

Mr Lehrmann also suggested he may launch a law suit for about $6million because his life has been 'ruined' and he may 'never, ever work again'.

Villain of the story

Linda Reynolds said Ms Higgins (pictured together front left) unnecessarily made her a 'villain' of the story' in her interview with Wilkinson, and accused her of trying to cover up the alleged incident

READ MORE: Brittany Higgins never used the word 'rape' Brittany Higgins' ex-boss Linda Reynolds said she never used the word 'rape' during her initial complaints about Bruce Lehrmann. Senator Reynolds made the extraordinary revelation on 7News Spotlight on Sunday night during her first ever television interview about Ms Higgins' allegations. Advertisement

Ms Reynolds said Ms Higgins unnecessarily made her a 'villain' of the story' in her interview with Wilkinson, and accused her of trying to cover up the alleged incident.

'I was the perfect villain,' Reynolds said.

'Although none of it - this is the irony of it - none of it was absolutely true.

'Every good story like this needs a villain, how that was set up with Ms Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson.'

In March 2019, in the days after the alleged rape, Ms Higgins did have a meeting with Ms Reynolds and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown.

The meeting had been scheduled to address a security breach, which was triggered when Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann entered the defence suite in the early hours of the morning - on the evening of the alleged assault.

Ms Higgins has previously said she disclosed her alleged rape to her bosses during that meeting, but Ms Reynolds maintains that wasn't the case at all - and, on Sunday night, said she wasn't aware about an alleged sexual assault until about a week later.

She also said Ms Higgins never used the word 'rape' in their conversations.

Speaking about The Project interview, Ms Reynolds the claims against her hurt'.

Mr Lehrmann suggested he may launch a law suit for about $6million because 'I will never, ever work again'

Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson (pictured together) set her up as the 'perfect villain' on The Project, when the former staffer first went public with her rape allegations

'It more than hurt, it completely devastated me, the allegations that were aired about me, you cannot think of anything worse or a worse allegation of any woman that you covered up the rape of a young woman in your own office.'

She said it was worse because, while Mr Lehrmann was fired after the security breach, she gave Ms Higgins another chance.

'Brittany saw that and she went in afterwards and she was quite rightfully concerned about her job.

'We made it clear she had done the wrong thing but if she wanted to keep her job she could.

'I absolutely gave her a second chance. She was bright keen, politically aware, exactly the person we wanted here.'

Ms Reynolds also referred to a recorded conversation between Ms Higgins, her now-fiance David Sharaz, Wilkinson, and Channel 10 producer Angus Llewellynin January 2021 - about two weeks before the The Project episode went to air.

During that five-hour chat, Wilkinson unleashed on Ms Reynolds - referring to her as 'that f***ing woman' and read their private exchanges aloud.

Ms Reynolds said: 'A woman I've never met ... Where does that hatred come from? It's visceral ... I've never met Lisa.'

$6million law suit

Mr Lehrmann also said he's considering further legal action after the fallout of the trial - which could be worth about $6million.

'It will have to be a multimillion-dollar claim because I have to consider I may never work again,' he said.

'After being smeared and slammed for the last two or three years now.

CCTV image shows Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins entering Ms Reynolds office on the night in question

'I am innocent. If we were able to have a fair trial and a trial at all, I'm entirely confident it would have  rendered a not-guilty verdict for me.'

He wouldn't say the exact amount he would be after but, when host Liam Bartlett suggested about $6million, Mr Lehrmann responded: 'Yeah.'

Mr Lehrmann is currently in suing Channel 10, Lisa Wilkinson and the ABC in a joint defamation claim, which he said he's 'not backing down' on.

'Didn't get a fair trial'

Mr Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow was also interviewed, and primarily spoke about the conduct of the ACT Direcor of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold.

The Spotlight interview comes almost a week after the findings of a Board of Inquiry was handed down by the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr - in the form of a lengthy report comprising almost 900 pages.

The inquiry, chaired by former judge Walter Sofronoff, looked into the way his trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year was handled by police and Mr Drumgold.

Mr Sofronoff found the chief prosecutor 'knowingly lied' to the Supreme Court Chief Justice and had 'lost objectivity and did not act with fairness and detachment as was required by his role'.

Mr Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow (pictured) was also interviewed, and primarily spoke about the conduct of the ACT Direcor of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold

The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold (pictured during the trial), has resigned

Mr Drumgold resigned as the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions last week after the inquiry into the handling of Mr Lehrmann's rape trial made several adverse findings against him, which he has refuted.

Mr Whybrow said he believes his client did not get a fair trial, and says the Sofronoff report proved there was 'a loss of objectivity' in the case against his client.

'According to the Sofronoff Report, and my experience, Bruce did not get a fair trial,' Mr Whybrow said.

'Things happened, there was an almost, I don't know how to explain it but we were up against it from the start and this case  it was hard.'

The missing jacket

Brittany Higgins is pictured on the night she entered Parliament House on March 23, 2019. She entered wearing a white dress

Brittany Higgins is pictured leaving Parliament House at about 10am on March 23, 2019 - wearing Senator Reynolds' Carla Zampatti jacket

In the CCTV footage of Ms Higgins leaving parliament the following day after the alleged rape, she was wearing a black and white Carla Zampatti jacket - which belonged to Ms Reynolds.

Ms Higgins previously told a court she got it from a charity bin in the minister's office, which Ms Reynolds on Sunday said 'made me laugh'.

'I just thought I'd lost it, it wasn't until Brittany wears it home the next morning,' she said.

'It was claimed in the court case she'd gotten it from (a charity bin). And it made me laugh, that was my wardrobe.

'I never got it back.'
Another woman has claimed she received similar injuries from the dog in 2019

A police dog, which was shot dead by armed cops after mauling a female police officer, had previously attacked before - leaving an innocent woman seriously injured, it has been claimed.

PD Jax, a Belgian Malinois crossed with a Dutch Herder, was shot dead by firearms officers after he became 'aggressive' and savagely bit his handler earlier this month.

PC Sarah Sapey, 42, who was PJ Jax's handler, suffered an upper leg wound after the attack during a missing person's hunt in Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire on August 3.

But solicitors representing another woman say their client received very similar injuries from the dog after he attacked her at the scene of a car crash in 2019.

Her solicitor James McNally said the dog had failed to obey handlers when it was let off its leash and 'attacked her without warning' while she was completely still.

PC Sarah Sapey, 42, who was PJ Jax's handler, suffered a leg wound after PD Jax became 'aggressive' and savagely bit her (Pictured: PC Sarah Sapey with a dog that is not PD Jax)

PD Jax, a Belgian Malinois crossed with a Dutch Herder, was PD Jax was six years old when he was shot dead by firearms officers following the incident in the village of Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire

He said the woman spent five nights in hospital and had two operations after the incident, while also being left with 'permanent scars' and 'psychological injuries'.

Mr McNally said he'd made attempts to settle the case on behalf of his client but Lancashire Police had refused until just hours after PD Jax was shot dead last week.

He said: 'My client sustained serious injuries to her upper leg.

'She was taken to hospital by ambulance and underwent surgery and then had another operation two days later.

'She was in hospital for five nights and was left with permanent scars and psychological injuries.

'On the day Jax was shot, my client made me aware of the news and I emailed the police asking for confirmation this was the same dog and asking for disclosure relating to the incident.

'That was at 2pm. At 8pm the police emailed accepting the offer to settle we'd made weeks ago. My client was bitten in October 2019.

'Just hours after PD Jax was killed the police settled her claim.'

Solicitor James McNally said the dog had failed to obey handlers when it was let off its leash and attacked his client 'without warning' while she was completely still

Jax was known for his confrontational personality and was nicknamed Jax the Maligator by officers at Lancashire Police, sources have claimed

He added: 'It was the outcome my client deserved but not in the way that any one of us would have wanted.'

Mr McNally said his unnamed female client had been attacked by PD Jax after the car she was in struck a pylon while travelling through the countryside.

He said the woman had been with her boyfriend, and after the crash, they had made their way across a field to a friend's home to try and get help.

But Mr McNally claimed when police arrived at the scene, they released PD Jax off his leash and the dog failed to respond to its handler before it attacked her.

He said: 'My client always maintained that PD Jax attacked her without warning, when she was completely still and that PD Jax refused to obey commands to release.

'She always said that neither she or her boyfriend knew it was a police dog that was attacking her until after the event. My client was never charged with any crime.'

'The police did, however, try and unsuccessfully prosecute her boyfriend with 'causing unnecessary suffering to an animal' for his attempts to try and get PD Jax to let go of my client.

'Her boyfriend was acquitted. The police denied any responsibility. In their view, PD Jax was properly trained, posed no risk to anyone and was properly deployed.

'They claimed my client added to the problem because she was covering Jax's nose with her hand in an attempt to push him off whilst screaming and writhing around on the floor.'

PC Sapey, 42, had been looking after the dog since he was a puppy and kept him at her home along with a Cocker Spaniel called Pippa, according to her neighbours

Lancashire Police has in the past described Jax as very affectionate with his handler and added he could be seen sitting on her knee and wanting cuddles

Mr McNally said that his client had instructed him to press ahead with court proceedings and that these had been issued against the police in February this year.

And alongside this, they had also made an offer to settle their claim outside of a trial.

But this had been denied by police until the day of PD Jax death on August 3.

He said: 'All police dogs have a bite history which records all previous bites. As part of our investigations, I have seen PD Jax's bite history.

'I have seen his training records. I have discussed them in detail with a former police dog trainer and expert witness.

'We had enough concerns regarding issues with his training and previous incidences that court proceedings against the police were issued and served in February.'

Mr McNally said the injuries that members of the public received from trained police dogs could be 'horrific', adding his client's suffering had demanded compensation.

He said: 'I suspect there's an awful lot of bad behaviour you can excuse when you've spent hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds on creating your police dog.

'But the injuries caused by police dogs are horrific. Alsatians, German Shepherds, Malinois are all big powerful dogs with big powerful jaws.

'There seems to be a view that the end justifies the means. That if you chose to run (or in the case of my client, sit absolutely still) you deserve everything you get.

'But when I'm looking at a photo of a woman with her calf muscle missing, I do wonder.

He went on: 'Police dog handlers will talk of their bond with the dog but when a police dog is seen as a pet, as a loved one, as a member of the family rather than as a policing tool - for me it becomes a problem.

'Like all dog owners you will always seek to excuse behavior, ignore warning signs, forgive and look the other way.

'The problem is compounded when you consider the time, effort and money that has been spent on training these dogs.'

Jax was known for his confrontational personality and was nicknamed Jax the Maligator by officers at Lancashire Police, sources have claimed.

PC Sapey, 42, had been looking after him since he was a puppy and kept him at her home along with a Cocker Spaniel called Pippa, according to her neighbours.

Last year, PD Jax also caught a driver hiding in bushes, who was then arrested for dangerous driving and drug driving without insurance, and helped track a vulnerable woman in her 20s who went missing in a mountain range.

Lancashire Police has in the past described Jax as very affectionate with his handler and added he could be seen sitting on her knee and wanting cuddles

Tributes poured in following his death, with The Thin Blue Paw Foundation tweeting: 'We're deeply sad to learn of the tragic incident which resulted in PD Jax from Lancashire Police being shot at the scene by armed officers.'

The MailOnline has approached Lancashire Police for comment.
This is the harrowing moment a Hawaiian TV broadcaster reveals he lost four family members in the Maui wildfires.

Jonathan Masaki Shiroma said the news of family members passing in the horrific wildfires had been a 'gut punch' with a cousin of his still unaccounted for.

Speaking to Fox Live Now, the broadcaster said that the news was heartbreaking and he would continue to pray for everyone on his home island of Maui.

Shiroma said: 'It's like a gut punch, you hear the words of devastation and then you realize that the home town as a child [you were] playing in the cane fields and near what was the Pioneer Mill.

'Then hearing that family members lost their lives as they tried to leave the field plains that engulfed so quickly, with one still missing.'

Shiroma, who now lives in Honolulu, also recalled spending time on the island as a child

A resident looks around a charred apartment complex in the aftermath of a wildfire in Lahaina

'It's just heartbreaking, the prayers continue for everyone on Maui and Lahaiana as loss continues.'

Shiroma, who now lives in Honolulu, continued: 'The people of Hawaii no matter what ethnicity you are, have such a sense of ohana.

'Growing up on Maui, my grandparents have their roots in the very area that was destroyed.

'When I look back as a child, it was a very simple plantation town. I remember running in the back yard of my great grandparents house and they had this huge mango tree and a fishpond.

'The cousins, we would all get together, that's [how] I remember my Maui. Enjoying the fact that we grew up on this beautiful island.'

In a post to his Instagram, Shiroma added: 'My heart mourns today. Found out four family members have perished in the Lahaina fires. Please keep my Ohana in your prayers.

'Tell people you love them, appreciate them, be kind. Life can change in the blink of an eye.

In a post to his Instagram, Shiroma also asked for his followers to keep his family in their prayers

This photo released by County of Maui on August 10 shows houses destroyed after the devastating wildfire

Officials have announced that the death toll on the island of Maui has now risen to 96, with rescue teams now tasked with picking through the areas left by the area for remains.

Teams have been marking homes with a bright orange X to record an initial search, and contacting HR when they discover human remains.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said that crews with cadaver dogs had covered just 3 percent of the search area, with the death toll expected to rise again.

Pelletier said identifying the dead is extremely challenging because 'we pick up the remains and they fall apart'

Kealani Maunakea Fernandez, from O'ahu, cries as she is embraced by Nani Peterson, from Maui, as a volunteer group of around 30 Hawaiians from O'ahu, are welcomed by Hawaiians from Lahaina

Pelletier said: 'When we find our family and our friends, the remains that we're finding is through a fire that melted metal.'

On Saturday, Governor Josh Green said that at least 2,200 buildings have been damaged or destroyed - of which 86 percent were residential.

Across the island, he added, damage is estimated at close to 6 billion US dollars, Green said it will take 'an incredible amount of time' to recover.

The newly released death toll passed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise making them the deadliest in modern US history.
The family of the survivor from a group of four people hospitalised after consuming a meal of poisoned mushrooms, has thanked hospital staff and the public for their support.

Baptist church pastor Ian Wilkinson lost his wife, 66-year-old Heather Wilkinson after the pair ate the mushrooms at a lunch at a Leongatha home in Victoria's southeast on July 29.

Ms Wilkinson's sister Gail Patterson, 70, and brother-in-law Don Patterson, 70, have also died in hospital.

In a statement released on Sunday night, the family of Ian Wilkinson said they wanted to thank the Austin Hospital staff for their unwavering care and support, as well as members of the public who've sent cards and letters.

'We are deeply moved by the outpouring of kindness, prayers, and support from friends, family, and the broader community,' it read.

The family of the sole survivor of a deadly mushroom lunch, pastor Ian Wilkinson (right), have issued an emotional message of thanks for hospital staff and the public for their support

'Your thoughts and well-wishes have been a source of strength and comfort to us all.

'As we navigate this difficult journey, we kindly request that our privacy be respected. We need space to grieve, support one another, and care for Ian without public intrusion.'

The 70-year-old is still critical but in a stable condition at the hospital in Melbourne's northeast.

The Pattersons' daughter-in-law, who police say cooked the meal at her home but did not become ill, has been interviewed by investigators.

She was released without charge but police said she remains a suspect.

Meanwhile, church leaders have shared a promising health update about the sole survivor earlier on Sunday.

Dozens of parishioners gathered at Komburra Baptist Church, in Victoria's Gippsland region, at 10.30am on Sunday to pray their pastor Ian Wilkinson makes a full recovery and for the souls of Heather, Gail Patterson, and Don Patterson.

Sunday marks just over two weeks since the four highly-respected members of the community fell sick after eating a deadly beef Wellington cooked up by the Pattersons' former daughter-in-law Erin at her home in nearby Leongatha.

Around 50 churchgoers braved dismal weather as they carried cakes and other baked goods into the parish tea room before piling into the tiny pews in the adjacent chapel.

Opening the service, church leader Laurie revealed he had received 'encouraging' news earlier in the morning that Ian was needing 'less' medical support as he fights for life waiting a liver transplant.

Parishioners flocked to Korumburra Baptist Church on Sunday to pray for the their pastor Ian Wilkinson

Three parishioners bearing flowers are pictured making their way into the chapel

A woman and man are pictured walking into the church carrying a jam-filled cake

Laurie said Ian was now stable and asked for the church community to keep him and both the Wilkinson and the Patterson families in their prayers.

Paying tribute to the departed, Laurie said Don, Gail, Ian and Heather have been referred to as the 'Fab Four' within the community.

The Fab Four is a nickname for The Beatles and its members John Lennon, Ringo Star, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

However, Laurie said while the name sounded showy the poisoned quartet were the complete opposite.

'Today, four of our church members are not with us. Three are at rest with the Lord,' he said.

'I've heard Don, Gail, Heather and Ian referred to as the Fab Four,' he said.

'But unlike billboards that call for attention, they were more like signposts. Gently guiding people in faith.'

As the impacts of the lunch continues to rock the tight-knit community, the service largely centred on the tragedy.

Church leaders shared tributes about the 'Fab Four', updates about how the parish community was coping, and sermons about finding hope amongst grief.

Gail, Wilkinson's sister, and Don Patterson, Wilkinson's brother-in-law, died after eating the mushrooms. Erin was previously married to their son, Simon

Parishioners were told pastor Ian is showing 'encouraging' signs of improvement in hospital, where he remains in a critical condition

Churchgoers were urged to continue to keep the Patterson and Wilkinson families in their prayers

Despite the devastation, Laurie said the church has been touched by the myriad of messages of support they have received from across the globe.

The support has also been enormous locally, he said, with members of the church treated to free coffees earlier this week after an anonymous donor left funds for them at the local bakery.

A newsletter was also handed out to parishioners, advising the church is being opened from 1pm to 2pm daily for all those who wish to come and pray for Ian, a 'wonderful man of god', as he remains critical in hospital.

In the pamphlet, there was also a heartfelt message from the Wilkinsons' daughter, Ruth.

'Please pass on our sincere thanks to our church family for all the prayers and support,' it read.

'We truly appreciate the care and the kindness and fell upheld by the love.'

Other religious groups have also reached out to rally behind the group as they continue to process the loss of their three top tier leaders.

Parishioners prayed for the recovery of Ian and for the souls of his three departed loved ones

One man wearing a hat is pictured leaving church, clutching a bible

The Wilkinsons' daughter Ruth left a message in this week's church newsletter for parishioners

The local Catholic Church will hold a day of prayer for the victims and their families on August 19.

The health update comes after Daily Mail Australia revealed on Thursday that Erin Patterson arranged the lunch in a bid to reconcile with her ex-husband.

Simon, his parents Don and Gail, both 70, Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and her pastor husband Ian, 68, were on the invite list.

However, Simon pulled out at the last minute.

The two couples fell ill later that evening and took themselves to local hospitals, initially believing they had gastro.

As their conditions deteriorated, they were transferred to hospitals in Melbourne where medical experts realised their symptoms were consistent with death cap mushroom poisoning.

Gail and Heather died on Friday August 4. Don passed away the following day.

Earlier this week, it was revealed Mr Patterson suffered from a mystery stomach illness last year that almost claimed his life.

Sources said the cause of the illness was unclear and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Erin Patterson was responsible.

Erin Patterson is pictured outside her Leongatha house earlier this week

Detectives questioned Erin Patterson at her Leongatha home on Saturday and seized several items as part of their investigation - including a vegetable dehydrator found dumped at a nearby tip.

The kitchen aid is undergoing forensic testing to determine whether it was involved in the preparation of the meal - which police believe contained death cap mushrooms, toxic fungi that grows around Victoria in autumn.

Erin was released without charge as the investigation into the deaths continues and denied any wrong doing while speaking to reporters outside her home earlier this week.

She said she 'loved' her four guests who had always treated her with kindness and that she was devastated by what had happened.

While speaking to police, she reportedly said she purchased the lethal ingredient at a local supermarket, before giving a no-comment interview when called back for a second-round of questioning.

On Thursday, it was revealed Erin's lawyers had been forced to camp outside her home to hand deliver her legal instructions after she went missing.

Erin told a waiting media pack just before 10am that she was en route to visit her lawyers in Melbourne.

The deadly family gathering took place at Erin Patterson's home (pictured) in Leongatha, in Victoria's Gippsland region, on July 29

Police are testing a vegetable dehydrator found at a nearby tip (pictured)

But a representative of that law firm was seen waiting outside her Leongatha home about 5pm to hand deliver a letter from the firm.

The man told Daily Mail Australia it was the only way Ms Patterson could be contacted after homicide squad detectives confiscated her phone and computer devices.

Police were later seen doing a drive-by of Ms Patterson's home just before sunset.

It is understood lawyers acting for Ms Patterson are concerned for her wellbeing amid the media firestorm outside her rural property.

The legal representative would not answer questions about the contents of the letter or whether charges against Ms Patterson were imminent.

But he did concede it was unusual to have to hand deliver instructions to a client in this manner.

Ms Patterson had still not returned to her home just before dark on Thursday, forcing the representative to leave without delivering his letter.
The UK's oldest school has appointed its first female head teacher - after 1,425 years of only men holding the position.

Jude Lowson will begin at The King's School, Canterbury, in September, whose ex-pupils include David Gower, Michael Morpurgo and Christopher Marlowe.

The school was founded in 597 AD by the first Archbishop of Canterbury and sits in the precincts of the city's famous Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The first girls were admitted to the sixth form in the 1970s after more than 1,400 years of just taking boys, before becoming fully co-educational in 1990.

Now the school, where boarding fees set parents back an eye-watering 14,830 per term, has begun a new chapter in its history by employing its first female head.

Jude Lowson has become the first female headteacher of The King's School, Canterbury in its 1,425-year history

Speaking about her new position, Ms Lowson said it was a privilege to take the reigns at one of the world's oldest schools and to live in such a historic location.

She said: 'I was not sure what it would be like to live in the precincts of the Cathedral.

'I had a few questions about how I even get my car in, use the one-way system in Canterbury and if you can get Deliveroo inside the precincts.

'But I have been struck by living in such an amazing place. On one side of my house, I have this incredible vista of the Cathedral.

'I am surrounded by tourists who have travelled thousands of miles to see it and I have it there every morning.

'You have this privileged position where you sometimes have it to yourself.'

Mr Lowson grew up in South London and attended local state primary schools before her parents moved to Belgium.

When she returned to the UK, aged 13, she boarded at Sevenoaks School before studying History at the University of Cambridge.

Before her impressive career in education, Ms Lowson worked in advertising at the worldwide agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

However, the call to teach proved stronger than her desire to pursue a lifelong career in the industry.

She said: 'I had the sense as I was selling KFC to people that perhaps there was more to life than that and I could do something of more positive impact.

'Teaching felt like a natural way to bring together so much I love.'

Ms Lowson has previously been deputy head at Putney High, having started her teaching career at Whitgift School in Croydon.

The King's School also has a junior school and international college with 1,300 pupils attending them, 70% of which are registered as boarders.

But Ms Lowson said she is keen to expand bursary provision, which 65 pupils are already on.

She said: 'I would love us to be doing more of these programmes, involving more schools to feel they can work with King's and for us to feel we are having a positive impact on our local community.

'That is of crucial importance for me and I see so many benefits of that kind of work.'

Ms Lowson celebrates the need for independent schools in the 21st century and said she was upset by attempts to place the public and private sectors in conflict.

She said: 'I am sometimes saddened by the debate surrounding independent schools.

'It seeks to pit the two parts of the sector against each other but there is much we can learn from each other.

'I think there are myths about how independent schools operate.

'For example, independent schools do an awful lot of sharing their resources with local communities.

'For so many schools, that desire to be accessible and to bring pupils in who will benefit from that education is a core element of what so many independent schools are trying to do.'

The King's School was founded in 597 AD by the first Archbishop of Canterbury and sits in the precincts of the city's famous Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

She argues there are 'slightly fewer constraints' on private schools compared to their state counterparts, enabling them to 'offer subjects that are squeezed elsewhere'.

She added 'A great example of that is you see the creative arts championed in independent schools and that is being squeezed [in state schools] sadly but, to an extent, understandably.

'There is also no choice of modern languages in some state schools.'

Announcing Ms Lowson as headteacher, King's School issued a statement that she would bring a 'fresh and modern outlook'.

She said: 'It is a balancing act and it would be easy to say there is perhaps a conflict between a school which values heritage and tradition and one which is modern and forward-thinking.

'I honestly do not think so and I think it is the opposite.

'School is about finding out who you are, who you want to be and where you are going but also about finding your place in the world and how you can contribute positively.

'Those are skills young people need for their future lives.

'Being in a place which gives a strong sense of your place and values and enabling you to feel supported, to develop self-belief and raise your ambition - those are all things that happen as a result of the history, heritage and connection to the cathedral.'
A US Marine detained last month after superiors discovered a then-missing teen in his barracks has been charged with the sexual assault of a minor - though officials are still waiting to identify the soldier until a preliminary hearing or court martial.

Aired in an update from the service's internal arm Saturday, the statement declined to release the unnamed Marine's age or rank - but revealed he is also facing another, 'unrelated' charge for violating 'liberty restrictions.'

The term refers to rules servicemen have to stick by to prevent harm to others wherever they're stationed - which include the likes of no drug use, no public intoxication and no fighting.

Also prohibited are incidents of sex assault - something the family of the 14-year-old found at the Marine's California base camp say she was subjected to after going missing 18 days earlier.

Also unnamed, the girl went missing on June 10 - and members of her family have since claimed she was sold to a Marine stationed at the base, San Diego County's Camp Pendleton, as a sex slave.

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The Marine - who officials said will not be named until an upcoming preliminary hearing or a potential court martial - is seen being brought in for questioning on July 2, before being released. He has since been charged with the sexual assault of a minor

The allegations involve a then-missing girl, 14, found at the Camp Pendelton base in California in June, several weeks after going missing. Members of her family have since claimed she was sold to a Marine stationed at the base as a sex slave

Those claims were aired less than week ago paving the way for 1st Marine Logistics Group's somewhat vague statement over the weekend.

'Military prosecutors have charged the Marine with allegations of sexual assault of a minor and violating liberty restriction from a prior, unrelated case,' said Capt. Charles Palmer, a spokesman for the group, which is stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Palmer revealed how he and Marine brass will not release the suspect's name to the public until either charges are referred to court-martial or his name becomes part of the record at a preliminary hearing.

The hearing, the senior officer added, is due to be held on Thursday, where officials will discuss the two charges with the soldier present.

Palmer previously confirmed the Marine in question was the same male seen in a video posted to social media that showed a soldier being led away in handcuffs by military police outside one of the camp's barracks on July 2.

That video was recorded less than four days after the unnamed girl was found at one of the barracks, sparking the current investigation.

'After the preliminary hearing, the command will review all charges and evidence to determine whether the case should be tried by court-martial,' Palmer added.

'To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and the rights of the subject, further information is unavailable until this decision is made.

'As a reminder, charges remain allegations, and all service members are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.'

The girl's aunt, Casaundra Perez, told authorities that her niece - who she says has learning disabilities - was sold to the Marine for sex, and alleged officials were potentially engaging in a coverup

Speaking to NBC San Diego, Perez called on fellow service members to step up and call out what had happened at the base

The update came more than a month removed from officials' discovery of the then-missing 14-year-old, who was found by military police in an unspecified barrack during the day on June 28

A leaked photo online shows what appears to be a handwritten logbook from Camp Pendleton that states that an 'underage female' was found in room 343

The update came more than a month removed from officials' discovery of the then-missing 14-year-old, who was found by military police in an unspecified barrack during the day on June 28.

Roughly two weeks earlier, her grandmother - the girl's legal guardian - reported her missing, telling police in the county between LA and San Diego that she had run away four days earlier on June 9.

After she was found, detectives with the San Diego sheriff's office interviewed her and offered her family support services, before eventually returning her to her grandmother.

The girl was not hospitalized, officials said, but it was also not specified whether she sustained any injuries.

The marine was then apprehended by military police a few days later, before being briefly questioned and detained, and eventually released.

He was allowed to serve his command while the investigation continued - even after family members of the girl he allegedly victimized began to surface and claim the service was taking part in a coverup.

A leaked photo posted online showed what appeared to be a handwritten logbook from the San Diego-area base that states that an 'underage female' was found in room 343. It mentions, however, that the girl was 13.

It is unclear why the ages differ. DailyMail.com could not verify the authenticity of the page.

At a news conference last week, relatives of the still unnamed teen alleged she had been 'trafficked and raped' at the prominent Marine Corp camp, where visitors are generally stopped by waiting Marines at the entrance.

Cassaundra Perez, the girl's aunt, told reporters Monday she was frustrated with how the service was handling the investigations, calling attention to what she claimed to be an intentional lack of transparency by NCIS.

Even with the girl now in her grandmother's care, Perez said she fears military officials may retaliate against her family.

'If I go missing or end up murdered the people potentially responsible could possibly be located here at Camp Pendleton,' she said in a recent video uploaded to TikTok.

Officials investigation into the two unspecified instances, meanwhile, is still ongoing, with no updates expected until later in the week.
Mike Pence insists that Donald Trump instructed him to ignore the Constitution by blocking certification of the election results in January 2021 after the ex-President pushed-back on the claims this week.

The former vice president said to 'check his tweets' and it would prove Trump was trying to get Pence to go against his constitutional responsibilities  he also said it's true that he was told he's 'too honest.'

Pence said he is 'hopeful' that special counsel David Weiss, who was just assigned to Hunter Biden's case, will carry out his duties fairly as Republicans continue to slam the Justice Department for biased investigations.

The former vice president had a bit of a rocky time at the Iowa State Fair this week when he was met by hecklers and fairgoers who called him a 'traitor.' But otherwise, the 2024 hopeful and his wife and former Second Lady Karen Pence were one of the bigger names to grace the fair this year and were met with a good sized following around the fairgrounds.

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday morning that Donald Trump's tweets from January 6, 2021 prove that he pushed to have him ignore the Constitution by blocking election certification

Mike Pence and wife Karen visited the Iowa State Fair on Thursday. The former VP was met with some hecklers and those calling him a 'traitor' for overseeing Congress' certification of the 2020 election results

'Donald Trump had said this week that he never asked you to disregard the Constitution and that he never said that you were too honest. Either of those things true?' NBC News host Chuck Todd asked during a Meet the Press interview on Sunday morning.

'Well, look, you could check his tweets,' Pence replied. 'I mean, the President was quite clear and quite public that he thought that I had the authority to either reject or return votes to the state.'

According to a bombshell third indictment released earlier this month by Special Counsel Jack Smith, Trump told Pence 'you're too honest' when he said he had no power to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The 45-page federal indictment reveals new details, including that Trump boasted that he 'won every state' amid his efforts to overturn Biden's victory.

'Bottom line - won every state by 100,000s of votes,' Trump said, according to Pence's contemporaneous notes, which he handed over to federal prosecutors.

While Pence dodged on Sunday morning questions on whether he's a so-called 'MAGA Republican,' he did agree that Trump is being treated unfairly by President Joe Biden's Justice Department.

'I'm running for president because I think this country's in a lot of trouble,' he told Todd. 'I think Joe Biden has weakened America at home and abroad. But, frankly, the pattern of the Justice Department during our four years in the White House, and since, has undermined public confidence in equal treatment under the law.'

He said that a Special Counsel is needed for the probe into Hunter Biden's shady foreign business deals, but is worried that it won't be carried out fairly by the Democratic-led Department of Justice (DOJ).

'While I welcome the appointment of a special counsel,' he added, 'I'm also comforted by the fact that Congress is going to continue to do its work.'

'The American people have a right to know whether or not President Biden's family benefited or that he himself benefited when he was serving in the job that I had as vice president of the United States in a financial way from foreign nationals.'

Former President Donald Trump also visited the Iowa State Fair on Saturday and was met with a barrage of supporters following him around the fairgrounds

Trump claimed that he did not call Pence 'too honest' for following his constitutional duties  claims that were included in the third and latest indictment against the former President

Pence concluded with: 'I am hopeful that Special Counsel Weiss will do his job without fear or favor, but I have confidence that Jim Jordan, Congressman Comer, and others will continue to do their job for the American people.'

The DOJ axed the latest agreement with Hunter after negotiations between prosecutors and attorneys for the president's son collapsed, yet again. It means Hunter could likely face a criminal trial over charges that he hoped would have been resolved with a 'sweetheart' plea deal.

Furious Republicans claimed the appointment of Special Counsel Weiss to oversee the investigation into is a bid to stonewall their own probe into the Biden family's shady business deals.

Attorney General Merrick Garland made the shock announcement at a press conference on Friday in a sign that the walls on the president's son are closing in.

The appointment is a move from Garland to undermine claims from Republicans and IRS whistleblowers that U.S. Attorney David Weiss doesn't have full authority and is being driven by the Biden administration.
The co-owner of local newspaper the Marion County Record has died after being 'traumatized' by a police home raid that was green-lighted to seize information on a story that hadn't even been published.

Joan Meyer, 98, collapsed and died following the intense stress and grief she felt when her home was raided by the entirety of the Marion Police Department in Kansas.

The elderly woman, who co-owned the newspaper with her son Eric, was subjected to the raid by five officers and two sheriff's deputies on Friday - which caused her to be 'stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief.'

Eric, 69, has bashed the officers for their 'Gestapo' tactics in an attempt to seize information that hadn't even gone to presses yet. Police have defended their actions.

Ms Meyer could not eat or sleep after the traumatizing hours-long ordeal. She was crying while the police raided her home and took her Alexa smart speaker - and died one day later.

Eric Meyer - Joan Meyer's son, and the co-owner and publisher of the Marion County Record, announced the death of his mother following the traumatizing raid over the weekend

The raid occurred after a source leaked sensitive documents to the newspaper about local restaurateur Kari Newell that could have got her liquor license revoked.

Meyer didn't publish the story about Newell because he questioned the source - and instead he told the cops about the information.

But Kari Newell then accused the weekly newspaper of illegally getting her personal data, prompting the search.

Announcing the woman's death, the newspaper's website read: 'She had not been able to eat after police showed up at the door of her home. Neither was she able to sleep Friday night.

'She tearfully watched during the raid as police not only carter away her computer...but also dug through her son Eric's personal bank and investment statements.'

Eric Meyer - her son, and the co-owner and publisher of the Marion County Record, said: 'Our first priority is to be able to publish next week.

'But we also want to make sure no other news organization is ever exposed to the Gestapo tactics we witnessed today.'

The woman had been 'in good health' for her age, but died over the weekend.

Police also raided the newspaper's office, Meyer's home, and the home of one of its reporters. They took vital publishing equipment, including computers and phones.

Meyer told the Daily Beast: 'All the raids appeared to be simultaneous.'

According to the search warrant for the Marion County Record Office obtained by the Reflector, officers allege the raid stems from an investigation into unlawful acts concerning a computer and identity theft.

The warrant was signed by Magistrate Judge Laura Viar.

The search warrant from the Marion County Record Office said officers were allowed to seize digital communications, computer software, and items containing passwords or access codes during the raid.

The elderly woman, who was the co-owner of the newspaper, was subjected to the raid by five officers and two sheriff's deputies on Friday - which caused her to be 'stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief.'

According to the search warrant for the Marion County Record Office obtained by the Reflector , officers allege the raid stems from an investigation into unlawful acts concerning a computer and identity theft

All correspondence and documents 'pertaining to Kari Newell' were ordered to be taken.

Meyer told the paper: 'Basically, all the law enforcement officers on duty in Marion County, Kansas, descended on our offices today and seized our server and computers and personal cellphones of staff members all because of a story we didn't publish.'

The newspaper said it was planning to file a federal lawsuit.

Ms. Newell told the NYTimes: 'There's a huge difference between vindictive and vindication. I firmly believe that this was a vindictive move, full of malice. And I hope in the end, I receive vindication.'

Danny Karon, an adjunct professor at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, told The Daily Beast: 'The raid was chilling and unprecedented, like a scene out of 1945 Nazi Germany.'

Marion Police Department Chief Gideon Cody said in a statement: 'As much as I would like to give everyone details on a criminal investigation I cannot.

'I believe when the rest of the story is available to the public, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated.

'Speaking in generalities, the federal Privacy Protection Act, 42 U.S.C.  2000aa-2000aa-12, does protect journalists from most searches of newsrooms by federal and state law enforcement officials.

'It is true that in most cases, it requires police to use subpoenas, rather than search warrants, to search the premises of journalists unless they themselves are suspects in the offense that is the subject of the search.

'The Marion Kansas Police Department believes it is the fundamental duty of the police is to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of all members of the public.

'This commitment must remain steadfast and unbiased, unaffected by political or media influences, in order to uphold the principles of justice, equal protection, and the rule of law for everyone in the community.

'The victim asks that we do all the law allows to ensure justice is served.'
Graphic warning: Some of the photos in this story may be disturbing

Graphic warning: Some of the photos in this story may be disturbing

According to experts, otter attacks are incredibly rare. Only an estimated 59 attacks have even taken place with injuries or fatalities worldwide since 1875

The attack lasted five minutes and the otter left Royce's face and extremities badly injured. She also said she believed the attack was going to kill her

Jen Royce of Bozeman, Montana was attacked by otters while floating down the Jefferson River with two friends on August 2

A Montana woman who was tubing in a river with friends survived an otter attack where she lost a chunk of her ear and said was worried she would not survive.

Jen Royce was celebrating her birthday on the Jefferson River in Bozeman when she and her friends had their bodies ravaged by an angry otter who snuck up on them.

'I didn't even have a chance to get the words 'there is an otter behind you,' out of me before it attacked her,' Royce, 37, wrote in a Facebook post detailing the event.

The attack lasted roughly five minutes, according to the woman's post, which shared photos of her face, partially torn earlobe, and bruised and scraped arms and legs.

'Without ANY exaggeration, God's honest truth, I did not think I was going to make it out of that river,' Royce wrote, 'I had no clue if my friends were going to make it out. But by the grace of God we did.'

Jen Royce (pictured) and two of her friends were attacked by an otter while enjoying a day on the Jefferson River in Montana on August 2

The attack lasted roughly five minutes, according to the woman's post, which shared photos of her face, partially torn earlobe, and bruised and scraped arms and legs

Royce said the attack was horrifying and that they could not fight back because of the chaos of the situation and the depth of the water they were in.

'We were helpless. I tried to kick it away, but I would just get attacked somewhere else. I tried to hold it back at one point by grabbing its arm to hold it away while trying to swim closer to shore,' Royce wrote.

The group was in the middle of the water near the Three Forks and the Lewis and Clark Caverns when the attack began just before dark.

'This thing was vicious and relentless. It bit my face in several places, both of my ears, my arms, my hands, my legs, my thighs and my ankle,' she wrote.

'My friends were bit on the hands and on their bottom. One friend's thumb was shredded, and she had bite marks all over her body as well,' wrote Royce.

The group was eventually able to get away from the animal and then waited just over 50 minutes for help to arrive thanks to the iPhone's SOS feature.

Royce described the time waiting for paramedics as painful and scary. She said she felt faint and was terrified that if she closed her eyes, she would die.

'I made the choice, knowing the pain it would cause my friend to tell her I loved her and to ask her to watch over my kids,' she said.

Royce's injuries were severe and

Royce lost a chunk of her right earlobe in the attack

The mom of three suffered puncture wounds across her body

Royce suffered massive scrapes and bruises across her body during the attack

After one friend ran some two miles to find the paramedics in the middle of the wooded area, first responders eventually came to the womens' aid.

Royce described being found as one of the most hopeful moments of her life.

'I cannot explain how seeing those lights felt. I was hopeful again. They found us. THEY FOUND US. We werent alone anymore,' she wrote in her post.

Royce - who had the worst injuries of the group - was flown by helicopter to a local hospital while her two friends was treated on scene.

All three women were ultimately given rabies treatments as a precaution.

The Montana mother underwent surgery for her injuries and had a section of her earlobe resected. She still is recovering from puncture wounds on her extremities.

Overall, she says she is just grateful to be alive after a scary incident.

'I am lucky, and I am grateful, and I am alive,' she added.

She has since shared an update on Facebook thanking friends and strangers for reaching out and supporting her and her loved ones during this time.

A GoFundMe started to help cover her medical expenses has raised more than $7,000 of its $6,500 goal.

Royce in a photo update from more than a week after the attack

The woman underwent surgeries for her injuries and has been recovering in the weeks since

These are the remains of bandages used after one redressing, Royce wrote in a post

A GoFundMe started to help cover her medical expenses has raised more than $7,000 of its $6,500 goal

Since 1875, there have been less than 60 known or reported cases of otter attacks resulting in injuries or fatalities worldwide

According to biologists, attacks like the one on the Montana mom of three and her friends are incredibly rare.

Since 1875, there have been less than 60 known or reported cases of otter attacks resulting in injuries or fatalities worldwide.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is now advising visitors to the potential dangers.

'While attacks from otters are rare, otters can be protective of themselves and their young, especially at close distances,' Montana FWP said.

Jeff Ewelt, executive director of ZooMontana, echoed Montana FWP's statement.

'In the wild, they are pretty territorial animals, especially around their young and and especially if resources are scarce,' said Ewelt.

He said that while the situation is rare, anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation should be prepared to fight back.

'Fighting back is going to be the best option,' Ewelt said.

'Because they're not going to give up on you, especially if you're in the water, they're going to try to eliminate the threat,' the executive director continued.
Vivek Ramaswamy said he hasn't had any discussion with Donald Trump about joining his ticket as VP, but said he would enlist the advice of the former president if he wins in 2024.

The longshot candidate has gained some momentum in the polls but is still a long way off from the No.1 spot for the GOP nomination.

As primary candidates descended on the Iowa State Fair this week, Ramaswamy stood out when he broke out into an impromptu rendition of Eminem's Lose Yourself after telling Gov. Kim Reynolds that the rap is his favorite wall-out song.

'During this campaign, we all got to have a little fun,' Ramaswamy told Fox's Sunday Morning Futures host Maria Bartiromo the day after the spectacle.

2024 hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy says he would look to Donald Trump as a 'mentor' if he becomes president in 2024  and insist he hasn't spoken to ex-President about being VP

Ramaswamy joked that his campaign is 'reaching young people' when talking about his impromptu rap of Eminem's Lose Yourself at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday

He added: 'On a more serious note, Maria, one of the things we're doing in this campaign is, we're reaching young people. We're bringing them along in droves with us. The difference between a 50.1 electoral margin this cycle and a landslide is young people. And I think this can't be just a 50.1 Democrat versus Republican tug-of-war.

'This needs to be a landslide [victory],' the biotech millionaire insisted.

Many have speculated that some longshot candidates, like Ramaswamy, are really running in the presidential race as a way to apply for a job as Donald Trump's vice president or to become a part of his cabinet if he wins in 2024.

Ramaswamy has denied this, saying he's going for the nomination.

While the Indian American entrepreneur and author said he would not consider a job in the Cabinet of former President Trump, he has not shot down the prospects of running as his No. 2 when the primary race is done.

'I have not spoken to [Trump] about being part of his Cabinet, and I haven't spoken to him about him being part of mine,' Ramaswamy told Bartiromo on Sunday morning.

'I started at 0.0 percent in March,' the candidate said. 'And now I'm running at third in the Republican national primary ahead of the first debate, on the same trajectory that Trump was in 2015.'

'So, Maria, I expect to be the nominee. I expect to win this election in a landslide.'

Ramaswamy added that he hasn't joined some other candidates in attacking Trump because he 'respects' the ex-President and 'thinks he was an excellent president.'

'And we have a good relationship of mutual respect,' he added. 'I expect him to be an adviser, even a sort of mentor, when I'm in the White House, teaching me where the bodies are buried, how to go further than he went.'

'That's my mission with our America first agenda. And that's the relationship I expect.'
A toddler who was inside a tent hit by a car that veered off the road at 'speeds of up to 90mph' was only saved because he was inside a cot, it has been claimed.

The two-year-old boy was asleep on his cot when a blue Ford Fiesta ploughed into the tent he shared with his parents at Newgale Campsite in Pembrokeshire, west Wales around 10.40pm on Saturday.

The child's father, 44, was airlifted to hospital in Cardiff, about 100 miles away, with serious crushing injuries and his mother suffered an arm injury. She was treated and later released.

Mike Harris, who runs the campsite with his wife Clare, claimed on Sky News he believes the toddler 'was saved purely by the fact it was in a cot.'

He added: 'Miraculously there was no fatalities. There are no life-threatening injuries but life-changing injuries of varying degrees.'

Two people remain in a serious condition in hospital today. Nine people were injured. Police said two of the victims are believed to be in a serious condition in hospital, with passengers in the car among those injured.

A car appeared to be travelling 'up to three times the speed limit' when it ploughed into a family's tent and injured nine campers, it was claimed tonight

Mike Harris, (pictured) who runs the campsite with his wife Clare,claimed on Sky News the Ford was going '80 or 90mph in a 30mph' zone. He alleged the vehicle 'catapulted from the road because of the speed' at which the driver was going

Investigators were pictured at the site of the crash in the Newgale Campsite in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 10.40pm on Saturday

Holidaymakers had gathered to socialise outside when horrified staff heard 'screaming' at Newgale Campsite, which borders the A487 in Pembrokeshire, west Wales

The car, which was carrying a number of passengers, is thought to have been travelling from the village of Roch towards St Davids - renowned as Britain's smallest city - when it 'veered off the road, turned three full turns and landed on its wheels' before rolling into 'a tent belonging to a family'.

Six people were taken to hospital and three others were injured when the car 'flipped and rolled' into the campsite, which borders the A487.

Two people are in serious conditions, with passengers in the car among those injured. At least four others were treated at nearby Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen and Swansea's Morriston Hospital.

The toddler is understood to have been saved from injury because he was lying in his cot, The Sunday Times reported.

Witnesses heard screeching tyres followed by a loud bang as the driver 'had to brake and lost control'.

Mr Harris said on Sky News that he believes the car was going about three times the speed limit when it struck the tent.

'I didn't realise a car could go so fast down the road,' he said.

He alleged the Ford was going '80 or 90mph in a 30mph' zone. He alleged the vehicle 'catapulted from the road because of the speed' at which the driver was going.

'It catapulted from the road because of the speed he was going, over the ditch separating the campsite and main road and landed about 100m from where the driver started braking,' Mr Harris claimed.

'It turned three full turns and landed on its wheels. It rolled through a tent belonging to a family.

'The vehicle then rolled and rested on top of three people.

'The campers managed to lift the vehicle 90 degrees to tilt it forward and rest on its side. They freed the three people.'

His wife added: 'The car was speeding down the hill, realised it needed to slow down and tried to brake. It flipped and rolled several times, and crashed into the tent.

'There was a young child in the tent at the time, thankfully they are okay. It's a tragic accident that the police are dealing with, that's all we can say at the moment.'

His wife Clare told the PA news agency: 'The car was speeding down the hill, realised it needed to slow down and tried to brake.

'It flipped and rolled several times, and crashed into the tent.

'There was a young child, a baby, in the tent at the time, thankfully they are okay.

'It's a tragic accident that the police are dealing with, that's all we can say at the moment.'

A multi-agency emergency response saw police, fire, ambulance and coastguard crews descend on the scene. Pictured: An HM Coastguard helicopter arriving last night

The A487 road between Roch and St Davids on the western Welsh coast was closed overnight while investigations took place. The cordon was lifted on Sunday morning and the campsite is open as normal

Many campers later packed up and left, with a swathe of the field where the car ended up lying empty.

Nicky Lewis described hearing 'harrowing screeching of tyres followed by an ear-blasting bang'.

Among those first on the scene was Laura Kennard, who said the drama had been 'terrible to witness'.

A friend 'helped flip the car to free trapped people and I got the [toddler] out of his cot in the flattened bell tent,' she wrote on social media.

'I don't think this will ever leave my mind,' she posted, adding that she had cut short her stay as a result.

Levi Davies, 24, from Gwent, was staying on the campsite when the crash happened and described hearing 'a lot of screaming and shouting'.

'We heard the tyres screeching as they came round the corner and then a loud bang as the car came over the bank and onto the campsite,' he told Sky.

'In blind panic we ran out. There was two campers, one was really bad, he was in a really bad way.'

The red strobe lights of a rescue helicopter seen hovering over the Newgale Campsite on Saturday. Six people were taken to hospital - including one casualty who was airlifted to Cardiff - and two people are seriously injured

Campsite boss Mike Harris said of the incident: 'There are no fatalities and from what I understand none of the injuries are life-threatening but I would say some are certainly life-changing'

Two surgeons and a firefighter who happened to be camping at the site in the surfing village of Newgale are understood to have administered first aid.

Meanwhile a massive emergency response swung into action, with six ambulances and a Coastguard helicopter scrambled to the site.

Six people were taken to hospital, two of them with serious injuries. Three others were hurt but did not require hospital treatment.

Dyfed-Powys Police said passengers in the car are among those injured.

Police said: 'The blue Ford Fiesta, which contained a number of occupants, is believed to have been travelling from Roch towards St Davids veered off the road.

'It crashed into the campsite, colliding with a number of people and a tent, injuring nine, including passengers in the car.

'The injuries sustained by two of them are described as serious. They remain in hospital.'

They appealed for witnesses to come forward with accounts and dashcam footage as they piece together what happened.

The Newgale Campsite sits beside the A487 in Pembrokeshire, Wales

The spokesperson added: 'We are especially interested in any dash-cam or doorbell footage which may have captured the vehicle being driven from Roch to the scene of the collision at Newgale.'

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference DP-20230812-402. Tips can also be passed on anonymously via Crimestoppers.

The road was closed for nine hours while investigations took place.

Images shared on social media show a huge emergency presence at the campsite last night. The red lights of a rescue helicopter could be seen hovering over the area as multiple emergency vehicles parked.

HM Coastguard said its helicopter had been sent from St Athan, near Barry in South Wales.
A Florida deputy wearing protective gear claims he faced a Fentanyl overdose after merely touching the drug - despite experts claiming the drug must be ingested

Flagler County Sheriffs Deputy Nick Huzior had pulled over 61-year-old George Clemons for fleeing a hit-and-run scene, when he tested a white powder found in Clemons' car at around 3.45pm on Thursday.

Almost instantly, the officer - who was wearing personal protective equipment - is seen succumbing to the synthetic opioid, which is more than 100 times more potent than morphine.

The deputy's claims come as experts have said that Fentanyl must be ingested or injected in order to impair a person. Skin-to-substance contact is not enough.

In the video, Huzior is seen in protective clothing, including a Kevlar vest.

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A Florida cop's body camera captured the moment he rescued another deputy from fentanyl exposure - during a routine traffic stop that saw the officer collapse after an on-site text

Identified as Flagler County Sheriffs Deputy Nick Huzior, the lawman is now in recovery - thanks in part to his fellow officer's quick-thinking

The incident happened around 3:45pm Thursday, after Huzior pulled over 61-year-old George Clemons for fleeing a hit-and-run scene in nearby Bunnell. Now facing a litany of DUI and drug charges, Clemons is currently out on $25,500 bail, records show

The footage released by the Sheriff's Office Friday begins shortly after Clemons refused Huzior's request for a sobriety test, spurring him to test one of the drugs - a powdery white substance - then and there.

'I feel lightheaded,' he is heard telling Deputy First Class Kyle Gaddie in the first-person footage, which shows an array of pills, marijuana, and unspecified powders spread out on an at this point already arrested Clemons' hood.

'Call EMS,' the officer adds, audibly out of breath.

Quick-thinking Gaddie rushes to Huzior's side and administers a first dose of narcan - a drug used to reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose - before a second dose when he doesn't respond.

After giving his colleague the Narcan, Gaddie is seen steadfastly crouching by Huzior's side, while whispering words of encouragement.

At one point, he asks Huzior how he feels - to which the deputy replies that he feels 'dizzy.'

'I feel really dizzy,' he says, before eventually being carted to a nearby hospital. 'My heart is beating really fast.'

Gaddie continues to offer his stricken companion reassuring words, as a Good Samaritan and eventually Flagler County Fire officials arrive on the scene.

'My left hand is going numb,' Huzior says at one point, leading Gaddie to administer a second dose.

Huzior at this point tells his superior that he his now feeling numbness in his face - to which Gaddie replies: 'Thats probably the Narcan hitting you.'

Within minutes, first responders were seen descending on the scene, with an ambulance arriving and Huzior loaded into the emergency vehicle via a stretcher.

The footage begins after Clemons eventually pulled over at a traffic stop on State Road 11 - at which point cops came across him sitting in his the red SUV. Inside, cops found a bevy of drugs, pills, alcohol, and other substances. Clemons was cuffed for refusing a sobriety test

Knowing that the narcotics Huzior had been testing could contain fentanyl - a deadly synthetic drug now used by sellers to lace other drugs - Deputy First Class Kyle Gaddie (seen here) dished out a dose of Narcan, a drug used to reverse the effects of fentanyl overdose

As his fellow officer continues to suffer from the effects of fentanyl exposure, Gaddie is seen steadfastly crouching by Huzior's side, whispering words of encouragement

At one point, he asks Huzior how he feels - to which the deputy replies that he feels 'dizzy'

'I feel really dizzy,' he says in the clip released by his superiors Friday, before eventually being carted to a nearby hospital, where he was still recovering Saturday. 'My heart is beating really fast'

Gaddie continued to offer his stricken companion reassuring words, as a Good Samaritan and eventually several fire officials arrived on the scene

In a statement Saturday, Sheriff Rick Staly revealed the officer was still recovering from the scare, and confirmed the substance he ingested had, in fact, been fentanyl.

Clemons, meanwhile, was arrested on charges of DUI, possession of fentanyl, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, possession of a legend drug without a prescription, possession of Suboxone - a prescription used to wean off opiates - and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Bunnell Police Department also charged Clemons with leaving the scene of a crash with damage to vehicle or property in relation to a hit-and-run, which is a felony.

Within minutes, first responders were seen descending on the scene, with an ambulance arriving and Huzior loaded into the emergency vehicle via a stretcher

In a statement Saturday, officers revealed Huzior was still recovering from the scare, and confirmed the substance he ingested had, in fact, been fentanyl

Sheriff Rick Staly is seen with Huzior's savior Gaddie, whom he praised Saturday for his heroics

Records show the 61-year-old posted his $25,500 bail Friday, spending about a day in lockup in total.

Following his release pending an unspecified court date, Sheriff Rick Staly issued a statement hailing First Class Deputy Gaddie's heroics.

'What happened yesterday is a perfect example of the dangers law enforcement face each and every day from poison on the streets,' the sheriff said in a Friday press release that stated Gaddie likely saved his fellow officer's life.

'Thankfully, our deputies are well-trained and equipped with Narcan, which allowed DFC Gaddie to potentially save the life of a fellow deputy.'

Fentanyl - approximately 100 times more potent than morphine - is responsible for about 100,000 deaths each year in the US, not including deaths overseas.

Over the past eight years, the opioid has been funneled into the country in increasing amounts at the southern border - with some 8,400 kilograms of the overdose-inducing drug seized in 2022.

During the time, a believed 325,000 people died in the US have died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids like the ones sold by the raided Mexican stores, which experts say are almost always made of fentanyl.

Aside from being far more powerful than others on the black market, the drug is mass produced by Mexican cartels, who make it from precursor chemical smuggled in from China, and then press it into pills designed to look like other medications.

The practice is illegal, and has been on the radar of federal authorities for the better part of a year.

Still, such practices manage to persist and are still very much on the rise.

Just last week, several pharmacies that had been operating in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum were shuttered after a four-day inspection raid by feds on 55 stores, during which nearly half were found to have irregular sales.

Fentanyl - approximately 100 times more potent than morphine - is responsible for about 100,000 deaths each year in the US, not including deaths overseas

The over the border bust came months after the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning about illegal sales of pills like Oxycodone, Percocet and Adderall in the country, being passed off as prescriptions but often made of unsanctioned substances such as fentanyl.

Days earlier, a research report from the University of California in Los Angeles found drug stores across the most renowned destinations in the world were offering foreigners pills billed as the prescriptions - without any of the proper documentation from doctors.

The Mexico Navy announced the bust Tuesday, revealing the stores that were shut down not only offered the pills exclusively to tourists, but that the stores systematically advertised such pills and even offered home delivery services.

The Mexican Navy did not confirm that any fentanyl-laced pills had been found in the recent raid, but said medications had been seized to test whether they contained fentanyl.

Those results have yet to be released.
A tearful widow was reunited with her beloved toy bear, which was a present from her late husband, after it was stolen from a train.

The little cuddly toy, named Ted, was given to Linda Lawson by her husband Terence before he passed away.

Ms Lawson was travelling home to Darlington when she noticed her luggage, which was carrying Ted, had been taken at Doncaster station.

British Transport Police spotted on CCTV that the thief had boarded another train and he was arrested in Sheffield.

PC Rob Simpson handed over the case to Ms Lawson the next day and she was reunited with the bear.

Widow Linda Lawson pictured with PC Rob Simpson of British Transport Police

Pictured: A platform at King's Cross railway station

Ms Lawson, of School Aycliffe, had boarded the LNER service from London King's Cross following a trip to Cologne.

She noticed her luggage had been taken while at Doncaster station and alerted the guard, who stopped the train.

Police managed to track down the thief in under half an hour. PC Simpson said: 'It was thanks in no small part to Mrs Lawson constantly keeping her eye on her luggage that we were able to act immediately when she reported it stolen.

'This and the fact that her case was very distinctive and had a ribbon threaded through the handle.

'There was no mistaking that it was her property when we spotted the suspect with the case.'

Mustafa Mouni, 32, of Glover Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to theft and was handed an 18-week sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Sheffield Magistrates' Court.

He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 154 and costs of 85. Ms Lawson thanked police and station staff for their help following her ordeal.

'They comforted me, put me on a train home and reassured me they had my case with everything inside and would personally reunite me with it,' she said.

'The thought of losing the bear my husband gave me was too much. I am so grateful he's back home with me.

'My late husband always told me to keep an eye on my belongings so I think he probably prompted me to take a look. Thankfully I did and realised that in just seconds my case had gone.'
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has accused Elon Musk of wasting his time and never being serious about competing in a much-hyped cage fight.

The maverick Tesla boss, 52, has repeatedly mocked and discussed fighting Zuckerberg, 39, on his social media site, which was recently renamed from Twitter to X.

He also claimed that it could take place soon in a high-profile venue in Italy.

However, posting on his rival social media site Threads, Zuckerberg poured cold water on the claims, writing: I think we can all agree Elon isnt serious and its time to move on.

The Meta boss went on to accuse his fellow mogul of stalling for time after Musk apparently texted to ask for a practise round and indicated he had a minor shoulder ailment.

Mark Zuckerberg, pictured practising jiu jitsu, accused Elon Musk of wasting his time and never being serious about competing in a much-hyped cage fight

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference

Zuckerberg explained: I offered a real date. [UFC president] Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity.

'Elon wont confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead.

'If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. Im going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously.

Zuckerberg had again signalled his frustration hours earlier, writing: I love this sport [UFC] and Ive been ready to fight since the day Elon challenged me.

'If he ever agrees on an actual date, youll hear it from me. Until then, please assume anything he says has not been agreed on.

On Friday morning Musk tweeted that his showdown with Zuckerberg will occur at Rome's Colosseum and it will be managed by their foundations.

Las Vegas was originally pitched as the potential location for a fantasy fight between Facebook billionaire Zuckerberg and X [formerly Twitter] chief Musk, yet reports back in June claimed the Colosseum could be an option.

Musk pictured practising ahead of a suspected cage fight

Zuckerberg pictured formerly competing in a BJJ tournament

Zuckerberg has been training with UFC stars Israel Adesanya (L) and Alexander Volkanovski (R)

According to TMZ, Zuckerberg was approached by the Italian Minister of Culture over staging his showdown with Musk at Rome's legendary battleground, with the latter also tweeting: 'Some chance fight happens in Colosseum.'

Rome's Colosseum, one of the world's seven wonders, is Italy's most iconic landmark but it has not hosted massive audiences inside for hundreds of years.
A second video has emerged of a gang of looters armed with bear spray who dashed their way through a Nordstrom store, taking $100,000 in luxury goods with them.

The gang of up to 50 adorned themselves in black hoodies and covered their faces are seen grabbing at expensive luggage during a raid on the department store at Westfield Topanga Mall on Saturday.

Videos have been circulating on social media with a new angle showing the thieves grabbing luxury goods including a Burberry handbag before fleeing the scene.

In the video, one employee appears to be gesturing to other people to stay back, as the large group swarmed the store.

One thief wearing a black balaclava is also seen in the new video slipping and falling as he exits the store. As of Sunday afternoon, the LAPD's Topanga Division has reported no arrests.

One of the thieves is seen here laden down with numerous bags and even a small suitcase

Others grabbed items of clothing and quickly made their escape before police arrived on the scene

The new footage had been shared to Twitter by user Noel Escobar who captioned his video: 'I was shopping at Topanga Mall when this happened!! They started stealing all the Designer from Nordstroms.'

In his video, loud banging and the smashing of glass can be heard as he pans his camera round the store.

Several individuals are seen yanking at security tagged goods and raid clothes rails as what appears to be a member of staff seemingly ushers other shoppers to stay away.

Escobar can be heard saying: 'Damn, this is f***ing crazy y'all. This is nuts.'

Thieves are seen making for the exit, with one of them carrying a suitcase as well as other pieces of luxury luggage.

The group swarmed the store at around 4pm on Saturday, taking armfuls of items, some inadvertently dropping goods amid the chaos, as they maneuvered around shattered glass and overturned mannequins.

The gang had also deployed bear spray to attack two security guards at the store, allowing them to cause chaos.

An ambulance responded to the mall, but it remains unclear if anyone was transported to hospital following the incident.

Witnesses watched the looters flee, several in vehicles, including Lexus and BMW cars.

Investigators believe the group stole about $60,000 and $100,000 worth of merchandise

Witnesses watched the looters free, several in vehicles, including Lexus and BMW cars

One of the thieves in this picture is clutching a Burberry bag and is seemingly looking for more goods to steal

One shopper inside the store told NBC Los Angeles that she had saw them target Yves Saint Laurent products.

The customer, known only as Janie, told the outlet: 'I've never seen anything like it. It's a disgrace.

'I saw three cars pull up, and I saw these guys just running out with all these purses. They just grabbed all the YSL.'

The same Nordstrom had previously been looted in November 2021 when robbers again used bear spray on a security guard and stolen designer goods.

Following the incident, LA Mayor Karen Bass said: 'What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable.

The same Nordstrom store at Westfield Topanga, was looted in November 2021 when robbers attacked a security guard with bear spray and stole designer purses

In another angle of the incident, the large group can be seen ransacking the store and destroying it

The group sprinted to the door in an attempt to make swift exit from the store, securing as much merchandise as they can carry

'Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighboring areas must be held accountable.

'The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.'

In a statement, the LAPD said: 'Topanga Division officers were on the scene quickly and have several investigative leads.

'To criminals, it is just property taken. To those who live in the area and patronize the Topanga Mall it is a loss of feeling safe.

'The LAPD will exhaust all efforts to bring those responsible into custody and seek criminal prosecution.'

Just last week, stunned bystanders caught the shocking moment a gang of at least 30 brazen thieves ransacked a Yves Saint Laurent store in an upscale California shopping center.

Videos posted online showed multiple people in dark clothes, hoods and masks running into and then quickly out of the store at the Americana at Brand shortly before 5pm Tuesday.

Glendale police said the thieves got away with about $300,000 worth of merchandise, after they overwhelmed the staff and took everything they could in less than a minute.

None of the thieves used any weapons in the brazen scheme, and no injuries were reported.

An investigation is ongoing, as California continues to deal with a spate of robberies after lawmakers lowered the punishment for thefts of merchandise under $950.

Robberies have become almost commonplace in California, where thefts of objects valued at $950 or less are misdemeanors.

Those convicted of such a crime can face six months in a county jail, but in most cases cops do not even bother to press charges.

The California Senate also passed legislation in May that prevents employees to confront active shooters or shoplifters in California.

Supporters say it protects staff from violence, but stores and employees themselves say the move will only embolden further shoplifting.
Police have released new pictures of a missing 15-year-old Sheffield teenager who vanished from the city as their hunt for her entered its fourth day.

South Yorkshire Police have released several more photos of Joddielea, who was last spotted at around midday on Thursday at the Family Shopper Store in Gleadless, in south Sheffield.

She is believed to have gone missing after travelling to a nearby pub by taxi.

The teen, who is white, has shoulder-length brown hair and comes in at around 5ft 3 inches, was last seen wearing grey Yeezy trainers, a white t-shirt, black Nike Leggings and a cream leather jacket.

She is also said to have a tattoo of a long-stemmed rose on her left forearm, with the word 'mum' written on it.

South Yorkshire Police have released several more photos of Joddielea (pictured) , who was last spotted at around midday on Thursday at the Family Shopper Store in Gleadless, in south Sheffield

The teen, who is white, has shoulder-length brown hair and comes in at around 5ft 3 inches, was last seen wearing grey Yeezy trainers, a white t-shirt, black Nike Leggings and a cream leather jacket

She is also said to have a tattoo of a long-stemmed rose on her left forearm, with the word 'mum' written on it

The 15-year-old is believed to have gone missing after travelling to a nearby pub in Gleadless by taxi

South Yorkshire Police said that she may be wearing her hair in a top bun

Police added that she may be wearing her hair in a top bun.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: 'We are sharing six further photos of missing teenager, Joddielea as our officers continue their search for the 15-year-old. Joddielea was last seen at around midday on (Thursday 10 August) at the Family Shopper Store on Leighton Road.

'It is believed she then travelled by taxi to the John O'Gaunt pub on Blackstock Road in Gleadless. She has not been seen since. Joddielea is white, around 5ft 3ins tall, of a slim build and shoulder length brown hair, which she may be wearing in a top bun.

'She was last seen wearing grey Yeezy trainers, a white t-shirt, black Nike leggings and a cream leather jacket. Joddielea also has a tattoo of a long-stemmed rose on her left forearm, with the word "mum" written on it.'

Cops have asked the public to come forward with any information about her whereabouts by calling 101 and quoting incident number 846.
A woman accused of taking inappropriate pictures of children at a Massachusetts day care is set be released from federal custody.

Announced in court document filed Friday, the maneuver will see 38-year-old Lindsay Groves freed on the condition she live with her parents as she awaits trial, and that no children under the age of 18 visit the house.

The motion comes a little more than a month after Groves and her former partner, 39-year-old Stacie Marie Laughton, of Nashua, were indicted on three counts each of sexual exploitation of children.

Prosecutors maintain Groves had been working at Creative Minds, a day care in Tyngsborough, when she allegedly took nude images of napping children and sent them to then girlfriend Laughton - who at the time was New Hampshire's first-ever elected trans lawmaker.

Authorities said the photos - allegedly accompanied with illicit discussions - were taken between May 2022 and June 2023, and contained at least four sexually explicit images of three 3-year-old children.

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Accused of taking inappropriate pictures of children at a Massachusetts day care, Lindsay Groves is set be released from federal custody following her arrest in June, after a judge said the evidence against her does not constitute an unquestioned incarceration

The motion comes a little more than a month after Groves and her former partner, 39-year-old Stacie Marie Laughton(pictured) were indicted on three counts each of sexual exploitation of children. Laughton, who was accused of stalking her ex in December, remains incarcerated

That said, jurists in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts have decided this was not enough to keep the accused creep incarcerated - despite conceding in their filing that 'the weight of the evidence against [her] is strong.'

Such evidence includes a forensic review of Groves' cell phone that allegedly revealed over 10,000 text messages between her Laughton - whose stint at the Live Free of Die State's House of Representatives lasted from 2020 to 2022 - with many of them incriminating.

Department of Justice documents laid bare their disturbing correspondence, but are too horrific to reproduce.

It showed how the duo - who were also indicted on charges of distributing of child pornography in the potentially damning document - fantasized about sexually assaulting young children Groves was tasked with watching over, largely during naptimes and bathroom breaks at the Tyngsboro facility.

Their alleged conversations were detailed in full in charging documents, with prosecutors accusing the pair of engaging in the sordid exchanges solely for the their sexual gratification.

Prosecutors also shared at least one cellphone interaction in which Laughton, a trans woman who lived in nearby Nashua, instructed Groves to fondle a little boy at the daycare - to which the staffer allegedly obliged.

Authorities said the photos were taken over the course of more than a year, between May 2022 and June 2023.

Following a probe into the alleged behavior, fed apprehended both women on June 22 - less than six months after Laughton resigned from the New Hampshire House after being charged with stalking Groves after their relationship apparently fell apart.

Prosecutors maintain Groves had been working at Creative Minds, a day care in Tyngsborough, when she allegedly took nude images of napping children and sent them to then girlfriend Laughton - who at the time was New Hampshire's first-ever trans lawmaker

Groves, right, sent Laughton, right, the sordid messages over course of more than a year, while she was working at the daycare. She was previously in an intimate relationship with Laughton, whom she accused of stalking this past December, forcing her to resign

Laughton, a former New Hampshire House representative who is transgender, has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2002

Both were indicted together on July 27 on four counts: three of sexual exploitation of children, and one of aiding and abetting and one count of distribution of child pornography.

They have both pleaded not guilty, and have remained in a New Hampshire state lockup since their respective arraignments in June. While Groves is now set to released, Laughton remains incarcerated - until her yet-to-be-set trial.

Nashua Police Department said they began an investigation into both women after receiving an anonymous tip off about their alleged behavior, leading them to eventually build the current case against them.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell Friday conceded that while 'the weight of the evidence against the [Groves] is strong,' he believes the conditions of release can be fashioned to address any 'risk' and 'reasonably assure the safety of the community.'

Stipulations designed to ensure this include Groves having no access to her iPhone during her house arrest, and that her parents' devices be password protected and removed from the house when they are not home.

The jurist added that a hearing will be held for Groves Friday so that officials can fully explain the conditions of the release, roughly a month and half removed from her first appearance in federal court.

No such luxury was afforded for Laughton, who was born a man and previously elected into the New Hampshire House in 2012.

Despite her criminal past, Laughton still ran for a second term in 2022 and was elected to represent Nashua, New Hampshire, and won - until she was forced to resign over her ex's stalking claims

Laughton has blamed her past criminal behavior on mental illness and untreated conditions.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children can lead to a sentence of up to 30 years in prison

That said, a laundry list of previous offenses ranging from identity theft and falsifying evidence left her unable to serve - due to state laws prohibiting convicted felons from holding office until the final discharge of their sentence.

She was then forced to resign and begin a 10 years probation sentence stemming from a 2008 felony conviction for credit card fraud.

Other ingractions include one for domestic violence/criminal mischief in 2002 and as well as a sexual assault charge against a woman - when Laughton had still been identifying as a man - in 2003.

She was arrested in 2015, records show, this time for making a bomb threat against the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.

In 2021, she was cuffed for misusing the state's 911 texting system.

Despite her criminal past, Laughton successfully for a second term in 2022, elected to represent Nashua's Hillsborough 3 district along with Democrats Cote and Fred Davis. Republican Joost Baumeister lost one of the seats by just 100 votes.

Since her most recent arrest, Laughton has blamed her past criminal behavior on mental illness and untreated conditions. When she resigned her House seed in 2022, she posted a video to social media about her issues vowing to run for a third time.

'As of today, Im no longer a state representative which is very disappointing, but Im going to come back to it,' Laughton said, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader.

'I will be attending mental health court and getting some counseling and trying to get my life back on track. Im not perfect.

'Even in the future I still wont be perfect but I will be a better version of myself and better able to handle situations that come my way. In two years, the next state election, I will run for state representative again.'

Authorities investigation into both women, meanwhile, is still ongoing. They are urging any others with knowledge on the duo's alleged actions come forward and report them to the State of Massachusetts.

Groves' hearing, meanwhile, is slated for Friday at the Moakley US Courthouse in Boston.
A US solider has been accused of shooting dead his newlywed wife and stashing her body in a storm drain near their home in Anchorage, Alaska.

Zarrius Hildabrand, 21, was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence after allegedly killing his wife Saria Hildabrand, also 21. She died from a single bullet to her left temple.

The young couple had met at basic training last summer and were married in December 2022. Saria was a combat medic for the Alaska National Guard - and she moved from Utah to Alaska to be with her new husband six months ago.

Hildabrand is now being held on $500,000 bond after investigators found a blood-soaked mattress in their home - and they located her dead body in a storm drain.

He is a cannon crewmember assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

Zarrius Hildabrand, 21, was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence after allegedly killing his wife Saria Hildabrand, also 21. She died from a single bullet to her left temple

The young couple had met at basic training last summer and were married in December 2022. Saria was a combat medic for the Alaska National Guard - and she moved from Utah to Alaska to be with her new husband six months ago

Saria was remembered as an 'amazing young woman,' - and her mother Meredith Barney said that her husband 'lied' and 'walked around for hours' searching for Saria 'knowing that she was dead.'

She told Anchorage Daily News: 'He walked around for hours with me searching for my daughter knowing that she was dead. He lied to me multiple times and tried to play it off like he was a concerned husband.'

Neighbors allegedly heard a gunshot at 2.45am on Sunday, August 6 - just 45 minutes after the couple got home from celebrating the husband's birthday.

Hildabrand told investigators his wife walked to work the next morning, and left her phone at home. He stayed at home all day, and only realized she was missing when he went to pick her up at 7pm. But her friends say she didn't plan to work that day.

A text was sent from her phone to co-workers at 10.45am Sunday, saying she was calling off work. Hildabrand denies sending he text.

The incident report, unearthed by Law and Crime, read: 'Zarrius said that he had been searching for Saria ever since. Zarrius said that he had been to every friend's house, called Saria's parents, contacted all the hospitals, and jail.'

The husband only contacted police 36 hours after Saria was last seen.

When police interviewed Hildabrand on Tuesday, they found two pistols on the kitchen table - one which was fully loaded, and another missing a single bullet.

The bed in their home was covered by a mattress pad with a package of new sheets nearby - and the husband refused to let police examine it.

He told them that there were 'embarrassing' items 'used for sex' under the bed, and that's why he wouldn't let them see it, the document said.

Neighbors allegedly heard a gunshot at 2.45am on Sunday, August 6 - just 45 minutes after the couple got home from celebrating the husband's birthday. Saria's dead body was found stashed in the storm drain thanks to drone footage of the area taken during the investigation

Police noted that Hildabrand purchased a jar of marinara sauce, a set of sheets matching the brand found at the apartment, a mattress cover, a 96-gallon garbage can, hydrogen peroxide and an empty spray bottle August 6.

It's not clear why Hildebrand may have bought the marinara sauce.

The complaint said that when detectives finally executed a search warrant, they found the mattress 'saturated by human blood' - which had soaked through the carpet.

They said clean up attempts were made, after finding blood in the bathtub and floors. The garbage can that Hildabrand bought was found on a trail near their apartment.

And before long, Saria's dead body was found stashed in the storm drain thanks to drone footage of the area taken during the investigation.

Maria Edwards, the couple's neighbor, told KTUU: 'It was Sunday, our fire alarms kept going off this week, and we had talked about the fire alarm system. But he didn't show me any kind of inclination that maybe something was off. So that was a surprise.'

The young woman's family wrote in a Facebook statement Saturday, 'Saria Barney was an amazing young woman. No one could imagined that this would happen to her.

'We are grateful to the public who have spread Saria's name online and on the ground.

'Saria is a beloved daughter and step-daughter. She is a cherished sister. She is a shining light to her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Police noted that Hildabrand purchased a jar of marinara sauce, a set of sheets matching the brand found at the apartment, a mattress cover, a 96-gallon garbage can, hydrogen peroxide and an empty spray bottle August 6

'Saria is loved by a large extended family and network of friends spanning many cities and states. Saria is a genuine, caring woman that is independent, courageous, and brave.

'She was a good student in training to become a combat medic and preparing for her future.'

The GoFundMe has been created to cover funeral costs and returning Saria's remains to Utah.

The latest update read: 'On the morning of August 11th Saria's family was notified by the Anchorage Police Department that they had found and identified her remains. As of now the case has been upgraded to an open homicide investigation.

'With this update comes great sadness to think that Saria is gone from our lives. However, there is some relief knowing that she has been found.

'We appreciate the diligent effort put forth by local law enforcement and CSI in bringing this search to a close. We are grateful for their subsequent work in solving this case in order to discover what happened.

'We would also like to thank the Army CID for their support of our family during these trying times. Thank you to everyone who has given their support whether it be financial, through prayer and good wishes, or leaving home to come help with the search process.

'Unfortunately, this process is not over. We now shift into assisting the police, planning the funeral service, and transporting her remains back to Utah. No funeral plans have been set but we will post updates on the Facebook page.'
A five-year-old girl has been rushed to hospital to battle 'significant' injuries to her face after she was mauled by a dog outside a Nisa in Teesside.

The girl, who has not yet been named, was attacked at the shop at around 6:30 pm yesterday, and was taken to hospital after emergency services were called to the scene.

The dog has since been seized by local police.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Police told the Sun: 'The girl has suffered significant injuries to her face and is receiving treatment in hospital.

'The owner of the dog remained at the scene following the attack and co-operated with police. The dog has been seized.

The girl, who has not yet been named, was attacked at the shop at around 6:30pm yesterday, and was taken to hospital after emergency services were called to the scene

'We would politely ask people not to post photos relating to the incident and to avoid speculating on social media whilst officers continue with their investigation.'

The attack comes just months after it was revealed that dog attacks left British children needing surgery more than 1,000 times last year, including nearly 400 cases where the child was under the age of four.

The shocking figures showed that the total number of hospitalisations following dog attacks has nearly doubled from 4,699 in 2007/8 to 9,336 in 2022/23.

Dr John Tulloch, a lecturer in veterinary public health at Liverpool University, previously said that the way Brits take care of dogs needs to change.

'We know dogs are now kept in the home for more than seven or eight hours on their own and they are going to get frustrated.

'A lot of dogs don't get the exercise needs - their health needs aren't being met and so they have the potential to be more anxious and nervous.

'If you keep a dog in a horrible environment and they're not looked after they are going to have more behaviour problems and be more likely to bite.'
Controversial lobbying group Stonewall has helped write sensitive gender policies at as many as 30 NHS trusts  prompting anger from ministers.

The LGBT charity, known for its radical stance on trans rights, suggested 'improvements' to one hospital's guidance, was listed as a 'contributor' to another and 'validated' a third.

It is currently providing 'support' to another trust as it formulates its policy on caring for transgender patients.

Many trusts cited Stonewall, along with the scandal-hit trans youth charity Mermaids, as reputable sources of information. Last night a source close to Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was 'appalled' that some NHS managers were engaged in 'woke virtue-signalling' by using outside groups to advise on equality issues despite his previous guidance against doing so.

It comes even as Stonewall has seen dozens of public sector bodies, including the Department of Health and Social Care, quit its 'diversity champions' advisory scheme in recent years.

Divisive: Dozens of public sector bodies have distanced themselves from the charity

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Steve Barclay is seen leaving 10 Downing Street

A source close to Mr Barclay said: 'The Health Secretary has been clear that equality issues in healthcare services should be dealt with by normal management processes rather than by bringing in external providers.

'He is appalled to hear some managers are failing to respond and will be discussing with officials what further steps to take. NHS trusts and other health bodies should be relentlessly focused on caring for all patients and cutting waiting lists, not wasting time and money on woke virtue-signalling.'

READ MORE: When I was 14 a 40-year-old transsexual manipulated me into changing sex Advertisement

The Government has pledged to update rules on hospital accommodation to protect all patients' privacy and dignity, the Mail revealed on Saturday. This is because anyone who identifies as a woman, even part-time, can access female-only wards.

Women's Rights Network founder Heather Binning said: 'The guidelines use the language of gender ideology repeatedly, and explicitly note that activist organisations including Stonewall helped to write them. They are representing the law as Stonewall would like it to be, not how it is.' Tory MP Nick Fletcher said: 'It is unacceptable that the NHS continues to place the safety and privacy of women at risk because of ideological capture by a tiny but vocal lobbying group.'

Analysis by the Mail of NHS trusts' policies on trans patients and staff found that as many as 30 cited Stonewall.

The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust listed Stonewall alongside its HR and LGBTQ+ teams as 'contributors' to its guidelines, while guidance by University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust thanks Stonewall 'for reviewing and suggesting improvements'. It also states: 'Stonewall have an excellent ... language guide available online.'

Analysis by the Mail of NHS trusts' policies on trans patients and staff found that as many as 30 cited Stonewall

A group from Stonewall take part in Pride during the summer

Asked by this newspaper if it had policy on transgender patient care, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust said: 'We are in the process of drafting one with support from our LGBT Staff Network and Stonewall.'

Stonewall is included in a list of 'stakeholders' who have reviewed the diversity and inclusion policy of North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust.

A Stonewall spokesman said: 'As the UK's largest LGBTQ+ charity, it is appropriate that we work with a wide range of public bodies to help them understand and meet the needs of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.'
University students are facing one of the worst years in recent history as housing shortages, strikes and the cost of living crisis fuel dropouts, experts warned last night.

A record 32,600 students withdrew from their degree course in the last academic year  9 per cent more than by the same point in 2021/22, according to data from the Student Loans Company.

The number dropping out is expected to rise next year, with gaps in teaching due to strike action leaving students in a nightmare.

A high of 2.1 per cent of students had quit their studies by the end of May, up from 1.9 per cent in 2021-22. For some courses the dropout rate was nearly 30 per cent.

Nick Hillman, from the Higher Education Policy Institute think-tank, said: This is one of the worst years, but next year is likely to be worse. Every drop out is a tragedy, it means students lives have gone off track  and they still have their debts.

The warnings come ahead of A-level results day on Thursday. With the number of A and A* grades awarded expected to be reduced, competition for places this summer will be tougher (file photo)

The number dropping out is expected to rise next year , with gaps in teaching due to strike action (pictured) leaving students in a nightmare

He said a shortage of housing is a problem as the number of teenagers enrolling on courses is rapidly outstripping provision, leaving universities unable to guarantee accommodation or forced to place students further away.

Bristol University is putting some students up in Wales, while Exeter University has five applicants for every place at its most popular location.

Mr Hillman said: Demand for higher education is strong, particularly international students who tend to live in that kind of private accommodation. Its less affordable to build new blocks and private landlords have been taking a lot of properties off the market that they used to rent to students  they might have sold them or rented them privately. Soaring rents have also exceeded the 2.8 per cent rise in maintenance loans, leaving students more dependent on the bank of Mum and Dad, Mr Hillman added.

One mother, whose son spent months trying to find second-year accommodation at the University of Nottingham, said: If we dont resolve his accommodation, he may have to take a gap year. Its mad.

Lee Elliot Major, a professor at the University of Exeter, said: When you look at how much it costs now to be a university student, our student finance system just isnt capable of covering the costs.

Prolonged industrial action at universities across the country has also affected students. Mr Hillman said: With university lecturers not being there some of the time, students are getting even less support.

A shortage of housing is a problem as the number of teenagers enrolling on courses is rapidly outstripping provision, says Mr Hillman (pictured is student housing for University of East London)

More than 120,000 students have joined a legal action by the Student Group Claim to sue their universities for the disruption to teaching caused by strikes and the pandemic.

Yesterday, education minister Robert Halfon urged the University and College Union and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association to reopen talks over pay and end industrial action. He said: It is imperative that higher education providers and staff continue to do all they can to minimise disruption and provide clarity to their students.

The warnings come ahead of A-level results day on Thursday. With the number of A and A* grades awarded expected to be reduced, competition for places this summer will be tougher. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told The Sunday Times: During the pandemic, results were higher because of the way grades were assessed  now grades will be lower than 2022 and more similar to 2019. Last years inflated grades meant some students were accepted on to courses they may otherwise not have qualified for. Some might have struggled to keep up as a result, leading them to drop out.

Ms Keegan added: It is extremely vital that qualifications hold value so that universities and employers understand the distinction between grades when recruiting, and students get the opportunities they deserve.
Scores of migrants were seen heading for beaches in northern France last night, apparently undeterred by the deaths of six Afghan men in the Channel.

Within just a few minutes the Daily Mail witnessed three groups of up to 50 people, all laden with bags, emerging from the undergrowth beside the motorway near Dunkirk, and heading for a bus stop in the direction of the Channel coast.

A police van pulled up opposite the bus stop, but did nothing to stop the groups.

Those heading for the beach as the sun went down included a woman in a full-face veil, an elderly man and a toddler being carried upon an adult's shoulders.

French authorities warned yesterday that people smugglers were 'saturating' the coast of Northern France with migrants desperate to reach Britain.

Migrants undeterred by the drownings in the English Channel queue for a bus in Dunkirk to take them to their launch site along the French coast

Tents of migrants installed at a makeshift camp in Loon-Plage, northern France, August 12

Around 1,000 migrants were said to be waiting to cross the Channel in small boats despite the latest tragedy in which six people died and more than 50 had to be rescued after their overcrowded boat sank off the French coast.

Some 65 people were crammed onto the inflatable dinghy without emergency equipment or life jackets  one of several such craft to have set off from France in the early hours of Saturday.

French authorities said smugglers had launched boats from several different beaches in an apparent attempt to stretch police resources and maximise their chances of success.

More than 500 people crossed the Channel on Saturday, making it the fourth busiest day of 2023 so far and meaning more than 1,600 made the journey in just three days at the end of last week.

The high numbers of crossings, the latest deaths and the ongoing row over the use of the Bibby Stockholm floating barge to house asylum seekers have thrown the Government's 'stop the boats' crackdown into chaos.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made it one of five key pledges for his leadership, but Tory MPs openly questioned whether it was even possible to stop the crossings.

More than 100,000 people have made the journey since 2018 and latest figures take the provisional total for the year so far to 16,679.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: 'No one is stopping the boats as it stands at the moment... You will never be able to stop the boats completely.'

He said legal routes for asylum seekers would clamp down on those who tried to enter Britain illegally, but warned it would not be possible to stop all crossings.

Mr Loughton questioned the Government's 'small boat week' of announcements on migration, saying: 'I think it was probably not a good idea to have a small boat week. It was hostage to fortune.'

Questions were also raised over the role of two French naval ships which were tracking a number of small boats at the time of the tragedy.

The PSP Cormoran was understood to have been nearby when the inflatable dinghy capsized in rough conditions, some six miles off the French coast.

A source told the Mail on Sunday that the French ship was escorting the small boats, adding: 'This is a French policy designed to ensure migrants make it to British waters as safely and quickly as possible.'

MPs have questioned why France has not done more to stop the crossings, given Britain has handed it almost 500 million to halt the deadly people-smuggling trade.

But French minister Herve Berville said smugglers had deliberately launched simultaneous crossings in a bid to stretch resources.

He explained: 'The smugglers have a strategy of saturating the coast  they trigger simultaneous crossings between Dunkirk and Boulogne, to occupy the police.'

He described the smugglers as 'criminals, who send young people, women, adults to their death, through these dangerous maritime routes'.

French authorities confirmed that the PSP Cormoran rescued 33 survivors from the capsize off the coast of Sangatte, while the Pluvier saved five.

Five Afghan men died at the scene and a sixth was airlifted to hospital in Le Touquet, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Most of the survivors were taken back to Calais, although around a dozen were taken to Dover by British rescuers.

Witnesses said the overcrowded inflatable had deflated, and described how terrified migrants had attempted to use their shoes to bail out water from the sinking craft.

Rescued migrants sit on a French rescue ship after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France capsized, in Calais, France, August 12, 2023

Meanwhile, people smugglers have continued to brazenly advertise their vile trade online, in an attempt to inspire more desperate migrants to try to reach Britain.

They uploaded videos of overcrowded boats, offering 'a cheap price' for 'France's road to Britain'.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies told Times Radio: 'There's really no reason for people to risk their lives in this fashion.

'We should be doing everything possible to just stop people from doing so and to stop people smugglers from putting people's lives at risk in this way.

'It's a tragedy. But sadly, it's going to continue happening as long as people are put to sea in small, unstable, leaking rafts across the English Channel.'

Last night it was reported that the Government expects to need accommodation for migrants for at least five more years.

An internal Home Office document, obtained by the Telegraph, shows that officials believe two disused RAF bases and a former prison will provide value for money across the 5 years planned for the sites.

Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel, who opposes migrants being housed at Wethersfield in Essex, said: 'Local residents and councils will be deeply alarmed to learn that asylum seekers will be housed for five years at this site.'
Soaring numbers of patients from Wales are seeking care in English hospitals to 'escape' longer waits under the Labour-run Welsh NHS.

Some 39,485 patients sought elective treatment, such as hip and knee operations, in England in 2022/23, figures have revealed. This was up 39 per cent from 28,405 in 2020/21 and 9 per cent higher than the 36,095 in 2021/22.

In Wales, more than 73,000 patients are waiting over 77 weeks  a year and a half  for treatment but such waits have been virtually eliminated in England.

The figures also showed that 21 per cent of the Welsh population was on an NHS waiting list earlier this year  almost double the 13 per cent in England.

The revelations come after the Department of Health yesterday revealed that Steve Barclay has written to Welsh and Scottish ministers to say he is 'open to requests' for their patients to be treated on the NHS in England amid record waits for care in the devolved nations.

The Health Secretary invited them to discuss what 'lessons can be learnt' from the different approaches taken by each government.

Soaring numbers of patients from Wales are seeking care in English hospitals to 'escape' longer waits under the Labour-run Welsh NHS (stock photo)

Some 39,485 patients sought elective treatment, such as hip and knee operations, in England in 2022/23, figures have revealed. This was up 39 per cent from 28,405 in 2020/21 and 9 per cent higher than the 36,095 in 2021/22. Pictured: Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport

The internal NHS figures also revealed the number of Welsh residents being admitted to English hospitals in an emergency has increased by 26 per cent, from 25,195 in 2020/21 to 31,830 in 2022/23.

Wales receives 1.20 for every 1 spent on health in England but is still lagging behind in performance, said the Welsh Conservatives.

A Tory Party source in England said: 'It is no surprise that Welsh residents would want to escape Labour's failure on the Welsh NHS.

'People are more likely to be stuck on a waiting list under Labour and still face long waits of the sort eliminated in England.

'Keir Starmer says Labour in Wales is a blueprint for what they would do in Westminster  so it's clear he can't be trusted with the NHS.'

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting hospital waiting lists one of his five key priorities after the figure hit a record 7.57million in England alone in June.

The issue is likely to be a key political battleground at the next election, and the Government is keen to argue health services would not be better managed under Labour or the SNP.

The revelations come after the Department of Health yesterday revealed that Steve Barclay (pictured) has written to Welsh and Scottish ministers to say he is 'open to requests' for their patients to be treated on the NHS in England amid record waits for care in the devolved nations

The internal NHS figures also revealed the number of Welsh residents being admitted to English hospitals in an emergency has increased by 26 per cent, from 25,195 in 2020/21 to 31,830 in 2022/23 (stock photo)

Sir Keir praised the Welsh government run by Mark Drakeford in March last year, saying it is 'living proof of what Labour in power looks like  how things can be done differently and better'.

He added: 'You demonstrate daily the difference Labour really makes. A blueprint for what Labour can do across the UK.'

The Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies said Mr Barclay's invitation was an attempt to 'put people before politics', telling Times Radio many of his constituents said they would 'love' to be treated in England.

David Jones, a Tory MP in North Wales, added: 'Healthcare in Wales has declined progressively under Labour, who has been in control here for almost 25 years. So many of my constituents tell me they are terrified of getting old because they fear they won't be able to access the NHS when they need it.

'They are now considering retiring to England so they can get more timely access to operations, dentists and ambulances.

'Labour says the NHS is safe in its hands but it is clearly not. They have shown they are not capable of running such a large service and are financially incompetent.

'If anyone wants to see what a disaster the NHS would be like under Labour in England, they only need to look to Wales, where services have got worse and worse. I wouldn't want them running a health service anywhere.'

But SNP health minister Michael Matheson pointed to record waiting lists and ongoing strikes hitting NHS England as examples of problems affecting the service south of the border.

In Wales , more than 73,000 patients are waiting over 77 weeks  a year and a half  for treatment but such waits have been virtually eliminated in England. The figures also showed that 21 per cent of the Welsh population was on an NHS waiting list earlier this year  almost double the 13 per cent in England. Pictured: Ealing Hospital in London

'The NHS in England is about to experience its fifth round of strikes by junior doctors, with the waiting list for hospital treatment rising by over 100,000 to a record high of over 7.5million as a result of the UK Government's refusal to even get around the negotiating table,' he said.

'Rather than attempting to involve themselves in devolved areas, the UK Government would be well served focusing on tackling the many issues in the service south of the border.'

A Welsh government spokesman said: 'These figures relate to the planned cross-border arrangements we have had in place with NHS England for many years. People from England who live near the Welsh border can be treated in Wales and vice versa. Long waiting times are falling every month in Wales and have more than halved in the past year.

'In contrast, waiting times in England have risen by over 12 per cent, compared to 3.6 per cent in Wales, and we continue to invest record amounts in our health service to continue to improve all aspects of healthcare.'
Oprah Winfrey's camera crew was denied access to an emergency shelter on the Hawaiian island of Maui, after she had attempted to bring a CBS crew inside the facility where survivors continue to struggle in the aftermath of the devastating fires that tore through Lahaina.

In a statement, the County of Maui said: 'Out of respect for those who have come to seek safety and shelter at emergency shelters, our policy remains that no media are given access.'

'We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our communitys spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster and appreciate her understanding of our policy of no camera crews or reporters in our emergency shelters. Mahalo.'

About 30 minutes after the post, the county clarified that Oprah was allowed inside, but not her crew.

The denial comes days after Oprah was filmed inside a shelter handing out supplies to survivors of the deadly fires that claimed 93 lives.

Oprah Winfrey - a part time Maui resident - visits the war memorial where survivors of the devastating fire are being sheltered

On Sunday morning, Winfrey and a CBS camera crew were initially turned away from the shelter and told they were not allowed in because of a no media policy

Winfrey along with a BBC crew were allowed in the shelter to record last Thursday

Burned houses and buildings pictured in the aftermath of the wildfires in Lahaina, Maui. The death toll from the fires rose to 93 on Sunday

The devastated seaside town of Lahaina, which was essentially razed by a raging wildfire last week

'Oprah was able to visit our shelter and we thank her for instructing media journalists and camera crews to remain outside,' the county wrote in an update about Oprah trying to enter the shelter.

'We welcome Oprah to continue to uplift our communitys spirit and give her aloha to victims of the tragic disaster.

'Her visit inside of the shelter today was truly heartwarming and we appreciate her understanding of our policy of having no camera crews or reporters accompanying dignitaries and celebrities in our emergency shelters,'

Late last week, Winfrey was granted access to the War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku, which is being used to shelter evacuees from the wildfires.

Despite the County's policy of granting no media access to the war memorial shelter, Winfrey was interviewed by the BBC inside the shelter, when she was there on Thursday to hand out supplies to survivors.

She told the BBC she'd visited the evacuation point earlier to ask what people needed. She then went to big box stores to pick up pillows, diapers, shampoo and more, before returning to the shelter.

It's not clear why the BBC was allowed to record Winfrey at the shelter on Thursday, but the CBS news crew with whom she arrived Sunday morning were denied access.

Winfrey owns some 1,000 acres of land on Maui. It is unclear how her property faired during the wildfires. Part of her real estate portfolio, according to the New York Times, includes hundreds of acres of land in the Kula area to the southeast of Lahaina - the seaside town devastated by the fires.

The known death toll from the fires climbed to 93 on Sunday.

Dailymail.com has reached out to the County of Maui for comment.

Winfrey's Maui estate in the early 2000s. She owns about 1,000 acres in Maui

Oprah is one of a large number of celebrities to whom the island of Maui plays part time host

Donated clothes are placed in a parking lot for collections. Many families lost everything when their wood framed homes went up in smoke

National Guard personnel direct traffic away from the wildfire-damaged areas in Lahaina on Sunday

Smoke billows from the fires near Lahaina. The wildfires were drive in part by high winds

Oprah Winfrey is one of a large number of celebrities who have homes on the island of Maui.

In addition to Oprah, the island plays part-time host to Jeff Bezos, Steven Tyler, Owen Wilson, Clint Eastwood and Mick Fleetwood.

Following the fires, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez pledged $100million to recovery efforts on Maui.

On Saturday, Governor Josh Green toured the devastation on the historic Front Street of Lahaina.

He said: 'It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced.

'We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them healthcare, and then turn to rebuilding.'

At least 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed in West Maui, Green said, of which 86 percent were residential.

Across the island, he added, damage is estimated at close to $6billion. Green said it will take 'an incredible amount of time' to recover.

Speaking to CNN, Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono spoke of what she saw on Maui following the fires.

The Democrat said: 'The scenes of devastation will stay with me. We are in a period of mourning and loss as we search for more people who are still unaccounted for.'

Six active fires torched through Maui and Big Island, wiping out town of Lahaina

At least two other fires have been burning on Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Mauis Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry.

A fourth broke out on Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

Peg Alm spent Wednesday night sleeping in her truck after being forced from her home in Kuhei as another fire broke out.

I didnt know about Lahaina until the next day because we made to evacuate, she told DailyMail.com.

After seeing those heartbreaking pictures of the devastation on the local news, Alm signed up to help with the relief effort after answering a call put out on social media.

I was tired of waking up and crying the whole morning, she says before wiping away more tears as she recounts her memories of the historic beachside town.

This is like the soul of the island has been ripped up, says the Michigan native, who has lived on Maui for 15 years.
Crowds gathered under a drab Cornwall sky this weekend to get Hurricane Drunk as Florence and the Machine sang their hearts out at Boardmasters Festival this weekend.

The thousands of revelers certainly seemed to have Dance Fever as the eclectic indie rock darlings headlined the final day of the legendary festival today, despite rain coming down hard on Watergate Bay for most of the day.

Festivalgoers were seen in a range of outfits, with some choosing to protect themselves from the elements with heavy-duty raincoats, while others chanced the heavy rain and wore thin, see-through coats to show off their festival outfits.

One brave soul was spotted only wearing a bikini, a shawl, and a fuzzy bucket hat despite forecasts showing that rain battered the 53,000-strong festival for most of the day.

Florence and the Machine were joined by BEKA start, Caity Baser, Black Honey, Gentlemen's Dub Club, Sofi Tukker, Tion Wayne, and Dermot Kennedy, with other big-hitters including Charlie Hedges, Tom Zanetti and FourTet.

Florence Welch (pictured) played the five-day festival out on Sunday night to a crowd of thousands

Festivalgoers at Watergate Bay were seen in a variety of weather-resistant garbs

Some chose to brave the elements by not having any protective gear at all

One brave woman simply went into the final day armed with nothing but a bikini, a shawl and a bucket hat

The unknown woman appeared to be pretty nonplussed about the weather over Cornwall this weekend

Many chose to flex their festival outfits as much as they could with see-through raincoats

One woman's bell-bottomed trousers were left absolutely soaked by the rain at Watergate Bay

Another fashion-conscious pair went out of their way to show their branded clothes off while wearing the paper-thin raincoats

These two appear to be absolutely desperate to get out of the rain that hit Cornwall this weekend

There have been several instances where the weather at Watergate Bay has been too extreme to put on the festival

Friday saw Lorde headline the mainstage, while Saturday played host to Liam Gallagher, who was met with loud cheers when he mentioned Oasis.

The festival, which typically runs for five days until the end of the second weekend of August, also includes surfing competitions that bring in some of the surfing world's biggest names.

Four-time Boardmasters winner Alice Lemoigne from France thrashed the rest of the competition during its opening day.

The Met Office previously warned that while temperatures would mostly remain in the high teens, revelers should've expected occasional bouts of rain.

It also issued a heat health alert for the whole region, claiming there was an increased risk of heat-related injury to some people.

Roughly 53,000 people were expected at the five-day festival that ended tonight

Florence and the Machine were joined by BEKA start, Caity Baser, Black Honey, Gentlemen's Dub Club, Sofi Tukker, Tion Wayne, and Dermot Kennedy

The festival also plays host to a major surfing tournament that brings in world-class surfers from across the world

In 2019, the festival was called off just hours before it was meant to start after serious concerns of bad weather left its organisers with cold feet

The same thing happened on the final day of the 2014 festival, as Hurricane Bertha's remnants threatened to bring unstable weather from Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean to Cornwall

Friday saw Lorde headline the mainstage, while Saturday played host to Liam Gallagher, who was met with loud cheers when he mentioned Oasis

There have been several instances where the weather at Watergate Bay has been too extreme to put on the festival.

In 2019, the festival was called off just hours before it was meant to start after serious concerns of bad weather left its organisers with cold feet.

The same thing happened on the final day of the 2014 festival, as Hurricane Bertha's remnants threatened to bring unstable weather from Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean to Cornwall.

Luckily, the surf competition was able to continue as normal, and partygoers were given full refunds for the cancelled day.
Tanya Plibersek has refused to say whether Brittany Higgins' $3million compensation payout should be referred to the anti-corruption commission.

The environment minister and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce spoke with Natalie Barr on Channel Seven's Sunrise on Monday morning, where Ms Plibersek dodged questions on the payment.

'I'm confident that the payment was made completely appropriately using all of the usual checks and balances that you would in such a circumstance,' she said.

Barr tried to pull more a more detailed answer from the environment minister once more, but Ms Plibersek refused to elaborate.

'I'm not going to comment any further on it,' she said.

Earlier the pair were asked if they felt Mr Lehrmann deserved his own payment after the former Liberal party staffer said during Sunday's 7News Spotlight interview that he may never work again because of the allegation against him.

Ms Higgins has accused Mr Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House following a night out with colleagues in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation.

'I've got no view on it and I'm not going to comment on it at all,' Ms Plibersek bluntly told Barr in response to the question about whether Mr Lehrmann should be compensated.

Tanya Plibersek has refused to answer questions from Sunrise host Nat Barr over Brittany Higgins' compensation payout

Barr pressed her, asking, 'None at all?'

READ MORE: Lie detector bombshell as Nat Barr grills Bruce Lehrmann on Brittany Higgins Natalie Barr asked Bruce Lehrmann three times why he didn't say goodbye to Brittany Higgins on the night she claims she was raped. Advertisement

'No,' she said.

Mr Joyce responded by speaking up about compensation for Aussie war veterans, claiming there was anger about payments to 'people in Parliament House' while severely injured soldiers wait years.

Barr then asked if Ms Higgins' compensation payment should be referred to the national anti-corruption commission after former defence minister Linda Reynolds flagged her intention to raise it with the federal ICAC.

Mr Joyce stated it was 'completely plausible' as there was 'a lot of questions that need to be answered' and Ms Reynolds, along with many others, wanted to get answers.

Ms Plibersek only offered a brief answer in response to the heated question, with the environment minister brushing aside calls for an investigation and revealing why Labor already supported the payout.

It comes after Ms Reynolds claimed Ms Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson set her up as the 'perfect villain' on The Project, when the former staffer first went public with her rape allegations in February 2021.

Ms Higgins (pictured) has accused Mr Lehrmann of raping her at Parliament House following a night out with colleagues in 2019. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation

Barr tried to pull more a more detailed answer from the environment minister once more, but she refused to delve further into the questions around the payment

Senator Reynolds made her explosive claims on 7News Spotlight during her first-ever televised interview about Ms Higgins' sexual assault allegations against Mr Lehrmann - who was also interviewed.

READ MORE: Linda Reynolds claims Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson set her up as the 'perfect villain' after Bruce Lehrmann rape allegations Senator Reynolds made her explosive claims on 7News Spotlight during her first-ever televised interview about Ms Higgins sexual assault allegations against former colleague Bruce Lehrmann. Advertisement

'I was the perfect villain,' Ms Reynolds said.

'Although none of it - this is the irony of it - none of it was absolutely true.

'Every good story like this needs a villain, how that was set up with Ms Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson.'

In March 2019, in the days after the alleged rape, Ms Higgins did have a meeting with Ms Reynolds and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown.

The meeting had been scheduled to address a security breach, which was triggered when Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann entered the defence suite in the early hours of the morning - on the evening of the alleged assault.

Ms Higgins has previously said she disclosed her alleged rape to her bosses during that meeting, but Ms Reynolds maintains that wasn't the case at all - and, on Sunday night, said she wasn't aware about an alleged sexual assault until about a week later.

She also said Ms Higgins never used the word 'rape' in their conversations.

Speaking about The Project interview, Ms Reynolds said the claims against her 'hurt'.

Linda Reynolds said Ms Higgins (pictured together front left) unnecessarily made her a 'villain' of the story' in her interview with Wilkinson, and accused her of trying to cover up the alleged incident

'It more than hurt, it completely devastated me, the allegations that were aired about me, you cannot think of anything worse or a worse allegation of any woman that you covered up the rape of a young woman in your own office.'

She said it was worse because, while Mr Lehrmann was fired after the security breach, she gave Ms Higgins another chance.

'Brittany saw that and she went in afterwards and she was quite rightfully concerned about her job.

'We made it clear she had done the wrong thing but if she wanted to keep her job she could.

'I absolutely gave her a second chance. She was bright keen, politically aware, exactly the person we wanted here.'

Ms Reynolds also referred to a recorded conversation between Ms Higgins, her now-fiance David Sharaz, Wilkinson, and Channel 10 producer Angus Llewellynin January 2021 - about two weeks before the The Project episode went to air.

During that five-hour chat, Wilkinson unleashed on Ms Reynolds - referring to her as 'that f***ing woman' and read their private exchanges aloud.

Ms Reynolds said: 'A woman I've never met ... Where does that hatred come from? It's visceral ... I've never met Lisa.'

Mr Lehrmann also said he's considering further legal action after the fallout of the trial - which could be worth about $6million.

Mr Lehrmann suggested he may launch a law suit for about $6million because 'I will never, ever work again'

CCTV image shows Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins entering Ms Reynolds office on the night in question

'It will have to be a multimillion-dollar claim because I have to consider I may never work again,' he said.

'After being smeared and slammed for the last two or three years now.

'I am innocent. If we were able to have a fair trial and a trial at all, I'm entirely confident it would have  rendered a not-guilty verdict for me.'

He wouldn't say the exact amount he would be after but, when host Liam Bartlett suggested about $6million, Mr Lehrmann responded: 'Yeah.'

Mr Lehrmann is currently in suing Channel 10, Lisa Wilkinson and the ABC in a joint defamation claim, which he said he's 'not backing down' on.

Mr Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow was also interviewed, and primarily spoke about the conduct of the ACT Direcor of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold.

The Spotlight interview comes almost a week after the findings of a Board of Inquiry was handed down by the ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr - in the form of a lengthy report comprising almost 900 pages.

The inquiry, chaired by former judge Walter Sofronoff, looked into the way his trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year was handled by police and Mr Drumgold.

Mr Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow (pictured) was also interviewed, and primarily spoke about the conduct of the ACT Direcor of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold

Mr Sofronoff found the chief prosecutor 'knowingly lied' to the Supreme Court Chief Justice and had 'lost objectivity and did not act with fairness and detachment as was required by his role'.

Mr Drumgold resigned as the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions last week after the inquiry into the handling of Mr Lehrmann's rape trial made several adverse findings against him, which he has refuted.

Mr Whybrow said he believes his client did not get a fair trial, and says the Sofronoff report proved there was 'a loss of objectivity' in the case against his client.

'According to the Sofronoff Report, and my experience, Bruce did not get a fair trial,' Mr Whybrow said.

'Things happened, there was an almost, I don't know how to explain it but we were up against it from the start and this case  it was hard.'
It is often said that a stitch in time saves nine.

But in this case, the tireless efforts of one grandmother - and her knitting needles - could save up to a hundred vulnerable and orphaned infants in Ukraine from the cold this winter.

Sylvia Orpwood, 86, began working on a collection of vibrant cardigans after hearing of the atrocious circumstances endured by children in the war-torn country.

And after knitting a hundred woolly garments in total, she wrote to her favourite newspaper, The Daily Mail, to ask for assistance in transporting them to infants in need.

Mrs Orpwood, who has been knitting since she was four-years-old, said: When I see a child suffering, I want to help  children want comfort and youve got to do what you can.

Sylvia Orpwood, 86, began working on a collection of vibrant cardigans after hearing of the atrocious circumstances endured by children in the war-torn country

And after knitting a hundred woolly garments in total, she wrote to her favourite newspaper, The Daily Mail, to ask for assistance in transporting them to infants in need

I always think that if you arent looking after other people, then what on Earth are you doing here?

The mother-of-four has always been driven by an urge to care for others and spent 24 years fostering children with her late husband, Alfred.

But the former forklift driver and nurse had no idea how she would ensure her cardigans would make the 1,500 mile journey from her home in Welling, south east London, to Ukraine.

Fortunately, charity British-Ukrainian Aid, were more than happy to deliver her precious cargo on behalf of this newspaper.

And the pensioners knitwear is now keeping children warm at three institutions which support vulnerable children  including orphans in the countrys northeastern Sumy region.

They include The Sumy Centre for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of Children of the Region, where four babies are pictured wearing the cardigans.

Meanwhile children at the Regional Centre for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of Children in the town of Shostka also received cardigans  along with those in another centre in the village of Khoruzhivka.

All three institutions support children with difficult life circumstances which include orphans, victims of child labour and those who are disabled or seriously ill.

This includes children who have lost parents as a result of the Russian invasion.

And the garments were gratefully received ahead of the Ukrainian winter, which can see temperatures plunge as low as -10C.

Dr Kostyantyn Kyrychenko, who manages the centres, thanked Mrs Orpwood for her thoughtful donation.

We are very grateful, the cardigans are very nice, they came in different designs and sizes, very colourful, he said.

The children will like them because they can see how much love and care someone puts into these cardigans while making them. Love and care are needed at any age.

Dr Kostyantyn said knitting was a hobby pursued by many older women in Ukraine, just like it is in the UK.

For some people, it became a way to get additional income by selling knitted clothes, socks, hats, throws and even toys, he told the Mail.

Grandmothers usually knit for their grandchildren and when the war started in Ukraine many of them knit warm socks and gloves for those who are at the frontline.

Meanwhile children at the Regional Centre for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation of Children in the town of Shostka also received cardigans  along with those in another centre in the village of Khoruzhivka

And for Mrs Orpwood her hard work was all worth it when she was shown pictures of the children in her cardigans.

The photos are absolutely lovely, I am delighted, she said.

They have gone to the right people and thats fantastic.

Tetyana Vovnyanko, a spokesman for British-Ukrainian Aid, said: People are very grateful to the UK and British people for providing help to Ukraine.

The UK has been a stand-out ally of Ukraine, and people in Ukraine can feel the difference.
A cargo ship heading to Ukraine has come under fire after a Russian warship fired 'warning shots' at the vessel in the southwestern Black Sea.

Russia said today its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan when the captain of the dry cargo ship failed to respond to a request to stop for an inspection.

'To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons,' the Russian defence ministry said in a statement said, adding that the Russian military also boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.

Shots were fired as the ship made its way northwards, marking the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.

Russia last month halted participation in the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce via the Black Sea, claiming it deemed all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons.

A cargo ship heading to Ukraine has come under fire after a Russian warship fired 'warning shots' at the vessel in the southwestern Black Sea

Russia said today its Vasily Bykov patrol ship fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan when the captain of the dry cargo ship failed to respond to a request to stop for an inspection. The ship is pictured above

Russia said the vessel was making its way toward the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was currently near the coast of Bulgaria and heading toward the Romanian port of Sulina.

'After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail,' the defence ministry said.

A Turkish defence ministry official said he had heard an incident had taken place involving a ship heading for Romania, and that Ankara was looking into it.

The vessels nor its owners were immediately able to be reached for comment.

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the incident was a 'clear violation of international law of the sea, an act of piracy and a crime against civilian vessels of a third country in the waters of other states.'

The adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, added on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that 'Ukraine will draw all the necessary conclusions and choose the best possible response.'

Zelensky did not mention the incident in his nightly video address.

The Russian defence ministry said that 'warning fire' was opened on the ship from 'automatic weapons' in a bid to 'forcibly stop the vessel'. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured on Friday

Mykhailo Podolyak said the incident was a 'clear violation of international law of the sea, an act of piracy and a crime against civilian vessels of a third country in the waters of other states'

Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for the southern military command, stressed that the Russian statement had not been confirmed by other official sources. 'I believe that attention should be drawn to this and the peculiarities of hybrid warfare should be kept in mind,' she said in televised remarks.

'This statement could be a signal to all civilian vessels in the Black Sea,' she said, and called for all transportation and navigation there to be conducted under international guarantees. Russia, she added, was trying to assert its right to stop a ship or deploy aircraft in the Black Sea and 'face no consequences.'

Firing on a merchant vessel will ratchet up already acute concerns among shipowners, insurers and commodity traders about the potential dangers of getting ensnared in the Black Sea - the main route that both Ukraine and Russia use to get their agricultural produce to market.

Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's top agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets. Russia is also dominant in the fertiliser market.

Since Russia left the Black Sea grain deal, both Moscow and Kyiv have issued warnings and carried out attacks that have sent jitters through global commodity, oil and shipping markets.

Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, added that 'Ukraine will draw all the necessary conclusions and choose the best possible response. Pictured: Zelensky earlier this month

Russia has said it will treat any ships approaching Ukrainian ports as potential military vessels, and their flag countries as combatants on the Ukrainian side. Russia also struck Ukrainian grain facilities on the Danube.

Ukraine responded with a similar threat to ships approaching Russian or Russian-held Ukrainian ports. Ukraine also attacked a Russian oil tanker and a warship at its Novorossiysk naval base, next door to a major grain and oil port.

Ukraine and the West say Russia's steps amount to a de-facto blockade of Ukrainian ports that threatens to cut off the flow of wheat and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to world markets.

Russia dismisses that interpretation and says the West failed to implement a parallel agreement easing rules for its own food and fertiliser exports.
The mother of George Harrison wrote she was 'really ashamed I was a female' after she watched screaming fans at a Beatles concert.

Louise Harrison told teenager Janet Gray about the 'Beatlemania' scenes she witnessed at a gig in Manchester in November 1963.

Janet, from Crosby, Liverpool, sent fan mail to the Harrison family home in Mackets Lane, Woolton, on a weekly basis from 1963 to 1966.

Mrs Harrison diligently answered thousands of letters from fans around the world.

Their correspondence was intimate as Mrs Harrison took a keen interest in the teenager's personal life as she shared the exploits of her son as his fame soared.

In a letter sent in November 1963, she wrote: 'Dear Janet, I don't know anything about your mother's letter. I did not have one yet.

'I do hope my writing to you is not the cause of any trouble at home. For if so, I will definitely not write any more.

British musicians George Harrison (right) and Ringo Starr (left) dance with their mothers at the premiere party for their film, 'A Hard Day's Night,' in 1964

A letter from Louise Harrison, mother of George Harrison of The Beatles, one of thousands of letters she sent as replies to fan mail. The letter is one of a series of 25 letters in reply from Mrs Harrison which have been put up for sale

'Last Wednesday, I went to Manchester and I was really disgusted at the way the so-called fans just screamed right through the whole of the Beatles act.

'Nobody with any sense would pay and queue for a ticket just to stand on a seat and scream, and not hear one sound from the stage. I was really ashamed I was a female.

'Now Janet, I hope you will try and remember that your mum is your best friend, even if you don't see eye to eye on some issues. Thank God I get on fine with all my four children and they with each other.

'Anyhow, I shall pray that everything will be just fine for you in the very near future. Lots of love, Louise Harrison.

'PS I have about 90 letters not opened yet and hundreds opened awaiting replys (sic).'

In another reply in July 1964, she said: 'Dear Janet, this will have to be short.

'George was home for two days or rather nights - out all day rehearsing at Blackpool. George was not hurt, thank God, in crash.

'Oh, I'm surprised at you believing rot about Paul. What on Earth makes you believed it, I don't.

'You seem to be having a good time, eh! I want to get away this weekend.

'I must close now for shopping. Love, Louise Harrison

'Thanks for snap, it's very good.'='

In September 1964, she wrote: 'Dear Janet, I've been in Surrey five weeks.

'George was there five days before I came home. He is very thin but OK.

'Glad to hear you have a boyfriend. Hope you pass the GCE OK. I'm so busy I could scream. 3000 letters to answer at least. So I'll say cheerio for now.'

Nearly two years later in August 1966, she wrote: 'Dear Janet, I have just been away on holiday touring around France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and now I am back to about 500 letters and so I am afraid this will have to be rather short.

'I am hoping the boys will have a successful tour of America despite all the rumours we have heard.

'Congratulations and good luck to your brother. Sorry to hear of your misfortune with the moped. You are very lucky to get such good pay.

'I hope your mum enjoyed Lucerne, we were there.

'Best wishes, Louise Harrison.'

Two female fans watching The Beatles play at Manchester on 20th November 1963

A Beatles recital in Manchester, England, with policemen on standby to handle excitable fans. 11 February 1963

A series of 25 letters in reply from Mrs Harrison have been put up for sale by the family of Ms Gray.

They will be among items listed at the Liverpool Beatles Memorabilia Auction which takes place in the city on Saturday, August 26.

Further details can be found at http://www.beatlesauction.co.uk
A Russian region has declared a 'state of emergency' after its governor claimed that a Ukrainian drone caused significant damage to an apartment block.

Governor of western Russian region Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed in a Telegram post that a building in the city of Belgorod was damaged by a 'UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attack', but added that the 'reasons for the incident are being established.

He also shared several photos of smashed windows and shattered building tiles at a multi-story building, as well as a fragment with concentric blue and yellow circles the color of the Ukrainian flag.

The governor said that the attack, which took place at around 5:45 pm today in the south of the city, resulted in no casualities.

It comes just hours after Russia's defence ministry said that three drones were shot down over Belogrod, which another was taken out over the neighbouring Kursk region.

The governor shared several pictures of, including one of a fragment with concentric blue and yellow circles the color of the Ukrainian flag

The governor said that the attack, which took place at around 5:45 pm today in the south of the city, resulted in no casualities

It comes just hours after Russia's defence ministry said that three drones were shot down over the Belogrod region

It is not currently known whether the incident reported by Gladkov was caused by one of the drones mentioned by the defence ministry

The latest attack comes as Ukraine has stepped up the number of UAV attacks against Russia itself

It is not currently known whether the incident reported by Gladkov was caused by one of the drones mentioned by the defence ministry.

The latest attack comes as Ukraine has stepped up the number of UAV attacks against Russia itself, with fresh strikes launched on Moscow just this week.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones damaged government offices in the capital, and on Thursday Russia said it downed two drones headed for Moscow, a day after two others were destroyed on approach.

Targets included the west of the capital near the Karamyshinsky hydroelectric power station.

The attacks led to the closure of airspace over Moscows Vnukovo international airport and Kaluga city, 125 miles to the south west.

At least two drones were reported, with one filmed buzzing the Russian capital. A drone was said to have been shot down by Russia, while there were also reports of an explosion in Krasnogorsk in north-west Moscow.
Scout leaders have outraged parents with a woke style guide that condemns traditional terms including Girl Guides.

It also calls for postmen to be called postal workers and fireman to become firefighters stating that terms should not presume men are the default.

But the A-Z guidance on words and phrases for those writing material for the 113-year-old organisation has sparked fierce criticism from some.

The mother of one child who attends a Scout group in Derby told the Sunday Express: Life is confusing enough. I thought the one place they could be free of this nonsense would be the Scouts.

While Scout chiefs insisted no words are banned the guidance is unequivocal in parts. It states: Refer to Guides rather than Girl Guides. Never use he or his to cover all genders - use they or their or rearrange your sentence.

Scout leaders have outraged parents with a woke style guide that condemns traditional terms including Girl Guides. It also calls for postmen to be called postal workers and fireman to become firefighters stating that terms should not presume men are the default. Pictured: File photo

For example, rather than the winner should collect his prize, try the winner should collect their prize.

Dont use terms that presume men are the default, for example, dont use postmen or fireman when postal workers or firefighters would do. Its also humankind, not mankind. Actor and comedian cover people of all genders.

It continues: Family details and marital statuses are rarely relevant, unless the story is about family or marriage. Dont describe a woman as a mother of three, or define her using her partners identity.

While the guidance is not for children attending Scout groups the fact such politicised language has been endorsed by the organisation has still left parents concerned.

The Derbyshire mother, who asked not to be named, said: Its shocking. Its like they are trying to erase what a boy and girl is. Children of that age just need to be left alone and allowed to develop.

She added: I just want my child to become more confident and empowered about life and not constantly fear of saying the wrong thing.

Another parent said: I cannot understand it. Why cant they be left alone.

It comes after the Scouts were criticised for advertising for eight equality, diversity and inclusion roles earlier this month.

A Scouts spokesman said: Scouts is open to everyone, we welcome all young people and adults.

We have a style guide, but its not a set of rules, and no words are banned. We aim to be welcoming to every family, and use the words that match that ambition.
NHS workers have been told they are 'privileged' if they do not have to worry what pronouns people will assume they use.

Official guidance also warns staff it is 'oppressive' to use the wrong term to refer to a trans or non-binary patient.

Some hospitals threaten employees with disciplinary action and even prosecution if they fail to use a colleague's correct pronouns.

Others provide a long list of little-known terms used by some people including 'ze', 'sie', 'hir', 'co' and 'ey'  but say that others insist on only being addressed by their name and not referred to in the third person at all.

It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that some ambulance trusts are now telling 999 operators they should ask callers for their pronouns rather than risk misgendering them by saying sir or madam.

NHS workers have been told they are 'privileged' if they do not have to worry what pronouns people will assume they use. Official guidance also warns staff it is 'oppressive' to use the wrong term to refer to a trans or non-binary patient (stock photo)

Lottie Moore, head of Biology Matters at think-tank Policy Exchange, said: 'No one should be expected to say or believe someone is of the opposite sex, nor should they be expected to state their own pronouns.

'Compelled speech has no place within any public institution within a liberal democracy. Identity politics does not belong in healthcare.'

Equality and diversity policies obtained by the Mail under the Freedom of Information Act show that dozens of NHS trusts urge staff to announce their own pronouns when meeting patients for the first time.

Guidance used by both University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust states: 'When someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, devalued, triggered, alienated, or often, all of these things.

'It is a privilege to not have to worry about which pronoun someone is going to use for you based on how they perceive your gender.

'If you have this privilege, yet fail to respect someone else's gender identity, it is not only disrespectful and hurtful, but also oppressive.'

The Sheffield guide says using gender pronouns 'sets a tone of respect and allyship' and suggests staff include theirs in email signatures 'to help make this a normal part of our working lives'.

It admits it may feel 'awkward' asking at first, but adds: 'It is always more awkward getting it wrong or making a hurtful assumption.'

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a list of dos and don'ts regarding pronouns, including 'Don't say someone's pronouns aren't real (e.g. Mx, Ze, Xe)' and 'Don't say using 'they' as a pronoun isn't grammatically correct'.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust says: 'Some non-binary people prefer to use gender neutral pronouns such as 'one', 'ze', 'sie', 'hir', 'co', 'ey'.

'Some genderqueer people prefer to be referred to alternately as 'he' and 'she' (and/or gender neutral pronouns), and some people prefer to use only their name and not use pronouns at all.'

The Trust says it expects all its employees to use a colleague's new names and pronouns once they have transitioned, adding: 'Failure to do so could lead to disciplinary action under the Trust's disciplinary policy and/or prosecution.'

Similarly the Sussex guide warns: 'Any members of staff who refuse to use the name, pronouns or gender deemed appropriate by another member of staff will be seen as acting in a harassing and/or discriminatory manner and may be subject to disciplinary procedures.'

It also says that in maternity departments, 'pronouns are essential information during handover of care, to allow respectful communication from all members of staff'.

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust tells staff not to ask patients: 'What pronoun do you prefer?' It states: 'A person's pronouns and identity are not a preference.'

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust explains that the lack of a gender neutral pronoun in the English language has been criticised and that 'the dichotomy of 'he and she' in English does not leave room for other gender identities', adding: 'This can be a source of frustration to the transgender and gender queer communities.'
Britain should provide more resources to Afghans who risked their lives for the UK and honour promises made to help them build a new life, two charity bosses have told the Government.

Relocation flights to Britain were stopped nine months ago but thousands, including interpreters, are still stranded in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

James Needham from Help for Heroes and Enver Solomon from the Refugee Council wrote an open letter to immigration minister Robert Jenrick, marking the second anniversary of the mass evacuation that followed the Taliban seizing control of Kabul.

The letter states that many Afghans remain stranded while some of those among the 15,000 flown to Britain by the RAF are still separated from their family.

Among them are former frontline interpreters brought to Britain without their families as well as children who escaped on flights with relatives but have since been separated from their parents.

James Needham from Help for Heroes and Enver Solomon from the Refugee Council wrote an open letter to immigration minister Robert Jenrick

The letter marks the second anniversary of the mass evacuation that followed the Taliban seizing control of Kabul

In the letter, the charity bosses said they would like to 'express concerns over the failure to resettle eligible Afghan citizens in the UK... particularly those seeking to reunite with family members already given sanctuary in Britain.

'In 2021, the Government made a covenant with Afghan citizens, who had served our nation's interests by working with our Armed Forces and diplomatic services, that they would be resettled with their family members in the UK.

'The right to bring family members was central to our promise, recognising the Taliban would carry out retributive actions against those associated with the UK's presence in the country.

'Two years have passed since that promise was made and many families are still separated.'

The Mail's Betrayal of the Brave campaign found some Afghans stuck in Pakistan felt like 'prisoners', having spent more than a year unable to leave their hotels because their visas have expired and they risk possible deportation to Kabul if picked up by local police.

Some say they are desperate and have considered suicide, while more than 700 children are unable to go to school. Among those stranded is Ahmad, 32, a former frontline translator, who has spent more than 550 days in a hotel in Pakistan and described waiting to find housing in Britain as 'daily torture with no escape'. He said: 'I almost lost my life helping Britain and then to deny me entry for over a year is cruel and makes no sense.'

The open letter describes the 'brave men and women who served our country at a time of war. They served alongside our troops and diplomats, risking their lives...

'The least we should do as a nation is protect their loved ones.'

The Government said supporting the resettlement of Afghans was a priority with more than 12,300 individuals relocated.
US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy has hinted at a possible deal to allow Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to return to Australia.

Mr Assange has been facing extradition to the US on spying charges for more than a decade and claimed sanctuary in London's Ecuadorian Embassy for seven years.

But now ambassador Kennedy has said a solution could be in the pipeline to end the long-running saga.

US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy has hinted at a possible deal to allow Wikileaks founder Julian Assange to return to Australia

Julian Assange has been facing extradition to the US on spying charges for more than a decade and claimed sanctuary in the Ecuadorian Embassy for seven years

'It's not really a diplomatic issue, but I think that there absolutely could be a resolution,' she has told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'There is a way to resolve it'.

But she stressed any potential agreement was 'up to the Justice Department'.

Mr Assange has been fighting the British legal system for years to avoid being sent to the US, where he faces 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks' publication of classified diplomatic and military documents.

READ MORE: What DID Julian Assange do? Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has gained a mass of supporters from across the globe from Australian officials to ex-Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. But what charges has Mr Assange faced over the past decade? Here is a timeline of events. Advertisement

The charge relate to the massive data release of top secret military information by US serviceman whistleblower Chelsea Manning in the 2010 Cablegate scandal.

Quarter of a million politically embarrassing and military-sensitive US diplomatic cables were released on Mr Assange's Wikileaks site.

The leak sparked a criminal investigation into Wikileaks and Mr Assange, who was simultaneously accused of sexually assaulting two women in Sweden, which he denied and the charges were later dropped in 2019.

It began a 13 year battle against extradition from the UK, first to Sweden to face trial on the sexual assault charges but also against him then being extradited to the US.

Last month US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted Mr Assange still needed to face court to answer the charges against him.

'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,' he said.

But now Ambassador Kennedy has raised hopes of a possible alternative solution after she met supporters of the Wikileaks founder in June.

'It's an ongoing case,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

She said any possible plea deal would be 'up to the Justice Department.'

But she emphasised there was a way to resolve it and added: 'You can read the [newspapers] just like I can.'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange greets supporters in 2017 outside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London

Australia's ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd (far right, pictured with US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign minister Penny Wong) said the pursuit of Mr Assange had 'gone on too long.'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to fly to the US to meet with the Biden administration in late October, just as Mr Assange's legal options in the UK are set to finally run out.

His supporters have taken the comments from ambassador Kennedy as a sign a possible deal is in the works.

'Caroline Kennedy wouldnt be saying these things if they didnt want a way out,' Assanges brother Gabriel Shipton told the SMH.

'The Americans want this off their plate.'

The deal could still require Mr Assange to fly to the US to face court there before he could be allowed to return to Australia to serve any sentence.

He has already been imprisoned for four years in the UK since he was forced to leave the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2019 which may also be used as a mitigating factor.

His supporters hope he can now face downgraded charges in return for a guilty plea and the time served in the UK count towards his punishment.

However legal experts have warned Mr Assange may yet still refuse to willingly go to the US to face justice, with his family warning he may kill himself rather than travel there.

'Everything we know about Julian Assange suggests this would be a significant sticking point for him,' Australian National University international law expert Don Rothwell said.

'[But] its not possible to strike a plea deal outside the relevant jurisdiction except in the most exceptional circumstances.'

Demonstrators hold large letters spelling out 'Free Assange,' refering to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, currently trying to avoid extradition to the US

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to fly to the US to meet with Joe Biden (pictured) in late October, just as Mr Assange's legal options in the UK are set to finally run out

Last week Kevin Rudd, Australia's ambassador to the US, said the pursuit of Mr Assange had 'gone on too long.'

'As for Secretary Blinken's statements recently, that's to be anticipated from the administration, reflecting their concerns about the history of the case,' he said.

'We in Australia have our own concerns that we continue to reflect and my job as Australia's leading diplomat in the US is to engage effectively, which usually means silently with the US administration, in order to maximise our prospects.

'The prime minister has already made clear that this has gone on for too long. I agree with him.'

Since winning office in 2022, the Albanese government has been advocating for the US pursuit of Assange to end.

The PM said earlier this month: 'We remain very firm in our view and in our representations to the American government and we will continue to do so.

A solution needs to be found that brings this matter to a conclusion...Mr Assange needs to be a part of that, of course.'

Since winning office in 2022, the Albanese government has been advocating for the US pursuit of Assange to end
Japan and the US will this week agree to develop an interceptor missile to counter hypersonic warheads made by China, Russia and North Korea, it was claimed yesterday.

The agreement to target weapons designed to evade ballistic missile defences is expected when President Joe Biden meets Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida in the US on Friday.

The report, published in Japans Yomiuri newspaper, gave no source for the information, and officials at Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment last night.

Unlike typical ballistic warheads which fly on predictable trajectories, hypersonic projectiles can change course  making them more difficult to target.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, shake hands prior to a bilateral meeting ahead of the Group of Seven leaders summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Thursday May 18

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden pose for a group photo at the Itsukushima Shrine during the G7 Summit on May 19

Mr Biden and Mr Kishida are due to meet during a trilateral summit with South Koreas president Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David, Maryland, the report said.

The US and Japan agreed in January to consider developing the interceptor at a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin with their Japanese counterparts.

A deal would be the second such collaboration in missile defence technology after Washington and Tokyo developed a longer-range missile designed to hit warheads in space.

Japan is deploying the missile on warships in the sea between it and the Korean peninsula to defend against any North Korean strikes.
Landlords selling a property this year may have missed the top of the market and lost out on more than 10,000 compared to if they sold last year, a top lettings agent has warned.

Hamptons suggested landlords will have made a 10.1 per cent smaller gain by selling their buy-to-let this year compared to those who sold last year.

So far this year, the average landlord in England and Wales sold their buy-to-let for 94,800 more than they initially paid for the property, having owned it for an average of 11 years.

The gain is down 10.1 per cent from a record 105,300 last year and is almost identical to what landlords selling in 2016 achieved, it said.

Landlords selling a property this year compared to last year may have missed the top of the market, Hamptons says

This chart shows the gap between average landlord purchase and sale price in England and Wales

Hamptons attributed the smaller gains to a slowdown in house prices and the type of properties being sold.

The slowdown follows a sharp rise in mortgage rates, which is leading some landlords to consider leaving the buy-to-let market altogether.

However, Hamptons insisted that landlords are 'consoling' themselves' with record high rents.

Aneisha Beveridge, of Hamptons, said: 'As house prices start to slip back, there are signs that the landlords looking to sell today may have missed the top of the market.

'Rather, some investors are consoling themselves with record-breaking rental growth which is slowly ironing out the arithmetic for landlords.'

The Hamptons table shows the gap between the average landlord purchase and sale price

Average gains on the sale of a property by a landlord fell year-on-year in every region for the first time since 2020.

In percentage terms, northern regions recorded the largest year-on-year falls. This reflects both slowing price growth and a shift in the type of home being sold.

Smaller terraced houses and flats, which have seen weaker price growth in recent years, made up a higher share of all buy-to-let sales so far this year.

Table shows the average landlord profit on the sale of a buy-to-let property in England and Wales

North London estate agent Jeremy Leaf, said: Everyone knows there is a huge shortage of property to rent, particularly affordable, and the private rental sector plays such an important role in providing affordable social housing as well. To see these numbers and the sector in decline is worrying.

But the particular statistic which stood out for me is that the average length of time of sale for landlords is 11 years.

"This implies that it is not just accidental landlords who are selling up because they have cold feet but those who have been around for a while who are experienced and should be aware of all the pitfalls. It means supply is reducing just when it's needed and maintaining upwards pressure on rents.

'Its also disappointing that established landlords are selling up in such numbers when you consider that rents have gone up so much. You would think this would encourage more to stay in the business and take advantage of the longer-term gains.'

Northern landlords make more profit

In contrast to 2016, investor profits have risen fastest and furthest in the north of the country, according to Hamptons.

Investors in the North East recorded a 176 per cent increase in the average capital gain on the sale of a buy-to-let between 2016 and 2023, with all three northern regions boasting an increase in gains of at least 50 per cent since 2016.

House prices in Northern England have risen the most in the past seven years, while in parts of London and the South East prices have remained static.

Even so, higher average prices mean that in cash terms London landlords who sold up still saw the largest gross capital gains.

So far this year this figure stood at 308,500. However, this number is down 3.4 per cent from 319,300 last year and 15 per cent down from a peak of 365,000 in 2016 due to slower price growth.

There are just three regions where the average investor profit is still at six figures. These are London, the South East and East.

Average gains on the sale of a property by a landlord fell year-on-year in every region for the first time since 2020

The South West fell off that list this year when the average capital gain shrank from 105,000 in 2022 to 95,700 today.

It is likely that the amount made by landlords selling up will fall further on the back of both lower prices being achieved and a rising proportion of sellers having bought later in the house price cycle.

The average landlord selling in 2023 bought 11 years ago. It means 65 per cent of landlord sales this year were homes that had been bought since 2009, after the point where prices bottomed out.

This figure rises to 70 per cent for flat sellers, who typically have shorter holding periods and therefore tend to see lower capital growth.

Despite the slowing pace of price growth, the number of landlords selling for less than they paid is limited.

Only 6 per cent of landlords sold at a loss so far in 2023, slightly up from 5 per cent last year but down from 10 per cent in 2020.

However, almost one in five - at 19 per cent - of investors who sold a flat did so for less than they paid, alongside slightly more than one in five - at 22 per cent - of investors who sold a buy-to-let in the North East.

The average monthly rent and rental growth on newly let properties in July 2023

There are few signs that the pace of rental growth is slackening, with the cost of a new tenancy up 9.9 per cent year-on-year across Britain to an average of 1,282 a month.

On an annual basis, rents have risen more than 5 per cent for 27 consecutive months and above 7 per cent for the last 10 months.

This prolonged period of growth leaves the average rent 28 per cent higher than in February 2020, on the eve of the pandemic.

During the past year rents in London have continued to rise faster than anywhere else in the country, with the average price of a new let up 13.9 per cent.

Annually, rents here have been growing at a double-digit pace for 15 of the last 17 months.

However, the rate of Inner London rental growth has slowed as rents surpassed pre-Covid levels, with growth now broadly on par with Outer London.

However, looking back to the onset of Covid, rents have grown faster in the North than in the South.

While average rents in London and the South East are up 26 per cent and 24 per cent respectively since February 2020.

In the Midlands they are up 31 per cent and in Northern England they are up 33 per cent, where rents have risen on the back of higher house price growth as yields have held steady.

A sharp rise in mortgage rates means some landlords may have to consider leaving the buy-to-let market altogether

Ms Beveridge, of Hamptons, added: 'Lower house prices and higher rents will combine to shore up the rental market as more landlords hold off on the decision to sell.

'On the flip side, this will also weigh down on the Government's capital gains receipts handed over by landlords selling up over the next few years.

'New homes coming onto the market continue to achieve record rents and in the short term it's hard to see what would put concerted downward pressure on the pace of growth.

'With around 35,000 landlords coming off fixed rate mortgages each month, the upward pressure on landlords' costs marches on.

'In the run up to remortgaging, landlords are fighting to balance the books by paying down debt and hiking rents that have dropped below market rate.'
Women have been enhancing their eyelashes with mascara for thousands of years.

The first use dates back to 3,000 BC in ancient Egypt; the mixture was made out of antimony - animal fat and soot - and it was even worn by men.

The concoction then progressed through to the Victorian Era and was finally invented in 1917 when Eugene Rimmel made the first packaged mascara.

Today, mascara is an everyday staple, and various formulas have been tried and tested. But while many women wouldn't dream of going a day without it, very few people know how it's made.

In a short 'How It's Made' YouTube video, the ingredients were revealed leaving many shocked to learn what's in the chemical cocktail.

Mascara has been around for thousands of years and many consider it an everyday staple, but do you know how it's made?

While many wouldn't dare to leave the house without it, very few know what's exactly in the mixture. Luckily, the concoction has been revealed and has left many shocked

The narrator of the video explained mascara includes four basic ingredients: Wax, water, pigment and binders.

But while formulations vary depending on the manufacturer, almost every mascara consists of an oil soluble phase and a water soluble phase.

He explained, to prepare the oil phase a technician combines four different types of wax including: Carnauba wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, and glycerol stearate - an emulsifier which 'helps ingredients blend well.'

Next the technician adds liquid vitamin E, which conditions the lashes and gives the mascara its smooth texture.

Then a chemical compound called Pelemol D-2000 is included to make the mascara water-resistant.

The narrator of the popular video explained mascara includes four basic ingredients: Wax, water, pigment and binders

The technician heats and mixes four different types of wax and chemicals together in the first step of the process called 'oil soluble phase'

Various ingredients are added throughout the process including Vitamin E to give the product a silky feel and a chemical compound to make it water resistant

The mixture is then heated and once the wax starts to melt, they are blended together. This combination produces a 'semi-liquid gel that coats lashes with a shiny film.'

While this step is underway, the technician prepares the water-soluble phase separately. Which is done by heating up cold water, before adding an emulsifier.

The narrator explains: 'This will bind the water and oil phases when they're combined later on,' the narrator notes.

'Without an emulsifier, oil and water-solubles would naturally separate.'

To make the mascara black in colour a cosmetic-grade pigment of black iron oxide is then added to the hot water and the mixture is properly blended.

To give the mascara its classic black colour, a cosmetic-grade pigment of black iron oxide during the water soluble phase of the process

The technician then adds an organic compound to help balance the beauty staple's pH level and adds cosmetic powder to give it that silky feel.

To complete the magic formula, the technician then heats and blends the two mixtures together.

Before it is ready to be packaged, the mascara must pass a series of quality control tests. Firstly a machine called a viscometer is used to measure the thickness to make sure the product isn't too runny or gooey.

Once given the go-ahead the technicians will begin to package the product by pouring the batch into a filling machine which mixes the mascara continuously and keeps it hot.

This is to ensure the mixture remains liquid and doesn't jellify or clog the nozzles.

Before it is ready to be packaged, the mascara must pass a series of quality control tests, which involves using a viscometer to check the measurement

When it is ready to be packaged, the technicians keep the batch heated and mix it continuously as they package it to make sure the mixture doesn't clog

As it cools in the bottle, the mascara should transform into a semi liquid gel, and will be ready to be packaged and shipped to beauty stores across the world

'A mascara bottle typically contains about two ounces of mascara,' the narrator explains.

As it cools in the bottle, the mascara transforms into semi liquid gel and the employees finish the process by sealing it with a rubber stopper and screwing in a gap.

Finally, the bottles are labelled, sealed and packaged, ready to take the shelves of beauty stores across the globe.

The video of the mascara making process has raked in an impressive 317,000 views and beauty fans have been left bewildered by the process.

One person commented: 'This is one hell of a chemical soup!'

Another joked: 'Wow I'm pretty sure most of the fluids in my car are less processed and synthetic.'

One person jibed: 'Nothing like that healthy Iron Oxide look all over your skin.'
READ MORE: The cheapest way to drive from England to France revealed

The Points Guy site lifts the veil on what Eurostar's fanciest service is like

Travel experts film a Eurostar trip from London to Paris in the priciest and cheapest seats

Ever wondered what it's like to travel in Eurostar's swankiest class  business premier?

Two travel experts from The Points Guy lift the veil, and reveal whether it's worth paying the extra, which can be over 130 more than standard class.

The pair film their experiences in business premier class and standard on a trip from London to Paris. Read on for more, from barely noticeable recline functions and food that 'looks like a bucket of sick' to swanky lounges and free onboard Champagne.

BUSINESS PREMIER

Points Guy Editor Nicky Kelvin put business premier to the test, paying 325 for his ticket from St Pancras International to Gare du Nord.

He enjoyed a speedy security process, lounging around in the business premier lounge before boarding and was served Champagne at his seat.

Points Guy Editor Nicky Kelvin put business premier to the test, paying 325 for his ticket from St Pancras International to Gare du Nord. He's pictured above with his at-seat Champagne

Nicky said: 'On board, the seat is comfortable with plenty of legroom'

The food (above) in business premier? 'Plentiful, fresh and very tasty,' according to Nicky

He told MailOnline Travel: 'One of the biggest wins of business premier departing from London is being able to dodge the security queues at the station. I had access to a priority security lane, which had no queue whatsoever.

The lounge, meanwhile, 'is a relaxing place to hang out before boarding the train and such a high-end lounge is rare in train travel'.

Nicky continued: 'On board, the seat is comfortable with plenty of legroom and the food and beverage service is of a high quality - plentiful, fresh and very tasty.'

Nicky is pictured above in the business premier lounge at St Pancras International

Any downsides?

Nicky said: 'While business premier passengers benefit from a queue jump at security, there is no such benefit at passport control, where the queues were rather long, and there is no priority when it comes to actually boarding the train, although it wouldn't make a huge amount of difference as boarding is relatively relaxed.

'Also, the seat does not recline much and may become uncomfortable on longer journeys, such as to Amsterdam.

'And the single seats have airline-style fold-down tray tables, unlike some other first-class train seats, which are a little roomier with a fixed solid table. The pair and quad seats seemed to benefit from proper tables and would be my choice next time.'

STANDARD CLASS

Putting standard class to the test was Liam Spencer, who paid 195 for his ticket

Liam said: 'My cabin offered a quiet, clean, spacious environment'

Putting standard class to the test was Liam Spencer, who paid 195 for his ticket.

He listed several plus points.

He said: 'I was impressed with the diverse range of food and drink choices available in the onboard cafe. The menu featured a wide selection, from sandwiches and hot meals to fresh juices and a solid choice of alcoholic beverages.'

He opted for a coconut dhal curry, which he says 'looks like a bucket of sick but tastes better than it looks', and a 'refreshing' gin & tonic  'a delightful treat in standard class'.

He continued: 'My cabin offered a quiet, clean, spacious environment. I was fortunate to have a four-person table to myself, a rare luxury that gave me plenty of room for stretching out, using my laptop, and enjoying a peaceful journey. While this was certainly a stroke of luck, even with seat neighbours I don't think I would have been short of space.'

Liam availed himself of the onboard cafe food and beverage options

Liam's curry in a pot, which he said 'looks like a bucket of sick... but tastes better than it looks'

Another upside to his trip was the check-in, security, and boarding process, which he described as 'straightforward, unfussy, and stress-free'.

He added: 'In contrast to the potential chaos at airports, international train travel offers a far calmer experience prior to reaching your seat.'

Any downsides?

Liam said: 'It's a shame that Eurostar doesn't offer a service for ordering food and drinks directly to your seat. This option is available on various other train providers, including LNER.

'And while the Wi-Fi was free, it was practically unusable due to how frequently it dropped out.'

The seat, too, came in for some criticism, with Liam declaring it 'firm and inflexible', with a recline button that was 'essentially futile'. He added: 'It barely shifted back more than a few millimetres when pushed down.'

For more from The Points Guy visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel. To see the original TPG Eurostar video click here.
Emergency slides are installed on planes to save lives  but they deploy with such force that they could take one away.

This fact is never lost on cabin crew, with former flight attendant Jay Roberts revealing to MailOnline Travel that accidentally activating an emergency slide 'is a mistake that flight attendants and airport staff worldwide dread, causing so much anxiety we have nightmares about doing it'.

Jay, who has worked as senior cabin crew for Emirates and who runs the popular Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge network, said: 'Even with several checks and balances involving more than one person to ensure the slides don't open accidentally, mishaps still happen, and at larger airlines, they happen several times a year and cost airlines tens of thousands to repack. In addition to being costly and causing great embarrassment among colleagues, being known as that crew who "blew a slide", the mistake poses a real danger to safety.

'No matter its size, a plane must be able to be evacuated in 90 seconds or less. Every second counts, which is why the emergency slides deploy with enough pressure to go fully inflated in a matter of seconds.

'That force can cause a deadly blow to someone standing in its way and not expecting its deployment.

Emergency slides are installed on planes to save lives  but they deploy with such force that they could kill someone. Occasionally, they are deployed by accident (above)

Jay Roberts (above) - who has worked as senior cabin crew for Emirates and who runs the popular Fly Guy's Cabin Crew Lounge network - said the fear of accidentally activating an emergency slide 'is a mistake that flight attendants and airport staff worldwide dread, causing so much anxiety we have nightmares about doing it'

'While I don't know of an incident where someone has died due to being crushed by a slide, there have been times when it came close. In 2013, Asiana Flight 214 crashed on landing at San Francisco International Airport in California. The impact force caused two of the eight slides to inflight inwards trapping two flight attendants at their stations beside the exits. One of the flight attendants was reported to be choking to death from the pressure and was saved by the quick action of a senior crew member who used a cabin emergency axe to deflate the side.

'Due to this safety risk, most modern aircraft exit slides are designed to disarm automatically when opened from the outside.

'What's more, whether the airline's procedure calls for the door to be opened by the ground staff outside the plane or the flight attendants, all airlines will have a slide-disarming process at the end of every flight to minimize the risk of accidental slide deployment. When you pull into the gate, you will always hear an announcement like "cabin crew prepare for arrival and stand by for all call".

'After this PA, the crew are released from their jumpseats and they disarm their doors. If they are on a plane large enough to have other crew stations, they will visually or physically check that their colleagues in the neighbouring station have also disarmed their door.

'On modern aircraft, the lead flight attendant will check a screen at the forward left side door to see if the slide status has changed from armed to disarmed. That crew member will then call all the flight attendant stations to recheck the slides verbally.

Jay said: 'No matter its size, a plane must be able to be evacuated in 90 seconds or less. Every second counts, which is why the emergency slides deploy with enough pressure to go fully inflated in a matter of seconds'

'Each crew member will say their station location followed by the confirmation "disarmed and crosschecked". Then the lead crew member will announce: "Clear to open doors."

'Following this, the crew member will still follow strict procedures to begin the opening process. You could not open the door at my former airline without a senior crew member called "the checker" behind you. You would look at the disarming lever and confirm it was disarmed with the words "door disarmed". The checker would then reconfirm, saying, "Door disarmed - you are clear to open." This was followed by slowly opening the door while watching for warning lights to indicate the door was still attached to the arming mechanism.'

Jay revealed that in addition, ground staff are trained on disarming the doors from the outside, with the most essential step being to 'step to the side or back as the door opens in case the slide inflates'.

Jay said: 'At my previous airline, the ground staff would give a thumbs up to the crew through the window, indicating it was safe to open the door, then they would step back and wait for us to open, giving themselves an escape in case the slide blew out of its hold.'

The former flight attendant remarked that even with all these procedures in place  'accidents happen'.

He continued: 'When you see photos or videos of slides deployed in the media, they are most commonly a result of crew oversights, older aircraft with manual disarming procedures, equipment malfunctions, or a passenger opening the exits on the ground.

'In my experience, inadvertent slide deployment was often caused by crew fatigue. For example, at my former airline, we operated many long night flights, and it was the airline's procedure that all doors were to be opened by the crew when they were on board. Generally, the slide deployments happened after these night flights.

'I remember one incident where the junior crew member disarmed their door, walked to the opposite exit to check their colleague had disarmed their door, came back to their exit, which had been verified by a checker to be disarmed, opened the arming lever guard and rearmed the door, ignored the warning lights that activate as you start to open the door in the armed mode, and blew the slide on opening.

Jay said: 'When you see photos or videos of slides deployed in the media, they are most commonly a result of crew oversights, older aircraft with manual disarming procedures, equipment malfunctions, or a passenger opening the exits on the ground'

'The result of a slide activation on passengers is often a long delay or flight cancellation. If the aircraft was operating an active flight, a new slide must be attached, which can take time to source and install. If one is unavailable, the aircraft can still operate. However, procedures typically require passengers to be moved from that area around the inoperative door, and if the flight is full, the number of passengers has to be reduced, meaning you could be kicked off the flight.

'Emergency slides are vital to commercial aviation and save thousands of lives annually. They are highly respected safety tools, and for those that get the rare chance to use them, the incident is an occurrence that goes down in their career history books and often goes on to become an airline legend. Aviation safety is a system based on trial and error, with each incident being used as a case study to learn and improve from. Each slide activation is investigated, and the data is used to form better procedures and airplane components to protect profits and people better.'

For more from Jay visit www.instagram.com/aflyguytravels and www.facebook.com/aflyguyslounge.
Sometimes things don't live up to expectations, as these jaw-dropping images of vacation rentals show.

Shocked holidaymakers have been taking to social media to share videos and photos of their substandard accommodation offerings, with mold, dirt, and bizarre room configurations among the mix.

One Redditor said they got more than they bargained for, when they got to their Airbnb and discovered a sex dungeon that wasn't stated in the listing and 'wasn't even hidden.' They said the whole thing was 'kinda odd' as they shared an image of the room.

Scroll down to feast your eyes on the wacky, weird and sometimes gross side of vacation rentals...

'Dirt, crumbs, and hair'

One Redditor made a post simply titled 'Disgusting Airbnb in Quebec City,' with photos showcasing the vacation rental's dirty interiors. She said the 'whole place was filthy'

The refrigerator in the apartment didn't look very appetizing and the Airbnb guest said 'every crevice of the mattress was full of dirt, crumbs, and hair'

Toilet humor

Another Redditor said the 'decorative plaque' in their Airbnb bathroom 'jokes about the despair of having no toilet paper, and yet there is no toilet paper in this bathroom and nowhere to store it'

Two-in-one?

This bathroom at an Airbnb in Oxford, UK, was described by a Redditor as 'truly unique,' with the shower and toilet in the same cubicle

X-rated amenities

A holidaymaker was shocked to find a 'weird' sex dungeon in their Airbnb. They explained on Reddit that there were no photos of the room on the listing and 'it's not like it's hidden... odd'

Not-so hot tub

After booking an Airbnb for its hot tub, one traveler wasn't impressed with what they found. They revealed on Reddit that it 'smelled terrible and was obviously not cleaned in forever'

Spot the difference

One Airbnb didn't look anything like it did in the listing, as these side-by-side photos posted to Reddit show

Fortunately the traveler didn't get too angry about being misled. They wrote: 'Yeah, it sucked. But we couldn't help but laugh. We just got a nice hotel that Airbnb helped pay for'

Left sea-thing...

One Redditor posted this image of a slither of sea just visible, along with the caption: 'I reserved an Airbnb with sea view... can't complain'

Wash and go

One traveler's Airbnb in Helsinki had this bathroom layout. They wrote on Reddit: 'On the bright side, I could potentially brush my teeth, shower, and do a number two at the same time'

Let down in LA

TikToker @kerbirae said she showed up at her Airbnb in Los Angeles and found it completely disheveled with stains on the carpet, mess everywhere and the mattress soiled

Many viewers expressed their horror after watching @kerbirae's video. One commenter wrote: 'I hope they didn't charge more than five bucks for that'

Kitchen conundrum

The layout of one Airbnb kitchen left one traveler bemused. They shared a snap of the space on Reddit and wrote: 'The oven can't open past this point due to the kitchen counter blocking'

Practical joke?
She cheated, yelled, whined and moaned at him throughout their on and off romance.

Now hunky Aidan Shaw is back for a third round of torture as he makes his grand return to Carrie Bradshaw's life in Sex And The City spin-off, And Just Like That...

In this week's episode of the HBO series - which airs locally on Binge - Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie rekindles her love with Shaw (John Corbett).

The episode opens with Carrie and Aidan reunited in New York at Che's apartment after another week apart.

It's revealed that Carrie's trip to her beau's Virginia farm at the close of last week's episode saw her meet Aidan's three sons, but she's still worried about the impression she made on the teenagers.

Fans of Sex And the City and And Just Like That... have taken to the internet to declare Sarah Jessica Parker's (pictured) character unworthy of her love interest, Aidan (John Corbett, pictured): 'Carrie didn't deserve a man like Aidan'

At the end of the episode Carrie meets up with Aidan's ex wife Kathy who reveals her reason for wanting to meet is to ask her not to write about her sons.

'I know your history with Aidan and you can't hurt him again because it's not just Aidan now, it's my boys,' Kathy cautions.

Highly charged arguments between fans have raged on Reddit after Carrie showed she was finally ready to settle down with the lovestruck carpenter and his three children in his country cabin.

'Carrie has matured a lot as we saw in AJLT S1, and got used to a calm domestic life with Big, so I think now she will finally really appreciate Aidan and the life she can have with him' said one fan on Reddit, referring to the pair's rekindled romance on And Just Like That...

Many agreed that the self-absorbed fashionista 'didn't deserve a man like Aidan after putting him through years of hell.

'She never deserved him! He was so weak for her for some reason...Carrie needs drama to be interested,' declared another Aidan defender.

'I still think Aidan is too good for Carrie', another user agreed.

Carrie and Aidan's romance in season three of the original series quickly turned sour after she cheated on the carpenter with her ex at the time, Mr Big (Chris Noth)

Others weighed in with more nuanced takes.

'Even though Aidan was wrong for Carrie, he was a very decent man and Carrie did him so dirty.'

'Carrie has matured a lot as we saw in AJLT S1, and got used to a calm domestic life with Big, so I think now she will finally really appreciate Aidan and the life she can have with him' said another fan.

Others questioned Carrie's claims that her relationship with Big was a mistake, saying it didn't sound like something she would say.

'Why in the hell is everybody so in love with Carrie Bradshaw?' New York writer Mark Herrera asked on Medium. Herrera singled out Carrie's on-off relationship with Aidan - which set the backdrop of much of SATC seasons three to six as well as the film sequel - as a glaring example of gaslighting

'Carrie is insufferable but I still don't believe she'd ever reconnect with Aidan and say, 'What if her marriage to Big was a mistake?' That doesn't even sound like her,' one viewer commented.

Carrie and Aidan's romance in season three of the original series quickly turned sour after she cheated on the carpenter with her ex at the time, Mr Big (Chris Noth).

After reconciling, Aidan proposed to the columnist and she said yes, but later got cold feet because of an inability to fully commit.

But criticism of how she mistreated Aidan has not been confined to social media comments, with many writers thinking getting back with Carrie is a grave mistake.

'Why in the hell is everybody so in love with Carrie Bradshaw?' New York writer Mark Herrera asked on Medium.

Indeed, fans will remember Carrie not only cheating on Aidan with Big several times after he sanded the floors in her apartment and saved the shoe-addicted serial spender several thousands of dollars, but after begging for him back she proceeded to treat him... terribly

Herrera singles out Carrie's on-off relationship with Aidan - which set the backdrop of much of SATC seasons three to six as well as the film sequel - as a glaring example of gaslighting.

'Let's get the obvious out of the way: as previously referenced, she cheated on Aidan with Big. A LOT. And only stopped once she got caught and reprimanded by Charlotte,' he wrote.

'Even putting that gigantic black stain aside, she frequently displayed an array of behaviours throughout her relationships that, today, would be considered "toxic".'

Indeed, fans will remember Carrie not only cheating on Aidan with Big several times after he sanded the floors in her apartment and saved the shoe-addicted serial spender several thousands of dollars, but after begging for him back she proceeded to treat him... terribly.

Not only did she blame Aidan for breaking her laptop, despite the fact it was her fault for not having a backup system, she raged at him when he bought her a brand spanking new one.

She also tried to force Big and Aidan to be 'friends' after the cheating scandal, inviting the man who ultimately helped break Aidans heart into his private country house he built with two hands.

After Aidan decided he wanted to propose to Carrie, she moaned about the 'ghetto gold' engagement ring he chose for her and when Samantha finally helped Aidan get a new one, she wore the ring around her neck.

While her friends voiced concerns over going too fast in her rekindled romance with Aidan, Carrie explosively revealed she wonders if her marriage to late husband Big was a mistake

She then broke up with Aidan AGAIN after he bought her apartment and the one next door to make them a home, and yet he still goes back to her in Just Like That The man is a glutton for punishment.

Despite all this, Aidan has thrown himself into a romance with Carrie in the reboot show.

They began with expensive hotel stays and moved on to pal Che's apartment, due to Aidan's reluctance to stay at Carrie's home due to their history.

Things go up another level when she agrees to jet to his farmhouse in Virginia and meet his sons.

And while her friends voiced concerns over going too fast, Carrie explosively revealed she wonders if her marriage to late husband Big was a mistake.

And Just Like That... follows the ladies from the iconic 90s drama show Sex and the City at a later stage in their life and is designed to appeal to both new and old viewers.
Fitness influencer Kayla Itsines is preparing to tie the knot with her fiance Jae Woodroffe following a two-year engagement.

But fans of the multimillionaire entrepreneur, 32, may not know of the unusual circumstances in which the couple's fairytale relationship first blossomed.

From getting together just months after leaving their respective exes, to Kayla's subsequent falling-out with Jae's ex-girlfriend - things weren't always so simple.

Kayla debuted her relationship with personal trainer Jae on September 26, 2021, when the couple was spotted packing on the PDA outside a kebab shop in Adelaide.

The sighting came just a few weeks after Kayla had split from her former boyfriend, a videographer known only as 'Mitch G'.

Australian fitness superstar Kayla Itsines (right) is about to marry Jae Woodroffe (left) - who used to date her good friend Lauren Belotti

Earlier in September, 'Mitch G' had been pictured packing his personal belongings into a moving fan outside Kayla's home, seemingly confirming their brief relationship was over.

Coincidentally, Jae also moved on with Kayla shortly after splitting with his long-time ex-girlfriend Lauren Belotti, who also happened to be close friends with Kayla.

Jae and Lauren are believed to have started dating in 2016, as indicated by loved-up Instagram photos posted by Lauren at the time.

Kayla debuted her relationship with personal trainer Jae (left) on September 26, 2021, after the couple was spotted packing on the PDA outside a kebab shop in Adelaide. The sighting came weeks after Kayla had split from her former boyfriend, a videographer known only as 'Mitch G'

Coincidentally, Jae also moved on with Kayla shortly after splitting with his long-time ex-girlfriend Lauren Belotti, who also happened to be close friends with Kayla. (Jae and Lauren are pictured together in happier times)

Interestingly, an Instagram page believed to be Kayla's private account would regularly comment on loved-up images of Jae and Lauren prior to their split.

The last photos of the former couple together were uploaded on May 23, 2021, following a night out with a group of friends - including Kayla.

A group photo taken during the outing even shows Kayla, Jae and Lauren all posing side by side.

Kayla and Jae debuted their romance four months later. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any party has ever been unfaithful.

Kayla declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia, but her spokeswoman Sara Bergstrom said the 'media narrative' suggesting Kayla and Lauren fell out because of Jae 'was false then, and [is] still false now'.

Interestingly, an Instagram page believed to be Kayla's private account - @kaylajamie_ - would regularly comment enthusiastically on loved-up images of Jae and Lauren prior to their split

The last images of the couple together were uploaded on May 23, 2021, following a night out with a group of friends - including Kayla (all pictured)

Kayla commented 'EXCELLENT PHOTO' on this Instagram snap of Jae and Lauren. Within just a few months, the couple had called it quits and Jae had moved on with Kayla

Kayla and Lauren's relationship appears to have since soured, and the pair no longer follow each other on Instagram.

In January 2022, Kayla finally debuted Jae on her Instagram page, uploading a photo of the pair cuddling alongside a caption describing him as her 'best friend for years and now partner'.

The relationship announcement also came almost two years after Kayla confirmed her split from ex-fiance Tobi Pearce in August 2020.

In January 2022, Kayla finally debuted Jae on her Instagram page, uploading a photo of the pair cuddling alongside a caption describing him as her 'best friend for years and now partner'

The former couple co-founded the Bikini Body Training Company after meeting in late 2012.

They were later ranked joint fifth on the Australian Financial Review's Young Rich List in 2018, making them the wealthiest self-made twenty-somethings in Australia.

Kayla and Tobi share custody of their daughter Arna, four. Kayla also welcomed her first child with Jae, a boy named Jax, in January.
Bindi Irwin has paid tribute to her late father Steve Irwin by sharing footage of them together to celebrate World Elephant Day.

Taking to her Instagram on Saturday, the 25-year-old zookeeper uploaded a never-before-seen throwback video with her dad in the early 2000s.

'Wishing you the very best #WorldElephantDay. This icon animal needs our respect and protection. Please remember to say NO to wildlife products,' she captioned the post.

In the decades-old footage, a little Bindi can be seen holding hands with dad, before Steve picks her up and throws her into the air.

Steve tragically died at 44 in 2006 after being stung by a stingray off the coast of Queensland.

He is survived by wife Terri as well as his daughter Bindi and son Robert.

The Irwins have meanwhile kept Steve's memory alive through their conservation work at Australia Zoo.

Last week, Bindi paid tribute to Terri on social media to mark her 59th birthday.

Bindi Irwin (pictured), 25, has paid tribute to her late father Steve Irwin by sharing footage of them together to celebrate World Elephant Day

Sharing a photo of herself and Terri posing at Australia Zoo, the Wildlife Warrior wrote: ''Mum, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You are the most extraordinary mama and now watching you become the very best grandmother, my heart is overflowing,' the mother-of-one began.

'With each new year I love, admire, and appreciate more and more the remarkable woman you are. Thank you for your incredible strength and guidance, thoughtful patience and encouragement, and above all - your unconditional love.

Bindi added that one of the qualities she most admired about Terri was her selfless nature and how she was always caring for others.

Taking to her Instagram on Saturday, the zookeeper uploaded a never-before-seen throwback video with her dad in the early 2000s

In the decades-old footage, a little Bindi can be seen holding hands with dad, before Steve picks her up and throws her into the air

She also shared a sweet throwback interview with her late father Steve, who was discussing how he knew from the moment he met Terri that she would be the love of his life.

Elsewhere, Australia's Zoo's Crocodile Hunter Lodge marked the occasion by sharing a photo of a beaming Terri with her children and Bindi's husband Chandler.

'Happiest of birthdays to you Terri. Thanks for your passion and determination,' read the caption.

Last week, Bindi paid tribute to Terri (right) on social media to mark her 59th birthday
Jamie Lynn Spears was feeling super nostalgic in her latest Instagram post on Saturday.

The actress, 32, posted a photo dump featuring pictures from production (which took place in North Carolina) of the recently released film Zoey 102, including some shots with her younger daughter Ivey and her mother Lynne Spears.

'Only thing we loved more then [sic] our time in North Carolina was getting to know and love the people who make it so special  ' Jamie Lynn wrote in the caption.

The first image showed Jamie Lynn walking along the side walk in a hot pink puffer coat which was only zipped half-way to allow with Ivey, four, to walk with her mom while inside of the big coat.

In the photo, the four-year-old smiled towards the camera as Jamie Lynn carried large white woven purse.

Nostalgic: On Saturday, Jamie Lynn Spears (left) shared a series of 10 photos on Instagram from filming Zoey 102 in North Carolina, including some with her younger daughter Ivey (center) and mother Lynne Spears (right)

Cast night out: One of the photos that Jamie Lynn included in her Instagram post was this shot of the Zoey 102 cast enjoying a night out at a bar during production, which took place in North Carolina

Pretty in pink: The first image showed Jamie Lynn walking in a hot pink puffer coat which was only zipped half-way to allow with Ivey to walk with her mom while inside of the big coat

The second image showed various plates, which had various drawings done on them with crayons, that were up on a brick wall.

Up next was a photo showing a behind-the-scenes ('BTS') from production of Zoey 102.

In the image, Jamie Lynn is seen in a stylish pink and purple patterned blazer coat getting her makeup done by one of the makeup artists prior to filming a scene.

The fourth photo from the actress's Instagram post was group photo of herself with various cast members from the film (the majority of whom also appeared in the original TV series, Zoey 101) enjoying a night out at a bar during filming.

The next image showed Ivey showing off the building she made with various wooden pieces.

Another image was of a group gathering at someone's house during the night. In addition to Jamie Lynn, Zoey 102 director Nancy Hower was among the group of people seen in the picture discussing something.

The seventh picture was of Jamie Lynn, her mother Lynne, an Ivey posing in front of a white horse while spending an afternoon together.

Ivey is Jamie Lynn's only child with her husband businessman Jamie Watson, who she wed in 2014.

In addition to Ivey, Jamie Lynn is also the mother of a fifteen-year-old daughter named Maddie, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend Casey Aldridge.

Jamie Lynn made headlines and generated controversy back in December 2007, when the then-16-year-old actress announced she was pregnant with Maddie.

The announcement came one month before the fourth and final season of Zoey 101 aired.

Another image was of a group gathering at someone's house during the night. In addition to Jamie Lynn, Zoey 102 director Nancy Hower was among the group of people seen in the picture discussing something

BTS content: One photo from the 32-year-old's Instagram post included a 'BTS' photo from production of Zoey 102. In the picture, Jamie Lynn wore a stylish pink and purple patterned blazer coat as she was getting her makeup done by one of the makeup artists prior to filming a scene

Vroom vroom: This photo showed Ivey (left) and Lynne (right)siting in a red convertible that was inside of a restaurant that the two dined at with Jamie Lynn

Meanwhile, another image showed Jamie Lynn enjoying a night in a jacuzzi with some of her Zoey 101 and Zoey 102 co-stars.

Also included in Jamie Lynn's photo dump was a shot of Ivey and Lynne siting in a red convertible that was inside of a restaurant that the two dined at with the 32-year-old.

Jamie Lynn's August 12 Instagram post comes following the release of Zoey 102 on Paramount+ last month.

Zoey 102 is a sequel film to the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 (2005-2008) and features several of the show's main cast members. The film also introduces a few new characters.

Production for the film took place in Wilmington, North Carolina.
The cast of Binge's The Real Housewives of Sydney reboot has officially been announced.

Dubbed as the 'seven sirens of Sydney,' the reimagined 10-episode series promises to deliver drama, luxury, and the unmistakable dazzle of Sydney's high society, with an international twist.

Ex-Channel 7 presenter Sally Obermeder, footy WAG Terry Biviano, celebrity vet Dr Kate Adams, lifestyle consultant Victoria Montano, and socialite Caroline Gaultier have all joined the cast of the reboot.

Meanwhile former housewives, model Krissy Marsh and beauty queen Nicole O'Neil will return to the franchise.

Meet the new generation of glamorous Sydneysiders set to star on The Real Housewives of Sydney, coming soon to Binge.

The official cast of The Real Housewives of Sydney was announced on Sunday. Pictured is new cast-member, footy WAG and shoe designer Terry Biviano

Terry Biviano

Terry Biviano, the wife of NRL star Anthony Minichiello, is set to make her reality TV debut on RHOS next season.

The shoe designer spoke to Stellar magazine about her exciting new gig, confirming that the new cast is as unique as it is fabulous.

'We are not looking at any other Housewives  or any other franchise  to be any particular character,' she said.

'We are literally much more interesting and fabulous than anyone else who has ever appeared.'

Dr Kate Adams (pictured) is the owner of world famous Bondi Vet Hospital

Dr Kate Adams

Dr Kate Adams is the owner of world famous Bondi Vet Hospital.

The celebrity vet is also the director of medical cannabis company Cannpal Animal Therapeutics, and is also the creator of gift and card business Thankly.com.au.

Caroline Gaultier (pictured) is known as one of Sydney's most stylish party girls.

Caroline Gaultier

Caroline is known as one of Sydney's most stylish party girls.

She previously lived in Prague and Tokyo, but not calls Bondi Beach home.

Victoria Montano (pictured) is the creator behind the luxury sportswear brand, Sport Luxe

Victoria Montano

Victoria is the creator behind the luxury sportswear brand, Sport Luxe.

She is also a stylist, show-jumper, wife, and mother and is known for her sharp wit and humour.

Sally Obermeder (pictured) is a former Channel Seven presenter known for hosting The Daily Edition

Sally Obermeder

Sally Obermeder is a former Channel Seven presenter known for hosting The Daily Edition.

She is also an author, and the co-owner of wellness brand Swiish.

The mother-of-two is also a survivor of breast cancer, and is a passionate advocate for breast cancer awareness.

Former model Krissy Marsh (pictured) is returning to the rebooted franchise after starring on Foxtel's original series,

Krissy Marsh

Krissy is returning to the rebooted franchise after starring on Foxtel's original series,

The outspoken former model and philanthropist never shied away from drama on the show, famously clashing with ex-housewife Lisa Oldfield.

She and her property developer husband John sharer three childrern, and previously lived in Shanghai, China.

Former Miss Australia Nicole O'Neil (pictured) is also returning to the franchise after becoming a fan favourite in the Foxtel series

Nicole O'Neil

Former Miss Australia Nicole O'Neil is also returning to the franchise after becoming a fan favourite in the Foxtel series.

Since leaving the pageant world, Nicole has built a lifestyle brand and events management company.

She has two daughters and is married to hedge fund manager Adam.

Rumours circulated at the end of last year that RHOS was getting a reboot with only two of the original cast members signing on. L-R is the former cast

Binge's executive director Alison Hubert-Burns told Daily Mail Australia in a statement last month: 'We are thrilled to be bringing The Real Housewives of Sydney series to Binge viewers.'

'The Real Housewives franchise is wildly popular across the globe, and we felt a cosmopolitan city like Sydney needed again to have a brand-new local version.

Rumours circulated at the end of last year that RHOS was getting a reboot with only two of the original cast members signing on.

The upcoming series will be available on Foxtel and On Demand. A date is yet to be announced.
OnlyFans model Lottie Moss has laughed off claims she slept with married former Made in Chelsea Star Spencer Matthews at Jamie Laing's wedding.

She admitted she 'partied' with Spencer, 35, but has denied hooking up with him after videos alleging it were viewed on social media platform TikTok more than 111million times.

Lottie, 25, hit back at claims that was a 'homewrecker' while speaking to the Sun's Fabulous magazine, saying that while Spencer is a 'great guy' all they did was party with each other.

'There was nothing more to it,' the model, who is the half-sister of Kate Moss, 49, told the magazine.

Rumours were also abound on WhatsApp in May that Lottie and Spencer had had an affair behind the back of his wife, model Vogue Williams, 37.

'Nothing more to it': Lottie Moss has denied rumours she hooked up with ex-Made In Chelsea star at Jamie Laing's wedding

Not a homewrecker: Lottie, 25, admitted she 'partied' with Spencer, 35, but has denied hooking up with him after videos alleging it were viewed on social media platform TikTok more than 111million times

Going strong: Spencer has said before that he gave up drinking to save his marriage - and he attended his friend's wedding alone as his other half Vogue Williams had work scheduled in Dublin

It was spread that they got together at the wedding of friend Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo in Marbella, Spain, where Spencer performed duties as master of ceremonies.

Spencer has said before that he gave up drinking to save his marriage - and he attended his friend's wedding alone as his other half had work scheduled in Dublin.

Refuting the rumours, Lottie told Fabulous that 'it's not true' and 'it didn't happen', adding that everyone who attended Jamie's wedding knows they did not hook up.

Lottie said she was hanging out with Made In Chelsea star Liv Bentley on the night in question and said rumours were even started that she slept with Spencer.

'People wanted some gossip' as there were so many reality stars in attendance, she said, comparing the situation to 'chinese whispers'.

Also at Jamie's wedding were professional dancer Oti Mabuse and other Made In Chelsea stars Millie Mackintosh, Hugo Taylor and Ollie Locke - as well as new Strictly Come Dancing contestant and ex-Lover Islander Zara McDermott, who attended with boyfriend Sam Thompson.

Lottie fell into drug abuse due to her struggles with her older sister's celebrity and the pressures of modelling - but she is now sober after going to rehab in Arizona last year.

The OnlyFans model and Made In Chelsea star Spencer have been good friends for many years, after she dated his reality TV friend Alex Mytton in 2017.

However their relationship ended after claims he cheated on her multiple times.

Lottie, who is filming for Celebs Go Dating, is now rumoured to be going out with co-star Adam Collard.

Here we go: Never mind Celebs Go Dating , Lottie Moss and Adam Collard suggested celebs really are dating as they exited the same building on Monday

Previously: Adam and Lottie were hand-in-hand as they dined out at Chiltern Firehouse in London on Sunday evening

After signing up for the latest series of the E4 show in July, she joins Vanessa Feltz and Love Island's Chloe Burrows on the hunt for love.

Lottie has hinted at a potential romance with Adam over recent days after they were spotted leaving celebrity hot spot the Chiltern Firehouse hand-in-hand.

The pair are currently taking part in the new series of Celebs Go Dating.

Speaking to MailOnline about his involvement in the show, Adam said: 'Celebs Go Dating is a lot of fun, a really good cast it's a lot more lighthearted and less serious.

'It's actually nice to do a show at home. The cast really get on and we went out the other night, me, Spuddz, Chloe and Lottie.

'With Celebs Go Dating it matches me as an individual, I can go there come away and tell my family and friends about it, like who I went on a date with, what were they like.

'It's nice to go home and talk about it instead of after 12 weeks being like this is who I'm with. Imagine being in a relationship with someone and asking for their number.

'But I'm sure viewers will find it [Celebs Go Dating] really, really funny.'
Nicole Kidman has reacted to the devastating wildfires that are wreaking havoc in Hawaii.

The Australian-raised actress, who was born in Honolulu, expressed her heartbreak in an Instagram Story post on Sunday.

'I am shaken by the devastation in Hawai'i and feel so deeply for the loss that people are experiencing,' the 56-year-old wrote in text on a black background.

'I was born in Hawai'i and i have such love and connection to the island. My family and my mother share the concern for everyone whose lives have been hurt and destroyed.' she continued.

Nicole said she and her family had donated to charities that were assisting in the recovery efforts, and encouraged her fans to do the same.

Nicole Kidman, 56, (pictured) has reacted to the devastating wildfires that are wreaking havoc in Hawaii

The Australian-raised actress, who was born in Honolulu, expressed her heartbreak in an Instagram Story post on Sunday

Nicole was born in Hawaii and given the Hawaiian name Hokulani which means 'heavenly star' and was inspired by the name of a baby elephant born around the same time at Honolulu Zoo.

Her family moved to their Australian homeland when Nicole was four, settling in Sydney.

It comes after the Hawaiian wildfires death toll hit 80, after the horrific inferno tore through the town of Lahaina, which is in Maui County.

Nicole was born in Hawaii and given the Hawaiian name Hokulani which means 'heavenly star' and was inspired by the name of a baby elephant born around the same time at Honolulu Zoo.. Nicole (left) is pictured as a child with sister Antonia

Pictured is an aerial view shows charred cars demolished buildings on Friday, August 11

The fires were fuelled by a number of atmospheric elements - dry conditions, low humidity and the 60mph gusts of winds caused by Hurricane Dora - a category 4 hurricane.

The winds were so strong it knocked out power lines and damaged homes, CBS News reported.

The outlet reported that the US Coast Guard rescued 17 people who jumped into the harbour in Lahaina as the fires overtook the town.

'There were no fire trucks at that point, I think the fire department was overwhelmed,' a business owner in Lahaina told CBS News.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said it appears like a 'bomb' went off after around 1,700 buildings were destroyed in the blaze.
Sky News presenter Peter Stefanovic and his wife Sylvia Jeffreys have offloaded their Double Bay mansion just days after he complained about Sydney's eastern suburbs property market.

Peter, 41, and his Today Extra host wife, 37, listed the four-bedroom terrace in July and were preparing for an August 22 auction conducted through Oliver Lavers of The Rubinstein Group.

However, according to The Sunday Telegraph, keen buyers sealed the deal on Friday at an undisclosed sum, reportedly surpassing the couple's $4.5m expectations.

Lavers had hinted during the week to both enthusiastic purchasers and their increasingly persistent buyer agents that offers were already pouring in, exceeding the $5m mark.

The couple purchased the two-storey property for $2.7 million back in 2016.

Sky News presenter Peter Stefanovic, 41, (left) and his wife Sylvia Jeffreys, 37, (right) have offloaded their Double Bay mansion just days after he complained about Sydney's eastern suburbs property market

The elegant four-bedroom, two-bathroom terrace (pictured) had initially been slated for an August 22 auction, conducted through Oliver Lavers of The Rubinstein Group

It is understood the journalists want a bigger home with room for their family, including their two young sons.

News of the sale comes just days after Peter, who is the brother of Today host Karl Stefanovic, aired complaints about the brutal property market in Sydney's eastern suburbs amid the cost of living crisis.

Speaking on his The First Edition show, Peter lamented that his search for a new home in Sydney's upmarket eastern subrubs was being impacted by the rising costs.

Speaking to Yellow Brick Road Home Loans executive chairman Mark Burris, Peter said 'properties, more so in the eastern Suburbs' were getting so expensive.

'PropTrack and CoreLogic data shows the pace of property price growth is slowing. Are you buying this?' he said.

'Because I'm still seeing a lot of properties, more so in the eastern suburbs though that might not surprise you, that are still going way overs,' he continued.

Earlier in Stefanovic's eastern Sydney-centric commentary, he asked Mark to lend his take on Meriton boss Harry Triguboff's suggestion to build apartments in Little Bay, about 10km from his Double Bay home.

News of the sale comes just days after Peter, who is the brother of Today host Karl Stefanovic, aired complaints about the brutal property market in Sydney's eastern suburbs amid the cost of living crisis =

'Because he says, you know it's been run down, there's a lot of space there, there's the prison [Long Bay Correctional Complex] there, etcetera.'

'But it's being knocked back, because some locals don't want to get it. But is that an example of an idea that could well be pursued [to increase Sydney's housing supply]?'

Bouris agreed with the suggestion, however pointed out many developers may be unwilling to invest in such a proposal given the red tape involved in getting government approval.

It comes as the median value of houses in Sydney rose by another one per cent to an even more unaffordable $1,333,985 in July, CoreLogic data showed.

He moaned about rising costs in his posh neighbourhood after listing his $4.25million Double Bay home (pictured) for sale

Properties have become so expensive, the average full-time worker on $94,000 a year would struggle to pay off a $1million loan.

Singles earning that much would owe the bank 11 times their salary with a 20 per cent mortgage deposit.

In the eastern suburbs, Bondi prices are well above $4million, rising to $8million in harbourside Vaucluse, CoreLogic data shows.

This puts housing beyond the reach of even a dual-income couple, with households in these beachside postcodes typically earning more than $200,000 a year, tax office figures show.

An elite professional would need to earn $377,553 to even afford a $2.84million house and avoid mortgage stress, where someone owes the bank six times or more of what they earn.
The Block judge Neale Whitaker has deleted social media post in which he slammed producers for editing footage of his farewell speech during last Sunday's premiere.

During the scene, the 61-year-old revealed to co-hosts Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer that he would be cutting back on his judging weeks, however his explanation as to why he was stepping away never made it to air.

Neale subsequently came out swinging against The Block's editors for the 'frustrating' and 'unexplained decision' not to include the part where he revealed he was taking time off to care for his partner David - who was experiencing health issues.

This post has since been removed from his account, leaving fans wondering if he was asked to take it down, or whether he removed it on his own accord.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Neale's management for comment.

The Block judge Neale Whitaker, 61, (pictured) has deleted social media post in which he slammed producers for editing footage of his farewell speech during last Sunday's premiere

The now-deleted post read: 'There's nothing more frustrating than an unexplained decision or an incomplete narrative  especially where health and family are concerned.'

'This is what went to air tonight on the first episode of The Block's 19th season, my 17th. I broke the news to Shaynna and Darren that I would be unable to join them each week and explained my reasons. It was an emotional conversation for all of us,' he continued.

'Unfortunately those important reasons didn't make the cut so here goes,' the interior design expert went on, before explaining that he'd chosen to 'put family first'.

During the episode, Whitaker revealed to Shaynna Blaze (left) and Darren Palmer (right) during the episode that he would be cutting back on his judging weeks, however his explanation as to why he was stepping away never made it to air

'David, my partner of 20 years, has been experiencing some serious and ongoing health issues and we knew my place was at home, he said.

The decor expert clarified that David has made 'great progress' in his recovery, and that his 'Block family have been fully supportive' of his decision to step away.

He also officially welcomed new judge Marty Fox, a top Melbourne real estate agent, who will be filling in for him during his absence this season.

Whitaker clarified in his post that he'd actually told Blaze and Palmer he wanted to spend more time with his partner David (left) who was experiencing health issues

'There's nothing more frustrating than an unexplained decision or an incomplete narrative  especially where health and family are concerned,' the interior design expert wrote on Instagram next to a clip of the scene

Fans may remember Marty from the 2020 season of the show, when he sold Harry and Tash Pavlou's stunning home.

To conclude, Whitaker promised that fans would see him back to normal on the show in 2024 for The Block's 20th anniversary season.

Whitaker had previously announced he would be paring back his role on The Block to spend time with David in a similar Instagram post last month.
Matt Damon is one of the nicest guys in Hollywood.

And the Oscar winner, 52, was every inch the family man when he headed to the cinema in Byron Bay on Friday.

Matt, who is visiting good pal Chris Hemsworth, took along wife Luciana and his daughters Isabella, Gia and Stella to the flicks.

Matt looked like any other dad with his brood wearing a long sleeve top which accentuated his muscled physique.

He finished his look with a black cap along with a number of bohemian-style bracelets, popular in the resort town.

Matt Damon, 52, proved to be every inch the family man on Friday. Pictured

Matt, who is visiting good pal Chris Hemsworth, took wife Luciana and his daughters Isabella, Gia and Stella to the cinema

Luciana opted for a casual look wearing a pair of bright purple pants along with an unbuttoned cardigan.

The Argentine star wore a pair of stylish sunglasses on her head.

Matt is a frequent visitor to Australian shores and spent six months living in the country with his family in 2021, where he filmed a role in the latest Thor installment.

'I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months,' Matt said ahead of the shoot.

Matt looked like any other dad with his brood wearing a long sleeve top which accentuated his muscled physique. He finished his look with Golden Goose sneakers and sunglasses

'Australian film crews are world renowned for their professionalism and are a joy to work with so the 14 days of quarantine will be well worth it.'

He added: 'Australia definitely is the lucky country.'

The US actor's trips have only fuelled rumours he is looking to relocate Down Under with his family on a full-time basis.

Luciana opted for a casual look wearing a pair of bright purple pants along with an unbuttoned cardigan. She wore a pair of sunglasses atop her head

The megastar couple looked like they were enjoying the ease of the Australian town

Matt is a frequent visitor to Australian shores and spent six months living in the country with his family in 2021, where he filmed a role in the latest Thor installment.

A source told Woman's Day: 'Matt loves Australia... Chris enjoys the quiet life away from Hollywood and that just makes it even more appealing.'

It's not the first time reports have surfaced about Matt's rumoured plans to move to Byron Bay.

'Matt's telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year,' a 'top' source told the publication.

The power couple looked like any other cinema-goers with their children

'I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months,' Matt said ahead of the shoot

A source told Woman's Day: 'Matt loves Australia... Chris enjoys the quiet life away from Hollywood and that just makes it even more appealing.'

The superstar has even battled rumours he plans to move Down Under with his family

'Matt's telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year,' a 'top' source told an Australian publication

'Matt's saying the move will not impact his work  as he will travel to wherever his projects are shooting. He's also telling friends he wants to have a safe place to raise his kids.'

But despite whispers of a move Down Under, Matt has denied he is leaving the US.

'Matt has visited Australia several times recently, but he has not bought a house there nor is he moving there,' his representative said at the time.

Matt is married to Luciana Barroso, 47, and the couple share three daughters - Isabella, Gia and Stella.

The Good Will Hunting star is also the stepfather to Luciana's daughter from her previous marriage, Alexia.
Rita Ora has revealed that her husband Taika Waititi was the driving force behind her new album, You & I.

The 32-year-old British pop star told The Sydney Morning Herald this weekend that her New Zealand film director spouse brought out her creativity and encouraged her to get more involved with the songwriting process.

'I wanted to tell a story of finding love, but it went deeper than that, because to find love, you have to find who you are, what makes you happy,' she said.

'You're really focusing on your emotions instead of just throwing them under the rug, which is what I usually do.'

Rita was so focused on the album that she was back in the studio the morning after her wedding.

Rita Ora has revealed that her husband Taika Waititi was the driving force behind her new album, You & I. Both pictured

'I had a session booked with a producer, Cirkut, and I didn't want to cancel,' she says.

'I told him, "I'm a bit slow as I got married yesterday." So we wrote a wedding song. The fact my brain was a bit foggy worked in my favour. There was no judgment. I was in the moment.'

The resulting 'wedding song' - the album's title track You & I - is inspired by music played at the couple's wedding, including Eternal Flame, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Wonderful World, Everlasting Love, Sweet Caroline, Stand by Me and The Way You Look Tonight.

'Basically it's our wedding playlist,' Rita told the publication.

The British pop star says her New Zealand director spouse encouraged her to get more involved with the songwriting process. The cover of You & I is pictured

The pop star included intimate clips from their secret wedding in the music video for the single You & I, which was released last week.

Rita and Taika married at her home in Los Angeles in August 2022 with the bride wearing a Tom Ford gown.

The couple tied the knot in an impromptu ceremony that they planned in just two weeks with eight people in attendance, after Rita popped the question during a trip to Palm Springs.

Taika revealed: 'She proposed to me, and I said ''yes'' instantly.'

The pop star included intimate clips from their secret wedding in the music video for the single You & I, which was released last week

Rita was so focused on the album that she was back in the studio the morning after her wedding. The album's title track You & I is inspired by music played at the couple's wedding

Discussing the ceremony, the director added: 'There were about eight people there - just close friends and family, and parents on Zoom.'

In January, Rita finally confirmed that she and Taika had tied the knot after months of speculation, describing the nuptials as 'perfect' and a 'special day'.

Rita said: 'Yes [I am married]. I am officially off the market people. I chose to keep it more private and keep it to myself more but with my new video I am playing on what could have been'.

Rita and Taika started dating in March 2021, before going public with their romance that August and becoming engaged in 2022.
Gethin Jones fuelled romance rumours this week as he was spotted out with First Dates star Cici Coleman.

The television presenter, 45, and the actress, 36, lent their support to pal Frankie Bridge as they watched her perform in 2:22 A Ghost Story, in London's West End on Wednesday night.

They then enjoyed drinks at the Apollo Theatre before heading to The Groucho Club to continue their evening.

According to The Sun, an insider revealed: 'They've grown close and have been spending time together.'

The pair appeared happier than ever as they strolled through the streets of London side-by-side.

Blossoming? Gethin Jones fuelled romance rumours this week as he was spotted out with First Dates star Cici Coleman

Cici put on a chic display in a black leather skirt and black cami top.

She paired her look with stylish nude heels and carried a brown clutch bag in hand.

Meanwhile, Genthin looked as dapper as ever in a navy blue shirt and black trousers.

The pair were pictured arriving together as well posing alongside Frankie Bridge and Richie Anderson in the theatre.

Host of BBC's Morning Live Gethin was famously engaged to fellow Welsh star Katherine Jenkins before the couple separated in December 2011 following a five-year relationship.

Speaking in 2014, mezzo-soprano Katherine claimed it was Gethin who initiated their split, shortly before she embarked on a world tour.

She: told Wales Online: 'At the end of 2011 when Gethin and I broke up, the reality of it was that about two weeks later I had to go on a UK tour where every night I'm singing songs of heartbreak and every day just trying to find the energy to cope let alone going on stage and understand his reason for doing it.

'Meanwhile everybody else is under the impression it was my decision, my ambition, I wanted to take over the world. It was so far from the truth.'

Public: The television presenter, 45, and actress, 36, lent their support to pal Frankie Bridge as they watched her perform in 2:22 A Ghost Story, in London's West End on Wednesday night

Stylish: Cici put on a chic display in a black leather skirt and black cami top

Friends: The pair were pictured arriving together as well posing alongside Frankie Bridge and Richie Anderson in the theatre

Handsome: Meanwhile, Genthin looked as dapper as ever in a navy blue shirt and black trousers

Dapper: The pair then enjoyed drinks at the Apollo Theatre before heading to The Groucho Club to continue their evening

While Katherine has since married painter and filmmaker Andrew Levitas, with whom she raises two children, Gethin's last known relationship was with German underwear model Katja Zwara.

The couple separated in 2018 after a year of dating, with a source confirming to The Sun: 'Gethin and Katja remain pals but things just didn't quite work out in the end.

'They split last month and have gone their separate ways.'

Gethin also had a brief relationship with TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh before the couple amicably parted ways in 2014.

As for Cici, she last revealed she had a boyfriend in October 2020 but remained coy about the details of her new romance.

In March the following year, Cici lifted the lid on her blossoming relationship, gushing that she is 'amazed' by her new man and what they have 'so far is incredible foundations for something beautiful in the future.'

Old times: Gethin was previously engaged to Katherine Jenkins before the couple separated in December 2011 following a five-year relationship (pictured together in 2010)

Previous romance: Gethin's last known relationship was with German underwear model Katja Zwara

Quiet: As for Cici, she last revealed she had a boyfriend in October 2020 but remained coy about the details of her new romance

Speaking to TOWIE's Pete Wicks on FUBAR Radio, the blonde beauty said: 'I've dated absolute a***holes and then there's been some lovely ones.

'But I have learned lessons from each one of them.

'I guess I did put it out there into the universe, not intentionally, I didn't sit and go "today, this is what I want from a guy".

'But in my head I'm like, "this is what I want", because I've learned what I don't want.

'And this guy popped up and he just keeps showing up - in all the right ways, not that he keeps knocking on my door!'
Spencer Matthews was hospitalised for two days of his family holiday after overdosing on cold sore tablets, his wife Vogue Williams has revealed.

The Irish media personality, 37, told how disaster struck while they were in Spain recently as the former Made in Chelsea star, 35, became unwell.

The family, including Spencer, Vogue and her auntie were all also taken down with a sickness bug while away as the trip descended further into chaos.

Speaking on her podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me with co-host Joanne McNally she said: 'Spenny was hospitalised for two days because he is a little b***h and he can't handle it.'

'Well I will tell you what, he overdosed on coldsore tablets. I am not joking, I am not joking, I'm not. He overdosed on cold sore tablets and his liver function, because he did it for a full week, taking ten of these things and he said 'oh they're fine'.

Oh no: Spencer Matthews was hospitalised for two days of his family holiday after overdosing on cold sore tablets, his wife Vogue Williams has revealed

Not ideal: The Irish media personality, 37, told how disaster struck while they were in Spain recently as the former Made in Chelsea star, 35, became unwell

'And he did it to me when I thought I felt a tingle and he said 'darling take six of these and you'll be fine' and you're only meant to take two.'

However, she did add that she wasn't sure that an 'overdose' was the reason and it was likely the sickness bug that had infected the family as Spencer in particular had struggled with it.

The parents were enjoying time away with their children - Theodore, four, Gigi, three, and baby Otto, 15 months.

The couple recently made a racy confession on their podcast, with Spencer revealing exactly how much sex they have together.

The couple admitted they'd had sex every single night for the past few weeks.

Despite being busy working parents to their three young children, Spencer insisted they made time for each other in the bedroom.

Vogue told the couple's Spencer & Vogue podcast listeners about a statistic she recently read: 'Couples are having sex less than ever before - 30% less than our parents.'

Spencer was quick to interrupt, exclaiming: 'Not in our house! Okay, I'm going to put something out there and it's going to upset a lot of parents.'

Joking: Speaking on her podcast My Therapist Ghosted Me with co-host Joanne McNally she said: 'Spenny was hospitalised for two days because he is a little b***h and he can't handle it'

Getaway: The parents were enjoying time away with their children - Theodore, four, Gigi, three, and baby Otto, 15 months

Terrible: The family, including Spencer, Vogue and her auntie were all also taken down with a sickness bug while away as the trip descended further into chaos

You and I have sex all the time, ok, so listen to this - we have sex quite a lot, don't we? We're on a real hot streak,' he confessed.

'The last three or four weeks - there's probably only about two nights where we haven't had sex,' Spencer added.

Vogue did caveat the confession though, explaining that they were going through a 'hot streak'.

'We're on a hot streak - it doesn't mean we're always going to be on a hot streak. I now regret the sex chat,' she laughed, joking that her husband was headed for 'a cold streak' if he carried on spilling about their sex life.

The couple announced their engagement in February 2018 after Spencer proposed on stage during a West End production of The Lion King.

The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony at Glen Affric, Spencer's family's 10,000 acre in the Scottish Highlands in 2018.

Having a great time: During the holiday Vogue took to her Instagram to shares snippets as she posed in a yellow bikini
Kyle Sandilands and his new wife Tegan Kynaston have moved out of their mansion.

The pair have shifted from the Bellevue Hill property, called Valadier, to a more 'family friendly' spot in nearby Vaucluse.

The new place, which the pair are also renting, is close to Nielsen Park, reports The Daily Telegraph.

It makes the spot perfect for Tegan to take strolls with the couple's one-year-old son, Otto.

Kyle and Tegan had been renting the $13.8million Bellevue Hill mansion for $8000 per week prior to their relocation.

Kyle Sandilands and his new wife Tegan Kynaston have moved out of their mansion. Both picture

The radio presenter moved into the sprawling property in the exclusive Sydney suburb in June last year and spent just over a year there.

The palatial home spans four levels and boasts stunning harbour views.

It has five bedrooms, six bathrooms and a two-car garage, as well as outdoor entertaining areas and a plunge pool.

The property features a white marble kitchen, hardwood floors and high ceilings, as well as a spacious wine cellar, plus elevator access to all four levels.

The pair have shifted from the Bellevue Hill property, called Valadier, and to a more 'family friendly' spot in nearby Vaucluse. Valadier is pictured

Kyle and Tegan had been renting the $13.8million Bellevue Hill mansion (pictured) for $8000 per week prior to their relocation

The radio presenter moved into the sprawling property in the exclusive Sydney suburb in June last year and spent just over a year there

The palatial home spans four levels and boasts stunning harbour views

The couple just celebrated their son's first birthday this past weekend with a $25,000 jungle-themed bash.

Sandilands and Kynaston, who began dating in 2019, announced in February last year they were expecting their first child together.

Following the birth of son Otto, Kyle tied the knot with a no expense spared ceremony at the Swifts mansion in Darling Point, Sydney.

Kyle reportedly splashed $1 million on the event with the likes of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and leading showbiz figures there.
Holly Willoughby looked nothing short of sensational as she posed in a floor-length floral gown for her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon on Saturday.

The presenter, 42, who is currently on her annual summer break but set for a huge pay-rise on her ITV return, stunned in the summer number.

Taking to her Instagram, Holly shared a snap of her posing in a field of grass to promote her perfume for the brand.

She wore an off-the-shoulder chiffon floor-length gown, which featured a corset-style bustier and intricate pink flowers embroidered on the skirt.

The star looked gorgeous as she held up the new product and gazed into the distance.

Gorgeous: Holly Willoughby looked nothing short of sensational as she posed in a floor-length floral gown for her lifestyle brand Wylde Moon on Saturday

Captioning the post, she wrote: 'As Elizabeth Taylor said "The beauty of fragrance is that it speaks to your heart...and hopefully, someone else's."

'(Borrowed from) The Wild, My signature scent from @wyldemoon moon comes from my heart to yours link on story  #ad #adandownbrand'.

It comes after it was revealed that Holly 'is poised for a bumper new pay deal with ITV' when she returns to a rejigged This Morning on September 4.

The presenter is currently on her summer break, with Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle currently taking care of hosting duties during her absence.

But it's understood she's in line for a 300,000 pay-rise, with her yearly salary - an estimated 700,000 - boosted to 1million when she returns to a rotating stable of presenters.

As exclusively revealed by MailOnline, Welsh presenter Steve Jones is also expected to join the team over the summer as ITV endeavour to move on from the abrupt departure of Holly's long-term co-host Phillip Schofield.

A source told The Sun On Sunday: 'Holly is at the heart of the shows future and success and ITV execs want her to steer a steady ship out of a rocky year. Itll be a strong start with Alison, kicking off as a dream team.

'Hollys pay deal is up for negotiation in a few months so they are putting together a lucrative package that will reflect her added responsibility without Phil, and they are prepared to go up to 1million a year.'

Wow! The presenter, 42, wore an off-the-shoulder chiffon floor-length gown, which featured a corset-style bustier and intricate pink flowers embroidered on the skirt

Lucrative: It comes after it was revealed that Holly 'is poised for a bumper new pay deal with ITV' when she returns to a rejigged This Morning on September 4

It is believed that Holly will line-up alongside Alison Hammond for her first two shows in September, with hosts including Jones also expected to feature at a later date.

ITV are understood to have spent 250,000 on revamping the beleaguered show, with one new segment giving fashion expert Gok Wan the opportunity to travel the UK for doorstep makeovers.

The source added: 'They are giving the show a massive push with really positive, fun stories, nothing dark or depressing.

'Producers will splash the cash on showbiz guests, and exclusive human interest stories. Viewers can expect lots of glitz and glamour. But Holly will definitely be the jewel in their crown.'

Jones will host the programme on Wednesday alongside Josie Gibson, and ITV bosses are 'thrilled' with the new addition to the show following Schofield's departure in May.

Sources at the channel say that if viewers like him then he will 'almost certainly' become part of the This Morning's rotations of hosts who will present with Holly Willoughby along with Ms Gibson, Alison Hammond, Dermot O'Leary and Craig Doyle.

One told MailOnline: 'The hope is that those watching at home will love Steve, he's a very experienced broadcaster but also very cheeky.

Stepping in: The presenter is currently on her annual summer break, with Josie Gibson and Craig Doyle currently taking care of hosting duties during her absence

Rotating sofa: Holly with Craig Doyle, a popular presence on This Morning since he stepped in as a temporary replacement for Phillip Schofield

'There is no permanent replacement for Phil, Holly will be presenting with Alison, Josie, Dermot and Craig, and now probably Steve.'

'Hopefully he will be part of the new dawn for This Morning after the Schofield scandal, and will help to give it a fresh new look.'

Welsh heart-throb Jones, 46, who currently anchors Channel 4's Formula 1 coverage, shot to fame in 2003 when he presented Channel 4's T4 alongside Miquita Oliver. He was later hired by Simon Cowell to host the X Factor USA.

ITV bosses have decided not to replace Schofield, 61, who in May admitted to having an affair with a much younger colleague and then lying to The Mail on Sunday about it.

Instead, Holly will be front and centre of the programme Monday to Thursday, with a member of what ITV chiefs call the 'This Morning family.'
Austin Butler shared a sweet memory of his late mother during a candid new interview on Sunday.

The Elvis actor, 31, lost his mum Lori in 2014 when he was just 23 which left him struggling with depression in the aftermath.

He has now told The Times of a childhood memory he has of her as he promoted his new Yves Saint Laurent fragrance.

Asked by the publication what the earliest smell he remembers was he replied: 'Interestingly it is the orange blossom.

'Because in my childhood home there was this orange tree in the backyard and I remember so vividly when the tree would bloom.

Thoughtful: Austin Butler shared a sweet memory of his late mother during a candid new interview on Sunday

Family: The Elvis actor, 31, lost his mum Lori in 2014 when he was just 23 which left him struggling with depression

'My mother and I would go in the backyard and pick oranges and then go inside to make orange juice. And that really hit me.'

His new fragrance contains notes of orange blossom - which he said made the project mean more to him.

In January Austin opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the painful experience of losing his mother in his early 20s.

The former Disney channel star admitted that he had started filming a project shortly after his mother's passing, which was caused by a battle with cancer, and that he would 'cry every night.'

The Elvis actor, who has received a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of the King of Rock n' Roll, also credited his mother for supporting him in his career, stating, 'I owe her for everything.'

The Carrie Diaries actor expressed that he first began acting when he, 'stumbled into extra work,' adding that he had been, 'an incredibly shy kid.'

He explained that his mother, Lori, had seen his passion for acting early on. 'My mom saw that in me, and I owe her for everything because she quit her job and drove me to auditions and took me to acting classes. Then I started working.'

However, after landing larger roles, his mother passed away in 2014 after battling cancer. 'After my mom passed away, I'd never experienced pain like that before, and I started to question,' Austin admitted during the interview.

Opening up: He has now told The Times of a childhood memory he has of her as he promoted his new Yves Saint Laurent fragrance

'Owe her everything': In January Austin opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the painful experience of losing his mother in his early 20s (seen in 2012-two years before mother's passing)

The star stated that after spending time in hospitals and around doctors, he began to ask himself if acting was 'a noble profession.'

Austin expressed that following his mother's death, he flew to New Zealand to film a series that was cancelled after two seasons.

He explained that although the show was enjoyed by viewers and that he himself had 'fun' shooting, 'I'd go home and cry every night.'

'I was dealing with grief, but it was also this feeling that I wasn't aligned with something that felt truly fulfilling,' he added, revealing that he was around 24-years-old at the time and was ready to take a break from acting.

'I thought, 'I've got a little bit of money in the bank. I'll just take time off.' Then I started sinking into a deeper and deeper depression. It was about six or eight months of that.'

However, he later sent in an audition tape for the Broadway show, The Iceman Cometh, which also starred Denzel Washington. Austin explained after being cast, that was, 'the moment that changed my career.'

Austin has previously credited and paid tribute to his mother, including his recent appearance as host of Saturday Night Live last month in December.

Tough: The former Disney channel star admitted that he had started filming a project shortly after his mother's passing, which was caused by a battle with cancer , and that he would 'cry every night'

During his opening monologue, the former Nickelodeon actor stated to the audience that when he was younger, he had a 'crippling shyness,' but when he was with his mom, 'I'd just do anything to make her laugh,' including a Gollum impression.

'But, really, being silly with her is what broke me out of my shell and the core of what started me in acting.'

Being on SNL had made the star think about his mother, and that he could imagine, 'how proud she'd be of her son, who used to not be able to order food for myself at a restaurant, is now standing on this stage.'

To conclude his monologue, Austin then dedicated each 'silly voice' or a 'funny face' he did on the show to his later mother, emotionally adding, 'That's for you, mom.'
Phillip Schofield enjoyed a drink at a London pub on Sunday, two months after leaving This Morning following his affair scandal.

The former ITV star, 61, was seen sipping on a Bloody Mary cocktail and enjoying a burger at The Weir Bar in Brentford.

It is one of the few times Phillip has been seen publicly since his dramatic resignation from the broadcaster in May after admitting to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a much younger male colleague.

Since standing down from his role, Schofield has become something of a recluse, spending much of his time in Newquay, Cornwall with his 87-year-old mother Pat.

He also recently announced he had become too frightened to step outside fearing he would be 'spat on.'

Family time: Phillip Schofield enjoyed a drink on Sunday, two months after leaving This Morning following his affair scandal

Drink: The former ITV star, 61, was seen sipping on a Bloody Mary cocktail at The Weir Bar in Brentford

However while out and about in Hounslow on Sunday Phillip looked relaxed while seated on a bench in the outside drinking area.

It comes as friends of Phillip have said that his working life was now 'over' following his admission that he had an affair with a much younger colleague and then lied about it.

One told MailOnline: 'Phillip has been very, very down recently. He doesn't know how he is going to work again.

'He is pretty sure that he is done. He keeps saying he will never work again. It's devastating for him to realise but he also knows that there is not a lot he can do about it.

'He doesn't know who will take him, he knows there is no way back to ITV or the BBC.'

Sources close to Schofield say that his circle of friends are trying to encourage him to think that he can have a 'fulfilling life' away from showbusiness.

Another added: 'Just because he may not be on telly again doesn't mean he can't enjoy his life. Phil isn't so sure though.'

There were rumours earlier in the summer that Schofield was being lined up to rebuild his career on TalkTV, but his lawyers quickly shut these claims down, stating that he was 'absolutely not' joining the channel as far as he was aware.

Difficult: It is one of the few times Phillip has been seen publicly since his dramatic resignation from the broadcaster in May after admitting to an 'unwise but not illegal' affair with a much younger male colleague

Catch up: However while out and about on Sunday Phillip looked relaxed on a bench in the outside drinking area

Out and about: He wore a smart white shirt as he chatted away over the weekend

Schofield had been involved in the tryst for years, keeping it secret until he admitted to The Mail on Sunday that he had lied about the affair just being rumours.

He went on to confess he had misled his employer, his colleagues, his friends and his agents at the management firm YMU, who dropped him as a result.

When he broke his silence after leaving the show he insisted he had not 'groomed' the man, despite first meeting him when he was 15.

And he went on to declare: 'Attraction is attraction. It's no different in the gay world as it is in the heterosexual world or in the lesbian world.

'There shouldn't be a difference. This is where homophobia comes in. We did first meet when he was 15, I visited the drama school [he attended].

'So yeah, there's a difference. It's accepted by Leonardo DiCaprio, it's not accepted if it's in the gay world.'

The former ITV personality went on to address his fears of going out in public, worrying he would receive verbal abuse or be spat on.

He said: 'I do not know a time I will be able to walk out of the door.

'I don't have any spirit. My friends tell me, "It will get better". It won't. Not now. Not this one.

'You watch all these layers of you slide away and slide away and slide away. The things that were dear to you. But I deserve it. It's my fault. I deserve it.'

He said he would never use social media again following the dramatic fallout.

Last week it was revealed that Schofield had reduced the asking price of his 1.2million west London flat that he bought with his wife.

The luxurious bolthole, just a stones throw away from Television Central in White City where his morning show was filmed, became a place where Schofield would take his younger lover for 'playtime' on Thursdays, it was claimed earlier this year.

The immaculate two-bedroom flat, which is part of a gated community, has had its value slashed by 85,000.

It follows Schofield and his estranged wife Stephanie, 59, already reducing the property's asking price 100,000, making it lower than the price they paid for it in 2012.

The flat is said to be in 'very good condition' and is the 'perfect setting for entertaining'.

When Schofield stepped down from his role there were fears that This Morning could be axed all together.

And these concerns only grew when his co-presenter of 13 years Holly Willoughby disappeared on holiday without saying goodbye to viewers.

But sources have since confirmed that the 42-year-old is far from quitting, instead being set to sign a lucrative new contract - and save the show.

They confirmed that Willoughby will be back as planned in September, despite employees behind-the-scenes fear she was 'quietly quitting'.

Tough: It comes as friends of Phillip have said that his working life was now 'over' following his admission that he had an affair with a much younger colleague and then lied about it

Private: Neither of Phillip's daughters has commented on his affair with the much younger This Morning showrunner (pictured with Molly Schofield in 2022)

Together: Phillip and Stephanie Lowe married in 1997 and raised two daughters together until their split in 2020

Change: The former ITV star has become much of a recluse since he stood down from his role after admitting to lying about an affair with a much younger colleague (pictured with Holly on This Morning in May)

Stepping away from the storm, Willoughby spent her summer break jetting off to Cornwall and Portugal with her husband Dan Baldwin and children Harry, 14, Belle, 12, and Chester, eight.

She has spent much of her two-month break on the Iberian peninsula, soaking up the sun at a 2million mansion.

The star made a number of appearances putting on a brave face on the Algarve, shopping in a beautiful yellow dress, having a dip in the sea and hanging out with her family.

She also celebrated her 16th anniversary with her husband on the beach, giving her Instagram followers a rare insight into her marriage and hinting that he's helped her heal from the difficulty of the last year.
Jennifer Lopez was the life of the party during an evening of festivities in Italy Saturday night.

The superstar, 54, dazzled in a long sleeve silver dress at the famous Taverna Anema e Core (Heart and Soul Tavern) in Capri, where she has been vacationing.

The Mother star styled her hair in a loose ponytail with curtain bangs and tendrils framing her face.

She wore natural looking makeup.

The hitmaker accessorized with a large diamond ring on her left hand, an emerald ring on her right and sparkling dangling earrings.

Life of the party: Jennifer Lopez was the life of the party during an evening of festivities in Italy Saturday night at the famous Taverna Anema e Core

The Taverna Anema e Core is famous for hosting nights of song and dance where many a celebrity has been known to sing a song or two.

The diva accommodated hopeful fans.

Video captured from the scene show the Grammy winner, belting out her own hit Let's Get Loud.

She also tackled the disco standard I Will Survive.

A perusal of the Taverna's website shows JLo had visited there many years ago with her ex-husband Marc Anthony.

A member of her party posed for a photo with the star with a tambourine bearing her picture.

The impromptu performance seemed to end her trip on a high note.

The multi-hyphenate appeared to be in Italy on a working vacation promoting her Delola brand cocktails.

She launched the company in April, amid some controversy, after having been a non-drinker for quite some time.

Get loud: The Taverna is famous for hosting nights of song and dance. Video captured from the scene show the Grammy winner, belting out her own hit Let's Get Loud. She also tackled the disco standard I Will Survive

Dazzling: The superstar, 54, dazzled in a long sleeve silver dress and styled her hair in a loose ponytail with curtain bangs and tendrils framing her face

Tambourine: A perusal of the Taverna's website shows JLo had visited there many years ago with her ex-husband Marc Anthony. A member of her party posed for a photo with the star with a tambourine bearing her picture.

The Jenny From the Block artist entrepreneur told Forbes she began thinking about creating her own products during a previous trip to the Amalfi Coast.

'I was this Bronx girl who kind of found herself in the middle of her life on a boat in the middle of the Amalfi Coast, sipping spritzes. How did this happen to my life? This is amazing! And I need to do this more. And I need to be this person more. I need to enjoy my life. Thats when this idea came up.'

The every evolving businesswoman also spoke about the importance of continuing to change and grow.

'I think aging gracefully is really embracing who you are in the momentnow! Not who you were ten years ago. Not who you were 20 years ago. Who you are now.'

Return trip: JLo was spotted Sunday afternoon arriving at JFK Airport in New York looking comfortable in a short sleeved denim jumpsuit. The Shotgun Wedding star pulled her own luggage as she strolled energetically through the terminal in a pair of white sneakers

Low key: Jennifer tried to keep a somewhat low key appearance, sporting natural looking makeup and her long locks hidden beneath a wide brimmed gray Panama hat

'I have an album called This Is Me...Now. Not, This Is Me...Then! That was then!' she explained. 'This is me, now; I think thats my philosophy in life and its manifesting itself in different and creative endeavors like Delola.'

JLo was spotted Sunday afternoon arriving at JFK Airport in New York looking comfortable in a short sleeved denim jumpsuit.

Her makeup was natural looking with a soft pink lip.

The Shotgun Wedding star pulled her own luggage as she strolled energetically through the terminal in a pair of white sneakers.

Jennifer tried to keep a somewhat low key appearance, with her long locks hidden beneath a wide brimmed gray Panama hat.
Sofia Vergara is living her best life as a newly single woman.

The Colombian beauty, 51, went out for another night on the town with friends on Saturday night.

The Modern Family alum hit up celeb hot spot Delilah in West Hollywood to celebrate her sister Veronica Vergara's birthday with her niece Claudia Vergara, friend Margarita Heilbron and her son Manolo.

The bombshell looked absolutely stunning an a bright blue, slinky, figure-hugging dress.

The America's Got Talent judge carried a large, black, unstructured clutch handbag and slipped her feet into black platform sandals with an ankle strap.

Bombshell: Sofia Vergara is loving her best live as a newly single woman. The Colombian beauty, 51, went out for another night on the town with friends on Saturday night

A pair of white bangle bracelets adorned her wrist and she wore her hair parted in the middle and straight.

The beauty was photographed with her sister Veronica who wore a lovely, emerald-green dress with cutouts at the waist.

Sofia shared a snap from their dinner featuring the four women sitting at their table.

She captioned the image with three pink heart emojis.

The new photos come a day after she met up with friends at the Italian restaurant Madeo on the Sunset Strip.

Sofia continues to show her soon-to-be ex-husband Joe Manganiello what he's missing.

Last weekend, the mom of one attended one of Taylor Swift's concerts in Los Angeles wearing a black strapless top with shimmering silver pinstripes and matching pants.

Her outings come amid her split from her husband of seven years, which was made public after she celebrated her 51st birthday with girlfriends in Italy.

Gorgeous: The bombshell looked absolutely stunning an a bright blue, slinky, figure-hugging dress

Lovely ladies: The Modern Family alum hit up celeb hot spot Delilah in West Hollywood to celebrate her sister Veronica Vergara's birthday with her niece Claudia Vergara, friend Margarita Heilbron and her son Manolo

Last week, Sofia asked the judge overseeing her divorce to stick to the terms of a prenuptial agreement Joe signed before they married.

She made the request in a new filing, while also requesting that she be able to retain her current assets, according to documents obtained by People.

In addition to requesting the court follow the terms of their prenuptial agreement, she also asked that she be allowed to keep her jewelry, artwork and 'other personal effects,' which she considered assets.

She has also said that she should be able to retain all of her earnings from before she tied the knot with Manganiello, as well as any income from while they were married.
Emma Weymouth continued her daily fashion parade with another chic look as she was spotted arriving at Club 55 in St Tropez on Saturday.

The British socialite and model, 37, is currently enjoying a family holiday in the French Riviera and has been using her outings on the beach to show off her fashion finesse.

Stepping out along the promenade, Emma looked super chic in head-to-toe pink and white paisley print.

She teamed a floor length kimono with a matching string bikini, with all pieced showcasing a delicate floral detail.

The fashion fan opted for barefoot for the outing and wore just one simple beaded bracelet for jewellery.

Pretty in pink: Emma Weymouth displayed her jaw dropping figure in a patterned kimino and matching bikini as she was spotted arriving at Club 55 in St Tropez on Saturday

Family: The Marchioness of Bath, 37, was joined by her husband Ceawlin Thynn - the 8th Marquess of Bath - and their two sons Henry, seven, and John, nine

She carried a white tote bag with floral detailing on her shoulder and kept it traditional with her trusted straw trilby hat and oversized sunglasses.

Days earlier, Emma exhibited her envy-inducing frame as she enjoyed a yacht cruise with pals.

The Marchioness of Bath, set pulses racing as she slipped her slender frame into a skimpy black two-piece.

The former Strictly star flaunted her perky assets and pert derriere in the plunging black bikini top with gold detailing and matching briefs.

Soaking up the sun in the south of France, Emma turned heads yet again in an pink patterned bikini as she went for a swim in the sea during her lavish getaway.

She was spotted showcasing her washboard abs and wore a glamorous palette of makeup as she made her way out in the blistering heat.

Emma is currently on holiday with her husband Ceawlin Thynn - the 8th Marquess of Bath - and their two sons John, nine and Henry, seven.

The couple, married at their stunning home Longleat in June 2013 and welcomed their first child John, in October 2014.

Stunner: She looked fantastic in the matching print which she accessorised with a white tote bag that featured a pretty floral detailing

All eyes on her: Opting for barefeet, Emma oozed glamour and sophistication as she made her way to the famous club in St Tropez

Following a pregnancy struggle, the couple welcomed their second child, a son Henry, via a surrogate in Los Angeles in December 2016.

At the time, Emma told the Daily Mail: 'We are simply ecstatic. His arrival has completed our little family and brought us so much happiness.'

Ceawlin added: 'Never did I imagine that in West Hollywood I'd become father to John's little miracle baby brother.

'It's a wonder of modern science that the Longleat Bath family has been completed (for now at least) by Emma and I having a much-loved son, helped so crucially by a tremendous surrogate in California, to extend our family.'
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Demi Moore looked like a mermaid as she took a dip in the Mediterranean Saturday.

The new grandma, 60, showed off her fit physique in a sage green bikini with a halter top and V-shaped bottoms.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent actress showed off her flawless complexion.

She appeared to go without makeup as she splashed around the warm ocean water with help from a purple noodle float.

Demi's long, dark hair was styled high in a loose bun for her swim.

Fit physique: Demi Moore, 60, showed off her fit physique in a sage green bikini with a halter top and V-shaped bottoms while enjoying a Greek holiday

She wore wide aviator style shades to protect her eyes from the bright sunshine.

After her swim, Demi made her way back on board.

She toweled off and let her long hair flow down her back.

She accessorized with a large blue pendant on a long gold chain around her neck.

The Songbird star has been spending time with her friends Andreas and Athanasia Steggos on their luxurious yacht.

The Charlie's Angels actress is a godmother to the couple's youngest daughter, Ariadne-Zoe.

The Emmy nominee and the Steggoses were spotted enjoying lunch with Jeff Bezos, 59, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 53.

Lunch took place on the Amazon founder's $500 million superyacht, Koru.

Demi's long, dark hair was styled high in a loose bun for her swim

She wore wide aviator style shades to protect her eyes from the bright sunshine

She appeared to go without makeup as she splashed around the warm ocean water with help from a purple noodle float. Demi's long, dark hair was styled high in a loose bun for her swim

The barefoot beauty accessorized with a large blue pendant on a long gold chain around her neck and showed off her flawless complexion

Demi toweled off and let her long hair flow down her back after her swim

Out of site, but still part of the group was Demi's beloved Chihuahua, Pilaf.

The mom of three, who shares daughters Rumer, 34, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29, with ex-husband Bruce Willis, 68, has been pretty quiet of social media since traveling to Europe.

She did share that she was enjoying time in 'Paradise  Basking in the sun, playing in the water, naps with furry friends, and a good book'

The Songbird star appeared to be the guest of her friends Andreas and Athanasia Steggos on their luxurious yacht

The Charlie's Angels actress is a godmother to the couple's youngest daughter, Ariadne-Zoe

The Emmy nominee and the Steggoses were spotted enjoying lunch with Jeff Bezos, 59, and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez, 53. Lunch took place on the Amazon founder's $500 million superyacht, Koru

The mom of three, who shares daughters Rumer, 34, Scout, 32, and Tallulah, 29, with ex-husband Bruce Willis, 68, has been pretty quiet of social media since traveling to Europe

Demi shared on social media that she was enjoying time in 'Paradise  Basking in the sun, playing in the water, naps with furry friends, and a good book'

Flashback: Demi (right) with Cameron Diaz in 2003's Charlie's Angels Full Throttle

Before she headed for her holiday, Demi spent time out on the picket line with her fellow actors.

'Proud to walk in solidarity with my fellow @sagaftra members,' she wrote next to a photo of her and others holding strike signs.

Actors walked off the job after contract negotiations with the major studios stalled in mid-July.

Hollywood writers have also walked off the job after their contract with the studios expired in early May.

Demi encouraged her fans to 'Learn more about the strike and how you can support at sagaftrastrike.org.'
The buyer of Roxy Jacenko's $15.8 million in Sydney's affluent suburb of Vaucluse has been revealed.

The PR guru, 43, and her businessman husband Oliver Curtis, 37, recently packed their life in Australia and relocated to Singapore with their children Pixie, 12, and Hunter, nine.

As reported by Domain, title records show Chinese businesswoman Zhang Wen was the buyer of their family home.

Zhang is the director of Goubuli Group, one of China's longest established food brands from the northern city of Tianjin, and is also the daughter of the company's chairman Zhang Yansen.

Goubuli Group, also known as Go Believe, has been expanding into the Australian market for over a decade, working with local brands including the Gloria Jeans Coffees franchise.

The buyer of Roxy Jacenko's (pictured) $15.8 million in Sydney's affluent suburb of Vaucluse has been revealed as Chinese businesswoman Zhang Wen.

Zhang splashed $15.8 million on Roxy's five-bedroom mansion in May, less than two weeks before its scheduled auction.

The property sold for almost $2 million above the $14 million price guide.

Roxy, who purchased the house for $6.5 million in 2018 and renovated it extensively, was naturally thrilled with the result.

Zhang splashed $15.8 million on Roxy's five-bedroom mansion (pictured) in May, less than two weeks before its scheduled auction

The PR guru, 43, and her businessman husband Oliver Curtis, 37, recently packed their life in Australia and relocated to Singapore with their children Pixie, 12, and Hunter, nine (all pictured)

'I'm thrilled  I couldn't have wished for a better result  to have turned $6.6m into a $16m property in four short years is nothing short of amazing!' she told News Corp at the time.

After relocating to Singapore earlier this month, Roxy has meanwhile secured an apartment in the prestigious Ardmore Residence.

The Sweaty Betty founder is believed to have snapped up a palatial four-bedroom apartment with a rumoured rent of around $45,000 per month.

Roxy and her family are currently staying at Capella Singapore while they wait for their new apartment to be ready.

After relocating to Singapore earlier this month, Roxy has meanwhile secured an apartment in the prestigious Ardmore Residence. Pictured: a four-bedroom apartment in the Ardmore
Primo Water (NYSE:PRMW  Get Free Report) and Arca Continental (OTCMKTS:EMBVF  Get Free Report) are both consumer defensive companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, earnings, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Primo Water and Arca Continental, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Primo Water 0 2 2 0 2.50 Arca Continental 0 1 1 0 2.50

Primo Water currently has a consensus target price of $20.33, suggesting a potential upside of 34.21%. Given Primo Waters higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Primo Water is more favorable than Arca Continental.

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Primo Water $2.22 billion 1.09 $29.60 million $0.54 28.06 Arca Continental N/A N/A N/A $3.86 2.38

This table compares Primo Water and Arca Continentals revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Primo Water has higher revenue and earnings than Arca Continental. Arca Continental is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Primo Water, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Primo Water and Arca Continentals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Primo Water 3.81% 7.96% 2.77% Arca Continental N/A N/A N/A

Dividends

Primo Water pays an annual dividend of $0.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Arca Continental pays an annual dividend of $1.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 16.3%. Primo Water pays out 59.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Arca Continental pays out 38.9% 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. Primo Water has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years. Arca Continental is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

83.0% of Primo Water shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 6.3% of Arca Continental shares are held by institutional investors. 4.4% of Primo Water shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Primo Water beats Arca Continental on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Primo Water

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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. It sells its products through retailers and online at various price points. The company was formerly known as Cott Corporation and changed its name to Primo Water Corporation in March 2020. Primo Water Corporation was incorporated in 1955 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

About Arca Continental

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Arca Continental, S.A.B. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, produces, distributes, and sells non-alcoholic beverages in Mexico, Peru, the United States, Argentina, and Ecuador. It operates through Beverages and Other segments. The company's products include soft drinks, milk whole/light/flavored, fruit/soy, and energy/sports drinks; water; tea; sugar/candies; coffee; ice cream snow/cones; yogurt/cream cheese; potato, plantain, and tortilla chips; corn puffs, popcorn, pork rinds, peanuts/seeds, sauces/dips, and baked goods; and other carbonated and non-carbonated, and dairy beverages. It sells its products under the Coca-Cola Company, Aybal, DASANI, Ciel, Cepita Del Valle, Del Valle, Aquarius, Minute Maid, POWERADE, Fuze Tea, Ingenio Famailla, Dulna, El Manjar Toni, Golos, Lato, BLaK, DUNKINDONUTS, Toni, Santa Clara, fairlife, Topsy, Tortolines, Prispas, Enre2, Tostitos, Bony, La Abeja, Bokados, Inalecsa, and Wise and Deep River brand names. The company sells its non-alcoholic beverages under the Coca-Cola Company brand; and snacks under the Bokados, Wise, Deep River, and other brands. Arca Continental, S.A.B. de C.V. is based in Monterrey, Mexico.

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Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated their buy rating on shares of Antofagasta (LON:ANTO  Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a GBX 1,900 ($24.28) target price on the mining companys stock.

ANTO has been the topic of several other reports. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Antofagasta in a research note on Monday, May 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group assumed coverage on Antofagasta in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. They set a buy rating and a GBX 1,900 ($24.28) price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Antofagasta from GBX 1,260 ($16.10) to GBX 1,250 ($15.97) and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Antofagasta from GBX 1,340 ($17.12) to GBX 1,490 ($19.04) and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on Antofagasta from GBX 1,350 ($17.25) to GBX 1,270 ($16.23) and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Antofagasta presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 1,507.78 ($19.27).

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Antofagasta Stock Performance

Antofagasta Cuts Dividend

Shares of ANTO opened at GBX 1,516 ($19.37) on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of 14.95 billion, a PE ratio of 1,252.89, a PEG ratio of -1.08 and a beta of 1.11. The stocks fifty day moving average price is GBX 1,523.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 1,541.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.14, a current ratio of 3.25 and a quick ratio of 2.78. Antofagasta has a 1 year low of GBX 1,025.50 ($13.11) and a 1 year high of GBX 1,837.50 ($23.48).

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 31st. Antofagastas dividend payout ratio is presently 3,966.94%.

Antofagasta Company Profile

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Antofagasta plc operates as a mining company. It operates through Los Pelambres, Centinela, Antucoya, Zaldivar, Exploration and Evaluation, and Transport Division segments. The company holds a 60% interest in the Los Pelambres mine, a 70% interest in the Centinela mine, a 70% interest in the Antucoya mine, and a 50% interest in the Zaldivar mine located in Chile.

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BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust (NYSE:BBN  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 62,700 shares, a growth of 157.0% from the July 15th total of 24,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 210,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of BBN. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 59.2% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 54,729 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,205,000 after purchasing an additional 20,360 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 7.9% during the first quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 13,697 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 9.8% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 12,930 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 1,154 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust by 5.7% during the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,394,199 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $30,701,000 after purchasing an additional 74,920 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust during the first quarter valued at $397,000.

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BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Stock Up 0.8 %

BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust stock traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $16.06. 258,600 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 190,397. BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust has a one year low of $15.76 and a one year high of $20.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $16.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $17.18.

BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust Announces Dividend

About BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a $0.0929 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $1.11 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.94%.

(Get Free Report)

BlackRock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in taxable municipal securities, which include Build America Bonds.

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Canoo (NYSE:GOEV  Get Free Report) is set to announce its earnings results after the market closes on Monday, August 14th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of ($0.19) per share for the quarter. Parties that are interested in participating in the companys conference call can do so using this link.

Canoo (NYSE:GOEV  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 15th. The company reported ($0.17) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by $0.02. On average, analysts expect Canoo to post $-1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $-1 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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Canoo Stock Performance

NYSE:GOEV opened at $0.51 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $259.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 1.21. The firms 50-day moving average is $0.57 and its 200-day moving average is $0.68. Canoo has a 52-week low of $0.41 and a 52-week high of $4.39.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Canoo to $1.50 in a report on Monday, June 26th.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Canoo

Institutional Trading of Canoo

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Canoo by 32.9% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 17,951 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 4,448 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of Canoo by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 126,937 shares of the companys stock worth $235,000 after purchasing an additional 5,592 shares during the period. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Canoo by 23.0% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 40,363 shares of the companys stock valued at $223,000 after acquiring an additional 7,544 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Canoo by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 386,691 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,135,000 after acquiring an additional 8,479 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Canoo by 11.2% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 116,606 shares of the companys stock valued at $216,000 after acquiring an additional 11,746 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.18% of the companys stock.

Canoo Company Profile

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Canoo Inc, a mobility technology company, designs, engineers, develops, and manufactures electric vehicles for commercial and consumer markets in the United States. The company offers lifestyle delivery vehicles, lifestyle vehicles, multi-purpose delivery vehicles, and pickups. It also provides multi-purpose platform architecture is a self-contained, fully functional rolling chassis that directly houses the critical components for operation of an EV.

Further Reading

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Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. (NYSE:CPAC  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,800 shares, a growth of 195.7% from the July 15th total of 2,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 5,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A.

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. (NYSE:CPAC  Free Report) by 6.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 98,674 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 5,935 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LPs holdings in Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. were worth $670,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Institutional investors own 0.37% of the companys stock.

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Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. Stock Performance

CPAC stock traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $5.42. The company had a trading volume of 26,164 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,491. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $459.45 million, a P/E ratio of 10.42 and a beta of 0.52. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. has a one year low of $4.40 and a one year high of $6.14. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $5.28 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.30.

Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. Company Profile

Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. ( NYSE:CPAC Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The construction company reported $0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $119.56 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $135.57 million. Cementos Pacasmayo S.A.A. had a return on equity of 13.59% and a net margin of 8.48%.

(Get Free Report)

Cementos Pacasmayo SAA., a cement company, produces, distributes, and sells cement and cement-related materials in Peru. It operates through three segments: Cement, Concrete, Mortar, and Precast; Quicklime; and Sales of Construction Supplies. The company's cement and concrete products are used in residential and commercial construction, and civil engineering; ready-mix concrete used in construction sites; concrete precast, such as paving units or paver stones for pedestrian walkways, as well as other bricks for partition walls and concrete precast for structural and non-structural uses; and cement-based products.

Further Reading

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China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:CYYHF  Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 69,000 shares, a decrease of 81.6% from the July 15th total of 375,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently  days.

China Yongda Automobiles Services Stock Performance

Shares of China Yongda Automobiles Services stock remained flat at $0.50 during trading on Friday. China Yongda Automobiles Services has a 1-year low of $0.45 and a 1-year high of $1.05. The firms 50-day moving average price is $0.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $0.65.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

CYYHF has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered China Yongda Automobiles Services from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, July 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered China Yongda Automobiles Services from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th.

China Yongda Automobiles Services Company Profile

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China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, operates as a passenger vehicle retailer and service provider in the People's Republic of China. It operates through Passenger Vehicle Sales and Services and Automobile Operating Lease Services segments. The company focuses on luxury and ultra-luxury brands.

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Embraer (NYSE:ERJ  Get Free Report) is scheduled to be releasing its earnings data before the market opens on Monday, August 14th. Analysts expect Embraer to post earnings of $0.12 per share for the quarter. Persons interested in registering for the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link.

Embraer Stock Performance

Shares of Embraer stock opened at $14.96 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $15.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -498.67, a PEG ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 1.30. Embraer has a 12 month low of $8.52 and a 12 month high of $17.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 0.94.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Embraer in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Embraer in the 1st quarter valued at about $60,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Embraer by 461.3% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 6,073 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 4,991 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Embraer by 268.3% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 13,126 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $113,000 after acquiring an additional 9,562 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Embraer by 10.9% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 14,406 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 1,413 shares during the last quarter. 36.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ERJ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Embraer from $15.75 to $16.50 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. StockNews.com raised shares of Embraer from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, June 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Embraer currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $19.17.

View Our Latest Report on ERJ

About Embraer

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Embraer SA designs, develops, manufactures, and sells aircraft and systems in North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Brazil, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Commercial Aviation; Defense & Security; Executive Aviation; Services & Support; and Other segments. The Commercial Aviation segment designs, develops, manufactures, and sells commercial jets, as well as leases aircraft.

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Mather Group LLC. trimmed its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Free Report) by 3.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,060 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 176 shares during the quarter. Mather Group LLC.s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $1,252,000 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 added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its position in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 3,202 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $793,000 after buying an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 11,608 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares in the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,041 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $505,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Blackhawk Capital Partners LLC. increased its holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company by 38.4% during the 1st quarter. Blackhawk Capital Partners LLC. now owns 9,610 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $2,379,000 after purchasing an additional 2,665 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Manchester Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $5,672,000. 85.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $284.00 to $303.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 7th. StockNews.com raised Becton, Dickinson and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $295.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Raymond James reduced their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $305.00 to $304.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $290.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, July 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $284.89.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Trading Up 1.8 %

NYSE:BDX opened at $282.31 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $81.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.57. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $263.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $252.89. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 1 year low of $215.90 and a 1 year high of $287.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $4.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.84 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 13.24% and a net margin of 8.73%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.66 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 12.22 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

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 issued a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 7th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.29%. Becton, Dickinson and Companys payout ratio is currently 66.06%.

Insider Transactions at Becton, Dickinson and Company

In other news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,300 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.13, for a total value of $360,269.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,157 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,429,159.41. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

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Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company's BD Medical segment provides peripheral intravenous (IV) and advanced peripheral catheters, central lines, acute dialysis catheters, vascular care and preparation products, needle-free IV connectors and extensions sets, closed-system drug transfer devices, hazardous drug detections, hypodermic syringes and needles, anesthesia needles and trays, enteral syringes, and sharps disposal systems; IV medication and infusion therapy delivery systems, medication compounding workflow systems, automated medication dispensing and supply management systems, and medication inventory optimization and tracking systems; syringes, pen needles, and other products for diabetes; and prefillable drug delivery systems.

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Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund (NYSE:JRI  Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 23,200 shares, a growth of 179.5% from the July 15th total of 8,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 66,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 76,153 shares of the companys stock valued at $891,000 after acquiring an additional 4,132 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 89,109 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,043,000 after acquiring an additional 3,767 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 42.8% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 107,121 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,253,000 after acquiring an additional 32,120 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 27.5% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 19,481 shares of the companys stock valued at $228,000 after acquiring an additional 4,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 40,835 shares of the companys stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 907 shares in the last quarter.

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Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund Price Performance

Shares of JRI traded up $0.01 on Friday, hitting $11.40. The companys stock had a trading volume of 43,008 shares, compared to its average volume of 72,439. The firms fifty day moving average price is $11.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.64. Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund has a fifty-two week low of $10.61 and a fifty-two week high of $14.39.

Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund Dividend Announcement

Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund Company Profile

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be given a $0.087 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.16%.

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Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund is an closed ended balanced 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 public equity markets across the globe. The fund also makes its investments in depository receipts.

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Oxford Instruments plc (LON:OXIG  Get Free Report) insider Gavin Hill bought 6 shares of Oxford Instruments stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 2,410 ($30.80) per share, with a total value of 144.60 ($184.79).

Gavin Hill also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Monday, July 10th, Gavin Hill bought 7 shares of Oxford Instruments stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 2,614 ($33.41) per share, with a total value of 182.98 ($233.84).

On Monday, June 12th, Gavin Hill purchased 6 shares of Oxford Instruments stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 2,720 ($34.76) per share, for a total transaction of 163.20 ($208.56).

Oxford Instruments Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of OXIG opened at GBX 2,345 ($29.97) on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.76. The firms 50-day moving average is GBX 2,579.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 2,575.29. Oxford Instruments plc has a twelve month low of GBX 1,686 ($21.55) and a twelve month high of GBX 2,884.80 ($36.87). The firm has a market capitalization of 1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,345.00, a PEG ratio of -3.56 and a beta of 0.87.

Oxford Instruments Increases Dividend

Analyst Ratings Changes

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 3rd will be given a dividend of GBX 14.90 ($0.19) per share. This is a positive change from Oxford Instrumentss previous dividend of $4.60. This represents a yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 3rd. Oxford Instrumentss dividend payout ratio is presently 2,000.00%.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on OXIG. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a GBX 350 ($4.47) price target on shares of Oxford Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, July 18th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 3,100 ($39.62) price target on shares of Oxford Instruments in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. HSBC began coverage on shares of Oxford Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. They set a hold rating and a GBX 2,900 ($37.06) price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Oxford Instruments from GBX 3,100 ($39.62) to GBX 3,000 ($38.34) and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Oxford Instruments in a research note on Thursday, June 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Oxford Instruments has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 2,414 ($30.85).

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About Oxford Instruments

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Oxford Instruments plc provides technology products and services in Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Materials & Characterisation, Research & Discovery, and Service & Healthcare. The company offers atomic force microscopy products; tools for use in research and development across a range of applications, including semiconductors, renewable energy, mining, metallurgy, and forensics; etch and deposition processing equipment and solutions for use in power and RF devices, VCSELs/lasers, 2D materials, augmented reality, biomems, failure analysis, HBLEDs, infrared sensors, MEMS and sensors, and quantum; and low temperature systems comprising wet systems, dry systems, magnets, cryogenics, and accessories.

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Resona Holdings, Inc. (OTCMKTS:RSNHF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,727,300 shares, a decline of 36.1% from the July 15th total of 4,271,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3,896.1 days.

Resona Stock Down 2.6 %

OTCMKTS RSNHF traded down $0.13 on Friday, reaching $4.89. The company had a trading volume of 199 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,843. Resona has a 1 year low of $3.64 and a 1 year high of $5.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $4.94 and a 200-day moving average of $5.02.

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Resona Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides retail and commercial banking products and services in Japan and internationally. The company offers banking and investment management services. It also offers trust banking, credit guarantee, and retail loans to individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises accounts.

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Cannabis Suisse Corp. (OTCMKTS:CSUI  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 97.6% from the July 15th total of 4,100 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 77,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Cannabis Suisse Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS CSUI remained flat at $0.03 during midday trading on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 72,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 42,837. Cannabis Suisse has a twelve month low of $0.02 and a twelve month high of $0.28. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $0.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $0.06.

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Cannabis Suisse Company Profile

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Cannabis Suisse Corp. engages in the cultivation, production, and distribution of over-the-counter products, recreational tobacco products, and medical CBD oils. The company's products include flavored broad-spectrum CBD oils and CBD isolate tinctures with no THC. It sells its products through Swiss4Life, a retail brand for online selling, as well as a network of retailers.

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Clariant AG (OTCMKTS:CLZNY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a decline of 97.0% from the July 15th total of 6,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.5 days.

Clariant Price Performance

OTCMKTS CLZNY remained flat at $15.96 during midday trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1 shares, compared to its average volume of 625. The business has a fifty day moving average of $15.03 and a 200-day moving average of $15.82. Clariant has a 52-week low of $13.30 and a 52-week high of $20.04.

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Clariant Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 12th were issued a $0.4134 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 9th. This is a boost from Clariants previous dividend of $0.37. This represents a yield of 5.51%. Clariants payout ratio is currently 283.11%.

Clariant Company Profile

Clariant AG develops, manufactures, distributes, and sells specialty chemicals worldwide. The Care Chemicals segment offers specialty chemicals and application solutions for various applications in automotive fluids, aviation, construction chemicals, crop solutions, health care, home care, industrial lubricants, paints and coatings, personal care, and special solvents.

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Moovly Media Inc. (OTCMKTS:MVVYF  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 65,600 shares, a growth of 597.9% from the July 15th total of 9,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 81,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.8 days.

Moovly Media Price Performance

OTCMKTS MVVYF remained flat at $0.03 on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,280 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,141. The firms 50-day moving average is $0.04 and its 200-day moving average is $0.06. Moovly Media has a 52-week low of $0.03 and a 52-week high of $0.14.

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Moovly Media Company Profile

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Moovly Media Inc develops cloud-based digital media and content creation platform in Canada and Belgium. The company offers Moovly Studio, a video creation editor; Moovly API to add video production to platforms, products, and services; Video Automator to automate the production of videos, as well as to create videos for their customers, products, and services automatically; WordPress plugin to personalize and automate video content; and mobile app to upload video clips, images, and sound files directly to Moovly Studio library.

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Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:SHZHY  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,100 shares, a drop of 70.3% from the July 15th total of 13,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 79,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Shenzhou International Group Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:SHZHY traded down $0.38 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $9.80. The companys stock had a trading volume of 25,782 shares, compared to its average volume of 32,396. Shenzhou International Group has a 1 year low of $6.64 and a 1 year high of $13.83. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $9.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.07.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Shenzhou International Group from a buy rating to a conviction-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th.

Shenzhou International Group Company Profile

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Shenzhou International Group Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, processes, and sells knitwear products in Mainland China, European Union, the United States, Japan, and internationally. It produces and sells sportswear, casual wear, and lingerie wear. The company is also involved in the import and export of commodities; print and sale of knitwear products; aircraft leasing; and property management activities.

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The North West Company Inc. (OTCMKTS:NNWWF  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 91,600 shares, a drop of 37.4% from the July 15th total of 146,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 114.5 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have commented on NNWWF. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of North West from C$41.00 to C$39.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on North West from C$38.00 to C$36.00 in a report on Monday, June 12th.

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North West Trading Up 0.0 %

North West Company Profile

Shares of NNWWF traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $23.55. The company had a trading volume of 950 shares, compared to its average volume of 964. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $24.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.42. North West has a 1-year low of $22.83 and a 1-year high of $29.45.

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The North West Company Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The Canadian operations comprises Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; solo market, a store in remote market; Pharmacy and Convenience stores; and North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands.

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Admiral Group plc (LON:ADM  Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 2,175.16 ($27.80) and traded as high as GBX 2,213 ($28.28). Admiral Group shares last traded at GBX 2,207 ($28.20), with a volume of 341,953 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and set a GBX 2,543 ($32.50) price target on shares of Admiral Group in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 2,204.67 ($28.17).

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Admiral Group Stock Down 0.1 %

Admiral Group Company Profile

The company has a quick ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 107.56. The company has a market cap of 6.69 billion, a PE ratio of 1,779.84, a PEG ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.20. The companys fifty day moving average is GBX 2,161.78 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 2,175.45.

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Admiral Group plc, a financial services company, provides motor, household, travel, and pet insurance, as well as personal lending products worldwide. It operates through UK Insurance, International Insurance, Admiral Money, and Other segments. The company provides underwriting services, which includes motor, household, pet, and travel insurance, as well as car and home insurance; and provides unsecured personal loans and car finance products primarily in the United Kingdom.

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Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG  Free Report) by 10.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,570 shares of the insurance providers stock after acquiring an additional 3,370 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.10% of The Hanover Insurance Group worth $4,571,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of THG. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 3,285 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $444,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 77,711 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $9,986,000 after purchasing an additional 7,033 shares in the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp lifted its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp now owns 52,838 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $7,140,000 after purchasing an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $203,000. Finally, HRT Financial LP bought a new position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $564,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.38% of the companys stock.

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The Hanover Insurance Group Stock Performance

NYSE:THG opened at $109.27 on Friday. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $108.71 and a twelve month high of $148.78. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $112.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement

The Hanover Insurance Group ( NYSE:THG Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The insurance provider reported ($1.91) earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($1.91). The firm had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.42 billion. The Hanover Insurance Group had a negative return on equity of 2.83% and a negative net margin of 1.60%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.32 EPS. Analysts predict that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 16th were paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.97%. The Hanover Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio is currently -124.62%.

Insider Transactions at The Hanover Insurance Group

In other news, Director Jane D. Carlin sold 1,246 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.04, for a total transaction of $142,093.84. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on THG. Bank of America cut The Hanover Insurance Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the company from $142.00 to $130.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. Piper Sandler raised The Hanover Insurance Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and dropped their target price for the company from $155.00 to $153.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. JMP Securities dropped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $170.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on The Hanover Insurance Group from $148.00 to $141.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on The Hanover Insurance Group in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $148.43.

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The Hanover Insurance Group Profile

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The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various property and casualty insurance products and services in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Core Commercial, Specialty, Personal Lines, and Other. The Commercial Lines segment offers commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, workers' compensation, and other commercial lines coverage.

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Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR  Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, July 28th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.43 per share by the real estate investment trust on Thursday, August 31st. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. This is a boost from Arbor Realty Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.42.

Arbor Realty Trust has raised its dividend by an average of 10.5% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 9 years. Arbor Realty Trust has a dividend payout ratio of 95.0% indicating that its dividend is currently covered by earnings, but may not be in the future if the companys earnings decline. Equities analysts expect Arbor Realty Trust to earn $1.89 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.72 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 91.0%.

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Arbor Realty Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ABR opened at $16.58 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $3.09 billion, a PE ratio of 9.64 and a beta of 1.95. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $15.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.66. Arbor Realty Trust has a one year low of $10.10 and a one year high of $17.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42, a quick ratio of 40.29 and a current ratio of 40.29.

Insider Activity

Institutional Trading of Arbor Realty Trust

In other news, Director William C. Green purchased 8,776 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $12.82 per share, with a total value of $112,508.32. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 147,681 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,893,270.42. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link . Corporate insiders own 3.40% of the companys stock.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $144,000. IHT Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the 1st quarter worth approximately $133,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 91.9% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,851 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $133,000 after purchasing an additional 3,760 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can boosted its position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 20.4% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 7,214 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $131,000 after purchasing an additional 1,223 shares during the period. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $103,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 44.89% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Arbor Realty Trust from $18.50 to $16.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 12th. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. They issued an outperform rating and a $15.00 price objective for the company. Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Arbor Realty Trust from an overweight rating to an underweight rating and set a $16.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Arbor Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and upped their price target for the stock from $11.50 to $13.50 in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $15.17.

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About Arbor Realty Trust

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Arbor Realty Trust, Inc invests in a diversified portfolio of structured finance assets in the multifamily, single-family rental, and commercial real estate markets in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Structured Business and Agency Business. It primarily invests in bridge and mezzanine loans, including junior participating interests in first mortgages, and preferred and direct equity, as well as real estate-related joint ventures, real estate-related notes, and various mortgage-related securities.

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Armor Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (NYSEARCA:AAAU  Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 11,270 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $220,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Texas Yale Capital Corp. increased its holdings in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Texas Yale Capital Corp. now owns 25,314 shares of the companys stock valued at $458,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 12,831 shares of the companys stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 975 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new position in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 241,180 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,715,000 after buying an additional 2,670 shares during the period.

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Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Stock Performance

AAAU opened at $18.97 on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average is $19.24 and its 200-day moving average is $19.25. Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF has a 1-year low of $16.06 and a 1-year high of $20.43.

Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF Company Profile

The Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the LBMA Gold Price index. The fund tracks the gold spot price, less expenses and liabilities, using gold bars held in a vault in Perth, Australia. Investors can redeem their shares for gold coins and small bars. AAAU was launched on Jul 26, 2018 and is managed by Goldman Sachs.

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Armor Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR  Free Report) by 4.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,682 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after buying an additional 1,062 shares during the period. Digital Realty Trust comprises 1.4% of Armor Investment Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Armor Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Digital Realty Trust were worth $2,525,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DLR. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Digital Realty Trust in the 4th quarter valued at about $442,477,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 131.5% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 6,993,939 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $701,282,000 after purchasing an additional 3,972,349 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 37.4% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 5,385,149 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $539,969,000 after purchasing an additional 1,466,351 shares in the last quarter. PGGM Investments raised its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 185.9% in the 4th quarter. PGGM Investments now owns 1,718,260 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $172,290,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117,161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 195.9% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,097,030 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $109,999,000 after purchasing an additional 726,325 shares in the last quarter. 97.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Digital Realty Trust from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $138.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, July 28th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $80.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Digital Realty Trust to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, August 7th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $155.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $113.00 to $112.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $118.43.

Digital Realty Trust Stock Down 0.4 %

DLR stock opened at $120.33 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $113.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $105.45. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a 12 month low of $85.76 and a 12 month high of $135.20. The company has a market capitalization of $36.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 93.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.55.

Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $4.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.06%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 378.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.47, for a total transaction of $146,205.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 10,176 shares of the companys stock, valued at $991,854.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider Cindy Fiedelman sold 2,770 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $346,250.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Jean F. H. P. Mandeville sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.47, for a total transaction of $146,205.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 10,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $991,854.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,970 shares of company stock valued at $566,424 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock.

Digital Realty Trust Profile

(Free Report)

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data "meeting place" and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges.

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Associated Banc Corp lifted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Free Report) by 10.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,597 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 701 shares during the period. Associated Banc Corps holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $712,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of EFG. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Pathstone Family Office LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $65,000.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of EFG opened at $93.11 on Friday. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 1 year low of $67.58 and a 1 year high of $85.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $95.00 and a 200-day simple moving average of $93.48. The stock has a market cap of $12.48 billion, a PE ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.89.

About iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF

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.

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Beta Wealth Group Inc. grew its stake in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C  Free Report) by 9.4% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 5,800 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Beta Wealth Group Inc.s holdings in Citigroup were worth $272,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of C. Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Citigroup by 72.1% during the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 604 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Heritage Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Citigroup by 140.1% during the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC now owns 862 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Citigroup by 82.0% during the 1st quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 961 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 433 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New Hampshire Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup during the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. 69.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Citigroup Price Performance

Shares of C stock traded up $0.23 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $44.57. 11,973,166 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,083,904. Citigroup Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $40.01 and a fifty-two week high of $54.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The stocks fifty day moving average is $46.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.53. The company has a market cap of $86.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 1.55.

Citigroup Increases Dividend

Citigroup ( NYSE:C Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 14th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $19.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.34 billion. Citigroup had a return on equity of 6.80% and a net margin of 10.24%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Citigroup Inc. will post 5.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 7th will be paid a dividend of $0.53 per share. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 4th. This is a positive change from Citigroups previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. Citigroups dividend payout ratio is 33.60%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

C has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Citigroup in a research report on Tuesday, July 18th. Odeon Capital Group raised Citigroup from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $50.51 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 18th. Societe Generale lowered Citigroup from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, July 10th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Citigroup from $64.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of Citigroup from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $53.73.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on C

Citigroup Profile

(Free Report)

Citigroup Inc, a diversified financial services holding company, provides various financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions in North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Institutional Clients Group (ICG), Personal Banking and Wealth Management (PBWM), and Legacy Franchises.

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Boston Partners cut its stake in Lear Co. (NYSE:LEA  Free Report) by 44.4% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 585,179 shares of the auto parts companys stock after selling 466,696 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners holdings in Lear were worth $81,605,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lear by 49.6% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 425 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lear by 45.1% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 576 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lear by 43.0% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 612 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. OLD Mission Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lear in the 4th quarter valued at $81,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Lear by 135.3% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 680 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $97,000 after acquiring an additional 391 shares during the period. 98.40% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on LEA. Citigroup upped their target price on Lear from $152.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Lear from $169.00 to $179.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Lear from $144.00 to $164.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. StockNews.com began coverage on Lear in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on Lear from $137.00 to $147.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $164.64.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 2,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.57, for a total transaction of $416,817.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,493 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,045,134.01. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Lear news, Director Greg C. Smith sold 2,221 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.93, for a total transaction of $277,469.53. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Jason M. Cardew sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.57, for a total value of $416,817.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 13,493 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,045,134.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 44,683 shares of company stock valued at $6,640,802 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.75% of the companys stock.

Lear Stock Down 3.9 %

Lear stock opened at $142.80 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.58. Lear Co. has a 52 week low of $114.67 and a 52 week high of $157.90. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $146.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $138.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Lear (NYSE:LEA  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The auto parts company reported $3.33 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $6 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.89 billion. Lear had a return on equity of 13.84% and a net margin of 2.32%. Lears revenue for the quarter was up 18.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.79 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lear Co. will post 11.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Lear Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 30th. Lears dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.16%.

Lear Company Profile

(Free Report)

Lear Corporation designs, develops, engineers, manufactures, assembles, and supplies automotive seating, and electrical distribution systems and related components for automotive original equipment manufacturers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. Its Seating segment offers seat systems, seat subsystems, keyseat components, seat trim covers, seat mechanisms, seat foams, and headrests, as well as surface materials, such as leather and fabric for automobiles and light trucks, compact cars, pick-up trucks, and sport utility vehicles.

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Boston Partners boosted its position in Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC  Free Report) by 68.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 595,269 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 241,455 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners holdings in Omnicom Group were worth $56,151,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of OMC. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in shares of Omnicom Group by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 27,964 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,374,000 after purchasing an additional 1,284 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC increased its position in shares of Omnicom Group by 27.0% during the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 81,054 shares of the business services providers stock worth $6,880,000 after purchasing an additional 17,251 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Omnicom Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $503,000. National Pension Service increased its position in shares of Omnicom Group by 644.1% during the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 407,387 shares of the business services providers stock worth $34,579,000 after purchasing an additional 352,639 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of Omnicom Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $929,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.92% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on OMC. Bank of America boosted their price target on Omnicom Group from $79.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Omnicom Group from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $109.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Macquarie boosted their price target on Omnicom Group from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Omnicom Group in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Omnicom Group from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Omnicom Group has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $96.57.

Omnicom Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE OMC opened at $79.91 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $90.49 and a 200-day moving average of $90.79. The company has a market capitalization of $15.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.85. Omnicom Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $61.85 and a 12 month high of $99.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53.

Omnicom Group (NYSE:OMC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 18th. The business services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $3.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.67 billion. Omnicom Group had a return on equity of 41.29% and a net margin of 9.66%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.68 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Omnicom Group Inc. will post 7.35 EPS for the current year.

Omnicom Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 21st will be paid a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 20th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.50%. Omnicom Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.24%.

Insider Activity at Omnicom Group

In related news, VP Rochelle M. Tarlowe sold 1,800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.12, for a total value of $169,416.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 13,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,270,243.52. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Omnicom Group news, VP Rochelle M. Tarlowe sold 1,800 shares of Omnicom Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.12, for a total value of $169,416.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 13,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,270,243.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jonathan B. Nelson sold 25,000 shares of Omnicom Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.71, for a total value of $2,367,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 121,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,492,774.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Omnicom Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

Omnicom Group Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers advertising, marketing, and corporate communications services. It provides a range of services in the areas of advertising and media, precision marketing, commerce and brand consulting, experiential, execution and support, public relations, and healthcare.

Further Reading

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Boston Partners trimmed its stake in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 90.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 983,245 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 9,029,727 shares during the period. Boston Partners owned about 0.05% of Charles Schwab worth $51,499,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 32,224.4% in the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 225,994,826 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $18,816,289,000 after buying an additional 225,295,680 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,658,930 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,215,792,000 after buying an additional 606,423 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 62.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,255,649 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,853,005,000 after buying an additional 8,563,389 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 107.1% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 16,784,516 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,399,817,000 after buying an additional 8,680,289 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 16,704,631 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $874,989,000 after buying an additional 545,595 shares during the period. 82.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on SCHW. Wolfe Research lowered their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $62.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Monday, June 26th. StockNews.com cut shares of Charles Schwab from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $64.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $74.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $72.09.

Charles Schwab Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE SCHW opened at $64.08 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $59.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $60.84. The stock has a market cap of $113.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.91. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12-month low of $45.00 and a 12-month high of $86.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.61 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 33.15% and a return on equity of 27.54%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Investors of record on Friday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,093,761,349.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,093,761,349.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 75,760 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total transaction of $5,045,616.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 59,672,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,974,207,014.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 225,447 shares of company stock valued at $13,866,915 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 38.6% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 60,649 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 16,904 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $4,204,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wintrust Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 19.3% in the first quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 168,170 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $11,656,000 after purchasing an additional 27,173 shares in the last quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 3.7% in the first quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 478,653 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $33,175,000 after purchasing an additional 17,032 shares in the last quarter. Motco lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.5% in the first quarter. Motco now owns 98,846 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $6,851,000 after purchasing an additional 2,435 shares in the last quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 20.2% in the first quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,389 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $523,000 after purchasing an additional 1,241 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cohen Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 6.3% in the first quarter. Cohen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,053 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $558,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares in the last quarter. 74.57% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of BMY opened at $61.23 on Friday. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $59.71 and a 12 month high of $81.43. The stocks 50-day moving average is $63.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market cap of $127.92 billion, a PE ratio of 16.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.42.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 50.51%. The firms revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.93 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is presently 60.64%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on BMY. Cantor Fitzgerald reduced their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $72.00 to $66.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. Morgan Stanley reissued an underweight rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Atlantic Securities dropped their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, SVB Securities assumed coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday, July 10th. They set a market perform rating and a $66.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $71.14.

Get Our Latest Research Report on BMY

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Robert M. Plenge sold 732 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.14, for a total transaction of $44,754.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $402,545.76. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

Further Reading

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).

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Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. reduced its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 49.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 30,878 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 30,706 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $2,140,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter worth $1,873,696,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 114,228.7% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,469,785 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,544,751,000 after acquiring an additional 21,451,006 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2,077.2% in the 1st quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,049,072 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $280,641,000 after acquiring an additional 3,863,095 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 13,794,089 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $992,048,000 after acquiring an additional 3,627,705 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Edmp Inc. increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 6,884.3% in the 4th quarter. Edmp Inc. now owns 3,343,588 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $46,471,000 after acquiring an additional 3,295,715 shares during the last quarter. 74.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on BMY. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an underweight rating and issued a $59.00 target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $85.00 to $80.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 28th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $87.00 to $79.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th. They set an outperform rating and a $70.00 price objective for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $71.14.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Robert M. Plenge sold 732 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.14, for a total value of $44,754.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,584 shares in the company, valued at approximately $402,545.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Performance

Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock opened at $61.23 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $63.43 and a 200 day moving average of $67.08. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $59.71 and a 12 month high of $81.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $127.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.28.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.24). The company had revenue of $11.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.81 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 17.62% and a return on equity of 50.51%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th were paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, July 6th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is presently 60.64%.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Free Report)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia.

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Oscar Health, Inc. (NYSE:OSCR  Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of Hold from the six analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $6.11.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on OSCR shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an equal weight rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of Oscar Health in a report on Friday, July 14th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Oscar Health from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the company from $5.40 to $8.75 in a report on Tuesday, June 6th. Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on shares of Oscar Health from $7.00 to $8.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Oscar Health from $5.50 to $7.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Thursday.

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Insider Activity

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Oscar Health

In other news, CAO Victoria Baltrus sold 5,267 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.15, for a total value of $37,659.05. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 37,288 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $266,609.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink . In related news, CAO Victoria Baltrus sold 5,267 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.15, for a total transaction of $37,659.05. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 37,288 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $266,609.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . Also, CFO Sid Sankaran sold 137,826 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.15, for a total transaction of $985,455.90. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 207,474 shares in the company, valued at $1,483,439.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last three months, insiders have sold 169,373 shares of company stock valued at $1,211,017. Company insiders own 25.54% of the companys stock.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Oscar Health in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $164,000. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Oscar Health by 157.5% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 10,106 shares of the companys stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 6,182 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank increased its position in shares of Oscar Health by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 103,100 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,028,000 after purchasing an additional 8,200 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Oscar Health in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $633,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Oscar Health by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 193,504 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,930,000 after purchasing an additional 4,801 shares during the last quarter. 67.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Oscar Health Stock Performance

OSCR opened at $7.50 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.64 billion, a PE ratio of -3.39 and a beta of 1.03. Oscar Health has a twelve month low of $2.05 and a twelve month high of $9.89. The firms 50-day moving average price is $8.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $6.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

Oscar Health (NYSE:OSCR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.07) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.33) by $0.26. The firm had revenue of $1.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. Oscar Health had a negative net margin of 9.55% and a negative return on equity of 49.14%. Oscar Healths quarterly revenue was up 49.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.53) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Oscar Health will post -1.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Oscar Health

(Get Free Report

Oscar Health, Inc operates as a health insurance in the United States. The company offers Individual and Small Group, and Medicare Advantage plans, as well as +Oscar, a technology driven platform designed to help providers and payors directly enable their shift to value-based care It also provides reinsurance products.

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Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM  Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) had its price objective raised by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $34.00 to $35.00 in a research note published on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Brookfield Asset Management to an underperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. TD Securities cut their price target on Brookfield Asset Management from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an action list buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Brookfield Asset Management from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Scotiabank began coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Thursday, July 13th. They issued an outperform rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $39.00.

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View Our Latest Analysis on Brookfield Asset Management

Brookfield Asset Management Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BAM opened at $35.13 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.64. Brookfield Asset Management has a 1-year low of $26.76 and a 1-year high of $36.50.

Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM  Get Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.32. The company had revenue of $985.00 million during the quarter. Equities research analysts expect that Brookfield Asset Management will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brookfield Asset Management Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brookfield Asset Management

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 74.0% during the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 2,855,654 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $93,194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,214,601 shares in the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG increased its holdings in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 2.9% in the second quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 629,711 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $20,547,000 after buying an additional 17,459 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 327.3% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 435,386 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $14,206,000 after buying an additional 333,501 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in Brookfield Asset Management during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,867,000. Finally, Capital World Investors increased its holdings in Brookfield Asset Management by 16.8% during the 2nd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 18,250,067 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $595,517,000 after purchasing an additional 2,625,505 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.29% of the companys stock.

Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the ownership, operation, and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and energy transition power generating assets. The company's infrastructure business engages in the ownership, operation, and development of utilities, transport, midstream, data and sustainable resource assets.

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Shares of Canadian Western Bank (TSE:CWB  Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$25.49 and traded as high as C$26.51. Canadian Western Bank shares last traded at C$26.19, with a volume of 126,503 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Cormark decreased their price objective on Canadian Western Bank from C$30.00 to C$28.00 in a report on Monday, May 29th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Canadian Western Bank from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and cut their target price for the stock from C$35.00 to C$34.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. National Bankshares cut their target price on Canadian Western Bank from C$31.00 to C$28.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 29th. Scotiabank cut their target price on Canadian Western Bank from C$28.00 to C$27.00 in a research report on Monday, May 29th. Finally, Raymond James cut their target price on Canadian Western Bank from C$34.00 to C$30.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Canadian Western Bank has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$29.00.

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Canadian Western Bank Trading Down 1.1 %

The business has a 50-day moving average price of C$25.50 and a 200 day moving average price of C$25.48. The company has a market cap of C$2.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.64.

Canadian Western Bank (TSE:CWB  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, May 26th. The company reported C$0.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.78 by C($0.04). The business had revenue of C$264.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$269.27 million. Canadian Western Bank had a net margin of 31.98% and a return on equity of 8.96%. On average, analysts anticipate that Canadian Western Bank will post 3.6110345 earnings per share for the current year.

Canadian Western Bank Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 8th were issued a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 7th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.04%. This is a positive change from Canadian Western Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Canadian Western Banks dividend payout ratio is presently 39.88%.

Canadian Western Bank Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Canadian Western Bank provides personal and business banking products and services primarily in Western Canada. The company offers current, savings, notice, cash management, US dollar, and chequing accounts, as well as organization, business trust, and trust fund investment accounts. It also offers commercial lending and real estate, and equipment financing and leasing products; agriculture lending products; mortgages; lines of credits; registered retirement savings loans; consolidation, and vehicle loans; and credit cards.

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Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS  Get Free Report) (TSE:CLS) has been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the nine ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $20.06.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on shares of Celestica from $16.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Celestica from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, August 5th. CIBC upgraded Celestica from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the company from $14.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Celestica from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised Celestica from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and upped their price target for the company from $14.00 to $22.00 in a report on Friday, July 28th.

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Celestica Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:CLS opened at $20.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $13.72. Celestica has a 12-month low of $8.21 and a 12-month high of $22.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.14 and a beta of 2.16.

Celestica (NYSE:CLS  Get Free Report) (TSE:CLS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The technology company reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.48 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.81 billion. Celestica had a return on equity of 15.54% and a net margin of 2.17%. The companys revenue was up 12.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.44 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Celestica will post 2.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celestica

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Celestica by 120.3% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 193,371 shares of the technology companys stock worth $2,303,000 after purchasing an additional 105,576 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates purchased a new stake in Celestica in the first quarter worth approximately $132,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Celestica by 20.3% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 265,505 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,162,000 after purchasing an additional 44,885 shares during the last quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. boosted its holdings in Celestica by 57.2% in the first quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 168,657 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,805,000 after purchasing an additional 61,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can boosted its holdings in Celestica by 35.4% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 12,536 shares of the technology companys stock worth $158,000 after purchasing an additional 3,276 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.93% of the companys stock.

About Celestica

(Get Free Report

Celestica Inc provides supply chain solutions in North America, Europe, and Asia. It operates through Advanced Technology Solutions, and Connectivity & Cloud Solutions segments. The company offers a range of product manufacturing and related supply chain services, including design and development, new product introduction, engineering services, component sourcing, electronics manufacturing and assembly, testing, complex mechanical assembly, systems integration, precision machining, order fulfillment, logistics, asset management, product licensing, and after-market repair and return services.

Further Reading

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China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CRHKY  Get Free Report)s stock price crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $12.86 and traded as low as $11.68. China Resources Beer shares last traded at $11.89, with a volume of 3,650 shares trading hands.

China Resources Beer Stock Performance

The stocks fifty day moving average is $12.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.24.

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China Resources Beer Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 23rd were given a $0.0772 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 22nd. This is an increase from China Resources Beers previous dividend of $0.06.

About China Resources Beer

China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells beer products in Mainland China. The company offers its products under the Nong Li, Li, Lowen Fruit Beer, and Snow Draft Pure Malt Beer, Snow Xiao Pi Qi brands. The company was formerly known as China Resources Enterprise, Limited and changed its name to China Resources Beer (Holdings) Company Limited in October 2015.

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX:CBA  Get Free Report) announced a final dividend on Thursday, August 10th, MarketIndexAU reports. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 27th will be given a dividend of 2.40 per share on Wednesday, September 27th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 15th. This is a boost from Commonwealth Bank of Australias previous final dividend of $2.10.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Price Performance

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Insider Transactions at Commonwealth Bank of Australia

In related news, insider Lynette Cobley 1,804 shares of Commonwealth Bank of Australia stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. Insiders own 0.42% of the companys stock.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Company Profile

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia provides financial services in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It operates through Retail Banking Services, Business Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, and New Zealand segments. The company offers transaction, savings, and foreign currency accounts; term deposits; personal and business loans; overdrafts; equipment finance; credit cards; international payment and trade; and private banking services, as well as home and car loans.

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Swiss Re (OTCMKTS:SSREF  Get Free Report) and RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation and risk.

Dividends

Swiss Re pays an annual dividend of $4.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.4%. RenaissanceRe pays an annual dividend of $1.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Swiss Re pays out 37.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. RenaissanceRe pays out 19.0% 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. RenaissanceRe has increased its dividend for 28 consecutive years.

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Institutional & Insider Ownership

24.3% of Swiss Re shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.2% of RenaissanceRe shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of RenaissanceRe shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Swiss Re N/A N/A N/A RenaissanceRe 5.60% 14.22% 1.91%

Analyst Recommendations

This table compares Swiss Re and RenaissanceRes net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Swiss Re and RenaissanceRe, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Swiss Re 0 0 0 0 N/A RenaissanceRe 1 1 3 0 2.40

RenaissanceRe has a consensus target price of $221.40, suggesting a potential upside of 20.02%. Given RenaissanceRes higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe RenaissanceRe is more favorable than Swiss Re.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Swiss Re and RenaissanceRes revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Swiss Re N/A N/A N/A $11.77 8.46 RenaissanceRe $5.06 billion 1.87 -$1.06 billion $8.00 23.06

Swiss Re has higher earnings, but lower revenue than RenaissanceRe. Swiss Re is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than RenaissanceRe, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

RenaissanceRe beats Swiss Re on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Swiss Re

(Get Free Report)

Swiss Re AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides wholesale reinsurance, insurance, other insurance-based forms of risk transfer, and other insurance-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Property & Casualty Reinsurance, Life & Health Reinsurance, and Corporate Solutions. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance, including property, credit and surety, engineering, aviation, marine, agriculture, retakaful, and facultative reinsurance solutions; and casualty reinsurance, such as liability, motor, worker's compensation, personal accident, management and professional liability, cyber, and facultative reinsurance solutions. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment underwrites life and health insurance products. The Corporate Solutions segment offers standard risk transfer covers and multi-line programs to customized solutions. It serves stock and mutual insurance companies, public sector and governmental entities, mid-sized and large corporations, and individuals. Swiss Re AG was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

About RenaissanceRe

(Get Free Report)

RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S. multi-line reinsurance. The Casualty and Specialty segment writes various classes of products, such as directors and officers, medical malpractice, and professional indemnity; automobile and employer's liability, casualty clash, umbrella or excess casualty, workers' compensation, and general liability; financial and mortgage guaranty, political risk, surety, and trade credit; and accident and health, agriculture, aviation, cyber, energy, marine, satellite, and terrorism. The company distributes its products and services primarily through intermediaries. It also invests in and manages funds. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.

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Motco decreased its holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR  Free Report) by 7.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,397 shares of the banks stock after selling 108 shares during the period. Motcos holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers were worth $147,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of CFR. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 10.3% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,345 shares of the banks stock valued at $740,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. acquired a new stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,736,000. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,032,068 shares of the banks stock valued at $696,489,000 after acquiring an additional 39,554 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can increased its holdings in shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers by 9.0% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 31,607 shares of the banks stock worth $4,501,000 after buying an additional 2,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers during the 1st quarter worth approximately $211,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.49% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

CFR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wedbush cut their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $120.00 to $112.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers to a sell rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $121.00 to $116.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. DA Davidson cut their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $134.00 to $126.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $130.00 to $135.00 in a report on Thursday, June 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $127.73.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cullen/Frost Bankers

In other Cullen/Frost Bankers news, Director Howard Willome John purchased 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of $98.66 per share, with a total value of $197,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $887,940. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Cullen/Frost Bankers news, insider Patrick B. Frost sold 6,617 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 19th. The shares were 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 approximately $21,324,531.14. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Howard Willome John purchased 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $98.66 per share, with a total value of $197,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,000 shares in the company, valued at $887,940. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.89% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Stock Performance

NYSE:CFR opened at $104.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 0.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.82, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $109.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.46. Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $92.55 and a fifty-two week high of $160.60.

Cullen/Frost Bankers (NYSE:CFR  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The bank reported $2.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.07. Cullen/Frost Bankers had a net margin of 29.14% and a return on equity of 22.93%. The firm had revenue of $512.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $496.85 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current year.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be given a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. This is a boost from Cullen/Frost Bankerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.87. Cullen/Frost Bankerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.61%.

About Cullen/Frost Bankers

(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.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CFR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR  Free Report).

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EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Free Report) issued an update on its second quarter 2024 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.77-$1.87 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.80. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

EnerSys Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ENS opened at $94.71 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $3.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a current ratio of 2.76, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. EnerSys has a 1-year low of $56.72 and a 1-year high of $113.34. The stocks 50-day moving average is $106.01 and its 200 day moving average is $92.91.

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EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 9th. The industrial products company reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $908.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $968.70 million. EnerSys had a return on equity of 16.17% and a net margin of 5.69%. EnerSyss revenue for the quarter was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.15 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that EnerSys will post 7.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

EnerSys Increases Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be paid a $0.225 dividend. This is a boost from EnerSyss previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. EnerSyss payout ratio is 13.70%.

A number of equities analysts have commented on ENS shares. BTIG Research lifted their price target on EnerSys from $100.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Friday, June 16th. Oppenheimer cut their price objective on EnerSys from $119.00 to $117.00 in a research report on Friday. CL King began coverage on EnerSys in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They set a buy rating and a $137.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on EnerSys in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ENS

Insider Activity at EnerSys

In related news, insider Andrew M. Zogby sold 10,537 shares of EnerSys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.21, for a total transaction of $1,098,060.77. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 20,495 shares in the company, valued at $2,135,783.95. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On EnerSys

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ENS. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in EnerSys in the first quarter worth $60,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in EnerSys by 58.2% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 930 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in EnerSys in the first quarter worth $87,000. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in EnerSys by 23.5% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,546 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $149,000 after acquiring an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd boosted its holdings in EnerSys by 959.2% in the second quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 2,775 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $164,000 after acquiring an additional 2,513 shares in the last quarter. 94.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

EnerSys Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries.

Further Reading

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Gjensidige Forsikring ASA (OTCMKTS:GJNSY  Get Free Report) and Hiscox (OTCMKTS:HCXLF  Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations for Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and Hiscox, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Gjensidige Forsikring ASA 0 1 1 0 2.50 Hiscox 0 3 0 0 2.00

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA presently has a consensus price target of $226.67, suggesting a potential upside of 1,404.09%. Hiscox has a consensus price target of $1,198.14, suggesting a potential upside of 8,775.13%. Given Hiscoxs higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Hiscox is more favorable than Gjensidige Forsikring ASA.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

Dividends

0.0% of Gjensidige Forsikring ASA shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 59.1% of Hiscox shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA pays an annual dividend of $10.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 71.0%. Hiscox pays an annual dividend of $0.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. Gjensidige Forsikring ASA pays out 122.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Hiscox pays out 12.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and Hiscoxs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Gjensidige Forsikring ASA N/A N/A N/A Hiscox N/A N/A N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Gjensidige Forsikring ASA and Hiscoxs top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Gjensidige Forsikring ASA N/A N/A N/A $8.72 1.73 Hiscox N/A N/A N/A $0.64 21.03

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hiscox, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

About Gjensidige Forsikring ASA

(Get Free Report)

Gjensidige Forsikring ASA provides general insurance and pension products in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The company operates through six segments: General Insurance Private, General Insurance Commercial, General Insurance Denmark, General Insurance Sweden, General Insurance Baltics, and Pension. It offers motor, accident and health, travel, leisure craft, valuables, liability, commercial, marine/transport, agriculture, natural perils, life, and pet insurance products. The company also provides defined contribution occupational pension schemes for businesses, which include disability pension, spouse/cohabitant pension, and child's pension products. It distributes its products through various distribution channels comprising office channel, call center, Internet, partners, and brokers to private and commercial customers. The company was founded in 1816 and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.

About Hiscox

(Get Free Report)

Hiscox Ltd, through its subsidiaries, provides insurance and reinsurance services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Hiscox Retail, Hiscox London Market, Hiscox Re & ILS, and Corporate Centre. It offers commercial insurance for small-and medium-sized businesses; and personal lines cover, including high-value household, fine art, luxury motor, classic car, and partners and direct-to-consumer using both traditional and digital trading models. The company also provides property insurance; marine and energy insurance; aviation insurance; casualty insurance; specialty insurance; kidnap and ransom insurance; and other specialty insurance, such as contingency, terrorism, personal accident, and product recall. In addition, it offers healthcare and casualty reinsurance services, as well as investment services. Hiscox Ltd was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.

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Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO  Free Report) by 27.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 70,455 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 15,219 shares during the quarter. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF comprises about 1.7% of Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $2,846,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of 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 worth $11,556,324,000 after buying an additional 296,194,508 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 1.0% during 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 period. Betterment LLC grew its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 8.5% during 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 period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 7.5% during 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 period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 2.8% during 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 period.

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Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Trading Down 1.4 %

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF stock opened at $40.83 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.69. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a 1 year low of $34.88 and a 1 year high of $43.22. The business has a 50-day moving average of $41.32 and a 200-day moving average of $40.66.

Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile

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.

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GW&K Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI  Free Report) by 15.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 153,661 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 20,356 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.13% of Donaldson worth $10,040,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Donaldson in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Donaldson in the first quarter valued at about $42,000. Fred Alger Management LLC bought a new position in Donaldson in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new position in Donaldson during the first quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Donaldson by 55.5% in the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 841 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. 80.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Donaldson

In other news, CFO Scott J. Robinson sold 24,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.44, for a total transaction of $1,498,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 27,670 shares in the company, valued at $1,727,714.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.77% of the companys stock.

Donaldson Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE DCI opened at $62.35 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $61.86 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Donaldson Company, Inc. has a 1 year low of $48.17 and a 1 year high of $66.96. The firm has a market cap of $7.56 billion, a PE ratio of 20.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.20.

Donaldson (NYSE:DCI  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $875.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $871.53 million. Donaldson had a net margin of 10.69% and a return on equity of 32.06%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.67 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Donaldson Company, Inc. will post 3.04 EPS for the current year.

Donaldson Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. Donaldsons payout ratio is presently 33.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on DCI shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Donaldson from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 26th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Donaldson from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on Donaldson in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. They issued a neutral rating and a $66.00 price target for the company. They noted that the move was a valuation call.

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About Donaldson

(Free Report)

Donaldson Company, Inc manufactures and sells filtration systems and replacement parts worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Engine Products and Industrial Products. Its Engine Products segment provides replacement filters for air and liquid filtration applications; air filtration systems; liquid filtration systems for fuel, lube, and hydraulic applications; exhaust and emissions systems and sensors; indicators; and monitoring systems.

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GW&K Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) by 12.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 331,111 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 48,241 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLCs holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $17,344,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of SCHW. Operose Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 8.9% in the first quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 13,597 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $712,000 after acquiring an additional 1,106 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its position in Charles Schwab by 54.0% in the first quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 22,922 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,201,000 after buying an additional 8,037 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 0.3% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 258,578 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $13,544,000 after buying an additional 749 shares during the last quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 99.2% during the first quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. now owns 37,358 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,957,000 after buying an additional 18,601 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GS Investments Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 11.2% in the 1st quarter. GS Investments Inc. now owns 57,158 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,994,000 after acquiring an additional 5,750 shares during the last quarter. 82.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Charles Schwab

In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 75,760 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total transaction of $5,045,616.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 59,672,778 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,974,207,014.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 225,447 shares of company stock valued at $13,866,915. 6.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SCHW has been the subject of several research reports. JMP Securities increased their target price on Charles Schwab from $73.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $77.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $65.00 to $75.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Charles Schwab from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $72.09.

View Our Latest Analysis on Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab Trading Down 0.7 %

NYSE SCHW opened at $64.08 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $113.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a P/E/G ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 0.91. The Charles Schwab Co. has a one year low of $45.00 and a one year high of $86.63. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $59.61 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.38.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.04. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 33.15% and a return on equity of 27.54%. The business had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. Charles Schwabs revenue was down 8.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Investors of record on Friday, August 11th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.56%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is presently 29.15%.

About Charles Schwab

(Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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Hilltop Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF (NYSEARCA:EWI  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 284,521 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $8,658,000. iShares MSCI Italy ETF accounts for approximately 3.9% of Hilltop Partners LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF by 132.3% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 144,774 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $4,276,000 after acquiring an additional 592,694 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF by 248.7% in the 1st quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 522,182 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $15,420,000 after acquiring an additional 372,430 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF by 67.4% in the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 18,007 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $532,000 after acquiring an additional 7,247 shares during the period. Eaton Vance Management lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Eaton Vance Management now owns 12,220 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 392 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Italy ETF by 51.1% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 521,178 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $15,391,000 after acquiring an additional 176,262 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI Italy ETF Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of EWI stock traded down $0.23 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.94. The stock had a trading volume of 324,379 shares, compared to its average volume of 431,367. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $31.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.01. iShares MSCI Italy ETF has a one year low of $20.99 and a one year high of $33.67. The firm has a market cap of $357.09 million, a PE ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.03.

iShares MSCI Italy ETF Profile

iShares MSCI Italy Capped ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Italy Capped Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Italy 25/50 Index (Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Milan Stock Exchange.

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Hilltop Partners LLC bought a new stake in Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 78,782 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $70,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CS. Emfo LLC bought a new position in shares of Credit Suisse Group during the first quarter worth about $60,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Credit Suisse Group during the first quarter worth approximately $86,000. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Credit Suisse Group by 50.2% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 66,536 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 22,230 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Credit Suisse Group during the first quarter worth approximately $559,000. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. grew its stake in Credit Suisse Group by 102.1% during the first quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 155,399 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $138,000 after purchasing an additional 78,509 shares during the period. 11.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Credit Suisse Group Stock Performance

Credit Suisse Group stock remained flat at $0.89 during mid-day trading on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.79. Credit Suisse Group AG has a one year low of $0.82 and a one year high of $6.36. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $0.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.46. The stock has a market cap of $2.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.27.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on Credit Suisse Group in a research note on Thursday. They set a hold rating for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Credit Suisse Group presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $4.52.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Credit Suisse Group

Credit Suisse Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

Credit Suisse Group AG is a holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following four divisions: Wealth Management, Investment Bank, Swiss Bank and Asset Management and four geographic regions: Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Asia Pacific, and Americas.

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Hilltop Partners LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV  Free Report) by 0.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,744 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 228 shares during the period. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF makes up 1.0% of Hilltop Partners LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Hilltop Partners LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $2,236,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. PSI Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. PSI Advisors LLC now owns 136,562 shares of the companys stock worth $9,934,000 after purchasing an additional 12,702 shares during the period. AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 14.8% during the 1st quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 34,604 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,517,000 after buying an additional 4,452 shares in the last quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 14.3% during the 1st quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 9,023 shares of the companys stock valued at $656,000 after buying an additional 1,129 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 93.2% during the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 16,948 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,222,000 after buying an additional 8,177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cozad Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Cozad Asset Management Inc. now owns 60,883 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,390,000 after buying an additional 7,724 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Stock Up 0.4 %

USMV traded up $0.29 on Friday, reaching $75.13. 1,427,138 shares of the company traded hands. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a one year low of $47.44 and a one year high of $55.45. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $74.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.94. The company has a market cap of $28.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75.

iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Hilltop Partners LLC reduced its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:EFAV  Free Report) by 14.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 13,189 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,245 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF makes up approximately 0.4% of Hilltop Partners LLCs holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Hilltop Partners LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $892,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 5,893.8% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 1,052,694 shares of the companys stock valued at $66,936,000 after purchasing an additional 1,035,131 shares during the period. Cowa LLC increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 8,666.2% during the 1st quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 760,203 shares of the companys stock valued at $548,000 after purchasing an additional 751,531 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 51.3% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 904,124 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,489,000 after purchasing an additional 306,599 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,929,051 shares of the companys stock valued at $249,829,000 after purchasing an additional 269,021 shares during the period. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF by 13.5% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 2,156,959 shares of the companys stock valued at $137,150,000 after purchasing an additional 256,226 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF Price Performance

iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF stock traded down $0.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $67.66. 257,947 shares of the company traded hands. The firms 50 day moving average price is $67.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $67.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.01 and a beta of 0.60. iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF has a 52-week low of $64.68 and a 52-week high of $76.51.

iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF (EFAV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI EAFE Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of developed-market equities, ex-US and Canada, selected and weighted to create a low volatility portfolio subject to constraints including sector exposure.

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Hilltop Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF (NYSEARCA:EWQ  Free Report) by 96.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,996 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 264,422 shares during the quarter. Hilltop Partners LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF were worth $416,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of EWQ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI France ETF by 2,553.2% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 89,545 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,164,000 after buying an additional 86,170 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF by 5,098.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,868,322 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $66,007,000 after purchasing an additional 1,832,385 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF by 285.8% during the 1st quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 48,664 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,719,000 after purchasing an additional 36,051 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF by 53.9% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 37,700 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,332,000 after purchasing an additional 13,200 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI France ETF by 211.9% during the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 101,825 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $3,597,000 after purchasing an additional 69,183 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI France ETF Stock Performance

EWQ traded down $0.40 during trading on Friday, hitting $38.23. 1,342,631 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 703,591. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.86. The firm has a market cap of $978.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.58 and a beta of 1.03. iShares MSCI France ETF has a 1 year low of $26.26 and a 1 year high of $39.95.

iShares MSCI France ETF Profile

iShares MSCI France ETF, formerly iShares MSCI France Index Fund, seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the French market, as measured by the MSCI France Index (the Index). The Index seeks to measure the performance of the French equity market.

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Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC  Get Free Report) was upgraded by Macquarie from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report released on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

HMC has been the subject of several other reports. UBS Group downgraded shares of Honda Motor from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. StockNews.com began coverage on Honda Motor in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, Nomura lowered Honda Motor from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy.

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View Our Latest Stock Report on Honda Motor

Honda Motor Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:HMC opened at $31.88 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.44. Honda Motor has a 52-week low of $21.43 and a 52-week high of $32.62. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $30.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.88. The firm has a market cap of $54.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.11, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.76.

Honda Motor (NYSE:HMC  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 11th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by ($0.10). Honda Motor had a return on equity of 7.86% and a net margin of 5.11%. The firm had revenue of $33.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.49 billion. As a group, research analysts forecast that Honda Motor will post 3.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Honda Motor

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HMC. Credit Suisse AG increased its position in shares of Honda Motor by 3,638.7% during the third quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 1,159 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,128 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. increased its position in shares of Honda Motor by 1,148.3% during the 1st quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,111 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,022 shares during the last quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Honda Motor by 46.3% during the 2nd quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 337 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Honda Motor by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,233 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Honda Motor during the first quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors own 5.57% of the companys stock.

Honda Motor Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Honda Motor Co, Ltd. develops, manufactures, and distributes motorcycles, automobiles, power, and other products in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Motorcycle Business, Automobile Business, Financial Services Business, and Power Product and Other Businesses.

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Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (NYSEARCA:SPLV  Free Report) by 30.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 88,739 shares of the companys stock after selling 38,981 shares during the period. Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF comprises 3.3% of Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC owned about 0.06% of Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF worth $5,537,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. RFG Advisory LLC boosted its position in Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 12,963 shares of the companys stock valued at $809,000 after buying an additional 713 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF in the 1st quarter worth approximately $217,000. Personal CFO Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF by 24.7% in the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 12,022 shares of the companys stock worth $750,000 after purchasing an additional 2,383 shares during the period. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,606 shares of the companys stock worth $849,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Finally, Bailard Inc. lifted its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF by 12.8% in the 1st quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 7,105 shares of the companys stock worth $443,000 after purchasing an additional 808 shares during the period.

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Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF Stock Performance

Shares of SPLV opened at $62.53 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $62.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $62.48. Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF has a fifty-two week low of $55.99 and a fifty-two week high of $67.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.15 billion, a PE ratio of 20.07 and a beta of 0.69.

About Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF

The Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Low Volatility index. The fund tracks a volatility-weighted index of the 100 least-volatile stocks in the S&P 500. SPLV was launched on May 5, 2011 and is managed by Invesco.

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Valence8 US LP trimmed its stake in iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (NYSEARCA:EWU  Free Report) by 6.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 264,092 shares of the companys stock after selling 18,997 shares during the period. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF accounts for about 5.0% of Valence8 US LPs investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Valence8 US LP owned about 0.27% of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF worth $8,520,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,306 shares of the companys stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 82,570 shares of the companys stock worth $2,664,000 after acquiring an additional 470 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 152.9% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 827 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 11,185 shares of the companys stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 505 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 10,626 shares of the companys stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 514 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Stock Performance

Shares of iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF stock traded down $0.15 during trading on Friday, hitting $32.50. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,752,913 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,105,396. The company has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a PE ratio of 13.02 and a beta of 0.83. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF has a 52 week low of $25.36 and a 52 week high of $34.04. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $32.60.

iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF Profile

The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI United Kingdom index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index of British companies. It covers the top 85% of British companies by market cap. EWU was launched on Mar 12, 1996 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lowered its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB  Free Report) by 3.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,908 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 164 shares during the period. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators holdings in LyondellBasell Industries were worth $461,000 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 business. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 1.0% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 10,812 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $1,112,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 26.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 41,362 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $4,349,000 after acquiring an additional 8,596 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new position in LyondellBasell Industries in the first quarter worth approximately $731,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 29.0% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 7,488 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $770,000 after acquiring an additional 1,684 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its stake in LyondellBasell Industries by 20.2% in the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,268 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $644,000 after acquiring an additional 1,053 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.58% of the companys stock.

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LyondellBasell Industries Stock Performance

LYB traded down $1.54 during trading on Friday, hitting $99.16. The stock had a trading volume of 2,262,647 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,261,012. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.22. The companys 50-day moving average price is $92.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $92.80. LyondellBasell Industries has a twelve month low of $71.46 and a twelve month high of $101.30.

LyondellBasell Industries Increases Dividend

LyondellBasell Industries ( NYSE:LYB Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 4th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $10.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.79 billion. LyondellBasell Industries had a net margin of 4.92% and a return on equity of 21.31%. LyondellBasell Industriess revenue was down 30.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.19 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that LyondellBasell Industries will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were paid a $1.25 dividend. This is a boost from LyondellBasell Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 26th. LyondellBasell Industriess payout ratio is currently 77.64%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on LYB shares. 888 reiterated a maintains rating on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th. SpectralCast restated a maintains rating on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $96.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $113.00 to $108.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $98.88.

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LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile

(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.

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KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR  Free Report) had its price objective upped by Morgan Stanley from $59.00 to $63.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the asset managers stock.

KKR has been the topic of several other reports. Argus decreased their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $74.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $63.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $67.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of KKR & Co. Inc. from $65.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $71.04.

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KKR & Co. Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:KKR opened at $61.91 on Wednesday. KKR & Co. Inc. has a 1 year low of $41.77 and a 1 year high of $63.64. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $57.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.10 billion, a PE ratio of 48.37, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.52.

KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 7th. The asset manager reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.23. KKR & Co. Inc. had a net margin of 11.02% and a return on equity of 4.50%. The business had revenue of $3.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.64 EPS. KKR & Co. Inc.s revenue was up 1021.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that KKR & Co. Inc. will post 2.79 EPS for the current year.

KKR & Co. Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.165 per share. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 16th. KKR & Co. Inc.s dividend payout ratio is currently 51.56%.

Insider Activity at KKR & Co. Inc.

In related news, major shareholder Kkr Group Partnership L.P. sold 15,952,381 shares of KKR & Co. Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.00, for a total transaction of $335,000,001.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 44,782,619 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $940,434,999. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Kkr Alternative Assets Llc bought 27,315 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 30th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $26.15 per share, with a total value of $714,287.25. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 484,458 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,668,576.70. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, major shareholder Kkr Group Partnership L.P. sold 15,952,381 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.00, for a total transaction of $335,000,001.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 44,782,619 shares of the companys stock, valued at $940,434,999. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders bought 2,222,651 shares of company stock valued at $19,300,198 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 39.34% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KKR & Co. Inc.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp raised its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 9.1% in the second quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 54,361 shares of the asset managers stock worth $3,044,000 after acquiring an additional 4,525 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 17,368 shares of the asset managers stock worth $973,000 after buying an additional 431 shares during the period. MYDA Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 1,000.0% during the second quarter. MYDA Advisors LLC now owns 110,000 shares of the asset managers stock worth $6,160,000 after buying an additional 100,000 shares during the last quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors raised its stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. by 4.0% during the second quarter. Visionary Wealth Advisors now owns 7,235 shares of the asset managers stock worth $405,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridgewater Associates LP bought a new stake in shares of KKR & Co. Inc. during the second quarter worth approximately $1,367,000. 54.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

KKR & Co. Inc. Company Profile

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KKR & Co Inc is a private equity and real estate investment firm specializing in direct and fund of fund investments. It specializes in acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, management buyouts, credit special situations, growth equity, mature, mezzanine, distressed, turnaround, lower middle market and middle market investments.

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Motco trimmed its position in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Free Report) by 24.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 495 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 156 shares during the period. Motcos holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $88,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of IWM. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Annapolis Financial Services LLC raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 72 shares during the period. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Tandem Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. 97.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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iShares Russell 2000 ETF Stock Performance

Shares of IWM stock opened at $190.99 on Friday. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a one year low of $162.50 and a one year high of $201.99. The companys fifty day moving average price is $189.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $183.56.

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.

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Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NOM  Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Tuesday, August 1st, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be given a dividend of 0.0255 per share on Friday, September 1st. This represents a $0.31 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th.

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Performance

NYSE NOM opened at $9.81 on Friday. Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund has a 1 year low of $9.50 and a 1 year high of $13.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $9.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.17.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund stock. Susquehanna International Group LLP raised its stake in Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NOM  Free Report) by 44.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,638 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 5,454 shares during the period. Susquehanna International Group LLP owned 0.75% of Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund worth $184,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Institutional investors own 8.51% of the companys stock.

About Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal Income Fund

Nuveen Missouri Quality Municipal 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 the fixed income markets of Missouri. The fund invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income from which is exempt from regular federal and Missouri income taxes.

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PLDT Inc. (NYSE:PHI  Get Free Report) declared a Semi-Annual dividend on Friday, August 4th, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 16th will be paid a dividend of 0.639 per share by the technology company on Monday, September 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 15th.

PLDT has a dividend payout ratio of 68.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect PLDT to earn $2.76 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.76 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 63.8%.

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PLDT Stock Performance

PHI traded down $0.09 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $23.00. The companys stock had a trading volume of 25,206 shares, compared to its average volume of 34,344. The stock has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.71, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $23.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.98. PLDT has a twelve month low of $20.20 and a twelve month high of $32.27.

Institutional Trading of PLDT

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PHI. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of PLDT by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 628,393 shares of the technology companys stock worth $14,327,000 after purchasing an additional 56,921 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PLDT during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,279,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of PLDT by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 807,971 shares of the technology companys stock worth $20,442,000 after buying an additional 54,583 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of PLDT by 217.9% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 67,939 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,549,000 after buying an additional 46,570 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of PLDT by 196.7% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 51,314 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,170,000 after buying an additional 34,019 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.27% of the companys stock.

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on PLDT in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock.

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PLDT Company Profile

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PLDT Inc provides telecommunications and digital services in the Philippines. The company operates through three segments: Wireless, Fixed Line, and Others. It offers cellular mobile, Internet broadband distribution, operations support, software development, and satellite information and messaging services; and sells Wi-Fi access equipment.

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Science Group plc (LON:SAG  Get Free Report)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 404.20 ($5.17) and traded as high as GBX 430 ($5.50). Science Group shares last traded at GBX 429 ($5.48), with a volume of 78,752 shares traded.

Science Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of 189.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,787.50 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 21.54. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 416.60 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 404.30.

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Insider Transactions at Science Group

In related news, insider Daniel Edwards sold 292,333 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 400 ($5.11), for a total value of 1,169,332 ($1,494,353.99). Corporate insiders own 23.34% of the companys stock.

About Science Group

Science Group plc, a science, engineering, and technology business company, provides consultancy services in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, North America, Asia, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Services Operating Business, Product Operating Business, and Freehold Properties.

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Bank of Queensland Limited (OTCMKTS:BKQNY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 700 shares, a growth of 75.0% from the July 15th total of 400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Bank of Queensland from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, May 18th.

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View Our Latest Stock Report on Bank of Queensland

Bank of Queensland Stock Performance

About Bank of Queensland

BKQNY stock remained flat at $7.90 during trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7 shares, compared to its average volume of 826. Bank of Queensland has a 1-year low of $7.18 and a 1-year high of $10.12. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $7.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.36.

(Get Free Report)

Bank of Queensland Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Australia. The company operates in Retail Banking, BOQ Business, and Other segments. It offers personal banking services comprises savings and term deposits, and transactional accounts; debit and credit cards; home, personal, and car loans; and travel, home and content, landlord, and car insurance, as well as investment services comprising online share trading services, and self-managed superannuation funds.

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BV Financial, Inc. (OTCMKTS:BVFL  Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,700 shares, an increase of 58.8% from the July 15th total of 1,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.7 days.

BV Financial Price Performance

OTCMKTS:BVFL traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $9.85. 50,521 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 206,766. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $17.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.33. BV Financial has a fifty-two week low of $9.75 and a fifty-two week high of $35.00.

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About BV Financial

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BV Financial, Inc operates as the holding company for BayVanguard Bank that provides various financial services to individuals and businesses in Maryland. The company offers checking and money market accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposits. Its loan products include real estate, home equity, construction, lot, auto, boat, and other personal loans; and commercial lending products, such as commercial equipment/installation, commercial real estate, construction, investment real estate, lines of credit, and SBA loans, as well as loans for short-term real estate purchase, renovation, and sale projects.

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STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM  Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twelve analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $56.38.

Several research firms recently weighed in on STM. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded STMicroelectronics from an underperform rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. StockNews.com downgraded STMicroelectronics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Susquehanna cut their price objective on STMicroelectronics from 55.00 to 54.00 in a report on Sunday, May 7th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on STMicroelectronics from $56.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, July 28th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics Stock Performance

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 1,773.6% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,267,061 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $19,857,000 after buying an additional 4,985,946 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in STMicroelectronics by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,411,591 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $156,921,000 after purchasing an additional 180,783 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in STMicroelectronics by 13.2% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,556,966 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $177,813,000 after purchasing an additional 413,497 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in STMicroelectronics by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 2,857,566 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $128,133,000 after purchasing an additional 83,859 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in STMicroelectronics by 63.6% during 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 in the last quarter. 6.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NYSE STM opened at $47.22 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $49.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $48.15. STMicroelectronics has a twelve month low of $29.09 and a twelve month high of $55.85. The company has a market capitalization of $42.89 billion, a PE ratio of 10.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.10 by ($0.04). STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 33.67% and a net margin of 25.36%. The business had revenue of $4.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.92 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that STMicroelectronics will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

About STMicroelectronics

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STMicroelectronics NV engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of components, application-specific integrated circuits, full custom devices and semi-custom devices for analog, digital and mixed-signal applications. It operates through the following segments: Automotive and Discrete Group, Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group.

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Franco-Nevada (NYSE:FNV  Free Report) (TSE:FNV) had its price objective decreased by TD Securities from $190.00 to $180.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. TD Securities currently has a buy rating on the basic materials companys stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. TheStreet downgraded shares of Franco-Nevada from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 1st. HC Wainwright raised their price target on shares of Franco-Nevada from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James raised their price target on shares of Franco-Nevada from $163.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Franco-Nevada from $127.00 to $126.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Franco-Nevada in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $182.67.

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Franco-Nevada Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE FNV opened at $142.84 on Thursday. Franco-Nevada has a fifty-two week low of $109.70 and a fifty-two week high of $161.25. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $143.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $144.49. The company has a market capitalization of $27.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.40, a P/E/G ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 0.70.

Franco-Nevada (NYSE:FNV  Get Free Report) (TSE:FNV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $329.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $324.06 million. Franco-Nevada had a net margin of 53.88% and a return on equity of 10.20%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.02 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Franco-Nevada will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Franco-Nevada Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 14th will be given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 13th. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.42%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FNV. BlackRock Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 386,741 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $61,693,000 after acquiring an additional 12,446 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 10.2% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 1,995 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $318,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 23.1% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 69,166 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $11,035,000 after buying an additional 12,993 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC lifted its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 62,996 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $10,040,000 after buying an additional 3,438 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Franco-Nevada by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,358,267 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,014,271,000 after buying an additional 141,139 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.24% of the companys stock.

About Franco-Nevada

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Franco-Nevada Corporation operates as a gold-focused royalty and streaming company in Latin America, the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Mining and Energy segments. The company manages its portfolio with a focus on precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum group metals; and engages in the sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.

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Thornburg Investment Management Inc. lowered its position in The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX  Free Report) by 16.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 604,440 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock after selling 120,299 shares during the quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. owned 0.05% of TJX Companies worth $47,364,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 19.8% in the first quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 9,677 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $758,000 after acquiring an additional 1,600 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 22.9% in the first quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 112,676 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $8,829,000 after acquiring an additional 21,018 shares during the last quarter. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 269.4% in the first quarter. BDO Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,644 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $129,000 after acquiring an additional 1,199 shares during the last quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 9.4% in the first quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 20,352 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $1,595,000 after acquiring an additional 1,743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in TJX Companies by 125.3% in the first quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 23,546 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $1,838,000 after acquiring an additional 13,093 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.26% of the companys stock.

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TJX Companies Stock Down 0.4 %

TJX Companies stock traded down $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $85.89. The stock had a trading volume of 4,656,139 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,620,815. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market cap of $98.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.92. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.78 and a 12 month high of $87.81. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $83.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $79.99.

TJX Companies Announces Dividend

TJX Companies ( NYSE:TJX Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 17th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $11.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.82 billion. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 62.78% and a net margin of 7.56%. TJX Companiess quarterly revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.68 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 10th will be paid a $0.3325 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 9th. This represents a $1.33 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. TJX Companiess payout ratio is currently 40.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at TJX Companies

In other TJX Companies news, EVP Scott Goldenberg sold 26,271 shares of TJX Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.91, for a total value of $2,073,044.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 72,580 shares in the company, valued at $5,727,287.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on TJX shares. Barclays lifted their target price on TJX Companies from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, May 18th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on TJX Companies from $90.00 to $93.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Piper Sandler started coverage on TJX Companies in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. They issued an overweight rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an outperform rating and issued a $95.00 price objective on shares of TJX Companies in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on TJX Companies from $85.00 to $86.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TJX Companies currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $89.65.

Read Our Latest Research Report on TJX Companies

About TJX Companies

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The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, kids, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TJX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX  Free Report).

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Travel + Leisure (NYSE:TNL  Get Free Report) had its price target cut by Truist Financial from $67.00 to $66.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Truist Financials price objective indicates a potential upside of 60.39% from the companys previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Bank of America started coverage on Travel + Leisure in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They issued an underperform rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. TheStreet raised Travel + Leisure from a c rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Travel + Leisure from $69.00 to $62.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Travel + Leisure from $44.00 to $43.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $49.67.

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Travel + Leisure Trading Up 0.1 %

TNL opened at $41.15 on Friday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $40.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.82. Travel + Leisure has a 1-year low of $33.57 and a 1-year high of $48.12. The stock has a market cap of $3.04 billion, a PE ratio of 9.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.67.

Travel + Leisure (NYSE:TNL  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $949.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $952.77 million. Travel + Leisure had a net margin of 9.93% and a negative return on equity of 40.25%. The companys revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.27 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Travel + Leisure will post 5.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Travel + Leisure news, CAO Thomas Michael Duncan sold 3,000 shares of Travel + Leisure stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.92, for a total value of $122,760.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 17,271 shares in the company, valued at $706,729.32. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Travel + Leisure

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TNL. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Travel + Leisure by 13.9% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 9,806,796 shares of the companys stock valued at $568,206,000 after acquiring an additional 1,197,611 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Travel + Leisure by 2.6% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,936,964 shares of the companys stock valued at $304,930,000 after purchasing an additional 227,175 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Travel + Leisure by 11.8% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 6,057,641 shares of the companys stock valued at $350,980,000 after purchasing an additional 636,968 shares in the last quarter. GMT Capital Corp grew its holdings in shares of Travel + Leisure by 18.0% during the first quarter. GMT Capital Corp now owns 4,308,241 shares of the companys stock worth $168,883,000 after purchasing an additional 656,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Travel + Leisure by 3.0% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,515,891 shares of the companys stock valued at $97,667,000 after buying an additional 74,254 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.29% of the companys stock.

About Travel + Leisure

(Get Free Report)

Travel + Leisure Co, together with its subsidiaries, provides hospitality services and products in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Vacation Ownership; and Travel and Membership. The Vacation Ownership segment develops, markets, and sells vacation ownership interests (VOIs) to individual consumers, as well as provides consumer financing in connection with the sale of VOIs; and property management services at resorts.

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UMH Properties, Inc. (NYSE:UMH  Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Monday, July 3rd, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be given a dividend of 0.205 per share by the real estate investment trust on Friday, September 15th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th.

UMH Properties has increased its dividend payment by an average of 3.6% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 3 years. UMH Properties has a payout ratio of 2,733.3% meaning the company cannot currently cover its dividend with earnings alone and is relying on its balance sheet to cover its dividend payments. Analysts expect UMH Properties to earn $0.94 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.82 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 87.2%.

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UMH Properties Trading Up 0.7 %

NYSE UMH opened at $15.94 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 5.84 and a quick ratio of 5.49. The firms fifty day moving average price is $16.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $15.94. The company has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -48.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 1.27. UMH Properties has a 12 month low of $13.73 and a 12 month high of $19.86.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on UMH. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of UMH Properties from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. Wedbush increased their price target on shares of UMH Properties from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of UMH Properties from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, July 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $20.60.

Read Our Latest Analysis on UMH Properties

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kiernan Conway sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.34, for a total transaction of $38,350.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 492 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,547.28. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders acquired a total of 1,056 shares of company stock worth $16,999 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 9.09% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of UMH Properties

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 5.4% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,139,580 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $126,383,000 after acquiring an additional 264,005 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 22.9% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,759,328 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $76,054,000 after acquiring an additional 886,892 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,614,223 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $23,872,000 after acquiring an additional 85,267 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,230,411 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $19,662,000 after acquiring an additional 95,711 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.37% of the companys stock.

UMH Properties Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

UMH Properties, Inc, which was organized in 1968, is a public equity REIT that owns and operates 135 manufactured home communities containing approximately 25,700 developed homesites. These communities are located in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia.

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Vedanta Resources plc (LON:VED  Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 832.60 ($10.64) and traded as high as GBX 838 ($10.71). Vedanta Resources shares last traded at GBX 832.60 ($10.64), with a volume of 162,101 shares trading hands.

Vedanta Resources Stock Performance

The firms 50 day simple moving average is GBX 832.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 832.60.

About Vedanta Resources

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Vedanta Resources plc operates as a diversified natural resources company in India, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Australia, and Liberia. It primarily produces zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore, and aluminum deposits. The company also explores for, extracts, and processes minerals, as well as oil and gas.

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Whitecap Resources Inc. (TSE:WCP  Get Free Report) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$10.22 and traded as high as C$11.23. Whitecap Resources shares last traded at C$11.17, with a volume of 1,764,529 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$13.00 to C$14.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Desjardins reduced their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$14.50 to C$12.75 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. Barclays reduced their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$14.00 to C$13.00 in a report on Friday, June 30th. Raymond James reduced their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a report on Friday, July 14th. Finally, ATB Capital reduced their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a report on Monday, April 17th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of C$14.35.

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Whitecap Resources Stock Up 1.1 %

Whitecap Resources Increases Dividend

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.28, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.67. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of C$9.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$10.21. The company has a market cap of C$6.76 billion, a PE ratio of 5.29, a P/E/G ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.89.

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0483 per share. This is an increase from Whitecap Resourcess previous monthly dividend of $0.05. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 28th. This represents a $0.58 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.19%. Whitecap Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.49%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Vineeta Maguire purchased 10,683 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of C$9.36 per share, with a total value of C$99,992.88. 0.75% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Whitecap Resources

(Get Free Report)

Whitecap Resources Inc, an oil and gas company, focuses on the acquisition, development, and production of oil and gas assets in Western Canada. The company's primary areas of focus of its development programs are in Northern Alberta and British Columbia, Central Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Whitecap Resources Inc is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Widmann Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF (NYSEARCA:CGW  Free Report) by 2.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,922 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the quarter. Widmann Financial Services Inc. owned about 0.06% of Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF worth $644,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF by 145.4% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 3,629 shares of the companys stock valued at $181,000 after acquiring an additional 2,150 shares during the period. Addison Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 68,965 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,439,000 after acquiring an additional 1,286 shares during the period. Operose Advisors LLC bought a new position in Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Wedbush Securities Inc. bought a new position in Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $212,000. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF during the 1st quarter valued at about $296,000.

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Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF Stock Up 0.0 %

CGW traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $50.87. 37,486 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 51,363. The firm has a market capitalization of $974.67 million, a PE ratio of 20.68 and a beta of 0.94. The companys 50-day moving average is $51.55 and its 200 day moving average is $50.14. Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF has a 52 week low of $39.85 and a 52 week high of $53.30.

Invesco S&P Global Water Index ETF Profile

Guggenheim S&P Global Water Index ETF (the Fund), formerly Claymore S&P Global Water Index ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance of an equity index called the S&P Global Water NR Index. The S&P Global Water NR Index consists of approximately 50 equity securities selected based on investment and other criteria, from a universe of companies listed on global developed market exchanges.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to change the display picture of their social media accounts to the tricolour in the spirit of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign.

Modi also changed the display picture of his social media accounts to the national flag.

The prime minister on Friday called on people to take part in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement between August 13 to 15.

"In the spirit of the #HarGharTiranga movement, let us change the DP of our social media accounts and extend support to this unique effort which will deepen the bond between our beloved country and us," Modi said on X.

He has also urged people to upload their photos with the tricolour on www.harghartiranga.com.
Robert Vadra with Priyanka Gandhi (PTI file image)

New Delhi: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra on Saturday said his wife Priyanka Gandhi has all the qualifications to be in Parliament and she should be there. He expressed hope the Congress party would plan for her Lok Sabha entry.

"I feel she (Priyanka Gandhi) should be in Parliament. She should be in Lok Sabha for sure. She has all the qualifications for it. She would be very good in Parliament and she deserves to be there. I hope that the Congress party accepts and plans better for her," he told PTI.

Vadra also hit out at Union minister Smriti Irani for linking his name with business tycoon Gautam Adani while speaking in Parliament. During a debate on the no-confidence motion in Parliament, Irani had displayed a picture of Vadra with Adani.

Vadra said he keeps away from politics and discusses it only when the ruling party brings up his name.

"We have a picture of our very own prime minister sitting in Adani's plane. Why should not we ask questions about that and what Rahul (Gandhi) has been asking and why these questions are not answered.

"I will speak to fight for my name because if there is anything they say they have to prove it. I challenge them that if they are going to take my name and 'you are going to bring my photograph, please show me something that I have done with Mr Adani and if there is any wrongdoing I will deal with it and if not, they have to apologise and will have to take it back'," he said.

Vadra said champion women wrestlers were protesting in Delhi for their rights, but Irani as the union minister for women and child welfare never went to meet them and hear out their grievances.

"I did not see Smriti Irani meet them and take up their issues. Manipur has been burning and this minister (Smriti Irani) has to bring up some kind of negative thing about me. I am not even in Parliament," he said.

"Since this government came to power, they always come up with anything against me whenever they are cornered and they want to digress from real issues... but they have never been able to prove anything against me," he said.

On the opposition alliance, he said, the Congress has joined the 'INDIA' bloc and it will give them (NDA) a good fight in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM  Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) by 10.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 123,969 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 11,553 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbanks holdings in Brookfield Asset Management were worth $4,055,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BAM. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 288.8% during the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 762 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 566 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Brookfield Asset Management by 107.9% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,021 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 530 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA boosted its holdings in Brookfield Asset Management by 35.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 1,057 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. purchased a new position in Brookfield Asset Management in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in Brookfield Asset Management by 1,995.1% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,718 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,636 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 57.29% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on BAM shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $34.00 to $35.00 in a research report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Brookfield Asset Management from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com began coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. TD Securities lifted their price target on Brookfield Asset Management from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an action list buy rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Scotiabank began coverage on Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Thursday, July 13th. They issued an outperform rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $39.00.

Brookfield Asset Management Stock Performance

Brookfield Asset Management stock opened at $35.13 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $32.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $32.64. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a 12 month low of $26.76 and a 12 month high of $36.50.

Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM  Get Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 9th. The financial services provider reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.32. The firm had revenue of $985.00 million for the quarter. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brookfield Asset Management Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th.

Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile

(Free Report)

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. provides alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the ownership, operation, and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, and energy transition power generating assets. The company's infrastructure business engages in the ownership, operation, and development of utilities, transport, midstream, data and sustainable resource assets.

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Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO  Free Report) had its price objective upped by Citigroup from $72.00 to $81.00 in a report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the financial services providers stock.

BRO has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Brown & Brown from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of Brown & Brown from $82.00 to $85.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Brown & Brown from $62.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods downgraded Brown & Brown from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and increased their price target for the company from $73.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Tuesday, August 1st. Finally, Raymond James upped their price objective on Brown & Brown from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Brown & Brown currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $72.70.

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Brown & Brown Price Performance

Shares of BRO opened at $70.78 on Wednesday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $68.12 and its 200 day moving average is $62.58. Brown & Brown has a 12-month low of $52.82 and a 12-month high of $72.99. The company has a quick ratio of 2.78, a current ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market cap of $20.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.43 and a beta of 0.76.

Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.08. Brown & Brown had a net margin of 18.34% and a return on equity of 15.19%. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $997.51 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Brown & Brown will post 2.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brown & Brown Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 9th will be issued a $0.115 dividend. This represents a $0.46 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.65%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 8th. Brown & Browns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.83%.

Insider Activity at Brown & Brown

In other Brown & Brown news, Director Bronislaw Edmund Masojada purchased 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $65.78 per share, for a total transaction of $263,120.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 4,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $263,120. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 17.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brown & Brown

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quilter Plc bought a new position in Brown & Brown in the 1st quarter valued at $438,906,000. Clear Street Markets LLC raised its position in shares of Brown & Brown by 93.7% in the first quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 461 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. PSI Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Brown & Brown during the second quarter valued at $36,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in Brown & Brown by 1,427.8% during the second quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 550 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 514 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank increased its stake in Brown & Brown by 50.6% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 652 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. 69.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Brown & Brown Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Brown & Brown, Inc markets and sells insurance products and services in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Retail, National Programs, Wholesale Brokerage, and Services. The Retail segment provides property and casualty, employee benefits insurance products, personal insurance products, specialties insurance products, risk management strategies, loss control survey and analysis, consultancy, and claims processing services.

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Everest Group (NYSE:EG  Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Citigroup from $406.00 to $408.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

EG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and issued a $429.00 price target on shares of Everest Group in a report on Tuesday, August 1st. Raymond James upgraded Everest Group from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $420.00 to $450.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th.

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Everest Group Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of Everest Group stock opened at $356.02 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $15.45 billion, a PE ratio of 11.86, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.37. Everest Group has a 12 month low of $244.57 and a 12 month high of $394.99.

Everest Group (NYSE:EG  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $15.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $11.10 by $4.11. The company had revenue of $3.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.61 billion. Everest Group had a net margin of 9.14% and a return on equity of 14.92%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.79 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Everest Group will post 46.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Everest Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Everest Group, Ltd., through its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States, Bermuda, and internationally. The company operates through Reinsurance Operations and Insurance Operations segments. The Reinsurance Operations segment writes property and casualty reinsurance; and specialty lines of business through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies in the United States, Bermuda, Ireland, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Citigroup from $87.00 to $85.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a buy rating on the insurance providers stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $86.00 to $94.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $71.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com started coverage on The Hartford Financial Services Group in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group from $94.00 to $93.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $104.00 price target on shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group in a report on Monday, April 17th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $85.46.

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The Hartford Financial Services Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HIG opened at $73.60 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a fifty-two week low of $60.17 and a fifty-two week high of $79.44. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $72.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.01. The firm has a market cap of $22.51 billion, a PE ratio of 11.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.85.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The insurance provider reported $1.88 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $4.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.09 billion. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 17.54% and a net margin of 8.53%. Sell-side analysts expect that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 7.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, September 1st will be given a $0.425 dividend. This represents a $1.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. The Hartford Financial Services Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 27.33%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Stephanie C. Bush sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.40, for a total value of $253,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 15,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,090,561.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,172 shares of company stock worth $302,012. 1.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On The Hartford Financial Services Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frisch Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group in the second quarter worth about $343,000. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lifted its stake in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 29.4% during the second quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 32,483 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,339,000 after purchasing an additional 7,387 shares during the last quarter. Natixis boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 251.3% during the second quarter. Natixis now owns 120,522 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $8,680,000 after buying an additional 86,218 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 2.6% in the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 34,489 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,484,000 after buying an additional 886 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 4.8% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 25,923,428 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,867,005,000 after buying an additional 1,183,946 shares in the last quarter. 90.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

(Get Free Report)

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.

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Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) had its target price upped by Credit Suisse Group from $490.00 to $580.00 in a report released on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also commented on LLY. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $447.00 to $498.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 24th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, June 12th. HSBC started coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They set a buy rating and a $560.00 price objective on the stock. 3M reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $475.00 to $510.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and nineteen have assigned 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 $517.00.

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Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

LLY opened at $528.28 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $501.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.35. Eli Lilly and Company has a fifty-two week low of $296.32 and a fifty-two week high of $538.00. The companys 50-day moving average price is $458.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $398.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.13. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 22.01% and a return on equity of 65.00%. The company had revenue of $8.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.25 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue was up 28.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 9.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 62.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 194,354 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.62, for a total transaction of $86,024,967.48. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,473,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,914,337,782.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 194,354 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $442.62, for a total transaction of $86,024,967.48. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,473,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,914,337,782.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total transaction of $261,174.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,978 shares in the company, valued at $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 755,017 shares of company stock worth $357,815,036. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eli Lilly and Company

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 82,966 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,449,000 after purchasing an additional 3,768 shares during the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 28.1% in the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 3,093 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Cannell & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Cannell & Co. now owns 2,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $732,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Echo45 Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Echo45 Advisors LLC now owns 811 shares of the companys stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Patten & Patten Inc. TN lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 44.2% in the 1st quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN now owns 17,177 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,899,000 after purchasing an additional 5,266 shares during the last quarter. 87.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile

(Get 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.

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Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR  Free Report) by 9.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,635 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 1,401 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.s holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions were worth $2,438,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in BR. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 41.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 7,043,656 shares of the business services providers stock worth $944,766,000 after buying an additional 2,048,184 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 85.1% in the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,230,810 shares of the business services providers stock worth $299,219,000 after buying an additional 1,025,907 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec increased its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 86.6% in the 1st quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 1,195,313 shares of the business services providers stock worth $186,122,000 after buying an additional 554,807 shares during the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 21.6% in the 1st quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 1,106,750 shares of the business services providers stock worth $162,216,000 after buying an additional 196,873 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions by 30.1% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 654,202 shares of the business services providers stock worth $87,753,000 after buying an additional 151,540 shares during the last quarter. 89.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Broadridge Financial Solutions Price Performance

Broadridge Financial Solutions stock opened at $181.90 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $21.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.39 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.58 and a quick ratio of 1.35. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $131.35 and a 1 year high of $183.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $164.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $152.33.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Increases Dividend

Broadridge Financial Solutions ( NYSE:BR Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The business services provider reported $3.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.11. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 10.40% and a return on equity of 42.09%. The business had revenue of $1.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.87 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.65 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 7.65 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. This is a positive change from Broadridge Financial Solutionss previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. Broadridge Financial Solutionss payout ratio is currently 60.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BR has been the topic of a number of research reports. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $160.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $183.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions from $169.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $170.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on Broadridge Financial Solutions

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Robert Schifellite sold 26,109 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.27, for a total value of $4,680,560.43. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 48,082 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,619,660.14. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Laura Matlin sold 4,052 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.73, for a total transaction of $622,913.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,825 shares in the company, valued at approximately $895,477.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Robert Schifellite sold 26,109 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.27, for a total transaction of $4,680,560.43. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 48,082 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,619,660.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 47,179 shares of company stock worth $8,158,444. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCK  Free Report) by 0.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 40,019 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 271 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd.s holdings in Crown were worth $3,310,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in shares of Crown during the first quarter valued at approximately $143,000. US Bancorp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Crown by 9.6% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,506 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $439,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Crown by 30.3% during the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 2,866 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $359,000 after purchasing an additional 666 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Crown during the first quarter valued at approximately $392,000. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its holdings in shares of Crown by 43.6% during the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 62,763 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $8,318,000 after purchasing an additional 19,046 shares during the last quarter. 90.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Activity

In other news, VP Christy L. Kalaus sold 1,914 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.67, for a total transaction of $173,542.38. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 7,500 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $680,025. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock.

Crown Price Performance

Shares of CCK opened at $88.99 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $10.73 billion, a PE ratio of 22.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $88.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.59. Crown Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.00 and a 1-year high of $102.68.

Crown (NYSE:CCK  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 24th. The industrial products company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.03. Crown had a net margin of 3.84% and a return on equity of 27.45%. The firm had revenue of $3.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.46 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.10 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Crown Holdings, Inc. will post 6.2 EPS for the current year.

Crown Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 10th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 9th. Crowns payout ratio is 24.24%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CCK has been the subject of several recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Crown from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Sunday, June 25th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Crown from $97.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Loop Capital boosted their price objective on shares of Crown from $112.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Crown from $88.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Crown from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $103.38.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Crown

About Crown

(Free Report)

Crown Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies rigid packaging products in Pennsylvania and internationally. It operates through Americas Beverage, European Beverage, Asia Pacific, and Transit Packaging segments. The Americas Beverage segment manufactures recyclable aluminum beverage cans and ends, glass bottles, steel crowns, and aluminum caps.

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Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its stake in Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN  Free Report) by 4.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 43,800 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,917 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbanks holdings in Lennar were worth $4,604,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lennar by 10.7% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 12,184 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $989,000 after buying an additional 1,173 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lennar by 6.8% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 9,499 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $771,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Lennar by 172.1% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 14,925 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,256,000 after buying an additional 9,440 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lennar in the first quarter valued at about $1,711,000. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lennar in the first quarter valued at about $200,000. 82.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Lennar Stock Down 0.1 %

LEN stock opened at $123.23 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $123.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $111.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.42 billion, a PE ratio of 8.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.47. Lennar Co. has a 12 month low of $69.90 and a 12 month high of $133.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 7.08 and a quick ratio of 1.24.

Lennar Dividend Announcement

Lennar ( NYSE:LEN Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 14th. The construction company reported $2.94 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.32 by $0.62. The business had revenue of $8.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.28 billion. Lennar had a net margin of 12.66% and a return on equity of 18.27%. Equities analysts expect that Lennar Co. will post 12.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 21st. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th were paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.22%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 6th. Lennars payout ratio is 10.24%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Lennar from $139.00 to $148.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 5th. Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a buy rating on shares of Lennar in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Lennar from $153.00 to $161.00 in a research note on Friday, June 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Lennar in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. They set a sell rating and a $105.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Lennar from $103.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lennar currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $127.20.

Read Our Latest Analysis on LEN

Insider Activity at Lennar

In related news, CFO Diane J. Bessette sold 10,790 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,310,553.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 270,556 shares of the companys stock, valued at $32,861,731.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CFO Diane J. Bessette sold 10,790 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.46, for a total transaction of $1,310,553.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 270,556 shares of the companys stock, valued at $32,861,731.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Amy Banse acquired 790 shares of Lennar stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $126.42 per share, for a total transaction of $99,871.80. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 7,293 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $921,981.06. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 9.53% of the companys stock.

Lennar Company Profile

(Free Report)

Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties.

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Anything anyone talks about right now is Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), but AI is so much more than that, emphasised Sandra Rivera of Intel. Its just the tip of the iceberg, the current cool kid on the technology block, the it thing. In many ways its the beginning of AI for a lot of people, but in no way the end of the subject.

Everything from data preparation that happens before training a machine learning model, its related data management, data filtering and cleaning stages, all of that also encapsulates the overall AI workflow. All of which is done almost exclusively upfront with a CPU, predominantly Intels Xeon chips, according to Rivera. Then you get to the model training phase, where you have small to medium sized models, we can address them very effectively with the CPU, she said, explaining how any model thats 10 billion parameters or lower in size is very well suited for CPU workloads.

Its only when you talk about the largest models, with over a 100 billion parameters, where you need a parallel architecture, which is what a GPU provides with dedicated deep learning acceleration. Thats where we play with Intels Habana Gaudi AI processors, where NVIDIA plays as well, said Rivera. This is where the training and inference stage of an AI model workflow is built and validated.

Bottomline to remember, AI is complex and multifaceted. Right now theres a lot of interest around these LLMs and Generative AI deployments in the cloud, we are seeing customers who want to have at least some GPU capability at a dynamic level. But in the long term, you know, the data center market is complex. I know people think its all finished, but its very early days of AI, were just starting, and as Intel we think we have a very good opportunity to play with the breadth of capabilities we have across our portfolio, summarised Rivera.

I met Sandra Rivera, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Data Center and AI Group, Intel Corporation, at a press briefing organised at Intels India Development Center in Bengaluru, Karnataka. In a post-ChatGPT world, where interest around Generative AI tools and applications is so high, Rivera explained how Intels not only powering AI applications in the data center and cloud, but also preparing to challenge NVIDIAs supremacy in the market with respect to GPU-accelerated workloads.

Everyone knows NVIDIA is doing a great job of delivering GPUs to the market and theyre of course a giant player in the AI space, but we see that for customers CPU is still very much a big part of the equation, because in many cases they already have an Intel Xeon CPU-powered business model, acknowledged Rivera. And the fact that they can do AI and machine learning workloads with the CPU also has opened a market opportunity and tailwind for Intels data center business, according to her.

Intel, in case you dont know, is a powerhouse of the semiconductor industry, especially with CPU chips for both consumer and enterprise work. According to Counterpoint Research, Intel remained the leader in the data center CPU market with a 71% share in 2022. Whereas Nvidia enjoys more than a 90% share of the data center GPU market, according to IDC. While data centers are still largely dominated by CPUs compared to GPUs, the accelerated workloads share of the overall data center pie has grown faster than any other segment globally  all thanks to the rise of AI applications and workflows  which has led to NVIDIAs growth. As NVIDIA tries to diversify and attack Intels overall data center supremacy, by trying to dip into the server CPU market, Intel is pulling up its socks and accelerating to not only protect their market share but also make inroads into NVIDIAs dominance into the GPU market. But where NVIDIAs H100 GPUs are very expensive, Intels banking on providing a better overall value proposition (in terms of total cost of ownership) to customers looking for a strong alternative.

Intel's Habana Gaudi chips are powerful AI training processors, competing head on with NVIDIA's Tesla accelerators. Released in 2022, Intel's Gaudi2 chip is the only alternative to NVIDIA GPUs for LLM Training as per MLPerf benchmarks, and Rivera was bullish about Intels road ahead in this competitive journey.

We think from a price performance perspective, our offering is strong now and gets even better later this year, she said, hinting at a major software upgrade to enhance Gaudi2s performance with respect to the MLPerf benchmark thats expected to go public in November 2023. Next year we will have Gaudi3 in the market, which will be competing very effectively with NVIDIAs H100 and their next generation chips, so well see. Our projections look very good, we have been catching up and doing pretty well with our portfolio, were priced very aggressively, and theres a lot of room in the market for choice. Customers want choice and alternatives, and we absolutely want to be a competitor and alternative to the biggest player in the AI market. Its going to be what we do, not what we say, Rivera stated.

Well compete on the merits of our products, our approach is open choice and we dont believe in locking people in. We are big investors and leaders in building ecosystems, Rivera reiterated, saying with the continuum of AI use cases, Intel knows there are very broad and varied requirements for AI workloads. Which means one size fits all approach doesnt work, something that even Intels competitors are realising, according to Rivera.

Even our competitors are trying to build portfolios that have more than one architecture, she said. You see GPU companies building CPUs, you see CPU companies acquiring FPGA assets, and the unifying layer for all of that is in the software, stated Rivera. Over 80-per cent of all AI development happens at the framework level and above, she suggested.

For instance, a biologist doing genome sequencing, meteorologist working on weather models or chemical engineer doing oil and gas research doesnt care about whats happening at an AI chips kernel or hardware driver level  they only get involved at Python, or some other AI framework level, and largely want to work up the software stack. And the key for us at Intel is to make sure were enabling those developers to get access to our innovations through those standard, high level languages and frameworks, and lowering their barrier to entry and easing their market participation as far as AI workloads and deployments are concerned, according to Rivera.

Talking about the core data center business and refresh cycles of Intels ecosystem partners, Rivera highlighted how the industrys become more focused on driving efficiency and increasing overall infrastructure utilisation.

One of the interesting things that happened during the pandemic is the supply chain constraints, and we saw customers lean into more utilisation of the infrastructure they have, Rivera recollected. Refresh cycles were dictated by which workloads were in demand. If youre talking about AI, networking, security, customers demanded the latest innovations and cutting edge solutions without wasting any time, but if you look at a lot of the web-tier kind of traffic  like office applications, accounting systems, ERP systems  there we saw customers very focused on increasing utilisation of infrastructure resources they already have, mentioned Rivera. The same behaviour was observed in Indian data center customers as well.

According to Intel, a lot of Indias data center infrastructure optimization is driven by power constraints. We saw customers optimise around their data center power budget, for instance having power dedicated to leading edge applications and infrastructure and sort of cap some of the power being spent on more entry-level or mainstream applications, she said.

As far as the data center business is concerned, the total addressable market (also referred to as TAM) is growing, and nowhere is it more evident than here in India, with digital transformation and digitization gathering pace, expressed Rivera. You need more compute for data being created, it needs to be processed, compressed, secured and delivered safely over a network. And out of all that you need to get valuable insights, which is where AI comes in according to Rivera, driven by the continued proliferation of 5G in the country.

India isnt just an important market for Intel but the companys committed to investing in the country, as it always has in the past, suggested Rivera. From an R&D perspective, Intel has been here for decades and invested almost $9 billion in ramping up Intel Indias tech capabilities over the years with a workforce that spans over 14,000 so far. Not just that, but we see all the investments that the government is making in digital infrastructure, so the opportunity to build more data centers, enterprise solutions, software ecosystem solutions and services is very exciting, Rivera underscored in no uncertain terms.

In just her division within Intel (pertaining to data center and AI), there are over 3,000 employees dedicated within India. They are working on our CPUs, on FPGAs, our GPUs and AI accelerators. Everything we do under our data center portfolio, from a hardware, silicon development perspective, the team here in India is critical for all of those programs, mentioned Rivera. In fact, the Gaudi3 chip, which is coming to market in 2024, Intel Indias silicon development team in Bengaluru is responsible for actually delivering that product together with Intel Israels team.

We are very proud of the capabilities of what the team has done and the quality, execution discipline and the competitiveness of the portfolio being delivered is excellent, Rivera emphasised.

As far as more investments in India are concerned, Rivera gave some insight into how Intels working behind the scenes in contributing towards ramping up Indias manufacturing capabilities, especially in building up the ODM, OEM and electronics manufacturing opportunities in the country.

The ODMs and OEMs we have strong relationships with across the globe are seeing an increased opportunity in India, theyre investing in India and were investing with them, highlighted Rivera. If you look at what weve done over the decades in Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam and other parts of the world, in terms of building a robust manufacturing supply chain, we think that a lot of thats going to happen here in India as well, she said.

Rivera suggested that electronics manufacturing, especially, is an opportunity where Intel will be investing in their ecosystem of partners here in India, in order to ensure they can deliver products to market. That we will see many of the multinational companies in the server business, ODM business, coming to India in a big way which is very exciting, as far as Indias potential is concerned, she said.

About any potential hurdles, whether India can actually scale and match up to all the excitement and expectation, of the historic opportunity in front of it with respect to electronics manufacturing, are there any hiccups expected along the way? Rivera brushed off these concerns, sounding nothing but optimistic of the road ahead.

Of course India can scale, of course India can meet the moment. With the amount of STEM graduates coming out of Indian universities, the growing workforce, the expanding middle class, with all the knowledge workers, theres absolutely no reason why India cant be a technology leader and a manufacturing leader in the world, Rivera said in no uncertain terms. She also said how shes happy to see that the number of women graduating with technical degrees is actually outpacing the number of men technical graduates in India.

Rivera further highlighted how every single one of her Intel programs  be it CPU, GPU, AI accelerators and FPGA  all of those skills are present in Intel Indias R&D workforce in Bengaluru. Not just hardware-related but even software engineering pedigree, which India should be especially proud of, according to Rivera  because without the right software, optimised software stack, none of the hardware inside data centers would be of any use.

Much like Silicon Valley in the US and startup energy in Israel, We see the entrepreneurial culture growing tremendously in India, according to Rivera. When you look at US digital infrastructure  with lots of cable, wires, copper  India just kind of skipped over all of that and went straight to wireless and 5G. India leapfrogged a lot of tech generations of the West and is embracing innovative technologies faster, which is giving rise to innovative business models and use cases. Take a look at the work that Reliance Jio and the likes of Tata has done over the years, I think the pace of technological progress is so much faster here in India, she emphasised. Of Indias technological future, Rivera has no doubt its nothing but bright.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has expressed its continuing concern at the excessive number of children waiting for an appointment to be treated or assessed in public hospitals.

The warning from Consultants comes as the latest National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) figures released reveal that 895,700 people were on some form of hospital waiting list at the end of July, including almost 100,800 children and young people.

While a recent report highlighted the extent of extreme capacity shortages in Irelands Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), the IHCAs analysis shows that similar capacity deficits are resulting in lengthy waiting lists across a number of paediatric specialties, including Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT), Dermatology, Orthopaedics and Cardiology  with some being forced to wait months or years for assessment or treatment.

The IHCA said that difficulty in filling permanent Consultant posts and growing hospital and mental health capacity deficits against increases in demand are the root causes of the unacceptably long child waiting lists. One in five (20,600) children are waiting longer than a year for treatment or assessment by a hospital Consultant. Latest HSE data reveals the number of unfilled permanent Consultant posts has risen to a record 933.2 This is the highest Consultant vacancy rate ever.

Hospital diagnostics are not included in NTPF data which accounts for an additional 8,916 children awaiting CTs, MRIs or ultrasounds at the three Dublin paediatric hospitals alone, bringing the total number awaiting care to almost 110,000  or 1 in 12 children in the country.

In addition, a near record 4,421 children4 were on separate CAMHS waiting lists at the end of May 2023  128 (3%) additional children added so far this year.5 The CAMHS waiting list has increased by almost a quarter (+865 or 24%) since the start of 2022 and has almost doubled (+2,094 or +90%) since the start of 2020.6

Despite the Governments 443 million Waiting List Action Plan, which set a target to reduce waiting lists by 10% by the end of the year, the number of children on NTPF waiting lists has actually increased by 3,800 (4%) since the start of 2023, instead of reducing by an expected 5,600 by the end of July. The Association warns that these lists are expected to increase further over the coming months due to a predictable surge in autumn and winter respiratory illnesses and a potential new wave of Covid, leading to further cancellations of schedule care.

Commenting on the waiting lists, IHCA President Professor Robert Landers, said:The monthly NTPF figures have recorded over 100,000 children on waiting lists for hospital care for the fifth consecutive month, with one in five of these children waiting longer than a year to be treated or assessed in public hospitals. This is resulting in thousands of children not getting the care they need in a timely way, and the real possibility that they will suffer serious and lasting health and developmental issues that could have been reversed or mitigated against if only they were seen in time.

Every single number is an individual child or young person who could be experiencing pain, and a family that may be suffering psychological distress at not knowing when their child will be able to receive treatment. This is a wholly unacceptable situation. Young patients and their parents should not have to fight for care.

As Consultants, we need and want sustainable solutions to help alleviate this distress and provide the care these children so desperately need. However, we have unresolved hospital capacity deficits and Consultant vacancies that is not being addressed urgently enough. These twin deficits must be addressed by the Government in Octobers Budget.
by Arulanantham Sarveswaran

The all-party conference on reconciliation and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and the visit of the President to India have generated arguments with regard to the implementation of the 13th Amendment, in particular, devolving police powers to the Provincial Councils.





Sri Lankan Police officers are trying to control the protesters against the government in Colombo [ Photo: Thilina Kaluthotage ]





However, an analysis of the provisions of the 13th Amendment with special reference to Appendix I to the Provincial Council List explains that the Central Government has control over the Provincial Police, and devolving police powers to the Provincial Councils would not become a threat to national security.





National security





Provincial Police deal with the maintenance of public order within the province, and the members of the Armed Forces deal with the countrys national security. The 13th Amendment clearly states that national security will not be devolved to the Provincial Councils. The Central Government, in particular, the President, could deploy the Armed Forces in any part of the country, and the concurrence of the Chief Minister of the Province is not required for such deployment (Provincial Council List, Para 1; Appendix I, Para 1; Schedule to Appendix I, Second Item in the Reserved List).





Provincial Deputy Inspector General of Police





The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is the Head of the Sri Lanka Police Force. According to the 13th Amendment, the IGP shall appoint a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) for each province with the concurrence of the chief minister of the province. The word concurrence binds the parties, and the Provincial DIG cannot be appointed without an agreement between the IGP and the chief minister. If there is non-agreement between the IGP and the chief minister, the National Police Commission (NPC) shall appoint the Provincial DIG after due consultations with the chief minister. The word consultation is different from the word concurrence and the word consultation is not binding in nature. Therefore, the NPC could appoint the Provincial DIG even without an agreement with the chief minister (Appendix I, Para 6).





Provincial Police Commission





The Provincial Police Commission shall be responsible for recruitment to the Provincial Police Division, and for transfers, promotions and disciplinary control over provincial police officers. A Provincial Police Commission consists of three members: the Provincial DIG, a person nominated by the Public Service Commission in consultation with the President and a nominee of the chief minister.





As discussed above, when there is non-agreement between the IGP and the chief minister of a province, the NPC would appoint the Provincial DIG. Therefore, in a situation where non-agreement exists between the IGP and the chief minister, the Provincial Police Commission would have the DIG appointed by the NPC, a member nominated by the Public Service Commission, and only one member nominated by the chief minister. This means that two of the three members  the majority  of the Provincial Police Commission are nominated by the Central Government, not by the Provincial Government (Appendix I, Para 4).





Firearms and ammunition





The nature, type and quantity of firearms and ammunition and other equipment that could be used by the Provincial Police Division shall be determined by the NPC after consultation with the Provincial Police Commission. In this provision, the word consultation has been used. Therefore, the concurrence of the Provincial Police Commission is not needed for the NPC to determine the nature, type and quantity of firearms and ammunition and other equipment that could be used by the Provincial Police Division. (Appendix I, Para 8).





Offences under the Provincial Police





The Schedule to Appendix I provides the offences which would come under the National Police. According to the Schedule, the offences including the offences relating to the State, national security, Navy, Army, Air Force, essential services, state property, public officers, elections, subject matters reserved to the Central Government, any offence in respect of which the courts in more than one province have jurisdiction and international crimes would not come under the Provincial Police (Schedule to Appendix I).





Declaration of emergency





All police officers in the National Division and Provincial Police Division shall function under the direction and control of the DIG of the Province. The DIG of the Province shall be responsible to and under the control of the chief minister in respect of the maintenance of public order within the province. In this provision, the words function and direction have not been used, and the words maintenance of public order narrow the scope of the provision.





However, upon declaration of emergency within a province, the President may assume the powers and responsibilities of the chief minister and the provincial administration in respect of the maintenance of public order within the province. Therefore, upon declaration of emergency within a province, the DIG of the province and the police officers within the province would come under the control of the President. Also when a state of emergency is declared within a province, the IGP may deploy the National Police within the province for the maintenance of public order (Appendix I, Paras 11; 11.1; 11.2; and 12.3).





Conclusion





As explained, the powers of the Provincial Police would not include national security; the Provincial DIG would be the person appointed by the NPC when there is non-agreement between the IGP and the chief minister in the appointment of the Provincial DIG; only one member of the Provincial Police Commission would be the nominee of the chief minister; the NPC would decide the nature, type and quantity of firearms and ammunition and other equipment that could be used by the Provincial Police Division; many offences including the offences relating to national security would not come under the Provincial Police; after a declaration of emergency within a province, the Provincial DIG and the police officers within the province would come under the control of the President; after the declaration of emergency within a province, the IGP may deploy the National Police within the province to maintain public order. The combined effect of these provisions is that devolving police powers to the provincial councils would not become a threat to national security.





Prof. Arulanantham Sarveswaran is a Senior Lecturer, Department of Private and Comparative Law, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo and a member of the Expert Committee appointed by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to draft a new constitution.
A WELL-known Cork journalist opened up about how a grandmothers remarkable prediction culminated in her finding love and starting a family.

Years before Julie Helens As I See It column in WOW!, her family had high hopes for the determined little girl.

It was another boy in the same physiotherapy programme as Julie, that won the heart of her grandmother all those years ago.

At just nine years of age, David was five and a half years Julies senior. Nonetheless, that didnt stop her grandmother from speculating about what fate might hold for the children, who both had cerebral palsy.

In a throwaway comment that left family members taken aback, she uttered the prophetic words: Wouldnt he be lovely for Julie?

The seemingly throwaway comment still amuses Julie all these years later.

I have no recollection of him from that time,, she admits.

We were doing the same physiotherapy programme in Cork and it really annoys me because I cant conjure up an image of him from that time. My mum has photographs of us being grouped together and everything. He remembers me from that time because he was around nine.

Mum obviously dismissed my granny when she said he would be lovely for me because of course we were still kids. My grandmother died in 2004 but I only heard about that comment after David and I got engaged. Mum had kept it to herself all that time. I really love the fact that she met David and approved.

Julies mum also recalled David fondly saying he was twinkly eyed from the get-go.

It was an article penned by Julies mother in the Farmers Journal that brought the pair together again.

He had seen me a few times on nights out, Julie explained.

I would have never known who he was but he knew me. He told himself at the time that he wasnt going to approach me just because I also had a disability, and he never did.

That all changed in 2012 after an article about Julie featured in the Journal.

I had returned back from Galway, having done my Masters, she recalled. I had done all the education stuff and all of my friends were emigrating.

However, it was very difficult for me to emigrate due to my disability. She [Julies mother] asked me if she could write about me and my difficulty finding employment. At first I was very reluctant because Im always very positive about the cards I was dealt. I eventually agreed. Davids mother happened to see the article and showed it to him, Julie added.

CONNECTED ONLINE

He had thought about me over the years and wondered what became of me. He looked me up and we connected online first. I felt like I couldnt say no when he asked me if I wanted to meet up. I asked my mum about him when he got in touch with me and she remembered him as a beautiful child.

Coming face to face with David is a moment Julie will never forget.

Even though I was walking on my two sticks, he looked me straight in the eyes, more so than anybody has ever done at an initial meeting. I was bowled over by his daring nature . He was so confident and relaxed at the same time, she said.

That night was so busy we could barely hear each other. I dont think Ive seen it so busy since. I always laugh about our second date because he took me to McDonalds in Blackpool. He picked it because of the drive-thru. He wasnt sure how far I could walk or what my limits were. The main thing for him was that we planned something easy.

Julie Helen, and Dave with baby Ricky

I ordered chicken nuggets because they seemed like the most ladylike thing to eat. He had a burger and didnt seem to mind about how messy it was. I never thought Id see McDonalds as a romantic place but we ended up going there for lunch the day before our wedding because it was our spot. Those memories are really nice and they only feel like a short time ago even though weve travelled this long and lovely road.

2016 WEDDING

The couple tied the knot in 2016.

We spent an awful lot of time working on our ceremony. I remember asking myself at the time if this was a waste of time. However, people still talk about our wedding ceremony and how beautiful it was and for me and thats what it was all about, said Julie, recalling that magical day.

I can remember grabbing his hand in the middle of it and not wanting to let go. When we were exchanging vows, it was like the hundreds of people that were there melted away.

Baby Ricky followed in 2019 changing their lives for the better.

Ricky is what its all about for us, Julie said.

Were building our forever homes in West Cork at the moment. Its going to be a wheelchair accessible house, and all of that has happened since Ricky came along as well. Were both very ambitious people and we are very hard workers and I think we bring that out in each other. We are always thinking about the next thing we should do to give us the best chances in life possible.

"I suppose this has become more heightened in us since Ricky came along. Life comes in phases and we really never know whats around the corner. I just feel like we can do anything when we have each other.

The Cork woman lauded her family for their constant support.

Im living with my mum and dad and my brother. Weve lived here since I was pregnant with Ricky for extra support that we are so lucky to have, she said.

Weve had to rejig things and figure them out together. Weve also had to prove ourselves as people with disabilities. All along weve had to prove that we can do the same as everybody else. We want to show that we can have the car and build the house and achieve anything we want in life. Its very important to us that we can do the same things as other people because we have as much to offer others as they have to offer us.
CANNONBALL is returning to Cork in September as part of its national route for Cannonball 23.

The super car event attracts over 200,000 spectators with free family festivals all over the country every year and has now raised 1,538,602 for Irish charities.

The official charity for Cannonball 23 which runs this year from Friday, September 15 to Sunday, September 17 is The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation.

The Jack and Jill Childrens Foundation is an Irish charity that funds and delivers in-home nursing care, respite support, and end-of-life care for children from birth to six years of age who have highly complex and life-limiting medical conditions.

There are currently over 400 children under the care of Jack and Jill right across the country and the charitys mission is to empower parents to care for their child at home because there is no care like home care for a Jack and Jill child.

As part of the Cork route, Cannonball which is the largest organised road trip in Europe and features cars such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches and Aston Martins will be having a fuel stop at Circle K Fermoy at 12 noon on Sunday, September 17 and then a lunch stop at Fota Island Resort in Little Island from 1pm to approximately 2.30pm.

Cannonball offers spectators a unique opportunity to witness the world's most prestigious and sought-after supercars up close and enjoy the unique festival atmosphere that Cannonball is renowned for.

The Brazilian Dancers, giant screens, music, and fanfare brings all the glamour of carnival, and live DJs, bands, and festivals in host towns get the party started.

The Cannonballers and celebrities in colourful costumes add to the melee. From Spiderman to Star Wars, Cat Woman to Wonder Woman, cheerleaders to Charlies Angels, Batman, the Joker and more, it is a totally unique free family day out.

This year, organisers are also calling on spectators to dress up in fancy dress with prizes for best dressed.

Cannonball was founded by Kildare businessman Alan Bannon and the benefit to the host towns for this event is estimated at 2,567,000 per year.
CORK sucked me in, and I havent left, explained Dee Moore, who works as a parliamentary assistant with Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould.

Ms Moore, who hails from Dublin, initially moved to Cork to pursue a Masters in University College Cork (UCC) in 2018, before starting work with Deputy Gould in June 2020.

I had a great aunty from Cork, so I used to spend a bit of time in Cork over the summer. I am based in Cork now five years. I came to do a Masters in UCC in 2018. I did a year in UCC doing post grad research in Youth Justice. I started working full-time in June 2020 with Thomas, she said.

Ms Moore, who generally works most of the time from the constituency office in Shandon Street, said she loves the sense of community on the northside.

The people are brilliant and the community on the Northside is great. It is a real community. It is a really nice way to work. Everybody seems to know everybody. Coming from Dublin we dont have that. BusConnects was a great way to see people come together with their communities and how much they care about their communities. It is nice when you can see that in the Northside.

Being in the Shandon Street office suits both parties perfectly she said.

I am based mainly in Cork city. I go to Dublin if needed. We found that we work very well with me based in Cork and, especially on the days when Thomas is in Dublin, to have someone based in the constituency particularly if there are things to be done and meetings that are happening that he can still be represented.

It is always busy in the office, she added.

Our office is open five days a week from Monday to Friday. We have Ken Weldon, who mans the phones, and he deals with people when they call in. We also have our two councillors, Mick Nugent and Kenneth Collins, who are always available. Thomas, Ken, and Mick are brilliant. They work so hard. We meet once a week with all the councillors and area reps in the constituency. It is that ability to work together that I think is a real asset to us.

GREW UP IN POLITICS

Ms Moores roots are firmly enshrined in the republican movement and politics. She revealed that her first memory of political activism occurred at the tender age of six.

I was always into politics. I grew up in politics. I was six years old when I first went out leafleting, she recalled. I have always been involved. My family would be republican and would be involved in politics.

A key remit of Ms Moores role as a parliamentary assistant is on drafting policies and raising the concerns of constituents with the various Sinn Fein members who can then raise the issues with the relevant stakeholders through the Dail or council meetings.

It is a very policy focused role, she explained.

Thomas is the spokesperson on addiction, recovery, and wellbeing. I would help to write and draft a lot of the policy around that. He sits on the housing committee so when legislation comes forward, I will write the amendments and we will go through them together. One of the benefits from being in the office is that you can let the real people influence the policy because you are hearing the people come in. You are seeing them.

We notice that people would be coming in an awful lot about some issue  so one of the things last year would have been the local authority home loans, she added.

We instantly knew this was a bigger issue, so we started to do a bit of work around it in the Dail and raised it that way. Sometimes it is the smaller stuff that maybe we dont even look for any recognition for, but we will notice a flaw in something. You can raise that, write a letter, or make a phone call and you can fix small things, but those things can be life-changing for people. The smallest change can have the biggest impact on people. That is nice to see, she said.

Ms Moore admits she loves her job, but the demanding and emotional nature means that she does take work home, which is perfectly okay with the political enthusiast.

It is full on, but I absolutely love it. No day is the same, but I like that. We hear a lot of tough stories and you do take it home, she explained.

I dont think it is the kind of job you can turn off from. Everywhere you look there is politics. When you are seeing the lived realities of politics it just becomes so ingrained in what you do, she added.

I am a full-time parliamentary assistant but I am also a political activist. It is a big part of my life  whether I was working for Tommy or not it would be a big part of my life. It is not a job I want to leave in work either. I am happy for it to be a part of my life.

Another part of Ms Moores remit includes writing up a newsletter for Deputy Gould which keeps his constituents up to date with his political work. The newsletter allows them to communicate directly with people, she explained.

Covid was difficult as we couldnt connect with people by knocking on their doors, she said.

SOCIAL MEDIA BALANCE

Social media became a really big thing. We are trying to do a hybrid of social media and getting back out meeting people. We also have newsletters. I would write the newsletter up which is a great way of letting people know what is being done.

With Mr Gould being the Sinn Fein spokesperson on addiction, recovery, and wellbeing, his team attends regular meetings with representatives from addiction services.

We try to meet at least once a week with an addiction service because you learn so much from people on the ground, said Ms Moore. Things that you would never think of, they would come to you and say this is becoming a problem. We stay connected with them. We would have a lot of engagements with the Department of Housing and with the Department of Health, but across the board with all the departments.

TDs during the summer are busier than ever, she added. It is a great time to do policy work however, as this is very hard to do when the Dail is sitting. We do a lot of budget work in the summer. Sinn Fein launch a fully costed, alternative budget. We cost that with the Department of Public Expenditure. We are working on that at the minute. We do a lot around addiction, but we also team up with Eoin O Broin and do work around the housing budget, Ms Moore stated further.

Her role as a parliamentary assistant requires her to travel to the Dail on occasion and, while she lives the buzz of Leinster House, Ms Moore admitted it is also nice to escape from this bubble as well.

It is a nice place to work, and we have a lovely team in Leinster House. It is a great buzz and a bit of a bubble. It is nice to get away from the bubble. Thomas on a Thursday is mad to get back to Cork. He itches for Cork, she said.

Sinn Fein is currently riding high with great consistency in opinion polls and is widely tipped to be in government after the next general election. Ms Moore said people are recognising that Sinn Fein are at the heart of communities.

It is no real surprise how well Sinn Fein are doing, she said. I grew up in a community that Sinn Fein were very grounded in. I always knew that Sinn Fein were at the heart of my community. I see the same thing in Cork. I think it is nice to see that people are recognising that, but I think they were always going to see that. People want their voice to be heard. Thomas represents the people of Cork North Central because he is at the heart of their community, and he believes in the community.
A FORMER Cork TD has claimed that a major change is required in society for more women to be attracted into politics.

Margaret Murphy OMahony, who became the first female TD elected in the Cork South West constituency in 2016 and who served as a Fianna Fail TD in the Dail until 2020, said it is extremely important to have female voices in politics.

Women and men are equal but bring different things to the table. To be a true reflection of society there needs to be 50/50 representation.

To attract more women into politics, I believe there needs to be major change in societys view of women being the main caregiver and homemaker, she said.

Ms Murphy OMahony, who was also the first female Mayor of Bandon and who is currently a member of the Parliamentary Womens Caucus, said she has noticed a slight improvement in the gender balance since she first became involved in politics.

Margaret Murphy OMahony. Picture Dan Linehan

I think women have become more confident in general as well as in politics. My dream of the 50/50 seems a long way off still but I am determined to do my bit. I would love if my legacy was connected to getting more women involved in all aspects of politics.

I have a huge interest in and passion for getting more women involved in politics. I hope to see the day, in the not-too-distant future of 50% female representation in local and national politics, this would reflect society and thus in essence be fairer and more balanced, she added.

There needs to be a change to the attitude to equality in the home. I think we should get women who are involved in politics and female public representatives to meet with female Transition Year students and discuss how it can all be done.

'IF YOU SEE IT, YOU CAN BE IT'

You can be a successful politician and have a good family and personal life. It is not a case of one and not the other. I love the saying, if you see it, you can be it, so let these young women see it.

Leader of the Social Democrats and TD for Cork South West Holly Cairns said an honest discussion about the challenges women face in entering politics is needed.

Social Democrat TD Holly Cairns, standing outside Leinster House, Dublin, encourages women to get involved in politics on a local and national level. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

When given the choice, I strongly believe the electorate want to see more women represented in local and national politics. For this to happen though, political parties need to step up and run women candidates and not just for the purpose of ticking the gender quota box, she said.

Ms Cairns said the structural barriers that prevent women from entering politics need to be tackled. In the last general election 55% of my partys candidates were women. It is hardly a coincidence that two thirds of our TDs elected are women, along with 50% of our councillors.

However, in addition to having more female faces on the ballot paper, we need to tackle the structural barriers that prevent women from pursuing political careers in the first place.

This can include disproportionate childcare responsibilities often placed on women. While the introduction of maternity leave for councillors last year was a welcome first step, there is currently no such provision for TDs.

This continues to be an impediment to female participation in politics and must be addressed by the government, Ms Cairns added.

There are currently five women serving as councillors in Cork City Council. Cork City Council currently ranks 17th out of 31 local authorities for female representation.

Nationally, the situation isnt much better. Despite women making up half the population, only one in four councillors in Irish local government are women.

CORK CITY WOMEN'S CAUCUS

Fianna Fail councillor Mary Rose Desmond is the chair of Cork City Womens Caucus.

Councillor Mary Rose Desmond.

Since the group was established 18 months ago, they have been seeking to create a pathway to ensure more women are represented in the Irish political system.

Ms Desmond is pleased with their progress to date. It is going very well. It has been very active and very successful. We have managed to access a good bit of government funding. You have to put forward what you plan to do with it and because we have been delivering it has happened. We have initiated the period poverty pilot scheme throughout the city which is great, she said.

We are always trying to push things forward, said Cllr Desmond. We have held two successful conferences, one online and one in person. Both conferences were quality events and attracted strong turnouts. We are lucky that we have strong endorsement and support in a practical way from Cork City Council. It is difficult as a councillor, male or female to take on other things.

As a group we have done a lot of panel discussions outside the chamber with different youth projects and school projects. We also have a working relationship with Women for Election, and we have rolled out a CountHerIn programme. This was a series of practical workshops. They were hands on and open to everybody. It is all about encouraging people and women to run, she added.

Ms Desmond accepts that from a female perspective a lot of work remains to be done to encourage more women to enter politics.

In Cork City Council, only six women were elected in the last election, and we are now down to five. (People Before Profit/Solidarity Councillor Fiona Ryan stepped down as councillor this year). The county certainly has a better percentage than we do in the city.

From a female perspective we have a massive amount of work to do yet until we see more women elected. Until we see more women in the chamber, we wont see a change.

The Cork City councillor acknowledged politics is a tough environment but to effect change you must be in it.

It is only by having more women elected that you would see changes happening in a real way. The barriers which include financial barriers are there with regards to how to get involved in the first instance.

One of the old adages is still relevant. If you see it, you can be it. There is progress, but not quick enough. We must walk a fine line when we talk about politics, both male and female.

Branding at the moment is very poor and perception can be very poor. We need to be encouraging people to get involved because that is how you effect change. To effect change you must be in it, she added.

COUNTY WOMEN'S CAUCUS

Fine Gael councillor Eileen Lynch who is the chair of the Cork County Womens Caucus said their caucus was started in the aftermath of the murder of Offaly schoolteacher Ashling Murphy in January 2022.

Eileen Lynch, Secretary General of the Youth of the European Peoples Party, and a Fine Gael local election candidate in 2019

I had a motion about gender-based violence at full council. We decided that it was something that should be referred to the womens caucus. After that we elected a committee, and I was elected as chair. We got full approval at full council, she said.

We are currently ratifying our terms of reference, said Ms Lynch. We have had good engagement so far. We are hopeful that we would have an event potentially in October and at the start of next year. With the caucus we are looking at putting motions together on issues that are affecting women. We are probably ahead of other Womens Caucus in that regard.

We will be working closely with the Cork City Womens Caucus. We have already held a meeting with them where we discussed women in politics. It was ideal to get the opportunity to learn from them as they are an advanced stage.

One of the main things I would like to see from our caucus is that we would have outside engagement with women who are in political parties or want to get involved in politics. I want to interact with them and show them that you can do it, she said.

There are currently 17 female councillors in Cork County Council out of 55 total councillors. Ms Lynch accepts this is progress but says there is always room for more.

We are not doing too bad in Cork County Council. There is always room for more. When you look at the introduction of the 40% quotas, we are not at that rate. For young women or indeed older women who are looking at going into politics it is very important that they can see a strong female presence and realise I can do that.

In June 2022, Cabinet approved a scheme which granted maternity leave to elected members of local authorities across the country.

The scheme offers the choice to appoint an individual as a temporary substitute in the place of a councillor who takes a period of maternity-related absence or is absent due to illness. The substitute would have the ability to vote on behalf of the councillor, represent them at all meetings and in all other aspects of the role for the maternity leave period.

BARRIERS

Ms Lynch said there are still a lot of barriers to women entering politics.

It is tough to attract female candidates into political parties. There are a lot of barriers to women in politics. Childcare is a massive barrier, and we have to adapt to that. There are other barriers. Politics is getting tougher. You are a lot more accessible and public representatives receive abuse. It is not just women. Piles of male councillors, TDs and senators also get abuse.

"Generally, the abuse thrown at men is a lot less personal, while the abuse thrown at women may not be personal, it is often gendered. I have experienced that myself.

That kind of abuse that goes with the position we are kind of normalising to a certain extent. It is obviously a massive deterrent to people getting involved in politics. There are other issues, but the abuse is a real tangible one. It is very off-putting. You can be doing a lot of good work as a public representative and still facing it. It is a massive problem, but I think it is a societal problem we need to address. The level of abuse that is there now some politicians are going to accept it and that is not the way it should be, she added.

Ms Lynch said that if women want to become active in politics but dont want to run for a seat, they can opt to work behind the scenes helping to craft policies or helping with canvassing.

I would encourage anyone with any interest in politics to touch base with Women for Election and get more information. You can be a woman in politics without being an elected woman in politics. There are many people who want to go into canvassing, strategy, or campaigns.

"It is very important to get more women involved in the political system generally, whether that is contributing to policy or getting involved in an election campaign. The main thing for women is to see that there are other women involved and that you can do it.
RTE has refused to pay Ryan Tubridy the sums he was seeking while off-air following the controversy over secret payments the broadcaster made to him, the companys director general, Kevin Bakhurst, has said.

While Tubridy is being paid while he is off-air, Mr Bakhurst told The Irish Times that the amount involved is less than what was sought in an invoice sent to the station for the presenters services in mid-July.

Tubridy has been off-air since a furore over 225,000 in previously undisclosed payments funded by RTE emerged and then enveloped the broadcaster.

It prompted several members of the stations executive board to stand down, the resignation of Mr Bakhursts predecessor, Dee Forbes, and put RTE under unprecedented political pressure.

Mr Bakhurst said that Tubridy is currently being paid for a radio-only contract, having stepped down from hosting the Late Late Show earlier this year.

We didnt reach an agreement, so were paying him what we think is reasonable on an interim basis, he said.

He indicated that initial talks last month with Tubridy about his potential return to the airwaves were inconclusive, but they have since resumed.

He added that there was an urgency around reaching a resolution now and that he expected one would be arrived at in the next week or two.

I had an initial discussion with him, we both went away, wanted time to think about it and I felt that we needed further discussions rather than jumping to conclusions, Mr Bakhurst said.

Current Talks

He indicated that the current talks are focused on a variety of matters, including pay.

When asked if Tubridy had sought more money than RTE was willing to pay, Mr Bakhurst said: Well, this is always the case in negotiations, alright. Were not offering him more than he wants.

Last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar appealed to members of the public to pay their TV licence as reports suggest the national broadcaster has lost millions in funding through the fee since a scandal over undisclosed payments to star presenter Ryan Tubridy.

There is a legal obligation for TV owners to pay the 160 licence, with 85% of revenue from the scheme going to RTE to carry out its public service broadcasting commitments.

Reports suggest there was a 900,000 drop in revenue in the first week of August compared with 2022.
THREE Vodafone stores in Cork will be offering hi digital drop-in Fridays for three hours every Friday morning for people over the age of 65 as the company focuses on optimising the customer experience.

Launched in 2021, hi digital is a first of its kind programme that provides digital skills training for people over 65, through online and in-person classes across the country.

The three Cork Vodafone stores that will be offering hi digital drop-in Fridays are located in Oliver Plunkett Street, Mahon Point Shopping Centre, and Wilton Shopping Centre.

Between 10am-1pm older people can drop in for practical support using their phones, tablets, and devices and other support, based on their needs such as using apps and paying bills.

Vodafone employees have been trained as hi digital ambassadors meaning they are well equipped to provide these customers with the practical support that they need.

The concept has been established in partnership with ALONE and Vodafone are committed to bridging the digital divide facing older people.

Jenny Hayes, head of consumer sales with Vodafone said: We are delighted to be rolling out our hi digital drop-in Fridays. This will see older persons come into our stores and receive hands on, complementary support from Vodafone experts. Any questions or support required can be answered, be it, contacting a family member or a loved one, paying a bill, or downloading an app.

It will further help us to combat the current digital divide across Ireland. I encourage family members to spread the word to their parents, grandparents, and beyond, about the service.
A Laboratory of Land Flags Exhibition and Ballot Box community arts project was recently launched by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Kieran McCarthy, in City Hall.

The Laboratory of Land Flags Exhibition presents work-in-progress from a flag-themed community arts project by artist Chelsea Canavan at Cork City Councils Civic Offices from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm until Friday, August 25. It includes a ballot box for the public to cast votes on exhibited designs.

Since January, Ms Canavan has worked with local schools, community groups, and individual park users on the co-creation of flag designs to produce a KinShip Flag for Tramore Valley Park.

In total, 100 flag designs were produced, and 40 of these were put on display in Douglas Public Library during June and July where people were invited to shortlist their favourites for the final voting process.

The project celebrates our biodiverse heritage, said the Lord Mayor. It is a fantastic community- and people-focused arts offering which for many months has developed a sense of connection between the people of Cork and the ecology of Tramore Valley Park.

It has also put a focus on the rich story of the Black Ash, an area which many Corkonians know and have a deep affection for.

Cork City Council heritage officer Niamh Twomey praised the artist and participants.

Together, they have explored flag raising and other rituals responding to space and queried practices like territory marking and land ownership, said Ms Twomey.

The outcomes highlight the unique setting of Tramore Valley Park, a remediated landfill site to the south of the city near the famous Nemo Rangers Club.

The winning design will be transformed into a real fabric flag, handstitched by Ms Canavan and flown in Tramore Valley Park.

This will form part of an official flag-raising ceremony to coincide with the KinShip Exhibition and Symposium in the James Barry Exhibition Centre at MTU Bishopstown Campus in September.

A series of limited edition digitally printed flags of the winning design will be available.
(Xinhua) -- The World Elephant Day was celebrated Saturday across Kenya, with the country's wildlife agency calling upon key stakeholders to enhance the protection of the iconic land mammal amid multiple threats.





The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said that the country's elephant population has recorded sustained growth, thanks to innovative conservation models.





An elephant is seen at the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, Aug. 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)





KWS said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the country's elephant population has been increasing 5 percent annually and currently stands at 36,000, up from a historic low of 16,000 in 1989 when the elephants were massively poached for global trade of ivory.





Celebrated annually on Aug. 12, the World Elephant Day seeks to raise public awareness of a range of threats facing the giant herbivores while rallying key stakeholders to strengthen their protection and sustain tourism and ecosystem balance.





The 2023 event was observed under the theme of "Let us come together to give elephants a safe place to live in," with an emphasis on the critical role of partnership and collaboration to save the iconic mammal from extinction.





Kenya is home to one of the largest populations of African savanna elephant species that roam the country's varied ecosystems including mountainous landscapes and savanna grasslands.





Intertwined with the country's heritage, elephants are crucial to maintaining ecosystem balance besides generating revenue for the exchequer through tourism, KWS observed.





Besides poaching, other threats facing the African savanna elephant species in Kenya include human-elephant conflict, climatic shocks like droughts, and shrinking habitats, according to KWS.





Human encroachment on elephant dispersal corridors has emerged as a major threat to their survival, necessitating countermeasures including enactment of legislation and greater community engagement.





Kenya has invested in technology and reskilling of wildlife rangers to enhance monitoring of elephants in their natural habitats and avert the risk of poaching, KWS said.





In addition, the agency said, the country has domesticated international legal instruments to strengthen the protection of African savanna elephants that have been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
CORK TD Thomas Gould has called on the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and the HSE to come up with a plan to curtail the increasing number of people waiting for hospital treatment in Cork.

Speaking following the publishing of the latest National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) waiting list figures, which showed that 85,784 people are on waiting lists across Cork hospitals, the Sinn Fein TD said a plan is needed to reduce the waiting lists.

A total of 76,121 adults and 9,663 children were on waiting lists at Cork hospitals at the end of July, according to the latest NTPF figures.

The figures represent an increase of 1,262 in the number of people waiting at Cork hospitals since June 29, when a total of 84,522 were on waiting lists, including 74,958 adults and 9,564 children.

Outpatient Waiting Lists

Nationally, as of July 27, there were 515,521 people on adult outpatient waiting lists, 69,113 of whom were waiting for an appointment in Cork hospitals, an increase of 1,186 people since June 29 when 67,927 people were waiting for an appointment in Cork.

The highest figure in Cork was at Cork University Hospital (CUH) where there were 31,309 adults awaiting an outpatient appointment, an increase in the number of people awaiting outpatient care at the hospital since May when 31,134 adults were awaiting treatment.

This was followed by the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) where there were a total of 24,539 people awaiting an appointment, and the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) where there were 6,191.

On the child outpatient waiting list, there were a total of 9,134 children waiting for an appointment at Cork hospitals at the end of July.

The highest number of children on waiting lists in Cork was at CUH where 5,524 children were awaiting treatment as of July 27, followed by SIVUH which had 2,806 children waiting for an outpatient appointment.

Inpatient Waiting Lists

Meanwhile, as of July 27 there were 73,400 adults on inpatient/day case waiting lists nationally, a decrease in the number of adults on inpatient waiting lists in June when 74,196 adults were awaiting treatment.

In Cork, there were 7,008 people on inpatient waiting lists.

Of these, the highest number awaiting treatment in Cork was at the SIVUH where 3,514 people were waiting for treatment.

Nationally, there were 9,733 children on the child inpatient/day case waiting list, of whom 529 were waiting for treatment at Cork hospitals.

Other findings from the waiting list figures showed that Mallow General Hospital have reduced the number of patients waiting over 18 months for an OPD appointment by 59% in the last year, from 342 to 141.

The figures also indicated that CUH have reduced the number of patients waiting for IPDC procedures by 6% in the last year, from 1,672 to 1,569 and that CUH has reduced the number of patients waiting for a colonoscopy or OGD appointment by 33% in the last year, from 687 to 456.

Speaking about the latest waiting list figures, Sinn Fein TD Thomas Gould said: We have got people who are waiting not months, but years at this stage. I had to go personally to the HSE and to the Minister about a man who was in constant pain after he had his operation cancelled three times. We have people waiting years for cataract surgery. They put in a new cataract machine in the South Infirmary and they were waiting on equipment and staff, he added.

We need the minister and the HSE to come up with a plan.

"The main thing is we need the delivery of the elective hospital in Cork, but until that is delivered, we need a plan to be put in place. They dont seem to have a plan. If they (coalition Government) have so much money, why are people waiting so long?

They know the elective hospital is going to hopefully be the solution. They are talking about it being built by 2028. People cant wait five years. We need more theatres and more staff to help reduce the waiting list, he added.

Fine Gael health spokesperson Colm Burke agreed that more planning is required.

We have to do a lot more planning and in particular using the private hospitals.

"The public hospitals are under pressure all the time.

"We need to do the following things in operation. We need to have the medical team, access to a theatre and to a bed when the operation is over. If any one of those components is missing there is difficulty, he said.

Deputy Burke also highlighted the lack of step-down facilities that are available.

We have the team and the theatre, but the problem is people are occupying beds who should be out in a step-down facility. You cant do the operation unless there is a bed to put the person into. There are about 600 people in hospitals nationwide who could be discharged but we dont have the step-down facilities to put them into.
The US State Department has reportedly pressurized the Pakistani authorities in a March 7, 2022, meeting to remove Imran Khan as prime minister over his neutrality on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, The Intercept reported on Wednesday citing a classified Pakistani government cable.





The encounter between Pakistans ambassador to the US and two State Department officials has been the subject of great scrutiny, debate, and speculation in Pakistan over the last year and a half, while supporters of Khan and his military and civilian opponents fought for power.





A no-confidence vote was held in Parliament one month after the meeting with US officials detailed in the leaked document, culminating to Khans fall from power. The election is thought to have been conducted with the help of Pakistans powerful military. Since then, Khan and his followers have been at odds with the military and its civilian friends, whom Khan alleges contrived his deposition at the request of the US.





File Photo of disposed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan





All will be forgiven, said a U.S. diplomat, if the no-confidence vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeds.





The text of the said cable, which was produced by the ambassador and sent to Pakistan, has not previously been disclosed. The cable, known internally as a cypher, discloses the State Departments carrots and sticks in its effort against Khan, promising closer relations if Khan was ousted and isolation if he was not, according to the publication.





The document, classified Secret, provides an account of a meeting between State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, and Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistans ambassador to the United States at the time.





The paper claimed that it obtained the document from an anonymous source in the Pakistans military who said that they had no ties to Imran Khan or Khans party.





The cable discloses both the carrots and the sticks used by the State Department in its campaign against Prime Minister Imran Khan.





All will be forgiven, said a U.S. diplomat, if the no-confidence vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeds.





On March 2, just days before the meeting, Lu had been questioned at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing over the neutrality of India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan in the Ukraine conflict. Lu said, Prime Minister Khan has recently visited Moscow, and so I think we are trying to figure out how to engage specifically with the Prime Minister following that decision. Van Hollen appeared to be indignant that officials from the State Department were not in communication with Khan about the issue.





The day before the meeting, Khan addressed a rally and immediately responded to European pleas for Pakistans support to Ukraine.





Are we your slaves? Khan roared to the crowd. What do you think of us? That we are your slaves and that we will do whatever you ask of us? he asked. We are friends of Russia, and we are also friends of the United States. We are friends of China and Europe. We are not part of any alliance.





According to the memo, Lu expressed Washingtons concern with Pakistans posture in the crisis during the meeting.





The document quotes Lu saying that people here and in Europe are quite concerned about why Pakistan is taking such an aggressively neutral position (on Ukraine), if such a position is even possible. It does not seem such a neutral stand to us.





Lu went on to say that he had internal discussions with the US National Security Council and that it seems quite clear that this is the Prime Ministers policy.





I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister, Lu said, according to the cypher. Otherwise, he continued, I think it will be tough going ahead.





If the problem is not resolved, Pakistan will be sidelined by its Western partners, according to Lu. I cannot predict how Europe will react, but I suspect their reaction will be similar, Lu said, adding that if Khan remains in government, he may suffer isolation from Europe and the United States.





Nothing in these purported comments shows the United States taking a position on who the leader of Pakistan should be. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Asked about quotes from Lu in the Pakistani cable, adding that he would not comment on private diplomatic discussions.





March 7, 2022 Pakistani Diplomatic Cypher (Transcription) as published by The Intercept





The Intercept has removed classification markings and numerical elements that could be used for tracking purposes. Labeled Secret, the cable includes an account of the meeting between State Department officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, and Asad Majeed Khan, who at the time was Pakistans ambassador to the U.S.





I had a luncheon meeting today with Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu. He was accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Les Viguerie. DCM, DA and Counsellor Qasim joined me.





At the outset, Don referred to Pakistans position on the Ukraine crisis and said that people here and in Europe are quite concerned about why Pakistan is taking such an aggressively neutral position (on Ukraine), if such a position is even possible. It does not seem such a neutral stand to us. He shared that in his discussions with the NSC, it seems quite clear that this is the Prime Ministers policy. He continued that he was of the view that this was tied to the current political dramas in Islamabad that he (Prime Minister) needs and is trying to show a public face. I replied that this was not a correct reading of the situation as Pakistans position on Ukraine was a result of intense interagency consultations. Pakistan had never resorted to conducting diplomacy in public sphere. The Prime Ministers remarks during a political rally were in reaction to the public letter by European Ambassadors in Islamabad which was against diplomatic etiquette and protocol. Any political leader, whether in Pakistan or the U.S., would be constrained to give a public reply in such a situation.





I asked Don if the reason for a strong U.S. reaction was Pakistans abstention in the voting in the UNGA. He categorically replied in the negative and said that it was due to the Prime Ministers visit to Moscow. He said that I think if the no-confidence vote against the Prime Minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the Prime Minister. Otherwise, I think it will be tough going ahead. He paused and then said I cannot tell how this will be seen by Europe but I suspect their reaction will be similar. He then said that honestly I think isolation of the Prime Minister will become very strong from Europe and the United States. Don further commented that it seemed that the Prime Ministers visit to Moscow was planned during the Beijing Olympics and there was an attempt by the Prime Minister to meet Putin which was not successful and then this idea was hatched that he would go to Moscow.





I told Don that this was a completely misinformed and wrong perception. The visit to Moscow had been in the works for at least few years and was the result of a deliberative institutional process. I stressed that when the Prime Minister was flying to Moscow, Russian invasion of Ukraine had not started and there was still hope for a peaceful resolution. I also pointed out that leaders of European countries were also traveling to Moscow around the same time. Don interjected that those visits were specifically for seeking resolution of the Ukraine standoff while the Prime Ministers visit was for bilateral economic reasons. I drew his attention to the fact that the Prime Minister clearly regretted the situation while being in Moscow and had hoped for diplomacy to work. The Prime Ministers visit, I stressed, was purely in the bilateral context and should not be seen either as a condonation or endorsement of Russias action against Ukraine. I said that our position is dictated by our desire to keep the channels of communication with all sides open. Our subsequent statements at the UN and by our Spokesperson spelled that out clearly, while reaffirming our commitment to the principle of UN Charter, non-use or threat of use of force, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, and pacific settlement of disputes.





I also told Don that Pakistan was worried of how the Ukraine crisis would play out in the context of Afghanistan. We had paid a very high price due to the long-term impact of this conflict. Our priority was to have peace and stability in Afghanistan, for which it was imperative to have cooperation and coordination with all major powers, including Russia. From this perspective as well, keeping the channels of communication open was essential. This factor was also dictating our position on the Ukraine crisis. On my reference to the upcoming Extended Troika meeting in Beijing, Don replied that there were still ongoing discussions in Washington on whether the U.S. should attend the Extended Troika meeting or the upcoming Antalya meeting on Afghanistan with Russian representatives in attendance, as the U.S. focus right now was to discuss only Ukraine with Russia. I replied that this was exactly what we were afraid of. We did not want the Ukraine crisis to divert focus away from Afghanistan. Don did not comment.





I told Don that just like him, I would also convey our perspective in a forthright manner. I said that over the past one year, we had been consistently sensing reluctance on the part of the U.S. leadership to engage with our leadership. This reluctance had created a perception in Pakistan that we were being ignored and even taken for granted. There was also a feeling that while the U.S. expected Pakistans support on all issues that were important to the U.S., it did not reciprocate and we do not see much U.S. support on issues of concern for Pakistan, particularly on Kashmir. I said that it was extremely important to have functioning channels of communication at the highest level to remove such perception. I also said that we were surprised that if our position on the Ukraine crisis was so important for the U.S., why the U.S. had not engaged with us at the top leadership level prior to the Moscow visit and even when the UN was scheduled to vote. (The State Department had raised it at the DCM level.) Pakistan valued continued high-level engagement and for this reason the Foreign Minister sought to speak with Secretary Blinken to personally explain Pakistans position and perspective on the Ukraine crisis. The call has not materialized yet. Don replied that the thinking in Washington was that given the current political turmoil in Pakistan, this was not the right time for such engagement and it could wait till the political situation in Pakistan settled down.





I reiterated our position that countries should not be made to choose sides in a complex situation like the Ukraine crisis and stressed the need for having active bilateral communications at the political leadership level. Don replied that you have conveyed your position clearly and I will take it back to my leadership.





I also told Don that we had seen his defence of the Indian position on the Ukraine crisis during the recently held Senate Sub-Committee hearing on U.S.-India relations. It seemed that the U.S. was applying different criteria for India and Pakistan. Don responded that the U.S. lawmakers strong feelings about Indias abstentions in the UNSC and UNGA came out clearly during the hearing. I said that from the hearing, it appeared that the U.S. expected more from India than Pakistan, yet it appeared to be more concerned about Pakistans position. Don was evasive and responded that Washington looked at the U.S.-India relationship very much through the lens of what was happening in China. He added that while India had a close relationship with Moscow, I think we will actually see a change in Indias policy once all Indian students are out of Ukraine.





I expressed the hope that the issue of the Prime Ministers visit to Russia will not impact our bilateral ties. Don replied that I would argue that it has already created a dent in the relationship from our perspective. Let us wait for a few days to see whether the political situation changes, which would mean that we would not have a big disagreement about this issue and the dent would go away very quickly. Otherwise, we will have to confront this issue head on and decide how to manage it.





We also discussed Afghanistan and other issues pertaining to bilateral ties. A separate communication follows on that part of our conversation.





Assessment : Don could not have conveyed such a strong demarche without the express approval of the White House, to which he referred repeatedly. Clearly, Don spoke out of turn on Pakistans internal political process. We need to seriously reflect on this and consider making an appropriate demarche to the U.S. Cd A a.i in Islamabad.





Source: The Intercept/ mmnews.tv
Saturday, August 12, 2023

Hey there, welcome back to Stark Raving Entrepreneurs!

Its me, Terry Brock, and I am so excited that youre joining us for this episode.

Its going to be a blast. Guess what were diving into today? Were going to explore this secret tool that will blow your mind when it comes to navigating the crazy world of entrepreneurship. ts called Perplexity.

Its like having a superpower for creating amazing content! It is called Perplexity. Its a mind-blowing tool that takes your content creation game to a whole new level. Its so easy to use, youll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Get ready for an enlightening and fun-filled episode! Oh, and make sure to give us a big thumbs up, share this video with your buddies, and hit that subscribe button. Oh, did I mention that Ive got a special treat for you? Well, I do! Stay tuned to the end of this episode and youll get some goodies that Ive put together for you.

So, lets get started and have a great time exploring Perplexity and all its awesomeness. Hang on tight, its going to be a wild ride!

To further help you learn about Perplexity and what it can do for you here is an unedited transcript. I know some people like to read more than listen so we want to make this available for you. Please let us know what you think.

Terry Brock [00:00:00]:

Okay. Were using chat GPT a lot. AI is changing the world, and chat GPT is probably leading the way. The revision that they came up with on November 30th 2022 really changed everything. But is that the only tool you should use as a content creator when youre out looking for sources and you Canva create content? I would say no. And Im gonna tell you why in this episode. Matter of fact, I packed this one full of a lot of good things that I wanna give you. This is just you and me.

Terry Brock [00:00:26]:

Here, Im in my study I got my computer here. Ive got some things queued up. I wanna show you theyre gonna really help you as a content entrepreneur, a content creator who really is gonna run the business. you Canva get the right thing. So what were gonna do is were gonna take a look at that, how you can use it, and what can be done with it. And that tool is called perplexity. I Canva show you the in side of it. Its a sneaky little tool thats gonna give you a, real advantage that not everybody knows about.

Terry Brock [00:00:50]:

Hi. Im Terry Brock. Im your guide here at Stark Ravey on entrepreneurs along with my partner, Gina Carr, and we help you to achieve the goals you want as an Agorapreneurs, getting the freedom you want. so that you can get what you want without harming others. Thats our whole point. Live and let live is what we talk about. The idea that you do whatever you wanna do, but dont harm others and dont take their stuff. We like to call that the non aggression principle Dont address others live peacefully.

Terry Brock [00:01:16]:

You do that. Youre gonna be fine. And using AI, we can do a lot of that. So I Canva show you some things today that you could use youre working with in addition to working with chat GPT. Again, the tool is called Perplexity. At perplexity, dot ai. You can go out there and get that tool, be able to put it in, and do a whole lot with it. Matter of fact, theres a lot of things you can do.

Terry Brock [00:01:37]:

I recommend having more than one. that Merlin gave me just the the other day. I thought it was really good. And it bought, goes along with what I studied in journalism, how to do this. It says the rule of 3 non corroborating sources and journalism is a standard practice to ensure accuracy and reliability of information. Matter of fact, I remember hearing that from my professors. they were talking about, what you wanna do when youre getting your facts, getting the information, make sure youre getting it from 3 non corroborating source That applies to you and me as content creators because so often well see things on chat GPT or perplexity or other tools, and theyre not right. because just because its on the internet doesnt mean its true.

Terry Brock [00:02:22]:

You know, we joked about that for a long time. We go, hey, this must be true because I got it on the internet. Right? Oh, yeah. Well, no. It doesnt. We and we know that, but its the thing is, think about it. Where is AI? Where is ChatGPT and GPT? Where is perplexity? where are they getting their sources? Well, from the internet. So you Canva watch out for that, but theres a theres a real key thats important in perplexity that we dont have in chat GPT that can really help you a lot.

Terry Brock [00:02:47]:

So I like what theyre saying here. This is from our, good friends over at Berlin, which, by the way, is another good tool to look into to see what its like with that. And what you Canva do is you involve going with the 3 non corroborating sources. It involves gathering information from at least 3 independent sources that provide consistent accounts of the same event or issue. This rule begins to minimize the risk. Notice it doesnt mitigate. Doesnt completely eliminate the whole thing. It, but it doesnt completely eliminate that.

Terry Brock [00:03:17]:

It mitigates it a little bit. I think yeah, I guess I should say it does mitigate that. Its very good for minimizing the risk of relying on biased or incomplete information as well as errors or deliberate misinformation. By cross referencing multiple sources, journalists can verify facts, establish credibility and provide a balanced representation of the news. Ultimately, adhering to this rule strengthens the integrity of journalism and promotes a more informed public discourse. And I think thats really critical for you and me as content creators. The same thing that applies to those of us who are journalists applies to content creators. You also add more credibility that way when youre the one that said, you know, I heard they were saying this.

Terry Brock [00:04:01]:

And I went out and did some checking on it, and I did my fact checking, and it didnt seem like it was true. And heres why. Heres my source. Heres my source. And heres other sources that say this one over here wasnt quite on target. So you raise your standard there in a world where people go, Oh, yeah. On the internet, it said, so thats what you could do. Mm-mm.

Terry Brock [00:04:21]:

No, Sparky. You wanna get your research done. and make sure you do it right. So youre gonna go with that. Frankly, I like to use, chant GPT, and I also like to use perplexity. I find perplexity works really well. and I use Magic Wright, which is there in Canva. Thats a real nice little tool you might have seen before.

Terry Brock [00:04:40]:

Also, heres a little thing that Merlin me on that, Maroons great little source for these kind of things. Canva Magic Right is a feature in Canva, graphic designers, platform. Its a great little platform. I love Canva. And it is an AI powered tool that helps users to generate creative and engaging content quickly. Thats a nice term. Quickly is your buddy. I like that.

Terry Brock [00:05:01]:

And so you wanna make sure you get that just right with Canva. Now with Canva Magic, magic like that is, Users can effortlessly create well written copy for social media posts, ads, blog articles, and more. The tool suggests ideas, offers writing templates and offers research backed recommendations so to improve your content. You see, thats important. Theyre offering recommendations. do not take it as fact when it comes from chat GP or perplexity or magic right or anything else, or even me. Do your own research. Make sure that you find out, okay, what Terry said was good, or you might come back and say, Terry, you said doodly doodly doodly doodly or whatever.

Terry Brock [00:05:46]:

You know? So you wanna make sure that youve got that there together. Canva Magic Wright is a valuable resource for individuals and businesses looking to streamline their content creation process and produce high quality compelling copy in no time. Well, actually, at some time, youre gonna have youre gonna have a little bit of time, but its much faster than the other. So you wanna get those and start using them. And what I wanna do in just a moment, show you, perplexity and the advantages it has how you can use it and what it can do for you. And I think as you look at what it can do, first of all, its easy to use. Very easy. Number one point on using a perplexity very easy.

Terry Brock [00:06:23]:

Just type in youre gonna see in a moment how that works. Also, you can use it on desktop. You your laptop computer. You can use it on Android and on IO I have iOS and Android. It was out on iOS first, which is one reason why I like to have both. Sometimes a product will come out on one platform before another. This one happened to come out on iOS first. So I got into it really using it on my iPhone.

Terry Brock [00:06:46]:

I was loving it. Just having a great time. And then it came out on Android. I love it also over there, and I use it on my laptop on my MacBook Pro. So Im using all of these together to get good information. And Im finding, you know, whats happening? Gina and I are talking about this. We have questions about just about anything. Were going out to perplexity getting the information there and being able to use it and make decisions.

Terry Brock [00:07:10]:

Now, for instance, well even check on legal areas or medical areas Thats good. But remember, heres the most important part of that. It is not the final word. Im getting information before we talk about my annual physical coming with my doctor. So Im doing some research on all kinds of that, but I take it to my doctor and say, doctor, this is what I saw on the internet. What do you think you who are whos cert hes certified, went to medical school, did all the right thing goes to continuing medical education, you know, the things that a real doctor does. My doctor does and thats good. And if I want information on the law, yeah, Ill go out and do the research and all that, but then we take it to our lawyer and we say, here, this is what weve got.

Terry Brock [00:07:50]:

Tell us what you think. Weve done that with lawyers in the past when we were putting together, for instance, our end of life documents. We went out on the net, found place, filled out the forms, everything looked pretty good to us, then gave it to the lawyer. Well, what we did is instead of spending this much time, we spent this much time. So it was a lot cheaper for us. Real good for us. But the lawyer said, well, over here on page 35, theres this and this and this. And have you thought about that? Oh, thats a good point there.

Terry Brock [00:08:16]:

thank you, counselor. Weve got some good information there and learn from it. So youre seeing all of this is the approach you want is you use it as a rough draft. use it as a rough graph that youre a little bit skeptical about. And then when its something like medicine or legal or other areas that are where you are not an expert in that, get the help you need, but let this be a start for you. You can use it. You can use it there in many different things. Now one of the things I really like about it particularly is the references.

Terry Brock [00:08:42]:

And so what Im gonna do right now, I wanna go over here and bounce into this so you Canva see it, and there we are. We are in perplexity right now. So I can see all the information here on the screen that works good. The answer to any question, just type it in here, and youll see its got, your home, Discover, etcetera, All of these are possible here. One thing I really like about it look at this. Here at the lower left corner, I can click on focus. And when I do that, Look at this. It comes up with, well, what area do you Canva search, Terry? And Im I think it talks to me.

Terry Brock [00:09:14]:

Okay, Terry. What do you want? I can go for all, which is what I normally do, but academic. Now this can be really good if you wanna get something that is really scientific. Its academic. And if youve got an academic paper, but also when you could bring that in sometimes to your topics and what youre talking about, you stand out from the rest. who are just saying, well, its my opinion that, really, and whered you get the research for that? What kind of study did you conduct? Well, Academic, well give you that. You can use writing for generating text and code. Theres the Wolfram Alpha, which is really good for some computational knowledge on that will, my online level with what Im doing, but real good that its there.

Terry Brock [00:09:51]:

Hey. You can search the University of YouTube. go out there and discover and watch videos that are related to a topic. You can tap into the geniuses over at reddit. lot of really smart people there discussing different sides of different issues. Thats good. You can see that. And over here, old buddy, Wikipedia.

Terry Brock [00:10:09]:

So its real handy there, and it gives you a lot of good information on that. And they give you some information here. I am bored as it proves happiness, a choice to people, well, toe icebergs to get water, etcetera, etcetera. I didnt type these in. These were in their suggestions to get you started. But what I did do is over here, you see Ive got home, then stuff that I can discover right there. Lets me see that, which is what weve got here. I can look at all these different topics that are there there.

Terry Brock [00:10:33]:

But Im gonna tap into my threads. And I want you to see something there on my threads. Its showing what we can do and how this works and what I did So I put different issues in here so I could summarize key findings from a site when the Samsung normally announced their new cell phones. I was wondering, hey. They might have the s 24 coming out, when will that be? Somewhere in March or April, I hear. So its, gonna be out there. Ill be looking for that one. All kinds of information.

Terry Brock [00:10:57]:

Whos the current president of Columbia? and I Canva see these kind of things in here real easy. But one thing I wanted to do was to find out, let me do a new thread here, put it in here, ask anything who are the presidents on Mount Rushmore. Lets say I didnt remember that. I Canva just tap this right here and look what it does. It gives me this, and it shows me, oh, the 4 presidents are George Washington Thomas Jefferson, etcetera, etcetera, but look what it does also. pictures. Oh, I like that. I mean, since we were in kindergarten, I like the kindergarten, I like the pictures.

Terry Brock [00:11:31]:

There it is, and it showing me pictures. If youre doing a research project on Mount Rushmore, this is kinda handy. There it is. You can see what its there. And then look at this. that gives me related prompts that I can ask it. This is really golden rather than you having to come up with all pumps, perplexity says, hey. You might ask this one.

Terry Brock [00:11:51]:

How long did it take to carve Mount Rushmore? Or what is the significance of the location of Mount Rushmore? Or are there any other sculptures or landmarks similar to Mount Rushmore. Its giving you that pretty handy, but then heres the real benefit. Look at this. It shows me the references right here. So if Im gonna research something on what is working, I can get instance, let me come over here and type in another thread and put in, say, what tools are working well in marketing, particularly relationship marketing. There we are. Relationship market. I got a little tag in there for that and with AI today.

Terry Brock [00:12:38]:

Okay. So there well, Im gonna spell it right there. Put it in there and put a question mark on it. And, there we go. So lets tap the return key here, and lets see what it does or click over here. There we go. Click on that. Look what it does.

Terry Brock [00:12:50]:

It does a summarizing, and look at this. and it shows me several AI marketing tools available today that can help businesses improve their marketing strategies and build better relationships with our customers that are some of the most popular ones right here. So look at this. Flick at social media assistant, chatbots, HubSpot, SEM rush, 7th sense, optimove, Persado, market use, Aquizio. I hope Im pronouncing that correctly. hoop suite insights. Theres 10 of them, and it gives me some there. Thats golden information.

Terry Brock [00:13:22]:

I mean, when you sit down and look at that, that can be something that really helps you to get the information you want. It gave us a lot of that. But again, the best part of it look at this. When I come here, its not just, oh, heres some ideas, but what it does is it comes in here and it says, oh, heres a reference. Like, for instance, if I click on this one right here, its the top 23 AI marketing tools to grow your business from influencer marketing. Thats kinda nice. over here, 5 ways to this. So I just click on that.

Terry Brock [00:13:48]:

If I come over here and I click on it like this, look at this. It gives me from search engine journal, by the way, a really good publication It does a lot of good. 5 powerful ways marketers are using AI to boost SEO and content marketing. Well, here, look at this. I can go through this and look at it and go, oh, look at all that information thats really good out there, and its right there just for me. So I can use that very quickly, very easily, to say, okay. This is what I want to do. I wanna make sure that Im getting the right information at the right time.

Terry Brock [00:14:18]:

I find that those resources are just really good because you see what you wanna do is going back to the corroborating 3 non corroborating sources. Theres too much information out there on the net that is not true. Theres a lot of it, thats being fueled by AI. What you want to do on the other hand is not just accept it, but do your own fact checking. check to find out what is really going on and how its working. Make sure youre working with that. Wanna show you a couple other things here that I think youre doing one more thing, particularly find interesting. Let me come over here and click on home, and Ill just, come back here.

Terry Brock [00:14:52]:

It shows me this right here, and Ive got my threads. Im gonna click on new thread. And so its got something here that I can ask. And what I would like to do would be to, clear that out. I can say, find what or in fact, let me just try, tell me there we go. The capital of Russia. when Im, Im curious when I see that, to see what its like, it shows me, of course, its gonna be Moscow. We can see that, but itll give me some information on so that I can see what it is like.

Terry Brock [00:15:22]:

But also, Im getting all of this information here. All of it coming through real handy and very clearly. I like that. And then look over here. Theyve got a pro version. This pro version gives me the ability to get a lot done. Look at this. Here it is.

Terry Brock [00:15:37]:

You can get this right now. They have a where you can get more co pilot uses. Co pilots like someone that get helps you look at it. You get 300 plus uses a day under this program. I think you get something like 4 to 5 every 2 hours of the other. So, that will be fine. Im using the free version right now, and Im thinking I will be upgrading soon as they add some more features to it. they have unlimited file upload, access the best AI models, So youre using chat GPT 4.

Terry Brock [00:16:06]:

Youre getting pro support, and its $20 a month or $200 a year. So youre saving a little bit on that. And if you gotta do what is right for you, And if that is something that, works for you, youll want to make sure that, you are using it in the right way and being able to get a lot done So I would encourage you to look into this little gem here. This little gem called perplexity gives you a lot of capabilities, and it gives you a lot of potential what you need to do to get the job done. I like it a lot. And matter of fact, one of the ways you can find out about that and other tools is that our weekly that is free. Hey. Is free in the budget for you? Yeah.

Terry Brock [00:16:42]:

Come on in every Wednesday at 4 PM US Eastern time. Of course, thats 1 PM Pacific time. We have an event, starcraving event, our starcraving Agorapreneurs event where we have guests come in from around the world talking about tools like perplexity or like others that are available. I do a lot myself showing how to use some tantalizing tech tips with Terry. Always get a chance to have some fun with that. We talk about the benefits that are there for you because in this world with perplexity and so many other things going on, you dont wanna try to do it on your own. You wanna have some people there that are helping you, people that are standing with you. people that are there to take care of the questions you have and help you out where it can.

Terry Brock [00:17:24]:

So come over and see us there at start raving event. You can register for it there or bounce over to start waving entrepreneurs.com, and you can see our full programs that we have. We can help you to achieve the goals you want as an entrepreneur accomplishing those goals. And while youre here, go ahead and hit the like, smash the, you know, share and subscribe to this button because we wanna make sure that those algorithms know that people like to learn. People love the live and let live lifestyle. This will let them know that in a clear, clear way. So and Ive got another little treat I wanna give you. No charge for this.

Terry Brock [00:17:59]:

You can get some information to really give yourself a boost with AI. Weve created a special program that shows you how to use some. Theyre really good. ai tools for biz.com. Thats all in lowercase, ai tools, the number 4biz.com. And that is, available to you. You go over there. No charge at all.

Terry Brock [00:18:23]:

get a chance to see that. And by the way, if youre watching this on your, if youre catching this on video and you got your smartphone there with you, I got I bet you do. you can use the QR code here and get a shot of that as well. Again, thats ai tools for biz.com, and youll be able to get that. And people have told they really like that and the information that we give there. So this is what I would recommend. Take a look at perplexity, see what it can do for you. and check it out.

Terry Brock [00:18:48]:

And while youre there, weve got some other videos for you right over here on some really good tools that youll wanna get into and check out. take a look at that and let us know what you think. Thanks for joining me today. Im Terry Brock, and I appreciate you.
UPDATE, AUG. 19:

The Ridge fire is reported to be 3,573 acres large and is 23% contained as of Saturday morning.

Winds are being reported across the fire area, testing containment lines to the west and northwest of the fire.

An update on the Ridge Fire says crews are continuing to mop-up and secure control lines on the northwest and west side to keep the fire in the current footprint.

Crews on the east and southeast side will continue to scout, plan, and install any direct and indirect control lines where they can to prevent any spread to the north, south, and east.

Aviation will be utilized today as winds allow.

On the Dorris Point Fire, crews will continue to maintain confinement, and point protection strategy on the values at risk in coordination with the Flathead National Forest.

Crews will continue fuels reduction and structural prep, as well as setting up pump sprinklers.

The Dorris Point Fire is 904 acres large and is 0% contained.

UPDATE, AUG. 18:

The Flathead County Sheriffs Office has issued a pre-evacuation notice from the east side of Spotted Bear Road to West Glacier due to the Ridge and Doris fires.

Structure wrap has been completed and sprinklers have been placed to protect campgrounds and boat docks.

Fire personnel continue to maintain confinement, containment, and point protection strategy in coordination with the Flathead National Forest.

UPDATE, AUG. 17:

Little growth was seen on the Ridge Fire on Wednesday.

Crews are transitioning to the east side where fire activity increased near Hungry Horse Mountain.

New lines are also being constructed on the west by hand crews and dozers and aircraft will continue to be used to hold the fire in its current footprint.

Through the assistance of a tactical firing operation that burned 8 acres, firefighters were able to create an anchor point which allowed them to start building a control line on the southeast side of the fire.

Crews on the Dorris Point Fire are clearing fuels and using structure wrap and sprinklers to protect campgrounds and boat dock.

Helicopters were used to drop water and keep the fire in its current footprint.

The Hungry Horse Reservoir is closed to all public access, including both the east and west side roads.

UPDATE, AUG. 16:

Wind helped the now 763-acre Doris Point Fire grow Tuesday, with the flames spreading east towards the Hungry Horse Reservoir.

According to the Forest Service, the fire is between Doris Creek and Lost Johnny Creek, moving downslope and is not threatening any homes or structures.

The fire was reported on July 30, and aviation operations have delivered buckets of water to the Doris Point Fire to slow the spread.

Due to the fires remote location, steep terrain and a high density of dead standing trees, there is a very high risk to firefighter safety.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 took command of the Doris Point Fire at 6:00 am Wednesday morning, in addition to the Ridge Fire.

Increased fire behavior on the Ridge Fire was also noticeably visible, as the fire produced a large smoke plume Tuesday.

Similar conditions are anticipated with continued hot and dry weather continuing into the weekend.

Significant fire growth was not reported on the Ridge Fire and crews continued to make good progress on the direct handline and mop up on the south, west and north high priority areas of the fire, according to an update sent Wednesday.

Aircraft are continuing to work on the eastern edge utilizing precision water drops to slow the fire progress to the east.

UPDATE, AUG. 13:

The Ridge Fire has grown to 3,132 acres and is 5% contained.

The following are Sundays planned actions:

Crews will continue direct line on the southern edge of the fire and continue wet and north, extending further into a Research Natural Area in their progress to connect with the dozer lines on the northern edge.

The bulldozers on the northern edge of the fire will be scouting ridges access and secondary fire lines.

Air resources will continue to drop water on the eastern edge of the fire to slow its progression and assist ground crews to cool the fires edge. Structure protection assessments continue.

The efforts are not only increasing awareness of the community for the Ridge Fire but will provide guidance to local agencies in case of future evacuations needs.

UPDATE, AUG. 12:

The Ridge Fire is 2,940 acres large and now 2% contained.

On Friday, three Sooper fixed wing aircraft were utilized over the fire while crews continued direct and indirect line construction.

An update on the fire sent Saturday says firefighters took advantage of favorable weather and are working toward containment objectives. Additional resources have also arrived, including four Hot Shot Crews.

The following are the planned actions for Saturday:

Today, crews will continue direct line construction from the south to the 590E Road and construct direct line on the west side of the fire to Desert Mountain Ridge.

There is the possibility of strategic low intensity firing operations where needed to safely connect areas of the fireline.

The northern area will be scouted and a plan for direct and indirect control lines will be put in place.

Aviation resources will continue to be utilized, and structure protection assessments are ongoing and will be coordinated with the local agencies.

The Flathead County Sheriffs Office has issued a pre-evacuation notice from the east side of Spotted Bear Road to West Glacier.

UPDATE, AUG. 11:

As of Friday morning, the Ridge Fire is reported to be 2,940 acres large and is 1% contained.

Crews will continue direct line from the south to the 590E Road and construct direct line on the west side of the fire to Desert Mountain Ridge Friday.

An update on the fire says a plan will also be developed for the possibility of strategic low intensity firing operations where needed to safely connect area of the fireline. Structure protection assessments continue and are coordinated with the local agencies

The areas where firefighters have been able work directly on the fires edge have largely been the result of the fuel treatments strategically placed that have been effective in reducing the fires intensity and spread, the update reads.

A pre-evacuation notice is in place from the east side of Spotted Bear Road to West Glacier.

An emergency shelter is set up at the Columbia Falls Junior High School, 1805 Talbot Road, for those impacted by the Ridge Fire. If you plan to use the emergency shelter, you are asked to call 1-800-733-2767 before showing up.

UPDATE, AUG. 10:

Fire activity on the Ridge Fire was minimal overnight Wednesday.

A community meeting with members from the California Interagency Incident Management Team 4 will be held Thursday night at the Glacier Bible Camp in Hungry Horse at 7:00 pm.

The following activities are planned for Thursday:

Utilizing hand tools and saws in steep terrain, firefighters will continue to improve perimeter lines, and will go direct and attack the fire on a portion along FS Road #38 today.

On the eastern flank of the fire, weather permitting,aircraft will support ground resources with aerial drops in inaccessible terrain.

Dozers and crews will continue to improve indirect lines along FS Road #497 and 590E Road. Additional resources have arrived, and fire equipment will be entering and exiting Highway 2 use caution

The Hungry Horse Reservoir is closed due to fire activity.

In addition, the following road closures are in effect:

FS Road #38 (East Side Road #38) is closed to all public traffic east of the junction of FS Road #497 (DesertMountain Road) and East Side Road #38.

FS Road #895 (West Side South Fork Road #895) is closed to all public traffic starting at mile 15, near the Lid Creek Campground.

West Side South Fork Road #895 from the Hungry Horse Dam Visitor Center to the existing closure at mile 15, near the Lid Creek Campground. Pre-evacuation notice in effect for private property along SF Abbot Creek on the west side of the fire

UPDATE, AUG. 9:

A pre-evacuation notice has been issued for residences on the east side of Highway 2, north of Spotted Bear Road to West Glacier due to the Ridge Fire.

Flathead OES reports the pre-evacuation means agencies involved believe there is a possibility of the fire spreading into the area.

Officials issued the notice after considering current weather predictions of low humidity and higher winds.

A shelter has been established in Columbia Falls at the Columbia Falls Junior High School, 1805 Talbot Road. If you plan to use the shelter, you are asked to call the Red Cross in advance at 1-800-733-2767.

If you have pasture or shelter for livestock that can be used during an evacuation, you are asked to fill out this form.

UPDATE, AUG. 8:

Current acreage is at 2,940 acres, an increase of 167 acres.

Indirect suppression efforts are being prioritized on the west side of the fire to protect critical infrastructure and private property.

According to Northern Rockies Team 9, this is a full suppression fire, but options to engage the fire directly are limited due to heavy fuel and steep terrain.

Today, heavy equipment, including masticators, dozers, and skidders, will continue implementing the fuel break near the Hard Money Road working north towards Highway 2.

Two Interagency hotshot crews arrived today and the crews will be opening up existing roads near the East Side Road to check the fires spread.

Structure protection assessments and coordination will continue for private property in Martin City, Coram and Hungry Horse.

UPDATE, AUG. 7:

Tonight there will be at public meeting at 7:00pm at Glacier Bible Camp (400 5th St W) in Hungry Horse to discuss the Ridge Fire.

Right now the fire is at 2,773 acres; which is an increase of 189 acres from yesterday and is 0% contained.

Suppression efforts away from the fire are prioritized on the west side of the fire to protect critical infrastructure and private property, according to the Norther Rockies Incident Management Team 9.

To provide for public and firefighter safety, Forest Service (FS) Road #38 (East Side Road #38) is closed to all public traffic east of the junction of FS Road #497 (Desert Mountain Road) and East Side Road #38.

Currently, FS Road #895 (West Side South Fork Road #895) is closed to all public traffic starting at mile 15, near the Lid Creek Campground.

West Side South Fork Road #895 will be closed starting tomorrow, August 8th, from the Hungry Horse Dam Visitor Center to the existing closure at mile 15, near the Lid Creek Campground.

Pre-evacuation notice in effect for private property along SF Abbot Creek on the west side of the fire.

According to a press release, today heavy equipment, including masticators, dozers, and skidders, will continue implementing the fuel break near the Hard Money Road to decrease potential fire intensity should the fire reach private property to the west.

Hand crews and a masticator will continue work on the fuel break on East Side Road #38 to prevent potential impacts to East Side Road #38.

Structure protection assessments and coordination will continue for private property in Martin City, Coram and Hungry Horse.

UPDATE, AUG. 6:

The Ridge Fire is reportedly 2,584 acres large and is 0% contained Sunday.

Fire behavior was low to moderate on Saturday as indirect suppression efforts prioritized the west side of the fire to protect critical infrastructure and private property, the Northern Rockies Team 9 reported.

Helicopters provided water bucket drops on the west side of the fire while hand crews continued work on a fuel break by removing brush and timber to decrease potential fire intensity Saturday.

On Sunday, hand crews will continue to implement a fuelbreak along FS Road 38nearEmery Bay Campground to decrease potential fire intensity.

Heavy equipment crews will scout and implement a fuel break on the west side of the fire to protect private property and the communities of Coram and Martin City.

Crews will also implement structure protection measures on Desert Mountain communication sites by wrapping combustible materials.

Structure protection assessments will continue for private property in Martin City.

A pre-evacuation notice in effect for private property along SF Abbot Creek on the west side of the fire.

UPDATE, AUG. 5:

All Forest Service campgrounds and dispersed sites along the East Side Reservoir (FS Road 38) were evacuated due to the Ridge Fire.

The fire is currently 2,234 acres large and 0% contained.

Most of the fire growth Friday was near Emery Creek, the Northern Rockies Team 9 reported.

Indirect suppression efforts are prioritizing the west side of the fire to protect critical infrastructure and private property. This is a full suppression fire and firefighter and public safety is the top priority.

On Saturday, hand crews will continue to implement a fuel break along FS Road 38 near Emery Bay Campground to decrease potential fire intensity.Heavy equipment crews will scout and implement a fuelbreak on the west side of the fire to protect private property and the communities of Coram and Martin City should the fire push west.

UPDATE, AUG. 4:

The Ridge Fire is burning an estimated 1,576 acres as of Friday morning.

There is a mandatory evacuation notice in place Friday to all public traffic on FS Road 38 (East Side Road), a Facebook post from Flathead National Forest said.

FS Road 38 (East Side Road) is closed to all public travel from the junction FS Road 497 (Desert Mountain Road) and FS Road 38.

There is a road block in effect at the junction of FS Road 38 and FS Road 497.

UPDATE:

The Northern Rockies Team 9 announced an area closure on the Flathead National Forest, Hungry Horse Ranger District due to the Ridge Fire.

A closure is being put in place to provide for public and firefighter safety during fire activities on the Ridge Fire.

The closed area includes:

The western and northern boundary of the closure area starts at the junction of National Forest System (NFS) Road 497 and NFS Road 38 in section 3 T31N R19W and runs north along the western and northern Coram Experimental Forest boundaries to Desert Mountain in section PB40 T31N R19W.

The northern boundary continues from Desert Mountain due east to the Great Bear Wilderness boundary.

The eastern boundary then runs southeast along the Great Bear Wilderness boundary to Tiger Creek in section 12 T30N R18W and then along Tiger Creek south to NFS Road 38.

The southern boundary is up to FSR 38 between Tiger Creek and NFS Road 497.

The closure area does not include FSR 38.

HUNGRY HORSE, Mont. - A fire started by lightning on the Flathead National Forest has grown to 30 acres.

Terrain, fuels and weather is keeping firefighting crews from engaging the fire, named the Ridge Fire, directly, and a Type 3 Incident Management Team, Northern Rockies Team 9, assumed command of the fire on Thursday.

Fire crews worked to protect critical infrastructure Wednesday by removing hazardous fuels around a communication towers near Desert Mountain.

Additionally, heavy equipment was working to create a shaded fuel break on FS Road 590 E. Due to fire behavior and to protect private property to the west, crews shifted tactics to work on implementing a fuel break on FS Road 38 (East Side Road), according to the Northern Rockies Team 9.

Firecrews and resources will work to establish indirect firelines Thursday.

Crews will also continue constructing a fuel break along FS Road 38 and continuing to remove fuels around the communication towers on Desert Mountain.

Current actions are being implemented to keep the fire away from Martin City and the private land west of FS Road 38. Aerial resources will be utilized as needed to prevent fire from negatively impacting firelines and values at risk.

The fire is being handled as a full suppression fire.

No evacuations are in place, and the Flathead National Forest is preparing to implement an area closure for the area impacted from the Ridge Fire.

Stage 2 Fire restrictions are being implemented on in northwest Montana.
Federal regulators are urging Montana health officials to fix shortcomings in the states Medicaid redetermination process, expressing concerns that the state may be disenrolling people who are eligible for the public health insurance and creating barriers for others through long wait times at call centers and during the application process.

The state began reassessing the eligibility of the more than 320,000 people on Montana Medicaid in April with the lifting of the federally-designated COVID-19 public health emergency, which barred states from removing people from the program during the pandemic. The state has since reported removing 34,204 people from the rolls in April and May, roughly half of all people reviewed. Data for June is still pending.

In an August 9 letter addressed to Montanas Medicaid Director Mike Randol, an official with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said the states May data showed an average call center wait time of 42 minutes and an average call abandonment of 40%. Those metrics are among the worst in the country  only Missouri had a longer average wait time of 48 minutes and a slightly higher drop rate. Nevada had a dropped call rate of 56%.

Both of Montanas call metrics have worsened since March and April when the state reported an average wait time of 37 minutes and 35% of calls abandoned.

The federal agency also flagged the 36% of Montanans reviewed in May who lost coverage because of procedural errors such as failing to return paperwork or submit all the required information. Many of those individuals, including children, could still be eligible for the health insurance program, the letter said.

While CMS expects procedural terminations, a high rate of procedural terminations may indicate that beneficiaries may not be receiving notices, are unable to understand them, or are unable to submit their renewal through the required modalities, the agency said.

The letter also indicated that 15% of the income-based applicants who recently applied for Medicaid took the state longer than 45 days to process, exceeding the regulatory requirements. The notice said that expeditious processing of new applications, including some who may be re-applying after realizing they lost coverage, was imperative.

Out of 50 states that received letters about their recent data, the news site Politico reported that thirty-six were notified of at least one concern about call center wait times, application processing, or procedural disenrollments. Only five states  Montana, Florida, Rhode Island, Alaska and New Mexico  were dinged for all three categories.

In response to a request for comment on the federal letter, Department of Public Health and Human Services spokesperson Jon Ebelt said Friday that the department has been trying to simplify the phone tree options at call centers, adjust staffing levels and modifying its call-back protocol to prioritize enrollees who are most at risk of losing coverage. The department will also be starting a public service announcement campaign in the coming weeks that Ebelt said would run through the duration of the redetermination process, slated to end in January 2024.

CMS sent helpful feedback to states this week, Ebelt said. We continue to closely monitor, evaluate, and strengthen our Medicaid redetermination process with a laser focus on ensuring coverage for eligible Montanans.

The health department in November awarded a more-than-$2.25 million contract to Public Consulting Group LLC, a private contractor, to boost staffing levels for processing Medicaid renewals. On its website, PCG said it has allocated 40 staff to the contract.

Asked how the recent disenrollment and call center data highlighted by CMS reflect Gov. Greg Gianfortes stated commitment to customer service from state agencies, Deputy Communications Director Brooke Metrione said the governor has full confidence in DPHHS as it undertakes the overdue Medicaid redetermination process, ensuring eligible Montanans maintain their coverage while guarding against fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer resources.

In recent months, advocates for Medicaid enrollees and Democratic lawmakers have called on Gianforte and the health department to pause redeterminations until the state can resolve issues leading to high rates of procedural terminations. The Montana Budget and Policy Center and Montana Women Vote, groups that lobby on behalf of low-income Montanans, reiterated that stance in a July letter to CMS. The outreach recounted reports of long call center wait times, confusion about the process and sudden disenrollments.

Given the serious and endemic nature of these issues, we believe that the large number of Montanans being disenrolled includes a high percentage of people who have not had a fair and timely redetermination process and who may still be eligible for coverage. We believe the state should consider pausing or slowing the rate of redetermination until these issues can be addressed, the letter said. One of the signatories was Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, who works as executive director of Montana Women Vote.

In addition to the 71,930 enrollees reevaluated in April and May, the department began reevaluating the eligibility of another 38,372 people in June, according to its public dashboard. About 21% of that group had had their coverage renewed as of the dashboards last update in mid-July. Other applications are still being processed and roughly 45% of people under review hadnt responded to the departments requests for information.

The department has said it plans to update the dashboard once a month.
Addressing the Constitutional Convention in 1787 on the need for compromise, Benjamin Franklin said, When a broad table is to be made, and the edges of planks do not fit, the artist takes a little from both, and makes a good joint. In like manner, here, both sides must part from some of their demands, in order that they may join in some accommodating proposition.

Franklin offers a lesson for Pennsylvanias Democratic House leaders and for Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro reneged on a budget compromise and plunged the state into financial uncertainty, all because Democrats in the House oppose giving parents the choice to escape the worst performing schools in the Commonwealth. The irony is that this help came in the form of a plan that Shapiro endorsed both during his campaign and as governor.

Yet instead of forging a compromise with members of his own party in the House, Gov. Shapiro vetoed a line item that would have given scholarships to students trapped in failing schools. This was a major missed opportunity to reach a bipartisan compromise and achieve something truly substantial for Pennsylvanias most at-risk students.

Compromise is critical to a functioning and effective democratic governance, especially in a society with so many competing perspectives and interests. Compromise allows lawmakers to work toward solutions that address a broader spectrum of concerns. Its about building consensus and gathering support from different political factions to achieve results.

As Franklin observed, compromise requires give and take from each side. It requires both sides to part from some of their demands. Senate Republicans held up their end of this bargain, giving up some of their conditions to achieve a goal that we thought all sides wanted: rescuing kids from consistently failing schools and giving them an opportunity for a brighter future.

We were almost there until the budget agreement fell apart due to House Democrats refusal to give an inch. And now, even though only a one-seat majority separates the two caucuses in the state House, gridlock has stalled any progress.

Encouraged by Shapiros promises to save kids from dysfunctional and dangerous schools, we had hoped for a new pragmatism and cooperation between the governor and the General Assembly to advance the public interest. Personally, I had hoped that this budget compromise would lay the groundwork for long-term stability and laws built through negotiation and input from various stakeholders.

Shapiros betrayal of these children was disappointing. Even more concerning is the ongoing refusal among House Democratic leaders to consider helping desperate kids and families who are consigned to the same broken schools that have failed them for so long.

House Democratic Leader Matt Bradford promised Shapiro that in exchange for the governors reneging on his promise, the House would carefully examine and consider the issue. So far, this has proven an empty promise, as House Democrats have made no effort to do anything of the sort.

My hope is that Gov. Shapiro rethinks his decision and uses his influence to forge a true budget compromise. But for that to happen, House Democrats must at least be open to the idea of compromise. They have yet to show such willingness. Their obstinacy is condemning Pennsylvanias vulnerable children to failing schools  schools that many House Democrats themselves wouldnt dream of allowing their own children to attend.
Farmers are being warned to remain vigilant after the government confirmed a new sighting of Colorado potato beetle larvae in Kent, just weeks after the first sighting.

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said the finding of a single adult male Colorado beetle was discovered within a 1km surveillance zone in Kent.

Last month, the government confirmed that the beetle, which are a significant threat to potato crops, was found in Kent for the first time since 1977.

If not eradicated, Colorado potato beetles are a significant threat to potato crops. However, they are not a threat to human or animal health.

Adult beetles and larvae feed on the foliage of potato and other plants in the nightshade family and can completely strip them of their leaves if they are left uncontrolled.

No additional colony was detected, according to Defra and APHA, and given the estimated age of the beetle its likely that this specimen dispersed from the original site.

UK Chief Plant Health Officer, Nicola Spence said: "Following a report, our experts have identified the presence of Colorado beetle larvae in a potato field in Kent.

"We are responding swiftly through our eradication programme, involving ground surveillance to look for beetles and larvae at the outbreak site and surrounding area.

"Whilst this pest does not pose a threat to human health, we encourage all growers, farmers, processors and the public to remain vigilant and report any sightings, especially in Kent."

Farmers and growers in particular are being encouraged to remain vigilant for signs of the pest.

The beetle is bright yellow or orange with black stripes and is usually between 8.5-11.5mm in length and 3mm in width.

Its larvae are a reddish brown in colour, round and globular, and up to 15mm in length.

The beetle is not endemic to the UK and is currently regulated as a Great Britain quarantine pest, with import and movement restrictions in place for susceptible host material.

APHA is obligated by the government to act upon the current findings and eradicate this pest to support the UK's efforts to maintain this status.
August 12, 2023: When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 they, and many foreign observers, believed Ukraine would be quickly defeated. That did not happen because Russia and many foreign experts ignored the most common cause of wars throughout modern history. Countries often overestimate their ability to win if they invade. Russia has made this mistake several times in the last few centuries but its a lesson that is rarely accepted and instead ignored.

The Russians have lost about 350,000 troops, of whom 100,000 are dead, missing, prisoners or deserters, and Ukrainians casualties are about 200,000 of whom 50,000 are killed, missing and captured.

In the case of Ukraine, Russia believed their larger population (140 million versus 40 million Ukrainians) and larger armed forces would guarantee a quick victory. As is customary, that didnt happen. At that point Russia decided to pursue a long-war victory where their larger population and manufacturing capability would be decisive. This was another miscalculation. So far both Russia and Ukraine have lost about the same number of troops. To the Russians this means they can grind down the Ukrainians who will run out of troops before Russia does. This was another miscalculation.

After the first year of fighting Ukraine changed its tactic to limit Ukrainian casualties as much as possible. This is particularly the case with the current Ukrainian counteroffensive. Westerners expected progress to be rapid. That means more losses to the attackers. Instead, it uses its superiority in weapons, training and leadership so the Ukrainians are defeating the Russians in many smaller battles, where the Ukrainians make sure they have the advantage before attacking. This takes advantage of the poor morale, leadership and training most Russian troops have. There are some better quality airborne and special operations troops available but these must be used sparingly and carefully. While Russia can conscript or mobilize civilians into the military and send them into combat quickly with minimal training, these troops take heavy casualties. The elite units are volunteers who take a lot longer to train and losses are not easy to replace because it takes up to a year of training. During the first year of fighting Russia used the elite troops recklessly and lost a lot of them. Commanders of these elite units complained that this reckless approach was wasteful and counterproductive in the long run. It took a while for the senior political leaders and the generals who advised them to realize that misuse of elite units would hurt the Russian war effort in the long run.

The Ukrainian leadership was more aware of this situation and realized that losses in population were more serious than combat losses. So far about a quarter of the population has left voluntarily, most of them settling down in Poland and making themselves economically useful. Most of these refugees plan to return to Ukraine once it is safe, physically and economically, to do so. The Russians have kidnapped between two and four million Ukrainian civilians, many of them children, and moved them deep into Russia as part of Russias traditional ethnic cleansing policy towards troublesome minorities. About a third of the 44 million Ukrainians in 2021 have left or been kidnapped since the war began.

Millions of Russians too have fled Russia since the war began, mostly of military age, and most of those went to nearby Central Asian nations (the Stans) and made themselves economically useful. The Stans were initially unsure if all these Russian political refugees were a good thing, but changed their minds when they saw that the Russians were causing unexpected economic growth.

Russia eventually outlawed military age men from leaving the country. Russia needed more troops, and junior officers as well. The problem was that the need for more troops in Ukraine meant too many were being sent into combat with little training and led by equally inexperienced officers. Russia had a long-range plan to overcome that and the Ukrainians had their own plan to make life more difficult for the Russian military.

Who is winning is mainly about money and access to lots of modern weapons. The Ukrainians have a big edge here, having received nearly a hundred billion dollars in aid from NATO countries so far. The Ukrainians are resourceful and have developed weapons and military equipment that makes the NATO weapons even more effective. Russia has far less cash for new weapons and cannot match the resourcefulness of the Ukrainians. Thats why Ukraine is able to design and build long range robotic weapons to attack Russian commercial vessels and warships in the Black Sea as well as Russian cities and military targets the Russians thought were too far away to reach. The growing number of attacks on Moscow and Russian military bases far from the Ukrainian border is not good for Russian military or civilian morale.
King Charles has been "horrified" by the "catastrophic wildfires" in Hawaii.

King Charles has sent a message of sympathy and support

The 74-year-old monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla, have sent their sympathies to US President Joe Biden and the people of Hawaii, after wildfires devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Charles wrote: "Dear Mr. President,

"My wife and I were utterly horrified to hear of the catastrophic wildfires currently burning in Maui, Hawaii. We can only begin to imagine the scale of the devastation engulfing the island, and the heartrending anguish of those whose livelihoods have been so disastrously affected.

"However inadequate it may be, we both wanted to send our deepest possible sympathy to the families of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and our prayers remain with all those whose loved ones are missing and whose homes have been destroyed.

"As the recovery effort continues, my special thoughts are with the extraordinarily brave emergency responders and Maui residents who are providing their support and assistance.

"CHARLES R. (sic)"

Officials have confirmed that 80 have people have died in the wildfires so far, and President Biden recently expressed his own sympathies for people in Hawaii.

The president and his wife Jill Biden said in a statement: "Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the wildfires in Maui, and our prayers are with those who have seen their homes, businesses, and communities destroyed. We are grateful to the brave firefighters and first responders who continue to run toward danger, putting themselves in harms way to save lives."

Biden also offered advice to the people of Hawaii.

He said: "I urge all residents to continue to follow evacuation orders, listen to the instructions of first responders and officials, and stay alert."
Mark Zuckerberg is "ready" to fight Elon Musk.

Mark Zuckerberg is ready to fight Elon Musk

The Facebook founder agreed earlier this summer to go head-to-head against the Space X CEO in a cage match and after his 52-year-old rival recently revealed discussions are underway for the bout to take place in Rome, Italy, the 39-year-old tech mogul has insisted nothing is confirmed yet, though he is still up for the fight.

He wrote on Threads alongside a photo of himself sparring outside: I love this sport and Ive been ready to fight since the day Elon challenged me. If he ever agrees on an actual date, youll hear it from me. Until then, please assume anything he says has not been agreed on.

Not holding my breath for Elon, but Ill share details on my next fight when Im ready.

His comments came after billionaire Elon revealed he had been in contact with the Italian government about the fight.

He wrote on his platform X, which was formerly known as Twitter: "The fight will be managed by my and Zucks foundations (not UFC).

"Livestream will be on this platform and Meta. Everything in camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all.

"I spoke to the PM of Italy and Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location.

"Everything done will pay respect to the past and present of Italy

"And all proceeds go to veterans

"And pediatric hospitals in Italy (sic)"

Prior to that, Elon promised to donate the proceeds to military veterans.

He wrote on X: "Zuck v Musk fight will be live-streamed on X.

"All proceeds will go to charity for veterans. (sic)"

Earlier this month, UFC boss Dana White speculated that a proposed fight between the business rivals could generate as much as $1 billion and claimed he had been involved in the negotiations.

During an appearance on the 'Hotboxin with Mike Tyson' podcast, Dana said: "It's real. They do want to fight.

"Its real ... Its funny because we were talking about the Colosseum for that fight and I actually did have a meeting with the Minister of Cultures team in Italy to actually hold that fight in the Colosseum if it would happen. Were talking."

Dana is convinced that the fight would generate an enormous amount of money.

He said: "I think this thing does a billion dollars in revenue. A billion dollars."
Nick Jonas experienced a "surprisingly difficult" moment during his wedding.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas tied the knot in 2018

The 30-year-old star married Priyanka Chopra back in 2018, and he's recalled an awkward moment during their traditional Indian ceremony.

Nick told PEOPLE: "There's this one moment in Indian weddings where the bride and groom are lifted on the shoulders of their family members and there's sort of a game that's played where this garland is put on each other.

"They try to be the first to put the garland on the other. And it's surprisingly difficult, especially when you have someone as competitive as me and Pri. But whoever is the one to put it on first, that side of the family is the more dominant."

Despite the awkwardness, Nick loved the traditional ceremony, describing it as a "great way for the families to all connect".

He said: "It's really for the family members to feel pride and that's just a funny game. But it's really heartwarming and a great way for the families to all connect."

Meanwhile, Priyanka previously described Nick as "a wise man beyond his years".

The 41-year-old actress praised Nick for helping her to overcome her own insecurities.

The Hollywood star told British Vogue magazine: "He's a wise man beyond his years ... I get affirmations from him all the time, to remind me of my value when I forget or when I get insecure.

"He just sees through the fog for me. He sees the best in people."

Priyanka and Nick have both enjoyed huge success during their careers, and the loved-up couple have a unique ritual that helps them to stay connected.

The actress shared: "We didn't know each other's careers before we met. Like, didn't know them well. So we do a show and tell once in a while and share random things that we've done to show the other person what we were like when we were younger."
Prince Harry has missed his family "very much" while playing polo in Singapore.

Prince Harry has been playing polo in Singapore

The Duke of Sussex travelled without wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their children Prince Archie, four, and two-year-old Princess Lilibet to take part in a charity tournament to raise money for his charity Sentebale, and his friend and fellow player Nacho Figueras admitted they hadn't found it easy leaving their loved ones behind in California.

Nacho told reporters: "We miss our wives very much. This was a very short trip, although its a few days, its a lot of travelling for 24 hours in Japan and a few hours here, but we miss them. We wish they were here.

But while they missed their families, 46-year-old Nacho - who has four children with wife Delfina Blaquier - admitted he'd relished being able to spend some quality time for his pals.

He said of Harry: Hes very committed. Thats what he is. Its in his DNA and thats why I like him so much. Being able to spend so much time together has been a wonderful thing.

I always say that the first thing that [struck] me about Sentebale before I knew anything about it was his commitment to the charity, how much he cares about doing good.

I could see that first-hand when I went to Lesotho with him, we have been there two or three times. Hes the first person to point out that theres something that can be better. Its very inspiring.

The annual Sentebale Polo Cup game ended in a 7-7 draw, with both Harry and Nacho - who played for the Royal Salute Sentebale team and the Singapore Polo Club respectively - scoring impressive goals.

Despite the score, a relaxed Harry jokingly pretended to steal the match trophy during the presentation ceremony.

To date, the tournament has raised over 11 million for the charity, which Harry established with Prince Seeiso of Lethoso in 2006.

The 38-year-old royal said in a statement: Sentebale has remained a pillar of support in communities across southern Africa for almost two decades. Our work has remained rooted in our mission, and in honour of our late mothers, we wish to ensure all children and young people in southern Africa are empowered, healthy and able to pursue their ambitions and dreams.
Sameera Reddy about Body Shaming Photo Credit: Gallery

Actress Sameera Reddy is a popular face in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films. The former actress is now a social media influencer who works for empowering women, especially on body shaming and mental health issues.

Her Instagram handle's bio reads, 'Messy Mama, Happiness Creator, Imperfectly Perfect.' She has 2 million followers on her account. She often shares incidents and her experiences from life with her followers and fans to spread positivity reinforcement and promote confidence.

Her posts and reels featuring her mother-in-law are quite popular, defying the usual 'Saas-Bahu' stereotype. Recently, in an interview, Sameera Reddy opened up once again about her pregnancy struggles, body weight, and health.

According to a report in Eenadu, Sameera Reddy recounted her days of initial pregnancy and weight gain. She said, 'I and Akshai Varde got married in 2014 on our terrace. Our is a simple wedding, and both families have come together for it. When my marriage was announced, people assumed that I was pregnant and got married in a hurry. But it is not the truth.

During my first pregnancy, I underwent several issues. In 2015, I gave birth to my son, and I have put on so much weight. Many people commented on my body weight and physique. One day, a vegetable vendor also commented saying, "Didi what happened to you? Is this really you?" Their comments made me scared. I didn't go out fearing photographers."

Sameera further mentioned,"I have become super busy personally and wanted to get in touch with my fans. What better a platform for us to connect apart from social media? I joined Instagram and sought support from industry friends to boost it. I called them up to promote my account. None of them helped me out which is actually a sad truth."Sameera Reddy, the 44-year-old actress made her debut as an actress in a ghazal 'Aur Aahista,' a music video in 1997. She appeared as a lead actress in a Tamil film titled Citizen, but it didn't materialize. She then ventured into Bollywood in 2002 with Maine Dil Tujhko Diya.

In 2004, Sameera Reddy, whose father is a Telugu, made her Tollywood debut opposite Jr NTR in Narasimhudu. She then acted in Ashok alongside Jr NTR in 2006 and in Jai Chiranjeeva opposite megastar Chiranjeevi.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Rosenbauer: The Rosenbauer Group, manufacturer of firefighting equipment, generated revenues of  460.5 million in the first half of 2023 (1-6/2022:  429.7 million). This is 7.2% higher than the previous year. The reasons for this include a changed product mix and price adjustments, with further delays in the delivery of chassis. At the same time, in the second quarter, the Group made up for the backlogs and negative impact of the recent cyber attack. As a result, the operating turnaround was achieved and the first six months of the year closed with EBITDA of  15.1 million (1-6/2022:  -8.8 million) and EBIT of  0.7 million (1-6/2022:  -23.2 million) thanks to significantly higher gross profit and lower structural costs (research and ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Traders in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh are up in arms, offering a substantial reward of Rs 21 Lakh against a fraudulent businessman who has disappeared with a staggering sum of Rs 10 crores from 42 traders.

Adding to his audacity, he even swindled 60,000 from former MLA and District Panchayat member Mamta Meena.

The rogue trader has been on the run for the past 20 days. Authorities have registered a case against him, prompting traders to take to the streets in protest, staging a two-day dharna.

Prior to his escape, the cunning businessman slyly dispatched his employees to Rajasthans Khatu Shyam and managed to sell a plot in secrecy. Armed with cash, he absconded overnight along with his family. The police are actively pursuing leads to apprehend him. In solidarity, traders have halted their operations in the market for the past two days.

Lokendra Gupta, also known as Dabbu, operated under the business name GB Aggarwal, dealing in the trading of wheat in Kumbhraj Mandi. Trouble brewed as he accumulated debts with multiple traders and farmers from Kumbhraj, Binaganj, and Guna Mandi.

Despite promises of payment within 15 days, Lokendra had consistently evaded settling his dues, leaving traders grappling with unpaid invoices.

The swindler had summoned the traders on July 19 to discuss payment. However, upon their arrival, they were met with locked gates and homes.

It transpired that Lokendra had fled during the night of July 18, leaving 42 traders defrauded of over Rs 10 Crore.

The dismayed traders lodged a formal complaint with the Superintendent of Police (SP) and registered FIRs in various police stations. After several days, the traders offered a 21,000 reward for anyone who could help locate the elusive trader. Despite this incentive, and after 20 days of fruitless efforts, the traders resorted to a strike, grinding business to a halt at Kumbhraj Mandi.

Lokendra had a long-standing family business but decided to branch out independently, which initially built trust among traders. His punctual payments and sizable purchases bolstered his credibility, leading traders to extend him credit. He acquired substantial quantities of maize and coriander, paying a slightly higher rate than market prices.

Scheming further, Lokendra manipulated his bank account limit based on incorrect property information. Despite having a property valued at Rs 70,000-Rs 75,000, he secured a bank limit of Rs 1 crore. He even secured a loan in the name of a shop he owned. Following his escape, the bank seized his properties. Additionally, he sold a plot in Kumbhraj, suggesting a premeditated escape plan.

In a calculated move, he sent his workers and laborers on a pilgrimage to Khatu Shyam Temple in Rajasthan, ensuring no suspicion would arise. Traders believed his explanation for the temporary shop closure due to labor absence. A vigilant businessman managed to confront Lokendra and retrieve Rs 27 lakhs he was owed, but the rest of the traders were left in the dark.
A string of First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed across 41 districts of MP, including Bhopal and Indore, implicating Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, State Congress President Kamal Nath, former PCC Chief Arun Yadav, and Jairam Ramesh.

The charges levelled assert that these political figures widely circulated a viral letter on various social media platforms, an act deemed to have impugned the credibility of the states BJP administration by alleging a rampant 50% commission culture.

Simultaneously, an anonymous individual, Gyanendra Awasthi, has also been subject to a formal case.

The focal point of concern is a circulating document purportedly emanating from an entity named the Small and Medium Regional Contractors Association.

Affixed at the documents conclusion is the name Gyanendra Awasthi. This letter, falsely attributed to the Chief Justice of the Gwalior Bench of the High Court, spurred the legal action undertaken by the BJP leadership.

Complaints registered by BJP representatives led to the filing of FIRs at the Bhopal Crime Branch and the Sanyogitaganj police station in Indore.

The claims put forward contend that the Congress leaders orchestrated a deliberate smear campaign against the BJP, tarnishing their image. In response, FIRs under Sections 420 and 469 were filed at the Sanyogitaganj police station at approximately 9:30 pm.

In a parallel development, the Crime Branch in Bhopal has also sprung into action.

On Saturday night, cases under Sections 469, 500, and 501 were formally recorded. DCP Crime Shrutkirti Somvanshi has verified these proceedings. The genesis of this process traces back to a complaint lodged by BJP officials earlier on the same day.

The controversial document, attributed to the Small and Medium Regional Contractors Association, purportedly contends that a 50% commission modus operandi prevails within the government.

It lambasts the existing administration, asserting a lack of attentive governance and rampant broker involvement that necessitates the commission.

Allegedly, only 40% of the approved project amount reaches the legitimate contractor, with the rest being split as commissions.

Addressing the matter, Priyanka Gandhi, on Friday evening, tweeted, The Madhya Pradesh Contractors Union has written to the Chief Justice of the High Court, revealing a disconcerting norm of a 50% commission system in the state. In comparison, the corrupt BJP government in Karnataka limited itself to 40%. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has outdone itself, escalating its corruption quotient to 50%. Just as Karnataka ousted corruption, Madhya Pradesh will follow suit.

At a press conference held in Bhopal, BJP State President VD Sharma contended, Yesterday, the Congress fabricated an extensive falsehood in Madhya Pradesh. They propagated a falsified letter, attributing it to a supposed contractor association. This manipulative act exemplifies the very core of Congresss modus operandi.

He added, Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath have become synonymous with deception within Madhya Pradesh. They set a record for mendacity yesterday. Congresss central leadership, including Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi, were led astray by a fallacious letter, laying bare Congresss true character.

The State President further cautioned, The BJP will firmly address this cybercrime. Priyanka Gandhi must elucidate the origin of this letter.

Fake Letter

BJP representative and lawyer Pankaj Paliwal revealed that the document bore an address for the Small and Medium Regional Contractors Association as Basant Vihar, Lashkar Gwalior. Authorities visited the location in question accompanied by police personnel, only to find no trace of the purported organization or its representatives. Subsequently, Paliwal lodged a formal complaint with the crime branch.
Despite years of opposition by Western intelligence and police agencies, China continues its efforts to develop favorable attitudes towards China in Western universities. Most of this effort is concentrated in large English speaking nations like the United States and Britain. Western officials have long realized this. Western universities and faculty were always a prime target because these institutions and their key staff are not seen as a target for Chinese influence operations. China understands that the staff of universities in the West are recognized by locals as a source of expert opinion on many matters. These faculty members can also be influenced by gifts of cash. These are not called gifts or, more accurately, bribes. Rather the money is considered a grant to support further academic studies on one subject or another. China arranges large grants. Government and popular opposition to these programs has not eliminated them, just forced China to change how it implements the program. While Western intelligence agencies remain alert and aware of this program, few others in government or academia seem to be concerned.

After several years of indifference by university administrators towards requests to monitor and block Chinese influence efforts, governments are becoming more energetic and aggressive about.

This was a return to methods last employed three years ago. For example, in 2020 an American and two Chinese were indicted for secretly providing China with U.S. technology. The American was Charles Lieber, head of the Harvard Chemistry and Chemical Biology department. He was accused of secretly establishing a working relationship with a Chinese university at Wuhan. Lieber established research efforts at Harvard, recruiting top scientists to work on projects of interest to China and secretly passing research results to China. He also received millions of dollars from China to further this research. During the FBI investigation Lieber repeatedly lied about these activities, which did not prevent the FBI from eventually gathering all they needed to arrest Lieber and indict him. It is rare for China to convince a senior American academic, like Harvard department head Charles Lieber, to get involved in illegal research projects. Why Lieber got involved in such blatantly illegal activities was not disclosed and details probably wont emerge until his trial.

Also indicted for Harvard related espionage was a Chinese citizen, Zheng Zaosong, who was studying at Harvard on a student visa and was accused of trying to smuggle 21 vials of biological material and research data back to China. The third defendant was Yanqing Yeh, a Chinese student at nearby Boston University. She was also an active duty lieutenant in the Chinese Army who was supervised by a colonel at a Chinese military academy that was working on new technology for the Chinese military. This school was on an American list of Chinese educational institutions that were banned from working with anyone in the United States. Yeh was also caught trying to smuggle research data back to China. Yeh had lied about her military status when she applied for a student visa, asserting that she had been discharged from the army and left out her connections with the banned (in the U.S.) Chinese military academy she was working for as an army officer. She was also accused of being an unregistered foreign agent. Among the items uncovered by the FBI was that Yeh had been assigned to investigate one American academic at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School who was researching computer security. Given how active China has been using hackers to steal valuable data from the United States, that particular assignment was ominous. Yeah had presented herself as a student but further investigation showed she was a very active Chinese spy.

It is unclear if Lieber, Yeh or Zheng were working together and it is likely they were not. A standard foreign espionage procedure is to have such individuals handled separately by their handlers back in China. These three indictments are the result of the United States imposing more restrictions on Chinese officials who come to the U.S. and have contact, for whatever reason, with American academics, researchers and local (city, state and country) government officials. These Chinese will have to notify the U.S. government of such contacts. Based on recent FBI investigations and prosecutions, this will make it more difficult to operate their massive espionage program that seeks details of how American patents are implemented as well as trade secrets (items that are not patented but are essential for operating a business or factory).

It was already illegal for American academics and researchers to secretly work for Chinese government or commercial firms. These restrictions wont trigger similar measures for Americans in China because China has long assigned police and intel specialists to closely observe who visiting Americans visit. This surveillance often involves MSS (secret police) agents advising Chinese to refuse such meetings or only do it with an MSS agent present, usually pretending to be an employee of the firm.

Meanwhile, China has been making the most of their access. One recent FBI investigation documented the use of the Chinese Confucius Institute's cultural centers at American universities and how these programs were actually part of a widespread intelligence operation that employed visa fraud for Chinese visiting scholars who were actually MSS operatives. This program recruited Chinese-born businessmen, academics and others, often naturalized American citizens, to participate in IP (Intellectual property) theft. Further encouragement was that some of these operatives could sometimes profit from it personally. Not all these recruits knew they were participating in espionage but the Chinese could effectively pressure their citizens to cooperate. Worse, the FBI discovered that many of the Chinese in the U.S. on J-1 visas (for visiting scholars) spent most of their time on espionage and a bare minimum on actual research.

As successful as this espionage effort was, most of the Chinese-Americans approached by recruiters were not interested and politely declined. More importantly, many of them quietly reported their encounters to the FBI or to friends they knew could do it for them. The Chinese knew these alerts to the FBI posed a risk but considered it an acceptable risk given the amount of intellectual property that was being stolen and put to work back in China.

Back then, the United States has been prosecuting and convicting a growing number of Chinese-born men (and a few women) conspiring to commit or actually carrying out economic espionage in the United States. Some of these suspects are naturalized American citizens but a growing number are Chinese citizens here on legitimate visas. As more suspects were identified patterns began to appear which revealed the inner workings of known Chinese intellectual property espionage efforts.

It was known that China had a state-sponsored program to make it easy for foreign-educated Chinese to return home and apply what they had learned in the West to start their own companies. China offered billions of dollars in venture capital for this program. This made it easier for Chinese moving back to China from the West to establish their own companies using what they learned in the West. This program helped create thousands of new firms. Many of these firms were using stolen trade secrets and patents that were being laundered. That is, changed sufficiently to make it difficult for the owners of the stolen intellectual property to easily prove theft.

The FBI and CIA again noted several interesting patterns. While many of the returning Chinese students were operating legally, a large number of those new Chinese firms were operating illegally by depending on stolen intellectual property. There were other patterns as well. A lot of the stolen tech seemed to involve Chinese and Americans associated with various Chinese efforts that helped returning Chinese profit from what they had learned in the West. These programs involved establishing hundreds of Confucius Institutes associated with Western universities, including a hundred in the United States. That, plus the aggressive recruiting of Chinese and non-Chinese academics willing to help China mobilize the largest IP theft in history.

Participating in this program has become riskier. The growing number of convictions are for conspiring to steal or actually stealing trade secrets. Many of the technologies involved are dual-use; for commercial and military applications. Many of these investigations begin when American companies provided the FBI with documentation showing how the Chinese obtained and applied the trade secrets. What the American firms usually lack is information about who was getting the information, often including detailed manufacturing techniques, to the Chinese. The U.S. is not the only victim here. Many other Western nations are experiencing the same losses. Even Chinese neighbor and ally Russia has suffered heavy losses due to this Chinese economic espionage.

There have been a lot more court cases about this because Chinese firms have become bolder in how they exploit stolen software, trade secrets and other technology. In the past, the Chinese were careful in the use of stolen tech when exporting their own military equipment copied from Russian designs. The Chinese had started doing this during the Cold War, which sometimes got fairly hot (there were some deadly border skirmishes in the 1970s) because China and Russia developed some territorial and ideological disputes that did not settle down until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

The Russians are still angry about the continued Chinese theft of their tech and growing Russian threats over this caused the Chinese to sign agreements in the last decade that declared Chinese firms would stop stealing and reselling Russian tech. In practice, this only slowed the Chinese down, but it placated the Russians for a while. Currently, the Americans are starting to sound like the Russians in the 1990s, but the Americans have more legal and economic clout to deploy and this situation is liable to get ugly before (if ever) it gets better.

By 2012 most American officials had come to openly admit that a whole lot of American military and commercial technical data has been stolen via Chinese Internet (and more conventional) espionage efforts. Details of exactly all the evidence of this is unclear, but apparently, it was pretty convincing for many American politicians and senior officials who had previously been skeptical. The Chinese efforts have resulted in most major American weapons systems having tech details obtained by the Chinese, in addition to a lot of non-defense or dual-use technology. Its not just the United States that is being hit but most nations with anything worth stealing. Many of these nations are noticing that China is the source of most of this espionage and few are content to remain silent any longer.

Its no secret that Chinese intelligence collecting efforts since the late 1990s have been spectacularly successful. As the rest of the world comes to realize the extent of this success, there is a growing desire for retaliation. What form that payback takes remains to be seen. Collecting information, both military and commercial, often means breaking laws and striking (or hacking) back at the suspected attackers will involve even more felonies. China has broken a lot of laws. Technically, China has committed acts of war because of the degree to which it penetrated military networks and carried away copies of highly secret material. The U.S. and many other victims have been warning China there will be consequences. As the extent of Chinese espionage becomes known and understood, the call for consequences becomes louder.

China tries hard to conceal its espionage efforts. Not just denying anything and everything connected to its hacking and conventional spying but also taking precautions. But as their success continued year after year, some of the Chinese hackers became cocky and sloppy. At the same time, the victims became more adept at detecting Chinese efforts and tracing them back to specific Chinese government organizations or non-government hackers inside China.

Undeterred, China has sought to keep its espionage effort going and has even expanded operations. For example, starting in 2008 China opened National Intelligence Colleges in many major universities. In effect, each of these is an "Espionage Department" where, each year, several hundred carefully selected applicants are accepted in each school, to be trained as spies and intelligence operatives. China has found that espionage is an enormously profitable way to obtain military and commercial secrets and now China trains and rewards those who have a talent for such things and make a career of it. The Internet-based operations, however, are only one part of Chinas espionage efforts.

While Chinese Cyber War operations in this area get a lot of publicity, the more conventional spying brings in a lot of stuff that is not reachable on the Internet. One indicator of this effort is the fact that American counter-intelligence efforts are snagging more Chinese spies. This is partly due to increased spying efforts by China, which puts more of their people out there to get caught, as well as more success by the FBI and CIA. All this espionage, in all its forms, has played a large part in turning China into one of the mightiest industrial and military powers on the planet. China is having a hard time hiding the source of the new technologies they are incorporating into their weapons and commercial products. Many of the victims initially had a hard time accepting the fact that the oh-so-eager (to export) Chinese were robbing their best customers of intellectual property on a grand scale. Now Western firms are a lot more wary about dealing with the Chinese.

China has been getting away with something the Soviet Union never accomplished, stealing Western technology and then using it to move ahead of the West. The Soviets lacked the many essential supporting industries found in the West. These firms were largely founded and run by entrepreneurs, which was illegal in the Soviet Union.) Because of that, the Russians were never able to acquire all the many pieces needed to match Western technical accomplishments. Soviet copies of American computers, for example, were crude, less reliable, and less powerful. It was the same situation with their jet fighters, tanks, and warships.

China got around this by making it seemingly profitable for Western firms to set up factories in China, where Chinese managers and workers were taught how to make things right. At the same time, China allows thousands of their best students to go to the United States to study. While many of these students will stay in America, where there are better jobs and more opportunities, a growing number are coming back to China and bringing American business and technical skills with them. Finally, China energetically uses the "thousand grains of sand" approach to espionage. This involves China trying to get all Chinese going overseas, and those of Chinese ancestry living outside the motherland, to spy for China, if only a tiny bit.

This approach to espionage is nothing new. Other nations have used similar systems for centuries. What is unusual is the scale of the Chinese effort, and that makes a difference. Supporting it all is a Chinese intelligence bureaucracy back home that is huge, with nearly 100,000 people working just to keep track of the many Chinese overseas and what they could, or should, be trying to grab for the motherland. This is where many of the graduates of the National Intelligence College program will work.

It begins when Chinese intelligence officials examine who is going overseas and for what purpose. Chinese citizens cannot leave the country legally without state security organizations being notified. The intel people are not being asked to give permission. They are being alerted in case they want to have a talk with students, tourists, or business people before leaving the country. Interviews are often held when these people come back as well.

Those who might be coming in contact with useful information are asked to remember what they saw or bring back souvenirs (legal or otherwise). Over 100,000 Chinese students go off to foreign universities each year. Even more, go abroad as tourists or on business. Most of these people were not asked to actually act as spies but simply to share, with Chinese government officials (who are not always identified as intelligence personnel), whatever information they obtained. The more ambitious of these people are getting caught and prosecuted. But the majority are quite casual and individually bring back relatively little and are almost impossible to catch, much less prosecute.

Like the Russians, the Chinese are also employing the traditional methods, using people with diplomatic immunity to recruit spies and offering cash, or whatever, to get people to sell them information. This is still effective and when combined with the "thousand grains of sand" method brings in a lot of secrets.

Not getting caught is becoming more important because that can lead to increasingly dangerous diplomatic and legal problems. When the Chinese steal some technology and produce something that the Western victims can prove was stolen (via patents and prior use of the technology), legal action can make it impossible, or very difficult, to sell anything using the stolen tech outside of China. For that reason, the Chinese long preferred stealing military technology and tried to avoid using stolen commercial tech in a way that made it easy to determine the source of stolen data. This meant keeping stolen commercial tech inside China. And in some cases, like manufacturing technology, there's an advantage to not selling it outside of China. Because China is still a communist dictatorship, the courts do as they are told, and they are rarely told to honor foreign patent claims when stolen tech is discovered in China by its foreign owners.

But increasingly, Chinese firms are boldly using their stolen technology, daring foreign firms to try and use Chinese courts to get justice. Instead, the foreign firms are trying to muster support from their governments for lawsuits outside China. Naturally, the Chinese government will howl and insist that its all a plot to oppress China. This has worked for a long time, but many of the victims are now telling China that this conflict is being taken to a new, and more dangerous, level.
Each year, India celebrates its Independence Day on 15 August. This year, the country will mark its 76th Independence Day and preparations are afoot with Indian Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar flagging off the Har Ghar Tiranga motorcycle rally on Friday in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to take part in the tricolour campaign from 13 to 15 August.

Since 2014, the year when he became Indias prime minister, Narendra Modi has maintained a traditional look on Independence Day celebrations with a special emphasis on turbans

2023

This year, PM Narendra Modi wore a Rajasthani-style turban. He completed his look with an off-white kurta and churidar and a black jacket.

2022

Last year, PM Modi chose a white turban printed with the tricolour. He paired the turban with a traditional white kurta pajama set and a blue Nehru coat over it.

2021

In 2021, PM Modi wore a saffron headgear with red patterns and a long tail.

Wearing a traditional kurta and a churidar complemented by a blue jacket and a stole, Modi continued his tradition of donning flamboyant and colourful turbans at I-Day

2020

In 2020, the prime minister donned a saffron and cream safa (head gear) for Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

He paired the turban with a half-sleeve kurta in a pastel shade.

2019

Prime Minister Modi marked the 73rd Independence Day by wearing a bright yellow turban from the Western state of Rajasthan.

He paired the turban with a half-sleeve kurta and churidar.

2018

In 2018, PM Modi sported a saffron turban during his address at the Red Fort.

2017

The Prime Ministers turban for 2017 was a bright yellow and red with criss-crossed golden lines all over it.

He finished the look with a beige couloured half-sleeve bandhgala kurta.

2016

In 2016, Modi chose a tie and dye turban with hues of pink and yellow. He paired it with a white kurta.

2015

Eight years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wore a yellow coloured turban with crisscrossed lines in different shades of the same colour.

He finished off his look with a kurta and a Modi jacket.

2014

In his maiden year as the prime minister of India, Prime Minister Modi opted for a Jodhpuri bandhej turban in bright red colour with green at the trail.
With Independence Day 2023 inching closer on 15 August, the day is commemorated annually to mark the lives of soldiers and freedom fighters who fought for Indias independence. In 1947, India gained freedom from the British after two centuries of colonial rule. The event is celebrated by hoisting the national flag, participating in several nation-related cultural programmes and listening to the Prime Ministers speech from Red Fort.

However, there are guidelines to follow on who can hoist the National Flag and what things should be kept in mind while doing so. The National Flag is a horizontal tricolor comprising deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. Furthermore, the standard ratio of flag width to its length is two to three. A navy blue wheel represents the chakra in the centre of the white band.

The Government of India (GOI) made some amendments last year that allow the National Flag to be displayed both in the day and night. It is permissible only if it is displayed in the open or in the house of a public member. Based on the earlier guidelines, it could only be erected between sunrise and sunset.

Check out the guidelines regarding National Flag display at home:

-The tricolour should be placed prominently so that it occupies the position of honour.

-The flag should always be well-kept. Damaged or rumpled flags should never be displayed.

-The tricolour should never be displayed inverted. It should be hoisted with saffron at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom.

-The National Flag should not be dipped or bowed in salute to any person or thing.

-No other flag or holding should be placed higher than or parallel to the National Flag.

-No external ornamentation including flowers, garlands, or emblems, should be placed on or above the flag mast.

-The National Flag should not be used for decoration or wrapping.

-The National Flag should not touch the ground or soak aimlessly in the water under any circumstance or condition.

-Nothing should be written on the flag.

How should the National Flag be disposed of?

If there is a damaged or weathered national flag in possession, it must be disposed of in private. The act must be carried out by burning or by any other method that preserves its dignity.

Last year, as citizens of India geared up to celebrate the 76th Independence Day, the Government of India launched an innovative campaign, Har Ghar Tiranga. As part of the campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Indians to participate in the cause by displaying the National Flag in every home from 13 to 15 August, 2022.
Independence Day 2023: Since independence from Britain and the subsequent bloody Partition, India and Pakistan have fought several wars.

Triggered mostly by Pakistans suicidal obsession with capturing Kashmir from India  a result of its skewed Islamist world view  these wars were fought over some of the toughest and most inhospitable terrains in the world and witnessed more than their fair share of unbelievable courage and valour by soldiers of both armies.

1948 war

The First Kashmir War, also known as the Indo-Pakistani War of 19471948, was fought between India and Pakistan between 1947 and 1948 for the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. It was the first of four conflicts between Pakistan and India after their independence. A few weeks after gaining independence, Pakistan started the conflict by dispatching tribal militias from Waziristan to seize Kashmir and prevent its ruler from joining India. The wars ambiguous outcome continues to have an impact on both countries geopolitics.

Due to a Muslim rebellion in Poonch, Hari Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, lost control of the western regions of his realm. The Pashtun tribal militias of Pakistan breached the states border on October 22, 1947. These local tribal militias and erratic Pakistani forces advanced towards Srinagars capital city, but when they arrived in Baramulla, they started plundering and halted. India responded to Maharaja Hari Singhs request for assistance by offering it, but only after he had signed an instrument of accession to India.

The Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and militias from the North-West Frontier Provinces bordering tribal districts first fought the battle. After the state joined India on October 26, 1947, Indian troops were flown to Srinagar, the states capital. In the beginning, British military officers rejected the admission of Pakistani forces into the conflict, citing the states accession to India. They eventually gave in, though, and Pakistans soldiers soon joined the conflict. The fronts gradually formed along what is now known as the Line of Control. The start of a formal truce was announced for January 1, 1949.

1962 war with China

From October to November 1962, India and China were at war with one another.

After the 1959 Tibetan rebellion, when India awarded the Dalai Lama sanctuary, there had been a number of bloody border battles between the two nations. After India rejected proposed Chinese diplomatic agreements throughout 19601962, Chinese military action became more aggressive. After 30 April 1962, China resumed previously forbidden forward patrols in Ladakh.

On October 20, 1962, China gave up on finding a diplomatic solution to the Cuban Missile Crisis and invaded disputed territory across the McMahon Line in the northeastern boundary and along the 3,225-kilometer (2,004 mi) border in Ladakh.

In both theatres, Chinese troops drove Indian forces back while seizing the Tawang Tract in the eastern theatre and all of their claimed territory in the western theatre. On November 20, 1962, China unilaterally called a cease-fire and announced its withdrawal to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which was the actual border between China and India at the time.

A significant portion of the action involved mountain warfare, with intense battles above 4,000 metres (13,000 feet) in elevation. Notably, neither side used any maritime or aerial forces during the conflict, which was fought solely on land.

1965 war

The 1965 India-Pakistan war lasted from April to September of that year. Operation Gibraltar, a Pakistani operation intended to infiltrate troops into Jammu and Kashmir and spark an uprising against Indian sovereignty, was the direct cause of the conflict and brought it to a head.

The seventeen-week conflict resulted in thousands of deaths on both sides and featured the greatest tank warfare and armoured vehicle engagement since World War II.

Hostilities between the two countries ended after a ceasefire was declared through UNSC Resolution 211 following a diplomatic intervention by the Soviet Union and the United States, and the subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration.

Land forces from both sides engaged in a large portion of the fighting in Kashmir and near the border between India and Pakistan. Only the military standoff between India and Pakistan in 20012002 witnessed a larger soldier influx into Kashmir than this conflict. This war saw the largest troop influx into Kashmir since Indias 1947 Partition. With significant support from air forces and naval operations, opposing infantry and armoured troops fought the majority of the battles.

At the time the cease-fire was announced, India held the upper hand against Pakistan. Despite the fact that the two nations engaged in a standoff, the battle is viewed as a military, strategic, and political setback for Pakistan because it was unable to incite an uprising in Kashmir.

In January 1965, Pakistani soldiers started patrolling in Indian-controlled territory. On April 8, 1965, both nations launched attacks on each others outposts. The contested territory eventually saw sporadic clashes between the nations military forces after initially involving border police from both countries. With the help of Operation Desert Hawk, Pakistan took control of a few Indian outposts close to the border with Kanjarkot Fort.

British Prime Minister Harold Wilson was successful in convincing both nations to halt hostilities in June 1965. On June 30, 1965, the two nations agreed to submit the border issue to the International Court of Justice for arbitration.

A tribunal was established to settle the conflict, and after rendering its decision in 1968, Pakistan was given 780 square kilometres (301 square miles) of the Rann of Kutch instead of the 9,100 square kilometres (3,500 square miles) it had originally sought.

Following its victory in the Rann of Kutch, Pakistan, led by Muhammad Ayub Khan, was convinced that the Indian Army wouldnt be able to hold off a swift military operation in the contentious region of Kashmir because the Indian military had lost to China in the Sino-Indian War in 1962[citation needed].

Pakistan was of the opinion that the people of Kashmir were generally unhappy with Indian rule and that a resistance movement might be started by a few saboteurs who infiltrated the area. Pakistan made an effort to start the resistance movement by means of covert infiltration of Pakistan Army commandos, code named Operation Gibraltar.

The Pakistani infiltrators were soon discovered, however, their presence reported by local Kashmiris and the operation ended unsuccessfully.

Between 26,000 and 33,000 Pakistani forces disguised as locals from Kashmir crossed the Line of Control on August 5, 1965, heading for various locations inside Kashmir. On 15 August, Indian forces crossed the cease-fire line after receiving information from the local population.

After a protracted artillery barrage, the Indian Army initially had great success, taking three significant mountain positions. But by the end of August, both sides had made some progress: Pakistan in Tithwal, Uri, and Poonch, while India had taken the Haji Pir pass, 8 kilometres into Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

In response, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam on September 1, 1965, with the aim of seizing the crucial Jammu town of Akhnoor, which would cut off communications and supply lines to Indian soldiers. Even though India had already taken the Haji Pir Pass at this point and Operation Gibraltar had failed, Ayub Khan predicted that Hindu morale would not stand more than a couple of hard blows at the right time and place.

On September 1, 1965, at 03:30, a heavy artillery barrage hit the whole Chumb region. Indias Army Headquarters was caught off guard when Pakistan launched operation Grand Slam.

Pakistan achieved advances over Indian forces by attacking with a disproportionately large number of troops and technologically superior tanks. The Indian forces were caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties. India responded by putting its air force into action in order to blunt the attack by Pakistan.

The following day, Pakistan responded by using its air force to strike Indian military and air bases in Punjab and Kashmir. The Pakistani army was forced to reposition troops involved in the operation to protect Punjab as a result of Indias decision to expand the strike theatre into Pakistani Punjab.

As a result, Operation Grand Slam was a failure because the Pakistani Army was unable to conquer Akhnoor; this served as one of the turning points in the conflict when India decided to assault Pakistan further south in order to relieve pressure on its forces in Kashmir. Kargil was another crucial strategic location in the valley. Although Pakistan occupied high ground overlooking Kargil and the Srinagar-Leh route, the town of Kargil was under Indian control.

However, the Pakistani infiltrators were driven out of that region in the month of August with the start of a significant anti-infiltration campaign by the Indian army.

On September 6, India crossed the international border on the western front. On September 6, the Indian Armys 15th Infantry Division, commanded by World War II veteran Major General Niranjan Prasad, fought off a significant Pakistani counterattack close to the west bank of the Icchogil Canal, which served as a de facto border between the two countries. The General was forced to leave his car after his group was ambushed.

The Ichhogil Canal was attempted to be crossed a second time, successfully, via the bridge at the village of Burki, located immediately east of Lahore. These changes put Lahore International Airport within striking distance of the Indian Army. As a result, the US asked for a brief halt in hostilities so it could evacuate its citizens from Lahore.

The 2nd Independent Armoured Brigades three tank regiments assisted the 1st Infantry Division in the assault on Lahore as they swiftly crossed the border and arrived at the Ichhogil Canal by September 6. The Pakistan Army prevented the Indians from moving any further towards Lahore by holding the bridges over the canal or blowing up the ones it could not hold.

The town of Batapore (Jallo Mur to Pakistan) on the west bank of the canal was taken by one unit of the Indian Jat Regiment, 3 Jat, who had also crossed the Icchogil canal. The Indian 15th Division was forced to retreat to its starting point on the same day by a counteroffensive comprised of an armoured division and an infantry division supported by Pakistan Air Force Sabres. Despite the fact that 3 Jat only sustained a small amount of casualtiesthe most of the damage was sustained by ammunition and storage vehiclesthe higher commanders were unaware of 3 Jats seizure of Batapore, and false information caused them to give Ghosal-Dial the order to evacuate from Batapore and Dograi.

Lt-Col Desmond Hayde, the CO of 3 Jat, was deeply disappointed by this decision. In the Battle of Dograi, which took place on September 21, 3 Jat eventually succeeded in retaking Dograi for the second time, but only after a considerably tougher battle caused by Pakistani reinforcements.

On September 8, 1965, a company of the 5 Maratha Light Infantry was dispatched to Munabao, a vital hamlet some 250 km from Jodhpur, to reinforce a position of the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC). Their instructions were clear. must maintain control of the position and prevent Pakistans infantry units from taking it over. However, at Maratha Hill (in Munabao), the posts new name, the Indian company barely managed to repel the strong bombardment for a full day.

An order to reinforce the RAC post at Munabao with a company of 3 Guards and a 954 heavy mortar battery was never carried out. The entire region had been strafed by the Pakistani Air Force, which also attacked a train arriving from Barmer carrying reinforcements close to the Gadra Road Railway Station. Munabao was taken over by Pakistan on September 10; attempts to retake the important location were unsuccessful.

The best formations from both countries were defeated in unfair combat in the days that followed September 9. The pride of the Indian Army 1st Armoured Division of India began an onslaught against Sialkot. The division split into two prongs and was forced to retreat at Chawinda by the Pakistani 6th Armoured Division after incurring significant losses of around 100 soldiers.

Operation Windup, which the Pakistanis launched after their win, caused the Indians to retreat farther. Similar to this, Pakistans 1st Armoured Division launched an onslaught against Khem Karan in an effort to seize Amritsar and the bridge across the River Beas leading to Jalandhar.

Though it was never able to advance past Khem Karan, the Pakistani 1st Armoured Division was reduced to pieces by the Indian 4th Mountain Divisions defences at what is now known as the Battle of Asal Uttar (literally, Real Answer, or more appropriately, Fitting Response). Due to the abundance of Patton tanks produced in Pakistan but imported from the US, the neighbourhood came to be known as Patton Nagar. Only 32 Indian tanks were left, whereas about 97 Pakistani tanks were destroyed or abandoned.

On September 8, the Rajasthan Front saw the start of hostilities. The Hur militia (followers of Pir Pagaro) and the Pakistan Desert Force were first assigned a defensive mission, which it turned out they were well suited for. The Hurs had several necessary desert survival skills that neither their adversaries nor their fellow soldiers in the Pakistan Army lacked, as they were accustomed with the environment and the surrounding area. As the Indian armies reached Sindh, the Hur, who fought mostly as light infantry, heavily damaged them. The Hurs were also used as skirmishers to disturb the Indian LOC; they frequently carried out this duty on camels. The Hurs and the Desert Force were increasingly deployed as the campaign progressed to attack and capture Indian villages across the border inside Rajasthan.

With both countries controlling territory of the other, the conflict was on the verge of ending in a draw. On the battlefield, the Indian army lost 3,000 soldiers while Pakistan lost 3,800. 1,920 km2 (740 sq mi) of Pakistani land was held by the Indian army, and 550 km2 (210 sq mi) by the Pakistani army. Indias territory was predominantly occupied in the agricultural Sialkot, Lahore, and Kashmir sectors, while Pakistans ground gains were mainly made in the deserts to Sindhs west and in the Chumb region of Jammu.

1971 war

Operation Chengiz Khan, a preemptive aircraft attack on 11 Indian air bases carried out by the Pakistan air force, signalled the start of the official de-jure war. The attacks caused only minimal damage and temporarily halted counter-air operations. Following the attacks, India declared war on Pakistan, joining the conflict for the independence of East Pakistan on the side of Bengali nationalist forces. Due to Indias involvement, there are now two fronts of the fight open: on the eastern and western sides.

On December 16, 1971, in Dhaka, the Eastern defence of Pakistan signed a joint instrument of surrender, the second-largest in recorded history after the German surrender in World War II. Thirteen days into the conflict, India had established complete superiority in East Pakistan and had enough superiority in West Pakistan. With the establishment of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh, the conflict came to an official end. The Indian Army captured about 93,000 Pakistani service members, including 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed members of the Pakistan Armed Forces and some Bengali soldiers who had stayed devoted to Pakistan. The remaining 10,32412,500 detainees were civilians, either military personnels relatives or collaborators (Razakars).

An estimated 300,000 to 3,000,000 Bangladeshi citizens were slain by Pakistani military personnel and militias that supported Pakistan. An additional eight to ten million people fled the nation because of the turmoil and sought safety in India.

Between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women and children were raped in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape by Pakistani military personnel and allied pro-Pakistani Islamist militias known as the Razakars during the 1971 Bangladesh struggle for independence.

Kargil War

In the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir as well as other locations along the Line of Control (LoC), India and Pakistan engaged in a battle known as the Kargil War from May to July 1999.

action Vijay, the codename for the Indian military action in the area, is another term for the fighting in India.

In what was known as Operation Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army worked together to drive the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from abandoned Indian positions along the LoC.

The LoC, which acts as the de facto border between the two nations in the contentious area of Kashmir, was breached by Pakistani troops disguising themselves as Kashmiri militants and moving into critical positions on the Indian side.

Pakistan first attributed the combat to only independent insurgents in Kashmir, however records left behind by fatalities and later declarations by the Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan revealed the involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces under the command of General Ashraf Rashid.

Following the recapture of the majority of the posts on the Indian side of the LoC by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, Pakistani forces withdrew from the remaining Indian positions along the LoC in response to international diplomatic pressure.

The most recent instance of high-altitude fighting in mountainous terrain is the Kargil War, which presented enormous logistical challenges for the opposing parties. Along with the Sino-Soviet border dispute, it is also one of just two instances of conventional combat between nuclear-armed governments. Pakistan, which had been secretly building up its nuclear capacity since about the same time as India, carried out its first successful test in 1998, only two weeks after a second series of successful tests by India. Pakistan had carried out its first successful test in 1974.
Indias independence from British rule  or rather misrule  was achieved through perhaps the most iconic political movement in history.

In fact, the freedom struggle of India was not a single movement, but rather, a series of long and bitterly fought movements over a period spanning around two centuries.

Let us have a look at some of the mass movements that won us our precious freedom

Chuar rebellion

The Chuar insurrection, often referred to as the Jungle Mahal movement, was a series of peasant uprisings against the East India Company (EIC) between 1766 and 1816 by the tribal residents of the land surrounding the Jungle Mahal settlements in Midnapore, Bankura, and Birbhum. In the Chotanagpur regions of the Bengal Presidency (now West Bengal and Jharkhand), this was the first uprising against the East India Company (EIC).

Sannyasi rebellion

The Sannyasi insurrection, also known as the monk rebellion, occurred in Bengal, India, in the latter half of the 18th century. It was led by Pandit Bhabani Charan Pathak and involved Hindu sannyasis and sadhus in the area of the Murshidabad and Baikunthapur woods of Jalpaiguri. Since the British East India Company had been granted the authority to collect taxes following the Battle of Buxar in 1764, some historians classify it as an early conflict for Indias independence from foreign rule. However, other historians classify it as violent banditry in the wake of the Bengal famine of 1770, which resulted in the depopulation of the province.

Vellore mutiny

The Vellore Mutiny, which took place on July 10, 1806, was the first time that Indian sepoys violently rebelled against the East India Company on a wide scale, occurring fifty years before the Indian Rebellion of 1857. During the one-day long uprising in the Indian city of Vellore, mutineers gained control of the fort and murdered or injured 200 British soldiers. Arcots cavalry and artillery put an end to the revolt. Total mutineer fatalities were around 350; during the outbreaks suppression, there were about 100 summary executions, followed by a smaller number of regular court-martials.

Santhal rebellion

The Santhal revolt was an uprising by the Santhal people in modern-day Jharkhand and West Bengal, Eastern India, against the British East India Company and the zamindari system. The East India Company declared martial law on November 10, 1855, which lasted until January 3, 1856, when it was suspended and the revolt was finally put down by the Presidency soldiers. It began on June 30, 1855. The four brothers who made up the insurrection were Sidhu, Kanhu, Chand, and Bhairav.

Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu, two Santal rebel leaders, gathered about 60,000 Santhals on June 30, 1855, and announced a revolt against the East India Company. For the duration of the uprising, Sidhu Murmu had amassed roughly ten thousand Santhals to rule a rival government.

After the announcement, the Santhals quickly armed themselves. The Zamindars, money lenders, and their agents were put to death in numerous communities. The management of the Company was unprepared for the open rebellion. A small group was initially dispatched to put down the rebellion, but when they were unsuccessful, the spirit of the uprising was further stoked. The Company management finally made a significant move when the law and order situation became out of control and sent in a sizable number of troops with assistance from the local zamindars and the nawab of Murshidabad to put an end to the rebellion. Sidhu and his brother Kanhu Murmu were the targets of a Rs. 10,000 prize offered by the East India Company.

Following this, there were other clashes, which led to numerous Santhal force casualties. The gunpowder weaponry used by the East India Company forces proved to be too advanced for the Santhals rudimentary weapons. The 40th Native Infantry, the 7th Native Infantry Regiment, and other troop detachments were ordered into battle. From July 1855 to January 1856, there were significant skirmishes in locations including Kahalgaon, Suri, Raghunathpur, and Munkatora.

Following the combat deaths of Sidhu and Kanhu, the uprising was eventually put down. During the uprising, the Nawab of Murshidabad provided war elephants that were used to destroy Santhal homes. In this incident, more than 15,000 people died, dozens of villages were devastated, and numerous people participated in the uprising.

Revolt of 1857

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a significant rebellion against the British East India Companys control in India between 1857 and 1858. In the garrison town of Meerut, 64 km northeast of Delhi, sepoys of the Companys army staged a mutiny on May 10, 1857, signalling the start of the uprising. After then, there were other mutinies and civil uprisings, primarily in central India and the upper Gangetic plain, though there were also instances of uprising further north and east.

Only the rebels loss in Gwalior on June 20, 1858, was able to put an end to the uprising, which constituted a military threat to British dominance in that area. The British declared the hostilities to have officially ended on July 8, 1859, but they had already offered amnesty to those rebels who had not committed murder on November 1 of that year. The First War of Independence, the Great Rebellion, the Revolt of 1857, the Sepoy Mutiny, the Indian Mutiny, and other names have all been used to refer to it.

Indigo revolt

The Indigo Revolt, which began in Bengal in 1859 and lasted for nearly a year, was a peasant movement and eventual insurrection of indigo farmers against the indigo planters. The busiest and most numerous organisations in charge of the peasants were the village headmen and substantial ryots. The gomashta or diwan of the Indigo factory, who were occasionally dissatisfied former workers of European planters, took the initiative to organise the peasants against the Indigo planters.

It became one of the most extraordinary peasant revolutions in Indian history when thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to cultivate indigo for the European planters in the summer of 1859. The insurrection, which started in the Nadia area and extended to other districts of Bengal in the 1860s, resulted in numerous violent attacks against indigo factories and landowners. After the Indigo commission was established in 1860 and proposed reforms to the system, which was by its very nature exploitative, the uprising came to an end.

Revolutionary movement

The violent underground revolutionary factions acts were a part of the Indian independence movement, which also included the revolutionary movement. This group includes those who support military revolution against the British monarchy, as opposed to Mahatma Gandhis largely nonviolent civil disobedience movement.

Bengal, Bombay, Bihar, the United Provinces, and Punjab were the main hubs for the revolutionary parties.

Non-cooperation movement

Mahatma Gandhi started the non-cooperation movement on September 4, 1920, in an effort to convince Indians to refuse to cooperate with the British government in exchange for self-governance.

The Rowlatt Act of 18 March 1919, which suspended the rights of political prisoners in sedition trials and was viewed as a political awakening by Indians and as a threat by the British, caused the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 13 April 1919 as a result of the Indian National Congress (INC) withdrawing its support for British reforms.

Salt Satyagraha

Mahatma Gandhi led the nonviolent civil disobedience known as the Salt March, sometimes referred to as the Salt Satyagraha, the Dandi March, and the Dandi Satyagraha, in colonial India. The 24-day march, which served as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and peaceful protest against the British salt monopoly, took place from March 12 to April 5, 1930. The Civil Disobedience Movement need a powerful inauguration to encourage more people to follow Gandhis example, which was another motivation for this march.

Quit India Movement

In an effort to abolish British control in India, Mahatma Gandhi started the Bharat Chhodo Andolan, popularly known as the Quit India Movement, during the All India Congress Committee meeting in Bombay on August 9, 1942, during World War II.

Gandhis Quit India movement, which he announced in Bombay on August 9, 1942, at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, was a call to Do or Die after the British failed to win Indian support for the British war effort with Cripps Mission. The movement was described as by far the most serious rebellion since 1857 by Viceroy Linlithgow.

Royal Indian Navy Mutiny

The 1946 Naval Uprising, also known as the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny, was an uprising by Indian sailors, soldiers, police officers, and civilians against the British administration in India. From the original flashpoint in Bombay (now Mumbai), the insurrection grew and garnered support throughout British India, from Karachi to Calcutta (currently Kolkata), eventually involving more than 20,000 sailors in 78 ships and shore facilities.

The mutiny came to an end when the rebellious RIN sailors turned themselves in to British authorities. The Muslim League and the Indian National Congress persuaded Indian sailors to surrender and denounced the mutiny after comprehending the political and military repercussions of such disturbance on the eve of independence. The leaders of the Congress believed that if an armed revolution occurred and had unfavourable effects, their notion of a peaceful conclusion to a freedom struggle and orderly transfer of power would have been lost. The only national political party that supported the uprising was the Communist Party of India.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, Thane, witnessed the unfortunate death of 18 patients in last 24 hours, as confirmed by civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar on Sunday.

Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday.

Additionally, there is one patient from another location and one unidentified patient. Notably, twelve of those who passed away were aged 50 or above, as informed by Bangar.

Twelve of the deceased were above the age of 50, Bangar added.

Earlier, state health minister Tanaji Sawant and local Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde had put the number of deaths at 17.

Addressing a news conference, Bangar said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had taken feedback about the situation and had ordered the setting up of an independent probe committee that will be headed by the commissioner of health services and will include collector, civic chief, director of health services, interventionist at state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai and civic surgeon.

It will carry out probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths, he added.

These patients had complications of kidney stone, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicemia etc, he said.

The line of treatment will be probed and statements of kin of the deceased etc will be recorded. Allegations of negligence levelled by some kin is a serious matter, which the probe committee will look into, Bangar said.

The entire COVID staff of 500 has been shifted to this hospital and additional nursing staff has been appointed. We are also aiming to have round the clock post mortem facility here, he told reporters.

Earlier in the day, state health minister Sawant said the dean of the hospital had been asked to submit a report in two days.

A Thane Municipal Corporation official said the deaths were being analysed and several civic officials are at the heavily-patronised facility for inspection of records etc.

Speaking to PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde said, We have information of 17 deaths in the last 24 hours. We have been told the usual figure per day is six to seven.

The hospital management told us some of the patients arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. Some were elderly. We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to these high number of deaths, the DCP informed.

Speaking on the issue, Sawant said, Of these 17, a total of 13 were in the ICU. A few days ago, five patients had died in the hospital. The state government has asked the dean to submit a report in two days.

Action will be taken as per the report of the dean. This hospital comes under the state medical education and research department. Its minister Hasan Mushrif has reached the hospital and he is looking into the matter, Sawant told reporters in Pune.

Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan said 16 deaths in a a single day in a hospital with a capacity of 500 was a matter of concern.

NCP leader and MLA from the region Jitendra Awhad said the hospital was mismanaged and asked the administration to set things right before it was too late.

State minister Aditi Tatkare, who visited the hospital, called the deaths unfortunate and said the Maharashtra government will take all efforts to ensure such an incident is not repeated.

Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhakse, who is also spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the hospital was over loaded and was treating 650 patients per day against a capacity of 500.

The civil hospital in the area is being renovated so the load falls on this facility in Kalwa, Mhaske claimed.

Hospital sources, meanwhile, said some doctors were down with dengue which was also affecting the running of the facility.

Local MNS leader Avinash Jadhav sought proactive measures to improve the efficiency of the hospital.

With inputs from PTI
High-ranking candidates in the field of postgraduate medical studies are displaying an increasing inclination towards general medicine and radio-diagnosis as their specialisations.

This years statistics reveal that within the initial all-India allocation list for MD/MS admissions, an impressive 53 out of the top 100 candidates have opted for general medicine, closely followed by 35 candidates who have chosen radio-diagnosis.

As per reports, when compared these figures to last years, a rise from 47 to 53 candidates for general medicine and from 32 to 35 candidates for radio-diagnosis was observed.

The remaining few have made selections in areas like dermatology, gynaecology, and surgery.

However, general surgery, which was once a sought-after field, has experienced a notable decline in popularity, garnering only four aspirants within the top 100 list.

These trends come as no surprise to many in the medical community. General medicine serves as a stepping stone for further specialization in high-demand super-specialty domains such as cardiology, nephrology, and gastroenterology.

These sub-specialties promise early career stability for doctors and demand a relatively lower investment compared to surgery, which entails more years of training, greater commitment, and substantial financial input for independent practice.

Notably, just three years ago, pediatrics held appeal for five aspirants within the top 100, whereas this year it has garnered none.

Examining the initial list from the Counselling Committee, it becomes evident that numerous candidates favor institutions in Delhi over those in other states.

These Delhi-based institutions offer advantages like exemption from bond requirements, cost-effectiveness, and higher resident salaries, according to medical professionals.

Dr. Avinash Supe, a former dean of KEM Hospital, was quoted in a report highlighting the prolonged popularity of radio-diagnosis.

He noted, Presently, students are leaning towards general medicine streams that open doors to early financial stability through medical super-specializations, as opposed to surgical fields. Surgery demands more time, effort, and physicians typically achieve stability in their mid-30s to 40s, unlike their counterparts in other specializations.

Dr. Supe added that surgery also necessitates substantial financial investment for those pursuing independent practice. Students are now making more informed choices by seeking guidance from senior colleagues and mentors.

However, the surge in preferences towards general medicine and radio diagnosis among top rankers does not indicate a scarcity of candidates pursuing surgery at the postgraduate level.

Dr. Aviral Mathur, President of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India, clarified, While the highest-ranking candidates are opting for general medicine and radio diagnosis, the choices tend to balance out in the middle range.

Dr. Mathur further explained that the significance of a surgery degree alone has diminished, and now its almost equivalent to a standard MBBS without a super-specialization, which is characterized by limited seats and intense competition. The additional competitive examination required for specialization deters many candidates.
Under the Har Ghar Tiranga initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Indians on Sunday to change their DP on social media accounts to the national flag.

PM Modi invited the nation to rally behind him in order to strengthen the relationship between the country and its people. The objective behind the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign is to instil patriotism in the hearts of Indians and raise awareness about the Indian National Flag.

Previously, PM Modi stated that the Indian flag represented the spirit of independence and national unity. He also encouraged Indians to post their photos on the Har Ghar Tiranga website.

In a tweet, PM Modi said In the spirit of the Har Ghar Tiranga movement, let us change the DP of our social media accounts and extend support to this unique effort which will deepen the bond between our beloved country and us.

In the spirit of the #HarGharTiranga movement, let us change the DP of our social media accounts and extend support to this unique effort which will deepen the bond between our beloved country and us.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 13, 2023

PM Narendra Modi's DP on social media has also been changed to the National Flag.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' effort as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to encourage citizens to carry the Tiranga to their homes and hoist it to commemorate India's 75th year of independence.
Two students were arrested on Sunday in connection to the alleged suicide of a fellow student following a ragging incident at Jadhavpur University in West Bengal.

The suspects are believed to have participated in the bullying of the deceased individual. Prior to this, law enforcement had taken into custody a former student of the university who was unlawfully residing within the hostel premises.

On August 9, an 18-year-old student from Jadavpur University in Kolkata tragically lost his life after falling from the second storey of the hostel building.

Family members of the deceased, Swapandeep Kundu, asserted that certain occupants of the hostel bore responsibility for the fatal incident.

The police detained a former student on August 11, subjecting him to overnight questioning. He disclosed information about the two other students who have been apprehended today.

Residing in the same hostel as Swapandeep, Deepshekhar Dutta, a second-year economics student, and Manotosh Ghosh, a second-year sociology student, were present during the unfortunate incident. Both of them are currently under police custody.

The police have declared that both students will be presented before the court today. Subsequent to this, they will undergo interrogation, aiming to identify any additional individuals involved in the case.

Fellow hostel residents shared their accounts after the occurrence. They stated, During the night of August 9, we heard a loud noise resembling an object falling from the rooftop. Upon investigation, we discovered Swapandeep lying on the ground, covered in blood. We swiftly transported him to KPC Medical College for medical intervention, where he passed away during treatment at 4:30 am.

The police reported that the student had been unclothed at the time of the fall, with visible injury marks on his body.

The deceased students family alleged him of being subjected to bullying. They recounted, He called us on Wednesday, expressing his contentment after attending his initial class at the college. However, after relocating to the hostel, he appeared apprehensive. He implored us to bring him back home. Consequently, we had intended to visit the university on August 10, but tragically, Swapandeep passed away prior to that.
In a fresh incident targeting Hindu places of worship abroad, supporters of the Khalistan referendum in Canada have once again attacked a Hindu temple.

This latest act of vandalism occurred in Surrey, near the border between Canada and the United States. The Khalistani activists, this time put up posters at the temples entrance, in an attempt to instill fear within the Hindu community, living in Canada.

A video capturing the distressing act of vandalism at the temple is being widely shared across social media platforms.

The footage shows two masked individuals affixing posters onto the temples entrance. These posters detail the Khalistanis plans to conduct a referendum aimed at investigating Indias purported involvement in the assassination of Hardeep Nijjar.

The poster features an image of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, portraying him as a martyr.

The posters call for a referendum regarding the Hardeep Nijjar assassination, along with an inquiry into Indias alleged role in the terrorists death.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani activist, was fatally shot on June 18th, 2023, in Surrey, Canada.

This incident occurred just four days after another Khalistani activist, Avtar Khanda, passed away under mysterious circumstances in a UK hospital.

The Indian government had previously labeled both Nijjar and Khanda as terrorists. A list of 41 individuals recognized as terrorists was published by the Indian government, and both Nijjar and Khanda were included in that list. Together, they were involved in orchestrating protests outside Indian high commissions and financing terrorist attacks in India.

Nijjar, who hailed from the Jalandhar district of Punjab, was associated with Sikhs for Justice, an organization advocating for Khalistan. He had been residing in Canada for several years.
History plays an important role in shaping the destiny of a nation. Any civilization, if it has to move forward and evolve, it has to look deep into its past, feel pride in all the historic achievements, learn from past mistakes and build on past strengths. This becomes the necessary foundation for the future evolution of its people. And for some reason, if this does not happen, then that civilization loses its heritage, its roots and starts to follow anything that is offered to them, almost blindly. Then, the deep learning from the collective wisdom of hundreds and thousands of years of evolution is wasted.

Something similar happened to our great civilization when foreign invaders started getting attracted by our material wealth. At one level they were keen to come and trade with us, but at the same time, they were also jealous of our spiritual wisdom and wealth. Some of them came with a view to rule us and settle in Bharat, but many came to plunder and destroy our civilization values. Amongst them, maximum loot and plunder was done by British Raj. They did not want to enslave us physically alone but mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well. But Bharat Bhoomi is always blessed, as this is the land of Dharma and of Rishis. British Raj did much damage but could not enslave the spirit of Bharat. Bhavani Bharati took a hit but we did not lose the accumulated wisdom of our past.

And we are rising, but we cannot take our independence for granted. If we do not understand our own heritage, and our civilizational values, if we do not work towards protecting and nurturing it then that will be a great loss and a big mistake on our part. Then the celebration of Independence Day will just be a ritual of blowing our own trumpet cyclically every year, without any resolve to transform and transcend.

Thousands of years ago, our great Rishis of Bharat built an extremely strong civilization, which was rooted in the highest Dharma, we can call it spiritual wisdom as well. From this Dharma came all the great discoveries and inventions. This civilization pioneered the work in subjects ranging from Astronomy to Aircraft, Arthashastra to Ayurved, Maths to Metallurgy, Silk to Surgery and Physical to Meta-physical. The list of all these scientific, social and spiritual inventions is endless. Actually, the architects of our great civilization did not leave any field of study untouched which could contribute to human well-being in some way or the other. And that is the reason, Bharat gained the title of Sone Ki Chidiya. These scientific discoveries which were rooted in Dharma, made us a nation of abundance not only in terms of material wealth but also in spiritual wealth.

Since the last thousands of years, Bharats brand identity has remained the same, a country of spiritual wisdom. From across the globe, people still come to Bharat in search of peace and spiritual wisdom.

But it is unfortunate that we the inheritors of these great knowledge systems are forgetting it and are ignoring our own Dharma and civilizational heritage. Though we gained political independence 75 years ago, but in many senses, we are still trapped and slaves of Western mindset. Here are a few examples from our daily life to support this:

We still say hello on phone, rather than our traditional way of greeting namaste or whatever else we say in our respective local languages

We promote hand-shaking instead of the gesture of namaste which is known to stimulate the Vagus nerve that controls a majority of our body functions. So, this gesture of namaste is actually very good for our well-being as well

In our food plate, our traditional and very nutritious millets are replaced by Western concept of white flour or maida. Our traditional millets are known to have tremendous health benefits and are also much more ecologically better than our staple food of wheat and rice.

We are still taught that John Dalton (an English chemist and meteorologist) found atoms and created atomic theory in the 18 th century, he is considered the father of atomic theory, but the reality is our ancient Rishi Kanada had already developed the understanding of atoms about 3000 years ago.

There are numerous such scientific discoveries and great achievements that our Rishis did but modern education and all Google searches would invariably give credit to some Western scientists for these discoveries, and we believe that easily because we just cannot reach the heights that this great civilization had attained.

This Tuesday we are celebrating Independence Day, it is time we take charge of our own mindsets, our own narratives and do not allow any external/foreign influences to come in our way. This era belongs to Bharat, our Sone Ki Chidiya is flexing her wings once again and this time, she is strongly supported by the awakening spirit of Bhavani Bharati as well.

The writer is an ex-corporate CEO and a successful entrepreneur. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Bahrain-based Ithmaar Development Company (IDC) has announced the completion of work on the Nadeen School located at the Dilmunia Island in the kingdom.

Built on a land plot size of 17,462 sq m in the centre of Dilmunia, the U-shaped building boasts open spaces, wide corridors, and plenty of opportunities for natural sunlight to filter in through for healthier and a more sustainable learning environment.

The new state-of-the-art educational facility has been developed by IDC in a joint venture with Bahraini developer Naseej. Mohamed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB) acted as the project consultant, while Al Ghanah Group was the project contractor.

With a built-up area of 22,500 sq m, the award-winning Nadeed School campus is now ready to welcome its students for the new academic year 2023-24.

The school boasts, among other facilities, a semi-Olympic size indoor swimming pool, science laboratories, an impressively large library, a health centre, art halls, spacious canteen as well as an indoor physical education gymnasium.

It also features 'outdoor classrooms' for the cooler months to cultivate and improve learning and teaching techniques in the effort to enhance student learning. The building shape allowed the development of unique external play areas and facilities for students to enjoy.

The building was handed over to IDC in the presence of officials of MSCEB and Al Ghanah Group.

Speaking on the occasion, IDC Chairman Mohamed Khalil Alsayed said: "In partnership with our JV partners, we are proud to deliver on our vision to build a self-sustaining, balanced community in Dilmunia, with a school that caters to the needs of residents and citizens in and around Muharraq."

"The school in Dilmunia is one of IDCs projects that was planned some years earlier, and we are very excited about delivering this project today," stated Alsayed.

MSCEBs Managing Director Thamer Salahuddin underlined that the school was designed with unique features in line with the overall architectural theme of Dilmunia.

It has multiple classrooms and additional indoor shared spaces to provide a high-quality and healthy learning environment for students and teachers.

Alsayed said IDC has achieved a key milestone with the development of the Kingdom of Bahrains newest educational campus in record time in collaboration with all JV partners Naseej and Nadeen School, and its designer and main contractor.

The New Nadeen School is a modern educational campus that will mark a difference in educational facilities in the kingdom, he stated.

The soon to commence academic session in a state-of-the-art school campus in Dilmunia is a testament to the efforts of numerous stakeholders in making this vision a reality.

"As Dilmunias master developer, we are working on and look forward to other projects being unveiled in due course," he noted.

"Nadeen School won top recognition being named the Best Public Service Development in Bahrain and awarded the 5-star award at the Arabian Property Awards for 2022-2023. Furthermore, it won accolades by winning the best Public Service Development Project award at a global level at the International Property Awards 2022-2023 in London in February 2023," said Alsayed.

"These awards celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating across all sectors of the property and real estate industry and are a world-renowned mark of excellence," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A war monitor reported hearing violent explosions from pro-Iran militias missile arsenal east of Syrias capital Damascus before daybreak on Sunday.

Residents in Damascus heard the explosions, which came from the warehouses of pro-Iran militias in a hilly area east of the city, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which depends on a large network of informants within Syria.

We dont know if it was from an air strike or ground operation, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

During Syrias more than a decade-long civil conflict, Israel has undertaken hundreds of air attacks on Syrian soil, predominantly targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah combatants, as well as Syrian army sites.

During the night, the sounds of explosions were heard on the outskirts of Damascus, according to Syrias official news agency SANA.

Four Syrian troops and two Iran-backed militants were killed in pre-dawn Israeli air strikes near Damascus last Monday, according to the Observatory, in the latest fatal Israeli air attack on Syrias capital.

According to the monitor, the air attacks targeted Syrian regime soldiers as well as military installations and weapons stores utilised by armed factions sponsored by Tehran.

With Iranian as well as Russian support, the government of Syrias President Bashar al-Assad has clawed back much of the territory it had lost to rebels early in the conflict, which broke out in 2011 and has pulled in foreign powers and global jihadists.

Israel rarely comments on strikes it carries out on targets in Syria, but it has repeatedly said it would not allow its arch-foe Iran to expand its footprint there.

Syrias war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions.
The sad task of counting the dead in the aftermath of a catastrophic wildfire on the Hawaiian island of Maui came into stark focus Saturday, as teams sifted through the rubble, marking homes with a bright orange X to indicate they had looked for victims and HR when they discovered human remains.

The fire ravaged the centuries-old village of Lahaina on Mauis west coast, destroying hundreds of houses. The governor predicted that additional bodies would be discovered.

There are already 80 fatalities. Its going to rise, Gov. Josh Green remarked Saturday as he toured the devastation on historic Front Street. It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced.  We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding.

Those who survived were counting their blessings, grateful to be alive while mourning those who did not.

Geoff Bogar, a retired fire captain, and his 35-year buddy Franklin Trejos originally stayed behind to aid others in Lahaina and preserve Bogars house. But when the flames grew closer Tuesday afternoon, they knew they had to go. Each fled to his or her own automobile. When Bogars car wouldnt start, he smashed a window and crawled on the ground until a police patrol spotted him and took him to the hospital.

Trejos was not as fortunate. When Bogar arrived the next day, he discovered his 68-year-old friends bones in the back seat of his car, on top of the remains of the Bogars beloved 3-year-old golden retriever Sam, whom he had attempted to protect.

Trejos, a Costa Rican native, had lived with Bogar and his wife, Shannon Weber-Bogar, for years, assisting her with her seizures when her husband couldnt. He brought joy and laughter into their lives.

God took a really good man, Weber-Bogar said.

Bill Wyland, who lives on the island of Oahu but owns an art gallery on Lahainas historic Front Street, fled on his Harley Davidson, whipping the motorcycle onto empty sidewalks Tuesday to avoid traffic-jammed roads as embers burned the hair off the back of his neck.

Riding in winds he estimated to be at least 70 miles per hour (112 kilometres per hour), he passed a man on a bicycle who was madly pedalling for his life.

Its something youd see in a Twilight Zone, horror movie or something, Wyland said.

Wyland realized just how lucky he had been when he returned to downtown Lahaina on Thursday.

It was devastating to see all the burned-out cars. There was nothing that was standing, he said.

His gallery was destroyed, along with the works of 30 artists.

Emergency managers in Maui were searching for places to house people displaced from their homes. As many as 4,500 people are in need of shelter, county officials said on Facebook early Saturday, citing figures from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center.

Flyovers by the Civil Air Patrol found 1,692 structures destroyed  almost all of them residential. Nine boats sank in Lahaina Harbor, officials determined using sonar.

The wildfires are the states deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency system with sirens that are tested monthly.

Hawaii emergency management records do not indicate warning sirens sounded before people had to run for their lives. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the wildfires on Maui raced through parched brush covering the island.

The most serious blaze swept into Lahaina on Tuesday and destroyed nearly every building in the town of 13,000, leaving a grid of grey rubble wedged between the blue ocean and lush green slopes.

Front Street, the heart of the historic downtown and the economic hub of Maui, was nearly empty of life Saturday morning. An Associated Press journalist encountered one barefoot resident carrying a laptop and passport who asked where the nearest shelter was. Another, riding his bicycle, took stock of the damage at the harbour, where he said his boat caught fire and sank.

A fire engine and a few construction trucks were seen driving through the neighbourhood, but it remained eerily devoid of human and official government activity. Some residents have expressed frustration about the difficulty of accessing their homes because of road closures and police checkpoints.

Maui water officials warned Lahaina and Kula residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapour exposure.

The wildfire is already projected to be the second-costliest disaster in Hawaiis history, behind only Hurricane Iniki in 1992, according to disaster and risk modelling firm Karen Clark & Company. The fire is the deadliest in the U.S. since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise.

The danger on Maui was well known. Maui Countys hazard mitigation plan updated in 2020 identified Lahaina and other West Maui communities as having frequent wildfires and several buildings at risk. The report also noted West Maui had the islands second-highest rate of households without a vehicle and the highest rate of non-English speakers.

This may limit the populations ability to receive, understand and take expedient action during hazard events, the plan stated.

Mauis firefighting efforts may have been hampered by limited staff and equipment.

Bobby Lee, president of the Hawaii Firefighters Association, said there are a maximum of 65 county firefighters working at any given time with responsibility for three islands: Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Riley Curran said he fled his Front Street home after climbing up a neighbouring building to get a better look. He doubts county officials could have done more given the speed of the onrushing flames.

Its not that people didnt try to do anything, Curran said. The fire went from zero to 100.

Curran said he had seen horrendous wildfires growing up in California.

But, he added, Ive never seen one eat an entire town in four hours.
China threatened resolute and forceful measures on Sunday in response to Taiwan Vice President William Lais weekend visit to the United States, which it claimed it was carefully watching.

China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, an unnamed spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement published online.

Lai, a contender in Taiwans presidential elections next year, is officially making merely transit stops in the United States on his way to and from Paraguay, where he will attend President-elect Santiago Penas inauguration.

China claims Taiwan and has threatened to conquer the territory one day  by force if necessary  and has increased political and military pressure.

China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, is resolutely opposed to separatists seeking Taiwan independence entering the US under any name and for any reason, and firmly opposed to any form of official contact between the US government and the Taiwanese side, the spokesperson said.

China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and strongly condemns the US insistence on arranging William Lais transit to the US, the spokesperson added, labelling Lai a downright troublemaker.

Before boarding his flight on Saturday afternoon, Lai told reporters he planned to interact with leaders from various countries in the world and also meet delegations from like-minded countries during his trip to Paraguay.

I will let the international community know our many efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, Lai said.

Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson said on Sunday: The US and Taiwan, in collusion, allow William Lai to engage in political activities in the US under the pretext of a transit.

That seriously violates the One-China principle and seriously undermines Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who labels climate activism a religious cult, is having a time in the spotlight as his controversial speech heats up the US Republican primary battle.

While other candidates are taking aim at former President Donald Trump, Ramaswamy, 38, has surged to the head of the pack by putting himself firmly in the frontrunners slipstream.

I think Im best positioned to advance our America First agenda, take it even further than Trump did, but also unite the country in the process, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur recently told public broadcaster PBS.

Ramaswamy is behind Trump by a seemingly insurmountable margin, but he has spent millions of his own dollars to position himself best should the presumptive nominee fall by the wayside amid his mounting legal difficulties.

And the first-time candidate, a father of two small children, has received more votes than most of his more seasoned opponents.

Cultural cancer

A political novice by any measure, Ramaswamy started his campaign with no national profile but has shocked primary watchers by rising to third in the Republican primary field, five months ahead of the first vote in Iowa.

He is even snapping at the heels of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is lagging around 40 points behind Trump but until recently looked relatively secure in the runner-up spot.

On the ground, Ramaswamy has styled his politics on the agendas of the two men he hopes to usurp, making his stand against the woke ideology of the American left his signature policy issue.

We are in the middle of a national identity crisis, he says darkly, accusing the countrys elites of metastasizing a cultural cancer  particularly when it comes to LGBTQ issues.

His message has found an appreciative audience, and his book, Woke, Inc., in which he develops this thesis, is currently near the top of the New York Times list of bestselling nonfiction.

Burning coal

In an increasingly crowded field  17 candidates have declared so far  Ramaswamy has been able to grab attention and headlines with a policy program that might be dismissed as too radical were his polling numbers lower.

The vegetarian pianist wants to raise the voting age to 25 and lay off 90 percent of the staff at the US central bank and the Department of Justice.

And his ready-made solution for reviving growth in the United States? Burning coal unapologetically.

Still, he faces a steep uphill fight.

Like all the other candidates, Ramaswamys only chance is if Trump collapses, political scientist Kyle Kondik told AFP.

It is not unusual for Republican presidential candidates to pull their punches when it comes to Trump, who has always managed to retain the loyalty of at least a third of the party regardless of the prevailing political winds.

But Ramaswamy has bumped the deference up a level, turning up at the courthouses in Miami and the capital Washington where Trump was appearing with pledges to pardon the 77-year-old ex-president and demands that his rivals follow suit.

We fought a revolution in this country, in 1776, for a simple idea that we the people determine how we select our leaders and have a government that is accountable to its people, rather than the other way around, he said in a video filmed this month outside Washingtons federal court complex.

Trump, who is more accustomed to trampling his opponents underfoot, was quick to notice and showed his appreciation.

Hes doing well, the Republican billionaire said recently of his young rival.

Libertarian rap

Born in working-class Ohio, Ramaswamy is the son of Hindu immigrants from India.

Educated in Catholic schools, he studied biology at the prestigious Harvard University, where he honed his rhetorical skills in debates and by performing libertarian rap music as his alter ego, Da Vek.

If you think that debater-extraordinaire Vivek G. Ramaswamy 07 is intense, you obviously havent met Da Vek,' his university newspaper enthused in a humorous profile.

Showing that hes lost none of his skills, the energetic candidate appears in a recent video on social media rapping at an event in Iowa to the Eminem song Lose Yourself.

After a spell at Yale, Ramaswamy founded the biotech company Roivant, amassing a personal fortune of over $600 million, according to Forbes magazine.

He left the companys board of directors in February to devote time to his campaign, which is largely self-financed.

This isnt just a political campaign, he has said. This is a cultural movement to build a new American Dream for the next generation.
Former US President Barack Obamas private thoughts about his sexuality have come to light in a recently revealed letter from 1982.

The letter, penned when Obama was 21 years old, was sent to his ex-girlfriend Alex McNear, with whom he had a relationship during his time at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

In the letter, Obama delved into a discussion about homosexuality and disclosed that he had vivid fantasies involving intimate moments with men.

He referred to these fantasies as a means of detachment from reality, a way to escape the repetitive dramas of everyday life. He described how he mentally engaged in these scenarios but emphasized that they were purely a product of his imagination.

The letter, now more than four decades old, resurfaced during an extensive interview conducted by biographer David Garrow.

In this letter, Obama also explored the concept of an androgynous mindset, expressing his desire to perceive people as a whole, rather than categorizing them based on gender.

While the letter contained confessions of same-sex fantasies, Obama also affirmed his acceptance of his male identity and his choice to live as such.

He acknowledged the physical reality of his gender while also contemplating the complexities of his thoughts.

Though portions of the letter had been redacted by McNear in the past, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Garrow managed to uncover and incorporate these concealed sections in his biography titled Rising Star.

The letter is currently held at Emory University, where photography or removal is not permitted.

Harvey Klehr, a friend of Garrow, manually transcribed the previously hidden sections and shared them with the author, which were then published by The Post.

Today, Barack Obama is a father of two and has been married to Michelle since 1992. Although he initially expressed opposition to homosexual marriage, his stance evolved during his time in the White House, leading to his support for the federal legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015.

Responding to the revelation of the letters contents, Garrow noted that its not unusual for individuals to have various sexual fantasies during their younger years. He pointed out that a significant majority of people experience such thoughts.

Garrow, who previously uncovered Obamas alleged homosexual thoughts, recently likened the former president to President Trump in terms of insecurity and described him as lacking the motivation to serve on the Supreme Court. Garrows insights were shared in an extensive interview with Tablet.

Garrows biography Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama previously exposed how a young Obama contemplated a same-sex relationship while in college and also had an affair with his ex-girlfriend during their first year of dating. The biography also highlighted an unpublished manuscript in which Obama referred to America as a racist society during his Harvard Law School days.

In this interview, Garrow elaborated on these revelations while shedding light on various aspects of Obamas character and motivations. He emphasized Obamas perceived lack of interest in building the Democratic Party as an institution and described his policy commitments as more about achieving personal triumph than deep policy convictions. Garrow drew parallels between Obamas and Trumps insecurities, suggesting that Obamas insecurities might not be as apparent to the public.
Members of Israels Arab minority believe they will face the brunt of the hard-right governments judicial makeover, but have mainly remained on the outside of the boiling discussion.

Israelis have marched weekly since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ruling coalition revealed the controversial reform package in January, termed the worst ever by Samira Kanaan Khalaylah, 57, of the northern Arab village of Majd al-Krum.

Arab or Palestinian Israeli residents, who make up around 20 per cent of the population, are already on the sidelines of Israeli culture and politics, according to Khalaylah, a school secretary.

Moves by the coalition, which includes far-right lawmakers with a track record of anti-Arab rhetoric, to limit judicial review of government decisions and undermine watchdogs will be very bad for us, she added.

Protesters in Israel have organised large-scale rallies against the governments legislative programme, which they see as a danger to democracy.

However, Arabs have been notably absent from these gatherings, which are frequently adorned with Israeli flags, which some find offensive.

They have planned their own rallies in support of equality.

The larger protest movement has been led by activists and army reservists who are mostly hesitant to promote messages about the Arab minority or Palestinians for fear of undermining their cause in the view of Israels Jewish majority.

In the northern city of Haifa, Arab demonstrators have rallied in relatively small numbers, carrying banners against the legal overhaul and demanding rights.

Yousef Jabareen, a lawyer and former lawmaker, told AFP the proposals might hand the government authoritarian powers which threaten Arab citizens and their elected representatives.

With limited oversight, the right wing will have broader powers, said Jabareen.

Settlement projects

The first key clause of the reform package passed through parliament on July 24, amending the reasonableness clause which was used by the Supreme Court to overturn government decisions deemed unconstitutional.

The court is set to hear petitions against the legal change in September.

Other proposals include handing the government a greater say in the appointment of judges and downgrading the status of legal advisers attached to ministries.

Netanyahus government which took office late last year has been set on expanding settlements in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, both seized in the Six-Day War of 1967.

The extreme right wants to get rid of the few objections presented by the Supreme Court against settlement projects, Jabareen said.

Leah Tsemel, a lawyer who has represented many Palestinians in Israeli courts, said multiple rulings have failed to protect minority rights even before the reasonableness amendment.

The Supreme Court has upheld the 2018 Nation State Law which enshrined Israels primary status as a state for Jews and downgraded Arabic as an official language.

The court has also signed off on handing east Jerusalem properties to settler organisations who hold deeds proving past Jewish ownership, prompting the eviction of Palestinian residents.

Tsemel noted the court had failed to recognise Palestinians ownership claims over properties in west Jerusalem.

The court has ruled in favour of the state or settlement associations, and ignored the reasonableness argument, she said.

Little hope lost

Studies by leading rights groups have concluded that Israels legal system and policies amount to apartheid, which Israel denies.

The Haifa-based Mossawa Center advocacy group has warned the judicial overhaul will only worsen the rights violations of the Arab minority and further the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Despite widespread reservations concerning Israels legal system, there had been hope in Palestinian society that the court will intervene in unreasonable government decisions, said Mossawas director, Jafar Farah.

He said the erosion of the courts powers will deepen institutional corruption, affecting both Arab and Jewish Israelis.

But the minority wields far less political power, with an independent Arab party only once being part of a coalition government, in 2021-22.

With parliament now in recess until October 15, Netanyahu has said the door remains open for talks with his detractors.

But after his allies pressed ahead with the July vote  which opposition lawmakers boycotted  protesters have vowed to stay on the streets as hopes for a compromise fade.
Crossing the Channel, its playing with our lives, Hajji Mahmud acknowledged.

Despite the perils, the Afghan migrant was eager to make the voyage, even after the deaths of at least six of his countrymen when their vessel drowned early Saturday.

15 tents were spread behind an embankment amid a pile of burning garbage in the impromptu camp at Loon-Plage on Frances north coast.

Mahmud stays there with a number of other Afghans, some of whom are quite young and yearning for a better life in the United Kingdom.

If we had a good life in Afghanistan, a good government, a good education system, he said.

He came into the European Union via Croatia. What he wants is for the French and English police to assist him in crossing the Channel without putting his life in danger.

But he knows hes not going to get it.

Well suffer until we manage to cross, he remarked.

The French and English coastguards reported two persons remained missing late Saturday after the boat carrying more than 60 passengers overturned.

Many of them on board, including him, were Afghans, with a few Sudanese individuals thrown in for good measure. Minors were among those on board.

We will try again

For Frances State Secretary for the Sea Herve Berville, it was a terrible human tragedy, adding to what is already a grim toll.

Five migrants died at sea and four went missing while trying to cross to Britain from France last year.

In November 2021, 27 migrants died when a boat capsized in the Channel.

But many migrants are still willing to risk the crossing. According to the authorities on the north coast of France, there are currently around a thousand people waiting to take their chance.

Bilal and Basir are two of them, camped out on an old canape installed under a tarpaulin sheet.

If their families knew about the latest sinking, they would never let them attempt the crossing, they said.

They had in fact meant to try to get across the previous night but they had missed the boat, they said. Nevertheless, they insisted they would try again.

My sister, my uncle, are in England, said Basir, aged 22.

My dream is to learn because we know English and we (would) like to learn in their universities, or college, said 20-year-old Bilal.

But 36-year-old Kurdish Iraqi exile Abu Mohamed admitted he was having second thoughts about risking the journey.

If I see that its very risky, Im going to try to stay in France, he told AFP.

There will be other tragedies

Some 30 kilometres away, at the French channel port of Calais, two 16-year-old Sudanese were among the survivors.

In France, its complicated for us, said one of them.

Theres racism, nobody wants us, we sleep in the street and nobody cares, we cant work.

They will keep trying to make the crossing to England, they told AFP, hopeful of reaching there safely and studying computing.

Saturdays deaths were a predictable and avoidable drama, says Pierre Roques who works at the LAuberge des Migrants (Migrants Inn)  an alliance of associations offering migrants support.

The United Kingdom is moving towards completely extreme solutions to stop the crossing, which will have no effect apart from increasingly endangering people, he added.

He cited Britains controversial plans to outlaw asylum claims by all arrivals via the Channel  transferring them instead to third countries, such as Rwanda  or the plan to house some migrants on barges off the coast, also fiercely by rights groups.

For the people he was working with, these policies added to their worries but did not stop them from risking the crossing.

There will be other tragedies, said Regis Holy, captain of a lifeboat that brought five of the survivors back to Calais.

The migrants who had given everything to get this far, would keep risking everything to make the crossing.

It will never stop, he warned.

The groups working with the migrants have repeatedly denounced the policy of the local authorities to regularly force the migrants from their makeshift camps, to keep them moving.

Jean-Claude Lenoir, who runs one such group, Salam, said 12 vans of riot police had dismantled at least four camps around Calais on Saturday.

Given what had happened, he argued, they might have spared them that  especially since in his opinion those operations were pointless.

The migrants go back to their places as soon as the police have left, he noted.
Polands ruling party plans to hold a referendum to ask voters whether they support accepting thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa as part of a European Union relocation plan, Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on Sunday, as his conservative party seeks to retain power in an October parliamentary election.

Mateusz Morawiecki unveiled the referendum issue in a new social media video. It suggested that his Law and Justice party is planning to emphasise migration in its election campaign, a strategy that helped it win power in 2015.

Poland is sheltering over a million Ukrainian refugees, the majority of whom are white and Christian, but leaders have long stated that Muslims and people of other cultures pose a threat to the countrys cultural identity and security.

In June, EU interior ministers approved a proposal to share responsibility for undocumented migrants entering Europe, the source of one of the blocs longest-running political problems.

The Polish government wants to hold the referendum alongside the parliamentary election, scheduled for 15 October. Morawiecki said that the question would say: Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by the European bureaucracy?

The video announcing the question includes scenes of burning cars and other street violence in Western Europe. A Black man licks a huge knife in apparent anticipation of committing a crime. Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski then says: Do you want this to happen in Poland as well? Do you want to cease being masters of your own country?

In recent days, leaders have introduced two more questions. The first will question voters their thoughts on privatising state-owned firms, while the second will ask if they favour hiking the retirement age, which Law and Justice reduced to 60 for women and 65 for men.

The questions are designed to portray the opposing party, Civic Platform, as a danger to Poles interests. The pro-business and pro-EU party that ruled from 2007 to 2015 increased the retirement age, supported partial privatisation, and indicated a readiness to welcome a few thousand migrants before losing office.

The video takes aim directly at Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council. Tusk is the greatest threat to our security, he is the greatest threat to Polands security, Morawiecki says. Lets not let Tusk  as an envoy of the Brussels elites  demolish security in Poland.

Europes asylum system collapsed eight years ago after well over a million people entered the bloc  most of them fleeing conflict in Syria  and overwhelmed reception capacities in Greece and Italy, in the process sparking one of the EUs biggest political crises.

The 27 EU nations have bickered ever since over which countries should take responsibility for people arriving without authorization, and whether other members should be obliged to help them cope.

Initially Poland was neither an entry country nor a destination country for migrants and refugees. It became a front-line state two years ago when migrants began crossing from Belarus, something European authorities view as an effort by the Russian ally to generate turmoil in Poland and other European countries.

Poland responded by building a large wall on its border. It has recently increased its military presence on the border fearing an uptick in migration and other possible instability.

As well as disagreements over migration, Law and Justice has long been in conflict with the EU over a perception by the bloc that the Warsaw government has been eroding democratic norms.
UK PM Rishi Sunak faces fury over crackdown on gender-neutral toilets

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing strong criticism following the governments decision to tighten regulations concerning gender-neutral public toilets.

The new directive mandates that all upcoming constructions must include separate facilities for each gender.

Sunak, as the leader of the country, has made it clear that he is ready to challenge transgender advocacy groups on this matter, diving into the ongoing controversies around restroom facilities that have been dubbed as the culture war.

Kemi Badenoch, the Minister for Equalities, emphasized that the prevalence of gender-neutral toilets has eroded the essential entitlement of women and girls to maintain their privacy, dignity, and safety.

Advocates for transgender rights have put forward the argument that gender-neutral toilets can play a crucial role in combating discrimination, particularly since transgender individuals can encounter difficulties when using toilets designated for males or females.

However, the Sunak administration contends that the practice of sharing communal stalls and washing areas has raised concerns regarding dignity and privacy, particularly among women who feel they are at a disadvantage.

In an effort to curb the proliferation of gender-neutral facilities, the government is expediting changes to regulations. As per the new rules, all new non-residential constructions will be required to incorporate separate toilets for men and women.

The government suggests that self-contained, private unisex toilets be provided in new buildings, provided there is sufficient space, but not at the expense of single-gender toilets.

Badenoch emphasized, It is of utmost importance that everyone can access public amenities while preserving their privacy and dignity. However, the move towards gender-neutral toilets has compromised this fundamental right for women and girls.

She assured that the government would release guidelines to implement these changes with the intention of safeguarding the dignity, privacy, and safety of all individuals.

In 2022, the Equality and Human Rights Commission concluded that organizations have the right to limit access to single-gender toilets and changing rooms for transgender people. However, these actions must be justifiable, with legitimate reasons including ensuring privacy or preventing emotional distress.

Critics have accused the government of exploiting this issue to sow divisions. Wes Streeting, Labours Shadow Health Secretary, stated in June that Mr. Sunak was capitalizing on the transgender debate to further a divisive wedge issue within a broader cultural conflict.

In a separate incident, the Prime Minister faced accusations of transphobia following the leak of a video in which he mocked Lib Dem leader Ed Davey for attempting to persuade people that women possess male anatomy. The Lib Dem leader criticized Sunak for treating transgender individuals as a source of humor. However, No 10 defended the remark, stating that it was targeted at Mr. Davey rather than a minority group.
This weekend, Ukrainian border guards installed a new sign on Snake Island, marking the early hours of Russias invasion when a comrade on the vital Black Sea rock refused to surrender to a cruiser.

The next border sign will be installed in our Ukrainian Crimea after its liberation by the defence forces of Ukraine, a uniformed man said, standing before a post painted blue and yellow like the countrys flag, in a video shared on Facebook late on Saturday by the head of the border service, Serhiy Deineko.

In the early hours of the 24 February 2022 attack, Russian officials on the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva radioed Ukrainian guards stationed there and told them to surrender or perish.

One of them said, Russian warship, go fuck yourself.

The phrase became a national catchphrase, appearing on billboards, T-shirts, and even a postage stamp in Ukraine.

The important island looks out over water lanes leading to Odesa, Ukraines principal Black water port.

Two Ukrainian missiles attacked the Moskva, the largest battleship lost in action in 40 years, on 14 April, 2022. According to Russia, one sailor was killed in an accident. Western analysts assume that almost half of the 450-person crew died at sea.

On June 30, Russia abandoned Snake Island after taking heavy losses trying to defend it. It called its withdrawal another goodwill gesture.

Russia still holds swathes of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. However, Ukraine is pressing ahead with a counteroffensive in which it claimed further progress on Saturday.

Historical justice has been restored, Deineko said in his Facebook post. Ukraine will definitely win!!!
In preparation for the 2023 Bahrain eGovernment Excellence Award, the Organising Committee has announced virtual discussion sessions to familiarise participants with the entry process.

Ministries, public entities, private organisation, civil societies, and individuals can take part in the workshop, scheduled to take place on August 15 and 16, 2023 via video conference (Microsoft Teams).

Held under the patronage of the Minister of Interior and the Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information Technology and Communications (MCICT), Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the award is an important initiative aimed at promoting excellence and innovation in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

Virtual workshop

The Teams virtual workshop will shed light on registration process and criteria noting the changes introduced this year, that include the merging of the public and private sectors categories to further strengthen competition and promote quality, and the introduction of new categories.

Private and public sector participants will compete in categories such as Best Website, Best Practice in eParticipation, Best Integrated eServices, Best Application for Smart Devices, Best Work Environment for Digital Innovation, Best Utilisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Best Project for Digital Transformation. Additionally, individuals can compete in the Best Digital Initiative category. Participants in the sessions will also have the chance to submit questions and offer their insights.
According to Japans Yomiuri newspaper, Japan and the United States will agree this week to cooperate and build an interceptor missile to counter hypersonic weapons created by China, Russia, and North Korea.

The agreement on interceptors to target weapons designed to bypass existing ballistic missile defences is expected when President Joe Biden meets Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the United States on Friday, according to the article, which did not provide a source.

Outside of business hours, officials from Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment.

Hypersonic projectiles can vary course, making them more difficult to aim than traditional ballistic warheads, which fly on predictable trajectories as they descend from space to their targets.

According to the Yomiuri, Biden and Kishida will meet on the margins of a trilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David, Maryland.

In January, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met with their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada, and agreed to examine building the interceptor.

An agreement would be the second of its kind in missile defence technology.

Washington and Tokyo collaborated on the development of a longer-range missile capable of hitting warheads in space, which Japan is putting aboard warships in the waters between Japan and the Korean peninsula to deter North Korean missile assaults.
According to the US Navy, a US-led naval coalition in the Gulf has cautioned ships in the vicinity to avoid Iranian seas to prevent probable capture.

The warning indicates that tensions remain high in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran captured tankers in late April and early May, even as Washington and Tehran reach an agreement to release five US nationals arrested in Iran and the US enables $6 billion in Iranian cash held in South Korea to be unfrozen.

The International Maritime Security Construct is notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimise the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we seek to de-escalate, Commander Timothy Hawkins, spokesman for the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet, said late on Saturday.

Vessels are being advised to transit as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible.

A fifth of the worlds crude oil and oil products transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a choke point at the mouth of the Gulf between Iran and Oman.

The agreement to free US nationals detained in Iran and allow them to return to the US would remove a significant irritation between Washington and Tehran, which remain at odds over issues ranging from Irans nuclear programme to Tehrans support for regional Shiite militias.

As part of the agreement, the US will free certain Iranians from US jails, according to Irans UN envoy.
The United Nations has announced the successful completion of the ship-to-ship transfer of more than 1 million barrels of oil by a team from SMIT, a unit of Dutch dredging and heavylift company Boskalis, from the decaying FSO Safer tanker off Yemen, thus averting 'a monumental environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.'

The FSO Safer was built as a supertanker in 1976 and converted a decade later into what is in effect a floating oil container. It was abandoned off the Red Sea port of Hudaydah in Yemen in 2015 after war broke out.

Prior to the conflict, it was used to store and export oil from fields around Marib, but the fighting brought production, as well as maintenance of the vessel, to a halt.

With more than one million barrels of oil on board, it was feared the deteriorating FSO Safer, which industry experts dubbed it a 'floating time bomb.' could explode or break apart, causing a major spill.

The safe removal of more than a million barrels of oil from the decaying FSO Safer tanker off Yemen, helped avert a worst case scenario oil spill that would have devastated coastal communities and created a crisis in vital Red Sea shipping lanes.

Leading up to the transfer of the oil, the salvage team executed several preparatory activities. After the Boskalis multipurpose support vessel Ndeavor arrived at the site of the FSO Safer in late May, the salvage team conducted a thorough inspection of the vessel and its cargo. In addition, various measures were taken to ensure a safe working environment. Preparations were then made to transfer the oil to the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) purchased by the UN, said the statement from Boskalis. The VLCC was moored alongside the FSO Safer on July 23 with the support from two Smit Lamnalco tugs, and oil screens were installed on the bow and stern between the two tankers as a precautionary measure. Following this mooring operation, oil transfer pipes were connected between the FSO Safer and the VLCC on July 25 and hydraulic pumps were installed to transfer the oil to the VLCC.

The UN led a $120 million fundraising effort to secure the decaying ship and buy another tanker to take the recovered oil. It took 18 days to complete the transfer in a stretch of water where naval mines were known to be located.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had been among the first countries to extend financial grants through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) as part of its efforts with the international community in solving the crisis.

On completion of the safe transfer of oil, the Saudi ministry lauded the efforts of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), that had been implementing the operation, as well as other donor countries who raised funds.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, who has led UN system-wide efforts on the Safer since September 2021, said today marks a great milestone.

"A remarkable global coalition came together under the UN umbrella to prevent the worst-case scenario of a catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea," said Gressly.

"We need to finish the work the UN started. The installation of a CALM buoy to which the replacement vessel will be safely tethered is the next crucial step," he added.

The SMIT team has been on-site since late May preparing the Safer for the oil transfer operation, which officially kicked off on July 25. The preparations included inspections, safety measures, and the installation of oil screens and transfer pipes.

The transfer was supported by two Smit Lamnalco tugs and hydraulic pumps were installed to facilitate the transfer. Oil was transferred to the replacement vessel Yemen, formerly the Nautica, which the UN secured from Euronav earlier this year.

The UN had warned that a major spill would devastate fishing communities on Yemens Red Sea coast and cost estimated at $20 billion to cleanup.

Disruptions to shipping through the Bab al-Mandab strait to the Suez Canal could cost billions more in global trade losses every day.

"I welcome the news that the transfer of oil from the FSO Safer has been safely concluded today," remarked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "The UN-led operation has prevented what could have been an environmental and humanitarian catastrophe on a colossal scale," he added.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the international community had "defused a floating time bomb and prevented a potentially enormous environmental and health disaster".

Boskalis CEO Peter Berdowski said: "With our salvage activities, we have once again averted a potential environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions."

"Thanks in part to the efforts of the Dutch Ministry of Ministry of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and over two years of preparations by Boskalis, we were able to successfully execute this complex operation on behalf of the UN," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Mogadishu, Aug 13 (UNI) The Somali National Army on Saturday killed 23 al-Shabab terrorists in the southern part of the country.



The Ministry of Defence said the three military operations were conducted in Bula-Fuley in the Bay region, during which the soldiers destroyed three al-Shabab bases.



"The 23 terrorists, including two commanders, were eliminated. Targets included a checkpoint, a garage for gathering explosives and an administrative office used by leaders," the ministry said in a brief statement



The latest military operations came at a time when the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and its partners are preparing to conduct a joint technical assessment on phase one of ATMIS troop withdrawal which was concluded in June.



The government forces have sustained their attacks against al-Shabab since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an all-out war against the militants in 2022.



The president has vowed to flush out al-Shabab militants from their strongholds so as to protect the people and stop the spread of propaganda, intimidation and extremism in the country.

UNI/XINHUA AKS0801
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Russo-Ukraine War - 12 August 2023 - Day 535

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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 Russia has likely redeployed airborne forces' (VDV) units from the Kherson region to the heavily contested Orikiv sector in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The 58th Combined Arms Army (58 CAA) has been in combat facing Ukrainian assaults since 4 June 2023.

As early as 11 July 2023, the then commander of 58 CAA was sacked, likely partially because of his insistence that elements of his force needed to be relieved.

Reports suggest that the 70th and 71st Motor Rifle Regiments have faced particularly intense attrition and heavy combat on the front line. There is a realistic possibility that the arrival of VDV will finally allow elements of these regiments to be pulled out for rest and recovery. However, the redeployment will likely leave Russia's defences near the east bank of the Dnipro River weaker, where they are increasingly harassed by Ukrainian amphibious raids.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of August 12, the Russian occupiers launched 6x missile and 36x air strikes, 32x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the Russian terrorist attacks have killed and wounded civilians residential, including children. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high.

During the day of August 12, there were 33x combat engagements.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Hur'iv Kozachok (Kharkiv oblast). The Russian adversary fired mortars and artillery at more than 15x settlements, including Kliusy (Chernihiv oblast), Seredyna-Buda, Yastrubyne, Vodolahy, Myropil's'ke (Sumy oblast), and Udy, Strilecha, Okhrimivka (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: the Russian adversary conducted unsuccessful offensives in the areas northeast of Syn'kivka, north of Kyslivka and southeast of Andriivka (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinities of Kyslivka and Pershotravneve (Kharkiv oblast). The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at Kup'yans'k, Masyutivka, Kyslivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast).

Lyman axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Serebryanka, Sivers'k, Spirne, Vesele, (Donetsk oblast). The adversary fired artillery at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: Russian forces attempted offensive operations in the vicinities of Klishchiivka and Bila Hora (Donetsk oblast), to no success. More than 10x settlements, including Min'kivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Chasiv Yar, Ivanivske, Bila Hora, Pivnichne (Donetsk oblast), suffered from Russian artillery shelling.

Avdiivka axis: under heavy fire from Russian aircraft and artillery, the Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back russian troops' advance in the vicinity of Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast). The adversary launched air strike in the vicinity of Avdiivka. The Russianinvaders fired artillery at more than 10x settlements, including Novokalynove, Tonen'ke, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke, Karlivka (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the russian offensive in the vicinity of the city of Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched air strike in the vicinity of Krasnohorivka (Donetsk oblast). The invaders fired artillery at more than 10x settlements, including Oleksandropil', Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Novomykhailivka, and Yelyzavetivka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces made unsuccessful attempts to regain the lost position in the vicinity of Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Vodyane, Vuhledar, Bohoyavlenka, Prechystivka, Velyka Novosilka, Rivnopil' (Donetsk oblast) came under artillery fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces fired artillery at more than 20x settlements, including Novodarivka, Temyrivka, Poltavka, Chervone, Verkhnya Tersa, Novoandriivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast) and Nikopol' (Dnipropetrovsk oblast).

Kherson axis: Russian forces artillery shelled more than 20x settlements, including Zolota Balka, Zmiivka, Beryslav, Kozats'ke, Tyahynka, Ponyativka (Kherson oblast), and Kutsurub, Ochakiv (Mykolaiv oblast).

At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct the offensive operation on Melitopol' and Berdyans'k axes, have partial success in the vicinity of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast), consolidating their positions, and conducting counter-battery fire.

During the day of August 12, Ukrainian Air Force launched 10x air strikes on the concentration of troops, weapons, and military equipment of the adversary.

During the day of August 12, Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 1x anti-aircraft missile system and 1x artillery asset at a firing position.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that on 11 August, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has launched a group strike with long-range air-based precision weapons against a military airfield near Kolomyia in Ivano-Frankovsk region.

The goal of the attack has been reached. All the assigned targets have been neutralised.

In Kupyansk direction, in the course of conducting offensive operations, assault detachments of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line.

Eight attacks and counterattacks by units of 95th airborne assault, 14th and 32nd mechanised brigades of the AFU have been successfully repelled close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Pershotravnyovoye, Sinkovka, and Mankovka (Kharkov region).

The enemy losses were up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in close cooperation with aviation and artillery, have successfully repelled seven attacks by AFU assault groups close to Kleshcheevka, Yakovlevka, Vodyanoye, Krasnogorovka and Nevelskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

One ammunition depot of the AFU 59th Mechanised Brigade has been destroyed near Pervomaiskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 110 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk direction, as a result of actions by aviation, artillery, heavy flamethrower systems, and units of the Vostok Group of Forces, two attacks by AFU assault groups have been repelled near Urozhainoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 130 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, and one U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station.

In Zaporozhye direction, as a results of actions by units of the Russian grouping of troops, aviation and artillery, three attacks by the 46th AFU Airmobile Brigade have been repelled close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

The enemy losses were up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, five tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, and one Msta-B howitzer.

In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of coordinated actions by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, Army Aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, three attacks by assault detachments of 63rd and 66th mechanised brigades of the AFU have been repelled near Sergeevka (Lugansk People's Republic) and Serebryansky forestry.

The enemy losses were up to 90 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, and one D-20 howitzer.

In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and one U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar station.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 126 areas.

In addition, one advanced command post of the 10th Army Corps of the AFU has been hit near Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

Depots of the AFU rocket and artillery weapons and logistics have been destroyed in the districts of Zaporozhye and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region).

In addition, 29 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down close to Ploshchanka (Lugansk People's Republic), Belogorovka, Pokrovskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), Ulyanovka, Ocherevatoye (Zaporozhye region), Pokrovskoye (Kherson region), as well as over the waters of the Black Sea.

In total, 458 airplanes, 245 helicopters, 5,683 unmanned aerial vehicles, 429 air defence missile systems, 11,249 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,144 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,853 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 12,189 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.





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Beijing, Aug 13 (UNI) China has launched the disaster monitoring satellite L-SAR4 01, the world's first high-orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Sunday.

The launch took place at 1:26 local time (17:26 GMT on Saturday) from the Xichang spaceport in Sichuan Province in southwestern China. Shortly after the launch, the satellite successfully entered the planned orbit.

"This is the world's first high-orbit synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite that has entered the project implementation stage," CSNA said.

The space agency also noted that the satellite will improve China's space monitoring of natural disasters and enhance disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities.

The launch was the 483rd mission of the Long March rocket family.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS1204
Davido unavailable to meet fan on epic bike mission

BBC Showbiz News Aug - 12 - 2023 , 18:43

Davido has responded to a man who says he is riding a bike from Benue State all the way to Lagos to meet him, by tweeting that he wont be at home.

Turn around Im not home, wrote the Afrobeats superstar, who ironically has a hit song called Unavailable.

The mega-fan, who identifies himself on Twitter as Emmiwuks, says he will not turn around and must present his gift to Davido, to congratulate the living legend on his latest masterpiece album Timeless.

The journey from Benue to Lagos is 800km (500 miles) and takes more than 13 hours by car, but six days on foot, according to Google Maps.

Currently, Emmiwuks is on day nine of his journey, according to his account on X, previously known as Twitter, where he has documented his journey and photographed himself in a couple of different states.

He has been taking breaks to rest, he says.

Whilst on his journey he has been pictured with a large poster of Davido attached to his bike.

He has also had to undergo a bike repair, he says.

Read also: Davido donates 200 million naira (GHC3,469,157.) to orphanages in Nigeria
West Africa: An opportunity to to wage peace, not war

Chris.Y. Pitt Opinion Aug - 13 - 2023 , 19:20

The reported disclosure by the beleaguered junta in Niger, that deposed President Bazoum would be the first fatality, in the event of an ECOWAS military operation to dislodge them, is no secret.

Indeed, the coupists appear stoic in their defiance, despite the constitutional illegality of their armed takeover. Thus, it can be argued that ECOWAS is somewhat justified, in seeking a restoration of constitutional order by other means.

However, this raises a few questions: In the event of a successful overthrow of the junta, which new political figure would ECOWAS install as President? And would this new figure enjoy the support of the masses, who have had enough of the stifling French presence in their country?

Moreover, having defeated the Nigerien army, which forces would ECOWAS then count on, to prosecute the war against the jihadists? The French? Wagner? The Americans? Or the thousands of enraged Nigerien civilians, bereaved by terrorist activity over the years?

With the military logistics and personnel of West African countries already stretched thin, the utility of any further military intervention by ECOWAS remains doubtful.

Already, commitments to previous agreements like the Accra Initiative, have been hindered by the lack of funds (and political will) by individual member states.

While the preservation of democracy is definitely a very noble, and indeed, vital cause, one wonders how scant ECOWAS forces would deal with military resistance from the multiple fronts of Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Wagner, as well as the Nigeriens themselves.

It must be noted, that while previous military interventions in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, and the Gambia were all successful, the dynamics are slightly different in the current Sahelian situation.

And with many voices across the region urging restraint, one hopes ECOWAS will not remain tone-deaf to the unpopularity of the prospect of another war in Africa.

But even more importantly, ECOWAS forces could get bogged down in a long, draining war, which lasts for ages.

History is replete with examples of military missions which dragged on and on, costing more and more, far beyond the calculations of military chiefs.

As we speak, Russia is bogged down in a prolonged military invasion of Ukraine, which has not quite gone according to plan. Fact.

And before that, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq were cautionary tales warning the prudent, that nothing is ever straightforward in war, especially when the underdog has nothing to lose.

Certainly, military adventurists must NOT be encouraged. But alarmingly, with the firm, unyielding posture on both sides, the forecast does not look good for West Africa.

So enough with the sabre-rattling. In my view, Ghana, for example, can be the adult in the room, ushering all protagonists to the negotiating table, by any means necessary.

While the complex geopolitics of this crisis will demand meticulous navigation by mediators, a non-military solution is certainly possible.

And this non-military option is an urgent imperative on behalf of all the peoples in the entire sub-region. The alternative: a war between brothers, where nobody wins, is not an option. The world is watching.
Planning cross country road trip

Kofi Akpabli Life Aug - 12 - 2023 , 19:57

I know our minds are still on the piece of amazing history that our compatriots have just chalked up--trekking from Accra to London all by road.

We congratulate the team and their unseen background support staff.

The travel party is a group of philanthropists and tourism enthusiasts. The team initially consisted of 13 members, including individuals such as Richard Anim, Kwadwo Saka, Kwame Peprah and Kofi Peprah. In all, they spent 16 days and clocked about 10,000 kilometres.

This article looks at the operational and technical aspect of such a road trip. But before then, let me answer one lingering question on the minds of many Ghanaians. Is it possible to journey from Ghana to England by road?

Yes!

Our Wanderlust adventurers proved that by driving from Accra through Kumasi, continuing northwards to Sunyani. They then branched westwards and crossed the Gonokrom border, near Dormaa Ahenkro, into neighbouring La Cote d'Ivoire. From there, they trekked further north through Mali, Senegal, Mauritania. From the Sahel zone, they entered North Africa through Morocco.

From Morocco they eventually hit Europe through Spain. But here, they and their vehicles proceed by a Mediterranean ferry. Within Spain, they cleared Valencia, Monaco and then arrived at Lake Como in Italy.

From Italy, they crossed into Germany (Frankfurt). From Frankfurt they drove all the way to Amsterdam, continued via France (Calais) arriving in England through the iconic Dover. (Listen to Jim Reeves The White Cliffs of Dover).

Thats a rather long one, I can hear you say. Indeed, it is like driving from Accra to the Paga border post times 10!

To begin with, the most important thing to do before any such trip is to plan a route. Many travellers want to be able to drive safely and see the best sights. Your trip will be more enjoyable if you have a strategy for what to do and how to accomplish it.

This is followed by another very important process, budgeting. This can be challenging as one is planning across different economic zones with different currencies. Another thing to consider is how much cash to carry on you. Also which cash cards to use in which country, etc.

So how does one execute the actual trip? What does it take? Who and what must be involved? It begins with a plan and that plan includes everything, including what you eat!

It also includes planning the amount of fuel your vehicles will guzzle daily. (Oh, did I mention valid documents covering the cars?) Of course, these are not rickety and poorly serviced vehicles. Try that and you are on a sure route to suicide. The plan also takes care of how and where to change spare parts such as brake pads.

For the Wanderlust team, the inclusion of Nana Afua Serwaa, nicknamed "Shecanic," an auto repair technician, was thus a sensible one. Because out there in the Sahara, a car can just cough Ive had it and that would require a real mechanical head.

For such a trip one needs a solid 24-hour monitoring base. This could be back home or at the destination being driven to. This control centre is made up of close associates who not only know the trekkers but also understand the travel and the terrains being covered. During the journey, they gauge progress, provide information and take care of some ground handling matters, mostly ahead of the travel party. Sometimes they do vital cash transfers, payments or purchases on behalf of the travel team.

There is also the diplomatic aspect of the journey. As several borders were being crossed across two continents, there was the need to find out and sort all identification documents, visa and health documentation requirements. And oh, travel insurance! Beyond that you need to have on standby a key contact in each city or country you traverse. That way dangerous scenarios, contingencies or even unnecessary delays by overzealous border officials can be mediated.

Another thing people are wondering about is what to pack for such a trip? Rule No.1: Don't over pack! Remember to bring the following items: batteries, phone charger, camera, photocopies of relevant documents, a towel or cap, sunscreen, shoes, and sandals (One trekker hardly even wore a sandal).

Also crucial, first aid kit, flashlight, jumper cables, non-perishable food items, like granola bars, water, blankets, etc. Plenty of good music.

Plan frequent stops  maybe as many as once an hour  to stretch your legs and take in the scenery. You can stop for gas or grab coffee from a local shop. Hopping out of the car frequently will help you avoid a stiff back, and it will keep your mind fresh so that you can focus on driving safely.

Just because you have a cross-country trip plan in place does not guarantee all will go well. As you cross into another country, several complex circumstances might develop. Consider the potential dangers ahead of time and devise a few backup plans.

Cross-country travel is becoming easier than ever, thanks to developing car safety and connection technologies, as well as enhanced infrastructure around the world. So when are you going on your trip?
Ablakwa urges Prez Akufo-Addo to halt Ghanaian soldiers' deployment for ECOWAS intervention in Niger

Kweku Zurek Aug - 13 - 2023 , 12:28

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu and Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has vehemently called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to halt preparations for deploying Ghanaian troops in a potential Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) military intervention in Niger.

Mr. Ablakwa's comments come after West African leaders meeting in Nigeria last week directed the deployment of a standby force to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.

In a strongly-worded Facebook post, Mr. Ablakwa expressed his dissatisfaction with President Akufo-Addo's decision not to submit the Niger decision by ECOWAS to Parliament for comprehensive assessment by elected representatives.

He criticized this approach as undemocratic and recklessly hasty. Ablakwa emphasized that the very leaders lecturing Niger on democratic principles should exemplify such values within their own nations.

Mr. Ablakwa further contended that Ghanaian soldiers should not be embroiled in an impending conflict that could escalate into a bloodbath and exacerbate geopolitical tensions in an already volatile region.

He also pointed out the potential limitations Ghana's struggling economy might place on the armed forces' operational effectiveness due to inadequate resources.

The MP implored ECOWAS leaders to prioritize diplomacy and constructive dialogue over military intervention in addressing the Niger crisis. He firmly believes that a peaceful resolution was attainable without resorting to violence.

However, Mr. Ablakwa also highlighted the need for a broader reflection on the root causes of military coups in Africa.

He urged African leaders to confront issues such as bad governance, corruption, inequality, unemployment, and the erosion of democratic institutions that have contributed to the recurrence of coups on the continent.
Educationist who tied nine-year-old boy to orange tree surrenders to Police

GNA Aug - 13 - 2023 , 07:25

Mr Timothy Gyamfi Mensah, a 74-year-old retired Educationist, who allegedly tied a 9-year-old boy to an orange tree at Akaa in the Oti Region, has surrendered himself to the Jasikan Police.

He came out from his hideout in Kumasi and reported to the Police on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. Mr Gyamfi, in a widely circulated video on social media about a week ago, was said to have tied the victim with a nylon rope for stealing two oranges without permission.

The Police had since rescued the victim and mounted a search for the Educationist to assist in investigations.

Mr Gyamfi, who was accompanied to the police station by Nana Oppong Kyekyeku IV, the Chief of Akaa, Nana Agyedu Asiedu, Chief of Atonkor, Nana Nkansa of Atonkor, Mr Entwi Baikaa, a native of Akaa, among others, was granted bail after his statement was taken.

Mr Baikaa, a Government Appointee at the Jasikan Municipal Assembly and Acting Assemblyman for the Akaa Electoral Area, in a phone interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), disclosed that two other children, who were eyewitnesses to the incident were also interrogated.

He said the accused person had been tasked to bring three other children from the town to the Police station on Monday, August 14 for interrogation.
Geological Survey Authority backs relocation of BoG Head Office to Ridge over earthquake fears

GraphicOnline Aug - 13 - 2023 , 08:10

The Acting Director General of the Geological Survey Authority (GSSA), Issac Mwinbelle, has offered insights into the rationale behind the Bank of Ghana's (BoG) decision to relocate its head office to a safer area.

Mr. Mwinbelle highlighted that the Ridge location chosen for the new headquarters is less vulnerable to earthquakes and tremors compared to the current High Street site, near James Town in Accra.

In an interview with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) on their GBC Radio network, Mr. Mwinbelle explained that the current location was susceptible to tremors and earthquakes due to the presence of fault lines in the area.

He emphasized that the coastal parts of Ghana, especially the eastern region of Accra, were prone to seismic activities, with fault lines running through Krokrobite, Weija, and Dansoman.

Mwinbelle acknowledged that while the current fault zones had not produced significant tremors, the movement along the fault lines had potential consequences.

He commended the Bank of Ghana's proactive approach in assessing the safety of its location, aiming to ensure the security of its staff and facilities.

He compared the safety of the new Ridge location to the High Street area, stating that the distance from the coastline played a role in mitigating earthquake-related risks.

Generally, the coastal parts of Ghana, most specifically the eastern part of Accra, are earthquake-prone and these earthquakes occur as a result of the fault line," he said.

The coastal part of Ghana has a number of fault lines that pass through the area, but the prominent ones, which has for the period produced some substantial earth tremors and earthquakes are the fault lines that are within the Krokrobite, Weija, and the Dansoman area.

Most of the earthquakes that have occurred over the period are a result of the movement along the fault line. The latest one which was on the 10th of March this year, if you look at the epicentre, it was close to James Town, meaning that it is moving towards the current location of the Bank of Ghana.

There are fault zones in these areas, but they have not produced any substantial earth tremor. It doesnt mean that there cannot be an earth tremor along those fault lines and for that, if the Bank of Ghana is being proactive by doing an assessment to find out whether the current location is suitable for a central bank or not, I think it is a plus for them, because they must ensure the safety of the Bank, the safety of the staff as well as the safety of whatever is contained there.

If you look at the earthquakes that have occurred, they have always occurred off the coastline that is into the sea, and by approximation Ridge is much further away from the coastline which is more offshore than the current location [of the Bank of Ghana] which is the High Street area.

In terms of lateral placement, the Ridge location might be much safer when it comes to earth tremors because the closer the structure is to the epic centre, the more devastation that it would cause as compared to when it is further away from the epicentre. We may likely experience much lower devastation on the structure.

The Bank of Ghana had earlier released a statement explaining its decision to relocate its headquarters. The statement outlined that a structural integrity assessment revealed the current building's inadequacy to withstand significant earth tremors and other potential challenges. The bank emphasized its commitment to enhancing operational efficiency and positioning itself as a financial hub in the sub-region, which led to the priority project of a new head office.

The decision faced scrutiny, with the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, raising concerns over the cost and financial implications of the new headquarters. He alleged that the bank was spending a substantial amount at a time when financial difficulties were evident. The minority also questioned the source of funding for the new building.
Agric Minister tours NSS biggest commercial farm

Emmanuel Baah Aug - 12 - 2023 , 12:01

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, had encouraged state institutions to learn from the investment the National Service Scheme (NSS) is undertaking in large-scale commercial farming.

He said there were enormous benefits to be derived from such investments.

The minister made the call when he toured the 20,000-acre Sekyere Kumawu Economic Enclave Project (SKEEP), established by the NSS at Abotantire in the Sekyere Afram Plains district of the Ashanti Region last Monday.

I am highly encouraged with what I have seen here and for NSS to carry out this huge investment is only commendable, Mr Acheampong stated.

Visionary

The minister commended the NSS for undertaking such a big venture and promised the support of the ministry to ensure that the project reaped the maximum results.

He mentioned, particularly, the visionary leadership provided by the NSS management, led by the Executive Director, Osei Assibey Antwi, and his management, for their extraordinary commitment to agricultural development.

SKEEP

The SKEEP, which establishment started last year, is in line with the NSSs new strategic direction to create a viable ecosystem for the youth to engage in commercial farming focusing on maize, soya beans, rice and poultry production.

Being, arguably, the biggest farming project in the history of the NSS, the project seeks, among other things, to support import substitution, ensure food and nutritional security and attract and retain graduate youth into commercial agriculture and its value chain.

Standards

Mr Acheampong asked the farm operators to maintain the standards and use high yielding seedlings so that it could fetch the Scheme the needed returns.

He encouraged the NSS to grow more species of onions and added that the market for onions would be lucrative due to uncertainty in the situation in Niger, a known onion producing country.

Tour

The minister and his team of officials from the Ministry were accompanied by Osei Assibey Antwi and other officials of the scheme.

He inspected the aqua culture container ponds, the maize plantations, sorghum, rice and others.

Using a tractor for the tour of the vast farms, the team also visited other large tracts of land which were yet to be cultivated and also toured the irrigation sites where sprinklers had been mounted to give water throughout the crop seasons.

Early on, the team went round the on-site accommodation structure which, when completed, would house NSS personnel who would be posted to work on the farms.

They also visited the NSS storage facility at Agogo where the Scheme had stored produce that had been harvested for sale and distribution.

Feeding the people

Welcoming the minister, Mr Antwi said the idea of large scale farm was to produce to feed the people and support government agencies to run the Buffer Stock and Ghana School Feeding programmes.

Currently, he noted that the Scheme had lands in the Volta, Ashanti, Northern, Bono and Ahafo regions.

He told the minister that the scheme was deploying personnel to the education, police, private and business development sectors.

"This year we have deployed 7,000 persons into the education sector and this has reduced government expenditure by GH1.3 billion and we intend to deploy about 5, 000 personnel into farming so that we can work to produce outcomes that would be beneficial to Ghana, " the NSS Executive Director said.
Damascus, Aug 13 (UNI) Syria on Saturday blamed the United States for the deadly attack that was carried out by the Islamic State (IS) against a Syrian military bus and resulted in the killing of at least 33 soldiers on Friday.



In a statement released on Saturday night, the Syrian Foreign Ministry viewed the attack as a part of the ongoing American campaign against Syria's sovereignty and independence, accusing the United States of supporting the IS to destabilize Syria.



The ministry emphasized that "this aggressive action fits into the broader pattern of American escalation aimed at undermining Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty."



The ministry further noted the alarming coincidence between the attack and the continuous American exploitation of Syria's oil and agricultural resources. This economic pressure, according to the statement, contributes to extending the American occupation and destabilizing regional security.



Syria remains resolute in its commitment to counter terrorism and eliminate its lingering effects, the statement read.

UNI/XINHUA AKS0822
Be abreast of workplace harassment issues  Dr Sakyi-Addo

Vincent Amenuveve Aug - 13 - 2023 , 08:06

The President of Women in Mining (WIM) Ghana, Dr Georgette Barnes Sakyi-Addo, has called on women in the sector to be abreast of knowledge of all forms of harassment in workplaces.

This, she said, would enable them to influence decision making at their workplaces and deliver inclusive corporate policies, particularly on sexual harassment, to promote conducive environment for both men and women to work happily.

Dr Sakyi-Addo was speaking at a day's training on workplace harassment in Accra last Thursday for women and key players in the mining industry.

About 90 participants attended the training, both in-person and virtually.

They were trained on how to identify sexual harassment at workplaces, laws governing sexual harassment, as well as case study of various forms of harassment at workplaces.

The training was organised by WIM Ghana, a leading network that promotes the advancement of women in the natural resources sector with support from Ford Foundation.

Awareness creation

Dr Sakyi-Addo said although some large-scale mining firms had zero tolerance for all forms of harassment at the workplace, she said it was imperative for WIM to create awareness about harassment and its impact on productivity.

Because of some socio-cultural issues when two per cent of women are harassed it is an issue. The industry players should pay much attention when women complain about all forms of harassment at the workplace, including sexual harassment, she said.

The president said the percentage of women in the mining industry was low, a ratio of one woman to nine men.

So the more we increase female participation, the more females can upgrade their skills so that they are involved in decision making to influence decisions that will be inclusive of all genders, she added.

Mining sector

Dr Sakyi-Addo further explained that the mining sector was characterised by low numbers of women, low ranks of women, biological differences, workplace designs and historical and socio-cultural nuances.

These issues, she said, could put females in vulnerable positions in both formal and informal work conditions.

It is important that we recognise these issues exist so that we equip ourselves with knowledge and skills to prevent and handle them as and when they occur," the president added.

Policies

Two consultants on gender-related issues, Dr Angela Dwamena-Aboagye and Naana Frimpong, both entreated organisations to put in place inclusive workplace policies to address all forms of harassment.

They mentioned various forms of harassment that existed in some organisations to include bullying, intimidation, sexual harassment from both males and females, discrimination, cyber harassment, expensive jokes and malicious gossip.

The consultants pointed out that such negative tendencies, which the Labour Act 651 of 2003 frowns upon, did not promote effective and conducive environment at the workplace.
Minority Leader rejects claims of involvement in new Bank of Ghana Headquarters project

GraphicOnline Aug - 13 - 2023 , 12:40

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, has refuted assertions made by the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), claiming that he was involved in Bank of Ghana's (BoG) board when the initial stages of constructing the new head office commenced.

Dr. Forson categorically denied these allegations, labelling them as entirely false and called on all well-intentioned Ghanaians to disregard them.

In a press statement released on Saturday, August 12, the former Deputy Finance Minister maintained that during the Mahama administration, no contracts were awarded for the construction of a new BoG head office.

He challenged the NPP's Director of Communications, Mr. Ahiagbah, to produce any substantiating evidence in his possession to support the claims. Forson stated, "For the records, the Bank of Ghana under the erstwhile Mahama/NDC administration never awarded a contract for the construction of this new Head Office."

He continued, "We, therefore challenge the likes of Ahiagbah and his NPP apologists to show evidence to the contrary if they have any. Second, the Bank of Ghana never purchased land anywhere in Accra for the construction of a new Head Office building."

Dr. Forson insisted that the new BoG head office project was unnecessary and urged the central bank to terminate it. He criticized the Bank of Ghana's decision to proceed with constructing a modern headquarters amidst financial challenges, asserting that such a venture was a misplaced and reckless priority.

What Ahiagbah said

Mr. Ahiagbah had alleged that Dr. Ato Forson was a member of the Bank of Ghana board that initiated discussions for the new headquarters' construction. Ahiagbah stated that while the conversations began in the 1990s, the actual implementation procedures started later. He claimed that Forson, who served on the Bank's board as a Deputy Finance Minister under the Mahama-led administration, participated in negotiations to purchase land near Achimota forest.

Mr. Ahiagbah maintained that although the BoG Board ultimately withdrew from the negotiations, a settlement fee of $1.2 million was incurred. He emphasized, "He [Ato Forson] was a member of the Bank of Ghana board at the point where they were in government and this conversation about building a new headquarters didnt start today but in the 1990s..."

In response, Dr. Ato Forson dismissed Ahiagbah's assertion and said it was untrue.
In June, BorgWarner announced the next phase of its Charging Forward strategy for advancing its position as a technology leader in e-Products, while maximizing its foundational portfolio. In its subsequent Q2 report, BorgWarner listed a number of e-Products wins, including:

iDM for Chinese OEM. BorgWarner will supply a new integrated drive module (iDM) to a leading Chinese OEM. BorgWarner anticipates that production will start in the second quarter of 2024.

The iDM comprises two inverters, two eMotors and an e-Gear, in a compact design that reduces cost. Notably, the dual-inverter units dynamically control the two eMotors based on the vehicles operating conditions to achieve flexible, efficient propulsion. As key components of the hybrid system, the dual inverters and dual eMotors implement a variety of operating modes to assist the vehicle in managing propulsion and energy recuperation, increasing efficiency.

Production of the iDM is expected to be carried out at BorgWarners Wuhan, China plant.

iDM220 for Li Auto. BorgWarner is supplying Li Auto its advanced integrated drive module (iDM220) for the companys new energy vehicles. This is BorgWarners first iDM business in China and is currently installed in two of Li Autos model-lines, including the L8 and L9 range-extended electric vehicle (REEV).





BorgWarners iDM220 is a highly-integrated electric drive module operating at 400V that is capable of providing over 200 kW of maximum power and an estimated 4500 Nm of peak torque. The module offers high efficiency, smooth and quiet operation, and exceptional performance. The iDM incorporates an electric motor that has a compact, hairpin-wound stator with an outer diameter of 220 mm as well as an integrated off-axis gearbox and a 400V silicon-based inverter, significantly reducing the weight and size of the entire system.

All subsystems used in the iDM are part of BorgWarners technology portfolio and are available either as a fully integrated module or as stand-alone solutions for new energy vehicles. The iDM is produced in the BorgWarner Wuhan, China plant using inverters from the BorgWarner Suzhou, China plant.

In addition, BorgWarners Tianjin, China plant indirectly supplies the traction motor and generator motor for the front axle on Li Autos L7, L8 and L9.

Inverter and eMotor Stator forEast Asian OEM. BorgWarner has been selected by a major East Asian OEM to supply emotor stator and inverter for the automakers new electric vehicle platform, scheduled to enter production mid-2025.





Using the latest stator winding technology, the permanent magnet synchronous drive motor will achieve industry-leading power and torque density in addition to peak efficiencies greater than 95%.

High Voltage Coolant Heaters to Global Automotive Supplier for Series of OEM EV Platforms. BorgWarner secured a contract with a global automotive thermal and energy management solutions supplier to deliver high voltage coolant heaters (HVCH) for use on a series of three electric vehicle (EV) platforms for a major OEM. The heater will be added to the suppliers heating and cooling module and will be used to provide heat to the battery pack and cabin in battery electric vehicles (BEV). The business win with the supplier marks the first collaboration between the companies on a complete vehicle thermal management system.

BorgWarners 800V HVCH offers a compact and lightweight design through its thick-film heating and brazed aluminum fin technologies, offering a solution that fits the reduced size and weight dimensions requested by the customer. Additionally, the heater offers robust and optimized heat transfer in the 800V architecture needed to enable fast charging. The 800V HVCH has fast heating response times due to low thermal mass and high efficiency and has a highly flexible power and coolant connector concept.





Further, complying with the industrys latest safety requirements, BorgWarners heating solution includes features to prevent thermal events such as overheating, as the system is designed to switch off automatically should it detect an error.

The 800V HVCH is the first heater of its kind to be launched in North America and highlights the companys first 800V HVCH win with the OEM. This win builds upon a previous agreement between BorgWarner and the OEM in which BorgWarner directly supplied its 400V solution.

BorgWarners 800V HVCH will be produced in the companys Cadillac, Michigan manufacturing facility with production expected to begin in 2025.

Additional HVCH business with European OEM. BorgWarner has also been awarded additional high voltage coolant heater (HVCH) business with a premium European OEM for its mid-size electric vehicle platform, following an initial supply agreement in July 2022 for the OEMs small electric vehicle platform.

The 800V 3kW HVCH single-plate heater will be used to maintain optimal battery temperature on electrified vehicles for the European and Asia-Pacific markets.





Thermal management of an electric vehicles battery system is essential to achieve optimal performance. By managing the temperature within the battery pack, energy output is maximized, and high thermal power density as well as fast response time are achieved. BorgWarners HVCH features a compact design employing the latest thick film heating elements (TFE) on stainless steel.

Heat from the TFEs is efficiently transferred to the coolant through a set of fins. The heating unit is packaged in a solid die-cast aluminum housing that provides excellent electromagnetic shielding and resists thermal shock, vibration and mechanical stress for extended product life.

Production of BorgWarner HVCHs for the customers electric vehicle is scheduled to start in 2025.
Week 32 in review: Pixel 8 phones leak, iPhone 15 USB-C ports appear, OnePlus is launching a phone with 150W

In the brief period of a Samsung Unpacked event in mid-summer and the iPhone unveiling in early September, we have a flurry of leaks and teasers, picturing the landscape of smartphone launches in the next few months.

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro variants leaked in renders, revealing Google is going to stick with the stripe camera island with all the shooters placed horizontally. Another launch we eagerly expect, the one of the iPhone 15 series, is going to be groundbreaking for Apple users, as the Cupertino company is finally ditching the Lighting port for a USB-C, not without the nudge from multiple regulators that pushed for the change.

OnePlus is readying the Ace 2 Pro in China which might arrive as 11T on the international scene, while Xiaomi will reveal the Mix Fold 3, another foldable that is unlikely to escape the domestic market.

In the past seven days, we also saw HMD Global release two more feature phones.



Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro versions leak We're getting closer to the rumored October announcement, so more details are coming out.





iPhone 15 series' USB-C connectors leak The non-Pro iPhone 15 models may be limited to USB 2.0 speeds.





First sighting of Samsung Galaxy S24+ with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 running Geekbench 6 The Gen 3 chip changes how the four CPU clusters are divided. The prime core doesn't run at 3.7GHz as some rumors suggested.





The OnePlus Ace 2 Pro will fully charge its 5,000mAh battery in just 17 minutes at 150W The phone supports SuperVOOC S charging and is the first from OnePlus to also support UFCS, which was co-developed by Oppo, vivo, Xiaomi and Huawei.





Google releases August update for Pixels and it's not Android 14 The final release of Android 14 might still come later this month, or in September.





Nokia 150 (2023) with IP52 rating and Nokia 130 Music with a large speaker announced The 150 has a polycarbonate body and a basic camera. Both phones have microSD slots, MP3 and FM radio support, plus 3.5mm headphone jacks.





Top 10 trending phones of week 31 A new leader and plenty of changes all around.





Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 announcement scheduled for August 14 Mix 3 will bring four Leica-tuned cameras and a new hinge mechanism.





Galaxy Z Flip5 trounces Razr 40 Ultra in fold test, surpasses Samsung's official claims Samsung says that the Z Flip5 has been tested to 200,000 folds, but the phone phone doubled that in a multi-day test against its Motorola-made competitor.





Lei Jun shares official Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 images Based on the labels on the Leica quad camera on the back, the phone will have a 115mm periscope.





vivo V29e images show a flat display and no Aura Glow light, should launch in India later this month The V29 Lite and V29 already launched in Europe, but they have curved displays. There will be differences in the chipsets and batteries too.





Instagram gets new optimized UI on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series The update is reportedly coming to older Z Fold series phones too but not on foldables from other brands for now.


Last weeks poll shows that people are excited for Apples move to USB-C  its the right choice, even if the EU had to strong-arm Cupertino into doing it. The EU isnt alone anymore, Saudi Arabia will make USB-C mandatory for portables from 2025, Brazil is still considering its options.

Anyway, a few are worried about the e-waste that will be created by the move, but the vast majority see it as a necessary, even positive move.

What really troubles people is whether Apple will limit USB-C functionality on the iPhones. Current Lightning cables (and other accessories) need to be MFi certified and their authenticity is confirmed via a built-in chip. How fast will you be able to charge your iPhone 15 with some random cable that hasnt been approved by Apple?

High-power USB-C cables already include an eMarker, a chip that tells the phone and charger the maximum safe current and voltage that can be used. Apple could just use the eMarker system, but it might want to go with a custom solution. Not that iPhones support particularly fast charging, so the difference may not matter anyway.

But will unofficial USB-C cables be able to carry data and how fast? What about video out? These questions will only be answered later this year when Apple makes the new iPhone 15 series official. And if Apple does put a limit on unofficial cables, the EU might have something to say about it.
On Aug. 11, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed Bill 79-37 into law, which will amend Guams Criminal Correctional Code by mandating imprisonment of no less than ten years when a firearm is unlawfully possessed or used during the commission of a felony.

The extra ten years will be in addition to the punishment imposed for the commission of the felony.

Our administration supports preventing and deterring violent crimes in our community, and we recognize that firearms cause severe injury to victims of crime. For this reason, I am signing Bill No. 79-37 into law as Public Law 37-37, said the governor.

During the original discussion of this bill in the legislature, Sen. Thomas Fisher, the author of Bill 79-37, stated this is a significant weapon for prosecutors to exploit as it can be leveraged to extract plea deals from the accused.

If youre going to point a gun at someone, it doesnt matter if you pull the trigger. Youre going to cause significant distress to an individual that you merit increased punishment for that, stated Fisher.

Sen. Joanne Brown also noted her support as there should be a greater price to pay for the criminals in the island.

Our community continues to suffer. It is the community that has been harmed or victimized that is left to suffer, said Brown. What are we doing to help them when they see these criminals back on the streets? Our people dont have a lot of options. We should say enough is enough, and its not okay.

The governor also signed Bills 28-37, 65-37 and 144-37 into law while Bills 92-37 and 93-37 lapsed into law.

Additional compensation for crime victims

The governor signed Bill No. 144-37 into law as Public Law 37-40 to require the protection of victim information submitted as part of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Program.

PL 37-40 also expands the list of crimes for which victims may be compensated to include vehicular homicide and hit and run with injuries.

The CICP is vitally important for victims and their families, who would otherwise struggle with the financial burden caused by the criminal acts committed against them while waiting for final adjudication of their assailants criminal case, stated the governor. On behalf of our community, Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and I extend our gratitude to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Commission for its continued advocacy for victims of crime on our island.

Regulation of beauty shops and playgrounds

Leon Guerrero allowed Bills 92-37 and 93-37 to lapse into law in order to fully endorse the regulation and sanitation of barber and beauty shops, cosmetology schools and nail salons.

As heavily trafficked establishments, the community relies on us to ensure these businesses are kept hygienic and safe. Our administration also wholeheartedly supports the regulation of institutional playgrounds to ensure our children are in safe outdoor spaces conducive to learning and engagement, assured Leon Guerrero.

The governor also used her approval statement to note that they want to ensure these new standards can actually be implemented due to possible issues with the Department of Public Health and Social Services.

In light of recent events that highlight the practical reality of maintenance services on our island and capacity challenges at DPHSS, we should take the opportunity now to study the interplay between these regulations, which are developed based on national standards, said the governor. To this end. Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio and I will meet with DPHSS to discuss these issues and prepare for potential challenges our island may face when these rules come into effect.

Her action to sign the bills were not required due to existing regulations within the Administrative Adjudication Law.

Both sets of regulations at issue were filed with the Speaker on March 27, 2023, and a public hearing was held on April 18. 2023. so the Legislature approved these rules by default effective June 25, 2023 pursuant to the AAL, clarified the governor.

ADA-compliant government typefaces

Leon Guerrero signed Bill 28-37 into law as PL 37-35, which is part of a broader language access strategy that will help persons who need assistance obtain and utilize essential government information and services.

Bill No. 28-37 provides a fundamental and effective way for our government to provide access to public information to persons with cognitive and visual impairments by adopting standardized typefaces for use by the government of Guam on all official documents, reports, and electronic mail beginning on January 1, 2024, stated the governor. The bill requires adoption of typefaces that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as Sans Serif, Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri. or Seaford.

The governor also applauded Sen. Roy Quinata for promoting an inclusive government.

His efforts support our vision to build a more fair and compassionate Guam that guarantees equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities and other historically underserved individuals. We also thank his colleagues in the 37th Guam Legislature for their unanimous support of this measure.
A man faces felony charges following an alleged attempt to take another mans phone just after midnight on Aug. 10.

According to a magistrates complaint filed at the Superior Court of Guam, police responded to an assault complaint in Dededo at 1:28 a.m. Thursday.

There they met with a woman who reported that her nephew Steven Junior Cabrera had assaulted her tenant.

The documents say that Cabrera met the victim in the garage and asked for a cigarette. Cabrera became irate, and took the victims pack of cigarettes and some food. Then Cabrera tried to take the victims cellphone, and the victim prevented him. Then Cabrera allegedly punched the victim in the eye, saying, Next time Ill kill you.

The document says that Cabrera admitted to taking the mans cigarettes and food, and punching him in the face to get his cellphone.

Cabrera was charged with attempted third degree robbery as a third degree felony.

Woman charged with criminal mischief

Police were called to a Dededo residence at around 1:40 p.m. Aug. 10 when one resident reported that he saw Heather Lynn Castro damaging his neighbors car.

The resident said he had heard banging noises from a neighbors house early that morning, and later that afternoon, heard more banging and the sound of glass cracking.

The resident went to check the neighbors house and he noticed Castro holding a machete and hitting the windows of a car. When the resident confronted Castro, she allegedly walked to the driveway and struck the residents girlfriends car.

The landlord for the house told police that Castro was not on the tenant lease and that the damages to the residence was about $1,650.

The report said that Castro admitted to damaging the window because she was upset with her boyfriend. She also admitted to striking the neighbors girlfriends car, and the report also said that Castro told police officers that she was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to the report.

Castro was charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one as a third-degree felony and the other as a misdemeanor.
A man has been charged with aggravated assault after allegedly throwing a broken piece of a concrete block at a victim, according to documents filed with the Superior Court of Guam.

On Aug. 6, Guam Police Department officers were dispatched to the Winster Game room in Dededo after a victim reported that Mariano Kofoto threw a broken piece of a concrete block at his left ankle. Officers noted redness to the victims ankle.

Kofoto was also allegedly yelling and cursing at the victim.

GPD officers found Kofoto nearby with a strong odor of alcohol.

Kofoto had been on pretrial release for another case where he was charged with interfering with the reporting of family violence as a third-degree felony. He now faces the aggravated assault charge as a third-degree felony.

Man falls asleep after leaving car in reverse

A man faces two misdemeanor charges after GPD officers found him in his Mazda 3 that crashed into a witness Pathfinder, according to documents filed with the Superior Court of Guam.

On Aug. 8, at approximately 7:05 a.m., GPD officers responded to a crash in Dededo where a witness reported that his vehicle, a Nissan Pathfinder, was blocked into its stall by another vehicle, a Mazda 3.

An officer observed that the engine of the Mazda was still running, and Inar Angawan was found asleep in the driver seat. The officer then noted that the shift knob of the Mazda was in the reverse position.

As the officer opened the door of the passenger side vehicle, he detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the vehicle. The officer also found an open can of Natural Ice on the floorboard of the front passenger seat.

When Angawan woke up, he told officers that he wasnt driving, that he was sleeping and didnt know how his vehicle struck the other vehicle.

Angawan claimed to be driving home from his cousins house where he was drinking from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. The officers learned that the Angawans place of residence was at another apartment building in the same location and not where the officers had found him.

Angawan refuesed to submit to a Standardized Field Sobriety Test.

Angawan faces charges of driving while impaired and having an opened container of alcohol, both as misdemeanors.

Two residents nearly escape police after 100-miles-per-hour pursuit

A pair of residents face three misdemeanors together after attempting to get away from the police, according to documents filed with the Superior Court of Guam.

On Aug. 7, officers witnessed Malcolm Lee Westfall Chaco riding a 2014 Honda CBR1000 and Jenna Rita Crisostomo on a 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 with no license plates driving north along San Dionisio Street.

The officers activated their emergency lights and sirens to effectuate a traffic stop, but Chaco and Crisostomo accelerated in an attempt to get away from the police car.

Officers noted that they were already driving 60 miles per hours, but the motorcycles were getting further away.

As the pursuit continued, the report indicated that they were passing the southern mountain overlook, and despite traveling 100 miles per hour, the officers were unable to catch up.

Eventually, the motorcycles stopped at the old Hemalani Apartments.

Crisostomo entered a nearby abandoned structure, but was ordered to exit by the officers.

Chaco was on pretrial release for another case after posting a cash bail.

Crisostomo was also on pretrial release for another case where she was charged with eluding a police officer.

Crisostomo now faces another charge of eluding a police officer for this case and a separate charge of operating a vehicle without identification, both as misdemeanors.

Chaco has also been charged with eluding a police officer as a misdemeanor for this case.
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Yamashita: There are many pockets of goodness. Name a few.
Beijing, Aug 13 (UNI) Taiwans vice president and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te says he has departed for Paraguay, with planned transit stops in the United States.

Taiwanese deputy foreign minister Yui Tah-ray said at the start of August that Lai Ching-te was going to make transit stops in New York and San Francisco on his way to and back from Paraguay, where Lai was going to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena from August 12-18.

"Departing to attend Santiago Pena's inauguration. ... Paraguay is an important friend and partner for Taiwan. Working together, I look forward to enhancing our bilateral relationship," Lai said in a Saturday post on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding in another tweet that he was "excited to meet with US friends in transit."

On July 20, Taiwan's CNA news agency reported that China considers preventing Lai's transit stopovers in the US a "top priority," as "this is a very dangerous path they [Taiwan] are taking."

In April, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party officially nominated Lai, who also serves as its chairman, as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Current Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen cannot run for the office again as she has already served two consecutive presidential terms.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan - a territory with its own elected government - maintains that it is an autonomous country, but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. Taiwan currently has only a few official diplomatic allies, including Paraguay.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS0807




Haiti - FLASH : 56,434 Haitians back from Dom Rep., a record in one month (July 2023)





Since the introduction of Decree 668-22 which provides, among other things, for the expulsion from Dominican territory of all foreigners in an irregular migratory situation, the number of expulsions of Haitians from neighboring territory has exploded and reached a new monthly record.



Repatriation in July 2023:



Official border points:

Anse-a-Pitres, Belladere, Malpasse and Ouanaminthe

14,578 men

4,404 women

498 girls

386 boys



Unofficial border points:

Baptiste, Belladere (Rocher), Cornillon, Fonds-Verettes, Las Cahobas (Bateille), Savanette (Miguel)

4,326 men

2,339 women

886 girls

1,152 boys



For a total of Total 28,569



Added to this is 5,173 refoulement at the border



Finally, to these repatriations must be added the spontaneous so-called "voluntary" returns, which amounted for the same month of July 2023 to 23,142 Haitians.



Grand total of Haitians returned to the country in July 2023: 56,884 compared to 49,655 in June 2023



According to the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR), "in terms of migration, there is no doubt that the month of July was marked by large waves of repatriations at the various border points. Pregnant women, the elderly, minors, and professionals of all categories were among the Haitians expelled.



"Despite repeated calls from many institutions working in protection, the Dominican Republic pays no attention to compliance with the protocol agreement on repatriation and so many other tools that frame these activities globally. It should be remembered that vulnerable people such as pregnant women, children and the elderly deserve special treatment, it is intolerable that Dominican migration can continue to act as it sees fit."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40039-haiti-flash-immigration-nearly-27-000-haitians-expelled-from-dr-in-june.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39602-haiti-dom-republic-31-810-illegal-haitians-return-to-haiti-in-one-month.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Consulate of Haiti in Montreal closed

The Consulate General of Haiti in Montreal advises the public in general and the Haitian Community of Quebec in particular that its premises will be closed on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, on the occasion of Assumption Day. Consular services will resume on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.



13th Gold Medal for Haitian Taekwondo (2023)

Haitian taekwondo player Gregory Jean-Baptiste won two medals. (A Gold medal and a Bronze medal) at the Truescore International Open & Team Trials (August 11-12) 2023 in Miami. Which brings to 13, the number of gold medals won in taekwondo by Haiti in 2023 See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40164-haiti-news-zapping.html



Budget Conferences

As part of the work to prepare the 2023-2024 draft budget, the first day of budget conferences was held. These were technical conferences that brought together members of the credit analysis sub-committee, coordinators of the other sub-commissions, the heads of the administrative services and those of the Study and Programming Units of the sectoral ministries as well as the representatives of the other institutional categories responsible for drawing up the budget. The objective was to reconcile and analyze the proposals for operating credits and investments.



Consulate of Haiti in Atlanta : Condolence Book

The Consulate General of Haiti in Atlanta informs that a book of condolences will be open at the Consulate from August 14 to 18, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., following the death of President a.i. Boniface Alexandre.



Funeral ceremonies for journalist Liliane Pierre Paul

Calvin-Karl Cadet, the Director General of the Ministry of Communication, attended on behalf of the Ministry of Culture the funeral ceremonies of the famous journalist Liliane Pierre Paul "I take this opportunity to pay a vibrant tribute to this great figure of the struggle in favor of freedom of the press. May she rest in peace !"



Cholera, silence of the Ministry of Public Health

It has been 18 days without explanation that the Ministry of Public Health has not published any data on the cholera situation in Haiti. The population can no longer follow the evolution of the epidemic in its area and take the necessary measures.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















The resignation of Deloitte Haskins & Sells as auditor of the Adani Ports has brought fresh scrutiny of the financial management at the conglomerate led by billionaire Gautam Adani. Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi wondered whether the auditor resigned because of the refusal of the Adani Group for an independent external investigation into some of the allegations levelled by US short-seller Hindenburg Research. Art teacher Sagar Kambli gives final touches to a painting of Gautam Adani highlighting the ongoing crisis of the Adani group.

So has Deloitte & Haskins resigned because the Adani Group of Companies refused independent external investigation of allegations in the Hindenburg Report? Chaturvedi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Deloitte has been the auditor of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) since 2017. In July 2022, it was given another five-year term.

The resignation comes weeks after Deloitte raised concern over certain transactions flagged in the report of Hindenburg Research. In May flagged, the auditor flagged three transactions, including recoveries from a contractor identified in the Hindenburg report, in issuing a qualified opinion on the accounts of APSEZ.

Confirming the auditor's resignation, APSEZ said, In Deloitte's recent meeting with APSEZ management and its Audit Committee, Deloitte indicated a lack of a wider audit role as auditors of other listed Adani portfolio companies. The Audit Committee was of the view that the grounds advanced by Deloitte for resignation as Statutory Auditor were not convincing or sufficient to warrant such a move.

The resignation puts a fresh spotlight on the management of Adanis empire just days before the marker regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is due to submit the results of a probe into Hindenburgs wide-ranging allegations of accounting fraud and market manipulation.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who has been posing questions to the government over the allegations against Adani Group, cited Deloitte's resignation and said, When statutory auditors repeatedly quit, you know that things are not as they are projected.

In a statement, Ramesh alleged, "Shady transactions by the PM's favourite business group are reportedly leading Deloitte Haskins and Sells to take the unusual step of resigning as auditor for Adani Ports and SEZ".

Adani Ports has appointed MSKA & Associates as its statutory auditors effective from August 12 until the date of its next annual general meeting to be held in 2024, the company said in a filing.

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After an increasing number of road rage incidents in Karnatakas capital, Bengaluru police commissioner B Dayananda said that an act of rowdy sheet will be opened on such culprits who are involved in such incidents. In the past few months, social media has been flooded with many road rage incidents, thanks to the dash cameras inside the car. Two miscreants in B'luru arrested for threatening and creating a ruckus. last week.

Also Read - Family stopped by miscreants on road in Bandipur forest, abused| Video

Answering a user in social media platform X, the top said, Officers have been instructed to open 'rowdy sheets' on such unscrupulous elements indulging in road rage or extortion activities.

Recently in Whitefields Siddapura, two miscreants were seen stopping the car in the middle of the road and creating a ruckus. In a video that went viral, two people on a bike chased the car and tried assaulting the driver. Bengaluru police later arrested the two accused.

Not just in Bengaluru but such incidents have been repeatedly happening across Karnataka. Earlier this month, a family travelling from Karnatakas Bandipur forest was attacked by a group of miscreants who stopped their car in the middle of the road. The attackers were also seen hurling abuses at the family, and the whole video was recorded in the dash cam of the car. The police later tracked the vehicle and arrested the culprits.

What is a rowdy Sheet?

Karnataka police manual maintains a register of rowdies with different categories. The rowdy sheeters are divided into A, B and C categories of offenders. The brutal and habitual crime doers are considered as A category, whereas the offenders who commit moderate level of crime fall under the B category. The first-time offenders who are considered as a possible threat to the society come under the C category.
A drone was recovered during a joint search operation of Tarn Taran police and Border Security Force (BSF) in Lakhna village in Bhikhiwind sub-division of Tarn Tarn on Sunday. A drone was recovered from a well near the International Border in Tarn Taran district on Sunday. (HT photo)

Also, 3.5 kg of heroin was seized by Punjab Police and BSF jointly in two separate operations along the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar and Ferozepur districts.

Divulging details, a spokesperson of the BSF said, On August 13, on specific information, the BSF and Punjab Police jointly carried out a search operation in the outskirts of Lakhna village. During the search, the troops recovered a damaged drone. The recovered drone is a Quadcopter.

He further said, On a specific input, BSF troopers carried out a search operation in Dhanoe Kalan village situated along the border. During the search, a packet weighing around 530 gm, which was wrapped with yellow adhesive tape, was recovered from a farming field of the village.

He said, Acting on a tip-off, another joint search operation with Punjab Police was launched on the outskirts of Machiwara village of Ferozepur district. During the search, three packets of narcotics (weighing 3 kg) suspected to be heroin were recovered from a paddy field of the village.

The spokesperson said the heroin recovered in Amritsar and Ferozepur is suspected to be smuggled through drone from Pakistan.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) which is investigating real estate developers IREO and M3M for allegedly siphoning funds of investors and home buyers has found that a car driver was appointed as a director of a group company to facilitate transfer of development rights of 78 acres in Rajasthans Bhiwadi to five shell companies of M3M group. Each of the five shell companies were given 20% share in the land. The ED probe into the siphoning of homebuyers money found that a driver was made M3M director to carry out financial fraud. (HT File)

In a supplementary prosecution complaint (a chargesheet) filed in August before a special court at Panchkula hearing Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases, the ED said Roop Kumar Bansal and his brother, Basant Bansal (both arrested) were directors in Misty Meadows Private Limited from June 6, 1997, to December 6, 2010, and June 6, 1997, to August 9, 2010, respectively.

The August 2023 prosecution complaint accessed by Hindustan Times said that Bansals family driver, Puran Bahadur, became the new director in the said company on August 9, 2010. However, he remained director only for about four months before leaving the position on December 15, 2010. Roop Bansal also left his directorship on December 6, 2010.

Despite being a director, Roop Bansal did not sign agreement

All the said agreements were signed by Bahadur on behalf of the owner company and by Abhisek Basu for developer companies. All the agreements were executed during four months when Puran Bahadur and Roop Bansal were directors in the Misty Meadows Pvt. Ltd, the ED said.

The supplementary prosecution complaint said it emerges that the complete process of transfer of development rights from Misty Meadows to five developer companies was completed from September-November 2010 when Bahadur was companys director.

Material evidence collected during investigation and subsequent findings revealed that Basant and Roop Bansal who founded M3M India in Gurgaon in 2010 and were directors of the company when the diversion of funds took place from the IREO group to M3M Group, the supplementary chargesheet said.

The ED said Roop Bansal in his June 19 statement admitted that Bahadur was his family driver. The whole scheme of events therefore suggests that Bahadur was made director and authorised signatory of the Misty Meadows just to sign the agreements required for execution of transfer of development rights to five shell companies as a part of premeditated planning and Roop Bansal, despite being a director in Misty Meadows, did not do it.

Layers of companies added for diversion of money

The ED said the five shell companies  Base Realtors, Adi Buildwell, Cygnus Propbuild, Innovative Realtech and Vision Multiplex  further assigned the said 78 acres through assignment of development agreements to 10 IREO Group companies, Adson Software, Buzz Hotels, Sang Promoters, Regal Green Lands, BTVS Buildwell, Bulls Realtors, High Star Builders, Panoply Propbuild, Auspicious Infrastructure and Hardcore Realtors) for development.

Consequently, funds flew from 10 IREO Group companies to a M3M Group company, Misty Meadows via five shell companies of M3M Group. The sum of 404 crore received from IREO Group by the five shell companies of M3M Group was further transferred to four M3M Group companies just to add layers for diversion. These are Grand Realcon, Focus Realcon Starlite Builders and Sunrise Propbuild. Ultimately, 394 crore (out of 404 crore) was diverted to 17 M3M Group companies to add one more layer to the transactions. The remaining 10 crore was passed on to Misty Meadows. The diverted fund was ultimately parked in the accounts of 17 M3M companies, the supplementary prosecution complaint said.

The ED said while M3M accepted that 10 of these were its own or related entities it denied the remaining seven entities.

However, during investigation the seven companies were also found to be M3M Group companies. Using this modus operandi, a sum of 404 crore was diverted for the development rights of a land which could not be developed for commercial purposes. Rather it was never intended to be developed as IREO Group did not apply for any licence, no designs were prepared and no employees were hired for the project, the supplementary chargesheet said.

28 M3M companies, managers guilty of money laundering

The ED said that 28 companies including M3M India Pvt Ltd, M3M India Holdings, Misty Meadows, were found guilty of contravening the PMLA provisions as they have been actively involved in the commission of offence of money-laundering of funds. Key managerial persons of these 28 M3M Group companies including Roop Bansal were also found to be guilty of money laundering under section 70(2) of PMLA and liable for punishment under section 4.

The ED has arraigned 15 new persons and 30 companies as accused in the supplementary prosecution complaint besides six companies and one individual named earlier as accused in a prosecution complaint filed before the Panchkula court on January 14, 2022.

Regarding Basant and his son, Pankaj Bansal, the ED said investigations done till now has shown that both played an active role in money laundering within the meaning of section 3 of PMLA. Investigations also showed that they destroyed and tampered with evidence and were influencing witnesses, the ED said. The agency added that investigation against Basant and Pankaj Bansal among others was still going on to link the evidence.

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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
Tiranga yatras were taken out in Kashmir and large number of locals and officials participated in these rallies. Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha during a Tiranga rally on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha joined a Tiranga rally in Srinagar. Bharatiya Janata Party also took out rallies in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. The Srinagar rally was led by general secretary and in-charge Tarun Chugh.

Today entire J&K is participating in Tiranga Yatras. The Tricolour is flying high and streets are filled with enthusiasm, said Sinha.

Sinha also administered Panch Pran pledge to citizens who participated in the rally.

AT the rally in Srinagar, Chugh targeted the Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference leaders for creating fear in the minds of people.

Chugh said that former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that nobody will carry Tricolour in J&K. Today there are thousands holding the Tiranga, he said.

Chugh also criticised NC president Farooq Abdullah for advocating talks with Pakistan.

Why should we talk to Pakistan. We will talk to our people and not Pakistan, he said.

On Friday, Abdullah had advocated peace talks between India and Pakistan to resolve disputes.

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Police have arrested the another accused in connection with the alleged abduction and gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl in Rohtak on August 10. The same comes after the arrest of three persons. Police have arrested another accused in 15-yr-old Rohtak minors rape. (HT File)

The arrested accused has been identified as Praveen. The car allegedly used to abduct the minor has also been impounded. He will be produced before the court on Monday

Police officials, meanwhile, said the allegations of gang-rape could not be substantiated so far.

Sampla deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rakesh Singh said that no evidence has been found substantiating the girl being dragged into any car yet.

Notably, a medical examination had confirmed that the minor had been raped.

Sharing details about the initial investigation, the the DSP said, The accused brought the girl to a hotel in Rohtak, where he raped her and no evidence of gangrape was found so far. We are still ascertaining the facts and checking closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the girls village to Rohtak to confirm whether it was a rape or gang-rape. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of the former.

Singh further said the allegations of the girl being gang raped in a moving car was found to be untrue and preliminary investigation showed that she had not abducted.

The accused were produced before the court, which granted a two-day police remand. We will ascertain the role of the third accused in the case and strict action will be taken against the culprit, he added.

The accused trio have been booked for rape and sections of of the Protection of Children from the Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). There is no clarity on the charges against the hotel owner.

As per information, the trio, two of them known to the girl, hail from the same village. They allegedly abducted her on Thursday morning while she was headed to school. The girl told the police that she initially tried calling for help, but was threatened by the accused.

Her father, in his police complaint, said that trio gang-raped the girl in the moving car, after which she was brought to a hotel in Rohtak, where the main accused, Sahil, raped her.

It was after they left the hotel that my daughter contacted me with the help of the staff there. The staff took her to a nearby police check-post, where she narrated the entire incident to the police, he added.

The girls family alleged that a police official slapped the girl and asked her not to name the hotel owner in her complaint. They also accused a police official of taking a bribe from the hotel owner for not framing him in the case, but police officials have refuted all the allegations.

Congress MLAs met the girl and family members

Congress Tosham and Rohtak members of legislative assembly (MLA) Kiran Choudhry and BB Batra met the victim girl and her family at a hospital in Rohtak, where she is undergoing treatment and demanded strict punishment of the culprits.

Hooda sahab directed me to ensure all possible help to the victims family. The minor is extremely traumatised and she needs regular counselling and treatment, Batra added.

Kiran Choudhry said the women and girls are not safe in Haryana, dubbing the incident horrific.

The BJP-JJP governments claim of Beti-Bachao Beti-Padhao has been shattered. We will raise this issue in the state assembly and I have asked SP to ensure speedy investigation and trial in this case, she added.

In a statement, Leader of opposition and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the police should act with sensitivity and promptness in the matter.

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Ahead of Independence Day, Punjab Police busted a terror module with the arrest of three persons from Tarn Taran. The police also recovered three pistols from the accused. Besides three pistols, the police teams have also recovered  37,500 from their possession. (HT photo)

Police said the accused were associates of Czech Republic-based Gurdev Singh Jaisel, a key operative of Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa, and Satbir Singh, alias Satta.

Both Landa and Satta have been facing several criminal cases, including smuggling of drugs, arms and explosives from across the border using drones. They are wanted in the RPG attacks at the Sarhli police station and Punjab Polices intelligence headquarters in Mohali. They are also accused of hatching conspiracies for several targeted killings, the police said.

Also Read: 10k cops, anti-drone systems in place for Independence Day in Delhi

Those arrested have been identified as Ashmpreet Singh of Noordi in Tarn Taran, Pardeep Singh and Sukhman, both residents of Sheron in Sarhali, Tarn Taran. Besides three pistols, the police teams have also recovered 37,500 from their possession.

Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that following reliable inputs that Jaisel has been developing a new module to carry out terror activities in the Majha area, the Tarn Taran police, in a joint operation with the counter-intelligence wing, arrested the trio from Tarn Taran, when they were hatching a conspiracy to commit a crime.

Also Read: President Murmu to address nation on eve of Independence Day

Tarn Taran senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said that Jaisel was in touch with module members from Czechia. He used to give instructions over phone to carry out terror activities and target killings to disrupt peace and harmony in the state, the SSP added.

The arrested accused also confessed to having picked up weapons and money for terror funding to deliver them to different persons on the directions of Jaisel, he said, adding that further investigation is being carried out to unearth the backward and forward linkages.

A under Sections 384, 385,386, 387, 115 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 25 (6) and 27 (7) of the Arms Act, Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 18-B, 20 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act and Section 66 of the IT Act has been registered at the Sarhali police station.

Mastermind of Sarhali RPG attack

A close associate of Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir Singh Landa and Satbir Singh Satta, Czechiabased Gurdev Singh Jaisel is one of the masterminds of the RPG attack at Sarhali Kalan police station in Tarn Taran district in December 2022. He fled to Dubai in 2022 and later moved to Europe using illegal means, officials familiar with the development said. He has been facilitating terrorists Lakhbir Landa and Satbir Satta to carry out terror activities in Punjab with the help of his associates.

According to counter-intelligence reports, when Jaisel was in India, he retrieved consignments consisting of firearms, IEDs, AK-47 rifle and narcotics at the behest of Landa.
Fresh cracks have appeared in Joshimath in Uttarakhands Chamoli district, months after the town made headlines for its deteriorating geological situation. At least five families from Sunil ward have been shifted to relief camps as fear spreads of further instability due to rains in the ongoing monsoon season. The development comes ahead of the relaunching of agitation by affected families in the town over the non-fulfilment of the 11-point demands despite an assurance from chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. According to the latest data released by the Chamoli district administration, 868 structures have developed cracks in the Joshimath town (File Photo)

Chamoli district disaster management officer (DDMO), Nand Kishore Joshi confirmed the development.

He said, After fresh cracks appeared in Sunil ward, the administration shifted five families to hotels (relief camps). We have been monitoring the situation regularly.

Also Read: Joshimath crisis linked to infra projects in Uttarakhand: Activists

In July, panic was triggered after a 6-feet hole appeared in Sunil ward and a long crack on Auli-Joshimath road.

In June, local residents met district magistrate (DM) Himanshu Khurana over possible threats to the town during monsoon rains.

On July 26, Joshimath sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Kumkum Joshi said a group of geologists will examine the new crack that surfaced on the Joshimath-Auli road.

Authorities earlier also said they will begin retrofitting houses/buildings which have small cracks and are located on safe land after the monsoon rains. Retrofitting involves making structures more resistant to seismic activity. The move for retrofitting came months after a 15-member National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) team arrived in Joshimath for the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA). PDNA is an internationally accepted methodology for determining the physical damages, economic losses, and costs of meeting recovery needs through a government-led process after a natural disaster.

According to the latest data released by the Chamoli district administration, 868 structures have developed cracks in the town. Officials said 181 of them are in the unsafe zone while 296 families are living in camps, rented accommodations, etc.

The official data has been unchanged since February 6 even though fresh cracks develop in the town.

The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JBSS) has already announced to revive the agitation with a Tiranga yatra on the Independence Day on August 15 and hold a sit-in every day from the next day onwards. Locals have alleged the governments apathy towards them continued even though new areas witness cracks amid rains in the ongoing monsoon season.

Meanwhile, some families have left their homes and many will be shifted to safer locations after Pagnau village, around 25 km from Joshimath town, due to a landslide, said Chamoli DDMO.

Joshimath SDM Kumkum Joshi conducted a ground inspection and ordered the shifting of affected families to safer locations.
The Sarv Hindu Samaj, a community group, has called for a maha panchayat in Nuh on Sunday near a village on Nuh-Palwal border to discuss the preparations for resuming the Brajmandal Dharmik Yatra, which was disrupted on July 31 after stone pelting and clashes. Six people were killed and 88 others were injured after communal violence erupted in Nuh on July 31. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Leaders of the group said on Saturday that they plan to resume the procession on August 28 from Nalhar village in Nuh,.

Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal will also take part in the panchayat at Pondri-Kira border village, they said.

Pondri falls under Palwal and Kira falls under Nuh district.

Also Read: Sudarshan News editor Mukesh Kumar arrested by Gurguram Police over X post on Nuh violence

The organisers shared posters on various social media platforms announcing the mahapanchayat. The yatra is reportedly being organised to boost the confidence of Hindus, said the poster, which also mentions the violence during the July 31 yatra following which six people were killed and 88 others injured.

Both Nuh and Palwal superintendents of police said that they have denied permission for holding the maha panchayat.

Narender Bijarniya, Nuh superintendent of police, said they denied permission to Hindu outfits for holding the maha panchayat in view of law and order situation. The situation in the district is under control and teams are deployed across the district ,but we are ensuring that people are not allowed to assemble for any meetings, he said.

Also Read: Nuh clashes: DC issues notice to 11 sarpanches for banning entry of Muslim community

Lokender Singh, Palwal superintendent of police, said that they received a request for holding the maha panchayat, but have denied permission. We are analysing the situation in the district and collecting information to ensure there is no security threat, he said.

The yatra is an annual affair but this year, Nuh residents were angered by reports that Monu Manesar, a cow vigilante wanted for the lynching of two Muslim men, Junaid and Nasir, in February this year, would be attending the event.

In a video shared days before the yatra, Manesar said he would join the procession.

According to police, some Muslims in the area mobilised reinforcements from Rajasthan and also guns, stones, and bottles to attack the procession, which was also a show of strength with at least some of the marchers also armed with guns and swords.

Questions have been asked of the administration over its intelligence lapses that resulted in it being taken by surprise when the violence broke out, as well as its tardy response.

Arun Jaildar, one of the organisers of the maha panchayat, said people who were attacked on July 31 are traumatised. We took shelter in the Nalhar temple and were rescued after six hours . The men who targeted us while we were offering prayers are still roaming freely, and only a bunch of them are behind bars. We want action against all who were involved in the attack, he said.

Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a member of Bajrang Dal, said they have invited their counterparts from at least 50 districts in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan to take part in the event.

Two of our men were killed by the Muslim community who came well prepared to attack us. We have given a compensation of 4.50 lakh each to the families of the deceased, he said.

Bhardwaj said at 15,000 people are expected to participate in the procession.

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Shri Rajput Karni Sena state president Bhanwar Singh Saladiya was allegedly shot at during a party meeting in Udaipur on Sunday, police said. Police arrested Digvijay Singh, former party district chief (HT Photo)

The shooter, identified as Digvijay Singh, is the former Karni Sena district chief of Udaipur. He was arrested immidiately after the incident, said police.

Police said that Singh, a former president of the Udaipur district unit, was caught and thrashed by other members present at the meeting and later handed over to the police.

The incident took place during an organisational party meeting at the premises of the Bhupal Nobles (BN) University, Udaipur.

Saladiya chaired an internal meeting with the party members for an event on Sunday at the university premises. During the meeting, Singh took Saladiya to a corner to speak to him and suddenly shot him in the back, Bhuvan Bhushan, superintendent of police (SP), said.

Singh was removed from the designation a few months back, which might have resulted in Sundays incident, added the SP.

Saladiya was admitted to Geetanjali Hospital in critical condition, police said.

An investigation into the matter has been launched, the SP said.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, reached Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata on Sunday. BJP national president JP Nadda offering prayers at Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata on Sunday. (ANI)

After offering prayers at the temple, Nadda said that he prayed to the goddess and seeks strength and blessing for him and his party members so that they can remain dedicated to the service of Maa Bharati".

Also Read | BJP president Nadda compares Bengal rural poll violence to turmoil of partition

In the visuals, Nadda was seen receiving a warm welcome from the party workers present at the venue ahead of Naddas arrival and later he was seen offering prayers with full rituals inside the temple.

"I prayed to 'Maa' to grant my people and party the power, energy and strength so that under the leadership of PM Modi we remain dedicated to the service of 'Maa Bharati and make India a developed nation not just Physical dimension but also in the spiritual world, said Nadda while interacting with media after offering prayers at the temple.

Earlier on Saturday Nadda held a meeting with the party's state core committee. Ahead of that he met panchayat election-winning candidates and congratulated them for their achievement in the West Bengal panchayat polls amid adverse conditions.

The BJP national president also expressed his grief for the victims who lost their life during the panchayat polls. JP Nadda launched a blistering attack on the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee for the poll violence during Vidhan Sabha polls earlier and the recently concluded Panchayat poll elections. (ANI)
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) booth president and two others were arrested in connection with the murder of two persons in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district late on Friday night, police said. Police said that there was an old rivalry between the prime accused and one of the victims. (Representative Image)

The victims have been identified as Mahadeb Purkait, 42 and Ganesh Naskar, 48. Police said that there was an old rivalry between Purkait and the prime accused Asim Baidya.

We have arrested three persons  Asim Baidya, Prasenjit Naskar and Mrityunjay Mondol. There was an old rivalry over some real estate business, said Rahul Goswami, superintendent of police (SP) of Diamond Harbour police district.

The accused persons have been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Arms Act.

The incident took place after 11pm when Purkait and Naskar were returning home. They were intercepted by Baidya and his associates and beaten up before being attacked with sharp weapons including swords. The victims were declared dead after being taken to the hospital.

My brother and Asim Baidya were business partners dealing with real estate. Later my brother left real estate business and started a business dealing with fish. On Friday, he and Naskar were attacked. Their throats were slit, said Raju Purkait, brother of Mahadeb Purkait.

Asked whether there was any political connection, Goswami said: Investigation is going on. Nine persons have been named in the FIR. A special investigation team has been set up. We are looking for the other accused persons.

Baidya may belong to our party but as this has nothing to do with the party and has no political connection, I wont comment. Law will take its own course, Ashok Kumar Deb, TMC legislator of Budge Budge told media persons.
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate who won a gram panchayat seat at Haroa in North 24 Parganas district in the July 8 state-wide elections was shot dead around midnight on Saturday when he was returning home, police said. The deceased was shot multiple times from close range by the assailants who blocked the path of his motorcycle. (Representative Image)

The deceased, identified as Sheikh Saheb Ali, was shot multiple times from close range by the assailants who blocked the path of his motorcycle, a district police officer said on condition of anonymity.

It appeared that the victim was hit by several bullets. Local people claimed to have heard around eight gunshots. An investigation is on. The body has been sent for post mortem, the officer added.

The victims daughter, Simran Parveen, alleged before the police that her father was murdered by TMC workers belonging to a rival faction as he was a contender for the post of pradhan (head) of the local Khasbalanda gram panchayat. Ali did not get the post when the election was held on Saturday.

Also Read | TMC played with blood, says PM Modi; Mamata hits back saying BJPs end is near

Alis followers blocked the road where the murder took place and set a motorcycle and an e-rickshaw on fire demanding action against members of the rival faction. They did not let policemen take the body to hospital till 2.30am.

No district TMC leader commented on the murder till noon on Sunday.

Violence marked the panchayat polls last month. Opposition parties have alleged that around 60 people were killed during and after the elections that the TMC swept. Several of the deceased were TMC workers.

With the panchayat boards being formed across Bengal, clashes between workers of rival parties were reported from several districts on Sunday. However, no death was reported till 2.30pm.
THANE: Just 48 hours after the deaths of five patients in a day led to a furore, 18 more deaths were reported at the Thane Municipal Corporation-run hospital in Kalwa in a span of 18 hours. Following the incident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered an investigation into the 23 deaths by a five-member committee. Thane, India - August, 13, 2023: As 18 patients died in chhtrapati Shivaji maharaj Hospital Kalwa Hospital of Thane Municipal Corporation on a single day, a crowd of relatives can be seen outside Mercury in CSM Hospital kalwa Hopsital , in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on,Sunday, August, 13, 2023. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo ) (Hindustan Times)

Thirteen of the deaths occurred in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

My father Abdul Rahim Khan, 58, complained of breathlessness on Saturday afternoon and we brought him to the hospital around 2.30 pm, Khans son Mohammed Sohail told HT. But till 8 pm, the hospital procedures were on, and he was not admitted. He was kept earlier in the ward and was moved to the ICU around 11.30 and put on oxygen.

Sohail said that his father looked all right till 2.30 am. At 3.30 am, they said he had passed away, he said. In that one hour, we saw many relatives say their patients had been declared dead. Added Khans relative Feroze Khan, What happened in those early hours in the ICU that so many patients were declared dead? This must be probed.

Jitendra Awhad, NCP MLA of the Kalwa-Mumbra assembly constituency, who was accused by Shinde aides of indulging in stunts when he raised a stink over the five deaths on Thursday, returned to the hospital on Sunday. Accusing the hospital and municipal administration of mismanagement, he aggressively questioned the dean Dr Rakesh Barot and medical superintendent Dr Aniruddha Malgaonkar about the deaths.

Awhad also played the political card. Our president Sharad Pawar is in Solapur, but he tweeted, expressing his condolences, he said. But despite such a serious incident, our sensitive chief minister, who rules over the TMC and its hospitals, has not spoken or even sent the guardian minister to visit the hospital yet. When there is political patronage, I dont think any action will be taken against the hospital administration or municipal administration.

Awhad questioned why the administration had not organised more beds at other Thane hospitals, which are on TMC land, but run privately. In emergencies like these, we have the right to ask them to reserve some beds for our patients, he said. After all, Kaushalya Hospital was given land by the civic body on a token Re 1 lease. The Thane civil hospital may have been relocated to the Thane Mental Hospital campus, but it has empty beds and should have been utilised.

According to the hospital administration, after Thane civil hospital was demolished in March to be redeveloped as a 900-bed superspecialty hospital, the Kalwa hospital witnessed an increased influx of patients, especially from the lower income groups. Hospitals in the entire Thane district, which extends up to Ambarnath, refer their patients here. On Saturday, the 500-bed hospital had 588 patients admitted, and the daily inflow of casualty patients had increased from 175 to 325 patients.

Thane municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar said that some of the patients were already admitted, and some referred by other hospitals. That is why a clinical investigation is important to determine what treatment they had received earlier, he said. Bangar said the committee would take direct feedback from patients relatives regarding the treatment given in the Kalwa hospital.

Asked if the hospital faced a crunch of trained staff, Bangar said the vacancies for nurses were recently filled with 40 recruits, and recruitment was on to fill vacancies of retired staff. We also had 400 to 500 staffers who worked during Covid, and we have already shifted them to Kalwa hospital, he said. A large hospital needs to have 24-hour post-mortem services, and we will start them soon.

To a question on whether the 605-crore funds for beautification of Thane and road repairs could have been diverted to hospital upgradation, Bangar said, Just 10 days ago, the state sanctioned 60 crore for the hospital, and whatever is necessary will be done over the next 10 months.

School education minister Deepak Kesarkar, who arrived at the hospital on the orders of the CM, said the ratio of 18 patients dying in a short span was high even for a 500-bed hospital. I have given directives to officials to coordinate with the Thane civil hospital and private hospitals on TMC land to accommodate Kalwa hospital patients if necessary, he said. I dont want to comment on allegations of medical negligence and mismanagement. The CM has ordered a transparent probe, and if negligence is found, action will be taken against the guilty.

While terming the incident at Kalwa hospital unfortunate, public health minister Tanaji Sawant on Sunday said that he had asked the authorities to submit the report in 48 hours and would take stringent action against the culprits. Sawant added that for the government, the life of every citizen was important, irrespective of the region and city they belonged to. So just because the incident occurred at Thane no one should politicise the issue, he said.
Mumbai: A 70-year-old woman died of suspected suffocation after three robbers tied her up and gagged her with a tape in her flat barely 200 metres from the Tardeo police station on Sunday. Mumbai, India  Aug 13, 2023: Mumbai Police investigate at Crime spot, Surekha Agarwal resident who was killed by Robbers, at Yoosuf Manzil, Tardeo, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, Aug 13, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

Surekha Agarwal and her husband Madan R Agarwal, 75, lived on the third floor of Yoosuf Manzil on Kashinath Street.

At around 6:30am, when Agarwal opened the door for morning walk, three robbers, two wearing masks and one sporting a cap, dragged him inside the house and locked the door. They tied up Agarwals hands and legs with adhesive tape and taped his mouth. The robbers then went to the bedroom where Agarwals wife was sleeping and tied her hands and legs and also taped her mouth. The robbers thereafter opened the cupboard and decamped with valuables.

When the robber left, Agarwal managed to crawl and somehow opened the door to seek help. However, the other two flats on the floor were locked. It was only at around 7:45am when a woman staying on the fourth floor came out of her house and heard Agarwals screaming for help while the tape was on his mouth.

The woman alerted her son, and they rushed to help Agarwal. The neighbour immediately informed the Tardeo police about the incident. Surekha was taken to Nair hospital, however, she died before admission, said one of the neighbours. Agarwal was also taken to the Nair hospital and his condition is said to be stable.

The police said they suspect that the robbers had gagged Surekha tightly that made her struggle to breathe. They did not find any injury marks on her body, however, the exact cause of death will be revealed in the post-mortem.

Agarwals son lives in Wadala who was informed about the incident. There is no security guard in the building. The couple had been living here for four decades and their sons and daughter visit them on weekends.

A police officer said the suspects have been captured in the CCTV camera installed in the building and on the third floor.The police have questioned a few people on the basis of suspicion and are checking CCTV footage of the vicinity to get more leads on the accused.

The police claimed that the accused came to the building on Saturday and took a taxi. After getting the registration number of the taxi from the CCTV footage, the driver was picked up for inquiry. After the robbery, the accused boarded another taxi and got off at Marine Drive. The taxi driver claimed that he did not know the accused as they approached him like other passengers, the police said. The local shopkeepers were also questioned to get leads.

In preliminary investigation, it appears that the robbers must have been following Agarwal for some time and were aware of his morning routine. Agarwal goes for morning walk every day, an accused might have conducted recce and planned the robbery, a police officer said. The police found that the robbers took two gold chains, however, they are trying to ascertain if anything else was stolen.

Deputy commissioner of police Balsingh Rajput also visited the crime scene.

A case under section 302 (murder), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt) 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been booked against the accused.

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Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recently questioned the brother of Jayant Patil, the former Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Partys (Sharad Pawars faction) state president, in connection with a money-laundering investigation involving a private firm. Mumbai, India - June 09, 2023: NCP leader MLA Jayant Patil poses for the photos at his residence, in Mumbai, India, on Friday, June 09, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The agency had served summons to Patils brother, who is a hotelier, and thereafter took details on the firm from him after the latter appeared before its investigating team a few days back, sources said.

Patil on Sunday, while talking to mediapersons, confirmed that the agency had served a notice to his brother. He added that four days ago, his brother had visited the ED office and submitted all the details he knew of in connection with the firm that is under the probes scanner.

The agency has taken several individuals and including those with political links, under its scanner in connection with two of its probes: one pertains to alleged irregularities linked to Sanglis Rajarambapu Sahakari Bank Limited, a cooperative bank, while the other is connected to alleged financial irregularities at the debt-hit Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), sources said.

Earlier on May 22, Patil was questioned at the EDs office in Mumbai for over eight hours to record his statement as part of its IL&FS investigation. The ED was verifying if Patil was allegedly a beneficiary, via his associate/s, of some proceeds of crime in the case, but he had dismissed all the allegations against him and said he had no links with the IL&FS case whatsoever.

After his questioning, Patil had told the media, No payment came to my account, nor any payment went to anyone from my account. These are false allegations. I have replied to all the questions of the ED to their satisfaction. I was not asked about any payment from any subcontractor. I have no links with IL & FS at all.

In June, the ED had carried out searches at around 16 locations in Sangli, including at the premises of Rajarambapu Sahakari Bank Limited, as part of its probe related to allegedly dubious sales tax refunds procured around 12 years ago by a few private firms which are under the scanner.

The agency has taken certain dubious withdrawals from the bank by the firms and it is verifying claims that a part of the funds was allegedly meant for individuals with political links, sources said.

The agency s preliminary probe estimated that the extent of the dubious Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds withdrawn by suspected firms could be around 1,000 crore, sources said. A few private firms under the probe s scanner had accounts in the cooperative bank.

The agencys searches covered the premises of certain entities and persons suspected of having links with the case. The agency recovered several incriminating documents and records that are being scrutinised for evidentiary value.

Every reporting entity, including banks, are required to furnish to the Financial Intelligence Unit  India or the FIU - IND, that is under the Ministry of Finance, reporting about suspicious Cash Reporting Transactions and Suspicious Transaction Reporting.

It will be probed if the bank had complied with the reporting requirements, according to sources. The agency, which initiated its money-laundering probe a year ago, will examine lapses if there were any, the sources said.

The FIU-IND was set by the Government of India in November 2004 as the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.

Earlier in May, as part of its IL&FS case probe, the ED had conducted searches in Mumbai at five locations against two former IL&FS audit firms. The ED has taken under its scanner the books of accounts and financial statements from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

The EDs probe in the IL&FS case had been initiated in February 2019 based on a Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) case filed against IRL, ITNL (group companies of IL&FS), its officials and others.

The ED had also taken the cognisance of a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office against IL&FS Financial Services (IFIN) and its officials.

The agency alleged in the chargesheet that the senior management of IL&FS indulged in acts of commissions and omissions, leading to illegal personal gains to them at the expense of the company.

Despite attempts, HT could not reach Patil for his comments about the ED action.
Navi Mumbai: In a first, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), through Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), scheme plans to rejuvenate and maintain the water quality of two of their holding ponds for an estimated 27 crore through a five-year contract. Activists, however, are doubtful about the significant amount of money invested in this restoration project. NMMC plans  25 crore rejuvenation of holding ponds, activists sceptical

The two holding ponds  the Jewel of Navi Mumbai spread across 64 acres in sector 36 in Nerul and the holding pond in sector 19 in Koparkhairane  ensure that Navi Mumbai does not get flooded during the monsoons.

New-age technology measures will be deployed to ensure the water quality in the pond is maintained for the next five years. This is the first time that the water within the holding ponds is not only going to be cleaned completely but also measures are being taken to ensure the quality is retained. The areas surrounding these ponds have been restored and beautified, but nothing ever was done to treat the water in these ponds, said Arvind Shinde, project in-charge and NMMC executive engineer.

The civic administration has introduced tender bids that include the installation of an ultrasonic algae control system, a real-time water quality monitoring system, and the use of bioremediation technology. The project is estimated to cost 17 crore at the Jewel of Navi Mumbai holding pond and another 10 crore at the Koparkhairane holding pond.

The funds will be spent on cleaning and desilting the pond ( 1.26 crore), the installation of an ultrasonic algae control system ( 2.75 crore), and the installation of bioremediation technology ( 1.40 crore) for maintaining the water quality.

Modern-day advanced technology is to be used to get the water in both these holding ponds cleaned. Following the complete desilting of the pond, the points sea water infiltrates will be identified, and through the water filtration plant, the salinity of the water will be monitored. To address the algae formation, sonic technology is being considered, which will ensure water clarity is retained. The concept of including bioremediation technology is also meant to bring back the ecological equilibrium of the water in the pond, said Shinde.

However, activists are sceptical of the need to spend a huge amount to maintain the ponds. Restoration of the holding ponds was long overdue, but whether it needs to be done at the cost of 17 crore is something that needs to be studied, said Dharmesh Barai, founder of Environment Life Foundation.

Barai said the holding ponds are naturally made and can be maintained with a structured maintenance schedule and minimum expenditure. All that the ponds need is regular clean-ups and a sound maintenance system, especially about the operation of the floodgates through which water from creekside flows in during the high tides. The need to splurge public funds is beyond my understanding. The NMMC has not been able to prevent the theft of the floodgates. I am wondering how the upkeep and safety of the advanced technology will be achieved, said Barai.
letters@htlive.com HC seeks explanation from U.P. over delayed implementation of Mission Vatsalya (file photo)

Lucknow: The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has sought explanation from the state government for implementing the Mission Vatsalya scheme of the Centre from July 17, 2023, instead of April 1, 2022, when it was notified by the Centre.

A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Jaspreet Singh directed the state government on August 11 to release funds under the centrally sponsored Mission Vatsalya scheme to NGOs concerned from the date it was notified by the union government and not after one year when the state government issued a government order (GO) for it on July 17, 2023.

The union ministry of Women and Child development had launched the Mission Vatsalya scheme from April 1, 2022.

Formerly known as Child Protection Services Scheme, it is for the welfare and rehabilitation of children in difficult circumstances. The scheme will benefit child protection homes, both government and private.

However, in U.P. the scheme was implemented from July 17, 2023, the date from which the state cabinet issued a GO.

The union government is contributing 60 percent while the states share is 40 percent. The union government had asked all state governments to prepare financial proposals for the year 2022-23 to avail funds under the Mission Vatsalya scheme.

Passing the order, the court directed the government to file an affidavit stating why the scheme was made applicable from July 17, 20023 and not from April 1, 2022.

The court also directed that a state government official not below the rank of Principal Secretary, Women and Child Welfare department, will file the affidavit

The affidavit will clearly state whether the guidelines of the scheme have been incorporated by the state government completely or partially, said the court.

The court also stated that reasons in both cases must be clearly mentioned in the affidavit.

The rationale for adoption of the scheme only in part, if it is so, shall also be given, said the court.

The court also directed the state government to release pending funds of the NGOs concerned whose social audit was complete, including Drishti Samajik Sansthan.

The court fixed August 25 as the next date of hearing of the case.

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Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah on Sunday targeted the Oppositions newly forged Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), saying that their rebranding efforts will not dissipate the cloud of alleged corruption that hangs over them. Union home minister Amit Shah at Mansa in Gujarats Gandhinagar on Sunday. (ANI)

Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony for a regional center of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Gujarats Mansa town, Shah likened the oppositions alliance to old wine in old bottles, and said that this alliance consisted of leaders embroiled in corruption amounting to 12 lakh crore.

He said that Indias economy had remained stagnant during the Congress rule, ranking only 11th globally, and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with propelling the economy to the 5th rank.

The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and Congress are synonymous with a 12 lakh crore corruption scandalThey may have changed their name, but they remain the same at heart. Who would support those tainted by a massive scam? he said.

Havent you heard the saying: Old wine in a new bottle. But here both the bottle and the wine are old. So, do not get cheated. Under PM Modis leadership, the BJP will return to power with full majority, he added.

Shah also urged people to raise children who embody patriotism and dedicate their lives to the countrys progress, culture, and values.

Many people say had they been there, they would have sacrificed their life for the nation. We do not need to sacrifice our life for the nation, but nobody can stop us from living for the nation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

Also Read | PM Modi insulted Chhattisgarh by comparing it to Manipur violence: Kharge

Addressing language and cultural preservation, Shah highlighted the importance of keeping the Gujarati language alive. He emphasised that learning ones native language was crucial for understanding ones roots, identity, and contributing positively to the nation.

Let us raise five children who live for our language, literature, culture, village, state and the country, he said.

During the Tiranga Yatra event as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign in Ahmedabad, Shah praised the ongoing Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, celebrating 75 years of Indias independence, and how PM Modis efforts had made patriotism a strong sentiment.

Shah highlighted the success of the Tricolour hoisting campaign on August 15, 2022 and said, Not a single household in the country was devoid of the Tricolour, with people taking selfies to capture the momentous occasion. We want citizens to hoist the Tricolour again.

Referring to Indias freedom fighters, Shah urged people to hoist the Tricolour from August 13 to 15 and share selfies online, creating a wave of patriotism. The enthusiasm of the youth present at the event will drive this campaign forward, inspiring generations, he said.

He shared a plan where young people from Gujarat would carry soil and the flag from all over the country to Delhi, symbolising unity. He spoke about the Meri Maati, Mera Desh program for a self-reliant India, saying, We envision a future where India stands tall on the global stage.

Shah said, From August 15, 2023, to August 15, 2047, were entering the Amrit Kaal of Independence. He compared it to the 90 years from 1857 to 1947 when young people were at the forefront of the freedom movement.

He said, The sacrifices of freedom fighters are not just history, but a source of inspiration today. We may not be called to lay down our lives, but we can surely dedicate ourselves to Indias progress.
KANPUR A Dalit man was thrashed in the middle of the road in Lalitpur (Bundelkhand) after he refused to give chicken for free to a group of men on August 11. On Saturday night (August 12), Lalitpur police lodged an FIR against three people. (HT File)

On Saturday night (August 12), Lalitpur police lodged an FIR against three people -- Uttam Rajput, Rahees Rajput and one unidentified person -- in the matter. They have been charged under IPC sections of intimidation, assault, and provisions of the SC/ST Act. However, no arrest has been made so far in this case.

The victim, Sujan Ahirwar, who sells chicken was returning to his village after his days work when the accused intercepted him and demanded a free chicken. When he refused, he was beaten up in the middle of the road with slippers.

As per the FIR, a passerby who recorded a video of the incident was also threatened by the assailants. Circle Officer Pali Kamlesh Narain, who is leading the investigation, stated that the police are currently conducting raids to nab the accused.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Haidar Naqvi Haidar Naqvi covers central UP and Bundelkhand. He closely tracks developments in internal security in the region and beyond. ...view detail
Security measures have been intensified across the violence-hit Manipur following a call by an umbrella body of major militant groups to boycott the Independence Day celebrations and a shutdown. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3 in which nearly 160 people have been killed and over 50,000 displaced. (AFP)

Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3 in which nearly 160 people have been killed and over 50,000 displaced.

According to officials familiar with the matter, police and security forces deployed in the state have been instructed to beef up patrolling and checking of vehicles to ensure that the Independence Day celebrations pass smoothly.

Earlier this week, Coordination Committee (CorCom), a conglomerate of Imphal Valley-based militant outfits had called for boycott of Independence Day functions. It also urged people to stay indoors and not to unfurl the tri-colour.

The umbrella organisation also called a 17-and-a-half hour shutdown on that day. It would start from 1am on Tuesday and end at 6.30pm. Essential services including medical emergencies, water supply, fire services, media and social and religious functions have been exempted from purview of the shutdown.

The militant outfits under CorCom include Kangleipak Communist Party, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, Revolutionary Peoples Front, Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Progressive, Peoples Liberation Army and United National Liberation Front. The outfits have been demanding sovereignty for Manipur.

Auto-rickshaw torched

An auto-rickshaw was torched by unidentified miscreants at Porompat Pangal Leirak area of Imphal East district on Saturday. It is reported that the driver of the vehicle was ferrying goods for some Kuki residents when it was intercepted and burnt by a mob. No one was injured in the incident.

HT reached out to senior police officials of Imphal East district for more details of the incident. But they didnt respond.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail
LUCKNOW The Crop Weather Watch team of the State Council of Agricultural Research (UPCAR) has issued a set of guidelines for farmers across Uttar Pradesh, considering the upcoming weather conditions. Arrangements should be made to utilize excess water from ponds and rivers for irrigation at a later time. (Representational Photo)

The forecast until August 16 indicates significant rainfall in areas of Uttar Pradesh near the Terai belt, followed by lighter showers in most parts of the state during the subsequent week.

According to the crop weather watch group, farmers can optimize grain farming, as well as natural and organic produce farming during this period. Farmers should be cautious of waterlogging in pulses and oilseed farms, and construct embankments around their fields to facilitate proper drainage. Additionally, arrangements should be made to utilize excess water from ponds and rivers for irrigation at a later time.

The guidelines also propose various crops and plants that would thrive in conditions of moderate rainfall and limited sunlight. Dr. Vinod Tiwari, Scientific Officer and Media In-Charge at UPCAR, stated, These guidelines reach approximately 3.2 million farmers across the state through WhatsApp groups. Simultaneously, agricultural department officials in districts, magistrates, commissioners, and other authorities are also being informed through diverse channels, enabling them to disseminate the information effectively in their respective regions.

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The Gujarat police on Saturday detained a Muslim cleric in Porbandar for an audio clip circulated on social media where he allegedly disrespected the national flag and the national anthem. The cleric allegedly said that the Muslims should refrain from saluting the national flag and singing the national anthem. (Representative Image)

The accused Wasid Raza was arrested after a first information report (FIR) was filed against him at Kirtimandir police station based on a complaint filed by Azim Kadri, a resident of Porbandar who runs a restaurant in the city, according to Neelam Goswami, DySP, Porbandar.

The accused has been charged with insulting the national flag, making an attempt to prevent the singing of the National Anthem and inciting hostility between groups.

An Imam at Nagina Masjid in Porbandar, Raza was part of a WhatsApp group called Bahar-e-Shariat, where he was one of the admins. The members of the group would pose questions in audio format about various topics related to religion and Raza would answer them by recording audio messages.

On January 25 and 26, two individuals raised queriesone regarding whether Muslims should hoist the national flag and, if so, whether they should salute it. To this the Maulvi replied that they can unfurl the flag but should not salute it. The second question was whether they can sing the national anthem or not. To this the cleric replied in an audio clip that Muslims should not sing the Indian National Anthem due to words like Bharat Bhagya Vidhata and Jay He Jay He. These audio clips were circulated on social media on Friday and was received by the complainant, said Goswami.

DySP Goswami said that police are currently probing the rationale behind the Imams assertion that Muslims should refrain from saluting the national flag and singing the Indian national anthem due to specific terms contained within it.

Raza has been booked under sections 153, 153A, 153B (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) and 505 1 (b,c) (cause fear or alarm to public, promote enmity between one class or community against another) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act  1971 Section 2 (showing disrespect to or brings into contempt, whether through spoken or written words, or through actions, the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India) and Section 3 (for preventing the singing of the Indian National Anthem or causing disturbance to any assembly engaged in such singing).
VARANASI Gandhians and social workers on Sunday carried out a silent march by covering their mouth with a black strip and also staged a sit-in protest in Adarsh Village Nagepur, Varanasi, to protest against the demolition of at least 12 buildings on the premises of Sarva Seva Sangh, located near Rajghat in Varanasi. The Sarva Seva Sangh was established by Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 1948. (HT Photo)

Protesters displayed placards with messages condemning the move to demolish the building of the Gandhian institute and raised slogans in praise of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jai Prakash Narayan, Vinova Bhave as they marched from Lok Samiti office to Ambedkar Park.

This comes after at least 12 buildings, including the main structure of the Sarva Seva Sangh, a Gandhian organisation, at Rajghat were demolished on Saturday, amid heavy police deployment, and northern railway officials, said Sarva Seva Sangh, Varanasi Convener and senior Gandhian Ramdhiraj.

He added the demolished buildings included the printing centre, library, two large halls, Sadhana Kendra, Balwadi (childrens learning centre), study centre, guest house, and offices. Some of these buildings comprised three large rooms, while others had two-to-three rooms.

Its not merely about the buildings; its about safeguarding the legacy of Acharya Binoba, JP Narayan, and Gandhi, said Ramdhiraj with tearful eyes. The demolished structures were tied to this legacy, and legacies arent built in a day like buildings, he added.

Ramdhiraj further said, Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri once referred to the Sarva Seva Sangh premises as a temple of Acharya Vinoba. Since its inception, this place has been a hub of Gandhi, JP, and Vinoba jis ideas. Our emotions are deeply connected to it. We tried to save the Sarva Seva Sanghs buildings but we could not. No one listened to us... As no one listened to us, we Gandhians, along with social workers and locals, took out a march in Adarsh Gram Nagepur.

Nandlal Master, the convenor of Lok Samiti, who led the sit-in protest, emphasised that those who demolished the buildings aimed to obliterate Gandhis ideals. He added that Gandhis ideals would persist, and they were determined to establish even more centres like this one. Books will be published again, libraries will be restored. We will engage with the public and convey the truth, and our fight for democracy will continue, he asserted.

Village head Mukesh Kumar affirmed, We will persistently protest like this to safeguard our heritage. Among those participating in the protest were Nandlal Master, Mukesh Pradhan, Ramdhiraj Bhai, Jagruti Rahi, Anoop Shramik, Sharmila, Ishwarchand, Amit, Rajesh Singh, Priyanka, Rachna, Vandana, Anita, Soni, Shyamsundar, Panchmukhi, Ramvachan, Shivkumar, Saroj, Madhubala, Arvind, and Sanju Tara.

The Sarva Seva Sangh, established by Acharya Vinoba Bhave in 1948 to propagate Gandhis ideas and philosophy, is closely linked with the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Amit Kumar Pandey, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kotwali, noted, Police personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.

A senior administrative official disclosed that six bulldozers from the Northern Railway were employed for the demolition. This action followed a protracted legal dispute between the Sangh and Northern Railways concerning land ownership.

On the basis of documents presented as evidence by the Northern Railway, the court of the Varanasi district magistrate dismissed the Sarva Seva Sanghs claim of ownership on the land in question in June this year.

The Sangh subsequently approached the Allahabad High Court and then the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the demolition, but failed to secure relief.

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Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday unveiled key defence and infrastructure projects near the India-Pakistan border in Gujarats Kutch as he praised the Border Security Force (BSF) for its role in guarding the country. Union home minister Amit Shah at BSF post in Kutch, Gujarat (Twitter/@AmitShah)

During his visit, the home minister laid the foundation stone for a mooring place, and inaugurated a key road and watchtower, according to an official release.

In a significant step towards enhancing border security and infrastructure, home minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for a mooring place at Koteshwar for the Border Security Force (BSF) in Kutch and also inaugurated the newly constructed Chidiyamod-Biarbet Link Road and OP Tower in the districts Harami Nala area, the BSF said in an official release.

The mooring place project, with an outlay of Rs.257 crore, spanning over 60 acres, serves as a crucial infrastructure for BSF water vessels in the creek region. This state-of-the-art facility will facilitate maritime security operations in the creek area and significantly improve the availability of resources for BSF personnel deployed in the region.

The home minister also inaugurated the newly constructed Chidiyamod-Biarbet Link Road and OP Tower at BP No 1164 in the Harami Nala area, also in Kutch.

OP Tower at BP 1164 in Harami Nala, built at a cost of Rs.3 crore, ensures the clock presence of BSF, strengthens security and makes this area impenetrable, the BSF release said.

The 9.5-meter high outpost tower e-inaugurated on Saturday is fitted with state-of-the-art cameras which will be able to capture even the smallest movement across the border and alert our border guards.

Addressing BSF personnel during the foundation stone laying ceremony of the project, Shah said; I have been to all the borders of the country and have met your companionsI always say one thing, which I want to reiterate today. As the home minister of this country, from the internal security point of view, I can sleep with peace at night because you are standing there, performing your duties.

Shah said the mooring project will help in the upkeep and maintenance of BSFs floating border outposts and water vessels, ensuring their availability for round-the-clock surveillance in inaccessible creeks.

The road connectivity project will help in the swift movement of BSF in border areas, while the OP Tower will help check illegal intrusions by Pakistani fishermen, he added.

Shah said the BSF was the only Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) that specialised in securing land, water, and air and worked in diverse geographical conditions to ensure the security of the country from external forces.

Dont think the government does not have an idea of the adverse situation in which you work, he said as he assured the BSF jawans that the government will shortly allocate whatever budget is required for their convenience.

Shah mentioned that the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayees establishment of the One Border, One Force approach has substantially facilitated our border guarding forces in evaluating geographical dynamics, political affiliations with neighbouring countries, and potential threats.

In his address, Shah further highlighted the extensive assistance given to the CAPFs, including the issuance of over 4 million PF cards through the AYUSHMAN CAPF initiative, the linkage of 24,000 hospitals, and the establishment of 13,000 new CAPF residences, underscoring their significance in enhancing the well-being and living standards of CAPF personnel.

While you (BSF personnel) are busy protecting the countrys borders, PM Modi is looking after your families, Shah said.

Meanwhile, during his Saturdays visit to Gujarat, Shah also laid the foundation stone for IFFCOs nano DAP (liquid) plant in Kandla, Gujarat. The plant aims to produce 2 lakh bottles of 500 ml liquid daily, reducing fertilizer imports, and saving 10,000 crore in subsidies.

In his address at Kandla, the home minister emphasised a new green revolution for natural farming that will promote self-sufficiency in food items, increased per-acre production, and prosperity for farmers through markets for organic produce.

The nano urea will help soil fertility and reduce chemical use. The Kandla plant, costing 350 crore, will produce eco-friendly nano urea with high nutrient efficiency.
Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) chairman Atul Prasad on Sunday said that the teachers recruitment exam (TRE), scheduled from August 24-26 across the state, would go ahead and the candidates should not be under any confusion due to the recent Supreme Court order making B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) degree holders ineligible for the post of primary teachers. The BPSC chairman said there is no point withholding the exam, as it will be injustice with the candidates. (Representative Image)

So far, there is no reason to withhold the exam for primary teachers. The government has to take a policy decision on the matter and we have got no communication so far, which means the exam is on. Education is in the concurrent list and the state can make its own rules, as can the Center. What rules the state government will make and at what stage is not known to us. In anticipation, there is no point withholding the exam, as it will be injustice with the candidates who have applied on the basis of D.El.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education), he added.

The Apex court earlier this week upheld the decision of the Rajasthan high court, which made B.Ed degree holders ineligible for appointment as primary teachers, as they did not pass the basic pedagogical threshold required for teaching primary classes.

This is against the 2018 National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification, which made B.Ed degree holders eligible for the post. Rajasthans board of secondary education had also denied eligibility to B.Ed degree holders in the state teacher eligibility test, which was challenged in the HC and the Rajasthan government supported it.

Citing Article 21-A of the Constitution and the Right to Education Act, Rajasthan HC quashed the NCTE notification, observing that a good teacher is the first assurance of quality education in a school. Any compromise on the qualification of teachers would necessarily mean a compromise on the quality of education.

As the order of the SC came just when Bihar was moving ahead to organise exam for recruitment of over 1.75 lakh teachers, including over 85,000 primary teachers, many candidates for the primary schools were in confusion, as many candidates with B.Ed degree and some with both B.Ed and D.El.Ed had applied for the posts.

The BPSC chairman said whatever decision the government takes could be implemented even after the exam, as screening would be done at the time of results or before interview.

We are not verifying the documents at this stage, but that will be done in any case after the exam. Many candidates may have both B.Ed and D.El.Ed and applied on the basis of the latter. That will be filtered after the exam and when the merit list will be prepared. There is no point denying them the opportunity just because they may have shown just one document at the time of applying, he added.

Maintaining that he had also received communications from the candidates, Prasad said that the policy decision in the light of the Apex court order was not to be taken at the level of the BPSC.

Whatever decisions the government takes will be communicated to the candidates, but they should not unnecessarily be under any confusion at this stage. The exam is close and it is on at this stage. There should not be unwarranted panic. If there is any specific decision regarding any particular category of candidates, that can be applied even after exam, he added.

The Bihar government had brought out an advertisement on June 30 inviting applications for appointment to more than 1.75 lakh posts in the primary, secondary and senior secondary schools within the state, which the working teachers appointed since 2006 through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and those who applied under advertisement of 2019 for selection to the post of teacher had earlier challenged in the high court, but got no relief.

Now, the government is working on a different mechanism to accede to the demands of around four lakh working teachers and give them government employee status without the BPSC exam, but through some other mode of screening. However, many of the working teachers have also applied for the BPSC exam, while the government is yet to come out with any concrete mechanism.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Kumar Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues. ...view detail
Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday raided the house of a private tutor at Munger Fatak under Muffasil police station in Bihars Katihar district for his alleged links to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), officials familiar with the matter said. (Representative Photo)

The NIA raid was held in connection with its probe into the Phulwarisharif terror module case, said officials.

Katihar superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Kumar said that NIA had sought local assistance. I can only say that NIA sought assistance from the district police, the SP said, adding The police have no other information and any information in this regard can only be shared by NIA.

According to the people familiar with the development, the NIA conducted searches at the house one Md Gulzar, 25, a resident of Munger Fatak and took him into custody.

The NIA officials refused to share any details.

Earlier in June NIA had conducted searches at Hasanganj and Barari in Katihar district. The team had seized documents.

The NIA raids are part of the agencys interrogation into the Phulwarisharif terror module case reported in July 2022. During the conducted in Phulwarisharif locality in Patna last year, the counter-terrorism agency had seized the documents about PFIs conspiracy to convert India into an Islamic state by 2047.

The PFI was banned as an unlawful association by the Union Home Ministry in September last year for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

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PUNE: As per recent reports, the conjunctivitis outbreak has spread from children to adults in Pune city, with the majority of the new patients infected now being adults. Although the infection rate has declined amongst children, entire families are now reportedly getting infected with pink eyes, said doctors. Following an outbreak in Alandi in July, the infection was later reported in children from Pune and other districts of the state. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Following an outbreak in Alandi in July, the infection was later reported in children from Pune and other districts of the state. An advisory was issued by the Maharashtra State Public Health Department on July 21, suggesting conducting screening of school children in areas that witnessed eye flu outbreaks.

While the students were mostly affected for a couple of weeks, now the eye infections are spreading from these children to their parents and other family members at home. On average out of the daily 100 cases of conjunctivitis confirmed since last week, 55 to 60 per cent are now adults, said, Dr Sanjay Patil, chairman hospital board of India (HBI), Pune chapter.

Dr Patil, who is also an eye expert, said entire families including the elderly, are reportedly getting infected.

We have also witnessed infections in the working population and IT employees. Apart from the patients visiting the Out Patients Department (OPD), a huge number of patients are taking consultations through TeleMedicine for eye flu. However, the recovery takes five to six days and patients with severe symptoms are meagre, he said.

As per the Public health department data, Maharashtra has reported 3.99 lakh conjunctivitis cases. Pune district has 47,540 cases, the highest number of cases followed by Buldhana at 44,398 cases. Out of the 47,540 cases reported in the Pune district, 32,462 cases are reported in Pune rural, 8,357 in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, and 6,721 cases in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas.

Dr Kailas Baviskar, deputy director of health services, said, the surge in cases is reported due to adenovirus, the group of viruses that causes the common cold and other upper respiratory infections.

The cases are reported across the state, and we urge citizens to follow good hygiene. Individuals with conjunctivitis infection should get isolated at home and take rest, he said.

Dr Bhagwan Pawar, health officer of PMC, said as a preventive measure, screening of school children has been started in the city. The screening has been started as most of the cases were reported in children. However, now we have witnessed a surge in eye flu cases amongst adults, he said.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) state unit president Jayant Patil on Sunday said the meeting between party founder and nephew Ajit was not secret, adding that he was not aware of what transpired between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil (HT FILE PHOTO)

The secret meeting between two Pawars triggered buzz in political circles even as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder and Ajit Pawar, who is also deputy chief minister, have not spoken about it yet.

When asked about it, Patil who was on a Solapur visit, said, it was not a secret meeting. The NCP state unit chief however denied having knowledge of issues discussed at the meeting. I went with Pawar saheb to a common acquaintances residence and left early. I am not aware of what transpired later, he said.

The three-hour meeting at Pune businessman Atul Chordias residence in Koregaon Park areas, raised eyebrows in political circles, as Pawar is about to resume attending public rallies to connect with his support base later this week. Further fueling the speculation is the fact that Patil, who is reportedly in touch with Ajit and BJP leaders for a possible switch to their side, was also present.

Patils presence at the bungalow when Pawars met coincided with his brother Jaisingrao Patil, a businessman, appearing before Enforcement Directorate (ED) after received notice seeking information about some company.

On speculations that he may join Ajit Pawar faction, Patil said he has already made his stand clear. Four days ago, he (brother) went to the ED office and submitted all the details. It is wrong to link the ED notice to yesterdays meeting, the NCP leader said.

According to sources, meeting between Ajit and Sharad Pawar did discuss possible switching of side by Jayant Patil.

Interestingly, the meeting came hours before NCP (Sharad Pawar camp) issued a letter stating that the flag hoisting ceremony at the party office in Mumbai will be done by Supriya Sule along with party national general secretary Jitendra Awhad. The letter was issued by NCP state secretary Aditi Nalawade. It did not mention Patils name.

Asked if he is with Sharad Pawar, Patil said, Yes, I am still with Sharad Pawar dont keep any doubt in mind.

He claimed that there is no split in the NCP, and that both factions believe that Sharad Pawar is their leader. Everyone puts his (Sharad Pawars) photo and say they work for him, so there is no split, he added.

NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, Sharad Pawars grandnephew, also said he is not aware of a meeting between the party founder and the deputy CM, but even if there has been a meeting, there is nothing wrong in maintaining communication in a family, he said.

State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he has no information about such a meeting. I cant add to your knowledge, the BJP leader told reporters.

Visuals aired by regional news channels showed Sharad Pawar arriving at the residence of the businessman in Koregaon Park area at around 1 pm on Saturday. He left by around 5 pm. Later, Ajit Pawar was seen leaving the premises at 6.45 pm.

On July 2, in a sudden development that stunned political circles in Maharashtra last month, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government. Eight other NCP MLAs supporting him took oath as ministers. Out of 54 MLAs, the exact number of legislators supporting the groups led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar is not known

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A day after secret meeting with his nephew Ajit Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar reiterated that his faction will not join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amid buzz over another round of political realignment. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at an event in Solapur on Sunday. (HT PHOTO)

Speaking in Solapur on Sunday, senior Pawar said that association with the BJP is not possible in accordance with the political ideology of the NCP.

Some of my colleagues have indeed taken a different stand and efforts are being made by our well-wishers to see change in our political line. So, they try and establish a dialogue with us. However, as a national president of NCP, I would make it clear that NCP will not join hands with the BJP, said Pawar.

On being asked about confusion among cadre and people due to the secret meeting, Pawar said it was not a confidential meeting. We met at someone elses place. How can it be a secret meeting? he said.

The NCP founder also underlined that meeting a member of the family cannot be an issue of debate.

Ajit is my nephew and in Pawar family, I am the eldest. So, if anyone is coming to meet the eldest person in the family or that elderly desires to meet some family member, it cannot be a topic of debate, said Pawar.

Lasting for over three-and-a-half-hours, the meeting at Pune businessman Atul Chordias residence at Koregaon Park led to raised eyebrows in political circles, as Pawar is about to resume his public rallies to connect with his support base later this week in Marathwada.

Further fuelling the speculation is the fact that Jayant Patil, who is reportedly in touch with Ajit and BJP leaders for a possible switch to their side, was also present for the meeting.

On the meeting, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan had earlier said, There is need for either of them to speak the truth.

Meanwhile, the third meeting of the opposition coalition, INDIA, will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1.

According to Pawar, he along with Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, and Congress state president Nana Patole will be jointly hosting the meeting.

Pawar, Fadnavis share dias at Solapur event

Earlier in the day, Sharad Pawar and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis shared dais during a programme to unveil a statue of late Ganpatrao Deshmukh, leader of Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWPI). NCP leader Jayant Patil too was present during the occasion. However, all leaders refrained from making any political remarks.

PM Modis speech in Parliament did not reflect Manipur crisis

Sharad Pawar said Prime Minister Narendra Modis response to no confidence motion was political and he spoke only briefly about Manipur. According to Pawar, the Manipur issue is very important from a national perspective.

Entire North-East is a sensitive area as it shares border with neighbouring countries like China, Myanmar and others. So far in Parliament, whenever there was discussion on issues related to North-East, all have adopted a cautious approach by not politicizing it, said Pawar.

Unfortunately, the PM briefly spoke on Manipur. The entire speech did not reflect on issues being faced by people. Instead, he adopted an approach by launching political attacks and this is not good for the country, Pawar added.

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Office of the Director General, Medical Education and Training, Uttar Pradesh, is expected to release the UP NEET PG seat allotment results on August 13 or August 14. Candidates will be able to check the results on the official website at upneet.gov.in. UP NEET PG seat allotment results expected today at upneet.gov.in

Candidates will be able to download the UP NEET PG 2023 seat allotment letters from August 16 to August 20. The UP NEET PG 2023 choice-filling process ended today, August 13.

UP NEET PG 2023 seat allotment result: Know how to check

To check the UP NEET PG 2023 seat allotment results candidates can follow the steps given below.

Visit the official website at upneet.gov.in.

On the homepage, click on the seat allotment result

Enter your credentials, if required.

Login and check the result.

Take a printout of the page and save it for future use.

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Masamune-Kun's Revenge R episode 7 will come out on Monday, August 14, 2023, at 11 pm in Japan on Tokyo MX and related local channels. But it will be available earlier at 9 am on AT-X. Global fans can watch it on Crunchyroll and Ani-One Asia's YouTube Channel. Masamune-Kun's Revenge R Ep. 7 airs Aug 14, 11 pm (JST) on Tokyo MX. Earlier on AT-X, Crunchyroll, and Ani-One YouTube. Relationship confusion continues.

In episode 6 of Masamune-kun's Revenge R, titled "The Second Date," Aki and Makabe share a Christmas outing.

Yoshino tells Makabe that Aki's birthday is on Christmas. He wants to make it special, so he asks for advice on where to go. He plans everything and is ready for the date. They start with a sad movie together in a nearly empty theatre and later move on to find a cafe, but it's too crowded. So, they go to Makabe's house instead.

Masamune Kun's Revenge R episode 6 Release Schedule

Japanese fans have several options to watch Masamune-Kun's Revenge R episode 7, including Tokyo MX, AT-X, KBS Tokyo, BS Fuji, and other affiliated channels.

International fans can stream the episode on Crunchyroll. For fans in South and Southeast Asia, the episode will be available for free on Ani-One Asia's YouTube Channel. Everyone can enjoy the fun of episode 7!

Here is the exact release time in your time zone.

Date Masamune- kun's Revenge R Episode 7 Release Schedule JST PT ET GMT CET IST August, 14 11:00 PM 7:00 AM 10:00 AM 2:00 PM 4:00 PM 7:00 PM

Recap of Episode 6

Yoshino tells Makabe she won't talk to him anymore. The next day, she ignores him at school. But he still goes on dates with Aki.

Now that Yoshino isn't helping, Makabe plans dates himself. He asks classmates for Christmas date ideas and gets lots of suggestions.

Movie theatre | Source: Crunchyroll

Aki dresses up, and Makabe surprises her early. They go on a planned date a movie, and a cafe, but it burned down. Since all cafes are busy due to Christmas, Makabe invites her to his house. They find a note that his family won a trip. They make tea, mess up pancakes, and have cocoa.

In his room, Makabe shows their childhood pic. Things get awkward, he runs off. Aki asks Yoshino about the date and is confused about how it went.

Also Read| 5 Best Netflix Anime Series to watch in August 2023

Pancake disaster | Source: Crunchyroll

What to expect in Episode 7?

Aki and Makabe's relationship is really confusing, especially after their strange date. Makabe feels embarrassed for locking himself in the bathroom and sending Aki back alone, especially on her birthday.

Aki is confused about the diary message, as Makabe never explained it. To bring their relationship back, they need to talk openly about their feelings and past.

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Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest brand ambassador for India in the world, a top Indian-American Congressman has said. The remarks by Congressman Ro Khanna came after he met Bachchan, 80, in Mumbai on Saturday. Also read: Amitabh Bachchan returns with Kaun Banega Crorepati 15, starting Aug 14: New Beginning Ro Khanna met Amitabh Bachchan in Mumbai.

Khanna, the co-chair of the Congressional India Caucus, is currently leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to India along with Congressman Michael Waltz, the other co-chair of the India Caucus.

Ro Khanna on meeting Amitabh Bachchan

We had a wide-ranging conversation for an hour on Artificial intelligence (AI)...the rise of India, Bachchans father, and the importance of the US-India relationship. Amitabh Bachchans life story embodies the story of India. He is the biggest brand ambassador for India to the world, Congressman Ro Khanna told PTI.

I told Mr Bachchan that he must visit the United States again that he offers hope to so many Indian American immigrants like my family and parents and he is a symbol for the rise of India and Indian-Americans, Khanna said in response to a question.

We discussed the importance of the eternal values compassion, respect, consideration, empathy and how much these values matter more ultimately to our future, Khanna said.

In a short video posted on X, formally known as Twitter, Khanna is seen meeting Bachchan at his residence in Mumbai. An honour and a privilege, Bachchan said in a tweet.

It was an absolute honour to meet with @SrBachchan Bachan. He was proud of Indias journey since independence linked with his own life and of the Indian American community. He presented me with a book by his father who knew my grandfather, Khanna wrote.

Anupam Kher on meeting Ro Khanna

The Indian American Congressman also met actor Anupam Kher during his trip to Mumbai. It was a pleasure to have US Rep @DeborahRossNC and @RoKhanna visit our school @actorprepares. We had a great interactive session with the upcoming students of acting. It was my joy to show them around the school. Thank you, my friends, for your warmth and appreciation. Jai Ho! Kher, 68, said on social media.
Saira Banu has shared anecdotes from a few memorable meetings between Dharmendra and her late husband, the legendary actor Dilip Kumar. Dharmendra and Dilip Kumar had once featured together in Paari, which had a guest appearance by Dilip. They have not worked together in any other movie, apart from the 1966 film. (Also read: Zeenat Aman talks about gender role reversal, posts her, Dharmendra's old pics) Dharmendra and Dilip Kumar pose together.

When Dilip gave his sweater to a shivering Dharmendra

In her latest Instagram post, Saira recalled Dharmendra's second meeting with Dilip Kumar and revealed that the Sholay star managed to get an appointment with Dilip Kumar with the help of his sister Farida.

She wrote, Sahib spoke to him like an elder brother, full of love and adoration. Dharam Ji listened to him, spellbound as Sahib spoke in English, Punjabi, and Urdu in a soft, refined voice. It was a chilly night outside, and Dharam Ji was in a cotton shirt. Seeing him shiver, Sahib swiftly pulled out a sweater for him to wear on his way home.

Dilip was beacon of light in Dharmendra's life

She also said that Dilip and Dharmendra developed such a bond after the incident that Dharmendra could always walk into Dilip's house after the incident. "Since then, Dharam Ji has always walked into Sahib's house without ceremony or appointments. Be it midnight or the day, Sahib always welcomed him. He became the beacon of light in Dharam Jis life when stardom and success came to him and he did not know how to handle them."

Dilip-Dharmendra's first meeting

Saira also shared how Dilip and Dharmendra first met in Mumbai. After watching Shaheed in 1952, Dharmendra travelled from Ludhiana to Mumbai and wanted to meet Dilip. "He definitely wanted to meet Dilip Sahib whose acting had set him on fire. Right after he arrived in Bombay, he boldly took the step of looking for Sahib's house at Bandra, Pali Mala. Fortunately, he found the house and no one stopped him at the gate, he entered, went up the stairs, and stopped by the entrance of a room; where he saw a fair, slim, and handsome man asleep on the sofa. He stood there admiring Sahib, his idol, right in front of him. Suddenly Sahib woke up and called for his staff, and Dharam Ji bolted downstairs," she wrote.

She further wrote, I remember one night before the mahurat launch of Sunnys film Betaab, Dharam Ji reached Sahib's house at midnight and went upstairs, spreading Sunnys huge photographs on display for him to see, and then sheepishly disclosed that the heroine was Nasir Bhais and Begum Paras relative Amrita Singh. He encouraged Dharam Ji and made him feel at home in the wee hours of that morning.

When Dharmendra competed with Saira for Dilip's love

Saira also recalled how Dharmendra teased her on sets of Betaab. "Dharam Ji never got to work with Sahib except when he made a brief appearance in Paari. This is the only photograph I have in my house which I see every day besides the photographs of my parents and my sons.' Dharam Ji said, 'When I was working with Saira, I used to tell her jokingly, I am in competition with Saira for the love of Yusuf Sahib! @aapkadharam."

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On Sridevi's birth anniversary, her family and fans cannot help but notice her absence. Husband-producer Boney Kapoor and daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor remembered her with throwback pictures. The actor would have turned 60 on Sunday. Ahead, we try to capture the actor's five-decade-long journey to becoming Indias first female superstar, and her untimely death. Sridevi died in Dubai at the age of 54 on February 24, 2018. Also read: Anil Kapoor finds rare pic with Sridevi from Mr India sets Sridevi in a still from her 1989 film Chandni.

First female superstar of Bollywood

Born Shree Amma Yanger Ayappar in Tamil Nadu on August 13, 1963, Sridevi began working as a child actor at the young age of four. Over the next five decades, and after nearly 300 movies, Sridevi won the hearts of millions around the world becoming one of the rare multi-lingual actors, who had achieved superstardom in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam film industries.

During her peak, she was called the female Amitabh Bachchan' by the dailies of the time, which cemented her status as Bollywood's first female superstar. Reportedly, she was offered a role in Jurassic Park by Steven Spielberg, but she refused it saying that it didn't suit her stardom at the time. When her Mom co-actor Akshaye Khanna asked her why did she do that during their interview with Bollywood Hungama, she responded, Those days, doing Hollywood films was alien, now its like a pride.

Sridevi in a still from English Vinglish.

Sridevi's filmography is widely varied

She started her film journey as a child artist in the movie Kandan Karunai and concluded her filmography with Mom in 2017. The actor is as well-known for her classics such as Chaal Baaz (1989) and Sadma (1983) as her comeback hit English Vinglish (2012).

Late director Yash Chopra, who directed her in Chandni (1989) and then in Lamhe (1991), once said that she had the unique capacity to immerse herself in a role. From playing an amnesiac woman, who had regressed back to being a six-year-old in Sadma to a shapeshifting snake-woman Nagina, Sridevi did it all.

On female actors being pitted against each other

When Sridevi was asked about her rivals in the industry, she was quoted as saying in August 1990 by Filmfare, Where are the rivals? There can be rivalry only between two equals. My only rival at the moment is Sridevi. I'm constantly trying to upstage her. I'm doing it to the point of obsession.

Sridevi's death

Sridevi died in 2018 in a Dubai hotel bathroom. The autopsy report called it an 'accidental drowning' in the bathtub. She was in the United Arab Emirates for the wedding of actor-nephew Mohit Marwah, with her husband Boney Kapoor and family. While celebrities and fans mourned her shocking, untimely death, some questioned the circumstance in which she died.

According to a 2022 report by Medium, filmmaker Sunil Singh had said Sridevis death was a murder. He entered a plea in the Supreme Court demanding a probe into her death. Sunil Singhs lawyer claimed an insurance policy worth 240 crore existed in Sridevis name in Oman, and a clause in the policy stated the money is claimable only if the actor died in Dubai. The Supreme Court rejected Sunil Singhs plea, saying authorities in the UAE have already investigated the matter.

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The 2023 TV season has been full of great performances, from returning favorites to breakout stars. Here are a few of our picks for the best TV performances of the year so far: Captivating Performances: TV's Finest Stars Shine in 2023's Standout Shows.

Sarah Goldberg, Barry

Sarah Goldberg in Barry

Goldberg has always been great as Sally Reed on Barry, but she really shines in the show's fourth season. She gives a nuanced performance that captures Sally's vulnerability, ambition, and insecurity.

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear

Jamie Lee Curtis in The Bear

Curtis delivers a scene-stealing performance as Donna Berzatto, the matriarch of a family-owned Italian restaurant. She's funny, heartbreaking, and always watchable.

Steven Yeun, Beef

Steven Yeun in Beef

Yeun is excellent as Danny Cho, a man who is trying to come to terms with his past mistakes. He gives a raw and emotional performance that is both funny and heartbreaking.

David Tennant, Good Omens

David Tennant in Good Omens

Tennant is always great as Crowley, the demon who is trying to save the world. In the show's second season, he gives a particularly moving performance as Crowley comes to terms with his own mortality.

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us

Ramsey in The Last of Us

Bella Ramsey is a breakout star as Ellie, a young woman who is trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. She gives a powerful performance that is both vulnerable and strong.

Damson Idris, Snowfall

Damson Idris in Snowfall

Idris gives a powerful performance as Franklin Saint, a drug dealer who is trying to make it in the world. He brings a lot of depth to the role, and his performance is one of the reasons why Snowfall is such a great show.

Also Read| Friday Night Lights, Gossip Girl & more TV shows with high Schools we wish we couldve attended

Bridget Everett, Somebody Somewhere

Bridget Everett in Somebody Somewhere

Everett is hilarious and heartwarming as Sam Fox, a woman who is trying to find her place in the world. She gives a performance that is both funny and moving, and she is a joy to watch.

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Jessica Williams in Shrinking

Williams is great as Gaby Howard, a therapist who is trying to help her patients through their own personal struggles. She gives a warm and compassionate performance that is both funny and heartwarming.

Celia Rose Gooding, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Celia Rose Gooding in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Strange New Worlds. Gooding is a great addition to the Star Trek universe as Nyota Uhura. She gives a confident and charismatic performance that is both exciting and inspiring.

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Kieran Culkin in Succession

Culkin gives a tour-de-force performance as Roman Roy, the youngest son of a dysfunctional family. He is hilarious, heartbreaking, and always unpredictable.

These are just a few of the great TV performances of 2023 (so far). Be sure to check out these shows and see for yourself why these actors are getting so much praise.

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Actor Ankita Lokhande's father Sashikant Lokhande died on Saturday. The actor along with her mother and other family members took part in the funeral on Sunday. Ankita also came forward to give a shoulder to her father's bier and was accompanied by her husband Vicky Jain. Also read: Ankita Lokhande's father dies in Mumbai, Shraddha Arya and others celebs pay last respects Ankita Lokhande during her father's funeral.

A video of Ankita walking with her father's bier was surfaced online. She was in a kurta salwar and was seen breaking down while walking with the bier on her shoulder. Vicky Jain also joined her for and let her take the lead for a moment.

One of her fans reacted to the video, Rest in peace. Lots of strength to Ankita.

As per the reports, Ankita's father died on Saturday at around 11:45 am. Ankita recently returned from a vacation with Vicky. His mother and other family members were also spotted at the funeral.

Actors Arti Singh, Shraddha Arya, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Khattar and Kushal Tandon paid their last respects to Ankita's father and extended their condolences to her bereaved family.

Ankita's note for her father on Father's Day

Ankita had penned a touching note for him on Father's Day this year. She had written, Happy Fathers Day to my first hero my daddy. I cant express my true feelings what I feel for you but I love you bahut sara .. I have seen you struggling for many things when I was a child but you made sure that your children doesnt .. you always gave me my wings to fly and made me do whatever I wanted to become .. Im what Im its all your support and strength.. 

I remember when I started my journey in Mumbai and sometimes when I had no rent to pay.. you made it happen no matter what was going on in your life because you believed in my dreams.. I am and I will be always grateful and blessed to have you paa .. I have seen you struggling with your health but your strong will what I saw that time was something else and your smiling face during that period kept all of us going. Im very very proud to be your daughter.. love you paa forever and ever and ever. Happy Fathers Day paa," she added.

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Biological weapons can come from naturally occurring microbes and viruses; but innovations in genomic editing are opening up new, potentially more threatening avenues for their development. These innovations can cause or spread disease or resist known therapeutic approaches. Addressing such threats of biowarfare requires obtaining reliable and informative taxonomies for the pathogens and timely and effective responses. This, in turn, calls for coordinated efforts between physicians, policymakers, representatives in defence, the public health community and the private sector. This paper discusses the historical and contemporary landscape of biowarfare, and outlines global and national efforts to govern and address innovations in biowarfare due to rapidly emerging technology. It ponders how India can leverage the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to enhance disarmament efforts and promote ethical considerations for bioweapons innovation. International Relations

The term biotechnology can refer to any of its various use cases in agriculture, climate management, DNA studies, and many other domains with human life at the core of innovation. It is a field of technology aimed at domains such as improving human health, environmental protection, preservation of biodiversity, scientific innovation, and improved agriculture. In 2005, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) Ad Hoc Statistics Group on Biotechnology defined biotechnology as the application of science and technology for parts, products, and models of living organisms for application in goods, services, research and development. These definitions were expanded to include DNA/RNA, proteins and other molecules, cell and tissue culture and engineering, processing of biotechnologies, gene and RNA vectors, bioinformatics, and nanobiotechnology.

In the field of security, biotechnology research is a vast space, embracing goals such as providing healthy food for soldiers, increasing preparedness in natural disasters and emergencies, and deploying emergency healthcare. Biotechnology has contributed to the enhancement of human life in many ways, but like many innovations, provokes a dual-use dilemma: While biotechnology can assist in improving healthcare and food security, the same technology can be used to perpetuate harm or the threat of harm for geopolitical and strategic purposesor what is known as biowarfare. Biowarfare refers to the intentional use of biological agents (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, and toxins) as weapons in war scenarios.

This paper focuses on the use of biological agents in warfare and describes historical instances of biological weapon use and emerging technologies with future use potential. It highlights governing structures, outlines Indias perspective of biowarfare, and explores how the country can leverage its multilateral alliances to enhance biological weapons deterrence.

The paper can be accessed by clicking here.

This paper has been authored by Shravishtha Ajaykumar.

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Bengaluru A 27-year-old security guard from Odisha was arrested by the police in Bengaluru in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old woman

A 27-year-old security guard from Odisha was arrested by the police in Bengaluru in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old woman, officers said on Sunday.

The accused has been identified as Krishna Chandra Sethi, who worked as a guard at a tech park in CV Raman Nagar in the city. The victim was a resident of Kalaburagi. She lived with her sister and mother in Mahadevapura.

According to police officers, the victim had gone missing on Thursday night. She had cooked dinner and stepped out at around 8pm. After she didnt return, her sister, filed a missing complaint with the Mahadevapura police station. The body of the victim was found in front of her house, inside a drum, at 5am on Friday, police officers said.

The accused forced the victim to come inside his house when she stepped out on Thursday night. She started screaming for help when he tried to rape her. He then strangulated her to death, a police officer in the know of the developments said.

According to police officers, Sethi kept the body of the victim, wrapped in a bedsheet inside his house after killing her. He later disposed the body outside her house in the wee hours of Friday.

Police officers said the victim and her sister, were employed at a nearby petrol bunk. The accused lived in the neighbouring house and worked as a security guard at a tech park.

S Girish, deputy commissioner of Police (Whitefield), had initially said the police suspected an unnatural death as there were no marks on the victims body. However, preliminary investigation revealed that the victim died due to suffocation.

During investigation, the police had found that the victim had not moved out of the colony. They interrogated the neighbours and zeroed in on Sethi. He later confessed to the murder.

A FIR has been filed at the Mahadevapura police station under Section 302 (punishment for committing murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), police said.
Low-level, disgusting: Congress leader on BJP's complaint against Priyanka Gandhi over 50% commission post Madhya Pradesh Congress state spokesperson Santosh Singh Gautam on Sunday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for filing a complaint against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other top party leaders over accusing the MP government of indulging in corruption, calling the move low-level, disgusting and oppressive. Read more Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (PTI)

Ankita Lokhande's father dies in Mumbai, Shraddha Arya and others celebs pay last respects

Shashikant Lokhande, actor Ankita Lokhande's father, has died. He was reportedly 68. The last rites were held at Oshiwara crematorium on Sunday. Celebrities, including Shraddha Arya, were spotted arriving at Ankita's Mumbai home to pay their last respects ahead of the funeral. Read more

'I wasn't making any mistake in first 3 T20Is. But...': Shubman Gill breaks silence on single-digit scores vs WI

In another splendid display, Team India set the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the five-match T20I series against West Indies, securing a convincing 9-wicket victory over the hosts in Lauderhill. The side expertly pursued a target of 179 runs, with the opening duo of Shubman Gill (77), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (84*) taking center stage with remarkable partnership worth 165 runs. Read more

Malaika Arora sets Melbourne on fire in a red thigh-slit gown and sultry smoky eyes, leaves fans swooning: Watch

Malaika Arora never disappoints with her red-carpet fashion choices. The star is often called one of the OG fashion icons of Bollywood, and her ability to slay risque style choices with elegance and panache is one of the reasons. Read more

CGI camel soars across UAE skies on worlds longest zipline. Watch

A video that has been going viral on social media shows a camel taking a flight on the worlds longest zip line in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The video has left people in disbelief, with some worrying about the camels fear of heights and others finding it ridiculous. Read more

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A day after Sharad Pawar's 'secret' meeting with Ajit Pawar at an industrialist's house in Pune, senior Pawar said it was no secret meeting. "What is wrong with meeting my nephew? If a senior person in a family desires to meet another family member, there should not be any issue with that," Sharad Pawar said. "He is my nephew and I am the senior-most member of the family," Pawar said in Solapur. Read | 'If Modi, Nawaz Sharif can': Sanjay Raut on Ajit secretly meeting Sharad Pawar Sharad Pawar said he is the senior-most of the family and there should not be any issue if he meets his nephew.

The closed-door meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar at industrialist Atul Chordia's residence in Pune triggered speculation that Sharad Pawar might make some announcement regarding NCP's split. Putting the speculations to rest, Pawar on Sunday said NCP will never align with the BJP, though some 'well wishers' have been trying to persuade him. Sharad Pawar did not name the well-wishers but it was obvious that he meant Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil. Patil was also present at Saturday's meeting.

As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP's political policy, Sharad Pawar said.

"Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our stand. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us, Sharad Pawar added.

What happened at Sharad Pawar-Ajit Pawar closed-door meeting?

What happened at the closed-door meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar has not been disclosed by either of the two. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut downplayed the meeting and said Sharad Pawar probably invited Ajit to the opposition INDIA bloc's meeting in Mumbai. Raut joked that if Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif could meet, then why not the Pawars.

Jayant Patil said he was with Sharad Pawar when they went to an acquaintance's house but he was not aware of what happened at the meeting between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar and neither was it a secret meeting.

Sharad Pawar's grand nephew Rohit Pawar said he was not aware of the meeting but even if it took place, there was nothing wrong in maintaining communication in a family.

The meeting assumed significance ahead of the INDIA bloc's meeting in Mumbai as Sharad Pawar being a key opposition leader recently shared stage with PM Modi. On Sunday, he shared the stage with Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur at an event.

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Hundreds of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members joined a mahapanchayat in Palwal on Sunday and said they will go on a religious procession in a village in the Nuh district later this month, less than a fortnight after their previous attempt led to communal clashes in the area before it spread to more districts in Haryana. PREMIUM A mahapanchayat in Palwal on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Among the demands made in angry speeches were for lessons to be taught, Hindu families to be armed, and the district of Nuh, where Muslims are in majority, to be dissolved and merged with others. Many of the attendees carried arms, and the turnout, estimated at 5,000, was close to ten times the permission that was granted for the event.

The event, attended by thousands from the right-wing Hindu groups in three states  Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan  had many attendees making hate speeches that targeted the Muslim community directly and indirectly, including by the use of Islamophobic pejorative.

Lokender Singh, Palwal superintendent of police, said several conditions were laid down before the event was approved, and members were asked to ensure peace and harmony. They were asked not to deliver any hate speech and not to indulge in any communal clash. Heavy police deployment was around the venue and on the routes to keep a check on vehicular movement, he said.

Police officials later did not respond to requests for comments on the nature of speeches and threats made at the event.

On July 31, the Brajmandal Dharmik Yatra was disrupted after stone pelting and clashes. Among the triggers for the Hindu-Muslim conflagration was a video by Monu Manesar, a fugitive cow vigilante wanted for the deaths of two Muslim men in February, that he would attend the procession.

The attendees of the event on Sunday say they will complete the procession on August 28 from Nalhar village in Nuh.

We will take appropriate steps when they seek permission from the government, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, according to news agency ANI.

Among the speakers was one person who, referring to the Muslim community, said: If you raise a finger, we will cut off your hands. One of the organisers, who asked not to be named, said the speakers were warned not to indulge in hate speeches but some got carried away.

The committee members of the mahapanchayat demanded an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the July 31 violence in Nuh, a payout of 1 crore compensation to families of the dead, and jobs for their kin. They also sought that damages be recovered from the accused.

Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a member of Bajrang Dal, said Hindu families living in Nuh were still under threat, and that the procession on August 28 will go ahead no matter what  even if the authorities deny us permission.

We want arms licences for each Hindu family for their safety and security in the Nuh district. Many families and devotees have suffered huge losses during the violence that should be paid after suspects properties are sold or directly recovered by them  no matter how, he added.

Ajeet Singh, president of VHP, Gurugram, said they have demanded that Nuh district should become free of cow slaughtering. The district should be dissolved and joined in Gurugram and Palwal. Also, we want the cases registered in Nuh to be transferred to Gurugram police for a fair and transparent investigation, he said.

Committee members of the mahapanchayat also demanded a paramilitary force to be based in Nuh to ensure security for the Hindu families. To be sure, an announcement to this effect has already been made by the government.

The members of committee also demanded an inquiry into the deputy commissioner of Nuh and the superintendent of police being on leave. This is not a coincidence, there is something more which is not visible but we want to go in depth and see if they were aware of this violence or attack by Muslim community,said Bhardwaj.

At the mahapanchayat, Haryana Gau Rakshak Dals Acharya Azad Shashtri called it a do-or-die situation and asked the youth to pick up arms, in a particularly provocative speech. We should immediately ensure 100 arms licences are given in Mewat.

Shashtri also appeared to instigate people to break the law. There are many against me too but it does not make any difference, he said.

The mahapanchayat was previously scheduled to be held in Nuh but the venue was shifted 35 kilometres away after police denied permission in Nuh, where six people were killed and 88 were injured in communal violence.

Palwal administration deployed five duty magistrates for the mahapanchayat to keep a check on proceedings.
A bear cub was Saturday rescued after its head was trapped inside a tin box near the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. A bear cub was Saturday rescued after its head was trapped inside a tin box near the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas (Image used for representation).

The baby bear came down from the upper reaches of the holy cave on Friday night with its head trapped in a tin box, the officials said.

On Saturday early morning, a joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, and the wildlife department made several attempts to rescue the cub even as its mother was lurking around, they said.

However, after a few attempts, the mother bear was shooed away and the cub was overpowered, the officials said.

A cutter was used to cut open the tin box and the cub was finally freed. Due care was taken by the rescuers to avoid any injuries to the cub, they said.

After the rescue operation, the cub reunited with its mother and the duo fled towards the mountains, the officials added.
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said he has been a little disturbed over the last few months because of what he saw in strife-torn Manipur. It was as if one person has been torn into two pieceslike someone has torn an entire state of the union. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi(Congress/Twitter)

For me, it was a lesson about what happens when you use the politics of division, hatred and anger in a stateIt (Manipur violence) is a direct result of a particular type of politics, he said in Kerala's Kozhikode at a foundation stone laying event of a centre for disability management.

Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the Centre locked horns over the ethnic violence in Manipur that started months back. The recently-concluded monsoon session in Parliament majorly witnessed a high-tension drama over the demand for a discussion on the issue, eventually resulted in the Opposition moving a no-confidence motion against the central government.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi a similar speech in Wayanad, the constituency which he represents in Lok Sabha, alleging Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of dividing families and they did the same in Manipur.

"India is a family they want to divide. Manipur is a family they wanted to destroy. Thousands and thousands of families have been destroyed by the policies of the BJP. They destroy relationships between people. We bring people together, build families," he said on Saturday.

He further alleged that BJP killed Manipur and allowed the rape of thousands of women. "As Prime Minister of the country, you are laughing? You spent two minutes talking about the murder of Bharat Mata. How dare you do this? How can you disrespect the idea of India? What have you been doing for the last four months? Why have you not been there? Why haven't you tried to stop the violence? Because you are not a nationalist. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist.. can not love India," he added.
In a scathing attack on West Bengal's TMC government, BJP president JP Nadda on Saturday compared the violence during rural polls to the turmoil of partition. Kolkata: BJP National President JP Nadda addresses during the party's 'Ganatantra Pratistha Sankalp Sabha', in Kolkata, Saturday.(PTI)

He also claimed that TMC supremo and state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee portrays herself as a champion of democracy, while "undermining" it.

Mocking the TMC over arrest of its leaders in corruption cases by central agencies, Nadda said the next cabinet meeting of the TMC government will be soon held in jail.

"The violence and killings we witnessed during the panchayat polls are unprecedented. Is this a reflection of democracy? Is this how elections are being held under the TMC government? We have witnessed post-poll violence after the 2021 assembly polls. But the violence we witnessed during the rural polls resembled the bloody days of partition here," he said.

While addressing the party's winning candidates in panchayat elections and the alleged victims of poll violence at an auditorium here, Nadda asserted that Jungle Raj is going on in the state under the TMC regime.

"People are not allowed to speak. There is no democracy in Bengal. Complete anarchy is going on. But Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee talks about democracy in the country and is acting as if she is the champion of democracy," he said.

The BJP president, while referring to the three fact-finding teams sent by the party to the state, said, "The reports have been submitted to the union home minister."

"Violence is going on in West Bengal, thousands of BJP workers have been rendered homeless, and Mamata didi is asking for evidence. This is the situation of the state," he said.

While asserting that BJP would democratically defeat the TMC in the days to come, he said despite its alleged terror tactics, the BJP had come up with a good performance in the rural polls.

"The TMC has unleashed so much terror, but still, they couldn't stop our candidates from winning. The BJP workers are fighting hard to oust the anarchic TMC regime. We will win more than 35 Lok Sabha seats from the state in parliamentary elections next year," he said.

The ruling Trinamool Congress scripted an emphatic victory in West Bengal's violence-scarred three-tier rural polls. The BJP witnessed a sharp decline in its vote share, whereas the opposition Left-Congress alliance registered a growth in its vote percentage.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had claimed that 29 people, mostly from her TMC, died in poll-related violence since the election date was announced on June 8.

Police sources, however, have put the number of fatalities at 38 but agree that at least 60 per cent of those who lost their lives were affiliated with the TMC.

"The entire party is neck-deep in corruption. So many senior party leaders like Partha Chatterjee and Anubrata Mandal have been put behind bars. Mamata Banerjee asks for evidence. The day is not far away when the cabinet meeting will be held in jail," Nadda said.

Nadda's remark drew sharp reactions from the TMC, which dubbed his utterances as an attempt to divert attention from BJP's failures in Manipur.

"It is the BJP which has unleashed violence in the state during the rural polls. BJP leaders are making these allegations to malign the state and divert attention from its failures in Manipur, which has been burning for the last three months," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.

The TMC leader also said that the opposition bloc INDIA has unnerved the BJP, and the utterances reflect the fear set in the saffron camp.

The BJP president is on a three-day visit to West Bengal from Friday and will hold a series of meetings with office bearers of the party's state unit to take stock of the organization ahead of the Lok Sabha polls next year.

He also participated in the BJP's Panchayati Raj Parishad meeting in West Bengal.

Earlier this year, union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah had set a target of winning more than 35 Lok Sabha seats from West Bengal. The BJP won 18 out of the 42 parliamentary constituencies in the state in 2019.

Notably, former union minister Babul Supriyo, party MP Arjun Singh and six legislators, including national vice-president Mukul Roy, have switched to TMC since the 2021 assembly polls.

The Trinamool Congress came to power for the third consecutive term in the state in 2021 by winning 215 of the 292 assembly seats to which polling was held, while the BJP bagged 77.
Mysuru: Kadur Congress MLA KS Anand has denied any involvement or interference in the transfer of a police constable on Sunday in Chikkamagaluru district, after the constable alleged on August 8 that he was responsible for her transfer. Kadur Congress MLA KS Anand has denied any involvement or interference in the transfer of a police constable

The police constable Latha alleged the MLAs interference over a WhatsApp status against him.

I have not provided any recommendation letter or engaged in any activity that could have influenced the transfer process. Such transfers are routine procedures in the police department and are not subject to any personal recommendations, MLA Anand said.

He said he had given specific instructions to the district superintendent of police to crack down on illegal activities, including the sale of illicit liquor and unauthorized sand transportation. He said that he had no knowledge of the constable working in various police stations. The constable visited my house on August 8 and accused me that I had transferred her from Kadur to Tarikere. However, I advised her to communicate with her superiors for clarification, as I had no involvement in the matter, he said.

The MLA said that he was surprised to find a social media status against him just hours after his conversation with vonstable Latha which allegedly accused him of disrespectful behaviour towards women in the police department.

I will bring the matter to the assembly speaker against woman constable who raised her voice against a public representative, the MLA told HT.

According to people aware of the matter, during the assembly election campaign, Latha had fined congress workers for not wearing helmets. The workers had called Congress candidate Anand and informed him about the incident. Anand had visited the workers and expressed anguish against the police constable.

Last week, the Chikkamagaluru SP had transferred Latha from Kadur to Tarikere. Then Latha visited Anands house and allegedly accused him of transferring her. After returning from the MLAs house, Latha put up a WhatsApp status accusing the MLA that if anything happens to her, the MLA would be held responsible.

After the status went viral, Chikkamagaluru SP Uma Prashanth, suspended the constable on August 11.

The reason for suspension is not only the status against MLA Anand. There are other reasons as well which cant be disclosed since investigation is underway, SP Uma Prashanth said.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating real estate developers IREO and M3M for allegedly siphoning funds of investors and homebuyers, has found that a car driver was appointed as a director of a group company to facilitate transfer of development rights of 78 acres in Rajasthans Bhiwadi to five shell companies of M3M, the agency has said. Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating real estate developers IREO and M3M for allegedly siphoning funds of investors and homebuyers found that a car driver was also involved. (HT Archives)

Each of the five shell companies were given 20% share in the land. Roop Kumar Bansal and his brother, Basant Bansal, who have been arrested, were directors in Misty Meadows Private Ltd from June 6, 1997, to December 6, 2010, and June 6, 1997 to August 9, 2010, respectively, the directorate said in a supplementary prosecution complaint akin to a charge sheet filed in August before a special court in Panchkula hearing Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases.

Also Read: ED serves notice to Kerala Cong chief in Mavunkal cheating case

The complaint accessed by HT said that Roop Kumar Bansals family driver, Puran Bahadur, became a director in Misty Meadows on August 9, 2010. However, he remained a director only for about four months before vacating the position on December 15, 2010. Roop Kumar Bansal also left his directorship on December 6, 2010.

All the said agreements were signed by Bahadur on behalf of the owner company and by Abhisek Basu for developer companies, said the agency that probes financial crimes. All the agreements were executed during four months when Puran Bahadur and Roop Bansal were directors in Misty Meadows Pvt Ltd.

Also Read: ED begins interrogation of suspended CBI judge Sudhir Parmar

The process of transfer of development rights from Misty Meadows to five developer companies was completed between September and November 2010, when Bahadur was the companys director, the complaint said.

Material evidence collected during investigation and subsequent findings revealed that Basant and Roop Kumar Bansal, who founded M3M India in Gurgaon in 2010, were directors of the company when the diversion of funds took place from IREO to M3M, the supplementary charge sheet said.

Roop Kumar Bansal in his June 19 statement admitted that Bahadur was his family driver, the ED said. The sequence of events suggested that Bahadur was made director and authorized signatory of Misty Meadows just to sign the agreements required for execution of transfer of development rights to five shell companies as a part of premeditated planning and Roop Bansal, despite being a director in Misty Meadows, did not do it, the ED said.

The five shell companies  Base Realtors, Adi Buildwell, Cygnus Propbuild, Innovative Realtech and Vision Multiplex further  assigned the 78 acres through development agreements to 10 IREO group companies, namely Adson Software, Buzz Hotels, Sang Promoters, Regal Green Lands, BTVS Buildwell, Bulls Realtors, High Star Builders, Panoply Propbuild, Auspicious Infrastructure and Hardcore Realtors, for development, the federal agency said.

Consequently, funds flew from 10 IREO Group companies to a M3M Group company, Misty Meadows, via five shell companies of M3M Group. The sum of 404 crore received from IREO Group by the five shell companies of M3M Group was further transferred to four M3M Group companies just to add layers for diversion, the complaint said.

Ultimately, 394 crore (out of 404 crore) was diverted to 17 M3M Group companies to add one more layer to the transactions. The remaining 10 crore was passed on to Misty Meadows. The diverted fund was ultimately parked in the accounts of 17 M3M companies.

The ED said that while M3M accepted that 10 of these were its own or related entities, it denied the remaining seven entities. However, during investigation the seven companies were also found to be M3M Group companies. Using this modus operandi, a sum of 404 crore was diverted for the development rights of a land which could not be developed for commercial purposes. Rather it was never intended to be developed as IREO Group did not apply for any license, no designs were prepared and no employees were hired for the project, the charge sheet said.

The ED said that 28 companies, including M3M India Pvt Ltd, M3M India Holdings and Misty Meadows, were found guilty of contravening PMLA provisions as they have been actively involved in the commission of offence of money laundering. Key managerial persons of these 28 M3M Group companies, including Roop Kumar Bansal, were also suspected of money laundering under various sections of PMLA.

The ED has arraigned 15 new persons and 30 companies as accused in the supplementary prosecution complaint, besides six companies and one individual named earlier, as accused in the complaint filed before the Panchkula court on January 14, 2022.

Regarding Basant and his son, Pankaj Bansal, the ED said that investigations done till now has showed that both played active roles in money laundering. Investigations also showed that they destructed and tampered with evidence and were influencing witnesses, the ED said. The agency said that investigation against Basant and Pankaj Bansal, among others, was still going on to link the evidence.

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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
Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, the armed forces conducted a full dress rehearsal at the Red Fort in the national capital on Sunday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the tricolor flag and deliver a speech on Tuesday. This year marks India's 77th Independence Day. Full dress rehearsal at Red Fort in Delhi on Sunday ahead of 77th Independence Day celebrations.(ANI)

A video shared by the news agency ANI showed ALH Dhruv choppers from the Indian Air Force showering petals during the Independence Day rehearsal. Jawans from the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, and Indian Navy were also seen marching during the rehearsal at the Red Fort.

Har Ghar Tiranga rally

The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign was launched in July last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to deepen our connect with the national flag.

On Friday, PM Modi urged the people of India to participate in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement from August 13 to 15.

The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further national progress, Modi said in a tweet.

Union ministers have been participating in 'Har Ghar Tiranga' rallies in the national capital. On Sunday, Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi initiated a 'Tiranga rally' in preparation for Independence Day.

A 'Har Ghar Tiranga' bike rally was organised on Friday, stretching from Pragati Maidan to the National Stadium in Delhi. This event saw the participation of Union ministers such as Anurag Thakur, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jitendra Singh, and others.

Meri Maati Mera Desh initiative

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' initiative during his monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat on July 30. This campaign has been initiated leading up to Independence Day in order to pay tribute to the bravehearts who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Special inscriptions will be installed in panchayats to honour their memory.

Modi mentioned that an Amrit Kalash Yatra will be conducted as part of this campaign, involving the transportation of 7,500 pots containing soil from various corners of the country to the national capital, along with saplings.

Security tightened ahead of celebrations

Security measures in the national capital have been heightened by Delhi Police with stricter security arrangements have been established, and the police have intensified vehicle checks and patrolling. A traffic advisory was issued a day prior to the full dress rehearsal. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced that metro services in the city will commence at 5 in the morning on Independence Day.

Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir, there will be no restrictions or internet bans on Independence Day, news agency ANI reported quoting, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri

Special guests at Independence Day event

As a part of the Independence Day festivities scheduled at the historic Red Fort on Tuesday, special guests hailing from various backgrounds, including Sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, teachers, nurses, farmers, and fishermen, have received invitations to join the celebrations.

Among the attendees, there are fifty nurses accompanied by their families, forming a part of around 1,800 individuals who have been extended invitations to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day.

The decision to invite individuals from different walks of life across India to participate in the celebrations aligns with the Government's vision of Jan Bhagidari programme.

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday hit out at the Congress over its X (formerly Twitter) post accusing him of insulting the Army.



On Saturday, Congress had posted,"Narendra Modi's favourite Himanta Biswa Sarma has insulted the Indian Army. He said Army cannot do anything. It is not the first time when BJP leaders have questioned the valour of our forces. Modi himself has called army weak in the past. Treachery runs in their blood". Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (File Photo)





Sarma sought to clarify his remark and shared a clip of a press briefing on Manipur issue. In the clip, the Assam chief minister was asked a question on Rahul Gandhi saying that the Indian Army can stop nonsense in Manipur in two days.



"It would take the Indian Army two days to put an end to the "nonsense" going on there, he said and added There are reasons for the PM not being able to go to Manipur. I don't want to speak about them publicly, Rahul Gandhi had said.



ALSO READ: PM refusing to resolve Manipur crisis: Rahul



That is the wrong thing. The Indian Air Force did that in Aizawl. They spreaded bomb and violence came down. Today, Rahul Gandhi is saying the Indian Army should stop the violence. It means, they should open fire on civilians. Is it his prescription? How can he say that? Army will not be able to solve anything. They can only temporarily bring some peace in the given situation. But solution has to come from heart, not from the bullets, Sarma is heard saying.



On Sunday, the Assam CM launched a fresh attack on Gandhi. Deploying the Army to settle internal disputes is not the organisation's primary mandate. The Armys main responsibility is to protect our motherland from external threats and, of course, from proxy wars. Solutions to our internal problems should come from within, through compassion and understanding, he said.

Your Royal Family has a history of using the Army against our fellow citizens and spraying bullets on them - be it in Aizawl (1966) or in the Holy Akal Takht (1984) . The pain and agony of which, remains till date, Sarma added.

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The body of a 39-year-old missing Italian trekker was found while an injured mountaineer was rescued in a separate operation by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Ladakh, officials said on Sunday. Macella was reported missing in the treacherous terrain while on a hiking trip from Leh to Zangla in Himachal Pradesh.(HT File)

The body of Davide Macella was recovered by a joint team of the police, the Union Territory Disaster Response Force (UTDRF) and the Army's "Forever in operation" division from Charchar La Pass along the Leh-Zangla track, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kargil, Anayat Ali Chowdhary told PTI.

Macella was reported missing in the treacherous terrain while on a hiking trip from Leh to Zangla in Himachal Pradesh, after being last seen in Hankar on July 23.

Chowdhary said the joint rescue team was launched from Kargil and the body of the foreigner was retrieved with the help of local guides and handed over to the nominated guardian after completion of legal formalities.

READ | Pepperfry CEO Ambareesh Murty's last Instagram post was all-praise for Leh: Heaven for bikers

Lauding the role of the rescuers, he said they endeavoured tough challenges of the terrain and wadded through upstream to ensure that the body is retrieved in the shortest possible time of two days.

Last week, a rescue team of five UTDRF personnel on a mission to locate the foreigner had to be airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a daring operation from the Markha valley.

In the rescue operation, the IAF single engine helicopter flew in the uncharted territory and narrow valley without any flat terrain or feature to land to rescue the trapped UTDRF personnel, officials said.

In another rescue mission, the IAF evacuated an injured mountaineer from the base camp of 7,135-metre-high Mt Nun, the highest peak in the Zanskar valley of Ladakh.

"114 HU (helicopter unit) #Leh of Indian Air Force successfully evacuated an injured mountaineer from Mt Nun base camp in a daring rescue op (operation)," Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Army in Leh said in a tweet on X on Sunday. He also shared a few videos and pictures of the operation.

Officials said the IAF launched the rescue operation at the requisition of Kargil Deputy Commissioner Shrikant Balasaheb Suse on getting information about head injuries suffered by an Indian mountaineer.

The injured mountaineer was evacuated to a hospital after being rescued by the IAF, they said.
As India gears up for the Independence Day celebrations, a list of special guests that the government has sent invitations for the event at the Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the tricolour and address the nation on Tuesday has been released. Among the 1800 of them, there are people from different walks of life from across India, who have played an important role in the development of the country. The initiative to invite these people to be a part of the celebrations is in line with the government's Jan Bhagidari Programme. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hoist the tricolour and address the nation on Tuesday as part of Independence Day celebrations(HT Gallery)

The invitees this year encompass a wide range of individuals. It includes sarpanches from Vibrant Villages, teachers, nurses, farmers, fishermen, labourers who contributed to the construction of the Central Vista Project in New Delhi, workers in the khadi (handspun cloth) sector, school teachers who have won national awards, employees of the Border Roads Organisation, and those who have been involved in the Amrit Sarovar and Har Ghar Jal Yojana projects implemented in various parts of the country.

Watch | Forces conduct full dress rehearsal at Red Fort ahead of Independence Day

The Vibrant Villages Programme aims to improve the living standards of residents in from the villages near the country's border areas. The initiative seeks to encourage people to stay in these villages, reversing the trend of outmigration, and consequently enhancing border security.

PM-KISAN beneficiaries at Red Fort event

Around 50 people who are part of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) and their families, are among roughly 1,800 individuals who have received invitations to attend PM Modi's speech on Independence Day, a government release from the agriculture ministry said.

From the state of Maharashtra, two beneficiaries of the scheme have been chosen to witness the Independence Day festivities at the historic Red Fort.

Ashok Sudam Ghule, 54, farmer from Pune district, said, "I never imagined I'd get the chance to visit New Delhi's Red Fort. Being there on Independence Day feels like a dream fulfilled." Ghule, who benefits from the PM-KISAN scheme, is a sugarcane farmer with a 1.5-acre piece of land.

The PM-KISAN scheme is a programme by the Central Government. Its purpose is to provide financial help to farmer families across the country who own cultivable land, with some exceptions. Under this initiative, an annual amount of 6,000 is given in three equal parts of 2,000 directly into the farmers' bank accounts linked with Aadhaar.

Three nurses from Haryana

Among the special guests who have received invitations for the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in the national capital, there are three nurses from the state of Haryana. A total of 50 nurses will witness the event on Tuesday.

Savita Rani, who works as a Nursing Officer in the Blood Bank of Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad, said she feels privileged to have received the invitation and that her family and hospital staff are also feeling happy.

According to DD News, Savita Rani performed outstanding work during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic that affected global nations, including India, and resulted in many people succumbing to the deadly virus. For this, Rani has also been felicitated by President Droupadi Murmu on Nursing Day (May 12).

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao Trainee Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream. India's regional languages attract me. ...view detail
At least eight beneficiaries of central government schemes in Uttarakhand have been invited as special guests for Independence-Day celebrations at Red Fort on August 15, according to officials familiar with the matter. Independence Day: During the visit, the special guests will also get an opportunity to visit the National War Memorial.(HT Gallery)

They are among around 1,700 beneficiaries of various central flagship programmes such as Jal Jeevan Mission, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna, Amrit Sarovar Yojna, etc from across the country who have been invited to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort.

The initiative to invite people from all walks of life, across India, and be a part of the celebrations has been taken by the central government in line with its vision of Jan Bhagidari, it said.

During the visit, the special guests will also get an opportunity to visit the National War Memorial and the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya (Prime Ministers Museum) in New Delhi.

Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) beneficiary, Bharat Singh Rautela from Bhatwaris Jhala village, a remote area of Uttarkashi district said that he feels proud after receiving an invitation to be a part of I-Day celebrations in New Delhi along with his wife Sunita Rautela.

He said Our FPO Upla Taknor Krishak Utpadak Sangathan Swayatt Sahkarita earlier sent Chutney to PM Narendra Modi, following which he had received a letter from the PM. Gram Pradhan of our village received a letter from PM which had mention of his FPOs Chutney, he said.

The concept behind Farmer Producer Organisations is that farmers, who are the producers of agricultural products, can form groups. To facilitate this process, the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium was mandated by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture to support the State Governments in the formation of Farmer Producer Organisations. The role of FPO is to act as an aggregator for member farmers, including from inputs to output, which will enhance the economy of scale and bargaining power of member farmers.

Bhavna Sharma, a beneficiary of Jal Jeevan Mission, expressed his and excitement over the invitation to attend I-Day celebrations.

Bhavna who leads women training under Village Water Sanitation Committee said she runs awareness campaigns for safe drinking water

Dinesh Chandra Tripathi from village Ranjeetpur (Kotabagh) of district Nainital, who runs a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) with 521 farmers and is among the people from the state who have been invited to the I-Day celebrations, said he was excited to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi LIVE from the ramparts of Red Fort. He said that it was a proud moment for him and his wife Reenu Tripathi.
Fifty nurses along with their families are among around 1,800 persons who have been invited for the 77th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in Delhi. Thanking the Prime Minister for inviting the nursing community as a special guest at the Independence Day event, Nursing Officer Javed Mohammad said, It is a proud moment for all the nursing officers...I want to thank PM Modi, that he has given attention to nursing...Around 50 nursing officers from all over India have been invited. Such moments will motivate the nurses. A member of the nursing community speaks about how she feels after being invited to the Independence Day celebrations by PM Modi.(Twitter/DD News)

One among the nursing professionals Savita Rani, who works as a Nursing Officer in the Blood Bank of Badshah Khan Civil Hospital in Faridabad, said she feels privileged to have received the invitation. According to DD News, Savita Rani performed outstanding work during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic that affected global nations, including India.

Another nursing officer Sushila Kumari who works at the ESIC Model Hospital in Delhi said that she felt honoured to be invited to the Independence Day celebrations by Prime Minister Modi. During COVID-19 the nursing officers have proved their service to the nation. By including the nursing profession in the #IndependenceDay celebrations at Red Fort, we are being encouraged and honoured. PM @narendramodi has played an important role in the healthcare system, Sushila said.

We, nurses, have been invited to the #IndependenceDay celebrations at Red Fort...we are very grateful for this invitation from PM @narendramodi, said Bimla Rani, another Officer who was invited to the Independence Day celebrations.

As part of the Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort on August 15, 2023, special guests from different walks of life, ranging from Sarpanches of Vibrant Villages, teachers, nurses, farmers, and fishermen, have been invited to participate in the celebrations, the Union Health Ministry's press release said.

The initiative to invite people from all walks of life has been taken by the Government in line with its vision of Jan Bhagidari, the release added.

(With inputs from agencies)
India must be patient with its semiconductor objectives and realise it is the hardest industry and technology invented, but the country also has a set of advantages to be in a position to win investments at different stages of the production cycle, Chris Miller, one of the worlds most authoritative experts on semiconductors, has said. Chris Miller
KOCHI: Kerala Congress unit chief K Sudhakaran has been served a notice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it for interrogation in connection with a cheating case in which alleged fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal is the prime accused, people aware of the matter said. The Enforcement Directorate has asked Kerala Congress unit chief K Sudhakaran to appear before it in Kochi on August 18 for interrogation in connection with a cheating case in which alleged fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal is the prime accused. (HT Archives)

Sudhakaran has to appear before the agency on August 18 in Kochi.

The case dates back to September 23, 2021 when six persons filed a police complaint alleging that Mavunkal cheated them of 10 crore. The complainants had alleged that Sudhakaran was present in the room when they handed over 25 lakh to Mavunkal at the latters house in Kaloor, Kochi. Subsequently, photos of Sudhakaran and Mavunkal appeared on social media.

Sudhakaran has claimed that he is innocent and that he visited Mavunkal for treatment as the latter had claimed to be a cosmetologist.

On June 24, Sudhakaran, the Lok Sabha MP from Kannur, was arrested by the crime branch under sections 420, 120 (B) and 34 of the IPC after being arraigned as the second accused in the case. He was let off on bail granted by the Kerala high court.

The ED had registered a money laundering case against Mavunkal based on the crime branch FIR in 2022.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Sunday termed the ED notice to Sudhakaran a mode of persecution. ED, CBI, IT have all become part of the weapons department of the BJP. Let him be called. We dont fear the law, he said.

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Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil on Sunday said he was not aware of what transpired at the closed-door meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his rebel nephew Ajit Pawar in Pune. The meeting between the Pawars at industrialist Atul Chordias Koregaon Park house in Pune lasted for over three and a half hours, raising eyebrows in political circles. Sharad Pawar senior, nephew Ajit, and Jayant Patil didn't disclose what had transpired at Chordias residence. (File Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

While the meeting went on till 4.45 pm until senior Pawar left to attend another function, Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil were at the house till 6.30 pm and reportedly continued the meeting.

Jayant Patil, however, claimed that he left the meeting early and was not aware of what transpired at the meeting between the Pawars.

Talking to reporters on Sunday, Patil also asserted it was "not a secret meeting".

"I went with Pawar saheb to a common acquaintance and left early. I am not aware of what transpired later," he said.

The meeting further fuelled speculations of Patil joining the Ajit Pawar faction. When asked, Patil said he has already made his stand clear. Asked if he is with Sharad Pawar, Patil said, Yes, don't keep any doubt in your mind.

NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar, also said he is not aware of a meeting between the party founder and the deputy CM, but even if there has been a meeting, there is nothing wrong in maintaining communication in a family.

Shiv Sena (UBT) has meanwhile downplayed the "secret" meeting, with Sanjay Raut saying the Maratha strongman may have asked his nephew to join the meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA here on August 31 and September 1.

If Nawaz Sharif and PM Narendra Modi can meet, then why not Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar? We get to know from the media that Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar met yesterday, Sharad Pawar will speak on it soon. I think Sharad Pawar invited Ajit Pawar for the INDIA bloc meeting."

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Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday engaged in an X (formerly Twitter) war of words with Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav over the construction of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Darbhanga.



Taking to X, Yadav had posted,"Today, the prime minister was taking false credit for opening the AIIMS in Darbhanga. The reality is that the Bihar government allocated 151 acres of land to the Centre free of cost and also allocated 250 crore for land filling. But due to politics, the Centre did not clear the construction for AIIMS. The country expects PM to speak truth but he spoke a white lie".



In June, I even spoke to the Union health minister over telephone and urged him to approve the construction. I even wrote a letter to him but there has been no positive action, the deputy chief minister wrote. Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav

Hitting back at the Bihar deputy CM, Mandaviya posted,"Tejashwi Ji, Modi government does not do politics over development but it believes in politics of development. Our intentions are clear. The Centre had approved AIIMS Darbhanga's construction on September 19, 2020 and the Bihar government allocated land on November 2021.

Then you came to power and changed the land on April 30, 2023 due to political reasons. As per law, the expert committee inspected the plot. On May 26, the Centre wrote on letter to the Bihar government saying the new plot allocated by your government is not suitable for construction. Why was the plot changed and for whose interests?, Mandaviya added, referring to a screenshot of a letter attached with the post.



The letter signed by health secretary Rajesh Bhushan mentions that the alternate site had certain potential disadvantages, making the execution of the project on this site more complex. The health ministry letter mentions some reasons before urging the Bihar government to provide some other suitable land for the creation of AIIMS.



In the Bihar assembly, what did your MLA say on the land not being suitable? Rise above politics and allot land for the construction of AIIMS. We are ready to build AIIMS in Bihar, the health minister said.

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The United Kingdom has no intention of becoming a place where those seeking to evade justice can hide, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said, amid India's continuing push for extradition of billionaire fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya(PTI)

Tugendhat, without citing specific cases, said that legal processes must be adhered to in matters relating to extradition.

"We both (the UK and India) have legal processes that must be gone through. But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide," he told PTI in an interview.

Tugendhat was in India on a three-day visit from August 10-12 primarily to attend the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting in Kolkata.

In Delhi, he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The British Security Minister was replying to a question on India's persistent demand for extradition of a number of economic offenders including Mallya and Nirav Modi who are living in the UK.

Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money laundering charges.

The 52-year-old businessman last year lost his legal battle in the highest UK court against being extradited to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank loan scam case.

But his case is now said to be "statute barred", indicating further pending litigation.

Mallya, who fled to the United Kingdom in March 2016, is wanted in India over a default of 9,000 crore that was loaned to Kingfisher Airlines by several banks.

Asked about his talks with NSA Doval, the British Security Minister declined to share the details but noted that the broad bilateral cooperation is focused on security of the two nations and the prosperity of the citizens.

"We're talking about the security of our two nations and the prosperity of our citizens, their ability to conduct their business at home and abroad," he said.

"But we're also talking about the challenges we face and we've both made it clear in different ways that the challenge of China is one that faces us both and we've seen incidents on your northern border, but we've also seen the way in which technology has changed and the way in which we need to address it as areas in which we need to have greater cooperation," he said.

Tugendhat highlighted how India and the UK are cooperating in new technologies relating to artificial intelligence (AI).

"We see today that India is not just a centre of Indian AI, it's also a centre of British AI," he said.

"There are many firms whose data points, whose data sources are located here, often in Bangalore, and using the extraordinary technical capabilities of Indian AI experts to analyse data and to improve the productivity of their businesses," he added.

"This is a fantastic benefit both to the United Kingdom and of course to India. And so making sure that we're able to do that, we're protecting our interests and we're developing those technologies is absolutely essential to our common future," Tugendhat noted.

The India-UK relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the India-UK virtual summit held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his then British counterpart Boris Johnson in May 2021.

At the summit, the two sides adopted a 10-year roadmap to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change and people-to-people connections among others.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on his first visit to Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored, thanked the people of his parliamentary constituency on Sunday for standing with him when he was disqualified as MP. Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad on Sunday. (PTI)

I am very happy when I come to Wayanad. I have a relationship with people here, regardless of which party they belong to. Of course, we have ideological differences with the Left, but when I was disqualified, the entire Wayanad stood with me. I consider the entire Wayanad to be a part of my family, Gandhi said in Mananthavady, Wayanad, on Sunday.

He was speaking after inaugurating a high-tension electricity line at the Dr Ambedkar Memorial District Cancer Centre at the Govt Tribal Hospital in Nalloornadu. Gandhi had allocated 50 lakh from his Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund for the project.

I was told that the hospital used to face power cuts frequently and the patients and doctors were inconvenienced. I hope that this new electricity line will solve those problems, he said at the hospital that caters especially to marginalised sections like tribals.

At the event, Gandhi took indirect swipes at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Rashtriya Swayasevak Sangh (RSS) ideology over the use of the term vanvasi and tribal welfare. He said he spoke recently to the tribal community in Rajasthan about two ideologies that are fighting in this country.

Also Read | If Priyanka Gandhi contests from Varanasi...: Reactions to Robert Vadras hint

Gandhi said, There is the word Adivasi, which means the original owners of the land. Adivasi means a particular wisdom, understanding of the environment, the earth we live on and a relationship with the planet. The word respects and accepts the fact that our tribal brothers and sisters were the original owners of this land. That also implies the original owners should have rights to land, forest and allowed an imagination of whatever they want. As the original owners, your children should be able to study engineering, medicine, learn computers and run businesses. But you should also get rights to land and forest produce. You should not be restricted and categorised. All opportunities should be accessible. This is one idea.

There is another idea which uses the term Vanvasi. We say Adivasi and the other side says Vanvasi. There is a perverted logic behind the term Vanvasi. The term denies that you are the original owners of India. It also restricts you to the jungle. The idea behind Vanvasi is that you belong to the jungle and you should not leave the jungle. And this is simply not acceptable to us and we do not accept this word. This word is a distortion of your history, tradition and an attack on your relationship with this country. For us, you are Adivasis and we can learn from you, he added.

The Congress leader underlined that while the word Environment and ideas about its protection are fashionable today, the Adivasis have been talking about the same for 3,000-5,000 years.

We can learn from your history, tradition, way of life, not just about the environment, but how to deal with each other and respect each other. Of course, your children should have access to the best hospitals, education and jobs. We are always here to help you, he said.

Gandhi, who reached Wayanad on Saturday evening, was given a rousing welcome by the top leaders of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) at a public meeting in Kalpetta. He also handed over keys of nine houses built under the Kaithangu project to beneficiaries. This was his first visit to the constituency after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a defamation case, prompting the Lok Sabha Secretariat to restore his membership.

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Ameya Khopkar, general secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Seva (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray, has issued a warning to Pakistani national Seema Haider over her debut film. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) Khopkar wrote in Marathi, We are firm on our stand that a Pakistani citizen should not have any place in the Indian film industry. Seema Haider is a Pakistani woman currently in India. There were also reports that she was an ISI agent. Some of the upstarts in our industry are making the same Seema Haider as an actress for fame. Why are producers not ashamed? Seema Haider(HT File)

Giving a public warning to stop such spectacles immediately, otherwise be ready for the MNS strike action, Khopkar added.

Seema Haider is presently shooting for her debut film Karachi to Noida, produced by Indian filmmaker Amit Jani. Recently a video of her auditioning for the film also went viral on social media. The film is based on the love story of Seema Haider and Sachin Meena. Amit Jani said earlier that he would offer a role in his film to Haider after witnessing the former and her husband's financial struggles.

Seema - Sachin love story

Pakistani national Seema Haider (30 years) and her present husband Sachin Meena (22 years) fell in love with each other while the duo was playing a game of PUBG. Seema who was already married to Ghulam Haider then decided to cross the border to India illegally in order to be with Sachin.

Seema met Sachin for the first time in Nepal during the month of March. Subsequently, they underwent a marriage ceremony adhering to Hindu customs, following Seema's conversion to Hinduism. The couple later crossed over to India from Nepal on May 13, accompanied by Seema's children.

However, Seema Haider was apprehended by the UP police on July 4 for crossing the border illegally. Despite being granted bail shortly after the arrest, the couple remained under scrutiny by investigative agencies.

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Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra has hinted that his wife and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi may contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Speaking to news agency PTI, Vadra said that Priyanka Gandhi would be "very good" in Parliament and hoped that the party plans better for her. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (ANI)

"She should be in Lok Sabha for sure. She has all the qualifications for it. She would be very good in Parliament and she deserves to be there. I hope that the Congress party accepts and plans better for her," he told PTI.

Priyanka has remained active in Rae Bareli and Amethi for nearly two decades and has built up the party organisation there. While Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi, a seat traditionally held by Congress, to BJP's Smriti Irani, Sonia Gandhi has remained undefeated in Rae Bareli since 2004.

Vadra also hit out at Smriti Irani, the Union minister for women and child development, for linking his name with business tycoon Gautam Adani during the debate on the no-confidence motion in Parliament. Vadra said he keeps away from politics but I will speak to fight for my name because if there is anything they say they have to prove it.

"I challenge them that if they are going to take my name and 'you are going to bring my photograph, please show me something that I have done with Mr Adani. And if there is any wrongdoing I will deal with it and if not, they have to apologise and will have to take it back," he said.

"We have a picture of our very own prime minister sitting in Adani's plane. Why should not we ask questions about that and what Rahul (Gandhi) has been asking? And why these questions are not answered," he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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An educator at the e-learning platform Unacademy has courted a controversy by asking students to vote for educated politicians. In a video now viral on X, formerly Twitter, the educator, identified as one Karan Sangwan, can be heard asking the students to not vote for those who only focus on changing names, and to elect well-educated politicians. Karan Sangwan, educator at Unacademy.

Sangwan, L.L.M Criminal Laws, was apparently discussing the latest bill tabled in Lok Sabha by the BJP-led union government to replace British-era IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act. He was lamenting that all the notes he had prepared on criminal laws became worthless.

The educator can be heard saying, Even I don't know whether to laugh or cry because I also have a lot of bare acts, caseloads, and notes that I had prepared. It is hard work for everyone. You also got a job at your hand.

He further says, But keep in mind one thing. Next time vote for someone who is well-educated so you don't have to go through this (ordeal) again. Ok?

Sangwan adds, Aise insaan ko chune jo padha likha ho, jo samajh sake cheezon ko. Sirf aise insaan ko na chune jinko sirf badalna aata ho, naam change karna aata ho (Elect someone who is educated, who understands things. Don't elect someone who only knows changing names) Make your decision properly.

While the educator didn't take any names, many on social media drew an equivalence with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's recent statements targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many accused Sangwan of pushing political propaganda in the name of education.

Karan Sangwan an @unacademy faculty of Law is urging students not to vote for BJP again. Is this a revolution in Education Roman Saini talks about?? a user wrote, referring to one of the co-founders of Unacademy.

Another user linked to BJP wrote, Anti-Modi agenda of Unacademy... Hatred for Modi ji being peddled in the name of education. If you do not like PM Modi then oppose him but cannot implement your agenda under the guise of education.

Unacademy is yet to issue a statement on the brewing controversy.

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Security arrangements have been strengthened in the violence-hit Manipur district after some militant groups called for a strike and shutdown on Independence Day, officials said on Sunday. At least 152 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3 (File photo)

Police and security personnel deployed in the state have been instructed to intensify patrolling and vehicle checks to ensure smooth celebration of Independence Day on Tuesday, officials aware of the matter said. Security measures have been significantly heightened after several militant outfits called for a strike on I-Day, an official was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

Earlier in the week, the Coordination Committee (Corcom) -- a conglomerate of Valley-based militant outfits  called for a boycott of Independence Day functions in the state. Corcom includes Kangleipak Communist Party, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup, Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, Revolutionary Peoples Front, Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak-Progressive, Peoples Liberation Army and United National Liberation Front. These outfits have been demanding sovereignty for Manipur.

The Corcom has urged the residents to stay indoors and not unfurl the tricolour. The umbrella organisation also called for a shutdown on I-day starting 1 am and ending at 6.30pm. Essential services including medical emergencies, water supply, fire services, media and social and religious functions have been exempted from the purview of the shutdown.

At least 152 people have been killed and nearly 50,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between the numerically dominant Meitei community  which forms 53% of the state population and mostly inhabits the Imphal Valley  and the tribal Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts. Clashes first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after Kuki groups called for protests against a proposed tweak to the states reservation matrix, granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community.

On Saturday, an auto-rickshaw was torched by unidentified miscreants at Porompat Pangal Leirak area of Imphal East district, police said. According to people aware of the matter, the driver was ferrying goods for some residents when it was intercepted and burnt by a mob, adding that no one was injured in the incident. HT reached out to senior police officials for more details of the incident but did not receive a response immediately.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Utpal Parashar Utpal is a Senior Assistant Editor based in Guwahati. He covers seven states of North-East India and heads the editorial team for the region. He was previously based in Kathmandu, Dehradun and Delhi with Hindustan Times. ...view detail
The mention of AIIMS, Darbhanga by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Saturday event has triggered a war of words between Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya. As the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga is yet to start, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader took a swipe at the BJP calling it an invisible development politics. Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav. (Santosh Kumar/ HT Photo)

Mandaviya on Saturday said the Modi government believes in "politics of development" and not "politics in development" while urging Tejashwi Yadav, who holds the health portfolio in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, to provide suitable land for the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga.

Responding to Mandaviya, Tejashwi asked, What kind of invisible development politics is this where the Ministry of Health has not yet finalized the site for AIIMS and the respected prime minister is saying that AIIMS has been opened there?

The Union health minister said the permission for AIIMS Darbhanga was given by the Modi government on September 19, 2020, and the first land was given by the Bihar government on November 3, 2021.

"After this you came to the government and changed this place on April 30, 2023 while doing politics," Mandaviya said in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.

To this, Tejashwi said, From the time period you are describing, till many years before that, the health minister had been of BJP in Bihar. Perhaps you are pointing out their failure.

What is the controversy?

The state government initially handed over 81 acres of land on the campus of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for the proposed AIIMS in November 2021. However, chief minister Nitish Kumar on January 12, 2023, announced that the project will be shifted to a better accessible location. Later, on April 3, 2023, principal secretary of Bihar health department wrote a formal letter to the Union ministry informing them about an alternative land at Ekmi-Shobhan bypass.

In May, the Union ministry of health and family welfare rejected the new site proposed by the Bihar government terming the plot as unsuitable and requested the state government to provide an alternative land for the project.

Spotlight back on AIIMS, Darbhanga

During his virtual address to the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal, Prime Minister Modi mentioned the proposed hospital while underscoring that premier health centres were set up in all parts of the country to ensure that people did not have to travel long distances for medical treatment.

Tejashvi Yadav accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'safed jhooth' (blatant lie).

"It is an outright lie on part of the PM to have made a mention of AIIMS at Darbhanga, which is yet to be constructed. He reminds me of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who some time ago boasted of Purnea airport, which is far from functional, as one of the achievements of the government," Yadav told PTI video.

"The fact is, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had taken the initiative for AIIMS, Darbhanga and a piece of land, suitably located just a few kilometres from a national highway, was also allocated. But the Centre threw a spanner by claiming the location of the land was not convenient," he added.

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An enduring partnership between India and the US, especially in areas of defence and new technologies, is crucial to confront China's aggressive behaviour and deal with the consequences of the Ukraine crisis, visiting US Congressman Shri Thanedar said here on Sunday. Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar(PTI)

Thanedar told PTI in an interview that there is a general view in the US Congress that Washington's relationship with New Delhi is very important for the national security of the US.

The Indian-origin Congressman is part of a bipartisan group of US lawmakers who are in India to take part in several events including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the historic Red Fort on August 15.

READ | Charting the evolving India-US relationship

Thanedar said there is bipartisan support in the US for closer ties with India and it was evident from the warm welcome showered on Prime Minister Modi by both Democrats and Republicans during his address to the joint session of the US Congress on June 23.

"PM Modi's visit to the US was very very significant. The chemistry and friendship between PM Modi and President Joe Biden signified that we are turning a new page in our relationship," the lawmaker said.

"Our visit to India is aimed at continuing to foster that relationship into a long-lasting friendship," he added.

The bipartisan Congressional delegation is led by Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna and Congressman Michael Waltz. The two are co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.

READ | Ro Khanna-led House caucus delegation to visit India for I-day celebrations

"Currently, there is a general feeling in the Congress that this relationship with India is very important for the national security of the US, considering the Ukraine war and China's aggression," Thanedar said.

Asked about the deal between American aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines in India, he indicated that it would be endorsed by Congress.

During the prime minister's recent visit to the US, GE Aerospace and HAL signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Washington to produce the F414 engines in India.

India's plan to procure 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones from the US was also finalised when the prime minister was in the US.

READ | India-US ties one of most defining relationships in 21st century: Joe Biden hosts PM Modi

"I anticipate that both the drone deal as well as the jet engine project will be favourably received in the US," he said.

Thanedar said considering China's aggressive behaviour and its unfair trade policies, the US is looking at India to become a strong partner.

"It is very important that the US and India work together in areas of space and defence, focus on innovation in defence technologies - be it drones or jet engines," he said.

"This collaboration will go a long way in sending a strong message to China and Russia that their aggression will not be tolerated," he added.

Asked about India's strong relationship with Russia, the Congressman said that he hoped that India would have a relook at its ties with Moscow.

"Going forward India has to choose how much friendship and business collaboration it wants to have with Russia and how much of a collaboration it wants to do with the US," he said.

"Time has come now, I believe to choose a side and choose who is a true friend," he said, describing the India-US relationship as "very very important".

At the same time, he said the US cannot tell India what it should do. "But we hope India will look at its relationship with Russia."

Asked about a recent report by the US State Department on religious freedom that criticised India for alleged attacks on minorities, Thanedar said every country has issues.

"The US needs to work more in terms of racial relations. None of us is perfect. India has its issues, the US has its issues. But they become far pale compared to what we see happening in the Middle East and China," he said.

"When you are friends, you talk and help each other become better nations," he added.

The lawmaker said Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent a signal why India and the US need to work together to fight aggression.

"India has also faced military aggression from China. So, a strong relationship between India and the US is very important," he said.

The US Congressman also asserted that the US needs to look at issues relating to immigration and H1B visas.
Kolkata: Two second-year undergraduate students of Jadavpur University were arrested on Sunday in connection with the death of an 18-year-old fresher, who allegedly jumped off the second-floor balcony of his hostel on August 9, Kolkata police officers said. A first year student was found dead in Jadavpur University on Wednesday (File photo)

The two accused were identified as Dipsekhar Dutta, a student of economics and resident of Bankura district, and Manotosh Ghosh, a second-year sociology student and hails from Hooghly district, officers said, adding they were arrested after night-long interrogation.

Earlier, a former student of the university, Sourav Chowdhury, who completed his MSc in Mathematics in 2022 but continued to stay in the hostel illegally, was arrested on Friday. All three have been remanded in the police custody till August 22.

Also Read: Police probe sexual harassment angle in Jadavpur students death

Three people have been arrested so far. The probe is being supervised by some of the most senior officers of Kolkata police, Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal told reporters. We are trying to complete the investigation as fast as possible.

Dutta and Ghosh were summoned for questioning after they were named by Chowdhury. The two students were arrested after discrepancies were found in their statements, a senior police officer said, requesting anonymity.

The first-year undergraduate student of Bengali honours, a resident of Nadia district, jumped off the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am on Thursday. The victim was found lying naked in a pool of blood.

Officers said they are investigating if there is a sexual harassment angle in the incident.

Also Read: Jadavpur University student death: Police register murder case as TMC-BJP begin slugfest

Police have taken cognisance of the social media posts of the 18-year-old, including photographs, which suggest there was an element of sexual harassment in the ragging of the deceased. He was definitely tormented by the hostelers. There can be some passive sexual harassment. We are probing the matter, another officer said.

Joint commissioner (crime) Shankha Shubhra Chakraborty said absence of security cameras at the hostel is a challenge in the ongoing probe. Cameras should have been there. So far, we have questioned around 15 people, including university officials, Chakraborty added.

Police have registered a case under section 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint lodged by the victims parents. The case is being probed by the detective department of the Kolkata Police.

There was no statement from the university on the arrests of two students till the time of going to press.

Let my son be punished if he is guilty, Duttas father Madhusudan Dutta told local media. Shantinath Ghosh, father of the other arrested student, however, said: I am sure my son is innocent but I cant show my face to the society.

A team of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Sunday visited the deceased students house in Nadia district and met his family members.

This is a clear case of physical assault perpetrated on the student, Ananya Chakraborti, adviser to the child rights body, said. We will recommend stringent punishment against those involved in the unpardonable crime, she told reporters.

Meanwhile, Jadavpur University teachers have decided to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the incident of death of the undergraduate student after his ragging. We have called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the death of the boy, who was like my son. If we pretend to look the other way despite being educators, we will not be forgiven by people, JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Roy was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

He added that the meeting will also put forward the demand to ensure that former students, who are no longer associated with the university, leave the hostel immediately.

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An expert panel and the UGC have recommended that Jadavpur University and Jamia Hamdard University, which were shortlisted by the Centre for granting Institutions of Eminence (IoE) status, should not be granted the tag, according to officials. Jamia Hamdard Academy

Also, the Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn the proposal submitted earlier to confer the status of IoE on the Anna University, they said.

Also Read | UGC sets up expert panel to look into schemes for SC/ST students

The Ministry of Education is yet to take call on the recommendations by the Empowered Expert Committee (EEC) and the University Grants Commission (UGC).

"Jadavpur University, a state public varsity had initially submitted a proposal with budget outlay of 3,299 crore under the scheme. Subsequently, the Ministry had sought financial commitment from the West Bengal government for their share of funds since the scheme has a provision to fund up to 1,000 crore of the proposed outlay only and to ensure continuity of funds for the implementation plans in case of any shortfall," a top official privy to the development told PTI.

Also Read | UGC releases updated draft for development of education institutes

"However, the same was not agreed to by West Bengal government and it revised the proposal, first to 1,015 crore and then again revised steeply downward to 606 crore with 25 per cent of the amount to be generated by the university at its level. Noticing a significant decrease in the budget outlay, the matter was referred to the UGC and EEC to examine the proposal afresh and both of them recommended the Ministry of Education to not consider the university for IoE status," the official added.

No response was available from the three universities on the issue.

The Education Ministry had launched the IoE scheme in 2018 as per which 20 institutions were to be selected -- 10 public and 10 private ones -- that would enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.

In the first lot, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Bombay and the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) were awarded the IoE status in the public sector, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education and BITS Pilani in the private sector, while the Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation was given the tag in Greenfield category.

In 2019, five public institutions, including Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, University of Hyderabad, IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur were granted the status.

A Letter of Intent for granting the IoE status was also issued to five private universities -- Amrita Vidyapeetham and Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu, Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi and Satya Bharti Foundation's Bharti Instiute in Mohali.

Similarly, governments of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu were asked to indicate their commitment towards contribution to Jadavpur University and Anna University to enable them to have the IoE tag.

"On the recommendation of EEC and UGC, the Ministry had sought financial commitment from the Tamil Nadu government for its share of funds under the scheme to make good of the shortfall in funds, if any, to ensure proper execution of implementation plans under the IoE Scheme. However, the state government refused any financial commitment owing to its financial condition and informed that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had passed a bill, bifurcating the University into Anna Technological and Research University and Anna University.

"Also, a committee set up by the Tamil Nadu government recommended that Anna University does not require IoE status. Therefore, the state government has withdrawn the proposal submitted earlier to confer the status of IoE on the university," the official said.

While the government will provide funding up to 1,000 crore to public institutions with IoE tag, in case of private institutions proposed as Institutions of Eminence, there will be no financial support. But they will be entitled to more autonomy as a special category Deemed University.

"Following the Supreme Court order, division of Hamdard National Foundation (HNF) into Hamdard Education and Cultural Aid Committee (HECA) and Medical Relief and Education Committee (MREC) based on the resolution of the family settlement deed is proposed. Since, IoE status was granted in toto, the EEC, after due deliberation has recommended to not consider the institution for IoE status," the official said.

According to a Parliamentary panel, the Ministry of Education has informed that the draft MoUs received from four private institutions -- JIO Institute; Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore; Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore -- recommended for IoE status have been forwarded to the UGC for placing it before the EEC and forward its advice.

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'Boycott Starbucks' trended on X, formerly called Twitter, after Mumbai-based Hindu Janajagruti Samiti called a pan-India boycott of Starbucks claiming that the Starbucks chain in India only serves halal meat calling it a 'halal imposition' on Hindus and non-Muslims. "Do Hindus have no freedom to eat?" Hindu Janajagruti Samiti spokesperson Ramesh Shinde tweeted calling for the boycott. The hashtag trended on Sunday. Starbucks has not yet issued any statement reacting to the social media boycott call. Mumbai-based Hindu Janajagruti Samiti shared a video claiming that Starbucks only serves halal meat in India.

Halal means permissible and halal-certified means the food adheres to Islamic law. Halal meat refers to the meat of an animal which has been slaughtered through the throat, oesophagus, and jugular veins but not the spinal cord.

In a video, the Hindu organisation claimed that Starbucks serves 400,000 consumers in India every week, and crossed the 1,000-crore mark in net sales last fiscal year. "A huge chunk of this revenue is used for obtaining halal certification. Why should Hindus be forced to eat Halal-certified food," the video showed. In the video, a woman enquired at a Starbucks outlet in New Delhi whether non-halal meat is available. A staff, as captured in the video, said only halal meat is available and halal meat is something that both Hindus and Muslims can eat.

Recently, a video of a train passenger questioning a staff about the halal certification on a tea premix sachet went viral. The staff explained that the tea is any way vegetarian. The railways and the tea premix company issued statements that the tea is purely vegetarian and adheres to international standards.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail
Two women army officers, Majors Nikita Nair and Jasmine Kaur, will assist Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurl the national flag at the 77th Independence Day celebrations to be held at Red Fort on August 15, with the ceremonial event expected to be attended by 25,000 people, the defence ministry said on Sunday. Indian soldiers participate in a full-dress rehearsal Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi on Sunday. (AFP)

The unfurling of the tricolour will be synchronised with a 21-gun salute by the gunners of the elite 8711 Field Battery (Ceremonial) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Vikas Kumar.

After the PM unfurls the national flag, petals will be showered on the venue by two indigenously built Dhruv advanced light helicopters Mark-III of the Indian Air Force and captained by Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Squadron Leader Himanshu Sharma, the ministry said in a statement.

The PM will address the nation immediately after the petals are showered.

This years Independence Day will culminate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, launched by the PM from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021, and will, once again, usher the country into Amrit Kaal (the run-up to Indias independence centenary) with renewed vigour to realise the dream of making India a developed country by 2047, the statement said.

Around 1,800 people, including workers involved in the Central Vista project, from different walks of life from across the country will attend the celebrations as special guests (the initiative is in line with the governments vision of Jan Bhagidari or peoples participation).

The special guests include over 400 sarpanches of more than 660 vibrant villages, 250 people from farmer producer organisations scheme, 50 participants each of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, and 50 shram yogis or construction workers of the Central Vista Project, including the New Parliament Building, the statement said. They will also include 50 each khadi workers, those involved in construction of border roads, making of Amrit Sarovar and Har Ghar Jal Yojana as well as 50 each primary school teachers, nurses and fishermen.

Some of these special guests are scheduled to visit the National War Memorial too.

As many as 75 couples from different states and union territories have also been invited to witness the ceremony in their traditional attire.

Selfie points dedicated to different government schemes and initiatives have been installed at 12 locations, including National War Memorial, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan, Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid Metro Station, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Delhi Gate Metro Station, ITO Metro Gate, and Sis Ganj Gurdwara, the statement said.

The defence ministry gave out the line-up of the events in its statement.

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the PM will be received by defence minister Rajnath Singh, minister of state for defence Ajay Bhatt and defence secretary Giridhar Aramane. The defence secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth to the PM. The GoC will conduct the PM to the saluting base where a combined inter-services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute to him. The PM will then inspect the Guard of Honour.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the PM will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Singh, Bhatt, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan, army chief General Manoj Pande, navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. The GoC, Delhi area will then conduct the PM to the dais to unfurl the national flag.
In 1973, Bronx in New York City was one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in the United States. Robbery, muggings and murder were part of the residents' everyday life. Youths organized themselves into street gangs, taking control of their blocks and fighting each other. The Bronx was on fire  literally. Firefighters regularly had to put out blazes in tenement blocks, as landlords used arson to speculate on insurance premiums. 50 years ago, DJ Kool Herc invented hip-hop through his 'merry-go-round' technique. (DW/xenolabrainx/Pond5 Images/IMAGO)

The streets were littered with debris and junk; the neglected parks attracted drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes. The entire neighbourhood was crumbling, with many residential buildings empty and increasingly dilapidated.

As photojournalist Allan Tannenbaum wrote in an essay describing his personal experience of the area, in the early 1970s, the Bronx and other parts of New York City, such as the Lower East Side, Bedford-Stuyvesant or Harlem, looked like European cities after the Second World War.

There was great poverty, with a majority of residents living on welfare. Not because they didn't want to work, but because there was no employment at all.

Those who could afford it fled the neighbourhood, but they also had to find a landlord who would rent them an apartment elsewhere. Although racial segregation was officially abolished in the US in the early 1970s, many white people did not want to live alongside African Americans, and continued to discriminate against them, making it difficult for them to change their situation. Structural racism also contributed to the fact that it was predominantly African Americans and Latinos who stayed behind in the socially disadvantaged and neglected neighbourhoods.

A teenage party turns into a founding myth

"At the time New York city was almost bankrupt. There was really nothing there for kids to do," recalls Cindy Campell in a video produced by auction house Christie's, which is holding a special auction to mark the 50th anniversary of hip-hop's founding.

At the time, Campbell was in high school and, in order to be able to buy clothes for the new school year, she decided to throw a party. Admittance for boys was 50 cents, while girls paid 25 cents, according to the flyer for her "DJ Kool Herc Party."

DJ Kool Herc was her 18-year-old brother, Clive Campbell.

So on August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc dragged his sound system, consisting of two turntables, a mixer, an amplifier and a set of speakers, into the community room of the tenement building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx.

The smell of marijuana was in the air. The bass pumped and ripped through the sweating crowd as they danced and partied in the darkened room. DJ Herc's buddy Coke La Rock grabbed the microphone, greeted the guests and started rapping.

This later earned him a reputation as the first "MC" (Master of Ceremonies).

Around 50 people came, friends and young people from the neighbourhood. They experienced the first hip-hop party in history  before terms like hip-hop or rap had even been coined.

How DJ Kool Herc created new sounds

DJing was nothing special, and rapping wasn't new either. US comedian Pigmeat Markham had already released a track, the single "Here Comes the Judge," with rhythmic spoken word in 1968.

What was revolutionary about DJ Kool Herc's technique was that he created new tracks by using the instrumental parts of other songs, breaks with drums and bass. Since those lyrical breaks are often very short, DJ Kool Herc simply used a second copy of the same record on another turntable to lengthen the excerpts, by playing them back to back. He called this technique the "merry-go-round," and thereby developed a new, extremely danceable sound made of breaks.

That's also where the term breakdancer comes from  referring to those who dance to the music generated from breaks.

DJ Kool Herc mixed different styles of music in his performances. He wouldn't reveal which records he was using, to make sure people would keep coming to his parties to hear his exclusive sound.

He inherited his passion for music from his father, who was an avid record collector and had jazz, gospel and country records at home. DJ Kool Herc was also interested in soul, as well as in modern disco music. He was always looking for sounds from which he could create a beat  the basis for a good hip-hop track.

The parties just kept getting bigger

The DJ had set off fireworks on the turntables, and word spread quickly around the Bronx. Everyone came to Herc's parties, recalls rapper Coke La Rock in the Netflix documentary series "Hip-Hop Evolution": murderers, thieves, dancers and normal people all came to the events, which ultimately moved to the streets and parks when the lounge became too small.

The block parties were a regular feature in New York City in the 1970s. Street lamps were often tapped to supply the music system with electricity.

In order to stand out as a DJ, you had to be loud, and DJ Kool Herc had the biggest and loudest speakers in the neighbourhood.

Hip-hop  more than just music

Right from the start, hip-hop was not just a music genre, but an entire culture, encompassing DJing, rap, breakdance, graffiti and knowledge. It all came together at DJ Kool Herc's parties. Just one more reason the legendary party on Sedgwick Avenue is considered the birth of hip-hop.

Anyone who wanted to hear hip-hop had to come to the block parties, because in the mid-1970s hip-hop albums weren't available for sale, nor was the music on the radio.

It wasn't until 1979 that The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" became the first hip-hop song to make the US charts. It's a song that is now considered a classic, just like "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, which came out in 1982 and tells of life in the New York ghetto.

"Hip hop has been the Voice of the Voiceless, the story of marginalized communities, where people can tell stories about the social inequities that are happening in communities, black and brown communities. Not just here in America but all around the world," said Rocky Bucano, director of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum in New York, in a promotional video for the museum's planned opening in 2024.

In a video of the web video series "Black History in Two Minutes," filmmaker Ava DuVernay called hip-hop the "CNN of the Black community," because it poetically reports on everything that Black people experience in everyday life.

From niche to mainstream

Many US rappers who have made it to the top don't come from the middle class, but from the poor backgrounds where hip-hop originated.

Moving from subculture into the mainstream, hip-hop is now one of the most popular music genres in the world, with superstars including Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, the Wu-Tang Clan, Timbaland, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Nas, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Drake, Missy Elliott, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, to name just a few.

From the United States, hip-hop culture has spread worldwide, influencing music, fashion, film, advertising and art.

In Germany, where a hip-hop scene with different trends has also developed over time, hip-hop is truly a political culture: In 2017, a hip-hop political party was even set up. It has yet to enter the German parliament.
Malaika Arora never disappoints with her red-carpet fashion choices. The star is often called one of the OG fashion icons of Bollywood, and her ability to slay risque style choices with elegance and panache is one of the reasons. She did the same while attending an event for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in Melbourne. She wore a sizzling red gown featuring a thigh-high slit. Check out her pictures and videos inside. Malaika Arora sets Melbourne on fire in a red thigh-slit gown and sultry smoky eyes. (Instagram)

Malaika Arora attends the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Celebrity makeup artist Meghna Butani took to Instagram to share pictures and a video of Malaika Arora from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. She captioned the posts, "Slaying in a Red gown @iffmelbourne" and "Melbourne Diaries with @malaikaaroraofficial. Can never go wrong with sultry dark eyes and straight shiny hair." The snippets show Malaika transforming into the 'dancing lady' emoji as she twirled and showed off her red gown. Scroll through to read our download on her look.

Malaika's sleeveless ruby red-coloured dress features a halter neckline, an OTT flower-shaped applique embellishment on the torso, a fitted bodice, a full back-baring design, a cinched waistline, a pleated skirt cascading to form a floor-sweeping train, a risque thigh-high slit extending till her waist, and a form-fitting silhouette.

Malaika accessorised the ensemble with black killer high heels and minimal jewels, including shimmering drop earrings embellished with a ruby gem and rings. Lastly, she chose kohl-lined eyes, winged eyeliner, sultry smoky eyes, mascara on the lashes, feathered brows, mauve lip shade, rouged cheeks, and beaming highlighter. A centre-parted open silky long tresses gave the finishing touch.

Fans react to Malaika Arora's pictures

Fans took to the comments section to praise Malaika Arora's sizzling red carpet look. One wrote, "Seriously, she is amazing!" Another commented, "Beauty never ends." A fan wrote, "People may troll her, but this woman is on fire. Incomparable." A few others posted heart and fire emojis.
All parents are confronted with the common dilemma  what is the degree to which they should be disciplinarians without being overbearing, authoritative without curbing the childs freedom and loving and caring without spoiling or pampering the child too much. For effective parenting, one must learn to strike the right balance as parenting can be a joyful yet challenging experience but toddlers are at a crucial stage of development, exploring their independence and learning about the world around them hence, finding the right balance is the most crucial aspect of effective parenting. Tips on finding the right balance for effective parenting (Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Ajay Gupta, Founder of Bachpan Play Schools and Academic Heights Public Schools and Co-Founder of Rishihood University and Must and More Diagnostic Center, shared, There are now various types of parenting in todays world. For example, authoritative parents tend to have strict rules and high expectations for their children. They enforce discipline and obedience, often using punishment as a means of control. Permissive parents are the ones who are lenient and indulgent, often allowing their children to have their way and avoiding setting clear boundaries. They avoid discipline and prioritize their child's immediate desires over long-term development.

He added, Most of all, balanced parents are the ones who are firm and decisive in life-changing situations and warm and lenient during other times. Balanced parents ensure a healthy bond development between parents and children. By being compassionate and a good listener, balanced parents can be effective on children because kids get the confidence and trust that even if they will share something wrong, then instead of scolding they will get guidance. It is hence more than important for parents to find the right balance of effective parenting. Schools also, no doubt, play an important role in the development of parent-child relationships.

Shikha Banerjee, Principal at Seth Anandram Jaipuria School in Kanpur, advised, You should extend all love, care and support to your child but make sure the child doesnt become dependent on you for doing little things or over-possessive of you to the extent that he or she suffers from separation anxiety. Encourage your children to do things on their own, rather than doing things for them. Be a guide on the side rather than a problem-solver for your child. Be permissive, but not disengaged. Most importantly, develop a clear understanding of your childs behavior, needs and desires. Effective parenting requires an equitable and even-handed approach to ensure that the child grows up to be a confident critical thinker who is physically fit and emotionally strong and resilient. Accepting the child with his or her qualities and limitations is of utmost importance.

According to Sanjeeda Zaidi, Founder and teacher at Lesson Up, a crucial aspect to consider is the need to exhibit the qualities that you want your child to possess. She said, Developing your character and creating an environment that reflects your virtues is crucial. This process is essential in parenting as it sets the right environment within the family. Furthermore, it also lays the foundation for cultivating happiness and affection. The surrounding environment can shape your child's character more than any institutional influence. It is important to remember that your character plays a significant role in raising children. Let us now delve into some critical questions: What should we focus on teaching and what measures should we embrace? It is vital to instill the skill of asking questions in your children, not as a way to doubt, but as a way to genuinely gain knowledge.

She recommended, Using questions is an effective way to garner a deeper understanding of any subject. Teaching your child to question things will equip them with the valuable skill of critical thinking, which may lead them to question even your beliefs. Also, encouraging healthy curiosity enables children to continually exercise their intelligence. Fostering an environment of love and acceptance when raising a child can have beneficial effects, but it does not assure a specific outcome. Ultimately, the most crucial thing in life is whether or not you have put forth your best effort. Therefore, practical parenting demands finding a balance, nurturing your child, promoting intellectual curiosity, and doing everything possible to guide their growth and development.

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Many years ago, I met a scholar from Pakistan and was amused to find that 420 held the same connotation in Pakistan as in India. Thanks to films, television serials and even literature, sections such as 302 and 420 in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 144 in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) became part of everyday usage. We will have to get used to new nomenclature, just as we get used to the renumbering of national highways or the renaming of cities. But the three bills  Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita (BSS), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)  are more substantive than mere tokenism, nomenclature tweaks, or getting rid of colonial legacies (references to Her Majestys government and so on). For those uncomfortable with Indian words, these respectively refer to the Indian Evidence Act (1872), Indian Penal Code (1860) and Criminal Procedure Code (1973). The vintage suggests the need for change. In effect, at a philosophical level, this is a reassessment of crime. Decriminalise the minor and ensure punishment is more severe for the major. (HT Archive)

CrPC may seem relatively recent, but the 1973 version was only a modification of the 1898 statute. More than 47 million cases are pending in Indian courts, more, if one includes quasi-judicial forums. Roughly, two-thirds are criminal cases. The function of criminal justice is to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. If innocent people are punished, thats one kind of error. If the guilty are not punished, then thats another kind.

Statisticians refer to these as Type I and Type II errors and a standard problem is that one cant reduce both kinds of errors simultaneously. The Indian situation is worse. Moving beyond the innocent, there are undertrials, accused of petty crimes.

Vishnu Tiwari, an innocent accused of a rape charge, was recently freed after 20 years. It has been fatuously remarked that everyone who should be in jail is out of jail and everyone in jail should be out of jail.

A credible criminal justice system, transcending Daminis famous dialogue of tareekh pe tareekh syndrome, is a big ask. These three bills make a dent, but cant be expected to solve the problem in its entirety. This is reminiscent of amendments to the Civil Procedure Code (CPC).

Two questions are key  what is a crime and what is the procedure followed in criminal trials? There have been committees galore. One such was the Justice VS Malimath Committee formed 20 years ago. There was also the Madhav Menon Committee in 2007, and several others.

This time, the template has been devised by the National Law University, Delhi. Skipping the details, I dont think anyone can carp at proposed changes in BSS (definition of documents, digitisation, video recording) or BNSS (the procedure for zero first information report, summary trial, 90 days for charge sheets, 30 days for judgments, two adjournments, automatic bail, witness protection, commutation, confiscation of property related to crime, disposal of case property). But as with CPC, a lot depends on the blunting edge of court judgments and systemic problems in lower courts, where the bulk of criminal cases are concentrated.

The more serious issue is the definition of crime. These bills dont, and cant address Special and Local Laws (SLL), which are state subjects. Several criminal cases are about SLLs, not IPC. Thomas Macaulay is much reviled. As a member of the then Law Commission, he authored the first draft of IPC in 1837. There are differences between Macaulays 1837 draft and the eventual IPC.

Perhaps because he wasnt a trained lawyer, Macaulays draft was precise, not requiring illustrations and examples; sections subsequently added to the IPC are replete with it. Some bits of BNS are clear enough  X shouldnt be a crime. (377 is an example.) Or, it is a crime, but penalties are not serious enough  Y isnt a crime, but ought to be. Organised crime, sex on false pretences, gangrape, lynching, snatching, hit and run, and initiating children into crime are some such examples.

Or, it is a crime but without warranting serious punishments. Why shouldnt there be community service instead of imprisonment in such cases? This is in line with the governments initiatives to decriminalise minor offences, reflected in the earlier Jan Vishwas Bill.

In effect, at a philosophical level, this is a reassessment of crime. Decriminalise the minor and ensure punishment is more severe for the major. But there are places where the Macaulay test of precision fails. The more precise the language, the lesser the need for illustrations and examples, and for courts to step in to interpret what the legislature intended. An obvious example of this is the offence of sedition or treason.

Though these expressions no longer remain in BNS, they creep in, through the use of other words that are not precise enough. The bills will head to a parliamentary committee, before becoming acts. In the process, one hopes that the good (and there is quite a bit of it) is not diluted and the bad (there is a bit of it) is addressed. Macaulay is much maligned. But there are lessons to be learnt from his precision.

There is a cliched quote from Roman historian Tacitus  the more numerous the laws, the more corrupt a State. In Annals, Tacitus intended correlation, not causation. If BSS, BNS and BNSS are slimmer, with fewer sections, that itself is a good sign. With Sanskrit at the root of the new nomenclature paradigm, it must also be noted that the ancient language has no satisfactory word (other than a concocted one) for lawyer, or for adjournment.

Bibek Debroy is chairman, EAC-PM. The views expressed are personal
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi will deliver his tenth address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on this Independence Day. Before the British altered it after 1857, this was neither the original name nor the colour of this magnificent 17th-century edifice. Barring 1947, every Indian PM on Independence Day has adhered to the tradition of addressing the nation from this fort, a symbol of spirited rebellion against the British. Recognising and respecting this significance, PM Modi instituted Red Fort museums dedicated to the 1857 revolt, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army. PREMIUM New India, is steadily striding in the right direction to become a vishwaguru, when we commemorate the centennial of our Independence.(Photo by Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash)

United States (US) President Franklin Roosevelts fireside chats helped calm his nation during the Great Depression while British PM Winston Churchills wartime oratory reassured his people. For PM Modi, his Red Fort speeches serve as an instrument of a higher purpose to engage in dialogue over deeper social issues and forge a national narrative. Modis inaugural address in 2014 was the first ever by a PM born in independent India. Breaking convention, he addressed the people from an open podium instead of a bulletproof enclosure, and halted his motorcade to greet school children, reflecting his intent to directly connect with people.

Over the past decade, many transformative themes have emerged from these speeches. Remarking that people may be shocked that a PM was talking about toilets from the Red Fort, Modi expressed how pained he was at the indignity suffered by our mothers and sisters due to open defecation. Be it giving a clarion call to build an India where the poor would have a pucca house with electricity and water, or highlighting the obligation to ensure affordable and quality health care, he felt empowering the poor would transform Indias economic destiny.

Recalling a two-year drought endured by our farmers, he rhetorically asked if there was anybody who could have a more pious heart or hands than a farmer. In the midst of the pandemic when global supply chains were getting choked, he emphasised that like agriculture, India should be self-reliant in sectors such as space. The distinct narrative emerging out of the PMs speeches became a guiding force for the governments policy and programmes. Today, Swachh Bharat Mission has built over 110 million toilets. A hundred million fake beneficiaries have been removed and 495 million people have Jan Dhan bank accounts with 55% being women. Nearly 30 million citizens have geotagged cement houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and 120 million households access arsenic-free drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Scheme. The PM Kisan Samman Scheme has disbursed about 2.24 lakh crore to 115 million small farmers; 550 million Indians are covered by a social security net of affordable pension and insurance while 135 million Indians have been moved out of multi-dimensional poverty.

With a conviction to change the status quo, PM Modi began forging a national narrative from the Red Fort. Consequently, India has not only witnessed a tectonic social, economic, and digital transformation but also a cultural renaissance. Today, we are the fifth largest economy in the world with a Gross Domestic Product of $3.75 trillion. Chandrayaan-3 has now entered the lunar orbit while we have launched the indigenous 12nm NavIC chip, providing Indian GPS capabilities.

The Ram temple in Ayodhya will be inaugurated in January whereas heritage theft has been reversed. For the first time in 75 years, a made-in-India gun was used for the ceremonial 21-gun salute on Independence Day and women cadets have been commissioned into our Armys artillery regiment. The Modi government has presciently embarked on becoming self-reliant in semiconductor technology, whereas a national masterplan for holistic infrastructure has been unveiled.

In his first Red Fort address PM Modi cited Samgacchadhvam, from Rig Veda, which means Let Us Move Together. Guided by the mantra of antyodaya, the past decade has seen the empowerment of all sections of society, through the non-discriminatory and honest delivery of schemes.

With 2047 as the lofty goal, the PM last year affirmed panch pran (five resolutions) for all Indians. New India, is steadily striding in the right direction to become a vishwaguru, when we commemorate the centennial of our Independence.

CR Kesavan, former member of the Prasar Bharati Board, is with the BJP. The views expressed are personal
OpenAI's ChatGPT made history as the fastest-growing app ever upon its launch in November 2022. However, a recent news report by Analytics India Magazine has raised concerns about the company's financial future, suggesting that it might face bankruptcy by the end of 2024. ChatGPT logo and AI Artificial Intelligence.(REUTERS)

ALSO READ: Has OpenAI's ChatGPT lost steam months after blockbuster debut?

According to the report, OpenAI's decision to apply for a trademark on GPT led to apprehensions about its viability, with predictions that users might eventually discontinue its usage. The report highlighted a decline in ChatGPT's user base during June and July compared to May. SimilarWeb data on August 3 revealed a second consecutive drop in ChatGPT traffic, with a 9.6 per cent decrease in July and a 9.7 per cent decline in June. Notably, July witnessed a 12 per cent decrease in users, dropping to 1.5 billion from June's 1.7 billion.

The report attributed this decline partly to API cannibalszation, as companies prohibited their employees from using ChatGPT for work purposes but allowed integration of the large language model (LLM) into other workflows.

Media sources indicate that running ChatGPT costs OpenAI approximately $700,000 per day, and while recent investors like Microsoft cover these expenses, sustaining such costs without profits could be detrimental.

Earlier losses of $540 million for 2023 doubled since OpenAI's chatbot development began, projecting $200 million in revenue for 2023 and an ambitious $1 billion in 2024. However, mounting losses cast doubt on achieving these targets. Challenges stemming from persistent Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) shortages also hindered model development.

OpenAI's recent trademark application for 'GPT-5' and its ongoing model training efforts signify the company's dedication to advancing in this domain. Despite these efforts, the report suggests that OpenAI might be on the verge of bankruptcy by the end of 2024 unless it secures additional funds promptly.

In the midst of these developments, Apple's potential entry into the AI-powered chatbot arena and Elon Musk's claims about his AI company xAI being superior have added to OpenAI's challenges. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, criticised the company for its affiliation with Microsoft and its approach to AI development.

READ HERE: Elon Musk launches new AI firm xAI to understand universes true nature'

OpenAI, once a nonprofit, has evolved into a "capped-profit" entity, raising $10 billion from Microsoft to fund its growth while attempting to balance its original non-profit mission. The chief executive Sam Altman has said that the company has no immediate plans to go public due to concerns about superintelligence-related decisions aligning with investor expectations.

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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
A mans post on being treated unfavourably for taking off from work for the first time in eight months has sparked chatter on Reddit. He shared how he is being treated like a criminal for refusing to agree to check his work-related emails while on vacation. The man's work-related post created quite a chatter on Reddit (representational image). (Unsplash/@nickmorrison)

First vacation since I joined the company - am treated like a criminal, he wrote as the posts title. In the rest of the share, the man went on to describe what actually transpired between him and his colleagues.

Also Read: Boss asks employee to train replacement on last day of work

I need you to finish these tasks by tomorrow. I am on vacation for 1.5 weeks from tomorrow onwards. My first vacation in 8 months. Looks of disgust and disbelief, They then wanted me to take my laptop and check the emails daily. I rebelled and told them I will take my laptop but only check them once every 4-5 days - lol," he explained.

"Despite this being an extremely generous offer on my part I was met with a look of anger, disgust and disbelief and the recommendation to check them daily. And then there's people telling us how much work office work was 40 years ago before those damn emails, he added.

Take a look at this post by a Reddit user about his workplace:

The post was shared two days ago. Since being posted, it has accumulated more than 15,000 upvotes and the numbers are only increasing. Additionally, the share has also received tons of comments from people.

What did Reddit users say about this mans work-related post?

Don't take your laptop at all. Unless it's your personal device, in which case do as you please, but leave your out-of-office on, and try to avoid checking emails. Part of the purpose of a vacation is mental decompression from work, which won't happen if you allow them to join you on your vacation. If it's a work device, you can cite insurance and security concerns for not taking a company device containing sensitive documents on a personal holiday, suggested a Reddit user.

When I'm on my days off or on vacation, I have work numbers blocked. I unblock them while on shift, added another. Tell them if they want you to work on vacation, you're billing them for those hours. It's illegal to force you to work unpaid, joined a third. Employers pay for your time. You're not on vacation if you work, wrote a fourth.

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A Scottish council has come into the spotlight once again for having a notable cluster of twins commencing their primary school journey this year. 17 sets of twins have enrolled at the St Patricks Primary in Greenock this academic year. This contributes to an already remarkable tally of more than 147 sets of twins attending primary schools in the Inverclyde region, further cementing its standing as the council area with the most substantial prevalence of twins in educational establishments. A total of 17 sets of similar siblings are due to begin P1 on Friday 18 August 2023.(Inverclyde.gov.uk)

"A total of 17 sets of similar siblings are due to begin P1 on Friday 18 August 2023, the website of the Inverclyde council states.

The Inverclyde locality in Scotland has earned the moniker 'Twinverclyde' due to its elevated rate of twin births. This reputation was solidified when an unprecedented 19 sets of twins commenced their school journey in 2015, the Metro reports.

In the current year, the district is witnessing its second-highest recorded rate of twins. Among the twins joining the school this year, the majority  15 out of the 17 sets  assembled for a dress rehearsal in Greenock recently.

Speaking about the dress rehearsal event Depute Provost of Inverclyde Graeme Brooks said, Excitement is definitely building for the start of the new term next week, and what better way to look forward to that than seeing the pupils here looking resplendent in their uniforms Its also a good bit of fun for parents too  and a handy dress rehearsal ahead of the real thing next Friday.

Were lucky to have so many incredible schools here in Inverclyde with every one renewed or extensively refurbished, he added.

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Seven people  including a 23-day-old baby girl  were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country's Internal Affairs Ministry said. Lyubov Tolchina, 63, reacts next to the damaged house of her son Vitaly, 40, who was killed the day before by shelling in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Ukraine, August 13.(REUTERS)

Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family  a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl  and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar's comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumors that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

"Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement," she said.

Kherson regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Sunday that three people had been wounded in Russian attacks on the province on Saturday .

Ukrainian military officials said Saturday evening that Kyivs forces had made progress in the south, claiming some success near a key village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and capturing other unspecified territories.

Ukraines General Staff said they had partial success around the tactically important Robotyne area in the Zaporizhzhia region, a key Russian strongpoint that Ukraine needs to retake in order to continue pushing south towards Melitopol.

There are liberated territories. The defense forces are working, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraines southern forces, said of the southern front.

Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the over 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line as Ukraine wages a counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons and Western-trained troops against Russian forces who invaded nearly 18 months ago.

Ukrainian troops have made only incremental gains since launching a counteroffensive in early June.

In Russia, local officials reported on Sunday that air defense systems shot down three drones over the Belgorod region and one over the neighboring Kursk region, both of which border Ukraine.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian border regions are a fairly regular occurrence. Drone attacks deeper inside Russian territory have been on the rise since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. In recent weeks, attacks have increased both on Moscow and on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014  a move that most of the world considered illegal.

Firing drones at Russia, after more than 17 months of war, has little apparent military value for Ukraine but the strategy has served to unsettle Russians and bring home to them the conflicts consequences.

The Wagner mercenary group has played a key role in Russia's military campaign, but there is a realistic possibility that the Kremlin is no longer providing funding, according to British defense officials.

In its latest intelligence briefing, the Ministry of Defense said it believed Wagner was likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process in order to save money, and that the Kremlin had acted against some other business interests of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. The officials assessed that Belarusian authorities were the second most plausible paymasters.

Thousands of Wagner fighters arrived in Russian-allied Belarus under a deal that ended their armed rebellion in late June and allowed them and Prigozhin to avoid criminal charges.
A routine flight took a terrifying turn when an American Airlines plane bound for Florida suddenly dropped over 15,000 feet within three minutes, leaving passengers shaken. American Airlines Flight 5916 was en route from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Gainesville, Florida, when the incident unfolded, as reported by Fox News. The incident was attributed to a "possible pressurization issue" on the aircraft. FILE PHOTO - An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight from Los Angeles approaches for landing at Reagan National Airport shortly after an announcement was made by the FAA that the planes were being grounded by the United States in Washington, US on March 13.(REUTERS)

Passenger Harrison Hove, a University of Florida professor, recounted the harrowing experience on social media. He described the ordeal as "terrifying" and revealed that photos couldn't capture the intense burning smell, loud noise, and ear-popping sensation that accompanied the incident. Images he shared show oxygen masks dangling from above, with passengers, including himself, relying on them for breathing. Hove praised the flight crew, stating, "Kudos to our amazing flight crew  cabin staff and pilots on @AmericanAir 5916. The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops. Good to be on the ground."

According to data from FlightAware, the plane rapidly descended almost 20,000 feet within a mere 11 minutes. Particularly alarming was the aircraft's rapid descent of 18,600 feet in less than six minutes, occurring 43 minutes into the flight.

Also Read | Father of children who survived Colombian plane crash accused of sexual abuse

Mr. Hove revealed in a tweet that a mid-flight failure led to cabin depressurization, causing the unsettling burning smell. He explained that the wing flaps were deployed to quickly lower the plane's altitude to increase available oxygen. Despite the terrifying experience, Hove reassured that the situation ultimately resolved safely.

American Airlines issued a statement to Fox News regarding the incident, explaining that the crew's decision to descend to a lower altitude was prompted by the pressurization concern. A spokesperson conveyed, "American Eagle flight 5916, operated by Piedmont Airlines, from Charlotte (CLT) to Gainesville, Florida (GNV) landed safely in GNV on Thursday, August 10. While in flight, the crew received an indication of a possible pressurization issue and immediately and safely descended to a lower altitude. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience and thank our team for their professionalism."
A murder charge was filed on Friday against a judge in Southern California who allegedly shot and killed his wife during a drunken argument. FILE - Investigators remove firearms from a house in the 8500 block of E. Canyon Vista Dr. in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2023. A Southern California judge was charged Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, with murder in the shooting death of his wife and 47 weapons were seized from the house, authorities said. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, was arrested last week after his adult son called 911 to report his mother, Sheryl Ferguson, had been shot at the family's home in the upscale neighborhood of Anaheim Hills, the district attorney's office said in a statement. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, File)(AP)

Prosecutors said the judge texted his court clerk and bailiff right after the shooting to confess his crime.

Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, a judge of the Orange County Superior Court, is accused of shooting his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, in the chest with a pistol at their home in Anaheim Hills on Aug. 3.

The couple had been arguing at a restaurant earlier that night and continued the dispute at home, according to a court document from the Orange County district attorneys office.

The document says that Sheryl Ferguson taunted her husband by saying something like Why dont you point a real gun at me? and he pulled out a gun from his ankle holster and fired at her.

Their adult son witnessed the shooting and called 911 to report that his father had been drinking too much and shot his mother.

ALSO READ| Catholic church Maria Lanakila escapes the Maui inferno that killed 89 people

Jeffrey also called 911 but did not admit to shooting his wife. He only said that she needed paramedics and he did not want to talk about it then.

When police arrived, they found Jeffrey Ferguson smelling of alcohol and saying Oh man I cant believe I did this, the document says.

The 72-year-old judge was arrested at the scene and released the next day on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Sept. 1.

Prosecutors said they are seeking new bail conditions for him to ensure he does not flee or pose a danger to the public. They said they found 47 weapons, including the one used in the shooting, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition at his home. They also said he should surrender his passport, wear an ankle monitor, and abstain from alcohol and firearms.

Jeffrey has been a judge since 2015 and handles criminal cases in Fullerton. He started his career as a prosecutor in 1983 and worked on narcotics cases. He was also a president of a local bar association from 2012 to 2014.

Investigators remove firearms from a house in the 8500 block of E. Canyon Vista Dr. in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. A Southern California judge has been arrested on suspicion of killing his wife in the couple's home, authorities said Friday. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson was arrested late Thursday after police received reports of a shooting at the home and found the judges wife, Sheryl Ferguson, shot inside, said Anaheim police Sgt. Jon McClintock. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)(AP)

He was admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance in 2017 for posting a false statement on Facebook about a judicial candidate and for being Facebook friends with lawyers appearing before him in court.

The Orange County judge said on his Facebook page that he grew up in a military family and traveled around Asia as a child. He married Sheryl Ferguson in 1996.

The case has shocked the legal community in Southern California and raised questions about how it should be handled. The Orange County district attorneys office asked state officials to determine if there was a conflict of interest before filing charges. A judge from Los Angeles County will preside over the case, officials said.

The Orange County Sheriffs Department, which runs the county jail, said Jeffrey Ferguson was released according to the standard rules for bail and the law. They said no additional conditions were requested by Anaheim police, who arrested him.

Jeffreys lawyers issued a brief statement and declined to comment further.

This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more, they said.

"We're merely responsible for accommodating him by our county's mandate for detaining arrestees," he stated.

ALSO READ| Meghan flaunts her $4 stress patch as she steps out wearing a woollen coat in summer

"The sheriff's department lacks the authority to impose stipulations."

When Ferguson was taken into custody, the evidence and situation didn't warrant an increase in bail, explained Anaheim police Sgt. Jon McClintock. He noted that the judge "holds the same constitutional privilege to post bail as any other individual" and refrained from commenting on the submission from the district attorney's office.
In a shocking video, a brazen mob of 30 people ransacked a Nordstrom department store in Los Angeles. The robbery took place on Saturday when a group of 30 people entered the Nordstrom store at the Topanga Mall in Woodland Hills and took off with a handful of clothes and handbags. The robbery has left people scared and worried for their safety and the law.

In the video footage of the incident taken from inside the store, the mass dressed in black attacked the security personnel with bear spray, entered the store, smashed the displays and grabbed valuables before running out of the store.

According to the Los Angeles police, the robbery was executed around 4 p.m. and a handful of items including mostly handbags and some clothes were stolen.

The store made an official statement on its Twitter account stating about 25 purses, 15 dresses, and 24 bottles of perfume were stolen from the store causing a loss of over $200 million dollars.

To those who live in the area and patronize the Topanga Mall it is a loss of feeling safe. The LAPD will exhaust all efforts to bring those responsible into custody and seek criminal prosecution," said LAPD.

The robbery has left people scared and worried for their safety and the law.

California Has Fallen Mass Mob Smash & Grab Robbery in Full Daylight Results in $30K Worth of Stolen Merchandise at Nordstrom in Los Angeles said a user on Twitter.

Another shoplifting bonanza at a Nordstrom outside of Los Angeles. This is not sustainable. The state of California is going to collapse. It is only a matter of time, wrote another.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass addressed the issue in a statement that said, What happened today at the Nordstrom in the Topanga Mall is absolutely unacceptable. Those who committed these acts and acts like it in neighbouring areas must be held accountable. The Los Angeles Police Department will continue to work to not only find those responsible for this incident but to prevent these attacks on retailers from happening in the future.

It seems store robberies have become the norm in the Democrat-run city, where this incident is the second one in two weeks. On August 8, a similar robbery took place at a Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana in Glendale.

Despite the similarities between the two, it is still not confirmed if this and the Nordstrom robbery are connected, said the police.
A prominent temple in the town of Surrey in British Columbia was vandalised on Saturday, with anti-India and pro-Khalistan posters pasted on its front gate and rear wall. Anti-India poster pasted to the front gate of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia, on Saturday(Lakshmi Narayan Mandir)

The posters were pasted in the early hours of Saturday at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir. The posters were removed after they were discovered in the morning.

The president of the temple Satish Kumar said he was shocked at the desecration of the temple. We never expected something like this, he added. This temple, in fact, had figured in the itinerary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited Canada in the spring of 2015.

Kumar said the matter had been reported to the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP. CCTV footage of two persons, wearing masks, was captured by temple security cameras. He said the temple had been in touch with police even earlier due to security concerns as it prepares to hold Independence Day celebrations on August 20. The temple board will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the vandalisation.

Maninder Gill, president of the Surrey-based Friends of Canada and India Foundation condemned the incident on behalf of his organisation.

The poster at the front gate had the word Wanted under the names and photographs of Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa as well as its Consul Generals in Toronto and Vancouver. The second, stuck to the rear doors, called for Canada to investigate Indias role in the assassination of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.

Similar posters have appeared across Surrey in recent days. Such a poster was placed outside the entrance to the building housing Indias Consulate in Vancouver on August 1 and also carried by several persons at a religious parade in Surrey last Sunday.

The series of posters have referred to the killing of Nijjar, the secessionist group Sikhs For Justices principal figure in British Columbia. Nijjar was murdered in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Singh Gurdwara Sahib he headed in Surrey on June 18. SFJ has blamed India for his assassination. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or Investigation Team or IHIT, which is probing the killing, has not ascribed any motive while it seeks the murderers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anirudh Bhattacharyya Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb. ...view detail
China's northern region of Inner Mongolia reported two cases of bubonic plague. A previous infection was detected on August 7, the local government had earlier reported. The two people infected are the husband and daughter of the previous case, the government said in a statement. All close contacts have been quarantined and have shown no abnormal symptoms, the statement added. China Bubonic Plague: A China's flag flutters.(Reuters)

Bubonic plague infection is spread mostly by rodents. The cases of the highly infectious disease are low in China, with most found in Inner Mongolia and northwestern Ningxia region in recent years. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague, which can be fatal if not treated in time, World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail
The Chinese embassy "strongly" condemned the terror attack on the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers in Balochistan and warned Pakistan to take effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Chinese President Xi Jinping.(REUTERS)

China further demanded a thorough investigation into the attack and severely punish the perpetrators.

"The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemns this terrorist act. The Embassy and the Consulate General in Karachi launched emergency response immediately, requesting the Pakistani authorities to conduct a thorough investigation on the attack, severely punish the perpetrators, take practical and effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again," the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said in a press release.

The Chinese Embassy also informed its citizens in Pakistan to be vigilant and take preventive measures against security risks, and to ensure the safety of their lives and property.

"Given the current security situation, the Chinese Embassy reminds Chinese citizens in Pakistan to be vigilant and take preventive measures against security risks, to ensure the safety of their lives and property," the Chinese embassy informed its citizens via a press statement.

The press release further said that the incident caused no casualties on the Chinese side, and the relevant personnel have been properly placed in safety.

"China will continue to work with the Pakistani side, to jointly counter the threats of terrorism and earnestly protect the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan," the press release said.

A convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan on Sunday.

The attack occurred near the Gwadar police station in Balochistan when the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers was passing the police station and an IED blast took place.

Global Times on its social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter shared a video and informed about the incident.

The van which was part of the convoy was shot at creating cracks in the glass.

With the increase in terrorism incidents in the country, the Punjab Home Department has directed the Chinese nationals living in the province or working with private companies to hire private security companies of 'A' category for their security, the Dawn reported.

The home department and police held a meeting in the month of February this year to review the security of the Chinese nationals working on government and private projects in the province.

In 2014, the Punjab government established the Special Protection Unit (SPU) as a dedicated unit for the security of foreigners working on different projects of national importance. As many as 3,336 security constables, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former army personnel in the rank of senior security constable to the chief security officer and seven former army officers in the rank of additional director & deputy director were recruited in the SPU, the Dawn reported.

Keeping in view the job requirement, the personnel were imparted six months of rigorous training at four police training schools by professional trainers.

Presently, 3,829 officers and personnel of the SPU along with 2,552 attached personnel from districts are providing security to 7,567 Chinese working at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province. They are also providing security to the Chinese residing at 70 residences and 24 camps in the province, the Dawn reported.

With renewed attention after the horrific Karachi university incident which took the lives of several Chinese nationals, the Pakistani government has decided to bear the security costs of non-CPEC projects as well, media reports said citing sources.
A convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan on Sunday, the Global Times has learned. Last week, at least seven people, including a chairman of a Union Council (UC), were killed in a landmine blast targeting a vehicle in Balochistans Panjgur district.

The attack occurred near the Gwadar police station in Balochistan when the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers was passing the police station and an IED blast took place.

Global Times on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter shared a video and informed about the incident.

The van which was part of the convoy was shot at creating cracks in the glass.

Further details of the incident are awaited.

Last week, at least seven people, including a chairman of a Union Council (UC), were killed in a landmine blast targeting a vehicle in Balochistans Panjgur district.

READ | Two officers killed, three soldiers injured in blast in Pakistan's Balochistan

"Miscreants had planted a remote explosive device to target a vehicle carrying Balgatar UC Chairman Ishtiaq Yaqoob and others who were returning from a wedding ceremony," the Dawn quoted Amjad Somro, deputy commissioner of Panjgur, as saying.

With the increase in terrorism incidents in the country, the Punjab Home Department has directed the Chinese nationals living in the province or working with private companies to hire private security companies of 'A' category for their security, the Dawn reported.

The home department and police held a meeting in the month of February this year to review the security of the Chinese nationals working on government and private projects in the province.

In 2014, the Punjab government had established the Special Protection Unit (SPU) as a dedicated unit for the security of foreigners working at different projects of national importance. As many as 3,336 security constables, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former army personnel in the rank of senior security constable to chief security officer and seven former army officers in the rank of additional director & deputy director were recruited in the SPU, the Dawn reported.

Keeping in view the job requirement, the personnel were imparted six months rigorous training at four police training schools by the professional trainers.

Presently, 3,829 officers and personnel of the SPU along with 2,552 attached personnel from districts are providing security to 7,567 Chinese working at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province. They are also providing security to the Chinese residing at 70 residences and 24 camps in the province, the Dawn reported.

With renewed attention after the horrific Karachi university incident which took the lives of several Chinese nationals, the Pakistani government has decided to bear the security costs of non-CPEC projects as well, media reports said citing sources.

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As summer heats up, so does the spread of respiratory viruses, including a new strain of COVID-19 that has become the most prevalent one in the US. FILE - A sign that reads "Social Distance Maintain 6 ft" is posted on student lockers at a school in Baldwin, N.Y., on Aug. 28, 2020. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)(AP)

The new variant, called EG.5, is similar to Omicron, but it can evade immunity more easily.

Experts say that New Yorkers who have been vaccinated or infected before have some protection, but they should still be more careful and avoid contact with vulnerable people.

On a sunny Saturday in Flushing, Queens, many families enjoyed the outdoors, playing with their children and feeding the ducks.

But some of them also had COVID on their minds.

My parents were sick for a week or so, but theyre doing better now, said Mariela Sanchez, who was at the park with her kids.

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She was referring to the latest surge of COVID cases in NYC, which has been driven by the EG.5 variant.

According to the citys health department, 594 people contracted COVID in the last seven days as of Monday, with most cases occurring in the Bronx and Queens.

Flushing and Clearview are among the neighborhoods with the highest infection rates.

It looks like Omicron, but its dodging immunity a little bit more. Its kind of like the new thing thats going to happen with COVID every single time, which is well see it change a little bit enough just for it to kind of stay relevant, said Dr. Eric Cioe Pena, vice president of the Center for Global Health of Northwell Health.

Dr. Eric said that because of the high vaccination and infection rates in New York, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID are likely to remain low. But, he warned that COVID is not the only respiratory virus that is circulating this summer. He said that there is also an increase in cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease, which can cause fever, blisters, and rash.

If youre feeling sick with any respiratory virus, avoid people who are immunocompromised or medically fragile, he advised.

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Aisha Ibrahim, a mother of two, said she is taking extra precautions to protect her 6-year-old daughter, who still suffers from fatigue after getting COVID two years ago.

Mom, Im tired. Like, even when she runs with her friends a little, Mom, Im tired, she said. Too much crowded. I dont take them there.

She said she avoids places where there are too many people and always wears a mask when she goes out.

Doctors say that as the weather gets colder and people move indoors, COVID cases may rise again. They urge everyone to get vaccinated if they havent already and to stay home if they are sick.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, on Saturday. He joined other Republicans who have criticized the Justice Department for its handling of the case. Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a Fair-Side Chat with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, US, on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Republican presidential hopefuls are crowding into Des Moines this weekend, hoping to make enough of an impression that voters will remember them come the Jan. 15 party caucuses. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg(Bloomberg)

DeSantis spoke to reporters at the Iowa State Fair, a popular destination for presidential hopefuls. He said the special counsel, David Weiss, who is also the US Attorney for Delaware, was a sham and accused him of being soft on Hunter Biden.

Hes the same guy who had been doing it with kid gloves anyways, DeSantis said, referring to a plea deal that Weisss office offered to Hunter Biden for tax violations. The deal, which would have given Hunter Biden only two years of probation, was rejected by a federal judge last month.

The Florida Governor also claimed that the special counsel was an attempt to undermine the House investigation into Hunter Bidens foreign business dealings.

The House, theyve been working on supposedly holding Hunter Biden accountable, he said.

I think theyre trying to checkmate that investigation  theyre trying to kneecap the Houses ability to investigate.

Republicans have alleged that Hunter Biden used his fathers influence to benefit from lucrative contracts in countries like Ukraine and China. They have also questioned why he has not been charged with any crimes, despite admitting that he is under federal investigation.

On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he had appointed Weiss as a special counsel in the Hunter Biden case, giving him more independence and authority. Garland said he made the decision in light of the unique circumstances and to provide him with the assurance that he can complete his work, without regard to any change in circumstances.

DeSantis was not the only Republican who visited the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. He was joined by former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who wore a T-shirt that said Underestimate me, thatll be fun, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who rapped for the crowd.

But the star attraction was former President Donald Trump, who flew over the fairgrounds in his branded plane and then addressed a packed audience at a restaurant. Trump boasted about his lead in the polls for the 2024 Republican nomination and repeated his false claim that he won the 2020 election.

ALSO READ| Obama made it clear: What former US president told author on ex-girlfriend

We are going to take care of our country, were going to take care of Iowa, and youll be proud of our country again, he said.

Trump did not mention the Hunter Biden case or his own legal troubles. He is facing a possible indictment in Georgia for pressuring election officials to overturn his defeat there. A grand jury is expected to decide on his fate as soon as Tuesday.
The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office has a message for the public: please stop calling 911 when you see manatees mating. Sheriffs Office urges public to leave Mnatees Alone(Pinelass County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriffs office posted a video on Facebook last month that showed a group of manatees near the shore, engaged in their natural reproductive behavior. The video was accompanied by the song Lets Get It On by Marvin Gaye, and a caption that read, If you see this, no you didnt.

The sheriffs office explained that manatees mate in herds, which means that several males chase a female until she is ready to mate. This usually happens between March and September, and often near the shore.

The sheriffs office assured the public that the manatees are more than fine and do not need any human intervention.

Manatees actually mate in herds like these and often they are near the shore. They mate all throughout the year but generally mating herds like these are seen in the summer months, the sheriffs office wrote.

Why you shouldnt call 911 when you see them(Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

Why you shouldnt call 911 when you see them(Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also advises people to keep their distance from manatee mating herds, as they can be dangerous for both humans and manatees.

The commission says on its website, Manatee mating herds are interesting to watch as several bulls (males) pursue a cow (female) until she is ready to mate. For your safety, watch these mating herds from a distance as the animals are focused on mating and do not heed intruders in their midst.

The sheriffs office also reminded the public that touching or disturbing manatees is illegal and can result in fines or jail time.

ALSO READ| Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slams appointment of special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, Trump rallies supporters

The sea creatures are protected by federal and state laws, as they are an endangered species. They face many threats from habitat loss, boat strikes, cold stress, and red tide.

So if you see this, theres no need to call, they are a-okay! And remember touching or disturbing manatees is not only illegal but can also be very dangerous, the sheriffs office said.

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Hawaiian Electric, the major utility servicing 95 percent of Hawaii's population has come under scrutiny for not choosing to enact a "public power shutoff plan" despite severe weather warnings, just days before devastating brush fires wreaked havoc across Maui. This decision has raised concerns about the utility's proactive approach to preventing wildfires and safeguarding its aging infrastructure. Burned houses and buildings are pictured in the aftermath of a wildfire, is seen in Lahaina, western Maui, Hawaii on August 12, 2023. Hawaii's Attorney General, Anne Lopez, said August 11, she was opening a probe into the handling of devastating wildfires that killed at least 80 people in the state this week, as criticism grows of the official response. The announcement and increased death toll came as residents of Lahaina were allowed back into the town for the first time. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)(AFP)

Unprecedented wind gusts spark concerns

Weather forecasters had issued a warning about powerful wind gusts that posed a significant risk of sparking dangerous fire conditions across Hawaii. While Hawaiian Electric took some precautionary steps, including not enabling the automatic reclosure of circuits during the weather event, it did not implement the highly regarded strategy of shutting down power to high-risk areas.

According to Jennifer Potter, a former member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, "They were not as proactive as they should have been about fire-prevention planning. There had not been any real meaningful action to address some of those inadequacies in terms of wildfire."

Hesitation to use power shutoff

The decision not to use a power shutoff plan, a strategy increasingly adopted by other states like California, has drawn scrutiny. Experts point out that while shutting down power disrupts lives and businesses, it can be a powerful tool in preventing destructive and deadly wildfires, especially in the face of extreme weather events linked to climate change.

Michael Wara, a wildfire expert and director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University, explains that "The purpose of a plan is to organize with agencies in advance. That includes emergency responders who, with enough time, can procure equipment such as backup generators to pump water if the grid goes down."

California's influence and lessons

Hawaiian Electric was aware of the effectiveness of power shutoff plans, having studied California's response to devastating wildfires in 2017 and 2018. However, concerns about coordination with first responders, customer notifications, and potential backlash played a role in the utility's decision-making process.

"The risk of a utility system causing a wildfire ignition is significant," the company stated last summer. While acknowledging the success of California's Power Safety Shutoff Plan, the utility expressed concerns that shutting off power might hinder firefighting efforts by preventing fire crews from using electricity to draw water, as noted in the company's statement.

Aging infrastructure and vulnerabilities

The vulnerability of Hawaii's power grid has long been a concern, with aging wooden poles and uninsulated lines crisscrossing rugged terrain. Calls to invest in grid hardening and burying power lines have been growing, highlighting the need for modernization to mitigate wildfire risks.

Doug McLeod, a former energy commissioner for Maui County, remarked, "I think we were all playing on the fact that we got lucky  up until now."

Also Read | Emergency sirens fail to sound alarm as Maui residents forced to seek refuge in ocean amid horrific wildfire

Ongoing investigation and legal action

The cause of the Maui fires is under investigation, and the Hawaii Attorney General has announced a comprehensive review of decisions and policies surrounding the incident. Meanwhile, a class-action lawsuit has been filed against the utility, alleging that its downed power lines were responsible for the fire.

As Hawaii continues to grapple with the aftermath of these devastating wildfires, questions persist about the utility's readiness to prevent and respond to similar events in the future. The incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced wildfire prevention strategies and infrastructure upgrades to safeguard communities against the growing threat of wildfires in an era of climate change.

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Former US President Barack Obama's 40-year-old love letters written making quite a stir. Former U.S. president Barack Obama applauds the audience before a discussion at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), in Athens, Greece, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP)

These letters written to an ex-girlfriend in the year 1982 have resurfaced after in an interview his biographer David Garrow's claimed to have obtained them from three of his former girlfriends.

In one of them Obama wrote of his own androgynous mind and mak[ing] love to men daily, but in the imagination, as reported by The New York Post. In the writings he admitted to having a daily connection with men, but confirms it was contained within his imagination.

21-year-old Obama opened his heart out to Alex McNear in November 1982, when they both attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, In regard to homosexuality, I must say that I believe this is an attempt to remove oneself from the present, a refusal perhaps to perpetuate the endless farce of earthly life. You see, I make love to men daily, but in the imagination.

This was also a part of David Garrow's 1472 pager, Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama in 2017 who sat with Obama for eight hours over three days for the massive tome.

So when Alex showed me the letters from Barack, she redacted one paragraph in one of them and just said, Its about homosexuality, Garrow told Tablet in a recent interview.

My mind is androgynous to a great extend and I hope to make it more so until I can think in terms of people, not women as opposed to men, Obama wrote. Despite these confessions Obama admitted that he accepted his identity as a male. 'But in returning to the body, I see that I have been made a man, and physically in life, I choose to accept the contingency.

Emroy University is in possession of these letters after Alex sold them. I have a very clear memory of Alex being embarrassed about selling the letters, Garrow felt. His friend Harvey Klehr transcribed the paragraphs for the author and later provided the redacted portion of the letter to The New York Post.

Barrack Obama has been married to Michelle since 1992, with two daughters and in 2004 had declared homosexuality is not a choice.

Calling Obama's thoughts ''youthful musings', Garrow says, Im a historian, not a psychologist, but I think its public record news that a (vast?) majority of human beings have sexual fantasies!, in a mail to New York Post.

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Reacting to the appointment of Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar as Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson expressed hope that that caretaker PM-designate Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar will ensure free, fair and transparent election within the constitution limit of three months in the country, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. Anwar-ul-Haq will be caretaker Prime Minister to see the country through to the next election.(AFP)

PTI spokesperson's remarks come after Pakistan's President Arif Alvi approved the appointment of Anwarul Haque Kakar as Caretaker Prime Minister for the country. Taking to Twitter, the President's Office said that under Article 224 A of Pakistan's constitution, Alvi appointed Anwarul Haque Kakar as caretaker PM.

"President Dr Arif Alvi has approved the appointment of Anwarul Haque Kakar as Caretaker Prime Minister The President approved the appointment under Article 224 A of the Constitution," the Pakistan President's office said in a tweet.

PTI spokesperson said that a heavy responsibility now lies with Pakistan's caretaker PM. The PTI spokesperson expressed hope that Pakistan's caretaker PM will not allow any further damage to the constitutional and democratic rights of the people.

The spokesperson further said that one of the prime responsibilities of a caretaker government is to give equal opportunities to all political parties to run their election campaign, according to Geo News reported.

On Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly Raja Riaz met and concluded their last round of talks and decided to make Senator Kakar as caretaker PM.

Kakar was elected to the Senate in 2018 and has also served as the spokesperson of the provincial government prior to his election to the upper house, as per the Geo News report.

Speaking to the reporters after a meeting with Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly Raja Riaz said, "We decided that the interim prime minister would be from a smaller province," according to Geo News report.

He said that their main purpose was that the caretaker PM should be from a small province and have a non-controversial personality. He stated that their goal was to remove the sense of deprivation in small provinces. Riaz said that he had suggested Anwarul Haq Kakar's name and it was given approval, Geo News reported.

Raja Riaz said that the Pakistan caretaker PM is expected to take the oath of his office on Sunday. When asked about the caretaker cabinet, he said no discussions regarding it. The development came after Pakistan President Arif Alvi wrote a letter to Shehbaz Sharif and the opposition leader, asking them to suggest a person for the caretaker interim PM by August 12. ad

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Sonia Sharifi, whose image on a car with her hands in the air became a symbol of defiance amid anti-hijab protests in Iran, said that she had been abducted and beaten by the authorities for a second time. The teenage girl is among many others who have faced the wrath of a crackdown initiated by Iran following protests that swept the country last year. Iran Anti-Hijab Protests: Sonia Sharifi seen.

When Sonia Sharifi's family, friends and neighbours gathered in the streets of Abdanan to celebrate her homecoming last time, the protests had been happening daily for four months. Eight months later, Sonia Sharifi shared an image of a head wound saying that she suffered the injury at the hands of security forces when they detained her again. She said that she was dragged from her car and blindfolded, before being abducted and beaten.

Hengaw- a group that monitors human rights violations in Iran- said that the 17-year-old suffered multiple injuries and was "left alone in one of the streets of Abdanan after being threatened, interrogated, and tortured for more than two hours".

More than 500 demonstrators have died and thousands have been arrested, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) while several protesters have been executed. The country's Revolutionary Guards previously accused "hostile media" of "lying" about Sonia Sharifi's arrest in December. The authorities have so far not commented on the teenager's claim.

The attack comes about a month before the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini who died in police custody- triggering anti-hijab protests across the country. As the anniversary nears, US-based Iranian news channel Iran International reports that Iran's security agencies have begun to intimidate and threaten protesters.

Meanwhile, an independent international fact-finding mission on Iran urged the government to "end its continuing crackdown on peaceful protesters" in a report submitted in July.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail
An Iranian journalist handed a two-year jail sentence after interviewing the father of the woman whose custody death sparked months of protests said Sunday she had been released from prison. A picture shows Iranian magazines Sazandegi (L) and Andisheh reporting on the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police", in Tehran on March 14, 2023.(AFP)

After her release from Tehran's Evin prison, Nazila Maroufian defiantly posted a picture of herself on social media without a headscarf, flouting the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.

"Don't accept slavery, you deserve the best," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. The picture showed her clutching flowers in one hand with her other hand raised in a victory sign.

Maroufian, whose age is given by Persian media outside Iran as 23, in October published an interview on the Mostaghel Online news site with Amjad Amini.

He is the father of Mahsa Amini, whose death in custody last September after she allegedly violated the dress rules sparked months of protests.

In the interview, Amjad Amini accused authorities of lying about the circumstances of his daughter's death.

Iranian authorities have indicated she died because of a health problem, but the family and activists have said she suffered a blow to the head while in custody.

Maroufian, a Tehran-based journalist but from Amini's hometown of Saqez in Kurdistan province, was first arrested in November.

- Health scare -

She was later released but in January said she had been sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for five years, on charges of propaganda against the system and spreading false news.

According to rights groups, Maroufian was again ordered back to Evin prison in early July.

There was major concern over her health earlier this month when supporters said she had been taken from prison to hospital.

But in her social media post, Maroufian denied having had a heart attack and said she had suffered "shortness of breath and heart palpitations" and was now "fine".

Iran has reacted harshly to reporting inside the country on the Amini case.

The two women journalists who helped to bring the story to the world's attention have now spent almost a year in Evin after being arrested in September.

Niloufar Hamedi reported for Iran's Shargh newspaper from the hospital where Amini languished in a coma for three days before she died, and Elahe Mohammadi, a reporter for the Ham Mihan newspaper, went to Saqez to report on Amini's funeral.

Both are now on trial on charges of violating national security, which they vehemently deny.

According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 95 reporters were arrested in the crackdown on the Amini protests, although most have now been released on bail.

Last week the Iranian authorities summoned the British ambassador, Simon Shercliff, after he called on Tehran to release detained journalists, in social media post to mark National Journalists' Day in Iran.
The leader of Niger's military regime is ready to consider a diplomatic solution to its stand-off with West African bloc ECOWAS, the head of a religious delegation of mediators said Sunday. Nigerien soldiers stand guard as supporters of Niger's National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) gather for a demonstration in Niamey on August 11, 2023 near a French airbase in Niger.(AFP)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has not ruled out using force against the army officers who toppled Niger's elected leader Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.

ECOWAS has approved the deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger as soon as possible but remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani "said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter", said Sheikh Bala Lau, a day after his Nigerian Muslim delegation held talks in the capital Niamey.

Tiani "claimed the coup was well intended" and that the plotters "struck to stave off an imminent threat that would have affected" Nigeria as well as Niger, according to Lau's statement.

But Tiani said it was "painful" that ECOWAS had issued an ultimatum to restore Bazoum without hearing "their side of the matter", the statement added.

The coup lader also apologised for not according sufficient attention to an ECOWAS delegation to Niger led by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar, saying the treatment was due to anger over the ultimatum.

The Muslim leaders visited Niamey with the blessing of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also head of ECOWAS.

Tinubu has adopted a firm stance against the coup, the sixth to hit an ECOWAS member state since 2020.

ECOWAS has severed financial transactions and electricity supplies and closed borders with landlocked Niger, blocking much-needed imports to one of the world's poorest countries.

On July 30, it issued a seven-day ultimatum to restore Bazoum or face the potential use of force, but the deadline expired without the new rulers backing down.

The bloc scrapped a Saturday crisis meeting on the coup due in Ghana's capital Accra for "technical reasons".

- Military delegation in Guinea -

Demonstrations in favour of the new military rulers have become a common sight in the capital Niamey.

On Sunday, at the Seyni Kounctche Stadium thousands of people attended concerts in support for the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), the generals who have taken power.

The crowd, mainly made up of young people, brandished the flags of Niger as well as those of Burkina Faso, Mali and Russia.

The prospect of a military intervention to reinstate Bazoum has divided ECOWAS members and drawn warnings from foreign powers including Russia and Algeria.

Niger's neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by military governments who seized power in coups, have said an intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war on them.

Representatives of Niger's regime travelled to military-ruled Guinea, in a fresh bid by the coup leaders to gain support against international pressure.

Guinean leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya met the Niger delegation headed by General Moussa Salaou Barmou in the capital Conakry on Saturday, Guinean public television reported.

The delegation asked Guinea's military authorities for "increased support to deal with future challenges", with Barmou thanking the country for backing Niger's new governing military council.

Bazoum, 63, and his family have been held at the president's official Niamey residence since the coup.

A member of his entourage said he saw his doctor on Saturday, after concern grew for his detention conditions that were reportedly deteriorating.

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Barack Obama hoped that his biographer would never read letters that the former US president wrote to his ex-girlfriend, David Garrow claimed. The letters were written by Barack Obama to his former girlfriend Sheila Miyoshi Jager- the woman he once hoped to marry before he met Michelle Obama. Former US President Barack Obama.

"Barack made it clear to me that he hoped I would never read them, I can put it that way. I think if the letters to Sheila ever become public, I think that will be a signal event," David Garrow told Fox.

Those letters would detail just how extremely serious and extremely intense a relationship that was and that it continued off and on into his Harvard Law School years, David Garrow, who authored the lengthy 2017 biography "Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama", said. While writing the book, the biographer had several off-the-record conversations up into 2016 with the former president.

On the Obama marriage, the biographer said that it is genuine and loving but it wasn't wrong to say that a mixed-race marriage could have made life difficult for Barack Obama at the time. Barack and Michelle Obama married in 1992. He was later elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996 and was elected to the US senate from Illinois in 2004.

The one aspect that I will endorse or that is inescapably true is that by 1988, he knew he wanted to run for public office in Chicago. And he knew that having a wife like Sheila Jager, half-Dutch, half Japanese, would not cut it in Black Chicago Having a non-Black spouse 25, 35 years ago was an active political problem for a Black candidate, David Garrow said.

"There's no resemblance between their lives today and who they were 20 years ago. And when I was doing most of my interviewing across Black Chicago in like 2010, 2011, 2012, even then, folks could see this sort of 'desire to hang with celebrities' theme building in the White House," he explained.

"Some of the folks weren't surprised that Barack was going that way, but they were really painfully upset that Michelle had seemingly lost her grounding because they viewed her as just the epitome of a hardworking, working-class South Side Chicago Black family," he continued.

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Queen Elizabeth II 'never stopped hoping' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would 'return to fold', Express UK reported citing a close source. In 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from their royal roles blaming media scrutiny as the main reason for their departure. The couple also claimed that the royal family asked Meghan Markle a racist question in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021. Meghan also revealed that she had suicidal thoughts and claimed she received no help from the royal family during the interview. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walks outside the Rolls Building of the High Court in London, Britain.(Reuters)

The couple also shared details about the inner workings of royal life in a Netflix series last December, which was followed by Prince Harry's tell-all memoir Spare.

The report claimed that Queen Elizabeth was resolute during her final days with respect to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as the late monarch was determined to keep the Sussexes in the royal family amid growing pressure to cut them off. "The Queen did not want to send any signal to her beloved grandson that there would be no path back. Her Majesty never stopped hoping there would be some kind of reconciliation and that the couple would return to the fold one day," the report claimed.

Read more: When Prince William faced relationship troubles with Kate he met this royal

In his autobiography, Prince Harry made a host of controversial claims about members of the family, detailing at one point his explosive encounter with Prince William during which the Duke of Sussex claimed that his brother physically attacked him over an altercation about Meghan Markle.

But the Sussexes' popularity has dipped as the revelations turned the tide of public opinion against him. A YouGov poll found that 48 percent of the British public said they had a negative view of Prince Harry, compared with 45 percent with a positive view. Meghan Markle's popularity also took a hit with only 31 percent of Britons holding a positive opinion of the Duchess of Sussex, while 58 percent of the survey's 1,664 British respondents viewed her negatively.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly "can't agree" on how to parent their two children, four-year-old Archie and two-year-old Lilibet. Prince Harry's upbringing within the Royal Family has really affected him because of which the Duke of Sussex wants privacy for himself and his children when it comes to his life in the US, The Sun reported quoting a source. Archie and Lilibet are rarely seen with only a few public appearances in the last few years. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle(AFP)

On the other hand, Meghan Markle wants to raise Archie and Lilibet openly in California and is not impressed with the high amount of focus on Prince Harry's recent court cases against the media in London.

They disagree sometimes on certain approaches. Meghan would love to be done with all the legal stuff. But she's still supportive of him as she knows how important it is to him. But she's ready to move on. They have a beautiful life in California and new friends. Montecito is paradise. Harry is very outdoorsy, he loves it there. There is a difference in how he has grown up. He fears for his own children because of what he has gone through, the report claimed.

Prince Harry had previously claimed that he wanted to move away from the UK in order to break the cycle of pain as he feared seeing history repeat itself, especially with his wife Meghan. He said that it was a major concern for him.

This comes as the couple has been accused of "taking advantage" of royal family's silence during the holiday period. Royal commentator Richard Eden said, August is traditionally a very quiet month for the royal family. Is that something that Harry and Meghan are deliberately taking advantage of? August is the dead month for the royal family when they are on holiday. But it seems to be something planned for Harry and Meghan far in advance.

Not only have we had a string of announcements and stories about their show business career, but we have also had these engagements that Harry is carrying out, the royal expert added.

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Russian air defence systems destroyed a Ukraine-launched unmanned aerial vehicle over the territory of the Belgorod region early on Sunday morning, the Russian defence ministry said. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian missiles launched from Russia's Belgorod region flying towards Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine.(AFP)

"There are no casualties and no damage," the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, adding the attack took place around 4 a.m. (0100 GMT).

Reuters could not independently verify the report. The Belgorod region in Russia's south borders Ukraine.
Russian shelling killed seven people, including a 23-day-old infant, and wounded 20 in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson on Sunday, prompting local officials to declare Monday a day of mourning. An unexploded Grad rocket is embedded in a field(REUTERS)

Kyiv reclaimed part of Kherson from Russian occupation last November but Kremlin troops have continued shelling the regional capital and areas around it from across the Dnipro River.

A couple, their 23-day-old child and another man were killed in the village of Shyroka Balka, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The couple's 12-year-old son was critically wounded and died in hospital, he added.

"The terrorists will never willingly stop killing civilians," Klymenko wrote in a Telegram post. "The terrorists must be stopped. With force. They don't understand anything else."

Two people, including the pastor of a church, were killed in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Three people each in Kherson city and the town of Beryslav were wounded, according to the interior ministry, and casualties were also reported in four other settlements across the region.

"Today the Kherson region shuddered from terrible news. Kherson, Veletenske, Zolota Balka, Stanislav, Komyshany, Shyroka Balka..." Prokudin wrote on Telegram, listing the settlements hit in Sunday's attacks.

Ukraine's military launched a counteroffensive in June to reclaim Russian-occupied territory across the southeast but has not made any significant attempts to cross the Dnipro to reach the other side of the Kherson region.

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Ukrainian military officials said on Saturday that Kyiv's forces had made progress in the south, capturing unspecified territories and claiming partial success near the key village of Robotyne. Russia-Ukraine War: A view of an explosion in Berdyansk.(Reuters)

"Tavria direction," General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukrainian forces in the south, wrote on Telegram, referring to the southern front. "There are liberated territories. The defence forces are working."

He did not specify where or when the advances were made. Separately, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said they had "partial success in the Robotyne area of the Zaporizhzhia region." Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield report.

The general staff said children were among dead or wounded civilians following a day in which Russians launched six rockets and 36 air strikes and fired 32 rocket salvo fire systems at populated areas and Ukrainian troop positions.

It said 33 combat clashes had taken place and noted that Ukraine's defence forces continued an offensive operation in Melitopol and Berdyansk directions.

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Russia sent a task force to oversee cleanup of parts of the country's Far East on Sunday after Typhoon Khanun passed through the Primorye region, the emergencies ministry in Moscow said. Typhoon Khanun in Russia: Rescuers use inflatable boats to evacuate residents of the area flooded due to a dam break in Ussuriysk, Russia.(Reuters)

Russia's TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying the number of flooded homes stood at 4,368 while 5,654 adjoining plots and 7 apartment buildings also were flooded. It said 28 settlements remained cut off.

It said most of the affected homes were in the cities of Ussuriysk and Spassk-Dalny, and in the Oktyabrsky municipal district, in the region of Primorye, where the port of Vladivostok is the administrative center.

The ministry said in its Telegram channel that the task force would "coordinate the work to eliminate the consequences of the flood." It said its aircraft delivered humanitarian aid and Mi-8 helicopters helped transfer rescuers to the site.

It added there were no reports of casualties and that it had avoided more serious damage by sending units in early.

TASS said the flood in Ussuriysk, the second largest city in Primorye, was the worst and biggest in a decade and that it had affected between 35 and 40 percent of its territory.

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Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy showcased his hidden talent by breaking into a live rap performance. The 38-year-old businessman, who has been gaining momentum in the polls, delivered a verse from Eminem's iconic 2002 hit song "Lose Yourself." US entrepreneur and 2024 Presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy raps after doing a Fair Side Chat with Governor Kim Reynolds, at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 12, 2023. (AFP)

An unprecedented campaign trail performance

Although the Iowa State Fair audience didnt react much, Ramaswamy embraced the music and the moment. With a broad grin and a triumphant fist pump, he chanted, "Snap back to reality, ope there goes gravity," perfectly syncing with the beat. This impromptu performance marked the first time a 2024 GOP primary candidate had taken the stage with a live rap act.

Just moments earlier, during a "fair-side chat" event with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Ramaswamy had revealed that "Lose Yourself" was his preferred walk-out track at campaign events. He explained to Reynolds that the song's youthful and spirited nature resonated with his campaign. "It's like, young and scrappy," he commented. Reynolds responded, "I'm going to have to go look that up."

Ramaswamy's fusion of rap and politics doesn't stop at his Iowa State Fair performance. Last month, he appeared on Fox News and rapped about his libertarian beliefs. He emphasized his dedication to the United States and individual liberties with lines like "My name's Vivek / It rhymes with cake / It isn't about me, it's about thee / The United States is about liberty."

Back when he was an undergraduate student at Harvard University, he balanced his studies with a side gig as a libertarian-minded rap artist under the stage name "Da Vek." The candidate's love for Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is no secret; he frequently performed the song at Harvard open-mic nights.

Ramaswamy's affinity for the song stems from its message resonating with his own journey. He expressed how Eminem's story of rising from humble beginnings struck a chord with him, saying, Hes growing up in the trailers, with a single mom, and he wants to make it. He feels like hes going to use the moment to do it, he seizes it and then he makes it happen, and I thought it was a pretty cool story.

During his time on stage, Ramaswamy spoke out against the suppression of free speech and dissent, branding them as significant threats to liberty. Regardless of where people stand on divisive issues like climate change and racial equity audits, Ramaswamy advocated for resolving these matters through open discussions and free speech in the public square. He labeled the climate change agenda as a "hoax."

Despite his unconventional approach, Ramaswamy's campaign has been gaining traction. In the GOP primary, he ranks third with 6.1% support. Ron DeSantis stands at 15.1%, while former President Donald Trump maintains a strong lead at 54.2%, according to the RealClearPolitics national average. Ramaswamy's unique campaign strategies, including his surprising rap performance, have set him apart from the competition.

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Russian military officer defected to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Lithuania, requesting political asylum in an attempt to escape Moscow's war with Ukraine, BBC reported. Ivan Korolev, a lieutenant in the Russian army, had illegally crossed the border into Lithuania, it was reported. The crossing took place this week with the lieutenant making his way to the capital city of Vilnius before being detained by border guards. He was taken into custody at a checkpoint. Russia-Ukraine War: A Ukrainian serviceman stands amid destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine.(AP)

Ivan Korolev told the BBC that he made the decision to defect as he was no longer wishing to take part in Russia's "bloody war" with Ukraine. He had never taken part in the direct conflict in Ukraine itself but had served in different capacities, he said.

On August 3, I decided to leave the Russian Federation due to the fact that I did not want to take part in the bloody war that my state unleashed. At the moment I am in the Republic of Lithuania, where I asked for political asylum, Ivan Korolev said.

I participated in the [special military operation], but remained on the territory of the Russian Federation this whole time. I have not been on Ukrainian territory. We supplied Russian troops with ammunition. We took ammunition from all over Russia, from all parts, from all arsenals, and distributed it to brigades, units directly in Ukraine, he continued.

Ivan Korolev has been transferred to a migration center in Pabrade while his political aslyum application is being processed and considered. Earlier in May, a group of defecting soldiers released a video statement via the Freedom of Russia Legion, against Russia's Ukraine invasion. We are Russians like you. We want our children to grow up in peace and be free people so that they can travel, study and just be happy in a free country, a soldier said in the video, adding, The time has come to put an end to the dictatorship of the Kremlin.

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In the ever-surprising world of internet culture, a certain meme has made an unexpected leap from virtual humor to the forefront of American politics. The "Dark Brandon" meme, portraying President Joe Biden as a strong and resolute leader, has bridged the gap between cyberspace and real-world campaign strategies. "Dark Brandon" meme transforms from internet humor to political strategy, aiding Biden's campaign fundraising and energizing supporters.(Twitter)

The meme that got everyone talking: Dark Brandon's Ascent

The "Dark Brandon" meme gained considerable attention when the Biden campaign began offering merchandise featuring the president with playful laser-red eyes. What started as a lighthearted jest in a corner of the internet evolved into something more significant.

The Biden campaign strategically released a video of the president casually sipping coffee from a Dark Brandon-themed mug, coinciding with the day his Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, faced legal issues linked to the 2020 election. This move revitalized the meme and triggered Trump's legal team to suggest Biden was using the situation for political gain.

From meme to a campaign tool

The resurgence of Dark Brandon has sparked a surge of interest in Biden's campaign merchandise. Online searches for "Dark Brandon" and related items have surged, showcasing how an internet meme can transform into a potent element of a political campaign.

Sara Aniano, a disinformation analyst at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism, noted, "The online world is merging with the real world... We need to take seriously what we see spreading on the Internet."

Birth and evolution of Dark Brandon

The meme's core image, featuring Biden with glowing eyes, was initially created by Chinese illustrator Yang Quan in response to the 2020 election. However, it wasn't until 2022 that Dark Brandon gained traction, responding to the "Dark MAGA" meme that depicted Trump as a commanding figure.

Typically, Dark Brandon memes portray Biden with striking visuals like red eyes and sunglasses, often accompanied by phrases that capture his persona. Even Biden himself joined the fun by referencing the meme at public events.

Biden's strategy to engage supporters

Both the White House and Democratic figures have embraced the Dark Brandon meme. Andrew Bates, the White House's deputy press secretary, celebrated legislative wins with the meme, and Biden has incorporated it into his public appearances. The meme's popularity led to its inclusion in Biden's reelection campaign merchandise, contributing significantly to fundraising efforts.

Dark Brandon-themed products, including t-shirts and mugs, have become top sellers in Biden's online store, playing a substantial role in the campaign's revenue. The campaign's "Malarkey Monday" initiative, revealing new Dark Brandon items weekly, reflects the meme's continued appeal to Biden's supporters.

Will Bunnett from the Clarify agency commended the campaign's authentic embrace of the meme, stating, "The campaign didn't initiate Dark Brandon... They're letting people feel a connection to it."

By tapping into this online enthusiasm, Biden's campaign seeks to energize a base that might otherwise be lukewarm. The Dark Brandon meme offers a unique way for the president to connect with his supporters on a different level.

As the Dark Brandon meme continues to capture attention, critics from the Republican side aren't staying silent. Ironically, their response may contribute to the meme's ongoing popularity. Dark Brandon's journey from a casual online creation to a fundraising sensation underscores the growing influence of internet culture on American politics.
India and Pakistan will celebrate their 77th Independence Day this week to mark their 76th year of freedom from British colonial rule. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 created two new independent dominions  India and Pakistan  by partitioning the Bengal and Punjab provinces. Pakistani Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel lower their national flags during a parade on Pakistan's Independence Day, at the Pakistan-India joint check-post at Wagah border.(Reuters file photo for representation)

The Act states; "As from the fifteenth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-seven, two independent Dominions shall be set up in India, to be known respectively as India and Pakistan."

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, in his historic radio address declared that August 15 is the birthday of the independent and sovereign state of Pakistan. It marks the fulfilment of the destiny of the Muslim nation which made great sacrifices in the past few years to have its homeland.

So there is ample evidence to establish that Pakistan came into existence the same night India got its independence. Then why does Pakistan celebrate its Independence Day a day earlier, on August 14?

Over the years, multiple theories have been floated to answer this question.

One theory ties it to the busy schedule of Lord Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor-General of the Dominion of India. The power transfer was initially planned before June 1948 but the Mountbatten's plan to announce Independence Day for both countries as August 15 sped things up. He went to Karachi to transfer the power of governance of Pakistan to Muhammad Ali Jinnah on August 14, 1947.

Another theory attributes it to a cabinet decision. In June 1948, at a cabinet meeting chaired by the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan, it was proposed that the country celebrate its Independence Day before India. The proposal was approved by Jinnah and the date was advanced to August 14.

The religious month of Ramzan is also cited as one of the reasons. Some of its proponents say the intervening night of August 14 and 15, 1947, coincided with the 27th day of Ramzan, which is regarded as an auspicious day of the holy month. Hence, August 14 was taken as the day of independence.

Indian Standard Time (IST) being 30 minutes ahead of Pakistan Standard Time (PST) is also cited as one of the reasons. Since India became a free country at 00:00 hours on August 15, the local time in Pakistan was 11:30pm on August 14, hence the celebrations a day earlier.

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"Indonesia has a population of 500 million people and is an interesting market for what we offer, including the agro-export sector ," he added.
Veteran Spotlight: Spc. Dave DiMestico

FALMOUTH, Mass.  An extreme pleasure to feature this week's Veteran Spotlight guest Dave DiMestico, who served his country as a combat veteran with bravery and distinction in the Army in the Vietnam War as a specialist 4.

He graduated Lawrence High School then went to college and was drafted with friend and Falmouth native Steve Paltz when he was almost 22. He was sent to basic training in 1970 at Fort Dix, N.J.

"I was in good shape, really didn't find it hard but it was summer so it was hot," he said. "I took advice from guys that had experience. They said keep a low profile and don't let them know your name."

DiMestico was sent to Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Lewis, Wash.

"We spent little time in the barracks, we were out in the field in tents studying and learning weaponry and strategy for wartime. It rained during the day, cleared at night and the stars would be out," he remembered.

His next two assignments would be Airborne Jump School at Fort Benning, Ga., and two weeks of jungle training at Vietnam's Central Highlands above Cam Ranh Bay, where U.S. forces were based. He would serve with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

He was assigned to an infantry platoon and later became a squad leader.

"I had two guys on M-60 machine guns, two guys on grenade launchers and two ammo carriers," DiMestico said. "I adapted fairly easy, was one of the older guys at 22 and I ran it like 'everyone do their job and we won't have a problem.

"I carried a book in my pocket, just a simple book that I read whenever we had a break or had to stop ... kind of helped me."

He recalled his first firefight: "We were on helicopters and you sit on the edge of the copter. When the door gunner taps you, you go. I was leaning over too far and he touched me to bring me back in. I thought it was a tap and jumped about 10 feet onto the ground. It was definitely scary.

"Another platoon got hit. If it's a hot LZ [landing zone] they pop red smoke. My knee got a bit banged up from jumping out of the copter."

Was he ever afraid?

"Yes. We were in a firefight and they call it ' scary close' because you're about to be overrun by the enemy and they call in an airstrike. You're lying on your stomach, face down and they're dropping 500-pound bombs and the force was so great it would lift you off the ground, debris is falling all over you. I was praying that I made it through," he continued. "We also had to be on guard against scorpions and snakes  hate snakes  we're crawling through these vines that looked like a tunnel. You look up and it's a highway for snakes, all above us."

Holidays? "It was sad. We didn't have any Bob Hope shows. We stayed out in the field for three-four weeks at a time. They brought us back for three days, had as much steak and beer as you could consume  warm Pabst Blue Ribbon," he said. "I was about 20 miles from a guy I grew up with, Donny Silvia."

Thoughts on his service?

"I was proud that I served, thought Vietnam was a waste of time," he said. "You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see what was going on. It bothered me that young kids would come back all mangled up. I had some animosity towards the protestors. When I got back home, I went out but never talked to anyone about where I'd been."

He is proud of the people in his family who have served  his father, Paul, was in the Army Air Forces in World War II, his brother Peter was a Marine during the Vietnam era and his son Mike has been serving in the Navy 13 years, as well as numerous other relatives.

Spc. Dave DiMestico, thank you for your service to our great country and welcome home.
Emirates Steel Arkan, the largest publicly traded steel and building materials company in the UAE, continued its solid performance in the first half of 2023, reporting a net profit of AED280.5 million ($76.37 million), compared to a net profit of AED279.9 million in the first six months of 2022.

The combined business recorded six-month revenue of AED4.43 billion compared to AED4.61 billion during the same period in 2022. In the light of a global supply-demand imbalance that had temporarily pushed up the sales prices for the groups products during the first half of 2022, this is a remarkable achievement, the company said.

The performance in H1 2023 demonstrated the resilience of the group's steel business in the face of market downturn, as well as a continued improvement of revenues and profits from the Building Materials division, it said.

Financial highlights for H1 2023:

* EBITDA for the period was AED612 million, up by 3% on the first half of 2022, and up 6% on the second half of 2022, a result of enhanced efficiency levels across the group;

* The EBITDA margin for the period was 13.8% versus 12.9% reported in H1 2022;

* Revenue from the steel division totalled AED3.95 billion for H1 2023 and profit from the division amounted to AED224.8 million;

* Revenue from the Building Materials division was AED475.8 million for the first six months of 2023, a 9% year-on-year increase. The profit was AED56 million, a significant increase compared with AED20 million for the same period in 2022, primarily driven by the growth in the UAE construction sector;

* Since 31 December 2022, the group has further reduced its net bank debt by 41% from AED1.1 billion to AED643.9 million, resulting in a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 0.5 as of 30 June 2023.

Operational highlights for H1 2023:

* The company achieved robust profitability in H1 associated with continued high demand for the groups steel products, stable margins despite reductions in commodity steel prices, supported by a continuing increase in the manufacture and sale of value-added products for both the domestic and export markets and bolstered by steady construction activities.

* Implemented a new operating model that establishes two distinct business units: Emirates Steel and Building Materials. This strategic move aims to capitalise on the unique strengths of both the Steel and Building Materials divisions.

* Continued to build foundation for a new low-carbon iron supply chain - associated MoUs signed with Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, AD Ports Group, ITOCHU and JFE Steel.

* Introduced Namaa 2.0 as the second stage of the Groups continuing transformation program to deliver greater efficiencies and EBITDA optimisation initiatives.

* Expanded into three new markets for steel and successfully exported Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes to three projects in France.

* Successfully marketed the ES600 innovative low-carbon high tensile rebar steel, utilizing it in the foundations of two projects in Dubai.

Eng Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO, said: "Emirate Steel Arkans overall performance continued to be strong in the first six months of 2023 with healthy profits in line with our expectations, further demonstrating our agility and resilience despite volatile market conditions. This performance was delivered by focusing on higher-value-added products with improved margins and enhanced efficiencies. Better capital control and targeted capital expenditure has also strengthened our balance sheet to support our ability to drive our growth strategy forward.

He added: We also remain committed to achieving our decarbonisation and sustainability goals by making our facilities run more efficiently, using less energy to produce our products, utilizing clean and renewable energy when possible, and forging partnerships with regional and global powerhouses to establish a new low-carbon iron supply chain here in the UAE. We have said that we will aim at reducing our carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve Net-Zero by 2050 and we are taking bold steps to make this ambition a reality.  TradeArabia News Service
Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has announced its latest contribution to the open-source community by open-sourcing its 7-billion-parameter Large Language Models (LLM), Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat, through its AI model community ModelScope, and the collaborative AI platform Hugging Face.

Alibaba Cloud introduced its proprietary LLM, Tongyi Qianwen, earlier this year in April. This cutting-edge model, capable of generating human-like content in both Chinese and English, has different model sizes, including seven billion and above parameters. This time, the open-source release includes the pre-trained 7-billion-parameter model, Qwen-7B, and its conversationally fine-tuned version, Qwen-7B-Chat.

In an effort to democratize AI technologies, the models code, model weights, and documentation will be freely accessible to academics, researchers, and commercial institutions worldwide. For commercial uses, the models will be free to use for companies with fewer than 100 million monthly active users. Programs with more users can request a license from Alibaba Cloud.

"By open-sourcing our proprietary large language models, we aim to promote inclusive technologies and enable more developers and SMEs to reap the benefits of generative AI," said Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. "As a determined long-term champion of open-source initiatives, we hope that this open approach can also bring collective wisdom to further help open-source communities thrive."

The Qwen-7B was pre-trained on over 2 trillion tokens, including Chinese, English and other multilingual materials, code, and mathematics, covering general and professional fields. Its context length reaches 8K. In training, the Qwen-7B-Chat model was aligned with human instructions. Both Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat models can be deployed on cloud and on-premises infrastructures. This enables users to fine-tune the models and build their own high-quality generative models effectively and cost-efficiently.

The pre-trained Qwen-7B model distinguished itself in the Massive Multi-task Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark, scoring a notable 56.7, outperforming other major pre-trained open-source models with similar scales or even some larger-size models. This benchmark assesses a text model's multitask accuracy across 57 varied tasks, encompassing fields such as elementary mathematics, computer science, and law. Moreover, Qwen-7B achieved the highest score among models with equivalent parameters in the leaderboard of C-Eval, a comprehensive Chinese evaluation suite for foundational models. It covers 52 subjects in four major specialties including humanities, social sciences, STEM, and others. Additionally, Qwen-7B reached outstanding performance on benchmarks of mathematics and code generation, such as GSM8K and HumanEval.

Alibaba Clouds Qwen-7B model distinguished itself in several benchmarks

In July, Alibaba Cloud also introduced its AI image generator, Tongyi Wanxiang, which was designed to support developers and SMEs in their creative image expression. The cloud pioneer also unveiled ModelScopeGPT, a versatile framework designed to assist users in performing complex and specialized AI tasks across language, vision and speech domains by leveraging various AI models on ModelScope. Launched by Alibaba Cloud last year, ModelScope is an open-source AI model community currently featuring over 1,000 AI models contributed by 20 leading AI institutes.

For more information, please check out the details of Qwen-7B and Qwen-7B-Chat on ModelScope, Hugging Face and GitHub pages.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently identified IT-BPM (Business Processing Management) as a key industry that makes the Philippines a service export powerhouse, and called for support to continue nurturing the sectors growth.

To help with this, GoITEuropes leading EdTech companyis offering a new Quality Assurance (QA) Testing course perfect for beginners in the IT industry. There remains plenty of opportunity in the sector even for those who have no background in coding and programming, according to Khrystyna Gankevych, GoIT group Head of growth.

QA Analysts, for instance, do not require advanced knowledge in mathematics and web development but are vital to any IT company. QA Analysts have the crucial task of checking softwares, ensuring that they are working correctly, and finding possible issues. Being a QA Analyst also comes with competitive salaries reaching up to P35,000 every month, according to recent numbers from JobStreet.

Being a QA Analyst is the fastest way to get into IT without having advanced knowledge in programming or mathematics. As a QA Analyst, you get the chance to work with big IT companies and even make the transition to bigger roles in the future, such as Web developer, Front end developer, Gankevych explained.

Filipinos looking to maximize their opportunities and enter the IT industry can take the new QA Testing course of GoIT. It is fully online with synchronous classes held every evening, led by a team of highly qualified local mentors who are established Filipino professionals working for the biggest IT companies in the country and in the world.

Students will learn not only the basics of testing, but also the levels and types of testing encountered in the line of work. The course will also help develop some of the soft skills expected of a QA Analyst, such as teamwork, time management, and communication skills.

Since its launch earlier this year, GoIT has been training newly minted IT professionals in the Philippines through its Fullstack course. So far, more than 3,000 people have attended GoITs webinarswith the first batch of Fullstack course completers introduced to the IT industry back in June.

The Filipino talent is unique, and has been instrumental in the IT industry all around the world, said Gankevich, who hopes to encourage more Filipinos to explore a fulfilling career in IT. We are here to equip Filipinos with the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in IT and the goal is that our Filipino students will make significant contributions to their countrys IT sector.
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At least two people were killed in China following a gas explosion at a grilled fish restaurant in the eastern city of Gaomi.

The explosion took place at around 7.15am this morning and was powerful enough to knock a car passing by to its side, according to a video published by local news outlet Beijing Youth Daily.

At least two more were injured in the incident, reported Chinese state media, adding that they were taken to the hospital.

The incident, which comes two months after a deadly restaurant blast in northwestern China, is now under investigation.

Earlier in June, a massive explosion at a barbecue restaurant in a residential area of downtown Yinchuan on the eve of a national holiday had left 31 dead and seven injured.

Following the incident, president Xi Jinping ordered a safety overhaul across the country in which he directed all regions and related departments to address all types of risks and hidden dangers and launch campaigns to promote workplace safety.

Industrial accidents are common in China and are usually blamed on poor government supervision, cost-cutting measures by employers, corruption and a lack of safety training for employees.

On 1 May, at least nine people were killed in an explosion at a Chinese petrochemical plant during the countrys May Day holiday.

In February, 53 miners died following the collapse of a massive open pit coal mine in the northern region of Inner Mongolia.

In the same month, four people were detained following a fire at an industrial trading company in central China in November that killed 38 people.
Workers load grain at a grain port in Izmail, Ukraine, under the Black Sea Grain Initiative (Andrew Kravchenko/AP/PA) (AP)

A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the Black Sea after it failed to respond to demands to stop, Moscow has said.

Russia reported that one of its patrol boats opened fire with automatic weapons after the vessel ignored a request to halt for an inspection on Sunday. The ship claimed to be eventually heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

The incident comes Moscow warned last month that it could not guarantee the safety of civilian vessels in the Black Sea after it pulled out of a UN-backed international deal to allow the safe export of grain from Ukraine.

International shipping data showed the cargo ship had been in the south-western region of the Black Sea, near the coast of Bulgaria, suggesting it was heading towards the Romanian port Sulina, which is close to the border with Ukraine.

The Sukru Okan vessel, which was flying the flag of Palau - a small island country in the Pacific - did stop following the warning shots and there were no reports of any damage or casualties, the Russian authorities said.

The Russian defence ministry said its military then boarded the ship with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.

It added: After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail.

A spokesperson for the Turkish defence ministry said it was aware of an incident involving a ship heading for Romania, and confirmed officials were looking into it.

There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine or the ships owners.

The incident ratchets up pressure in the Black Sea with tensions high over the dirching of a deal which allowed Ukraine to export grain.

Disruption to shipping routes could have a knock-on effect on global supply chains and prices.

Ukraine and its allies have accused Russias warnings to vessels in the Black Sea as amounting to an effective blockade of Ukrainian ports that threatens to cut off the flow of wheat and sunflower seeds to world markets.

Story continues

Russia has rejected the claim accused the West of failing to implement an agreement to ease rules on Russian exports of food and fertilisers.

The Black Sea grain initiative was negotiated in July 2022 between Turkey, the UN and Russia as a way of ensuring that Ukraine, could ensure that its grain could leave its southern ports via the Bosphorus.

The graincould not be exported in the quantities required using the alternative methods of road or rail through Poland or by canal and river through Romania. Ukatine is known as the breadbasket of the world because the amount of grain it produces and exports.
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Authorities moved the leader of one of Ecuadors most powerful gangs into a maximum-security prison Saturday, three days after the assassination of a presidential candidate who had denounced threats from the feared criminal.

President Guillermo Lasso said the relocation of Los Choneros leader Adolfo Macias, alias Fito, was meant for the safety of citizens and detainees.

The gang boss was moved out of a jail with lighter security into a maximum-security prison in the same large complex of detention facilities in the port city of Guayaquil.

Ecuador will recover peace and security, Lasso tweeted. If violent reactions arise, we will act with full force.

About 4,000 soldiers and police officers raided the jail where Macias was being held Saturday and seized weapons, ammunition and explosives. Corrections officials released images of the raid showing several prisoners, including Macias, who is serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and homicide.

Ecuadors transformation into a major drug trafficking hub and the ensuing three-year surge of violence reached a new level with Wednesdays assassination of Fernando Villavicencio during a campaign rally in Quito, the capital. The candidate, who was not a front-runner, was known for speaking up against drug cartels.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killing. An Ecuadorian judge on Friday ordered preventive detention for six Colombian men described by authorities as being suspected of involvement in the slaying.

Villavicencio, 59, was one of eight registered candidates for the Aug. 20 presidential election. He had accused Los Choneros and Macias, whom he linked to Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, of threatening him and his campaign team days before the assassination.

Villavicencio believed popular support would keep him safe.

Youre my bulletproof vest. I dont need one. Youre a brave people and Im as brave as you are, he said at a public meeting in the city of Chone, the heart of Los Choneros territory. Bring on the drug lords. Bring on the hitmen.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata on Thursday described the assassination as a political crime of a terrorist nature aimed at sabotaging the election.

The snap election was called after Lasso, a conservative former banker, dissolved the National Assembly by decree in May, acting to avoid being impeached over allegations that he failed to intervene to end a faulty contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company. Lasso isn't running in the election.
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Authors have staged a walkout from the Edinburgh International Book Festival in protest at its links to fossil fuel companies.

Author and climate activist Mikaela Loach interrupted her panel discussion on Saturday evening to stand against the festivals main sponsor Baillie Gifford, accusing them of investing in companies who make money from fossil fuels.

It comes after more than 50 authors and and event chairs taking part in this years festival signed an open letter demanding organisers to find alternative sponsors if the investment management firm does not divest billions of cash.

Leading writers, including Ali Smith, Zadie Smith and Gary Younge, have threatened that if no action is taken, they will boycott next years event.

In a video shared by Loach on Instagram on Sunday, it showed the author stopping her discussion, titled Changing the Climate Narrative, saying: I cant actually in good faith continue just talking about these issues without doing something, especially give that the festival is sponsored by an investment firm that is bankrolling this climate crisis.

Baillie Gifford are an investment firm that have 5 billion of investments in the fossil fuel industry. Edinburgh Book Festival, you wouldnt burn books, so why are you burning the planet? Drop Baillie Gifford.

She added that she would rather be discussing her book, Its Not That Radical: Climate Action To Transform Our World, with her fellow authors at the event rather than having to stage the protest.

The author, who is of Jamaican descent, continued: I think especially recently, if you look across the world, Maui is literally on fire as weve seen right now.

I dont know if my ancestral land will still be there if I have children or if I have descendants. And the reason for this is because of investments in fossil fuels.

The reason for this is because of fossil fuel companies not caring about the climate crisis, whether they say they do or not. So, we have to remove that finance from them, any tactic that we can we have to stop them from being able to exist.

The video then showed the audience engaging in a chant calling for Baillie Gifford to be dropped by the festival before they took their protest to the streets of Edinburgh.

Author Jessica Gaitan Johannesson, who helped organise the walkout with Loach, told the PA news agency that they staged the protest as they care deeply about the festival and its people and dont want to see it contribute to the destruction of peoples lives.

She added: The Edinburgh International Book Festival prides itself on facilitating discussion and being a home for storytelling.

If conversations and stories were enough, the same festival that invites climate activists wouldnt also be funded by money that contributes to climate breakdown.

There is no doubt about this: wherever there is fossil fuel extraction, there is tremendous harm. This means that we need to take action beyond the page.

In the open letter, the writers and events chairs accused Baillie Gifford of making huge profits from global disaster and alleged the investment management firm was seeking to hide behind esteemed cultural institutions, like the Edinburgh Book Festival, as sanction for its continued operations.

The letter comes in the wake of climate activist Greta Thunberg pulling out of an appearance at this years event after accusing Baillie Gifford of greenwashing.

The investment management firm rejected Thunbergs claims that it invests heavily in fossil fuels, saying just 2% of its clients money was invested in the sector.

Nick Barley, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said the festival would consider the authors concerns carefully and keep an open mind about how to proceed.

Responding to the letter, Mr Barley said: We fully acknowledge your concerns about the devastating impact of fossil fuel exploitation on the climate: as individuals and and as a charity we firmly agree.

For these reasons, we promise to think about your letter carefully. The last thing we want is to let anyone give the impression we are on opposite sides.

Just as we promise to listen carefully to you, we ask that you allow us some time to consider your comments. Wed also like to share with you the reasons why we have accepted this sponsorship agreement.

Like all arts organisations in the UK, we wouldnt have enough funds to operate without private sponsorship. We looked very closely at the work of Baillie Gifford and it seems to us that they are, in fact, investing in companies that are seeking to resolve the crisis.

Those companies include Orsted, the Danish wind farm specialist.

Orsted was mandated by the Danish government to keep two coal-fired power stations open until 2024 as a result of Russias invasion of Ukraine  and that is the only reason why a small percentage of their income still comes from fossil fuels.

I hope you will talk with me and my colleagues, and discuss the complexities of this issue with us.

Edinburgh International Book Festival and Baillie Gifford have been contacted for comment.
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Rishi Sunaks government is to push on with finding more barges to house asylum seekers, despite the plan to put migrants in the Bibby Stockholm barge descending into utter farce.

The PM is under intense pressure on small boats after the Dorset barge was evacuated over Legionella bacteria found in the water supply, and the deaths of six people after a boat sank off the coast of France.

Welsh secretary David TC Davies said on Sunday that it was quite possible more migrants will be housed on barges because the government had no problem in principle with hiring barges.

Despite fierce criticism  and exasperation from Tory MPs worried by staggering incompetence  ministers still intend to find more docks to housing migrants vessels elsewhere in the UK, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Plans to use a boats to house migrants near Liverpool had to be scrapped after being declined by the port operator, while the government had also run into opposition at docks in east London and a site Edinburgh.

One senior source in the port industry told the newspaper that various ports were worried about a bit of a local backlash, while another source said one or two ports might agree to asylum vessels.

Senior Tory David Davis said the startling incompetence of the Home Office had been revealed after all 39 people on the Bibby Stockholm were taken off due to Legionella bacteria. Former Tory MP Scott Benton said that the barge had become a complete and utter farce.

There have calls for home secretary Suella Braverman to be sacked. And Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the Home Office should be broken up into different departments.

But right-wing Tory MP Sir John Hayes, a leading figure in the Common Sense Group, said he remained in favour of concentrating arrivals and the barges are a great idea.

Suella Braverman facing calls to resign (PA Wire)

Up to 10 unused student accommodation and former office blocks are also reportedly under consideration, averaging about 500 places per site, as the government looks to get migrants out of hotels.

Asked if the government will hire more barges to house migrants, Mr Davies told Times Radio: Its quite possible  Obviously weve got no problem in principle with hiring barges or using former military accommodation.

The cabinet minister claimed that the very quick action that the government took this week to remove people because of the just the possibility that Legionnaires could spread, actually demonstrates how were putting the safety of people first.

Meanwhile, campaigners described the deaths of six people after a boat sank off the coast of France as an appalling and preventable tragedy, while MPs called for more action from Mr Sunak to stop criminal gangs profiting from the dangerous journeys.

French lifeboat enters the port of Calais following a rescue operation (Reuters)

Some 59 people were rescued by British and French coastguards on Saturday after an overloaded vessel carrying migrants got into difficulty near Sangatte.

Some Tory MPs criticised France following the deaths, amid reports that a French warship PSP Cormoran was monitoring the overloaded small boat across the Channel when it sank. Fisherman Matthew Coker told the Mail on Sunday the military boat was escorting the vessel.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the French policy of escorting small boats to English waters was madness, adding: I think the whole thing encourages them to risk the journey more, which is a mistake  you see what happens when they do that. They end up dying.

Home Office figures show that 755 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Thursday  the highest daily number so far this year  confirming that the total since 2018 has passed 100,000.

Ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry called for the UK to leave the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) after the tragedy, claiming it could help solve the issue by allowing Rwanda flights to take off.

Labours cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson said people traffickers were running rings around the government and the said Home Office was increasingly shambolic and completely incompetent.

Care4Calais said the incident was an appalling and preventable tragedy, while the Refugee Council warned more people will die unless more safe routes to the UK are created.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the incident as a tragic loss of life and said she had chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the people who had been on the Bibby Stockholm, which had been billed as a cheaper alternative to expensive hotels for those awaiting the outcome of their claims, are now back being housed in alternative accommodation.

Ms Phillipson, Labours shadow education secretary, told Times Radio that she wouldnt want to see people accommodated on barges for a minute longer than is necessary. Labour has been criticised for saying it may have to keep migrants on barges until the asylum system could be improved.

The Home Office has said the health and welfare of asylum seekers remains of the utmost priority and that the evacuation took place as a precautionary measure, with all protocol and advice followed.
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As if it were an old dear friend who had passed away, the remnants of the Crooked House attracted bunches of flowers and sympathy messages from well-wishers devastated by the buildings demise.

More than 100 people gathered on Tuesday at the rubble of Britains wonkiest pub to mourn its destruction.

Built as a farmhouse in 1765, the Crooked House near Dudley, West Midlands, had a quirk that was probably unique and commanded much affection  its leaning walls created optical illusions such as pennies and marbles appearing to move uphill along the bar.

Local people left flowers and cards at Crooked House remains (Matthew Cooper/PA)

So when brewer Marstons closed the pub this year and sold it to a Warwickshire property company for an alternative use, it was no wonder local residents campaigned for its preservation.

Historic England received a request for the pub near Himley to be given listed status protection, and thousands of locals signed a petition to retain the building as a pub, which had been listed for sale for 675,000.

But before a decision could be made, late on Saturday 5 August  less than two weeks after the sale  the building became a national cause celebre when it was gutted by fire and reduced to a shell despite the efforts of up to 30 firefighters.

Staffordshire Police and fire chiefs launched an investigation into the blaze  and the fact that mounds of earth had blocked emergency crews access to the pub.

The building was a shell after the fire (PA)

People went to look at the destruction (PA)

Fans of the house were devastated  but worse was to come.

Two days later, a mechanical digger moved in to reduce the remaining structure to rubble.

The fire and the buildings rapid destruction ignited widespread speculation. And now, the new owners are facing a series of questions, many from detectives who say they are treating the fire as arson, and who have used a specialist sniffer dog to investigate the grounds.

More questions will come from South Staffordshire Council, which is investigating whether the demolition was illegal.

Before it was destroyed, the pub was well known for being on the wonk (SWNS)

The council had agreed to part of the upper level being removed (PA)

The council had not agreed to the whole structure being razed.

Shortly before the digger arrived, officers visited the site and, according to council leader Roger Lees, agreed on a set of works with the landowners representative to ensure the safety of the building and the site.

The agreed course of action included the removal of three elements of the first-floor front elevation only. This was only to avoid the weak parts of the structure from falling.

At no point did the council agree the demolition of the whole structure nor was this deemed necessary, Mr Lees added.

Aerial view of the shell (PA)

The pub had been shored up on one side (PA)

He said the demolition of a building should be carried out in accordance with Schedule 2 Part 11 Class B of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.

Mr Lees said: The steps required by the legislation were not carried out in this case. We have referred these matters to our legal team with a view to taking enforcement action.

Over recent months, he added, the council had been speaking to relevant national bodies about how to preserve the important heritage asset.

The building was a popular wedding venue (PA)

Police themselves are facing questions, too. Dudley North MP Marco Longhi has demanded to know why police did not intervene in the demolition given that officers had been investigating the blaze two days earlier, suggesting the police force had failed to protect the burnt-out shell, which might have needed a forensic examination.

But Staffordshire Police acknowledged the depth of anger over what happened, saying: This fire has shocked and upset so many given the  albeit not listed  cultural importance and heritage of the building. This is not lost on us and a robust investigation using all available information and forensic opportunities is being carried out.

Speculation has been further fuelled by the boss of the company that hired out the excavator reportedly saying they delivered the digger a week-a-half ago  before the fire.

Lyndon Thomas told Construction News he could not be held responsible for what paying customers did with the machinery and that had he known, he would have acted differently.

The land where the pub sat is in a remote area, and a wooded public right of way, popular with walkers and families, runs across it.

Until about 40 years ago, there was a bluebell wood behind the site, but the land was dug up for clay, together with a quarry to one side.

Because of the tilt, verticals were not aligned inside (SWNS)

Even walls were not at right angles to the floor (SWNS)

Now, its thought the other side is being dug by Himley Environmental, described as a landfill site operator specialising in hazardous waste disposal, which runs the quarry and landfill site next door.

The director of ATE Farms, which bought the pub from Marstons, is businesswoman Carly Taylor, 34. Her husband, Adam, 44, is a shareholder and former director of Himley Environmental, and the two companies are registered to the same address in Warwickshire.

Himley Environmental has not been answering its telephone this week, and its understood that Mr Taylor declined to comment when approached by journalists at his home in Leicestershire.

Himley Environmental is close to the site (Google Maps )

Earlier this year, ATE Farms applied for permission to transform an old quarry site in Leicestershire into a holiday camp.

Councillor Phil Atkins, whose Dudley ward backs onto the site, said what had happened to the truly unique building had been a disaster and he would like to see the pub return in some form, possibly as part of a museum or visitor attraction.

Recommended New Crooked House investigation as burned out pub demolished without council approval

And West Midlands mayor Andy Street called for the inn to be rebuilt brick by brick  but not everyone agrees.

Yvonne Nock, chairwoman of Himley parish council, told The Independent: My sister tried to paint it but said she couldnt because it wasnt straight. I cant see it could possibly be rebuilt. It was a one-off and cant be replaced.

She said it would be very sad if the pub site were dug up alongside the quarry.

The Independent has been unable to contact Ms Taylor, but asked Staffordshire Police to respond to Mr Longhis criticism. The force had not responded by the time of publication.
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The Met Office has issued a new weather warning for swathes of England and Wales, as forecasters warned of a heavy, persistent and perhaps thundery washout.

The yellow alert comes into force at midnight on Sunday and warns that the heavy rain poses a risk of disruption to transport and infrastructure, with the potential for flooding to damage buildings.

Most areas should expect 20-40mm of rain, but some parts could see up to 80mm  close to the UK average for the entire month of August, which sits at 93mm, according to the Met Office.

The warning is in force for 21 hours on Monday (Met Office)

Forecasters warned of the small chance that some communities could be temporarily cut off by flooded roads and that homes and businesses could suffer power cuts and the loss of other services.

Spray and flooding are likely to lead to some difficult driving conditions and road closures, with the risk of delays and cancellations to train and bus services, the Met Office said.

Neither Englands Environment Agency nor Natural Resources Wales had so far issued any flood warnings or alerts, as of midday on Sunday.

Temperatures should also remain between 18C and 23C in what will be overall an unsettled day, said Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst.

But the warning for rain is in force until 9pm on Monday, and spans from the Scottish border to Manchester, York, Leeds and Scarborough, while also covering much of Wales, excluding Cardiff and other parts of the countrys southeast.

A surfer next to Brightons Palace Pier as Storm Antoni hit the UK last week (AFP/Getty)

However, after a considerably damper July than the record-breaking heat experienced last year, and the arrival of the UKs first named storm of the year in August, along with 78mph winds, some rather more favourable summer weather does lie on the horizon.

Conditions in England and Wales are expected to improve through next week  with increasingly pleasant sunny spells and fewer showers, according to the Met Office.

The mercury could hit about 32C by Friday in the southeast, meteorologists predict  at least 6C higher than the temperature forecast for the same day in Los Angeles.

We are looking at the possibility of reaching the low thirties later in the week, most likely on Friday, probably in and around London, running into East Anglia and other parts of the south and east, Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud said on Saturday.

Weve got high pressure building from the middle of the week and that will tap into some tropical continental air, which will draw up some very warm, locally hot air that will allow temperatures to climb steadily, Mr Stroud said.

By the time we get into Friday and maybe into Saturday we stand a chance of breaking into the thirties.

The spell of sunny, very warm to hot weather is likely to continue till 26 August, according to the Met Offices longer-term forecast.

Additional reporting by PA
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The SNPs former Westminster leader has said he had utmost respect for Charles Kennedy, the ex-Liberal Democrat leader who died from a haemorrhage linked to alcoholism.

Ian Blackford, who recently announced he would step down as an MP at the next election, was responding to questions at a live talk show at the Edinburgh Fringe festival when co-host Iain Dale spoke of how many Scottish Lib Dem voters blame Mr Blackford for Mr Kennedys difficult final months before his death.

Mr Dale said many Lib Dems alleged Mr Blackford conducted a pretty scandalous campaign against [Mr Kennedy] when he unseated him in the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency in the 2015 general election.

Mr Dale said: Now, weve talked about this in the past, but if I dont bring this up, I know what will happen.

Just take us through your point of view. What happened in that campaign?

There was no animosity between myself and Charles whatsoever Ian Blackford MP

Mr Blackford said he did not know Mr Kennedy particularly well outside politics but cited his respect for the Lib Dem leader who had helped him a few times in his career.

He spoke of the 1999 election, when he had a particularly difficult night, and stated Charles was a sense of immense support to me at that time and encouragement.

He said someone recently showed him footage of them engaging in conversation.

He said: And you can see the discussion that was taking place, a very warm discussion that was taking place between myself and Charles.

There was no animosity between myself and Charles whatsoever.

He added: I sit in Parliament with colleagues that are Liberal Democrat MPs.

Actually, you had Vince Cable. Vince and I got on extremely well, particularly over Brexit  we worked very well together.

Mr Dale then asked if there was anything about the campaign he regrets.

Mr Blackford replied: One of the things I did, very early on in that campaign, was I highlighted Charles voting record. I highlighted Charles voting record over a 15-year period.

Speaking to co-host and former Labour politician Jacqui Smith, he continued: And look, it wasnt the best, but Jackie, you and I know that these are legitimate things to do in an election campaign  you compare and contrast the work rate, if you like, of your opponent, and I didnt know the kind of challenges that Charles was facing, and what he went through in his personal life is something that of course everyone has the deepest sympathy for.

But what I did, and again, its there, I went back and looked over the course of the last 15 years. He wasnt really participating in Parliament perhaps the way that most people would have wanted.
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The story of the Omagh bomb is entering a new phase 25 years on, with a public inquiry on the horizon, the father of one of the victims has said.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was among the 29 killed in the dissident republican attack on August 15 1998, said he feels they are in a better place.

Earlier this year, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced that an independent statutory inquiry will be launched to look at the preventability of the blast which devastated the Co Tyrone town.

It came after a High Court judge in Belfast recommended in 2021 that the UK Government should carry out a human rights-compliant investigation into alleged security failures in the lead-up to the attack.

Senior Scottish judge Lord Turnbull has been appointed chairman of the inquiry.

Mr Gallagher stressed that the people responsible for the bomb were those who planned, prepared and delivered the device to Omagh from the Republic of Ireland.

He also made an appeal for anyone who has information that could help the inquiry answer its questions to come forward and speak with officials.

For the past 23 years, weve been campaigning for a public inquiry, he said.

That campaign is now over  there is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, because we dont need to go around meeting politicians and begging for their support and meeting government ministers.

We are, on this anniversary, where we want to be, on the cusp of starting the public inquiry, and that will drive the agenda from here on forward.

And I would encourage everyone, and anyone who has even the slightest piece of information, who can add a piece to the jigsaw, no matter how insignificant they feel it is, I would ask them to engage with the public inquiry.

People may realise Hold on a minute, I have something to say about that. I was there. Ive seen this, Ive done this, or These people have got it wrong, this is the way it was.

I welcome that. I think its very important that everybody has their say regardless of whether I agree or disagree with them. This tribunal will be a tribunal of fact, it will not be of my opinion, my thoughts, my views.

What really matters is fact and thats the only way you can move forward.

By its nature, it takes time. We're certainly happy with the progress Michael Gallagher

Mr Gallagher met Irelands deputy premier, Micheal Martin, and justice minister Helen McEntee in Dublin in June.

He said the ministers did not commit to hold an Irish public inquiry into the bomb, but are considering how they will contribute to the UK inquiry.

Mr Gallagher said he hopes the inquiry may be able to start by the end of this year or early next year.

I have no complaints about how the Secretary of State, the Northern Ireland Office and Lord Turnbull himself are progressing, he said.

By its nature, it takes time. Were certainly happy with the progress. I believe that Lord Turnbull is well focused, and he will concentrate on the issues that we need addressed.

If were lucky it might start at the end of this year, but, apart from the administration, there is a huge volume of information to be read by all concerned, legal teams representing the families, the inquiry and others who get representation.
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Rishi Sunaks government has distanced itself from the idea of a Lavatory Tsar after it was mocked for its new public toilets strategy.

Mr Sunak and his equalities minister Kemi Badenoch were ridiculed following a report that the government was planning to introduce a toilets commissioner to address the closure of public toilets.

But it is understood that the plan is not being considered. Although it was discussed in parliament after being raised by a Labour MP, it was rejected by the government amid fears that it would increase bureaucracy.

It came as the government weighed into a fresh culture war row over bathrooms, announcing plans to crack down on gender-neutral toilets. New shops, public buildings and offices will be ordered to provide single-sex facilities, as the PM and Ms Badenoch engaged in a war on woke row with transgender rights groups on the issue.

Launching her new crackdown, the equalities minister said that the widespread switch to gender-neutral toilets had removed the fundamental right of women and girls to privacy, dignity and safety.

Trans rights groups have argued that gender-neutral toilets can help to combat discrimination, since trans people can face difficulties using male or female toilets.

But the Sunak government argues that communal cubicles and hand-washing facilities have led to dignity and privacy concerns among women who feel unfairly disadvantaged.

Pledging to halt the increasing use of gender-neutral facilities, the government is changing regulations to specify that all new non-residential buildings must offer separate single-sex toilets for women and men.

Self-contained, private unisex toilets should be provided in new buildings if there is space  but should not be put in at the expense of single-sex toilets.

It is important that everybody has privacy and dignity when using public facilities, said Ms Badenoch. Yet the move towards gender-neutral toilets has removed this fundamental right for women and girls.

Sign for a non-binary gender neutral toilet (PA)

There was confusion over a report in The Sunday Telegraph which claimed that ministers planned to appoint a Lavatories Tsar.

Labours mayor of Newham Council compared it to John Majors much-mocked cones hotline fiasco in the early 1990s, when the then Tory PM was ridiculed for his focus on minor traffic issues during a major economic recession.

But the government later made clear that it had no plans to bring in a tsar, pointing out that it had rejected a Labour amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill in October to have a commissioner for public loos.

However, some on social media questioned the governments sense of priorities for focusing on bathroom rows during a cost of living crisis.

One Twitter user said voters cant pay our rent, mortgages, fuel bills, or buy food while ministers were tackling the issue of sex-segregated lavatories.

Rishi Sunak has been accused of ugly culture war (PA Wire)

And Tory MP Caroline Nokes defended the use of gender-neutral toilets. What matters most when it comes to toilets is design, the equalities select committee chair told Pink News.

I always point at Portcullis House in parliament, which has bathrooms on every floor. Nobody refers to them as gender-neutral bathrooms  they are just bathrooms.

The government has previously been accused of using gender-neutral toilets and other trans-related issues to stoke divisions in a war on wokeism.

Labours Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, told The Independent in June that Mr Sunak was exploiting the trans debate as a wedge issue in an ugly culture war.

The PM was also accused of transphobia after a leaked video saw him mocking Ed Davey for trying to convince everybody that women clearly had penises. But No 10 insisted the joke was at the expense of the Lib Dem leader, not of a minority group.

It comes as the government prepares to set out new guidance to schools on trans issues when parliament returns next month.

The delayed document is widely expected to tell headteachers to consult parents if their child talks about a desire to transition socially to a different gender.
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Sir Keir Starmer has backtracked on Labours commitment to introduce clean air zones across the UK, according to reports, following the partys failure to win the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election.

A statement confirming support for the zones has reportedly been scored out from the partys programme, despite London mayor Sadiq Khan vowing to press ahead with the plans to expand the capitals ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez).

The Ulez charges drivers money based on their vehicles emissions, with protests taking place across the city against the controversial scheme.

Clean air zones featured among Labours transport pledges in an 86-page draft policy handbook which was debated last month at the partys National Policy Forum (NPF).

Labour supports the principle of clean air zones and recognises the huge damage to human health caused by air pollution and the damage to our climate caused by carbon emissions from polluting vehicles, the original draft document had stated.

People entering the ultra low emission zone with vehicles which do not meet minimum emissions standards are charged 12.50 per day (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

However, they must be phased in carefully, mindful of the impacts on small businesses and low-paid workers, and should be accompanied with a just transition plan to enable people to switch affordably to low-emission vehicles.

The Telegraph reports that the paragraph was scrapped during the forum, with a Labour source confirming to the newspaper that the policy had been officially dropped.

The forum took place just days after Labour failed to win a by-election due to voter backlash against Ulez, which has divided Londoners since it was first introduced in April 2019.

On Saturday, several vehicles had their tyres punctured in Bromley during an anti-Ulez protest while protesters held signs reading Khant pay, wont pay.

Protests have taken place across London in a bid to cancel the controversial scheme (PA)

The expansion is due to come into force at the end of August, and will require city dwellers to pay 12.50-a-day to drive into Greater London if their cars do not meet environmental standards.

Sir Keir had previously voiced support for the scheme but has turned against the police following the Uxbridge result.

Labours unsuccessful candidate at the by-election, Danny Beales, told the NPF that Ulex had cut us off at the knees while Sir Keir said that the party had to face up to the electoral damage.

In an election, policy matters, he said. And we are doing something very wrong if policies put forward by the Labour Party end up on each and every Tory leaflet.

Aside from London, clean air zones already exist in a number of Labour-run cities including Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol and Bradford.
Essential workers are struggling to find affordable places to live, with most only being able to afford around 1 per cent of houses on the rental market. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

An urgent plea to boost affordable housing has been made by one organisation after recent data revealed most of Australias essential workers arent able to afford the rising price of rent.

New data from Anglicare Australia revealed that in a pool of 45,895 rental listings across the country, only 2.4 per cent of them were affordable for an ambulance worker.

Nurses are in an even worse position, with only 666 rentals across the entire nation within their budget.

Aged care workers could only realistically afford 1.1 per cent of the available rentals, and early childhood educators could only afford 0.9 per cent.

Aged care workers can only afford 1.1 per cent of all available rentals across the country. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

Despite being in full time work, people in these professions, as well as hospitality workers and construction workers, simply arent able to afford most of the rental properties that are currently on the market, according to the data.

The Rental Affordability Snapshot found that the lowest paid workers on the list  hospitality workers  could only afford six properties in WA and 70 in Victoria.

Affordable properties for these employees in Victoria were also mostly share houses.

In New South Wales, social and community workers only had 259 homes to choose from, and hospitality workers were left with 233 - less than 1.5 per cent of the states rental market.

Affordability was consistently poor across the nation, the report stated.

In every state and territory, less than three per cent of rentals were affordable for a community services worker.

In Tasmania, community service workers could only afford 19 of the available listings, and workers looking to rent in WA could afford only nine.

Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said the data shows essential workers are being pushed into serious rental stress.

So many essential industries are facing workforce shortages with workers unable to afford to stay or move to parts of the country where these shortages are at their worst,  Ms Chambers said.

These numbers help explain why.

Story continues

Virtually no part of Australia is affordable for aged care workers, early childhood educators, cleaners, nurses and many other essential workers we rely on. They cannot afford to live in their own communities.

Nursing staff are also struggling to pay rent, with only 666 rentals across the country within their budget. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Compounding the issue is Australias record-low vacancy rate.

While there were consistently more than 65,000 properties available to rent when the Snapshot study was conducted throughout 2018-21, Australias vaancy rate is currently just 0.8 per cent of all homes.

This in term has seen rent prices soar, with states now grappling with how to fix further price spikes caused by prospective tenants bidding on rentals.

Ms Chambers said the best way to tackle the rental crisis is for social and affordable rental housing to be built.

She said the data shows the private market is failing people on average incomes, not just the people on low incomes.

Even though Australia has built a record number of homes over the last ten years, rents keep soaring.

The best way to make rentals more affordable is to build social and affordable homes.

Building general homes and hoping affordability will trickle down just isnt working.

The cost of living crisis is having an effect on most people, but our essential workers are struggling. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

She called for more affordable housing for essential workers to be developed, and protections for renters experiencing unfair rent increases to come to be put in place.

Were calling on housing ministers to take action when they meet next week  and make sure everyone has a place to call home, Ms Chambers said.

The report also calls for essential workers to receive higher salaries.

Care work in the community services industry has historically been undervalued, and this is evident in low rates of pay across the sector, the report stated.

Increases are needed across the care sector to help recruit and retain a highly skilled workforce, make sure workers are paid a liveable wage and to avoid a situation where workers move from one part of the sector to another, leaving workforce shortages elsewhere.
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Tenants are being subjected to shocking living conditions, with new figures revealing that one in eight privately rented homes poses a potentially life-threatening hazard to health.

Around 615,000 properties contained serious defects such as damp, mould, pollutants, structural flaws and fire hazards that put residents health at risk last year, an increase of 50,000 compared to the previous year.

Campaigners said the figures expose the increasingly horrendous conditions faced by tenants despite soaring rents  accusing slum landlords of exploitation and profiteering from unsafe homes.

The shocking statistics come after a series of investigations by The Independent exposed the impacts of Britains worsening housing crisis, including Black and Asian tenants being forced to bear the brunt of awful conditions  from disrepair to forced evictions  and a shameful lack of social housing, with more than half of local authorities failing to build a single council house last year.

It follows the death of toddler Awaab Ishak, which was found to have been caused by extensive mould in his familys flat in Rochdale. His death prompted outrage about families being left in uninhabitable conditions by property owners.

Labour has vowed to end the shocking and unacceptable conditions endured by tenants  accusing the Tory government of failing to control landlords in the Wild West private sector.

Category 1 hazards  deemed the most serious, with the potential to cause death or loss of limb  are found in 14 per cent of private rented homes, according to Labour analysis of the latest English Housing Survey, which covers 2021 to 2022. This figure is up from 13 per cent the previous year.

Around 990,000 privately rented homes (23 per cent) fail to meet the decent homes standard according to the 2021-22 data  a higher proportion than in the social rented sector (10 per cent) and homes that are owner-occupied (13 per cent).

And around 11 per cent of privately rented homes contain damp, according to analysis of the latest annual figures  an increase on the 10 per cent figure for the previous year and a significant jump from the 7 per cent seen in 2019-20.

The private rented sector increasingly resembles the Wild West, Lisa Nandy, the shadow housing secretary, told The Independent. Far too many young people and families are being forced to live in shocking, unacceptable conditions, while at the same time paying ever more extortionate rents.

Campaigners have urged the government to give tenants better protection (PA Wire)

Ms Nandy vowed that a Labour government would introduce a powerful new renters charter to enforce the decent homes standard in the private rented sector, as well as bringing in a new code of practice for letting agents in an effort to crack down on the issue.

Separately, figures obtained by The Independent suggest that mould and damp problems are getting worse. The number of complaints about these issues to the Housing Ombudsman Service has spiked by 35 per cent.

The watchdog has received 5,398 complaints about damp, mould and leaks in the past year, up from 3,530 the year before. A total of 632 complaints were upheld, up from 456 the previous year.

Earlier this year, housing secretary Michael Gove described the death of two-year-old Awaab as an unacceptable tragedy  vowing to make sure landlords are held to account over unfit homes.

Awaab Ishaks death was found to have been caused by extensive mould in his familys home (Family handout/PA)

In May, The Independent revealed that a four-year-old girl, Zainab Hamid, had been hospitalised after living in a mould-ridden flat. She and her family were moved from the Westminster dwelling, run by social landlord the Peabody Trust, following our investigation.

Tenants told The Independent about serious health risks they had suffered at the hands of private landlords. Sinthia Arefin was hospitalised in November 2018 after the ceiling fell on her in the kitchen of a flat that was rented from a private landlord by Newham Council as temporary accommodation.

Ms Arefin said her life has been irrevocably changed since the accident. She still suffers as a result of her injuries, and she has been unable to continue her work as an artist.

The kitchen ceiling was damp from a water leak in the room above, and the landlord didnt fix it, she said. The ceiling fell on my head. I was taken to hospital by the ambulance.

Ms Arefin said: I had an injury in my neck disc. I was bedbound for several months and I still walk with a stick even now. I still have bad pain in my back, extreme headaches and vertigo because of how it fell on me.

She added: It can change a persons life in a way that they would have never thought of in their worst nightmares.

Sinthia Arefin was badly hurt when the ceiling of her kitchen fell in (Supplied)

Liam Miller of the London Renters Union said that recent rent rises are shocking considering the difficulty tenants have getting landlords to carry out repairs. Exploiting tenants while leaving homes in despair is widespread  the term slum landlord is appropriate in too many places.

The campaigner said that the government needs to give councils the resources to go after bad landlords, and allow harsher penalties if landlords fail to comply with the rules.

Dan Wilson Craw, deputy director at campaigning organisation Generation Rent, said the worst slum landlords are leaving people in unsafe homes while making rents increasingly unaffordable.

Some landlords are profiteering by putting up prices while ignoring their tenants complaints about problems and bad conditions, said the campaigner. It can be very difficult to get landlords to fix things.

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said renters should not be forced to live in homes with hazards that pose a real danger to them.

Michael Gove has promised that bad landlords will be held to account (PA Wire)

Campaigners hope the Renters Reform Bill  the legislation currently moving through parliament that will ban no-fault evictions  will allow tenants to challenge slum landlords without losing their homes.

The latest figures show how vital changes could be. No-fault eviction court proceedings in England have hit their highest level in six years. Almost 7,500 no-fault eviction claims were brought before judges between April and June  up 35 per cent on the same period last year.

The Labour Party and housing campaigners remain frustrated at the Tories failure to include a decent homes standard for the private rental sector in the Renters Reform Bill  though the government has pledged to introduce one at the earliest opportunity.

No 10 has also vowed to launch a consultation on a new damp and mould standard as part of the wider review of the decent homes standard.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: Everyone deserves a decent home that is free from damp, mould and overcrowding.

They added: That is why we are committed to reducing the number of non-decent rented homes by 50 per cent by 2030, as well as introducing [a] decent homes standard to the private rented sector that will protect millions of renters for the first time.

A Newham Council spokesperson said the council was committed to driving up standards in all accommodation, adding: We have a robust policy setting out what we expect of private sector temporary accommodation landlords.
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Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure to do more to tackle the small boats crisis following the appalling and preventable tragedy that saw the deaths of six people when a vessel sank off the coast of France on Saturday.

Fresh calls for action came as it emerged that a further 509 people crossed the English Channel in 10 small boats on Saturday, despite the perilous nature of the crossing, bringing the total for the year so far to 16,679.

Senior Conservatives joined Labour in attacking the dysfunctional Home Office for failing to tackle the out of control asylum system  but some Tory MPs appeared to blame the French for Saturdays tragic deaths.

Tim Loughton, a senior figure on the home affairs select committee, said that more needed to be done by both the Home Office and the French authorities.

Without the French actually intercepting and detaining those boats, then we have a problem stopping that, he told Times Radio. He suggested that if the French intervened it would stop this whole vile trade absolutely overnight, adding: What will it take for the French to agree to do that?

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said people-traffickers were running rings around the government as she described the Home Office as increasingly shambolic and completely incompetent.

The Labour Party wants to strike a migrant returns agreement with the EU after the so-called Dublin regulation  which allowed irregular migrants to be returned to the nation of first arrival  was lost during the Brexit process.

Some Tory MPs criticised France following Saturdays deaths, amid reports that a French warship, the PSP Cormoran, was monitoring the overloaded small boat in the Channel when it sank. Fisherman Matthew Coker told The Mail on Sunday that the military boat was escorting the vessel.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the newspaper that the French policy of escorting small boats to English waters was madness, adding: I think the whole thing encourages them to risk the journey more, which is a mistake  you see what happens when they do that. They end up dying.

A French lifeboat enters the port of Calais following the rescue operation on Saturday (Reuters)

Former Tory party chair Sir Jake Berry renewed right-wing calls for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) after the Channel tragedy, claiming that doing so could help to solve the issue by allowing the long-delayed Rwanda scheme to come into effect.

But former deputy prime minister David Lidington warned that voters would be seriously repelled by the idea of leaving the ECHR. He said the Tories are at risk of being branded the nasty party once again.

There will be a subsection of the electorate who will like this, and want a hard line, however rational or irrational that policy is, the former deputy PM told The Observer.

He added: But I think that they will be at least matched, and probably exceeded, by the number of people in seats, particularly suburban seats and home counties seats, who will be at best unimpressed and at worse seriously repelled by this kind of rhetoric and such a policy.

Pulling out of the ECHR would put the UK at odds with most European nations, and could cause serious complications in relation to the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland and the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.

Suella Braverman is facing calls to resign over the handling of the migrant crisis (PA Wire)

Mr Loughton said the dysfunctionality in the Home Office dates back years, and that the department has got to do a lot better in speeding up the processing times of those people who do then come to the UK, to see whether they have a legitimate asylum claim or not.

He said the governments small boats week was probably not a good idea, adding: It was a hostage to fortune, and clearly it depends on how many people are risking their lives coming across the Channel, which is dependent on the weather and how people-smugglers are operating.

Investigations continue into the tragic Channel incident in which six people died. A further 59 were rescued and two may still be missing after an overloaded vessel carrying migrants got into difficulty near Sangatte on Saturday.

Charity Care4Calais said the incident was an appalling and preventable tragedy, while the Refugee Council warned that more people will die unless more safe routes to the UK are established.

Home secretary Suella Braverman described the incident as a tragic loss of life and said she had chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday.

The Bibby Stockholm barge had to be evacuated on Friday after bacteria were found to be present in its water supply (PA)

It comes as the plan to house migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge was described as an utter farce when it emerged that the first 39 people to be installed on the vessel in Dorset had had to be removed from it after Legionella bacteria were found in the water supply.

But ministers still intend to locate further vessels elsewhere in the UK for the purpose of housing migrants, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

Welsh secretary David TC Davies said on Sunday that it was quite possible more migrants will be housed on barges because the government has no problem in principle with hiring barges.

Calling the six Channel deaths a tragedy, Mr Davies claimed that the very quick action that the government took this week to remove people, because of the possibility that legionnaires could spread, actually demonstrates how were putting the safety of people first.

Senior Tory David Davis said the startling incompetence of the Home Office had been revealed. Tory MP Scott Benton, who is currently suspended from the party, said that the barge plan had become a complete and utter farce. Senior moderate Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the Home Office should be broken up into different departments.

There have been calls for home secretary Suella Braverman to be sacked. One former Tory minister told The Independent on Friday that Ms Braverman should be fired for losing control of the Channel crisis.

But right-wing Tory MP Sir John Hayes, a leading figure in the Conservative Partys Common Sense Group, said he remained in favour of concentrating arrivals and called the use of barges to house migrants a great idea.
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Steve Barclay has said he is open to requests for patients from Wales and Scotland to be treated on the NHS in England amid record waiting lists.

The Health Secretary has invited Scottish and Welsh ministers to discuss what lessons can be learnt from the different approaches taken by each government to the health service.

He suggested the two nations have worse NHS delays than England in some areas, which both devolved administrations robustly disputed.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made cutting waiting lists one of five key priorities for his leadership after they hit a record 7.57 million people in hospitals in England alone in June.

Rather than attempting to involve themselves in devolved areas, the UK Government would be well served focusing on tackling the many issues in the health service south of the border Scottish health minister Michael Matheson

The issue is likely to be a key political battleground at the next election, so the Government is keen to argue health services would not be better managed under Labour or the SNP.

In a press release, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said there are significant variations in NHS waiting times between the four UK nations.

In Wales, more than 73,000 people are waiting over 77 weeks for treatment, and at least 21,600 people are waiting over 78 weeks for an outpatient, day case or inpatient appointment in Scotland, it said.

In England, waiting times for patients over 78 weeks have been virtually eliminated.

Scottish health minister Michael Matheson pointed to record waiting lists and ongoing strikes hitting the NHS England as examples of problems affecting the service south of the border.

The NHS in England is about to experience its fifth round of strikes by junior doctors, with the waiting list for hospital treatment rising by over 100,000 to a record high of over 7.5 million as a result of the UK Governments refusal to even get around the negotiating table, he said.

Rather than attempting to involve themselves in devolved areas, the UK Government would be well served focusing on tackling the many issues in the health service south of the border.

In contrast, the Scottish Government has negotiated constructively and made significant commitments to our junior doctors  which is why we are the only part of the UK to have avoided strike action in our NHS this year.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: Wales includes more referrals in its waiting times statistics than England does. Long waiting times are falling every month in Wales and have more than halved in the past year.

The overall growth in waiting lists in Wales has been smaller in Wales than in England over the last 12 months  it grew by 3.6% in Wales and by 12.1% in England. Wales has also outperformed England in major emergency department performance in nine out of the last 10 months.

In Wales patients are treated according to clinical urgency.

Wales Secretary David TC Davies insisted his Cabinet colleagues invitation was an attempt to put people before politics, telling Times Radio many of his constituents say they would love to be treated in England.

But shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: The only advice the Tories are qualified to offer is how to wreck the NHS and cause the biggest strikes in its history.

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News on Sunday that Mr Barclay is the last person anyone needs a lecture from on how to run the NHS.

She accused the UK Government of creating a total shambles in the NHS and said devolved governments are restricted in what they can do by budgets determined in Westminster.
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The wife of Rex Heuermann, the man charged with killing at least three women and burying their bodies on a beach beside a remote coastal highway, may sue police for leaving her home in a shambles in their search for evidence.

Asa Ellerup is living in a waking surreal nightmare, her attorney said on Friday.

She is also struggling to pay for cancer treatment while living in a house that she claims was trashed by investigators searching for possible evidence of her husbands alleged crimes.

At a press conference on Long Island, attorneys for Ms Ellerup, Mr Heuermanns estranged wife, and his two adult children, announced the family planned to follow a notice of claim, a move that would allow them to eventually sue police for leaving their home in shambles.

Their valuables were shattered, their places were destroyed, the place they laid their heads no longer exists, said Vess Mitev, an attorney who is also representing Mr Heuermanns daughter, Victoria, and stepson, Christopher Sheridan.

Theyre going through a horrific emotional time that none of us can imagine, he added, previously describing their experience as that of a  surreal, walking horror show .

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney has said police followed standard procedure during their 12-day search of the house.

Ms Ellerup is currently scrambling to find a way to pay for her skin and breast cancer treatment, attorneys said. Her current medical insurance, which is tied to her husbands employment, runs out later this year.

She has spoken to her husband by phone but has not visited him and filed for divorce from Mr Heuermann last month just days after the bombshell arrest of the architect in a case that has baffled authorities for over a decade.

The family has raised more than $40,000 through a GoFundMe started by Melissa Moore , the daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as the Happy Face Killer.

An overhead shot of the home of Rex Heuermann as it was searched by police in July following his arrest for the Gilgo Beach murders (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

That crowd-funding campaign has generated some controversy. John Ray, an attorney for Shannon Gilbert, a woman found dead on a coastal marsh near Mr Heuermanns alleged victims, urged the public against donating to the family, describing them as suspects in the case, rather than victims.

Suffolk Police have concluded that Gilbert drowned accidentally  a finding her family has not accepted, believing she was also killed.

Mr Heuermann was charged last month in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Costello, and Megan Waterman. Their remains were found on Gilgo Beach just off Long Island.

He is the prime suspect in the death of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes.

All four of the women were believed to be engaged in sex work prior to their disappearance. Other remains were also found in the vicinity but no connection has been made to Mr Heuermann, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Bob Macedonio, an attorney for Ms Ellerup, said Mr Heuermann was living a complete double life, with his wife and children totally in the dark about his alleged crimes.

The lawyers said there has been no contact between the authorities and any family members.

Mr Heuermann is due back in court on 27 September.

With reporting by the Associated Press
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The family of Craig Robertson, the man killed by the FBI as they were attempting to serve him a warrant at his home in Utah after he threatened the life of President Joe Biden, said he had been distraught by what he, and many others in this nation, observed to be a corrupt and overreaching government.

In a statement on Facebook, Robertsons family said they were shocked and devastated by the senseless and tragic killing of our beloved father and brother.

The FBI raided the home of the Provo resident, who the federal complaint described as approximately 70-75 years old, after he had allegedly posted threats online against President Biden, his family, and Barack Obama.

Craig Robertsons family said his online behaviour served as a way to let out his frustration with the government (Craig Robertson / Facebook)

According to court documents, Robertson referenced a presidential assassination and also allegedly lodged threats against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York AG Letitia James.

The time is right for a presidential assassination or two. First Joe then Kamala!!! officials claimed Robertson wrote in a September 2022 Facebook post, according to the filing.

Robertson was killed hours before Mr Biden was scheduled to land in the state after he allegedly refused to comply with the FBI and pointed a weapon at the agents.

The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously. In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under review by the FBIs inspection division, the agency said in a statement.

Craig loved this country with all his heart. He saw it as a God-inspired and God-blessed land of liberty. He was understandably frustrated and distraught by the present and on-going erosions to our constitutionally protected freedoms and the rights of free citizens wrought by what he, and many others in this nation, observed to be a corrupt and overreaching government.

Robertson stands in camouflage holding a rifle in an undated social media photo (US District Court)

His family wrote that as an elderly  and largely homebound  man, he often took to social media to express his frustration. Though his statements were intemperate at times, he has never, and would never, commit any act of violence against another human being over a political or philosophical disagreement, the statement read.

The FBI revealed that Truth Social tipped off authorities about Robertson in March. Following the tip, two FBI agents approached Robertson at his home; Robertson allegedly dismissed the threat telling the agents: I said it was a dream Were done here! Dont return without a warrant.

Over the next five months, the FBI uncovered multiple threats against Mr Garland, Ms James, and Vice President Kamala Harris. The situation intensified on Sunday, when Robertson reportedly posted, I heard Biden is coming to Utah, adding that he was cleaning the dust off the M24 sniper rifle.
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The entire five-member police department of a small town in Kansas raided the office of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher, seizing computers, cell phones and other reporting materials and effectively shutting down publication.

The weekly newspapers 98-year-old co-owner  apparently overwhelmed by the incident  collapsed and died the following day, according to the Marion County Record.

Publisher Eric Meyer said the Marion Police Departments raid on 11 August took everything we have.

The incident is likely to cast a chilling effect on the newspapers abilities to publish and for members of the public to speak with its reporters, he told the Kansas Reflector.

Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency, according to a statement from Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves, he added.

The raid followed a series of stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting with Republican US Rep Jake LaTurner. A source had contacted the newspaper about the restaurant owners drunken driving record, and reporters sought to verify the information through government records. Mr Meyer ultimately decided against publishing anything.

But the restaurant owner, Kari Newell, falsely claimed during a city council meeting that the newspaper had illegally obtained sensitive documents about her, which prompted the newspaper to publish a story that set the record straight.

The newspaper was also actively investigating Gideon Cody, Marions chief of police, following allegations that he had retired from a previous job to avoid punishment over accusations of sexual misconduct.

A warrant for the raid  performed by the entire police department and sheriffs deputies  was signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar.

The two-page warrant stated that officers were allowed to seize phones, software, items that contained passwords, and all correspondence and documents pertaining to Kari Newell.

Chief Cody also reportedly dislocated one reporters finger after snatching her phone from her hand during the raid.

Officers also reportedly photographed personal financial statements and seized personal items  including a smart speaker used by the papers 98-year-old co-owner Joan Meyer to ask for assistance.

These are Hitler tactics and something has to be done, Ms Meyer said.

The following day, the Marion County Record reported that she was stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief following the raid of the newspapers office and her home.

Joan Meyer, otherwise in good health for her age, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home, the newspaper reported. She had not been able to eat after police showed up at the door of her home Friday with a search warrant in hand. Neither was she able to sleep Friday night.

A statement from the Marion Police Department ackowledged that the federal Privacy Protection Act protects journalists from most searches of newsrooms unless they themselves are suspects in the offense that is the subject of the search.

The victim asks that we do all the law allows to ensure justice is served, the statement said.

The Independent has requested additional comment from chief Cody and the department.

Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said that the incident is unprecedented in the state.

An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the publics right to know, she said in a statement. This cannot be allowed to stand.

On 13 August, a group of more than 30 news organisations and publishers including The New York Times and the Associated Press joined a statement from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press urging the Marion Police Department to return seized material, purge records that were accessed, and initiate a full independent and transparent review of the indicident.

Newsroom searches and seizures are among the most intrusive actions law enforcement can take with respect to the free press, and the most potentially suppressive of free speech by the press and the public, the statement said.

The Radio Television Digital News Association also is demanding an explanation from police.

Free expression advocacy organisation PEN America said such egregious attempts to interfere with news reporting cannot go unchecked in a democracy, and that the seizure of the newspapers equipment almost certainly violates federal law & puts the papers ability to publish the news in jeopardy.

In The Records own reporting of the incident, Mr Meyer condemned what he called police Gestapo tactics used to crush dissent.

We will be seeking the maximum sanctions possible under law, he added.

The Record is expected to file a federal lawsuit.

The Press Freedom Tracker has recorded at least 55 incidents targeting journalists First Amendment-protected activities within the last year.

Earlier this year, officials in Oklahoma were caught on tape fantasizing about killing journalists. Two journalists in North Carolina were recently found guilty of trespassing for reporting on the evictions of homeless people during a law enforcement sweep in Asheville.

The latest incident in Kansas appears to be the latest example of American law enforcement officers treating the press in a manner previously associated with authoritarian regimes, Mr Stern said.

The anti-press rhetoric thats become so pervasive in this country has become more than just talk and is creating a dangerous environment for journalists trying to do their jobs, he added.

This story was first published on 12 August and has been updated with developments
Chris Christie was on ABC this weekend bashing Donald Trump as the former New Jersey governor charts a path to the GOP nomination which he believes necessitates a direct showdown with the ex-president.

Mr Christie, who previously served as a federal prosecutor, told ABCs Jonathan Karl on Sunday that his opponent needs to choose his words carefully going forward to escape further criminal liability.

"Trump needs to be smart and careful about this, if that's at all possible. Which is [to say] that he is a criminal defendant," he said.

It was advice that is unlikely to be followed. Mr Trump has pursued an aggressive campaign of indignation and charges of political weaponisation against prosecutors in New York and Washington DC who have charged him with more than 70 criminal counts in three matters: His alleged hush payments to Stormy Daniels, his efforts to change the results of the 2020 election, and his allegedly illegal retention of classified materials from the White House.

Mr Trump has even personally targeted the Department of Justices special counsel, Jack Smith, and warned that anyone who participated in the investigations against him will face his wrath. The agency has, as a result, sought to chill his speech on social media and elsewhere regarding the open criminal case against him.

Mr Christie holds a unique position as a 2024 contender and rival to ex-President Trump: He was known to have been in the running to serve as Mr Trumps attorney general in the wake of the 2016 election. He also helped Mr Trump prepare for debates against Joe Biden in 2020.

Now, he battles his former ally for the GOP nomination, arguing that Mr Trumps actions in the wake of his defeat are roundly disqualifying.

This guy has been a one-man crime wave, Mr Christie previously said of Mr Trumps numerous indictments during an April interview with Pod Save America.

Look, hes earned every one of them. If you look at it, every one of these is self-inflicted. And thats why, you know, do I think that prosecutors exercise prosecutorial judgment in discretion in some respects that are questionable? Yeah  and they always have. But what I say to people all the time is whether you agree or disagree with the prosecutors, look at the underlying conduct.

Mr Trump has denied wrongdoing in all the criminal cases against him.

Despite this, his legal team is said to be expecting further criminal charges in the coming days, filed this time by prosecutors in Georgia investigating the Trump campaigns efforts to pressure local officials into throwing out the states lawful 2020 election results for months after the election took place.
Georgia prosecutors have reportedly obtained text messages linking a breach of voting machines to members of Donald Trumps team as a grand jury prepares to hear evidence in a case surrounding the former presidents attempts to overturn 2020 election results in the state.

That state investigation  separate from a federal probe and indictment charging Mr Trump with three criminal conspiracies and obstruction in connection with 2020 election subversion  appears to connect Trump-linked attorneys and operatives to a breach of voting machines in Coffee County.

As Mr Trump and his allies hunted for evidence of fraud to undermine Joe Bidens definitive victory, a local elections official allegedly sent a written invitation to attorneys working for then-President Trump, according to text messages reportedly obtained by CNN.

Last year, a former Trump official told the House select committee investigating January 6 and attempts to overturn election results said that White House officials had discussed plans to access voting machines in the state during an Oval Office meeting on 18 December 2020.

While much of the attention surrounding the Georgia case has involved Mr Trumps call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find votes to ensure his victory, investigators have scrutinised the actions in Coffee County, and prosecutors appear prepared to argue that attempts to infiltrate sensitive voting machine software were a top-down effort from the former president.

Mr Trump won the rural county in a landslide with 70 per cent of the vote.

Katherine Friess, an attorney working with Trump-allied attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, among others, had shared the invitation to examine the countys Dominion Voting Systems software on 1 January 2021, days before the breach, according to CNN.

One month earlier, Ms Powell  who amplified false claims and conspiracy theories about Dominion that were central to a landmark defamation settlement between the company and Fox News  had previously enlisted forensics company Sullivan Strickler for $26,000 to investigate Michigan machines.

Ms Friess also sent a Letter of invitation to Coffee County, Georgia to former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who was working with Mr Giuliani to bolster spurious claims of voter fraud, according to court documents in a civil case.

Her texts reportedly show that she told operatives who ultimately performed the breach that Mr Trumps team had secured written permission, CNN reported.

Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together! an employee with Sullivan Strickler reportedly wrote in a group chat on 1 January 2021.

Most immediately, we were just granted access  by written invitation!  to Coffee Countys systems. Yay! the text reads, according to CNN.

Data obtained from the Dominion Voting Systems software was uploaded to a password-protected website that could be accessed by election deniers across the country.

Sidney Powell (AFP via Getty Images)

Robert Costello, Mr Giulianis attorney, said that the former New York City mayor had nothing to do with this.

You cant attach Rudy Giuliani to Sidney Powells crackpot idea, he told CNN.

A case led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is the culmination of a wide-ranging investigation over the last two years following the former presidents pressure campaign targeting state officials to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state.

Her office has notified at least two witnesses to appear next week before a grand jury, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are preparing to issue indictments in the coming days.

She has previously indicated that a grand jury would vote on indictments by the end of August.
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Tim Long's first book was about the "Acquisition and Analysis of Terrestrial Gravity Data." His second book was about his father.

Long, of northern Georgia, is the author of the new biography "Walter Kinsella Long: Renaissance Man and Citizen of Auburn." The retired geology professor is returning to his hometown to give a free talk about the book at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Cayuga Museum of History & Art, the cultural institution his father helped create in 1936 and led as its first executive director for many decades.

During a phone interview, Tim Long told The Citizen the book resulted from genealogy material collected by his sister, Shirley. Piling up in his basement, it needed to be sorted. He decided to make the material about Walter Long into a biography in the process. Having mostly written about earthquakes, profiling his father was "a little different," he said with a laugh. But the book only took about a year.

The focus of "Renaissance Man" is, as its subtitle indicates, Walter Long's life and artistic endeavors as a painter, designer, teacher, inventor, adventurer and more. While most Auburnians of a certain age know "Professor Long" from these activities, they probably don't know what made him so ambitious, Tim Long said. He believes it's because his grandfather passed away when his father was just 14.

"He was essentially set loose to do do a whole lot of things, and he did an awful lot that some people don't remember," he said. "That's one aspect of his personality I tried to bring out."

Something even Tim Long didn't remember about his father until writing the biography was the strength of his dedication to the Cayuga Museum. Running the new institution was "always a struggle," his son said. The executive director didn't have the background for tasks like budgets, grants and fundraising, and had to work the Auburn community "intensely" to build support for the museum.

"There were times he'd hold his own check in his pocket until he knew there was enough money in the museum to cash it," he said.

More important to Walter Long was encouraging people to enjoy art, his son said, which he did successfully. Documenting his own art was less successful for the "Renaissance Man" author, who said his father was reluctant to sign his paintings if he felt unsure of them. His wife, Carmelata, sometimes added his signature just to keep stock of his work, Tim Long said, but much of it remains unsigned.

Walter Long, who passed away in 1986 at the age of 81, was survived by his wife and children Tim, Shirley and Walter Jr. He was also survived by a body of work that included not only his many paintings, but instruments he designed and patented at Bausch + Lomb and Welch Allyn, the revival of the Cornplanter Medal recognizing contributions to the Iroquois people, and even Mount Rushmore. Walter Long helped sculpt the South Dakota landmark in the mid-1930s, and in one picture can be seen as what he called a "little bug clinging to Washington's nose," according to The Citizen archives.

Long was survived by the Cayuga Museum as well. Just as he envisioned and worked to achieve, the artistic and cultural institution continues to thrive as an active part of Auburn, Tim Long said.

"He had an idea that the museum should be interactive with the community and not just a place to store stuff," he said. "When he should have retired and gone into his own art, he wouldn't give up."

If you go WHAT: Book talk: "Walter Kinsella Long, Renaissance Man and Citizen of Auburn" by Tim Long WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 WHERE: Cayuga Museum Carriage House Theater, 203 Genesee St., Auburn COST: Free and open to the public; books available for purchase. RSVPs encouraged. INFO: Visit cayugamuseum.org
After US Attorney General Merrick Garland designated a special counsel to oversee investigations into Hunter Biden, his attorney is confident that the federal prosecutor will draw the same conclusions that the US Department of Justice reached earlier this year.

If newly appointed Justice Department special counsel David Weiss continues the five years of work that led to initial charges against President Joe Bidens son, then the only conclusion can be what the conclusion was on July 26, attorney Abbe Lowell told CBS Face the Nation on 13 August.

There is no new evidence to be found following the two misdemeanor tax and gun charges that Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to last month, Mr Lowell said.

I dont know the possibility exists after this kind of painstaking investigation for them to be, Oh, my gosh, theres a new piece of evidence, he added.

His remarks follow heightened Republican scrutiny into the president and his son, as a parallel congressional probe appears to come apart and Donald Trumps allies attempt to bolster their defence of the former president against a mountain of federal charges by deflecting to allegations of rampant corruption and criminality under the current administration.

Less than a year ago, Senate Republicans  eager to persecute the Biden family  urged Mr Garland to designate David Weiss as special counsel. When he did, those same Republicans spent the days that followed railing against it. They claim that a sweetheart plea deal compromised the investigation.

Hunter Biden was set to plead guilty to misdemeanour tax charges and enter a diversion agreement related to a felony gun charge in July, but the agreement appeared to hit a snag during a federal court hearing, and the judge presiding over the case ultimately rejected the arrangement.

One, they wrote something and werent clear what they meant; two, they knew what they meant and misstated it to counsel; or, third, they changed their view as they were standing in court in Delaware, Mr Lowell said on Face the Nation of the prosecutors involved with the case.

One of the possibilities is the prosecutor stood up and decided for lots of reasons that might be apparent to the viewer, they didnt like what people were saying about the deal they approved, he added.

Mr Weiss, who has served as the US attorney for Delaware since 2018, has led federal investigations into Hunter Biden since 2019 under Mr Trumps administration, and while his title changed this past week, hes the same person hes been for the last five years, Mr Lowell said.

Hes a Republican US attorney appointed by a Republican president and attorney general who had career prosecutors working this case for five years looking at every transaction that Hunter was involved in, he added. If anything changes from his conclusion  the question should be asked, what infected the process that was not the facts in the law?

Mr Lowell also was critical of right-wing media for its coverage of the case, as pundits devote significant airtime to allegations and spurious congressional probes to his client while trying to connect President Biden to his sons alleged crimes.

Several House Republicans have threatened to file articles of impeachment against the president invoking those claims; US Rep Greg Steube filed an impeachment resolution on 11 August for high crimes and misdemeanours based on accusations of fraud, obstruction of justice and bribery.

The facts and the evidence that have been pursued by however many members of Congress and their staffs and media, looking for any possible connection has shown time and time again  it doesnt exist, Mr Lowell said.

If President Biden calls his son on speakerphone and says hello to the people in the room, that is not an offence, he said. That is nothing other than a loving father.

Democratic US Rep Dan Goldman said Hunter Biden should face criminal charges if prosecutors find that he has committed crimes.

Im a Democrat saying that, he told CNNs State of the Union. You dont hear any currently elected Republican saying that if Donald Trump committed crimes, he should be charged with them and held accountable. And thats a critical distinction that the public needs to understand.
Ted Cruz was among more than 30 senators urging US Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint Davis Weiss as special counsel to lead investigations into Hunter Biden.

That was 19 September 2022. Less than a year later, on 11 August, Mr Garland announced that Mr Weiss would receive special counsel status.

But the Republican senator from Texas is now calling the appointment of the same person he was urgently recommending a wildly inappropriate pick to lead the investigation.

This appointment is camouflage and its cover-up. I think its disgraceful, he said on a Fox broadcast of Sunday Morning Futures with host Maria Bartiromo on 13 August.

Mr Weiss, who has served as the US Attorney for Delaware since 2018, has led federal investigations into President Joe Bidens son since 2019. Last month, Hunter Biden was reportedly prepared to enter a plea deal following charges stemming from unpaid taxes and a federal application for a firearm.

That deal appeared to fall apart, and Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to two of the charges after a federal judge questioned whether the deal would prohibit other potential prosecutions.

IRS whistleblowers speaking to Republican members of Congress who are eager to prosecute the presidents son have claimed that it was necessary that Mr Weiss be designated special counsel powers because he could not pursue prosecutions in other jurisdictions outside of Delaware, as the US attorney for that state.

Whistleblowers also testified that US Department of Justice officials had prevented Mr Weiss from seeking felony tax evasion charges in California and Washington DC.

Mr Cruz is now accusing Mr Weiss of either being an active participant in covering up criminality and obstructing justice by protecting the president, or he was just complicit.

He was so weak that he couldnt stop the partisans in main justice from turning it into a political effort to protect Joe Biden, Mr Cruz said.

But in their letter to Mr Garland last year, Mr Cruz and 32 other senators said it is important that Mr Weiss receive special counsel status to allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of impropriety, and provide additional assurances to the American people that the Hunter Biden is free from political influence.

Mr Cruz now accuses Mr Weiss of spending the last five years covering it up.

The senator has also been requesting information from Mr Weiss this month, sending a letter with a list of questions surrounding whistleblower testimony, none of which accuse Mr Weiss of wrongdoing.

The Independent has requested comment from his office.

His apparent about-face follows other objections from GOP officials who had also previously called for Mr Weiss to step in as special counsel.

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, another senator who signed last years letter, claimed that Mr Garland only appointed Mr Weiss because he knows Weiss will protect Hunter Biden.

In her appearance on Fox News, she called Mr Weiss a collaborator.

The sweetheart deal that he had cooked up for Hunter Biden, now theyre going to give him a sweetheart deal with a special counsel and run out the plot, she said. Merrick Garland, he owes the American people better than to do something like this.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham  another signatory  told NewsNation that the appointment poured gasoline on a political fire. He told Fox News that he believes Mr Weiss has been compromised after a sweetheart plea deal fell apart.

And Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley  who acknowledged signing the letter during an appearance on Fox News  said that Mr Weiss has pulled punches and didnt investigate as he shouldve.
A Republican official charged with overseeing elections in the state of Georgia, where Donald Trump tried and failed to change the results of his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, lamented on Sunday that the ex-president was able to make himself out as a martyr to his supporters as he continues to face deepening legal problems.

Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer to Georgias secretary of state, watched his boss Brad Raffensperger survive a Trump-backed primary challenge in 2022 after Mr Raffensperger refused to go along with Mr Trumps attempts to change the lawful election results.

He has long said that the former presidents efforts after the 2020 election were inappropriate, including an early January 2021 phone call between Mr Raffensperger and the president during which Mr Trump asked the Georgia elections chief to find him 11,000 votes.

That phone call and the effort by Mr Trump to change the results in Georgia are expected to result in a criminal indictment filed by Fulton County prosecutors within the next week or so; Fani Williss office is currently presenting evidence against the ex-president and his legal team to a grand jury.

A special purpose grand jury  unique under Georgia law  had previously been called in the matter, but that body did not have the final authority to approve or reject criminal indictments.

On Sunday, Mr Sterling spoke to ABCs This Week about what he said was a troubling sign; that Republicans were flocking to Mr Trump as further consequences for his long-alleged criminal behaviour unfold.

"This has been giving oxygen to his campaign," Mr Sterling said. "This is raising tons of money, and a lot of that money ... is being used to pay for his lawyers.

"He's making himself a martyr, and a lot of the American people are going behind him because they feel like some of these things are a little bit of a stretch," he said.

Complicating the narrative regarding Mr Trumps criminal indictments is the very first of the actions taken against him by prosecutors: The charging of Mr Trump more than 30 times by officials in Manhattan district attorney Alvin Braggs office over the Stormy Daniels affair which is alleged to have played out as far back as 2016. Mr Trump is charged with falsifying business documents to hide hush payments to Ms Daniels, an issue which some have said is being prosecuted far too late and as a result detracting from the credibility of the unrelated investigations into both Mr Trumps efforts to change the 2020 election results and the discovery of classified defence materials at his properties.

Mr Trump remains the far-and-away leader of the 2024 GOP primary field, and has actively campaigned on the issue of his criminal charges, which he has portrayed as a weaponisation of the US justice system by Democrats.

He continues to deny wrongdoing in all matters, including his embrace of conspiracies that led to thousands of his supporters attacking the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
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A Russian warship fired warning shots at a dry cargo ship in the Black Sea on Sunday, after the Russian defence ministry said it intercepted the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan ship heading towards Ukraine.

Issuing a statement, Russia said its Vasily Bykov patrol ship open fired with an automatic weapon at the vessel after its captain did not respond to their request to halt for an inspection.

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministy said. A Ka-29 helicopter carrying Russian soldiers was then scrambled to inspect the ship.

While Russia claims the ship was heading towards Ukraines port of Izmail, Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was heading north towards the coast of Bulgaria, reported Reuters.

"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the Russian defence ministry said.

Shipping databases list the Sukru Okan as a Palau-flagged vessel with a tonnage of 2155 whose home port is Istanbul.

The Black Sea handled about 95 per cent of Ukrainian grain exports before Russias invasion, according to Joseph Glauber, senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Earlier last month, Russia ended a UN-brokered grain deal that ensured Ukraine could get its agricultural produce to market via the Black Sea and Moscow cautioned that it would deem all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons.

Ukraine, a major supplier of corn, wheat, barley and vegetable oil to the world, shipped 32.9 million metric tonnes of grain under the nearly year-long deal designed to ease a global food crisis. It has been able to export an additional two million to 2.5 million metric tonnes monthly via the Danube River, road and rail through Europe.

Those are now the only routes to ship Ukrainian grain, Mr Glauber earlier told the Associated Press.

Ukraines response including sea-drone attacks on a Russian oil tanker and a warship at its Novorossiysk naval base, next door to a major grain and oil port, has added to these new dangers for transport in the Black Sea.

Additional reporting by agencies
 Close Ukraine war: Footage appears to show moment drone attack hits building in central Moscow

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The Netherlands and Denmark will supply dozens of F-16s to Ukraine as they pledged unwavering support in a landmark announcement yesterday.

While Volodymyr Zelensky said his country would receive 42 jets in total, the two donor countries did not specify numbers in a joint statement confirming the deliveries.

Denmarks prime minister Mette Frederiksen said 19 jets will hopefully be sent to Kyiv, of which six will arrive around the new year, eight more next year and the remaining five will be sent in 2025 as he asked Ukraine to please take this donation as a token of Denmarks unwavering support for your countrys fight for freedom.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands has 42 of the jets, but said some will be needed for training purposes.

Ukraine has been asking its allies for advanced fighter jets since the very beginning of Russias invasion, but its Western allies have been reluctant to provide military donations that could be used to strike deep inside Moscows territory.

The US, which must approve any delivery of the American-made jets to third countries, committed to clearing the transfers from Denmark and the Netherlands last week.
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An entire family including a newborn girl and her 12-year-old brother were among seven people killed during intense Russian shelling in a village in southern Kherson on Sunday.

Russian shells hit the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River, and killed a family that included a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old baby girl, Ukraines Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Another resident was also killed, as well as two men in the neighbouring village of Stanislav.

Ukraines interior minister Igor Klymenko said the shells hit the familys home in Shiroka Balka, adding: Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force. They dont understand anything else.

A photo shared by Mr Klymenko on Telegram showed plumes of smoke rising from the familys home in the aftermath of the attack.

Kherson was one of four regions in Ukraine that Russian president Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed last year.

But Ukrainian forces are said to be making gains against the Russian invaders.

Ukrainian military officials this weekend claimed that Kyivs forces had made progress in the south, with some success near a key village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and the capture of other unspecified territories.

The family home in the village of Shyroka Balka in Kherson following an attack (Ihor Krylenko/Telegram)

Meanwhile, Kyivs forces are trying to pierce Russian lines in the western parts of the Donetsk region, where waves of Ukrainian fighters were deployed to gain a foothold to the east of the town of Staromaiorske, according to a Russian-installed official in parts of Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia.

The official, Vladimir Rogov, also claimed there had been intense fighting south of Velyka Novosilka as Ukrainian troops try to pierce Russian lines to push down to the coast on the Sea of Azov.

Mr Rogov said: The enemy managed to enter and gain a foothold in the northern part of Urozhaine after two weeks of the heaviest and bloodiest battles for this settlement.

He added that Russian soldiers still controlled the southern part of Urozhaine and that Ukrainian forces were clearly aiming to take control of the town of Staromlynivka further south.

Ukraine launched a counteroffensive in June, attempting to retake swathes of territory captured by Russia in the south and east of the country. It has so far recaptured several villages in the south and some territory around the ruined city of Bakhmut in the east.

The shelling killed at least seven people (Ihor Krylenko/Telegram)

Meanwhile, a Russian warship on Sunday fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards.

This is the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.

Russia in July halted participation in the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce via the Black Sea and Moscow cautioned that it deemed all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons.

Russia said in a statement that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship had fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ships captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.

Lyubov Tolchina walks through the damaged house of her son Vitaly who was killed the day before by shelling in Donetsk (Reuters)

Russia said the vessel was making its way towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was currently near the coast of Bulgaria and heading towards the Romanian port of Sulina.

To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons, the Russian defence ministry said, adding that its forces boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.

After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail, the defence ministry said.

A Turkish defence ministry official said he had heard an incident had taken place involving a ship heading for Romania.

Ukrainian forces are reportedly making gains in the south of the country (via Reuters)

A spokesman for Ukraines defence ministry said officials had no details about the incident yet but that it was clearly another hostile act by Russia.

Meanwhile, Ukraines general staff claimed that panic is growing among the Russian forces amid a growing number of desertions, the Kyiv Post reported.

It claimed Moscow military officials are conducting house-to-house searches for deserters in Hornostaivka in the Kherson region.

Drinking and drug use among newly conscripted troops has also increased with individuals leaving their positions and hiding in abandoned buildings, it said.
Narrowboat owners have gathered in the city of Birmingham to protest plans to cut funding for canals.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the Mailbox on one of the city's many canals at 12:00 BST on 13 August 2023.

The protest was organised by Fund Britain's Waterways, which is campaigning against the Conservative government's proposals to reduce the grant given to The Canal and River Trust (C&RT).

The trust is responsible for maintaining more than 2,000 miles of English and Welsh canals as well as other waterways.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been approached for comment.
Former political prisoners of the Chilean dictatorship gathered on Saturday 12 August to carry out conservation work on a mural in what was once a detention camp.

A sign reading the name and date of the detention of Amelia Bruhn Fernandez, a woman disappeared during the period, features on the site.

Chileans are preparing activities in the weeks ahead of the 50th anniversary of Augusto Pinochets military coup against Salvador Allendes constitutional government.

The Cuatro Alamos clandestine detention centre was run by Chiles feared secret police during Pinochets dictatorship that ruled the country between 1973 and 1990.

Reports indicate that torture was practised on prisoners in its basement.

More than six thousand people were detained from 1974 to 1977 at the Tres Alamos and Cuatro Alamos detention centres.
No change to monthly repayments, says AIB after Independent.ie revealed letters issued to homeowners

AIB said it had made a mistake and there would be no increased repayments, in contrast to letters sent to some customers. Photo: Getty Images

AIB has performed a U-turn after a banking blunder that would have seen homeowners monthly repayments increase by up to 600 a month.

The bank now says that there will be no change to their monthly repayments.

AIB had mistakenly told the mortgage customers  who were on tracker loans that were sold to AIB when Ulster Bank exited the market  they were paying too little, leaving them to face huge increases in their monthly costs.

But in an updated statement, on foot of revelations in the Irish Independent, AIB apologised to customers and said it would now take all corrective action necessary to resolve the issue.

The bank said it had made a mistake and there would be no increased payments, in contrast to letters sent to some customers.

A letter issued after the July ECB rate increase [resulted] in customers being notified of an incorrect monthly payment change scheduled to take effect in October, AIB said in a statement.

AIB is working to resolve queries raised by some customers whose tracker mortgages moved to AIB as part of AIBs recent purchase of Ulster Banks mortgage book.

The queries arose following a letter issued after the July ECB rate increase, resulting in customers being notified of an incorrect monthly payment change scheduled to take effect in October.

We want to reassure those customers that they do not need to take any action. We will issue revised letters with corrected payment amounts in the coming weeks.

Customers will not face repayments greater than they had originally expected following the ECB increase.

We apologise to those customers for any anxiety caused and assure them that we will take all corrective action necessary to put this right.

A number of tracker customers, whose mortgages recently moved to AIB, were informed this week in letters that they would have to pay more every month to clear the loans.

This move would have increased some homeowners repayments by as much as 600 a month from October.

The increases were a multiple of the monthly increase that had been anticipated following the latest European Central Bank (ECB) rate rise.

It is not clear how many of the 32,000 Ulster Bank tracker accounts transferred to AIB were affected, but the Irish Independent was contacted by dozens of people who got the letters.

Customers had reacted with fury and questioned why they should be on the hook for the huge bungle.

One man told how his letter told him his mortgage repayments were going up by more than 600 a month because of the miscalculation.

Another homeowner had been expecting a letter telling him the latest ECB rate rise would raise monthly repayments by 30. But the AIB letter said the monthly repayment would go up by twice that amount.

People affected who rang AIB were told the bank had been inundated with complaints from former Ulster Bank tracker customers.

Staff at AIB had told the customers they would have to pay more for the remaining terms of the loans.

One customer said his letter told him his monthly repayments were going from 1,700 to 2,371, a rise of 671.

This was despite him paying 50,000 off the principal of the loan in a bid to keep the monthly repayments down. He has never missed a payment.

I cant afford this, and I am not standing for it, said the customer. It is disgraceful to send out letters like that with no warning. Has the 50,000 been lost?

Last January, AIB was cleared by the competition watchdog to acquire Ulster Banks tracker mortgage portfolio worth 5.7bn. 

Another customer told how she has just 13,000 left to pay on her mortgage.

The ECB rise of 0.25 percentage points should have meant her monthly repayments going up by 3, as had been the case when previous ECB rate rises were passed on.

Instead, she was told the monthly repayment was going up by 28, nine times the amount of previous rises.

On contacting AIB today, they informed me that in order to repay the mortgage on the remaining agreed term this increase is warranted as, in their words, Ulster Bank have been calculating mortgage repayments incorrectly for years. I was horrified, the woman said.

It has since emerged that an error was made by AIB on how much more it thought was to be repaid each month, not Ulster Bank.

The Central Bank said it was in contact with both AIB and Ulster Bank in relation to this issue to ensure that any issues/errors identified are resolved for consumers.
Al Porter exclusive: I had a big ego. I was naive. But I paid the price

Six years after he stepped back from his career amid allegations of sexual misconduct, the comedian talks about facing down thoughts of ending his own life, working in a warehouse to make ends meet, moving to Donegal, getting sober, and owning the mistakes of the past

Comedian Al Porter pictured at The Civic Theatre in Tallaght. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Donal Lynch Sun 13 Aug 2023 at 03:30
A 19-year-old Red Creek resident has been charged with attempted assault on police after intentionally swerving a car at officers during a high-speed chase through Auburn on Friday, the Auburn Police Department said in a news release. The man, and a juvenile in the vehicle with him, were also charged with second-degree assault for a Wednesday incident on Owasco Street in the city.

The man, Kevin A. Huntington Jr., was charged with several felonies on Friday after the chase ended that afternoon on McMaster Street, near the Arterial. Huntington was apprehended in the parking lot of Curley's Restaurant, and the juvenile was apprehended after entering the Owasco River at the end of McMaster Street, alongside Auburn Correctional Facility.

According to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, the chase was initiated by New York State Police in Red Creek. Following reports of a suspicious vehicle on Victory Road in the town of Victory, it was determined the vehicle, a Saturn, had been stolen from Auburn and one of its occupants had been involved in a domestic incident at an address where he forcibly stole property and violated an order of protection, the sheriff's office said in a news release. The vehicle was located after a BOLO, and state police and the sheriff's office pursued it into the city of Auburn.

Auburn police became involved in the chase at about 11 a.m. Friday, and officers apprehended the two men after using spike strips. The Saturn could be seen after the chase crashed into bushes near the railroad tracks in the area. Auburn police said Huntington on several occasions "intentionally swerved at APD officers who were attempting to stop them," but reported no serious injuries.

Police said Huntington was charged with:

 Attempted aggravated assault of a police officer with a deadly weapon, a class C felony

 Second-degree assault with intention to cause physical injury with a weapon, a class D felony

 Fourth degree criminal possession of stolen property: vehicle except motorcycle, a class E felony

 Third-degree robbery, a class D felony

 First-degree criminal contempt: physical contact, a class E felony

The juvenile with Huntington was also charged with second-degree assault with intention to cause physical injury with a weapon for the Wednesday incident at 110 Owasco St., which sent a victim to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse with non-life-threatening injuries, Auburn police told The Citizen that day.

The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office recommended that Huntington be remanded to Cayuga County Jail. The juvenile was brought to Cayuga County Court on an unrelated state probation warrant and was ordered to be held in a juvenile facility at the Oneida County Jail, Auburn police said.

The juvenile is also wanted in Genesee County for a family court violation, and Huntington is also wanted in Wayne County for violating probation.

Gallery: Two apprehended after high-speed chase through Auburn
Colin ODaly proved himself a maestro in the kitchen and then on canvas

Colin ODaly, who has died in Bantry, Co Cork, at the age of 70, was a Michelin-starred chef who abandoned the restaurant business after what he described as a roller coaster career to become an accomplished abstract artist.
My mother used to comment on how much I eat, and now it has switched to the grandkids. How do I put an end to it?
The Portlaoise native was working as a manager for U2 and Madonna when she suffered burnout. As a birthday gift, her boss sent her to train with Deepak Chopra. Now her mindfulness app has the support of David Blaine and Noel Gallagher

The last 10 years of Niamh McCarthys life sound like a fever dream. It unfolded like this. Girl goes to New York on a J-1. Girl works as a waitress. Girl becomes friend with magician David Blaine who ends up sponsoring a work visa. Girl meets Guy Oseary and gets a gig as an assistant for Madonna. All of this takes place within five years. The following five would change her trajectory, from music industry executive to meditation app founder. Today, McCarthy, (29), seems to have taken it all in her stride. At least thats how she appears when she arrives on our Zoom call from her new home in Athens, Greece having relocated from the States last year. Despite the wildfires raging, the striking blonde is smiling and relaxed, wearing a pale blue blouse and with uncluttered shelves behind her, a superb spokesmodel for the zen lifestyle.
Of Italys many delights, a trip to the five lands rates high

On a bus journey in Italy in early May I get talking to a young woman from Chicago. Travelling alone, and actually on her way to Milan to fly home, she has been touring around Italy for six weeks and has certainly ticked all the tourist boxes.
Apr 28, 2023; Oakland, California, USA; An Oakland Athletics fan holds a sign in reference to owner John Fisher and president Dave Kaval (not pictured) during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Legendary Oakland As Spanish language radio broadcaster Amaury Pi-Gonzalez has not been shy about discussing the teams probable move to Las Vegas on the air from a rather neutral perspective. But in a recent interview, he got a lot more candid in his thoughts, openly criticizing team ownership.

During an interview with SFGate, Pi-Gonzalez opened up about the teams potential move from Oakland to Las Vegas, and went as far as to call team ownership not professional for the way theyve handled the entire situation as they have not exactly been forthright about their decisions.

Ive been following this just like everybody, Pi-Gonzalez said. If you really analyze the way theyve done this, they first announce, OK, theyre going to move. So they get like, 40 acres and then they drop that because, no, we have 9 acres. So it doesnt make sense to me. For years, you plan something. They had the Howard Terminal in Oakland. They planned for years to design that park. Now they move to another town, they buy land to build a park there, and then they drop that land, they go to another [plot].

Its just, to me, its not professional the way theyve been doing this.

Pi-Gonzalez said he has never seen anything like what has transpired with this team over the past several months and hes been disappointed by the way ownership has handled the ordeal.

Its kind of terrible, Pi-Gonzalez said. Theres a lot of passion here. The As fans are really, really pissed. So its a tough situation here.

[SFGate]
At least six people have died and more than 50 rescued after a boat carrying migrants sank in the Channel. British and French crews have been involved in a large-scale operation after the vessel got into difficulty off the coast of Sangatte on Saturday morning. Around 65 people are thought to have boarded the boat  with two possibly still missing at sea, Frances Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea said. Six were recovered in serious condition, one of whom was flown by helicopter to a Calais hospital and declared dead. An updated statement said the other five, who were taken in by boat, had also died. A passing ship first raised the alarm that a vessel was sinking near Calais in the early hours of Saturday, the prefecture said. Some 22 people were rescued and dropped off in Dover, including by a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) crew, which was launched shortly before 4am, and a British chartered ship. At least 36 other survivors were collected by French boats and taken to the port of Calais, as well as the five people who died. Britains Home Secretary Suella Braverman chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday morning, describing the incident as a tragic loss of life. She is being updated on latest developments in the operation. A UK Government spokesperson said: These deaths are devastating and our thoughts are with the victims families and friends at this time. This incident is sadly another reminder of the extreme dangers of crossing the Channel in small boats and how vital it is that we break the people smugglers business model and stop the boats. Meanwhile, at least two people were killed, including an eight-month-old infant, and 13 rescued after a migrant boat capsized off Tunisias Gabes coast, state radio said last night. A search was underway by Italian search and rescue for the unknown amount of missing migrants, Radio Tunisienne added.
Satara/IBNS/UNI: Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Saturday raised a question over the manner in which Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik was arrested and released on bail.

Talking with reporters at Karad of the district, he claimed that the way Malik was arrested was wrong and hinted that there must be politics behind granting bail to him.

He claimed that the former minister must have been forced to take a political stance by putting pressure on him as his bail was not opposed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), or any other investigation agency and this was very indicative.

"Malik has still not announced his political affiliation to either Ajit Pawar group or Sharad Pawar group of NCP", Chavan added.
Kolkata/IBNS: The Kolkata Police have arrested two more boys in the alleged ragging and subsequent death of 18-year-old Jadavpur University student, Swapandeep Kundu, earlier this week.

The police arrested Deepshekhar Dutta, a second-year economics student, and Manotosh Ghosh, a second-year sociology student, over their alleged role in the incident.

A former student of JU, Sourav Chowdhury, was the first arrest made by the police on Friday in connection with the mysterious death of the first-year student.

On Saturday, he was remanded in police custody until August 22. An ex-student, Chowdhury was living in the hostel illegally. He did his MSc in Mathematics in 2022.

Former student Sourav Chowdhury was taken into police custody in connection with the death of Swarnodip Kundu. Photo courtesy: FB

Swapnadeep Kundu, (18), fell fatally from the hostel's second floor on the JU campus at midnight on August 9 and succumbed to his multiple wounds at a city hospital the next day.

The Kolkata Police registered a murder case after an initial investigation revealed that the victim was subjected to intense ragging.

Kundu, a resident of Bogulia in Nadia district, joined JU's Bengali Honours stream only three days prior to his death.

Kundus parents and friends have alleged that he had been a victim of ragging. According to the police, the boy had called his mother at around 9 PM on the day he died and during the conversation expressed fear about something very scary and take him home immediately.

His phone was switched off after the conversation. The police are looking at the call records to find out if he talked to anyone else after talking to his mother.

His roommates are being questioned and the police are awaiting the results of his post-mortem.

The university has also constituted a 7-member committee to probe the matter and report within a fortnight.


Photo courtesy: facebook.com/amitshahofficial

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the team of National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) of NCRB for winning the Gold Award under the Excellence in Government Process Reengineering for Digital Transformation Category-1 of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

In a post on X, earlier known as Twitter, Shah wrote, "National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) makes its mark as the shining example of efficient governance as it wins DAPRG's gold award in Category-1. The award for its excellence in delivering e-governance is a recognition of the dedication the entire NAFIS team has put into creating a fool-proof fingerprint identification system, in pursuit of PM @narendramodi Ji's vision of a secure India. My heartfelt congratulations to the team."

National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) makes its mark as the shining example of efficient governance as it wins DAPRG's gold award in Category-1.

The award for its excellence in delivering e-governance is a recognition of the dedication the entire NAFIS team  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 12, 2023

NAFIS has created a central database of fingerprints of criminals, which can be accessed by users from all States, Union Territories and Central Agencies.

This has resulted in a qualitative improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal detection and investigation process, Ministry of Home Affairs communique said.
Image Credit: Screen grab from video tweeted by Sansad TV/ wikipedia.org

New Delhi: The island of Katchatheevu in the Palk Strait between Sri Lanka and India's Tamil Nadu state has garnered national attention after four decades. During his response to Opposition bloc INDIAs no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminded the House how the strategic island was given away as a gift to Sri Lanka by the Indira Gandhi government in 1974.

Hitting out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his Bharata Mata ki Hatya jab over the Manipur violence, Modi accused Congress of ceding Katchatheevu, an island in the Palk Strait that had been historically a part of India.

These people, who just walked out of the House, someone should ask them what Katchatheevu is. And the DMK party, which is in power in Tamil Nadu, and their chief minister wrote to me, urging to retrieve Katchatheevu. It is an island just between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Somebody gave it to another country. When was it given? It happened under the leadership of Indira Gandhi. Was it not a part of India? Did Maa Bharati not exist there? It was yet another instance when India was fragmented. Congresss history is full of such incidents, he said.

DMK joins Congress in a walkout during PM's address. But it has no shame in requesting Sri @narendramodi Ji to bring back Kachchatheevu Island, off Rameshwaram coast, into India.



It was under Congress rule that the Island was gifted to another country.#NoConfidenceMotionDebate pic.twitter.com/mNrJLHwppW  Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) August 10, 2023

Katchatheevu is a small, uninhabited island spanning 285 acres located in the Palk Strait, situated between India and Sri Lanka. Its length is not more than 1.6 km, and its width at the widest point is just over 300 meters.

The sole structure present on the island is a Catholic shrine known as St. Anthony's Church, which dates back to the early 20th century. Every year, an annual festival takes place at the church, during which Christian priests from both India and Sri Lanka participate in conducting the religious service.

Devotees from both countries also undertake the pilgrimage to the island for this festival. In the most recent festival, around 2,500 Indian pilgrims travelled from Rameswaram to Katchatheevu to participate in the event.

Background

Until the 17th century, the island was controlled by the Jaffna kingdom of Sri Lanka. After that, its authority passed to the Ramnad Zamindari based out of Ramanathapuram, about 55 km northwest of Rameswaram.

In the British Raj, Katchatheevu was part of the Madras Presidency. In 1921, a dispute arose after a survey marked Katchatheevu in Sri Lanka. This was done to find a solution to the claims of India and Sri Lanka on the island as both countries, British colonies at the time, wanted to set fishing boundaries.

However, a British delegation from India disputed this claim and asserted ownership of the island by the Ramnad kingdom.

In 1974, Indira Gandhi made efforts to resolve the maritime border dispute between India and Sri Lanka permanently.

As part of this resolution, which came to be known as the 'Indo-Sri Lankan Maritime Agreement', Indira Gandhi 'ceded' Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka. During that period, she believed that the island held minimal strategic significance and that relinquishing India's claim over it would strengthen diplomatic relations with its southern neighbour.

To this day, the Sri Lankan navy frequently detains Indian fishermen, leading to numerous accusations of torture and even fatalities while in custody. The call to reclaim Katchatheevu is resurrected whenever such incidents occur, emphasising its significance in the ongoing disputes between the two nations.

Tamil Nadu has repeatedly urged the Central governments under various leaderships to retrieve the island from Sri Lankas control.

Indira Gandhis decision to cede the island to Sri Lanka had met with massive protests in the state.

Following India's tumultuous involvement in the Sri Lankan Civil War in 1991, the Tamil Nadu Assembly once again pushed for the retrieval of Katchatheevu and the restoration of fishing rights for Tamil fishermen. This issue has consistently resurfaced in Tamil politics since then.

In 2008, J Jayalalitha, the then-leader of AIADMK, filed a petition asserting that Katchatheevu couldn't be transferred to another country without a constitutional amendment. The petition argued that the 1974 agreement had adversely impacted traditional fishing rights and the livelihoods of Indian fishermen.

In 2011, when Jayalalitha became the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, she introduced a resolution in the State Assembly and later, in 2012, approached the Supreme Court to expedite her petition due to the escalating arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka.

China angle

Apart from fishing rights, Katchatheevu has been a cause of concern due to Chinas growing presence in cash-strapped Sri Lanka. According to experts, the island can allow China a strategic location to influence maritime movement in the area and set up a naval base as part of its aggressive geopolitical ambitions.
Seema Haider with her Indian partner Sachin Meena (Image tweeted by @Gabbar0099)

Noida: Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party has issued a warning to Pakistani national Seema Haider, who sneaked into India to be with her Indian partner, over her Bollywood debut 'Karachi to Noida', media reports said.

Haider hit headlines earlier this year when it came to light that she crossed the border and reached Uttar Pradeshs Noida along with her four children to live with Sachin Meena, with whom got close while playing PubG.

Despite being married, Seema left her home with her four children and reached Nepal where she met Sachin in person. After living in Kathmandu for some days, she came to India on May 13, illegally, without a visa.

She is now acting in a film produced by a Noida-based producer, Amit Jani, on her dramatic story.

"We want to tell the world how this love story unfolded while playing PUBG, how and why she came to India. We want to convey these elements in our film. So, that's why we are gathering every detail about Seema Haider," Amit Jani said, according to India Today.

However, Seemas Bollywood debut has drawn the ire of MNS.

Party leader Ameya Khopkar, gave a stern warning, calling it a drama that should be stopped" or else MNS will take action.

Pakistani citizens have no place in the Indian film industry. We stand firm on this stance. Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman, is currently in India. There were even rumours that she is an ISI agent. For some fleeting fame in our industry, they are trying to turn Seema Haider into an actress. How can these traitorous producers not feel ashamed? Put an end to this immediately, or be prepared for resolute action from MNS, Ameya Khopkar tweeted in Marathi, said the report.

Recently, a video of Seemas audition for 'Karachi to Noida' has gone viral.

The producer of the film even called her ex-husband, Ghulam Haider, to India to learn more about her life, said the report.

As per media reports, Seema and Sachin claim to have made each others acquaintance while playing PubG in 2019-20, a popular online game. Subsequently, they started to talk over WhatsApp and Instagram and fell in love. Despite being married, Seema left her home with her four children and reached Nepal where she met Sachin in person. After living in Kathmandu for some days, she came to India on May 13, illegally, without a visa.

Thirty-year-old Seema Haider says that she is in love with Sachin Meena (22), a resident of Greater Noida, and states that she arrived in India with her four children to be with him. She also claims to have converted to Hinduism and got married to Meena through Hindu rituals at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

On July 4, Seema Haider was arrested by the local police for illegally entering India, and Sachin Meena was held for sheltering illegal immigrants. However, they were both granted bail by a local court on July 7 and have been living together, along with her four children, in a house in Rabupura.

She is being investigated by the Noida police in connection with her illegal stay in India and the questioning by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Uttar Pradesh Police.

Fearing that she could be deported to Pakistan, Seema has sought permission for herself and her four children to reside at her "matrimonial home" in Greater Noidas Rabpura with Sachin Meena in a mercy petition with President Droupadi Murmu.
LAHAINA, Hawaii  A raging wildfire that swept through a picturesque town on the Hawaiian island of Maui this past week killed at least 89 people, authorities said Saturday, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century.

The newly released figure surpassed the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which left 85 dead and destroyed the town of Paradise. A century earlier, the 1918 Cloquet Fire broke out in drought-stricken northern Minnesota and raced through a number of rural communities, destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds.

The new death toll Saturday came as federal emergency workers with axes and cadaver dogs picked through the aftermath of the blaze, marking the ruins of homes with a bright orange X for an initial search and HR when they found human remains.

Dogs worked the rubble, and their occasional bark  used to alert their handlers to a possible corpse  echoed over the hot and colorless landscape.

The state's governor predicted more bodies will be found.

"It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced.  We can only wait and support those who are living," Gov. Josh Green said Saturday as he toured the devastation on historic Front Street. "Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding."

Those who escaped counted their blessings, thankful to be alive as they mourned those who didn't make it.

Retired fire captain Geoff Bogar and his friend of 35 years, Franklin Trejos, initially stayed behind to help others in Lahaina and save Bogar's house. But as the flames moved closer and closer Tuesday afternoon, they knew they had to get out. Each escaped to his own car. When Bogar's wouldn't start, he broke through a window to get out, then crawled on the ground until a police patrol found him and brought him to a hospital.

Trejos wasn't as lucky. When Bogar returned the next day, he found the bones of his 68-year-old friend in the back seat of his car, lying on top of the remains of the Bogars' beloved 3-year-old golden retriever Sam, whom he had tried to protect.

Trejos, a native of Costa Rica, had lived for years with Bogar and his wife, Shannon Weber-Bogar, helping her with her seizures when her husband couldn't. He filled their lives with love and laughter.

"God took a really good man," Weber-Bogar said.

Bill Wyland, who lives on the island of Oahu but owns an art gallery on Lahaina's historic Front Street, fled on his Harley Davidson, whipping the motorcycle onto empty sidewalks Tuesday to avoid traffic-jammed roads as embers burned the hair off the back of his neck.

Riding in winds he estimated to be at least 70 miles per hour, he passed a man on a bicycle who was pedaling for his life.

"It's something you'd see in a Twilight Zone, horror movie or something," Wyland said.

Wyland realized just how lucky he had been when he returned to downtown Lahaina on Thursday.

"It was devastating to see all the burned-out cars. There was nothing that was standing," he said.

His gallery was destroyed, along with the works of 30 artists.

At least 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed in West Maui, Green said, of which 86% were residential. Across the island, he added, damage was estimated at close to $6 billion.

Nine boats sank in Lahaina Harbor, officials determined using sonar.

At least two other fires have been burning in Maui, with no fatalities reported thus far: in south Mauis Kihei area and in the mountainous, inland communities known as Upcountry. A fourth broke out Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui north of Lahaina, but crews were able to extinguish it, authorities said.

Green said the Upcountry fire had affected 544 structures, of which 96% were residential.

Emergency managers in Maui were searching for temporary housing for those displaced from their homes. As many as 4,500 people are in need of shelter, county officials said on Facebook early Saturday, citing figures from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pacific Disaster Center.

The wildfires are the state's deadliest natural disaster in decades, surpassing a 1960 tsunami that killed 61 people. An even deadlier tsunami in 1946, which killed more than 150 on the Big Island, prompted development of a territory-wide emergency alert system with sirens that are tested monthly.

Hawaii emergency management records do not indicate the warning sirens sounded before fire hit the town. Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Attorney General Anne Lopez announced plans to conduct a comprehensive review of the wildfire response.

Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, the wildfires on Maui raced through parched brush covering the island.

Search crews fanned out under the hot Maui sun in search of bodies Saturday, some with axes and tools to clear debris. Cadaver dogs took breaks in kiddie pools filled with water before going back to work. One dog searched a strip mall that was still standing, going business to business, while another walked down the street with its handler.

Maui water officials warned Lahaina and Kula residents not to drink running water, which may be contaminated even after boiling, and to only take short, lukewarm showers in well-ventilated rooms to avoid possible chemical vapor exposure.

HOW TO HELP The American Red Cross, the Hawaii Community Foundation, Maui United Way, and the Maui Food Bank are all working to help those hit by the fire
Image Credit: PIB

Ahmedabad: Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday addressed the Tiranga Yatra as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga Campaign in Ahmedabad, Gujarat today.

Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign to instil the spirit of patriotism in 2022, the year India completed its 75 years of Independence.

Shah said the campaign has been a major success. On August 15, 2022, there was not a single house in the country where the Tricolour was not hoisted and people had not taken selfies.

He said PM Modi has again called on the people of India to hoist the Tricolour on August 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the people of the country to again hoist the Tricolour at their houses.

He said that the youth carrying the soil and Tricolour from Gujarat will reach Delhi.

They will hand over the soil and Tricolour brought from all over the country to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. The youth power will also disseminate the resolve for a great India in every village, Shah stated.

Meri Maati, Mera Desh' program will also fulfil our resolve to make a great, developed and self-reliant India in the coming days, he added.

Just as in the 90 years from 1857 to 1947, the young generation led the freedom movement and freed the country from the shackles of slavery, in the same way, the young generation has to dedicate the years from 2023 to 2047 to Mother India to make India great, he said.

During the period of 90 years, lakhs of freedom fighters fought continuously and sacrificed their lives and freed the country. As a result, since the last 75 years, our country is world's largest democracy and making its way across the globe.

The great freedom fighter Bhagat Singh happily accepted his death and raising the slogan of Inquilab Zindabad went to the gallows.

Seventeen-year-old Khudiram Bose, who had his whole life in front of him, sacrificed his life for the country without caring about caste, religion, state and region, while on the other hand, 80-year-old Babu Kunwar Singh ji attained martyrdom in the war of 1857.

The sacrifice of our freedom fighters is not just a sacrifice but it is a value for all us and the coming generations to live for the cause of country.

Today after 75 years of independence, we cannot die for the country but no one can stop us from living for the country.

Union Home Minister appealed to all the countrymen to hoist the Tricolour at their houses from 13 to 15 August and upload selfies online, this effort of the people will become a campaign to make the entire country great.

Shah lauded the enthusiasm of the youth who gathered at the event, adding that he is sure that this campaign will take the spirit of patriotism ahead and will imbibe the resolve to make the country great among the people, especially the children and youth.

He said that on 15th August 2023, the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav will conclude.

The country will celebrate the Amrit Kaal of Independence from 15th August 2023 to 15th August 2047, he added.

During the journey of 75 years to 100 years of independence, we will make the country great and number one in every field. Amrit Kaal is very important, especially for our young generation, he said.
Photo courte: PIB

Kolkata: UKs Security Minister Tom Tugendhat held a bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart Dr Jitendra Singh on the sidelines of the G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meet in Kolkata.

He was accompanied by a high-level British Government delegation and reaffirmed closer cooperation with India.

Dr Jitendra Singh said both countries are striving to create a more transparent and corruption-free society, and underscored that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated that India has a strict policy of zero tolerance against corruption.

He also called for wider cooperation between the two countries in sharing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations, promoting cross-sector cooperation and forging partnerships to prevent and combat corruption.

Tugendhat renewed the UKs offer that India, being a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), also implement Article 16 of UNCAC that deals with bribery of foreign public officials (foreign bribery).

He also called upon India to sign the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, also known as OECD Anti-Bribery Convention of which Britain is a member.

Dr Jitendra Singh stated that India has already ratified the UNCAC.

On December 1, 2022, India, led by PM Modi, assumed the G20 presidency amidst global crises. Embracing Indias message of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," both developed and emerging economies of G20 have come together for sharing responsibilities in tackling critical global issues like fighting corruption, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said steps have been taken to ensure transparency and accountability in the functioning of the government.

This includes the adoption of e-governance, implementation of the Aadhaar system for direct benefit transfer, procurement reforms and citizen charters in public offices, he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said India actively participates in the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) forum and related joint meetings.

Under India's leadership, the G20 ACWG has achieved significant milestones, including the adoption of three sets of High-Level Principles and hosting three successful Working Group Meetings. This will give political impetus to the ongoing momentum of facilitating international collaboration and enhancing accountability in the fight against corruption, he said.
Photo Courtesy: : DGP Punjab Police Twitter page

Chandigarh: Punjab Police have busted a terror module with the arrest of three associates of Czech-based Gurdev Singh alias Jaisal, a key operative of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir alias Landa and Satbir Singh alias Satta, who were behind RPG attack on Sarhali Police station and numerous plots to commit targeted killings in Punjab.

During preliminary investigations, the accused revealed a conspiracy to disrupt peace and harmony in the state.

Police have seized three pistols along with cash from the accused, DGP Gourav Yadav said on Sunday.

He said the case has been registered.

.@PunjabPoliceInd has busted a terror module in a joint operation of Counter Intelligence & @TarnTaranPolice with the arrest of 3 associates of Czech -based Gurdev Singh @ Jaisal, a key operative of Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir @ Landa & Satbir Singh @ Satta...(1/3) pic.twitter.com/ASNbsnMJ5k  DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) August 13, 2023

"Further investigation is on," he added.

(With UNI Inputs)
A file image of a woman walks past sandbags piled for defensive protection in Odesa, Ukraine Photo Courtesy: UNICEF/Siegfried Modola SEO Headline: Russian shelling in Ukraine left seven people dead on Sunday.

At least seven people, including a 23-day-old child, were killed as Russian shells hit southern Ukraine on Sunday.

Apart from the baby, his 12-year-old brother and their parents also died in the shelling.

Bombs hit their family home in the village of Shyroka Balka in Kherson, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko was quoted as saying by BBC.

"Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force," Klymenko said.

"They don't understand anything else," the Minister said.

Kherson is one of the four regions of the war-hit country which Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed last year.

Ukraine's military reclaimed the western part of the region last November but Russian troops have continued to shell the area from across the Dnipro river, reports BBC.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military is strengthening a second line of defense in the Rivne Region near the border with Belarus, filling it with traps against infantry and vehicles as well as planting mines near the Rivne nuclear power plant, Ukrainian media reported on Saturday.

There is no visible threat from Belarus at the moment, but the density of minefields is being increased to be ready for any development, the Channel 5 broadcaster reported as quoted by Xinhua.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Beijing/IBNS/UNI: China has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the transit of Taiwans vice president and presidential candidate Lai Ching-te through the United States and has strongly condemned Lais visit to the US, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Lai Ching-te, in a tweet Saturday night, said he had arrived in New York, making a transit stop there on his way to Paraguay, where Lai plans to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena.

"China is strongly against any form of official interaction between the US and Taiwan, and also against Taiwanese separatists visiting the US under any pretext or justification, and opposes any form of official contact between the US government and Taiwan. China has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the United States over the organization of the transit of Lai Ching-te and has strongly condemned it," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said that, under the guise of transit, the United States and Taiwan have organized an opportunity for Lai to carry out political activities in the US, which violates the one-China principle and also seriously damages China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Taiwanese deputy foreign minister Yui Tah-ray said at the start of August that Lai Ching-te was going to make transit stops in New York and San Francisco on his way to and back from Paraguay.

On July 20, Taiwan's CNA news agency reported that China considered preventing Lai's transit stopovers in the US a "top priority," as "this is a very dangerous path they [Taiwan] are taking."

In April, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party officially nominated Lai, who also serves as its chairman, as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Current Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen cannot run for office again as she has already served two consecutive presidential terms.

Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan - a territory with its own elected government - maintains that it is an autonomous country, but stops short of declaring independence.

Beijing opposes any official contact of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. Taiwan currently has only a few official diplomatic allies, including Paraguay.


Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Mirpurkhas: A Hindu man was picked up by police from his home in Pakistan's Sindh region on Thursday, his family said on Sunday.

Ramesh Kumar Meghwar's family members said the police did not give any reason for their act.

His family members claimed Kumar was also subjected to unwarranted physical assault by unidentified officers.

Seeking urgent attention from higher authorities, the family demanded Ramesh Kumars immediate release.

The leaders of Pakistan Darawar Ittehad (PDI), working for the minorities in Pakistan, termed this unwarranted detention and harassment of Ramesh Kumar on the day when the nation was celebrating Minority Rights March as a slap on the face of Pakistan which claims of being a champion of human rights.
Photo courtesy: Twitter video grab

Karachi: The convoy of Chinese engineers working on the Beijing-financed Gwadar Port in Pakistan was attacked by Majeed Brigade, the suicide squad belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Associated Press reported on Sunday.

BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch stated that two members of the BLA Majeed Brigade, Naveed Baloch alias Aslam Baloch of Dasht Nigor and Maqbool Baloch alias Qayim Baloch of Geshkor Awaran, carried out an attack on a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar.

He referred to the attack as a "self-sacrificing operation."

Image Source: Social media

He added that the operation, named 'ZirPahazag', lasted for over two hours.

According to Jeeyand, after successfully carrying out the operation, the BLA fighters used their last bullets to end their own lives.

The convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked at around 9:30 am, and a fierce gunfight ensued for nearly two hours, reported The Balochistan Post.

Local media reports indicate that Pakistani security forces eliminated two terrorists during the gunfight.

Two Pakistani security personnel sustained injuries when the convoy came under attack on Faqeer Bridge in Gwadar.

Other assailants managed to escape from the scene with injuries, according to sources cited by the Balochistan Post.

Providing more details about the attack, the English-language Chinese tabloid Global Times stated that the convoy, consisting of three bulletproof SUVs and a van, transported 23 Chinese personnel.

An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated during the attack, and the van was fired upon, causing cracks in the glass.

Following the incident, the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi, Pakistan, issued a safety advisory on Sunday. The consulate advised people to maintain high levels of vigilance and strictly control large gatherings due to the serious security situation.

The BLA spokesperson mentioned that a comprehensive statement will be issued to the media shortly.

It's worth noting that Gwadar Port is a significant component of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with numerous Chinese workers employed at the port. China has made substantial investments in Balochistan under the CPEC initiative.
Hundreds of people participated in the first 'Minority Rights March' at the Frere Hall area of Pakistan's Karachi city on Friday when they demanded an end to the practice of forced conversions.

The participants belonged to minority and marginalised communities of the country.

Demanding urgent action to address the pressing issues faced by religious minorities in the country, the participants displayed banners calling for an end to abductions, harassment, forced conversions and marriages and rape of women and girls of religious minorities.

The march emphasized the need for legislation that criminalizes forced conversion, a concern that has long troubled minorities in the South Asian country.

The participants, who belonged to the Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and other religious minorities, collectively urged the government to ensure equal rights and equal opportunities for minority citizens in holding offices of national leadership.

Zahid Farooq, a minority rights activist, who highlighted the potential benefits of providing equal rights to religious minorities, said: "Pakistan's progress could be enhanced through inclusivity and equal treatment for all citizens."

Zahid stressed that these rights need to be acknowledged and respected by all in accordance with the law, and anticipated that these issues will garner support from political parties in the upcoming general elections.

Transgender community leader Shehzadi Rai, Karachi mayor Murtaza Wahab, and social activist Zulfikar Bhutto Jr., also joined the march in solidarity with the minority communities.

The speakers, during the meeting, amplified the call for the government to address the legitimate demands and concerns of religious minority groups across the country.
Representative image of pro-Khalistani movement/ credit: UNI

A temple in Canada 's British Columbia was on Saturday desecrated with anti-India and pro-Khalistan posters. The posters, a chilling reflection of extremist views, were audaciously put up on the temples front gate and rear wall.

The Lakshmi Narayan Mandir located in the tranquil town of Surrey was visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in 2015.

This act, whether intended as a political message or a blatant display of disdain for Canadian secular values, can only be described for what it truly is: a hate crime.

The Indian community in Surrey is palpably besieged by fear and anxiety. The very thought that such a profound symbol of their faith and identity could be attacked is deeply unsettling. But what is even more alarming is the seeming indifference of the Canadian authorities.

Khalistani extremists appear emboldened, possibly due to what they perceive as passive acceptance, or worse, tacit approval, from the provincial and federal governments. This emboldenment could be attributed to the absence of swift and unequivocal condemnations from prominent political figures.

This temple attack also paints a larger picture: the vulnerability of religious minorities in Canada.

The apparent targeting of the Hindu community is an affront to the very fabric of Canadas multicultural society. Canada has long been a beacon of hope for people from all over the world, who come seeking a place where they can practice their faith, culture, and traditions without fear. This incident casts a dark shadow on Canadas reputation and raises serious questions about whether the countrys commitment to freedom of religion is merely rhetorical.

Maninder Gill, president of the Surrey-based Friends of Canada and India Foundation, has condemned the incident.

Canada stands at a crucial crossroads. Incidents like these, if left unchecked or inadequately addressed, are seen to ferment further divisions and potentially embolden extremist elements.

The desecration of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir should serve as a wake-up call to Canada.
Image: Harrison Hove Twitter page

New York: Passengers experienced scary moments on an American Airlines flight recently when the plane, which was headed to Florida, dropped over 15,000 feet in a matter of three minutes, media reports said.

American Airlines Flight 5916 on Thursday took off from Charlotte, North Carolina, and was headed to Gainesville, Florida, when crew members on the plane reported a possible pressurization issue, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration told FOX 35.

University of Florida Professor Harrison Hove, who was one of the passengers on the flight, shared his 'scary' experience on X.

"Ive flown a lot. This was scary. Kudos to our amazing flight crew- cabin staff and pilots on @AmericanAir 5916. The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops. Good to be on the ground. #AA5916 #CLT #GNV," he wrote on X.

Ive flown a lot. This was scary. Kudos to our amazing flight crew- cabin staff and pilots on @AmericanAir 5916. The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops. Good to be on the ground. #AA5916 #CLT #GNV pic.twitter.com/P8pPrvOQDQ  Harrison Hove (@HarrisonHove) August 10, 2023

American Airlines said the sudden drop in altitude occurred due to a pressurization issue.
ST. LOUIS  Firefighter and paramedic Mike Camilleri once had no trouble hauling heavy gear up ladders. Now battling long COVID, he gingerly steps onto a treadmill to learn how his heart handles a simple walk.

This is, like, not a tough-guy test so dont fake it, warned Beth Hughes, a physical therapist at Washington University in St. Louis.

Somehow, a mild case of COVID-19 set off a chain reaction that left Camilleri with dangerous blood pressure spikes, a heartbeat that raced with slight exertion, and episodes of intense chest pain.

He's far from alone. How profound a toll COVID-19 has taken on the nation's heart health is only starting to emerge, years into the pandemic.

We are seeing effects on the heart and the vascular system that really outnumber, unfortunately, effects on other organ systems, said Dr. Susan Cheng, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

It's not only an issue for long COVID patients like Camilleri. For up to a year after a case of COVID-19, people may be at increased risk of developing a new heart-related problem, anything from blood clots and irregular heartbeats to a heart attack  even if they initially seem to recover just fine.

Among the unknowns: Whos most likely to experience these aftereffects? Are they reversible  or a warning sign of more heart disease later in life?

Were about to exit this pandemic as even a sicker nation because of virus-related heart trouble, said Washington Universitys Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, who helped sound the alarm about lingering health problems. The consequences, he added, will likely reverberate for generations.

Heart disease has long been the top killer in the nation and the world. But in the U.S., heart-related death rates had fallen to record lows in 2019, just before the pandemic struck.

COVID-19 erased a decade of that progress, Cheng said.

Heart attack-caused deaths rose during every virus surge. Worse, young people arent supposed to have heart attacks but Chengs research documented a nearly 30% increase in heart attack deaths among 25- to 44-year-olds in the pandemics first two years.

An ominous sign the trouble may continue: High blood pressure is one of the biggest risks for heart disease and peoples blood pressure has actually measurably gone up over the course of the pandemic, she said.

Cardiovascular symptoms are part of whats known as long COVID, the catchall term for dozens of health issues including fatigue and brain fog. The National Institutes of Health is beginning small studies of a few possible treatments for certain long COVID symptoms, including a heartbeat problem.

But Cheng said patients and doctors alike need to know that sometimes, cardiovascular trouble is the first or main symptom of damage the coronavirus left behind.

These are individuals who wouldnt necessarily come to their doctor and say, I have long COVID, she said.

In St. Louis, Camilleri first developed shortness of breath and later a string of heart-related and other symptoms after a late 2020 bout of COVID-19. He tried different treatments from multiple doctors to no avail, until winding up at Washington University's long COVID clinic.

Finally a turn in the right direction, said the 43-year-old Camilleri.

There, he saw Dr. Amanda Verma for worsening trouble with his blood pressure and heart rate. Verma is part of a cardiology team that studied a small group of patients with perplexing heart symptoms like Camilleri's, and found abnormalities in blood flow may be part of the problem.

How? Blood flow jumps when people move around and subsides during rest. But some long COVID patients don't get enough of a drop during rest because the fight-or-flight system that controls stress reactions stays activated, Verma said.

Some also have trouble with the lining of their small blood vessels not dilating and constricting properly to move blood through, she added.

Hoping that helped explain some of Camilleri's symptoms, Verma prescribed some heart medicines that dilate blood vessels and others to dampen that fight-or-flight response.

Back in the gym, Hughes, a physical therapist who works with long COVID patients, came up with a careful rehab plan after the treadmill test exposed erratic jumps in Camilleris heart rate.

Wed see it worse if you were not on Dr. Vermas meds, Hughes said, showing Camilleri exercises to do while lying down and monitoring his heart rate. We need to rewire your system to normalize that fight-or-flight response.

Camilleri said he noticed some improvement as Verma mixed and matched prescriptions based on his reactions. But then a second bout with COVID-19 in the spring caused even more health problems, a disability that forced him to retire.

How big is the post-COVID heart risk? To find out, Al-Aly analyzed medical records from a massive Veterans Administration database. People who'd survived COVID-19 early in the pandemic were more likely to experience abnormal heartbeats, blood clots, chest pain and palpitations, even heart attacks and strokes up to a year later compared to the uninfected. That includes even middle-aged people without prior signs of heart disease

Based on those findings, Al-Aly estimated 4 of every 100 people need care for some kind of heart-related symptom in the year after recovering from COVID-19.

Per person, that's a small risk. But he said the pandemics sheer enormity means it added up to millions left with at least some cardiovascular symptom. While a reinfection might still cause trouble, Al-Aly's now studying whether that overall risk dropped thanks to vaccination and milder coronavirus strains.

COVID-19 worsened already troubling levels of physician burnout COVID-19 worsened already troubling levels of physician burnout The scale of morbidity during the pandemic taxed physicians' mental health Regular administrative tasks take away from time focused on patients Work culture can promote a stigma against talking about burnout Solutions can come from licensing boards, hospitals, and more
Bollywood films have done a great job over the years of capturing the intricate complexities of family, marriage and relationships. We now witness several programs and films that are based on tense relationships, wedding drama, and much more as OTT has entered the scene and begun to rule. After an extended wait, Made In Heaven Season 2 finally arrived, and fans adored it! So if you are looking for more around similar themes, we have got your back.

1. Indian Matchmaking

Sima Taparia, a leading matchmaker in Mumbai, works to assist single people in finding their ideal partners by utilizing her decades of experience, knowledge, and traditional ways.



Where To Watch: Netflix

2. Made In Heaven S2

In Made in Heaven's second season, Tara divorces Adil, while Karan battles his mother's illness. The two pals continue to plan lavish weddings for many couples at the same time.



Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

3. Band Baaja Bride

You can see inside the opulent bridal makeovers created by renowned designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee thanks to Band Baaja Bride. Every Sabyasachi bride in this series gets to choose her ideal lehenga, accessories, and cosmetics.



Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

4. Decoupled

When trying to figure out how to go public with their divorce without hurting the sentiments of their 12-year-old daughter, novelist Arya Iyer (R. Madhavan) and his start-up founder wife, Shruti Sharma (Surveen Chawla), find themselves in a very difficult situation.



Where To Watch: Netflix

5. The Married Woman

Aastha is a devout housewife and mother, and Peeplika is the other woman in this tale of two women set in the 1990s. Being an unorthodox artist, Peeplika has never been moved by daily routines.



Where To Watch: Alt Balaji

6. Majburi Mein Bandha Ek Rishta

Rudra Rai Chauhan is compelled to marry Anya when his first bride escapes in the audio drama Majburi Mein Bandha Ek Rishta. Rudra instigates conflict in the relationship by refusing to accept the forced union. Anya, who places a high emphasis on relationships, finds this journey challenging since she won't give in to the pressured circumstances.



Where To Watch: Pocket FM

7. Married Woman Diaries Phase 2

As Shweta and Rishi navigate the second part of their marriage, viewers of Married Woman Diaries part 2 on SonyLiv are taken on an emotional rollercoaster. They are caught up in the frenzy of motherhood with the birth of their bundle of joy, Bani, and have little time for one another.



Imdb

Where To Watch: SonyLiv

8. The Trial

The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha is a legal drama from 2023 in India. Suparn Verma is directing this version of Robert King and Michelle King's The Good Wife, which stars Kajol in the title character.



Where To Watch: Disney Plus Hotstar

9. Love Wedding Repeat

As Jack works to ensure his younger sister has the ideal wedding day, multiple iterations of the same wedding take place.



Where To Watch: Netflix

10. Lust Stories 2

Four renowned Indian directors examine the human urge for sex, love, and sensuality in a series of short films on the lives of four different women.



Where To Watch: Netflix

11. I Want THAT Wedding

Weddings demand a lot of oneself, from choosing the ideal outfit to organizing the cuisine to choosing the location. Watch I Want THAT aids couples in making cost-effective wedding plans.



Where To Watch: Amazon Prime Video

12. The Big Day

In this stunning examination of India's multibillion-dollar wedding business, happily ever after for six engaged couples starts on a dramatic note.



Where To Watch: Netflix



(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)


From people bringing handpumps to theatres to fans going to cinema halls in tractors, the entire country is celebrating the release of Gadar 2, a sequel to 2001 movie. However, Pakistanis aren't happy with a particular dialogue from the film.

Pakistanis are furious over Sunny Deol's dialogue from Gadar 2

Instagram

For the unversed, the film starring Ameesha Patel hasn't even been released in Pakistan. In fact, the first one was also banned in the countryy.

However, a video in which people of Pakistan are asked about their reaction to the film's dialogue (which was also a part of the trailer) in which Tara Singh aka Sunny Deol says "Agar yaha ke logon ko dobara mauka mile na hindustan mein basne ka toh aadhe se zyada Pakistan khali ho jayega. Katora leke ghoomoge, bheekh bhi nahi milegi."

Twitter

Here's what Pakistanis have to say about Gadar 2's controversial dialogue!

Also Read: Gadar 2 Twitter Review: Army Soldiers To Audiences, Country Is In Tears After Watching Sequel



Meanwhile, the director of Gadar and Gadar 2 Anil Sharma believes that if the sequel has released in our neighbouring country, it would have been hit even there. "Had it been released in Pakistan, it would have been a hit in Pakistan only. Every Pakistani saw the first 'Gadar,'" he was quoted as saying by Lehron Retro.

AFP

Furthermore, in an interview with "When I did Gadar, wherever the writer or director wanted to take me, I was not letting that character go here and there. Because character is a human and humanity is everywhere. That man was ready to become a Pakistani. He was ready to do anything. He just wanted to be with his family. For Tara Singh, things like borders have no meaning."

Gadar 2 has earned over Rs 83 crores in just two days and has become the highest grossing film of Sunny Deol's career.

AFP

"I am indeed very happy. When we did the second part of Gadar, we never knew it would be so loved by the audience. Two whole generations have gone by since we did the first Gadar. And still, people are as excited as they were the first time. I am amazed and very very happy. We need some hits to keep the film industry on its feet, Deol was quoted as saying by ZoomTV.

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Men of the Adamawa state police command have launched an investigation after a 37-year-old man identified as Umar Abdulkadir was stabbed to death by members of the criminal gang, Shila Boys, in Yola, the state capital.

Shila Boys are light weapon-bearing youths who terrorize members of some communities in Adamawa and some other places. They specialise in snatching mobile phones, jewellery and other valuables.

READ ALSO: Fraudster Murders Police Officer In Ondo

The commands Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Saturday.

He said that the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday when the assailants invaded the home of the deceased.

Sgt. Muhammad Abdulkadir, a brother to the deceased, said that the gang members, numbering about seven, invaded the deceaseds house at 2:00 am with knives and other dangerous weapons.

According to him, the deceased did his best to escape but was not successful. He said that the hoodlums stabbed Abdulkadir in the stomach, exposing his intestines.

He also said that the gang took the deceaseds two phones and ran away, adding that he died at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, Yola, where he was rushed.
The Anambra State Government has announced the ban on all forms of open advertisement of herbal medicines in the state.

This was disclosed in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, on Saturday.

Nwosu also said the state government had directed that all advertisements for herbal drugs must be approved by the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Herbal Medicine and Pharmaceuticals before they could be displayed in any public space or media platform.

READ ALSO: NAFDAC Arrests Popular Kaduna Herbal Medicine Seller Over Expired Licence

He gave the categories of herbal medicines to include products made from botanicals or plants, that are used to treat diseases or to maintain health.

He listed it as a medicinal product and herbal supplements made from plants and used for curative or preventive purposes.

According to him, the exercise is targeted at regulating and controlling the use of herbal substances which has been on the increase among residents of the state.

Before the ban, Anambra was noted as a place where open advertisements of herbal medicine in motor parks and other strategic places are rampant, where many residents have often depended on herbal medicine, popularly called Agbo, as a remedy for a range of illnesses and diseases.

However, the increase in cases of some illnesses such as kidney failure has been attributed to the indiscriminate use of herbal medicine (Agbo) in the state.

The ban on open advertisement of all forms of herbal medicines in the state is to contain the excesses and the indiscriminate use of herbal concoctions among the people, the statement added.
Some angry residents of Kano State have rejected the proposed military invasion of Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

Recall that ECOWAS on Thursday directed military forces of the Member States to be on standby for the restoration of democratic rule in the neighbouring West African nation.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the protesters stormed the embassy located at Boulevard des Ambassades in protest against Nigerias role in the proposed kinetic action by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to reinstate ousted President Mohammed Bouzum.

However, the protesters, over the weekend, were seen displaying Nigeria and Nigers flags, chanting anti-war songs and moving around the state capital.

In a viral video making wave on internet, the protesters was chanting words like Nigeriens are our brothers, Nigeriens are also our family. Niger is ours; we dont want war; war against Niger is injustice, a plot by the Western forces.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Ambassador to Niger has denied a viral report that the nations embassy was burnt by angry protesters in Niamey, Niger.

The statement was in response to an online video of a burning building purported to be Nigerian Embassy in Niger.

READ MORE: Niger Coup Is A Pointer To Leadership Issues In Africa  Sam Adeyemi

Liti Auwalu for the Nigeria Ambassador to Niger said protesters tried to gain access to the embassy, but the Nigerien military and police managed the situation, adding that the embassy is well guarded.

The statement reads: It has been brought to our notice that fake videos showing the torching of the Chancery Building in Niamey by protesters are circulating on various social media platforms.

The Embassy wishes to inform the general public that even though protesters tried to gain access to the Embassy on July 30, 2023, the Nigerien Military and Police Authorities promptly curtailed the situation.

At the moment, the Embassy is well guarded by the Nigerien Military and other Security Authorities.

We reiterate that the videos are fake and as such the general public is enjoined to disregard such videos.
Pastor Tunde Bakare, Senior Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, has decried the adverse effects the fuel subsidy removal amongst others, is having on Nigerians.

The cleric of the Church, formerly known as the Latter Rain Church, on this basis, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to kill corruption and not Nigerians.

Commenting on Sunday, on the harsh economic impact on Nigerians, Bakare said: Mr President, kill corruption, and not Nigerians. No economy can thrive on impunity.

Bakare also faulted the proposed military intervention in Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States while speaking on the theme Vice, virtue and time: The three things that shall never stand still at the church auditorium, located on Kuditat Abiola way, Ikeja, Lagos.

READ ALSO: Ekiti: Gov. Oyebanji Suspends Home Affairs Commissioner For Leaving Retreat Venue Without Notice

The former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said: Local support for Nigeria by Nigeriens is at an all-time low. It is, therefore, counter-productive to engage in a warfare. While we condemn coup detat in West Africa, we recognize that the situation calls for deep, introspection on the part of African leaders.

We call upon Nigeria at this time to provide good leadership. The real question is whether President Tinubu has capacity to provide the moral leadership even in the domestic context.

Expressing optimism that God will move in Nigeria after his broadcast on the state of the nation, he said: We must share what the Lord has said to us and what he has shown to us. Todays state of the nation broadcast is a by product of what we have seen and what we have heard.

Youre going to see Gods move in our nation after this state of the nation broadcast. Today will mark the time, day and season that God intervened in Nigerias affairs.

According to him, the results of the 2023 elections revealed that Nigerians are tired of the ruling Party.

READ ALSO: Angry Kano Residents Protest Proposed Military Invasion Of Niger Republic

The cleric said, At this juncture, I must also sound a warning to the APC. I was there when the APC was formed and the extent of my involvement is well documented. As a stakeholder and more importantly as a nation builder, Im more obligated to state without equivocation that this is not the APC we envisaged. The results of the last elections were clear indications that Nigerians are fed up with what the APC had become.

He furthered that the fact that the votes polled by the APC during the 2023 presidential election declined from what it had in 2015 and 2019, was an indication that there was a loss of support base for the party.

If it were not for the divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party and the emergence of the Obidient movement of the Labour Party that split the traditional support base of the PDP, the APC would have convincingly lost the 2023 elections. Even now, the partys victory as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission is being challenged in court, Bakare added.

In the February 2023 presidential election, INEC declared President Bola Tinubu as the winner after polling a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, who scored 6,984,520 to emerge second. Labour Partys Obi came third by polling 6,101,533 votes. The outcome of the election is still being challenged by the PDP and the LP at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal.

According to Bakare, the APC has now become a platform for politicians with no ideology, who moved from one party to the other to seek power at all costs.

The APC stood for progressivism characterised by substantial positive investment in social sectors such as education and healthcare and it achieved inclusiveness and social mobility, he added, saying this has changed over time given the current economic hardship being faced by many Nigerians which he said were a result of anti-people policies of the government.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, has suspended the Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Home Affairs, Olaiya Atibioke, for two weeks.

Information Nigeria understands that the suspension follows Atibiokes unauthorised departure from the venue of a three-day retreat for members of the State Executive Council and Permanent Secretaries held at Bishop Adetiloye Hall, Trade Fair Complex, Ado-Ekiti, on Saturday.

According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, the Commissioner had left the venue of the retreat without permission.

READ ALSO: Angry Kano Residents Protest Proposed Military Invasion Of Niger Republic

He was also nowhere to be found when the new Commissioners were called upon to sign a performance charter.

The Commissioner left the retreat without permission. He was nowhere to be found during the signing of the performance charter, he said.

Governor Oyebanji who had sat down through all the sessions of the three-day retreat, which commenced on Thursday reiterated his administrations zero tolerance for indiscipline and poor performance.

The Commissioner, Atibioke, is one of those inaugurated less than a week ago.
Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has expressed displeasure over the pervasive corruption in Nigerias electoral system.

The former President led this out while speaking at the 57th annual convention and 67th anniversary of The Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT), held at the Gospel City, Ogunmakin, Ogun State on Saturday, said politics should not ordinarily be dirty, adding that those who participate in politics make it dirty.

Speaking on the theme: The Roles of the Church in nation building at a Time Like This, Obasanjo, who congratulated the church on the successful hosting of the convention, said Christians must stand out among the corruptive tendencies and influences of the world, particularly in politics.

He told the audience that as believers, they must stick to the values of Christ and ask themselves all the time, What will Christ do if He finds himself in the circumstances that I find myself?

READ MORE: If You Want To Be Aliko Dangote, Dont Go Into Farming Because Youll Not Make It  Obasanjo Warns

He said at a time like this in the country when there is insecurity, hopelessness, poverty, depression, a time that is not conducive to living, the church must rise up to the occasion as the salt of the world.

We are in the world, yet we are not of the world. The influence of corrupting corruption is enormous. We are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. We are to be like Jesus who, when He was in the world, did not belong to the world, Obasanjo told the congregants.

Obasanjo urged the church to demand for justice, fairness and equity in the countrys social, political and economic aspects.

Speaking further, he said: Food without salt is stale. The church is meant to flavour its environment. A church that cannot play its role has lost its saltiness. Christ has chosen us to bring forth fruits and that our fruits should abide.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, has disclosed that he is still recuperating in Germany and has not yet returned to Nigeria, contrary to circulating claims on social media.

Akeredolu, nonetheless, assured that he would soon be back in the country to continue his mandate of piloting the affairs of the State.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Richard Olatunde, emphasised this on Sunday, in a statement, saying Akeredolus primary focus is, ensuring complete recovery before returning to the country.

Information Nigeria understands that speculations arose when a video emerged depicting the Governor disembarking from a helicopter, led some to believe that he had returned from his medical vacation.

READ ALSO: Foundation Of Election In Nigeria Is Corrupt  Obasanjo

However, acknowledging the enthusiasm of residents of the State as well as the governors supporters and well-wishers, Olatunde assured that Akeredolu intends to return to the state soon.

The video in question, which is circulating, was captured during the Governors campaign tour in preparation for the last Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Governor Akeredolu is eagerly looking forward to reuniting with the people of the Sunshine State. He is deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support, and he cant wait to continue working towards a brighter future for Ondo State, the statement read.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked the Federal Government (FG) and Kaduna State to investigate the cause of the collapse of a section of the Zaria central mosque.

The apex Christian group also expressed its condolences to the Muslim Ummah in Zaria and the nation at large following the tragic collapse, which resulted in significant loss of life and injuries.

Daniel Okoh, the President of CAN, via a statement who urged the government and all stakeholders to conduct a thorough investigation into the tragic incident, noted it will prevent future occurrences and ensure the safety of worshippers nationwide.

Recall that the historic Mosque, an edifice with over 150 years of religious and historical significance, was bustling with worshippers during a Friday prayer session when a section of the structure gave way.

The unfortunate incident led to the deaths of at least 10 worshippers, while 25 others sustained injuries.

It is with shock that we received the news of the untimely demise of these worshippers. We offer our sincere prayers and condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. We also extend our thoughts and prayers to the injured, and we pray for their quick and complete recovery, he said.

READ ALSO: Gov. Sani Orders Investigation Into Zaria Mosque Collapse

While acknowledging the deep emotional connection of the Muslim community with the mosque, CAN expressed solidarity saying, We stand united as one people, acknowledging the importance of mutual respect, understanding, and peaceful coexistence among the various religious communities in Nigeria, Okoh added.

Commending the swift response of relevant authorities and emergency services in rescuing survivors and providing necessary medical attention, CAN also reiterated the need for a thorough investigation into the causes of the incident.

We urge the government and all relevant stakeholders to ensure a thorough investigation into the causes of this incident, with the aim of preventing such accidents in the future and ensuring the safety of worshippers in all places of worship across the country, Okoh stated.

In the wake of the tragic event, CAN also called on religious leaders of both Christian and Muslim faiths to deepen interfaith dialogue and understanding, fostering a society where faith can be practiced freely and peacefully.

May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace, and may the injured recover quickly. Let us unite, support, and comfort each other during this difficult time. May God grant us all strength and peace, Okoh prayed.
Alleged text exchanges between actor Jonah Hill and his former girlfriend, surfer Sarah Brady, have sparked conversation about the potential harms of therapy speak when misused and the concept of gaslighting  a popular buzzword among those in the mental health community and its enthusiasts.

Gaslighting is so commonly discussed that Merriam-Webster deemed the expression its word of the year in 2022, after experiencing a 1,740% increase in searches for the term. But experts say there are a lot of misconceptions around what gaslighting is and isnt.

When were challenged or confronted or told, Hey, I remember this differently, we might think were being gaslit, when actually were being confronted on a behavior and asked to change it  as opposed to being told that were bad or that we dont remember things correctly or that were emotionally unstable, said Vanessa Kennedy, director of psychology at Driftwood Recovery, a residential rehabilitation center in Texas.

Some people weaponize psychological terms like gaslighting when others simply do something they dont like, which is wrong, said Monica Vermani, a Canada-based clinical psychologist and author of A Deeper Wellness: Conquering Stress, Mood, Anxiety and Traumas.

Gaslighting is actually a highly calculating form of manipulation  which involves the destabilization  of one individual by another over a protracted period of time, Vermani said.

Most commonly, gaslighting  also referred to as coercive control  is carried out by someone in a position of trust who is in close contact with the target, she added. It is a complex and usually deliberate means of intentionally controlling an individual, which is carried out over an extended period of time.

Since close contact is key here, Vermani added, the person gaslighting is often a romantic partner, an intimate friend or family member, or a close colleague.

Someone who gaslights another person destabilizes and controls them by attacking their faculties to make the victim think their emotional stability, credibility or memory is flawed  thereby making the victim distrust themselves and rely more on the person whos gaslighting them, Kennedy said. Gaslighting also helps the perpetrator avoid any blame or responsibility for their actions.

The person plays more on your insecurities and tries to attack your self-esteem, she added.

The concept of gaslighting originated from the 1944 film Gaslight and the 1938 play on which it was based. In it, a husband is trying to convince his wife that shes going insane and perceiving things inaccurately, Kennedy said. Throughout the course of the movie and over time, she begins to feel that she is, in fact, dipping into psychological insanity.

The term gaslighting carries a lot of weight, and misusing it can have consequences for our relationships, emotional maturity or accurate understanding of psychological concepts.

But at the same time, awareness of what constitutes emotional abuse can help people avoid unhealthy, threatening relationships. Heres more on what gaslighting is and isnt, and how to confront someone exhibiting this behavior toward you.

Signs youre being gaslit

There are other common misconceptions about the nature of gaslighting, experts said. If a loved one disagrees with you or tries to change your mind, prefers to be right in an argument, or acts surprised when confronted  thats not necessarily gaslighting. Neither is someone trying to minimize their hurtful behavior or cast doubt on your opinions or perspectives, Vermani said.

What pushes these behaviors into gaslighting territory has to do with what the person youre dealing with says and their intentions behind it.

Gaslighters are typically emotionally abusive people  often with low self-esteem  who wish to control others rather than engage in mutually respectful relationships that require consideration, empathy, compassion and kindness, Vermani said. They seek ways to undermine and overpower someone they fear losing, regardless of the damage to their target.

Not all gaslighting is intentional, as some people grow up witnessing these patterns and subconsciously adopt them as a coping mechanism or conflict resolution method, experts said.

But generally, gaslighters often intentionally lie and deceive to confuse their target, Vermani said, or deny their own lies or their targets truth, even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

Gaslighters often isolate targets from their social circles by insinuating their friends dont have their best interests in mind to weaken their sense of reality and self, experts said. They might say, Even if you were to tell other people about whats happening, you wouldnt be believed because people know you to be irrational or make things up, Kennedy said. All these statements serve to make the victim more dependent on the gaslighter.

Other signs or effects of gaslighting can include thinking the other persons feelings always seem to matter more than yours, or being constantly anxious or tense around the person, said Duygu Balan, a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and attachment wounding in the San Francisco Bay Area. You might also refrain from sharing how you feel out of worry that the gaslighter is going to overreact, call you names or make fun of you.

If theres no safety for you to voice yourself, then that is a situation where theres a toxic relationship, Balan said.

The degree to which a person gaslights someone else can vary, but gaslighting is always emotional abuse, whether intentional or not, experts said.

And gaslighting can have insidious consequences, especially after a long period of time.

You start wondering if youre the reason why this person is doing this to you, Vermani said. That self-doubt can be quite damaging on an intrinsic level. You make excuses for the other persons behavior because that person makes excuses for their behaviors.  You go out of your way to protect them sometimes because you believe that theyre smarter or more capable than you are.

Your ability to trust your gut might also suffer.

Over time, the effect of gaslighting can erode your self-respect and your ability to choose healthy situations for yourself that are going to make you happy and be fulfilling, Kennedy said.

Confronting the problem

If you feel safe enough to confront the person who might be gaslighting you, first focus on setting boundaries with them, experts said. It might be helpful to share your detailed experience of their behavior rather than simply telling them, I feel like youre gaslighting me.

Additionally, you might end the conversation or disengage and say, Im not going to engage in this type of conversation anymore. I know what I saw, Kennedy said.

If the gaslighter is someone very close to you, you can also suggest doing counseling or therapy together, she added.

If the behavior persists, how long you stay in the relationship is a personal decision, Kennedy said. You could give the person a specific time frame within which youd like to see changes in their behavior, after which you would re-evaluate.

But at any rate, you have to decide what the emotional toll is that its taking on you and your self-esteem, Kennedy said. Sometimes its not safe to approach the gaslighter in the relationship, and its safer to leave altogether.

Getting help can be necessary if youre struggling in a relationship with a gaslighter or with the trauma gaslighting can cause.

Seek the support of people you trust  often people who know that you are in a difficult situation and who have been standing on the sidelines, waiting to offer you help, Vermani said.

Talking to a therapist can help you get an objective perspective and see more clearly any signs of gaslighting behavior and psychological abuse, Kennedy said.

___

More than 11% of Americans may not be receiving the mental health care they need, data shows More than 11% of Americans may not be receiving the mental health care they need, data shows US average Differences across states LGBTQ+ people Younger generations
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has initiated the distribution of flyers and posters across the South-East to notify residents of the cancellation of sit-at-home exercise in the region.

The pro-Biafran groups spokesperson, Emma Powerful on Saturday revealed that the decision was taken in line with its leader, Nnamdi Kanus directive.

He added that sit-at-home will also never again be invoked or deployed as a tool of civil disobedience in the groups quest for self-determination.

The statement read, This is to inform Biafrans about the flyers and posters being distributed all over the South-East conveying our leaders famous pronouncement canceling Monday sit-at-home, and to inform the good people of Biafrans that sit at home is not only dead, but will never again be invoked or deployed as a tool of civil disobedience in our quest for self determination.

READ ALSO: Ill Deal With Those Using IPOB, ESN For Fundraising To Enforce Sit-At-Home  Nnamdi Kanu

It is to be stated for the umpteenth time, for those who may feign ignorance of the laws governing the conduct expected of IPOB family worldwide that our supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has ordered the permanent end to Monday sit-at-home in Biafraland and anybody seen enforcing this illegal and non-existent Monday sit-at-home will be apprehended and summarily dealt with on the spot.

These criminal elements are not working for Biafra restoration nor the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is unlawfully detained in the DSS solitary confinement in Abuja Nigeria.

Those purporting to be running a Biafra Government in Exile group from somewhere in Finland also known as Autopilot are not IPOB members and their activities do not represent the views of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and rank and file IPOB membership nor the ESN operatives.

Moreso, it is a shame to the memory of our brave martyrs that gave their lives for the emancipation of Biafra that individuals that never led ordinary street protest in Biafraland or anywhere in the world in support of Biafra restoration can claim to lead our people. This is an absolute disgrace.

Whoever is foolish enough to associate with such fraudulent social media scam called Government in exile (Autopilot) is doing so at his or her own risk and must not link Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB to it.

Biafraland is owned by Biafrans and its the responsibility of all Biafrans to protect the land from government sponsored agents and armed criminal gangs hiding under the revered name of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Biafra.

We encourage Biafrans to help in the distribution of the flyers, posters to communities, hinterlands and cities in Biafraland signifying the requim mass for the senseless Monday sit-at-home.

Anybody apprehended enforcing any sit-at-home is a goner. The Finland based criminal will not save you.
Operatives of a Special Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday arrested three major illicit drug syndicates in intelligence-led operations across parts of Lagos State.

According to a statement by the spokesman for the agency, Femi Bababfemi, the operations led to the arrest of a baroness and four other kingpins with multi-billion naira worth of Cocaine, Opioids, and Loud recovered from their hideouts.

The female head of one of the syndicates, Faith Ebele Nwankwo was arrested on Wednesday 9th August at her residence, House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, FESTAC area of Lagos shortly after she returned from a warehouse at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.

READ ALSO: NDLEA Arrests India-Bound Fake Couple With 184 Wraps Of Cocaine

Babafemi said, A search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of Two Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (2,750,000) pills of Tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916 kilograms.

The drugs and the SUV were recovered while the suspect was taken into custody.

In another operation targeted at a group of transnational syndicates involved in the importation, exportation, distribution, and dealing of Cocaine and Canadian Loud, operatives of the same Special Unit of the Agency on Friday 4th August tracked the drug syndicate to Atlantic Nominee Estate in Lekki- Ajah area of Lagos where a blue Toyota Highlander SUV was loaded with 8.49kg of cocaine and 10.3kg Canadian Loud for distribution by the duo of Urama Chinemelum Precious, 32, and Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, 55.

A follow-up operation at the residence of Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 18 blockage of Loud weighing 18.5kg.

The following day, Saturday 5th August, operatives of the Special Unit went after another syndicate involved in the importation, distribution, and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride, a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine, following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25 kilograms of the substance.

Two members of the syndicate: Udeh Vincent Ogbonna, 53, and Okonkwo Ifeanyi Uzozie, 50, were arrested at a commercial bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South East.

A body search conducted on the two suspects led to the recovery of Three Thousand ($3,000) US Dollars found on Udeh Vincent Ogbonna.

In operations across four other states of Ogun, Ondo, Edo and Nasarawa, the NDLEA operatives recovered over 13,391.8 kilograms of skunk.
Former Governor of Jigawa State and one of the founding fathers of the major opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Sule Lamido has described President Bola Tinubu as a novice in the field of International diplomacy.

Lamido stated this while reacting to the stand taken by ECOWAS on the coup detat in Niger Republic.

His reaction was contained in a post via his verified Facebook account on Saturday, titled Nigeria/Niger face off.

He explained that for the past few weeks, President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has found himself in a tightrope and a state of dilemma regarding the best way to handle the Niger crisis.

He advised the President to harvest from the connection and wisdom of Nigerias former Presidents and Heads of State in dealing with the crisis.

According to him, since the coup detat in Niger some weeks back, President Tinubu has found himself walking on a very tightrope.

READ ALSO: Niger Republic: We Dont Want Another War, Nigerians Already Fighting Many  Pastor Adeboye

He has never been exposed to international diplomacy and can fittingly be called a novice in this field. The fact that he is an emperor with the total dominance of the most populous and prosperous State of Lagos does not confer on him any wisdom in diplomacy.

But he is also the luckiest Nigerian president had he desired to harvest from the wisdom and experience of former Presidents and Heads of State Nigeria is so richly blessed with.

I thought President Tinubu would have from the onset looked into the chemistry of the cocktail called ECOWAS before taking a weighty decision on any issue that affects the region and its consequences on his country.

Had he done so, he would have found out what is the history of one of the oldest members of the region, President Alassane Quattara of Ivory Coast.

There was a time when Quattaras nationality was in dispute, that his ancestral country was Mali. President Lauren Ghabbo disqualified him from running as president even though he was at once prime Minister of Ivory Coast! But today he is the President of Ivory Coast.

By a twist of fate, there is today a military junta in Mali (his ancestral home) running the country and we have not heard President Quattara asking for a war to be launched on Mali in the name of DEMOCRACY. The saying blood is thicker than water readily comes to mind.

Back to Nigeria and the face-off with Niger. There is total unanimity in Nigeria that we should not go to war with Niger for so many many reasons given by all and sundry, especially the seven States contiguous to the Niger Republic! In any case, the Senate mandated by Nigerian Constitution to authorize the President with such power has unambiguously withheld that authority.

The next thing for President Tinibu now is to embark on damage control and repair and harvest from the connection and wisdom of our former Presidents and Heads of State as someone rightly advised over BBC Hausa service.

These leaders are highly respected and trusted not only in our sub-region but globally. There is indeed no love lost between President Tinubu and some of them, but certainly, on any issue that affects Nigeria no matter how remote, those leaders will always be there for Nigeria!

Time is not on the side of both countries. What we had in the last one thousand years has been lost in a matter of a few weeks. But we have a bond and love for each other to build on. May Allah bless Nigeria and Niger. Ameen.
The Nigerian embassy in Niger Republic, Saturday, disclosed that protesters tried invading the facility on July 30.

The Nigerian Ambassador to Niger, Liti Auwalu, via a statement added that the Nigerien military and the police were able to repel the attack promptly.

Auwalus reaction stems from a social media video on Friday, that alleged the protesters had burnt down the embassy.

He furthered that the Embassy is being guarded by the Nigerien military and other security agencies to prevent attacks.

READ ALSO: Niger Coup: Nigeria Should Pull Out Of ECOWAS If War Is Only Option, Dont Let US, France Push You Unnecessarily  Orji Kalu To Tinubu

The Embassy wishes to inform the general public that even though protesters tried to gain access to the Embassy on July 30, 2023, the Nigerien Military and police authorities promptly curtailed the situation.

At the moment, the Embassy is well guarded by the Nigerien Military and other security authorities.

We reiterate that the videos are fake and as such the general public is enjoined to disregard such videos, the statement read.
The National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Uche Ojinmah has disclosed that they would embark on a national action if their abducted member in Cross River was not returned in seven days.

Ojinmah made the call in a briefing with journalists on Saturday in Calabar while disclosing some of the measures the association would take to demand the release of their abducted colleague.

Recall that Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a Neurologist with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, (UCTH), was on July 13 abducted from her residence by armed men who pretended to be patients.

READ ALSO: Strike: Reconsider No Work, No Pay Policy  NMA Begs FG

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that, according to her family, the NMA in Cross River, in the last 25 days, has not received any response or proof that the doctor is alive.

Ojinmah said the NMA decided to make it clear that they would not accept anything except the return of the kidnapped doctor.

We have had interactions with the governor and we have made it clear that if by the end of next week we do not get result, we will take tougher stance because we have watched the maltreatment of medical practitioners in Cross River in the last few years.

Doctors as a group are being targeted, that has to stop in Cross River, if it does not, there will be a national action that will have Cross River at the epicenter.

We may withdraw our members so that those people who like kidnapping will have to treat the people of Cross River themselves, he maintained.

Speaking further, Ojinmah called on the government of Cross River to take proactive measures to protect their important citizens, not only doctors.

While appealing to the kidnappers to return the abducted neurologist to her family and association, he called on the state government to make it a priority to contain any attempt to de-market Cross River.

He added that they were not unmindful of the efforts of the governor and security agencies but Cross River was becoming a recurring decimal in the issue of kidnapping, especially doctors.
The President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

It was also gathered that police officers also arrested and detained the unions General Secretary, Anthony Asogwa Chukudi, National Trustee, Olayi Odion, and the Principal Assistant Secretary, Abdulrasak Yemi.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the arrests reportedly took place on Friday evening at the NURTWs National Secretariat in Garki 2, Abuja.

The Deputy President of the Union, Mr. Isa Ore, who confirmed the development to pressmen on Saturday in Abuja, expressed shock over the arrest.

We were preparing for the inauguration and swearing-in of the newly elected National Administrative Council members when the police arrived, asked us to leave the premises, and proceeded to seal off the secretariat, said Ore.

READ MORE: Hope Obidiots Believe Now That Lagos Belongs To Yorubas  MC Oluomo Speaks After Guber Polls

While relaying the unsettling situation, Mr. Ore said, We were shocked to see the policemen in their number locking our secretariat without giving them a reason.

In addition to the arrests, the unions National Secretariat was abruptly sealed off, further adding to the confusion of the situation.

They said it was an order from the above and they have detained our President and other leaders at Wuse police station, Ore added.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has urged Nigerian youths to seize the opportunities that lie ahead of them and make their mark on history.

President Tinubu made this known in a message to youths on the occasion of International Youth Day 2023.

INFORMATION NIGERIA learnt that IYD is an awareness day designated by the United Nations aimed at drawing attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

He said this in a statement by his media aide Ajuri Ngelale on the occasion of the 2023 International Youth Day.

On the occasion of the 2023 International Youth Day (IYD), President Bola Tinubu reaffirms the commitment of his administration to creating meaningful opportunities for Nigerian youths, the statement read.

From job creation, education, and skills development to digital innovation, financial technology, and youth participation in governance, President Tinubu emphasizes that youth empowerment is a fundamental pillar of all reform actions being implemented across sectors, in order to create an environment where Nigerian youths can thrive and contribute to the growth and development of the nation.

READ MORE: Let Our Economic Challenges, Political Confusion Motivate You To Struggle For Better Nigeria  Peter Obi Tells Youths

The President acknowledges the growing interest and impact of many young Nigerians in technology-related fields the world over and vows to honour his campaign commitment of generating one million new jobs in the digital economy for their upliftment and national economic development more broadly.

He strongly believes in the principle, to whom much is given, much is expected, and remains undeterred in his focus on delivery.

In tandem with the theme of this years event: Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World, the President implores young Nigerians to spearhead efforts aimed at achieving the highest quality of sustainable development, which will shape the future of our planet in conformity with his agenda of expanding green job opportunities and advocating for renewable energy solutions as an integral part of Nigerias current and future energy mix.

On this International Youth Day celebration, the President assures the younger generation that his administration will consistently engage with and listen to them with a view to implementing their important and forward-looking feedback.

Highlighting his commitment to active listening and engagement, President Tinubu notes that the enactment of The Student Loan Act and the provision of buses to the Student Bodies of all Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education nationwide stand out as tangible examples of his administrations responsiveness.
Operatives of 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, have neutralised three bandits and rescued 10 kidnap victims during a clearance operation in Kaduna State.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the development was recorded in Kabode village of Chikun Local Government Area and Birnin Yero village of Igabi Local Government Area of the State.

According to Lt- Col. Musa Yahaya, Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations of the division, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday in Kaduna, said troops of the division would sustain its aggressive clearance operations against all criminal elements in the divisions area of responsibility.

READ MORE: Troops Neutralize Bandits Attack, Destroy Camps In Zamfara, Sokoto,

The operation has again yielded positive results as our gallant troops made contact with marauding bandits and criminal elements in Kabode village of Chikun and Birnin Yero village of Igabi Local Government Areas of Kaduna State and engaged them.

Acting on credible intelligence on August 11, troops exploited Kabode general area of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, made contact with marauding bandits and engaged them in a fire fight.

Troops neutralised 3 bandits and recovered one AK 47 rifle loaded with 28 rounds of 7.62 mm, one Camo jungle hat, three mobile phones, one head warner, one MP3 player, charms and the sum of one thousand, three hundred and five naira only.,he said.

He said the 10 kidnap victims were rescued in Danbaba Village in Igabi LGA, after bandits abandoned them upon sighting troops, who had laid ambush for them at Birnin Yero.

The rescued kidnap victims have been given medical attention and reunited with their families.

Yahaya said the General Officer Commanding (GOC)1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Whirl Punch ,Maj Gen Bamidele Alabi had commended the troops on the successful operation.

The GOC pleaded with the communities to continue to avail the Nigerian Army and other security agencies with timely and credible intelligence, Yahaya said.
The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani has refuted a media report that he opposed the recommended replacement of his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, as a minister-designate.

Recall that El-Rufai is among the 48 ministerial nominees sent to the Senate by President Bola Tinubu, but he is yet to be cleared by the Senate on the basis of pending security reports against him.

Following the delay of his security clearance, El-Rufai reportedly met with President Tinubu within the week and turned down the appointment and recommended that his former Commissioner, Jafaru Sani, should replace him.

However, Governor Sani denied a trending social media story that he met with President Tinubu where he rejected Jafaru on the ground that he is a loyalist of el-Rufai.

READ MORE: Ministerial Appointment: I Am No Longer Interested  El-Rufai Tells President Tinubu

Describing the story as false, malicious, and misleading, Governor Sani told Channels Television that he only met with President Tinubu to discuss recent issues concerning his predecessors ministerial nomination, and at no time did he oppose or rejected the man that was recommended by El-Rufai.

He explained that the false story was aimed at creating friction between him and El-Rufai, noting what is important to him is the image of his predecessor than any other consideration.

What is true in the story is that I met with the president. Every other thing is false and a conjecture to create friction between me and Mallam (El-Rufai), the governor explained.

I went to see the president specifically because I was worried by the turn of events. I believe both of them mean well for the country.

At no time did we discuss the issue of replacement. That is the least of my worries.

If indeed Mallam wants to nominate a replacement, I will never oppose his choice. We are on the same page. Those who know us very well know that this is all lies. We know where the disinformation is coming from but we are not bothered.
Owen Brown performs during the funeral service for Joseph Wamah Jr. at Victory Harvest Fellowship International in Southwest Philadelphia on Saturday. Wamah was the first of the victims in the Kingsessing mass shooting last month. Read more

Joseph Wamah Jr.s white casket, draped in a pall made of white and gold roses, lay in front of the stage at Victory Harvest Fellowship International Church in Southwest Philadelphia on Saturday morning, where mourners gathered to celebrate the life of the first victim of last months Kingsessing mass shooting.

A processional entrance of clergy and family members began the three-hour service, which included hymns, offerings, Scriptures, prayers, and instrumental selections while a memorial slideshow played behind the casket flanked by floral arrangements and photos of Wamah and his art.

Hand-in-hand, friends and community stepped up to view the 31-year-olds body and pay respects. After hymns, Wamahs parents and siblings gathered around their son and brother to say their goodbyes, taking turns kissing and caressing his face, then closing the casket together.

Soon would come a call for justice and a condemnation of the gun-violence pandemic.

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We are gonna get justice for Joseph, sister Jasmine Wamah promised. Everybody that was involved or took part in Josephs death, we are going to find you  there are consequences. Rest in peace, Joseph. I love you, and Im glad that I told you the last time I saw you.

Wamah  a talented artist and actor known for his love of Pop-Tarts while growing up  was found dead inside the home he shared with his father on the 1600 block of South 56th Street hours after he was killed.

Authorities would later determine that Wamah was killed on July 2 but was not immediately found because police had been dispatched to reports of gunshots on North 56th Street, three miles away from the crime scene on South 56th Street. Nearly two days later, authorities say, the gunman, identified by police as 40-year-old Kimbrady Carriker, dressed in a bulletproof vest and wielding an AR-style rifle, returned to the area and went on a shooting rampage, killing four more people and injuring two children.

I really, really miss my son, Jonah Wamah Sr. told those gathered at Victory Harvest Fellowship. We were like brothers  he and I lived together for years.

Wamahs mother, Helen, tearfully described her son as a beautiful soul.

In his eulogy, Pastor William Boymah denounced the countrys gun violence pandemic and suggested that it has betrayed the dreams of immigrants.

Liberian immigrants, we had a vision of America  that life would be beautiful, he exclaimed. But we did not know that there would be hatred, that people would be free to walk around with guns in hand. This uncertainty has shattered our lives  we have to bury our children with this calamity.

Boymah also reminded the crowd that they can shoot the body, but they cannot shoot the dreams.

Take action, God is working, he urged.

Tributes for Wamah also came from representatives of Liberian Association of Pennsylvania, Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, former Councilmember Jannie Blackwell, and others.

Singing the hymn When We All Get to Heaven, clergy led Wamahs casket outside with family members following close behind. Other mourners marched after, carrying the tune out into the gloomy yet sunny day as his brothers Jonah Jr. and Jonathan and others placed the coffin inside the hearse. It would carry Wamahs body to Holy Cross Cemetery in Yeadon, Delaware County.

As the hearse drove away, people embraced and sang the final notes of the hymn for the first victim of one of the deadliest mass shootings in the citys history.
Chinese citizens set their sights on the US
Clementon Park and Splash World in Clementon on Sunday, the day after a fight and shots fired at the park led to the arrest of a Philadelphia man. Read more

A Philadelphia man was arrested after a brawl broke out at South Jerseys Clementon Park and Splash World on Saturday night that led to shots fired.

Quahee Eaton-Kennedy, 24, was charged with second-degree possession of a weapon following the altercation at the popular Camden County amusement park, said police.

No serious injuries were reported in the incident.

Shortly before 8 p.m., local police were called to Clementon Park for gunshots fired and multiple people fighting in the parking lot. Clementon police as well as officers from Lindenwold, Pine Hill, Laurel Springs, Gloucester Township, Somerdale, Stratford, Berlin Borough and Chesilhurst responded to break up the fight.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact Clementon Police Department Detective Bureau at 856-783-2271.
A "For Rent" sign is displayed outside a building in Philadelphia in June 2022. Read more

Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

A hot summer Sunday awaits. It should be sunny, with a high near 90, so dont forget the sunscreen.

Its a common idea that real estate agents express to renters: For the price youre paying to rent your home, you could own one. Todays main story explores whats in it for renters in Philadelphia.

 Paola Perez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

A new analysis puts Philadelphia among the top three largest U.S. cities where swapping rent for a mortgage could be a worthwhile exchange.

Why? Two words: more space.

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This analysis considered how much space the average rent could buy in the nations 100 largest cities. It looked at median home prices and the price per square foot in each city.

Philadelphias relatively low home prices propel it toward the top of the list of places where you can get a larger home for a price that matches what you already pay for rent. However, those arent the only costs involved.

The analysis wrapped property taxes and homeowners insurance into the cost of monthly mortgage payments. But homeowners also have to consider maintenance, upfront closing costs and down payments.

Get a closer look at the data to see just how much more space the average renter could afford here and beyond.

What you should know today

 Now Im passing the mic to state government reporter Gillian McGoldrick.

In the days following a breakdown in state budget negotiations, lawmakers packed their bags and left the Capitol. So did Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro flew to Indiana, Pa., a small borough about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh where Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman lives. They met in the towns airport the week after budget talks stalled, and the Democratic governor eventually agreed to put some of his budget priorities on the back burner.

Shapiro also made a promise to Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, saying his administration would address her concerns about a state board overseeing charter schools.

It worked. Ward called the Senate back to work this month and sent the budget to Shapiros desk, avoiding an extended standoff.

What looked like Shapiros first misstep as governor  upsetting both parties during budget negotiations over a school voucher program  ended in a victory. He flexed his ability to make deals, fulfilled a campaign promise to work across the aisle, and salvaged his relationship with GOP leaders. Their deal allowed state money to resume flowing to school districts, counties, and critical social service programs.

But the work isnt done. The deal means some of the governors new initiatives, such as extra funding for struggling school districts, may not come to fruition until next year.

Continue reading about Shapiros role in negotiating the budget across the finish line, and what it could all mean for the rest of his time as governor.

Pop quiz

The Perseid meteor showers streak through the night sky this weekend. They derive their name from the fact that they appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which is about how many light years away?

A) 20 million

B) 100 million

C) 250 million

D) 500 million

Think you know? Check your answer.

 Unscramble the anagram 

Hint: 

FORSAKING PIUS

Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if youd like. Email us if you know the answer. Cheers to Bonnie Coccagna who correctly guessed Fridays answer: Shibe Park.

Photo of the day

 For todays Sunday track, were listening to: Seeing you tonight / Its a bad idea, right?  Shout-out to our pop music critic Dan DeLuca for this fun weekend playlist.

I would be remiss if I didnt mention another incredible playlist for your listening pleasure: Our collection of Philly hip-hop gems in celebration of the genre turning 50.

 I hope you got to see some meteors. Im brewing some coffee and reading Sally Rooneys Beautiful World, Where Are You. Thanks for starting your day with The Inquirer.
Governor Josh Shapiro at a news conference near the collapsed section of I-95 in June. He negotiated this month to end a state budget impasse. Read more

HARRISBURG  In the days following a breakdown in state budget negotiations, lawmakers packed their bags and left the Capitol.

So did Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro flew to Indiana, Pa., a small borough about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh where Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman lives. They met in the towns airport the week after budget talks stalled, and the Democratic governor eventually agreed to put some of his budget priorities on the back burner.

Shapiro also made a promise to Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, saying his administration would address her concerns about a state board overseeing charter schools.

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It worked.

Ward called the Senate back to work this month and sent the budget to Shapiros desk, avoiding an extended standoff.

What looked like Shapiros first misstep as governor  upsetting both parties during budget negotiations over a school voucher program  ended in a victory. He flexed his ability to make deals, fulfilled a campaign promise to work across the aisle, and salvaged his relationship with GOP leaders. Their deal allowed state money to resume flowing to school districts, counties, and critical social service programs.

But the work isnt done.

The deal means some of the governors new initiatives, such as extra funding for struggling school districts, may not come to fruition until next year. Shapiro, who has drawn national attention since taking office in January and is rumored to have presidential aspirations, is sure to face other fights with Republicans. And GOP lawmakers plan to hold him to the promises and concessions hes made.

So we live to fight another day, Ward said in an interview.

Shapiro, for his part, said hes not one to give up.

I just stayed on it, he told The Inquirer last week. While were never going to agree on everything, we have to keep at it. Weve got to keep talking. Weve got to keep communicating.

Shapiro made promises to complete the deal

Budget negotiations fell apart ahead of the June 30 deadline after Pittman and other GOP senators accused Shapiro of backtracking on his support for a private-school voucher program, which he ultimately vetoed this month.

Shapiro, in turn, blamed Republicans for not working to earn votes for their version of the budget in the House, where Democrats, who oppose vouchers, held a narrow majority. He told legislative leaders to come together to finish the budget, but then stepped in to negotiate with Pittman directly. Pittman, for his part, was willing to negotiate and repair the relationship with Shapiro.

The Senate majority leader said he expressed his disappointment with Shapiro over the vouchers, which he said were taken off the table by the governor, unilaterally and unexpectedly. It greatly impacted the confidence that members of the caucus I represent have in our ability to establish consensus on big issues.

Now theyre working to reset that relationship, Pittman said.

Ward, meanwhile, originally said she wouldnt recall the Senate to send the budget to Shapiro before September.

She changed her tune earlier this month, with assurances that a handful of Shapiros budget initiatives would be subject to further negotiation.

A deal on charter schools

Because the school voucher program faced a veto, Ward said she needed an agreement from Shapiro to help students who attend failing schools.

Ward told The Inquirer that Shapiro promised to improve the efficiency of the states Charter Appeals Board, which can overrule school boards decisions about opening new charter schools or closing existing ones. GOP leaders said they want that board, chaired by Shapiros secretary of education, to do more to help students attend charter schools in Philadelphia.

Shapiro and Ward still have not spoken since he announced hed veto the voucher program, but their chiefs of staff have been working together, she said.

We have to find a way to move on, Ward told The Inquirer. This is over. We got what we got ... and we have to move forward.

Ward said she intends to call the Senate back into session before the end of August to finish negotiating a fiscal code bill, which dictates how the state can spend money allocated in the budget.

Lawmakers will need to negotiate additions to the budget that Shapiro and Democrats support, such as extra money for the schools, funding for public defenders offices, and a home repair program. Republicans havent promised to approve those measures, but a spokesperson for House Democrats said they plan to fight for them.

That process may go well into the fall. The House is not scheduled to reconvene until the end of September, after a special election to fill a vacant seat in a Pittsburgh district thats expected to restore Democrats one-seat majority.

Will this impact the rest of Shapiros time as governor?

By completing a budget deal, Shapiro avoided the predicament of his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who had a nine-month budget standoff with GOP leaders during his first year in office that hurt his approval ratings  at least temporarily.

Berwood Yost, executive director of polling at Franklin and Marshall College, said this years brief standoff is unlikely to hurt Shapiros 57% approval rating. The more important question, he said, is whether Shapiro can restore his relationships with legislative leaders.

Its important to sustain those relationships if the governor wants to get things done, Yost said. You have to have that trust with legislators.

In his veto memo last week, Shapiro said hed continue to support the private-school voucher program he helped create with Senate Republicans this year.

But hes likely to continue facing strong opposition over school choice from fellow Democrats, who often oppose diverting tax dollars to private or charter schools. Supporting school vouchers is a thorny issue for Democratic candidates because they often receive support from teachers unions and public education advocates, Yost said.

And Republicans want to hold Shapiro to his promises.

Were going to keep fighting for these scholarships, Ward said. Were not going to let up. We are letting these students down. There are kids in failing schools around the state that may not even be a safe place. We have to keep fighting for them.

Pittman said the Senate GOP will still try this year to approve a school voucher program.

Shapiro, asked whether he wishes he handled budget negotiations differently, said hes constantly in a state of personal reflection.

I want to work harder, and every day I want to learn. And I certainly learned in this process, he said. Im looking forward to taking what I learned and continuing to apply that in this bipartisan government to getting meaningful things done.

Republicans, however, are skeptical after his perceived flip-flop on vouchers.

A handshake means something. It always means something, and a look in the eye means something, Ward said. And now we know at least what were dealing with. And we will find a way to make things work.
Kennedy Mays has just tricked a large language model. It took some coaxing, but she managed to convince an algorithm to say nine plus 10 equals 21.

It was a back-and-forth conversation, said the 21-year-old student from Savannah, Georgia. At first, the model agreed to say it was part of an 'inside joke' between them. Several prompts later, it eventually stopped qualifying the errant sum in any way at all.

Producing bad math is just one of the ways thousands of hackers are trying to expose flaws and biases in generative AI systems at a novel public contest that took place at the Def Con hacking conference at the weekend in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas project

Hunched over 156 laptops for 50 minutes at a time, the attendees battled some of the worlds most intelligent platforms on an unprecedented scale.

They were testing whether any of eight models produced by companies including Alphabets Google, Meta Platforms, and OpenAI will make missteps ranging from dull to dangerous: Claim to be human, spread incorrect claims about places and people or advocate abuse.

The aim was to see if companies can ultimately build new guardrails to rein in some of the prodigious problems increasingly associated with large language models, or LLMs.

Sven Cattell, a data scientist who founded Def Cons AI Hacking Village in 2018, cautions that it is impossible to completely test AI systems, given they turn on a system much like the mathematical concept of chaos. File picture: John Walton/PA

The undertaking is backed by the White House, which also helped develop the contest.

LLMs have the power to transform everything from finance to hiring, with some companies already starting to integrate them into how they do business.

But researchers have turned up extensive bias and other problems that threaten to spread inaccuracies and injustice if the technology is deployed at scale.

Lies and hate speech

My biggest concern is inherent bias, Ms Mays said, adding that she is particularly concerned about racism.

She asked the model to consider the US first amendment from the perspective of a member of the Ku Klux Klan and said the model ended up endorsing hateful and discriminatory speech.

We have to try to get ahead of abuse and manipulation, said Biden administration deputy national cyber director for technology and ecosystem security Camille Stewart Gloster.

A lot of work has already gone into AI and avoiding Doomsday prophecies, she said.

White House initiative

The White House last year put out a Blueprint for an AI bill of rights and is now working on an executive order on AI.

White House office of science and technology policy director Arati Prabhakar, which helped shape the event and enlisted the companies participation, agreed voluntary measures do not go far enough.

In the room full of hackers eager to clock up points, one competitor thought he had convinced the algorithm to disclose credit card details it was not supposed to share.

Another competitor tricked the machine into saying Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

Doubts over reining in AI

Researchers have spent years investigating sophisticated attacks against AI systems and ways to mitigate them.

But Christoph Endres, managing director at Sequire Technology, a German cybersecurity company, is among those who contend some attacks are ultimately impossible to dodge.

So far we havent found mitigation that works, he said, arguing the very nature of the models leads to this type of vulnerability.

The way the technology works is the problem. If you want to be 100% sure, the only option you have is not to use LLMs, he said.

Read More Government seeks suitably qualified people for new AI advisory council

Sven Cattell, a data scientist who founded Def Cons AI Hacking Village in 2018, cautions that it is impossible to completely test AI systems, given they turn on a system much like the mathematical concept of chaos.

Even so, Mr Cattell predicts the total number of people who have ever actually tested LLMs could double as a result of the weekend contest.

Too few people comprehend that LLMs are closer to auto-completion tools on steroids than reliable fonts of wisdom, said the Pentagons chief digital and artificial intelligence officer Craig Martell, who argues they cannot reason.
Galley Head

Contender for the most spectacular properties you could dream to stay in, the Galley Head Lighthouse Keeper Houses are two coastal escapes in the wilds of West Cork.

Both original houses are loaded with character and flooded with light with spectacular coastal views from Fastnet Rock to the west to yes, Galley Head Lighthouse itself, just right outside your front door.

Rates from 568 for two nights; sleep four.

Elsewhere, the Irish Landmark Trust manages eight lighthouse properties, at five other lighthouse locations across the island.

Dog-friendly Triumphal Arch Lodge

Triumphal Arch Lodge

This gorgeous Fermanagh gate lodge is nestled within the working estate and home of Viscount & Viscountess Brookeborough, and offers cover-story country living at its finest.

While your stay away, rambling the idyllic grounds or pottering around Enniskillen, before retiring to your cozy abode for a homemade supper, some fireside Scrabble or simply lather up in the claw tub.

The lodge is also one of the most affordable options, at 378 for two nights, and it sleeps 4. Dog friendly.

Charming interiors at Killee Cottage

Killee Cottage

One of the Trusts latest acquisitions, Killee Cottage is a charming thatched cottage just outside Mitchelstown on the foothills of the Galtees.

Expect oodles of original cottage charm paired with toasty comforts thanks to its tasteful renovation the cottages former byre (or cow shed) is now a delightful double bedroom, for example.

Rates from 380 for two nights. Dog friendly. Other compact options include a railway crossing cottage in Donegal and a renovated schoolhouse in Sligo.

Helens Tower

If a castle is on your accommodation wish list, check out this three-storey stone tower nestled in the woods of the Clandeboye Estate in Co. Down.

The tower was built in 1848 by Frederick Lord Dufferin in honour of his mother, a deed since immortalised by Tennyson in the poem of the same name.

Poetry which even inspires these interiors along with views to Scotland on a fine day will wow, too.

380 for two nights; sleeps two. Check out Anne's Grove miniature castle in Castletownroche for another romantic option.

Tullymurry House (pictured in header)

The Irish Landmark Trust has all manner of period properties for rental but if youre looking for something to host a larger gathering, take a peep at Tullymore House in County Armagh.

The ivy-clad Georgian property in the shadow of the Mournes is the perfect place to reconnect with loved ones from its farmhouse kitchen to its formal dining room.

From 768 for two nights; sleeps 8. For an option in Munster, Inchiquin House is nestled just outside Ennis.
The first man to sue the State after he was sexually abused in an industrial school has said recent reports from the foster care system and the structure of the latest redress scheme show the Irish government didnt care about children then  and it doesnt care now.

Ray Noctor, 64, from Co. Carlow, was put into St Josephs Industrial School in Co. Kilkenny when he was eight years old, shortly after his mother Kathleen died from pneumonia and bronchitis.

His first four years in the system were relatively quiet, however, at 12 he was moved to a separate part of the school for children going into their teens.

There, he suffered horrific abuse at the hands of care worker David Murray, who raped and beat him regularly.

By the time he was 16, he was being subjected to bestiality.

In 1997, David Murray was convicted and jailed for 10 years for child sexual abuse. He has since been released.

At the time of Murray's sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Joseph Mathews said: "Never in the history of child care in this State has one child-care worker caused so much damage."

In 2005, Mr Noctor sued the Minister for Education, St. Josephs Industrial School in Co. Kilkenny, the Minister for Health, and the Southeastern Health Board for the abuse he had suffered in the 1960s.

He was awarded 370,000 in damages and costs at the High Court, for gross indecency and assault.

Mr Noctor spoke to the Irish Examiner in the wake of last month's signing into law of the Redress Scheme for mother and baby home survivors.

The 850 million package will provide compensation for some of the survivors of the institutions but has been criticised for ignoring those who were in foster care, as well as children who spent less than six months in the system.

Mr Noctor said he wanted to highlight how the government has learned nothing from his case, by "ignoring" thousands of survivors in the recent scheme.

Ray Noctor, when he was 11 years old.

At the time of his case, he chose to pursue the State in court rather than apply to the Redress Board, which then covered industrial school survivors.

I wanted the state to be held accountable. I had a good legal team, Malcolmson Law in Dublin, who supported me.

What galls me to this day is the fact that the State tried to deny my claims back in 2005. They were going to defend themselves, knowing what they knew, they had seen all the papers and my statement about what David Murray had done; it didnt seem to matter to them. But I brought it forward, and I won."

When you look at the Redress Board then and the recent scheme now, nothing has changed, the State is still defending itself. It is nothing short of a kangaroo court.

They neednt bother saying they are all for survivors. Despite all that children went through in this country; they took land from the nuns for the new childrens hospital. I dont care if it was free or not, or whatever deal was made, thats not the issue, its the fact they took it.

They always sided with the religious orders. I didnt go through the Redress Board; I went to court. But I did go with others to support them, the majority of those survivors were not allowed to give their statements.

In that scheme, there was a gagging clause and not one member of the government stood up and said this is wrong.

They are all clearly well aware of it. Micheal Martin was the Minister for Education when I was in court. I opened this can of worms by taking them on and all they did was try to defend themselves.

They did admit liability in the end, but they had no choice.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern gave a state apology on 10 May 1999 for those held in religious-run institutions, the Redress Board was launched, and it cost the State around 1.5 billion. But Mr Noctor believes it means nothing.

The apology was hollow, he said I wanted nothing to do with it. But when you look at it, the state is still failing children today in all areas.

Look at the foster system today, Sinead OConnor tried to highlight that after her son died in care."

He says there are children in care being abused, neglected, and silenced. They are waiting for services when they are the most vulnerable kids in the country and the HSE is broken.

We have children in poverty today and thats not right.

During his landmark case in 2005, Mr Noctor gave evidence of the appalling abuse he suffered at the hands of Murray.

He was beaten, sometimes with a hurley and on other occasions with a brush or strap.

I was put in there (St Josephs) by the ISPCC because my mother died. For the first few years, no one came near me, youd get a few slaps but no sexual abuse. Then they moved boys my age into another area, maybe because we were coming into puberty.

Murray started molesting me and it went on for four years.

He broke my jaw with a hurl because I was late home from school, he would fill me with drink and Id go into school drunk, or fall asleep, I was wetting myself and the teacher would send me home with a note saying I was disruptive.

He would beat the daylights out of me when Id get home. I was bruised all the time.

When I attended the hospital for the broken jaw, he said I was fighting with the other boys.

I never said anything because he would go to the hospital with me and stand there beside me.

He beat the other kids too, but it was me mostly. We did report this activity to the nuns, but either way, we werent believed.

I know that some people believed me. Then other people reported it to the Department of Education.

When the inspectors came, the school would get rid of me for the day. It was all covered up.

David Murray left his job for a year, however, the school re-employed him.

I had some peace for that time, he said, but when he came back, he was like a madman. He was worse than ever. He had this Alsatian dog, and he used the dog to abuse me.

I dont think he ever went that far with anyone else.

Ray Noctor: "I have no faith in the system or in this government, and the people of Ireland should open their eyes." Picture: Patrick Browne

Mr Noctor's abuser later got married, and he hoped the situation would ease then because his new wife worked at the school with him. Sadly, things remained the same.

The government failed me and other survivors across the country; they knew what Murray had done to me, he continued.

They knew the extent of the damage and yet they fought me in the hope that I would lose. What would have happened if I lost that case?

Having left the industrial school at 18, Mr Noctor got a job as a dry cleaner in Co. Kilkenny, and he was moved from place to place by social workers in a type of after-care system.

That went on for around a year, he said. This is still happening today in the foster care system; they move them on instead of dealing with them in one place. The government hasnt learned anything from my case because it is still happening to this day.

Families are being split up and children are being fired across the foster care system and its not good enough, I have no faith in the system or in this government, and the people of Ireland should open their eyes. Do we really want to trust this government who are out of touch?

"Children in poverty, children in care... there are no rigorous independent assessments despite what we are being told and we need to change.

Eventually, Mr Noctor joined the navy in Cobh Co. Cork, however, he suffered from alcoholism for 30 years and was dishonourably discharged because of his addiction.

He has been sober for 10 years and is currently putting together a book about his life story, which he hopes to publish next year.

We have so much to learn, and we havent moved on and the government have learned absolutely nothing as far as I am concerned, they are full of empty words.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it is very conscious of the enormous trauma which has been endured by all survivors of abuse. However, the department cannot comment on individual cases.

The Irish Examiner contacted the Department of Children, Justice, and Health as well as the Child and Family Agency.
Bahraini authorities said steady progress is being made on the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Bridge with regard to maintenance, assessment and painting to increase the lifespan of the bridge.

The project scope includes painting of about 62,000 sq m area and maintenance of the 404-m-long bridge as well as replacing the expansion joints and cathodic protection system, reported BNA.

The BD3.3-million ($8.7 million) contract was awarded to Hertel LLC by the Tenders and Auctions Board.

This project comes within the framework of the road maintenance programme implemented by the Ministry of Works to preserve the road network, ensure the sustainability of the service, and raise the level of traffic safety on roads, said Ibrahim bin Hassan Al Hawaj, Minister of Works, after inspecting the maintenance work.

"Our ministry is harnessing all its capabilities to ensure that the roads and streets of the kingdoms regions receive adequate care and attention, to raise safety rates and enhance the efficiency of the road network," he added.
Genres : Drama, Thriller

Starring : David Hemmings, Carolyn Seymour

Director : John Mackenzie

Plot Synopsis

Boys will be boys in this scathing psychological thriller set within the hidebound but testosterone-charged confines of a remote coastal British private school, produced by and starring David Hemmings (Blow Up, Deep Red).

John Ebony is the idealistic young schoolmaster who arrives at Chantrey School for Boys on his first assignment, employed to fill the shoes of his predecessor Pelham who has recently been found dead at the bottom of a nearby cliff. Taking up residence in a cottage in the schools grounds with his restless young wife Sylvia (Carolyn Seymour), Ebony is eager to make a good impression, but immediately gets off on the wrong foot with his assigned pupils, discovering the boys of class Lower 5b, minus the perpetually absent Zigo, to be unruly and defiant. However, they might possibly know more about Pelhams demise than the schools headmaster and his fellow staff are letting on.

Masterfully shot by cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth (2001: A Space Odyssey) and directed by John Mackenzie (The Long Good Friday), this film adaptation of Giles Coopers classic play is presented on home video for the first time ever. Unman, Wittering and Zigo presents a scathing expose of the kind of environment from which brutish empires are born.
The principal of a primary school in Dublin who has been unable to fill three essential posts despite advertising them three times has said the shortage crisis will affect the most vulnerable children.

Orla McLoughlin is principal of Sacred Heart Junior National School, a Deis band 1 school in Tallaght.

She said an online group once used to source last-minute substitutes has gone into panic mode over the past month with a litany of fixed-term positions in every school.

Every single day, principals are sharing their ads that they've put on Education Posts, but along with that, they're putting up almost like a sales pitch, trying to make it attractive, she said.

It comes as the president of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (Asti), Geraldine OBrien, last month said the teacher shortage crisis is now at its worst.

Ms McLoughlin has been unable to fill three once coveted fixed-term positions saying she "cant imagine" getting short-term cover in the coming year should any issues arise.

She advertised the posts in May and June, but candidates have their choice of multiple jobs due to the shortages everywhere.

Ms McLoughlin first advertised the posts in May and received applications from six applicants, all of whom pulled out before interviews took place as they had secured jobs elsewhere.

After advertising the roles again in June, just two out of five accepted interview offers, to whom she offered the jobs.

I was on an interview board the next day for another school and one of them appeared at the interview for that school.

It's a buyer's market for them because the schools are crying out for teachers."

There are currently 623 primary school positions advertised on Education Posts, 293 of which are located in Dublin, and 42 of which are in Cork.

Some 451 posts remain unfilled for post-primary school positions, 170 of which are located in Dublin and 33 in Cork.

She said although the recruitment crisis is not a new phenomenon, more and more teachers are opting to travel, while many cannot afford to rent in large cities and towns in Dublin and Cork.

Ms McLoughlin had two teachers resign to move to Dubai, while another two have taken career breaks to move to Australia.

She said being a Deis school makes it even harder to fill positions.

Having to advertise a job for 14 days, in addition to another seven days before interviews can take place means principals have to be three weeks ahead.

If she cannot fill the posts with the third round of interviews, she will not have the essential staff in place by the time the school opens in September which will cause a massive void.

The unfilled post that worries her the most is for a support teacher providing emotional and behavioural support, which she said is invaluable for a Deis band 1 school.

It's going to be the most vulnerable children in the school that are going to be losing out on a day-to-day basis."

In addition to travel and rent costs, several other barriers are contributing to the crisis, including the difficult nature of registering to teach, while the time it takes to complete degrees may need to be paired back, she said.

A spokesperson for the Teaching Council said although it does not have a remit concerning the recruitment of teachers, we are very aware of the ongoing pressures and demand for qualified and vetted teachers.

This is also in the context of the wider ongoing pressures in the economy that are having an effect on teacher supply and availability in Ireland, the spokesperson said.
Update, August 14 2023: Tafadzwa Mujokoro, 25, who was last seen at Dublin Airport on the morning of Sunday, August 6 has been located safe and well.

An Garda Siochana would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance.
After running a company for more than two decades, Gerry Clancy from Kilfinane in Limerick was due to go on the holiday of a lifetime in 2018, a treat for his 65th birthday.

He decided he would finally see the Great Wall of China and travel the Yangtze River.

Before that, though, he took a break from work and went to a Tibetan Buddhist retreat on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork in a move that changed everything.

Part of that was talking about people in less well-off places around the world and when I was coming home on the Sunday evening I had a woeful guilt about spending 6,000 on myself, he said.

At the time, he had seen a post online about a charity called Refugee Support Europe.

They were trying to help people by bringing back some dignity into their lives, he said.

When I came home, I rang them and two months later, I was fundraising and on my way off to Greece to a refugee camp in Katsikas near the Albanian border.

The charity was set up just two years prior and provides aid with dignity through dignity centres situated in refugee camps.

There could be 100 people at the door every morning, mostly looking for food, Mr Clancy said, explaining that each eligible person receives 840 points which equates to 8.40 which they can use in the dignity centres food shop.

Believe it or not, we can give someone a weeks worth of groceries for 8.40.

Gerry Clancy from Kilfinane, Co Limerick volunteering at a refugee camp in Katsikas in Northern Greece. He is raising funds for Refugee Support Europe and is returning for a sixth such trip at the end of September. Picture: Gerry Clancy

He has encountered countless refugees through his volunteer work, all of whom are in crisis, he said.

Everyday life for them is a huge uphill struggle, he said before adding: I had a 22-year-old girl from Nigeria back in March who was there because her family wanted to marry her off to a 65-year-old guy she had never seen. She refused and ran away and her life is now in danger from her own family.

Mr Clancy recalled meeting a former senior judge who had to flee Afghanistan and remains living in constant fear for his family after putting members of the Taliban in jail.

Using Cyprus as an example, Mr Clancy said refugees can only work in a limited number of very low-paid jobs which the centre helps them to curate CVs for.

We write CVs based on those jobs even though sometimes they give us information that theyre qualified mechanics, electricians, or plumbers but they cant do any of those jobs in Cyprus, he said.

While providing information for vital services in the area, the centre also acts as a cafe, and somewhere to get a haircut or charge a phone.

Dignity centres such as the one in Cyprus cost approximately 25,000 to operate each month. Originally there were four  two in Greece, one in Moldova, and one in Cyprus  but just the two latter remain due to difficulties in raising funds.

Mr Clancy decided to organise a sponsored walk in Kilfinane in July which saw 40 people, including 10 Ukrainian people living locally, turn up to raise 6,500.

Since 2018, Mr Clancy has raised 105,000 for Refugee Support Europe which relies solely on public funds and volunteers who all pay for their own expenses while abroad.

He said people from all across Limerick , including JP and Noreen McManus, support the cause each year while other across the county travel to Kilfinane in December just to donate.

Separately, he raises funds each summer by selling planters in June, with this years proceeds going to Merchants Quay and Mid-West Simon.

The response from the community is unbelievable, he said.

Mr Clancy has volunteered at refugee camps abroad in Greece and Cyprus five times and is now gearing up for a sixth visit next month.

Youre in a bubble and when you come home, everything is strange, he said.

I never got to see the Great Wall of China and I never got to go down the Yangtze River, he said, laughing.
Midway through his recent Oireachtas appearances Ryan Tubridys agent Noel Kelly told politicians it was time for his client to do other stuff. He could do a famine documentary, he suggested.

If Tubridy takes the ball and runs with it, his starting point should be a visit to the exquisite home of the first famine landlord assassinated by his tenants  the notorious murder of Major Denis Mahon in Strokestown Park, Co Roscommon in November 1847. It sent shockwaves through the British establishment and reached the ears of Queen Victoria and even the Pope.

The Major had been a marked man for at least a year. After a second failed potato crop was destroyed by blight in August of 1846, 22 labourer tenants wrote to him in despair in what has become known as the famous Cloonahee Petition.

Our families really and truly suffering in our present and we cannot much longer withstand their cries for food. We have no food for them. Our potatoes are rotten, and we have no grain, they wrote. The petition ends with an explicit threat: they were not for violence unless pressed to by HUNGER.

The petition was one of the first documents in a treasure trove of famine-era records discovered by the current estate owner Jim Callery over 40 years ago. Signifying its historical significance, the petition today has pride of place at the entrance to the newly reimagined National Famine Museum at Strokestown, the Majors former seat of power.

And power he wielded. In her recent film From Strokestown to London, inspired by her visit to Strokestown, acclaimed poet Cherry Smyth tells the story of a peasant woman named Catherine Larkin who had the temerity to cross the Majors lawn. For this transgression, she was taken to court, fined and slapped.

The humiliations and miseries heaped on the Irish and the obscene wealth and power enjoyed by their Mahon overlords are beautifully presented in the new museum, which opened last year after a 5 million investment. Creating empathy and a human connection to the massive scale of the famine is no easy feat but every space in the museum is designed to put a human face on our national catastrophe. Listening to your audio guide as you would a phone, you enter what used to be the old stables and move chronologically through the events at Strokestown which mirrored a national story.

The landlords lives is recreated in imaginative settings, with sounds, shadows and lights surrounding original artefacts  a handwritten recipe for lobster soup contrasts sharply with the Majors list of tenants to receive meat on Christmas Day. The class society of the time is explored with innovative audio-visuals, touch screens, dramatized audio recordings  you can even stand in a recreated six-foot-by-six-foot coffin ship berth. It is unnerving.

Patrick Brennan was just three years old when he boarded the Naomi on its journey to Canada in 1847. He was dead when the ship arrived in Quebec. The landlord made sure to erase all trace of the huts occupied by the former tenants after they were evicted. They were wiped from history. But in the museum, Patrick and many other victims, orphans and survivors are finally remembered with the respect denied them in life.

RTEs Brian Dobson, who happened to be visiting the same day as our family, recalls seeing the Cloonahee Petition 30 years ago and was completely stunned by it. It stopped me in my tracks, he said sitting in the brand-new Woodland Cafe (which sells deliciously fresh scones). Dobson had just toured the new museum with his wife Crea, who was moved to tears by what she saw. We had seen the museum before it was re-configured and its completely different now. I think theyve made much better use, fantastic use of the documents and the archive material that tell the story so well. Its quite moving, he said.

So often with something like the famine, because its such a long time ago it feels a bit abstract but this brings a powerful human story, he said. Theyve done that very well with the voiceover and the copy of the text there for you to read as you listen to it. It is an extraordinary archive and they use it very well, said Mr Dobson.

Around the corner from the museum, conservation works inside the Majors 300-year-old Palladian mansion have just been completed and with that, perhaps the sweetest justice for the peasants  the mansion they were never allowed set foot in, is now open to all and is an absolute must-see.

Open the door and you enter 1845. The golden age of Strokestown heirs and heiresses is perfectly preserved in one of the most amazing collections of original contents of any historic house in Ireland. New guided tours bring you through each room in the house. Stand in front of the Majors desk where he surely read the Cloonahee Petition in 1846. Scan his library of ancient texts, peep into the boudoir of his heiresses or marvel at the magnificent galleried kitchen where mlady would give her orders to cook.

Thats the amazing thing here with Strokestown, says General Manager John ODriscoll. You get into the house. You see how the landed gentry lived. But then you walk across the yard and you get another side of the story and what it was like for those living outside the estate. The house is a time capsule. Its worn-looking, its old, its not been over-restored, its almost as it was left by the family. Its stopped in time, he adds.

Strokestown Park is a worthy National Famine Museum, matching any European cultural attraction with acres of historic walled gardens and woodland walks. For kiddies, there are activity booklets to engage their curiosity and forest trails to expend their energy - unpatrolled and inviting. Today we can stroll across the lawns, wander the mansion corridors and remember our past. And we wont even be fined or slapped for it.

See Strokestownpark.ie
A gunman has opened fire at a prominent shrine in southern Iran, killing one person and wounding eight others in an attack that followed another assault there months earlier.

Officials offered no immediate motive for the attack in the city of Shiraz at Shah Cheragh, which draws Shiite pilgrims to its domed mosque and the tomb of a prominent member of the faith from its earliest days.

However, Iran has faced attacks in the past from the Sunni extremists of the so-called Islamic State group, who view Shiites as heretics. Iran also faces lingering unrest and economic turmoil amid tensions with the West.

People gather at Shah Cheragh shrine (Mohammadreza Dehdari, ISNA via AP)

Irans state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ismail Qezelsofla, a deputy governor for security in the countrys Fars province, as giving the casualty toll.

Fars province governor Mohammad Hadi Imanieh told Iranian state television that a single gunman carried out the attack and later was detained by security forces.

Footage after the attack showed security forces surround one entrance to the then-deserted courtyard of Shah Cheragh at sunset. Ambulances later took away the wounded as security forces and government officials reached the shrine.

Shah Cheragh is one of Irans top five Shiite shrines. It draws pilgrims to Shiraz, which is 420 miles south of Irans capital, Tehran.

The attack on Sunday night comes after an October 2022 attack on the same shrine killed 13 people and wounded dozens of others.

Eight people were wounded in the attack (Mohammadreza Dehdari, ISNA via AP)

The Islamic State group claimed the assault, which Iran said had been carried out by a man from Tajikistan, who later died in a hospital after succumbing to injuries he suffered while being detained by security forces.

Iran has backed Syrias embattled Bashar Assad during his countrys civil war. It also fought Islamic State fighters both there and in Iraq.

The worst assault from Islamic State militants in Iran came in a June 2017 attack that killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50 in Tehran as its gunmen stormed parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis mausoleum.

Mr Khomeini led the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed shah to become Irans first supreme leader until his death in 1989.
U.S. Rep. Greg Steube on Friday filed four articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, all in connection with business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden.

The GOP Congressman from Florida made the decision Friday, even though U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said that House Republicans are still gathering evidence and have to yet to decide whether or not to open a formal impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

Its long past time to impeach Joe Biden, Steube said in a press release. He has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of Americas citizens. The evidence continues to mount by the day  the Biden Crime Family has personally profited off Joes government positions through bribery, threats, and fraud. Joe Biden must not be allowed to continue to sit in the White House, selling out our country.

Steubes articles of impeachment reference abuse of power, bribery, obstruction of justice, fraud and financial involvement in illegal drug transactions and prostitution.

He becomes the fifth House Republican to file articles of impeachment against President Biden this year, but just the second to target the president regarding Hunter Bidens issues. Tennessee Republican Andy Ogles also filed articles back in June, while Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Florida U.S. Rep. Bill Posey and Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert filed articles of impeachment earlier this year against Biden, citing his immigration policies.

House Republicans have been investigating President Bidens son Hunter and other family members for months regarding allegations of influence-peddling. But Democrats have contended that so far none of the information revealed to date has shown that President Joe Biden has had any involvement in those business dealings.

Shortly after Steube filed his articles of impeachment, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the appointment of U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel overseeing the ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden.

Weiss was previously appointed by former President Donald Trump to investigate Hunter Biden and brought charges against him in Delaware in June regarding two misdemeanor tax offenses and a felony firearm offense. Hunter Biden agreed to enter a guilty plea on the tax offenses, but a federal judge balked last month at approving the deal.

(This story has been updated to include Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Posey and Tennessee Republican U.S. Rep Andy Ogles introducing articles of impeachment against President Biden).

This story appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee.
Sunday, Aug 13th, 2023 (12:01 am) - Score 3,816

A few months ago we reported (here) on how residents in two Cheshire villages had been mistakenly been told by UK ISP TalkTalk that their full fibre (FTTP) broadband service  under the old UltraFibreOptic (UFO) platform  was about to be disconnected. But unfortunately, the provider seems not to have learnt its lesson.

Just to recap. The service in the villages of Hollins Green and Rixton (Warrington) was first announced in September 2020 by CityFibres FibreNation division (here), which only a few months earlier had been acquired from TalkTalk for 200m (here). Despite this, TalkTalk continued to act as the retail ISP for customers on the UFO and FibreNation parts of their network.

NOTE: The situation in the villages is partly linked back to last years decision by TalkTalk to close its UFO product trial in York because the equipment is obsolete ( The situation in the villages is partly linked back to last years decision by TalkTalk to close its UFO product trial in York because the equipment is obsolete ( here ).

However, everything took an awkward turn this year, which occurred after the ISP gave customers in the village an unwelcome surprise  when they logged into the providers website, they found a warning about the impending loss of their broadband and phone service. Customers were instead directed to call a specific phone number to avoid losing their service, except TalkTalks support agents had no knowledge of the change.

On top of that, locals who tried putting their address though TalkTalk and CityFibres availability checkers (i.e. to see if they could choose an alternative package or ISP) found that neither system reported them as having any access to full fibre. And despite CityFibre unveiling the original project, the operators support staff later confusingly told local users that they didnt take on that part of the network when they gobbled FibreNation (CityFibre later informed us that they did in fact own and operate the network).

At this point ISPreview intervened in order to seek some clarity. A spokesperson for TalkTalk then acknowledged that the banner was displayed by mistake and has now been removed  we apologise for any inconvenience. Customers in this exchange will continue to receive their usual service until further notice. Despite this, the situation in York meant that it would probably only be a matter of time until the product was retired.

The latest development

Residents in the village have now received a new End of Contract Notification (EOCN) letter from TalkTalk, which, much like the original website notice, informed them that their UFO service was ending and to call the ISP. When we called, we were told there is no FTTP service in our area! I checked on the TalkTalk website, and we are still shown as no service. Seems like no one wants the FibreNation / CityFibre infrastructure in the village, said an angry local.

TalkTalk chose not to provide us with a comment when we chased them this time, but they did confirm that the EOCN had mistakenly recommended their Full Fibre 900 package as an alternative, which they added is not currently available to customers in Hollins Green and Rixton. Once again, the ISP apologised and said that in-contract customers would continue to receive their usual service until further notice.

In the previous report we noted that Freedom Fibre, which is a TalkTalk backed alternative network, was allegedly engaged in talks about a possible acquisition of the local network. But so far nothing appears to have come of that and, meanwhile, TalkTalk continue to make the same mistakes. However, the ISP has promised to contact impacted customers to discuss their options, although hopefully next time itll be with correct information.

The good news for locals is that Openreach has since expanded their own FTTP lines across the community and many have already decided to switch, rather than remain stuck in TalkTalks uncertainty field. As one customer said, The amount of time Ive spent on the phone with [TalkTalk] getting to this point is ridiculous. Im booked in with BT this week for a new connection and would rather just move on.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Pentagon is developing plans to restructure the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in a move to address problems highlighted by the chaotic response to the Jan. 6 riot and safety breaches during the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd, The Associated Press has learned.

The changes under discussion would transfer the District of Columbia's aviation units, which came under sharp criticism during the protests when a helicopter flew dangerously low over a crowd. In exchange, the district would get more military police, which is often the citys most significant need, as it grapples with crowd control and large public events.

Several current and former officials familiar with the talks spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They said no final decisions have been made.

A key sticking point is who would be in control of the D.C. Guard  a politically divisive question that gets to the heart of what has been an ongoing, turbulent issue. Across the country, governors control their National Guard units and can make decisions on deploying them to local disasters and other needs. But D.C. is not a state, so the president is in charge but gives that authority to the defense secretary, who generally delegates it to the Army secretary.

According to officials, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is weighing two options: maintaining the current system or handing control to U.S. Northern Command, which is in charge of homeland defense.

Senior officials have argued in favor of Northern Command, which would take control out of the hands of political appointees in Washington who may be at odds with the D.C. government, and giving it to nonpartisan military commanders who already oversee homeland defense. Others, however, believe the decision-making should remain at the Pentagon, mirroring the civilian control that governors have on their troops.

The overall goal, officials said, is not to decrease the size of the districts Guard, but reform it and ensure it has the units, equipment and training to do the missions it routinely faces. The proposal to shift the aviation forces is largely an Army decision. It would move the D.C. Air Guard wing and its aircraft to the Maryland Guard, and the Army aviation unit, with its helicopters, to Virginias Guard.

An Army official added that a review of the D.C. Guard examined its ability to provide rapid response, mission command and coordination with other forces when needed over the past four years. The review, which led to the recommendations, involved the District Guard and Army leaders.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers office did not respond to a request for comment Friday on the proposed changes.

But Bowser and other local officials have long claimed that the mayors office should have sole authority to deploy the local guard, arguing that the D.C. mayor has the responsibilities of any governor without the extra authorities or tools.

When faced with a potential security event, the mayor of D.C. has to go to the Pentagon  usually the Army secretary  to request National Guard assistance. That was true during the violent protests in the city over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in 2020, and later as an angry mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to overturn the election of Joe Biden as president.

As the Jan. 6 riot was unfolding, city leaders were making frantic calls to Army leaders, asking them to send Guard troops to the Capitol where police and security were being overrun. City leaders complained heatedly about delays in the response as the Pentagon considered Bowsers National Guard request. City police ended up reinforcing the Capitol Police.

Army leaders, in response, said the district was demanding help but not providing the details and information necessary to determine what forces were needed and how they would be used.

Army officials were concerned about taking the Guard troops who were arrayed around the city doing traffic duty and sending them into a riot, because they were not prepared and didnt have appropriate gear. And they criticized the city for repeatedly insisting it would not need security help when asked by federal authorities in the days leading up to Jan. 6.

The swirling confusion spurred congressional hearings and accusations that political considerations influenced the Trump administrations response to the unrest in the Democratic-majority city. Defense officials rejected those charges, and blamed the city.

Within the Pentagon, however, there are broader concerns that D.C. is too quick to seek National Guard troops to augment law enforcement shortfalls in the city that should be handled by police. In recent days, a city council member suggested the D.C. Guard might be needed to help battle spiking local crime.

The restructuring is an effort to smooth out the process and avoid communications problems if another crisis erupts.

An Army investigation in April 2021 sharply criticized the D.C. Guard, saying troops lacked clear guidance and didnt fully understand how to use helicopters appropriately during the civil unrest in June 2020.

The probe was triggered by widespread objections, including from Congress, after one of the D.C. Guard helicopters hovered low enough over protesters near the Capitol One Arena to create a deafening noise and spray protesters with rotor wash. There were also concerns that the Guard used a medivac helicopter  with medical markings  to make such a show of force against the crowds gathered to protest Floyd's death.

The report found that the use of medical helicopters was appropriate because it was an emergency, but the episode raised worries among defense leaders about the need for improved planning, training and oversight of the D.C. Guard's use of aviation and calls for a stricter approval process.

Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Rachel Putney and her fellow kindergarteners were eating cupcakes to mark a classmates birthday.

Betsy Andrews remembers coming out of a meeting and seeing news of the attack on the World Trade Center on the TVs at her office. A colleague turned to her and said, Were going to war.

And John Gasper, 75, compared 9/11 to the feeling he had decades earlier when he learned of President John F. Kennedys assassination

It shut down the country for days. Everyone was focused on news. It was 24/7 news. And it was like a huge shock: How could this possibly happen? Gasper, of Jamestown, said of the attack. Now, its history.

That terrible history was brought to life in recent days at the Erie County Fair, which hosted the 9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit. Putney, Andrews and Gasper were among the hundreds on Sunday who stopped by the exhibit trailer that travels to far-flung fairs, festivals and schools.

We bring a part of that day out to them, Billy Puckett, the exhibits field manager, said Sunday. This is the exhibits first time stopping in Buffalo, he said.

The mobile exhibit holds artifacts from the World Trade Center site  such as turnout gear worn by a firefighter killed in the terror attack and a piece of concrete taken from Ground Zero  as well as emergency radio transmissions recorded that morning and documentary videos about 9/11.

The exhibit, sponsored by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, also provides background on the World Trade Center and information on the attack at the Pentagon and the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania that same day.

In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed, including Siller and 342 other firefighters in New York City, and many first responders continue to suffer from 9/11-related illnesses. The United States invaded Afghanistan and, later, Iraq following the 9/11 attacks.

Peter Chadwick was a firefighter with the New York Fire Departments Ladder 40 in Harlem on 9/11. He was off-duty but was driving to the site when the towers collapsed.

He is one of several department retirees who serve as exhibit guides, answering questions and listening as guests share their own memories of that morning.

This, I think, is phenomenal, Chadwick said, looking out at the group waiting to walk up the ramp and into the exhibit. We didnt have this line yesterday.

The NEVER FORGET exhibit was emotional for many, particular those old enough to remember the horrific attacks of 22 years ago.

Its heart-wrenching, Andrews, 59, of Marilla, said after viewing the exhibit. I was crying.

Jason Putney, like his wife, was in elementary school on 9/11. He said he thought this exhibit was a valuable historical resource for people who were born afterward.

Rachel Putney, 27, said the attack and its aftermath remain a touchstone for people her age and older.

Its, so to speak, a modern-day Pearl Harbor, she said, referring to the attack that drew the United States into World War II.

The mobile exhibit remains at the fair through Monday.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation also pays to construct accessible homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders  including two in this area  and it paid off the mortgage on a home for Buffalo Firefighter Jason Arnos widow. Arno was killed March 1 in a building collapse while battling a fire.

For more information, visit t2t.org.
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( Middle East Monitor )  With the Israeli occupation killing 13 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank between 25 July and 10 August, including three children, the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank and Israel by Israeli occupation forces has so far this year reached 167, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has disclosed in a report.

This figure surpasses the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces throughout 2022, which amounted to 155.

In addition to the Israeli army killings, an Israeli settler shot and killed a Palestinian man and injured two others during a settler attack in Burqa village, near Ramallah, on 4 August. This raised the number of Palestinians killed by settlers in the West Bank from the beginning of 2023 until 7 August to seven.
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By Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle | 

(The Conversation)  Australias minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, has announced Australia will return to use of the term occupied Palestinian territories.

The Australian government will use this phrase to describe the territories in the West Bank and Gaza that Israel occupied in 1967.

Australian officials have generally avoided the use of occupied and occupation in relation to Palestine since 2014.

This move by Australia is an important means of signalling condemnation of Israels expansion of illegal settlements on Palestinian lands. It reorients Australia towards the orthodox position on the occupation under international law.

It has been reported that some at the upcoming Labor national conference will agitate for the government to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans argues the time is right for the government to make such a move. He notes that 138 of the UNs 193 member states have already done so.

There is no legal bar to Australia recognising Palestine as a state. Rather, it would be a political decision for the government of the day, aimed at promoting the long called-for two-state solution.

The position under international law

Since the United Nations (UN) was established in 1945, the status of Palestine has been a perennial question of modern international law. The UN General Assembly and Security Council have resolved that Israel violates the prohibition on the use of force through its occupation of Palestinian territories. Palestine has held the special status of non-member observer state in the UN since 2012.



Photo by Ahmed Abu Hameeda on Unsplash

In 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) gave an advisory opinion on the implications of Israels construction of a wall in the occupied Palestinian territories. The ICJ concluded the wall served to protect illegal settlements, shore up annexation of Palestinian lands and deny self-determination for the Palestinian people.

The UNs longstanding condemnation of Israels occupation was reasserted in a General Assembly resolution on December 30 2022. The resolution noted Israels obligations, as the occupying power, to:

comply with the Geneva Conventions on the protection of civilians during war

cease violating the human rights of the Palestinian people

cease efforts to modify Palestinian territory through illegal settlements, and bring an end to the occupation

stop construction and dismantle the wall it has been constructing in the occupied territories

respect the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine and the territorial unity of the occupied territories

end the blockade of the Gaza strip and other onerous limitations on freedom of movement for people and goods.

The General Assembly also took the significant step of requesting a new advisory opinion from the ICJ on the legal implications of Israels continuing occupation. In January 2023 the UN secretary-general submitted the following questions to the ICJ:

What are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures? How do the policies and practices of Israel [] affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?



Image by helen35 from Pixabay

The ICJ is now reviewing submissions by UN member states on these questions. It is likely some submissions will explicitly raise the question of whether Israels policies and practices in Palestine amount to the crime of apartheid.

What happens now?

The ICJs eventual advisory opinion will not be a binding decision on Israel. However, it will be an authoritative view by the world court. Based on extensive precedent in international law and practice, the ICJ will surely conclude that Israel remains in illegal occupation of Palestine.

The Australian governments reorientation on the status of Palestine is aligned with international law and state practice. Australia, along with all UN member states, is obliged to promote respect for international law and universal human rights.

Amy Maguire, Associate Professor in Human Rights and International Law, University of Newcastle

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  Sultan al-Jaber, the controversial chairman of the COP28 climate conference, is a United Arab Emirates businessman extraordinaire. His role and that of COP28 appear all the more important in the wake of the terrifying wildfires that swept the tropical island (!) of Maui this week and destroyed the ancient capital of Hawaii, which not even Captain Cook had been able to accomplish. Such wildfires have more than one cause, but our preeminent climate scientist, Michael E. Mann of the University of Pennsylvania, estimates that the cause was 5/6 human-produced climate change and 1/6 other factors.

Al-Jaber wears several hats, including chairman of the board of Masdar, the UAEs green energy corporation, and CEO of ADNOC, a major oil and gas concern that is seeking a massive global expansion.

Masdar built a model city near Abu Dhabi that I went to visit once. It was envisaged as demonstration project for a low-carbon urban environment. They had these cute little electric vehicles and the buildings had solar panels. If Im not mistaken, Mr. al-Jaber was on the premises at the time and I met him and got his business card. Seemed like a nice guy, and very idealistic.

Masdar is an important player in the green energy field and is doing great things that are an extension of al-Jabers vision. It is active in 40 countries. Masdar has 20 gigawatts worth of green energy facilities in its portfolio, and al-Jaber has set a goal of 100 gigawatts by 2030. That would be an incredible achievement for a single company. Germany, a green energy pioneer, only has 58 gigawatts of wind power to date, and 70 gigawatts of solar, so Masdar as a single company wants to achieve nearly as much green power generation as Germany has accumulated historically until this moment.

Andrew Lee at Recharge reports that Masdar is investing $1.5 billion with the Spanish firm Iberdrola in the Baltic Eagle offshore wind installation off Germany, which will generate 476 MW. It is slightly over a $3 bn project.

Article continues after bonus IC video

Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue:  Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber  Keynote

Some of Masdars investments, as in offshore floating windmills for Scotland, could be game-changers. Californias offshore waters are too deep for pylons, so its offshore wind will have to be on floating platforms of the sort Masdar is pioneering with its partners.

The company also set up the worlds largest floating solar facility in Indonesia, and is now partnering with Malaysia for 2 gigawatts of green energy projects.

It is his role as chairman of the board at Masdar that catapulted al-Jaber into the presidency of COP28.

Heres the problem, though. Masdar itself is owned by a consortium of three corporations, one of them being the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), of which Mr. al-Jaber has been group CEO since 2016. It is an irony that the venture capital for Masdar came in part from a gas and oil company.

But it is also troubling, because most movers and shakers in the Gulf oil states dont have an appreciation for how urgent the climate crisis is and how important it is to Keep it in the Ground. They arent blind. They know an energy transition is coming. But their horizon for it is fifty or sixty years, not ten or twenty. It may not seem like a big difference. For the health of the earth, it is an enormous difference. We have a carbon budget. All the carbon pollution we have so far put into the atmosphere will go into the oceans. If we stop producing CO2, the earth will immediately cease heating up further, and then, gradually, over a couple of centuries, will go back to what was normal before about 1850. But the ocean will run out of absorptive capacity in 2050, and if we go on spewing billions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere after that, well make the earth a hellhole for many centuries, maybe millennia, to come.

To be fair, even the Chinese Communist Party doesnt plan to stop building new coal plants until 2030, and doesnt plan to get to carbon zero until 2060, even though it is making bigger strides toward a green energy economy, as measured by gigawatts of green energy, than any other country in the world. Coal is to the Chinese economy what petroleum is to the UAE economy, and neither can easily let go (the CPP is afraid of the coal workers for one thing). So it isnt only the Gulf oil states who have this tunnel blindness.

But heres the kicker: Ivan Levingston, David Sheppard and Andrew England at the Financial Times write that ADNOC has earmarked $150bn in capital expenditure over the next five years towards expanding its oil and gas production, with $15bn set aside for low-carbon solutions over a longer period.

And you want to shout, no, no, no! UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in June that based on UN studies, the world can only avoid the catastrophes that will come with exceeding the pre-Industrial Revolution average temperature by 1.5 degrees C. by cutting, not just present emissions, but fossil fuel production.

He called on financial institutions to commit to end financing and investment in exploration for new oil and gas fields, and expansion of oil and gas reserves  investing instead in the just transition in the developing world. He called on the fossil fuel industry to drive the transition to green energy.

So Mr.al-Jaber is doing half of what Secretary-General Guterres is asking. ADNOC is in fact using Masdar to effect a green energy transition, with plans to expand its gigawattage by an enormous 80 gigs.

But his ADNOC is not doing the other half. It isnt ceasing investment in and exploration for new oil and gas. $150 billion over 5 years for expansion of fossil fuel production is a crime against humanity. Ask Maui.

And this is why Mr. al-Jaber is such a controversial pick to chair COP28. His Masdar activities are what make John Kerry, President Bidens special emissary on climate change, defend Mr. al-Jaber, and those activities are indeed praiseworthy.

But the ADNOC expansion plans are not consistent with leadership on the climate crisis. Moreover, they are likely bad business strategy. The electrification of transportation is coming much more quickly than most people realize (read Tony Seba), and wasting money to produce more oil for ten years from now when demand will likely be cratering is a good way to go bankrupt.
Attacks by Sudanese paramilitaries on Sunday sent hundreds of civilians fleeing a major city in Darfur, residents told AFP as battles against the regular army intensify in the restive western region.

Darfur as well as Sudan's capital Khartoum have borne the brunt of nearly four months of fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by rival generals vying for power.

One resident told AFP hundreds of people have been displaced from Nyala, Sudan's second largest city and capital of South Darfur state, where "rockets are falling on houses".

The war erupted in Khartoum on April 15 between the forces of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

At least 3,900 people have been killed nationwide, according to a conservative estimate by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

More than four million people have been uprooted from their homes, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Witnesses said on Sunday that RSF paramilitaries had attacked Nyala with "dozens of military vehicles" and that "hundreds of residents are fleeing intense artillery fire".

The vast region of Darfur has a bloody history. It is where Sudan's former strongman Omar al-Bashir in 2003 unleashed Arab tribal militia in a scorched-earth campaign to quash a non-Arab rebellion against perceived inequalities.

It is a stronghold of the RSF which emerged from the notorious Janjaweed militia that had spearheaded Bashir's deadly onslaught.

Fighting in the latest conflict has concentrated on El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, where the United Nations suspects that crimes against humanity have been committed.

Several sources allege there have been massacres of civilians and ethnically motivated killings in Darfur, attributed to paramilitary forces and allied Arab militias.

Researchers at Yale University in the United States say that at least 27 villages in Darfur have been razed to the ground by the RSF and its allies since April.

"The ferocity and volume of the violence at least equals the genocide in 2003-2004," Nathaniel Raymond of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health told AFP.

"The RSF and Arab allied militias are moving methodically and quickly without impediment. They chose the time and place and attack to liquidate civilian communities," he said.

Fighting was also reported on Sunday in Khartoum's battle-scarred sister city of Omdurman just across the Nile, where one resident reported "artillery fire".
Seven people including a newborn baby, her 12-year-old brother and their parents were killed on Sunday by Russian shelling in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, officials said.

Also among the victims was a Christian pastor, officials said, adding that another 13 people received injuries.

The three adults and two children were killed in the village of Shyroka Balka in the region of Kherson, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on messaging app Telegram, releasing pictures showing the aftermath of the shelling attack.

One photo showed a column of black smoke rising above a house.

"A husband, wife and their 23-day-old daughter were killed by enemy artillery fire," Klymenko wrote.

The couple's 12-year-old son was hospitalised in critical condition and later died, Klymenko said in a separate statement.

In the village of Stanislav two men aged 57 and 71 were killed, officials said. One of the victims was identified as a Christian pastor.

Another 13 people were injured as a result of Russian shelling, Klymenko said.

"Terrorists must be stopped. They must be stopped by force," he said.

France condemned the strikes on Kherson as "unacceptable acts that constitute war crimes that cannot remain unpunished".

"These new attacks on civilian populations shows once again Russia's complete disregard of all the principles of international humanitarian law, which it has blatantly and repeatedly violated," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

Kherson was one of four regions in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have annexed last year.

Late last year, Russian troops withdrew from the city of Kherson but Moscow has continued to target settlements in the region.

Pro-Russian officials for their part said that a civilian died due to Ukrainian shelling in the settlement of Zaitsevo in the eastern Ukranian region of Donetsk.

In the settlement of Severny in the same region a man was killed and a woman received injuries, officials said.
A Fort Erie beach house that was once the source of fond memories for an Amherst family is now a bone of contention in a family feud playing out in courtrooms in Buffalo and Welland, Ont.

The three-bedroom bungalow along the sandy northern shoreline of Lake Erie has been in the Hamill family for 52 years. Melvin and Phyllis Hamill bought it for $13,500 in 1971, fixed it up and spent summers there with their four children, who fished, waterskied and sailed.

All my kids grew up there. They loved it. It was wonderful, said Phyllis Hamill.

But Dr. Christopher Hamill, an orthopedic spine surgeon, is suing his 91-year-old mother and his sister in State Supreme Court over the property, now estimated to be worth nearly $1.4 million.

Christopher Hamill, 61, alleges that his sister, Tracey Diehl, convinced his mother to cut his family out of her will. He sued both of them in 2022, claiming he had a verbal agreement in 2009 with his mother to pay for upkeep of the cottage if she passed her 50% stake in the property equally onto her children. He said in court papers he has paid no less than $37,000 for expenses related to the beach house since 2009.

In an interview with The News, he said he sued only as a last resort to hold his mother to her promise or to be repaid for his expenses.

Unfortunately, its turned into a family disaster. Its pitted my sister and mother against my brothers and me. Its a terrible situation, and Im saddened by the whole thing, he said.

Phyllis Hamill and Tracey Diehl, 65, who lives in Manchester, Vt., deny that there was any deal between mother and son or that the daughter influenced her mothers decision-making.

I make my own decisions. I have trouble with my legs, but my brain is good, Phyllis Hamill said.

She said she needs to sell the cottage to pay for the assisted-living facility where shes been residing since a fall last year took away her ability to walk.

I dont want to sell it, but I have to. Believe me, I would do anything to keep it, but I couldnt afford it and I cant take care of it anymore, Phyllis Hamill said in an interview.

She and her daughter accused Christopher Hamill of trying to force his mother to cede more of the proceeds of the property sale to him.

According to them, Christopher Hamill has gone as far as telling his daughters not to call or visit their grandmother.

I havent talked to them in years, said Phyllis Hamill. I baby-sat all of them when they were born. Now, he took that all away.

Christopher Hamill said he never told his three grown daughters to cease communications with their grandmother.

Legal twists and turns

The legal drama has been playing out in three courts over the past 18 months and includes some pointed language from lawyers in the case.

Daniel J. Brady, attorney for Phyllis Hamill and Tracey Diehl, compared Christopher Hamill to the irredeemably spoiled Veruca Salt character in Roald Dahls Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and accused the son of throwing a temper tantrum in court by asking a judge to disqualify Brady from representing Phyllis Hamill, according to court papers.

Clearly, Christopher Hamill, the baby of the family, is used to getting what he wants. But it is not up to him who represents his mother and sister in a lawsuit that he chose to bring against them, Brady said in court papers.

Brady also quoted a line from Shakespeares King Lear  How sharper than a serpents tooth it is to have a thankless child  when requesting that State Supreme Court Justice Dennis Ward dismiss the lawsuit as meritless and issue sanctions against Christopher Hamill, whom he accused of attempting to strong-arm his elderly mother into making changes to her will for his benefit.

Plaintiffs lawsuit is as legally frivolous as it is morally reprehensible, he added.

The case has had multiple twists and turns, including an appeal of Wards decision in April to appoint a guardian ad litem for Phyllis Hamill to represent her best interests in court, despite her objections. The Appellate Division in Rochester overturned Wards ruling in July, revoking the guardianship and saying the court should have had a hearing on whether Phyllis Hamill could act on her own in the proceedings.

Brady, the attorney for Diehl and her mother, filed a motion last week to have Ward recuse himself from the case, arguing the judges statements regarding Phyllis Hamills age and whether she wanted Brady as her lawyer raised questions about his impartiality.

Another complicating factor: Phyllis Hamill isnt sole owner of the 1,325-square-foot cottage that sits on more than an acre, including 100 feet of lake frontage.

She and Melvin divorced in 1980. She retained control of the property and paid expenses for decades after the separation, although her ex-husbands name was never removed from the deed, according to court papers. When he died in 2017, Melvin Hamills 50% ownership stake was divided equally among the four children. Each child currently owns 12.5%, while Phyllis Hamill owns 50%.

Theres no co-ownership agreement among the siblings and their mother, and when Diehl and Phyllis Hamill sought to sell the property last summer, Christopher Hamill and his two older brothers, Stuart, 69, and Douglas, 67, initially refused to consent to the listing, according to court papers.

The brothers eventually did agree to list the property, which is now on the market for $1.39 million. The brothers proposed splitting the property five ways, leaving Phyllis Hamill with just 20% of the sales proceeds.

Phyllis Hamill and her daughter filed a lawsuit in March against them in Ontario Superior Court of Justice, seeking to ensure that the net proceeds of any sale will be split among all owners in accordance with their respective ownership shares, court papers said.

Costly assisted-living expenses

Diehl said her mother has enough savings to afford seven or eight more months in her current assisted-living facility where she gets decent care.

Phyllis Hamill said her sons recently offered to pay for her living expenses, but she admits she wouldnt trust them after all thats happened with the cottage. She also doesnt want to be beholden to anyone, especially Christopher.

I dont trust him with a nickel, she said.

Christopher Hamill confirmed that his mother rejected the 20% split on the cottage and an accompanying offer from the three sons to support her if her funds ran out. But he said his mothers comments werent fair, given that this whole situation started because she wouldnt live up to her word. He also said he would put in writing any deal to support his mother financially.

Phyllis Hamill said she worked for 25 years, saved for retirement, and for years paid for all upkeep at the cottage. After her divorce, she earned a bachelors degree and sold insurance.

I worked hard when I was working, and I put money aside, she said. But all these assisted-living places are a fortune, and the money goes fast. I needed more so I could stay here. Believe me, if I could go home, I would run so fast you wouldnt see me. But I cant walk.

She said shes determined to walk again and undergoes therapy several times a week toward that end.

I dont care about all this darn money. I want to walk, she said.

Shes not as optimistic about her relationship with her youngest child, and she blames herself for spoiling him when he was a youth.

Instead of being proud that hes a successful doctor, she said she wants nothing to do with him anymore.

Id be more proud of him if he was nice to people, she said. Im ashamed of him more than Im proud of him.
Jamestown drug dealer pleads guilty to charges stemming from overdose deaths

A Jamestown man has pleaded guilty to selling drugs that caused two overdose deaths, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced.

Steven M. Medina, 35, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to charges of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He faces a maximum of 50 years in prison when he appears for sentencing Dec. 11.

Prosecutors said Medina provided the first overdose victim with fentanyl and a fentanyl analog mixture just before he died Aug. 30, 2018. The second overdose victim died Sept. 9, 2018, from a mix of heroin, fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl that a third party acquired from Medina and provided to the victim.

Prosecutors added that two loaded firearms and 48 bags of fentanyl were seized when a search warrant was executed at Medinas Euclid Avenue home in December 2020. In addition, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, six magazines and about 167 rounds of ammunition were found Nov. 1, 2021, when Jamestown police stopped Medina in his vehicle. Ross noted that Medina was convicted of a felony in 2015 and is prohibited from having a firearm.

- Dale Anderson
An extreme cooling event in Europe caused an extinction of early humans on the continent around 1.1 million years ago, a study suggests.

The abrupt climate changes saw ocean surface temperatures off Lisbon dropping below 6C  conditions that would have made it hard for archaic humans to survive, according to the researchers.

The UCL scientists said their findings, published in the journal Science, challenge the widely held belief that after arriving from South-West sia by about 1.4 million years ago, these humans were able to survive through multiple climate cycles and adapt to increasingly harsh conditions.

Senior author Professor Chronis Tzedakis, of UCL Geography in London, said: Our discovery of an extreme glacial cooling event around 1.1 million years ago challenges the idea of continuous early human occupation of Europe.

Along with UCL, paleoclimate scientists from the University of Cambridge and CSIC Barcelona analysed the chemical composition of marine micro-organisms and examined the pollen content in a deep-sea sediment core recovered off the coast of Portugal.

Cores such as these can show a glimpse of the Earths past geology and climate.

Lead author Dr Vasiliki Margari, of UCL Geography, said: To our surprise, we found that this cooling at 1.1 million years ago was comparable to some of the most severe events of recent ice ages.

Co-author Professor Nick Ashton of the British Museum said: A cooling of this magnitude would have placed small hunter-gatherer bands under considerable stress, especially since early humans may have lacked adaptations such as sufficient fat insulation and also the means to make fire, effective clothing or shelters.

The experts then ran a climate simulation to capture the extreme conditions during this time.

Study co-author Professor Axel Timmermann, of the IBS Centre for Climate Physics at Pusan National University in South Korea, said: The results showed that 1.1 million years ago climate around the Mediterranean became too hostile for archaic humans.

Combined results suggest that Iberia, and more generally southern Europe, became devoid of human population and remained so for the next 200,000 years.

Study co-author Professor Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London said: According to this scenario, Europe may have been recolonised around 900,000 years ago by more resilient humans with evolutionary or behavioural changes that allowed survival in the increasing intensity of glacial conditions.

Meanwhile, another study, also published in the journal Science, suggests climate change may have facilitated interbreeding between two groups of ancient human relatives: Denisovans and Neanderthals.

Back in 2018, scientists found evidence of a woman, nicknamed Denny, who lived 90,000 years ago and had a Denisovan father and a Neanderthal mother.

Simulations paleo-biologists from South Korea and Italy showed Neanderthals and Denisovans had different environmental preferences, with Denisovans more adapted to cold environments, such as boreal forests and tundra, while their Neanderthal cousins preferred temperate forests and grassland.

But in warm interglacial periods, when Earths orbit around the Sun was more elliptic and northern hemisphere summer occurred closer to the Sun, simulations suggest their habitats may have begun to overlap geographically.

Prof Timmermann, who is also one of the authors on the second study, said: When Neanderthals and Denisovans shared a common habitat, there were more encounters and interactions among the groups, which would have increased the chance of interbreeding.
The Brocton Central School Board and district officials have been cited by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli for setting aside too much money for fund balances and for paying claims that were not properly audited.

DiNapoli said auditors found that between July 1, 2019, and Nov. 16, 2022, the district overfunded the balances by about $3.9 million, thereby imposing property taxes higher than necessary.

An audit also found that the district paid 100 claims totaling about $141,000 that should not have been approved because they were not properly documented.

Responding in a letter, School Superintendent Jason C. Delcamp said corrective actions will be taken and noted that the report on claims does not cite any fraud, misappropriation of funds or malfeasance.

DiNapolis report on fund balances pointed out that statutes limit surplus funding to 4% of the next years budget and that Broctons appropriations to the funds produced an average 8% surplus each year.

The report said the largest surplus  about $1.9 million  was seen in a fund for employee benefits, which should have been better estimated because most of those expenses are spelled out in labor contracts.

Auditors recommended that the district adopt budgets that more accurately estimate whats needed for operations and reserves, stop appropriating a fund balance thats not needed and develop an updated written policy for reserve funds.

In response, Delcamp suggested that budgeting was affected by the pandemic, since the district had many unknown expenditures as we educated students in an unprecedented way and promised that a more comprehensive reserve plan will be developed.
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A year and a half after a professors controversial comments about pedophilia, SUNY Fredonia officials still want to keep him off campus, fearing the potential disruption his return could cause.

Its not just the vile emails and social media posts they have seen directed at philosophy professor Stephen Kershnar that worry them. Those, in fact, have waned since his February 2022 podcast comments about whether adult-child sex is always wrong, they say.

Instead, its the potential unseen threat from some lone pseudo warrior quietly planning a violent attack on campus  triggered by Kershnars return  now driving their opposition to allowing him back on campus, according to court filings in Kershnars federal case against two university officials.

At a court hearing Friday, lawyers for Kershnar pressed a federal court judge for a preliminary injunction to bar the university from keeping him off campus and prohibiting contact with the campus community. They said the university has violated his First Amendment rights.

Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Metzger Kimura, representing the university, said the universitys decision to bar him from campus was not made because of the content of his speech but in response to the aftermath of his podcast comments that kicked off a social-media firestorm and disrupted operations.

But U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo expressed concern about that rationale. With that as a guide, a university could take actions against any professor if enough people got together and raised a big enough fuss over anything the professor said  whether it was innocuous or not.

I think your argument leads to frightening possibilities on college campuses, Vilardo said.

Vilardo reserved making a ruling. Kershnar declined to comment.

The university continues to pay Kershnar, who was paid $97,622 in 2022, according to the government transparency website SeeThroughNY. He has not taught a class since the February 2022 podcast. Fredonia will allow him to teach online classes, but he has not completed the online course setup requirements to do so, the state lawyers said Friday.

Threat assessment

In the months after Kershnars comments sparked the viral outrage, Brent S. Isaacson, who until June 30 was the police chief at SUNY Fredonia, filed threat assessments with the university saying the return of Kershnar to our campus would pose an unacceptable risk of violence.

His stance hasnt changed.

I do not believe it possible to adequately protect the SUNY Fredonia campus in a situation where Kershnar is physically present on the campus or having authorized contacts with SUNY Fredonia students, Isaacson wrote in a July court filing.

In his October 2022 threat assessment, Isaacson cited widely circulated messages that advocated violence against Kershnar  but no direct threat to harm him.

The lack of a direct threat toward a target is cold comfort and should not be understood to mean there is not a risk of violence, the then-police chief said in his assessment. In fact, research shows that nearly all acts of targeted violence are not preceded by an explicit threat of violence directed to the target.

Most of the angry messages that followed the podcast were directed toward Kershnar, but those who wrote them knew he was an employee on campus, Isaacson told campus officials in a memo days after the podcast.

Many viewed the campus as tolerant of or complicit in Kershnar spreading rationalizations for sexual crimes against children, he wrote. Many laypersons, without training or experience in threat assessments, view explicit and articulated threats as the most credible and serious. In fact, they rarely are. We often say in threat assessments, hunters dont howl, and howlers dont hunt. 

Isaacson said he remained concerned about the much larger audience who have remained silent. They have seen Kershnars videos, know that he works on this campus, and yet they have not commented. These circumstances have created a very large pool of people outside of our campus whose understanding is that an advocate of child sexual exploitation works here.

SUNY Fredonia professor who appeared to condone pedophilia wants back on campus A SUNY Fredonia professor barred from campus and teaching since his comments last year about whether adult-child sex is always wrong, wants to resume teaching at the public university.

No direct threat at all

Attorney Adam B. Steinbaugh, a member of Kershnars legal team, said Fredonias embrace of the hecklers veto should be rejected as anathema to the free exchange of ideas in higher education.

The university first cited a tidal wave of threats to him and the SUNY Fredonia community to justify suspending him, Steinbaugh said in a court filing.

Now the university points to the absence of threats as a justification, Steinbaugh said.

The university privately concluded there had never been any direct threat at all, said Steinbaugh of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a national campus civil liberties organization that defends the rights of students and faculty across the country.

It is unreasonable to permanently bar Kershnar from the classroom on the theory that the absence of threats makes violence likely, he said in a court filing.

Even in the face of public outcry, someones unpopular speech should not be suppressed, giving First Amendment protections, he said at Fridays hearing.

If anywhere, that is more important on a college campus, he said.

The podcast

Kershnar, a distinguished teaching professor, had taught philosophy courses at Fredonia since 1998. He sued in U.S. District Court in Buffalo asking the court to declare that Fredonias administrators violated his First Amendment rights. He wants Vilardo to prohibit the university from barring him from teaching, entering campus and communicating with members of the university community.

Named as defendants are two university administrators: Stephen Kolison Jr., the president, and David Starrett, the executive vice president and provost.

Assistant Attorney General Christopher Boyd told Vilardo that the university is prepared to drop the no-contact order keeping Kershnar from contacting co-workers but still has reservations about him talking to students.

On Jan. 30, 2022, Kershnar appeared on the Brain in a Vat podcast, which is promoted as a philosophy smorgasbord during which the hosts interview experts about ethics, the theory of knowledge and other issues.

During the podcast, Kershnar said: Imagine that an adult male wants to have sex with a 12-year-old girl. Imagine that shes a willing participant. A very standard, very widely held view is that theres something deeply wrong about this, and its wrong independent of being criminalized. Its not obvious to me that it is in fact wrong.

Two days later, a Twitter account shared a 28-second video clip from Kershnars Brain in a Vat appearance.

The tweets caption said the SUNY Fredonia professor questions the widely held societal belief that its deeply wrong for an adult man to want to have sex with a 12-year-old girl.

Within six minutes, the video clip was shared by a popular Twitter user, Libs of TikTok, which then had some 500,000 Twitter followers, according to the lawsuit.

Libs of TikTok then tagged Kolisons Twitter account, tweeting: Hi @DrKolison, it appears you have a problem at your university.

About three hours after the first video was posted, SUNY Fredonia tweeted a message from Kolison:

SUNY Fredonia is aware of a video posted online involving one of its professors. The views expressed by the professor are reprehensible and do not represent the values of SUNY Fredonia in any way, shape or form. They are solely the professors views. The matter is being investigated.

On Feb. 3, 2022, Isaacson ordered Kershnar not to come to the Fredonia campus and said that he was barred from campus until further notice.

In Kimuras court filing, she said Kolison sought to distance SUNY Fredonia from Kershnars lightning rod position to protect the campus community in the wake of the storm created by Kershnars comments. She noted several high-profile acts of violence against those perceived as defending pedophilia.

It was reasonable to attempt to distance Fredonia from these views, she said.
The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Get Free Report) has received an average rating of Hold from the thirteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $74.07.

Several research analysts recently commented on SO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Southern from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on Southern in a research report on Wednesday. They set a buy rating and a $72.00 price target for the company. Mizuho reduced their price target on Southern from $77.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Southern from $75.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Southern from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and increased their price target for the company from $60.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Thursday.

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Insider Transactions at Southern

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern

In other news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.70, for a total transaction of $348,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 126,284 shares in the company, valued at $8,801,994.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In other Southern news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.70, for a total transaction of $348,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 126,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,801,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, Director Thomas A. Fanning sold 50,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.76, for a total value of $3,538,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 844,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,738,351.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 143,761 shares of company stock worth $10,152,544. Company insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. MRP Capital Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 127.6% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 421 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Bancorp Inc. IN acquired a new stake in shares of Southern in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Southern during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.25% of the companys stock.

Southern Stock Up 0.1 %

SO stock opened at $69.50 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.56, a P/E/G ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $70.73 and a 200-day moving average of $69.75. Southern has a fifty-two week low of $58.85 and a fifty-two week high of $80.57.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.47 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 9.86% and a net margin of 11.17%. Southerns revenue for the quarter was down 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.07 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Southern will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 18th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.03%. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 98.94%.

Southern Company Profile

(Get Free Report

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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Associated Banc Corp trimmed its position in Deere & Company (NYSE:DE  Free Report) by 22.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,654 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 480 shares during the period. Associated Banc Corps holdings in Deere & Company were worth $683,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in Deere & Company by 104,373.8% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,219,883 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,380,557,000 after purchasing an additional 3,216,801 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Deere & Company during the 4th quarter worth $1,326,177,000. Morgan Stanley raised its position in Deere & Company by 13.8% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,576,183 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,962,085,000 after purchasing an additional 554,133 shares during the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its position in Deere & Company by 2,754.5% during the 1st quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 531,585 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $219,481,000 after purchasing an additional 512,962 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new position in Deere & Company during the 4th quarter worth $149,668,000. 71.33% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Deere & Company

In other Deere & Company news, insider Cory J. Reed sold 4,680 shares of Deere & Company stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $449.75, for a total transaction of $2,104,830.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 36,563 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,444,209.25. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Deere & Company news, CEO John C. May II sold 52,967 shares of Deere & Company stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $416.02, for a total transaction of $22,035,331.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 109,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,398,598.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Cory J. Reed sold 4,680 shares of Deere & Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $449.75, for a total transaction of $2,104,830.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 36,563 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,444,209.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 92,690 shares of company stock worth $37,335,181. Insiders own 0.26% of the companys stock.

Deere & Company Stock Performance

Shares of DE opened at $435.07 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a current ratio of 1.96 and a quick ratio of 1.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $413.81 and a 200-day moving average of $400.83. The company has a market cap of $127.56 billion, a PE ratio of 14.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.06. Deere & Company has a one year low of $328.62 and a one year high of $450.00.

Deere & Company (NYSE:DE  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 19th. The industrial products company reported $9.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.57 by $1.08. The company had revenue of $16.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.87 billion. Deere & Company had a return on equity of 43.11% and a net margin of 15.00%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 33.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $6.81 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Deere & Company will post 31.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Deere & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th were paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.15%. Deere & Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.78%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on DE. DA Davidson raised their target price on Deere & Company from $492.00 to $510.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Deere & Company from $537.00 to $517.00 in a report on Monday, May 22nd. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Deere & Company from $512.00 to $445.00 in a report on Monday, May 22nd. Bank of America decreased their price target on Deere & Company from $484.00 to $416.00 in a report on Sunday, May 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Deere & Company from $492.00 to $436.00 in a report on Monday, May 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $462.16.

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Deere & Company Company Profile

(Free Report)

Deere & Company manufactures and distributes various equipment worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Production and Precision Agriculture, Small Agriculture and Turf, Construction and Forestry, and Financial Services. The Production and Precision Agriculture segment provides mid-size tractors, combines, cotton pickers and strippers, sugarcane harvesters, harvesting front-end equipment, sugarcane loaders, pull-behind scrapers, and tillage and seeding equipment, as well as application equipment, including sprayers and nutrient management, and soil preparation machinery for grain growers.

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Shares of Davide Campari-Milano (OTCMKTS:DVDCF  Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of Hold from the eight analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $11.75.

DVDCF has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup downgraded shares of Davide Campari-Milano from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Davide Campari-Milano to 13.80 ($15.16) in a report on Friday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Davide Campari-Milano to 13.00 ($14.29) in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on Davide Campari-Milano to 13.00 ($14.29) in a research note on Wednesday, July 5th.

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Davide Campari-Milano Stock Performance

About Davide Campari-Milano

Shares of OTCMKTS DVDCF opened at $13.30 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The business has a 50-day moving average of $13.61 and a 200-day moving average of $12.62. Davide Campari-Milano has a 12 month low of $8.55 and a 12 month high of $14.45.

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Davide Campari-Milano N.V., together with its subsidiaries, markets and distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It offers a range of spirits categories, including aperitif, vodka, liqueurs, bitters, whisky, tequila, rum, gin, and cognac, as well as champagne and non-alcoholic aperitif under various brands, such as Aperol, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey, Grand Marnier, Appleton Estate, Wray & Nephew Overproof, and other brands.

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Arcos Dorados (NYSE:ARCO  Free Report) had its price target lifted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $10.00 to $13.00 in a report published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the restaurant operators stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Arcos Dorados from $10.00 to $12.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. StockNews.com lowered Arcos Dorados from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, August 7th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Arcos Dorados from $10.00 to $13.50 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, August 7th.

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Arcos Dorados Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ARCO opened at $11.07 on Thursday. Arcos Dorados has a 1-year low of $6.64 and a 1-year high of $11.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.33 billion, a PE ratio of 15.16, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.05. The businesss 50 day moving average is $10.20 and its 200-day moving average is $8.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.85, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99.

Arcos Dorados (NYSE:ARCO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 17th. The restaurant operator reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.06. Arcos Dorados had a return on equity of 55.24% and a net margin of 4.01%. The company had revenue of $985.49 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $959.61 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Arcos Dorados will post 0.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Arcos Dorados

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Acorn Financial Advisory Services Inc. ADV boosted its stake in Arcos Dorados by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Acorn Financial Advisory Services Inc. ADV now owns 196,845 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $2,018,000 after buying an additional 1,037 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its stake in Arcos Dorados by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 39,189 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $302,000 after buying an additional 1,553 shares in the last quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in Arcos Dorados by 34.9% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 7,358 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 1,902 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in Arcos Dorados by 48.2% in the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 6,150 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DGS Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Arcos Dorados by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. DGS Capital Management LLC now owns 50,113 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $386,000 after buying an additional 2,157 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 38.33% of the companys stock.

Arcos Dorados Company Profile

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Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc operates as a franchisee of McDonald's restaurants. It has the exclusive right to own, operate, and grant franchises of McDonald's restaurants in 20 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, the U.S.

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CAE (TSE:CAE  Free Report) (NYSE:CAE) had its price target increased by National Bankshares from C$37.00 to C$38.00 in a report released on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports.

CAE has been the subject of several other reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on CAE from C$35.00 to C$37.00 in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on CAE from C$36.00 to C$35.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. Finally, TD Securities upped their target price on CAE from C$37.00 to C$39.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$37.38.

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CAE Trading Up 0.7 %

TSE:CAE opened at C$31.66 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 70.82, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.00. CAE has a one year low of C$20.90 and a one year high of C$32.68. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is C$29.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$29.82. The stock has a market cap of C$10.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.99.

CAE (TSE:CAE  Get Free Report) (NYSE:CAE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 31st. The company reported C$0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of C$0.35. The firm had revenue of C$1.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$1.21 billion. CAE had a return on equity of 5.35% and a net margin of 5.30%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that CAE will post 1.1687177 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About CAE

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CAE Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides simulation training and critical operations support solutions in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Oceania and Africa, and Rest of Americas. It operates through three segments: Civil Aviation, Defense and Security, and Healthcare.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSEAMERICAN:PLX  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Thursday.

Separately, TheStreet upgraded shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics from a d- rating to a c- rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th.

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Protalix BioTherapeutics Stock Up 1.6 %

Shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics stock opened at $1.92 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $125.61 million, a PE ratio of -6.40 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.04. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $2.07. Protalix BioTherapeutics has a 12-month low of $1.00 and a 12-month high of $3.55.

Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSEAMERICAN:PLX  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 7th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.04) by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $35.08 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.22 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.15) EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Protalix BioTherapeutics will post 0.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Protalix BioTherapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Protalix BioTherapeutics by 2,173.9% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,640,971 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,282,000 after acquiring an additional 2,524,828 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics by 438.6% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,209,750 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,540,000 after purchasing an additional 985,147 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,105,000. Northern Trust Corp bought a new position in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at about $726,000. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics by 1,816.8% in the 1st quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 194,094 shares of the companys stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 183,968 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 4.48% of the companys stock.

Protalix BioTherapeutics Company Profile

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Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development, production, and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins based on its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, and internationally.

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Genpact (NYSE:G  Free Report) had its price target reduced by Robert W. Baird from $48.00 to $44.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on Genpact from $47.00 to $41.00 in a research report on Monday, May 15th. TheStreet downgraded Genpact from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Genpact from $42.00 to $39.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Genpact in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $42.13.

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Genpact Price Performance

NYSE:G opened at $37.18 on Thursday. Genpact has a 52 week low of $35.31 and a 52 week high of $48.85. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market capitalization of $6.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.19. The stocks fifty day moving average is $37.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $41.81.

Genpact (NYSE:G  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The business services provider reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.05. Genpact had a return on equity of 25.06% and a net margin of 9.25%. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Equities analysts expect that Genpact will post 2.58 EPS for the current year.

Genpact Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.1375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 7th. This represents a $0.55 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.48%. Genpacts payout ratio is 25.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Piyush Mehta sold 22,082 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.13, for a total transaction of $819,904.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 186,958 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,941,750.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO N. V. Tyagarajan sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.73, for a total transaction of $1,836,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 805,509 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $29,586,345.57. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Piyush Mehta sold 22,082 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.13, for a total value of $819,904.66. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 186,958 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,941,750.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 113,144 shares of company stock valued at $4,176,520 in the last three months. 2.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Genpact during the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Genpact by 69.1% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 773 shares of the business services providers stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Genpact by 136.7% in the 4th quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 878 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 507 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Genpact in the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Genpact by 71.5% in the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,103 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. 96.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Genpact Company Profile

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Genpact Limited provides business process outsourcing and information technology (IT) services in India, rest of Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe. It operates through three segments: Financial services; Consumer and Healthcare; and High Tech and Manufacturing. The company offers CFO advisory services; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services, such as data management, carbon accounting, human rights assessment, sustainability diligence, and ESG reporting.

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When she was growing up in Lockport, author and disability rights activist Keah Brown didnt see herself as different just because she has cerebral palsy.

That changed in school one day in her teenage years.

It really took that one moment in the cafeteria, Brown said of an interaction with another student. At that age, I thought that this kid who doesnt know me was the one telling the truth about me. As an adult, its funny to think how much that one moment had power over me.

As she approached young adulthood, she said that she started to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. She said she began standing in front of her mirror and would say aloud qualities that she liked about herself to help build her self-confidence. One day in 2016, she posted four of her favorite photos of herself on Twitter with the hashtag disabledandcute.

I thought it was going to be (viewed by) five people, max. But by the end of the week, we were viral. By the next week we were global, she said. It changed my life.

The hashtag and her viral fame came around the same time Simon and Schuster published her first book The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me. Her career has been on the rise ever since.

Brown graduated from SUNY Fredonia State College in 2013 with a bachelors degree in journalism. She said at the beginning of her writing career, she was asked to write about only two topics: disability and race, never anything else. As a result, she said she began to feel pigeonholed.

I remember being petrified that the only opportunities I would get were disability-related, even though my love is in pop culture. The Pretty One was that opportunity to realize Im fully a human being, Brown said. I had to be really forceful and say I have all these stories I want to tell.

Brown said she is hoping to show that her experience can be replicated. She was tapped by Marie Claire UK in 2019 to write a profile article about actress and Room/Captain Marvel star Brie Larson, and by Town and Country magazine in 2021 to write a cover story on actress Selma Blair.

Writing that article on Brie was one of the biggest moments of my career, and my favorite thing to do as a journalist is profiles, Brown said.

Since publishing The Pretty One, Brown released a childrens book, Sams Super Seats, in August 2022, and a young adult novel, The Secret Summer Promise, in June. Both are about fictional young protagonists with cerebral palsy. She believes that it is important for marginalized groups to create their own forms of representation.

I think that what you soon realize as a member of multiple marginalized groups, is that you have to tell your own stories and you have to write so they have a chance to exist in the world, Brown said.

The Secret Summer Promise tells the story of Andrea, who falls in love with her best friend, Hailee. She creates a list of tasks she wants to accomplish over the summer: No. 9 on the list is Fall out of love with Hailee. Andrea grapples with whether to express her true romantic feelings for fear of losing the friendship.

With this novel, I was obsessed with what it would look like to complete a list over a summer, and what its like being young and in love. You have to figure out whether you want to take that risk, Brown said. I liked the idea of exploring this relationship. Its a very romantic ride.

Brown said she hopes to inspire and empower young readers through her work.

Even though it doesnt feel like it, everything is going to be okay. The things stressing you out and the people you want to desperately like you will not make your world turn after graduation, Brown said. I will say start trying to love yourself now, because it took me a while and if someone says mean things about you, that does not reflect who you actually are.
STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM  Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the twelve research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have issued a hold recommendation and eight have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $56.38.

STM has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com downgraded STMicroelectronics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Susquehanna cut their price target on STMicroelectronics from 55.00 to 54.00 in a report on Sunday, May 7th. Jefferies Financial Group raised STMicroelectronics from an underperform rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on STMicroelectronics from $56.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th.

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STMicroelectronics Price Performance

Shares of NYSE STM opened at $47.22 on Friday. STMicroelectronics has a fifty-two week low of $29.09 and a fifty-two week high of $55.85. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $49.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The firm has a market cap of $42.89 billion, a PE ratio of 10.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.60.

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 firm had revenue of $4.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 33.67% and a net margin of 25.36%. STMicroelectronicss revenue was up 12.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.92 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that STMicroelectronics will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On STMicroelectronics

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of STM. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 4,985,946 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 448.6% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,214,361 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $118,169,000 after acquiring an additional 1,810,709 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in shares of STMicroelectronics in the 4th quarter worth $44,110,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 63.6% in the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,449,870 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $87,142,000 after acquiring an additional 952,720 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 92.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,830,732 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $97,926,000 after acquiring an additional 879,856 shares during the last quarter. 6.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

STMicroelectronics Company Profile

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STMicroelectronics NV engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of components, application-specific integrated circuits, full custom devices and semi-custom devices for analog, digital and mixed-signal applications. It operates through the following segments: Automotive and Discrete Group, Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group, and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group.

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A street in the shopping area of Myeong-dong in downtown Seoul is crowded with local and foreign visitors, Sunday. Yonhap



By Lee Hae-rin



Korea is expecting a large-scale return of Chinese travelers, as China announced the lifting of its ban on group tours to Korea last week after more than six years of economic sanctions. The sudden surge in interest is a promising development for the tourism industry, which has been severely impacted by the sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.



According to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the tourism industry, Sunday, as soon as the Chinese government announcing the end to its ban on group tours to Korea last Thursday, requests started coming in for cruise ships departing from Shanghai to dock at the southern resort island of Jeju. Fifty-three such requests were made on Thursday and Friday, with the first ships arriving on Friday.



The sudden influx of docking requests has led to an early closure of applications for sea routes between the two countries until March next year.





Chinese tourists enter Incheon International Ferry Terminal, Saturday. Ferries between Korea and China resumed operations starting Friday, as the Chinese government lifted its ban on group tours to Korea, Thursday. Yonhap



Chinese tourists historically have played a significant role in Korean tourism, particularly for Jeju Island where cruise ships served as the main avenue for Chinese visits. In 2016, Jeju Island marked a record high in cruise tourism with 1.2 million yearly visitors, mostly Chinese nationals who accounted for 85 percent of the 3.6 million total foreign visitors to the island.



However, the figure dropped dramatically to 825,261 in 2017, the year China enacted the sanction, which is believed to be a retaliatory measure against Korea's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). The number fell further due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dropping to 9,891 in 2022.



The island has been struggling to fully recover, with only 132,545 Chinese visitors arriving by July this year. The slight recovery is due to the partial reopening of Korea-China sea travel routes via car ferry services in March and a gradual increase in individual travelers from China.





Flights departing from China arrive at Jeju International Airport, Friday, a day after China lifted its ban on group tours to Korea following more than six years of sanctions. Yonhap



Preparing for return



To greet the return of Chinese travelers, Korea's local travel authorities and industry are making active preparations.



The Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO) is working with airlines and the aviation industries of both countries to increase the direct flights between Korea and China.



Currently, there are 77 weekly flights directly connecting six Chinese cities to Jeju Island. The JTO aims to facilitate the entry of Chinese travelers into the island by expanding the air routes to 157 direct weekly flights with 17 cities by the end of this year and increase it further to over 200 direct flights a week connecting 18 cities next year.



Hotels and resorts are also gearing up for the influx. The Grand Hyatt within the Jeju Dream Tower installed ordering systems in foreign languages including traditional and simplified Chinese at 14 of its bars and restaurants and expanded their operating hours in preparation for the return of Chinese visitors.



"The resumption of Chinese group tours and subsequent increase in the international flights (between China and Korea)  are expected to create a major drive in sales increase at hotels, restaurants, casino and shopping malls at the Jeju Dream Tower," an official at the integrated resort told The Korea Times, Sunday, adding that the resort plans to recruit 400 additional casino workers.



Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Tourism Organization (BTO) will launch a special promotion of the port city's foreigner-only Visit Busan Pass starting from Wednesday via China's largest online travel agency Ctrip and global travel platform Trip.com.





Travelers from China arrive at Incheon International Airport, Sunday, three days after the Chinese government lifted its ban on group tours to Korea last Thursday. Yonhap
Russian Ambassador to South Korea Andrey Kulik, left, speaks with Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming during their bilateral meeting at the Embassy of China in Seoul, Aug. 10. Courtesy of Embassy of Russia in Korea



By Lee Hyo-jin



Russian and Chinese ambassadors to Seoul and Pyongyang have recently held meetings together, respectively, in what appears to be a demonstration of close ties between Moscow and Beijing ahead of a high-stakes summit between South Korea, the United States and Japan.



According to the Russian and Chinese embassies in Seoul, Russian Ambassador Andrey Kulik met with Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming last Thursday at the latter's office.



"Russian diplomats in Seoul visited the Chinese Embassy at the invitation of Chinese friends. The two sides discussed Russia-China relations and issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula in a warm, friendly mood," the Russian Embassy said in a Facebook post, Thursday.






President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of their three-way talks in Hiroshima, Japan, May 21, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. AP-Yonhap





By Nam Hyun-woo







President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit Camp David, a U.S. presidential retreat in Maryland, for a three-way summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Friday, during which they will focus on "institutionalizing" the three countries' security cooperation, Seoul's presidential office said, Sunday.







First deputy director of national security Kim Tae-hyo explained the main details of the agenda in a press briefing, including Yoon's plan to depart for the U.S., Thursday.







Yoon, Biden and Kishida will have the summit on Friday morning, followed by a luncheon and a joint press conference. Kim said the presidential office is now working on a schedule for Yoon's separate bilateral summits with Biden and Kishida, and Yoon will leave the U.S. on Friday. Depending on the flight schedule, the visit could span three or four days.







"The trilateral meeting will be the Biden administration's first visit by foreign leaders to Camp David, and this shows the importance that President Biden is placing on the cooperation of the three countries," Kim said.







"Through the summit, Camp David will sketch as a new stage of cooperation among the three countries in the 21st-century diplomatic history Through this meeting, the trilateral framework will gain distinct independence as a cooperative body in the Indo-Pacific region."






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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  The United States and Iran reached a tentative agreement this week that will eventually see five detained Americans in Iran and an unknown number of Iranians imprisoned in the U.S. released from custody after billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets are transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar.

The complex deal  which came together after months of indirect negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials  was announced on Thursday when Iran moved four of the five Americans from prison to house arrest. The fifth American had already been under house arrest.

Details of the money transfer, the timing of its completion and the ultimate release of both the American and Iranian prisoners remain unclear. However, U.S. and Iranian officials say they believe the agreement could be complete by mid- to late-September.

A look at what is known about the deal.

WHATS IN IT?

Under the tentative agreement, the U.S. has given its blessing to South Korea to convert frozen Iranian assets held there from the South Korean currency, the won, to euros.

That money then would be sent to Qatar, a small, energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that has been a mediator in the talks. The amount from Seoul could be anywhere from $6 billion to $7 billion, depending on exchange rates. The cash represents money South Korea owed Iran  but had not yet paid  for oil purchased before the Trump administration imposed sanctions on such transactions in 2019.

The U.S. maintains that, once in Qatar, the money will be held in restricted accounts and will only be able to be used for humanitarian goods, such as medicine and food. Those transactions are currently allowed under American sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic over its advancing nuclear program.

Some in Iran have disputed the U.S. claim, saying that Tehran will have total control over the funds. Qatar has not commented publicly on how it will monitor the disbursement of the money.

In exchange, Iran is to release the five Iranian-Americans held as prisoners in the country. Currently, they are under guard at a hotel in Tehran, according to a U.S.-based lawyer advocating for one of them.

WHY WILL IT TAKE SO LONG?

Iran does not want the frozen assets in South Korean won, which is less convertible than euros or U.S. dollars. U.S. officials say that while South Korea is on board with the transfer it is concerned that converting $6 or $7 billion in won into other currencies at once will adversely affect its exchange rate and economy.

Thus, South Korea is proceeding slowly, converting smaller amounts of the frozen assets for the eventual transfer to the central bank in Qatar. In addition, as the money is transferred, it has to avoid touching the U.S. financial system where it could become subject to American sanctions. So a complicated and time-consuming series of transfers through third-country banks has been arranged.

We have worked extensively with the South Koreans on this and theres no impediment to the movement of the account from South Korea to Qatar, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday.

In Doha, Qatar's Minister of State Mohammed Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi said, What we have achieved in this agreement reflects the confidence of these parties in the State of Qatar as a neutral mediator and international partner in resolving international disputes by peaceful means. He did not address how the money would be policed.

WHO ARE THE DETAINED IRANIAN-AMERICANS?

The identities of three of the five prisoners have been made public. It remains unclear who the other two are. The American government has described them as wanting to keep their identities private and Iran has not named them either.

The three known are Siamak Namazi, who was detained in 2015 and later sentenced to 10 years in prison on internationally criticized spying charges. Another is Emad Sharghi, a venture capitalist serving a 10-year sentence.

The third is Morad Tahbaz, a British-American conservationist of Iranian descent who was arrested in 2018 and also received a 10-year sentence.

Those advocating for their release describe them as wrongfully detained and innocent. Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

WHY IS THIS DEAL HAPPENING NOW?

For Iran, years of American sanctions following former U.S. President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers has crushed its already-anemic economy.

Previous claims of progress in talks over the frozen assets have provided only short-term boosts to Irans hobbled rial currency.

The release of that money, even if only disbursed under strict circumstances, could provide an economic boost.

For the U.S., the administration of President Joe Biden has tried to get Iran back into the deal, which fell apart after Trump's 2018 withdrawal. Last year, countries involved in the initial agreement offered Tehran what was described as their last, best roadmap to restore the accord. Iran did not accept it.

Still, Iran hawks in Congress and outside critics of the 2015 nuclear deal have criticized the new arrangement. Former Vice President Mike Pence and the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch, as well as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have all compared the money transfer to paying a ransom and said the Biden administration is encouraging Iran to continue taking prisoners.

WILL THE U.S. RELEASE IRANIAN PRISONERS HELD IN AMERICA?

On Friday, Irans Foreign Ministry made a point of bringing up those prisoners. American officials have declined to comment on who or how many Iranian prisoners might be released in a final agreement. But Iranian media in the past identified several prisoners with cases tied to violations of U.S. export laws and restrictions on doing business with Iran.

Those alleged violations include the transfer of money through Venezuela and sales of dual-use equipment that the U.S. says could be used in Irans military and nuclear programs.

DOES THIS MEAN IRAN-U.S. TENSIONS ARE EASING?

No. Outside of the tensions over the nuclear deal and Iran's atomic ambitions, a series of attacks and ship seizures in the Mideast have been attributed to Tehran since 2019.

The Pentagon is considering a plan to put U.S. troops on board to guard commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of all oil shipments pass moving out of the Persian Gulf.

A major deployment of U.S. sailors and Marines, alongside F-35s, F-16s and other aircraft, is also underway in the region. Meanwhile, Iran supplies Russia with the bomb-carrying drones Moscow uses to target sites in Ukraine amid its war on Kyiv.

Lee reported from Washington.
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For me, it has always been a career of service.

It was 1989 when I got my first job at Tops Markets, working part time in the produce department. I was 15 years old, growing up in a single-parent household on Buffalos East Side, occasionally relying on social services to make ends meet.

Thirty-four years later, I find myself stepping into the position of president of Tops Friendly Markets. Its a humbling experience for me  a kid whose first full-time position with the company was pushing carts.

Starting with that first day at Tops, I learned it was more than just a business  it was a family. And that grocery stores did more than just sell commodities  they provide services crucial to peoples daily lives and impact the wellness of the entire community.

Our commitment to the community remains unwavering. It is not just what we do, but who we are. But to be truly committed to the community, we need to listen to our constituencies. Over the past year, Tops has deepened our engagement with the neighborhoods we serve. That will continue in the coming months as I visit stores across Western New York to speak with associates and customers, hear their needs and concerns, and let their experiences inform our decisions.

These visits will provide face-to-face time with my colleagues who work inside our stores and make a daily difference in the lives of our neighbors. Just as they are committed to serving their customers, we are committed to serving our associates.

My vision for Tops Markets includes creating employment opportunities for our community with vast growth potential. From exploring partnerships with local schools and community centers to offering management-training opportunities for our current associates, we look to develop meaningful experiences and paths to promotions that strengthen not only our company but our communities as well. Its a career development pipeline that has cultivated some of Western New Yorks top business leaders.

Importantly, we continue to give our store managers the flexibility to offer products that are right for their customers and the surrounding neighborhoods. This has enabled us to support local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for small businesses while providing customers with top-quality products.

It all comes back to service  to the community and our associates. While the vision evolves to include innovations and a focus on sustainability, the heart of what we do, of who are, remains centered on meeting the needs of the people who need us most.

From supporting local causes to providing local products to creating local jobs, Tops is here to serve the community for years to come.
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PureHealth, the largest healthcare platform in the Middle East, will now integrate the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) based in Abu Dhabi into its operations.

Established in Abu Dhabi in 2002, the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) serves as the UAE's main hub for treatment, rehabilitation, and research. In 2017, NRC was designated as a prestigious WHO Collaborative Centre for Substance Use Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders - the only centre of its kind in the Middle East.

NRC collaborates with governmental and semi-governmental entities to establish social and integration services for addiction patients, conducts community awareness sessions, and empowers students as addiction prevention ambassadors in their communities through school programmes.

Anti-addiction programme

To achieve these goals, the centre has undertaken several successful initiatives, including the "Capacity Building" programme, which conducted Addiction Specialisation Training Programmes for "Workplace" and "Family," benefiting over 60 participants from governmental and semi-governmental entities. Another key initiative is the "School Prevention Training," in collaboration with the Department of Education and Knowledge and the Department of Community Development, introducing an anti-addiction programme in schools and training educators and social workers. The NRC's commitment to a 360-degree approach ensures a holistic effort in combating addiction and promoting well-being across society.

By assuming management of the centre, PureHealth aims to transform how rehabilitation services in Abu Dhabi and the UAE are provided. Under this integration, the group will shape NRCs treatment programmes to incorporate the latest technologies and treatment regimes, oversee the expansion of NRCs capacity, enhance access to care, and optimise the quality and performance of the centre. Specialised treatment and rehabilitation services will be provided, including follow-up post-recovery.

Through its multidimensional plan, including community development, awareness, and prevention programmes, PureHealth will raise the communitys awareness of the medical and social risks of such activities and prevent possible entry into self-destructive habits.

Comprehensive approach

Shaista Asif, Group Chief Operating Officer of PureHealth, said: We are honoured to assume the responsibility of NRC, as we work to enhance and drive better and more focused rehabilitation services. Through our comprehensive approach, strategic collaborations, and dedication to research and innovation, we are committed to making a lasting positive impact on individuals and the wider community. This responsibility marks a significant milestone in our mission to empower individuals, improve lives, and contribute to the betterment of society.

Yousef Al Ketbi, Acting Chief Executive Officer of NRC, said: At the National Rehabilitation Centre, our vision is to be a beacon of hope and excellence, leading the way in rehabilitation and research in the United Arab Emirates. As we embark on this new chapter of integration with PureHealth, we are excited about the possibilities it brings to elevate our mission and impact. Together, we look forward to redefining the landscape of rehabilitation services in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, forging a brighter future for those in need of treatment and rehabilitation."

At a strategic level, NRC will assume vital responsibilities of coordinating with centres-both governmental and non-governmental agencies dedicated to rehabilitation and establish the overall national strategy on the subject.

Additionally, with PureHealth, the NRC will establish a dedicated research and training centre, which will serve as a hub for conducting studies, research, infrastructure development, and issuing professional qualifications in the field of rehabilitation. The NRC will also organise seminars, conferences, workshops, and training courses, and disseminate knowledge to healthcare professionals.

More access

NRC will focus on giving more access to patients, by increasing the outpatient timings of their clinic, developing a better patient experience and creating digital platforms to better serve the patients requirements.

With NRC, PureHealth expands its platform, offering comprehensive and holistic healthcare solutions to the region. The move is in line with the Groups efforts to help create a society where individuals lead healthier, happier lives and contribute meaningfully to their communities. These strategic endeavours further distinguish PureHealth as a unique provider with an unmatched range of services, quality, and expertise.-- TradeArabia News Service
As news of the dismissal of the Tulsa Race Massacre reparations case coincides with the announcement of a lawsuit targeting major tech companies like Amazon, Google and Meta for their role in the 2022 Buffalo massacre, its important to reflect on how the media has justified race massacres of the past and present. To change this cycle of violence, our media system must undergo media reparations.

The Oklahoma lawsuit centers on the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the deadliest in American history, in which thousands of white residents invaded a thriving neighborhood known as Black Wall Street  killing nearly 300 people and leaving almost 10,000 Black Tulsans unhoused. Newspapers in Tulsa played a major role in sanctioning and normalizing this violence. In the weeks leading up to the massacre, white newspaper editors published stories supporting the local Klu Klux Klan chapter, portraying Black people as criminals and sensationalizing the arrest of a Black child falsely accused of sexually assaulting a white girl.

In the aftermath of the devastation, Tulsa papers discouraged repair, claiming that Black Greenwood residents were to blame for their own destruction. This entrenched media bias resulted in neighborhood destruction, death and a long-term lack of investment. Many Black residents see the consequences of these editorial decisions to this day.

In 2020, three survivors petitioned for reparations for the damage this violent hate caused as well as the massacres long-term economic impact, which includes inequality in property ownership, entrepreneurship, health and well-being over the course of generations. Earlier this month, a Tulsa judge dismissed the survivors case, claiming their lawsuit didnt define a clear role the court could play in delivering repair.

A deadly cycleThe Tulsa massacre wasnt the only time the medias false portrayals of Black people spurred deadly white-supremacist violence. The 2022 mass shooting at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo was committed by a white supremacist who specifically targeted a grocery store that Black shoppers patronized. The shooter livestreamed the attack on Twitch, where more than 20 people tuned in to watch Black people massacred in real time  not unlike a public lynching.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, an investigation revealed that the shooter was heavily influenced by online groups and fringe media sites where white-supremacist theories and propaganda abound, radicalizing people toward very real manifestations of anti-Black violence. Prior to the attack, the shooter posted a manifesto online that affirmed these ideologies as the inspiration for his murderous rampage.

Both the Tulsa Race Massacre and the Buffalo shooting reveal the medias tendency to fuel violence and disregard for Black life. Anti-Black bias is baked into the media systems DNA. Its time to reckon with how the media system is structured to foment real-life hate and violence. Only then can we begin engaging in processes of repair.

What the media can doRepair is necessary to create a cultural landscape that holds Black life as sacred. The Media 2070 projects media-reparations process is a way for media and tech companies to do this work immediately.

Media reparations call for relinquishing the power and resources that undergird this system of violence and investing them in life-giving forms of media. That means more Black journalists, editors and tech leaders in positions of power and more funding and resources for affirming Black-led media companies and platforms. It also means working with Black communities throughout the entirety of the news-creation process to tell nuanced stories.

This process of repair can unlock opportunities for local, national and global news publications to acknowledge their role in policies and rhetoric that have historically perpetuated the suffering of Black people. Agencies like the Federal Communications Commission can help kick-start this process by investigating their own history of racism, which has made it nearly impossible for Black people to own any TV or radio stations.

On the other side of repair, Black voices will have the power and resources to contribute stories that widen the collective memory of how race-based violence has thrived on this land. There will be education about the ways in which media, journalism and tech have the potential to shape culture in a way that either manifests violence  or cultivates care.

From Tulsa to Buffalo and beyondOur communications infrastructure has a long history of contributing to anti-Black violence. While the massacres in Tulsa and Buffalo happened nearly 100 years apart, media companies have been monetizing oppression for centuries. The very first newspaper in the United States participated in the buying and selling of enslaved people. In 1957, local radio stations throughout the South used their broadcasting licenses to undermine the fight for integration. In the lead-up to the 1980s-era war on drugs, papers played a major role in criminalizing both Black people and drug usage in the court of public opinion. Today social media sites, where a large swath of people in the United States get their news, are profiting off of algorithmic bias that amplifies racist hate speech.

Black people existing in the fullness of our humanity have always been sacrificed for the sake of sales, headlines, profits, clicks, retweets and subscribers. Through its ownership structure, leadership makeup, toxic newsroom culture and editorial priorities, the news industry demonstrates how the media system is designed to uphold the myth of Black inferiority through the embrace of a white-racial hierarchy. White men remain the majority decision-makers and stakeholders in an industry meant to serve a multiracial population. The hoarding of resources and power results in news that values only white-Eurocentric perspectives and lives. Legacy media will continue to be a vehicle for anti-Black violence and massacres until it truly reckons with its anti-Black roots.

The victims and descendants in Tulsa, Buffalo and so many other communities will not be denied justice forever. Reparations are inevitable and will certainly be here by 2070. Between now and then, there is an opportunity to support the creation of a communications infrastructure that will get us there  one that allows Black folks to own and control our stories from ideation to distribution, where we have well-resourced Black-led media that supports the thriving of Black people globally. In this world, the tools used to communicate will be built on values of care, solidarity, joy and healing  rather than oppression.

Can you even imagine how beautiful that world would be? Can you imagine all the places freedom and safety would run? There are so many glorious possibilities known and unknown to us, and a reparative media system would give us the space to explore them.

A History of Anti-Black Media and Media Policy

In 1704, the Boston News-Letter, the nations first continuously published newspaper, ran a slave ad less than a month after its founding.

In 1927, the first broadcast licenses were distributed freely to white men only, creating a de-facto media-apartheid system that remains in place today.

In 1995, Congress passed legislation that ended the minority tax-certificate program, which had increased broadcast ownership by people of color from 1% to 3%.

People of color own and control just 6 percent of our nations full-power TV stations, 7 percent of commercial FM radio stations and 12 percent of commercial AM radio stations despite making up more than 40 percent of the U.S. population.

Black journalists made up just 5.6 percent of all newsroom staffers working at daily publications in 2017, according to the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) annual study. This study is no longer conducted due to lack of newsroom participation.

In 2017, a study by Color Of Change and Family Story found that Black families represent 59% of stories about poverty on CNN and Fox  even though they make up just 27% of poor families.
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News / Local

by Staff reporter

SPEAKER of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda who is a Zanu-PF Politburo member has said Zimbabweans can thank President Mnangagwa for the various developmental projects he has spearheaded in the Second Republic by voting for him and the party.Zimbabwe goes into harmonised elections on August 2023, with political parties already in full campaign mode.Adv Mudenda addressed the ruling party's rally at Vulindlela Secondary School in Kachechete ward in Hwange West Constituency on Friday and implored the electorate to rally behind Zanu-PF candidates including President Mnangagwa, to continue with the development being implemented through the Devolution Agenda.He said elections are a way of cementing the right to freedom and vote which many departed sons and daughters of Zimbabwe went to war for to liberate the country."The message I have brought you today is this, we are heading towards elections. We are voting because we are proud that as Zimbabweans we fought and got our independence."That vote didn't just come, people of Hwange we are blessed because we were responsible for helping freedom fighters to cross into Zambia and back carrying firearms to liberate this country so we get right to vote. That vote shows that we give mandate to the candidates and reminding them their power comes from us voters," he said.The constituency comprises of Victoria Falls urban and surrounding rural areas.Moyo will battle it out with Victoria Falls Mayor Councillor Somveli Dlamini who opted to stand as MP candidate on the MDC-T ticket and Vusumuzi Moyo of Citizens Coalition for Change.Adv Mudenda urged the electorate to vote into power an MP that will go to Parliament and be able to advocate for development, and cause setting aside of budget for building roads in the constituency."We vote for Zanu-PF to advance the development agenda. Development comes through a mediator. If you elect a Zanu-PF MP, that's a mediator that will go to President Mnangagwa on your behalf and to Parliament where is lead. Parliament tis a house for all laws."Vote President Mnangagwa to be the leader of Zimbabwe from 2023 to 2028. President Mnangagwa has done a lot in terms of development. Your thank you to him should be on 23 August when you will vote in numbers."Today I promise you President Mnangagwa will be elected and get into power and lead even those in opposition. If you vote well which I hope you will, and give President Mnangagwa another term, all these things will be done for you," he said while urging people to remain united.The Speaker encouraged people to exercise their right to vote."Let's all vote on 23 August, that's your right that came through blood and sweat of liberation fighters.Hwange had no Zanu-PF MPs and councillors because people are saying we have made mistakes. Let us vote into power our MPs and councillors so that we many of them in Parliament and council and so I hope you will vote well," said Adv Mudenda.He appealed to all citizens to vote for Zanu-PF saying voting the opposition negatively affects development.He appealed to the electorate to be patient with those voted into power so that they fully implement their mandate.Adv Mudenda challenged youth to shun drug and substance abuse saying this destroys the future of the country.
Musikfest has had issues with crime and disturbances at times over the years. This was different  perhaps one of the single scariest moments in Musikfest history.

A gunshot, the first in festival memory, rang out during the closing weekend of Musikfest 2022. Frightened Festers fled Plaza Tropical. Police rushed in. In an age of mass shootings, the worst was feared.

It turned out to be an isolated incident. Police have called it a targeted shooting, an apparent dispute between two people with a history between them. A 20-year-old man survived being shot in the abdomen. A year later, there is a suspect but no arrests.

As disturbing as the unfortunate Fest first was, it did not deter many from coming back for the final Sunday. Musikfest 2022 went on to set an attendance record.

I love Musikfest. I love this town, resident Mike Cunningham, who heard the shot, told lehighvalleylive.com when asked if hed be back the next day. Of course Im going to go.

More on Musikfest 22

Musikfest 40 for 40: 2022Ashli Truchon | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Musikfest 40 for 40: 2022Ashli Truchon | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Headliners: Boyz II Men; Kip Moore; Willie Nelson & Family; Poison; Counting Crows; Ziggy Marley; Disturbed; Kelsea Ballerini; Ja Rule & Ashanti; Alabama; Olga Tanon

Estimated attendance: 1.24 million

MUSIKFEST 40 FOR 40

Musikfest 40 for 40 is a special series based on archived stories from The Express-Times and lehighvalleylive.com, one for each year of Musikfests four decades.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
You may not have known the name  The bell guy? The bird man?  but you knew the show.

Its called Cast in Bronze, and Frank DellaPenna broke out the ol carillon and bird-like mask one last time for the milestone Musikfest 2023.

The 35-bell carillon is an instrument more likely to be found in a church tower, if anywhere, than a music festival. But for 16 years it was an annual spectacle at Musikfest. One could argue that the distinctly odd performance rose to a level of legend rivaling or even surpassing the Chicken Lady herself, at least for a certain generation of Festers.

DellaPenna has retired from traveling as Cast in Bronze, handing those duties to a protege. But he was back in Bethlehem for the first time since 2014. And he had a surprise never before seen  his face! The mask, a crucial part of his show for decades, was removed as a final thank you. (The curious can check out our gallery of concert photos.)

I have such a wonderful feeling about Musikfest and the people there who supported me all those years, DellaPenna told lehighvalleylive.com. It was my favorite festival to play each year. When people ask me about my career, Musikfest was something really special to me.

Cast in Bronze. The bell guy. The bird man. Whatever you call him, the bells will forever ring in the ongoing song of Musikfest.

Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com

More on Musikfest 23

Musikfest 40 for 40: 2023Ashli Truchon | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Headliners: AJR; Walk the Moon; G-Eazy; Dan + Shay; Walker Hayes; Keith Sweat & Monica; Goo Goo Dolls; Gabriel Iglesias & Faux Friends; El Gran Combo; Maren Morris; Train

Estimated attendance: Not available (yet)

MUSIKFEST 40 FOR 40

Musikfest 40 for 40 is a special series based on archived stories from The Express-Times and lehighvalleylive.com, one for each year of Musikfests four decades.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
At noon on Aug. 18, 1984, Pat Holetz was stationed by the Bethlehem Waterworks, welcoming people into Musikfest at Familienplatz and dispensing Coca-Cola.

It was the first of three or four shifts she had signed up for as a volunteer at the very first Musikfest. In fact, that shift was the first volunteer shift in the history of the festival. At the time, she had no idea what she was getting into.

Neither did Paul Fistner and Bill Watson, who both spent the first festival tapping beer at Festplatz, nor Judy Yuhas, who sold souvenirs, nor Kim Edwards, who counted money and coordinated deposits. But 39 years and 39 festivals later, theyre still here, donning a volunteer shirt and generally maxed out on volunteer shifts, dedicated to helping bring Musikfest to life.

Theyre not the only ones. Of the hundreds of volunteers Musikfest has in a given year, 12 individuals have been there each and every time: Holetz, Fistner, Yuhas, Edwards, Watson, Karen Bader, Evangeline Campbell, Patricia Fielding, Alice Schmidli, Norbert Szymanski, Mary Lou Straka and Bonnie Zsilavec. Theyve been your ushers, greeters, drink-tappers, information-dispensers, direction-givers, question-answerers and so much more, all in the name of Musikfest.

Most got involved back in 1984 the way youd imagine for a fledgeling event like that first festival.

Some heard about it secondhand  Yuhas and Fistner were both convinced to help out by friends who had heard about or were already involved with the festival, while Holetz saw a notice in the newspaper asking for volunteers.

Others had a more direct connection, like Schmidli, Edwards and Watson. Schmidli knew founder Jeff Parks and that he was starting this festival. Edwards was a branch manager of the First National Bank of Allentown, who was sponsoring the festival, and Watsons wife worked at another branch. When the bank had asked its employees to volunteer, Edwards answered the call and Watson also tagged along with his wife. Their years of volunteering outlived the bank, which was acquired by Meridian just two years later.

The 12 40-year volunteers are, of course, not the only long-tenured volunteers. But as the festival has celebrating its 40th year this time around, its important to recognize the group of people that have been helping to keep it afloat for all 40 themselves, starting from the very beginning.

That first shift was so much fun, Holetz said. I had so much fun that day that I immediately signed up for lots more shifts.

Once the year is over, I cant wait for the next year, said Watson.

Musikfests volunteer manager Cory Stevens estimates 50 to 60 percent of festival volunteers have been doing it for over a decade. It seems like once the bug bites you, you stick with it, he said.

These volunteers and countless others have stuck with it long enough to prove time and again that theyre the backbone of the festival. The organization really allows the volunteers to take ownership, Fistner said. I was the site supervisor at Volksplatz for 30 years, and everyone just called it Pauls site.

When it flooded in 2011, Fistner was the last person on-site, making sure festgoers were safely ushered out. When it was empty, he saw, bobbing up and down in the calm water, a cooler from one of the food vendor stations. I literally cried, he said. I just couldnt believe it.

But for that one low point, he has dozens of high points. He cites one night in 2003, the 20th Musikfest, as one of, if not the best night in the festivals history. Around that time, the biggest annual free stage performers were Mama Jama, Brother and the Red Elvises, usually scheduled on different nights. For year 20, the festival scheduled them back-to-back-to-back.

It was the ultimate party, Fistner said.

Pat Holetz, the Musikfest Chicken Lady, performs at Musikfest in 2008.Express-Times

Holetz is known to many as the Chicken Lady, which actually started at the Bethlehem Halloween parade two months after the first Musikfest  the Chicken Dance was so popular at Festplatz that first year that Marlene Gilley, one of the festivals first employees, procured a chicken costume, which Holetz agreed to wear at the parade in order to promote the then-still-small festival.

Here I am in a chicken costume, Holetz said, recalling her first foray into poultry imitation at the parade. What am I supposed to do? Musikfest is a happy place, its full of music and full of fun. So this is what I had to represent. The crowd loved it. The very next year, Holetz started donning the chicken costume and leading crowds in the Chicken Dance.

It got so popular that the Musikfest programs began to include specific scheduled Chicken Lady appearances. In 2004, Holetz moved to Florida, but she still flew up every year (via plane, not the wings of the chicken costume) to volunteer, breaking out the Chicken Lady routine for big anniversary years.

The other volunteers have found roles that suit them well. Watson is regularly a Wind Creek Steel Stage usher so he can see the headlining shows, which is always the most exciting part of the festival to him. Edwards has supervised the Festplatz Green Team, the festivals cash conversion crew, for 40 years. Schmidli started the festival pouring Coke and is still going strong, despite the use of a walker. Yuhas spent a long time working the hospitality center for the performers. Everyone has their niche.

It would be cliche to say that the volunteers embody the Musikfest spirit, but it would also be untrue  however one would define that spirit, the earliest volunteers more or less invented it. Intentional or not, starting a music festival largely staffed and operated by volunteers  ordinary members of the community  has given Musikfest a communal feel that goes back to the ownership Fistner feels the volunteers have been empowered with from the very beginning.

Now that Volksplatz is no more, Fistner jokes that hes homeless as a volunteer, but like Holetz donning the chicken costume, that just means hes able to say yes to whatever comes his way. Ive told Cory, Ive got your back. Fistner said. You have any holes  you need a site supervisor or you need a beer tapper, I have your back.

It also helps that, for many of the volunteers, coming together every year is always a highlight of the calendar.

All the volunteers are a family, Yuhas said. Were very close. We love each other, we love being together, and thats the big thing. Through working the hospitality center early on in the festivals run, Yuhas reconnected with a former classmate, Linda Galitis  the two have since become best friends (Galitis is a 39-year volunteer).

Its a lot of fun, Watson said. I see the same volunteers every year, and Ive gotten a lot of friendships from it.

Every year you gather back up, Edwards said, and its like you just saw each other yesterday.

Its a happy place to be, Holetz said.

The volunteering experience at Musikfest has been good enough that many of the 40-year volunteers and other longtime volunteers have taken to volunteering with ArtsQuest year-round, whether it be at other events or on different committees. While ArtsQuest has a large staff now, much larger than when Musikfest first started, any one of those staffers will tell you that the volunteers and the community theyve helped build are the reason any of it works at all.

Ive heard volunteers say time and time and time again, Fistner said, this is like a family reunion. You make really, really good friends at the festival. Even though you live in the same town, you might only live a couple blocks apart, your paths just never cross for the rest of the year. And then every August, its like a reunion.

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Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
Two adults and their pets were displaced early Sunday after a fire torched their Colonial home  just after a lightning storm passed through the region  in Palmer Township.

The fire began just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the 100 block of Clover Hollow Road. Palmer Municipal Fire Dept. Deputy Chief Ken Sobieski said both residents escaped safely with two birds.

Sobieski, just before 7:30 a.m. at the scene, told lehighvalleylive.com the blaze was burning across the top of the single-family home when firefighters arrived. A second alarm was called and crews from neighboring municipalities and numerous mutual aid departments assisted in getting the flames under control, he said.

The fire later was brought under control at an unspecified time, Sobieski said. Fire damage spread throughout the second and above floors with smoke and water damage all throughout the home, he said.

There were no reported injuries. Suburban Emergency Medical Services and Bethlehem Township Emergency Medical Services were also at the scene. Palmer Township police responded as well.

While the lightning storm was intense at that time, Sobieski couldnt say if it played a role in the fire, which remains under investigation.

Township firefighters cleared the scene by 5 a.m. Sunday, Sobieski said, but some returned after sunrise to check on things, including potential hot spots that could flare up. The Colonial eventually was deemed uninhabitable by fire officials, with the second-floor windows boarded up and its roof totally gone.

The Pennsylvania Rivers Chapter of the American Red Cross, which handles the Lehigh Valley, however, was not called to assist the residents, Sobieski said.

The fire broke out shortly before 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023 at 100 block of Clover Hollow Road in Palmer Township. Two adults and two pet birds safely escaped, said Palmer Municipal Fire Dept. Deputy Chief Ken Sobieski.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
Editors Note: Real Alternatives is a nonprofit operating in Pennsylvania that provides support for women who choose childbirth over abortion. It received $7.263 million in funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services in the last fiscal year, per its website.

I call upon Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to reverse his decision to cancel the commonwealths contract with Real Alternatives.

Go to the Real Alternatives website and see for yourself the success of the program they have administered in Pennsylvania for decades.

If the governor is truly an advocate for women, he will not end the very program that assists pregnant women at their time of need. Women throughout Pennsylvania have received critical counseling and material goods to help them at a most vulnerable time in their lives.

Governor Shapiro, do the right thing and help pregnant women in challenging circumstances.

Salvatore T. Rizzo Jr.

Easton
Arrests have been made in Laois as part of a global policing operation involving Laois Gardai and described by Interpol as "a crackdown on West African organized crime".

INTERPOL says the operation saw bank accounts frozen, suspects arrested, and financial investigations triggered worldwide into gangs one of the most notorious of which is called Black Axe.

Gardai said in a statement that it worked with INTERPOL and Law Enforcement Agencies across 21 countries around the world carried out enforcement activity under Operation Jackal called Operation Skein in Ireland.

Led by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), under Operation SKEIN, in Ireland, Gardai said that due to the volume of arrests/ detentions/ charges in Ireland, the period of action commenced during the 1st Quarter 2023 and culminated in intensified activity during April/ May 2023.

A Garda statement said there were three facets to the Ireland plan:

Conduct searches for evidence;

Arrest, detain and question suspects

Arrest and charge suspects where directions have been received from the DPP.

Due to the volume of reports, cases, suspects, GNECB submit investigative packages to local districts for suspects to be arrested and investigated locally. The searches and detentions were co-ordinated by the GNECB and included assistance from local Garda units across the country.

The arrests for charging were conducted by GNECB and local Gardai in counties including Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Limerick, Kerry, Laois, Longford, Cork.

Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan, Garda National Economic Crime Bureau highlighted some of the reasons for the arrests in Laois and other counties..

"The 34 persons arrested and charged as part of this phase of Operation SKEIN were involved in money laundering, these persons were facilitating the criminal activities of organised crime groups, by allowing their bank accounts to be used to move criminally gained money.

"They also facilitated and contributed to the theft of money from other individuals and companies. This is a crime. These persons face a criminal conviction and the long-term impacts of such a conviction.

Supt Cryan further appealed to the public to be on alert for scams," he said.

"Do not let any other person have access to or use your account to transfer money. If you are approached on social media or other platform, with a promise of easy money, beware, your bank account is your information and your responsibility. If you believe your account has been compromised in some way, contact your financial institution and An Garda Siochana, he said.

Gardai outlined the extent of the operation:

3 premises searched in Dublin, Wicklow and Longford

9 persons arrested and detained under Organised Crime legislation

4 Persons arrested and detained for money laundering offences

33 persons arrested and charged for money laundering

1 person arrested and charged with gangland offences and money laundering

9 incidents of stolen money recovered from foreign bank accounts

Over 400,000 of stolen monies recovered for Irish companies.

Examples of cases where money was recovered from Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud in Ireland include:

Complaint by company that over 98,000 was stolen in a BEC fraud and transferred to a bank a/c in Portugal - working with the financial institution, the payment was cancelled and all the money was recovered.

Over 149,000 stolen in a BEC from a victim buying an apartment in Spain. Money was laundered through an a/c in Spain. Working with the financial institution GNECB was able to recover nearly 76,000 laundered through a secondary a/c in Spain.

Over 95,000 stolen in a BEC in USA in early April 2023 and laundered through an a/c in Ireland. Working with the financial institution, GNECB was able to freeze and recover over 91,000.

Gardai say that in seven cases involving Irish companies, with over 475,000 cash stolen, over 400,000 was recovered.

Garda Assistant Commissioner for policing organised and serious crime Tony Kelly.

"Operation JACKAL continues to demonstrate our commitment to work internationally, engaging with Law Enforcement partners, such as INTERPOL, in disrupting the activities of Transnational Organised Crime Groups. Operation JACKAL is a direct response to investigations initiated by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB), once again highlighting the internationally recognised expertise and professionalism of the members of An Garda Siochana, particularly those attached to GNECB, he said.

It is the assessment of GNECB/ INTERPOL that this Criminal Organisation is the Black AXE, a Criminal Organisation formed in West Africa in the mid-1970s and which is now operating worldwide.

This investigation began with a request for assistance from an EU country, via EUROPOL in early 2020. 1.1 million was stolen in a BEC fraud and laundered through Asia. The fake emails originated from Ireland. Electronic devices seized during this investigation, analysed in co-operation with International Law Enforcement indicated for the first time that this Criminal Organisation was operating from Ireland and not just laundering through Ireland.

To date the following Garda investigative and enforcement activity has taken place, nationwide,

 84 persons arrested under organised crime legislation

 327 persons arrested for money laundering offences

 102 Arrests by GNECB (of the above)

 204 persons charged to date

 22 Juveniles admitted to the Juvenile Diversion Programme

The GNECB said it continues to work with financial institutions to put new systems in place for the reporting of money laundering and money mules. The Gardai say the co-operation of financial institutions has been "second to none" and the success of this operation could not have been achieved without this support.

The Irish operation arrest were highlighted by Interpol which also said that in five criminal cases involving Irish companies, 225,655 was recovered through Operation Jackal beyond Irish borders.

"It became apparent early in the investigation that international cooperation and the use of INTERPOLs analytical and coordination capabilities was essential to the investigation, and remains a pivotal element to the success to date and the ongoing investigation into this group, said Garda Assistant Commissioner Kelly in an interpol press release.

Interpol said further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold.

Black Axe, and an increasing number of other West African organized crime syndicates, is a violent mafia-style gang renowned for cyber-enabled financial fraud, in particular business email compromise schemes, romance scams, inheritance scams, credit card fraud, tax fraud, advance payment scams and money laundering.
The pageantry of an Irish Summer with hot days freedom, the matches and all the other activities and events that go with it, is surely a glorious time, before settling down to school, work routine, and the weather that is part of other times of year. That is why we cherish these final days, which are often the loveliest of the year.

The FBD National Livestock and Tullamore Show is often seen as a great coming together of town and country before we turn to other things.

What does it mean to so many people? Firstly, there is hardly an Irish person who does not have a relation from the land. The enormous diversity of events, people and activities ensure that you will see not only the best stock and crops in the country, but in the world. All will look and wonder at what is to be seen, and marvel at the dedication and ability of those who produce them.

The sheer magnitude of the event, a 600 acre temporary city, 1000 classes, competitions, demonstrations, arts and crafts, magnificent horses, wonderful dogs, forestry and fashion, sheep shearing, vintage and inventions with the band from An Garda Siochana, as well as music and dancing all being co-ordinated by a handful of administration staff led by Show Secretary, Chelsey Cox McDonald provides an astonishing days activities. On the day also are amusements and activities for children of all ages as well as commercial outlets and a big screen to cover national events. A 25 person executive let by Chairman Joseph Molloy are the leaders of each section of the Show. These are ably assisted by a 500 strong team of volunteers to steward person, the gates, organise the traffic, parking, and associated works. All those people work for their love of country life and place.

Special mention must be made of the small team who lay out the grounds and make sure there is a place for everyone and everything. Their work is surly a marvel of what can be done with a green field in a couple if weeks.

The farming organisations will all be there to hear the cares and concerns of those who dont often get a chance to air their voices.

Tullamore show and the National Livestock shows are fortunate to have F.B.D Insurance as their main sponsors and are grateful to them and to all the other sponsors who make the shows possible.

Farming is now a solitary occupation. Gone are the days when happy gangs assembled to save the hay, turf or harvest. Perhaps for just this one day some of that atmosphere, wit and wisdom of other times can be experienced.

It is also inspiring to observe the sturdy independent country folk, who despite the vicissitudes of weather, the fluctuating fortunes of farming, regulations and some regulators, survive by doing their own thing anyway and will continue.

There is a place for everyone at the shows, even those who wish to stroll or sit on the grass and observe the great and the famous in our society who come to mix and mingle with the rest of us. People like Larry G or Michael O, who, despite being mega stars of the business world, are yet farmers at heart or Anna May from the show's sister organisation, a true legend of our time.

To all who made this great event what it is and those who continue to make it better, their reward is that we will have a day to remember of pageantry, adventure and fun that is a day in the country, when this day is done.

See you all at the show on Sunday!
The new look at the main entrance to Portlaoise hospital has been revealed after reconfiguration to create what the HSE intended would create a more comfortable environment for patients, visitors and staff.

The HSE has also outlined why it has to find space outside the Laois hospital's grounds to find more car parking spaces at the busy facility.

Work began on the main entrance in early 2023 when the HSE outlined the work being carried out to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

It said the entrance hall of Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise would be reorientated main a change of location for the reception desk and Admissions Office.

It said the main entrance doors would also be improved by extending the entry space into the lobby - "resulting in a more comfortable environment for all patients, visitors and staff." The work has necessitated a new sign over the entrance. MORE ON PARKING BELOW PICTURE.

Separately, the HSE also confirmed the reason for applying for planning permission from Laois County Council for a 106 temporary car park for the hospital offsite on lands attached to St Fintans Hospital off the Block Road.

"The hospital has increased the offering for parking for patients on the hospital grounds. They now require additional parking for Staff. The hospital hopes this would alleviate the pressure on car parking for the general public who come to the hospital for appointments/visiting during the course of the day," it said.

A number of new car parks have been added to the Portlaoise hospital campus in recent years but none have satisfied the demand for parking. The existing and new spillover car parks are regularly packed to capacity.

Work is also ongoing on a new Respiratory Assessment Unit, an extension to the Paediatric Unit and additional accommodation at ground floor and first floor.
A new podcast that concentrates on womens issues and cultivating a conversation around making the world a more equal place has been set up by a Kildare woman.

Anita Whyte-Moran, who originally hails from Kilberry but now lives in Kilcullen, launched the Femcast (stylised as 'THE FEMCAST') last month.

She describes herself as 'a highly motivated with an entrepreneurial background, and a passion for empowering women and promoting gender equality.'

She elaborated: "My mission is to educate, empower, and encourage women to harness the power of their voices and share their lived experiences to help others.

"I am committed to personal development and societal impact, I have pursued various courses and training programs to get this podcast off the ground.

"The last one I completed was a course in Understanding and Responding to domestic abuse and gender-based violence in SETU, so I could use those skills to help educate others and raise awareness.

"I then did a course on responsible reporting on domestic violence and homicide with a UK-based organisation, which made sense as a follow-on for what Im doing with the podcast and reporting on femicide on my website and across social media.

"I then did a higher diploma in Journalism and New Media Content in SETU last year. I graduated in November 2022."

When asked about why she set up THE FEMCAST, Anita said: "I want to get involved in important social and political events to make a positive impact in peoples lives: I campaigned for Marriage Equality in 2015 and then the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

"As a staunch advocate for equality and womens rights, I am committed to shedding light on the challenges women encounter in their everyday lives."

Commenting on what it was like for her when setting up THE FEMCAST, she said: "Technology was certainly daunting for me, I got on better than I thought I would, still honing the skills.

"Ill be honest, Ill never love the technical side of it., but just give me a mic all day long and I can talk for Ireland!"

Anita continued: "I released the first series in all its imperfect glory because the message was so important to get out there.

"I wasnt waiting or depending on anyone to fine tune or make it perfect.

"I think thats what we all wait for, it being perfect, and it can hold us back."

Anita also said that an event from her past also inspired her to set up THE FEMCAST: "I had endured a traumatic experience of abuse in a job, which had a profound impact on my mental well-being.

"During my research into understanding the issues with my brain and seeking ways to improve my mental health, I came across Jens book, The Bullied Brain.

"The aftermath of the abuse manifested in the form of depression, severe anxiety, and frequent panic attacks, further exacerbating my struggles... it wasnt just mental health, but my physical health suffered too, with fatigue and eczema, and I developed ulcers.

"My health was so bad, I had several A&E visits for panic attacks that felt like a heart attack. Never underestimate stress, it truly is a killer; I now see a cardiologist."

Anita added that she was 'determined' to regain control over her life and health, so she embarked on a relentless pursuit of solutions to her issues.

She explained: "I explored countless remedies, engaged in therapy sessions, and sought various treatments, but to no avail.

"The grip of depression remained unyielding, and the daily onslaught of anxiety and fear continued to ravage me both mentally and physically."

However, Anita finally caught a break when she got in touch with Dr Jen Fraser for THE FEMCAST.

She said: "While waiting for Jens book to arrive (in the post), I reached out to her, she very kindly extended the hand of friendship, without any questions or any expectation of anything in return.

"This is what women do for each other; Women are incredible. We understand each others struggles so much.

"Jen explained the intricacies of the bullied brain, and that when we experience bullying and abuse, our brains undergo damage, resulting in neurological scars and the disruption of our brains architecture.

"Its not all doom and gloom: through Jens eleven years of research working with neuroscientists, she will show you how to heal, she also shares that we possess the ability to reverse the damage and heal our scars.

"Youll hear her brilliant work on the podcast, we talk about bullying in schools, adult to children, peer to peer in the workplace, and in relationships."

'I WOULD LOVE MORE MEN TO GET INVOLVED'

Anita also said that she would encourage men to listen to and get in touch with THE FEMCAST: "I would love more men to get involved, I actively invite them.

"My commitment is to empower and educate everyone. Men are most welcome to join the community.

"There are a few hundred men on my LinkedIn profile for THE FEMCAST, they advocate with me to end mens violence against women and raise awareness that there is an urgent need for societal change to protect and value the lives of women.

"We all need to get out and emphasise the urgent need to address the pervasive issue of gender-based violence and the brutal femicides that continue to plague our society. It is imperative for us all to rally together and advocate for change, encouraging men to join us in the fight against these heinous acts... we cannot do it without the men."

When asked about her feminist idols, Anita said: "My grandmother was a force to be reckoned with. She instilled in me the importance of independence and financial security."

Anita also pointed to the late civil rights activist Maya Angelou, as well as one of her close friends, Colette Byrne, whom she said 'has been an incredible force for change since the 1970s; tirelessly advocating for equality for women, better healthcare, and equal pay.'

Anita said that she intends to use her experience to help others, with the Femcast acting as her medium: "I never in a million years thought Id ever be experiencing bad mental health from the actions of another person, but here we are.

"I must use my lived experience now to help others get through it and come out the other side, educating people is the only way.

"When youre going through it you feel so alone, its good to know you are not alone and this will help people navigate their way through."

She continued: "(On The Bullied Brain) We present an evidence-based step-by-step plan to repair the harm inflicted upon victims.

"Jens groundbreaking book is renowned as the most comprehensive scientific treatment of the subject serves as the foundation for our discussions. Jen challenges outdated beliefs surrounding bullying and abuse by highlighting the neurological scars, trauma leaves on the brain.

"Bullying and abuse does not have to touch the body to do significant damage to the brain: neuroscientists can see what bullying and abuse do to the brain with MRIs, and how it leads to neurological scars.

"We talk about the untold harm to brains, people dont even know they have a brain injury because our society doesnt talk about it, despite all the research. A brain injury impacts all facets of your life, we need to take this seriously."

Anita was also asked about her views on womens rights in the modern world.

She responded: "While progress has undoubtedly been made in recent years, it is clear that Ireland, and the wider world, still has a long way to go in creating a truly inclusive society for women.

"Gender-based violence remains a deep-seated and pervasive problem, and despite various campaigns, it appears to be getting worse.

"More women than ever are dying in their homes, the very place they should feel safest. These distressing realities serve as a stark reminder that our society is far from being genuinely inclusive."

She continued: "When we consider the issue of inclusivity, we must acknowledge the persistent prevalence of gender-based violence.

"It is a deeply rooted problem that affects women across the globe. Despite efforts to combat it, women continue to face physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in alarming numbers.

"The fact that the rates of such violence are on the rise is deeply concerning and indicative of the larger challenges we face in creating an inclusive society.

"Gender-based violence not only harms individuals but also perpetuates a culture of fear, limiting womens ability to participate fully and freely in society.

"The unequal treatment of women in the workplace remains a significant obstacle to achieving true inclusivity.

"The promotion gap faced by women who start families is a stark example of how societal norms and biases continue to hinder womens progress.

"It is disheartening to see talented and qualified women being passed over for career advancements simply because they choose to have children. This not only perpetuates gender inequality but also undermines womens economic independence and hinders their professional development.

"It is crucial for businesses and organisations to address these biases and provide equal opportunities for all employees, regardless of their gender or family choices.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the existing inequalities faced by women. Womens jobs have been disproportionately affected, with many working in sectors heavily impacted by lockdowns and restrictions.

"Additionally, the burden of unpaid care work, such as childcare and household responsibilities, has fallen disproportionately on womens shoulders... this unequal distribution of responsibilities has negatively impacted womens careers, mental health, and overall well-being.

"The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities and disparities that persist in our society, making it clear that more needs to be done to create a truly inclusive world for women."

Further information about THE FEMCAST can be found on www.thefemcast.com, and @thefemcast on social media.

Concluding all her points, Anita said: "We want to teach young girls and women to harness the power of their voices and share their stories."
Opinion / Columnist

Looking at the Zimbabwean situation seems confusing at first glance yet in Zimbabwe, like any other country, the road to freedom and prosperity is long journey. It took the United States at least a century and half, and 247 years later, USA, one of the most democratic nations in the world, is working very hard to maintain its freedom.I will admit that it is unfair to compare processes in a country 43 years of independence to a country that has enjoyed 247 years of Independence except that Zimbabwe is a country bereft of democracy. Until the recent election period, previous elections were bloody punctuated by hate speech. With access to the media restricted, chaotic general elections in Zimbabwe produced the same predictable results: the return of the same autocrats and vampire elites back to power, the demoralization and even the radicalization of the opposition, and the bastardization of the word "democracy." Will the current elections be different?It seems to me that the Opposition Parties in Zimbabwe have not learned the lessons from previous elections, and they do not understand the mistakes to be avoided. It takes a smart opposition to make democracy work-not the rah-rah noisy type that simply chants "ED has failed!, Zvinhu zvakaoma!" How does stating the obvious help ordinary person in Mhandamabwe?A smart opposition must come up with policies that will address the dire economic, political and social decay the nation is facing. I have followed Chamisa and his multitudes of rallies but have failed to figure out a single policy proposal that will address his claims of "zvinhu zvakaoma." We are all aware that zvinhu zvakaooma, even President Mnangagwa understands that things are not okay in the country; how does stating the obvious going to solve these issues?As I said before, it will be unfair to compare USA to Zimbabwe except that Zimbabweans are not inferior people. What we expect from anyone who masquerades as a presidential candidate is a policy agenda that will address the current economic, political, and social weaknesses. We can't honestly vote for you because all you have to say is ED wakonewa, zvinhu zvakaooma!! You honestly want to wake up a Zimbabwean president with zero policy proposals?Toppling a dictator is only the first step; it does not necessarily establish freedom and prosperity. Many countries have experienced "revolution reversals." A dictator is toppled only to be replaced by another tyrant. Zimbabweans are struggling to remove one cockroach from power but do not want to replace him with the next rat that will do the same thing or worse.
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This year's ever popular Cannonball Run, an event that offers spectators a unique opportunity to witness the world's most prestigious and sought-after supercars up close, is set to pass through Carrick-on-Shannon on its way across the country.

The supercar event, which attracts over 200,000 spectators every year, has raised 1,538,602 for Irish charities since it was first established and this year, the official charity of Cannonball is The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation.

The unique event features 190 supercars traveling over 1000km of Irish open roads with the action-packed spectacle set to roll out from September 15-17.

Cannonball, fuelled by milesPLUS from Circle K, is the largest organised road trip in Europe and features the finest cars on the planet from the awe-inspiring power of Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren to the grace and elegance of Porsche, Aston Martin, and Maserati, bringing a unique and inimitable electric atmosphere to host towns all over the country.

On Thursday September 14, the Cannonball crew will roll into Malahide Castle with the supercars due to start arriving from 6pm.

On Friday September 15 at 10am, the gleaming convoy will depart Malahide Castle and will blaze a trail to Cavan for a lunch stop at the Slieve Russell Hotel and Country Club in Cavan.

The first finish line and overnight stay will be in Ballina and the cars are due to arrive at the finish line on the Quay at 6pm to help celebrate Ballinas 300th birthday.

On Saturday September 16, the convoy will leave the Quay in Ballina at 10.30am and travel to Salthill Hotel, Co Galway for lunch at 1pm and then onwards to Pery Square Limerick City for the second finish line and overnight stay in association with Limerick City and County. On Sunday September 17, the supercars will leave Limerick City at 10.30am, then fuel up at Circle K Fermoy and then onwards to Cork for lunch at Fota Island Resort before a big dramatic final finish line in Kilkenny City at 6pm.

The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation is an Irish childrens charity that funds and delivers in-home nursing care, respite support and end-of-life care for children from birth to six years of age who have highly complex and life-limiting medical conditions. There are currently over 400 children under the care of Jack and Jill right across the country and the charitys mission is to empower parents to care for their child at home, because there is no care like home care for a Jack and Jill child.

With Brazilian dancers, giant screens, live DJs and bands in host towns, it's sure to be an event to remember and this year, there will also be a fancy dress competition.

Cannonball was founded by Kildare businessman Alan Bannon and the benefit to the host towns for this event is estimated at 2,567,000 per year. Cannonball is fuelled by milesPLUS from Circle K who is the main headline sponsor for 2023 and all official fuel stops on the route where spectators can see the cars will be announced in the coming days.

The tour sponsor this year is Apache Pizza and Cannonball official partners include Karl Goodwin Motors, AB Signs, HONE Energy and Majestic Ireland Road Trips. See cannonball.ie for more details.

For the route map, visit the link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ bdi8wkyoq9uzw6x/AACjEcR92v1hE- jR64hEKADZa?dl=0
An endangered bird has returned to a Co Down bog thanks to conservation efforts.

For the first time in several years, two breeding pairs of lapwings have been spotted at Lecale Fens special area of conservation, just outside Downpatrick.

The breakthrough comes after efforts by Ulster Wildlife working with local farmer John Crea.

Like many other ground-nesting birds, the lapwing has suffered major declines over the last 40 years due to the loss of wetland habitat and changes in farming practices.

The bird is now red-listed on the Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland and is a Northern Ireland priority species because of its decline, rarity and importance.

Lapwings require a mosaic of habitats to breed and prefer boggy open areas with bare ground or short vegetation, avoiding areas of dense cover.

Since 2018, Ulster Wildlife has been working with specialist contractors and the farmer to eliminate invasive species and scrub, such as rhododendron, from Lecale Fens, using amphibious machinery.

Simon Gray, peatland conservation officer with Ulster Wildlife, said conservation efforts have been ongoing for five years.

In the past, this area was managed by grazing or burning to stop scrub taking over and drying out the fen, but given climate concerns associated with peat burning and risks to livestock from deep water we had to come up with new and innovative solutions, he said.

Five years later and were thrilled to see our restoration efforts reap rewards for biodiversity, with Lecale Fens moving towards a healthy condition again.

This will have a knock-on effect on other wetland-loving wildlife too such as dragonflies, snipe and silver hook moth.

Mr Crea said he was delighted to see the lapwing back on his farm.

Its brilliant to see these birds doing so well and we hope they come back again next year to breed, he said.

Ulster Wildlife is working with landowners across Northern Ireland to restore designated peatland sites along with large-scale peatland areas in need of restoration.

The aim is to help bring back the rich diversity of species these sites once supported, as well as the host of benefits peatlands provide from flood prevention to carbon sequestration.

Mr Gray added: With over 75% of land in Northern Ireland farmed, it is vital that farmers and landowners are properly supported to help restore nature on a landscape scale with peatland sites, such as this, playing a vital role in helping to tackle the nature and climate crisis.

Find out more at ulsterwildlife.org/saving-our-peatlands.
Chinese lawyer Lu Siwei, at an undisclosed location 300 kilometers north of Vientiane, July 27, 2023. AP

Laotian authorities' detention of Lu Siwei, a Chinese human rights lawyer who fled China but is not the subject of an arrest warrant, has put this small Communist country  which is heavily dependent on Beijing  in a delicate situation. International mobilization is mounting in support of the lawyer, while Vientiane  which claims to have arrested him because of the "fraudulent travel documents" he presented as he passed through immigration control on his way to Thailand  is under pressure from China to send him back. Lu is being held incommunicado, in legal conditions that are incompatible with a simple violation of immigration rules.

"Official requests from his lawyers to meet with him have gone unanswered. The Laotian government is apparently afraid to give any reason why access to him should be blocked. His lawyers consider that this is now a political matter rather than a legal one. And that it is being directly managed at the highest level of the Laotian government," revealed Peter Dahlin, co-founder of the Spanish NGO Safeguard Defenders, which specializes in dealing with the "enforced disappearances" of dissidents as organized by the Chinese regime in China or abroad.

Lu is one of the Chinese lawyers targeted by Xi Jinping's regime, which accuses them of "using the law for political ends" when defending opponents of the Chinese Communist Party. In Lu's case, he is defending one of the 12 Hong Kong protesters who were intercepted in 2020 by the Chinese coastguard while they were attempting to reach Taiwan clandestinely on a speedboat. In retaliation, the lawyer was disbarred.

Ban on leaving the country

In May 2021, he wanted to go to the United States, where he had been granted a scholarship, with his wife and daughter but discovered when passing through Chinese immigration control that he was subject to a ban on leaving the country  another of the political police's tools for controlling dissidents. His wife and daughter flew alone to the United States.

Two years later, in July 2023, the lawyer decided to join them: he secretly left China and entered Laos, where two American members of ChinaAid, a Christian NGO aiding Chinese dissidents, were waiting for him. With his passport bearing both Thai and American visas, he was arrested on July 28 not far from Vientiane, at the train station crossing the Mekong River, the border between Laos and Thailand. He was taken away by police officers despite the protests of his two companions.

Rights NGOs then decided to publicize his case. His wife spoke out publicly on August 6, demanding that the Laotian authorities release him and allow him to seek asylum in another country. In London on Monday, August 7, exiled Hong Kong human rights activists and their supporters took a petition to the Laotian embassy in the UK. In Vientiane, American diplomats in particular have voiced their concerns.

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Bullet-riddled houses after deadly clashes between Fatah members and Islamist groups in Ein el-Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon, southern Lebanon, August 3, 2023. MOHAMMAD ZAATARI / AP

The small apartment where Mohamed Samour, his wife and their two children lived, in the Bustan al-Quds district, was ravaged by recent fighting in Ein el-Hilweh, a Palestinian refugee camp in Sidon, southern Lebanon. Walls were ripped open, doors were blown off their hinges, and rubble piled up on the ground. What furniture remained had been blackened by fire. "The destruction is unbelievable in the area where we live. We were on the front line. We don't have a house anymore. My car was smashed up," said Samour, a 39-year-old Palestinian, on the outskirts of the camp, as he scrolled through images of his home on his phone.

The clashes at the end of July, which left 13 people dead, pitted fighters from Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, against militiamen from various small Islamist groups in the camp, including Jund al Sham and Shabab al Muslim. They lasted five days, punctuated by several broken ceasefires, before one that began on August 3 finally held. But residents remain on their guard. "God only knows what's in store for us," said Samira Zaarour, a woman in her 60s who "hid in [her] house during the fighting."

The Lebanese army  which does not enter the enclave but closes off the various access points with fixed roadblocks  tightened its controls on the main entrance to the camp on Friday, August 11. The military has begun searching cars in both directions. Shells were discovered in a vehicle entering Ein el-Hilweh the previous day. Sidon's public hospital, which is nearby, bears bullet holes in its facade; its patients were evacuated at the height of the fighting.

Fatah military chief shot dead

In recent years, violence, often fueled by factional power struggles, has repeatedly plunged Lebanon's largest Palestinian camp, with its tens of thousands of residents, into mourning. It is considered the "capital" of the refugees, whose elders were expelled from their land when Israel was created in 1948.

This time, the outbursts were preceded by a murder. But the escalation began after Abu Ashraf Al-Armoushi, Fatah's local military chief, was shot dead by Islamists along with four of his men on July 30. This was a major blow for the movement, whose historic authority in the camp is contested by rivals.

In the northern part of Ein el-Hilweh, where most of the fighting  with automatic weapons, anti-tank rockets and explosions  took place, the situation has not returned to normal. Fatah men remain deployed in the streets and have cut off key roads to traffic, according to local residents. Islamist fighters remain entrenched in a school complex belonging to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. It was from here that Al-Armoushi was most likely targeted. Negotiations have been ceaselessly ongoing to ensure that the main gunmen  both Fatah and Islamist  involved in the mini-conflict are handed over to the Lebanese army. This is the condition for a lasting return to calm.

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HERITAGE group An Taisce has expressed a number of concerns over plans to transform an old hotel in Limerick city into student accommodation.

Businessman Mark McMahon secured conditional permission from council to redevelop the former Railway Hotel, opposite Colbert Station in the city centre.

The proposal would see 111 student bed spaces across 25 apartments at the former hostelry, which ceased trading in 2016.

On top of this, the neighbouring former McEnery's general store is slated for demolition, with a cafe taking its place and a seven-storey building behind the existing listed hotel.

However, Ian Lumley, head of strategy with An Taisce has lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanala on behalf of the group.

The national planning appeals body is expected to make a final decision on whether the project goes ahead by November.

Among An Taisces concerns is what it feels is a lack of amenity for any new residents at the student halls.

Mr Lumley predicted that the development could see between 140 and 200 temporary and permanent residents and visitors.

It is not good enough to say that the residents can treat the Peoples Park or the stone benches on the adjacent railway station forecourt as their main outdoor social space. The park of course closes at dusk (5pm in winter). Where is the provision for some planting within, on or beside the building? Has any consideration been given to the use of the considerable amount of roof space for planting and outdoor seating, he asked.

Mr Lumley also complained about poor connectivity for those using bikes, and the height of the new seven-storey complex, which he believes will impinge on the city's Georgian appearance.

The proposed building will be the first sight that meets the eye on arrival at Limerick station, and should it go ahead, it will not be a pretty one. The view from Davis Street is particularly stark and will overwhelm all its neighbours, two and occasionally three-storey buildings, Mr Lumley wrote.

The view of An Taisce Limerick, he said, is buildings higher than six-storeys should not be built within or nearby the Georgian Quarter.
Mumbai: Deloitte Haskins and Sells Llps resignation letter as Adani Ports and SEZ Ltds statutory auditor revealed that the US-headquartered Big 4 auditor resigned prematurely primarily due to lack of clarity on transactions with certain parties alleged in the 24 January Hindenburg Research report, and because of the 1.75 trillion Gautam Adani-led companys resistance to conduct an independent external evaluation.

As a material weakness" identified as at 31 March, Deloitte said, The company (Adani Ports) did not have an appropriate internal control system in respect of conducting an external examination of allegations made on the company."

Deloitte said Adani Ports did not have adequate internal control system to even examine veracity of allegations ( made by Hindenburg) on related party relationships, which could potentially result in possible adjustments or disclosures of related party relationships, balances and transactions in the standalone financial statements.

A material weakness is a deficiency in internal financial control, in the absence of which there could be a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the companys annual or interim financial statements will not be detected in time.

After a 90-minute meeting on 12 August between Deloitte and Adani Ports, in a 163-page resignation letter Deloitte said, We are not statutory auditors of a substantial number of other Adani Group of companies (as referred to under Other Matters" ...) including an Adani Group company (and its subsidiaries) after completion of our term of five years."

Therefore, the scope of our audit does not extend to any transactions or balances which may have occurred or been undertaken between these Adani group companies and any supplier, customer or any other party which has had a business relationship with the company during the year," said the letter.

Adani Ports, Deloitte said, entered into Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) purchase contracts substantially with a fellow subsidiary (Contractor") of a party identified in the allegations made in the Short Seller Report (Hindenburg).

As at 31 March 2023, a net balance of 2,457.05 crore is recoverable from this contractor, of which 713.63 crore relate to security deposits paid to the contractor and 1,501.50 crore in respect of capital advances.

The security deposits carry an interest of approximately 8% per annum and are refundable by the contractor either on completion or termination of the project against which the security deposit was given by the company.

Security deposits totalling 713.63 crore have been given prior to 1 April 2022, of which security deposits amounting to 253.63 crore relate to projects which have not commenced as at 31 March 2023," said Deloitte.

Additionally, there were financing transactions (including equity) with/by certain other parties identified in the allegations made in the Hindenburg report, which the company has represented to Deloitte as not being related parties.

Adani Ports has represented that there is no effect of the allegations made in the Hindenburg report on the standalone financial statements.

The company did not consider it necessary to have an independent external examination of these allegations.

The evaluation performed by the company does not constitute sufficient appropriate audit evidence for the purposes of our audit," said Deloitte.

On 24 January, Hindenburgs report alleged that transactions by Adani Ports and other Adani Group firms with certain parties were not appropriately identified and reported as related parties, which were not in compliance with laws.

Deloitte revealed in the letter that after studying the design of the companys internal control systems the audit firm had requested Adani Ports to initiate an independent external examination of these allegations to determine whether they have any effect on the financial statements.

But the company refused to carry out such an independent examination, stating that basis their evaluation these allegations have no effect on the companys financials.

Adani Ports told Deloitte that because of the ongoing investigation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India as directed by the Supreme Court, the company did not consider it necessary to initiate an independent external examination, said the letter.

Adani Group, on Saturday said, its port business arm Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd., which is the main revenue contributor to the Gautam Adani-led group, has appointed M S K A & Associates (an independent member firm of BDO International), as APSEZs auditor.

Mint reported on Friday that Deloitte Haskins and Sells has decided to resign as Adani Ports statutory auditor, citing differences of opinion.

In Deloittes recent meeting with APSEZ management and its audit committee, which, by policy, is comprised of and chaired by independent directors only ( G. K. Pillai, Prof G. Raghuram, P. S. Jayakumar and Nirupama Rao), Deloitte indicated a lack of a wider audit role as auditors of other listed Adani portfolio companies, said Adani Ports in a statement Saturday evening.

Adani Ports audit committee was of the view that the grounds advanced by Deloitte for resignation as statutory auditor were not convincing or sufficient to warrant such a move, said the statement.

It was also conveyed that it is not within the remit of the APSEZ and its board to recommend group-wide appointments as other listed Adani portfolio companies are completely independent, with separate boards, executive teams and minority shareholders. Following this, Deloitte was not willing to continue as APSEZs statutory auditor and, therefore, it was agreed to amicably end the client-auditor contractual relationship between APSEZ and Deloitte," said Adani Ports.

Deloitte Haskins has been Adani Ports auditor since FY2018 and was reappointed for another five-year term as the statutory auditor only last year.

The Adani Ports statement mentioned that in response to a particular query by the audit committee, Deloitte confirmed that they have received all the APSEZ information from the management of the company, before deciding to resign.

The same has been confirmed by Deloitte in their resignation letter dated 12 August 2023 to the company," said Adani Ports.

While Deloittes premature resignation raises concerns about the companys accounting practices yet again, in its Saturday statement Adani Ports said, The other matters highlighted in the auditors resignation are adequately disclosed and addressed in the FY23 financial statements," said Adani Ports on Saturday.

We are fully confident that these matters will be appropriately resolved in our September 23 filing," said Adani Ports in its statement.

Deloittes notes to financial statements as the auditors, both for FY23 and the June quarter, mentioned that Adani Ports re-negotiated the terms of sale of its container terminal under construction in Myanmar with Solar Energy Ltd, which resulted in an impairment loss of 1,273.38 crore.

The (Adani) group did not consider it necessary to have an independent external examination of these allegations (made by Hindenburg) because of their evaluation and the ongoing investigation by the Sebi," Deloitte said.

Deloitte had mentioned in the companys FY23 financial results that there were financing transactions (including equity) with/by certain other parties identified in the allegations made in the short-seller report, which the group has represented to us were not related parties."

On 24 January, US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research alleged that the Gautam Adani-led group executed the largest con in corporate history," triggering a collapse in Adani group stocks, resulting in a market value loss of over $150 billion and removing Gautam Adani from the top 10 ranking of the global rich list.

This is the third change in auditors for Adani Group companies over the past few months. In May 2023, Shah Dhandharia & Co. LLP stepped down from their role as the auditor of Adani Total Gas. It was replaced by Walker Chandiok & Co. LLP.

In an exchange filing on 8 August, Deloitte brought attention to specific matters within the auditor review report included in the June quarterly earnings statement of Adani Ports.

Deloitte reviewed Adani Ports interim financials as the independent auditor" for the June quarter.

Such a review is substantially less in scope than an actual audit, and therefore, it does not enable the auditor to obtain assurance that it would be aware of all significant matters.

In the review report on Adani Ports, Deloitte mentioned a net balance of 3,871 crore recoverable from a contractor that provided EPC services, which the company believed was not a related party.

However, the contractor was identified as a related party in a short seller (Hindenburg Research) report published in January 2023. The net balance with the contractor increased by 122 crore on a sequential basis in the June 2023 quarter," Deloitte said.

Deloittes resignation comes just days before the much-anticipated probe report on the Adani Group by the Indian markets regulator.

The Supreme Court directed the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to submit its investigation report on Adani Groups market transactions involving 13 suspicious foreign portfolio investors by 14 August.
Liquor company Tilaknagar Industries will step up investments in its brandy and gin lines during this financial year now that the firm has prepaid its restructured debt, freeing up additional cash for brand building.

On Friday, the producer of Mansion House brandy and Blue Lagoon gin revealed that it had fully repaid its restructured debt to Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Co. (EARC).

According to a filing to the exchanges, the company said the total restructured debt amounting to 176.22 crore as of 30 June, has been settled.

The prepayment has been funded by a debt of 130 crore from Kotak Mahindra Bank as well as the internal accruals of the company," it said.

Debt refinancing has facilitated the companys entry into conventional banking, and granting immediate flexibility in managing cash flows, paving the way for more investments in brand building, the company said.

Consequently, the company will be investing in core brands including Mansion House, the flavoured brandy, besides Blue Lagoon, said Amit Dahanukar, the chairman and managing director of Tilaknagar Industries. As we move forward and cash flows become robust, and balance sheet is stronger, our ability to invest behind our brands and categories will increase."

Even in FY25, we will be seeing a similar rise in investments. The money we save on finance costs, we will put behind our brands," said Dahanukar.

Liquor companies typically promote brands via surrogate ads, besides in-stores campaigns in bars and cafes. For instance, Tilaknagar recently rolled out a campaign for Mansion House packaged drinking water.

Earlier this year, it picked up a 10% stake in graft gin maker Spaceman Spirits Lab Pvt Ltd (SSLPL), which sells the premium Samsara craft gin brand.

While, the company is looking to focus on its core brandy business, it seeks to tap emerging trends in the industry, said Dahanukar. We have investments made in craft gin Samsara, which is an emerging category. We have also invested in a ready-to-drink alco-bev product that will be rolled out in mid-August. As a company we develop categories other than brandy, but we are brandy-first company90% of our volumes are from brandy and I dont expect that to change in the near term."

The company posted 1,164 crore in revenues in FY23, selling 964,000cases of spirits. In March 2019, its gross debt was at 1,199 crore, which declined to 239 crore in June 2023. It posted profit of 149.9 crore in the last fiscal year.
New Delhi: Indian exports to Australia slipped over 30% in the five months after a partial free trade deal came into effect in January, but the utilization rate of country-of-origin certificatesan indicator of how much the deal is benefiting exportershas reached 90%, an official aware of the development said.

The utilization rate, which indicates the proportion of the exports that took place under the new tariff lines eligible for preferential treatment, comes with a lag. Mint was unable to ascertain the names and nationality of the exporters that used the certificates of origin.

These are early indicators but the general direction is positive trade is expected to grow on the basis of the high utilization rate.

Wherever duty concession has been given, exporters have availed it. Average utilization rate that we see is nearly 90%. As far as export growth is concerned, shipments of electrical transmissions have jumped. Engineering goods, readymade garments, marine products have surged. They used to attract 4-5% duty prior to the FTA (free trade agreement)," the official said.

There are 113 lines where duty reduction is going to go down to zero percent in five years. Two reductions have already happened. Except for 113 lines where the reduction will take place in five phases, rest is already zero," the official said.

Under the FTA between India and Australia that came into effect on December 29 last year, duties were reduced to zero immediately on 98.3% of tariff Lines that amounted to 96.4% of value of Indian exports to Australia.

Historically, Indian FTAs have had extremely low FTA utilization. Compared to developed countries where utilization is as high as 75%, Indias has been 25%. Officials said the numbers are based on the certificates of origin which are mandatory to claim duty concessions under an FTA, and may translate into actual exports with a lag.

Official data showed that Indias exports to Australia between January to May dipped by 32% compared to the same period last year and imports shrank by 25%. However, if one excluded the energy basket like oil and coal from the trade, Indias exports rose by 3.3% during this period, while imports declined by a whopping 31%, narrowing the trade gap to $3.27bn, which is 41% lower than the levels in the corresponding period last year.

Meanwhile, among non-energy shipments, exports of Indian pharma products to Australia grew by 34.64% in April-May to $79.34 million. The early harvest agreement offers easier access of Indian pharma products to Australia, by fast-tracking approval for patented, generic and biosimilar medicines that have regulatory approvals in the US, the EU, the UK and Canada.

Electrical machinery exports rose by 172.54% in April-May to $82.2mn.

Recent macro-economic data showed that Australias economy grew at the weakest pace in 1-1.5 years last quarter

Queries sent to the commerce ministry remained unanswered till press time.
A London-style phone booth and hotel in Thailand have become a popular destination for social media obsessed locals to pose for pictures.

Footage shows locals and tourists posing for content beside the black telephone box in front of Davis Hotel in Bangkok.

The phone booths design is similar to the red telephone box, a public phone kiosk that were familiar on the streets of London, UK.

It gives locals - many of whom have never left the country and may never will - a brief feeling of escaping from the notorious concrete jungle of their homeland.
In November 2021, at a UN summit in Glasgow, the worlds leaders declared to much fanfare that they were consigning coal to the ash heap of history . Governments promised to stop building coal-fired power plants, and financiers pledged to stop financing coal mines. Eighteen months on, however, the worlds dirtiest fuel is still smoking . Russias invasion of Ukraine set off a scramble for fossil fuels, pushing coal consumption to record levels in 2022. Even though the energy shock has faded, global coal demand is still set to rise a little this year. If the increase in the worlds temperature is to be limited to 1.5C, coal production must fall by more than two-thirds over the course of this decade. Instead it is projected to fall by less than a fifth.

One reason for the hopeful prediction of 2021 was the spate of commitments made by the worlds biggest banks and other lenders and investors. More than 200 mainly Western financiers have announced policies restricting investments in coal mining or coal-fired power plants. Lenders representing fully two-fifths of global banking assets have signed up to the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, which pledges to align portfolios with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The hope was that reducing the finance available for fossil fuels would help the world decarbonise by raising the cost of capital for projects, deterring investment and ultimately choking off supply. But the coal boom is exposing the flaws in this approach.

What is going wrong? For a start, the banks promises come with small print. Many pledges do not come into force until later in the decade; others cover only new customers or new mines, or exclude miners deriving only a portion of their revenues from coal. As a result, 60 large banks helped channel $13bn towards the worlds largest coal producers last year.

View Full Image (Graphic: The Economist)

There are also limits to what a club of financial firms can achieve. Faced with criticism from Republican state lawmakers in America, who are threatening antitrust action against members of such clubs, many financial firms are becoming warier. Last month Allianz, AXA and SCOR, three insurers, left the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance. Some had warned the club against toughening up its rules.

In any case, Western firms are not monopoly providers of finance. In the areas where they are lending less, such as for new mines, other providers of capital are rushing in. Banks in China and India, both big burners of coal, have no qualms about financing its extraction. Nor do those in producing countries such as Indonesia. Many are state-owned and happy to help secure energy supply. None has signed up to the Net-Zero alliance.

Another source of capital comes from private investors around the world. Some big oil and mining firms are disposing of their coal assets, but instead of being wound down these are being snapped up, and often expanded, by private funds. Britains first deep coal mine to be dug in decades, which received approval last year, is ultimately owned by private-equity investors. From Miami to Chicago, investors are expanding their coal holdings. Teck, a Canadian miner seeking to spin off its business supplying coal for steelmaking, this week said that it had received lots of interest from potential buyers.

Stuck in the coal hole

All this points to a fundamental problem of relying on finance to limit fossil fuels: it does not target the demand for them. For as long as demand is high, people can make a profit from investing in coaland someone, somewhere will seek to do so. No one can say whether coal production would have been higher still, had Western banks not made their pledges. But it is also possible that such promises, by engendering a false sense of security, have prevented companies andmore importantlygovernments from taking further action to bring down coal consumption.

Just as the simplest way to discourage smoking is to make it harder and costlier to buy cigarettes, rather than cutting off finance for big tobacco, so too the most effective way to kill coal is to curb demand for it. Making greener sources of energy cheaper, and encouraging investment in nuclear energy, would blunt coals appeal when the next energy shock hits. Properly pricing carbon, even if only in the West, would reduce global demand for fossil fuels; a carefully designed carbon border tariff, which taxed imports that use dirtier forms of energy, could encourage manufacturers around the world to clean up production.

Politicians have long looked for alternatives to such policies, which raise costs for consumers and so are likely to be unpopular. Some governments, outrageously, still subsidise the burning of coal. Instead, to kill King Coal, they must first make it more expensive. The time to start is now.

For more coverage of climate change, sign up for The Climate Issue, our fortnightly subscriber-only newsletter, or visit our climate-change hub.

 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com
The leading outsourced design manufacturer of room air conditioners EPACK Durable Ltd has filed preliminary papers with capital markets regulator Sebi to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO).

The company filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Sebi on Friday.

According to the DRHP of EPACK Durable, the offer comprises fresh issuance of equity shares worth 400 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 1.3 crore equity shares by promoters, promoter group members, and existing shareholders.

Under the OFS, two investor shareholders -- India Advantage Fund S4 I and Dynamic India Fund S4 US1 -- will be offloading shares, apart from promoters.

The proceeds of the initial public offering will be used to fund capital expenditure for setting up of manufacturing facilities, payment of loans, and general corporate purposes.

EPACK Durable was founded in 2002. It manufactures room air conditioners and small household appliances.

It has integrated manufacturing facilities in Dehradun and Bhiwadi, Rajasthan where it manufactures room air conditioners, components, and small household appliances for leading Indian and MNC brands in India as an original design manufacturer (ODM).

In September 2022, the company had raised $40 million (around 318 crore) in a second round of funding led by Affirma Capital. It had raised $24 million from ICICI Venture in its first round of investment.

EPACK Durable has hired Axis Capital, Dam Capital Advisors, and ICICI Securities as the book-running lead managers for the issue.

On June 25, EPACK Durable Pvt Ltd had donated 560 bicycles to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) staff to make their commute easy.

This contribution was aimed at enhancing the commuting experiences of dedicated doctors, nurses, and paramedics who selflessly serve the community, the company had said.

Recognizing the challenges faced by AIIMS staff in commuting to and from work, EPACK Durable has stepped forward to offer a practical solution," the company had said in a statement.
Disgorgement orders issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) continue to sputter at the appeals tribunal, exposing flaws in how the stock-market regulator attempts to recover illegal gains.

On 10 August, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) set aside Sebis disgorgement order in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) dark fibre case. In 2023 so far, the tribunal has set aside disgorgement orders in at least three other cases, including the NSE co-location case, the Satyam scam, and a case pertaining to actor Arshad Warsi.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

Disgorgement is a process through which Sebi claws back illegal gains made by market participants through fraudulent means. Also, in cases where actions by market manipulators cause losses to public investors, Sebi recovers the amount lost from the guilty. However, there is no uniform procedure to calculate such gains, and each adjudication officer takes his own call. Often, courts have held that the calculations made by Sebi officers have deviated from the principles of equitable approach, leading them to be overturned, legal experts said.

Sebi has repeatedly deviated from the core disgorgement principle, which mandates quantifying ascertainable gains or avoided losses. Straying from this equitable approach, Sebi occasionally relies on total trade value, notional values, presumptions and even includes salary or bonus income. What was meant to be specific cases have turned routine," said Sumit Agarwal, the founder of Regstreet Law Advisors.

Agarwal said Sebi lacks a cnsistent disgorgement calculation method, granting officers discretion. Despite recommendations from committees, such as the Justice Wadhwa and the Justice Dave committees, for uniformity, this arbitrary approach persists".

A query to a spokesperson for Sebi on Sunday remained unanswered.

In the NSE dark fibre case, SAT said there was no violation committed, and hence no question of disgorgement arose. In the colocation case, Sebi asked top NSE employees to disgorge 25% of their salary; however, SAT ruled salary was not an illegal gain. In the Satyam case, Sebi assumed acquisition cost of shares held by the accused as zero to calculate unfair gains; SAT, however, rejected this methodology. The disgorgement in Arshad Warsi case was overturned due to lack of evidence.

Back in 2006, a clutch of market operators had fraudulently pocketed shares meant for retail investors in initial public offerings (IPOs) and later sold them at a profit. This was the first major case where Sebi used its disgorgement powers. In this case, and similar others, calculations were simple since retail investors would have got shares at the issue price had their IPO bids succeeded. The price at which the operators sold these shares was also known; hence, computing illegal gains was straightforward.

But in complex cases where the entities are accused of, say, insider trading, it becomes difficult to ascertain the illegal gains. Some of the disgorgement orders of Sebi, especially in relation to illegitimate gains made in insider trading, for, e.g., Satyam, have been calculated arbitrarily and irrationally. Sebi, while charging the insider on concepts of notional gains and notional losses avoided, has not been consistent in calculating these amounts." said Anil Choudhary, partner, Finsec Law Advisors. Sebi at times fails to determine the exact illegitimate gain, but merely calculates all the gains and requires an insider to pay that amount."

Normally, Sebi levies penalties against market violators, and the Sebi Act prescribes minimum and maximum penalties for each kind of violation. Moreover, penalties collected by Sebi are deposited into the Consolidated Fund of India. However, disgorgement is not a penalty but a clawback of illegal gains, and the amount collected by Sebi through disgorgements doesnt go to the central government but instead is deposited in Sebis Investor Protection Fund.

In developed markets, whenever such disgorgements are collected by regulators, they are distributed to victims of the violation. However, in India, there is no restitution mechanism, and Sebi uses disgorgement money for investor protection-related purposes.

Even though Sebi has lost several high-profile cases at SAT in the recent past, its success rate was little changed during FY23, the regulators annual report showed. In FY23, 53.6% of appeals in SAT against Sebi orders were upheld by the tribunal, compared to 54% in the previous year.

However, the total number of appeals lost by Sebi saw an uptick due to the higher number of appeals filed in SAT during the year. In FY23, the tribunal allowed 178 appeals against Sebi, while in FY22, the number stood at 138. During FY23, SAT also sent 201 cases to Sebi for reconsideration, compared to 140 in FY22.

Also, the number of cases where Sebis orders were upheld but with modifications increased too. In FY23, 128 orders of Sebi were upheld by SAT with modifications compared to 40 cases in FY22.
Recently, a friend lost 10 lakh on a seemingly safe asset, i.e., invoice discounting. She has a finance background and is unlike most retail investors who do not understand the risks of exotic financial products. She had invested via an online platform towards discounting an invoice payable by a leading e-commerce company. However, the e-commerce platform found some of the earlier consignments from the concerned seller defective and withheld the payment of this invoice. As an investor, my friend had no recourse to the defaulted amount.

Invoice discounting for retail investors is an unregulated space. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has created trade receivables discounting system (TReDS) to regulate invoice discounting among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), large corporates, and financiers. Retail investors seek unregulated online platforms that offer attractive returns through invoice discounting. My friends experience has valuable learnings for other retail investors.

Retail investors often perceive invoice receivables as substantial collateral that guarantees capital protection. On the contrary, an invoice receivable is an operational debt. Corporate buyers can delay payments against such invoices without any impact on their credit rating. Even a well-known corporate buyer may raise disputes and withhold payments against invoice receivables. Some online platforms claim they only offer invoices accepted and approved by buyers for discounting. But there are plenty of cases where the buyer has denied the payment on the due date. Retail investors must bear the losses without any downside protection in these situations.

My friend used the corporate reputation of the buyer as a proxy for payment guarantee. However, even reputed companies fail to honour their invoice payment commitments on time. In two recent cases, investors approached courts to seek relief under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). However, the courts held that these dues are operational debt, with a lower priority than financial creditors, e.g., term loan lenders. Delays and defaults may not always be intentional from the buyers side. But, when the buyer and seller engage in a protracted dispute, the investor has no choice except to wait.

TReDS offers protection and recourse mechanisms to institutional financers. For example, they may take insurance to limit the default risk. Moreover, if the buyer defaults, the entity is reported to the credit bureaus concerned . Any entity reported as a defaulter finds it difficult to transact on a credit basis in the future. Therefore, on TReDS, a buyer has a clear disincentive to dishonour the invoice payable. Since retail investors tap invoice discounting through unregulated platforms; they do not have any insurance or recourse mechanism for downside protection. In other words, they take exposure to completely uncovered assets without complete understanding.

Over the last few years, RBI has put the safety and interest of end consumers at the highest priority. The regulatory changes in the payments, BNPL, and many other spaces testify to this effort. Once again, the regulator has the opportunity to protect retail investors exploring invoice discounting on unregulated platforms. There are two practical ways to do it. First, the regulator can allow retail investors to access the invoice discounting market through OBPPs, or online bond platform providers. OBPPs are already regulated by Sebi and have built a steady base of retail investors seeking arbitrage in the debt-investments. With some protective guard rails by RBI and Sebi, they can be ready to safely extend investment in invoice discounting for retail investors, with due recourse. The other way is to permit retail investors to participate in the TReDS ecosystem. The platform offers robust risk management, reporting and recourse mechanisms against defaulting buyers. The same can apply to retail investors. Either of these measures will deepen the market for debt financing and reduce the systematic risk for retail investors.

Anshul Gupta is co-founder and chief investment officer, Wint Wealth
There is nothing far greater than the joys of parenthood. And it is not quantifiable either. However, pregnancy and childbirth are a costly affair in India: Blame it on the rising costs of hospitalization and medicines.

The journey of a parent starts with the confirmation of pregnancy. And therein begins the first of the numerous visits to hospitals till the baby is born. Choosing a gynaecologist is the next big step. That mostly depends on the popularity of the doctor. This is followed by regular scans and consultations with the gynaecologist, who will also have studied to be an obstetriciandoctors who provide care during pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum (the period after childbirth).

It is usually in the third trimester of pregnancy, that most couples finalize the hospital where the child will be born. That, to a large extent, depends on their chosen gynaecologist. Some gynaecologists have their own maternity homes, while others offer consultations or practice at three or four hospitals.

The costs of hospitalization depend on several factors, right from the hospital size, location and its reputation, to the labour ward there, the type of delivery-Caesarean or normal, type of room to recuperate post-delivery, facilities such as neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), availability of other specialists such as paediatricians, and medical packages including nursing and doctor fees, etc. The more facilities a hospital has, the more options it can include in its healthcare packages. Hospitalization costs also vary across the country. The costs in tier-1 and metro cities are much higher than that in smaller towns.

Mint spoke with some parents to understand how they finalized their hospitals and how much they paid in hospital costs at the time of delivery.

View Full Image Mint

Metro charges

Niranjan Avasthi, senior vice-president, Edelweiss Asset Management Company, 39, who resides in the suburbs of Mumbai, says he and his wife Sharvari opted for Mamta Maternity Home located near their house for his second babys delivery. The baby was delivered in June 2021. The hospital was in the neighbourhood and well-equipped. It was also run by my wifes gynaecologist ," he says. The gynaecologist also practiced in Apollo Hospital, but that was relatively far from the Avasthis residence and would have been relatively costlier.

Avasthi says since his first child was born by Caesarean (or C-section), the doctor had advised the same for their second child. The hospital quoted a total package of 1.24 lakh, inclusive of 65,800 for surgery and an air-conditioned single room for four days of stay. However, half of this amount was covered by his companys group health insurance policy.

Mumbai-based Sagar Poddar, 35, a finance professional, had many more variables to consider when deciding on the hospital as his wife Aayushi was going through a complicated pregnancy. Their baby was delivered by a C-section in July.

We were told it would be a premature delivery. So, we needed a facility that had NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) level 3 and one that was close by as my wife was advised against travelling too much," Poddar says.

The couple finally narrowed their choice down to two hospitals near their residenceCloud 9 and Aarogyam. Poddar says he preferred the latter for several reasons. We felt there would be more personalized attention here. Both hospitals had NICU level 3, but the costs were lower at Aarogyam," says Poddar.

Aarogyam hospital offered several types of rooms with different costs, starting from the general ward, which cost 68,000 for a four- day stay, to a suite ( 1,03,500) and executive class room ( 1,15,000). The costs of paediatrician, medicine and consumables were to be borne separately.

Poddar said he opted for the suite, which had a separate bed for the family member accompanying the pregnant mother. Overall, the Poddars paid 1.39 lakh. The baby had to be in the NICU for two days for general observation and that cost them 16,500 .

Poddar had a group health medical policy, which covered up to 50,000 of maternity-related costs.

Smaller cities

Maheshkrishna AG, 29, who works in Bengaluru, was overjoyed when he came to know that his wife Sowndharya was pregnant with twins. They, however, chose a hospital in Erode, Tamil Nadu, for the delivery. The twins were delivered in February.

Maheshkrishna said his wife had been advised to take as much rest as possible during the pregnancy, so they moved to her parents home in Chithode, a small town in Tamil Nadu. Maheshkrishna took the work from home option to be with his wife during the pregnancy. The couple had heard good things about a gynaecologist who ran the Nishant Hospital at Erode. The hospital was 10-15km from their residence, but it was the only reputable one near Chithode.

The cost for C-section delivery came to around 91,105, inclusive of four-and-half-days of hospitalization. We stayed a bit longer there as we wanted to make sure that both babies got their vaccinations in the hospital itself. Luckily, no NICU was needed," he says.

A large part of Maheshkrishnas expenses were covered by his employers insurance, which had a larger limit for maternity. However, the hospital didnt have cashless facility. So, he had to pay everything upfront but got it reimbursed later.

Hospital charges made for the bulk of his expenses, at 60,000. This included the doctors fees of 37,000, room charges of 12,000, operation theatre charges of 5,000, and nursing charges of 4,000.

Manipur-based lawyer S. Saddam Singh, 33, paid a total of 70,000 as costs for the delivery of his baby at Shija Hospital in Imphal in July. His wife had to be hospitalized for three days for her C-section delivery.

According to Singh, the costs were a bit higher because he opted for a deluxe room. He didnt have a regular job or an insurance cover and so had to bear all the costs on his own.

Singh chose Shija Hospital since it had all facilities, including NICU, and also had paediatricians on its rolls. And more importantly, their gynaecologist also practiced in the same hospital. Post-delivery, the baby was admitted to the NICU for general observation. Their gynaecologist, who did not wish to be identified, said the costs would have doubled had the family opted for a metro city like Delhi.

What to factor in?

Usually, couples prefer the hospitals suggested by their gynaecologists, be it one owned by the latter or where they offer consultations. They are more comfortable with the gynaecologist assisting during childbirth. Since the gynaecologist is already aware of the mothers medical history, they are in a better position to deal with any complications that arise during childbirth.

When finalizing a hospital, proximity to ones residence matters. The other factors to consider include the availability of facilities such as NICU, especially in case of a complicated pregnancy.

An employer health insurance policy usually covers maternity benefits up to a certain limit. Expectant parents can check how much benefit they can avail from the employer health insurance policy. In some cases, the same policy could also cover post-delivery care of the baby like NICU costs. One can also buy family floater policies that come with maternity benefits. These include policies such as ICICI Lombard Health Elite, Niva Bupa Health Premia, Star Health Comprehensive, etc. Besides, one can buy maternity-specific plans like Joy-Maternity Insurance Plan by Care. But, choose only policies that have a wider coverage and the least waiting period .
Samir Arora, founder and fund manager of Helios Capital recently shared that market regulator Sebi approved Helios Mutual Fund. "I am very happy to announce that SEBI has granted approval to Helios Mutual Fund. We need your wishes and support to make this new venture a success," Arora tweeted on Thursday.

On Sunday, Arora spilled a few additional details about the upcoming Helios Mutual Fund on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter). When a user asked Arora about the name of the fund, he replied, "No creativity is allowed in the name of funds. It has to be Helios XX Fund with XX being one of the categories allowed- mid-cap, Flexicap, balanced, etc". Another user asked about the launching of the first New Fund Offer. "When will you be launching the first NFO sir? looking forward!" Arora wrote, "Thank you. Should be in October". One user inquired about the types of funds Arora's fund house would bring. "Sir if you can say what type of funds your company is going to bring or what unique products just like Zerodha said they will be passive-only fund house," Arora replied, "We have said that we will not be passive-only active so the exact opposite of them". Arora told his followers on the X platform, "Of course we will work hard for every SIP but right now we are happy with the company we keep" while sharing an image in which he, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath were called, "New SIP players in Town".

Founded in 2005, Singapore-based asset management firm Helios Capital Management Pte Ltd manages a global long-only equity fund as well as long/short and long-only funds with an emphasis on India.

Arora headed the Indian mutual fund division of Alliance Capital as its chief investment officer.

'MUKESH AMBANI's AMC'

Last month Reliance Group's Jio Financial Services and US-based BlackRock Inc announced they will form a 50:50 joint venture to launch asset management services in India.

Jio Financial Services was demerged from Reliance Industries on 20 July.

The venture is BlackRock's second attempt at an entry into India's asset management industry. It exited an earlier joint venture with local financial firm DSP Group in 2018.

'ZERODHA's AMC'

On 11 August, broking firm Zerodha received final approval from capital markets regulator Sebi to set up an asset management company. Zerodha founder Nithin Kamath said industry veteran Vishal Jain will be the new CEO of the AMC business.

In April, both Zerodha and Smallcase announced that they would set up a joint venture to launch the Zerodha AMC business.

"We just received the final approval for the @ZerodhaAMC we are building in partnership with @smallcaseHQ," Kamath announced on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
From sarpanches and Khadi workers to primary school teachers and nurses, 1,800 persons have been invited to the 77th Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi on 15 August, according to PIB.

These special guests include over 400 Sarpanches of more than 660 vibrant villages; 250 from Farmer Producer Organisations scheme; 50 participants each of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme & Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana; 50 Shram Yogis (construction workers) of the Central Vista Project, including the New Parliament Building; 50 each Khadi workers, those involved in construction of border roads, making of Amrit Sarovar & Har Ghar Jal Yojana as well as 50 each primary school teachers, nurses and fishermen. Some of these Special Guests are scheduled to visit the National War Memorial and call on Raksha Rajya Mantri Ajay Bhatt as part of their stay in Delhi," read a press release from PIB.

In a move to generate more publicity around flagship government initiatives ahead of the 2024 general elections, the government is also designating selfie points across the city to its schemes.

Selfie points dedicated to different schemes & initiatives of the government have been installed at 12 locations, including National War Memorial, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan, Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid Metro Station, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Delhi Gate Metro Station, ITO Metro Gate, Naubat Khana and Sheesh Ganj Gurudwara. The schemes/initiatives include Global Hope: Vaccine & Yoga; Ujjwala Yojana; Space Power; Digital India; Skill India; Start-up India; Swachh Bharat; Sashakt Bharat, Naya Bharat; Powering India; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission," the press release goes on to read.

The Independence Day celebrations will be led by Prime Minister Modi, who will deliver a speech from the Red Fort. He is also expected to inspect a Guard of Honour and unfurl the National Flag at the Red Fort.
Sunny Deol has made a triumphant return to the silver screen with a spectacular comeback. His action-packed film 'Gadar 2' has created a sensation at the box office.

The sequel to his 2001 blockbuster, 'Gadar 2', has made an astonishing 40 crore on its opening day in cinemas, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh. This achievement ranks it as the second-best opening of 2023, trailing only Shah Rukh Khan's 'Pathaan'.

As reported by India Today, it was recently revealed that a special screening of the movie will be arranged for the President of India.

According to a statement made by Anil Sharma in an interview with India Today, it has been revealed that a distinctive showing of 'Gadar 2' has been requested by the President's office for the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The creators of the film have made arrangements for this special screening, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 13, 2023, in New Delhi.

"Yesterday, we received a call from the censor board. They informed us that the President wishes to watch our film. We feel honoured and thrilled that 'Gadar 2' has garnered such recognition. The screening is scheduled for Sunday, and the entire team is overjoyed."

Also Read: Gadar 2 box office collection: Sunny Deol film becomes the second-highest opener of 2023, earns over 40 crore

Sharing the update, Adarsh tweeted, "#SunnyDeol unleashes his power All pre-release calculations/estimations go for a toss #Gadar2 RUNS RIOT at the #BO, is SENSATIONAL on Day 1 FLYING START all over SECOND HIGHEST OPENER OF 2023 Fri 40.10 cr. #India biz. Mass sectors and single screens are on a record-smashing spree Unlike *most* films - which have major contribution from the national chains [#PVR, #INOX, #Cinepolis] and barely 20 per cent to 30 per cent from mass sectors - #Gadar2 is simply historic in mass pockets.Now imagine its potential on #IndependenceDay big holiday [on Tue]."

Coupled with the iconic hand pump symbolism, the movie delved into the enduring legacy of Tara Singh and Sakeena. It unravelled against the backdrop of the turbulent 'Crush India Movement' of 1971, narrating Tara Singh's courageous journey to Pakistan to rescue his son, Charan Jeet Singh (portrayed by Utkarsh Sharma), from the clutches of the Pakistani Army.

Under the directorship of Anil Sharma, the cast of the film includes Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma in pivotal roles. Ahead of the official online teaser launch, the film's creators chose to premiere the teaser alongside the re-release of 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha' in theatres on June 9th.

(With inputs from agencies)
Google is celebrating the 60th birth anniversary of the late Bollywood actress Sridevi with a special doodle. Born in 1963 in Tamil Nadu, Sridevi starred in nearly three hundred movies over the course of four decades of her career. She was married to film producer Boney Kapoor and is survived by daughters Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor .

The tech giant credited the doodle illustration to Mumbai-based guest artist Bhumika Mukherjee which tributes the iconic actress in a dancing pose for which she was known.

Sridevi started acting at the age of four years, her first film was a Tamil movie named Kandhan Karunai in 1967. Early in her career, she acted in a variety of genres including Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam movies.

Google Doodle in her description wrote, After the films success, she and her co-stars became even more famous with a string of hit films like Guru and Sankarlal. Widely considered the star of Tamil cinema at the time, Sridevis on-screen charisma garnered attention from producers from the Hindi-speaking film industry as well."

In 1976, she gained national recognition as the protagonist in K. Balachander's Moondru Mudichu. Later in 1983, after playing the lead role in the action comedy Himmatwala, Sridevi established herself as a national icon and a box-office attraction in Bollywood.

Her hit film include Sadma, ChaalBaz, Mr India, Nagina, Chandni, Lamhe and many more. She remains one of the only Bollywood actresses to headline blockbuster movies without a male actor in an industry that was traditionally male-dominated," Google said.

In the early 2000s, Sridevi took a break from acting and made a remarkable comeback with 2012 film English Vinglish. She had also starred in television shows like Malini Iyer in 2004 and Kaboom.

In 2013, the Indian government also honored her with the Padma Shri award. Later in 2017, her crime thriller Mom, film on a rage-filled and protective mother, earned her the National Film Award for best actress.

Google states, Sridevi forever made her mark on the film industry by charting new avenues for women to take on leading roles in Indian cinema. She will be remembered as one of the greatest Indian actors of her time."

In 2018, the iconic actor died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government had said. Her sudden death had stunned her fans and industry colleagues. On 28 February, the Bollywood actor was cremated with state honours.
The Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi is taking efforts to reduce academic pressure amid a growing number of student suicides across IITs. Director Rangan Banerjee said IIT-D had introduced a new evaluation system, dropping a set of mid-semester tests and keeping a maximum cap of 80% for the two examinations.

"Earlier we used to have two sets of exams during a semester, final exams at the end of each semester and several continuous evaluation mechanisms. We conducted an internal survey and based on feedback from all students and faculty, we have decided to drop one set of exams. So, now there will be two sets of exams besides routine evaluations," Banerjee told PTI in an interview.

The new format has already been approved by the Senate and will be implemented from the ongoing semester.

Earlier in April the IIT Council had stressed the need for a robust grievance redressal system and agreed on increasing psychological counselling services. During a meeting it also called for a reduction in pressure, fear of failure and rejection among students. The issue of student suicide, alleged discrimination, and ensuring the mental well-being of students was discussed at length during the meeting.

Premier Indian educational institutions have seen a slew of suicides in recent months. BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi told the Rajya Sabha on August 8 that there had been 10,732 suicide cases among students below the age of 18 years in 2021 alone - a growth of 4.5% from 2020.

Most recently, an IIT Hyderabad student had committed suicide in her hostel room mere days after moving in. The 21-year-old post-graduate student wrote about stress from multiple issues and cited financial problems, as per a note found in her room.

(With inputs from agencies)
Two people have died after a plane crashed in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska earlier this week.

Officials have determined that the plane's pilot, Jason Tucker, 45, and passenger Nicolas Blace, age 44, are likely to have died in the crash.

The Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center was first alerted on Wednesday about an aircraft that had failed to arrive in Denali National Parks southwest preserve. On Thursday, the Air National Guard located the PA-18 aircraft's wreckage in a ravine in the park near the Yentna River.

"The search crew was unable to land at the accident site due to the steep terrain, but they observed that survivability of the crash was unlikely," according to a Denali National Park press release shared with USA TODAY.

More: 'Burnt down to ashes': Families search for missing people in Maui as death count climbs

Later Thursday, two Denali National Park mountaineering rangers went to the site of the crash to assess the likelihood of reaching the plane using a helicopter short-haul line. The rangers determined that the short-haul mission was not feasible.

"Hazards under consideration include the 460-foot length of the short-haul line, inadequate helicopter rotor clearance due to the narrow width of the ravine, loose rock lining both walls of the ravine, and the lack of shoreline for miles above and below the rapidly flowing creek at the base of the ravine," it states.

Photo of the aircraft crash site.

Additionally, Alaska State Troopers were also alerted on Thursday about a hunter who was stranded at an airstrip outside the southern border of the preserve after his pilot had failed to return and pick him up.

"Upon retrieving the stranded hunter, Alaska State Troopers learned that his pilot (Tucker) and his hunting partner (Blace) departed the initial airstrip on Wednesday intending to fly to a Dillinger River airstrip near the western boundary of the preserve," the release states. "Tucker intended to drop off Blace, then return for the other hunter, which never happened."

Story continues

Investigators determined that the plane did not reach the Dillinger airstrip. Officials are presuming both men to be dead from the crash due to a "lack of fresh landing tracks at the airstrip, no presence of hunters at the strip, and no communications from Blace."

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator flew to the plane crash site with Denali National Park mountaineering rangers on Friday to conduct further investigation of the accident site.

After reviewing the investigation, officials from the National Park Service, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center determined recovering the bodies and aircraft, if possible, will "involve a complex and potentially high-risk ground operation."

Denali mountaineering rangers will continue to investigate the site in the coming days, the release said.

Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those involved as we work through this response, the park's superintendent Brooke Merrell said the release.

More: 14-year-old boy rescued after falling 70 feet from Grand Canyon cliff

Kate Perez covers trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her via email at kperez@gannett.com or on X at @katecperez_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Two people presumed dead after plane crashes in Denali National Park
The Indian Ministry of Education is currently deliberating on recommendations made by an expert panel and the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding the status of Institutions of Eminence (IoE) for certain universities. Jadavpur University, which was shortlisted for IoE status, has received recommendations against being granted the prestigious tag. The same goes for Jamia Hamdard University.

In a similar vein, the Tamil Nadu government has taken a step back from its earlier proposal to confer IoE status upon Anna University. This decision comes after the government refused financial commitments due to the university's bifurcation and subsequent re-evaluation of its need for the IoE status.

The IoE scheme, launched in 2018, aimed to designate 20 institutions - 10 public and 10 private - with complete academic and administrative autonomy. Among the initial awardees were well-established names like Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Bombay, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and BITS Pilani.

The Ministry of Education requested financial commitment from the states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to support Jadavpur University and Anna University, respectively, in their pursuit of IoE status. However, the lack of financial assurance and changing circumstances surrounding Anna University led to the withdrawal of its IoE proposal, PTI reported.

The decision-making process takes into account various factors, including financial commitments, recommendations of expert committees, and the evolving educational landscape. While public institutions with IoE status can receive funding up to 1,000 crore, private institutions would enjoy enhanced autonomy without financial support.

The fate of these universities now rests with the Ministry of Education, as it evaluates the input from the expert panel and UGC. As India's education sector continues to evolve, the IoE status holds significant importance for institutions striving to achieve academic excellence and autonomy.

Jadavpur University news

Jadavpur University has garnered significant attention due to the death of 18-year-old undergraduate student Swapnadeep Kundu at the university's primary hostel. The incident has led to the arrest of Sourav Chowdhury, a former student of Jadavpur University. He was presented before a city court on August 12 and, subsequently, his custody was extended until August 22.

(With PTI inputs)
1 min read

Indian Air Force introduces cutting-edge Heron Mark 2 drones with surveillance and strike capabilities.

India's skies have just become more secure and potent with the induction of the cutting-edge Heron Mark 2 drones into the Indian Air Force. These state-of-the-art drones have sent ripples through the military landscape as they usher in a new era of surveillance and strike capability. Equipped with a formidable array of long-range missiles and sophisticated weapons systems, these drones are all set to patrol our northern borders with unwavering vigilance. The Heron Mark 2 drones boast an incredible ability to conduct intense surveillance and unleash strikes in a single offensive, making them a formidable asset for our national security. Imagine an eye in the sky that can tirelessly keep watch for up to 36 hours straight. These drones, armed with satellite communication prowess, can not only maintain a constant presence but can also lock onto enemy targets from astounding distances. This enables our fighter jets to obliterate threats using their long-range weaponry, with these drones guiding them to the precise coordinates. Wing Commander Pankaj Rana, the commanding officer of the drone squadron, explained the Heron Mark 2's groundbreaking capabilities. "The drone simply amalgamates into the Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance matrix of the Indian Air Force," ANI quoted Rana as saying.

The Heron Mark 2 drones have another ace up their sleeve  they can take on Mother Nature herself. Rain or shine, these machines remain operational, and no terrain is off-limits. Squadron Leader Arpit Tandon, a pilot of these marvels, emphasised their adaptability, even in sub-zero temperatures.

This is helping the Indian Air Force achieve footprints over any type of terrain," Tandon said.

India's defence forces are on an upward trajectory with projects like Cheetah, aiming to upgrade around 70 Heron drones for satellite communication links and weaponisation.

Also Read: Indian Air Force to get its first Airbus C295 transport aircraft in September

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is poised to receive 15 of the cutting-edge Predator drones, enhancing their capabilities across the vast Indian Ocean.

(With ANI inputs)
A temple was vandalised on Saturday in Canada's British Columbia with anti-India and pro-Khalistan posters pasted on its front gate and rear wall. The objectionable posters were pasted in front of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir. The matter had been reported to the Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP, according to the president of the temple Satish Kumar.

As per the CCTV footage, two persons, wearing masks, have been captured by temple security cameras. He said the temple had been in touch with police even earlier due to security concerns as it prepares to hold Independence Day celebrations on 20 August.

On Sunday, the temple board will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.

As per the media reports, the posters read 'WANTED' under the names and photographs of Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa as well as its Consul Generals in Toronto and Vancouver.

While the second poster, pasted on the rear doors, called for Canada to investigate Indias role" in the assassination" of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.

This is the third incident of temple vandalisation in Canada this year. Earlier, on 31 January, a temple was vandalised in Brampton city with anti-India graffiti.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown had condemned the incident of writing hate-filled messages directed towards India on the walls of the temple.

In April this year, another Hindu temple in Ontario was vandalised. The Windsor Police released CCTV footage showing two suspects spray painting on the walls of the Hindu temple

Recently, similar posters have appeared across Surrey. Such posters were placed outside the entrance to the building housing Indias Consulate in Vancouver on 1 August.

The posters have referred to the killing of Nijjar, the secessionist group Sikhs For Justices principal figure in British Columbia.

Nijjar was murdered in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Singh Gurdwara Sahib on 18 June in Surrey.
Chinas State Council Sunday issued guidelines to further optimize the foreign investment environment and attract more foreign investment, including tax and visa measures, as it seeks to bolster the flagging economy.

According to the statement posted on the central governments website Beijing aims to attract more investment in key industries and encourage foreign companies to set up research and development centers in the nation, reported Bloomberg.

The State Council guidelines further said that the authorities should increase protection of the rights and interests of foreign investors, including strengthening enforcement of intellectual property rights.

The guidelines also announced to increase fiscal support and tax incentives for foreign-invested enterprises, such as temporarily exempting withholding income tax for foreign investors' reinvestment of their profits into China, reported Reuters.

It will help accelerate work on foreign projects in the biopharmaceutical industry and steadily increase trial areas for certain telecommunication services, according to the statement. Qualified foreign companies will be encouraged to set up investment units and regional headquarters, it said.

China will also make applying for visas and residence permits more convenient for employees of foreign companies, while increasing fiscal and taxation support for the businesses, according to the State Council statement.

The State Council guidelines said it would explore a "convenient and secure management mechanism" for cross-border data flows. The proposal comes amid tensions between authorities and international enterprises, including global accounting firms, over data security.

China wants to attract foreign capital as its economic recovery from the COVID pandemic has slow down due to weak export demand from key trade partners and ongoing turmoil in its property market.

However, Beijing has so far struggled to attract foreign enterprises and investors, which are wary of political risk in an environment that increasingly prioritises national security measures, and concerned about the impact of deteriorating relations between China and many Western countries on their operations, the Reuters report said.



(With inputes from agencies)
A Georgia prosecutor probing whether former US President Donald Trump and his allies illegally sought to overturn the state's 2020 election results is expected to seek an indictment from a grand jury next week, according to a report published by the news agency Reuters.

Two witnesses on Saturday confirmed that they have been told to appear before a grand jury in Atlanta on Tuesday, August 15, the clearest indication yet that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will lay out her case to the jury after more than two years of investigating.

If Trump is charged in Georgia, it would mark his fourth indictment in less than five months, and the second to arise from his efforts to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 victory, Reuters reported.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump was at Washington federal court orchestrating a multistate conspiracy to reverse the election results.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the Washington case, has also charged Trump separately in Florida with illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office and with obstruction of justice.

In addition, Manhattan prosecutors also indicted Trump this spring for falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to a porn star who says she had a sexual encounter with Trump years ago, as per Reuters reports.

Trump remains the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, despite his legal woes. He has portrayed all the investigations as part of a coordinated effort by Democrats to undermine his candidacy.

Meanwhile, U.S. prosecutors have urged a federal judge to initiate former President Donald Trump's trial by January 2, 2024, over alleged attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden.

A Trump spokesperson accused Smith and the Justice Department of blatantly playing political games,", citing Trump's 2024 election lead. Trump suggested on Truth Social that any trial be post-2024 elections, potentially allowing him to halt prosecution if reelected.

Prosecutors estimate a 4-6 week trial to present the bulk of their case against Trump. Smith's office said it is prepared to turn over to Trump by the end of August most of the evidence it intends to use at trial in a process known as discovery.

(With Reuters inputs)
Google on 13 August is celebrating British artist Glucks 128th birthday with a special doodle. Known for iconic portraits and picture-frame design, Gluck painted over gender norms by refusing to use any forename or prefix. Gluck was born into a successful family in London in in 1985. The Doodle of Gluck was illustrated by Manchester-based guest artist Sonny Ross who said he was grateful for working on the illustrations.

As per Google, Sonny Ross said, Gluck continues to be a huge influence on my work. Florals as portraits, portraits as florals, even elements of Gluck's brushwork influenced digital brushes I made. Also as a non-binary person, it's fitting to celebrate the life and work of someone who was historically gender nonconforming."

Here's all you need to know about British artist Gluck

Gluck received a Royal Drawing Society Silver Star while attending St. Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith.

Before relocating to the artistically active community of Lamorna in Cornwall, they attended St. John's Wood School of Art.

In Larmornas community, Gluck began defying traditional fashion and gender appearances. When an art society identified Gluck as Miss Gluck" on its letterhead, Gluck immediately resigned, the tech giant describes.

-Gluck refused to identify with an artistic school or movement.

-In 1924, they showcased 56 paintings at the Dorien Leigh Galleries in London. Every single painting sold and the floral paintings gained popularity among local interior designers.

-In 1932, a picture frame created and patented by Gluck became known as the Gluck frame. The three-tiered design, which traditionally matched the color of the wall it hung on, gave the illusion that its painting was part of the walls architecture, Google stated. The design made its premiere at the British Art in Industry exhibits, which again caught the interest of interior designers.

-Inspired by the production of a Mozart opera, Gluck painted Medallion in the year 1936, Google said. The dual portrait of them and their lover is now an iconic lesbian statement and one of the most famous depictions of a lesbian relationship," it states.

-Gluck also fought for change in the arts industry as well. Gluck campaigned for a new standard for oil paints for ten years because they were unhappy with the quality of the paints that were already on the market for artist work. Ultimately, the British Standards Institution gave in to his demands.

-In 1973, Gluck held their final exhibition and debuted over fifty paintings from throughout their career.
New Delhi: Following a slew of such agreements, India is in discussion with European countries including Switzerland to conclude migration agreements, according to persons aware of the matter.

These pacts are expected to make it easier for Indians working across a range of sectors, including high-technology, to live, work and acquire professional experience across the world. Agreements have already been signed with the UK, Germany, Austria and Portugal for similar arrangements.

Agreements with European countries have been expansive. For example, Indias Young Professionals Scheme with the UK under their agreements allows early career professionals from both countries between the ages of 18-30 to work in the other nation for two years. The scheme is capped at 3,000 Indian and British professionals.

The MMPA with Germany allows for Indian students to look for employment opportunities, 18 months after the completion of their study. It also allows for the exchange of young professionals to reside and seek employment in Germany if the diploma/degree is recognized by the competent German authority. Similarly, the agreement with Portugal has opened possibility for blue collar workers to find employment in Portugal," according to the Indian Council on World Affairs (ICWA), a government think-tank based in New Delhi.

Besides this, India is also working on migration pacts with Italy, Denmark and Greece.

India signed a similar pact with Australia during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the country in May.
After days of speculations and rumours over the over the net over an epic cage fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta Platforms chief Sunday said that the Space X CEO is not serious about the competition and its time to move on" from speculation that there will be a cage fight match between him and Elon Musk, Bloomberg reported.

In a Threads post, Zuckerberg said he is ready for the challenge if Musk ever gets serious about a real date and official event.

I think we can all agree Elon isnt serious and its time to move on. I offered a real date. Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon wont confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. Im going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously," Zuckerberg posted Sunday on Metas Threads.

Musk on Friday said that the fight between him and the CEO of rival social media platform Meta will be held in Italy.

The fight will be managed by my and Zucks foundations (not UFC). Livestream will be on this platform and Meta. Everything in the camera frame will be ancient Rome, so nothing modern at all. I spoke to the PM of Italy and the Minister of Culture. They have agreed on an epic location. Everything done will pay respect to the past and present of Italy," Elon Musk said in a series of tweets
At least 80 people have been killed amid deadly wildfires in the Hawaiian island of Maui this week. Hundreds of homes were reduced homes to ash with emergency workers scrambling to find temporary housing for survivors on Saturday. Cadaver-sniffing dogs were deployed with the search parties and officials warn that the death toll is likely to rise.

The blaze was the country's deadliest since the 2018 Camp Fire in California killed at least 85 people and destroyed the town of Paradise. The fire, a local resident told AP, went from zero to 100 and essentially managed to "eat an entire town in four hours".

Meanwhile the police said on Saturday that a new fire burning on the Hawaii island of Maui has triggered the evacuation of a community to the northeast of the previously affected area.

Communications remained difficult on Saturday morning with 30 cell towers still offline. Power outages are expected to last several weeks on the western side of the island.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said operations on Saturday would focus on the loss of life" as he toured the devastation in Lahaina with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to reports hundreds of other people remain unaccounted for.

Most of our focus will be on humans today," he added.

Emergency managers in Maui were still assessing the scope of the damage Saturday in the center of Lahaina and searching for places to house people displaced from their homes.

Officials estimate that more than 80 per cent of the 2,719 structures exposed to the fire were damaged or destroyed. An updated damage assessment released overnight by Maui County put in stark relief the Lahaina Fire's destructive power.

(With inputs from agencies)
Taiwan's Vice President William Lai arrived in New York on Saturday for a transit stop amidst criticism by China. Before leaving for visit, Lai had said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he is excited to meet with US friends in transit.

After arriving in New York on Saturday, Lai wrote on X, Happy to arrive at the #BigApple, icon of liberty, democracy & opportunities. Its very nice of @Bikhim & #AITs Ingrid Larson to greet me with a warm welcome at @JFKairport. Looking forward to seeing friends & attending transit programs in #NewYork."

Lai is making transit stops in the US on his way to and from Paraguay to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Santiago Pena next week. The Taiwanese Vice President said he will use the visit to deepen ties with Paraguay and have self confident exchanges with other countries while also meeting delegations from like-minded partners, reported Reuters.

He added that this would "let the international community understand that Taiwan is a country that adheres to democracy, freedom and human rights, and actively participates in international affairs,"

Lai had also made a transit trip to the US in January 2022 to Taiwan's former ally Honduras. The country later switched its diplomatic recognition to China in early 2023.

Will China launch military drills now?

Taiwanese officials told Reuters that China could use the transit visit as an excuse to launch military drills near Taiwan next week. It also wants to use the stopovers as a pretext for intimidating voters ahead of elections in January next year.

Lai, who is the front-runner for next year's Presidential election is particularly disliked by China. In the past, he has described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence." However, Lai has claimed during the election campaign that he does not want to change the status quo.

Biden administration wants to keep Lai's visit low-profile in order to avoid tensions before Taiwan's elections while preserving the recent momentum in US engagements with China, Reuters reported.

(With inputs from Reuters)
A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance." Years ago, these magical words of Indias first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, appeared to me as rhetoric.

Why did I believe that?

There was poverty all around us, and Independence felt incomplete. Back then, we had to travel for 17 to 18 hours from Allahabad (now Prayagraj) to reach our village in Mainpuri district about 450 kilometres away. For the journey, one had to switch trains and also travel five or six kilometres by bullock cart over a bumpy track.

Electricity, telephone, running water, toilets, and cinemas were all stuff of fairy tales. People used to touch our garments to see if they were made of terylene or cotton. Warm garments were an absolute blessing for them during the cold. The living conditions of the poor, especially women, were hard. For many poor women just one saree was their entire wardrobe. They would bathe at ponds before daybreak, wash this saree, spread it out to dry from the shrubbery such that it also made for a makeshift screen to preserve their modesty, and wear it again for the day once it dried. For 12 months, season after season, this forms their daily routine.

It was not expected that our country would grow at this speed amid such despair.

A few months back, I visited my hometown. There is now a metalled road connecting the village to highways on both ends. Bullock carts are relics of the past. Tractors have taken their place. Many houses have air-conditioning. Cars are parked in some of them. Just 40 years ago, four-wheel drive jeeps were a must to reach the village.

Women are empowered, too. During my visit I saw a group of women who had gathered at the village temple. They are running a cooperative society. They understand that the tiniest amount of money when used correctly, can create capital. In the 1960s, we kids used to barter household trash for barf ka gola (snow cones). Though currency was used at the time, the ancient barter system dominated.

When I told this story to my villages third-generation youngsters, they laughed in disbelief. Their curious and disbelieving laughter assures us that no one can stop Indias progress now. Amrit kaals self-assurance did not emerge quickly or without effort. Its roots lie our past. According to British economist Angus Maddison, India provided more than one-fourth of the worlds GDP in AD 1000, i.e. the Rajput era. It stood at 27% even during the Mughal period later. But Western rulers harmed this significantly. The British, the French, and the Portuguese came here to plunder, not to settle. They completed this task quickly and efficiently.

When Robert Clive defeated Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula in 1757, it had been decided that British would establish their authority over a major part of India. For the next 200 years, they left no stone unturned in their quest to eliminate the sone ki chidiya (golden bird). The situation had deteriorated to a point where Indias growth rate between 1900 and 1947 was below 0.07%. When the British left on 15 August 1947, more than 90% of Indians were impoverished, and literacy had dropped to only 12%.

I am proud to say that our economy is now a notch higher than the Britain who brought us here. By 2030, India will be the worlds third-largest economy, and during the next two decades, it will be the worlds second-largest. After the British ravaged us for two-and-a-half centuries, we would have either returned to our former glory in a hundred years or be on the verge of doing so.

This marvel is the result of Indians incredible survival instincts and the large working population of the country.

However, money is not everything. Incidents in Manipur and Haryana serve as a wake-up call. No country can make its future great without first bridging the hearts of its citizens, no matter how deep its pockets are. Id like to conclude this piece of writing with a quote from Sardar Patel: Every citizen of India must remember that he is an Indian and that he has every right in this country, but with certain duties."

Only by our social responsibilities can we alleviate the quickly developing societal discord. Wouldnt you like to make this promise in honour of your great predecessors on the 76th anniversary of the countrys Independence?

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.
Seventy-three years after the Indian Constitution came into force, establishing the Election Commission (EC) and deeming that appointments to it would be subject to the provisions of any law made in that behalf by Parliament," the government has moved a Bill to govern how the chief election commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners are appointed. As an effort to plug a legal gap, the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, up for a Rajya Sabha nod, is welcome. It holds an opportunity to put the appointment process above reproach. For too long, many aspects of it have been too opaque, leading to accusations of bias and judicial proceedings. The EC, led by a CEC and two other commissioners, is much too critical a body for the functioning of Indias democracy and integrity of elections to leave exposed to charges of external influence.

In March, a Supreme Court judgement in response to a clutch of petitions challenging how top poll officials were given authority had put in place the mechanism of a selection committee formulated for impartiality. The court said the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India (CJI) would decide the ECs leadershipuntil the Centre came up with a law. Though it was an interim arrangement, the formula made it clear that such appointments could not be left to the sole discretion of the Executive. The idea was widely welcomed, for a panel on which the Judiciary held the balance of power would keep the process above political affiliations and protect polling from Executive overreach in the interest of democracy, which holds equality of all citizens sacrosanct. The new Bill, however, proposes a selection committee that would have a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the PM take the place of the CJI, tilting the scales decisively in favour of the ruling party. Further, this panels approach will probably remain cloaked in mystery, as the Bill allows it to regulate its own procedure in a transparent manner." It also states, The Selection Committee may also consider any other person than those included in the panel by the Search Committee," the latter being a group of senior officers who will put together a list of five names for the selectors to consider. As a defect in this panel cannot be reason to set aside any appointment, it would be fully authorized to decide who heads the oversight of Indian elections.

If these proposals get enacted, it would be a missed chance to institutionalize neutrality while drawing back the curtains to let light shine on a key aspect of democracy. For the stability of our Constitutional order, every citizen must see electoral processes as independent, unbiased and above the political fray. Indias EC has long played a proactive role in conducting voter enrolment drives, adopting technology to minimize election fraud and so on, to secure peoples right to representation. Its dedication over the decades has meant that voters do not worry about rigged polls and we havent had any major crisis of results not being conceded by parties that lose (unlike the US). We must strengthen this record. While ballot exercises in the past may have had less clarity on their supervision than what the Bill offers, once the apex court has already presented us a neutral appointment formula, its abandonment by the ruling party only makes the politics of it piquant. Lets retain structural neutrality.
India and China are expected to hold the 19th edition of their corps-commander-level talks to resolve border issues on Monday. Mint explains whats at stake.
A flurry of legislative action has left much of India breathless this monsoon session of Parliament. Cobwebbed laws of the colonial era do need updates. So the Centres move to fix our criminal justice system for the digital age is welcome, as also a broader easing of legal processes. But the Bills presented are a letdown for advocates of liberty. Marital rape, for example, remains legal under their proposals. While sedition has had hair split over its definitionagainst the state qualifies, not governmentit sees no reduction in the laws scope for misuse. A plethora of new provisions needs scrutiny for how the applicatory axe may fall on violators. Deceitful marriage, for example, would test new grey zones of offence. Verbal crimes, especially, could pose challenges in justice delivery. Speeding it up is a valid goal, no doubt, but the settings of a system aimed at reformation rather than retribution must minimize space for false convictions, not just faulty let-offs. A close point-by-point review by our lawmakers of these new proposals is needed. The basic frame being replaced was put in place over a century ago. Its rework must not let haste get the better of whats good for the country.
As the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections draw close, so does the hitting at, taking a jibe between the two camps , INDIA and BJP-led NDA, intensify. Both camps have left no stones unturned to oppose policies, moves within and without the parliament ahead of the biggest democratic festival India witnesses.

Latest in the jibe fest was Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that they have a habit of twisting the work done by Congress.

Kharge alleged that the BJP had a tendency to twist the work done by Congress to their advantage and mislead people of the country.

Kharge said that BJP only gives reference to the 1962 China war, but forgets that it was Indira Gandhi who divided Pakistan into two parts though they (BJP) are not able to hunt a bird.

They always talk about 1962, but forget that Indira Gandhi divided Pakistan into two parts and now Bangladesh practices democratic governance. It was Congress' rule, in which 100000 people of the neighbouring country were arrested and later released. We fought with Pakistan and liberated Bangladesh This is our (Congress) power. You (BJP) cannot even hunt a bird or a rat," Kharge said.

Kharge was addressing a public rally in Chhattisgarhs Janjgir-Champa district said that it was only Congress that put everything in place in the country, reported news agency ANI. Notably assembly elections are scheduled to be held in Chhattisgarh later this year. Therefore Kharge's visit could be seen as the launch of Congress' campaign in the state.

This is the second visit of Kharge to the Congress-ruled state after assuming charge as the AICC chief last October. Kharge was felicitated by Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel.

Modi Ji didn't answer (on Manipur) what Rahul Gandhi or leaders of the INDIA alliance asked him. Instead, he made fun of Nehru ji and Congress leaders. Modi ji keeps saying that he has done everything. Did power, schools etc come to Chhattisgarh after Modi came to power? Modi & Shah studied in government schools established by us. Or did they study in London or Oxford?.. And they ask us what did the Congress party do in the last 70 years? We had only put everything in place," Kharge sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi

He further said that the PM should join a drama company instead of sitting in Parliament.

They (BJP) compare him (Modi) with Nehruji. He even didn't contest the elections and became chief minister of Gujarat. When he was elected as the PM of the country, he bowed down to the stairs of the Parliament. He does drama and is so dramatic that I think he should go to the drama company," Khrage said.

(With inputs from ANI)
A war of words has started between Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav over the construction of AIIMS hospital in Darbhanga on X (formerly known as Twitter). Yadav, in a post on X, claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took false credit for opening AIIMS in Darbhanga, while also saying that the Bihar government has given free land to the Centre for its establishment. Today the Prime Minister was taking false credit for opening AIIMS in Darbhanga. The fact is that # the government has given free 151 acres of land to the center for its establishment and also allocated more than 250 crores for earth filling," Tejashwi Yadav wrote on the microblogging site. He added, But unfortunately doing politics the center did not approve the construction of the proposed AIIMS. The country at least expects truth and facts from the Prime Minister but he told a blatant lie." Mandaviya hit back at Tejashwi Yadav over his claims on AIIMS Darbhanga, saying that the Modi government does not do politics in development works. Dear Tejashwi ji, Modi government does not do politics in development but does politics of development. Our intention is clear. The permission for AIIMS Darbhanga was given by the Modi government on 19 September 2020 and the first land was given by the Bihar government on 3 November 2021," the Health Minister responded.

After this you came to the government and changed this place on 30 April 2023 while doing politics. The expert committee inspected the land to check the land according to the rules," Mandaviya further wrote in a thread of posts on X.

He also reminded Tejashwi, On May 26, 2023, the second land provided by the Government of India is not suitable for the construction of AIIMS, such a letter was sent to the Government of Bihar which is included with it. You tell me why the land was changed, in whose interest was it changed?"

The minister also said that the Centre is ready to build an AIIMS hospital in Bihar and asked the Bihar government to come out of politics.

What did your own MLA say in the Bihar Legislative Assembly about the unsuitable land given for AIIMS? Come out of politics and immediately give proper place for construction of AIIMS ! We are ready to build AIIMS in Bihar," he added.
An Indian space scientist has said that Mission Chandrayaan-3 is vastly different from Russia's Luna-25 in terms of methodology, route, and experiments.

The Indian moon-landing spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 was launched on 14 July whereas Luna-25 took off on 11 August. Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the lunar surface around August 23 after completing a 40-day journey. On the other hand, Luna-25 is expected to land on the moon around August 21, two days ahead of Chandrayaan-3. However, both missions will attempt to land on the lunar south pole.

'GAP IN JOURNEY'

The Russian lunar mission is racing against India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander last month.

Chandrayaan-3 may land after 40 days on Moon's south pole due to the spacecraft's reliability on the gravitational forces of the Earth and moon, a scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation explained. Luna-25, on the other hand, is a high-powered rocket with a higher fuel load, capable of powering the spacecraft through the mission, without having to rely on external help.

LUNA-25

With Luna-25, Russia has launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years in a bid to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole. A Soyuz 2.1 rocket carried Luna-25 craft on 10 August from the Vostochny cosmodrome, 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow. Luna-25, roughly the size of a small car, whose lander is expected to touch down on the moon on 21 August.

No country has made a soft landing on the south pole. India's Chandrayaan-2 failed in 2019.

Chandrayaan-3

India's ambitious third Moon mission 'Chandrayaan-3' will safely touch down near the Moon's little-explored south pole between August 23 and 24.

Developed by ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 includes a lander module named Vikram, which means "valour" in Sanskrit, and a rover named Pragyan, the Sanskrit word for wisdom.

If the landing is successful the rover will roll off Vikram and explore the nearby lunar area, gathering images to be sent back to Earth for analysis.

The rover has a mission life of one lunar day or 14 Earth days.
Binance Seeks Registration in Taiwan Under Money Laundering Control Act and FSC

Source: Shutterstock

Binance, the global leader in cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has submitted an application for registration in Taiwan according to the Money Laundering Control Act and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC).

During a private meeting on Tuesday, Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission informed numerous local crypto service providers that Binance is seeking Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance.

The report, sourced from Chen Peiyun, co-founder of Taiwan's BitShine crypto exchange, stated that the FSC identified Binance as a prospective exchange aiming to join the crypto market in Taiwan.

Taiwan's cryptocurrency sector lacks significant regulation, but the FSC established AML guidelines in July 2021. The FSC made it obligatory for virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to follow the country's anti-money laundering laws.

Taiwan's FSC Developing Comprehensive Guidelines for Cryptocurrency Trading and Payments by VASPs

Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), appointed as the primary regulator for the cryptocurrency industry in March, is formulating comprehensive guidelines for trading and payments involving cryptocurrencies for Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs), according to the regulator's statement.

The FSC has revealed that it intends to release these VASP guidelines by the end of September.

Kevin Cheng, a director at the Taiwan Fintech Association and former chief compliance officer at the Taiwanese crypto exchange BitoEX, disclosed that the FSC aims to impose stringent regulations on crypto platforms in Taiwan, akin to those governing traditional financial institutions.

Cheng explained, "The FSC is planning to mandate that VASPs maintain a clear separation between their crypto assets and clients. Additionally, they will be required to undergo annual audits by accounting firms."

He acknowledged the challenge of such a rule, noting that many accounting firms might be apprehensive about taking on crypto-related clients due to the specialized knowledge required.

"It's not solely about accounting or auditing techniques but more about understanding crypto-related information," Cheng emphasized.

However, a recent development in Taiwan's regulatory landscape involves legislators proposing a law amendment in April to establish a dedicated bureau within the FSC specifically focused on crypto-related matters.

Although the amendment underwent its first reading in April, it must pass second and third readings to be enacted.

If successful, this new bureau would join the FSC's existing bureaus responsible for banking, securities and futures, insurance, and auditing oversight.

Binance's Growing Presence: Establishing Foothold in Taiwan with Government Approval and Registered Capital

Binance's expansion in Asia is evident. Operating via 'Binance International Limited Taiwan Branch (Seychelles),' it gained government approval for company registration on May 12, 2023. This approval came with a registered capital of NT$30 million ($944,000) in Taiwan.

In July, Binance also engaged with Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau, collaborating to aid over 200 law enforcement officers tackle digital asset-related crime.

Given the increasing interest in cryptocurrency, Damien Ho, Binance's Head of Global Partnerships, highlighted the importance of ensuring a secure and comfortable crypto ecosystem for users in Taiwan.

"As a growing number of people in Taiwan grow an interest in cryptocurrency, it is important that the crypto ecosystem feels safe and comfortable for users."

In another move, Binance extended its presence to Japan. The recent launch in Japan follows its acquisition of Sakura Exchange BitCoin in November 2022. This strategic move established a foothold in Japan and subjected Binance to regulation by the Japan Financial Services Agency.
Men attacked Alabama boat co-captain for 'just doing my job,' he says

An Alabama boat co-captain says he was hanging on for dear life when he was attacked by men on the capital citys riverfront
With the Read House and other businesses downtown being vandalized with graffiti, Local 3 News spoke with Chattanooga police to see if there's a rise in cases.
A young man who issued a barrage of foul language to Gardai when questioned about a late night public order incident avoided a conviction by making a charity donation.

Kyle Hall (20) of Ards, Kenagh, Longford faced a charge that on August 15, 2022 at Big Bites, Main Street, Ballymahon, Longford he engaged in threatening and abusive behaviour.



Sergeant Mark Mahon described an incident that occurred at 12:30am on the date. Three males attempted to get into a closed take away. CCTV footage from the fast food restaurant showed Kyle Hall kicking the door. The men were shouting profanities at the staff to open up.



When the Gardai arrived they searched the area. They encountered two of the men who were causing the disturbance, one of them was Mr Hall.

The defendant was intoxicated and his speech was slurred. He issued a barrage of foul language when the officers spoke to him.



The court was told Mr Hall had no previous convictions. Solicitor Brid Mimnagh described the incident as a classic case of drink in, wit out. Ms Mimnagh informed the judge her client works in the agriculture industry.

He has embarrassed himself and caused embarrassment for his family, the solicitor said.

Ms Mimnagh told the court her client, who is engaged in a course in an agricultural college, wished to apologise profusely to Gardai, the courts and the employees of the fast food restaurant for his behaviour.

Taking the details of the case into account Judge Bernadette Owens said if the defendant makes a payment of 350 to the Bridgeway Family Resource Centre in Ballymahon she would strike the matter out.
Russia Will Use CBDC Pay Benefits & Evade Sanctions, Experts Claim

Source: Elena Kolchina/Adobe

Russian experts say they think that the government will use the digital ruble to pay state benefits  and think the CBDC could be used to evade sanctions.

With just days to go until Russia pilots the coin, experts have been examining the scant details that have thus far been forthcoming prior to August 15.

While the initial pilot tests will revolve around micropayments, wallet top-up functionality, and direct debiting features, experts think the Central Bank has much grander plans for the coin.

Per the media outlet RIA Novosti (via Progoroduhta), Pavel Kashitsyn, an executive at Expert RA, Russias oldest credit rating agency, it will take around three years before most citizens are able to perform a significant amount of their financial activities with the CBDC.

But others were more optimistic.

Yegor Krivosheya, the head of the blockchain and fintech firm Skolkovo said he was confident that the digital ruble would be used to make government payments.

The countrys Central Bank will launch its pilot on August 15, with 600 citizens set to become the first people in the country to use the CBDC.

The bank will partner with retailers in 11 cities nationwide, with the capital Moscows iconic metro system also joining trials.

Some 30 retailers and 13 banks are taking part in the first trials.

But a second group of about 16 banks, including some regional banks, is set to join a second phase in the coming months.

Digital Ruble: Russian Businesses Keen to Use Coin?

Krivosheya added that government organs were likely to use the coin to pay contractors in tender agreements.

He said state organizations would seek to use the coin to pay citizens benefits, including state pensions.

In the business world, experts suggested, the CBDC could be useful in the project financing market, where parties needed to keep control over the use of funds.

Experts added that the CBDC could also be used to make cross-border transactions, echoing statements made by senior Moscow lawmakers.

MPs both in Russia and Belarus have suggested that the digital ruble could allow Moscow and Minsk to make and receive cross-border payments with their closest political allies.

And the financial experts concluded that the need for a cross-border CBDC had become more pressing due to sanctions and [Russian firms] limited access to the SWIFT banking network.

Russia May Use CBDC to Pay Benefits  But Can It Overcome Challenges?

Thus far, Russias plans appear similar in many ways to Chinas digital yuan adoption plans, which also saw pilot operations begin in around a dozen cities simultaneously, before expanding gradually.

However, it may not be all plain sailing ahead for the Russian Central Bank.

Business chiefs and Russian banks have expressed a range of concerns about the coin.

And other experts appeared to be puzzled as to why Sberbank, one of Russias biggest financial and IT firms, dropped out of the digital ruble pilot.

The headquarters of Sberbank, one of Russias largest banks. (Source: Mos.ru [CC BY 4.0])

Both Sberbank and its closest rival Tinkoff Bank had been due to join the pilots first phase.

But Newsua.ru reported that Sberbank and Tinkoff dropped out for unknown reasons.

Journalist Alyona Vinogradova wrote:
Jollibee Foods Corp. chief business officer Joseph Tanbuntiong delivered the closing keynote address titled Rapid Expansion: Challenges and Opportunities in Managing Business Growth at the second day of the two- day 29th National Retail Conference and Expo organized by the Philippine Retailers Association at the SMX Convention Center Manila.

Jollibee Foods Corp. chief business officer Joseph Tanbuntiong (third from left)

Tanbuntiong joined the list of distinguished names headlining the countrys biggest annual retail conference. The 29th NRCE with the theme Retail Breakthrough ran from Aug. 10 to 11, 2023 and is the biggest and most significant retail event in the country.

Shown with Tanbuntiong are (from left) PRA director Sam Gregory Lim, chief operating officer of BLIMS Lifestyle Group; director Harvey Ong, chief operating officer of Alfamart Philippines; president Roberto Claudio Sr., chairman emeritus of Quorum International Inc.; director Paul Santos, president of Picture City; and chairman emeritus Samie Lim, chairman of BLIMS Lifestyle Group.

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The James Harden trade sweepstakes appear to be all but over this offseason. The 76ers are halting any trade talks as they look to bring the star guard into training camp, according to ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski. Thats a stark shift compared to earlier in the offseason, when Harden opted into his $35.6 million contract next season in hopes of getting moved.

Wojnarowski reported that the Sixers and Harden agreed to look for a trade that would send the guard elsewhere when Harden opted into his deal. The Clippers were a reported landing spot and the Sixers communicated with them on a deal, per Wojnarowski. But instead, the organization is shifting gears to retain Harden for next season.

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Thats a huge shift this offseason as Harden was one of the premier names in the trade market. What the Trail Blazers do with Damian Lillard is still up in the air, though there doesnt seem to be much momentum when it comes to any deal.

Regardless, if Harden agrees to return to the Sixers this upcoming season, that shakes up the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia looked like it was in an awkward spot with Joel Embiid still in his prime and coming off an MVP-level season. A Harden deal wouldve forced them to reassess where they stood as a franchise. But now, theyre looking to compete next season as they look to get past the second round.

How Harden reacts to the news will also be worth monitoring going forward. His Rockets exit  before a trade to the Nets  played out publicly before a deal was agreed upon. Theres a chance Harden could do the same thing in Philadelphia, but that remains to be seen.
Three people, including one who needed to be airlifted to the hospital, were seriously hurt when two vehicles collided in Pittsfield this weekend, according to the Pittsfield Police Department.

The crash occurred when a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck going north collided with a 2006 Subaru Forester going south in the area of 635 Merrill Rd. around 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12, police said on Facebook.

Read More: Chicopee man faces 5th drunken driving charge after crashing motorcycle in Ludlow

A 35-year-old Pittsfield woman, was airlifted to Albany Medical Center for treatment for life-threatening injuries, police said. The two other people in the Subaru, a 34-year-old Pittsfield man and 61-year-old Pittsfield woman, were taken to Baystate Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

Read More: Boston police seek Anthony Chester of Roxbury in connection with 2022 homicide

The driver of the Silverado, a 52-year-old Pittsfield man, did not report any injuries. The crash shut down both southbound lanes of Merrill Road for about three hours, police said. The crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Officer Brandon Gallagher at 413-448-9700.
LUDLOW  A 49-year-old Chicopee man faces drunken driving charges for the fifth time after he crashed his motorcycle Friday night.

Police responded to Cady Street at about 5:30 p.m., Friday, after receiving multiple citizen calls reporting a motorcyclist driving erratically and at a high rate of speed, Police Chief Daniel Valadas said.

When officers arrived, they found the man had crashed near 96 Cady St. He was treated for serious injuries by Ludlow Fire Department paramedics and brought to the hospital by ambulance, he said.

The man will be summoned to court on multiple charges. Because he has not officially been arrested his name is not being released, Valadas said.

He faces a variety of charges including drunken driving, fifth offense; failure to stop for police; operating a motor vehicle with a license revocation as a habitual traffic offender; driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle; helmet law violation and negligent operation, he said.

The Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction team and a representative of the Hampden County District Attorneys Office assisted with the investigation, Valadas said.
A husband and wife from New Hampshire are suing Eataly in Boston after one of them fractured their ankle from slipping on a prosciutto slice while walking around the store last year, according to a lawsuit filed by the couple.

The lawsuit states that Alice and Richard Cohen were shopping at the store, located in the Prudential Center in Boston, when Alice slipped and fell on a piece of prosciutto as she walked up to a stand offering free samples.

This happened on Oct. 7, 2022, according to the complaint that was filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, Aug. 11. Cohen fractured her left ankle as a result, the complaint said.

The lawsuit claims that Eataly failed to fulfill their duty to ensure that the surface of the floors were free from unnecessary dangers. Therefore, the Cohens are suing the company for negligence while seeking an amount sufficient to compensate for Cohens treatment, according to the complaint.

In an accompanying cover sheet, the couple claimed to have spent $2,274.68 on hospital and medical bills and $5,265 on physical therapy, Universal Hub reported.

The couple believes they should be awarded at least $50,000 in damages, Universal Hub added.
When then-Congressman Tom Garrett allegedly strangled his wife on Mothers Day, he did so on a trip funded by campaign donors.

In a counterclaim filed by his wife Flanna Sheridan in the couples divorce proceedings, her counsel claims that after he drank himself into a fiery rage, he began to strangle Sheridan in a hotel bed as their infant daughter was sleeping next to her.

Flanna was absolutely terrified, a person familiar with the situation who agreed to speak anonymously said to The Daily Progress, adding that staffers in the Republicans office were told of the incident. He came back from a party, she was there and she woke up with him on top of her strangling her.

A second person familiar with the incident, who again agreed to speak so long as their name was not used, told The Daily Progress that the alleged assault occurred in the early morning on Mothers Day and that Sheridan chose not to file a police report.

She was trying to protect him like a wife does. She thought shed get him help, and she was trying to heal the marriage, that person said. But it happened, and I believe her and her stories never change.

The alleged incident occurred in New Orleans in May 2018.

Documents obtained by The Daily Progress show that Garrett, then a U.S. representative for Virginias 5th District and now the Republican candidate for the 56th District seat in the state House of Delegates, was there on official business, and FEC filings indicate the trip was paid for by the Tom Garrett For Congress campaign.

The campaign purchased tickets with American Airlines for $991.41 each on May 3, according to FEC filings.

An American Airlines receipt obtained by The Daily Progress shows purchases for that same amount were made under Garrett and Sheridans name for a round trip flight from Washington to New Orleans. The scheduled return date way May 13, 2018.

Another document that appears to be a travel itinerary compiled by congressional staffers shows Garrett and Sheridan were scheduled to stay at a Hampton Inn from May 10 to May 13. Garretts campaign was charged on May 15 for lodging at a Hampton Inn, and a hotel receipt obtained by The Daily Progress shows a reservation for two adults and one child with a May 10 check-in.

Based on those receipts and court documents as well as the two people familiar with the incident, that appears to be the hotel where the alleged assault occurred.

An email and a flyer indicate Garrett was in town for a fundraiser and to speak at a panel during MJBizConNext, a cannabis business conference. Garrett was one of few Republicans at the time to advocate for marijuana legalization.

Chris West ran a government relations firm at the time and told The Daily Progress that putting a fundraiser together for Garrett was his idea. West drove Garrett and his wife all across that city that weekend.

I was with the both of them, however long they were in town, he said. I remember driving him, his wife and a really tiny baby.

In court filings, Sheridans counsel wrote that their daughter was less than one year old at the time of the assault.

It is not clear why Sheridan was brought on a trip that was paid for with campaign funds. But if the allegation are true, Garretts donors foot the bill for the flight to New Orleans and the hotel in which the assault occurred.

In a 2019 report, the House Ethics Committee described how Garrett did not take certain rules particularly seriously when he was in office.

According to the committees investigation, Garrett had his staffers help him move apartments, take his car for an oil change and spend hours assisting his wife during shopping trips among other numerous requests to staff to perform errands and other tasks that were personal in nature.

Moreover, this pattern continued even after Representative Garrett was specifically advised of relevant rules and regulations by the Committees advice and education staff, the report reads.

His personal life was pretty intertwined with the office. I think anybody will tell you that, a person who was familiar with the situation, who again agreed to speak anonymously, told The Daily Progress.

Staff was picking up dry cleaning and driving his daughters around. He used the office as an extension of his personal life, that individual said.

The person also added that, as established in the committees report, Garrett often drank in the office.

There was plenty of drinking. He admitted that he was an alcoholic and that might be true, but it was also convenient timing, the person said. That was the excuse for why he was stepping down instead of the scandal about misusing the staff.
More than 200 boxes of fresh vegetables and fruit were loaded into the cars of families in need Saturday all part of a coordinated effort by Inter Produce, Springfield Together and the Hampden District Attorneys Office.

District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni hefted boxes and was instrumental in providing funding for the giveaway through the Drug Forfeiture Community Support Grant Program.

Our forfeiture program gave a specific amount of money to 12 organizations and Springfield Together was one of them, he said. We gave them $13,000 to support this program over the course of the next year.

The money comes from funds confiscated in drug raids or through asset seizures from criminals.

Gulluni said he was pleased to work with Ali Bulut, owner of Inter Produce on White Street, and Neil Phillips, president of Springfield Together, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of area families in need.

We are here in partnership to address food insecurity for families in the city of Springfield, Gulluni said. It is a huge issue. We want to help parents feed their kids but not with whatever they can afford, but healthy and fresh produce, and thats where Inter Produce comes in. Inter Produce has provided about 200 boxes of fresh, wholesome produce for families, all kinds of vegetables and fruits.

Inter Produce owner Bulut is well known to families in need. He has worked closely with Springfield Together in similar food drives over the years.

My family was poor when I was a kid, he said. When I have a chance to help, I do. Life is really short. I said, If I dont have more money, for what? I am happy to give.
BOSTON  The fancy graphic on the lectern said Meeting the Moment, but maybe it should have been emblazoned with Beacon Hills new motto: Worth the Wait.

Gov. Maura Healey, Senate President Karen Spilka, and House Speaker Ron Mariano had gotten the band back together  they havent held a once-regular leadership meeting in more than eight weeks  to celebrate Healeys endorsement of the fiscal 2024 budget, which was due at the end of June.

Healey made light use of her veto pen in her first budget collab with the Legislature, approving nearly all of the $56 billion plan. She did strike $272 million in spending and vetoed the Legislatures attempt to tap $205 million in one-time funding from a special account, saving that cash for a rainy day.

There was a lot packed in there: free school meals for all students, MBTA infrastructure upgrades, the launch of a new program to support free community college for people 25 and older, the list goes on. The bill also codifies Operation House Call and funds the training program that teaches medical students how to communicate with and care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Beacon Hill was meeting its own moment, which was actually several moments later than the fiscal calendar demanded. It turned out to be a week for pushing back against the critics and the cynics.

No apologies

Talking with Jon Keller on his WBZ-TV program, Spilka pushed back on any caviling over the late budgets timeline: Honestly, what I hear from most people  from the State House and for outside -- that its such a great budget that the quote that I hear is, it was worth the wait.

Lawmakers have been humming that new mantra.

Worth the wait ... worth the wait. We first noticed it in July when Sen. Brendan Crighton was introducing a deal on local road funds, months after municipalities had already begun this years roadwork, by touting that it was ... worth the wait. (Maybe the State Seal Commission can pick this for the new motto to replace the string of Latin thats on the seal now.)

Mariano jumped right into a defense of the branches plodding pace at the bill-signing event this week, bringing up the criticisms on his own before it was even time for questions.

We read a lot about how late this budget was, but I think Id just like to remind everyone that the two committees on Ways and Means, in the Senate and the House, were negotiating some tax cuts, a major budget, and spending of the millionaires tax. All three required negotiations between the two bodies, with different priorities in each body. So we werent surprised that it went a little long, but Im constantly surprised that everyone seems to have forgotten what was at stake here and what we were trying to accomplish, the speaker told reporters.

These voluntary admissions at least indicate that the top pols are hearing words of disapproval, maybe even feeling a little heat from some corners.

Inside the budget

Theres a regular flow of sniping about what the Hills top Dems have accomplished to date, along the lines of Tuesdays tweet from MassINCs Steve Koczela: Democrats in Massachusetts, who won full control of their state government[,] have used their new power to enact sick leave banks, home rule petitions, and a very late budget.

For those who peruse the list of new state laws, youll see were just up to Number 29 for this term, which started in January. (Number 29 is a sick leave bank for an individual ailing employee of the Department of Correction.) Zoom back to 2015, which was also the first year with a new governor in office, and the number of new laws was 67 at this point in the summer.

But really, a lot more bills have been enacted than it seems. How many discrete provisions in the hulking budget package that Healey signed were originally filed, in some form, as standalone bills?

Take Section 10 of the budget, for example, which will now extend the state veterans bonus program to military veterans who were dishonorably discharged due to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or HIV status. Lets count that as New Law Number 30  it was a bill filed by Sen. John Velis and Rep. Jack Lewis, along with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, but it wound up pasted into the budget.

For far too long, thousands of courageous individuals have been told that they are not worthy of the same benefits that their comrades and counterparts earned. That their service, and their sacrifice is not worth the same. All because of who they are and who they love, Velis wrote in a press release celebrating the legislative win.

Or Section 90 of the budget  lets call that one New Law Number 31. It directs the Department of Public Health to develop a triage system so patients experiencing a stroke are transported to a hospital thats equipped to give them an appropriate level of care. The culmination of years of advocacy by Sen. Mark Montigny, its pretty much a cut-and-paste of the New Bedford Democrats discrete bill on the topic.

Budgets were just for planning how to spend money, once upon a time, but lawmakers tacked on policy sections in increasing numbers starting in 1976. We learned that this week from a fascinating scholarly journal article written 20 years ago by House Clerk Steve James (The Power of the Executive vs. Legislature - Court Cases and Parliamentary Privilege).

The budget is, after all, guaranteed to make it to the Governors desk, James wrote, and every governor since Gov. Mike Dukakis has considered those outside sections analogous to separate bills as far as how theyre treated in the review process.

Tax haul falters

So much for fiscal year 2024, for now.

But what about fiscal 2023, which ended June 30? The administrations finance officials were tight-lipped all week about the final tally of tax revenue that the state brought in to cover expenses, and it turned out Friday that the states FY23 tax haul was a little deficient.

Most of the $605 million shortfall (compared to the latest revenue projection) came from capital gains revenues that did not exceed a key threshold by as much as anticipated, and that money never would have gone towards budget spending, anyway. The cap gains dynamic instead affects how much money the state can sock away in its rainy day fund more than the budget. The remainder of the shortfall could be as low $39 million  a relatively small gap.

No one was ringing any alarm bells over that $39 million at the desolate State House on Friday, but Healey sounded an alarm earlier in the week as she declared a state of emergency around the near-capacity emergency shelter system and availability of housing for homeless families.

Healeys announcement came hand in hand with an urgent and formal appeal to the federal government for assistance, and with rising numbers of immigrants coming to the Bay State, the guv said the key is expediting federal work authorizations for the new arrivals.

People are anxious to work, she said at a press conference packed with advocates and government officials. We know there are employers around the state across industries who are looking for that workforce. Its also a talented workforce, not only is it a resilient workforce coming with skills, training, licensing certification from other countries.

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll made a pitch to the TV cameras for local residents to do their part.

Most importantly, if you have an extra room or suite in your home, please consider hosting a family. Safe housing and shelter is our most pressing need, the Salem Democrat said.

Wonder if Healey or Driscoll have spare room themselves? Both their homes (including Healeys new Arlington address) are privately owned, so presumably they wouldnt encounter the legal issues that New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he encountered after promising to house some migrants in the Gracie Mansion this summer.
SPRINGFIELD  A man was shot and killed on Saturday night in the second homicide that took place within 18 hours in the city.

The homicide is the latest in an especially violent week that has left a total of four people dead by gunfire. There have been 22 homicides this year in the city.

The crime took place at about 9:20 p.m. near the intersection of State and Dresden streets. Police responded to a ShotSpotter activation and located the victim, said Ryan Walsh, police spokesman.

Earlier on Saturday a man was killed and a woman seriously injured in a separate and unrelated shooting.

Police responded to a car crash near the intersection of Boston Road and Parker Street and found the victims. The man died at the scene and the woman, who was driving, was taken to Baystate Medical Center by ambulance for treatment, Walsh said.

None of the victims from Saturdays homicides have been identified yet.

The Springfield Polices Homicide under the direction of Capt. Trent Duda is investigating the homicides with assistance from Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gullunis office.

Read more: Man found shot on Hancock Street in Springfield dies at hospital

Anyone with information about any of the crimes is asked to call the Detective Bureau at 413-787-6355 or anonymously Text-A-Tip by texting CRIMES (2-7-4-6-3-7), type SOLVE and then the tip.
A 35-year-old Quincy man is facing charges after he was caught attacking a woman and trying to rip her clothes off in Boston, the Boston Police Department reported.

The woman was walking on Columbus Avenue when a man, later identified as Amos Sykes, grabbed her from behind, tackled her to the ground and started punching her in the head, Boston police said on Facebook.

The incident happened in the area of West Canton and Appleton streets around 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12. Sykes then tried to take off the womans clothes before a witness stepped in to pull Skyes off of her.

Sykes tried running away but was caught right away, police said. Meanwhile, the woman was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Read More: Northampton police incident sparks rally at City Hall

Sykes is expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of indecent assault & battery on a person 14 or over and assault and battery, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact District D-4 Detectives at (617) 343-5619 or The Sexual Assault Unit at (617) 343-4400.
We are almost a month away from when one of the best fairs in the country comes back to Massachusetts for 17 days in 2023.

The Big E returns to The Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield on Friday, Sept. 15 and will last until Sunday, Oct. 1.

Gates open daily at 8 a.m. with some attractions opening later in the morning like various building on the fairgrounds and the midway. Venues are generally open until 9 p.m., 10 p.m. or 11 p.m.

The fair has already revealed its list of live music performances, including big names like Zedd, Third Eye Blind and Quinn XCII, as well as multiple local artists.

A full schedule of performances can be found on The Big Es website. A schedule of daily events can also be found here.

New Englands largest fair saw more than 1.6 million people in 2022, which was up by more than 100,000 people from the year before, as previously reported by MassLive.

Last years season set a record of 87,604 people on opening day. The fair set another record of an all-time single day attendance when 77,789 people attended the fair on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Tickets can be bought on fairs website. More information about The Big E can also be found by following MassLives coverage of the fair.
As a cold front approaches Massachusetts, the National Weather Service said scattered showers and thunderstorms could bring heavy rainfall to the state Monday night into Tuesday morning.

While most of the day will stay dry, locally heavy rain as well as urban and small stream flooding in low lying areas is possible later on, forecasters said.

The greatest chance for precipitation in Western and Central Massachusetts will come around 4 a.m. Tuesday and around 5 a.m. for Eastern Massachusetts, forecasters said.

Some residents already got wet as a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for parts of Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol counties until 4:45 p.m. on Sunday.

The warning applied to Taunton, North Attleborough, Bridgewater, Attleboro, Mansfield, Middleborough, Easton, Norton, Sharon, Foxborough, East Bridgewater, Raynham, Wrentham, Lakeville, Plainville, Halifax, and West Bridgewater.

Under the warning, residents could have experienced quarter-size hail and wind gusts of up to 60 mph, forecasters said. A severe thunderstorm was reported over Plainville around 4 p.m., forecasters said.

Drier conditions will come Wednesday and Thursday before the risk of showers comes back Thursday night into Friday, the National Weather Service said. Next weekend is expected to be dry.
A historic building located on the south side of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester could house future undergraduate students.

The William James Hogg House, which was built in 1897, according to the Massachusetts National Archives, has been a recent project for property owners George Menninger and Ann Cheeseman, who want to use the 24-bedroom house to provide 28 beds for WPI undergraduate co-eds.

The Hogg House, at 54 Elm St., was granted a lodging house license during an Aug. 10 License Commission meeting, bringing it one step closer to allowing 14 students, including the applicants son, to live there once renovations are complete.

The plan, however, was met with opposition at the citys license commission meeting, with some Elm Street residents concerned a WPI student would have a property manager title for the Hogg House.

Ellen Breckenridge, who lives at 58 Elm St., said she thinks the project is a wonderful addition to our neighborhood but thinks that having two co-managers who are undergraduate students...is inadequate for running a boarding house with 28 beds.

I think its premature to assume that because of his age, and the fact that hes a student, hes necessarily going to do a bad job, said George Menninger, one of the property owners for the Hogg House. Ill flip the coin, if we were saying we were on the other side of the age bracket [and] said the resident manager was going to be in their 70s or 80s, I dont know if we would be having the same conversations.

Read more: Key Food Marketplace opens 2nd location in Chicopee

There are 10 rules for the Hogg House, according to a document from the Zoning Board of Appeals:

NO harassment  any potential issues should be raised to house manager and/or owners and will be kept confidential. NO firearms  note 1 strike policy to be included in lease will lead to lease termination. NO going on roof, ledge or fire escape  note 1 strike policy to be included in lease will lead to lease termination. NO loud / excessive noise audible to neighbors  quiet hours and agreed acceptable noise levels will be set. In advance and adhered to using decibel meter. We anticipate quiet hours to be more stringent than the WPI dorm. Before 10pm on weekdays and before midnight on weekends. NO substance abuse  no illegal drugs or illegal alcohol. NO encouraging of any substance abuse. NO smoking, setting fires, leaving a stove on or leaving lint in the dryer of any kind. NO tampering with common area security cameras or code required lights for resident safety. NO vandalism to the historic house, private or public property surrounding. NO parking on the street, including visitors. NO visitor violation of rules and guidelines - residents are responsible for any visitor behavior including adhering to house agreed etiquette guidelines and any potential issues created.

Cheeseman and Menninger currently live in Chicago but Cheeseman stated during the meeting that we expect to be here a lot and explained how renovations for the Hogg House will be going on for the next 18 months.

There was also public complaint about whether security cameras will be installed.

I remotely cared for my mother for 12 years, said Cheeseman. I have a pulse ... visit strategically and get a pulse on whats going on. I dont have any concerns about when Im not here physically, that I cant figure out whats going on through the cameras and other services.

William James Hogg House in Worcester under construction. (Liesel Nygard)

The Hogg House currently has 12 parking spots but Brian Falk, the lawyer of Menninger and Cheeseman, indicated at the meeting those spots wont fill up because some students will want to use public transportation.

Read more: New eclectic shop in Springfield lives up to its unique name

Falk said the Hogg House will be modernized. There will be a new fire escape and the five kitchens will be removed to make way for a new commercial kitchen, according to minutes from a June 5 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. Renovations will remove one of the 11 bathrooms.

The Hogg House was built on the site of an earlier Victorian house from around the late 1800s, according to the Massachusetts National Archives. It was built in 1897 and belonged to William James Hogg who was the co-owner of the Compton Carpet Company in South Worcester, with his father.

The Hogg House was registered to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
THE plight of a 13-year-old Tourmakeady girl who has waited nearly three years for scoliosis surgery has been brought to the attention of An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

On Thursday last during a visit to South Mayo, Deputy Alan Dillon and the family of 13-year-old Leah Heneghan from Tourmakeady spoke with An Taoiseach and highlighted the delay in her getting life-changing surgery.

Speaking to An Taoiseach in Ballinrobe this week, Deputy Dillon, along with Leah and her parents Mark and Fiona, again highlighted their difficulties in getting an appointment for the surgery at Childrens Health Ireland (CHI), Crumlin.

An Taoiseach listened to the family as they told him the HSE have advised they are unable to provide a scheduled date or timeframe for her surgery.

Deputy Dillon has previously raised the issue in Dail Eireann where he said children with the life-altering condition scoliosis continue to wait for operations, despite numerous promises made over a span of six years.

He noted in 2017, the Department of Health made a commitment that children with scoliosis would not have to wait longer than four months for crucial surgery that can transform their lives.

Deputy Dillon said in the Mayo constituency, there are several children still awaiting surgery well beyond the promised four-month period, including Leah Heneghan.

"Leah has been waiting anxiously for the past three years for spinal fusion surgery that would give her the chance to reclaim her life. She was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of ten and since then, she and her parents have made the arduous journey to Dublin on numerous times each year.

"Initially, Leah was given a body brace, but she has outgrown that now. The paediatric consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Dublin assured her that the surgery will take place once a bed was available. Unfortunately, to date, no bed has been found and her surgeon has now stated that he is too busy, requiring her to be referred to another specialist.

"This means the family must endure the lengthy process of pre-operative checks once again, which is both time-consuming and physically draining, considering the distance between Mayo and Dublin, added Deputy Dillon.

Leah is now on the verge of transitioning from primary to secondary school, travelling from Tourmakeady to Ballinrobe daily for her education.

Deputy Dillon said the family had hoped that her surgery would be complete before this transition, but the chances of this happening now seem slim.

"Indeed, the family themselves are calling the hospital on a daily basis, desperately seeking answers on this important matter. Unfortunately, most of the time, their calls go unanswered due to the immense pressures faced by these medical professionals and their staff."

Deputy Dillon said Leah cannot even secure an appointment to be fitted with a more suitable body brace as her spinal deformity continues to deteriorate.

I was delighted to get the opportunity for Leah and her family to highlight the difficulties they have experienced over the past three years with An Taoiseach while he was in Ballinrobe. He showed great interest in their issue and was sympathetic to their plight.
The Department of Justice on Thursday sentenced a man to 25 years in federal prison for supplying methamphetamine and cocaine to a drug trafficking ring that distributed across southwest and central Virginia.

Alonso Cantu-Cantu, 46, of Houston, Texas, was convicted in April of trafficking high-purity methamphetamine from Mexico into Southwest Virginia, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia.

The drug conspiracy distributed more than 33 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 6 kilograms of cocaine throughout southwest and central Virginia, amounting to more than $1.4 million in street value, the U.S. attorneys office said.

Charlottesville was not involved in the case, according to Charlottesville Police Chief Mike Kochis. The Western District of Virginia covers an expansive area, and he would have been updated if the incidents related in the case had extended to Charlottesville, Kochis told The Daily Progress.

We do work with our state, local and federal partners when it comes to investigating drug trafficking organizations, Kochis said.

Cantu-Cantu was convicted April 23 of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The conviction is a result of a six-year investigation that convicted 26 defendants and seized more than 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. The investigation began with street level dealers in Smyth County, the attorneys office said.

Evidence from the trial showed that Cantu-Cantu received methamphetamine from sources in Mexico.

Cantu-Cantu then directed the drugs through distributors from Indiana, who ultimately distributed down the supply chain throughout the Western District of Virginia, from Harrisonburg to Bristol, Virginia, the statement reads. Many of these transactions were orchestrated through another major drug trafficker who was incarcerated in multiple Virginia prisons throughout the conspiracy.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration-Washington Field Divisions Bristol Post of Duty, with assistance from the Virginia Sheriffs Office and police departments in Abingdon, Rockingham County and Harrisonburg.
by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, August 10, 2023

Talk about branding whiplash. Several years after noisily ditching its skinny supermodels in favor of real women with real bodies, Victoria's Secret is bringing them back. It's just launched "Icons," a high-fashion campaign starring former angels Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel. Younger glamour gals are also part of the effort, including Adut Akech, Hailey Bieber, Paloma Elsesser, Sui He and Emily Ratajkowski.

The move comes as the company continues to bleed sales, despite multiple efforts to connect with young American shoppers.

"The company is desperate," says Robert Passikoff, founder and president of Brand Keys, the customer loyalty consultancy. "You can tell it's like someone is saying, 'Gee, those angels used to work for us. Let's get the band back together and see if that helps.'"

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In its most recent quarterly results, total sales fell 5% to $1.41 billion, compared to $1.45 billion in 2022. But comparable sales decreased by 11%, and in North American stores, they plummeted by 14%. Net income sank to $1 million, compared to $81 million in the year-ago period.

The new campaign, shot by acclaimed photographer Mikael Jansson, heralds the launch of the Icon by Victoria's Secret, a new collection of bras, panties and lingerie that "celebrate the shape of you."

While Victoria's Secret is still the largest lingerie retailer by market share, it's long since lost any loyalty edge. Passikoff tells Marketing Daily the brands woes stem from its persistent inability to read the room, as Gen Z and millennial shoppers flock to brands that encourage women to feel better about themselves.

"They respond to marketing that says, 'I'm going to be beautiful, I'm going to be me, and I'm going to feel good about it.' They want to be comfortable in their own skin, and in their lingerie. Victoria's Secret hasn't gotten that right in years. As a brand, it's lost meaning for customers."

Among the best-performing competitors? American Eagle Outfitters' Aerie is beloved by Gen Z both for its comfort and never-retouched models. And younger shoppers also favor online companies, such as ThirdLove, True & Co. and Adore Me, which Victoria's Secret acquired last year for $400 million.

The Icon campaign comes just after the Ohio-based company announced details of its Victoria's Secret World Tour, the comeback of the Fashion Show it axed back in 2019 due to declining ratings and growing criticism of its model-driven marketing.

The reboot is scheduled to stream next month on Amazon Prime, with rapper Doja Cat as the headliner. It will highlight a group of 20 innovative global creatives.

Victoria's Secrets leadership has also been in flux. Victoria's Secret chief executive officer Amy Hauk left abruptly in January after just eight months. Martin Waters, chairman and chief executive officer, assumed her duties and said she would not be replaced.

In June, the company promoted Greg Unis, formerly chief growth officer, to brand president of Victoria's Secret and Pink, its banner aimed at younger shoppers. And it added Anne Stephenson as chief merchandising officer, who joined the company from Torrid, the teen retailer.
S.P. Singh Baghel, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, highlighted that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has adopted a best-practice policy recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This policy aims to progressively decrease trans fats consumption in India.



Indian Government's Response to Trans Fats Elimination
South Africa: Phase 1 of Vereeniging taxi rank finally open to commuters

Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has officially handed over the first phase of the Vereeniging Intermodal Taxi Facility (Taxido) to the locals and those in surrounding areas in the Sedibeng District Municipality in Gauteng.

In April this year, Deputy President Paul Mashatile visited the Sedibeng District Municipality where he made his first stop at the Taxido, which was under construction after breaking ground almost a decade ago.

The Deputy President described the intermodal system as the best way in ensuring efficient public transport.

The long-awaited intermodal system will incorporate retail space, long-distance buses and the train station.

Phase 1 of the project, according to the provincial department, which commenced in December 2022 was undertaken for R30 million.

This department views this upgrade as a step towards better transportation, and economic growth for communities.

The work completed consisted of refurbishing the existing taxi rank to include new hawker stalls, loading shelters and ablution facilities.

The project is in partnership with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), Sedibeng District Municipality and Emfuleni Local Municipality.

The Department had appointed the Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) as the implementing agent for the delivery of the intermodal facility.

Speaking at the handing over on Friday, Diale-Tlabela said the taxi rank is critical in turning Vereeniging into an Economic Development Hub and also serves as a symbol of the delivery of the commitment by government to fast-track the delivery of road infrastructure in the province.

The department has committed itself to deliver transport infrastructure projects to restore and grow the economy and provide access to economic and much-needed job opportunities to the people of the province, said the MEC.

Diale-Tlabela urged the community and the taxi industry to take care of the facility and avoid vandalising the property.

I would also like to urge everyone to take good care of this property and avoid vandalism, especially when protesting. This facility is here to service them, she remarked.

She further stated that the intermodal facility will go a long way in improving the lives of township people by supporting local businesses and the informal trading industry in Vereeniging.

The facility is planned to be expanded into a modernised intermodal facility which will promote governments priorities of improving the standard of living in townships and improving economic growth and recovery.

It will further facilitate the provision of a safe, accessible, convenient public transport system.  SAnews.gov.za



This story has been published on: 2023-08-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is gathering international leaders from the fields of archaeology, cultural heritage, media, innovation, entrepreneurship and more for the first-of-its-kind AlUla World Archaeology Summit.

From September 13 to 15 September at Maraya in AlUla, this invite-only event will feature panels and informal discussions centred on advancing the field of archaeology at a global scale, contributing to further discovery and innovation worldwide.

Beyond scholarly discourse, the Summit will provide a global platform for collaboration with wider audiences. More than 60 speakers from diverse professional backgrounds will broaden the impact of archaeological relevance to global issues, co-creating visionary, heritage-based solutions to contemporary issues across sectors and vice versa.

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Executive Director of Archaeology, Conservation and Collections at RCU, said: The AlUla World Archaeology Summit will foster an environment of cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. Inspired by humanitys shared past, we will focus on innovative solutions that can have long-lasting impact on the world. Were excited to host the inaugural Summit in AlUla, where the world came to meet, and where we will meet again.

The AlUla World Archaeology Summit serves the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 with its focus on positively impacting humanity through insights gained from both cultural heritage and advancements in science. The event in AlUla runs during the same period that, for the first time, Saudi Arabia is hosting the 45th UNESCO World Heritage Committee 10-25 September in Riyadh.

The main programme will focus on four key themes  Identity, Resilience, Ruinscapes, and Accessibility. Both Saudi and international archaeology students and young professionals will be selected to join the parallel Future Forum providing a platform to engage and contribute to important conversations in the fields of archaeology and cultural heritage. There will be field excursions across AlUla, which in recent years has become a hub of archaeological fieldwork and conservation.-- TradeArabia News Service
A federal appeals court reluctantly agreed Friday that it no longer has the power to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

The last remaining legal challenges of permits issued for the hotly debated pipeline were dismissed by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled that a law passed by Congress fast-tracking the project left it with no other choice.

Here, Congress has removed our jurisdiction to hear the merits of the present petitions, a three-judge panels unanimous opinion stated.

Late last month, the U.S Supreme Court lifted a stay imposed by the Fourth Circuit, allowing construction of the long-delayed natural gas pipeline to resume.

But until Friday, there was a chance  or at least a hope for pipeline opponents  that the lower court would agree with arguments made by environmental groups: that Congress violated the separation of powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution by encroaching on the authority of the courts.

That question is no longer one for the Fourth Circuit, which in the past has repeatedly stuck down Mountain Valleys government permits, ruling they did not adequately protect the environment.

While conceding it no longer has jurisdiction, the court questioned how that came to be.

There can be no mistake, Judge Roger Gregory wrote in a concurring opinion, that the court was bound by a law he called a blueprint for the construction of a natural gas pipeline by legislative fiat.

Part of a broader law that raised the U.S. debt ceiling to avert a government default, a provision called Section 324 ordered federal agencies to approve all remaining permits for the pipeline and removed the Fourth Circuits authority to hear any challenges.

Gregory expressed fears that Congress had undermined the Constitution and, in the process, it has made the court an accessory to its deeds.

If that is so, I wonder if Section 324 is a harbinger of erosion not just to the environment, but to our republic, Gregory wrote. That, only our Supreme Court can decide.

Judge Stephanie Thacker raised similar concerns in her own concurring opinion.

Congresss use of its authority threatens to disturb the balance of power between co-equal branches of government, Thacker wrote. This case makes clear that the line is fine and perhaps were are getting far too close to tipping the balance of power.

Mountain Valley and its supporters argue that a project vital to the countys energy security had been caught up for far too long in a regulatory and legal abyss.

Congress and President Biden declared the timely completion of construction and operation of the Mountain Valley Pipeline as being in the national interest, Mountain Valley spokeswoman Natalie Cox said Friday, adding that the pipeline should be completed this year.

The law is valid, its supporters say, in part because it allows any challenge of its constitutionality to be filed with a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C.

After the legislation was signed by President Joe Biden, Mountain Valley asked the Fourth Circuit to dismiss both cases.

The pipeline, which passes through the New River and Roanoke valleys, has long been opposed by those who say muddy runoff from construction is polluting nearby streams and rivers.

And once the project is completed, opponents say, the natural gas it will carry will only worsen what is already a global climate change crisis.

We are deeply saddened and concerned that Mountain Valley has been granted the ability to sidestep critical conservation protections and silence the voices of community members in harms way, Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society, said in a statement.

The Wilderness Society, one of the groups involved in the case, has not made a decision yet on whether it will appeal to the nations highest court, a spokesperson said.
London  A former sailor believed to be the last veteran of Britain's Royal Navy to have survived the Battle of Dunkirk has died at the age of 102.

Lawrence Churcher, who was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, died at a care home in nearby Fareham, just days short of his 103rd birthday, according to the Project 71 charity that supports World War II veterans.

"A truly remarkable man, loved and respected by all who knew him," the charity, which said Churcher was thought to be the last known naval veteran of the evacuation, posted on Facebook.

Churcher, who was awarded the Legion dHonneur, was posted to HMS Eagle at the start of the war and landed in France in May 1940 to help supply ammunition to the front lines and was posted to a railhead outside Dunkirk.

The charity said: When he, together with thousands of others of the BEF [British Expeditionary Force] was ordered to pull back to the beaches, he began looking for the Hampshire Regiment in the hope of finding his two brothers, Edward and George.

Amazingly they met each other and managed to sail back to the UK on the same ship.

Churcher is reported to have said: When my brothers found me, I just felt relief.

There were so many soldiers there and continuous aircraft dropping bombs and strafing us, I had so many things on my mind until I got on board of our ship.

One fella leaned on my shoulder, gave a sigh of relief and said Thank God weve got a Navy and that sort of churned it up inside of me. We knew we had to get those soldiers back from Dunkirk.

Churcher went on to serve in the Mediterranean, at D-Day and ended the war in the Far East.

2023 dpa GmbH

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Blue Jays have signed Matt Wisler to a minor league contract, as per the right-handers MLB.com profile page. Wisler has been assigned to Triple-A Buffalo.

It was a pretty short stint for Wisler in free agency, as the Tigers just released him from an earlier minors deal last week. After signing with Detroit in the offseason, Wisler didnt receive a call-up, as his 2023 campaign has been spent entirely at Triple-A Toledo. The righty posted a 4.40 ERA over 47 innings with the Mud Hens, with a solid 25.2% strikeout rate but also an uncharacteristically high 12.4% walk rate.

Jordan Romano and Trevor Richards could both be back from the 15-day injured list within the week, but signing Wisler is a no-risk move that gives the Blue Jays a bit of extra bullpen depth at Triple-A. Torontos relief corps has been a strength all season, but with the Jays in a tight battle for a wild card berth, any extra pitching could be a help in the event of a future injury, or a performance drop-off by any of the current relivers. Wisler brings plenty of experience, as a veteran of eight Major League seasons with seven different teams from 2015-22.

The last three of those seasons have been very productive in a bottom-line sense, as Wisler has a 2.59 ERA over 118 innings with the Twins, Giants, and Rays since the start of the 2020 campaign. However, his 3.68 SIERA is notable higher, as some shaky peripherals have kept Wisler as a journeyman rather than locking down a spot in a big league bullpen. The Twins opted to non-tender Wisler after the 2020 season due to an ungainly 13.2% walk rate, and he benefited from a lot of BABIP luck in both 2020 (.241) and in 2022 (.198) as a member of the Rays. Wisler also had a notable velocity drop last season, further informing Tampa Bays decision to outright him off their 40-man roster last September.
WAYNE COUNTY, MI -- An airshow was cut short after an incident caused two plane passengers to eject Sunday afternoon, officials said, before the plane crashed nearby.

Two people were ejected from a plane involved in the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show Aug. 13 at the Willow Run Airport east of Ypsilanti, said Marc Breckenridge, Huron Valley Ambulance public information officer.

Both subjects were taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in stable condition by the Huron Valley Ambulance after the crash. The patients were alert and awake as of 5 p.m. Sunday, Breckenridge said.

A post made to the Thunder Over Michigan Facebook page at 4:23 p.m. Aug. 13 confirms the airshow was halted due to the incident.

A news release from the air show stated that shortly after 4 p.m., a MiG-23 demonstration plane performing at the air show crashed into the parking lot at the Waverly on the Lake Apartments in Belleville.

RELATED: Plane crashes into unoccupied vehicles after Thunder Over Michigan airshow goes awry

The pilot and backseater successfully ejected from the aircraft before the crash, officials from the Wayne County Airport Authority said.

The aircraft struck unoccupied vehicles in the apartment complexs parking lot. No one at the apartment complex nor the air show was injured. The FAA is investigating the crash.

Sean Barlett said he saw the crash transpire from the Hantz Hangar where he saw the plane take off traveling west before circling back around when he heard what sounded like two pop noises before two pilots were ejected from the plane. About 5 to 10 second later Barlett said he could hear the crash.

We didnt see the actual plane crash - we saw the explosion, Barlett said. At some air shows they drop test missiles or parachutes for display purposes and exhibition purposes, but with this, it was very obvious that it was not part of the show.

The 25th anniversary airshow took place Aug. 12 and 13.

This story will be updated as more information is made available.

Read more on MLive:

2 Nigerian men extradited to face charges connected to Michigan teens suicide death

Man armed with machete shot, killed by West Michigan police officer

4 hospitalized after shooting on Grand Rapids Southeast Side

Cybersecurity firm to move headquarters from Florida to Grand Rapids
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Two men accused of pretending to be a woman and blackmailing a Michigan teen with nude photos of himself have been extradited from Nigeria to face federal charges connected to the teens death by suicide.

Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, are both scheduled to appear for arraignment sometime Monday, Aug. 14, at the Gerald R. Ford Federal Building and US Courthouse in downtown Grand Rapids.

The two Nigerian men are accused of running an international sextortion ring that ultimately resulted in the suicide death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay.

RELATED: Feds uncover sextortion ring they say led to Marquette teens suicide

Sextortion involves persuading victims to send explicit photos online then threatening to disclose the images if the victim doesnt pay money or engage in sexual favors.

U.S. Attorney Mark Totten and FBI Agent Devin Kowalski briefed media outlets with an update on the case at a press conference Sunday, Aug. 13, inside the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Defendants Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi arrived at the Grand Rapids airport Sunday morning. Federal investigators are hopeful a third co-defendant charged for his role in the scheme  19-year-old Ezekiel Robert  will also be extradited.

The three men were indicted in May for allegedly sexually extorting numerous young men and teenage boys in West Michigan and across the United States.

Federal officials allege the three defendants bought multiple hacked social media accounts to exploit young men from February 2021 through May 2022. One of these accounts was used to create an Instagram profile pretending to be a woman named Dani Roberts, according to the federal indictment.

Samuel Ogoshi, acting as Roberts, messaged DeMay on March 25, 2022, and convinced the Marquette teen to send a sexually explicit photo of himself. Samuel Ogoshi tried to blackmail DeMay for money and threatened to share the photo with his family and friend.

DeMay sent the scammer what he had  $300  but was met with a message saying, enjoy your miserable life. The teen then told the fake profile he was going to kill himself, of which, the scammer replied, Good  do that fast.

DeMay died by suicide on March 25, 2022.

At arraignment on Monday, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi face single counts of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child pornography and conspiracy to commit stalking through the internet.

Samuel Ogoshi also faces single charges of sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.

DeMay was one of 3,000 minors, primarily boys, who were targeted by a sextortion scheme last year  leading to more than a dozen suicides  according to the FBI.

Kowalski highlighted numerous police agencies efforts who helped work the case at Sundays press conference.

Make no mistake, charges of this type brought against subjects outside of the United States are rare, Kowalski said. Securing extradition of these subjects is even more rare.

Totten delivered one final remark to those engaging in crimes like these:

Understand that we will travel the world to find you and hold you accountable, Totten said. No one is immune to justice.

Anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide can seek help from the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 988lifeline.org for crisis chat.

Read more on MLive:

Man armed with machete shot, killed by West Michigan police officer

4 hospitalized after shooting on Grand Rapids Southeast Side

Cybersecurity firm to move headquarters from Florida to Grand Rapids
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Prescott, a cybersecurity compliance firm thats based in Florida and was co-founded by an Ada resident, plans to open an office in Grand Rapids at 2301 E. Paris Avenue SE.

Prescott, founded in 2021 and currently based in Sarasota, Florida, may move into the office before the end of the year, said Jen Wangler, vice president of technology at The Right Place, a regional economic development group based in Grand Rapids thats assisting the company with the move.
CADILLAC, MI  An investigation is underway after a 49-year-old man was fatally shot by a Cadillac police officer.

The officer involved in the Saturday, Aug. 12 shooting has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol, as authorities investigate the incident.

The man killed was not immediately identified as of Sunday morning.

Police first responded to a report of a breaking and entering on Saturday, Aug. 12, at a residence on Aldrich Street.

Prior to arrival, officers were advised that the suspect, a 49-year-old man, was wielding a machete. At the scene, an officer spoke with the alleged victim who told police the man tried to break into their home, was still in the vicinity, and banging on the house with a machete.

The officer found the man in an adjacent backyard holding a machete to a dogs throat. Police said the officer gave loud verbal commands to the man who ended up charging the officer with the machete.

The officer then discharged his duty weapon.

Police did not say where the man was shot or how many times he was shot. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The investigation has been turned over to Michigan State Police, which is also standard protocol.

Read more on MLive:

4 hospitalized after shooting on Grand Rapids Southeast Side

Dive team finds body in river after kayakers report person missing

2 injured in collision in Southwest Michigan
KENT COUNTY, MI  Michigan Women Forward is highlighting a Grand Rapids area spa as an exemplary business this August for National Black Business Month.

Body Sculpt Better Body Bar, a female Black-owned wellness spa, offers ancient self-care techniques with modern science and technology, according to Michigan Women Forward, a community development financial institution that expands economic opportunity for women and entrepreneurs of color.

The nonprofit helped owner Monica Sparks, who opened the business in 2021 at 3099 Broadmoor Ave. SE in Kentwood, with microloans and technical assistance programs.

Shes a dynamic woman that is doing some great things in the community, said Natalie Hall, chief development and program officer for Michigan Women Forward, which has offices in Grand Rapids and Detroit.

Since 2004, August has been the month to highlight and appreciate the contributions of Black-owned businesses to the U.S. economy and promote equity and diversity.

Related: Celebrating the past decade of Black businesses in Grand Rapids with a pop-up shop

Hall said spotlighting businesses is important to the organizations mission because they want business owners to have their story told, especially when it comes to promoting Black businesses when being celebrated during National Black Business Month.

She said the Michigan Women Forward wanted to spotlight Sparks because she had recent experiences in learning the ropes as well as being an elected official in her community. Sparks has represented District 12 on the Kent County Board of Commissioners since 2018, which includes portions of Kentwood and Wyoming.

Sparks said the spa was shaped around the idea that she needed wellness and relaxation in her own life.

In 2019, Sparks said she battled colon cancer, using reflexology, which applies pressure to specific points of feet, as a method of healing. Then, in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led her to realize everyone needed a place where they could relax, wellness being a focus across the world, she said.

People could not get wellness services, Sparks said. They couldnt get massages and facials and things like that werent priced appropriately, especially for people of color. Historically, we dont do spa stuff, so I wanted to be able to offer that so that any woman, the average, ordinary everyday woman like myself, could afford to have self-care.

Monica Sparks, owner of Body Sculpt Better Body Bar, poses for a portrait at the business located at 3099 Broadmoor Ave. SE in Kentwood, a suburb of Grand Rapids, on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Sparks wellness spa is being highlighted in August for National Black Business Month by Michigan Women Forward. (Ridley Hudson | MLive.com)Ridley Hudson | MLive.com

Sparks said the ancient self-care practices are a mix with modern science, which include Reiki, which directs body energies, and Chinese cupping, alternative medicine which treats the skin by suctioning local spots with a cup across the body.

She also offers to-go treatments with her Wellness Wednesdays, driving to different locations on her wellness bus across the Grand Rapids area to offer massages and other relaxation services.

Sparks said that starting her business during the pandemic was hard, but it seemed necessary to her. She said the most useful part of the support from Michigan Women Forward came from classes on how to budget and manage capital on a micro-level, rather than as a county commissioner working with multimillion dollar budgets.

I love being a county commissioner because I feel like it gives me more insight to the struggles that small business owners do have, Sparks said.

I am a certified business mentoring counselor, so Ive helped lots of small businesses myself, but its different when its you. Its different when youre the one that has to turn on those lights every day and be the janitor and be the receptionist and be the accountant for your business.

Hall said Michigan Women Forward is purposefully trying to expand economic opportunity, wanting to grow what small businesses, especially minority-owned small businesses, can do with their capital.

She said spotlighting a business includes pushing the name, face of the owner and story out on social media and trying to get media coverage among other efforts to promote businesses that need exposure to the community.

Sparks said this spotlight on her business and National Black Business Month means more ability to support the community members she sees daily. What it means, she said, is that it is the time to say we are here.

All too often as a business for people of color, we get overlooked for the big organizations or the long-standing organizations, Sparks said. But I actually have people that come in here of all different colors that say I saw you were Black-owned and I wanted to give you support or I saw youre Black-owned and I wanted to try it or I saw you were Black-owned and because Im Latino or African, I felt comfortable knowing that I can go somewhere with someone who looks like me.

For more information about Body Sculpt Better Body Bar, visit the website here or call 616-591-6636.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter.

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CASS COUNTY, MI  Two men were injured in a collision that forced one vehicle off the road, Cass County sheriffs deputies said.

Police responded to a 4:09 p.m. report of a two-vehicle crash Saturday, Aug. 12, near the intersection of M-62 and Indian Lake Road in Cass Countys Silver Creek Township.

A 90-year-old Granger man was traveling northbound on Indian Lake Road when he failed to stop at a stop sign near the intersection. In the other direction, a 63-year-old Dowagiac man was traveling eastbound on M-62.

As the Granger mans vehicle entered the intersection, it struck the Dowagiac mans vehicle and forced it off the roadway.

Police said both men were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

The Granger man was treated at the scene and the Dowagiac man was transported to an area hospital for treatment.

Sheriffs deputies were assisted at the scene by Indian Lake Fire Department and Pride Care Ambulance.

Read more on MLive:

Pie eating contest makes a mess out of 60th National Blueberry Festival

Michigan families can be forced to sell lakefront cottage to county, judge rules

Whats road lasagna and how could it benefit Michigan?
Money moves a lot faster and a lot farther than when Bureau of Financial Institutions Commissioner Joe Face got started as a state bank examiner four decades ago. His bureaus latest effort to protect Virginians had it eyeing money transfers to Somali refugee camps.

Or, rather, trying to.

In 2021, the Bureau of Financial Institutions wanted a look at the books of Hashi Money Wiring, a Washington state-based firm with an agency in Northern Virginia. The firm does most of its business sending money to Somalia and to Somali refugees in neighboring nations.

Such examinations are routinely required to make sure that money transmitting companies are complying with state law requiring, among other things, that they have the financial resources to honor their promises to transmit and pay out money.

But Patrick Hunt, principal financial analyst at the bureau, found that some records were missing or incomplete.

He also substantiated nine instances when the company provided him incorrect information in hearings before an examiner, according to the State Corporation Commission. The SCC is the parent agency of the bureau.

The companys attorneys wrote in response to the examiners recommendation for a fine of $72,500: It is important to understand that there is no reason to believe that Hashi ever had financial problems, no reason to believe that its customers were in any way jeopardized, no reason to believe that it in any way did not meet BFIs financial requirements for a money wiring business.

That was an unusually large penalty for a financial institutions case  or even for the much larger cases handled by the SCC Bureau of Insurance or its Bureau of Securities.

The aim isnt just bureaucratic fussiness, Face said.

We do compliance checks; its a consumer protection, he said. These days, money can go anywhere in an instant; its not like when I started out.

In Hashis case, the bureaus examination led it to conclude that Virginia consumers funds might not be protected when they used the firms services. The bureau wanted to revoke the companys license to do business here. But the SCC did not revoke Hashis license, as the BFI originally suggested.

The bureau was after financial information and wanted to check that the company was doing the record-keeping required by the USA Patriot Act and the U.S. Treasury agency that makes sure businesses comply with American economic and financial sanctions, as well as who was paying out money at the other end.

But Hashi filed those quarterly reports with the national clearinghouse for that data months late, according to the bureau, and it did not post its general ledger, as required, through much of 2020.

Hunt said the missing data meant he could not assess the companys financial position.

In particular, the bureau wanted to see quarterly call reports detailing transaction volumes and the investments a transmitter is required to hold in order to back its promise to ship clients money.

State law requires money transmitters have enough funds on hand to at least cover the total of outstanding money orders and all outstanding transfer transactions, not only in Virginia but in all states it does business in.

In appealing the hearing examiners recommendation, Hashi reported that it transferred between $4 million and $5 million a year from its Virginia agency, with more than 75% going to Somalia or to Somali refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya.

The companys president, Abdulhakim Hashi, told the hearing examiner the company was backed by some $400,000 in credit union accounts in his name.

He said the company had not had a bank account in its own name since 2016 or 2017, when a local bank in Washington state shut down its account in an effort to reduce its own risks.

Hunt said that in the course of his examination, he found out that Hashi had to surrender its Massachusetts license because the company could not get a bank account.

Hunt said Hashi did not notify the bureau when it surrendered its Texas license after that state started the process of revoking it.

The companys attorneys said Hashis book-keeping and financial reporting problems were the result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the company has since corrected any problems.

The SCC also formally ordered Hashi to cease violating any part of the state law governing money transmitters.

It addition, it ordered Hashi to maintain a $500,000 surety bond at least through completion of the bureaus next examination in 2024.

Hashi did not respond to a message left at its Seattle headquarters phone. Its Northern Virginia phone was not in service.
While former President Donald Trump has been federally indicted for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, 19 Michigan Republicans are also facing state felony charges for their roles in those efforts.

For the GOP, this may be gearing up to be the indictment election, and this is your guide to Michigan politics.

I dont think theres any question the indictments have an electoral impact, said David Dulio, a political science professor and Director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University.

In December 2020, 16 Republicans convened in the basement of the partys headquarters in Lansing to sign documents claiming to be the true electors. They were turned away from the state Capitol as they attempted to enter while the legitimate electors were being appointed.

Last month they were each charged with eight forgery-related felonies, stemming from the signing of those documents. By this week, theyve all pleaded not guilty.

The probability of conviction is low given the dubiousness of the factual basis asserted by the government, Kurt Krause, the attorney for one of the would-be electors, John Haggard, said in court.

More: All 16 pro-Trump electors have pleaded not guilty to Michigan felony charges

Less than two weeks after that announcement, special prosecutor DJ Hilson announced grand juries had indicted three of nine Republican in another long-running investigation.

Michigans 2022 Republican nominee for attorney general, Matt DePerno, along with former state Rep. Daire Rendon and another attorney, Stefanie Lambert Junttila, face felony charges for taking ballot tabulators from rural Michigan communities and spiriting them across the state, allegedly without authorization, in a fruitless quest to uncover evidence of fraud within the machines.

DePerno purported to have worked with allies to conduct forensic examinations of the tabulators. His charges include undue possession of a voting machine and willful damage of it.

Trump is under indictment in three courts, and a fourth indictment may be looming. Alongside the multiple indictments at home in Michigan, it can be tough for even close observers to keep them all straight. Consultant John Selleck, who runs the firm Harbor Strategic, emphasized this to MLive. He pointed to Google Analytics data first reported by Axios that showed public interest declining in the news with each of Trumps subsequent indictments.

Regardless, pro-Trump Republicans, feeling besieged, are digging in.

Someones going to get so pissed off, theyre going to shoot someone. Thats whats going to happen. Or were going have a civil war or some sort of revolution, state Rep. Matt Maddock, R-Milford said, according to a recording of a recent fundraiser obtained by The Messenger. Thats where this is, where this is going.

The new leadership in the Michigan Republican Party, a day after the charges were announced against the pro-Trump electors, accused Nessel of exhibiting authoritarian tendencies and ambitions, and asserted the prosecution was illegal.

Chair Kristina Karamo and other leaders in the party are deeply intertwined with the movement that maintains widespread fraud stole the election from Trump. The party has scheduled some of the countrys most prominent proponents of election denialism for their September leadership conference on Mackinac Island and their social media feed is rife with election fraud theories. Its not a fringe view within the GOP  nearly 70% of Republicans nationally believe President Joe Biden was elected illegitimately, according to one recent poll.

Related: Three Republicans charged after spat, fight at GOP functions in Clare hotel

At the top Michigan Democrats 2024 priorities after reelecting Biden: holding on to their slim, two-vote majority in the state House and winning the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Debbie Stabenow.

Donald Trumps legal woes have nothing to do with who wins and who loses a state House race in Oakland County, Dulio said. But whoever that Democrat (in that race) is, theyre not going to let (the Republican) get away with (avoiding it).

While defending the former President may motivate Trumps traditional base, in suburban swing districts it may have the opposite effect: persuadable independent voters largely want nothing to do with Trump. Dulio said Democrats could wield the indictments like a cudgel, trying to force Republicans  who might prefer to talk about anything else  to take sides on the prosecution.

Any Democrat who wants to take advantage will certainly use those and press those Republicans on that issue, he said.

Still, that majority may slip away for Democrats at least temporarily, after two representatives seek mayoral offices advanced in their primaries this past Tuesday.

More: Democrats historic majority threatened by two mayoral races this fall

Reps. Lori Stone, D-Warren, and Kevin Coleman, D-Westland, both came in second to be mayor of their cities, and if they win the general election in November, it means they both will be vacating their seats in the House.

It would leave the House split 54-54 until special elections are held to select their replacements. While under the chambers rules Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, would remain in charge, itd mean that for at least several months, every bill that passed the chamber would need bipartisan support.

In other news this week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmers freshly announced Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential  MiLEAP  may have hit some resistance on its first jump toward actualization.

The reorganization isnt expected to happen until December, but the eight-member elected State Board of Education, feeling its territory infringed, wants a formal opinion from Attorney General Dana Nessel on MiLEAPs constitutionality.

Read more: Michigan education board questions legality of Whitmers new department

The boards president Pamela Pugh, a Democrat, said MiLEAP threatens the very essence of our education system in a statement after the unanimous vote to request the opinion.

Michigans constitution grants the board of education, leadership and general supervision over all public education, including adult education and instructional programs in state institutions, except as to institutions of higher education granting baccalaureate degrees. The board openly questioned whether the new department has the right to assume control of supervision public preschool in the state, as it intends.

If we yield our educational system to the ever-shifting landscape of politics of the governors office, we potentially jeopardize the integrity of an institution that holds the key to our childrens aspirations, Pugh said. In an era marked by divisive rhetoric, we cannot afford to allow our schools to be potentially manipulated for political gain by future governors or face the risk of blindly trusting governor after governor to make education a real priority with a kids-first approach.

It was the second request for an opinion Nessels office will be fielding, after the Michigan Civil Rights Commission said theyd be resubmitting a previously denied opinion request: whether banning LGBTQ content or affiliated materials groups in libraries or schools violates the states civil rights law. The last request was denied for being too broad and circumstantial, but the body has chosen to dial the question in and resubmit. The letter is still being drafted.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist this week also signaled Whitmers administration is open to an aggressive new clean energy standard. Some Democrats in the state legislature have proposed requiring Michigan utilities to use 100% carbon-free energy by 2035, which would be one of most ambitious benchmarks in the U.S. Whether the Democratic leaders of both legislative chambers will back that goal and if can garner the votes to pass remains to be seen.

Read more on MLive:

Kent GOP chair resigns amid infighting by Trump-aligned Republicans

Weapons detector installed at Michigan lawmakers offices after Capitol security boost

Crossing Mackinac Bridge should be free, one lawmaker says

To combat puppy mills, Michigan bill would stop dog sales at pet shops
There are 85 new road construction projects on deck in Michigan this week that will require various degrees of road closures.

Among the major work scheduled for Monday, Aug. 14, through Saturday, Aug. 19, include lane reductions on I-94 in Wayne County, I-96 in Kent County, and M-29 in St. Clair County.

Other closures listed by the Michigan Department of Transportation will impact highway entrance and exit ramps around the state, and may increase commute times.

Below are summaries of 10 closures to watch out for this week. All projects are weather dependent, and state officials remind drivers to slow down and follow posted signage in work zones.

For a full schedule of upcoming road work, visit MDoTs online map, here.

M-65 in Iosco County

A pair of M-65 bridges in Iosco County will be upgraded starting Monday. The $433,000 project will include concrete repairs and guardrail upgrades on bridges over the Au Gres River and Johnson Creek.

The work is scheduled to conclude around Oct. 20. Before then, drivers should expect one lane of alternating traffic controlled by temporary traffic signals in those areas.

I-75 in Oakland/Genesee counties

The next stage in the I-75 project begins at 10 a.m. Monday with the reduction of Holly Road down to one lane over I-75 for bridge repairs with a temporary traffic signal.

Other bridges over I-75 that remain closed for repair include Rattalee Lake Road, Grand Hall Road, and Belford Road. However, the Holcomb Road bridge will reopen Monday, and Davisburg Road has reopened as well.

The state is investing $160 million to resurface and repair I-75 from Ortonville Road (M-15) to the Oakland/Genesee county line.

M-29 in St. Clair County

Concrete repairs are getting underway on M-29 in St. Clair this week. Drivers should expect single-lane closures from Clinton Avenue to the north city limit from Monday through early September.

The work is part of a $965,000 project to improve 1.6 miles of M-29 from Oakland Avenue to Clinton Avenue. Construction should wrap up in October.

I-94 in Wayne County

Starting this week, Westbound traffic will be down a lane on I-94 between Haggerty and Belleville. The lane closure begins at 7 a.m. Monday and will stretch into early December.

The left two lanes of westbound highway between Wyoming Street and Schaefer Road will be closed daily between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Similarly, the eastbound highway will be without its left two lanes between Greenfield and Schaefer during that time. Those closures wrap up Friday.

Gratiot in Wayne County

Gratiot Avenue (M-3) will be down to two lanes of traffic in either direction between Brush Street and Mack Avenue from 8 a.m. Monday through 5 p.m. Friday. During that time, Gratiot will have one lane open in each direction between Russell Street and Saint Aubin Street.

8 Mile Road in Southeast Michigan

Closures are scheduled for 8 Mile Road (M-102) again this week in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties.

The road will have one westbound lane open nightly -- Monday through Thursday -- between Van Dyke (M-53) and Woodward (M-1). Road work is scheduled each day from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Additionally, there will be one westbound lane open between Lahser Road and Berg Road from 7 a.m. Monday through 5 p.m. Friday, and both directions of 8 Mile Road will be closed between Dequindre Road and John R all week and into November.

Telegraph Road in Oakland County

Telegraph Road will experience double-lane closures overnight this week. Beginning Monday, the road will have its right two lanes closed in either direction between I-696 and 8 Mile Road. The closures are scheduled for 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily with a lane shift in place.

Michigan Avenue in Wayne County

Construction on Michigan Avenue (M-12) will require some lane closures this week.

From 8 a.m. Monday until 5 p.m. Friday, the right lane will be closed in both directions at Trumbull Street, Wyoming Avenue, and 6th Street in Wayne County. Those streets will also have intermittent single-lane closures, as will Michigan Avenue between I-94 and Cass Avenue.

Additionally, Miller Road will be completely closed from Michigan Avenue to Prospect Avenue, starting Monday until early November.

I-96 in Kent County

Westbound I-96 is scheduled to close one lane for a short period this week between Montcalm Avenue and Morse Lake Avenue. The closure will stretch from 5 a.m. Tuesday until 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Then next week, eastbound I-96 will close a lane down from Whitneyville Avenue to the Kent/Ionia County line, and westbound I-96 will close a lane between Montcalm Avenue and Whitneyville Road.

The $2.5 million project, which will last into November, involves improving about eight miles of highway from Whitneyville Avenue to the line between Kent and Ionia counties.

U.S. 31 in Ottawa County

Lane and shoulder closures are going into effect on U.S. 31 near Ferrysburg starting Wednesday. The closures are for a $2.8 million project to replace a culvert under U.S. 31 for a tributary to Smiths Bayou, just south of Van Wagoner Road.

More significant closures on U.S. 31 will follow next month.

Read more on MLive:

Is LGBTQ book banning discriminatory? Michigan civil rights panel asking again.

Weapons detector installed at Michigan lawmakers offices after Capitol security boost

Michigan manufacturers are at a crossroads. Whats next?

Roundabout, the first of its kind in Kent County, opens ahead of schedule
Matt Wisler is back on the move after a short stint with the Detroit Tigers organization.

The right-handed pitcher signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, less than two weeks after the Tigers released him.

Wisler signed a minor league contract with the Tigers in February and had 39 appearances for their Triple-A affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens. Wisler went 5-2 with 53 strikeouts and two saves with a 4.40 ERA, but was let go on Aug.5.

The Ohio native was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2011 and has had runs with the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, San Franciso Giants and Tampa Bay Rays.

He has an MLB record of 25-36 with 436 strikeouts and a 4.59 ERA.
The San Francisco Giants have signed former Detroit Tigers infielder Johan Camargo.

Camargo and the Giants agreed to a minor league contract on Friday after the Panama native was released by the Tigers on Aug. 3.

Camargo signed with the Tigers on June 23 and played for their Triple-A affiliate the Toledo Mud Hens.

During his time with the Mud Hens, he recorded a .238 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 22 games.

The 29-year-old began his career with the Atlanta Braves and has also had stints within the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals organizations.

He has a career batting average of .255 with 37 home runs and 159 RBIs in the major leagues.
Fast-rising Ghanaian musical prodigy Ibrahim Mohammed, popularly known as Hyndu, has set the music space ablaze with the announcement of his coming Hip-Hop single "Preacher."

The track, produced by the talented BodyBeats, showcases Hyndu's signature blend of captivating storytelling and infectious beats that highlights the seeks to encourage everyone.

Hailing from the vibrant town of Shama in the Western Region of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Hyndu's journey into the realm of music commenced during his formative years at Diabene Secondary Technical School. A serendipitous encounter led to his performance of Samini's "Gyae Hye" song, igniting a passion that has propelled him to the forefront of the Ghanaian music scene.

Over the years, Hyndu has honed his craft and developed a remarkable discography of over 50 tracks, each a testament to his unique style and lyrical prowess. Notable hits such as "El Classico," "Parcel," "Nsem Keka," and "Heaven" have solidified his status as an emerging force to be reckoned with.

Hyndu's musical journey is marked by significant collaborations with acclaimed artists, including Pappy Kojo, Ras Kuku, Teephlow, and more. Despite the absence of a formal record label, his elder brother's unwavering support and a close-knit circle of friends have propelled his ascent in the industry.

With his eyes set on new horizons, Hyndu's thirst for collaboration and opportunities remains unquenchable. As he continues to evolve and leave an indelible mark on the music landscape, he remains poised to captivate a global audience with his unrivalled talent and impactful storytelling.

Preacher is expected to be released in early September, featuring in some major digital stores.
That sounds like an exciting event! CFAO Ghana is hosting the official launch and nominees announcement for the Africa Event Awards 2023 on Friday 25th August 2023, Airport.

The Africa Event Awards is a platform that recognizes and celebrates excellence in event planning and execution across the African continent.

The official launch and nominees announcement event to unveil the nominees, and other details of the awards, generating buzz and anticipation for the main event that will happening on.

This event is likely to mark the beginning of the awards process, where they will unveil the nominees and provide more information about the categories, criteria, and the overall schedule for the awards. It's a significant occasion for recognizing and celebrating excellence in the events industry across Africa.

Africa Event Awards provide a great opportunity for event professionals, organizers, and other stakeholders to come together, share ideas, and showcase their work. It's also a chance to highlight the vibrant event industry in Africa and acknowledge the hard work and creativity put into organizing various types of events, from conferences and exhibitions to festivals and ceremonies.

If you're involved in the event industry or simply interested in the awards, attending or following the official launch and nominees announcement could provide you with valuable insights into the event.

Follow us on all our social media platforms facebook: Africa Event Awards Instagram: @Africaeventawards or visit the website www.africaeventsawards.com email us: Africaeventaward[email protected] Call us for more details +23326728116/ +233240927202
The Sekondi-Takoradi Progressive Club Global (STPCG) celebrated four years of existence on Saturday, August 5, 2023.

This is a worldwide organization made up of people with ties to Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis.

The main objective and mission is the development and progress of the Twin-City and Western Region as a whole.

In a short period of four years, there have been many accomplishments, namely,

Sekondi Health Center has been given a total face-lift and provided with medical equipment. Both Male and Female wards of the Takoradi Hospital have been renovated. In January, 2022, the Casualty Unit of the Essikadu Hospital was structurally rehabilitated. Also, the Clinic of the Sekondi Central Prisons was made brand new and provided with medical accessories In January, 2023, the STPCG established the first Non-Invasive Cardiology Laboratory in the Western Region at the Takoradi Hospital with brand new machines.

The people of the area no longer travel to Korle-Bu, Accra for heart diagnosis and treatment. In addition, the Club donated 29 pieces of Digital Blood Pressure Monitors to support heart treatment.

These accomplishments and many more called for celebration on the 4th Anniversary of the Club.

A colorful ceremony took place at the Eastwood Manor Banquet Hall in the Bronx, New York to honor members who made it all possible.

All the projects and accomplishments came from personal and individual contributions.

The event was heavily attended by very distinguished personalities of New York, leaders of the Ghanaian Business and Professional community and officials of government. The special appearance of the legendary musician/entertainer, Mr. Ben Brako was the real topper.

It is a selfless Club where members seek no benefits for themselves but sacrifice all resources and contributions to development projects in Sekondi-Takoradi and the Western Region at large.
12.08.2023 LISTEN

A Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana (UG), Prof. Ransford Gyampo has said the retention of Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as the running mate of former president John Mahama will depend on a number of factors.

In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Friday, Professor Gyampo conducted a SWOT analysis of Professor Opoku-Agyemang, which he described as a spreadsheet.

In terms of the positives, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang in the lead-up to the 2020 elections brought the gender, ethnic and regional balance to the ticket of John Mahama. Also at the moment, she is somebody who is already known and has been well-marketed. Again in terms of our politicking in our part of the world, she has less political debts on her, so you cannot easily match link her. And she could also appeal to the academia and the middle class within the community in a manner that would help the NDC shed its outlook as being anti-academic.

And then she is less violent and very calm in terms of temperament. Again she is a bilingual person and I think that will help in governance and international relations. She also has a very strong family background and family values having successfully raised three kids who all have PhDs. And then her experience also in managing UCC as Vice-Chancellor is something that is good and is a plus for her, he stated.

In terms of her weaknesses, Prof. Gyampo said Professor Opoku-Agyemang was perceived as being dull and may not be able to replace the flagbearer.

He also said she also did not appeal to her gender, ethnic, and regional constituencies during the last elections.

In terms of what works against her, one is likely to say that she herself could not appeal so much to her gender, ethnic and regional constituencies during the last elections. Again, she is perceived to be quite too dull and sometimes unimpressive Generally, if people are selecting candidates, they also tend to look out for whoever will be able to replace the flagbearer, but unfortunately, it doesnt appear that she may be able to lead the party after John Mahamas exits, he stated.

Meanwhile, a Political Science Lecturer at UG, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, has expressed shock over the push to replace Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as running mate for NDC's flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.

Reports suggest that the likes of business mogul Sam Jonah, former deputy chief of staff Dr Valerie Sawyerr, founder of Ashesi University Patrick Awuah, and former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, stand the chance of replacing Professor Opoku-Agyemang as running mate.

In an interview with Citi News, Dr Asah-Asante said that even though the individuals who are being mentioned are also qualified, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stands out among them.

-citinewsroom
Mr Courage Hope Goldberg-Grimm Lekettey, New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant in the Keta Constituency, has promised to change the fortunes of the party in the area.

He said the time has come for youthful energy to take up leadership roles to help win the parliamentary seat in the area.

Mr Lekettey disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during the filling of his nomination forms at the party office in Keta.

Mr Lekettey, who is also the current constituency party chairman, said that he had more experience among other aspirants.

I am young and energetic, with many years of experience in the party, and the I am only one that can give life to the NPP in Keta, he stated.

The 35-year-old businessman pledged to rebrand, unite and gather more votes for the NPP in the area with the aim to break the eight.

The party needs a candidate in 2024 that can win the Parliamentary seat in Keta and help break the eight.

He expressed the hope that the delegates would give him the nod in his bid to lead the party in the parliamentary elections to unseat Mr Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpe, the incumbent National Democratic Congress) Member of Parliament for Keta.

Mr Lekettey promised to do a clean campaign devoid of insults and other unpleasant acts.

Mr Bernard Sukah, the Keta Constituency Deputy Secretary, told the GNA that three aspirants have filed their nominations to contest.

Other aspirants who have also filed the nomination forms for the race include Mr Selasi Godwin Teyi and Mr Godknows Blebu, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Director at Keta.

GNA
Mr Timothy Kwasi Koki, a senior lecturer of Dambai College of Education (DCE), has filed to contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries in the Krachi East constituency of the Oti Region.

Speaking with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after filing his nomination forms, Mr Koki said his decision followed several calls from stakeholders and the youth of the Constituency to shore up the development deficit of the area with his rich lobbying skills.

The candidate hopeful, an indigene and grassroots person, who is well-known across the constituency said that his experience in addition to his humility, commitment to achieving results and resourcefulness would be an advantage to attract floating voters and votes of the disgruntled supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) due to the abysmal performance of the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) over the years.

Mr Koki said he would leverage his experience at home and abroad to influence policies that would impact the economic fortunes of the constituency, especially in employment, education, health, roads and infrastructure.

He appealed to the delegates of the NPP to entrust him with their votes since he is the right person to wrestle power from the NDC and lead to total dominance of the NPP in the constituency.

Some supporters accompanying the parliamentary candidate hopeful told GNA that, he had good intentions for Krachi East constituency and believed if he was given the nod he would work hard for the party to rescue the seat in the election 2024.

Mr Prosper Odugbe, the Constituency secretary, said all the five aspirants, who picked the nomination forms had submitted their nomination forms, setting the stage for an uncompromising contest.

GNA
Women Organizers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stormed Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Greater Accra Region over the weekend to register their readiness to wrestle the seat for their party.

The 291 branch women organizers pledged to strategize, mobilize, and organize the electorates in the constituency to vote massively for the party in 2024.

Led by the constituency women organizer, Hamamat Dauda, the women assured the leadership of the party that they would work day and night to ensure that they wrestle the seat from the incumbent Member of Parliament, Mavis Hawa Koomson.

They promised Deputy National Women Organizer Abigail Elorm Mensah that they would have a showdown with the current lawmaker of the constituency, Mavis Hawa Koomson, in 2024, considering her abysmal performance in Parliament.

The women made the pledge at a symposium organized by the leadership of the party to empower women ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The symposium was held under the theme Empowering Women, Inspiring Change, Uniting NDC ASEC for Victory Agenda 2024.

Addressing the women, Deputy National Womens Organizer Abigail Elorm Mensah assured them that the party would recognize their role in government.

She hinted that the NDC has already pledged to offer high numbers of women in the next government should the party win the 2024 presidential elections.

This, according to the partys Deputy National Womens Organizer, would bring motivation to women who under normal circumstances would be marginalized in government.

The NDC believes that womens participation in its campaign this time to secure victory in the 2024 elections is something it cannot underestimate. The party sats it is committed to ensuring that women play a crucial role in government once it secures victory in 2024.

To this end, the party intends to delegate critical leadership roles in its campaign to women, as the party trusts women to be more efficient in canvassing for votes ahead of the 2024 polls.

On the sidelines of the symposium, Deputy National Womens Organizer Abigail Elorm Mensah told journalists that women would constitute 40% of the officials that would feature in a future government run by the NDC as appointees.

She said the party has a track record of placing women in frontline roles and therefore has already resolved not to depart from this practice.

The symposium saw the coming together of all 291 branch women organizers of the National Democratic Congress in the Awutu Senya East Constituency. The exercise rejuvenated the partys base for the electoral task ahead of 2024.

The constituency womens organizer, Hamamat Dauda, expressed joy that the party would be led by a female candidate into the 2024 parliamentary elections in the constituency.

She said the NDC womens caucus was ready to rally behind the candidate, as her victory would be a major inspiration and serve as hope for them.

She said the NDC womens caucus was ready to rally behind the candidate, as her victory would be a major inspiration and serve as hope for them.

For his part, constituency chairman Stephen Ofosu Agyare decried the slow pace of development in Kasoa under the NPP and pledged massive improvement should the NDC take over power.

He told journalists that the party had solidified its grounds and satisfactorily united its rank and file as well as its support base to confront the 2024 elections.

Source: Women Organizers
Six Afghan males died when a migrant boat heading to Britain sank in the Channel early Saturday, French officials said, as a search continued to find those still missing.

The deputy public prosecutor for the French coastal city of Boulogne, Philippe Sabatier, told AFP all six fatalities were Afghan men believed to be in their 30s.

He added the rest of the passengers were "almost all Afghans with some Sudanese, mostly adults with some minors".

Sabatier said 49 survivors were rescued -- 36 by the French coastguard and 13 by their British counterparts.

Between five and 10 passengers were still missing, according to the prosecutor's office.

Three French ships, a helicopter and a plane were mobilised to search the area off Sangatte in northern France, along with two British ships.

"HM Coastguard is currently assisting the French authorities, Gris Nez, in a search and rescue response to an incident involving a small boat in the Channel," a British interior ministry spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added interior minister Suella Braverman would later chair a meeting with Small Boats Operational Command, part of Britain's Border Force and created to deal with small boat crossings of the Channel by migrants.

"My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic loss of life in the Channel today," Braverman said in a post to social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne likewise posted that her "thoughts go out to the victims" as she praised the efforts of the rescue teams.

Border 'repression'

A spokesperson for the Utopia56 humanitarian group blamed border "repression" for the tragedy, telling AFP that the difficulty of securing legal passage only "increases the dangerousness of crossings and pushes people to take more and more risks to reach England".

The boat capsized around 2:00 am local time (0000 GMT) off the northern coast of France, according to the prosecutor.

An AFP reporter in Calais saw some of those rescued disembarking from a patrol boat with emergency services on site.

The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and strong currents are common.

Perilous crossing

More than 100,000 migrants have crossed the Channel on small boats from France to southeast England since Britain began publicly recording the arrivals in 2018, official figures revealed on Friday.

In recent days there have been several attempts to cross the Channel in boats after weather conditions improved.

Overnight Thursday, the French coastal authority Premar reported that 116 migrants had been rescued, including children, on three separate boats.

Some 755 migrants were detected on Thursday on 14 small boats headed for England's southern coast, UK interior ministry statistics showed, the highest tally on a single day this year.

Those boats brought the number of arrivals so far this year to nearly 16,000.

Five migrants died at sea and four went missing while trying to cross to Britain from France last year.

In November 2021, 27 migrants died when a boat capsized in the Channel.

The following year saw a record 45,000 migrants make the crossing.
Mr Patrick Kabu Kudiabor, a businessman, who was one of the six aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to pick parliamentary nomination forms, has pulled out from the race in the Krachi East Constituency of the Oti Region.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said he decided to withdraw from the primaries and support Michael Yaw Gyato, the former one-term Member of Parliament (MP) after consultation with people within and outside the party.

He said the former MP was experience and well positioned to lead the NPP for the Krachi East Constituency and urged all to support him.

Mr Kudiabor made an appeal to all delegates to pay heed to the clarion call by giving massive and extraordinary endorsement to Mr Gyato to send a signal that the seat, which we lost in 2020 election is coming home.

He told the GNA that all the aspirants had the potential to win back the seat, but the one with the overwhelming political fortitude to get them the seat with ease was Mr Gyato.

He advised the contestants and supporters to be circumspect and magnanimous in their campaigns because of the great chance of flipping the seat from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party in the next election.

GNA
The acclaimed man of God Rev. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, who is currently the 18th Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, was frequently heard during the era of John Mahama. Mante frequently attacked Mahama because he believed that corruption had risen in Ghana and was now impacting the poor and oppressed people. We need an answer to the question of whether Rev. Mante acted in this way out of concern for the people, Akufo Addo, or for his own benefit.

Jesus warned against false prophets, therefore; there are also purported men of God who are wolves in sheep's clothing. There are billions of pastors and church leaders in the world, but if one has insight and vision, one can quickly determine if the activities of those who wish to be seen as good people looking out for the wellbeing of the oppressed masses are sincere or not. This article will reveal that Rev. Mante frequently criticized Mahama because of his political ties to Akufo Addo.

As the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante expressed displeasure with Ghana's level of corruption during the Mahama administration, his silence regarding the effects of widespread corruption in Akufo Addo's administration leads me to believe that he is not a true man of God.

Ghana is known for being a strongly religious nation with the peaceful coexistence of Christians and Muslims, yet its religious impact seems to be more detrimental than beneficial. Tribalism, hypocrisy, lies, dishonesty, and corruption continue to be threats to the nation's religious organizations. Many people, especially Christians, are bewildered and losing trust in their pastors or the God they serve because persons who were intended to be their wonderful shepherds are misleading them.

We shouldn't look too far to comprehend the truth about a man of God who has gone astray. Who would have imagined that someone like Rev. Kusi Boateng would be involved in the serious corruption issue concerning the cathedral? Even more than that, the man of God is a double person who went by two distinct identities and has two moms. Who would have imagined that Mensa Otabil, a revered religious leader in Ghana and other countries, would play a role in the demise of a financial institution?

I believe that the good pastors in the communities have it tough if such heinous crimes are frequently linked to ministers of God. There are undoubtedly good pastors in Ghana, but there are always terrible people who undermine the reputation that has taken years to establish in every society. When criticizing John Mahama in January 2014, Rev. Mante said, "People are praying more, corruption is increasing more, I don't get it," although Akufo Addo's government has had the greatest rise in corruption.

Concerned Ghanaians have tried to find out why Rev. Mante has remained silent on the widespread devastation and corruption under Akufo Addo's government since he didn't allow John Mahama a chance to breathe during his administration. The response he provided shocked the people of Ghana. Rev. Mante claims that while he orally opposed Mahama back then, he is now able to SMS his critique. Who would accept such a claim? Does Mante think Ghanaians are uneducated morons?

Rev. Mante declared, "I will speak today and I will speak tomorrow," when criticizing John Mahama. He claims that when he receives his salary and looks through his payslip, the taxes that have been deducted "haa emisun shaale, Osofo," which is Ga for "I feel pain in my stomach," make him feel uncomfortable. Why is Rev. Mante silent today since Akufo Addo has levied higher taxes than what he alleged Mahama did? Is it accurate to describe him as a "wolf in sheep's clothing"?

In one of my articles, I stated that according to my research, Akufo Addo has appointed all of the people who protested against Mahama during his administration, including pastors, attorneys, journalists, and the current relative, Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister, who demonstrated and demanded his resignation. Although I cant confirm that the president gave Rev. Mante any post, what I know is that Akufo Addo handed Rev. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante GHC 50,000 in the name of the church.

Akufo Addo gives appreciation to everyone who supported him by opposing Mahama, therefore; during a ceremony of thanksgiving at the Kyebi Presbyterian in the Eastern Region, conducted by Rev. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, about the presidents successful second term in office, the president gave Rev. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante GHC 50,000 on behalf of the church. Only God knows how much of that money ended up in Rev. Mantey's pocket and how much was spent for the church.

He praised Akufo Akufo and expressed his gratitude for all that he has done for him both before and after the elections at the service. That serves as proof that Rev. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante has long been bought off by Akufo Addo, and whatever he did to undermine Mahama was done so for Akufo Addo's benefit and political reasons, not in the least bit for the impoverished, oppressed Ghanaians.
13.08.2023 LISTEN

While statistical data may indicate a high percentage of Christians in Ghana, immoral activities raise valid concerns about the authenticity of that identification. Scholars must navigate these complexities by adopting a multifaceted approach that better considers cultural influences, societal norms, and personal motivations to understand the interplay between religious identity and behavior.

The identification of individuals as Christians is a matter that spans cultural, historical, and geographical boundaries. As a global religion, Christianity has a diverse spectrum of followers who self-identify as believers. However, the challenge arises when we attempt to discern the degree of adherence to the teachings outlined in the scriptures. Christ's cautionary words, "Not all that say, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of God," remind us of the complexity involved in distinguishing genuine believers from those who may merely identify as Christians. This article delves into the nuanced aspects of authentic adherence to Christian teachings, exploring the difficulties scholars encounter in quantifying and evaluating true Christianity.

Authentic adherence to Christian teachings encompasses more than a superficial profession of faith. It involves a heartfelt commitment to embodying the values, principles, and moral guidelines outlined in the scriptures. Adherents are expected to demonstrate compassion, love, forgiveness, and humility, emulating the life of Christ. Thus, assessing authentic adherence requires a holistic evaluation of beliefs and actions.

Attempting to quantify authentic adherence among those who identify as Christians is a daunting task. The hearts and minds of individuals are private domains, often shielded from external observation. As scholars, we cannot peer into these inner sanctums to discern genuine faith from mere proclamation. Consequently, quantification efforts often rely on external indicators such as religious practices, attendance at worship services, and participation in religious rituals. However, these metrics may fall short of capturing the essence of authentic adherence, as individuals can engage in these activities for reasons other than genuine belief.

The paradox of professed faith illustrates the complexities of identification versus genuine adherence. Many individuals may proclaim themselves as Christians without fully embodying the teachings of Christ. This paradox raises questions about the criteria for evaluating authenticity. Is it based solely on one's proclamation of faith, or should it be assessed through a comprehensive analysis of beliefs, actions, and intentions? Moreover, the paradox highlights the diversity within the Christian community, where different denominations and theological perspectives may interpret adherence differently.

Hypocrisy, the disconnect between professed beliefs and actual behavior, further clouds the assessment of authentic adherence. Christ's teachings repeatedly emphasize sincerity and integrity, condemning hypocrisy. However, the prevalence of hypocrisy among those who identify as Christians challenges our ability to discern genuine adherence accurately. Individuals may engage in religious practices and rituals while harboring attitudes and behaviors contradictory to Christian principles.

The interplay between faith and deeds is central to the discussion of authentic adherence. The scriptures emphasize that faith without deeds is dead. True Christianity is marked by the alignment of belief and action, where individuals profess their faith and live it out in their interactions with others. This interplay serves as a litmus test for authenticity, suggesting that genuine believers will consistently strive to embody the teachings of Christ in their daily life.

One approach to identifying authentic adherence is through the concept of "fruitful living." In the Gospel of Matthew, Christ teaches that a tree is known by its fruit. Similarly, a genuine Christian is recognized by the positive impact of their life on those around them. This impact can manifest in acts of kindness, selflessness, and efforts to promote justice and equality. By assessing the tangible outcomes of an individual's beliefs, we gain insights into the authenticity of their adherence to Christian teachings.

The Christian community plays a pivotal role in discerning authentic adherence. Accountability, fellowship, and shared values within a community can provide a supportive environment for believers to uphold their commitment to Christian teachings. Conversely, communities can perpetuate superficial adherence, where external conformity masks internal incongruence. Evaluating the role of the community requires a nuanced understanding of its influence on individuals' beliefs and actions.

The book of James in the New Testament provides a profound exploration of the interplay between faith and deeds, offering insights into how genuine adherence to Christian teachings is manifested in both belief and action.

James begins by addressing the relationship between faith and works in James 2:14-17: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, if it is not accompanied by action, faith by itself is dead."

James underscores the point that genuine faith is not mere intellectual assent or verbal proclamation but a living, active force that naturally leads to corresponding deeds. He uses the example of helping those in need to illustrate that faith without actions is empty and unproductive. Thus, the interplay of faith and deeds is evident in the inseparable link between authentic belief and tangible expressions of that belief through actions.

In James 2:21-24, James cites the example of Abraham to illustrate the connection between faith and deeds: "Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."

James highlights that Abraham's faith was not passive; it was dynamically expressed through his obedience and willingness to offer his son Isaac. This obedience demonstrated the genuine nature of Abraham's faith, as his actions aligned with his belief. Abraham's story exemplifies how faith and deeds work harmoniously to fulfill and complete each other.

In James 3:9-12, James delves into the interplay of faith and deeds in controlling one's speech: "With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

James highlights the incongruity between professing faith and engaging in harmful speech. He argues that genuine faith should lead to wholesome and constructive communication, reflecting the transformative power of belief. In this passage, the interplay of faith and deeds is expressed by aligning one's words with the principles of faith.

James addresses the interplay of faith and deeds in the context of prayer and healing in James 5:13-16: "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the church elders to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

James emphasizes that faith is not merely a theoretical concept but a force that prompts believers to turn to God in times of trouble and illness. He underscores the connection between faith, prayer, and healing, implying that authentic faith is actively demonstrated through seeking divine intervention and supporting one another in need.

The book of James masterfully illuminates the interplay of faith and deeds, illustrating that genuine adherence to Christian teachings involves more than intellectual belief or verbal affirmation. James emphasizes that faith naturally leads to actions, shaping how believers live and interact with others. Through examples such as helping the needy, obedience, speech, and prayer, the book of James underscores the inseparable connection between faith and deeds, revealing that authentic faith is transformative and manifests in practical expressions of love, obedience, and righteousness.

The challenge of identifying authentic adherence to Christian teachings reflects the intricate nature of human faith and behavior. While self-identification provides a starting point, true Christianity extends beyond words to encompass beliefs, actions, intentions, and impacts on others. Scholars grappling with this challenge must recognize the limitations of quantification and embrace a holistic approach considering the interplay of faith and deeds. Ultimately, authentic adherence remains a deeply personal journey rooted in the transformative power of aligning one's life with the teachings of Christ.
13.08.2023 LISTEN

The Peoples Democratic League (PDL) has been following with grave concern the internal political crisis in the Republic of Niger, since the ouster of President Mahamed Bazoum, on 26th July, 2023. Like Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger is now governed by the military headed by General Abdourahamane Tchiani.

We note that the governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are currently fighting to rid their countries of gangs of ferocious terrorist outfits that are hell-bent on spreading their trademark in the Sahel region. The activities of these terrorist groups posed serious threat to peace, security and political stability across the West African sub-region. We are concern that the people of the Sahel region are facing a humanitarian crisis that has been ignored by the international community.

The Peoples Democratic League reiterates categorical condemnation of coup detats in whatever form or manifestation, either self-coups or military coups or state-sponsored coups. And much as we advocate against war, violence and political assassinations in Africa, we condemn all acts of violence perpetrated by the Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria.

We commend the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for reiterating its position on peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and freedom among members-states. However, we reject ECOWAS temptation of military intervention to change regime in neighbouring Republic of Niger. In our opinion, military intervention to reinstate former President Mohamed Bazoum, other than dialogue and negotiated settlement is not a solution to the crisis in that country.

We understand the challenging conditions in the Republic of Niger, which have quickly deteriorated since the spilled over of terrorist groups from Libya to the Sahel region, following the assassination of Colonel Muammar Al-Qathafi in 2011. Even before the ousting of Mohamed Bazoum, the situation on the ground was one of wholesale poverty, sporadic attacks from terrorist outfits, insecurity of lives and property. More than half of the country is facing severe food insecurity and limited access to clean water; cholera has rapidly re-emerged; and fuel, which is critical to basic life, including water purification and electronic communication is in shortage.

Compounding these issues, the decision by Nigeria to cut-off electricity supply and ECOWAS sanctions have added more salt to injury, and are particularly affecting the entire population of Niger. Thanks to the Government of Algeria, which has decided to supply free electricity to the West African nation to help ease the current humanitarian crisis.

We encourage the international community to listen to the Nigerien civil society; respect the fundamental rights of the Nigerien people to better living conditions. We are deeply worried that any use of force now will only end sentencing the Nigerien population to hell. Obviously we all want the return of constitutional order to the Republic of Niger, but ECOWAS cant achieve this goal by military intervention.

The international community should support peaceful dialogue and negotiated settle to the current crisis in the Republic of Niger; addressing the security situation, supporting peace building and economic stability by listening to all voices of Nigeriens.

Peaceful ends must be achieved through peaceful means. We strongly urge ECOWAS to abandon any possible use of force to change regime in Niamey. Any intervention using force to reinstate the ousted President in Niger will only perpetuate and strengthen the activities of terrorist outfits in the Sahel region. That is the truth.

We urge the media to discharge the highest principle in a bid to enable a peaceful resolution to the current crisis in Niger. Pursuing the path of war will deepen the war scars, inflicting further loss of lives, humanitarian crisis and economic devastations that would have dire consequences for the entire West African region. The media and particularly journalists, should refrain from disseminating any information that incites conflict, hate speech and contents that degrade the African humanity.

War is anti-life, anti-democracy and anti-development; its kills, maims, destroys, displaces and sows lasting grievances and hatred among people. Once a war is triggered, no one knows when and where it ends, as its currently happening in the case of Libya. We do not support any pressure from anywhere, to force ECOWAS military intervention in the Republic of Niger. It would be a mistake and we urge ECOWAS to continue dialogue with the military in Niamey. This is the message we are taking to the international community.

War unleashes blood!

Dialogue accompanies the processes of transition to democracy and democratic good governance!!

Sender:

(Chief) Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh

Founder and National Leader

The Peoples Democratic League (PDL)
13.08.2023 LISTEN

Dr. Naomi Ruth Barber King, a distinguished civil right leader, matriarch of the Kings family and emeritus Chair of AD King Foundation, Atlanta, United States of America (USA) has issued a heartfelt call to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to prioritize peaceful strategies in addressing the persistent issues of insurrections, coups, poverty, and underdevelopment within the former French colonies across Africa.

Dr. King emphasizes the significance of both immediate and long-term solutions to address the historical and multifaceted challenges that have plagued these nations for generations.

In a signed statement by Prof. Babs Onabanjo, the President/CEO of the Foundation, Dr. King draws attention to the awakening of these colonies to the enduring repercussions of the French treaties that have been instrumental in shaping their perceived sovereignty. She underscores that the time has arrived for a paradigm shift and a renewed commitment to the welfare of the people. As she quotes the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "When individuals stand up for righteousness and are prepared to make sacrifices, victory becomes an inevitable outcome."

Highlighting recent events, Dr. King points out the distressing occurrences of military coups in six African countries over the past three years, namely Burkina Faso (2022), Chad (2021), Guinea (2021), Mali (2020), Niger (2023), and Sudan (2021). These events, she contends, illustrate a resounding demand for change, signaling a collective aspiration to reclaim control over Africa's abundant natural resources and counter the historical exploitation of its people.

Dr. King advocates a transformative approach that involves the equitable management of resources and trade at fair market prices. Instead of pursuing a militaristic strategy, she proposes the formation of strategic alliances that uphold the values, worth, and sovereignty of African nations. Central to her message is the importance of meticulous planning, cohesive messaging, and a resolute determination to steer African nations towards a prosperous and self-determined future.

As Dr. King eloquently underscores, the challenges faced by these former French colonies require an innovative and holistic approach that transcends conventional methods. By embracing the principles of nonviolence and harnessing the power of mutual cooperation, ECOWAS has a unique opportunity to guide these nations towards enduring peace and sustainable development.

Signed:

Prof. Babs Onabanjo

President/CEO

AD King Foundation

Atlanta, Georgia

United States
13.08.2023 LISTEN

In the late hours of Wednesday, July 26; presidential guards led by a general in Niger Republic announced a successful coup on national television, taking-over the government from Nigerienne President, Mohamed Bazoum.

They effectively suspended all the institutions set up by the constitution and closing the nation's borders just after putting president Bazoum under house arrest.

The news of a coup in the Niger Republic spread rapidly across the shores of several African countries and its media. In some reports, citizens of Niger celebrated the coup and raised the Russian flag, making the coup perceived as a revolt against French imperialism and neo-colonialism.

Coming after similar events took place in Mali and Burkina Faso by their military junta respectively, several renowned organisations like the United Nations and ECOWAS have expressed their concerns over the military actions in the country.

The continued ousting of President Bazoum has raised further concerns by the West due to the readiness of his government to protect their interests. Long before now, the French country has kept a cordial relationship with the Republic of Niger by giving the necessary support, most importantly in the fight against the Jihadist ravaging the country.

But the strong relationship is perceived by the Nigeriens as exploitation and a continued control of the French country over their economic system.

Frances Supposed Strong Ties with Niger

Before the latest incident, the bilateral relationship between both countries has seen France deploy aids in various forms to help the country develop. In the aftermath of the Mali government suspending the French troops in their country, France relocated their base to Niger building a strong military presence in the country and boosting the security architecture.

FranceNiger relations are based on a long shared history after Niger gained independence from France in 1960.

However, the history of French-influenced culture and language have been a point of commonality in the creation of a distinctive Nigerien culture from the diverse pre-colonial nationalities which make up modern Niger.

France-Nigerien relations continue to be close, the former being Niger's top export partner (in value), and the French government being almost entirely dependent upon Niger for the Uranium which fuels its extensive Nuclear Power system, mined in the northern town of Arlit.

France benefited economically from their time as a colonial power and still relies on imports from Niger for elements of their economy.

Despite the supposed strong ties with Niger, the military junta accused the French country of exploitation most especially the exploitation of Uranium to boost their electricity on their soil and leaving them without substantial power investment.

Amidst the ongoing political crisis and a conflict of interest between both countries, the junta supporters set the France embassy ablaze as the coup marched on through the streets of the capital, Niamey, waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.

It is evident that the coup is accompanied by the support of the masses against French policy and this has exposed the West I.e both the US and France atrocities in the Sahel region to the World.

The West Exposed?

The West is witnessing a revolt in several African countries most notably in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, following allegations of exploitation and repression. These African countries have suspended all activities relating to their colonial masters.

In a famous statement by the Burkina Faso President at the Russia-Africa summit, Ibrahim Traore said A slave that does not rebel does not deserve pity. The African Union (AU) must stop condemning Africans who decide to fight against their puppet regimes of the West."

This statement has further revealed the ongoing revolution against the West sabotaging the resources of the African continent. The main reason for the revolution is as a result of the continued West sabotaging African development by boycotting African oil and gas with other natural mineral resources and also placing a huge debt burden on several African countries.

Recent trends of military intervention in African countries symbolise an attack on the Western colonialism pervading the continent.

A key example of the fight against Western imperialism is seen with Colonel Assimi Goita, the current military leader of Mali.

Upon assuming office in two years, he expelled the French army, broke colonial ties with France, and banned French as an official language. With these actions, the West feared that Niger may follow suit in doing the same which may end the relationship between Niger and France.

Russia's Romance With Africa

The East I.e Russia is taking advantage of the several falls in the relationship between the West and some African countries, making the continent a ground for Cold War between the power countries.

The Russia-Africa summit which was held last Friday is a testament to the efforts of the East in trying to consolidate their new found relationship with Africa. President Vladmir Putin of Russia is playing a key role in extending its relationship by iterating his pledge that Russia will maintain steady supplies of grain and other agricultural products to the continent after its withdrawal from a deal allowing grain shipments from Ukraine.

This is after Moscows withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative has fueled concerns of a global food crisis.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) was negotiated in July 2022 between Turkey, the United Nations (UN) and Russia as a way of ensuring that Ukraine, one of the breadbaskets of the world, could ensure that its grain could leave its southern ports via the Bosphorus.

The initiative, allows for commercial food and fertiliser (including ammonia) exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea  Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi (formerly known as Yuzhny).

Meanwhile, Putin declared at the summits opening on Thursday that Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and Central African Republic each will receive 25,000 to 50,000 tons of Russian grain in the next three to four months. This is to further their relationship with Africa.

In return, the military leader in Mali has given a green light for the operations of the Wagner group in the country after suspending the troops from France and United Nations.

The paradigm shift in the relationship with Africa from the West to the East is a consequence of the continued ignorance of the West towards the development and growth process of Africa Continent.

The Niger Coup has further received the backing of Russia and the Wagner group which was revealed in a statement spread across social media channels just after the coup was plotted.

The statement reads This is a moment of long-overdue liberation from Western colonisers and made what looked like a pitch for his fighters to help keep order.

"What happened in Niger is nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonisers. With colonists who are trying to foist their rules of life on them and their conditions and keep them in the state that Africa was in hundreds of years ago," said the message, posted on Thursday evening.

A Critical Time For ECOWAS And African Union

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have expressed their concerns and sent a clear warning to the military junta in Niger calling for the restoration of democracy in the country and the unconditional release of the detained President Bazoum.

Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, the commission has declared that they "rejects coup and interruption to constitutional order in the Republic of Niger." The regional bloc has agreed to impose a series of sanctions ranging from financial and economic sanctions to the closure of all borders relating to the country.

The regional bloc further emphasised that the military junta in Niger must cede power in a week and immediately release and reinstate the country's elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, or the ECOWAS will take all necessary measures to restore constitutional order in Niger, including the use of force.

Also in a separate statement, the African Union call for the immediate and unconditional return of the military to their barracks in Niger within 15 days and also demands the immediate and unconditional release of President Mohamed Bazoum.

Meanwhile, the organisation warns that the Council will take all necessary measures, including punitive sanctions, against the country if they refuse to comply with the demands.

The two separate statements from the organizations guiding the affairs of West Africa and Africa respectively expressed total displeasure with the Niger Coup and seek for a resolution to restore the legitimate government in the country.

With the backing of the Wagner group received by the Niger coup plotters and the new found alliance with other countries under the military regime such as Mail, Burkina Faso and Sudan, there seems to be a perceived war that might arise from the shores of the West Africa countries.

All African leaders must maintain a diplomatic resolution while imposing the sanctions to see to the restoration of democracy in the country. The use of force will further escalate the tension and the two superpower blocs might just take advantage and use Africa as a battleground to fight and protect their interests.

Counters from Mali and Burkina Faso

To counter the regional blocs sanctions, countries like Mali and Burkina Faso have released a joint statement issuing a stern warning to ECOWAS against using military intervention and further sanctions on the Republic of Niger. They both noted that they are ready to assist and support the government of Niger against any interference.

The two governments revealed that they have requested the needed technical support from Russia in order to support their fellow country and as such the ECOWAS should respect Niger's sovereignty.

Meanwhile, the leader of Guinea Conakry has released a similar statement taking sides with the Republic of Niger.

This statement coming from the Sahel region is perceived to be a collective effort in the fight against Western imperialism.

With the strong statement against ECOWAS, it is important that the commission resort to dialogue and not engage in a tussle that will cause more damage to the region and neighbouring countries. The decision of ECOWAS should be pending until all diplomatic means are exhausted.
Resigned Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has issued a stern warning to multimedia group, threatening to sue them for false and misleading reportage regarding her bank account balances.

Dapaahs legal team, in a letter addressed to the Multimedia Group, expressed their deep concern over the dissemination of untrue information concerning their client.

The letter, dated August 11, 2023, was shared with the media as evidence of the lawyers intent to combat what they perceive as erroneous coverage.

According to the legal representatives, on August 8, 2023, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) filed an application in the High Court, Financial Division, seeking the confirmation of a freezing order on Cecilia Dapaahs bank accounts.

However, the application failed to disclose specific monetary amounts associated with these accounts.

Despite this lack of specific information, JoyNews reportedly published stories with sensational headlines and claims that were attributed to anonymous, unidentified, and unverified sources.

Dapaahs lawyers argue that the news outlet continued its reportage based on these unreliable sources, including figures regarding the sums allegedly discovered in her bank accounts. These figures, such as $5 million and GHS48 million, were unsubstantiated and contradicted by subsequent clarifications from the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

In the letter, Dapaahs legal team cited the OSPs verified social media handle, which debunked the claims of revealing specific amounts of money in their clients accounts. Despite this correction, the media outlet allegedly persisted in perpetuating the false narrative.

Dapaahs lawyers contend that this type of coverage violates the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence to which she is entitled.

They emphasized the damage caused by these false reports to their clients reputation and demanded an immediate retraction and apology within three days. Furthermore, they urged the media outlet to utilize the same means and coverage with which the false information was disseminated to make the retractions and apologies.

Failure to meet these demands within the specified timeframe will result in legal action from Dapaah against the media outlet to address the harm caused by the inaccurate reporting.

DGN online
Mather Group LLC. raised its position in shares of Chevron Co. (NYSE:CVX  Free Report) by 32.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,420 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 5,209 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC.s holdings in Chevron were worth $3,495,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of CVX. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Chevron by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 32,906,060 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $5,906,309,000 after buying an additional 3,711,923 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Chevron by 104,997.3% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 24,490,824 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $4,395,858,000 after buying an additional 24,467,521 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Chevron during the 4th quarter worth about $3,058,235,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Chevron by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 14,697,160 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $2,393,138,000 after buying an additional 189,762 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Chevron by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 14,164,343 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $2,542,358,000 after purchasing an additional 354,084 shares in the last quarter. 69.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Chevron Stock Performance

Shares of CVX opened at $164.15 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.43. The company has a market capitalization of $306.51 billion, a PE ratio of 10.41, a PEG ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.17. Chevron Co. has a 52 week low of $140.46 and a 52 week high of $189.68. The companys 50 day moving average price is $157.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $161.47.

Chevron Dividend Announcement

Chevron ( NYSE:CVX Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The oil and gas company reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.95 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $48.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48 billion. Chevron had a net margin of 13.54% and a return on equity of 19.48%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 28.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $5.82 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Chevron Co. will post 13.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 18th will be given a $1.51 dividend. This represents a $6.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.68%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 17th. Chevrons dividend payout ratio is 38.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Chevron news, VP Jeff B. Gustavson sold 3,750 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.88, for a total value of $603,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,718 shares of the companys stock, valued at $276,391.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on CVX. Piper Sandler dropped their target price on shares of Chevron from $196.00 to $188.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Chevron from $202.00 to $205.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Chevron from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $161.00 to $170.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 31st. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Chevron from $212.00 to $208.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Chevron in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $190.17.

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Chevron Company Profile

(Free Report)

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the integrated energy and chemicals operations in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment is involved in the exploration, development, production, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas; liquefaction, transportation, and regasification associated with liquefied natural gas; transportation of crude oil through pipelines; and processing, transportation, storage, and marketing of natural gas, as well as a gas-to-liquids plant.

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Representatives of Sunrise Material of Singapore and Dai Phong Infrastructure Development JSC at the signing ceremony for launching a project in Nam Dinh Province, Aug. 11, 2023. Photo by VNA

Sunrise Material of Singapore signed an agreement with a Vietnamese company this week to develop a polymer wrap film production project worth US$100 million in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

The deal was signed Friday with the Dai Phong Infrastructure Development JSC.

The project will cover 4 ha at the My Thuan Industrial Park. Its construction will be carried out in five years, starting in 2024. The factory is expected to manufacture the first products after 15 months, according to an executive of Sunrise Material.

Chairman of the Nam Dinh Peoples Committee Pham Dinh Nghi said this is a big project demonstrating the provinces success in investment attraction, especially in high technology and environmentally friendly sectors.

Nam Dinh pledges the best possible conditions to help the businesses address any obstacles to the construction and operation of the project, he added.

Founded in 2004, Sunrise Material is specialized in researching, producing, and supplying hi-tech polymer wrap film, especially for food packaging. Its production is sold in over 60 countries around the world.
SLANG Worldwide Inc. (OTCMKTS:SLGWF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 60,700 shares, an increase of 310.1% from the July 15th total of 14,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 38,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days.

SLANG Worldwide Stock Performance

OTCMKTS SLGWF remained flat at $0.03 during trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 16,509 shares, compared to its average volume of 50,463. SLANG Worldwide has a 12-month low of $0.01 and a 12-month high of $0.09. The firms fifty day moving average price is $0.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $0.03.

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SLANG Worldwide Company Profile

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SLANG Worldwide Inc operates as a cannabis consumer packaged goods company in Canada and the United States. The company serves its customers under O.pen, Alchemy Naturals, Ceres, Firefly brand name. The company was formerly known as Fire Cannabis Inc and changed its name to SLANG Worldwide Inc in November 2018.

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First Republic Bank (OTCMKTS:FRCB  Get Free Report) and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE:MUFG  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares First Republic Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets First Republic Bank 20.45% 11.26% 0.72% Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group 16.02% 5.59% 0.26%

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares First Republic Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Groups revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio First Republic Bank $6.75 billion 0.01 $1.67 billion 7.48 0.04 Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group $5,766.08 billion 0.02 $8.26 billion $0.95 8.17

Volatility & Risk

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has higher revenue and earnings than First Republic Bank. First Republic Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

First Republic Bank has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its share price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has a beta of 0.69, meaning that its share price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

59.1% of First Republic Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 1.8% of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.7% of First Republic Bank shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.0% of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

First Republic Bank pays an annual dividend of 1.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 348.4%. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. First Republic Bank pays out 14.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group pays out 17.9% 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. First Republic Bank is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for First Republic Bank and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score First Republic Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group 0 0 1 1 3.50

Summary

First Republic Bank beats Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

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First Republic Bank provides private banking, private business banking, and private wealth management services to clients in metropolitan areas in the United States. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

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Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for MUFG Bank, Ltd. that provides various financial services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Digital Service Business Group; Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group; Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group; Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Global Commercial Banking Business Group; and Global Markets Business Group segments. The company offers commercial banking, trust banking, and securities products and services to retail, and small and medium-sized enterprise customers. It also provides M&As and real estate-related services; digital-based financial services; credit cards; and trust banking and securities products and services, as well as engages in the lending, fund settlement, and foreign exchange businesses. In addition, it offers corporate, investment, and transaction banking services for large corporate and financial institutions; asset management and administration services for corporations and pension funds; loans, deposits, fund transfers, and investments services for retail, small and medium-sized enterprise, as well as corporate customers; fixed income instruments, currencies, equities, and other investment products; originates and distributes of financial products; and provides treasury services. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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BNP Paribas SA (OTCMKTS:BNPQY  Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 59,000 shares, a decline of 43.3% from the July 15th total of 104,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 187,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

BNP Paribas Stock Performance

Shares of BNPQY stock traded down $0.30 during trading on Friday, reaching $32.59. 102,705 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 260,911. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.49. The firms fifty day moving average price is $31.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.71. BNP Paribas has a twelve month low of $20.19 and a twelve month high of $35.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.45 billion, a PE ratio of 7.31, a PEG ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 1.48.

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BNP Paribas (OTCMKTS:BNPQY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The financial services provider reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $12.85 billion for the quarter. BNP Paribas had a return on equity of 8.85% and a net margin of 22.69%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that BNP Paribas will post 5.37 EPS for the current year.

BNP Paribas Company Profile

BNP Paribas SA provides various banking and financial products and services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through three divisions: Corporate & Institutional Banking; Commercial, Personal Banking & Services; and Investment & Protection Services.

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Boston Partners reduced its position in Envista Holdings Co. (NYSE:NVST  Free Report) by 64.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,502,900 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,510,123 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners owned approximately 1.53% of Envista worth $102,301,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in shares of Envista by 225.8% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 834 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 578 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Envista in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Envista by 705.4% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,047 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 917 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Envista by 35.0% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,273 shares of the companys stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 330 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Envista by 32.7% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,481 shares of the companys stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 612 shares in the last quarter.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on NVST. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Envista from $47.00 to $45.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 11th. TheStreet downgraded shares of Envista from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $45.50.

Envista Price Performance

Envista stock opened at $33.38 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.14, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.41. The firms fifty day moving average is $33.88 and its 200 day moving average is $36.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Envista Holdings Co. has a 52-week low of $31.20 and a 52-week high of $43.29.

Envista (NYSE:NVST  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $662.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $655.81 million. Envista had a net margin of 8.40% and a return on equity of 7.60%. Envistas revenue was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.48 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Envista Holdings Co. will post 1.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Envista

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Envista Holdings Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells dental products in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Specialty Products & Technologies, and Equipment & Consumables. The Specialty Products & Technologies segment offers dental implant systems, guided surgery systems, biomaterials, and prefabricated and custom-built prosthetics to oral surgeons, prosthodontists, and periodontists; and brackets and wires, tubes and bands, archwires, clear aligners, digital orthodontic treatments, retainers, and other orthodontic laboratory products.

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Shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE:BIP  Get Free Report) (TSE:BIP.UN) have earned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the six research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $42.83.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on BIP shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from $41.00 to $37.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from $47.00 to $45.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 4th. TD Securities raised their target price on Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, August 4th. StockNews.com raised Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, National Bankshares raised their target price on Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, May 5th.

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Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Price Performance

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Announces Dividend

NYSE:BIP opened at $33.31 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $35.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.83. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners has a 1-year low of $30.03 and a 1-year high of $43.62. The firm has a market cap of $15.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 100.94 and a beta of 0.86.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.382 per share. This represents a $1.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 30th. Brookfield Infrastructure Partnerss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 463.64%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BIP. Barclays PLC increased its position in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 48.4% during the 1st quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 426,075 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $14,387,000 after purchasing an additional 138,924 shares in the last quarter. Hudock Inc. purchased a new stake in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners during the 1st quarter worth about $210,000. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp increased its position in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 66.9% during the 4th quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 2,784,382 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $86,249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,116,123 shares in the last quarter. Paragon Capital Management Ltd purchased a new stake in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners during the 1st quarter worth about $1,386,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 14,431,368 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $447,228,000 after purchasing an additional 129,066 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.41% of the companys stock.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Company Profile

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Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, midstream, and data businesses in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's Utilities segment operates approximately 60,000 kilometers (km) of operational electricity transmission and distribution lines; 2,900 km of electricity transmission lines; 4,200 km of natural gas pipelines; 7.8 million electricity and natural gas connections; and 540,000 long-term contracted sub-metering services.

Further Reading

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China Feihe Limited (OTCMKTS:CFEIY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 50.0% from the July 15th total of 200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days.

China Feihe Stock Performance

Shares of CFEIY remained flat at $6.37 during midday trading on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $5.70 and a 200-day moving average of $7.29. China Feihe has a 52-week low of $5.35 and a 52-week high of $10.27.

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China Feihe Limited, an investment holding company, produces and sells infant milk formula products in Mainland China and the United States. The company provides a range of raw milk, adult milk powders, liquid milk products, and health care products, as well as soybean powder and goat milk powder. It is also involved in the retail of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutritional supplements.

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China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CRPJY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 50.0% from the July 15th total of 200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.0 days.

China Resources Power Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS CRPJY remained flat at $34.13 during trading on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $33.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.90. China Resources Power has a 52-week low of $22.46 and a 52-week high of $34.13.

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China Resources Power Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 14th were paid a dividend of $0.6701 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 13th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.99%. This is a positive change from China Resources Powers previous dividend of $0.35.

About China Resources Power

China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited, an investment holding company, invests in, develops, operates, and manages power plants and coal mines in the People's Republic of China. The company operates in two segments, Thermal Power and Renewable Energy. It operates and manages coal- and gas-fired power plants, wind farms, photovoltaic power plants, hydro-electric power plants, and other clean and renewable energy projects.

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Corebridge Financial (NYSE:CRBG  Get Free Report) is one of 42 public companies in the Life insurance industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Corebridge Financial to related companies based on the strength of its dividends, valuation, earnings, profitability, risk, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Corebridge Financial and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Corebridge Financial 9.99% 21.70% 0.62% Corebridge Financial Competitors -782.08% -41.01% -8.82%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Corebridge Financial and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Corebridge Financial 0 4 9 0 2.69 Corebridge Financial Competitors 308 1842 1789 64 2.40

Institutional and Insider Ownership

Corebridge Financial currently has a consensus target price of $23.75, suggesting a potential upside of 29.64%. As a group, Life insurance companies have a potential upside of 202.11%. Given Corebridge Financials rivals higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Corebridge Financial has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

22.6% of Corebridge Financial shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 51.0% of shares of all Life insurance companies are held by institutional investors. 0.1% of Corebridge Financial shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 14.0% of shares of all Life insurance companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Corebridge Financial and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Corebridge Financial $18.02 billion $8.15 billion 5.65 Corebridge Financial Competitors $22.12 billion $1.34 billion 20.11

Corebridge Financials rivals have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Corebridge Financial. Corebridge Financial 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.

Dividends

Corebridge Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.0%. Corebridge Financial pays out 28.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Life insurance companies pay a dividend yield of 1.7% and pay out 25.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

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Corebridge Financial, Inc. provides retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States. It operates through Individual Retirement, Group Retirement, Life Insurance, and Institutional Markets segments. The Individual Retirement segment provides fixed annuities, fixed index annuities, variable annuities and retail mutual funds. The Group Retirement segment offers record-keeping services, plan administration and compliance services, and financial planning and advisory solutions to employer-defined contribution plans and their participants, as well as proprietary and non-proprietary annuities, advisory services, and brokerage products. The Life Insurance segment offers term life and universal life insurance in the United States, as well as issues individual life, whole life, and group life insurance in the United Kingdom; and distributes medical insurance in Ireland. The Institutional Markets segment provides stable value wraps, structured settlement and pension risk transfer annuities, corporate and bank owned life insurance, private placement variable universal life and annuities products, and guaranteed investment contracts. The company was formerly known as SAFG Retirement Services, Inc. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Corebridge Financial, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of American International Group, Inc.

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Covington Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Free Report) by 1.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 44,649 shares of the retailers stock after purchasing an additional 760 shares during the quarter. Walmart accounts for about 1.5% of Covington Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Covington Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in Walmart were worth $6,583,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Wealth Architects LLC increased its position in Walmart by 3.3% during the first quarter. Wealth Architects LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the retailers stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Bluesphere Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Bluesphere Advisors LLC now owns 2,003 shares of the retailers stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. Glassman Wealth Services increased its holdings in Walmart by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 4,477 shares of the retailers stock valued at $660,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the period. Avalon Investment & Advisory increased its holdings in Walmart by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Avalon Investment & Advisory now owns 2,070 shares of the retailers stock valued at $294,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Walmart by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 6,515 shares of the retailers stock valued at $381,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. 31.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Walmart Stock Performance

NYSE WMT traded up $0.94 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $161.20. 4,731,734 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,408,969. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $128.07 and a 1 year high of $162.10. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $156.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $149.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $434.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.74, a P/E/G ratio of 4.68 and a beta of 0.50.

Insider Activity

Walmart ( NYSE:WMT Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 18th. The retailer reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.15. Walmart had a net margin of 1.82% and a return on equity of 21.30%. The firm had revenue of $152.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $147.91 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Walmart Inc. will post 6.23 earnings per share for the current year.

In other Walmart news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 4,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.74, for a total transaction of $626,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,975 shares in the company, valued at $6,265,681.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Walmart news, SVP David Chojnowski sold 4,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $156.74, for a total transaction of $626,960.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 39,975 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,265,681.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP John D. Rainey sold 1,000 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.48, for a total transaction of $159,480.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 170,735 shares in the company, valued at $27,228,817.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,219,373 shares of company stock worth $1,422,922,576. 46.51% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on WMT. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Walmart in a report on Monday, June 12th. They issued an outperform rating and a $186.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Walmart from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Walmart from $175.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Gordon Haskett raised shares of Walmart from an accumulate rating to a buy rating and increased their target price for the stock from $155.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of Walmart from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $171.39.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Walmart

Walmart Profile

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Walmart Inc engages in the operation of retail, wholesale, and other units worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. It operates supercenters, supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, cash and carry stores, and discount stores under Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands; membership-only warehouse clubs; ecommerce websites, such as walmart.com, walmart.com.mx, walmart.ca, flipkart.com, and samsclub.com; and mobile commerce applications.

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Decibel Cannabis Company Inc. (OTCMKTS:DBCCF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a decline of 99.1% from the July 15th total of 23,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 51,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Decibel Cannabis Price Performance

DBCCF stock remained flat at $0.10 during mid-day trading on Friday. 18,000 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 34,654. Decibel Cannabis has a fifty-two week low of $0.05 and a fifty-two week high of $0.14. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $0.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $0.10.

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Decibel Cannabis Company Profile

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Further Reading

Decibel Cannabis Company Inc, an integrated cannabis company, engages in the cannabis cultivation, processing, and sale of cannabis flower products in Canada. It is also involved in the extraction, processing, and manufacturing vape cartridges and glass tube packaging for pre-rolls. In addition, the company engages in the cannabis retail business through operating operational retail locations in Saskatchewan, as well as an e-commerce cannabis platform throughout the Province of Saskatchewan; and operational retail locations in Alberta.

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Cancer patients are guided to do physical exercise at Tu Du Hospital in HCMC, December 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Hai Ha

As health insurance does not cover expensive medication for cancer treatment such as immunotherapy, many patients have opted for traditional methods.

At 60, Khanh in Hanoi has lung cancer and used to follow the immunotherapy method for treatment.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, immunotherapy is a treatment that works with your body's immune system to help it fight cancer cells or to control side effects from other cancer treatments.

The treatment plan designed for Khanh requests him to receive two bottles of medication worth over VND60 million (US$2,519) every three weeks for around two years or more, depending on how his body reacts.

He followed the plan for three months, but then his budget was exhausted, leaving him no choice but to give up, though he was aware the method was good for him.

"Doctors advised me that immunotherapy is my best choice, but the drug is too expensive for me," he said, added that he had now switched to other methods and accepted the risks.

Lan in Bac Ninh Province, which borders Hanoi, turned down the option immediately when doctors suggested treating her liver cancer by immunotherapy as there is no way for her to cover the costs.

Now Lan is seeking treatment at a provincial hospital and only hopes to live for several more months.

Doctors in Vietnam started treating cancer by immunotherapy around five years ago and until now, immunotherapy medications have yet to be included in the list of drugs covered by health insurance.

Pham Thi Tuyet Nhung, a doctor at 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi, said when receiving a cancer patient, doctors will present treatment plans that comprise immunotherapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, and palliative care.

In recent years, immunotherapy and targeted therapy have emerged as advanced options for cancer treatment, especially for patients at early stages.

As chemotherapy has been proven to have limited effects and strong side effects, most chemicals used for this method have been covered by insurance. Patients are left on their own when it comes to immunotherapy and targeted therapy, said Nhung.

She added that only 10% of cancer patients in Vietnam could afford the new methods.

"Many of my patients have had to sell away their land and homes to get access to the advanced treatment but they had to stop halfway," Nhung said.

The doctor said that in those cases she felt deeply regretful for the patients but there was nothing she could do aside from changing treatment plans for them.
Edgemoor Investment Advisors Inc. lowered its stake in shares of iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (NYSEARCA:IVV  Free Report) by 44.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,079 shares of the companys stock after selling 853 shares during the quarter. Edgemoor Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF were worth $444,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Alaska Permanent Capital Management grew its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Alaska Permanent Capital Management now owns 139,307 shares of the companys stock worth $57,266,000 after acquiring an additional 5,129 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 53.9% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 39,498 shares of the companys stock worth $16,237,000 after acquiring an additional 13,829 shares during the last quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 21.9% during the 1st quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 18,002 shares of the companys stock worth $7,399,000 after acquiring an additional 3,232 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 289.8% during the 1st quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 8,092 shares of the companys stock worth $3,353,000 after acquiring an additional 6,016 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Essential Planning LLC. grew its holdings in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Essential Planning LLC. now owns 10,529 shares of the companys stock worth $4,328,000 after acquiring an additional 395 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSEARCA:IVV traded down $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $448.04. 3,757,839 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,103,979. 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 of $445.48 and a 200 day moving average of $421.61. The stock has a market cap of $346.63 billion, a PE 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.

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Formidable Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 2.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,546 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 125 shares during the quarter. Formidable Asset Management LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,577,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 82,966 shares of the companys stock worth $28,449,000 after buying an additional 3,768 shares during the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 28.1% during the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 3,093 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,132,000 after purchasing an additional 679 shares during the last quarter. Cannell & Co. grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Cannell & Co. now owns 2,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $732,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN grew its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 44.2% during the 1st quarter. Patten & Patten Inc. TN now owns 17,177 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,899,000 after purchasing an additional 5,266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd purchased a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter valued at about $859,000. 87.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on LLY. SVB Securities boosted their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $410.00 to $458.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. HSBC began coverage on Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, July 14th. They set a buy rating and a $560.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $490.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $490.00 to $580.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $517.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $528.13, for a total transaction of $1,584,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 100,696,849 shares of the companys stock, valued at $53,181,026,862.37. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,602,163.62. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 3,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $528.13, for a total value of $1,584,390.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 100,696,849 shares of the companys stock, valued at $53,181,026,862.37. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 755,017 shares of company stock valued at $357,815,036 over the last quarter. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 1.3 %

LLY stock traded up $6.94 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $528.28. 2,524,300 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,067,187. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $458.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $398.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. The stock has a market capitalization of $501.49 billion, a PE ratio of 73.47, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.35. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $296.32 and a 1-year high of $538.00.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $8.31 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.58 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 65.00% and a net margin of 22.01%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 28.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.25 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 9.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.87%.

About Eli Lilly and Company

(Free Report)

Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes.

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Galp Energia, SGPS, S.A. (OTCMKTS:GLPEY  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 41,700 shares, a decline of 26.5% from the July 15th total of 56,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 71,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, BNP Paribas raised Galp Energia, SGPS from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a report on Monday, July 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Galp Energia, SGPS presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $12.97.

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View Our Latest Stock Analysis on GLPEY

Galp Energia, SGPS Stock Performance

About Galp Energia, SGPS

Shares of GLPEY traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $6.70. 24,157 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 35,087. Galp Energia, SGPS has a 12 month low of $4.36 and a 12 month high of $7.00. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $6.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.75.

(Get Free Report)

Galp Energia, SGPS, SA operates as an integrated energy operator in Portugal and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Upstream, Industrial & Midstream, Commercial, and Renewables and New Business. The Upstream segment engages in the exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbons primarily in Brazil, Mozambique, and Angola.

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Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE:MUFG  Get Free Report) and First Republic Bank (OTCMKTS:FRCB  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends and valuation.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and First Republic Bank, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group 0 0 1 1 3.50 First Republic Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A

Dividends

Risk and Volatility

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. First Republic Bank pays an annual dividend of 1.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 348.4%. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group pays out 17.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Republic Bank pays out 14.4% 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. First Republic Bank is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has a beta of 0.69, meaning that its stock price is 31% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Republic Bank has a beta of 1.29, meaning that its stock price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and First Republic Banks net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group 16.02% 5.59% 0.26% First Republic Bank 20.45% 11.26% 0.72%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

1.8% of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 59.1% of First Republic Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.0% of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of First Republic Bank shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and First Republic Banks revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group $5,766.08 billion 0.02 $8.26 billion $0.95 8.17 First Republic Bank $6.75 billion 0.01 $1.67 billion 7.48 0.04

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has higher revenue and earnings than First Republic Bank. First Republic Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

First Republic Bank beats Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group on 9 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group

(Get Free Report)

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for MUFG Bank, Ltd. that provides various financial services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Digital Service Business Group; Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group; Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group; Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Global Commercial Banking Business Group; and Global Markets Business Group segments. The company offers commercial banking, trust banking, and securities products and services to retail, and small and medium-sized enterprise customers. It also provides M&As and real estate-related services; digital-based financial services; credit cards; and trust banking and securities products and services, as well as engages in the lending, fund settlement, and foreign exchange businesses. In addition, it offers corporate, investment, and transaction banking services for large corporate and financial institutions; asset management and administration services for corporations and pension funds; loans, deposits, fund transfers, and investments services for retail, small and medium-sized enterprise, as well as corporate customers; fixed income instruments, currencies, equities, and other investment products; originates and distributes of financial products; and provides treasury services. The company was founded in 1880 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

About First Republic Bank

(Get Free Report)

First Republic Bank provides private banking, private business banking, and private wealth management services to clients in metropolitan areas in the United States. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

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Hilltop Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSEARCA:EWG  Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 358,043 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $10,190,000. iShares MSCI Germany ETF accounts for about 4.6% of Hilltop Partners LLCs holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Hilltop Partners LLC owned 0.59% of iShares MSCI Germany ETF as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,702,041 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $171,778,000 after buying an additional 1,052,112 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 304.9% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 5,444,426 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $134,641,000 after buying an additional 4,099,796 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 13.7% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,411,669 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $40,176,000 after buying an additional 170,287 shares during the period. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 11,623,966.7% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 1,046,166 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $29,774,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046,157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 1,178.6% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 934,109 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $21,494,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020,709 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI Germany ETF Stock Down 0.9 %

EWG traded down $0.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $28.11. The company had a trading volume of 2,465,630 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,403,502. The business has a 50-day moving average of $28.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.37. iShares MSCI Germany ETF has a 1 year low of $19.35 and a 1 year high of $29.56. The company has a market cap of $1.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.82 and a beta of 1.07.

About iShares MSCI Germany ETF

iShares MSCI Germany ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the German market, as measured by the MSCI Germany Index (the Index).

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Hilltop Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWJ  Free Report) by 95.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,542 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 171,147 shares during the period. Hilltop Partners LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI Japan ETF were worth $501,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of EWJ. Valence8 US LP increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 62.9% in the 1st quarter. Valence8 US LP now owns 227,599 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $13,358,000 after buying an additional 87,906 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 10.7% in the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 11,594 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $680,000 after buying an additional 1,120 shares during the period. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 270.1% in the 1st quarter. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 581 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 424 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 377.7% in the 1st quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,656 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Japan ETF by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 115,114 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $6,756,000 after buying an additional 577 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI Japan ETF Price Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA EWJ traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $61.37. The stock had a trading volume of 5,682,845 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,118,093. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $62.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $59.65. The firm has a market cap of $13.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.76 and a beta of 0.68. iShares MSCI Japan ETF has a fifty-two week low of $47.64 and a fifty-two week high of $64.11.

About iShares MSCI Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (the fund), formerly Ishares Msci Japan Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the Japanese market, as measured by the MSCI Japan Index (the Index).

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MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund (NYSE:MMD  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 32,200 shares, a decrease of 37.8% from the July 15th total of 51,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 45,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.7 days.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund news, Portfolio Manager Michael Denlinger sold 4,326 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.95, for a total transaction of $73,325.70. Following the transaction, the portfolio manager now owns 4,548 shares of the companys stock, valued at $77,088.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MMD. Equitable Holdings Inc. acquired a new stake in MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund in the 1st quarter valued at $433,000. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund by 26.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 317,963 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $5,962,000 after purchasing an additional 66,039 shares in the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its holdings in MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund by 139.4% in the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 132,394 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $2,482,000 after purchasing an additional 77,097 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund by 15.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 232,292 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $4,356,000 after purchasing an additional 31,425 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund by 400.9% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 87,496 shares of the closed-end funds stock valued at $1,641,000 after purchasing an additional 70,027 shares in the last quarter.

MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund Stock Up 0.4 %

MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund Dividend Announcement

MMD traded up $0.06 on Friday, reaching $16.65. 51,017 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 58,873. MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund has a twelve month low of $15.15 and a twelve month high of $19.25. The companys 50 day moving average is $16.94 and its 200-day moving average is $17.15.

The firm also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be given a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th.

MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

MainStay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by New York Life Investment Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by MacKay Shields LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund primarily invests in investment grade municipal bonds which are exempt from regular U.S.

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Nicolet Bankshares Inc. cut its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Free Report) by 1.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 22,946 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 291 shares during the period. Nicolet Bankshares Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $1,213,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of BMY. Spire Wealth Management raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 55.9% in the first quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 25,356 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,757,000 after buying an additional 9,092 shares during the last quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 8.9% in the first quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 4,900 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $340,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 38.6% in the first quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 60,649 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $4,204,000 after buying an additional 16,904 shares during the last quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 19.3% in the first quarter. Wintrust Investments LLC now owns 168,170 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $11,656,000 after buying an additional 27,173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ingalls & Snyder LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 3.7% in the first quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 478,653 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $33,175,000 after buying an additional 17,032 shares during the last quarter. 74.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance

BMY traded down $0.06 on Friday, hitting $61.23. 16,836,207 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,563,589. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.39. The businesss fifty day moving average is $63.43 and its 200 day moving average is $67.04. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a fifty-two week low of $59.71 and a fifty-two week high of $81.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $127.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.42.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.99 by ($0.24). Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 17.62% and a return on equity of 50.51%. The business had revenue of $11.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.81 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.93 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 7.48 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th were issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 6th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on BMY. Atlantic Securities reduced their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $90.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 28th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $64.00 to $62.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating and set a $59.00 price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $85.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They set a reduce rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $71.14.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Robert M. Plenge sold 732 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.14, for a total value of $44,754.48. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,584 shares of the companys stock, valued at $402,545.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile

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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.

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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).

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NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NBY  Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 162,900 shares, a decrease of 43.4% from the July 15th total of 287,600 shares. Currently, 4.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 504,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

NYSEAMERICAN NBY traded down $0.05 on Friday, hitting $0.68. 43,797 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 85,894. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $0.48 and a 52-week high of $10.64. The company has a market capitalization of $1.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.07 and a beta of 2.76. The companys 50-day moving average price is $0.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1.54.

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NovaBay Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:NBY  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.85) earnings per share for the quarter. NovaBay Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 136.09% and a negative net margin of 79.70%. The firm had revenue of $3.12 million for the quarter. Equities analysts predict that NovaBay Pharmaceuticals will post -1.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on NovaBay Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, July 4th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

Check Out Our Latest Report on NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NovaBay Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NBY. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals by 139.9% during the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 44,923 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 26,200 shares in the last quarter. Armistice Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at $289,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals by 260.4% during the 1st quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 163,451 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 118,099 shares in the last quarter. 5.89% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

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NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, develops and sells eyecare, skincare, and wound care products in the United States and internationally. It offers Avenova Spray, a solution for removing foreign materials, including microorganisms and debris from skin around the eye, such as the eyelid; and wound care products, which are used for cleansing and irrigation as part of surgical procedures, as well as treating certain wounds, burns, ulcers, and other injuries under the NeutroPhase and PhaseOne brands.

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PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk (OTCMKTS:PTITF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,100 shares, an increase of 1,000.0% from the July 15th total of 100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 8,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:PTITF remained flat at $0.54 during midday trading on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $0.57 and a 200-day moving average of $0.47. PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk has a 1 year low of $0.32 and a 1 year high of $0.64.

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PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk Company Profile

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PT Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison Tbk, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunication services in Indonesia. The company operates through three segments: Cellular; Multimedia, Data Communication, Internet (MIDI); and Fixed. It offers prepaid and post-paid services, such as international and roaming, outbound roamers, international call and SMS, and overseas call products; iDo mobile, a mobile solution; iDo connectivity for fix data solution; iDo insight for bid data solution; iDo voice, a fixed voice service solution; iDo IOT, an Internet of Things solution; iDo IT, an IT service solution; and iDo Apps, a digital services solution.

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August 13, 2023 | 05:31 am PT

Several months ago, I took my children to a library in Brisbane, Australia, at the weekend. Upon arriving, two librarians greeted us with a warm welcome and invited my children to get library cards.

They also introduced us to a competition called "Who reads the most," a monthly friendly competition among locals here.

I was mesmerized by the invitations, and asked the librarians to help the whole family with library cards. They provided detailed instructions, thoroughly and dedicatedly, as if our reading experience was their utmost importance and sacred task.

As the cards were printed out, some of our names were misspelled, a common issue for Vietnamese abroad. I thought that we had bothered the librarians enough, and decided to let it go. But the librarians noticed the change in my face and kindly asked me what was wrong. Upon learning about the technical mistake, they were determined to fix the issue and eventually printed new cards for us.

As we said goodbye for that day, the librarians told my children to read. I thanked her, but she seems to consider her job not only as a responsibility but also as a joy, to cultivate as many readers as possible.

Everything was free. The library cards, the books. From that day onwards, my children start to read more. I also fell in love with the library. It became an attraction to our family, and every time we have guests, we take them for a tour of the library.

Just a few days ago, I dropped by the kindergarten where my youngest child is attending to donate a few boxes of tissues, part of the school campaign to improve facilities for children. Out of my gratitude, I brought more than the school asked for. The kindergartens head teacher, upon receiving me, was amazed.

I explained to her that I felt indebted to the school for providing such an amazing education for my child, and wished to express my gratitude in our capacity. The teacher replied that though she was glad that the family was happy, educating was the schools responsibility, and they intended to do it to the best of their ability.

Although I dont live in Vietnam anymore, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Da Nang has exempted tuition fees for students from kindergarten to high school levels for the third year in a row, a policy initiated during the pandemic to ensure equal education to the less privileged during harsh times.

Several other provinces, like Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, Ba Ria  Vung Tau, also followed suit. I was overjoyed, as Da Nang was a memorial city for me, for I had taught here several years before.

Although it does not have as much capacity as Brisbane, where I live now, Da Nang and other localities in Vietnam are trying to make public services, including education, more accessible to all locals. To me, every step in this direction is an admirable effort of Vietnam.

With better policies, especially policies that provide more equal and better education to the young generations, we as a society will grow and improve our well-being day by day. Citizens, especially those who contribute their efforts to the public sector, should be the first to spread such positivity.

*Tran Hung Thien is an expert on market analysis and lecturer at the VNUK Danang and the Crimson Institute.
Hengan International Group Company Limited (OTCMKTS:HEGIF  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 851,200 shares, an increase of 22.2% from the July 15th total of 696,700 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 115.0 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Hengan International Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, May 17th.

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Hengan International Group Stock Performance

About Hengan International Group

HEGIF stock remained flat at $4.22 during midday trading on Friday. Hengan International Group has a 12 month low of $3.90 and a 12 month high of $5.20. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $4.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.53.

(Get Free Report)

Hengan International Group Company Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures, distributes, and sells personal hygiene products in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company offers pocket handkerchiefs, box and soft tissue papers, kitchen towels/papers, toilet rolls, first-aid products, enema, garbage and food bags, preservation papers, table cloths and disposable toilet brush, sanitary napkins, pantiliners, overnight pants, wet tissues, maternal and child care products, adult and baby diapers, and cleansing products.

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Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,770,000 shares, a decline of 25.9% from the July 15th total of 2,390,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 502,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.5 days. Approximately 3.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Insider Transactions at Molina Healthcare

In other news, Director Barbara L. Brasier sold 1,500 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.89, for a total value of $455,835.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,232 shares of the companys stock, valued at $982,172.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, Director Barbara L. Brasier sold 1,500 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.89, for a total value of $455,835.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,232 shares of the companys stock, valued at $982,172.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jeff D. Barlow sold 12,500 shares of Molina Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $302.77, for a total value of $3,784,625.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 64,973 shares in the company, valued at $19,671,875.21. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 17,246 shares of company stock valued at $5,247,256. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Molina Healthcare

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 18.4% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,449,375 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,151,448,000 after buying an additional 1,001,372 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 2.4% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,865,464 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,465,672,000 after buying an additional 113,511 shares during the period. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 1.2% during the second quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,352,122 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,311,033,000 after buying an additional 53,139 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 59.5% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,787,368 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,013,084,000 after buying an additional 1,413,257 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Molina Healthcare by 40.4% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,603,321 shares of the companys stock valued at $696,362,000 after buying an additional 749,696 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.09% of the companys stock.

Molina Healthcare Trading Up 0.1 %

MOH stock traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $315.73. The companys stock had a trading volume of 213,069 shares, compared to its average volume of 560,213. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a current ratio of 1.52. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $297.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $289.70. Molina Healthcare has a 1 year low of $256.19 and a 1 year high of $374.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.01, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.69.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $5.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.05 by $0.60. The business had revenue of $8.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.32 billion. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 35.87% and a net margin of 2.81%. The businesss revenue was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.55 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Molina Healthcare will post 20.78 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MOH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $340.00 to $350.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $380.00 to $365.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Molina Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. They set a neutral rating and a $310.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com raised Molina Healthcare from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on Molina Healthcare from $347.00 to $350.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $350.92.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Molina Healthcare

About Molina Healthcare

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Molina Healthcare, Inc provides managed healthcare services to low-income families and individuals under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. It operates in four segments, Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, and Other. The company served in across 19 states. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Long Beach, California.

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PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:PEXNY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,600 shares, a decrease of 38.5% from the July 15th total of 2,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 14,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

PTT Exploration and Production Public Trading Up 9.8 %

Shares of OTCMKTS PEXNY traded up $2.26 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $25.26. 5,720 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,974. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $21.21 and a 200-day moving average price of $13.01. PTT Exploration and Production Public has a 12 month low of $6.37 and a 12 month high of $170.00.

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PTT Exploration and Production Public Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.2276 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. PTT Exploration and Production Publics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.11%.

About PTT Exploration and Production Public

PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of petroleum in Thailand and internationally. It is also involved in the gas pipeline transportation business; investment funding; and the provision of petroleum-related technology, human resource support, treasury center, technology, and solar power businesses, as well as renewable energy and related activities.

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Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. (NYSE:UBP  Get Free Report) saw a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,800 shares, a decline of 43.8% from the July 15th total of 3,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 14,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Approximately 0.1% of the companys stock are sold short.

Urstadt Biddle Properties Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:UBP traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $22.41. 1,753 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,992. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 6.34 and a quick ratio of 6.34. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $21.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.13. The company has a market cap of $881.41 million, a PE ratio of 33.45 and a beta of 0.89. Urstadt Biddle Properties has a 12 month low of $14.76 and a 12 month high of $23.08.

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Urstadt Biddle Properties (NYSE:UBP  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, June 7th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $35.07 million for the quarter. Urstadt Biddle Properties had a return on equity of 11.38% and a net margin of 27.05%.

Urstadt Biddle Properties Cuts Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Urstadt Biddle Properties

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 14th were given a $0.1875 dividend. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 13th. Urstadt Biddle Propertiess payout ratio is 111.94%.

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Grace & White Inc. NY grew its position in Urstadt Biddle Properties by 11.8% in the 1st quarter. Grace & White Inc. NY now owns 45,461 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $720,000 after purchasing an additional 4,798 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Urstadt Biddle Properties by 15.1% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 353,937 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $5,585,000 after acquiring an additional 46,533 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new position in Urstadt Biddle Properties in the second quarter valued at about $1,889,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Urstadt Biddle Properties by 10.3% in the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 54,400 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,145,000 after acquiring an additional 5,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Urstadt Biddle Properties by 1.3% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 60,975 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,059,000 after acquiring an additional 772 shares during the last quarter. 13.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Urstadt Biddle Properties

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Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust which owns or has equity interests in 77 properties containing approximately 5.3 million square feet of space. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 1970, it provides investors with a means of participating in ownership of income-producing properties.

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Texas Pacific Land (NYSE:TPL  Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by equities research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $1,371.00 to $1,622.00 in a research note issued on Friday, FlyOnTheWall reports. Stifel Nicolaus price target indicates a potential downside of 13.95% from the stocks previous close.

Separately, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Texas Pacific Land in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company.

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Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on TPL

Texas Pacific Land Price Performance

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Texas Pacific Land

TPL stock opened at $1,885.01 on Friday. Texas Pacific Land has a 1 year low of $1,266.21 and a 1 year high of $2,739.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $1,439.21 and a 200 day moving average of $1,579.47. The company has a market cap of $14.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.88 and a beta of 1.82.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of TPL. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in Texas Pacific Land by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 675 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $913,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Texas Pacific Land by 41.6% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 729 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $986,000 after purchasing an additional 214 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Texas Pacific Land by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 881 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,191,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. grew its position in Texas Pacific Land by 23.0% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,903 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,925,000 after purchasing an additional 543 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Texas Pacific Land in the first quarter worth about $515,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.47% of the companys stock.

Texas Pacific Land Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Texas Pacific Land Corporation engages in the land and resource management, and water services and operations businesses. The company's Land and Resource Management segment manages surface acres of land. This segment also holds own a 1/128th nonparticipating perpetual oil and gas royalty interest (NPRI) under approximately 85,000 acres of land; a 1/16th NPRI under approximately 371,000 acres of land; and approximately 4,000 additional net royalty acres located in the western part of Texas.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Bank of America upped their target price on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $17.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $16.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. Barclays lowered their target price on Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $18.00 to $16.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on Hewlett Packard Enterprise in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. They issued a neutral rating and a $18.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hewlett Packard Enterprise currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $16.73.

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HPE opened at $17.60 on Wednesday. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a fifty-two week low of $11.90 and a fifty-two week high of $18.14. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $16.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $15.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The stock has a market cap of $22.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.26.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 30th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.03. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a return on equity of 5.05% and a net margin of 3.46%. The company had revenue of $6.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.30 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.19 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.36 EPS for the current year.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Jeremy Cox sold 21,131 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.66, for a total transaction of $373,173.46. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 615 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,860.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Neil B. Macdonald sold 5,668 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total value of $96,356.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 67,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,151,648. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jeremy Cox sold 21,131 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.66, for a total value of $373,173.46. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 615 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,860.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 454,635 shares of company stock valued at $7,327,919 in the last 90 days. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HPE. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp lifted its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. BRITISH COLUMBIA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Corp now owns 116,829 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,963,000 after acquiring an additional 1,528 shares during the period. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bryn Mawr Capital Management LLC now owns 144,846 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $2,433,000 after acquiring an additional 2,550 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 6.5% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 25,364 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $426,000 after acquiring an additional 1,547 shares during the period. Credit Suisse AG raised its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 4,890,977 shares of the technology companys stock worth $82,168,000 after buying an additional 89,504 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 135,598,978 shares of the technology companys stock worth $2,278,063,000 after buying an additional 4,124,642 shares in the last quarter. 81.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Hewlett Packard Enterprise

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other.

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Insecticides India Ltd (IIL) Managing Director Rajesh Aggarwal on Sunday said the company will invest Rs 150 crore in the next two years on capacity expansion in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and also launch new herbicide and insecticide products before Navratri. New Delhi, Aug 13 Insecticides India Ltd (IIL) Managing Director Rajesh Aggarwal on Sunday said the company will invest Rs 150 crore in the next two years on capacity expansion in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and also launch new herbicide and insecticide products before Navratri.



Speaking to PTI, Aggarwal said the company will invest about Rs 100 crore for setting up of a new plant at Sotanala in Behror district of Rajasthan, in the next two years. Last week, we acquired 15-acre plant at Sotanala in Behror district. Lot of sheds are already there and we plan to manufacture agro-chemicals. We will invest about Rs 100 crore investment here in the next two years, he said. Last week, we acquired 15-acre plant at Sotanala in Behror district. Lot of sheds are already there and we plan to manufacture agro-chemicals. We will invest about Rs 100 crore investment here in the next two years, he said. The plant will be implemented in phases and the work might commence by year-end, he said adding this is a second plant in Rajasthan and the other one is located at Chopanki which is up and functioning. Aggarwal further said the company will invest Rs 25 crore in the next fiscal for expansion of its SEZ plant located in Dahej, Gujarat and the land for the same will be acquired by Diwali. Aggarwal further said the company will invest Rs 25 crore in the next fiscal for expansion of its SEZ plant located in Dahej, Gujarat and the land for the same will be acquired by Diwali. Another Rs 25 crore will be invested for consolidation of its technical plants in Chopanki and Dahej, in order to manufacture 8-9 Active Ingredients by next year, he said. "In total, we will invest Rs 150 crore in the next two years, he said and added that the investment will be from internal accruals and a loan of small amount. In total, we will invest Rs 150 crore in the next two years, he said and added that the investment will be from internal accruals and a loan of small amount. The company also has two plants in Jammu and Kashmir and an R&D centre and a biological plant in Uttar Pradesh. Talking about the new products, Aggarwal said the company will move out of old generic products and add new ones with value addition. Talking about the new products, Aggarwal said the company will move out of old generic products and add new ones with value addition. "Our new pipeline is very strong in most crops. We will introduce three herbicide and insecticide products in Q2, he said. Already, one herbicide Green Expert was launched in the current month. In the current quarter, the company will launch another herbicide Opaque for onion, while Nakshatra for sugarcane. A new insecticide Supremo for paddy, sugarcane and vegetables will also be launched. Already, one herbicide Green Expert was launched in the current month. In the current quarter, the company will launch another herbicide Opaque for onion, while Nakshatra for sugarcane. A new insecticide Supremo for paddy, sugarcane and vegetables will also be launched.



The company posted 24 per cent drop in its consolidated net profit at Rs 29.14 crore for the first quarter of 2023-24. Aggarwal cited that high inventory cost owing to a sharp rise in global prices of key raw materials led to a decline in profits in the last two quarters. However, the company expects to perform better as international prices have started cooling down lately. Aggarwal cited that high inventory cost owing to a sharp rise in global prices of key raw materials led to a decline in profits in the last two quarters. However, the company expects to perform better as international prices have started cooling down lately. In the Q2, we will come out of this. We will achieve double-digit growth in topline and bottom line. Our performance will be better, he added.
Survival of wildlife, world over, is solely in the hands of man." Nawabzada Saad Bin Jung - a wildlife enthusiast and eco-tourism advocate who runs a wildlife resort on the banks of Kabini river in Karnataka - says this is the fundamental problem all wildlife conservationists must confront.







"At what stage in time we drifted from being an integral part of the animal kingdom to becoming the keepers of the same, is a difficult question to answer. I fear this happened many centuries ago when we developed weapons against which the wilderness had no answers. Evolution certainly was unfair to the animal world as it gave us a lopsided advantage over the rest, he adds.



Stories of species extinction are being told all over the world. At one stage, the tiger was in grave danger of extinction in India, till a protection act was enacted by the Indian government in the 1970s which led to the revival of the Bengal tiger in the country. But it was too late for another cat - the last Indian cheetahs are thought to have been shot in 1947 - they were declared extinct in India by 1952.



In September 2022, eight cheetahs were flown in from Namibia with fanfare. In February 2023, an additional 12 cheetahs were brought to Madhya Pradesh from South Africa. "This move had the blessings of Delhi and suddenly an unknown Kuno became the centre of attention, says Jung.



He has a simple suggestion which could be the right track for cheetahs to be able to live in the wild in India: We can certainly take the cheetah from Namibia and relocate it successfully in Central India, he says. But "the cheetah is not a territorial animal like the tiger, it needs hundreds of kilometres to move in, it needs a healthy prey base and suitable open lands to hunt in. It needs villagers to embrace it. And for the villagers to embrace it, we need to make drastic changes to our policies and laws. India is still in the grip of protection-based laws, which sadly infuses a regressive exclusionary mindset. We need to embrace inclusion-based conservation, embrace every villager around Kuno and around every protected forest of ours. I hope and pray this happens because there is nothing better I would like to see than the revival of the cheetah in our own endless plains of Central India. It is paramount that the villagers bless the cheetah. For that to happen, the administration has to bless the villagers. Give them the basic amenities of life. Give them revenue from the wilderness that surrounds them. Let them believe that the wilderness belongs to them, and they to the wilderness. Let the villagers become the protectors and conservators of our immense and diverse eco-biospheres."



Bullish on India is an ongoing series. Read more articles in the series.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13. The Western Azerbaijan Community has issued a statement in connection with Armenia's intention to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council under the guise of a "humanitarian crisis" and try to adopt a resolution against Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing the Community.

A clear example of hypocrisy is that Armenia, which for 30 years ignored the resolutions of the Security Council and showed intolerance in connection with references to them, now hopes for a resolution of the Security Council.

"The work that Armenia must do in the field of international humanitarian law and human rights is to ensure the safe and dignified return of numerous Azerbaijanis expelled from their native lands, the Community noted.

The Western Azerbaijan Community regards the above-mentioned intention of Armenia as a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, gross interference in its internal affairs and rejection of the provision on mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity contained in the Prague and Sochi statements in October 2022 and the Brussels Statement in July 2023, and calls on Armenia to put an end to actions deliberately aggravating the situation in the region.
A 1,000 facial recognition cameras, anti-drone systems, and over 10,000 police personnel keeping vigil are part of the security measures in place at the Mughal-era Red Fort here, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation on August 15.



As the national capital gears up to celebrate the 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, robust arrangements have been made as a large gathering is expected at the event, which has no COVID-19 restrictions after a span of two years. Police said that keeping in mind the recent violence in Haryana's Nuh and adjoining areas, a strict vigil is being ensured.



Sharing details of the security arrangements, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dependra Pathak said, "Independence Day will be celebrated with full enthusiasm this year with no COVID-19 restrictions in place. Therefore, a robust and adequate deployment of police will be ensured." "We will also coordinate and share real-time information with other agencies to provide security. The Delhi Police will also use technology systems for security purposes. We are on our toes and doing rehearsals," Pathak said.



The Gyan Path in front of the Red Fort in central Delhi will be decked up with flowers and G20 signage for the national festival celebrations. However, there will be no major decorations on the rampart of the fort from where the prime minister addresses the nation. The government has invited around 1,800 special guests, including beneficiaries of the PM-KISAN scheme, from across the country to attend the Independence Day ceremony in Delhi.



"This year, more than 20,000 officials and civilians will take part in the Independence Day celebrations. Gyan Path is being decorated with flowers and G20 signage for the national festival," a police officer said. Around 1,000 cameras with facial recognition and video analytic systems have been installed in and around the Mughal-era fort and at other strategic locations to ensure foolproof security and monitor VVIP movements, the police said.



Anti-drone systems have been installed at the Red Fort as is convention. All anti-terror measures have been initiated, including the installation of air defence guns. Snipers, elite SWAT commandos and sharpshooters will be positioned at strategic locations for the security of the prime minister and other VVIP guests. Forces continue to remain on high alert to thwart any untoward incident as police have intensified patrolling and deployed extra pickets at vital installations based on intelligence inputs received from central agencies, a senior police officer said.



Thorough checking is being carried out at the borders and police have warned of strict action against anyone trying to disrupt the law and order situation in the national capital. The areas surrounding the Red Fort have been demarcated as a "no kite flying zone" till the completion of the programme.



A total of 153 kite catchers will be deployed with the necessary equipment at strategic locations to intercept kites, the police said, adding that the residents of areas near the Red Fort have been asked not to fly kites till the event is over. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi''s Independence Day address in 2017, a kite had landed just below the podium. The prime minister had, however, continued with his speech unfazed.



"The Delhi Police has also intensified patrolling and anti-sabotage checks. Hotels, guest houses, parking lots and restaurants are being checked and verification of tenants and servants is being carried out. Meetings are also being held with RWA (resident welfare associations) and MWA (market welfare associations) members," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said. Police had on Thursday imposed prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 in areas such as Rajghat, ITO and Red Fort ahead of Independence Day.



"In view of Independence Day celebrations, Section 144 of CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) has been invoked in areas nearby Rajghat, ITO, Red Fort etc. No gathering of any kind is permitted in these areas," police posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. In 2021, the Delhi Police had erected a huge wall of shipping containers decorated with graffiti at the main gate of Red Fort for security reasons. There will be no such wall this year.



The flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang gliders, UAVs, microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small-size powered aircraft, quadcopters or para-jumping from aircraft etc. are prohibited over the jurisdiction of National Capital Territory of Delhi up to August 16, the police said.
Last month, as Indian prime minister Narendra Modi left for a state visit to France, the European Parliament (EP) passed a resolution calling on the Indian government to act promptly to halt the violence in Manipur and protect religious minorities. Predictably, the Indian government reacted angrily, terming the EUs action unacceptable.



It is an all too familiar story. A new report is issued by a Western institution criticizing some aspects of India's polity or economy. Instantly a howl of protest follows from the government and other public figures. Elaborate efforts are made to trash the report and its issuing agency. Meanwhile, the rest of the world barely takes any notice. Notice the consternation when Freedom House gave India only a Partly Free rating in its annual survey of countries, clubbing it with others like Bolivia, Cote DIvoire and El Salvador while handing out a Free tag to Mauritius, a country that another think tank, V-Dem Institute, which aims to measure the quality of democracy, placed among its top 10 autocratising countries in its 2021 rankings. Most Indians who are otherwise completely oblivious to the many blows to the countrys democratic framework over the years, suddenly sat up in alarm.



It's a pattern of behaviour that we have seen repeatedly over the last 75 years since Independence. Sure, public opinion matters and what the world has to say is relevant to all countries. But a traumatic colonial history, coupled with the extraordinary amplification capabilities of Western voices, has ensured that we bristle and celebrate far more when a media outlet or a think tank based in the West says something about us.



Nor is it a recent phenomenon. Imperious as she was, Indira Gandhi as prime minister was extremely concerned about what the foreign press would have to say about the declaration of Emergency in the country. The present government and the opposition too has shown that it is extremely sensitive to what the West says and does.



The bias extends to other areas like business as well. Easily the most successful cross-border joint venture in India has been the one between Maruti and Japanese company Suzuki. It isn't just an India success story, though with a 40 percent share in a fiercely competitive car market, it is an excellent example of that too. But it is also proof of how such an alliance can be mutually rewarding. Not only is Maruti India's top car maker for the last 40 years, it has also been Suzuki's best deal, with the India business now accounting for 37 percent of the Japanese company's global sales. And yet we are much more bothered about Tesla's India plans than about what Hyundai or a BYD, which incidentally is now the worlds largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, can bring to the table.



What makes this obsession with the West particularly galling is the complete lack of evidence to suggest that institutions, companies or countries based in that geographical region are any more credible and trustworthy than others, including those in India. Many of the best known ones have lied, twisted facts, presented half-truths, used dubious and biased research in support of their objectives.



In the early months of the Ukraine war, we were led to believe that the US and its Nato allies were coming to the aid of the heroic Ukrainians in their battle against the forces unleashed by Vladimir Putin, the Russian dictator. We were also assured that the Ukrainian army was making huge gains and it was only a matter of time before the demoralized and ill-prepared Russian army would be pushed back from the areas it had occupied. We now know that each of these assertions was wrong. As professor John J. Mearsheimer writes in his substack piece The Darkness Ahead: Where The Ukraine War Is Headed, I believe Russia will win the war, which means it will end up conquering and annexing substantial Ukrainian territory, leaving Ukraine as a dysfunctional rump state.



Indeed, many of us questioned India's lack of support for the Ukrainian cause pointing to our continuing trade dealings with Russia, including buying oil from that country. It is clear now that the ongoing conflict is a part of the cold war between the US and its Nato allies on the one hand and Russia on the other. By refusing to take sides and join the economic sanctions, India made a smart strategic decision. Yet, many Indians believe till date that India should have joined the embargo against Russia.



It is what comes of believing that the West knows best. Call it colonialisms legacy.
The Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) opposed the proposed implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) saying that the strength and unity of India lies in diversity and not forced uniformity.



Addressing reporters after a day-long consultative seminar on various pressing issues on the topic Reading the signs of the times in Kohima, Bishop of Kohima Diocese, Most Rev James Thoppil on Saturday said UCC interferes with the personal lives of people besides the tribes and religious aspects of an individual.



The moral practices of Human Rights should be respected Cultural diversity must be enhanced and encouraged so that people do not become robots in uniformity but rather diversity defines the strength and unity of the nation. "Diversity of languages and religion is the strength of the country and it has to be enhanced and not destroyed by UCC, he said. On the stand of the catholic churches in Nagaland on UCC, CAN president Johnny Ruangmei while describing UCC as alien said We cannot be ruled by one law as different people from various tribes and religions live together throughout the country. Diversity should be used to enhance our unity, he said. Maintaining that CAN believes that there is a difference between united and uniform, he said the diversity of the country should be united but uniformity should not be brought in to disturb that unity in diversity. Ruangmei also said that during the day-long seminar, beside UCC, the catholic churches also deliberated on the policies of the state government including the Registration of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), decades-old Naga Political Issue and Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India. He said the discussions were done so that both the central and state governments will be able to discern the best policies to benefit the people. He also informed that CAN will soon submit the outcome of the seminar to the government for further consideration.



Advisor and former president of CAN, Elias T Lotha said that the seminar also expressed concern on the continuing turmoil in Manipur and stressed the need for the Central government for restoration of peace in the state.
The Delhi government is considering sending senior citizens to pilgrimage sites near the national capital on luxury buses under the Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojna, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday. More than 71,000 people from Delhi have gone on pilgrimages by 72 trains under the scheme so far, he said. I want every elderly person in Delhi to go on a pilgrimage but sometimes, trains are not available. So, luxury buses can be used to send them to nearby pilgrimage places like Ayodhya, he said.



The chief minister met a group of people headed for a pilgrimage to Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat at the Thyagraj Stadium here. He asked them to seek blessings for Delhi and the country.Kejriwal flagged off a caravan of pilgrims to Dwarkadhish. The train for Dwarkadheesh was the 73rd under the Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojna. It accommodated an additional 780 passengers who were scheduled to leave on the pilgrimage on August 12, a statement by the Delhi government. Kejriwal assured the people of more such pilgrimage opportunities to nearby sites via luxury buses.I want to send each elderly citizen of Delhi for the pilgrimage who is older than 60 years. I want to make sure that everyone has completed at least one round of the Teerth Yatra and then will start round two. But, due to the shortage of trains we are not able to do this as quick as we want to, he said. He added that the Delhi government will try to cover the pilgrimage sites near Delhi like Mathura, Vrundavan, Haridwar, Rishikesh and also Ayodhya by luxury buses. Revenue Minister Atishi was also present at the event.
The Democratic Progressive Azad Party will continue its political battle to secure jobs and land rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad said on August 13.



The former chief minister of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state said the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), if elected to power in the next assembly elections, will focus on development and corruption-free governance.







"My aim of returning to Jammu and Kashmir is attached with the socio-political emancipation of the common people. We will continue our political battle to secure jobs and land rights for locals," Azad said.







Azad ended his five-decade-long association with the Congress in August 2022 and launched the DPAP a month later in Jammu.







"Securing land and jobs for the locals is the primary agenda of my party. Therefore, the fight shall continue till we get a guarantee from the central government," he said at the conclusion of his 10-day tour of the Chenab Valley, where he addressed a public rally at Chiralla in his hometown of Bhaderwah.







Azad said his dream is to politically and economically empower the people of the region to such an extent that they do not need to "beg before anyone".







Referring to his meeting with various delegations during the tour, Azad said all the issues raised by the public will be taken up for early redressal with the authorities concerned.







He said his party is strongly against the "coercive measures" of land eviction by the Jammu and Kashmir government and claimed that the administration was forced to stop the drive because of protests by the DPAP.







Azad also took a dig at successive governments for "ignoring the Chenab Valley".







"After relinquishing the post of chief minister (in 2008), I was expecting the regimes later entrusted with the job by the people to run Jammu and Kashmir might have further developed this region," he said.







"But I feel disappointed to see the condition of roads and other social infrastructure. Even hospitals, schools and other essential departments have a staff shortage," Azad said, adding that this is not how states are run in a democratic structure.







It is the responsibility of every government to provide basic necessities at people's doorsteps, said Azad, a former Union minister.







He alleged that there is a mess everywhere and no one seems bothered about it.







"That is why I want elections to be held in the Union Territory so that people can have an elected government, which is accountable to them," he said.







The DPAP chief also urged his party workers to focus on expanding the cadre in every nook and corner of Jammu and Kashmir.







"We believe in change and peace. It is only possible when you ensure more and more people join this caravan," he told the party workers.







Azad said the Chenab Valley has the peculiarity of having all communities living together peacefully for decades.







"If there is a best example of unity and secularism, it is the Chenab Valley," he said. PTI TAS SZM




The Indore Police on Saturday said it has registered an FIR against the handlers of the X accounts of senior Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and former union minister Arun Yadav over a post accusing the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of corruption. Indore, Aug 12 The Indore Police on Saturday said it has registered an FIR against the handlers of the X accounts of senior Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and former union minister Arun Yadav over a post accusing the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of corruption.



In a statement released on Twitter, now known as X, the Indore Police Commissioner said late on Saturday night that local BJPs legal cell convenor Nimesh Pathak complained that a fake letter bearing the name of a person called Gyanendra Awasthi was circulated on social media. The letter claimed that the contractors in the state are being asked to pay 50 percent commission. The letter claimed that the contractors in the state are being asked to pay 50 percent commission. A case has been registered against Awasthi as well as the handlers of the X accounts of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at the citys Sanyogitaganj police station, the release said, adding Pathaks complaint is being investigated. Earlier in the day, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramsanehi Mishra claimed that an FIR was registered against the Twitter handles of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at Sanyogitaganj police station in the city. Earlier in the day, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramsanehi Mishra claimed that an FIR was registered against the Twitter handles of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at Sanyogitaganj police station in the city. He said the case was registered under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 469 (forgery with intent to harm reputation) on Pathaks complaint. Pathak alleged that the Congress leaders conspired to malign the image of the state government and his party by sharing misleading social media posts and accusing the BJP regime in the state of being involved in corruption. Pathak alleged that the Congress leaders conspired to malign the image of the state government and his party by sharing misleading social media posts and accusing the BJP regime in the state of being involved in corruption. The official said the police are verifying the authenticity of the respective Twitter handles. On Friday, Vadra claimed on X that a union of contractors from Madhya Pradesh has written a letter to the Chief Justice of the High Court complaining their payment is released only after paying 50 per cent commission. On Friday, Vadra claimed on X that a union of contractors from Madhya Pradesh has written a letter to the Chief Justice of the High Court complaining their payment is released only after paying 50 per cent commission. 



The corrupt BJP government in Karnataka used to collect 40% commission. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has gone ahead by breaking its own record of corruption. People of Karnataka ousted the 40% commission government, now the people of Madhya Pradesh will remove the 50% commission government from power, she alleged in the post. Nath and Yadav also made similar posts. Nath and Yadav also made similar posts. Terming Priyanka Gandhis allegation false, MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra earlier sought proof from the Congress leader to support her charge, warning that options were otherwise open before the state government and the BJP for legal action. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the opposition party was spreading lies. On Friday evening, the Gwalior police registered a case against a few people in connection with Priyanka Gandhis post.
A fire broke out at a godown on August 13 in north Delhi's Alipur area, officials said. Information regarding the blaze was received at around 3.10 pm, following which 20 fire tenders were rushed to the spot, they said. No injuries have been reported so far, the officials said.

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With changing times heavy traditional floral arrangements covering the ramparts of the Red Fort have been done away with, in lieu of a 'minimalist grandeur' theme, according to a report by the Indian Express.



The officials said that the ramparts of the fort visible from the outside will only be lightly embellished to give it a refreshing look.



No big floral arrangements, scrolls or flag sheets have been stuck on the walls this time. We have been told to ensure the walls are not covered with a lot of decorative material. Only a G-20 logo will be put there along with a few embellishments, a senior police officer told the Indian Express.



Also read: Beneficiaries of Central govt schemes in Uttarakhand to attend Independence Day event at Red Fort



Authorities expect heavy footfall this year, superseding the pre-pandemic levels after the onslaught of the Covid 19 pandemic dampened celebrations for two years.



This Independence Day nearly 2900 special invitees will attend the celebrations, these include Central Vista Project and New Parliament building workers and labourers; sarpanchs from 622 Vibrant Villages Project (villages on the Indo-China border); PM Kisan Yojna beneficiaries; nurses, fishermen, Khadi workers; labourers working on border roads, among others.



The guests will be seated in a section close to civil officers/ service officers. Besides, we will have 80-90 couples from each state dressed in their traditional attire. They will not be a part of the parade or performance but will sit in the bleachers, an officer said.



The estimated capacity of the Red Fort is around 26,484 people according to the Delhi Police, the expected footfall is likely to be around 30,000-40,000



Nearly 5,000-7,000 personnel have been deployed at the Red Fort for security arrangements, officials of the Delhi Police added that at least 16 Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras will also be used at the venue.
The army has put in place smart fences based on cutting-edge sensor and CCTV camera technologies to thwart infiltration attempts along the Line of Control (LoC), an official said on Sunday. This has strengthened border security and surveillance, Jammu-based army public relations officer Lt Col Suneel Bartwal told a group of journalists who visited forward areas in the Akhnoor and Poonch sectors.



The smart fences are part of the advancements in technology that the army has integrated into its operations along the LoC, he said. He said the state-of-the-art sensors and CCTV cameras are very difficult to bypass as these pick up even the slightest movement and immediately send alerts to the control centre.



The army has adopted technological advancements and innovative strategies in its relentless pursuit to secure the nation's borders, the official said and added that they also showcase the adaptability and innovation that define the modern Indian soldier. The technologies and equipment being used to secure the LoC were also showcased.



"The intersection of traditional (methods) and innovation paints a comprehensive picture of the modern Indian soldier's multi-faceted role," Lt Col Bartwal said. He said by putting their lives on the line to protect the nation's borders, soldiers exemplify the values of honour, duty and sacrifice that form the bedrock of their service.



"It is evident that beyond the uniform, each individual embodied a deep sense of duty and pride in safeguarding their homeland," Lt Col Bartwal said, adding that "this commitment to constant improvement is a testament to the army's dedication to maintaining peak operational readiness". The soldiers also showcased their rigorous training routines.



The army public relations officer said a soldier's day unfolds in the midst of unforgiving terrains and unpredictable weather conditions. "Yet, their morale remains unshaken, and their resolve to defend the nation stands stronger than ever. Each step they take embodies a resilience that surpasses the physical hurdles they encounter, embodying the true spirit of a soldier's duty," he said.



In the face of adversity, the Lt Col said soldiers stationed along the LoC stand as "sentinels of strength, reminding us that it is their fortitude that fortifies our borders and preserves the nation's integrity".
The Union government has refused to intervene in the issue of exorbitant airfares for travel to Kerala during the upcoming Onam season stating that dynamic pricing is in place and travellers have to book in advance. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans Office said in a release on Saturday that the Centre has refused to intervene in the issue. Vijayan had on July 5 sought the intervention of Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in the matter, saying the exorbitant prices would impact numerous Keralites residing both in India and West Asia who are eagerly planning to return home for Onam festivities. In a letter to the chief minister, Scindia informed him that the aviation companies have the authority to decide the airfares, the release said.There is only an increase of 9.77 per cent during the festival season. Since only the dynamic pricing system is in place, the only option is to book tickets in advance, the release said, quoting the letter from the Union minister.Steep airfares to the southern state for travel between August 15 and September 15 has compelled a large number of expat Keralites to either cancel or postpone their travel plans, Vijayan had pointed out.The Kerala government had also requested to authorise the operation of chartered flights to transport Non-Resident Keralites from the UAE to India specially for the Onam festivities.On that, the Union minister said approval for chartered flights is given after properly examining each request.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13. The Aghdam-Khankendi railway was built on the initiative and under the leadership of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 1979. Heydar Aliyev, who always paid great attention to the development of Nagorno-Karabakh, attached special importance to the construction of railway lines in the Karabakh region. As a result of the opening of the Baku-Yevlakh-Khankendi railway, the socioeconomic and cultural development of Karabakh was accelerated and its relations with Baku were strengthened. In addition to improving the material and technical supply of the population, it also enabled a significant increase in the economic indicators of the region. For example, the cost of products manufactured in Karabakh significantly dropped due to the decreasing cost of raw materials and transportation of products. All this was achieved precisely as a result of the efforts of the National Leader.

The following is a Trend statistical summary of the importance of communication lines from Aghdam to Khankendi and their prospects for the region.

In the 1980s, the turnover of freight transportation on the Barda-Aghdam stretch of the Yevlakh-Khankendi railway line was 1.5 million tons, while that of the Aghdam-Khankendi (27 kilometers) section was 1 million tons. At the time, the train speed on the Barda-Aghdam stretch was 60 km/h and on the Aghdam-Khankendi stretch 40 km/h.

Let's take a look at the statistical and projected data for the Barda-Aghdam-Khankendi railway line in the table below.

No Railway line Railway axis length Train speed prior to occupation Projected post-war train speed Annual turnover of freight transportation before occupation (1985-1988) Projected annual freight transportation 1 Barda-Aghdam 47.1 km 60 km/h 80 km/h 1.5 million tons 1.5 million tons 2 Aghdam-Khankendi 27 km 40 km/h 80 km/h 1 million tons

As was the case with other sectors of the economy, the countrys railway suffered tremendous damage as a result of the Armenian occupation of 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. A major part of Azerbaijans railways was occupied together with equipment, the operation of the Yevlakh-Khankendi railway was stopped, the Aghdam, Askeran and Khankendi stations of this line were occupied, and railway tracks were brutally destroyed by the Armenians.

After 30 years, under the leadership of victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, life is reviving in our liberated lands again and the construction of new railway lines is picking up in this region.

By a decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated November 24, 2020, the design and construction of the Barda-Aghdam railway line has been started. Currently, 90 percent of the design work has been completed, while the progress of construction and installation work is at 70 percent. This includes the installation of 56,951 kilometers of long gauge rails. The first phase of earthworks, the construction of engineering facilities, as well as the installation of road superstructure elements and switchgears, have been fully completed. The design and construction of the Barda-Aghdam railway are scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

The following is information about the project's technical indicators and scope of work:

- The length of the line, including side roads, is 57,857 kilometers, including the axis length of 47.1 kilometers;

- The volume of earthworks is 1,368,816 cubic meters;

- Stations (four): Barda, Kocharli, Tazakand and Aghdam;

- Number of engineering facilities is 130;

 This includes three bridges, one overpass, seven animal crossings, 85 culverts, one pedestrian overpass and 33 emergency crossings;

- The project has a total of 16 intersections with highways, including nine protected and seven unprotected ones;

- Number of mobile facilities is 34;

- Length of communication and signaling systems is 47.1 kilometers;

The projected speed of trains is 80 kilometers per hour, the annual turnover of cargo transportation is 1.5 million tons.

How can goods be delivered to Karabakh faster and more efficiently?

In the past, communication lines passing through Aghdam, including the motorway and railway, provided for the needs of residents of Khankendi, Shusha and Lachin. The shortest route from Baku to Khankendi, Shusha, and Lachin passed specifically through Aghdam. The Baku-Yevlakh-Aghdam-Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin highway was more convenient. This road can enable faster and more efficient delivery of humanitarian goods.

In the 1980s, the national R-28 Yevlax-Khojaly-Lachin highway was used to go from Baku to the cities of Khankendi and Shusha through the center of the city of Aghdam. In those years, a 17.5-kilometer two-lane Agdham circular road was built to the administrative territory of Askeran district. The road deviated from KP 40 of the Agdam-Barda highway without entering the center of Aghdam. Until the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, the entire population of Karabakh, as well as Lachin district, used this road on a permanent basis.

The distance from Aghdam city to Askeran district is 6 kilometers, to Khankendi city 23 kilometers, and from Khankendi to Shusha 11 kilometers. The distance from Baku to Aghdam is 360 kilometers, to Khankendi 383 kilometers, to Shusha 394 kilometers, and to Lachin 435 kilometers.

In accordance with the infrastructure restoration project in liberated territories, the construction of the 44.5-kilometer Barda-Aghdam and 65.7-kilometer Aghdam-Fuzuli first degree four-lane highways is powering ahead. Both highways have a daily throughput capacity of 17,000 vehicles.

Before the conflict, the Baku-Yevlakh-Aghdam-Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin highway and the Baku-Aghdam-Khankendi railway played an important part in the development of Karabakh. Although the railway line was destroyed during the occupation, it is still possible to travel by road. For this reason, all Armenians excuses are completely irrelevant. The economic potential of present-day Azerbaijan is sufficient to address the social issues of its Armenian residents of Karabakh. Since this region is the territory of Azerbaijan, all communications should be carried out through the territory of the country. There are currently three airports operating in and around the Karabakh economic region  Ganja, Yevlakh and Fuzuli. This creates a basis for the region to become a hub for transport and logistics projects. Since the distance from these airports to the city of Barda is close, the transportation of goods from there via the Barda-Aghdam road and the Barda-Aghdam railway can prevent loss of time. From this point of view, the Aghdam-Khankendi road is of great importance.

The Azerbaijani side has allowed the use of the Aghdam-Khankendi road to meet the needs of Armenian residents. The state of Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate the ethnic Armenian residents of Karabakh, as citizens having equal rights, into its political, legal, economic and social system. Therefore, Armenia must strictly comply with its obligations not to interfere in the internal affairs of states, not harm the integration of persons belonging to ethnic minorities, and not incite separatism in the territory of neighboring states.
The Indian textile and craft industry is steeped in centuries of fine craftsmanship and design heritage. Whether it is the regal brocades of Varanasi or ikats of Odisha or the silks of Kanchipuram  each of these textile traditions has woven its way into the cultural fabric of India. However, it is only lately that the country is being recognized by the international luxury industry for its technical and aesthetic virtuosity. Much of this spotlight can be credited to craft and textile crusaders like Tarun Tahiliani, who, through his exquisite pieces, has created a new design language  India Modern  that has sparked the interest of the global audience. Ahead of India's 77th Independence Day, Tahiliani spoke about the potential that the country's fashion industry holds, and a roadmap to achieve this vision by 2047:



"I envision India's fashion industry in 2047 as a globally influential, contemporary force, comparable to iconic fashion nations like France, Italy, and Japan, making a swift and impactful statement," he said.







Roadmap for the future



This lofty vision is not unachievable, according to Tahiliani. "To achieve this by 2047, I believe we must craft a truly unique luxury offering that reflects the essence of our rich culture and heritage," Tahiliani said.



The veteran designer believes it's crucial to shift our focus from being perceived as a mere factory to becoming a global marketplace, where the world eagerly seeks to purchase our fashion creations.



"Our fashion identity should seamlessly blend contemporary Indian aesthetics with a global appeal, creating a unique fusion that captivates audiences worldwide," he said.



India's fashion industry has tasted success on the back of local artisans, who have been instrumental in highlighting the savoir-faire of the country.



As per Invest India, the export of handloom products during 2020-21 was Rs 1644.78 crore. Furthermore, the share of textile, apparel and handicrafts in Indias total exports was 11.4 percent in 2020-21. According to the Handloom Census 2019-20, the industry employs 35.22 lakh artisans, out of which 25.46 lakhs are women. In this context, Tahiliani said, "I envision our fashion industry becoming a significant source of dignified employment, leveraging our extensive craft-based heritage to empower our workforce."



Similar to our success in the software industry, India must establish a distinctive global fashion identity that resonates with international consumers and places India at the forefront, believes Tahiliani.



"This journey is a long-term endeavour, and I'm driven each day by the knowledge that this dream may be fulfilled even beyond my own lifetime, as we steadily progress towards our 2047 goal," he concludes.
A mega tiranga rally was held here on Sunday with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asserting that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir loves the national flag. Srinagar, Aug 13 A mega tiranga rally was held here on Sunday with Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha asserting that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir loves the national flag.



Participating in the rally organised as part of Independence Day celebrations, Sinha, in an apparent reference to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, said those who claimed that there wont be anyone left in Jammu and Kashmir to raise the tiranga should have seen the turnout at the rally. They, who used to say that there wont be anyone left in Jammu and Kashmir to raise the tiranga, would have understood that every youth of Jammu and Kashmir loves the national flag as much as people from any other part of the country, Sinha said without taking any names. 



They, who used to say that there wont be anyone left in Jammu and Kashmir to raise the tiranga, would have understood that every youth of Jammu and Kashmir loves the national flag as much as people from any other part of the country, Sinha said without taking any names. The PDP president, in the run-up to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, had said if Jammu and Kashmirs special status was revoked, there will be no one left to raise the national flag. Today people of Jammu and Kashmir are being hailed across the country. As we are combining the peoples power and taking the development towards the poor and underprivileged, some people cannot bear this, he said. Today people of Jammu and Kashmir are being hailed across the country. As we are combining the peoples power and taking the development towards the poor and underprivileged, some people cannot bear this, he said. There was a time when the youth of Kashmir was misled but today they are contributing to building the nation and Jammu and Kashmir. This is a proud moment for all of us. Let us come together and restore the status of Jammu and Kashmir as the jewel in the crown of India, he added.



Sinha said he was feeling proud and satisfied that not only people from the administration and security forces were present in the rally but the common people of Kashmir also participated in it. Sinha said he was feeling proud and satisfied that not only people from the administration and security forces were present in the rally but the common people of Kashmir also participated in it. I think and feel that respecting the tricolour is respecting the country and the brave soldiers who laid down their lives. People have understood that everyone has to guard the tricolour and everyone has to contribute to the development of the nation. I think this is the big change in Kashmir, he said. Kuldeep Handoo, a renowned sportsperson, lauded the efforts of the administration, saying the rally has sent out a message of unity among people. Kuldeep Handoo, a renowned sportsperson, lauded the efforts of the administration, saying the rally has sent out a message of unity among people. We will walk together to build this nation, children and adults, security forces and civilians, everyone is participating.



This is going to be the big message that we are together, we are with India, Handoo said. Another participant, Jahanzeb, said the rally was a positive step for Kashmir. Another participant, Jahanzeb, said the rally was a positive step for Kashmir. Such events should be held on every Independence Day. We are a part of India and had these steps been taken earlier, we might have been in a better situation today, he said.
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) partys move to pave the way for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to return to the country and lead the campaign in the forthcoming parliamentary election was dealt a severe blow by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday, 11 August.

In 2017, the Supreme Court had removed the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif from office on corruption charges. A year later, it barred him from contesting and holding any public office for life.



But in May 2023, the PMLN-led coalition government of Shahbaz Sharif passed an act that would allow Nawaz Sharif to seek a review of the earlier order barring him from contesting elections in future. Attempts were on to hasten his return by next month and project him as the PMLNs prime ministerial candidate.



However, the apex court struck down the Supreme Court (Review of Judgements and Orders) Act, 2023, that expands the scope of a review petition, terming it unconstitutional.

The aim of the new act



The act is aimed at expanding the jurisdiction of the court by allowing a right to appeal under Article 184 (3) of the Pakistan constitution when fundamental and civil rights are threatened.



Its aimed at facilitating and strengthening the Supreme Court in exercising its powers to review its judgements and orders, the government had said. It argued that it was not attempting to override the courts rights, but only expanding its scope.



But a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial ruled that parliament had gone beyond its legislative competence in passing the law. It said that the law was repugnant to and ultra vires of the constitution, and added that, It is accordingly struck down as null and void and of no legal effect.



The government had also amended the Elections Act, 2017, early this year in parliament, limiting the disqualification of lawmakers to five years, with retrospective effect.



Governments reaction

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharifs younger brother, has taken the initiative of getting the former prime minister back in the country. He told GEO TVs Hamid Mir in an interview that Nawaz Sharif could return from London  where he is in self-exile since 2019  by September and lead the PMLN campaign.



He described the Supreme Courts decision as contempt of parliament.

The Prime Minister pointed out that under the constitution, parliament was empowered to make laws. He said this was the first time in history that the legislature was being prevented from making laws. This has not happened anywhere in the world, Shahbaz Sharif added.



He said that after the amendment in the Election Act, Nawaz Sharif was eligible to return to the country and lead the campaign as he had already served the mandatory five years of his disqualification.



His other PMLN colleagues and senior cabinet ministers also shared similar views and expressed outrage at the Supreme Courts decision to override parliament. They pointed out that the legislature's job was to make laws, and the apex courts role was to apply them.

Former interior minister Rana Sanaullah said the judgement was beyond the Supreme Courts constitutional jurisdiction and clearly, an encroachment on the parliaments domain.



The timing

Many observers have expressed concern at the timing of the Supreme Courts verdict, which came a day after Shahbaz Sharif sought the dissolution of the current parliament.



According to Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, a legal expert and president of the think-tank Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, if the court wanted the government to take corrective measures it could have delivered the judgement some days before the dissolution of the house.



Mehboob said that if enough time was given then perhaps the government could have brought an amendment to the act to accommodate the apex courts objections, and re-issued the legislation.

But the judgment was passed when there was no scope for parliament to discuss the matter any further, he explained.



The term

The term of the current chief justice ends on September 16. And the government has been given a month to appeal the courts decision. This means that even if it seeks a review of the decision, it will be seen by Justice Bandial, and theres little chance of him overturning his own verdict.

This, Mehboob felt, was done deliberately by the chief justice and the two other members of the bench.



Also, he felt that if the Supreme Court wanted to review the act, it should have done so with a bigger or full nine-member bench.

Incoming Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, whos known for his independence, is scheduled to take over on September 17. He was investigated by former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) government for tax evasion, but the charges were found to be false and politically motivated.



Caretaker government

Pakistan will soon be under an independent caretaker government. The country has named senator Anwar ul-Haq Kakar as the prime minister of this dispensation, to ensure a free and fair parliamentary election at the end of the year.



The Supreme Court verdict may not prevent Nawaz Sharifs return to Pakistan. But whether or not he will be allowed to lead the campaign and participate in the election remains unclear.



A larger bench headed by the new chief justice could find ways to re-examine the verdict and the Act, however, the decision may not necessarily go in favour of the PMLN leadership.
A 78-year-old man from Kerala lost Rs 4 lakh to cybercriminals after he tried to cancel a train ticket via the IRCTC website. As per reports, the man came upon a fake website that appeared to be the railway ticketing site and had received a call from a person pretending to be a railway official.



M. Mohammed Basheer from Kozhikode told Mathurbhumi News that after he visited the website, he received a call from someone claiming to be a railway employee. The "official" spoke in both English and Hindi and instructed Basheer into downloading an app named 'Rest Desk' which allowed the scammers to access Basheer's phone. Moreover, Basheer also shared his bank account details and ATM card number with the official.



Soon, he received a message that money had been withdrawn from his savings account. He then rushed to his bank to find that Rs 4 lakh from his fixed deposit had also been withdrawn.



Police told the publication that the scammers repeatedly contacted Basheer using three different phone numbers and although he tried to contact the bank the first time after an amount was withdrawn, the scammers prevented him from doing so. Basheer then formatted his phone to prevent further data breaches and reported the incident to both the bank and the police's cyber cell.



Investigation revealed that Basheer downloaded 'Rest Desk' app which allowed the scammers to access his phone. The money was siphoned off in four separate withdrawals, with Rs 4,05,919 being debited from Kolkata. The police now suspect that the scammers might be connected to people from Bengal and Bihar.



This incident comes days after the IRCTC sounded the alarm on a new, malicious mobile app campaign in which fraudsters have been deploying a phishing scheme through a widespread mobile app campaign, posing as either a legitimate private company or even a government entity.



The scam involves the circulation of phishing links aimed at convincing users to download a fake version of the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app.



Alert: It has been reported that a malicious and fake mobile app campaign is in circulation where some fraudsters are sending phishing links at a mass level and insisting users download fake IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app to trick common citizens into fraudulent activities.

 IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) August 4, 2023





The counterfeit IRCTC app, identified as irctcconnect.apk," is being distributed through popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.



Read more: Whatsapp account hacked: Cybercriminals impersonate user to ask contacts for money
At a time when global companies are grappling with putting an end to working from home and convincing employees to return to office, a recent study conducted in the US has shown that 80 percent of bosses regret their initial return-to-office decisions, saying they would have made their plans differently if they had a better understanding of what their employees wanted.



The study was conducted by Envoy which interviewed more than 1,000 US company executives and workplace managers who work from their offices at least one day a week.



Many companies are realising they could have been a lot more measured in their approach, rather than making big, bold, very controversial decisions based on executives opinions rather than employee data, Larry Gadea, Envoys CEO and founder of Envoy told CNBC Make It.



The study showed that some bosses struggle with measuring the success of in-office policies, while others shared the difficulty of making long-term real estate investments regarding office space and related infrastructure without knowing how employees might feel about working from the office in the near future.



In New York City, office space costs, on average, about $16,000 a year per employee, according to the New York Times. And the constant risk of losing top talent has made companies reconsider their strict return-to-office policies. Research has also shown that companies that force employees to return to the office are more likely to experience turnover issues than those that dont.



Meanwhile, Kathy Kacher, a consultant who advises corporate executives on their return-to-office plans, is surprised the percentage of business leaders who regret their earlier calls to return to office isn't higher.



Many organisations that attempted to force a return to the office have had to retract or change their plans because of employee pushback, and now, they dont look strong, Kacher told CNBC Make It. A lot of executives have egg on their faces and theyre sad about that.



The companies experiencing the most difficulty are the ones that mandated a strict return to the office three days a week without seeking employee input first, she added. Theyre the ones struggling with retention and recruitment, Kacher told the publication. Some of the companies I work with have even scaled back the number of in-office days theyre requiring in response to employee backlash.



Read more: Indians aren't ready to return to office: 71% prefer flexibility to better pay, finds survey
Sridevi (1963-2018) was often cast opposite Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, as they all rose to prominence in the South film industry of the 1970s and 1980s. In Sridevi: The South Years, Amborish Roychoudhury writes about the early years of Sridevi's acting career - how she started working when she was 6, played Muruga in multiple films (starting with Thunaivan in 1969), had a car accident on "set" at 8, and the films she did with Haasan and Rajinikanth. On Sridevi's 60th birth anniversary, an excerpt from the chapter "The Years of Night and Lotus (I)" in Sridevi: The South Years



Rajini (Night) and Kamal (Lotus)...see what I did there?







I have mentioned earlier how Sridevi, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth were growing up together. Kamal Haasan was already a superstar owing to his Malayalam (and later Tamil) films, but Rajinikanth hadnt become the Thalaivar yet.



Sridevi did 18 films with Rajinikanth and 27 films with Kamal Haasan. With Kamal, she formed a popular on-screen romantic pair. They were a thing and people loved to see them together. But it all truly started with Malayalam movies. Between 1976 and 1977, they had featured in as many as five Malayalam films together: Kuttavum Shikshayum (1976), Aadhya Paadam, Aasheervaadam, Sathyavan Savithri and Nirakudam (all 1977). This kind of sudden spurt of prolificacy by this pair in Malayalam cinema is baffling. Many of these films, notably Nirakudam, were box-office hits. Nirakudam was remade from the Tamil classic Bhaaga Pirivinai (1959), which was also remade in Hindi as Khandan starring Sunil Dutt and Nutan. Sridevi reprised Nutans role in the Malayalam film. Another piece that many talk about is a spectacular dance recital by Sridevi in Sathyavan Savithri. Even spectacular as a word falls criminally short of describing what this untrained dancer did there.



The first truly notable film of the KamalSridevi pair was one in which they were not even romantically paired. Manitharil Ithanai Nirangala (1978) was one of those rare Indian films where a man and woman were principal characters in a movie but were not a romantic couple. The film opens with Shantha (Sridevi) trying to find a job in Madras. A man lures her into an interview and forces himself on her. She is then at a police station, crying her heart out, but shes clubbed with a group of women arrested that day for sex work. They mistake her for a sex worker. One of the women takes a liking to her and gives her a place to stay. They become like sisters. But Shantha sees her benefactor being dragged out like a doormat by men. To help her and support her, Shantha tries to venture into sex work herself but a righteous old gentleman reprimands her. When the woman she lived with eventually dies, Shantha is on her own again. She returns to her village and starts living with her friend Devaki (Sathyapriya). Devakis husband, Velu (Kamal Haasan), is a bit of an obnoxious prude but his heart is in the right place. Shanthas past returns to haunt her in the form of the cop who had arrested her before. The village station master (Murali Mohan) falls in love with Shantha. While she ponders whether to reciprocate, the station masters father turns out to be the same old man who once dissuaded her from sex work.



In Tamil cinema till then she wasnt quite the swinging star that she was in Telugu, but through this movie she was able to spread her wings. How much of these complex roles she could actually understand at this stage is debatable but her performances were flawless. It is that indescribable superpower she had that books like this one and many others before this, have attempted to fathom.



The next KamalSridevi outing was just as mainstream as Manitharil Ithanai Nirangala. Partly inspired from the 1945 Hollywood musical Wonder Man, Kalyanaraman (1979) is about a dead man returning from the grave to avenge his own death with the help of his identical twin. It was later remade in Bollywood as Ghazab (1982), with Dharmendra and Rekha playing the lead roles. Kamal Haasan got the author-backed role and Sridevi didnt have much to do, though by now she had acquired the art of making good use of her screen time even in unremarkable roles. This was something that held her in good stead throughout her Bollywood years. Having witnessed the murder of Kamal Haasans character, her character loses her mental balance. There are scenes that bring to mind her histrionics in Sadma/Moondram Pirai, which was still three years away then.



Neela Malargal (1979) was the second remake of Anuraag that Sridevi starred in, after her adult debut Anuragalu, only this time it was in Tamil instead of Telugu. There were many embellishments in the story which made it different from the original film. Additionally, Thayillamal Nannilai has

gone down in history as the only film that had a peacock uniting the hero and heroine (Kamal and Sridevi). The film also brought the trio (of Kamal, Sridevi and Rajinikanth) together again, if only for a few minutes since Rajinikanth was playing a cameo. Sridevi and Kamal were on a roll, as

they became a bankable romantic pair on-screen. Many of these films were successful, with films like Guru (1980) which were major blockbusters. And it was not just any two actors. Both of these people were powerful performers, and they were in their prime. When they shared a frame, it was like talent and charisma oozing out of the screen.



Excerpted from Sridevi: The South Years by Amborish Roychoudhury, with permission from Rupa Publications.
The critically acclaimed blockbuster film Por Thozhil is now out on SonyLIV. Starring Ashok Selvan, Sarathkumar and Nikhila Vimal in key roles, the film is a nail-biting hunt for a serial killer. As the silent senior officer with a troubled past, Sarathkumar anchors the plot with his magnificent performance. In an interview with Moneycontrol, the actor spoke about his experience of working in Por Thozhil, how he chooses his scripts and more. Excerpts below:



You've had a big year so far with Varisu, PS-2 and Por Thozhil apart from other films. What do you look for in a script before saying yes?



The script should have something that allows me to explore my capacity as an actor. My talent should be exposed, and the audience should be able to relate to the film. It should be an entertainer, and by that I dont mean that it has to be a blockbuster. It should add some value to the audience too, not just to my career. They should enjoy the film.







Also read: Por Thozhil director Vignesh Raja on the making of his Tamil serial-killer blockbuster film



Your character Loganathan doesn't speak much and there's only a hint of his painful past in the film. But did director Vignesh Raja flesh out his background for you or did you come up with something yourself that helped you play the role?



Vignesh had written a very good script, and he painted a clear picture of Loganathan for me. In fact, everything in the film, from Ashok Selvans character to the relationship we share, was written out well. Ive been telling people that in recent times, Vignesh is one director Ive seen who comes to you with the entire storyboard that even includes what lens should be used when shooting the scenes. Every shot was drawn. Everything was laid out in front of me when he narrated the script. He also had a speaker that played the different moods of the scenes. I knew right then that he was made of good stuff! Hes an engineering graduate who came to filmmaking, just like Gautham Menon. And I must say that these guys come up with different kinds of scripts.



Ashok Selvan's Prakash has a contrasting personality to your character in the film. How did you both work together to establish that chemistry?



I met Ashok Selvan for the first time on the sets of Por Thozhil. He is known for selecting good scripts. Thats his USP and hes appreciated by the audience for it. I can tell you that hes here to stay. He was looking for a different kind of break at this stage in his career, and on the very first day, we eased into a rapport. Vignesh narrated the story and we started discussing how we both would play our respective characters, share screen space and so on. Vignesh told me that the serial killer was going to surprise me in a scene, and that Ashok would take over  would that be okay? Well, anyone can surprise anyone. Goliath can be brought down by David, after all.



The first scene we did together, we hit it off. This is when I tell him that were going to investigate a double murder and he asks me who is the killer. Off screen, too, all of us have become quite close and we meet whenever possible. We even have a Por Thozhil group where we chat!







Vignesh Raja is a debut director while you've been in the industry since the '80s. New directors often feel intimidated when they're working with senior people in the industry, and I'm sure it isn't easy for someone with so much experience to completely trust a newbie too. How did you work out a comfort level on the sets?



When a director comes to me and narrates the script, I take him as the captain of the ship. I dont do anything to deter him, intimidate him or make him feel that Im a senior artist. I dont try to make any changes in the script or alter his point of view. Once I listen to a script narration and agree to do it, I dont interfere with it.



While shooting, I did offer a few suggestions and if he disagreed with it, he explained why. Whatever he wanted Loganathan to be, I think I was. The very first shot of me where I have my back to the camera was very interesting and showed who Loganathan was. Its Vigneshs film all the way and kudos to him. I hope he becomes a very big director.



While shooting the film, it might be difficult to predict what will work for the audience and what won't. But when you watched Por Thozhil as a finished product, what about it impressed you the most?



The narration was so gripping, and brought me to the edge of my seat. I was glued to the screen. It was very clear even when we were dubbing that we were on the right track. Did I know it was going to be a blockbuster? No. But I knew that we had made a good film. We were satisfied with it, and next it was for the audience to judge. We thought the audience would like the film but not to the extent that they did.







You're among the few male actors in Tamil who've played the hero but eased into playing your age on screen for a while now. Did that decision happen organically?



I took a sabbatical from cinema when I got into politics. I then decided that my passion and my bread and butter were both my profession  acting. So after my stint in politics, I wanted to take up good and relevant characters. I did films like Vaanam Kottattum (2020), Varisu (2023), PS-1 and 2 (2022, 2023). There are a few more upcoming films too. Im happy with what I do and Im learning even now to be a better actor. I watch a lot of films, and every day, I learn. I keep myself up to date. Im even thinking of going to San Francisco to take a refresher (acting) course for a month. Im geared up to do something good, and want to be recognized more than what I am today.



If you had to pick the top five roles from your career spanning nearly 40 years, which films would you pick?



There are films that didnt do well at the box office that are special to me. Like Dasarathan (1993), Aravindan (1997)...there are so many I can pick. These films became a craze after they came on TV, but I dont know why they didnt work in theatres. Then there was Suya Vamsam (1997)  the role I played was done by Amitabh Bachchan in the Hindi remake. The films record for maximum footfalls in Tamil Nadu theatres is yet to be broken. It ran for almost a year. In February 1994, two of my films in which I acted as the hero  Aranmanai Kaavalan that was shot in Mumbai and Captain that was shot in Hyderabad  released on the same day because both the producers were adamant about the release date. Both the films ran for 100 days and thats a credit for any actor. I think people still believe I can do relevant films. They are keeping me alive and I should thank them for it.
A trader's life is full of ups, downs, and changes all around. Case in point: over the next few weeks, we will have to switch to a five-expiries-per-week system. Monday: Nifty Midcap Select. Tuesday: Nifty Financial Services. Wednesday: Bank Nifty. Thursday: Nifty 50. And Friday: BSE's relaunched Sensex and Bankex F&O contracts. While change is the only constant, therapy can help some cope better than others:



1. The 'I hate Friday expiry more than anything' investor: Friday the 13th is a series of horror movies where a crazed villain murders kids who wander into the woods to party. Today the same kids are wandering into the F&O woods to party, believing the foolishness of their youth will protect them from the fallacies of the market. However, even if it is not the 13th, Friday expiry comes to hasten the expiry date of their finfluencer dreams.



2. The 'I am just averaging to hide my below-average investing skills' investor: Rupee cost averaging is one of the most common ways in which over-enthusiastic investors push their savings bank account into below-average territory. For the uninitiated (and wealthier), rupee cost averaging is buying more of a stock you are already invested in when it falls instead of rising in the belief that you will average out your rupee cost. Thats like adding more losers to your already dysfunctional friends circle in the hope that somehow the average will make all of you acceptable. By the end of it, you have below-average friends and a far-below-average bank account.



3. The loss-avoidance investor: This is like hanging on to a bad relationship because you think your significant other will finally become a real-life version of who they claimed to be on Tinder. The RBI just announced an additional 10% CRR on banks to suck out liquidity. Loss avoidance is a CRR you impose on your own portfolio by hanging on to losers who suck out any other profit you could have made on your better calls. Like investing in tomatoes instead of crypto.



4. The passively active-investing investor: Today you have the choice of actively investing in stocks directly or passively investing in ETFs or mutual funds. However, that is not satisfying to the ego. So you mock the losers who do not fancy themselves as Charlie Munger and actively invest in stocks usually by looking at a single quarterly result. But your boss of course sees you as the deluded kid from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory without the golden ticket. Thus, you are too busy to see just how badly your overconfident individual stock bets are doing so you remain passively invested in active self-destruction.



5. The investor who thinks they can time the market: Ask any woman what the worst relationship mistakes the men in their life have made are and they will tell you its not the mistake as much as the bad timing of the mistake that is more infuriating. Like telling your wife you just put all your joint savings into a unicorn IPO on the same day she was about to share the news of her lay off. Market timing is living in the same delusion that you know the perfect time to buy that perfect stock at the perfect price. Buy low and sell high, you tell yourself. As the market whacks you with reality, you see the highs and lows of your partners opinion of you fluctuating.



6. The technical-analysis investor: There will be a lot of technical experts on technical analysis. You might find them in the comments section of a stock page. The comment section is a lot like the WhatsApp group for a building society. You will hear statements like This stock has hit a breakout on the charts. Watch, it will go from 250 to 300 by next month. As it plunges to 150 by next the week, they will become even more technical with explanations like I have seen the RSI. An upwards correction is imminent. Most of these people should be more worried about the upward correction in their BMI.



I hope you will keep this advice in mind every Monday before the markets open. Because if you dont, it just gives me another Funnycontrol article for Friday.
It is natural that the story of Indias freedom struggle is centred around key leaders who directly took on the might of the British Raj. They faced imprisonment, penalties, suffered personal loss, and made huge sacrifices. To name just a few of the top leaders, this includes Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Subhash Chandra Bose. They also worked towards freedom by playing their part in civic bodies and assemblies as and when the participation of Indians in legislative bodies was allowed and expanded.



Underpinning the anti-colonial movement was the discourse of economic exploitation and lack of political freedom. Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917) formulated the drain of wealth theory in the latter half of the nineteenth century, arguing that British rule was draining India of her resources and pulling her towards poverty. Dinyar Patels comprehensive biography of Naoroji maps his anguish and experiences that led to the drain of wealth formulation. Economic historians remain divided over the theory, but Naoroji remains one of the best-remembered early Indian nationalist.



Sharing Naorojis background in commerce were some latter-day leaders who were captains of industry, sat in Assemblies and served on numerous committees in semi-official roles. But neither did they have Naorojis charisma, nor can they be called nationalist. They represented the interest of indigenous business, and had to face the ire of mainstream Indian politicians and British officials.



The stories of the bigger and the better-known ones have been comparatively well documented. Medha Kudaisyas masterful analysis of G.D. Birla, Gita Piramals work on the Bajaj's, and the ever-increasing monographs on the Tatas reveal the rich field of business history. Cipla, Godrej and Wipro have made laudable efforts at company archives. But at the same time, there were some who did not spawn a business empire, nor were they seen as keen followers of Gandhi.



Take, for instance, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola (1862-1942), the Muslim Khoja industrialist from Bombay who seemed indispensable for any committee relating to commerce and industry in colonial India. He was born in Bombay in a family of merchants who hailed from Bhavnagar in Gujarat. Sir Ibrahim was a long-standing member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation, and became a member and chair of both the Bombay Legislative Council and the Indian Legislative Assembly. It is to his credit that the Industrial Commission, Railway Committee and the Fiscal Commission were appointed.



Sir Ibrahim was among the earliest proponents of universal primary education, and spoke about introducing compulsory education in Bombay city. His very first bill in the Bombay Legislative Council was registration of private charities to stem their misuse and facilitate the proper use of funds. In 1921, Sir Ibrahim became the first Indian to be appointed president of the Fiscal Commission. Other members included G.D. Birla, Jamnadas Dwarkadas, and Narottam Morarji. The First World War had ended and there were expectations from Indian businessmen that the British government would usher in greater reforms in return for the help towards the war effort by them, which included the granting of fiscal autonomy.



As this was not offered, Sir Ibrahim, Birla and others made a note of dissent, recording that instead of being a large importer of manufactured goods, India should be allowed to develop her industries to reach a position of exporting her surplus manufactured goods. Sir Ibrahim did not mince words and said that fiscal autonomy was essential for India, arguing that it would allow her, just like Japan, to become a rich and powerful nation. So commanding was his position in Indian business circles that some British officials, including governors, would come to regard him as an evil genius capable of mounting opposition to policies that would harm the interests of Indian business or landlords. That he managed to do all this just about being a matriculate speaks volume about his industriousness and strength of character. His eldest son Fazal Rahimtoola followed Sir Ibrahims career path and was President of the Indian Tariff Board in the mid-1930s. Fazal Rahimtoola was also a long-time director of several companies belonging to the Tata group.



Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas (1879-1961) is a now an almost forgotten personality but in his heyday, he was referred to as King Cotton. There was hardly a sector or business group that would not have taken his help or advice. From trade in East Africa, to imports from Europe; and from internal trade to development of heavy industries, Sir Purshottamdass expertise was sought by the British and fellow Indian businessmen alike.



Sir Purshottamdas began his career in the firm of his uncle Narandas Rajaram and became the first vice-president of the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) in 1907. Just like Sir Ibrahim, he too was a member of the Central Legislature although he did not reach the same political heights. However, in terms of influence among fellow capitalists, he was second to none. Arguably far more involved in business and trade than Sir Ibrahim, Sir Purshottamdas, like any other influential businessmen, had a hard time balancing between politics and business.



He termed Congresss civil disobedience movement a hasty step which wouldnt be conducive to Indias interests. Although Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas respected Gandhi, it didnt stop them from exchanging sharp letters. Around the same time as the civil disobedience movement, in protest against the Cotton Industries Protection Bill which led to differential duties on British and non-British cotton goods, Thakurdas resigned from the Legislative Assembly. Sir Purshottamdas co-founded along with G.D. Birla, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in 1927 on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi.



The uneasy relationship between Indian capitalists and political leaders like Gandhi, Nehru and Patel, and the role of key personalities like Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola and Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas has attracted the attention of economic historians, but there is ample scope for much more work. Over the years, Claude Markovits, A.D.D. Gordon, Aditya Mukherjee, Rajnarayan Chadavarkar, Tirthankar Roy, Nasir Tyabji and others have written on the confluence of politics, labour and business, but in recent years, the trend has shifted to examining the working of large corporates or industrialists.



Figures like Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola and Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas serve to highlight that there were several factions and interest groups within Indian capitalists in colonial India. For example, Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola along with Dorab Tata was in favour of establishing a separate capitalist political party in 1929 which was opposed by Birla and others. And even after Partition, when it became difficult for several businesses to continue trade across the borders, Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas would write letters to ministers in Pakistan seeking interventions on the strength of his past connections.



Mainstream political leaders were well aware of the balancing act by Indian capitalists. Speaking about the industrialist Doshi brothers (Walchand Hirachand group), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel once remarked: Walchand belongs to every party, Gulabchand to the Hindu Mahasabha, Ratanchand to no party, and Lalchand to the Congress.
With Independence Day around the corner, are India women marching merrily towards the date or tiptoeing gingerly with brows furrowed? How far have we come since 1947?



A simple flashback reveals that marriage used to be a must all over the country back then, compared to urban areas currently, where single women live with or without cats. No ones bragging about a grandaunt being sati mata and honour killing is no longer fashionable. Boys and girls even in the most rural terrain have access to schools. Education is getting its slogans. Mother-in-law jokes are passe, the number of children is down to zero or one, science is tackling infertility, gender equality gets lip service and pay parity is on everyones lips.



Women are suing senior colleagues for sexual harassment, if necessary. The #MeToo movement has percolated from city to small towns, with many cases taking down even men in high positions. The onus now being on the man rather than the woman in such cases to prove their innocence has been a major shift in attitudes.



Stats on domestic violence, courtesy the National Family Health Survey, indicate that 29.3 percent of married women from 18 to 49 years of age in India have experienced domestic or sexual violence, in the period between 2019 and 2021. At the recently held Bengaluru Poetry Festival, lyricist Javed Akhtar said that, as a child, he had not known domestic violence existed; his only brush when he once saw their domestic help beating up her husband with her footwear. Memorable anecdote, with roles reversed atypically.



Ambition in women could be considered a curse in some parts, and stalking is still a synonym for wooing, jaise filmon main hota hei. More and more young women are seeing the merits of freezing their eggs, so that their fertile years no longer blackmail them into a hasty tragic marriage. Women as breadwinners sometimes support entire households, along with an unemployed husband to boot. Men taking time out to find themselves is a new trend, with working wives picking up the slack.



Sexually speaking, just like their global brethren, Indian men dont hesitate to send their explicit pictures with a view to boosting their love life. They DM their deepest desires to women they do not know. Men are slowly but steadily catching on to their grooming deficiencies too. Unisex beauty parlours and spas cater to masculine vanity. The metrosexual male is now ready to discuss moisturizers. But a female superstar still eludes us. There is no she equivalent yet to Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth or SRK.



Toon character Savita Bhabhi, who thrives in her porn pursuits despite censorship, perhaps is the face of a neoliberal post-modern India that is caught between its traditional past and western examples of liberty. Bhabhis synonymous with round rotis began to gather nuance. Indian women, like women everywhere, are tugging for more freedom. As Rosie (played by actress Waheeda Rehman) in Guide sings once the aanchal has been pulled out of thorns: aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai.
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Google today paid a heartfelt tribute to late Sridevi with a creative doodle to celebrate her 60th birth anniversary. It was illustrated by Mumbai-based guest artist Bhumika Mukherjee. Born on August 13, 1963 in present-day Tamil Nadu, the actress has starred in nearly three hundred movies over the course of four decades.



The doodle captured the aura of Sridevi with the actress striking a graceful dance pose with bright flowers all around her.



Sridevi fell in love with movies as a child and acted at the age of four in the Tamil movie, Kandhan Karunai. She learned to speak multiple South Indian languages, which allowed her to break into Indias other film industries. Early in her career, she acted in a variety of genres and across multiple film industries, including Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam movies.



In 1976, Sridevi gained national recognition as the protagonist in K. Balachander's Moondru Mudichu. After the films success, she and her co-stars became even more famous with a string of hit films like Guru and Sankarlal. Widely considered the star of Tamil cinema at the time, Sridevis on-screen charisma garnered attention from producers from the Hindi-speaking film industry as well, according to Google.



The actress established herself in Bollywood after playing the lead role in Himmatwala. Over the next decade, she starred in hit films like Sadma and Chaalbaz.



Sridevi took a break from acting in the early 2000s before starring in television shows like Malini and Kaboom. She then joined the Asian Academy of Film & Television board of directors. In 2012, she announced her comeback with English Vinglish. The film marked her successful return as a leading lady in Bollywood after a long hiatus.



The Indian government also honoured her with the Padma Shri. In 2017, Sridevi starred in the crime thriller Mom as a rage-filled and protective mother, earning her the National Film Award for best actress, as per the Google doodle blog.
August 13, 2023

Ukraine Open Thread 2023-192

Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict.

The current open thread for other issues is here.

Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.

Posted by b on August 13, 2023 at 12:43 UTC | Permalink

Comments

next page 
First Hawaiian Bank donates $250,000 to Aloha for Maui Campaign and waives ATM fees at all Maui banks
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 13. Turkiye imported 11,984 tons of marine fuel from Turkmenistan in May 2023, Trend reports.

According to the Turkiye's Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), these figures amount to 0.28 percent of the total Turkish imports of petroleum products in the specified period.

The previous time Turkiye imported 8,787 tons of marine fuel from Turkmenistan (in April 2023). Thus, Turkiye's import of Turkmen marine fuel amounted to 51,937 tons in the first five months of this year.

Furthermore, Turkiye imported over 15,540 tons of marine fuel from Turkmenistan in 2022, which is more than 7.5 times more than in the same period of 2021 (2,060 tons).

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has been actively increasing the export of energy resources to international markets in recent years.
The Guam Federation of Teachers sign near the buildings entrance in Mangilao on Aug. 10, 2023
Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has signed a global partnership with IHG Hotel & Resorts, one of the worlds leading hotel companies to provide its users with a wider array of hotel offerings across the globe.

Through this collaboration, Wego users will be able to search and book 15 of IHGs 18 brands - worldwide - Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, voco hotels, Hualuxe Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Even Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels, Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Travellers will get access to over 4,000 hotels across global destinations and ultimately find the perfect hotel stay that matches their requirements anywhere in the world, said a statement.

IHGs latest offering will be promoted across all Wegos channels, providing travellers with information on the latest properties and trendy destinations.

Commenting on this strategic partnership, Craig Hewett, Chief Hotels Officer and Co-Founder, Wego, said: Partnering with one of the worlds leading hotel companies, IHG Hotels & Resorts, reflects our commitment to provide our users with global hotel offerings and deals. Through this partnership, we will promote IHG Hotels & Resorts to our large user base in the MENA region and aim to convert more bookings to IHGs global network of hotels.

James Britchford, Vice President Commercial, India, Middle East and Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: We are delighted to partner with Wego, the number one travel app in MENA for flight search and booking. Through this partnership, travellers will enjoy more convenience and access to 15 of our brands across our luxury & lifestyle, premium, essentials and suites portfolio in global destinations when booking their trip on Wego.

Wego compares a range of accommodation options available in the marketplace, to offer competitive rates from local and global travel agencies, hotel direct websites and other accommodation merchants.  TradeArabia News Service
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 13. A new metallurgical complex will be launched soon in the Sarkan district (Zhetysu region) in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.

The Sarkan district administration has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the given enterprise.

The paper covers several important topics, including hiring locals for jobs in the new complex, registering industrial facilities on the district's property, and more.

The Lepsin rural district administration reports that Aksenger LTD is building a metallurgical facility for extracting and processing gold-bearing ore close to the Sholkyzyl railroad station.

The amount of investments attracted is approximately three billion tenge ($7.02 million).

The facility's initial production capacity will be 180,000 tons of ore annually. Around 200 workers will be employed in the completion of this massive project.

At the moment, 80 specialists are working on the projects at the sites.

The Sarkan district is home to 21 industrial businesses, and during the first seven months of the current year, industrial production totaled 6.3 billion tenge ($15.05 million).

The industrial production in the Zhetysu region as a whole increased by 10.3% in the first half of the year, totaling 152.4 billion tenge ($356.59 million).
Some Caltrans road projects will impact traffic in the Mother Lode this week, from August 13th to the 19th.

On Highway 49 one-way traffic control at Montezuma Road for drainage work beginning Tuesday through Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday, August 18, 2023, from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

On Highway 4 one-way traffic control near Darby Russel Road will allow for utility work on Friday from 6:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The Highway 4 Wagon Trail Realignment Project work will also occur as detailed here.

On Highway 26 one-way traffic control at Warren Road for traffic signal work beginning Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and overnight from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.

On Highway 26 one-way traffic control at Wimer Road for traffic signal work beginning Tuesday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and overnight from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.

On Highway 26 overnight, one-way traffic control at various locations from Plain/Duck Creek near Linden (San Joaquin County) to Savage Way in Valley Springs (Calaveras County) for pavement work beginning Sunday, through Friday from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Long-term one-way traffic control at South Fork Mokelumne River for bridge work through October 31, 2023.

On Highway 49 one-way traffic control from Court/Adam Street to Highway 12 in San Andreas will allow for utility work beginning Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.

On Highway 120 one-way traffic control at Hopper Street for sign work on Friday, August 18, 2023, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

In Calaveras in the town of Avery, two sections of Moran Road will be closed to through traffic for an improvement project. The work is planned Tuesday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., with the road reopening to local traffic each day at 4:30 p.m. The long-term project will close the road between Segale Road and Love Creek Road through August 23 details are here.

The City of Sonoras bus stop project work on Stockton Street at Washington Street continues as detailed here.

Tuolumne Road North remains closed due to storm damage but as detailed here the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors approved money for temporary repairs to open the road before all the needed drains and road anchoring are done later this fall.

Road projects are subject to change due to traffic incidents, weather, availability of equipment, and/or materials and construction-related issues. Caltrans asks motorists to obey signage and flaggers while slowing down around crews and equipment in the cone zones.
It was a neighborhood disaster! Neighbors trimmed their forty-foot coastal redwoods by removing every other branch from top to bottom. Nests were destroyed. Chainsaw noise scattered creatures.

I knew a squirrel lived nearby. I watched it running along the top rail of the fence. Now displaced, I thought it would be hanging out at my place. Knowing that winter was coming I grabbed my trusty keyboard to learn more about my new guest, a common gray squirrel with a white belly and fluffed tail. I felt it needed a secure home out of the weather. Searching through Pinterest, a plan was discovered and help was bartered.

My craftsman brother agreed to help with the construction. The house needed to be tall, with a doorway facing south and protection from marauding raccoons. The house was built and bragged upon. Hung up in a redwood by coercing a kind neighbor, it sat empty. (I felt like one of those TV designers that everyone sticks their nose up at their homes.) Daily observation led to disappointment as the squirrel raced along the fences and hid in my neighbors Italian cypress. Re-orient the direction of the door? More coercion, another 12-foot ladder, more waiting.

While waiting for my tenant to move in, the great menu search began. What does this squirrel want to eat? Back to the internet; food failure was as certain as a tired, tight-lipped, two-year-old. On the internet (again), there is a food pyramid just for squirrels. Seriously, who has this kind of time? Just as a happy meal is not good every day, some squirrels just do not eat healthy. There were conversations, very one-sided, with me doing all the talking. Sunflower seeds, raw peanuts, sprouting new growth on Japanese maples (what!), and an occasional shelled walnut meat topped the favorites. I might have saved my money on all the ignored fruits and vegetables.

One day, with alerts from my dog, I found the squirrel on my front sidewalk on a date. The date had gotten to the point where someone should be calling for a hotel. Our squirrel was clearly a girl and her new friend was enjoying the free food and more. The squirrel house showed new toothful designs around the door. Jump ahead in time and there were new sets of ears visible through the doorway. The babies looked like Mickey Mouse was their daddy with those monster ears.

Today, three-plus months later, mom is on vacation and the babies have grown like crazy, zooming across my roof several times a day. They have planted peanuts in pots and throughout the neighborhood. I believe one of my gutters is a cache for next winter, filled with peanuts. Peanut shells and sunflower seed shells mulch my yard. My dining room window has become the screen for squirrel television.

While I know squirrels have a reputation as bad actors, at my house they are welcome tenants. They have been fun and exciting. The little peanut farmers will soon need their own homes and I will be off to the lumberyard.

Julie Silva is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener of Tuolumne County.
Claim: On August 8, 2023 Zimbabwe presidential aspirant, Douglas Mwonzora of the Movement for Democratic Change  Tsvangirai (MDC-T) announced his withdrawal from August 23 2023 general election.

But despite his decision local state media quoted the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) stating that Mwonzoras name would remain on the presidential ballot for 2023 since he missed the 21-day deadline for candidates to pull out of the race.

Verdict: True or False? True

What is the procedure for the withdrawal of a presidential candidate?

This is captured in section 107 subsection 1 and 2 of the Electoral Act which states that a nominated candidate for election as President may, by notice in writing addressed to the chief elections officer, withdraw his or her candidature at any time before twenty-one days from the day  on which the poll in an election to the office of president is to be taken.

On receipt of a notice of withdrawal in terms of subsection (1), the chief elections officer shall cause the withdrawal to be published in the Gazette and in all newspapers of mass circulation in Zimbabwe.

Conclusion

In light on the above provision of the Electoral Act, it is too late for ZEC to remove Mwonzora from the ballot, as he made his announcement 15 days before polling day.

What about votes for Mwonzora?

Any votes cast for a candidate who has withdrawn will be considered as spoilt ballots.

 The Standard

Breaking News via Email
In a sh0cking turn of events, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Constable Henry Masimbe finds himself in hot water after attending an opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) rally in Matabeleland North. Masimbe, a nine-year veteran of the force, was arraigned in a police court on charges of contravening Police Service Chapter 10.11 sections 29 and 34, which strictly prohibit active involvement in politics.

According to the charge sheet, Masimbe allegedly attended a CCC rally at Nesigwe Growth Point last Wednesday, despite being off duty. While he claimed to have gone to the Nesigwe police camp to collect a murder docket, witnesses reported seeing Masimbe dressed in civilian clothes enthusiastically participating in the opposition rally.

Eyewitnesses observed Masimbe following the convoy of the CCC and party leader Nelson Chamisa, chanting that one, that one, the young man has arrived.' The constable, reportedly caught up in the fervor of the event, also chanted, The young man should enter, referring to Chamisa, who at 45 years old is the main rival of 80-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The police charge stated that Masimbe was seen clapping hands and acknowledging Chamisas speech, further implicating him in active political involvement. These actions directly contravene the regulations prohibiting police officers from participating in political activities.

This incident marks the second case involving a police officer entangled in election-related violations. Assistant Inspector Chester Matsa, who had been investigating a complaint involving defaced CCC posters allegedly linked to Minister Barbara Rwodzis election runners, faced severe criticism from the minister herself. Rwodzi, who is also the Zanu-PF MP for Chirumhanzu South and deputy tourism minister, publicly labeled Matsa a dog and a stupid idiot.

In response to the backlash, Matsa went into hiding, fearing further intimidation. The police issued a radio dispatch last week, urging Matsa to report for work and warning that if located, he would be arrested and detained.

The ZRPs strict stance on political neutrality among its ranks has come under scrutiny following these incidents. As the cases unfold, questions arise about the extent to which officers can exercise their democratic rights while remaining impartial in Zimbabwes highly charged political landscape.

Breaking News via Email
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, August 13. Asian Development Bank's (ADB) commitments in Turkmenistan in 2022 amounted to $1.19 million, Trend reports.

According to the latest country fact sheet published by the bank, of this amount, some $0.04 million accounted for non-sovereign, while $1.15 for sovereign commitments.

Up to date, ADB has committed 13 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance to Turkmenistan in the amount of $632.6 million. At the same time, cumulative loan disbursements to Turkmenistan total $484.71 million. These were financed by regular ordinary capital resources. ADBs current sovereign portfolio in Turkmenistan includes 1 loan worth $500 million.

As evident from the document, ADB's cumulative commitments to Turkmenistan currently total $636.25 million. Of this sum, the largest volume ($502.3 million) was disbursed on energy sector. The country's transport sector ranks second in terms of ADB's cumulative commitments ($126.88 million).

"ADB has been a long-standing partner of the Government of Turkmenistan, providing assistance crucial to the countrys development needs. ADB helps the government improve transport infrastructure connectivity, diversify the economy, develop human capital and the private sector, and strengthen policy making capacity. Currently, the bank is preparing projects in the health, finance, transport, and energy sectors," the bank added.
NYARADZO NHARINGO was shot at the back of the head  just behind her ear  and the bullet exited through her forehead, missing her left eye by a razor-thin margin.

She somehow survived and is alive to tell the tale. The scar on her forehead will always remind her of the April 23, 2021 ordeal, where the alleged shooter, Peter Dube, also reportedly shot and killed two people at Belmont Flats in Gweru.

The deceased  Shelton Chinhango and Gamuchirai Mudungwe  were shot by Dube, who went on a rampage after suspecting Shelton of having an ffir with his second wife, Nyasha Nharingo, who is Nyaradzos sister. Nyasha is now based in South Africa.

Nyaradzo is not only pained and traumatised by the shooting, but being reported dead in both the mainstream media and on social media platforms is also taking an emotional toll on her. Although three people were reportedly killed on that fateful day, it has since emerged that only Shelton and Gamuchirai died after the heinous attack.

I had come from South Africa, where I was based, to apply for a passport.

The normal process would take long, which prompted me to opt for an emergency travelling document.

It was during the time that I was planning to travel to Harare to apply for an emergency travelling document that I was called by the Masvingo Passport Office.

Shelton then offered to take me to Masvingo, where I was then accompanied by Gamu (Gamuchirai Mudungwe), Nyasha and my other younger sister, Nyaradzo told The Sunday Mail after a visit to her home in Senga, Gweru. Nyaradzo said they delayed returning to Gweru from Masvingo since they had to pass through Sheltons mine.

Upon their return to Gweru, they went to Nyashas apartment at Belmont Flats, where they found Dube locked inside with Nyaradzos child and his two children.

Apparently, Dube and Nyasha have two children. We tried to talk to him to open the door, but he refused.

We do not know why he was refusing to open the door, but our suspicion was that he was angered that his wife, Nyasha, had returned home late.

We then left the apartment to call the police for assistance. Peter refused to open the door, even in the presence of the police. The police then left. We then went to call his first wife (Nomatter Chawana) and his younger brother, Advance, so that they could talk to Peter. That was when he finally opened the door, she said.

Nyaradzo indicated that they sat down with Dube and discussed various issues, including the misunderstandings and disputes he was having with Nyasha. During the conversations, Dube, she said, never even showed any signs he was capable of doing what followed next.

We sat down and we talked over the matter, with Peter seemingly understanding. We advised them not to have altercations in front of their children since one of them is a grown-up. After the conversation, my daughter went to Sheltons car with Nyashas son.

Peter then went downstairs, where Shelton and Gamu were parked, she said.

The next thing she remembers is Dube pointing a firearm towards her and aiming at his son.

She naturally cradled and shielded her child. I never heard the gunshots when he shot Shelton and Gamu. What I remember was seeing him holding a gun when I was walking towards the stairs. I do not know what happened thereafter.

I only saw myself admitted to hospital.

I dont think Peter and Shelton knew each other. Up to this day, I do not know what happened that led Peter to shoot Shelton, and, unfortunately, Gamu is not here to explain what triggered Peter to shoot them.

Nyaradzo believes police could have done more the first time they responded to the incident. She is, however, happy that the long arm of the law seems to have caught up with Dube in Ireland. She hopes this will help bring closure to a crime that almost became a cold case.

I want this matter to come to a conclusion. I am traumatised and stressed each time I think of it, she said.

Nyaradzo also claimed Dube conned her of money and a vehicle after they had entered into a swap-and-top-up deal.

I gave him a Honda Fit plus extra money and he was supposed to give me a Toyota Bubble. As we speak, I could have sold the car to cover my medical expenses. There are scans that cost US$500 and I cannot afford them.

I am no longer able to work because of the injury, and my parents are also not gainfully employed, she said.

Nyaradzo is currently seeking financial assistance. Her father, Ishmael Nharingo, also wants closure.

Peter and Nyasha had not customarily married and they had two children. They were co-habiting. They fell in l0ve and started staying together while renting her a flat in town, he said.

We were living in fear since he had a weapon, and there was nothing we could do.

He never showed aggression and even their domestic dispute only came to light after the shooting. The community is yet to come to terms as to why he would go to the extent of killing these people.

We leave everything in the hands of the police. Let the law take its course. The police never gave us feedback, save to say that people had hope that he will be caught.

We have to wait for his day in court.

The late Gamuchirais sister, Shuvai, said Dubes relatives are yet to fulfil promises they made after her sibling was buried.

We are happy that he was arrested in Ireland, and we hope justice will be served, but it is actually taking us back to the time when we were in mourning.

Dubes family came and engaged us. They made certain agreements; maybe something to do with appeasing. I cannot say much as they engaged my uncles, she said.

Peter was arrested in Ireland in June after The Sunday Mails expose on how he had allegedly skipped the border, assumed a new identity and obtained an Eswatini passport before seeking asylum in Ireland.

He now awaits to be extradited back to Zimbabwe.

 Sunday Mail

Breaking News via Email
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

This post was motivated by The Obama Factor, a long and rambling Q&A between Pulitzer-winning historian and Obama biographer David Garrow, and David Samuels, the Tablets Literary Editor. Garrow and Samuels answer the question posed in the headline in the affirmative; basically, quite possibly, yes. Spoiler: By Betteridges Law, my answer is No, but with significant qualifications.

Most of the reactions to The Obama Factor  which focuses primarily on the irresistible rise of a fabulist creep who had written not one but two autobiographies by the age of 47, both in election years  have focused on Obamas sensational fantasy life. In fact, I can only find serious reaction pieces from FOX and the New York Post; nothing from the other side of the aisle at all, and since the piece has been out for two weeks, I assume there wont be (and if it were easy, the takedowns and the dogpiling would already have happened). Nobody seems to have focused on the most provocative part of The Obama Factor: Why Obama remained in Washington, DC, bought a mansion, and what hes been doing with his time there[1]. In this post, I will take a first cut at explaining that.

I will first look at Obamas neighborhood: Kalorama. Then I will look at his mansion, and what he is known to have done there. I will then present a great slab of Garrow and Samuels, who present the thesis that Obama is running a shadow government long form. I will conclude by briefly critiquing that thesis.

The Neighborhood: Kalorama

Here is a map[2] of Kalorama:

From Washington Socialist:

As locals will remind you, Kalorama comprises two separate neighborhoods: Kalorama Heights (also known as Sheridan-Kalorama) and, to its northeast, Kalorama Triangle.

The Obamas live to the Northeast, in the Kalorama Triangle. Kalorama has always been full of rich people:

Kalorama emerged relatively late as central DC neighborhoods went and was not extensively developed until the very end of the 19th century. It quickly attracted the wealthy and well-connected who built or purchased lavish mansions or fashionable rowhouses.

But now Kalorama is full of nouveaux riche[3] as well. From Trulia, The Real Estate Voyeurs Guide to Kalorama Heights, Washington D.C.s Most Bipartisan Neighborhood:

Shortly after the 2016 presidential election, Kalorama, Washington D.C.a small and tranquil neighborhood located northwest of Dupont Circlesuddenly transformed into the epicenter of wealthy and political elites in D.C. First former President Barack Obama and wife Michelle announced they were moving into an 8,200 square-foot home in the area (which theyve confirmed they are buying). Next, Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos purchased a $23 million Kalorama housethe largest private home in the entire city. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson purchased a $5.5 million property. And most recentlyand prominentlycurrent First Family members Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner began renting a 6,870 square-foot property in the neighborhood.

(Bezos is the dude with twenty-five bathrooms; Jared and Ivanka are already fighting with the neighbors.)

Kalorama is also full of embassies. From the Washington Diplomat:

[There are] 28 embassies in Washingtons well-heeled Kalorama neighborhood. Embassies there include Algeria, Belize, Estonia, Greece, Japan, Latvia, Slovenia, Turkey, Madagascar, Mali and Syria. A variety of ambassador residences also call the tony neighborhood home  among them Afghanistan, the Netherlands and Portugal. Mostly, its simply a friendly neighborhood, European Union Ambassador David OSullivan said. The European Union has had a residence in Kalorama since 1972, and he looks forward to socializing with the new residents. Maguy Maccario Doyle, Monacos ambassador to the U.S., has not run into her high-profile new neighbors yet, but Im thinking of inviting them all over for a glass or two of champagne, she said. Perhaps they will drop by to watch the Monaco Grand Prix with me in the springtime? I would love to host them. Im sure we will discover we all have much more in common than just a zip code In addition, says Maccario, the security is unbeatable, and its reasonably close to the best amenities and businesses that D.C. has to offer.

So, speaking of ambasssadors and unbeatable security, what about the spooks? Bien sur! Town and Country once more:

Kalorama has its quirky side. Marie Drissel and I sampled it on a stroll down Leroy Place, a short street that dead ends into Connecticut Avenue north of Dupont Circle. She lives one street over on Bancroft, where Ralph Naders family have been longtime residents. This was a CIA safe house for years, she says of a large house on her corner. She points out an imposing, red brick house across the street.

Of course, the Spence debacle was in 1989; nothing like it could happen today. And Im sure there arent any safe houses in Kalorama now.

And speaking of spooks and amenities, see WaPos The Shadow World of Craig Spence. A taste:

One Washington Times headline on June 30 said everything: Power broker served drugs, sex at parties bugged for blackmail The problem is that the prominent people named in the Washington Times  Ted Koppel, Eric Sevareid, Phyllis Schlafly, William Casey, Arnaud de Borchgrave and many others  attended the other parties. The parties where: People sat around in a perimeter after dinner discussing trade policy, where American policy makers were ushered into circles of foreign visitors to make serious talk; parties to which Koppel would sometimes send a stand-in; parties so dull that even Dossier magazine wouldnt run the photographs. Spence, meanwhile, is nowhere to be found. His lap dog Winston  from whom he is rarely separated  is at a town house in Upper Marlboro with a longtime Spence employee. The imposing stone house on Wyoming Avenue in Kalorama, where Spence once lived and entertained, is attracting gawking news hounds.

The Kalorama Mansion: $8.1 Million

Obama actually has four homes: In Oahu, Hyde Park, Marthas Vineyard, and the focus of our present interest, Kalorama. From Ghosts of DC, here is the exterior of the 8,200 -square-foot mansion:

And here, from Town and Country, is part of the interior:

These images are from the listing agent; they remind me of the Georgetown safehouse in Spook Country where Milgrim hears the voices of Brown and his handler coming up the stairs, Whispering Gallery style. The decor is certainly very white; Michelle seems to have redecorated it in neutral tones with accent colors.

What Obama Has Done in Kalorama Mansion

Two things that I can track down[4] (given Google and the limited time available to me; I have to attack HICPAC again soon).

First, Obama orchestrated Bidens selection as the Democratic candidate from his mansion. From WaPo, April 14, 2020:

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden for president Tuesday, saying in a video, with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Biden has the character and the experience to guide us through one of our darkest times and heal us through a long recovery. Obama said of his vice president and friend, Joe gets stuff done. Biden has used his eight years serving as Obamas vice president as a central credential in his White House bid. .Obama, in his endorsement, reached out to Bernie Sanders supporters with lavish praise for the independent Vermont senator while scorching Republicans. Visibly graying, Obama taped the video at his home in Washingtons Kalorama neighborhood.

The Night of the Long Knives was March 2. April 14 was the coup de grace. Obama clearly didnt make this video on his iPhone; his office is set up for serious business.

Second, if Roger Stone (2020) is to be believed, Obama orchestrated Stones conviction:

For the sake of journalistic clarity and transparency, the woman appointed as the Jury Forewoman for my trialMs. Tomeka Hartis an established Democratic Party activist and a protege of the Donna Brazile. I have in my possession a sworn affidavit from a secret service agent that claims that he witnessed Atty. Hart entering and leaving the residence of former President Barak and Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett on Kalorama Avenue in Washington, D.C.during my trial.

Well, maybe. I cant imagine this was ever proved in court. What Stones story does show is that Obamas Kalorama mansion has been a focus on the right for some time.[4]

Obamas Shadow Government

With that very long setup, we undertstand Obamas Kalorama milieu and his, well, operational capability within his mansion. We can now turn to the great slab of material I promised from Garrow and Samuels session (bold is Samuels, of The Tablet, roman is Garrow). I have added notes and highlighted comments. A Literary Editor, Samuels, makes the running, but these are strange times:

[SAMUELS] What interests you most about Obama today? [GARROW] The number one thing about Barack this past five years is how completely hes vanished. Why is he living in the center of Washington, D.C., then? Well, how much time is he spending there as opposed to Marthas Vineyard? I have no idea. Between July Fourth and Labor Day, sure. The rest of the year, he lives in a large brick mansion in Kalorama. Doesnt it strike you as weird that hes an ex-president, hes comparatively young, and hes living in the center of Washington, D.C.? The original excuse was that Sasha had to finish school. Then you could say, Well, the opposition to Trump needs a figure to rally around. But now Sasha has graduated from USC, Trump is gone, Joe Biden was elected present, but hes still there. I never see any mentions of him. Doesnt that strike you as odd? I mean, I have heard from more than one source that there are regular meetings at Obamas house in Kalorama involving top figures in the current White House, with Secret Service and cars outside.[1] I dont write about it because its not my lane. There are over a thousand reporters in Washington, and yet there are zero stakeouts of Obamas mansion, if only to tell us who is coming and going. But he clearly has his oar in.. Its turtles all the way down. There are obviously large parts of White House policymaking that belong to Barack Obama because theyre staffed by his people[2], who worked for him and no doubt report back to him. Personnel is policy, as they say in Washington. Which to me is a very odd and kind of spooky arrangement. Spooky, because it is happening outside the constitutional framework of the U.S. government[3], and yet somehow its been placed off the list of permitted subjects to report on. Which is a pretty good indicator of the extent to which the information we get, and public reactions to that information, is being successfully controlled. How and by whom remain open questions, the quick answer to which is that the American press has become a subset of partisan comms. Im going back to something you said 20 minutes ago. From the get-go, I know enough intelligence community stuff that from the first time I saw it, I realized that Christopher Steeles shit was just complete crap. It was bad corporate intelligence, even. It was nonsensical. What scared me back then was coming to understand that a new milieu had been created consisting of party operatives, the people in the FBI and the CIA who are carrying out White House policy, and the press[4]. It is all one world now. And thats something people still seem loathe to admit, even to themselves, in part because it puts them in a state of dissonance with this new kind of controlled consensus that the press maintains, which is obviously garbage. But if you question it, youre some kind of nut.

Readers will understand why I find this thesis attractive. It conforms to my priors!

[1] We have a falsifiable theory. Do a stakeout. [2] A Flex Net, a familiar data structure. [3] Yes, a change in the constitutional order that Ive been yammering about for some time, and also the central, unspoken theme of election 2024. [4] The Twitter Files show this milieu clearly, though Im not sure the command structure is as Samuels understands it. Also, tech is involved throught he content moderaion process, and maybe in other ways. (Milieu is a weak word, I think, but were looking at a hard, unprecedented problem.

Samuels summarizes in his introduction:

To an extent that has never been meaningfully reported on, the Obamas served as both the symbolic and practical heads of the Democratic Party shadow government that resisted Trumpanother phenomenon that defied prior norms . The fact that these were not normal times could be adduced by even a passing glance at the front pages of the countrys daily newspapers, which were filled with claims that the 2016 election had been stolen by Russia and that Trump was a Russian agent.

Now to conclude with a critique.

Conclusion

Take The Obama Factor as read, as Samuels explains it. Is it correct to conceptualize the operation Obama is running from his Kalorama mansion as a government? (Remember that the scope of a shadow government is whole of government, not just parts.) Having read the article, and turning the question over in my mind, I posed the following question to the readership:

Query for the readership: Would Obama have invaded Ukraine, if he had been elected for a third term?

Because if Obamas running the government, then hes also running our proxy war in Ukraine? I should not have written invaded; I am always pressed temporally. Alert reader Nippersdad understood this, and answered what I meant to ask:

IIRC, Burns Nyet means Nyet cable was written during the Obama Administration when he was the Ambassador to Russia, a time in which Obama was saying that Russia had the advantage of proximity to any potential conflict with nearly unlimited ability to escalate (escalatory dominance, I think he called it). He was still saying that he was trying to implement the Minsk Accords as late as Feb. 2016. We are pressing hard to see Minsk fully implemented by the time the president leaves office, said a senior administration official, referring to the pact brokered by France and Germany and signed by Ukraine and Russia. Were aiming for implementation during the second half of 2016. So, no, in spite of the obvious pressure on him it did not look like he would have gone to war with Ukraine in a third term. That was Hillarys bailiwick.

Alert reader Carolinian wrote:

And while I dont like Obama I dont think he would have invaded Ukraine or provoked a war the way Blinken/Biden did. After all Hillary tried to get him to attack Syria and he didnt.

Alert reader IACyclone wrote:

Re: Would Obama have invaded Ukraine given a third term. One of the few good things you can say about Obama is that he possesses a far more realistic understanding of foreign policy than most every other American politician. Hes still on board with the American imperial project and he constantly got rolled by opposing factions within the Deep State, but he at least he wasnt totally high on his own supply. Case in point, he explicitly told Jeffrey Goldberg in an interview that Ukraine is a critical interest to Russia, and that it isnt one for the U.S. Thus Obamas reticence to provide weapons to Ukraine, which Republicans excoriated him over, in order to avoid a cycle of escalation that the U.S. would have no desire or will to match. For all the liberals chanting Slava Ukraine, it would be fun to see the looks on their faces when you remind them that the U.S. started sending actual weapons to Ukraine under the Trump Administration, unlike the Obama Administrations commitment to sending only non-lethal aid.

Alert reader Michael Fiorillo wrote:

I am far from an Obama fan, to put it mildly, but I think hed have been reluctant to go into Ukraine. His refusal to send missiles there and his negotiating with Iran suggests some sense of limits to US power on his part.

And alert reader Pat:

I despise Obama, but I have always given him credit for recognizing what a disaster Hilarys Libyan invasion was and realizing that the advice from that faction was almost consistently wrong.

(I understand Rev Kevs point on Obama closing embassies, but I see that as posturing.)

So, I am with these readers. If Obama would not have fought the Ukraine proxy war that Biden is fighting, then Obama is not governing. QED. This was my first thought as soon as I cooled down  its nice to have ones priors supported  after reading The Obama Factor, which is why I reached out for confirmation. (In essence, Obama never goes near anything that will make him look out of control, or like a failure, or dirty in some way. He moves away from situations like that like a cat backing away from a dish of spilt milk. A war in Ukraine, even a proxy one, would be more than capable of doing all three. So he wouldnt go near it.)

* * *

So what is Obama doing? What is The Obama Factor? Perhaps we should reframe government to that horrid neologism governance. Its clear that Obama is maintaining his FlexNet and using it to.. do.. What, exactly? Control the Party so many of whose members have an Obama-shaped hole in their heads? Control the regulatory state through the Democrat Party? Consolidate the class power of the PMC? Whatever hes doing, we can be sure it will be ice-cold, manipulative, and leave Obama with clean hands. Many have quoted Obamas 2015 interview with quondam comic Stephen Colbert:

The transcript, in relevant part:

[OBAMA:] I used to say if I can make an arrangement where I had a stand-in or front-man or front-woman and they had an earpiece in and I was just in my basement in my sweats looking through the stuff and I could sort of deliver the lines while someone was doing all the talking and ceremony, Id be fine with that because I found the work fascinating, Obama quipped.

As it turns out, Biden is not that front-man; otherwise, Obama would be governing, which is not. But if the entire Democrat Party were Obamas stand-in Well, that would be pretty neat, wouldnt it?

Some quip. When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

NOTES

[1] Interestingly, conservative venues like PJ Media say nothing about this topic at all.

[2] Thank you, Google, for cluttering the map with hotel icons that I have no interest in.

[3] I love it that Jim Bell, a Kalorama resident and executive vice president of TTR Sothebys International Realty, is also known as the King of Kalorama. Also: Besides political heavy-hitters and diplomats, about a third of Kaloramas residents are technology executives and hedge fund workers, Bell said. But no one is blinking an eye over the fame of the newest neighbors. Quite a mix!

[4] Another example is the apparent myth that Obama gave Valerie Jarrett an office in his mansion.
Chinese-run biolab in California awarded $500,000 in taxpayer dollars to fund ILLICIT ACTIVITIES

An unlicensed, Chinese-backed biolab operating in California has come under intense scrutiny after records revealed it was awarded over $500,000 in taxpayer funding

The black market laboratory in Fresno County, which was raided earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was reportedly making illegal Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) tests and was a cesspool of infectious diseases including the coronavirus, malaria, rubella, HIV, chlamydia, E. coli, pneumonia, hepatitis and herpes. Federal agents also found other kinds of hazardous materials, medical waste and over 1,000 lab mice.

According to public records, the biolab previously tied to Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), received $149,824 from the federal government through a COVID-19-era loan program. The loans were disbursed in April 2020 and February 2021.

UMI also secured a $360,000 income tax credit through the CalCompetes program of Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018. However, UMI's failure to meet program guidelines prevented the actual disbursement of those funds.

The company eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2022, paving the way for its acquisition by Prestige BioTech, a company reportedly owned by people based in China, including one mysterious man named Xiuquin Yao, who was listed as the president of Prestige BioTech.

While it produced COVID-19 tests illegally, at the time of the raid the lab was operating legally and the facility was properly licensed and permitted by the state to produce pregnancy, ovulation and menopause diagnostic tests.

Biolab has a potential connection with the spread of COVID-19 pandemic

At the time of the raid, local authorities and federal agencies discovered 900 genetically engineered mice living in distressing conditions, while another 175 were discovered dead. Subsequently, 773 of the mice were humanely euthanized due to their dire condition.

Because of this revelation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Energy confirmed the connection of this biolab to the origins of the global COVID-19 pandemic. (Related: Discovery of illegal laboratory run by a shady Chinese firm heightens suspicions that Biden administration supports CCP-sponsored operations throughout the U.S.)

"The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," said FBI Director Christopher Wray, suggesting a possible accidental leak. Yet, some experts, including Dr. Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist, contend that deliberate actions may have triggered the initial outbreak.

Of course, it was not an accident. I can tell you based on the protocol and also the other surveillance systems it will be impossible for the lab leak to accidentally happen in such a lab.

As the investigation unfolds, Joe Prado, a division manager from the Fresno County Department of Public Health assured the public that all hazardous materials have been disposed of safely. "The evaluation required coordination and collaboration with multiple federal and state agencies to determine and classify biological and chemical contents onsite," Prado stated, highlighting the complexity of handling such hazardous situations.

Xiuquin Yao and Prestige BioTech now face a litany of charges, including "illegal disposal of hazardous materials" and "failure to comply with biological abatement orders." The ongoing investigation continues as authorities work diligently to fully comprehend the scope and implications of this disturbing operation.

Visit BiologicalWarfare.com for more stories about possible biological attacks.

More related stories:

Trouble brewing: Unlicensed Chinese lab in California was stockpiling extremely hazardous materials.

Lawmakers raise concerns about USDA funding Chinese biotech firm blacklisted by the Department of Defense.

900 Mice genetically engineered to be COVID-19 CARRIERS found in believed-to-be-vacant, China-linked Fresno County lab.

Mysterious lab discovered in Fresno, California, "at least 20 potentially infectious agents" detected along with mice engineered to spread pandemics.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

MSN.com

Brighteon.com
After bashing it for 3 years and watching millions die, FDA now admits doctors had every right to prescribe Ivermectin as legitimate treatment for COVID-19

Just how corrupt is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Anthony Fauci and the entire biomedical security state apparatus that peddled fear of Covid and said the only hope of defeating the virus was to wait for a new technologically advanced vaccine  the same vaccine that proved unsafe and ineffective?

(Article republished from LeoHohmann.com)

We are talking about a corruption that is beyond the capacity of many Americans to comprehend.

The FDA, Fauci, the CDC, Biden, the entire U.S. medical system and the corporate media mind-controlled millions of Americans into believing that using the well-known anti-microbial drug Ivermectin was a laughingstock perpetuated by quacks and conspiracy theorists.

They kicked to the curb any physician who sought to prescribe Ivermectin to his or her patients infected with Covid. Despite the fact that Ivermectin has been FDA-approved for use in humans for decades, this same deep-state apparatus made it sound like Ivermectin was just a horse drug that stupid people were dangerously ingesting in a failed attempt to ward off Covid.

They mocked and derided us. Telling us we were using horse paste that was meant solely for livestock, when it was a known fact that Ivermectin, while used to protect equines and bovines from various viral infections, is just as effective in humans.

Now comes the bombshell report weve all been waiting for, exposing who the real quacks have been all along, detailing how they suppressed the administering of a well-known, very effective drug during the heat of the Covid pandemic that could have saved millions of lives.

The Epoch Times reports that doctors are now free to prescribe Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, two years after millions were killed by doctors listening to Fauci and the FDAs advice not to treat them with a known effective drug.

It all came out this week in litigation against the FDA.

A lawyer representing the FDA said FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe Ivermectin to treat COVID.

That lawyer is Ashley Cheung Honold, a Department of Justice lawyer representing the FDA. She made her comments during oral arguments on August 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

The government is defending the FDAs repeated exhortations to people to not take Ivermectin for COVID-19, including a post on Twitter that said Stop it.

Three doctors brought the case against the FDA, alleging the federal agency unlawfully interfered with their practice of medicine with its repeated statements blasting and denigrating the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid patients.

Why did it take this long, you ask? Because a federal judge dismissed the case on December 6, 2022, prompting an appeal.

Jared Kelson, representing the three doctors, told the appeals court:

The fundamental issue in this case is straightforward. After the FDA approves the human drug for sale, does it then have the authority to interfere with how that drug is used within the doctor-patient relationship? The answer is no.

The FDA on August 21, 2021, wrote on Twitter:

You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, yall. Stop it.

The post, which linked to an FDA page that says people shouldnt use Ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19, went viral.

In other statements, the FDA said Ivermectin isnt authorized or approved to treat COVID-19 and Q: Should I take Ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19? A: No.

The plaintiffs are Drs. Paul Marik, Mary Bowden, and Robert Apter. They say they were professionally harmed by the FDAs statements, including being terminated over efforts to prescribe Ivermectin to patients.

Other doctors were threatened with having their licenses revoked if they prescribed Ivermectin for Covid.

The Epoch Times article cites Dr. Marik, chairman of the Frontline Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance, as noting that a number of studies support using Ivermectin against COVID-19, as the FDA itself has acknowledged.

Federal law enables the FDA to provide information, such as reports of adverse reactions to drugs, but not medical advice, attorney Jared Kelson said.

A version of the drug for animals is available, but Ivermectin is fully approved by the FDA for human use against diseases caused by parasites.

Honold, the FDA lawyer, argued that the FDA didnt require anyone to do anything or to prohibit anyone from doing anything.

What about when it said, No, stop it? Circuit Judge Jennifer Walker Elrod, on the panel that is hearing the appeal, asked.

Why, isnt that a command? If you were in English class, they would say that was a command.

Honold described the statements as merely quips.

So they were just playing with us. They were just making quips, playing with our minds and trying to influence us not to use Ivermectin, but they werent requiring us to do anything.

Remember that next time you hear anything come out of the FDA, or any government agency for that matter.

Below is just one of the hundreds of corporate media reports mocking Ivermectin as a drug intended for barnyard animals, and citing the FDA as the authority warning Americans not to take it.

Faucis hands are also full of blood. He was routinely bashing Ivermectin as a viable treatment for Covid during the peak of the pandemic. In an interview with CNNs Chuck Todd, Fauci also said, Dont do it.

The interview appeared totally staged. Todd phrased the question this way: Cases are spiking in places like Mississippi and Oklahoma, because some Americans are trying to use an anti-parasite horse drug called Ivermectin to treat coronavirus. What would you tell someone who is considering taking that drug?

Dont do it. There is no evidence whatsoever that that works and it could potentially have toxicity because theyve taken the drug at a ridiculous dose and wind up getting sick, and theres no clinical evidence that indicates that this works.

The reason Fauci, the FDA and the entire mainstream corporate media had to destroy the credibility of Ivermectin was because they had the real toxic drug  mRNA jabs  ready and waiting to be deployed, the one that indeed had no clinical evidence of efficacy or safety.

We must also remember that hospitals only received their bonus cash payouts if they used the vaccines and an expensive new drug called Remdesivir, which in many cases led to kidney organ failure. And many states barred pharmacies from filling prescriptions for Ivermectin even when doctors prescribed it.

These were crimes against humanity on a scale the world has never seen.

As a result, millions died.

Read more at: LeoHohmann.com
How did pharma buy so many governments?

Among the many alarming revelations from the Facebook files is the discovery of a strange official policy that dominated the platform in the COVID years.

(Article by Jeffrey A. Tucker republished from TheEpochTimes.com)

For content that doesnt meet that threshold, we instituted borderline demotions, the company wrote on July 16, 2021. For example, someone sharing negative side effect posts. Similarly, posts questioning whether you get a vaccine under a mandate, whether its government overreach. We demote those. Thats not false information but it leads to a vaccine negative environment.

This formerly trusted platform had become a major source of news for millions. Users believed it was an authentic expression of what their friends are thinking and doing. It turns out that for any injury caused by the vaccine, people were silenced. Meanwhile, major media was screaming at everyone that these shots are necessary, safe, and effective, none of which was true. But users did not know this was going on.

The policy was pushed by the federal government on all major social media platforms. This massively distorted public debate. Anyone who spoke about the downsides of the vaccine was treated as a crank and a public danger. All claims that contradicted the government and pharmaceutical line were demoted or deleted for creating a vaccine-negative environment.

I was personally denounced in many articles for raising questions about the shots.

Its no wonder, then, why its been so incredibly difficult to gain any real clarity about the risk profile of these shots. The age gradient of risk was widely obscured throughout the entire period, all in the interest of imposing universal lockdowns and then shots for everyone, even those who were at zero risk from the virus.

To this day, there is no honest discussion of this topic in official circles. No major media or tech company has apologized. We only have the above policy documentation because the House of Representatives under Republican control forced Mark Zuckerberg to cough it up. Now we know that the official policy of both government and its allied tech companies was to keep the public in the dark.

The extent of the damage and death caused by the vaccine is left to independent researchers who are working for a tsunami of anecdotes and hard-to-find data. There is a concerted effort to cover it all up, no doubt. It is all done on behalf of the winning pharmaceutical companies and their deployment of a new platform technology for what they call vaccines even though mRNA shots would never have been called that a few years ago.

Some people are not surprised by the power of this industry. I am. Its all new to me. When the lockdowns came, my operating theory was that a bunch of scary intellectuals were using the social order as an experiment in pathogenic control, one destined to fail. I never imagined a larger agenda aside from an appalling exercise of power. I certainly never imagined that pharma was the hand in the glove.

When we first started hearing news of the coming antidote, I dismissed this possibility out of hand. I knew from my reading that vaccines were only workable for stable viruses with unchanging profiles. Smallpox, measles, mumps, polio, and others qualify. But a coronavirus is fast-mutating especially since we knew it spread widely due to a fairly low fatality rate.

Incredibly, I never imagined that a vaccine for such a virus would ever gain approval. My operating understanding of the FDA was that it was bureaucratically risk-averse. It was more inclined to refuse approval than grant it prematurely. This was wrong. Using the excuse of emergency, and smearing and deprecating all therapeutics as a condition for emergency approval, it sailed through.

When uptake on the shots was low, the government went hardcore with mandates. Major cities actually segregated based on vaccine status. There were attempts to implement digital passports. These mostly flopped. People quit their jobs, moved to new cities, and vast numbers somehow managed to avoid the needle. Uptake was lower on the boosters and bivalents, which similarly sailed through the approval process.

How can we explain this?

The regulatory agencies get half or more of their own funding from pharmaceutical companies. Media broadcasts the propaganda because three-quarters or more of their advertising revenue comes from pharma. The development of the shots themselves benefitted from enormous government grants. The companies that are given approval are then given a complete patent monopoly on the drugs, so that they can take legal action against all attempts to reproduce them.

More than anything else, these vaccines benefit from protection from liability from harm they cause. Just think about this. Why would any government ever grant such an exclusion from liability? It makes no sense. If the shots are safe, indemnification would not be necessary. If they are not safe, such indemnification would be grossly irresponsible.

Nonetheless, in 1986, lawmakers approved 42 U.S. Code  300aa22, No vaccine manufacturer shall be liable in a civil action for damages arising from a vaccine-related injury or death associated with the administration of a vaccine after October 1, 1988, if the injury or death resulted from side effects that were unavoidable even though the vaccine was properly prepared and was accompanied by proper directions and warnings.

The PREP act of 2005 further codified this. This was invoked in March 2020. The government might as well have announced to the country and the world: we are coming to hurt you. Its the very opposite of the Hippocratic Oath. Indeed, this case shows why such an oath was necessary in the first place.

Adding all of this together, you have a completely indefensible industrial monopoly in operation and fully out in the open. These days, the FDA, having driven out anyone with integrity from its ranks, routinely approves drugs without proper successful trials. It seems to happen daily: RSV shots and OCT birth control are two recent cases. The new head of the CDC introduced herself to the public with a big push for everyone to get the RSV vaccine, especially infants.

There is simply no theory of political economy, medicine, political science, philosophy, or ethicswhether ancient or modern, left or rightthat can justify such an absurdly dangerous system. It would be one thing if such an industrial monopoly made a mess of a single sector of life but our times have revealed something much more shocking. Pharma has essentially bought most governments in the West and converted them into doing their bidding.

This is simply intolerable. Ive just about had it with the claims that the adverse effects of these vaccines are rare. We dont know that. In any case, rare has no firm definition. Plus, if Im dead on the street from having been run over by a bus, it does me no good for bystanders to stand around proclaiming that my death is rare. Indeed for me, my chance of getting killed by a bus is ex post facto 100 percent.

What the vaccine-injured need is compassion, public attention, care, and compensation. It adds gross insult to injury to demote their plight as irrelevant because knowing about it contributes to a vaccine-negative environment. This is not the Soviet Union and we dont live in a country founded as a biomedical security state ruled by pharmaceutical monopolies using the people as guinea pigs in genetic experiments.

The whole machinery must come to an immediate end, starting with the end of indemnification against harm. It never should have been granted. Moderna and Pfizer are already facing dramatic declines in stock valuation after the discrediting of their shots. What would happen to their stocks if they bore some financial repercussions for damages they have caused?

Tonight, Brownstone Institute is cooperating with The Epoch Times for a showing of the marvelous film Unseen Crisis. Its about vaccine injury. Finding a venue to host the film was not easy. As soon as the independent theaters in town found out the subject, they figured out a way not to accept new showings. Fascinating.

The crisis is indeed unseen. It must be seen if we expect to regain our status as a civilized and self-governing people.

Read more at: TheEpochTimes.com
Report: Katie Hobbs asked Twitter to censor users criticizing her Trump neo-Nazi post uncovered by Breitbart

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) reportedly reached out to Twitter in 2020 to censor users who criticized her 2017 posts uncovered by Breitbart News, in which she claimed former President Donald Trump had a neo-nazi base.

(Article by Jordan Dixon-Hamilton republished from Breitbart.com)

Days after the 2020 election, Breitbart News reported that Hobbs said Trump had a neo-nazi base while she was serving as a Democrat state senator in 2017. Hobbs tweet appeared to be a reaction to the false narrative that Trump praised neo-nazi rioters in Charlottesville.

.@realDonaldTrump has made it abundantly clear hes more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being @POTUS for all Americans, Hobbs posted at the time.

.@realDonaldTrump has made it abundantly clear he's more interested in pandering to his neo-nazi base than being @POTUS for all Americans.  Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) August 15, 2017

The President is on the side of the freaking Nazis. Dont just say stuff  DO SOMETHING, she added.

The President is on the side of the freaking Nazis. Don't just say stuff - DO SOMETHING!!! https://t.co/Es9ScskF58  Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) August 12, 2017

It took you a day and a half to figure this out? Also if youre not condemning @POTUS for not condemning nazis, its just words, she

It took you a day and a half to figure this out? Also if you're not condemning @POTUS for not condemning nazis, it's just words. https://t.co/OI0JAlvOYX  Katie Hobbs (@katiehobbs) August 14, 2017

Trump did, in fact, condemn the neo-Nazis on multiple occasions in the aftermath of the Charlottesville riots.

As Breitbart News detailed:

Aug. 12, 2017: Trump condemned violence on many sides in Charlottesville after neo-Nazi and Antifa clashes

Aug. 14, 2017: Trump condemned neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups in White House statement

Aug. 15, 2017: Trump condemned neo-Nazis totally, praised non-violent protesters on both sides of statue debate

On Thursday, Fox News revealed that Hobbs emailed Twitter in an attempt to censor critics who were upset with her posts about Trump and his base, relying on recently obtained emails.

As Fox News reported:

On Nov. 13, 2020, Hobbs emailed Twitter  using her official Arizona secretary of state email  asking the support team to take action against her online trolls. Twitter asked for more information and for Hobbs to provide examples for her request, which Hobbs was unable to provide.

Hobbs request for Twitter to silence her critics came one day after Breitbart News published the report revealing her feelings about the Trump base.

In her response to Twitter, Hobbs claimed she was being harassed and abused by the alt-right.

I am not sure I can provide the information you are asking for because I reported and then blocked multiple users at the same time, Hobbs responded to Twitter. The alt-right got a hold of a 3-year-old tweet on my account and have been sending harassing, abusive, and threatening tweets and direct messages for the last 2 days.

AZCapitols Brian Anderson told Fox News the emails leave no doubt that Katie Hobbs abused her position of power in government.

She violated the First Amendment rights of people across Arizona in order to suppress valid criticism and prop up her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, Anderson said. Its imperative that further investigations be initiated to shine a light on just how far Hobbss unconstitutional censorship campaign went  and whether it continues today.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
Western defense industry expected to make over $400 BILLION IN SALES by end of the year amid ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict

The top defense contractors in the United States and the rest of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are expected to rake in over $400 billion in arms sales by the end of the year, a nearly $50 billion increase from last year

Last year, defense contractors in the U.S., European Union and the United Kingdom, benefiting greatly from the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine, made hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue. The top five weapons contractors in America alone made $196 billion in military-related earnings, with Lockheed Martin dominating with a whopping $63 billion in revenue. (Related: Pentagon report: Huge amount of U.S. military aid to Ukraine has been stolen by criminal organizations and arms traffickers.)

According to Defense News, four U.S.-based defense corporations were among the world's top five military contractors  Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, and General Dynamics  thanks in no small part to America being the main source of weapons and military hardware for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. Washington has already committed nearly $40 billion in military aid to Kyiv.

Western defense industry already made over $200 billion this year

During the first half of the year, the top 25 Western defense contractors increased their revenue by 11 percent to $212 billion. According to calculations, the total arms sales for these corporations are expected to surge to around $448 billion by the end of the year. This would be a $47 billion increase compared to last year.

Furthermore, by 2026, the revenues of these 25 defense contractors could rise by more than 20 percent to $554 billion. This growth would not only come from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine but from the rapid rearmament of Europe's armed forces.

Further estimates suggest that Western defense contractors will likely increase their revenues by more than $150 billion, or 37 percent, from 2021 to 2026. This would be nearly double the expected economic growth of developed nations during the same period. The International Monetary Fund estimates that, by 2026, the collective GDP of advanced or developed nations will be $67.8 trillion, a nearly 20 percent increase from $56.6 trillion in 2021.

"Ukraine may be resembling a bloodbath  but apparently, Western military corporations are swimming in a bonanza of profits and stock market investments," wrote the editorial team of the Strategic Culture Foundation (SCF). "Most of this lucrative new business stems from NATO's proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, which is heading toward its second year. There is no sign of a diplomatic effort from the West or the Kyiv regime it sponsors to end the bloodshed."

The flow of money into the hands of defense contractors is expected to continue. President Joe Biden's administration recently requested another $24 billion in taxpayer-funded aid for Ukraine, bringing the estimated Ukraine-related spending of the U.S. and NATO this year alone up to between $150 billion to $200 billion.

"What we are seeing is an audacious racket whereby the American and European public are subsidizing the funneling of their own taxpayers' money into the coffers of weapons firms," wrote the SCF. "And there is no democratic choice in the matter. It's a fair accompli. Or, put another way, extortion."

Watch this episode of "In The Trenches with Teddy Daniels," featuring Jarome Bell discussing how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "sucking America's teets dry" with the tens of billions spent on military aid.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

ENDLESS AID: Biden to ask Congress for supplemental aid package "north of $10B" for Ukraine.

Nearly half of "foreign policy experts" who signed letter seeking more weapons for Ukraine are tied to lucrative defense industry.

Pentagon overestimated value of military aid sent to Ukraine by $6.2 billion  this means MORE weapons will be sent to Ukrainian armed forces.

Global military spending hits record-high $2.24 trillion amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine, heightened tension in Taiwan.

U.S., NATO using discredited domino theory to justify spending even more taxpayer-funded arms shipments to Ukraine.

Sources include:

Strategic-Culture.org

RT.com

ResponsibleStatecraft.org

Brighteon.com
Time is a measurement used to determine the progress of events, including the past, present, and future, according to physics. It is both a concept and a dimension, defined by physicists, to be non-tangible but is also a part of our reality. Although our understanding of time seems to be linear, the theoretical physicist Albert Einstein determined that time is relative.

Einstein's theory of relativity indicates that time is different depending on the location and speed of an individual or object, relative to the observer. In addition, it can also be influenced by gravity, resulting in time dilation. Other physicists inspired by Einstein's special theory of relativity and the general theory of relativity postulate that, theoretically, people can age at a different pace, especially if one travels near the speed of light or is near a black hole.

For decades, both scientists and laymen enthusiasts have often wondered if time is just an objective reality or a fundamental part of our universe. The subject also captured the imagination of many, including the thought of time travel. However, physicists assert that time travel into the past is impossible while going into the future is possible.

Interstellar Movie

In the 2014 film "Interstellar," the theory that time is relative was portrayed when a group of two astronomers and an engineer landed on a distant planet located in a different galaxy via a wormhole in our Solar System. The team seemed to have spent several hours on the alien planet to find a scientist that arrived before them.

Upon returning to their spaceship due to an emergency, one of their crew members left behind their spacecraft drastically aged while waiting for them, only for the group to find out that 23 years have already passed.

The movie explains that the passage of time in the said planet is extremely slow since it is near a black hole, with a strong pulling gravity. Meanwhile, the time on Earth moved faster because of relativity, with its inhabitants aged for 23 years, while the space expedition group who landed on the planet remained young.

Also Read: 'Dr. Who' in Real Life? Time Travel Might Actually Be Possible, Mathematically Speaking

Time is Relative

In 1905, Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity, which pertains to the relation of time with light and energy. Meanwhile in 1915, the renowned physicist's General Theory of Relativity was published and talks about another force in the universe that affects time: gravity, according to the American Museum of National History.

The combined theories, in the context of people aging at a different pace, apply to all observers and those undergoing acceleration. Yet, reaching such a feat is impossible, at least for now. This high improbability is evident as physicists have asserted that humans have no means traveling at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second, according to NASA.

One of the major factors that prohibit our crafts from reaching light speed, or at least near it, is due to the presence of mass and other decelerating factors that lack of an infinite amount of energy.

Related Article: Proof of Time Travel? Hieroglyphs Show Ancient Egyptians Use Electricity 4000 Years Ago
Vaquita porpoises (Phocoena sinus) in the Gulf of California or Sea of Cortez are facing an undeniable threat that could lead to their extinction or further population decline. With this, marine authorities have issued an extinction alert to highlight their current conservation status and protect them from gillnet fishing. In recent years, the world's smallest living cetaceans remained resilient. However, it is not clear if they could bounce back from near extinction.

The vaquita is only endemic in the northern end of the waters off Baja California, Mexico. Due to the threat of gill entanglement in fishing gear, authorities have imposed a ban on gillnet fishing in the area. Yet, international conservationists are calling for further action to ensure the absolute protection of marine mammal species.

Extinction Alert

In a news release on Monday, August 7, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) issued its first ever 'vaquita extinction alert,' stating the said marine animal, found only in the northern Gulf of California is in the edge of extinction due to gillnet entanglement. This is despite almost 30 years of repeated warnings, the statement adds.

The extinction alert does not entail that the total annihilation of the remaining vaquita population is inevitable. With only 10 of the porpoises remaining, the IWC still believes there is a chance of recovery for the animals if there will be 100% enforcement of a ban on gillnets, especially in their core habitat.

Also Read: Vaquita Porpoise on the Verge of Extinction [VIDEO]

Vaquita is Critically Endangered

From an approximate population of 570 in 1997, the endangered vaquita population plummeted to 10 in 2018, which remained somehow constant since then, says the commission. The current number of the porpoises appeared to be influenced possibly by increased implementation of gillnet bans and net removals.

The vaquita porpoise is Earth's most endangered marine mammal, according to the non-profit organization Porpoise Conservation Society. P. sinus, as a species, has been classified as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In 2005, the Mexican government ordered the protection of the sea creatures within its borders.

Gillnet Entanglement

As mentioned earlier, gillnet entanglement is the leading cause of vaquita porpoise deaths as they can also be caught by fishermen, even unintentionally.

Gillnet fishing is a method that uses gillnets as a vertical netting hanged in the water column and it is typically made of multifilament nylon or monofilament, according to the NOAA Fisheries.

The gillnets are designed to allow fish to only squeeze their head through the nets but not the rest of their bodies. Once the fish passes through, its gills are also caught in the mesh as they attempt to back out from the net. The more the fish struggles, the more it becomes entangled, the said U.S. government agency explains.

Aside from gillnet entanglement, other fish species and marine animals have died from the use of explosives while fishing, plastic and toxic pollution, and ocean warming.

Related Article: Endangered California Vaquita Porpoise Could Be Saved From Extinction If We Stop Illegal Fishing
A recent study has challenged the origin of the Himalayan mountain range, home to the world's tallest peaks.

In research published in the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers from the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability suggested that around 63 million to 61 million years ago, the oceanic portion of the Indian tectonic plate subducted, causing the Himalayas to move.

This implies that, prior to the impact, the mountains had already achieved roughly 60% of their current elevation.

"Previously it was assumed that continent-continent collision (India plate with Eurasian plate) was required for such high elevation to be obtained," study lead author Daniel Enrique Ibarra, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Brown University, said in an email interview.

The Himalayas presently have an average elevation of 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) and are home to Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, which stands 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) above sea level.

Read Also: Evidence Of Massive Landslide In Himalayas During Medieval Era Found

Paleoaltimetry technique

The researchers utilized paleoaltimetry, which is a technique used to analyze meteorites to determine past altitudes in sedimentary rocks. They were astounded to discover that the massive mountain range did not appear in a single cataclysmic event.

While there was a continent-to-continent collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, it was only at the final push and had little to do with the initial uplift.

Instead, they discovered that the tectonic plates were already pressing against each other, forcing the Himalayas to rise to about 3.5 kilometers, or 3,500 meters, on average, nearly 60% of their current height.

According to the study, while the tectonic dance began as early as 63 to 61 million years ago due to the subduction of the oceanic section of the Indian tectonic plate, the towering peaks were constructed by a continent-to-continent collision 45 to 59 million years ago.

For the first time, the study has shown that the edges of the two tectonic plates were already quite high prior to the collision that created the Himalayas, which is about 3.5 kilometers or 2.2 miles on average, according to senior study author Page Chamberlain.

Chamberlain serves as a professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Stanford University.

This study calls into question the long-held belief that major tectonic collisions are required for the development of mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.

Significant impact on climate and ecosystem

The study suggests a new understanding of the creation of the Himalayas has implications for our knowledge of the region's previous climate.

This also questions the existing theories about the creation of other mountain ranges, such as the Andes and the Sierra Nevada. The discovery may also help in explaining climate events such as the formation of the east and south Asian monsoon systems.

Ibarra had pointed out that the new understanding could reshape the theories that were made about past climate and biodiversity.

However, researchers noted that more research are needed to investigate these discoveries and improve the public's understanding of the mechanisms that shape the landscapes of our world.

Related Article: Himalayan Glacier Massive Loss Reaches 65%

Related Video:
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 13. The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has signed a decree aimed at reducing emissions in industry, Trend reports.

The funds of the World Bank in the amount of $46.25 million are used for the effective implementation of the set goals.

This joint project with the World Bank consists of two key components:

1. "Agreement to purchase reduced emissions" with total funding of $20 million;

2. "Agreement to purchase mitigation results" with the allocation of funds in the amount of $25 million.

In the context of the first agreement, it is envisaged to agree on a price for reduced carbon emissions in the amount of $15 per ton, while under the second agreement, it is $30 per ton.

Moreover, in terms of funding, $1.25 million will be allocated to the Global Fund for Adaptation and Emission Reduction, and an additional $2 million will be allocated for the development of a greenhouse gas registry and the creation of a monitoring, reporting, and verification system (MRV).

According to the taken measures, it is planned to develop a database for the greenhouse gas registry and the MRV system on an online platform focused on supporting the green economy within two months.
Trimeresurus Salazar, an Indian pit viper species named after the literary character Salazar Slytherin, was uncovered by scientists in 2020.

New Species: Trimeresurus Salazar

The charismatic venomous pit vipers belonging to the genus Trimeresurus have morphologically and ecologically diverse species. They can be found throughout East and Southeast Asia. There are at least 48 known nominate species, at least 15 of which are found in India. Northeastern India is home to seven of the species known to exist in India.

Since many species of pit vipers have cryptic morphology that makes it difficult to tell them apart in the wild, the diversity of pit vipers is probably underestimated. Multiple lines of evidence are essential for the definition of cryptic species, including morphology in addition to DNA and ecological information.

Salazar Slytherin

A species of green pit viper, Trimeresurus Salazar, with distinctive stripes and coloration patterns, was found close to Pakke Tiger Reserve during an expedition to India's Arunachal Pradesh, a region of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot.

The snake is so named in honor of Salazar Slytherin, a fictitious character created by J.K. Rowling, who is one of the wizard founders of one of the houses at the magical boarding school Hogwarts. Slytherin happens to be a parselmouth, one who can speak the language of snakes. It is fitting that the insignia of the Hogwarts house named after him is designed with a snake in colors of green and silver.

In the book series, Slytherin preferred students who were crafty, ambitious, resourceful, and-controversially-descended from solely magical lineages, or "pure-blooded."

Also Read: Warm Weather Coaxes Snakes Out of Their Dens in Texas, Officials Warn

Advances in Biodiversity

Dr. Zeeshan A. Mirza, the lead researcher of the study from India's National Centre for Biological Science in Bangalore, stated that future-focused surveys carried out throughout northeastern India will help keep track of biodiversity, which is threatened by numerous urban growth and development activities such as agriculture, road widening, and hydro-electric projects.

The eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot at the foot of Arunachal Pradesh is under severe threat from human activity, and Salazar's pit viper is the second new pit viper to be found there.

The finding was made for several reasons, including the fact that the biodiversity of the area has not been well documented and that pit vipers' similar appearances can cause species diversity to be missed.

Salazar's pit viper is not the only species whose name was inspired by the enormously well-liked children's novels. A spider identified in 2016 was given the name Eriovixia gryffindori because it resembles a wizard hat, and a wasp described in 2014 was given the name Ampulex dementor after the unsettling, soul-eating enforcement officers of Azkaban, the wizard prison.

Even though they sound amusing, these names have a serious purpose. The researchers contend that the Arunachal Pradesh hotspot desperately requires positive attention, which might be attractive with a creative name.

Related Article: Rattlesnake Mistakenly Trapped in Arizona Home for Two Years with No Food Supply, Still Survived
In Australia, three individuals were killed and one was hospitalized over a mediation lunch featuring beef Wellington with death cap mushroom.

Beef Wellington Lunch With Death Cap Mushrooms

Five family members had quietly met for lunch in a far-off Australian hamlet two weeks earlier.

Unbelievably, a day later, all four guests were seriously ill, and within a week, three of them tragically passed away.

48-year-old Erin Patterson, the cook for the meal, came under scrutiny because she was suspected of purposefully poisoning her family members with lethal wild mushrooms.

Patterson vigorously denies having malevolent intent while claiming that the dinner did not damage her and that she was unaware of the mushrooms' toxicity.

She allegedly unintentionally used death cap mushrooms, the most lethal fungi on the planet, in her recipe. A food dehydrator was seized by authorities from her house.

Australia is captivated by this puzzling case, which is mystifying law enforcement and leaving the public in search of explanations.

Mushroom Poisoning: I nearly died after my wife put death cap funghi in my spaghetti bolognese https://t.co/RCepuOCKy1 pic.twitter.com/Tz6KBr2LYP  Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 11, 2023

Those that were invited during lunch included Erin's estranged husband Simon, his parents Gail and Tom, Gail's sister Heather, and Heather's husband Ian.

Simon's fairly recent GI problems add to the intricacy. Simon and Erin's children were taken under protection.

Estranged Husband Cancels Last Minute

They gathered at Ms. Patterson's home for a family talk facilitated by the church. Simon was spared from the meal because he backed out of the meeting, according to Simon's friend.

Due to their connections to the church, the deceased--Gail, Don, and the Wilkinsons--went through with the meal as they wanted to asses Ms. Patterson's standing about getting back with Simon, which is something they are not keen on.

According to the friend who claimed that she wanted Simon back but the family wasn't convinced she was good enough for him, Erin's desperate desire to get back together with Simon was met with family rejection.

So, the seemingly routine lunch was actually a planned intervention against Erin under pastor Wilkenson's mediation.

Friends of Simon refuted accusations made against his ex-wife.

Erin Patterson lamented the intrusive nature of the media and considered moving. She planned to speak with her attorneys in Melbourne while a probe was still ongoing.

Also Read: 5 Rarest and Weirdest Mushrooms in the Kingdom Fungi

Toxic Fungi in Australia

Police connected the victims' symptoms to liver failure brought on by toxic death cap mushrooms.

Ian Wilkinson, the only survivor, was awaiting a liver transplant.

In search of abandoned machinery connected to the incident, police went back to a landfill.

The death cap, which forms a symbiotic relationship with oak trees, is widespread in many Canberra neighborhoods and can be seen there in most autumns.

Additionally, it has a strong presence in several Melbourne suburbs and other Victorian country towns close to Melbourne.

At the Waite Arboretum near Urrbrae in Adelaide, the death cap was discovered in July 2008.

It was unintentionally imported from the northern hemisphere and is not indigenous to Australia.

In Canberra, there is some indication that it associates with eucalyptus trees, but more research is necessary. Acacia and eucalyptus plantations in East Africa, as well as eucalypt plantations in Morocco, have reported death cap growth.

Foraging Wild Mushrooms

The amount of calls from persons who have become ill after ingesting wild mushrooms which were foraged or handpicked outside has increased recently, according to DPIC.

The mushrooms can be discovered in forests, parks, roadside ditches, and lawns.

The quantity of calls is frequently influenced by the amount of rainfall.

Related Article: Poisonous Death Cap Mushroom Clones Itself, Invades California
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Eighteen-year-old Anita, a Hindu refugee from Pakistan, points to a mound of bricks -- once a part of her home but now a reminder of the devastation caused by the Yamuna's floodwater that submerged large swathes of Delhi last month.

While the floodwater has since receded, the Hindu refugees from Pakistan living near the riverbank in Manju Ka Tila continue to reel from the financial and health burden it caused.

Unable to afford immediate repairs, many of these refugees continue to live in their damaged homes -- some with collapsed walls and broken doors.

Many of them are bedridden after hurting themselves in the rush to evacuate to safety.

"The walls collapsed and the doors broke and we have to live with that. Our financial condition is such that we cannot immediately get the broken doors repaired," Anita told PTI.

Following heavy rain in its upper catchment areas, the Yamuna in Delhi flowed above the danger level -- smashing the all-time record set 45 years ago by a significant margin.

The ferocious river turned the national capital's roads into rushing streams, parks into watery labyrinths, and homes and shelters into submerged realms, severely disrupting daily life.

However, despite bearing the brunt of the devastating floods, nobody came forward to assist them, Anita alleged.

"Some of them provided cooked meals for barely a day or two. Some others provided ration that would last one or two days," she said.

For the past 10 years, the family has been living in the area that is still devoid of basic facilities.

"Most households still use 'mud chulha (clay stoves)' to cook. If the administration did not bother about us earlier, why will they be bothered now?" Anita asked.

Kanhaiya, another Pakistani refugee living in Majnu ka Tila for the past eight years, said six members of his family were injured while evacuating to safety during the floods.

He claimed they received no assistance when the floodwater entered their home.

"Six of my family members were injured during the floods. My wife fractured her legs and my six-year-old nephew broke his hand. Nobody provided any help. We are selling off carts and some other belongings to manage financially," Kanhaiya told PTI.

Kanhaiya's wife, Pooja, who fractured her legs while crossing a road during the floods, remains bedridden.

"I still cannot walk, it will take me another month to recover. Our entire house went under the water and most of our belongings were washed away. The administration provided no help," Pooja said.

The floods bore devastating consequences for people living on the riverbank with more than 27,000 evacuated from their homes.

The losses incurred in terms of property, businesses and earnings have run into crores of rupees.

Meera, another Hindu refugee from Pakistan, said, "The water had receded but our woes remain. Most of our belongings were washed away. Nobody helped us evacuate, it was only the policemen who came and screamed -- 'Floods are coming, go away from here'. We were living in a nearby school. We are still affected financially. We were anyway devoid of several basic facilities and now the floods have added to those woes," she told PTI.

Meera said it will take at least a month to recover from the damage.

"There was no electricity, no drinking water for two weeks. We used to visit the nearby gurudwara to get drinking water. Some politicians visited us and provided cooked meals a time or two for a day. Some came and provided ration for two to three days," she added.

Dharamveer Solanki, considered to be the pradhan (chief) of the community, said at least 200 families were affected by the floods.

"The administration provided minimal help. Some of them provided cooked meals and some ration for a day or two," Solanki told PTI.

He said the lack of Indian citizenship is the biggest hurdle in front of them.

"When BJP MP Manoj Tiwari visited the area, he also assured help with our citizenship before 2024. That is one of our biggest problems and we have been seeking it (citizenship) for more than a decade," he added.

The Delhi government has formed a three-member committee of experienced engineers to suggest ways to prevent the recurrence of floods in the city, according to officials.

The committee will serve an advisory purpose, suggesting long- and short-term steps to prevent flood situations in the future, said an irrigation and flood control department officer.

NEW DELHI: Eighteen-year-old Anita, a Hindu refugee from Pakistan, points to a mound of bricks -- once a part of her home but now a reminder of the devastation caused by the Yamuna's floodwater that submerged large swathes of Delhi last month. While the floodwater has since receded, the Hindu refugees from Pakistan living near the riverbank in Manju Ka Tila continue to reel from the financial and health burden it caused. Unable to afford immediate repairs, many of these refugees continue to live in their damaged homes -- some with collapsed walls and broken doors.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Many of them are bedridden after hurting themselves in the rush to evacuate to safety. "The walls collapsed and the doors broke and we have to live with that. Our financial condition is such that we cannot immediately get the broken doors repaired," Anita told PTI. Following heavy rain in its upper catchment areas, the Yamuna in Delhi flowed above the danger level -- smashing the all-time record set 45 years ago by a significant margin. The ferocious river turned the national capital's roads into rushing streams, parks into watery labyrinths, and homes and shelters into submerged realms, severely disrupting daily life. However, despite bearing the brunt of the devastating floods, nobody came forward to assist them, Anita alleged. "Some of them provided cooked meals for barely a day or two. Some others provided ration that would last one or two days," she said. For the past 10 years, the family has been living in the area that is still devoid of basic facilities. "Most households still use 'mud chulha (clay stoves)' to cook. If the administration did not bother about us earlier, why will they be bothered now?" Anita asked. Kanhaiya, another Pakistani refugee living in Majnu ka Tila for the past eight years, said six members of his family were injured while evacuating to safety during the floods. He claimed they received no assistance when the floodwater entered their home. "Six of my family members were injured during the floods. My wife fractured her legs and my six-year-old nephew broke his hand. Nobody provided any help. We are selling off carts and some other belongings to manage financially," Kanhaiya told PTI. Kanhaiya's wife, Pooja, who fractured her legs while crossing a road during the floods, remains bedridden. "I still cannot walk, it will take me another month to recover. Our entire house went under the water and most of our belongings were washed away. The administration provided no help," Pooja said. The floods bore devastating consequences for people living on the riverbank with more than 27,000 evacuated from their homes. The losses incurred in terms of property, businesses and earnings have run into crores of rupees. Meera, another Hindu refugee from Pakistan, said, "The water had receded but our woes remain. Most of our belongings were washed away. Nobody helped us evacuate, it was only the policemen who came and screamed -- 'Floods are coming, go away from here'. We were living in a nearby school. We are still affected financially. We were anyway devoid of several basic facilities and now the floods have added to those woes," she told PTI. Meera said it will take at least a month to recover from the damage. "There was no electricity, no drinking water for two weeks. We used to visit the nearby gurudwara to get drinking water. Some politicians visited us and provided cooked meals a time or two for a day. Some came and provided ration for two to three days," she added. Dharamveer Solanki, considered to be the pradhan (chief) of the community, said at least 200 families were affected by the floods. "The administration provided minimal help. Some of them provided cooked meals and some ration for a day or two," Solanki told PTI. He said the lack of Indian citizenship is the biggest hurdle in front of them. "When BJP MP Manoj Tiwari visited the area, he also assured help with our citizenship before 2024. That is one of our biggest problems and we have been seeking it (citizenship) for more than a decade," he added. The Delhi government has formed a three-member committee of experienced engineers to suggest ways to prevent the recurrence of floods in the city, according to officials. The committee will serve an advisory purpose, suggesting long- and short-term steps to prevent flood situations in the future, said an irrigation and flood control department officer.
By IANS

KOLKATA: A local court in Kolkata on Saturday remanded till August 22 a former student on the charges of murdering a first-year student of the varsity.

Sourav Chowdhary, who completed his post-graduation in Maths from the varsity, was arrested late Friday evening on the charges of killing Swapnadip Kundu.

Sourav Chowdhary

Although the public prosecutor sought his police custody till August 25, the court allowed it till August 22.

Chowdhary was named in the FIR filed by the victim's father Ramprasad Kundu in which he described the former JU student as the key accused behind the ragging that happened at the student's hostel balcony off which the victim had fallen on August 10 and died.

Chowdhary is reported to have a major say in accommodation arrangements at the student's hostel.

The night before Swapnadip's body was recovered from front of the hostel, he appeared very restless and constantly said that he is not a "gay person", investigating officials said on the information provided by hostel-mates of the victim.

The victim's shy approach towards the female students prompted the offenders to label him as a "gay person", the officials added.

The night before he even called up his parents who stayed at Nadia and narrated to them about the ragging he was undergoing. Besides the routine police inquiry, the JU authorities have also decided to conduct an internal inquiry into the matter.

A committee consisting of university teachers from various departments along with representatives from the different students' councils has been constituted for that purpose.

The said committee, headed by the science department dean of JU Subinoy Chakraborty, is supposed to complete the internal probe within 15 days and submit a report to the university authorities.

Swapnadip, a resident of Bagula in Nadia, who took admission at the university on August 3, was found lying naked on the ground in front of the building that houses his hostel room on the second floor. He was rushed to a private hospital in an unconscious condition, but succumbed to his injuries soon after.

ALSO READ | First-year student dies under mysterious circumstances at Jadavpur University in West Bengal

ALSO READ | Kolkata: Jadavpur University student's death triggers political slugfest

KOLKATA: A local court in Kolkata on Saturday remanded till August 22 a former student on the charges of murdering a first-year student of the varsity. Sourav Chowdhary, who completed his post-graduation in Maths from the varsity, was arrested late Friday evening on the charges of killing Swapnadip Kundu. Sourav ChowdharyAlthough the public prosecutor sought his police custody till August 25, the court allowed it till August 22.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Chowdhary was named in the FIR filed by the victim's father Ramprasad Kundu in which he described the former JU student as the key accused behind the ragging that happened at the student's hostel balcony off which the victim had fallen on August 10 and died. Chowdhary is reported to have a major say in accommodation arrangements at the student's hostel. The night before Swapnadip's body was recovered from front of the hostel, he appeared very restless and constantly said that he is not a "gay person", investigating officials said on the information provided by hostel-mates of the victim. The victim's shy approach towards the female students prompted the offenders to label him as a "gay person", the officials added. The night before he even called up his parents who stayed at Nadia and narrated to them about the ragging he was undergoing. Besides the routine police inquiry, the JU authorities have also decided to conduct an internal inquiry into the matter. A committee consisting of university teachers from various departments along with representatives from the different students' councils has been constituted for that purpose. The said committee, headed by the science department dean of JU Subinoy Chakraborty, is supposed to complete the internal probe within 15 days and submit a report to the university authorities. Swapnadip, a resident of Bagula in Nadia, who took admission at the university on August 3, was found lying naked on the ground in front of the building that houses his hostel room on the second floor. He was rushed to a private hospital in an unconscious condition, but succumbed to his injuries soon after. ALSO READ | First-year student dies under mysterious circumstances at Jadavpur University in West Bengal ALSO READ | Kolkata: Jadavpur University student's death triggers political slugfest
By Express News Service

On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the opposition alliance comparing it to "old wine in an old bottle" and claiming it was a group of leaders involved in corruption of 12 lakh Crore.

Union Home Minister Shah was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for a regional centre of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district.

During his address to the gathering, Shah also attacked the opposition Congress claiming that throughout its reign, India's economy never advanced past the 11th position in the world, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi vaulted it to the 5th position in a single stroke.

"The UPA and Congress are a group of leaders involved in 12 lakh crore corruption, They've changed their name now, haven't they? However, they must be referred to as UPA...Who will vote for those who have committed a 12 lakh crore scam?" Shah added.

"Have you ever heard the expression, 'Old wine in a new bottle?'" But here, both the bottle and the wine are ancient. So, do not get cheated.The BJP will return to power with a landslide under PM Modi's leadership," He added

Shah further said many of us have not seen the country's struggle for independence and have not got the opportunity to die for the nation.

"Many people say had they been there, they would have sacrificed their life for the nation.

We do not need to sacrifice our life for the nation, but nobody can stop us from living for the nation," he said.

Shah also said that while he is not against English as a language, it is our responsibility to keep the Gujarati language alive.

"If a student does not learn Gujarati, he will not recognise Gujarat, and the country. And if he does not recognise the country, he will never do anything good for it. If we do not introduce our children to the 15,000 years' old culture of our country, then we shall be responsible for endangering our culture," he said.

(with inputs from PTI)

On Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the opposition alliance comparing it to "old wine in an old bottle" and claiming it was a group of leaders involved in corruption of 12 lakh Crore. Union Home Minister Shah was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for a regional centre of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district. During his address to the gathering, Shah also attacked the opposition Congress claiming that throughout its reign, India's economy never advanced past the 11th position in the world, whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi vaulted it to the 5th position in a single stroke.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The UPA and Congress are a group of leaders involved in 12 lakh crore corruption, They've changed their name now, haven't they? However, they must be referred to as UPA...Who will vote for those who have committed a 12 lakh crore scam?" Shah added. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'Old wine in a new bottle?'" But here, both the bottle and the wine are ancient. So, do not get cheated.The BJP will return to power with a landslide under PM Modi's leadership," He added Shah further said many of us have not seen the country's struggle for independence and have not got the opportunity to die for the nation. "Many people say had they been there, they would have sacrificed their life for the nation. We do not need to sacrifice our life for the nation, but nobody can stop us from living for the nation," he said. Shah also said that while he is not against English as a language, it is our responsibility to keep the Gujarati language alive. "If a student does not learn Gujarati, he will not recognise Gujarat, and the country. And if he does not recognise the country, he will never do anything good for it. If we do not introduce our children to the 15,000 years' old culture of our country, then we shall be responsible for endangering our culture," he said. (with inputs from PTI)
By Online Desk

CHENNAI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed India's "passion for freedom that knew not the boundaries of caste, creed, religion, state and age" while addressing the Tiranga Yatra in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

"On the one hand, we had the 17-year-old Khudiram Bose who had a long life before him to live (when he was hanged to death) and on the other, we had eighty-year-old Bapu Kuwar Singh who laid down his life for freedom in the battle of 1857," Shah remembered.

The Home Minister said such sacrifices weren't mere sacrifices -- they emphasised the importance these great Indians placed on living for the nation.

"Today we need not die (like Bose and Singh) for the nation. But no one can stop us from living for the nation," the Home Minister went on to say.

ALSO READ | Recalling the birth of independent India: From constitutional monarchy to democratic republic

Shah also spoke of the events being held to celebrate the spirit of Independence. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav's goal is to commemorate and remember these great souls who contributed immensely to the independence struggle from 1857 to 1947, he said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi unleashed a wave of patriotism during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. On the 15th of August 2023, the Amrit Mahotsav ends. But Modi ji has said that from the 15th of August 2023 to the 15th of August 2047, we will celebrate the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal," the Home Minister said.

"In these 25 years in the run-up to the 100th year of India's independence, we will all live to make the nation number one in every aspect. This era is very significant for our youths. The way the youths of this nation made the nation independent in the 90-year-long struggle for freedom beginning from the year 1857, they now have to dedicate their lives to making the nation great in the upcoming 25 years in the same way," he said.

ALSO READ | India's only BIS-certified national flag-making unit set to earn Rs 1.75 crore this I-Day

Shah said he was "glad to see thousands and thousands of people standing before me with the tricolor in their hands making Modiji's vision a reality" in his own constituency.

The Home Minister also spoke of the Mera Desh Meri Mitti celebration that will see youths from across the India -- tricolour in hand -- carrying earth from their states with the slogan and handing it over to the Prime Minister. He expressed the hope that the Mera Desh Meri Mitti movement will help fulfil the "vision of a great Bharat, developed Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat".

Shah also appealed to all Indians to hoist the tiranga (tricolor) from August 13 to August 15 and to upload selfies on the celebration website.

"This move will fortify the resolve of making India great again among the youths of the nation," the Home Minister stressed.

CHENNAI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed India's "passion for freedom that knew not the boundaries of caste, creed, religion, state and age" while addressing the Tiranga Yatra in Ahmedabad on Sunday. "On the one hand, we had the 17-year-old Khudiram Bose who had a long life before him to live (when he was hanged to death) and on the other, we had eighty-year-old Bapu Kuwar Singh who laid down his life for freedom in the battle of 1857," Shah remembered. The Home Minister said such sacrifices weren't mere sacrifices -- they emphasised the importance these great Indians placed on living for the nation.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Today we need not die (like Bose and Singh) for the nation. But no one can stop us from living for the nation," the Home Minister went on to say. ALSO READ | Recalling the birth of independent India: From constitutional monarchy to democratic republic Shah also spoke of the events being held to celebrate the spirit of Independence. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav's goal is to commemorate and remember these great souls who contributed immensely to the independence struggle from 1857 to 1947, he said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi unleashed a wave of patriotism during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. On the 15th of August 2023, the Amrit Mahotsav ends. But Modi ji has said that from the 15th of August 2023 to the 15th of August 2047, we will celebrate the Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal," the Home Minister said. "In these 25 years in the run-up to the 100th year of India's independence, we will all live to make the nation number one in every aspect. This era is very significant for our youths. The way the youths of this nation made the nation independent in the 90-year-long struggle for freedom beginning from the year 1857, they now have to dedicate their lives to making the nation great in the upcoming 25 years in the same way," he said. ALSO READ | India's only BIS-certified national flag-making unit set to earn Rs 1.75 crore this I-Day Shah said he was "glad to see thousands and thousands of people standing before me with the tricolor in their hands making Modiji's vision a reality" in his own constituency. The Home Minister also spoke of the Mera Desh Meri Mitti celebration that will see youths from across the India -- tricolour in hand -- carrying earth from their states with the slogan and handing it over to the Prime Minister. He expressed the hope that the Mera Desh Meri Mitti movement will help fulfil the "vision of a great Bharat, developed Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat". Shah also appealed to all Indians to hoist the tiranga (tricolor) from August 13 to August 15 and to upload selfies on the celebration website. "This move will fortify the resolve of making India great again among the youths of the nation," the Home Minister stressed.
By Online Desk

Twelve buildings of the Gandhian social service organisation, Akhil Bharat Sarva Sewa Sangh, were demolished in Varanasi's Raghat area on Saturday. Some media reports state that the buildings demolished numbered between 15 to 20.

The exercise which reportedly began at around 7 am took place in the presence of 500 policemen, The Hindu reported.

Six bulldozers were reportedly swung into action to raze to the ground the property which also included the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan, an institute co-founded by freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan. It has now been allocated to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.

Ten Gandhians were taken into custody after they protested against the demolition. Some even lay on the ground, as per media reports.

The Northern Railways claimed ownership over the 12.90-acre of land on which the Sangh building was built. The building rests on the bank of the river Ganges.

But the Sangh has claimed that it bought the property from the central government via sale deeds purchased in 1960, 1961 and 1970.

The District Magistrate on June 26 had ruled in favour of the Railways and passed an order for demolition of the organisation's structures built on railway land.

The Sangh failed to get relief on the demolition order from the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court.

In July, the premises of the organisation were evacuated in the presence of police and activists were detained.

Ram Dhiraj, the head of the Sarva Sewa Sangh's Varanasi branch, was quoted by The Telegraph, before his arrest: The Uttar Pradesh government and the Indian Railways have played a dirty trick to target Gandhi. They proved in court with the help of forged papers that the Sanghs land deal with the railways was illegal. We lost the case in Varanasi and the high court, but hope to prove in the Supreme Court that we had paid the railways for about 13 acres of land. We had submitted documents to support our claim that the deal was finalised after it was approved by Rajendra Prasad, the then President.

Sarva Seva Sangh president Chandan Pal in a statement strongly condemned the act: "It is evident that this demolition is being executed under the directive of the Prime Ministers Office a fact that will stain the pages of Indian history with shame." Varanasi is PM Modi's parliamentary constituency.

"The destruction of precious literary works from luminaries such as Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash, Dada Dharmadhikari, Narayan Desai, JC Kumarappa, Dhirendra Majumdar, Sivananda and J Krishnamurthy represents a dark chapter in our nations heritage, he said in the press statement.

Congress general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on her Facebook page had said that the demolition is an attack on the legacy of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condemned the act by saying "the BJP is now crossing all limits of shamelessness." Attempts to usurp and destroy Gandhis legacy have already taken place at Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat and Gandhigram in Wardha, he tweeted.

      , JP                  



                        https://t.co/kOsnoznyPD  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 12, 2023

Activists like Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav and Rakesh Tikait were part of the hundreds of those who protested against the demolition for months.

The Sarva Sewa Sangh was set up in 1948 as a registered society by freedom fighter Acharya Vinoba Bhave to propagate the ideas and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.

The concerned property housed a publication house, Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan, a free preschool for children from socio-economically weaker sections, a guest house, a library, a meeting hall, a naturopathy centre), a youth training centre, a khadi bhandaar and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. It houses around 80 houses, offices and living quarters.

The Telegraph said that the organisation's Varanasi unit has about 50 members, mostly elderly Gandhians who pay a membership fee and also teach at the informal institute.

According to the website of the Sarva Seva Sangh, it was started after a meeting in Sevagram, Wardha in March, 1948. The meeting was attended by Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and first President Dr Rajendra Prasad.

Sarva Seva Sangh came into existence in April, 1948 after merging five constructive organisations e.g., Akhil Bharat Charkha Sangh, Akhil Bharat Gram Udyod Sangh, Akhil Bharat Go Seva Sangh, Hindustani Talimi Sangh & Mahrogi Sava Mandal, says the website.

Twelve buildings of the Gandhian social service organisation, Akhil Bharat Sarva Sewa Sangh, were demolished in Varanasi's Raghat area on Saturday. Some media reports state that the buildings demolished numbered between 15 to 20. The exercise which reportedly began at around 7 am took place in the presence of 500 policemen, The Hindu reported. Six bulldozers were reportedly swung into action to raze to the ground the property which also included the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan, an institute co-founded by freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan. It has now been allocated to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Ten Gandhians were taken into custody after they protested against the demolition. Some even lay on the ground, as per media reports. The Northern Railways claimed ownership over the 12.90-acre of land on which the Sangh building was built. The building rests on the bank of the river Ganges. But the Sangh has claimed that it bought the property from the central government via sale deeds purchased in 1960, 1961 and 1970. The District Magistrate on June 26 had ruled in favour of the Railways and passed an order for demolition of the organisation's structures built on railway land. The Sangh failed to get relief on the demolition order from the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court. In July, the premises of the organisation were evacuated in the presence of police and activists were detained. Ram Dhiraj, the head of the Sarva Sewa Sangh's Varanasi branch, was quoted by The Telegraph, before his arrest: The Uttar Pradesh government and the Indian Railways have played a dirty trick to target Gandhi. They proved in court with the help of forged papers that the Sanghs land deal with the railways was illegal. We lost the case in Varanasi and the high court, but hope to prove in the Supreme Court that we had paid the railways for about 13 acres of land. We had submitted documents to support our claim that the deal was finalised after it was approved by Rajendra Prasad, the then President. Sarva Seva Sangh president Chandan Pal in a statement strongly condemned the act: "It is evident that this demolition is being executed under the directive of the Prime Ministers Office a fact that will stain the pages of Indian history with shame." Varanasi is PM Modi's parliamentary constituency. "The destruction of precious literary works from luminaries such as Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, Jayaprakash, Dada Dharmadhikari, Narayan Desai, JC Kumarappa, Dhirendra Majumdar, Sivananda and J Krishnamurthy represents a dark chapter in our nations heritage, he said in the press statement. Congress general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on her Facebook page had said that the demolition is an attack on the legacy of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condemned the act by saying "the BJP is now crossing all limits of shamelessness." Attempts to usurp and destroy Gandhis legacy have already taken place at Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat and Gandhigram in Wardha, he tweeted.       , JP                                           https://t.co/kOsnoznyPD  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 12, 2023 Activists like Medha Patkar, Yogendra Yadav and Rakesh Tikait were part of the hundreds of those who protested against the demolition for months. The Sarva Sewa Sangh was set up in 1948 as a registered society by freedom fighter Acharya Vinoba Bhave to propagate the ideas and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. The concerned property housed a publication house, Sarva Seva Sangh Prakashan, a free preschool for children from socio-economically weaker sections, a guest house, a library, a meeting hall, a naturopathy centre), a youth training centre, a khadi bhandaar and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. It houses around 80 houses, offices and living quarters. The Telegraph said that the organisation's Varanasi unit has about 50 members, mostly elderly Gandhians who pay a membership fee and also teach at the informal institute. According to the website of the Sarva Seva Sangh, it was started after a meeting in Sevagram, Wardha in March, 1948. The meeting was attended by Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and first President Dr Rajendra Prasad. Sarva Seva Sangh came into existence in April, 1948 after merging five constructive organisations e.g., Akhil Bharat Charkha Sangh, Akhil Bharat Gram Udyod Sangh, Akhil Bharat Go Seva Sangh, Hindustani Talimi Sangh & Mahrogi Sava Mandal, says the website.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 14. A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday the start of official operations of the Saudi consulate in the city of Mashhad. The consulate opened in one of the hotels in the city, Trend reports.

Head of the representative office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the province of Khorasan-Razavi Mohammad Beheshti Monfared said that the consulate of Saudi Arabia sent an official notification to the representative office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mashhad about the start of its activities from August 13 this year. He also specified that it would be a temporary site in one of the city's hotels.

According to information received from representatives of the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia, the consular office at the Mithak Hotel in Mashhad on Iqbal Lahori Boulevard will be open from 8:00 am to 15:00 every day except Thursday and Friday.

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore relations on March 10 after a seven-year severance of ties, with assistance from China.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The commerce ministry is seeking views from different ministries and government think tank Niti Aayog on draft bills pertaining to five cash crops like tea and tobacco, an official said.

The ministry has circulated separate notes for the bills related to cash crops of tea, coffee, spices, rubber and tobacco, which seek to promote their growth and create a conducive environment for businesses by decriminalising minor offences, the official said.

After taking the comments, the ministry will approach the Union Cabinet for approval on the drafts of the Spices (Promotion and Development) Bill; the Rubber (Promotion and Development) Bill; the Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill; the Tea (Promotion and Development) Bill; and the Tobacco Board (Amendment) Bill.

In 2022, the Department of Commerce proposed the repeal and updation of decades-old laws on these sectors and to introduce new legislation with a view to promoting their growth and creating a conducive environment for businesses.

"Earlier the Niti Aayog had raised certain issues with the ministry on these five bills. Now all the issues have been resolved," the official added.

The commerce ministry had conducted stakeholder consultations on these draft bills to address the concerns. The Department of Commerce proposes the repeal of Tea Act, 1953; Spices Board Act, 1986; Rubber Act, 1947; Coffee Act, 1942 and the updation of Tobacco Board Act, 1975.

According to the draft bills, the new proposed legislation reflects the present realities and objectives of these sectors. Explaining the rationale behind the proposal to repeal the Rubber Act, the draft bill has stated that in recent years, there have been widespread changes in the industrial and economic scenario, especially with regard to the development in rubber and allied sectors.

The draft Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill has underlined that substantive portions of the existing Act dealing with the pooling and marketing of coffee have become redundant/inoperative.

According to the draft Spices (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2022, there is a need to enable the Spices Board to provide focused attention across the entire supply chain of spices.

The ministry has proposed repeal of the archaic Tea Act as there is a paradigm shift in the recent decade with respect to the way tea is grown, marketed and consumed.

Similarly, the draft bill on tobacco has sought to update the existing law by promoting ease of doing business in the sector.

NEW DELHI: The commerce ministry is seeking views from different ministries and government think tank Niti Aayog on draft bills pertaining to five cash crops like tea and tobacco, an official said. The ministry has circulated separate notes for the bills related to cash crops of tea, coffee, spices, rubber and tobacco, which seek to promote their growth and create a conducive environment for businesses by decriminalising minor offences, the official said. After taking the comments, the ministry will approach the Union Cabinet for approval on the drafts of the Spices (Promotion and Development) Bill; the Rubber (Promotion and Development) Bill; the Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill; the Tea (Promotion and Development) Bill; and the Tobacco Board (Amendment) Bill.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In 2022, the Department of Commerce proposed the repeal and updation of decades-old laws on these sectors and to introduce new legislation with a view to promoting their growth and creating a conducive environment for businesses. "Earlier the Niti Aayog had raised certain issues with the ministry on these five bills. Now all the issues have been resolved," the official added. The commerce ministry had conducted stakeholder consultations on these draft bills to address the concerns. The Department of Commerce proposes the repeal of Tea Act, 1953; Spices Board Act, 1986; Rubber Act, 1947; Coffee Act, 1942 and the updation of Tobacco Board Act, 1975. According to the draft bills, the new proposed legislation reflects the present realities and objectives of these sectors. Explaining the rationale behind the proposal to repeal the Rubber Act, the draft bill has stated that in recent years, there have been widespread changes in the industrial and economic scenario, especially with regard to the development in rubber and allied sectors. The draft Coffee (Promotion and Development) Bill has underlined that substantive portions of the existing Act dealing with the pooling and marketing of coffee have become redundant/inoperative. According to the draft Spices (Promotion and Development) Bill, 2022, there is a need to enable the Spices Board to provide focused attention across the entire supply chain of spices. The ministry has proposed repeal of the archaic Tea Act as there is a paradigm shift in the recent decade with respect to the way tea is grown, marketed and consumed. Similarly, the draft bill on tobacco has sought to update the existing law by promoting ease of doing business in the sector.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday called for wider consultations involving experts and the general public on the three Bills that seek to overhaul India's criminal justice system to stay away from the "trap of bulldozing the entire criminal law structure" without discussion.

In a statement, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said that on August 11, without any prior intimation or public consultation or inviting suggestions from legal experts, jurists, criminologists and other stakeholders, the Modi government introduced three Bills from its "black magic hat", thereby restructuring the nation's entire criminal law apparatus in a "clandestine, hidden and opaque manner".

"The introductory remarks of the Home Minister himself gave away the fact that Amit Shah is himself out of depth, ignorant and oblivious to the entire exercise," the Congress leader said.

"Other than some credit seeking and point scoring in desperation, a hidden exercise, away from the public glare or stakeholders' suggestions and wisdom, cannot serve the public purpose of reforming the criminal law structure of the country," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Bill, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023 that will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.

The minister also urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the three bills for examination by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

In a detailed analysis, Surjewala countered Shah's remarks on the changes made through the Bills and alleged that he had "lied and misled" on many points of the proposed legislations.

"While the Bills have been referred to the Select Committee of Parliament, the Bills and their provisions must be thrown open for a larger public debate by judges, lawyers, jurists, criminologists, reformers, stakeholders and the general public in order to stay away from the trap of bulldozing the entire criminal law structure without discussion that is so ingrained in the DNA of the BJP government," he said.

"We hope that better sense will prevail," he added.

Congress MP Manish Tewari has also called for wider consultations on the bills.

"Some of these acts, especially CrPC, have state amendments given that law and order is a state subject.

Each provision in each of these enactments has been extensively litigated over the past 150-100 years and the interpretation of each provision has been settled by judicial pronouncements by the privy council, federal court, Supreme Court, various high courts and in some cases even by subordinate courts," Tewari said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The three new Bills introduced by Shah and referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs need to be examined critically provision by provision in the light of judicial pronouncements interpreting them, he said.

"It, therefore, is imperative that a Joint Committee of Parliament consisting of lawyers, retired judges, former police officials/civil servants, jurists and members active in human, women and civil rights movements should be constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to examine all these three bills very very critically," Tewari said on Saturday.

These Bills have serious implications on the fundamental rights enshrined in Part -III of the Constitution of India especially the Golden Triangle of Rights Article-14, 19 and 21, he asserted.

Among other things, the three Bills propose to repeal the sedition law and introduce a new provision with a wider definition of the offence.

Besides defining terrorism for the first time, the changes aimed at transforming the country's criminal justice system include provisions for maximum capital punishment for mob lynching, sexual assault of minors, maximum imprisonment of 20 years for all types of gangrape and community service as one of the punishments for first-time petty offences.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday called for wider consultations involving experts and the general public on the three Bills that seek to overhaul India's criminal justice system to stay away from the "trap of bulldozing the entire criminal law structure" without discussion. In a statement, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said that on August 11, without any prior intimation or public consultation or inviting suggestions from legal experts, jurists, criminologists and other stakeholders, the Modi government introduced three Bills from its "black magic hat", thereby restructuring the nation's entire criminal law apparatus in a "clandestine, hidden and opaque manner". "The introductory remarks of the Home Minister himself gave away the fact that Amit Shah is himself out of depth, ignorant and oblivious to the entire exercise," the Congress leader said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Other than some credit seeking and point scoring in desperation, a hidden exercise, away from the public glare or stakeholders' suggestions and wisdom, cannot serve the public purpose of reforming the criminal law structure of the country," he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Bill, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023 that will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively. The minister also urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the three bills for examination by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. In a detailed analysis, Surjewala countered Shah's remarks on the changes made through the Bills and alleged that he had "lied and misled" on many points of the proposed legislations. "While the Bills have been referred to the Select Committee of Parliament, the Bills and their provisions must be thrown open for a larger public debate by judges, lawyers, jurists, criminologists, reformers, stakeholders and the general public in order to stay away from the trap of bulldozing the entire criminal law structure without discussion that is so ingrained in the DNA of the BJP government," he said. "We hope that better sense will prevail," he added. Congress MP Manish Tewari has also called for wider consultations on the bills. "Some of these acts, especially CrPC, have state amendments given that law and order is a state subject. Each provision in each of these enactments has been extensively litigated over the past 150-100 years and the interpretation of each provision has been settled by judicial pronouncements by the privy council, federal court, Supreme Court, various high courts and in some cases even by subordinate courts," Tewari said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The three new Bills introduced by Shah and referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs need to be examined critically provision by provision in the light of judicial pronouncements interpreting them, he said. "It, therefore, is imperative that a Joint Committee of Parliament consisting of lawyers, retired judges, former police officials/civil servants, jurists and members active in human, women and civil rights movements should be constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to examine all these three bills very very critically," Tewari said on Saturday. These Bills have serious implications on the fundamental rights enshrined in Part -III of the Constitution of India especially the Golden Triangle of Rights Article-14, 19 and 21, he asserted. Among other things, the three Bills propose to repeal the sedition law and introduce a new provision with a wider definition of the offence. Besides defining terrorism for the first time, the changes aimed at transforming the country's criminal justice system include provisions for maximum capital punishment for mob lynching, sexual assault of minors, maximum imprisonment of 20 years for all types of gangrape and community service as one of the punishments for first-time petty offences.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: While the tensions prevail along the Line of Control in Eastern Ladakh work on beefing the overall military capability to match the Chinese build-up continues.

Sources said, "Plan is to refurbish all the Air Bases in Ladakh and the government has already given permissions to develop the Nyoma Airbase into a full-fledged fighter base."

Ladakh already has Leh and Thoise which are capable of supporting fighter aircraft operations. The Demchok Sector has Fukche Advanced Landing Ground also.

Nyoma is at over 13,000 feet and is less than 50 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Fighter aircraft, new radars, and upgraded drones for enhancing surveillance in Ladakh can operate from there.

The next focus will be on constructing hangars to safeguard the fighters from the vagaries of weather and terrain, the sources added.

The movement has been towards strengthening the deterrent military posture and there has been deployment of troops, weaponry and Platforms. "We have paid every attention to sustain our deployed forces, monitor the enemy build and be ready, even with fighter operations, if the need arises."

In terms of platforms strategic airlift transport aircraft and helicopters have played an important role since the standoff which began in May 2020. The area also saw the quick deployment of fighters like the Rafale, Sukhoi and Jaguars. Even MiG-29 fighters were moved ahead in a mirror deployment to that of China.

The Chinese side has also significantly improved its military infrastructure including its air force facilities in areas bordering India, have been constructing new airbases and expanding existing ones.

There have also been instances when Chinese fighter jets flew extremely close to India's defences.

Multiple Divisions Airlifted

With the Chinese People's Liberation Army moving in its troops in large numbers, the Indian Air Force had to swing into action pressing its strategic airlift transport fleet. Over 68,000 troops were moved within a limited period to forward locations and 90 tanks, 330 Infantry Combat Vehicles, the Russian BMPs, and several artillery guns, were airlifted, a total load exceeding 9000 tonnes, sources said.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) from the forward bases are operated gathering for surveillance operations.

The story of clashes in Ladakh was broken by TNIE in May 2020. Indian and Chinese troops continue to be still locked in standoff mode in Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

The heightened deployments from both sides continue in the area and there have been no clashes since Galwan of June 2020.

Meanwhile, the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks to discuss de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh is scheduled for August 14.

Upgraded Israeli Heron UAVs

"We have enhanced our surveillance capabilities and are looking at furthering it by deploying the latest technology that will allow us to catch Chinese activities even deeper," said the sources in the security establishment.

Sources said the Indian Air Force has recently procured four new Heron Mk2 drones that are the upgraded versions of the existing fleet and will be put into operation in Ladakh.

NEW DELHI: While the tensions prevail along the Line of Control in Eastern Ladakh work on beefing the overall military capability to match the Chinese build-up continues. Sources said, "Plan is to refurbish all the Air Bases in Ladakh and the government has already given permissions to develop the Nyoma Airbase into a full-fledged fighter base." Ladakh already has Leh and Thoise which are capable of supporting fighter aircraft operations. The Demchok Sector has Fukche Advanced Landing Ground also. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Nyoma is at over 13,000 feet and is less than 50 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Fighter aircraft, new radars, and upgraded drones for enhancing surveillance in Ladakh can operate from there. The next focus will be on constructing hangars to safeguard the fighters from the vagaries of weather and terrain, the sources added. The movement has been towards strengthening the deterrent military posture and there has been deployment of troops, weaponry and Platforms. "We have paid every attention to sustain our deployed forces, monitor the enemy build and be ready, even with fighter operations, if the need arises." In terms of platforms strategic airlift transport aircraft and helicopters have played an important role since the standoff which began in May 2020. The area also saw the quick deployment of fighters like the Rafale, Sukhoi and Jaguars. Even MiG-29 fighters were moved ahead in a mirror deployment to that of China. The Chinese side has also significantly improved its military infrastructure including its air force facilities in areas bordering India, have been constructing new airbases and expanding existing ones. There have also been instances when Chinese fighter jets flew extremely close to India's defences. Multiple Divisions Airlifted With the Chinese People's Liberation Army moving in its troops in large numbers, the Indian Air Force had to swing into action pressing its strategic airlift transport fleet. Over 68,000 troops were moved within a limited period to forward locations and 90 tanks, 330 Infantry Combat Vehicles, the Russian BMPs, and several artillery guns, were airlifted, a total load exceeding 9000 tonnes, sources said. Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) from the forward bases are operated gathering for surveillance operations. The story of clashes in Ladakh was broken by TNIE in May 2020. Indian and Chinese troops continue to be still locked in standoff mode in Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. The heightened deployments from both sides continue in the area and there have been no clashes since Galwan of June 2020. Meanwhile, the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks to discuss de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh is scheduled for August 14. Upgraded Israeli Heron UAVs "We have enhanced our surveillance capabilities and are looking at furthering it by deploying the latest technology that will allow us to catch Chinese activities even deeper," said the sources in the security establishment. Sources said the Indian Air Force has recently procured four new Heron Mk2 drones that are the upgraded versions of the existing fleet and will be put into operation in Ladakh.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: With the thrust on restoration of the patrolling rights up to the traditional patrolling points (PPs) Indian Army's Corps Commander on Monday will meet the Chinese Corps Commander for talks to disengage troops from the remaining standoff points in Eastern Ladakh.

The sources confirmed that the 19th round of SHMCL talks will be conducted at the Chushul-Moldo Meeting Point, on the Indian Side.

It was exclusively reported earlier by this Newspaper that the Indian army has put its foot down on the issue of the restoration of patrolling rights till traditional points in the remaining standoff locations, as the talks between India and China are currently underway for the disengagement of troops in Eastern Ladakh both at the diplomatic and military level.

The sources had told the TNIE, "The Indian Stance on the standoff points has remained consistent, i.e. restoration of status quo ante as of April 2020." And importantly, this "entails the restoration of patrolling rights till the traditional patrolling points."

The "friction" due to the standoff between the ground forces of the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) remains at two friction points Depsang and Demchok.

The technical term for Corps Commanders Talks is Senior Highest Military Commander Level (SHMCL). Talks at the SHMCL levels took place for the first time on June 6, 2020. Else, matters were resolved at the Higher Commander Level (Major General) meetings.

Putting an emphasis that the processes of disengagement from Galwan, Gogra, Hotsprings and North and south banks of Pangong Tso does not change India's claim over the alignment of LAC, the sources said, "All disengagements carried out earlier also have been done on the basis of mutual and equal security with no prejudice to LAC claims by either side."

But, the standoff at Depsang is of much significance because the Chinese troops have blocked access to PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13. The area out of access, as per the sources, is around 952 sq km

As reported earlier by this newspaper, the five PPs, which are located east of the strategic Sub-Sector North road, are close to the LAC, but not located right at the LAC. However, they are located inside the line that marks Indian Territory.

Sub Sector North, of which Depsang is a part, is strategically most important. The terrain is such that large-scale armour operations are possible. China has multiple roads feeding this area while India has only the DSDBO road.

By sitting at the Y Junction, China can obstruct India's movement. Depsang is also a link towards Siachen and the DBO airfield. The Y Junction is about 20kms from the strategic airfield Daulat Beg Oldi.

The PPs are patrolling points identified and marked on the LAC where regular patrolling is done to assert the physical claim about the LAC. As per general estimates, G 219 (Tibet- Xinjiang Highway) is at a distance of less than 4 hours from Depsang

The average altitude ranges from 14,000 ft to 18,000ft. There are valleys and plains which allow fast movement of vehicles

But, the problems exist due to differences in perception regarding the present boundary between India and China which came into existence after the 1962 border war. It is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and is a military-held line.

The sources told this newspaper, the problems keep occurring as there exist differences in perceptions among the border guarding forces of both countries about the actual alignment of the boundary on the ground.

The other standoff which remains is at the Charding Nonong Nallah in Demchok with around three tents pitched across. The LAC passes through CNN.

Tension prevails along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh with more than 50, 000 soldiers from each side along with heavy equipment like Missiles, Artillery, Tanks and other heavy equipment being deployed since May 2020.

NEW DELHI: With the thrust on restoration of the patrolling rights up to the traditional patrolling points (PPs) Indian Army's Corps Commander on Monday will meet the Chinese Corps Commander for talks to disengage troops from the remaining standoff points in Eastern Ladakh. The sources confirmed that the 19th round of SHMCL talks will be conducted at the Chushul-Moldo Meeting Point, on the Indian Side. It was exclusively reported earlier by this Newspaper that the Indian army has put its foot down on the issue of the restoration of patrolling rights till traditional points in the remaining standoff locations, as the talks between India and China are currently underway for the disengagement of troops in Eastern Ladakh both at the diplomatic and military level.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The sources had told the TNIE, "The Indian Stance on the standoff points has remained consistent, i.e. restoration of status quo ante as of April 2020." And importantly, this "entails the restoration of patrolling rights till the traditional patrolling points." The "friction" due to the standoff between the ground forces of the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) remains at two friction points Depsang and Demchok. The technical term for Corps Commanders Talks is Senior Highest Military Commander Level (SHMCL). Talks at the SHMCL levels took place for the first time on June 6, 2020. Else, matters were resolved at the Higher Commander Level (Major General) meetings. Putting an emphasis that the processes of disengagement from Galwan, Gogra, Hotsprings and North and south banks of Pangong Tso does not change India's claim over the alignment of LAC, the sources said, "All disengagements carried out earlier also have been done on the basis of mutual and equal security with no prejudice to LAC claims by either side." But, the standoff at Depsang is of much significance because the Chinese troops have blocked access to PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13. The area out of access, as per the sources, is around 952 sq km As reported earlier by this newspaper, the five PPs, which are located east of the strategic Sub-Sector North road, are close to the LAC, but not located right at the LAC. However, they are located inside the line that marks Indian Territory. Sub Sector North, of which Depsang is a part, is strategically most important. The terrain is such that large-scale armour operations are possible. China has multiple roads feeding this area while India has only the DSDBO road. By sitting at the Y Junction, China can obstruct India's movement. Depsang is also a link towards Siachen and the DBO airfield. The Y Junction is about 20kms from the strategic airfield Daulat Beg Oldi. The PPs are patrolling points identified and marked on the LAC where regular patrolling is done to assert the physical claim about the LAC. As per general estimates, G 219 (Tibet- Xinjiang Highway) is at a distance of less than 4 hours from Depsang The average altitude ranges from 14,000 ft to 18,000ft. There are valleys and plains which allow fast movement of vehicles But, the problems exist due to differences in perception regarding the present boundary between India and China which came into existence after the 1962 border war. It is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and is a military-held line. The sources told this newspaper, the problems keep occurring as there exist differences in perceptions among the border guarding forces of both countries about the actual alignment of the boundary on the ground. The other standoff which remains is at the Charding Nonong Nallah in Demchok with around three tents pitched across. The LAC passes through CNN. Tension prevails along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh with more than 50, 000 soldiers from each side along with heavy equipment like Missiles, Artillery, Tanks and other heavy equipment being deployed since May 2020.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: In yet another incident of mob justice in Bokaro, a man was tied to a tree and thrashed badly by villagers, including women, on suspicion of killing a 17-year-old minor in Bokaro.

The deceased, identified as Aneshwar Oraon, was missing for the last 13 days after he was last seen with Shravan Kumar, a mason by profession. Angered after the dead body of Ansewar was recovered near a pond in Bokaro Industrial Area, the villagers caught hold of Shravan Kumar and tied to a tree and thrashed him badly for several hours with bamboo sticks, kicks and punches.

Video footage of the entire incident was also made viral on social media in which the man could be seen being thrashed by the villagers, including women, holding him responsible for the killing of the youth. After getting information, police rushed to the spot and rescued the man from the clutches of the villagers in an unconscious condition and admitted him to a hospital where his condition is said to be stable.

Family members of the deceased have accused Shravan of being in the habit of killing minor children and selling their body parts. On August 5 at around 10 pm Shravan came to my mothers house, fully drunk, asking for my brother and she asked him to come in the morning. But after he insisted for quite some time, she woke him up following which Shrvan took my brother along with him, but he did not come back for the whole night. When we called him in the morning his mobile phone was switched off, said the deceaseds sister Sangita.

According to Sangita, when they enquired about Shravan from his mother in the morning, she told them that he has gone to work. After they could trace Aneshwar, the family members lodged a complaint with the police, but no action was taken in this regard. In between, they kept on asking Shrawan about the whereabouts of Aneshwar, but he kept on misguiding them that he has gone somewhere and will come back, but he never returned.

After 13 days, his dilapidated dead body was recovered near a pond on Sunday, from which the kidney, liver and eyes were missing. Shravan has been in the habit of killing the youths and selling their organs. After committing the crime, he goes underground and again comes back after 3-4 years when the matter gets settled only to commit another crime, said Sangita.

Till now, he has committed similar crimes with at least three minor children in the locality, she added. Police also asserted that the man, after being rescued from the villagers, has been taken into custody and the matter is under investigation.

The dead body was recovered in the morning near a pond from Kurmidih under Balidih police station in Bokaro. When police reached the spot, it was found that the prime suspect of the case was tied to a tree and being beaten by the villagers due to which he had gone unconscious. He was rescued from there and immediately taken into custody and admitted to a hospital, said DSP Mukesh Kumar.

Once his condition improves, the accused will be taken into custody and interrogated properly, he added. According to DSP, dead-body has been sent for postmortem, following which the actual cause of the killing could be ascertained

RANCHI: In yet another incident of mob justice in Bokaro, a man was tied to a tree and thrashed badly by villagers, including women, on suspicion of killing a 17-year-old minor in Bokaro. The deceased, identified as Aneshwar Oraon, was missing for the last 13 days after he was last seen with Shravan Kumar, a mason by profession. Angered after the dead body of Ansewar was recovered near a pond in Bokaro Industrial Area, the villagers caught hold of Shravan Kumar and tied to a tree and thrashed him badly for several hours with bamboo sticks, kicks and punches. Video footage of the entire incident was also made viral on social media in which the man could be seen being thrashed by the villagers, including women, holding him responsible for the killing of the youth. After getting information, police rushed to the spot and rescued the man from the clutches of the villagers in an unconscious condition and admitted him to a hospital where his condition is said to be stable.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Family members of the deceased have accused Shravan of being in the habit of killing minor children and selling their body parts. On August 5 at around 10 pm Shravan came to my mothers house, fully drunk, asking for my brother and she asked him to come in the morning. But after he insisted for quite some time, she woke him up following which Shrvan took my brother along with him, but he did not come back for the whole night. When we called him in the morning his mobile phone was switched off, said the deceaseds sister Sangita. According to Sangita, when they enquired about Shravan from his mother in the morning, she told them that he has gone to work. After they could trace Aneshwar, the family members lodged a complaint with the police, but no action was taken in this regard. In between, they kept on asking Shrawan about the whereabouts of Aneshwar, but he kept on misguiding them that he has gone somewhere and will come back, but he never returned. After 13 days, his dilapidated dead body was recovered near a pond on Sunday, from which the kidney, liver and eyes were missing. Shravan has been in the habit of killing the youths and selling their organs. After committing the crime, he goes underground and again comes back after 3-4 years when the matter gets settled only to commit another crime, said Sangita. Till now, he has committed similar crimes with at least three minor children in the locality, she added. Police also asserted that the man, after being rescued from the villagers, has been taken into custody and the matter is under investigation. The dead body was recovered in the morning near a pond from Kurmidih under Balidih police station in Bokaro. When police reached the spot, it was found that the prime suspect of the case was tied to a tree and being beaten by the villagers due to which he had gone unconscious. He was rescued from there and immediately taken into custody and admitted to a hospital, said DSP Mukesh Kumar. Once his condition improves, the accused will be taken into custody and interrogated properly, he added. According to DSP, dead-body has been sent for postmortem, following which the actual cause of the killing could be ascertained
By PTI

KOLKATA: A team of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) on Sunday visited the house of Jadavpur University student Swapnadip Kundu who died after falling from a hostel balcony.

Led by Ananya Chatterjee, adviser to the WBCPCR, the team went to the house of Kundu at Bagula in Nadia district and met his family members.

Chatterjee claimed that Kundu's death is a clear case of physical assault perpetrated on the student for which "we will recommend stringent punishment against those involved in the 'unpardonable' crime."

"We spoke to the family members of the student. We were told that severe physical assault was inflicted on the student and cigarette burn marks were found all over his body", Chatterjee told reporters.

The WBCRCR adviser said, "This is an unpardonable and heinous crime. We will see to the end. Those who are behind this death are all adults".

She also alleged that no CCTV cameras are installed on the campus and the university authorities cannot shrug off this responsibility for this act of omission.

Kundu, a first-year student of Bengali honours fell from the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am the next day.

Two students of the varsity were arrested on Sunday morning for their alleged involvement in ragging Kundu, police said.

Three persons have so far been held in the case, a senior officer said.

KOLKATA: A team of the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) on Sunday visited the house of Jadavpur University student Swapnadip Kundu who died after falling from a hostel balcony. Led by Ananya Chatterjee, adviser to the WBCPCR, the team went to the house of Kundu at Bagula in Nadia district and met his family members. Chatterjee claimed that Kundu's death is a clear case of physical assault perpetrated on the student for which "we will recommend stringent punishment against those involved in the 'unpardonable' crime."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "We spoke to the family members of the student. We were told that severe physical assault was inflicted on the student and cigarette burn marks were found all over his body", Chatterjee told reporters. The WBCRCR adviser said, "This is an unpardonable and heinous crime. We will see to the end. Those who are behind this death are all adults". She also alleged that no CCTV cameras are installed on the campus and the university authorities cannot shrug off this responsibility for this act of omission. Kundu, a first-year student of Bengali honours fell from the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am the next day. Two students of the varsity were arrested on Sunday morning for their alleged involvement in ragging Kundu, police said. Three persons have so far been held in the case, a senior officer said.
By PTI

SINGRAULI: A BJP MLA's son who was accused of shooting at and injuring a tribal man some days ago in Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh was held in the early hours of Sunday, a police official said.

Vivekanand Vaishya (40), son of Singrauli MLA Ram Lallu Vaishya, had allegedly fired at and injured tribal Surya Kumar Khairwar on August 3 under Morbi police station limits during an argument with a group of persons near Budhi Mai Mata Temple, some 25 kilometres from the districts headquarters, the official said.

"Vivekanand Vaishya was held Chatka Basti under Morba police station limits at 1am on Sunday," said Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Krishna Kumar Pandey.

Vivekanand Vaishya was absconding since the incident prompting the police to announce a reward of Rs 10,000 for anyone providing information leading to his arrest in the case.

ALSO READ| Madhya Pradesh: BJP MLA's son fires at tribal man after altercation, victim hospitalised

He was charged with an attempt to murder, criminal intimidation and other offences under Indian Penal Code and Arms Act as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

As per police, in June last year, Vivekanand Vaishya had allegedly assaulted forest guard Sanjeev Shukla and fired to intimidate him.

He absconded soon after before surrendering at the local court in February this year.

He then spent more than 40 days in hospitals in Singrauli, Rewa and Jabalpur during his judicial custody period and later got bail from the HC, as per police.

SINGRAULI: A BJP MLA's son who was accused of shooting at and injuring a tribal man some days ago in Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh was held in the early hours of Sunday, a police official said. Vivekanand Vaishya (40), son of Singrauli MLA Ram Lallu Vaishya, had allegedly fired at and injured tribal Surya Kumar Khairwar on August 3 under Morbi police station limits during an argument with a group of persons near Budhi Mai Mata Temple, some 25 kilometres from the districts headquarters, the official said. "Vivekanand Vaishya was held Chatka Basti under Morba police station limits at 1am on Sunday," said Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Krishna Kumar Pandey.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Vivekanand Vaishya was absconding since the incident prompting the police to announce a reward of Rs 10,000 for anyone providing information leading to his arrest in the case. ALSO READ| Madhya Pradesh: BJP MLA's son fires at tribal man after altercation, victim hospitalised He was charged with an attempt to murder, criminal intimidation and other offences under Indian Penal Code and Arms Act as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. As per police, in June last year, Vivekanand Vaishya had allegedly assaulted forest guard Sanjeev Shukla and fired to intimidate him. He absconded soon after before surrendering at the local court in February this year. He then spent more than 40 days in hospitals in Singrauli, Rewa and Jabalpur during his judicial custody period and later got bail from the HC, as per police.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party will not go with the BJP though some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him.

Addressing reporters at Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra, Pawar said any association with BJP doesn't fit into NCP's political policy.

"As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP's political policy," he said.

Pawar revealed that some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him but he will never align with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"Some of us (Ajit Pawar-led NCP group) have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our stand. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us," he said without taking names.

Queried about his "secret" meeting in Pune on Saturday with his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, the senior Pawar said, I want to tell you a fact that he is my nephew.

What is wrong with meeting my nephew? If a senior person in a family desires to meet another family member, there should not be any issue with that.

The NCP chief also said that people will hand over the reins of the state to Maha Vikas Aghadi- comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar group), and Congress.

Notably, the Pawar senior shared the dais with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur district to unveil the statue of late MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government last month, while eight MLAs of NCP supporting him took oath as ministers.

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party will not go with the BJP though some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him. Addressing reporters at Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra, Pawar said any association with BJP doesn't fit into NCP's political policy. "As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCP's political policy," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Pawar revealed that some "well-wishers" are trying to persuade him but he will never align with the Bharatiya Janata Party. "Some of us (Ajit Pawar-led NCP group) have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our stand. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us," he said without taking names. Queried about his "secret" meeting in Pune on Saturday with his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is part of the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra, the senior Pawar said, I want to tell you a fact that he is my nephew. What is wrong with meeting my nephew? If a senior person in a family desires to meet another family member, there should not be any issue with that. The NCP chief also said that people will hand over the reins of the state to Maha Vikas Aghadi- comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar group), and Congress. Notably, the Pawar senior shared the dais with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur district to unveil the statue of late MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh on Sunday. Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government last month, while eight MLAs of NCP supporting him took oath as ministers.
By Online Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mention of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Darbhanga has triggered a war of words between the state government and the Centre.

During his recent virtual address to the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal, the Prime Minister had mentioned that the AIIMS in Darbhanga was now open.

Bihar Health Minister Tejashwi Yadav has called out the Prime Minister and accused him of lying blatantly. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya responded to him saying that the Modi government believes in "politics of development" and not "politics in development" while urging Tejashwi to provide suitable land for the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga.

Responding to the minister, Tejashwi tweeted, "What kind of invisible development politics is this where the Ministry of Health has not yet finalized the site for AIIMS and the respected Prime Minister is saying that AIIMS has been opened there?"

From the time period you are describing, till many years before that, the health minister had been of BJP in Bihar. Perhaps you are pointing out their failure," Tejashwi added in his tweet.

He also uploaded a letter on social media, which he had written to Mandaviya in June this year, asking him to construct the AIIMS in Darbhanga.

Tejashwi also uploaded a video statement, saying Modi is lying to the people of the country.

"I want to ask the PM to get the right information from the respective officials. It is not a good thing that PM Narendra Modi would tell lies. There is no AIIMS open in Darbhanga. CM Nitish Kumar is making efforts in this matter and allocated land worth Rs 151 crore. But, BJP didn't sanction it. BJP was involved in stopping the construction of AIIMS Darbhanga," he said in the video.

Senior JD (U) minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is a prominent leader from the Mithilanchal region of the state, also attacked the Centre on the issue and remarked, Respected Prime Minister, You have been given wrong information in the Darbhanga AIIMS case. But, now that you have said that AIIMS has been opened in Darbhanga, then get this work done soon for the benefit of the people of Bihar including Mithila. Let me inform you that till now not even a single brick has been laid on the land given by the state government for AIIMS, Darbhanga about which you are saying that it has been opened.

The row over AIIMS Dharbanga started when the central government rejected the plot of land that was handed over to them by the state government in 2023 for the proposed project on the grounds that it was unsuitable and asked the Bihar government to provide an alternative land.

(With additional inputs from Express News Service)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mention of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Darbhanga has triggered a war of words between the state government and the Centre. During his recent virtual address to the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal, the Prime Minister had mentioned that the AIIMS in Darbhanga was now open. Bihar Health Minister Tejashwi Yadav has called out the Prime Minister and accused him of lying blatantly. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya responded to him saying that the Modi government believes in "politics of development" and not "politics in development" while urging Tejashwi to provide suitable land for the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Responding to the minister, Tejashwi tweeted, "What kind of invisible development politics is this where the Ministry of Health has not yet finalized the site for AIIMS and the respected Prime Minister is saying that AIIMS has been opened there?" From the time period you are describing, till many years before that, the health minister had been of BJP in Bihar. Perhaps you are pointing out their failure," Tejashwi added in his tweet. He also uploaded a letter on social media, which he had written to Mandaviya in June this year, asking him to construct the AIIMS in Darbhanga. Tejashwi also uploaded a video statement, saying Modi is lying to the people of the country. "I want to ask the PM to get the right information from the respective officials. It is not a good thing that PM Narendra Modi would tell lies. There is no AIIMS open in Darbhanga. CM Nitish Kumar is making efforts in this matter and allocated land worth Rs 151 crore. But, BJP didn't sanction it. BJP was involved in stopping the construction of AIIMS Darbhanga," he said in the video. Senior JD (U) minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is a prominent leader from the Mithilanchal region of the state, also attacked the Centre on the issue and remarked, Respected Prime Minister, You have been given wrong information in the Darbhanga AIIMS case. But, now that you have said that AIIMS has been opened in Darbhanga, then get this work done soon for the benefit of the people of Bihar including Mithila. Let me inform you that till now not even a single brick has been laid on the land given by the state government for AIIMS, Darbhanga about which you are saying that it has been opened. The row over AIIMS Dharbanga started when the central government rejected the plot of land that was handed over to them by the state government in 2023 for the proposed project on the grounds that it was unsuitable and asked the Bihar government to provide an alternative land. (With additional inputs from Express News Service)
Pronab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: With the arrest of two more senior students of Jadavpur University on Sunday in connection with the death of a first-year student, the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) visited the family of the deceased and said brutal torture and sexual assault were performed on the victim which corroborated the allegation of ragging.

Two second-year students were arrested and police said their names emerged during the course of interrogation of former student Sourabh Chowdhury, who were arrested earlier. We arrested second-year students of the same university Deepshekhar Dutta of economics wing and Manotosh Ghosh of sociology. Interrogation of Sourabh revealed these two students were with him when Swapnodeep Kundu, the deceased, were being ragged, said a police officer.

All the arrested accused were booked under murder charges as Swapnodeeps family lodged a complaint.

We are exploring all possible angles. The investigation is being supervised by the highest level of officers, said Vineet Goyal, commissioner of Kolkata police.

Swapnodeep, a resident of Bagula in Nadia who took admission at the university on August 3, was found lying naked on the ground in front of the building that houses his hostel-room on the second-floor. He was rushed to a private hospital in unconscious condition where he succumbed to his injuries. Later chairperson of the rights body Sudeshna Roy went to Jadavpur police station and interacted with the officers probing into the incident. The student's mother said that she was requested by her son to take her back home on the day of the incident.

ALSO READ | JU student case: 'A clear case of physical assault', comments child rights body advisor

Ananya Chakraborty, the advisor of the WBCPCR, who met Swapnodeeps family in Nadia, said, Why there was no CCTV inside the university premises? Is it a different planet? The student faced torture and sexual assault. Three persons were arrested in the death of the student, everyone in the administration of the institutions has blood on their hands.

Shankhashubhra Chatterjee, the joint commissioner of police(crime) admitted that there was no CCTVs installed in the campus of the university. Even if there is a few CCTVs there but none of them is functioning. Had there been CCTVs, the culprits responsible for the incident could have been identified, he said.

Criticising the university authorities, former VC of the institution Abhijit Chakraborty said several steps were taken during his tenure to restrict entry of outsiders inside the institutions premises but the campus returned to its messy shape with liquor spree at night after he retired. Other than CCTVs, fencing nets were in place to restrict outsiders entry. But after I retired, all of them were removed. Had there been proper surveillance, the unfortunate incident could have been averted, he said.

KOLKATA: With the arrest of two more senior students of Jadavpur University on Sunday in connection with the death of a first-year student, the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) visited the family of the deceased and said brutal torture and sexual assault were performed on the victim which corroborated the allegation of ragging. Two second-year students were arrested and police said their names emerged during the course of interrogation of former student Sourabh Chowdhury, who were arrested earlier. We arrested second-year students of the same university Deepshekhar Dutta of economics wing and Manotosh Ghosh of sociology. Interrogation of Sourabh revealed these two students were with him when Swapnodeep Kundu, the deceased, were being ragged, said a police officer. All the arrested accused were booked under murder charges as Swapnodeeps family lodged a complaint.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We are exploring all possible angles. The investigation is being supervised by the highest level of officers, said Vineet Goyal, commissioner of Kolkata police. Swapnodeep, a resident of Bagula in Nadia who took admission at the university on August 3, was found lying naked on the ground in front of the building that houses his hostel-room on the second-floor. He was rushed to a private hospital in unconscious condition where he succumbed to his injuries. Later chairperson of the rights body Sudeshna Roy went to Jadavpur police station and interacted with the officers probing into the incident. The student's mother said that she was requested by her son to take her back home on the day of the incident. ALSO READ | JU student case: 'A clear case of physical assault', comments child rights body advisor Ananya Chakraborty, the advisor of the WBCPCR, who met Swapnodeeps family in Nadia, said, Why there was no CCTV inside the university premises? Is it a different planet? The student faced torture and sexual assault. Three persons were arrested in the death of the student, everyone in the administration of the institutions has blood on their hands. Shankhashubhra Chatterjee, the joint commissioner of police(crime) admitted that there was no CCTVs installed in the campus of the university. Even if there is a few CCTVs there but none of them is functioning. Had there been CCTVs, the culprits responsible for the incident could have been identified, he said. Criticising the university authorities, former VC of the institution Abhijit Chakraborty said several steps were taken during his tenure to restrict entry of outsiders inside the institutions premises but the campus returned to its messy shape with liquor spree at night after he retired. Other than CCTVs, fencing nets were in place to restrict outsiders entry. But after I retired, all of them were removed. Had there been proper surveillance, the unfortunate incident could have been averted, he said.
We are used to Labradors, spaniels, dachshunds or Yorkshire terriers on the streets - they are popular dogs kept at home by many people. But not all of the approximately 360 breeds have gained such popularity. Some dogs are so rare that meeting them is a real event.

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The publication Petplan told about the five least common breeds. Their representatives are so few that they may disappear. Although they are wonderful animals worthy of more attention.

Norwegian Lundehund

An ancient and uniquely characterized breed originates from the islands off the coast of Norway. These dogs have an unusual reddish coloration and are able to hunt ipatoks, brightly colored birds that live on cliffs. Consequently, the Lundenhund can dash over these rocky obstacles. All thanks to six toes on the front paws, movable ears and a very flexible neck. The breed almost disappeared during World War II, but Norwegian breeders made efforts to bring it out of danger. Now they are just very rare dogs. Owners appreciate them for their affectionate and cheerful nature, which makes Lundenhunds great family favorites.

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Lagotto-Romagnolo

Curly dogs, somewhat similar to poodles, originate from the Italian region of Romagna. They were bred back in the Middle Ages to hunt ducks in the marshes. Strong, muscular dogs with waterproof coats and a marvelous sense of smell came out. The lagotto romagnolo was later trained to search for truffles and is now the only breed of dog officially trusted with this job. In the 1970s the breed almost disappeared, but Italian specialists revived it. Modern Lagotto-Romagnolo are very intelligent, energetic and communicative, they are easily trained and love long walks. But they do not pass by a single puddle on their way - the "swamp" past has an effect.

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Azavak

This graceful and unusually long-legged dog was born on the border between the Sahara Desert and the fertile southern lands of the Sahel region of Africa. It is a unique hunting dog, able to hunt by relying on its eyesight rather than its sense of smell. Azawaks are also excellent guards, as they have long guarded the tents of desert nomads. The character of representatives of the breed is more like a feline - they are very independent, but not too open to communicate with strangers and can be somewhat shy. But a good owner will help such an animal to become more open.

Otterhound

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Huge (up to 50 kg) hounds with a characteristic mane of thick hair come from the area on the border of England and Scotland. According to experts, now there are even fewer of them left than white rhinos - the number of dogs does not reach 1000 in the whole world. The name of the breed comes from the English word otter - "otter". They were bred to guard commercial fish from these aquatic predators. But after otter hunting was banned in the UK, otterhounds were no longer needed and the number of dogs began to decline. Although it is a good-natured and funny dog, known for its calm temperament and sensitive nature. This animal will be a great companion on walks, although it will take a lot of cleaning up - Otterhounds are sloppy eaters and love to play in the mud.

Moody

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Shaggy dogs were bred in Hungary in the 19th century and are now rarely seen anywhere outside of Eastern Europe. There are less than 1,000 of these dogs left in the world. From the beginning, their job was herding livestock, so they are intelligent, strong, independent and active dogs. Moodies also do well as guard dogs. They are very energetic and inquisitive dogs that love attention and physical contact with their owner. In its characteristics, the breed is more similar to the much more popular Border Collies.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told about the breeds of dogs that are easiest to train.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up to date.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The United Kingdom has no intention of becoming a place where those seeking to evade justice can hide, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said, amid India's continuing push for the extradition of billionaire fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi.

Tugendhat, without citing specific cases, said legal processes must be adhered to in matters relating to extradition. "We both (the UK and India) have legal processes that must be gone through. But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide," he told PTI in an interview.

Tugendhat was in India on a three-day visit from August 10-12 primarily to attend the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting in Kolkata. In Delhi, he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The British Security Minister was replying to a question on India's persistent demand for the extradition of a number of economic offenders including Mallya and Nirav Modi who are living in the UK.

Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant, is wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money laundering charges. The 52-year-old businessman last year lost his legal battle in the highest UK court against being extradited to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank loan scam case.

But his case is now said to be "statute barred", indicating further pending litigation.

Mallya, who fled to the UK in March 2016, is wanted in India over a default of Rs 9,000 crore that was loaned to Kingfisher Airlines by several banks.

Asked about his talks with NSA Doval, the British Security Minister declined to share the details but noted that the broad bilateral cooperation is focused on the security of the two nations and the prosperity of the citizens. "We're talking about the security of our two nations and the prosperity of our citizens, their ability to conduct their business at home and abroad," he said.

"But we're also talking about the challenges we face and we've both made it clear in different ways that the challenge of China is one that faces us both and we've seen incidents on your northern border, but we've also seen the way in which technology has changed and the way in which we need to address it as areas in which we need to have greater cooperation," he said.

Tugendhat highlighted how India and the UK are cooperating in new technologies relating to artificial intelligence (AI). "We see today that India is not just a centre of Indian AI, it's also a centre of British AI," he said.

"There are many firms whose data points, whose data sources are located here, often in Bangalore, and using the extraordinary technical capabilities of Indian AI experts to analyse data and to improve the productivity of their businesses," he added.

"This is a fantastic benefit both to the United Kingdom and of course to India.

And so making sure that we're able to do that, we're protecting our interests and we're developing those technologies is absolutely essential to our common future," Tugendhat noted.

NEW DELHI: The United Kingdom has no intention of becoming a place where those seeking to evade justice can hide, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said, amid India's continuing push for the extradition of billionaire fugitives Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. Tugendhat, without citing specific cases, said legal processes must be adhered to in matters relating to extradition. "We both (the UK and India) have legal processes that must be gone through. But the UK government is absolutely clear, we have no intention of becoming a place where those who are seeking to evade justice can hide," he told PTI in an interview. Tugendhat was in India on a three-day visit from August 10-12 primarily to attend the G20 anti-corruption ministerial meeting in Kolkata. In Delhi, he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The British Security Minister was replying to a question on India's persistent demand for the extradition of a number of economic offenders including Mallya and Nirav Modi who are living in the UK. Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant, is wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money laundering charges. The 52-year-old businessman last year lost his legal battle in the highest UK court against being extradited to India in the estimated USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank loan scam case. But his case is now said to be "statute barred", indicating further pending litigation. Mallya, who fled to the UK in March 2016, is wanted in India over a default of Rs 9,000 crore that was loaned to Kingfisher Airlines by several banks. Asked about his talks with NSA Doval, the British Security Minister declined to share the details but noted that the broad bilateral cooperation is focused on the security of the two nations and the prosperity of the citizens. "We're talking about the security of our two nations and the prosperity of our citizens, their ability to conduct their business at home and abroad," he said. "But we're also talking about the challenges we face and we've both made it clear in different ways that the challenge of China is one that faces us both and we've seen incidents on your northern border, but we've also seen the way in which technology has changed and the way in which we need to address it as areas in which we need to have greater cooperation," he said. Tugendhat highlighted how India and the UK are cooperating in new technologies relating to artificial intelligence (AI). "We see today that India is not just a centre of Indian AI, it's also a centre of British AI," he said. "There are many firms whose data points, whose data sources are located here, often in Bangalore, and using the extraordinary technical capabilities of Indian AI experts to analyse data and to improve the productivity of their businesses," he added. "This is a fantastic benefit both to the United Kingdom and of course to India. And so making sure that we're able to do that, we're protecting our interests and we're developing those technologies is absolutely essential to our common future," Tugendhat noted.
By Online Desk

What was supposed to be an emergency abortion of a woman who was 27 weeks pregnant took a dramatic turn when her baby was born alive. The woman who has a hole in her heart had been allowed to undergo medical termination of pregnancy to save her life.

The Bombay High Court has directed that the newborn must not be taken out of KEM hospital in Parel.

"The infant should not be taken out of the hospital without advice," said a bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale on August 9.

The 20-year-old woman and her husband, who hail from Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, learnt about the pregnancy in the month of March. Later, she was admitted in a local hospital with a bad cough and breathlessness where she found she has a 20mm hole in her heart, as reported by Times of India.

The doctors advised her to have an abortion and referred her to a cardiologist.

The couple, then, went to KEM Hospital. The doctors told her that given her atrial septal defect, lower respiratory tract infection and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, her life could be at risk if the pregnancy continued.

Following this, the couple approached the Bombay High Court for permission to terminate the pregnancy as she was beyond the legally allowed 24-week period.

Continuation of her pregnancy involves a high risk to the life of the first petitioner. It is causing immense anguish, suffering and stress to the petitioner and constitutes a grave injury to her mental health and well-being," the woman's petition in the HC stated.

Considering the 'significant' opinion of cardiologists and the finding that "while medical termination carries a risk, this may be less than the higher risk of 30% to 56 % of likely maternal mortality if the pregnancy is carried to term", the court allowed the abortion, according to TOI. It directed to obtain a formal signed consent from the couple.

On August 9, BMC's advocate Sagar Patil submitted a note from the hospital that "the patient tolerated the procedure well and delivered a 484 gm baby" who has been admitted to the NICU and the mother's condition is stable.

The Court directed that the woman should not be discharged until her condition is cured and the child should also not be taken out of the hospital as of now.

The next hearing on this matter is on August 21.

What was supposed to be an emergency abortion of a woman who was 27 weeks pregnant took a dramatic turn when her baby was born alive. The woman who has a hole in her heart had been allowed to undergo medical termination of pregnancy to save her life. The Bombay High Court has directed that the newborn must not be taken out of KEM hospital in Parel. "The infant should not be taken out of the hospital without advice," said a bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale on August 9.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The 20-year-old woman and her husband, who hail from Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, learnt about the pregnancy in the month of March. Later, she was admitted in a local hospital with a bad cough and breathlessness where she found she has a 20mm hole in her heart, as reported by Times of India. The doctors advised her to have an abortion and referred her to a cardiologist. The couple, then, went to KEM Hospital. The doctors told her that given her atrial septal defect, lower respiratory tract infection and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, her life could be at risk if the pregnancy continued. Following this, the couple approached the Bombay High Court for permission to terminate the pregnancy as she was beyond the legally allowed 24-week period. Continuation of her pregnancy involves a high risk to the life of the first petitioner. It is causing immense anguish, suffering and stress to the petitioner and constitutes a grave injury to her mental health and well-being," the woman's petition in the HC stated. Considering the 'significant' opinion of cardiologists and the finding that "while medical termination carries a risk, this may be less than the higher risk of 30% to 56 % of likely maternal mortality if the pregnancy is carried to term", the court allowed the abortion, according to TOI. It directed to obtain a formal signed consent from the couple. On August 9, BMC's advocate Sagar Patil submitted a note from the hospital that "the patient tolerated the procedure well and delivered a 484 gm baby" who has been admitted to the NICU and the mother's condition is stable. The Court directed that the woman should not be discharged until her condition is cured and the child should also not be taken out of the hospital as of now. The next hearing on this matter is on August 21.
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: Efforts are underway to rescue a 55-year-old worker who has been stuck for over 15 hours in a 60-70 feet deep trench in Punjab's Jalandhar district, officials said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Saturday evening near Basrampur village on the Kartarpur-Kapurthala road during the ongoing construction work of the Delhi-Katra expressway.

Suresh along with another worker Pawan was in the borewell to free some part of the boring machine, which had got stuck underneath.

Though Pawan came out, Suresh got trapped after sand fell on him, they said.

The trench was dug up for erecting a pillar as part of the Delhi-Katra expressway project.

VIDEO | A worker got stuck in a 70 feet-deep borewell after sand fell on him in Punjab's Jalandhar district. Rescue operation underway. pic.twitter.com/Qev2pnqP4u  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 13, 2023

A joint operation by the district administration and National Disaster Response Force is underway to rescue Suresh who hails from Haryana's Jind, officials said.

Soil excavation machines have been pressed into service for the rescue operation. A medical team and an ambulance have also been deployed at the site, the officials said.

Jasbir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), Jalandhar, is supervising the rescue operation while officials of the district administration, police and health departments are also present on the spot, they said.

Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh visited the spot on Saturday night.

CHANDIGARH: Efforts are underway to rescue a 55-year-old worker who has been stuck for over 15 hours in a 60-70 feet deep trench in Punjab's Jalandhar district, officials said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday evening near Basrampur village on the Kartarpur-Kapurthala road during the ongoing construction work of the Delhi-Katra expressway. Suresh along with another worker Pawan was in the borewell to free some part of the boring machine, which had got stuck underneath.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Though Pawan came out, Suresh got trapped after sand fell on him, they said. The trench was dug up for erecting a pillar as part of the Delhi-Katra expressway project. VIDEO | A worker got stuck in a 70 feet-deep borewell after sand fell on him in Punjab's Jalandhar district. Rescue operation underway. pic.twitter.com/Qev2pnqP4u  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 13, 2023 A joint operation by the district administration and National Disaster Response Force is underway to rescue Suresh who hails from Haryana's Jind, officials said. Soil excavation machines have been pressed into service for the rescue operation. A medical team and an ambulance have also been deployed at the site, the officials said. Jasbir Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), Jalandhar, is supervising the rescue operation while officials of the district administration, police and health departments are also present on the spot, they said. Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh visited the spot on Saturday night.
By Express News Service

RAYAGADA: Even as allegations of entry of hundreds of Bangladeshi settlers into the district have been doing rounds, neither the district administration nor police reportedly have a whiff of it. As per sources, the settlers mostly from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh are scattered in Muniguda, Kolnara, Chandili, Muniguda and J.K.Pur.

Collectorate sources said information on outsiders was collected only till July 2022. By then as many as 304 Bangladeshi nationals, including 83 women, 91 men and 130 kids were residing in various areas of the district.

Locals alleged that the settlers have mostly put up in slum hutments constructed on unused government land. They stay amidst us and work as daily wagers. Many of these people staying in Kolonara block had also reportedly applied for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana but were left out. However, some were given assistance in Therubali panchayat, they further said, adding, the settlers identity must be verified immediately.

Though administration sources refused to comment on the matter, Rayagada SP, Vivekanand Sharma said immediate steps would be taken on the issue.Direction would be issued to the police stations in the district to collect the details of outsiders in their respective police station limits, he added. Social worker Bijay Dash said, settlers from various parts are present in the district in large numbers but the district administration is not alert on the matter.

RAYAGADA: Even as allegations of entry of hundreds of Bangladeshi settlers into the district have been doing rounds, neither the district administration nor police reportedly have a whiff of it. As per sources, the settlers mostly from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh are scattered in Muniguda, Kolnara, Chandili, Muniguda and J.K.Pur. Collectorate sources said information on outsiders was collected only till July 2022. By then as many as 304 Bangladeshi nationals, including 83 women, 91 men and 130 kids were residing in various areas of the district. Locals alleged that the settlers have mostly put up in slum hutments constructed on unused government land. They stay amidst us and work as daily wagers. Many of these people staying in Kolonara block had also reportedly applied for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana but were left out. However, some were given assistance in Therubali panchayat, they further said, adding, the settlers identity must be verified immediately.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Though administration sources refused to comment on the matter, Rayagada SP, Vivekanand Sharma said immediate steps would be taken on the issue.Direction would be issued to the police stations in the district to collect the details of outsiders in their respective police station limits, he added. Social worker Bijay Dash said, settlers from various parts are present in the district in large numbers but the district administration is not alert on the matter.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: MP and educationist Achyuta Samanta has been conferred honorary doctorate degrees by two prominent universities in Guatemala in recognition of his contribution to education and social welfare sectors, particularly within the realm of tribal education.

The Rural University of Guatemala and the Maya Kaqchikel University conferred the prestigious degrees upon Samanta - founder of KIIT and KISS - during his two-day visit to the Central American nation, marking his 54th and 55th honorary doctorates, recently. The Rural University of Guatemala honoured Samanta with the 54th doctorate at a special function. The degree was presented by the universitys rector and founder Fidel Reisley.

Similarly, the 55th honorary doctorate was conferred upon him by the Maya Kaqchikel University, incorporating local tribal traditions. Given the tribal nature of this university, a distinctive ritual was performed. Before presenting the certificate to Samanta, their deity was worshipped, and permission was granted.

An elaborate four-hour tribal ceremony took place, adhering to the customs of Guatemalas indigenous community. Indian Ambassador to Guatemala Manoj Mohapatra was present.

BHUBANESWAR: MP and educationist Achyuta Samanta has been conferred honorary doctorate degrees by two prominent universities in Guatemala in recognition of his contribution to education and social welfare sectors, particularly within the realm of tribal education. The Rural University of Guatemala and the Maya Kaqchikel University conferred the prestigious degrees upon Samanta - founder of KIIT and KISS - during his two-day visit to the Central American nation, marking his 54th and 55th honorary doctorates, recently. The Rural University of Guatemala honoured Samanta with the 54th doctorate at a special function. The degree was presented by the universitys rector and founder Fidel Reisley. Similarly, the 55th honorary doctorate was conferred upon him by the Maya Kaqchikel University, incorporating local tribal traditions. Given the tribal nature of this university, a distinctive ritual was performed. Before presenting the certificate to Samanta, their deity was worshipped, and permission was granted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); An elaborate four-hour tribal ceremony took place, adhering to the customs of Guatemalas indigenous community. Indian Ambassador to Guatemala Manoj Mohapatra was present.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

AHMEDABAD: Is the BJP set for an organisational overhaul in Gujarat? Speculation is rife that it may go for it, particularly after key state leaders have repeatedly called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief JP Nadda.

While one-on-one meetings have generally been a quiet affair, they became a matter of discussion in state BJP circles after some leaders started posting news of these visits on social media. Among those who have met the two top leaders are former chief minister Vijay Rupani and Assembly Speaker Shanker Chaudhary. Thereafter, murmurs of organisational changes have begun.

The BJP national leadership is known to be unhappy with the rising incidents of mudslinging within the party. Matters came to a head when leaflets appeared discrediting state BJP chief CR Paatil. It also came to be known that leaflets along with pen drives carrying details had been posted to some of the state and national leaders. Informal checks revealed it to be an insider job leading to one of the BJP MLAs filing a police complaint. Three people have already been arrested and many party leaders at the village and taluk levels have been suspended.

There has been turmoil in the ranks for some time now. Four months ago, Bhargava Bhatt, central zone general secretary, put in his papers. Then followed the resignation of Pradeepsinh Vaghela as the party general secretary last week. Besides, BJP leaders in Surat and Vadodara were suspended for spreading defamatory pamphlets about their own leaders.

In the BJP, four general secretaries are recruited from each of the states four zones, with one of them from RSS. These five general secretaries are considered crucial after the Gujarat BJP chief. But two of the four have resigned.

Insiders say a probe into the malicious leaflets is on. Surat Crime Branch has questioned a senior cooperative leader and former chairman of a dairy in last two days, they said. The crime branch has arrested three BJP office-bearers so far. Earlier on July 24, a BJP corporator of the civic council in Vadodara was held for reportedly mailing an anonymous letter, accusing the city mayor of corruption. Senior BJP leaders have refused to comment on these developments.

Rift in the ranks

There has been turmoil in the ranks for some time now. Four months ago, Bhargava Bhatt, central zone general secretary, put in his papers. The resignation of Pradeepsinh Vaghela as the party general secretary last week followed.

AHMEDABAD: Is the BJP set for an organisational overhaul in Gujarat? Speculation is rife that it may go for it, particularly after key state leaders have repeatedly called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief JP Nadda. While one-on-one meetings have generally been a quiet affair, they became a matter of discussion in state BJP circles after some leaders started posting news of these visits on social media. Among those who have met the two top leaders are former chief minister Vijay Rupani and Assembly Speaker Shanker Chaudhary. Thereafter, murmurs of organisational changes have begun. The BJP national leadership is known to be unhappy with the rising incidents of mudslinging within the party. Matters came to a head when leaflets appeared discrediting state BJP chief CR Paatil. It also came to be known that leaflets along with pen drives carrying details had been posted to some of the state and national leaders. Informal checks revealed it to be an insider job leading to one of the BJP MLAs filing a police complaint. Three people have already been arrested and many party leaders at the village and taluk levels have been suspended.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There has been turmoil in the ranks for some time now. Four months ago, Bhargava Bhatt, central zone general secretary, put in his papers. Then followed the resignation of Pradeepsinh Vaghela as the party general secretary last week. Besides, BJP leaders in Surat and Vadodara were suspended for spreading defamatory pamphlets about their own leaders. In the BJP, four general secretaries are recruited from each of the states four zones, with one of them from RSS. These five general secretaries are considered crucial after the Gujarat BJP chief. But two of the four have resigned. Insiders say a probe into the malicious leaflets is on. Surat Crime Branch has questioned a senior cooperative leader and former chairman of a dairy in last two days, they said. The crime branch has arrested three BJP office-bearers so far. Earlier on July 24, a BJP corporator of the civic council in Vadodara was held for reportedly mailing an anonymous letter, accusing the city mayor of corruption. Senior BJP leaders have refused to comment on these developments. Rift in the ranks There has been turmoil in the ranks for some time now. Four months ago, Bhargava Bhatt, central zone general secretary, put in his papers. The resignation of Pradeepsinh Vaghela as the party general secretary last week followed.
Harpreet Bajwa By

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Police busted the operations of a cow smuggling gang on Saturday in an encounter on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, near Mahu village in Nuh. The smugglers were transporting 21 cows from Ferozepur Jhirka in Nuh of Haryana to Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

One person has been arrested.

Nuh has experienced communal turmoil in the last fortnight, and this operation comes at a sensitive time.

Sources said the encounter occurred near Mahu village in Ferozepur Jhirka of the Nuh district. Following information received on Friday night, the Nuh police intercepted a truck. The smugglers fired upon the police team, supported by a few men in accompanying cars. The police retaliated, resulting in an injury to one of the accused, Taufiq, who sustained a knee injury and was subsequently rushed to Mandikhera Hospital.

The gang was found to be associated with the Utawar area. The police swiftly registered a case. The police are currently conducting raids to apprehend the remaining culprits.

Nuhs Superintendent of Police, Narendra Bijrania, commented, We have effectively dismantled a significant cattle smuggling syndicate, resulting in one of the culprits being injured during the crossfire.

Those who strive to protect the welfare of cows are unjustly labelled as criminals, while these actual criminals appear to operate with impunity, said a right-wing spokesperson.

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Police busted the operations of a cow smuggling gang on Saturday in an encounter on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, near Mahu village in Nuh. The smugglers were transporting 21 cows from Ferozepur Jhirka in Nuh of Haryana to Bharatpur in Rajasthan. One person has been arrested. Nuh has experienced communal turmoil in the last fortnight, and this operation comes at a sensitive time.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sources said the encounter occurred near Mahu village in Ferozepur Jhirka of the Nuh district. Following information received on Friday night, the Nuh police intercepted a truck. The smugglers fired upon the police team, supported by a few men in accompanying cars. The police retaliated, resulting in an injury to one of the accused, Taufiq, who sustained a knee injury and was subsequently rushed to Mandikhera Hospital. The gang was found to be associated with the Utawar area. The police swiftly registered a case. The police are currently conducting raids to apprehend the remaining culprits. Nuhs Superintendent of Police, Narendra Bijrania, commented, We have effectively dismantled a significant cattle smuggling syndicate, resulting in one of the culprits being injured during the crossfire. Those who strive to protect the welfare of cows are unjustly labelled as criminals, while these actual criminals appear to operate with impunity, said a right-wing spokesperson.
Namita Bajpai By

LUCKNOW: With an intent to turn the state an Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub, the Uttar Pradesh government has signed pacts worth Rs 6,000 crore related to EVs and related infrastructure.

Prominent among the companies that evinced keen interest in investing in the sector is Hinduja group, which has agreed to set up a Rs 1,000-crore EV manufacturing plant on a 100-acre land. Besides, Adani group and Tata group have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the state government at a round-table conference on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of electric vehicle registrations and the state accounts for around 25 per cent of the total EVs on roads in the country. As of February 2023, around 4,15,000 EVs were operating on the states roads.

Speaking at the round table conference, state industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi assured the investors of all help. He offered 250-acre vacant land of BPCL in Prayagraj to the Hinduja project.

Our state-of-the-art policies, in line with the UP EV Manufacturing & Mobility Policy 2022, are designed to attract investments, promote sustainable transportation solutions, and create a thriving ecosystem for electric vehicles and associated industries, he said.

Hinduja Group demonstrated an upfront investment intent ranging from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,000 crore.

Adani Group expressed intent to build an extensive charging infrastructure network with an investment proposal of around Rs 1,000 crore over a span of five years. Their primary focus areas encompass 17 key cities and significant tourist destinations, spanning 700 km from Agra to Prayagraj and other expressways.

Similarly, E-Risha was interested in setting up EV parks spanning over 300 acres of land, with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore staggered over three years, followed by an additional Rs 1,000 crore over the subsequent seven years.

Prominent among those who attended the round table meeting are Ramkrishna Singh of Tata Group. He assured that Tata Power was ready to play an important role in setting up EV charging infrastructure in UP. Mahesh Babu, MD & CEO of Switch Mobility (Hinduja Group), said Hinduja group would be happy to work in UPs EV sector.

LUCKNOW: With an intent to turn the state an Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub, the Uttar Pradesh government has signed pacts worth Rs 6,000 crore related to EVs and related infrastructure. Prominent among the companies that evinced keen interest in investing in the sector is Hinduja group, which has agreed to set up a Rs 1,000-crore EV manufacturing plant on a 100-acre land. Besides, Adani group and Tata group have signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the state government at a round-table conference on Friday. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of electric vehicle registrations and the state accounts for around 25 per cent of the total EVs on roads in the country. As of February 2023, around 4,15,000 EVs were operating on the states roads.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Speaking at the round table conference, state industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi assured the investors of all help. He offered 250-acre vacant land of BPCL in Prayagraj to the Hinduja project. Our state-of-the-art policies, in line with the UP EV Manufacturing & Mobility Policy 2022, are designed to attract investments, promote sustainable transportation solutions, and create a thriving ecosystem for electric vehicles and associated industries, he said. Hinduja Group demonstrated an upfront investment intent ranging from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,000 crore. Adani Group expressed intent to build an extensive charging infrastructure network with an investment proposal of around Rs 1,000 crore over a span of five years. Their primary focus areas encompass 17 key cities and significant tourist destinations, spanning 700 km from Agra to Prayagraj and other expressways. Similarly, E-Risha was interested in setting up EV parks spanning over 300 acres of land, with an initial investment of Rs 500 crore staggered over three years, followed by an additional Rs 1,000 crore over the subsequent seven years. Prominent among those who attended the round table meeting are Ramkrishna Singh of Tata Group. He assured that Tata Power was ready to play an important role in setting up EV charging infrastructure in UP. Mahesh Babu, MD & CEO of Switch Mobility (Hinduja Group), said Hinduja group would be happy to work in UPs EV sector.
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

MUMBAI: The political dynamics in Maharashtra are rapidly evolving, and two distinct incidents within a few 100 kilometres have shed light on the unfolding events. On Saturday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, accompanied by his senior leaders, met Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune to discuss the merger of both the NCP factions.

Meanwhile, the absence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during the inauguration of the Chandani Chowk interchange flyover, as well as the Khed and Manchar bypass in Pune on the same day, has ignited speculations about a potential leadership shift in the state.

Reportedly, during the meeting with his nephew, NCP chief Sharad Pawar communicated to Ajit Pawar that his faction would not merge with the ruling NCP. However, he did not object if other leaders aligned with his nephew.

Sources indicate that Ajit Pawar has come to realise, through discussions with senior BJP leadership, the crucial role of Sharad Pawars support in his quest to secure the position of Maharashtra Chief Minister. This realisation stems from the challenges he might face in achieving favorable outcomes in the upcoming Lok Sabha and state assembly elections without Sharad Pawars backing.

Consequently, Ajit Pawar is earnestly pursuing this position, even as the BJP extends offers, such as appointing two cabinet ministers from the NCP and the position of Chief Minister. This offer comes with the condition that Senior Pawar either retires or directly collaborates with the BJP. Sharad Pawar has stipulated that Ajit Pawar must first secure his elevation as Chief Minister before considering alignment with the BJP.

MUMBAI: The political dynamics in Maharashtra are rapidly evolving, and two distinct incidents within a few 100 kilometres have shed light on the unfolding events. On Saturday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, accompanied by his senior leaders, met Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune to discuss the merger of both the NCP factions. Meanwhile, the absence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during the inauguration of the Chandani Chowk interchange flyover, as well as the Khed and Manchar bypass in Pune on the same day, has ignited speculations about a potential leadership shift in the state. Reportedly, during the meeting with his nephew, NCP chief Sharad Pawar communicated to Ajit Pawar that his faction would not merge with the ruling NCP. However, he did not object if other leaders aligned with his nephew.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sources indicate that Ajit Pawar has come to realise, through discussions with senior BJP leadership, the crucial role of Sharad Pawars support in his quest to secure the position of Maharashtra Chief Minister. This realisation stems from the challenges he might face in achieving favorable outcomes in the upcoming Lok Sabha and state assembly elections without Sharad Pawars backing. Consequently, Ajit Pawar is earnestly pursuing this position, even as the BJP extends offers, such as appointing two cabinet ministers from the NCP and the position of Chief Minister. This offer comes with the condition that Senior Pawar either retires or directly collaborates with the BJP. Sharad Pawar has stipulated that Ajit Pawar must first secure his elevation as Chief Minister before considering alignment with the BJP.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Railways is working in a mission mode on five mega rail projects of international importance. The projects will make rail services accessible in the areas adjacent borders along Nepal and Bangladesh and also in areas that fall under Bangladesh and Nepal.

According to a written reply given by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha, five new rail line projects with bordering countries at a total distance of 125 km are being implemented. He said that the projects would be completed and commissioned at a cost of Rs 2,722 crore.

Out of a total 125 km of new rail line projects, 60 km of rail route length has already been commissioned till March 2023 at an expenditure of Rs 1,729 crore, the minister said.

The new rail line projects along the international borders are  Balurghat-Hill new line, Jogbani-Bratnagar (Nepal), Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh), Mahisasan (India-Zero point, Bangladesh) and the Jaynagar-Bijalpura, including an extension from Bijapura-Bardibas (Nepal).

According to the railway minister, the Agartala -Akhaura (Bangladesh) broad gauge is a project of national importance and the construction of the Indian portion is taken up by RCON and funded by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region.

The construction of the Bangladesh portion is being taken up by Bangladesh Railways and funded by the Ministry of External Affairs. The link shall provide additional connectivity between India and Bangladesh and encourage trade between two nations, the minister said.

Sharing details, the minister also said that alignment for the Indian side of the project runs from Agartala railway, station to Nischintpur yard. The length of the Indian side is 5.46 km and the length in Bangladesh side (International border to Gangasagar) is 6.78 km, the minister said.

The anticipated cost of the project (Indian side) is Rs 865 crore, while the expenditure on the project (Indian side) up to July 2023 is Rs 781.71 crore. The work on Nischintpur yard is complete and ancillary constructions of a viaduct in balance portion are in progress, the minister informed.

MAJOR LINES IN THE WORKS

Balurghat-Hill

Jogbani-Bratnagar (Nepal)

Agartala- Akhaura (Bangladesh) .

Mahisasan (India-Zero point (Bangladesh)

Jaynagar-Bijalpura, including extension from Bijapura-Bardibas (Nepal).

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Railways is working in a mission mode on five mega rail projects of international importance. The projects will make rail services accessible in the areas adjacent borders along Nepal and Bangladesh and also in areas that fall under Bangladesh and Nepal. According to a written reply given by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha, five new rail line projects with bordering countries at a total distance of 125 km are being implemented. He said that the projects would be completed and commissioned at a cost of Rs 2,722 crore. Out of a total 125 km of new rail line projects, 60 km of rail route length has already been commissioned till March 2023 at an expenditure of Rs 1,729 crore, the minister said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The new rail line projects along the international borders are  Balurghat-Hill new line, Jogbani-Bratnagar (Nepal), Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh), Mahisasan (India-Zero point, Bangladesh) and the Jaynagar-Bijalpura, including an extension from Bijapura-Bardibas (Nepal). According to the railway minister, the Agartala -Akhaura (Bangladesh) broad gauge is a project of national importance and the construction of the Indian portion is taken up by RCON and funded by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region. The construction of the Bangladesh portion is being taken up by Bangladesh Railways and funded by the Ministry of External Affairs. The link shall provide additional connectivity between India and Bangladesh and encourage trade between two nations, the minister said. Sharing details, the minister also said that alignment for the Indian side of the project runs from Agartala railway, station to Nischintpur yard. The length of the Indian side is 5.46 km and the length in Bangladesh side (International border to Gangasagar) is 6.78 km, the minister said. The anticipated cost of the project (Indian side) is Rs 865 crore, while the expenditure on the project (Indian side) up to July 2023 is Rs 781.71 crore. The work on Nischintpur yard is complete and ancillary constructions of a viaduct in balance portion are in progress, the minister informed. MAJOR LINES IN THE WORKS Balurghat-Hill Jogbani-Bratnagar (Nepal) Agartala- Akhaura (Bangladesh) . Mahisasan (India-Zero point (Bangladesh) Jaynagar-Bijalpura, including extension from Bijapura-Bardibas (Nepal).
A team of scientists exploring the cold ocean waters near Antarctica in search of mysterious marine animals known as Promachocrinus, or Antarctic feather stars, succeeded during one of their "hunts." Not only did the researchers catch the desired individual, but they also discovered that it was a previously unknown species.

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This is stated in a study published in the journal Invertebrate Systematics. As reported by the Miami Herald, to find the coveted species, the scientists have conducted several research expeditions in the Southern Ocean since 2008.

The sea animal they were looking for - Promachocrinus - are "large" animals that can live 20 to 2,000 meters underwater and have an "otherworldly appearance" while swimming, reminiscent of the legendary Cthulhu, a pagan deity from Howard Lovecraft's horror works.

Like ordinary sea stars, feather stars are invertebrate ocean animals, but are different from their marine relatives.

During their research, scientists collected eight feather stars with distinctive body shapes and even discovered a new species: Promachocrinus fragarius, or the Antarctic strawberry feather star.

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The creature has 20 branching arms from a central body, the study said. Its color can range from "purple" to "dark red." The researchers did not provide its exact size, but described it as large.

Published photos show that the new species has two types of appendages. The lower, shorter arms look almost striped and knobby, while the upper, longer arms look almost plumed and soft.

The researchers also published a close-up of the lower body of Promachocrinus fragarius. It is triangular in shape, wider at the top and tapering to a rounded lower tip. The texture looks lumpy with circular indents that were probably left by broken off arms.

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The new species was named after the Latin word for "strawberry" because the researchers decided that the creature's body was similar to a strawberry.

Although these species of feather stars were unique because of their location and size, these creatures are plentiful in the sea. According to the researchers, the Antarctic strawberry feather star was found throughout the Southern Ocean at depths ranging from about 65 to 1,170 meters. The new species was identified based on body shape and DNA analysis, the study said.

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Scientists also noted that the number of arms for this species was also unique, as most other representatives of this family have about five arms.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL also wrote about the fact that in China was found the skull of a previously unknown species of man.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest news.
Rajesh Asnani By

JAIPUR: With elections barely four months away, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is becoming increasingly assertive and has started lashing out at his own party leaders. During a party meeting attended by senior party leader and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and senior party observer for Rajasthan Madhusudan Mistry, Gehlot took a tough stand against certain senior leaders.

One such sharp rebuke occurred during a recent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of the Congress in Rajasthan. He chastised minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas, former minister Raghu Sharma, AICC member Raghuveer Meena, and Rajya Sabha MP Neeraj Dangi.

Sources reveal that during the meeting, food and civil supplies minister Khachariawas advocated for an assertive strategy in the assembly polls. Gehlot said sharply, I am well aware of your assertiveness, which often veers off-topic when you speak. It is Venugopal ji who tolerates your approach. If the decision were mine, I would not hesitate to take action.

Political analysts say CMs anger stems from unwarranted statements made by Khachariawas about Jaipur Heritage Mayor Munesh Gurjars case.

Similarly, Gehlot became upset when Raghu Sharma voiced concerns about potential electoral losses due to the caste-based census. The stance on the caste-based census is not mine alone; it is the partys national standpoint. If you feel strongly about it, go to Delhi and address Rahul Gandhi directly. The creation of Kekri district should have uplifted your spirits, yet your discontent persists, the CM retorted

Raghuveer Meena had raised objections to the CMs announcement of OBC reservations during a visit to the religious site of Mangarh Dham. Do you consider yourself more knowledgeable than me? Your words lack forethought, Gehlot rebuked Meena.

Rajya Sabha MP Neeraj Dangi was not exempt either. Despite three consecutive losses in assembly elections, the high command still sent you to the Rajya Sabha. It is time to secure at least one victory and contribute to the partys success. Work hard to garner support across the state, he was told.

JAIPUR: With elections barely four months away, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is becoming increasingly assertive and has started lashing out at his own party leaders. During a party meeting attended by senior party leader and AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and senior party observer for Rajasthan Madhusudan Mistry, Gehlot took a tough stand against certain senior leaders. One such sharp rebuke occurred during a recent meeting of the Political Affairs Committee of the Congress in Rajasthan. He chastised minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas, former minister Raghu Sharma, AICC member Raghuveer Meena, and Rajya Sabha MP Neeraj Dangi. Sources reveal that during the meeting, food and civil supplies minister Khachariawas advocated for an assertive strategy in the assembly polls. Gehlot said sharply, I am well aware of your assertiveness, which often veers off-topic when you speak. It is Venugopal ji who tolerates your approach. If the decision were mine, I would not hesitate to take action.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Political analysts say CMs anger stems from unwarranted statements made by Khachariawas about Jaipur Heritage Mayor Munesh Gurjars case. Similarly, Gehlot became upset when Raghu Sharma voiced concerns about potential electoral losses due to the caste-based census. The stance on the caste-based census is not mine alone; it is the partys national standpoint. If you feel strongly about it, go to Delhi and address Rahul Gandhi directly. The creation of Kekri district should have uplifted your spirits, yet your discontent persists, the CM retorted Raghuveer Meena had raised objections to the CMs announcement of OBC reservations during a visit to the religious site of Mangarh Dham. Do you consider yourself more knowledgeable than me? Your words lack forethought, Gehlot rebuked Meena. Rajya Sabha MP Neeraj Dangi was not exempt either. Despite three consecutive losses in assembly elections, the high command still sent you to the Rajya Sabha. It is time to secure at least one victory and contribute to the partys success. Work hard to garner support across the state, he was told.
By Online Desk

A Hindu temple in Canada's British Columbia has been allegedly vandalised on Saturday, with pro-Khalistan posters pasted on the temple's gate. This is the fourth such instance where a temple has been vandalised in Canada this year.

The gate outside Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia was allegedly desecrated with posters of the Khalistan referendum. The poster carried a photo of slain extremist Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and came with the caption: "Canada. Investigate India's role in 18th June assassination."

Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead by two masked gunmen last month outside a Gurudwara in Surrey on June 18.

The Khalistan Tiger Force is an extremist organisation involved in the Khalistan movement since the Punjab insurgency.

The incident from Saturday was initially reported by NDTV, which in turn quoted The Australia Today's post on 'X' (formerly Twitter), which read: "Another Hindu temple vandalised in Canada by #Khalistan extremists  bogus Khalistanreferendum posters put at the door of @surreymandir to create fear among the Indian community."

It also shared a video that shows two masked men erecting the posters and fleeing the spot.

The video has gone viral on social media platforms.

Notably, Nijjar's killing has riled up his fellow pro-Khalistani sympathisers and has further worsened the community's decades-long fractured ties with the Indian government.

Nijjar's supporters have stated that the separatist leader had always been a target due to his activism for a separate Khalistan state and had linked Indian elements to his murder.

India, however, has called these accusations "unfounded."

In July, the BBC had reported that Najjar had planned for an illegal referendum in September on the question of an independent Sikh state as part of a global vote-shoring process aimed at consolidating support for the formation of Khalistan.

The Khalistan movement is outlawed in India and has been considered a threat to national security, while mainstream national parties and political parties in Punjab have denounced the calls for separatism and the violence associated with it.

Notably, Saturday's incident is the fourth such attack on Hindu temples in Canada involving Khalistani extremists this year.

Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Ontario's Windsor city had been defaced with 'anti-India' graffiti on April 5, while a Ram Mandir in Mississauga had been desecrated with 'anti-India' messages on February 15.

The Gauri Shankar Mandir in Ontario's Brampton had been defaced with 'anti-India' graffiti on January 31.

A Hindu temple in Canada's British Columbia has been allegedly vandalised on Saturday, with pro-Khalistan posters pasted on the temple's gate. This is the fourth such instance where a temple has been vandalised in Canada this year. The gate outside Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, British Columbia was allegedly desecrated with posters of the Khalistan referendum. The poster carried a photo of slain extremist Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and came with the caption: "Canada. Investigate India's role in 18th June assassination." Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead by two masked gunmen last month outside a Gurudwara in Surrey on June 18. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Khalistan Tiger Force is an extremist organisation involved in the Khalistan movement since the Punjab insurgency. The incident from Saturday was initially reported by NDTV, which in turn quoted The Australia Today's post on 'X' (formerly Twitter), which read: "Another Hindu temple vandalised in Canada by #Khalistan extremists  bogus Khalistanreferendum posters put at the door of @surreymandir to create fear among the Indian community." It also shared a video that shows two masked men erecting the posters and fleeing the spot. The video has gone viral on social media platforms. #Breaking Another #Hindu temple vandalised in #Canada by #Khalistan extremists - bogus#Khalistanreferendum posters put at door of @surreymandir to create fear among #Indian community @itssamonline @AryaCanada @DrAmitSarwal @Pallavi_Aus @SarahLGates1 @CBCTerry @AdityaRajKaul pic.twitter.com/PG0NeJJTAE  The Australia Today (@TheAusToday) August 12, 2023 Notably, Nijjar's killing has riled up his fellow pro-Khalistani sympathisers and has further worsened the community's decades-long fractured ties with the Indian government. Nijjar's supporters have stated that the separatist leader had always been a target due to his activism for a separate Khalistan state and had linked Indian elements to his murder. India, however, has called these accusations "unfounded." In July, the BBC had reported that Najjar had planned for an illegal referendum in September on the question of an independent Sikh state as part of a global vote-shoring process aimed at consolidating support for the formation of Khalistan. The Khalistan movement is outlawed in India and has been considered a threat to national security, while mainstream national parties and political parties in Punjab have denounced the calls for separatism and the violence associated with it. Notably, Saturday's incident is the fourth such attack on Hindu temples in Canada involving Khalistani extremists this year. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Ontario's Windsor city had been defaced with 'anti-India' graffiti on April 5, while a Ram Mandir in Mississauga had been desecrated with 'anti-India' messages on February 15. The Gauri Shankar Mandir in Ontario's Brampton had been defaced with 'anti-India' graffiti on January 31.
By Online Desk

Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has vowed to help pursue army commanders credibly accused of sexual harassment through the courts. This comes after allegations of unacceptable behaviour were raised by a female soldier speaking to The Guardian.

Maliar, a lawyer by training, called on those who claimed to have been targeted to meet her, after a whistleblower alleged that a commander in a combat unit had ordered female subordinates to have sex with him or face their husbands being sent to the front.

She also said she would investigate allegations that women in the armed forces had been threatened with being sent to psychiatric units for complaining about sexual harassment, warning the accused that she would personally take any credible cases to the police.

The Guardian reported that these allegations were made last week by a platoon sergeant, Nadiya Haran, 27, who said she was forced to seek transfer from her previous unit after raising the cases with senior officers who told her to shut up.

In her message, Maliar emphasized that the scale and severity of such crimes pose a huge challenge for Ukrainian society.

This is not just violence on a sexual basis, it is a conscious policy of the enemy state aimed at intimidation, demoralization, and degradation of the dignity of our civilian population.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian police have identified 171 victims of sexual violence by Russian military personnel, First Lady Olena Zelenska had said at the United for Justice international conference in Lviv on March 4.

"This figure is not limited to women  39 men and 13 minors are among the victims," said Zelenska.

These cases became known only because the victims have the courage to report the abuse, she said, adding that the real number of victims could be much higher as many suffer in silence.

Zelenska stressed that punishing the Russians for their sexual and other war crimes should serve as a precedent of the inevitability of punishment.

Natalia Karbowska, Co-Founder and Director of Strategic Development for the Ukrainian Womens Fund, had said that the Russian Federation is using sexual violence and rape as instruments of terror to control civilians.

As of the end of 2022, Ukrainian law enforcement officials have recorded 155 cases of sexual violence associated with Russia's war against Ukraine, with the highest number of cases reported from Kherson and Kyiv Oblasts, according to The New Voice of Ukraine.

Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar has vowed to help pursue army commanders credibly accused of sexual harassment through the courts. This comes after allegations of unacceptable behaviour were raised by a female soldier speaking to The Guardian. Maliar, a lawyer by training, called on those who claimed to have been targeted to meet her, after a whistleblower alleged that a commander in a combat unit had ordered female subordinates to have sex with him or face their husbands being sent to the front. She also said she would investigate allegations that women in the armed forces had been threatened with being sent to psychiatric units for complaining about sexual harassment, warning the accused that she would personally take any credible cases to the police.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Guardian reported that these allegations were made last week by a platoon sergeant, Nadiya Haran, 27, who said she was forced to seek transfer from her previous unit after raising the cases with senior officers who told her to shut up. In her message, Maliar emphasized that the scale and severity of such crimes pose a huge challenge for Ukrainian society. This is not just violence on a sexual basis, it is a conscious policy of the enemy state aimed at intimidation, demoralization, and degradation of the dignity of our civilian population. Meanwhile, Ukrainian police have identified 171 victims of sexual violence by Russian military personnel, First Lady Olena Zelenska had said at the United for Justice international conference in Lviv on March 4. "This figure is not limited to women  39 men and 13 minors are among the victims," said Zelenska. These cases became known only because the victims have the courage to report the abuse, she said, adding that the real number of victims could be much higher as many suffer in silence. Zelenska stressed that punishing the Russians for their sexual and other war crimes should serve as a precedent of the inevitability of punishment. Natalia Karbowska, Co-Founder and Director of Strategic Development for the Ukrainian Womens Fund, had said that the Russian Federation is using sexual violence and rape as instruments of terror to control civilians. As of the end of 2022, Ukrainian law enforcement officials have recorded 155 cases of sexual violence associated with Russia's war against Ukraine, with the highest number of cases reported from Kherson and Kyiv Oblasts, according to The New Voice of Ukraine.
By Associated Press

TEHRAN: A gunman opened fire Sunday night at a prominent shrine in southern Iran, killing one person and wounding eight others in an attack that followed another assault there months earlier, authorities said.

Officials offered no immediate motive for the attack in the city of Shiraz at Shah Cheragh, which draws Shiite pilgrims to its domed mosque and the tomb of a prominent member of the faith from its earliest days.

However, Iran has faced attacks in the past from the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group, who view Shiites as heretics. Iran also faces lingering unrest and economic turmoil amid tensions with the West.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ismail Qezelsofla, a deputy governor for security in the country's Fars province, as offering the casualty toll.

Fars province Gov. Mohammad Hadi Imanieh told Iranian state television that a single gunman carried out the attack and later was detained by security forces. He did not offer any motive for the attack in his brief comments.

Footage after the attack showed security forces surround one entrance to the then-deserted courtyard of Shah Cheragh at sunset. Ambulances later took away the wounded as security forces and government officials reached the shrine.

Shah Cheragh is one of Irans top five Shiite shrines. It draws pilgrims to Shiraz, which is some 675 kilometers (420 miles) south of Iran's capital, Tehran.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack Sunday night comes after an October 2022 attack on the same shrine killed 13 people and wounded dozens of others. The Islamic State group claimed the assault, which Iran said had been carried out by a man from Tajikistan, who later died in a hospital after succumbing to injuries he suffered while being detained by security forces.

Iran has backed Syria's embattled Bashar Assad during his country's civil war. It also fought Islamic State fighters both there and in Iraq.

The worst assault from Islamic State militants in Iran came in a June 2017 attack that killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50 in Tehran as its gunmen stormed parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis mausoleum. Khomeini led the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed shah to become Irans first supreme leader until his death in 1989.

TEHRAN: A gunman opened fire Sunday night at a prominent shrine in southern Iran, killing one person and wounding eight others in an attack that followed another assault there months earlier, authorities said. Officials offered no immediate motive for the attack in the city of Shiraz at Shah Cheragh, which draws Shiite pilgrims to its domed mosque and the tomb of a prominent member of the faith from its earliest days. However, Iran has faced attacks in the past from the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group, who view Shiites as heretics. Iran also faces lingering unrest and economic turmoil amid tensions with the West.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ismail Qezelsofla, a deputy governor for security in the country's Fars province, as offering the casualty toll. Fars province Gov. Mohammad Hadi Imanieh told Iranian state television that a single gunman carried out the attack and later was detained by security forces. He did not offer any motive for the attack in his brief comments. Footage after the attack showed security forces surround one entrance to the then-deserted courtyard of Shah Cheragh at sunset. Ambulances later took away the wounded as security forces and government officials reached the shrine. Shah Cheragh is one of Irans top five Shiite shrines. It draws pilgrims to Shiraz, which is some 675 kilometers (420 miles) south of Iran's capital, Tehran. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The attack Sunday night comes after an October 2022 attack on the same shrine killed 13 people and wounded dozens of others. The Islamic State group claimed the assault, which Iran said had been carried out by a man from Tajikistan, who later died in a hospital after succumbing to injuries he suffered while being detained by security forces. Iran has backed Syria's embattled Bashar Assad during his country's civil war. It also fought Islamic State fighters both there and in Iraq. The worst assault from Islamic State militants in Iran came in a June 2017 attack that killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50 in Tehran as its gunmen stormed parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis mausoleum. Khomeini led the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed shah to become Irans first supreme leader until his death in 1989.
Ketan Narottam Tanna By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The story of India's independence from colonial rule is one of exhilaration and pain at the same time, the eventual embrace of fate, and, above all, hope and determination to thrive despite the historical cards dealt. As the country enters the 76th year of independence, a bit of looking back at how it came about, the framing of the Constitution that has stood the test of time despite the occasional knocks it takes, and the eventual declaration of the Indian Republic, ought to make us appreciate the value of that hard-fought independence.

We pick up the threads from the Indian Independence Act, which gave legislative shape to the decision to vivisect India. Partition on religious lines was in the works much before Mountbatten arrived in India in 1947. Maps were drawn and redrawn but there was no meeting ground between the Indian side represented by the Congress and the Muslim League, the proponent of Pakistan. Mountbatten's arrival expedited Britain's exit. The Indian Independence Act was ratified by the British Parliament and granted royal assent on July 18, 1947. After nearly two centuries of British colonial rule, the Act set the date for India's freedom as August 15, 1947. Pakistan was accorded independence a day earlier so as to facilitate Mountbatten's participation in the ceremonies of both countries.

Defining borders

The complex process of demarcating borders between India and Pakistan - particularly in Punjab and Bengal - was done in a hurry in just a month. All stakeholders wanted to wrap it up before independence day though they did not have the expertise to do so. They all knew it would lead to humongous human displacement and unprecedented bloodletting and communal riots but figured it was unavoidable. In the end, an estimated 1-2 million people were massacred in the riots that followed and over 15 million others were uprooted due to partition.

The task to draw boundary lines in Punjab and Bengal was given to Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a British jurist. He headed two boundary commissions, one for Punjab and the other for Bengal though he had no prior knowledge of India. His arrival in the country on July 8, 1947, was his first-ever trip this side. There were some who thought his unfamiliarity would make him a neutral arbitrator. Each commission had five members, all jurists - two each from the Hindu side and the Muslim League besides Radcliffe. In other words, Radcliffe had the deciding vote on all matters, which he used at his whim. He did his cartography - the Radcliffe line - that was not always based on demographic data without ever visiting the lands he mechanically split. His maps for the two states were ready by August 9 and 14 but were made public two days after independence on August 17.

Challenges of princely states

The partition of India and the question of integrating princely states were intertwined. Before partition, there were over 550 princely states that had a semi-autonomous status. The Indian Independence Act gave them the choice to align with India or Pakistan or stay independent. The decision had to be made depending on the geographical contiguity and the preferences of their populations. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's deputy prime minister, integrated most of the princely states with the Indian Union. Through a combination of diplomatic negotiation, persuasion, and, in some cases, military intervention, he nudged them towards Indian rule with the promise of privy purses. However, the princely states of Hyderabad and Junagadh didn't want to play ball.

Junagadh in present-day Gujarat was ruled by Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III. Despite having a predominantly Hindu population, the Nawab chose to integrate with Pakistan, sparking widespread unrest. Indian forces intervened and a subsequent plebiscite saw Junagadh becoming part of the country. In Hyderabad, Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan aspired for independence but faced pressure due to his state's geographical location as well as its Hindu majority population. In September 1948, Patel launched a military operation, which resulted in the integration of Hyderabad with the Indian Union after a four-day war.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh was the ruler of the Muslim-majority state. He preferred independence but after tribal mercenaries sent by Pakistan invaded Kashmir, he acceded to India. A part of J&K was saved in that first Indo-Pak war.

FILE - Constitution of India being signed by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at its final session in New Delhi, January 24, 1950. (Photo | PTI)

Constitutional monarchy to democratic republic

With India attaining independence, a Constituent Assembly formed on December 9, 1946, by the interim government took charge of its governance. Its members served as the country's provisional Parliament till they drafted a new Constitution. The Constituent Assembly had 389 members representing various regions, communities and interests. Dr Rajendra Prasad served as its President and Dr B R Ambedkar chaired the drafting committee of the Constitution.

After the drafting committee put out an initial draft, the Constituent Assembly engaged in extensive debates on fundamental rights, citizenship, federal structure, representation, and more, to strike a balance between diverse interests. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including the constitutions of other nations, principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, as well as the country's struggle for independence, the Indian Constitution emerged as one of the world's most lengthy and comprehensive documents.

The final draft was adopted on November 26, 1949. On January 26, 1950, at 10.18 am, the last Governor-General Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, proclaimed India as a Republic as the Constitution came into force at that moment. Dr Rajendra Prasad became the first President, taking the oath with a 31-gun salute. It signified India's shift from a constitutional monarchy to a democratic republic.

Tricolour, National Anthem

Weeks before independence, on July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly chose the saffron-white-green Tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra at the centre as the national flag, replacing the spinning wheel in the Congress flag. On January 24, 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad announced Jana Gana Mana as the National Anthem and Vande Mataram as the national song.

FILE - Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru greets the admiral of the fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma during the republic day parade, Jan 26, 1964. (Photo | PTI)

Linguistic identities

Amid the horrors of partition, young India's journey had just begun. There were fresh challenges, such as addressing the demands for carving out new states on linguistic lines. It culminated in the enactment of the State Reorganisation Act of 1956. Before this Act, state boundaries were often defined on historical and administrative considerations rather than linguistic or cultural affinities.

For example, Madras State, which encompassed parts of present-day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana, was broken up. Andhra Pradesh was initially carved out of Madras State on October 1, 1953, for its Telugu-speaking population. Three years later, it was amalgamated with Telangana (formerly part of Hyderabad State) in 1956, resulting in the creation of united Andhra Pradesh. States of united Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala were created on November 1, 1956. But Andhra had an uneasy marriage and on June 2, 2014, Telangana broke off citing regional disparities and perceived neglect. The reorganisation of Bombay State, too, was propelled by linguistic disparities. It was split into Gujarat and Maharashtra on May 1, 1960. Other new states like Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were created by and by.

Universal adult franchise

Among the perceptive bets, the Constituent Assembly took was to follow the principle of universal adult franchise despite widespread illiteracy among the masses. The inaugural general elections in India took place in 1951-1952 with all citizens aged 21 and above getting their right to vote. Contrast with countries like Switzerland which gave women voting rights only after a referendum in 1971, and the foresight of the Indian Constitution's founding fathers stands out as a beacon of wisdom.

Birth of Republic

FILE - Thiruvavaduthurai Aadheenam representative Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran presents Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the golden sceptre on the night of August 14, 1947. (Express Photo)

July 16, 1947

Lords pass India Bill through all stages

The House of Lords passed the India Independence Bill through all its stages. Royal assent came two days later

July 22, 1947

Flag of free India

The Constituent Assembly decided that the national flag shall be saffron-white-green Tricolour, with an Ashoka wheel in the middle

July 22, 1947

Nehru Presents Free Indias Flag to Constituent Assembly

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru presents to the Constituent Assembly the flag of free India that has the Ashoka Chakra in place of the spinning

Aug 15, 1947

India celebrates freedom

India has awakened to her freedom. Immediately after the stroke of 12 midnight, the Constituent Assembly of India took over governance of the country

Nov 26, 1949

New Constitution adopted

The Constituent Assembly passed the Constitution at 11.10 am with only one dissenting voice. Dr Rajendra Prasad signed the Constitution at 11.12 am

Jan 26, 1950

Rajendra Prasad Babu elected as first President

Constituent Assembly unanimously elects Dr Rajendra Prasad as the first President of the Indian Republic to be inaugurated on January 26

Jan 24, 1950

Jana Gana Mana is National Anthem

President of the Constituent Assembly, Dr Rajendra Prasad, announced Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem and that Vande Mataram as national song

Jan 24, 1950

India Proclaimed as Sovereign

The birth of Indian sovereign democratic Republic proclaimed at 10.18 am by the last Governor General Chakravarti Rajagopalachari at the Durbar Hall at Government House

NEW DELHI: The story of India's independence from colonial rule is one of exhilaration and pain at the same time, the eventual embrace of fate, and, above all, hope and determination to thrive despite the historical cards dealt. As the country enters the 76th year of independence, a bit of looking back at how it came about, the framing of the Constitution that has stood the test of time despite the occasional knocks it takes, and the eventual declaration of the Indian Republic, ought to make us appreciate the value of that hard-fought independence. We pick up the threads from the Indian Independence Act, which gave legislative shape to the decision to vivisect India. Partition on religious lines was in the works much before Mountbatten arrived in India in 1947. Maps were drawn and redrawn but there was no meeting ground between the Indian side represented by the Congress and the Muslim League, the proponent of Pakistan. Mountbatten's arrival expedited Britain's exit. The Indian Independence Act was ratified by the British Parliament and granted royal assent on July 18, 1947. After nearly two centuries of British colonial rule, the Act set the date for India's freedom as August 15, 1947. Pakistan was accorded independence a day earlier so as to facilitate Mountbatten's participation in the ceremonies of both countries. Defining bordersgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The complex process of demarcating borders between India and Pakistan - particularly in Punjab and Bengal - was done in a hurry in just a month. All stakeholders wanted to wrap it up before independence day though they did not have the expertise to do so. They all knew it would lead to humongous human displacement and unprecedented bloodletting and communal riots but figured it was unavoidable. In the end, an estimated 1-2 million people were massacred in the riots that followed and over 15 million others were uprooted due to partition. The task to draw boundary lines in Punjab and Bengal was given to Sir Cyril Radcliffe, a British jurist. He headed two boundary commissions, one for Punjab and the other for Bengal though he had no prior knowledge of India. His arrival in the country on July 8, 1947, was his first-ever trip this side. There were some who thought his unfamiliarity would make him a neutral arbitrator. Each commission had five members, all jurists - two each from the Hindu side and the Muslim League besides Radcliffe. In other words, Radcliffe had the deciding vote on all matters, which he used at his whim. He did his cartography - the Radcliffe line - that was not always based on demographic data without ever visiting the lands he mechanically split. His maps for the two states were ready by August 9 and 14 but were made public two days after independence on August 17. Challenges of princely states The partition of India and the question of integrating princely states were intertwined. Before partition, there were over 550 princely states that had a semi-autonomous status. The Indian Independence Act gave them the choice to align with India or Pakistan or stay independent. The decision had to be made depending on the geographical contiguity and the preferences of their populations. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's deputy prime minister, integrated most of the princely states with the Indian Union. Through a combination of diplomatic negotiation, persuasion, and, in some cases, military intervention, he nudged them towards Indian rule with the promise of privy purses. However, the princely states of Hyderabad and Junagadh didn't want to play ball. Junagadh in present-day Gujarat was ruled by Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III. Despite having a predominantly Hindu population, the Nawab chose to integrate with Pakistan, sparking widespread unrest. Indian forces intervened and a subsequent plebiscite saw Junagadh becoming part of the country. In Hyderabad, Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan aspired for independence but faced pressure due to his state's geographical location as well as its Hindu majority population. In September 1948, Patel launched a military operation, which resulted in the integration of Hyderabad with the Indian Union after a four-day war. In Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh was the ruler of the Muslim-majority state. He preferred independence but after tribal mercenaries sent by Pakistan invaded Kashmir, he acceded to India. A part of J&K was saved in that first Indo-Pak war. FILE - Constitution of India being signed by the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at its final session in New Delhi, January 24, 1950. (Photo | PTI) Constitutional monarchy to democratic republic With India attaining independence, a Constituent Assembly formed on December 9, 1946, by the interim government took charge of its governance. Its members served as the country's provisional Parliament till they drafted a new Constitution. The Constituent Assembly had 389 members representing various regions, communities and interests. Dr Rajendra Prasad served as its President and Dr B R Ambedkar chaired the drafting committee of the Constitution. After the drafting committee put out an initial draft, the Constituent Assembly engaged in extensive debates on fundamental rights, citizenship, federal structure, representation, and more, to strike a balance between diverse interests. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including the constitutions of other nations, principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, as well as the country's struggle for independence, the Indian Constitution emerged as one of the world's most lengthy and comprehensive documents. The final draft was adopted on November 26, 1949. On January 26, 1950, at 10.18 am, the last Governor-General Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, proclaimed India as a Republic as the Constitution came into force at that moment. Dr Rajendra Prasad became the first President, taking the oath with a 31-gun salute. It signified India's shift from a constitutional monarchy to a democratic republic. Tricolour, National Anthem Weeks before independence, on July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly chose the saffron-white-green Tricolour with the Ashoka Chakra at the centre as the national flag, replacing the spinning wheel in the Congress flag. On January 24, 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad announced Jana Gana Mana as the National Anthem and Vande Mataram as the national song. FILE - Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru greets the admiral of the fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma during the republic day parade, Jan 26, 1964. (Photo | PTI)Linguistic identities Amid the horrors of partition, young India's journey had just begun. There were fresh challenges, such as addressing the demands for carving out new states on linguistic lines. It culminated in the enactment of the State Reorganisation Act of 1956. Before this Act, state boundaries were often defined on historical and administrative considerations rather than linguistic or cultural affinities. For example, Madras State, which encompassed parts of present-day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana, was broken up. Andhra Pradesh was initially carved out of Madras State on October 1, 1953, for its Telugu-speaking population. Three years later, it was amalgamated with Telangana (formerly part of Hyderabad State) in 1956, resulting in the creation of united Andhra Pradesh. States of united Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala were created on November 1, 1956. But Andhra had an uneasy marriage and on June 2, 2014, Telangana broke off citing regional disparities and perceived neglect. The reorganisation of Bombay State, too, was propelled by linguistic disparities. It was split into Gujarat and Maharashtra on May 1, 1960. Other new states like Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were created by and by. Universal adult franchise Among the perceptive bets, the Constituent Assembly took was to follow the principle of universal adult franchise despite widespread illiteracy among the masses. The inaugural general elections in India took place in 1951-1952 with all citizens aged 21 and above getting their right to vote. Contrast with countries like Switzerland which gave women voting rights only after a referendum in 1971, and the foresight of the Indian Constitution's founding fathers stands out as a beacon of wisdom. Birth of Republic FILE - Thiruvavaduthurai Aadheenam representative Sri Kumaraswamy Thambiran presents Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the golden sceptre on the night of August 14, 1947. (Express Photo)July 16, 1947 Lords pass India Bill through all stages The House of Lords passed the India Independence Bill through all its stages. Royal assent came two days later July 22, 1947 Flag of free India The Constituent Assembly decided that the national flag shall be saffron-white-green Tricolour, with an Ashoka wheel in the middle July 22, 1947 Nehru Presents Free Indias Flag to Constituent Assembly Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru presents to the Constituent Assembly the flag of free India that has the Ashoka Chakra in place of the spinning Aug 15, 1947 India celebrates freedom India has awakened to her freedom. Immediately after the stroke of 12 midnight, the Constituent Assembly of India took over governance of the country Nov 26, 1949 New Constitution adopted The Constituent Assembly passed the Constitution at 11.10 am with only one dissenting voice. Dr Rajendra Prasad signed the Constitution at 11.12 am Jan 26, 1950 Rajendra Prasad Babu elected as first President Constituent Assembly unanimously elects Dr Rajendra Prasad as the first President of the Indian Republic to be inaugurated on January 26 Jan 24, 1950 Jana Gana Mana is National Anthem President of the Constituent Assembly, Dr Rajendra Prasad, announced Jana Gana Mana as the national anthem and that Vande Mataram as national song Jan 24, 1950 India Proclaimed as Sovereign The birth of Indian sovereign democratic Republic proclaimed at 10.18 am by the last Governor General Chakravarti Rajagopalachari at the Durbar Hall at Government House
The aggressor country Russia has accused Ukraine of a drone attack on its territory once again. This time it allegedly took place in Belgorod Region.

ADVERTISIMENT

At the same time, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the successful destruction of the UAV with no damage or casualties.

According to the Russians, the attack took place at 04:00 on Sunday, August 13, "with one UAV on objects on the territory of the Russian Federation."

The Defense Ministry claims that the drone was "detected and destroyed" by air defense assets over the Belgorod region.

"There are no casualties and destruction as a result of the foiled terrorist attack," the agency assured residents of the terrorist state.

ADVERTISIMENT

It is noteworthy that the Russian Defense Ministry has a standard response for all such "Ukrainian" UAV attacks. It only changes the date, place and number of drones attacking the Russians.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the same event occurred at 17:30 on Saturday, August 12, when "one Ukrainian drone" was also destroyed over the Belgorod region.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, CNN called frequent UAV attacks and fire breaks in Russian Federation an "August curse" for Russians. Analysts emphasized that it brings the war back to the territory of Russia.

Only verified information we have in our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
MECS, in Association with their India Partner, Finovista, Announces Investor Pitching & Connect Initiative in Clean Cooking Sector

An important agenda that the programme aims to address through the initiative is the problem of the lack of access to clean cooking solutions, which is being faced by around 2.4 billion people worldwide. One of the reasons behind the problem is the financial constraints that run into a magnanimous USD 10 billion annually. The problem is particularly persistent in India, with many households still using traditional biomass-based solutions and having relying on firewood, cow dung cakes, and agricultural residue. Needless to say, the impact is severe both on the environment and human health.It is this alarming concern that the Investor Pitching & Connect in Clean Cooking Initiative 2023 is aiming to resolve. No wonder the initiative is being supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India as a part of its sustainable development agenda.A MECS spokesperson said, "Our Investor Pitching and Connect Initiative is aiming to transform the clean cooking landscape and make a significant impact on people's lives. We recognize the transformative power of clean cooking solutions and services, not just for the environment but also for improving the health of women and children who are disproportionately affected by household air pollution. This initiative will drive meaningful contributions to a greener, healthier future."The beauty of the Investor Pitching & Connect in Clean Cooking Initiative lies in its innovativeness to create a supportive ecosystem that connects investors with entrepreneurs passionate about modern energy-based clean cooking solutions. An additional boon shows up in the form of private investment. Private investment proves advantageous in this case as it offers steady capital injection, which can eventually be directed for different purposes like research and development, marketing, human resources, and purchase in the modern energy-based cooking arena. Most importantly, since investments in modern clean cooking solutions are heavy, multiple private investors can join hands for a shared responsibility.Furthermore, the initiative endeavours to strengthen the capabilities of impact investors, private financiers, and financial institutions through tailored technical assistance and comprehensive insights into the clean cooking sector. By equipping stakeholders with comprehensive knowledge about the clean cooking sector, the initiative seeks to facilitate informed decision-making for the benefit of society, the economy, and the environment on the whole.Selection under the Investor Pitching & Connect in Clean Cooking Initiative 2023 also means opening of multiple gateways beyond finance. One of the key benefits is the ability to pitch before multiple investors at the idea, seed, and scale-up stages. This is followed by 360-degree strategic business support to shortlisted innovators. Training and mentorship is a crucial add-on of this initiative, under which selected innovators will receive 11 mentorship on a case-to-case basis along with training from industry experts. Access to international bodies along with market access support are other advantages shortlisted entrepreneurs and ventures enjoy as a part of this celebrated programme.Overall, this groundbreaking initiative will help elevate India's stature as a worldwide hub for innovative clean cooking device solutions while also boosting the capacity of the manufacturers and service providers in the clean cooking segment to evolve into key solution suppliers for other nations as well.The Investor Pitching & Connect in Clean Cooking 2023 Initiative is open to Indian companies, SMEs, startups, and innovators, who are associated with modern clean cooking solutions in various capacities like design, manufacturing, supply-chain, marketing, and funding. Entries are welcome from entities standing at all stages, ideation, pilot, and scale-up. The programme will not support entities involved in biomass and firewood-based solutions.Interested startups and SMEs willing to participate in the Investor Pitching & Connect in Clean Cooking Initiative 2023 can apply on the link here.The last date to apply for registration for the program is 30th August 2023. Selected startups will go through pitching sessions by October 2023.MECS Programme is a UK Aid funded global research programme led by Loughborough University and the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program . By integrating modern energy cooking services into the planning for electricity access, quality, reliability, and sustainability, MECS hopes to leverage investment in renewable energies to address the clean cooking challenge.MECS is implementing a strategy focused on including the cooking needs of households in the investment and action on 'access to affordable, reliable, sustainable modern energy for all'. In seeking to spark a new approach to clean cooking, the programme researches the socio-economic realities of a transition from polluting fuels to a range of modern fuels and is open to other research and approaches that include other fuels, such as ethanol, bioLPG, or hydrogen. Whilst the research covers several clean fuels, the evidence is pointing to the viability, cost-effectiveness, and user satisfaction that energy-efficient eCooking devices provide.Finovista is a Program Management Agency located in New Delhi, India. As an In-country Representative, we specialize in a range of Capacity Building Programs, including Innovation Challenge, Entrepreneurship Development Program, Investor Pitching & Connect, and Training. As a sector-agnostic consulting firm, we concentrate on a variety of fields, such as Clean Cooking, Energy, Environment, Low Carbon Growth Technology, Clean Energy, Green Finance, Result-Based Finance, Carbon Finance, and Social Enterprise Development. Our clients come from various sectors, including the Government, International Agencies, Development Agencies, Academia, and Corporates from India and around the world. We provide Conceptualization, Design, Development, and Implementation services for their Programs in India.(ANI | Posted on 12 August 2023, 1692592887 172O70O251O49)
Microsoft's Copilot AI to assist field workers in their jobs

Copilot will be added to the Dynamics 365 service, which will be used by field workers such as cable technicians and electricians, as well as a wide range of other jobs in facilities, manufacturing and healthcare, according to The Verge.When using Copilot, service requests sent via Outlook will automatically pre-populate information, such as how many times the same customer has requested service in the past.Supervisors can review work orders before distributing them to field workers.These work orders will also recommend specific people for the job based on their travel time, availability, and skill set by fall this year, according to the report.According to Lili Cheng, corporate vice president, Business Applications and Platform at Microsoft, bringing generative AI to fieldwork lets frontline workers like technicians work faster and smarter."A lot of field workers often rely on pen and paper, with most tools fragmented, so it takes a long time to complete jobs. We wanted to help streamline their workflows," Cheng was quoted as saying.In March, the tech giant introduced the AI-powered 'Microsoft 365 Copilot' for Word, Excel, Outlook and more."This latest AI-powered offering combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your business data and context -- across all your Microsoft 365 apps, documents, and conversations -- to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet," the tech giant said in a statement.The new Copilot comes integrated into the productivity applications and experiences which people use and rely on every day for work and life, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Power Platform, Viva and more.(IANS | Posted on 12 August 2023, 1692592888 162O158O110O172)
First direct flight from Belarus arrives in India

On the social media account, X, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, on Saturday, shared a video showing a flight arriving in India and the Belarusian Ambassador to India, Andrei Rzheussky, along with the staff untie the ribbon."First direct flight from #Belarus arrived in #India," it said in a tweet.Earlier, on Wednesday, Rzheussky confirmed that the first-ever direct flight between Minsk, the capital of Belarus and Delhi, India would start on August 12.While speaking to ANI, Ambassador said that a lot of efforts were made to launch a regular flight service between Belarus and India and that the service will commence on August 12."It was not the easy way. For the last couple of years, we did our routine job just to fulfil this project into life. And now I am proudly announcing that at the end of this week the first ever scheduled flight from Minsk to India will take place," he said.The Belarus Ambassador also stated that only a couple of flights were operated before this regular flight service. He also highlighted the importance of this flight service in terms of business and tourism.The flight schedule that begins on August 11 starts from a weekly flight with the departure from Minsk on Fridays. In return, the flight will depart from Delhi on Saturdays.Earlier, Belarusian Airline Belavia released a press release where its Director General Igor Cherginets said "We know that passengers have been looking forward to the opening of this flight. Our specialists have been working hard for a long time to fulfil the travellers' wishes. I can firmly say that this is one of the most interesting destinations in the route network of the airline. We have solved the problem of those, who have long dreamed to dive into the Indian flavour and experience the culture of another country, but were not ready to set out on a long journey with layovers.""Now, to travel to India all you have to do is buy one ticket, take a good mood and get on the plane, and we will take you to new emotions. We also expect that the launch of flights between Minsk and Delhi will foster the development of cooperation between Belarus and India" Cherginets said as per a release.Belarus citizens need to have a visa to travel to India. The visa can be obtained online an electronic visa is issued for a period of 30 days, a year or five years. More information on how to get a visa and the required documents can be found on the website of the Embassy of India in Minsk.(ANI | Posted on 12 August 2023, 1692592888 172O70O250O164)
Jamia Millia Islamia organises Tiranga Rally to commemorate 76th year of Indian Independence

Speaking on the occasion Professor Akhtar said, "Jamia is celebrating 76th Independence Day with great zeal, enthusiasm and patriotic fervor. We are organising a number of programmes to celebrate these glorious years of progressive independent India. I appeal to everyone to hoist Tiranga at their offices and residences to foster the spirit of nationalism and make Har Ghar Tiranga campaign successful".Students from Jamia university, Jamia Schools, NCC cadets and NSS volunteers, teaching and non-teaching staff including Deans, HoDs and senior faculty members participated in the rally in large numbers with patriotic fervour, the statement read.The rally was organised under the supervision of Professor Muslim Khan, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences in JMI. Holding tricolours in their hands and shouting patriotic slogans, the participants in the rally passed through the Maulana Mohammed Ali Marg, covered the whole campus and culminated at the Dean Office, Faculty of Social Science, JMI.As part of the Independence Day celebrations, Tiranga is being hoisted on top of buildings and other important places of the university. Sarojini Naidu Centre for Women's studies and Premchand Archives and Literary Centre of the university are jointly organising a program to commemorate "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day" where presentation, panel discussion, question and answer session and a Photo Exhibition on incidents leading up to India's partition will be held on 14th August, 2023, the statement added.(ANI | Posted on 12 August 2023, 1692592888 162O158O87O182)
Stop Elephant Rides in Amer Fort, Urges World Animal Protection and Rajasthan Road Riders to Rajasthan Chief Minister on Occasion of World Elephant Day

More than 150 individuals of Rajasthan Road Riders participated in a rally from Amar Jawan Jyoti to Jhalana Reserve to highlight the plight of captive elephants used for rides in Amer Fort in Jaipur. The cyclists later will cycle from Jaipur to Bisalpur to raise awareness on the plight of elephants.Speaking on the occasion, Gajender Kumar Sharma, Country Director of World Animal Protection in India said, "World Animal Protection and Rajasthan Road Riders are bringing home the message to end the spectacle of cruel elephant rides in Jaipur. The 80 elephants in Amer fort deserve better than to give daily rides in a place that is not their home range state. If an elephant sanctuary can be built in Bisalpur, the elephants used for Amer Fort can be shifted to a more wildlife friendly location that can benefit both mahouts and elephants."Elephants used for rides are often illegally traded and this activity is a threat to the existence of wild elephants. At a time when wild elephants are facing threats of poaching and habitat destruction, the continued capture of wild elephants to fuel the inhumane activity of elephant rides to cater to human entertainment is unjustifiable, according to World Animal Protection.The World Animal Protection stance is reflective of the government's own suggestions made for captive elephants in Jaipur that recommends replacing elephant rides with motorized electric vehicles.Over the years, we have witnessed societies change to embrace more humane alternatives to replace cruel traditions. If this can be done for human traditions, it can be replicated for animal traditions as well. In today's age, there is no need to use a sentient animal like an elephant for human entertainment because there are so many alternatives available and this show is well past its sell by date. There are examples of wildlife friendly sanctuaries in India and abroad that can serve as examples for the retirement of the Amer fort elephants to a dignified life after suffering a lifetime of cruelty.In the aftermath of coronavirus, the motto is 'bring back better' for tourism and this applies to Jaipur, a World Heritage City. The captive elephants of Jaipur represent a cruelty that is avoidable on the rich tapestry and historical significance of a World Heritage City."We appeal to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan to take whatever steps are necessary to phase out elephant rides in Amer Fort and rehabilitate the captive elephants to a facility that is suited for their needs, maybe one can be created in Bisalpur," stated Dr Amruta Badheka, Wildlife Campaign Manager, World Animal Protection in India.World Animal Protection has published several reports on captive elephant welfare, including the 'Taken For A Ride'www.worldanimalprotection.org.in/sitesdkt6rvnu67rqj.cloudfront.netOn the occasion of World Elephant Day in 2023, on behalf of all participants in the event, cyclists and individuals from all walks of life, World Animal Protection would like to emphasise the fact that elephants belong in the wild, not in captivity for rides. Wildlife belongs in the wild.World Animal Protection website www.worldanimalprotection.org.in.(ANI | Posted on 12 August 2023, 1692592889 162O158O95O109)
Russian blogger Valentina Karnaukhova (known as Valya Karnaval) complained about "Russophobia". The woman was outraged that she paid huge money for a vacation in the Maldives, but faced contempt.

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About her "problem" the Russian woman ranted in a blog on YouTube. She said nothing about the reason why many foreigners have a negative attitude towards Russia (to watch the video, scroll to the end of the page).

Karnauhova, 21, said one of the waiters approached her at the restaurant and said she was "very beautiful."

"I say, 'Thank you very much.' To which I get a question in English: 'Where are you from?' I say, "Russia." He looked at me like he wanted to take his words back and said: "I don't like Russia". I said, "Why?" He was like, "Europe is Europe, Russia is Russia. I don't like Russia," the blogger told.

Valya Karnaval admitted that this is not the first time, such situations have happened to her "repeatedly".

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"When you come on vacation on vacation, where you pay fabulous money, and the staff can "insult" your homeland, your home... I think it's strange," the Russian woman lamented.

She believes that Russia's opponents should "adhere to some minimal ethics" and "keep their opinions to themselves."

"My vibe has gone straight to hell, to be honest. I want to go back to the last island, they didn't say such things there," the blogger whined.

As previously wrote OBOZREVATEL, in Feodosia in the temporarily occupied Crimea appeared a special offer for vacationers - a paid opportunity to lie in the shade. Russians who came to the resort, outraged that a vacation in Turkey would have cost them cheaper.

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Indian history is evident to valour of masses, be it freedom fighters, soldiers or IPS officers. Today, News18 has recollected another story of bravery by a female IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar. She is also known as encounter specialist who has led 16 successful operations. Sanjukta Parashar entered the renowned Indian Police Service in 2006 after earning the 85th position in the All India Civil Services Examination. She started a career dedicated to upholding law and order by selecting the Meghalaya-Assam cadre.

Parashar quickly became known for her courage while serving as an Assistant Commandant in Makum, Assam, during her first assignment. Later, she was tasked with putting an end to the fighting in Udalgiri between Bangladeshis and Bodos.

In her capacity as the superintendent of police for the Sonitpur district, Parashar oversaw a group of CRPF soldiers that bravely confronted Bodo rebels. She and her crew were seen in viral images holding an AK-47 gun, showcasing her unflappable energy and inspiring leadership.

With each successful mission, Sanjukta Parashars reputation as a powerful officer rose. In just 15 months, she killed 16 militants, detained 64 others, and seized a sizable quantity of weapons and ammunition. For the insurgents in Assam, her name became associated with dread.

Sanjukta Parashar finds time to work in philanthropy despite her dogged pursuit of criminals. She demonstrates compassion and love for humanity by actively assisting others in relief camps. Parashar is unfazed despite receiving death threats from militant groups. She is an example to everyone because of her everlasting commitment to the cause of justice and her courage.

Sanjukta Parashar underlines that only those who would harm others need to be afraid of her since she is modest and loving. Her love for society and steadfast faith in justice are what motivate her commitment to upholding law and order.
Global warming is likely to kill the world's oldest moss of the genus Takakia, which is 390 million years old. This changeable organism has survived three mass extinctions that occurred on Earth.

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This is stated in a study published in the Cell journal. Scientists studied the genus for 10 years, which has the largest number of genes among all mosses, giving it the ability to evolve rapidly.

As the scientists note, the 11-year study conducted in the Himalayas, showed that the moss is well adapted to high altitudes, resistant to extreme cold and intense ultraviolet light. However, the rapid rise in global temperatures is causing the range of this moss to shrink. What's more, scientists have found that despite its ability to rapidly change genes, it is losing its range faster than any other moss around it.

Takakia consists of only two species of moss. They grow separately in the United States and Japan, but the two species occur together on the Tibetan plateau in the Himalayas only.

That said, this plant is unlike any other: its evolutionary escape branched off from other mosses about 390 million years ago.

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As a plant geneticist at Capital Normal University in Beijing Yikun He explained, Takakia's evolutionary position among plants is similar to that of the platypus among mammals. It has a lot of weird, not-quite-mammalian traits like platypus. For example, egg-laying and a beak. Takakia also has a bunch of other features that make it not quite like other plants. It has pinnate leaves and a lack of pores to control the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide

Ralph Reski, a plant biotechnologist at the University of Freiburg in Germany, notes that it's so different from other mosses that "it has long been unclear whether it was a moss at all."

The researchers collected samples, analyzed genomes, gathered data on the surrounding ecosystem and compared modern samples with a 165 million-year-old fossil for 11 years.

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The researchers found that although Takakia's genome is of average length for moss species, which is just over 27,400 genes, it has the highest number of rapidly evolving genes.

This speed of evolution was necessary when the Himalayas began to rise 65 million years ago, exposing the mosses on them to cooler temperatures and more ultraviolet light. Takakia had to adapt to the new conditions.

The study found that this moss can resist solar radiation by producing "large amounts of metabolites such as flavonoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids for protection." It also has genes for more efficient DNA repair, which is an important defense against harmful rays.

Takakia is also adapted to extreme cold and can lie dormant under snow for eight months of the year and then grow and reproduce in a three- to four-month period.

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However, even this ability to evolve is likely not fast enough to save this moss from climate change on Earth.

Scientists have documented that the average temperature in the region has increased by about four-tenths of a degree Celsius over the 11 years of the study. This caused Takakia's coverage to decline by about 1.6 percent per year, faster than four other native mosses.

The researchers predict that conditions for Takakia will be critically limited and the world's oldest moss may be extinct by the end of the 21st century.

"Takakia has seen dinosaurs come and go. It has seen us humans come as well. Now we can learn something about sustainability and extinction from this tiny moss," Reski concluded.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL spoke about the fact that the largest millennial organism on Earth is slowly being eaten and may die.

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The Supreme Court affirmed the Rajasthan High Courts verdict in the BSTC versus B.Ed. issue. Only those with a BSTC Diploma are now qualified to take the Level-1 (Third Grade Teacher Recruitment) exam, under the Supreme Courts Friday ruling. Candidates for the B.Ed. degree will no longer be allowed to apply for teaching positions in the first through fifth grades.

In making this verdict, the Supreme Courts division bench, which was presided over by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, considered petitions submitted by Mukesh Kumar and other individuals as well as the Special Leave Petition (SLP) from the Central Government and the NCTE (National Council of Teacher Education).

The Supreme Court upheld the Rajasthan High Courts ruling after hearing arguments from both parties. The Rajasthan High Court overturned the announcement that declared B.Ed. degree holders qualified as teachers for classes 15. The judgement of the Rajasthan High Court has now been upheld by the Supreme Court which has rejected the NCTE and Central Governments SLP.

Those individuals with B.Ed. degrees are no longer eligible to teach in elementary schools and will not be able to do so. As a result of this decision, only BSTC diploma holders will be permitted to become primary school teachers, while individuals with B.Ed. degrees will no longer be considered for Level-1 recruiting.

The debate arose from a notification published by NCTE dated May 30, 2018, which stated that B.Ed. degree holders were also regarded as qualified for the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) Level 1.

Following the proceedings, the HC delivered a decision stating that only BSTC Diploma holders are qualified for Level1. The Supreme Court has officially upheld the judgement, providing significant concessions to BSTC candidates.

The NCTE recognises the Basic School Teaching Certificate, as a two-year elementary level study. On the other hand, a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) is a two-year teacher training degree programme.

Candidates with a B.Ed. degree can apply for upper primary teaching positions.

Candidates who wish to take the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) or the State TET must have a Bachelor of Education (BEd).
After the death of a first-year student from Jadavpur University allegedly linked to ragging, University Grant Commission has asked colleges and universities to observe anti ragging week from August 12 to August 18. As mentioned in the notification by the UGC, These regulations are mandatory and all institutions are required to take necessary steps for the implementation."

Also Read: Humiliating Intro, Asked to Cut Hair: Details of Jadavpur University Students Ragging

This initiative is one of the tools by Commission to increase awareness against ragging. The Commission in the communique has also prescribed some activities that can be undertaken by colleges and universities to observe anti-ragging week. Below mentioned are the activities that UGC has suggested:

-The universities are given instructions to run anti-ragging orientation programs.

-Hold contests like slogans, essay writing, anti-ragging posters, creating an anti-ragging emblem. Certificates will also be given to the candidates to encourage other students participation. Non-teaching staffs are also asked to spread the word about anti-ragging activities and encourage students to participate.

-Anti-ragging workshops, seminars, and other innovative ways to propagate the message will become the a parts of the events in the colleges and universities.

-It is advised to the faculty to watch documentaries and short films, including those from the official websites of antiragging.in and ugc.ac.in with the students.

-The University Grant Commission has instructed colleges and universities to share the week-long activities with the students and details of the celebrations on the official website, antiragging.in.

The development comes in a wake of a death of 18-year-old student, a resident of Bagula in Nadia district. The undergraduate student of Bengali (honours) allegedly fell from a second-floor balcony of the main hostel around 11.45 pm on Wednesday. He was grievously injured and was undergoing treatment at the KPC Medical College where succumbed to the injuries at 4.30 am on Thursday.

Till now, a student, identified as Sourav Chowdhury has been arrested after he confessed his participation in the ragging. Sources said that the boy had started staying with his friends instead of staying at the hostel as he was afraid to stay at the hostel because of constant alleged harassment. Swapnodeeps father Ramprasad Kundu has filed a complaint claiming that some of the boarders of that hostel are responsible for his sons death.

According the police has started a case under section 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. He further informed to the police that on Wednesday night, Swapnodeep called his mother who was then afraid for his life and wanted to go back to his village.
The government has introduced three new bills including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill to replace colonial-era criminal laws including the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The bill introduces new laws, amends the existing ones, and define punishment for crimes including terrorism, mob lynching and rape of minors. The Bill also repeals the offence of sedition and unnatural sex among other things.

One of the highlights of the BNS Bill, 2023 is that it seeks to repeal the offence of sedition under the IPC and provides capital sentence as the maximum punishment for crimes such as mob lynching and rape of minors.

Here are the top five major changes brought by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill:

Unnatural Sex

The central government, while proposing to replace the IPC, has done away with unnatural sex as an offence which under the existing code attracts a punishment of a 10-year jail for sodomy and bestiality.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, removes provisions from Section 377, which states that, whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal commits unnatural offence."

However, the two sections of the IPC have been retained in Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita- namely Section 100, which provides for the right to self-defence when subjected to unnatural sex and Section 367(4) which states the punishment for kidnapping someone to satiate unnatural lust.

Repealing Sedition Law

The government also seeks to repeal the offence of sedition which was under section 124-A of the IPC and prescribed life imprisonment or imprisonment up to three years.

The British-era draconian law was instituted by Thomas Macaulay in 1837, during the reign of the East India Company. It was added to the Indian Penal Code as Section 124A in 1860.

However, the government has added a new provision in the BNS Bill which pertains to offences against the State talks about acts endangering sovereignty unity and integrity of India.

Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial mean, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine," section 150 of the Bill states.

Mob Lynching

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill has incorporated a specific provision for mob lynching and stipulated punishment ranging from seven years in jail to the death penalty for those convicted of the crime.

The offence is punishable under the same provision as murder- Section 101. The Section 101(b) states, When a group of five or more persons acting in concert commits murder on the ground of race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or any other ground each member of such group shall be punished with death or with imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, and shall also be liable to fine."

False promise of marriage

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 seeks to introduce a clause on using deceitful means to promise to marry a woman. Such a section doesnt exist in the IPC of 1860. According to the proposed legislation, deceitful means will include the false promise of employment, promotion, inducement or marrying after suppressing ones identity.

Clause 69 of the proposed bill says, Whoever, by deceitful means or making by promise to marry to a woman without any intention of fulfilling the same, and has sexual intercourse with her, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine.

Rape of Minors

The BNS bill has also proposed that an offence of gang rape against minor can fetch capital punishment for all those involved in the crime.

Under the proposed law, the gang rape of a girl under 18 years of age is punishable with imprisonment for life, which means imprisonment for the remainder of that persons natural life, and with a fine, or with death.

In IPC, the provisions relating to the gang rape of minors are classified under two categories  where a survivor is under 12 years of age and where she is less than 16 years old. For an act of gang-raping a girl under 12, the maximum punishment under IPC is death sentence, but for the crime against a girl between 12 and 16 the maximum punishment is life imprisonment.
Parliament is the temple of democracy and parliamentary procedures the rites by which the will of the people is translated into practice. But the terms and jargon involved in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha processes can be difficult to grasp. The News18 series, House Talk, brings you a ready reckoner to make sure that none of it is Greek to you.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha on Friday to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Code for Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act respectively.

ALSO READ | Terrorism Defined, Sedition Repealed, Social Concerns Addressed: What New Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Achieves

Shah said the changes were done to provide speedy justice and create a legal system that keeps contemporary needs and aspirations of the people. Everyone will get justice in a maximum of three years once the new laws are passed, he added.

How Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita is different

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill 2023, which will replace the Indian Penal Code, have 356 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, 175 sections have been changed, 8 new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed.

IPC, CrPC  Evidence Act          pic.twitter.com/NGAPEsmLWz Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 11, 2023

What Changes with Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita

Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace CrPC, now has 533 sections, 160 sections of old law have been changed, 9 new sections have been added and 9 sections have been repealed.

How Bharatiya Sakshya would be different

Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, which will replace the Evidence Act, will now have 170 sections instead of the earlier 167, 23 sections have been changed, 1 new section has been added and 5 have been repealed.

Provision of Zero FIR

Some of the major changes that will be initiated through these three new laws include the provision of Zero FIR. For the convenience of the citizens, a victim of any crime will be able to lodge a complaint even outside of their police station area.

Update about complaint

The new legislation makes it mandatory for the investigating authority to provide the status of the complaint in 90 days and thereafter every 15 days, to the complainant.

Power to withdraw cases

An important change has been made with respect to the governments power to withdraw a case against any individual. According to the new rule, no government will be able to withdraw a case of imprisonment of 7 years or more without listening to the victim.

Expediating Investigation

Long delays in completing the investigation and initiation of trial create a huge burden on the accused and victim. In this regard, an important change has been made according to which charge sheet has to be filed within 90 days which can be extended under special circumstances to 90 days but the investigation will have to be completed within 180 days and the trial has to start.

Expediating Trial

To expedite the judicial process, the courts will now be bound to give notice of framing of charge to the accused person within 60 days and will have to give the verdict within 30 days after the completion of arguments.

Organized Crime

A new provision of harsh punishment against inter-state gangs and organized crimes is also being added. According to Section 109 of the Bill, Any continuing unlawful activity including kidnapping, robbery, vehicle theft, extortion, land grabbing, contract killing, economic offences, cyber-crimes having severe consequences, trafficking in people, drugs, illicit goods or services and weapons, human trafficking racket for prostitution or ransom by the effort of groups of individuals acting in concert, singly or jointly, either as a member of an organised crime syndicate or on behalf of such syndicate, by use of violence, threat of violence, intimidation, coercion, corruption or related activities or other unlawful means to obtain direct or indirect, material benefit including a financial benefit, shall constitute organised crime.

Law against fugitives

A very important decision has been taken according to which trial in absentia will be held for fugitives. A person declared a fugitive by a sessions court judge will be tried and sentenced in his absence, no matter where in the world he may be hiding, if the fugitive has to appeal against punishment, he would have to follow the law.

Sedition law

Sedition law has been dropped in the new statute but in its place, section 150 has been introduced which states. Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial mean, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine".

New laws related to women

A special focus has been given to provisions related to crimes against women in the Bill. According to Section 69 of the Bill, Whoever, by deceitful means or making by promise to marry to a woman without any intention of fulfilling the same, and has sexual intercourse with her, such sexual intercourse not amounting to the offence of rape, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine. Deceitful means will include the false promise of employment or promotion, inducement or marring after suppressing identity.

According to the Bill, if a woman dies after the rape or it causes the woman to be in a persistent vegetative state, the convict shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 20 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that persons natural life, or with death.

The Bill also has a new provision according to which whoever commits rape against a girl under 12 years of age shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 20 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that persons natural life, and with fine or with death. Anyone who commits rape shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of not less than 10 years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.

Legal experts have called the new criminal laws revolutionary and a positive step in decolonising British-era laws.

The overhaul of the Indian Criminal Justice System through a new set of criminal laws to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860 as well as Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, 1872 is a revolutionary step taken by the Government," Senior Supreme Court Advocate Vivek Sood who has authored Chaff and Grain said.

The colonial criminal justice system established by the British Raj comes to an end. What should have happened in 1950 has happened today. I can say that the replacement of British Criminal Laws with an Indianised Criminal Justice System is as significant as the framing of the Indian Constitution. Kudos to our Prime Minister and Home Minister for this landmark, he added. With a total of 313 changes, the criminal justice system is expected to undergo a major overhaul.
Qatar Airways has been flying almost empty large passenger jets between Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia on a daily basis since November last year.

The ghost flight- QR988 flight- is flown between the two Australian cities to exploit a loophole out of Australias strict aviation laws.

Qatar Airways currently connects its hub at Dohas Hamad International Airport with five Australian cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Why is Qatar Airways Doing That?

Qatar Airways is only allowed 28 flights a week into Australias four major airports namely Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. Therefore, given the available quota, it flies one flight daily into each of the four airports.

But there is a twist. Though the rules apply to the four major airports, there is no such limits on how many flights can be operated to non-major airports."

The Doha-based airline started an additional daily non-stop flight between Doha and Melbourne in November 2022, utilizing a loophole in Australian aviation rules.

But Adelaide is not considered a major airport. So, using the loopholes, Qatar runs an extra flight from Doha to Melbourne, with Adelaide as the designated point of departure and arrival in Australia.

Flying the 354-seater Boeing 777-300s from Doha to Adelaide via Melbourne allows Qatar to get around its ban on having more than 28 flights a week to the major airports.

Why the Flight Goes Empty

Though Qatar Airways can exploit the loophole flying between Doha and Adelaide, with a layover in Melbourne, the airline is not permitted to sell tickets on the domestic route between Melbourne and Adelaide.

The airline can only carry passengers from Adelaide to Doha and vice versa on two-legged route between the two countries.

While flying from Doha, the flight reaches Melbourne at 11:30 pm. While most passengers disembark from QR988 flight in Melbourne, those continuing to Adelaide have to endure a lengthy six-hour layover at Tullamarine Airports international terminal before the flights departure at 5:35 am, due to the curfew timings at Adelaide airport from 11 pm to 6 am.

However, most passengers bound for Adelaide chose the separate Adelaide-Doha daily non-stop flight to avoid the six-hour layover.

While on the trip back to Doha, the flight departs from Adelaide daily at 11:40 am, lands in Melbourne after an hour and a half flight offers a shorter 1 hour and 45 minutes layover in the international terminal before starting the non-stop journey to Doha.

The passenger numbers on the journey leg from Melbourne to Adelaide are typically minimal, sometimes in single digits or even carrying no passengers at all after the overnight layover.

Move Has Irked Australians

Qatars use of ghost flights" have irked many in Australia. Australias Department of Infrastructure and Transport placed a condition on the timetable approval for the flights on this route that they must be available for sale for passengers and cargo arriving and departing from Adelaide, Catherine King, spokesperson for the transport minister, said, according to The Guardian.

According to reports in November 2022, Australias Qantas Airline tried blocking Qatar Airways growth in the country.

In the past, Qatar Airways operated an additional flight between Doha and Sydney by designating Canberra as the final destination, using the same provision, a report in Aviation A2Z said.
Heinous crimes, terrorism and organised syndicates, social realities and challenges, colonial baggage  the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, which is expected to replace the Indian Penal Code 1860, addresses all such issues and introduces special provisions in view of the constantly changing nature of crime.

Union home minister Amit Shah introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) bills in Lok Sabha on Friday (August 12) and these will replace the IPC, Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

According to government officials, the new legislation will provide a mechanism for effectively dealing with such crimes and criminals along with having a deterrent effect. In fact, it has a victim-centric approach that may have been missing in the 160-year-old IPC, which was created to make British rule paramount rather than safeguard human rights, officials said.

This intrinsically turned it into a carrier of a colonial hangover even after independence, with laws related to sedition and protection of treasury. Hence, officials said, one of its most far-reaching contribution would be erasing the sections on sedition. They added that the use and misuse of sedition, since the time it was introduced by the British, has always been a potent instrument in the hands of the government of the day. In independent India, too, the judiciary has time and again made observations about this law even to the extent of ordering a review.

Here is how the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 addresses a myriad issues at once:
AR Rahmans concert on Saturday was cancelled due to incessant rainfall. The musician who was all set to take the stage, revealed that the concert had to be called off keeping in mind the dire weather conditions. However, the concert will rescheduled soon.

Hours before the concert, Rahman had posted his feelings of excitement on X  formerly known as Twitter  about performing in the city and meeting his fans. Dear friends attending the Chennai concert tonight, Im excited to see you all after so long! We request you to leave early and secure your seats early to have a memorable concert experience," he posted.

A little after this, the artist updated the fans on his concert being cancelled. He posted, Dear Friends..Owing to adverse weather conditions and persistent rains, it is only made advisable for the health and safety of my beloved fans and friends to reschedule the concert to the nearest best date, with the guidance of the statutory authorities. More details on the new date will follow soon!EPI."

Replying to a fans post on X, Rahman said he hopes that with the help of the state government a next level infrastructure is built for art, mega shows and international experiences for Chennai.

I hope and pray that ..with the help of our government..we construct the next level infrastructure for art,mega shows and international experiences for Chennai #SafetyFirst #rain-resistant #sun-resistant #cluttterfreeparking #notrafficjams https://t.co/8QpwN56mYs A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) August 12, 2023

Meanwhile, in response to this post from Rahman, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin posted that with Kalaignar Convention Centre the will city soon fulfil its long-felt aspiration. He said that the convention centre, to be situated on ECR, will be a world class infrastructure that can host large scale concerts, performances, events, exhibitions, and conventions.

Chennai will soon fulfil this long-felt aspiration!#KalaignarConventionCentre to be established on #ECR, will be a world-class facility that can host large format concerts, performances, events, exhibitions and conventions.With iconic landscaping, hotels, food courts, https://t.co/NiXtNntTzp  M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 12, 2023

The centre will equipped with iconic landscapes, food courts, hotels, parking spaces and excellent connectivity, to become the citys cultural icon.

Rahman, also posted on Instagram a picture of the venue that shows the entire area to be partially submerged in water owing to the heavy rains.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ARR (@arrahman)

A few days back, the ARR Film Festival was also held from August 4 to August 9. Rahman was celebrating 30 years of his career in the industry, said an India Today report. He had posted, Celebrating 30 years of love! Grateful for the incredible love and support Ive received from all of you, near and far. Your kindness and warmth have touched my heart throughout his journey. Heres to many more years of cherished memories together!"

The artist made his debut with film Roja in 1992.
Maharashtra state government issues order that patients will receive free treatments in government hospitals across the state from August 15. The hospitals will not levy any extra charges on patients.

State Health Minister Tanaji Sawant on August 3 had announced that treatments in all Government hospitals will be provided free of cost and its expenses will be borne by the state government.

Under Right to Health (Article 21), treatments will be free in Primary Health Centres, Rural Hospitals, Womens Hospitals, District General Hospitals, Upazila Hospital, Super Specialty Hospitals, and Cancer Hospitals. This decision of free of cost treatments was taken during the cabinet meeting, Sawant had said.

Cancer hospitals in Nashik and Amravati will also offer free treatments.

These free facilities will be made available at a total of 2,418 hospitals and medical centres run under the state government. This scheme will enable over 25 million people to avail free of cost treatments in these medical facilities.

However, this scheme does not apply to any hospital or medical college under the Medical Education department.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Maharashtra announced free health insurance scheme for the people of the state. In doing so, Maharashtra became the first state to offer free insurance protection. All the citizens would be protected under the state governments health scheme of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY).

To apply for the scheme, citizens must have their ration card and domicile certificate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged all Indians to take part in the highly celebrated Har Ghar Tiranaga" movement from August 13 to August 15 as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

In an X post, the prime minister urged all the Indians to change their social media display picture to a National flag in a show of unity and to promote the spirit of nationalism. He further added that the exercise will deepen the bond between our country and us.

In the spirit of the Har Ghar Tiranga movement, let us change the DP of our social media accounts and extend support to this unique effort which will deepen the bond between our beloved country and us," PM Modi said in the post.

In the spirit of the #HarGharTiranga movement, let us change the DP of our social media accounts and extend support to this unique effort which will deepen the bond between our beloved country and us. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 13, 2023

Earlier, the prime minister also asked Indians to upload their favourite picture of themselves with the national flag on the Har Ghar Tiranga website.

The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further national progress. I urge you all to take part in the #HarGharTiranga movement between the 13th to 15th of August. Upload your photos with the Tiranga here," PM Modi wrote.

                             , 13  15      -            https://t.co/0CtV8SCePz      Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 11, 2023

The Har Ghar Tiranga website also urges people to hoist and display a national flag in their houses as part of Indias I-Day celebration. It also has the option of uploading selfies with a flag.

Get featured in Digital Tiranga Art by uploading a selfie with a flag," the website says.

Meanwhile, to give a boost to Indian Governments Har Ghar Tiranga movement, around 2.5 crore national flags have been supplied to post offices for sale, a top official of the culture ministry told PTI on Saturday.

Har Ghar Tiranaga rallies flagged off in various parts of the country. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar flagged off a bike rally of MPs on August 11 in Delhi.

The rally began from Pragati Maidan and culminated at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium after passing through the India Gate circle.

Similarly in Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will lead a Tiranga Yatra that will begin from the Sabarmati riverfront on August 14.

Reportedly, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who is a Congress politician, is also likely to take part in a Har Ghar Tiranga rally.
The Vishva Hindu Parishads (VHP) Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh district, which was disrupted due to communal violence in July, will resume on August 28, a mahapanchayat organised by Hindu outfits and held at Pondri village in Haryanas Palwal, decided on Sunday.

During the mahapanchayat, several demands were put forth, including the merger of Nuh district with the adjoining Palwal and Gurugram districts. Additionally, a request was made for a survey to assess the losses incurred by Hindu-owned shops and homes, with compensation to be provided accordingly.

The Sarva Jatiye Mahapanchayat was attended by participants from Palwal, Gurugram and other nearby places. Permission for the mahapanchayat was given in Palwal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters), Palwal, Sandeep Mor said on Sunday. Palwal and Nuh are adjoining districts.

While permission was granted for only 500 attendees at the mahapanchayat, the actual gathering far surpassed this limit, according to a IANS report. Ahead of the event, the police had restricted access to outsiders entering the village and had also heightened security measures.

Originally slated to take place in Kira village of Nuh district, the mahapanchayat had to be relocated due to the prevailing law and order circumstances.

The mahapanchayat also raised several additional demands, including the initiation of an NIA probe into the assault on the VHP yatra in Nuh on July 31, as well as the designation of Nuh as a district free from cow slaughter.

Following an attack on the VHP procession by mobs on July 31, clashes erupted in Nuh, resulting in the deaths of six people, which included two home guards and a cleric. Gurugram also experienced sporadic instances of violence.

Arms for Self Defence

During the event, certain leaders suggested that Hindus residing in Nuh should be granted eased procedures for obtaining arms licenses for self-defense. Addressing the gathering, Acharya Azad Shastri of Haryana Gau Rakshak Dal encouraged the youth to face FIRs without fear." We should immediately ensure getting licence of 100 rifles in Mewat, he said.

Organized under the umbrella of Sarv Hindu Samaj, the mahapanchayat saw the participation of numerous Hindu organizations, including the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. Leading the proceedings was Arun Jaildar, a prominent Khap leader.

VHP Yatra to Resume from Nuh on August 28

The decision was made to resume the yatra from Nalhar in Nuh, following a route that would encompass Firozpur Jhirkas Jhir and Shingar temples within the district.

Khap leader Zaildar said the annual yatra, which had previously been left unfinished, must be concluded by August 28.

Permanent Deployment of RAF, Central Forces in Nuh

The gathering also called for a permanent deployment of Rapid Action Force and four central force battalions in Nuh. Additionally, it urged that the legal proceedings for cases involving people engaged in violence in Nuh be conducted outside the district and that the arrested accused be lodged in Gurugram or an alternate prison instead of Nuh.

The leaders also pressed for the expulsion of Rohingyas and any other foreign residents from Nuh and advocated for the establishment of legislation to enforce this demand.

Compensation for Nuh Violence

Furthermore, a demand was raised for the provision of Rs 1 crore compensation and a government job to the families of deceased Hindus who fell victim to the Nuh violence, along with Rs 50 lakh compensation for the injured individuals.

The gathering included prominent figures such as Bharat Bhushan, the state convener of Bajrang Dal; Anurag Kulshrestha, the social media head of VHP; Sanjay Singh, BJPs Sohna MLA; Subhash Chowdhary, former Palwal MLA; Surender Arya, former district president of BJP in Nuh; as well as officials from VHP, Bajrang Dal, and various other Hindu organisations.

(With inputs from PTI)
"I learned German at school" - this phrase, popular among the older generation, usually means that a person knows neither English nor German, and in general does not know any foreign languages. Have you ever wondered what German or, in the extreme case, French was taught in the USSR?

ADVERTISIMENT

After World War II, English became the language of international communication, but German was massively taught in Soviet schools until the perestroika period. OBOZREVATEL analyzed what in the USSR were taught German and French and how they switched to English.

The British Empire was the largest colonial power in the world, but in the early twentieth century, English in the countries of eastern and central Europe did not gain mass popularity. French was considered the language of diplomacy and culture, and German was called the language of the scientific community. Most scientific works were written in German. International events were conducted in French and German, so there was little point in learning English on the continent at that time.

German was studied in the USSR precisely because it was considered the language of science. An educated person of those times, fluent in German, could read any literature and scientific works in the original.

ADVERTISIMENT

The situation changed somewhat after the Second World War. Hatred of the enemy was transferred to the language. Countries massively refused the compulsory study of German in schools and universities. The USA became a superpower, English became the language of international communication.

However, the USSR was in no hurry to switch to learning English. During the Cold War, the United States became the main enemy. In order to give schoolchildren a choice in learning the language, the whole education system would have to be reworked. The transition to English in the USSR took a very long time. When the entire civilized world was actually becoming English-speaking, the Union continued to teach German as the main and only available foreign language. Only during perestroika was it possible to choose.

ADVERTISIMENT

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told, what Soviet habits should finally be abandoned.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram and Viber to be aware of the latest events.
India is all set to witness a grand Independence Day celebration in New Delhi where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the national flag and deliver his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort.

This years Independence Day celebration will host around 1,800 special guests who will be the Jan Bhagidars", which is the governments push to encourage public participation in governance.

Independence Day Celebration Schedule

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the PM will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, along with other dignitaries. The Defence Secretary will then introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth to the Prime Minister.

The GoC Delhi Area will then conduct PM Modi to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present a general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort to unfurl the National Flag. It will be synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute by the valiant gunners.

The Prime Minister will then address the nation. At the conclusion of his speech, the cadets of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) will sing the National Anthem.

Special Invitees At Independence Day Event

As per the governments release, the special guests invitees include 400 Sarpanches of 660 vibrant villages, 250 representatives from the Farmer Producer Organisations scheme, 50 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Shram Yogis (construction workers) of the Central Vista Project, 50 Khadi workers, those involved in construction of border roads, making of Amrit Sarovar and Har Ghar Jal Yojana as well as 50 primary school teachers, nurses, and fishermen.

Independence Day-themed Selfie Points Across Delhi

In a boost to Prime Minister Modis idea of a digital India, all official invites have been sent online through aamantran portal (www.aamantran.mod.gov.in). 17,000 e-invitation cards have been issued through the portal.

Apart from this, unique selfie points dedicated to different schemes and initiatives of the government have been installed at 12 locations.

These selfie points can be seen at National War Memorial, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan, Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid Metro Station, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Delhi Gate Metro Station, ITO Metro Gate, Naubat Khana and Sheesh Ganj Gurudwara.
Security arrangements in the national capital have been beefed up ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

Vehicular movement have also been suspended near Red Fort on Sunday. Rigid security measures have been taken up by the Delhi Police with intensified checking of vehicles and patrolling.

Amid the arrangements, the Delhi Traffic Police has also issued an advisory to commuters advising which roads to avoid and which roads to take at specific timings.

Traffic AdvisoryIn view of #IndependenceDay Celebrations on August 15, 2023, #DelhiTrafficPolice advises commuters to avoid these roads and take alternate routes at the mentioned timings.#DPTrafficAdvisory pic.twitter.com/il7snLhpuJ  Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) August 13, 2023

Full dress rehearsals of the armed forces are also underway at Red Fort with merely two days left for the celebrations of Independence Day.

India will be celebrating its 77th Independence Day on Tuesday with the Prime Minister set to address the nation on the occasion from Red Fort. On Friday, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged everyone to take part in the Har Ghar Tiranga movement from August 13 to August 15.

The Indian flag is a symbol of freedom spirit and national unity, said PM Modi, urging the people to change their social media display pictures to that of the Tricolour and upload their Tiranga pictures onto the Har Ghar Tiranga website.

PM Modi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further the national progress."

The Prime Minister  on his Mann ki Baat broadcast  also announced the Meri Maata Mera Desh campaign which aims at honouring the freedom fighters and bravehearts who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Under this campaign, the Amrit Kalash Yatra will also be organised across India, the PM informed.

Further, nearly 1,800 special guests from across India will be attending the Independence Day Flag hoisting by the Prime Minister at Red Fort.

Several people who have contributing to the nations development including village sarpanches, teachers, nurses, shram yogis who helped build the Central Vista project in Delhi, fishermen, khadi sector workers, border organisation workers and also those who contributed to and worked for the Amrit Sarovar and Har Ghar Jal projects have also been invited along with their spouses to attend the Independence Day celebrations, said a release from the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Two beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN) from Maharashtra will get to witness the celebrations at Red Fort on Tuesday. Of the schemes beneficiaries, 50 people have been invited along with their families to attend the event and listen to PM Modis address.

(With inputs from ANI)
The bilateral relationship between India and China has been strained due to a history of Chinas non-adherence to strategic agreements. And this strain has become particularly evident in 2023. The Galwan Valley clash in 2020 and subsequent incidents at the Line of Actual Control have prompted Indian forces to intensify efforts to secure the international border, especially in the eastern Ladakh sector.

Against this backdrop, the 19th round of corps commander-level talks is scheduled between the two countries on August 14, just ahead of Independence Day. The agenda includes discussions on disengagement and de-escalation, as well as deliberations on reverting to pre-Galwan clash conditions.

Despite challenges posed by higher altitudes and difficult terrain, the Indian Air Force has deployed advanced aircraft and surveillance systems to closely monitor China. Strategically positioned fighter aircraft such as Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI and MiG-29 have been deployed in proximity to forward areas.

After the Galwan incident, the Indian Air Force executed a series of operations, including fighter aircraft as well as airlift operations, and extensive surveillance activities. Since then, our strategy and deployment in the region have evolved. Today, our capabilities extend beyond fighter aircraft and helicopters. We have deployed remotely operated vehicles (ROV), radars and air warriors for electronic surveillance, intelligence gathering and real-time monitoring, said an official on the recent developments at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

While China continues its development activity along the LAC, the Indian forces have responded by enhancing their infrastructure and pursuing acquisitions such as the recent Predator-B deal for armed drones.

During the Galwan clash, the Indian Army held the frontline but the air force also played a pivotal role by providing backup, resources and transportation to forward areas. Approximately 68,000 army troops were airlifted to strategically important locations. Not only troops, but 330 BMPs, 90 tanks and artillery guns were successfully transported. Multiple operations were undertaken to transport more than 9,000 tonnes of supplies to these forward areas.

While the buffer zone strategy has been effective in several regions, crucial locations like Depsang and Demchok remain subjects of discussion and deliberation during commander-level talks between the two countries. Recent diplomatic negotiations have yielded no substantial progress, with both countries holding differing stances.

India remains steadfast that any resolution requires de-escalation in eastern Ladakh, whereas China appears inclined to normalise the situation and stresses on diplomatic relations.
A partially decomposed body of a newborn baby girl was found in a swampy area alongside a road near Thiruvalla in this district, police said on Sunday.

The body of the about six months old baby was discovered on Saturday evening after one of the workers of a nearby shop went looking for the source of a bad smell emanating from the area, they said.

According to some locals, who spoke to media, the body was missing some limbs and the face was decomposed to the extent that identification was not possible.

They said that the police arrived at the scene after receiving the information and after examining the area, they took the body to a nearby medical college post midnight.

Police on Sunday said that a case of unnatural and suspicious death has been lodged and further action to be taken would be based on the post mortem report.

The cause of death and the reason behind some of the limbs being missing can be determined only after the post mortem which will take some time.

The body appears to be 2 days or 48 hours old, an officer of Pulikeezhu police station, within who station limits the incident was reported, said.

He further said that police was examining footage of CCTV cameras of the shops and residences in the area to find out what happened exactly. PTI HMP HMP ROH

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A drone was recovered from a well near the International Border in Punjabs Tarn Taran district on Sunday, a BSF official said.

He also said in separate incidents, over three kilograms of heroin was seized from Ferozepur and Amritsar.

Acting on a tip-off, the Border Security Force (BSF) troops and the Punjab Police officials conducted a joint search operation on the outskirts of Lakhna village in Tarn Taran on Sunday. During the search, they recovered a drone (quadcopter), which was kept in a plastic bag in a well, in a broken condition, he said.

On specific input, @BSF_Punjab and @PunjabPoliceInd recovered 03 packets of heroin, gross weight 3 kgs appx, from a farming field near Village Machiwara, #Ferozepur, Punjab," the BSF said on X, formerly Twitter.

The BSF troops also recovered 530 grams of heroin from Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district, the official said.
The Chandigarh Police Saturday said they have busted an international drug syndicate with the arrest of five alleged smugglers and recovered Rs 78 lakh cash and 200 grams of heroin from their possession.

The hub of the drug syndicate was in Punjabs Ferozepur and was getting supplies from across the border, police said.

The anti-narcotics task force of the police first arrested Chandigarh resident Shubham Jain on July 27 with 108 grams of amphetamine (Ice) and 70 grams of heroin.

Following his questioning, police nabbed Puneet Kumar, a resident of Ferozepur, and recovered a country-made pistol and five cartridges from him on July 29.

During the investigation, police further arrested Pawanpreet Singh, Ravinderpal Singh and Chandan, they said, adding that Rs 78.38 lakh cash and 107 grams of heroin were recovered from Chandan.

Jagjeet alias Jagga was brought on a production warrant from Ferozepur jail and was named in this case. He was operating his network from jail and was in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers, police said.

During the investigation, police found that the kingpin of this syndicate was Simran Singh, a native of Ferozepur, who is presently living in Melbourne in Australia. He is operating his network from abroad, they said.

He was in contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler Arif Dogar and used the border area for smuggling heroin through drones and plastic bottles left in river water and collected with the help of his accomplice in India, police said.

Further investigation was underway, they said.
An accused was sent to judicial custody by a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court for allegedly raping his minor younger sister for over three years in Rajasthans Pali.

According to Rajasthan police, the girl first informed her mother about the shameful act but she forced her not to take any legal action on the matter and advised her to remain silent.

However, the victim girl approached the superintendent of police (SP) in Pali and shared the case with him as soon as she became an adult.

After the girl detailed her ordeal to the SP, a case was lodged under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 5/6 of the POCSO Act.

Later, the accused was police arrested on August 10 and was produced before the POSCO court, from where he was sent to judicial custody.

According to HT, Vikram Singh, station house officer at Pali said that the 18-year-old victim, who was a minor at the time of the horrific crime sought action against her brother who allegedly raped and threatened her for years.

The girl was a minor when the rape incident took place, due to which the case was registered under POCSO Act, Singh told HT.

The girl told that one day, in 2020, her brother raped her when she was alone at home and then threatened to kill her if she tries to tell anyone about the incident.

When she shared details of the crime with her mother, she forced her not to take any action against the accused for fear of social infamy. The girl alleged that taking advantage of it, her brother raped her many times.

As per the police, the girl has two sisters and one brother. Her two elder sisters got married in 2019.
Just before the end of a stormy monsoon session, a bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha that was not part of the list of 31 tabled for passage. It was the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, Term of Office) Bill 2023.

As the name suggests, the bill aims to regulate the appointment, conditions of service and term of office of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners (EC) along with the procedure for transaction of business by the poll body and matters connected. The bill states that a selection committee with the prime minister as the chairperson, the leader of opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and a union minister nominated by the PM as members will select the CECs and the ECs.

In March, the Supreme Court ruled that the appointment of the CEC and ECs will be made by a committee composed of the PM, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) until a law is made to this effect. The panel will give their suggestions to the president, who will then appoint the CEC and ECs.

The bill is replacing the CJI with a union minister, who will be nominated by the PM. Before the SC order, for the appointment of the CEC, the law minister suggested a pool of suitable candidates to the PM for consideration. It is the PM who selects the candidate and the president makes the appointment.

Manohar Singh Gill, who served as the CEC for six years from 1996, told News18 that the picture is still better than only the PM selecting the poll body head, adding that only time will tell how this will turn out.

The picture is still better than the prime minister having the sole power. But the prime minister nominating a union minister is wrong. The two will speak the same language. But it is good that the LoP is there and will have a say only time will tell how this will impact the appointments but, if everything is not okay, the Supreme Court is still there, he said.

During his term and after that, Gill was among those who had demanded a collegium for appointing CECs. In March, he had welcomed the SC verdict saying the PM of the day appointing all the ECs can lead to partiality.

Abhi toh prime minister hi appoint karta hai (at present, the prime minister makes these appointments), right from the beginning. Jisko marzi woh appoint kar de (they appoint whoever they want), thats what the Congress was doing, thats what the BJP is doing That is naturally imbalanced, he had said.

Further, there was no specific qualification required to be a candidate for the post of CEC or EC. But, as per the proposed bill, the CEC and other ECs should be appointed from among those who hold or have held a post equivalent to the rank of secretary at the Centre. They should be persons of integrity, with knowledge and experience in management and conduct of elections.

Commenting on this, SY Quraishi, CEC between 2010 and 2012, said now the qualification has been prescribed and it is a good move. It is a good thing because civil servants are the only ones who have the experience of holding elections. We have conducted elections for a long time. Therefore, it is a good thing, he told News18.

Listing out the pros and cons, Quraishi said the presence of the LoP is just a token and, if the committee will have two members from the government, they are going to have more say.

It is a joke. Three members should be independent of each other. Do you think the prime minister and his nominated minister can have two different opinions? This is wrong, he said.

On the bills provision that states that the appointment of the CEC and the ECs will not be invalid merely by reason of any vacancy in or any defect in the constitution of the selection committee, Quraishi said: What is this? So this means that even when the LoP is not there, it cannot be challenged? Does this make sense?

He went on to say there are some good elements in the bill and some bad, and that the government may have to work to improve this. Shortlisting committee is a good idea but we have to realise that they (potential candidates) will be pre-approved by the government, and the LoP will have to choose from these alone. Another defect is that the selection committee can consider any other person than those included in the panel by the search committee. Is it not a joke with the search committee? They will make a list but you will say we will bring a sixth person, he said.

Another former CEC, who did not wish to be named, said they are happy with the fact that now even ECs are protected, unlike earlier when they could be removed just by a letter from the CEC or the executive.

So far, the only way to remove the CEC from the post was through impeachment. But the ECs could be removed very easily. It was a defect and it is rectified now, they told News18.

They went on to say there are a number of shortcomings in the bill, which can be corrected and this will happen through a discussion.

The monsoon session has ended without the bill being passed by any house.
In the past five and a half years, spanning from January 2018 to June 2023, nearly 8.40 lakh Indians have chosen to relinquish their citizenship and obtain nationalities from various foreign nations. During the first half of this current year, the tally reached 87,026.

In 2022, the number of individuals renouncing their Indian citizenship reached 2,25,620, marking the highest figure in the past 12 years.

The number of Indian nationals exploring the global workplace has been significant in the last two decades, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had said in a written reply Lok Sabha last month.

Considering the potential political implications of these figures, the government, while addressing the matter in Parliament, has also been presenting the UPA-era exodus statistics for reference purposes.

However, do we know about the destinations chosen by those who have decided to forego their Indian citizenship?

The Ministry of External Affairs provided the data recently in response to a query by Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Kumar Pathak, which sheds light on this matter.

The United States, renowned for its abundant employment opportunities, naturally emerged as the primary preference, followed by Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

Among these, a notable 3.29 lakh Indians obtained US nationality, while neighbouring Canada granted citizenship to 1.62 lakh individuals. Australia secured the third position, welcoming 1.32 lakh new citizens, followed by the United Kingdom and Italy, which extended citizenship to 83,468 and 23,817 Indians, respectively.

Collectively, these five nations emerged as the subsequent homeland for more than 85% of those who relinquished their Indian citizenship over the mentioned five and a half years period.

Further down the list, New Zealand (23,088), Germany (13,363), Singapore (13,211), Netherlands (8,642), and Sweden (8,531) constituted significant destinations, in that order, ranking from 6th to 10th. In total, more than 95% of Indians opted for citizenship in these top 10 countries.

Geographically, out of these 10 countries, five are situated in Europe, two each in North America and Oceania, and one in Asia.

Among the Muslim-majority Gulf nations, the UAE emerged as the top choice, with 1,865 Indians acquiring its citizenship. Following the UAE were Qatar (384), Kuwait (295), Bahrain (275), and Oman (174). Notably, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which recently underwent significant changes in its citizenship regulations, granted passports to 131 Indians during the stated time period (Jan 18- June 23).

A total of 2,442 Indians opted for Chinese citizenship, a country that stands as Indias significant and powerful neighbour, with whom the relationship has been characterized by tension.

Adding an intriguing aspect, 69 Indians also embraced Pakistani citizenship in the said period. This included a peak of 41 in 2021, while there were no instances in 2018 and 2019, but the number escalated to 7 in 2020. In the ongoing year, up until June, 8 more Indians acquired their citizenship.

The granting of most of these citizenships is attributed to marriages, family ties, professions, or extended residence in Pakistan, as cited by news reports quoting Pakistani officials. Additionally, there remain thousands of pending applications awaiting approval from the Pakistans interior ministry.

The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, bound by the Roti-Beti ka Rishta (a relationship of sustenance and kinship), offered citizenship to 128 Indians, presumably resulting from marriages. Sri Lanka (106) and Bangladesh (16) were the other two immediate neighbouring countries where Indians acquired nationalities.

Indians obtaining citizenship were also evident in several other countries where Hindus constitute a notable portion of the populace. In Mauritius, 299 Indians embraced their citizenship, while 247 opted for Fijian passports, and 109 became citizens of Suriname.

A few other countries of interest could be Switzerland, Israel, Russia, Japan, Iran, and Iraq where 1,834, 774, 366, 293, 37, and 3 Indians, respectively, acquired citizenship.

The small island nation of Papua New Guinea in the Pacific, which gained recent attention when its Prime Minister respectfully touched the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a welcoming gesture, extended citizenship to three Indians.

This raises the question: Why are some Indians relinquishing their homeland, which has risen to the ranks of a prominent economic and military power? India, the worlds most populous country, has made significant strides over the last few decades, elevating itself from the 12th largest economy in 2005 to now being the fifth largest.

In a recent research report, one of the prominent global investment banking companies, Goldman Sachs, projected that India could potentially evolve into the worlds second-largest economy, following China, by 2075. The government in its reply said: Many of them have chosen to take up foreign citizenship for reasons of personal convenience.

Experts, however, contend that the reasons behind this trend are diverse and intricate. They span from economic factors such as career prospects, improved quality of life, enhanced educational opportunities, better healthcare, and even cleaner air, to migration related to marriage. Nevertheless, these explanations do not entirely explain the phenomenon of migration to countries that lag significantly behind India both in economic and social standings.

Furthermore, unlike certain other nations, India does not permit dual citizenship. As a result, any Indian nationals who acquire foreign citizenship are obligated to formally renounce their Indian citizenship.

Enhanced mobility can also be viewed as a significant contributing factor. The ease, comfort, and reduced time required for intercontinental travel have improved substantially. For instance, even if an individual acquires US citizenship and lives there, the time taken to travel from New York to New Delhi would likely be considerably less than that needed for a person in New Delhi to journey by train to Bengaluru.

However, to assert that these migrations tied to citizenship are a recent development would be inaccurate. Indias history has borne witness to waves of migration, some involuntary as indentured labourers known as the Girmitiyas. In the early 19th century, individuals from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar migrated to former British colonies such as Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago. This trend continued through to more contemporary migrations propelled by the forces of globalisation.

According to the 2022 World Migration Report, the United Nations latest global estimate indicates that around 281 million international migrants existed across the globe in 2020. The report highlights that India boasts the worlds largest emigrant population, with nearly 18 million individuals living abroad, positioning it as the primary origin country on a global scale. Following India, Mexico (11.0 million), the Russian Federation (10.8 million), and China (10 million) hold the second, third, and fourth positions, respectively.

A significant portion of those relinquishing Indian passports consists of highly educated individuals, underscoring the persisting concern of brain drain. Today, Indian-origin CEOs are at the helm of leading American companies, while some other diasporas are making notable strides in the political sphere as well.

Furthermore, they constitute some of the wealthiest and most influential minorities in various Western nations, actively safeguarding Indias interests within their respective capitals. The Economist recently remarked that this diaspora is bigger and more influential than any in history and a powerful resource for Indias government.

Moreover, they exert a favourable impact on their home countrys economies, not solely through remittances but also by imparting knowledge and pushing investmentsa set of contributions crucial for propelling India onto the global stage of power.

Acknowledging the valuable contribution of the Indian community abroad, the Government has initiated a transformative shift in its interaction with the diaspora.

The Government is cognizant of this development and has undertaken a range of initiatives centering around Make in India that would harness their talents at home. At the same time, to take full advantage of the contemporary knowledge economy, we have also promoted skills and start-ups, minister Jaishankar had told Parliament.

A thriving, prosperous, and influential diaspora presents a distinct advantage for India, and our strategy revolves around harnessing diaspora networks and leveraging their reputation for the benefit of the nation, government had said.
If I remember right, I first heard of pizza and tasted one, somewhere around the late 70s and the early 1980s. That is long before the big American chains entered the Indian market. Dont get me wrong, I wasnt one of those lucky kids, whose parents endowed them with foreign vacations and hence were lucky enough to taste a slice of New York Pizza on the streets of Manhattan or a Naples style Margherita in Italy.

I tasted my first pizza, right here in Mumbai, first at Sukh Sagar at Chowpatty and then later on at Haji Ali Juice Centre. It was the classic Indian Street Style Pizza, that even today, more than half of Mumbai still eats. When this roadside snack bar and juice centre opened in the 1960s, Haji Ali Juice centre, stood at a busy circular junction. The twinkling lights of the majestic Haji Ali Dargah in the shimmering night sea was the backdrop. And a tall, nearly five-storey-high water fountain spouting jets of water lit up by coloured lights in front of it.

The menu was quite simple and vegetarian catering to the visitors of Mahalaxmi temple and the Dargah. It was sandwiches, toasted sandwiches, grilled sandwiches, juice and milkshakes. And then there was the pizza  an Indian one.

Now we all know that the pizza originated in Italy specifically in Naples. But the history of pizza is a story of adaptation, creativity, and the exchange between cultures. From ancient flatbreads to the modern, pies, the pizzas journey is all about its enduring appeal and its ability to bring people together over food.

The pizza has had age-old beginnings. First, as a thin layer of dough topped with cheese and honey called placenta, and then to flatbreads with various toppings, including olive oil and local spices that the Greeks, Egyptians, and the Romans enjoyed. In the Middle Ages, these flatbreads became popular across the Mediterranean.

In Naples, during the Middle Ages, a dish known as schiacciata" emerged. It was a simple flatbread topped with olive oil and local seasonings. This was long before the tomato revolution. The introduction of tomatoes to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century marked a transformative step towards creating the modern pizza, with the addition of tomatoes to flatbreads in Naples. Later, in the late 19th century, Italys Queen Margherita visited Naples, and a local pizzaiolo named Raffaele Esposito created a pizza to honour her. He combined tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil leaves to create a patriotic masterpiece that showcased the colours of the Italian flag. This was the Margherita pizza.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a wave of Italian immigrants moved to various parts of the world including the United States. They took their culinary traditions with them, amongst them the pizza. The first pizzeria in the United States, Lombardis, opened in New York City in 1905. Today, the New York Style Pizza is an iconic American pizza known for its large, foldable slices with a crust that is thin and slightly crisp along the edges, and soft and pliable in the centre. It is smeared with a thin layer of tomato sauce made from crushed tomatoes and seasoned with herbs and spices, and topped with low-moisture, dry mozzarella cheese that melts and bubbles during baking. Of course, you can get a variety of toppings like pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green bell peppers, onions, and black olives.

Back home in India, it was not until the 1990s that Indian chains like Don Giovannis, Nirulas and Vijay Mallya owned Pizza Express began serving American style pizza to the masses. Then, finally, in 1995, foreign chains such as Dominos and Pizza Hut started entering the Indian market, but it was not before they tweaked their recipes and bowed down to the Indian palate that they really made a mark. The Pizza Hut at Mumbai Chowpatty was forced to turn a 100% vegetarian. The first international pizza chain in the world with a pure vegetarian and Jain menu.

New Yorker at Chowpatty (I dont know why Chowpatty in Mumbai seems to be the birthplace of Mumbais pizzas) started doing pure Indianised vegetarian pizzas along with Indianised Italian, Indianised Continental and Indianised Nachos, Enchiladas, Tortillas, Fajitas and Burritos.

Today, Mumbais pizza has found its oeuvre. It started with Trattoria at the Taj President, where they made, what we then called, real Italian pizza. Topped with pepperoni, salami, even ham and pineapple. Today, there are many more like Gustoso, which makes a mean parma ham, parmesan and rocket pizza, or Bandras go-to neighbourhood pizzeria Rays Cafe and Pizzeria. I love their Quattro Formaggi with blue cheese, ricotta, mozzarella and parmigiana and their three-meat pizza with ham, bacon and sausage.

The fancy Kala Ghoda American Cafe Americano makes a super light and crispy pizza called The Rosso, with great dough, topped with tomato, oregano, garlic and olive oil. Of course, CinCin at Bandra Kurla Complex, who do the most cheerful Italian food, also do some refreshing pizza. I just love their Funghi e Tartufo, crispy wood-fired pizza with portobello mushrooms, porcini cream and fresh black truffle shavings and the Diavola Pizza, with a topping of chicken, spicy and smoky calabrian chillies and grilled onions.

Though all these fabulous pizzas are now available in Mumbai, even today, after a long day at work, if I am driving past Peddar Road towards the Race Course, heading to Worli, I often stop my car at the curb side Haji Ali Juice Centre. At any given hour, a server with an aluminium tray will appear out of the darkness, to take your order. And my order is always a veg cheese pizza. It is much smaller, approximately an 8 inch, a pre-baked circular bread, smeared with a hearty muscular tomato sauce, made with tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, red chili flakes, ketchup and chili powder. The base is then topped with capsicum, raw slices of onion, coriander, and an excessively generous amount of processed cheese. The pizza comes out crisp from the bottom as well as the top. The processed cheese like an au gratin, golden brown. Yes, I still like my pizza margherita  thin crust, crushed San Marzano tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil with a drizzle of fine olive oil, but for me, the Haji Ali one, is the most delicious Indian pizza you can try on this side of the Arabian Sea.

Kunal Vijayakar is a food writer based in Mumbai. He tweets @kunalvijayakar and can be followed on Instagram @kunalvijayakar. His YouTube channel is called Khaane Mein Kya Hai. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has recognised the most influential innovators reshaping tourism in Morocco.

The finalists of the first Moroccan Tourism Startup Competition showcase the power of the sector for driving post-pandemic recovery, protecting cultural and natural heritage and providing opportunities for both rural and urban communities, UNWTO said.

After being announced in November 2022, the competition attracted 135 applications from across the kingdom. The competition focused on identifying solutions to advance the development of the Moroccan tourism, reaching out to startups with a focus on five pillars:

* Innovation in blue and green economies (life under water)

* Innovation in natural heritage: Nature, trekking & hiking.

* Innovation in natural heritage: Desert & Oasis Adventure.

* Innovation in cultural heritage: Preservation through cultural innovation.

* Sustainable Urban Futures: Innovation in urban tourism.

Ten finalists announced

Morocco is a true leader in tourism, with innovation being a crucial aspect in its rapid recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. The startups were judged on their solutions and on their commitment to tourism as a pillar of the Sustainable Development Goals. Of the 135 startups that entered the competition, 60% look forward to achieving sustainable SDG8, focused on decent work and economic growth, and 54% wish to achieve SDG17, focused on partnerships.

The ten finalists reflect the diverse talent of the Moroccan national tourism sector.

For innovation in blue and green economies, the finalists are Mouja, The Surf and Watersports Guide for Morocco and Nama Social Hub, an event agency specialising in the organisation of events for surfing enthusiasts in Imssouane.

In the trekking and hiking category, the two finalists are Anegma, a reservation platform for atypical and unusual accommodation in Morocco, Into the Wild, a concept for novel accommodation in national parks.

For innovation in deserts and oasis adventures, the finalists are Umnya Morocco Experiences, an innovative eco-accommodation, and Terre Des Etoiles, an atypical and original eco-accommodation.

The finalists in the preservation through cultural innovation categoryare Atar, a mobile application to discover cultural heritage and Machi Mouchkil, a Moroccan street food concept.

Finally, Marocultour, an online booking service for cultural tours on an electric tricycle driven by Moroccan women, and Pikala Bikes, an ecological transport concept that offers an authentic experience for tourists to explore the city of Marrakech by bike, are the finalists for innovation in urban tourism.

Embracing innovation

The collaboration between UNWTO and the Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development has two key aims. Firstly, to invigorate the tourism sector by infusing it with fresh ideas and creative solutions. And secondly, to create a sustainable framework that benefits both the environment and the local communities, the statement said.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvil says: "The Kingdom of Morocco is a true leader in tourism, with innovation being a crucial aspect in its rapid recovery from the impacts of the pandemic."

Moroccan Minister of Tourism Fatim- Zahra Ammor emphasised that "through our start-up contest with UNWTO, we have unwavering confidence in the creativity and potential of Moroccan tourism start-ups. Today, I am incredibly proud of the 10 winning start-ups. They will receive invaluable mentorship, personalised support, and global access to venture capitalists. This will not only help them grow but also enhance our tourists' experiences and create new job opportunities."

Imad Barrakad, CEO of SMIT, added: "I am proud to see so many innovative projects in a promising sector looking for new creative ideas. Together we can make the difference!"

Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of the UNWTO, mentioned how "tourism needs the power of startups and sustainable driven companies to start again".

A Winning Network

SMIT guides the growth and planning of Moroccan tourism and aims to support groundbreaking ideas to fulfill the needs of startups and SMEs. UNWTO has collaborated with Huawei, Plug and Play, Cercle de l'innovation, Accelab, Hospitality Web Services, Emerging Business Factory who will be supporting the finalists with mentorship and acceleration programmes, and will participate in the Tourism Tech Adventures edition where the winners will be announced. -TradeArabia News Service
The tradition of the people of Central Asia and the Middle East to drink hot tea in the heat seems strange to us. We are used to quenching our thirst with drinks from the refrigerator and we are afraid to even think about a cup with something hot.

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OBOZREVATEL tried to understand how it works. It turned out that scientists have already managed to explain the paradoxical effect of hot tea in the heat.

Cambridge neurobiologist Peter McNaughton said that the use of hot drinks in the heat makes the body more sweaty, which is a natural cooling mechanism in humans. The liquid cools the body by evaporating from the skin. Since sweat glands are located all over the skin, the cooling occurs evenly.

The effect of hot tea lasts long enough, while a cold drink gives only a minute of cooling. Then the body warms itself back up to the same temperature and you suffer from the same heat.

At the same time, McNaughton noted that tea contains a lot of stimulating substances such as caffeine, which can give an unnecessary load on the body in the heat. It can also be prepared without sugar, which is also better for health than sweetened sodas.

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Other researchers note that tea contains some electrolytes, which need to be renewed when the body loses a lot of fluids. Plus, it's rich in antioxidants that can protect cells from damage. This is especially true for green tea. A favorite herbal drink like sour carcade will better quench the feeling of thirst because of its taste.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL shared how to help yourself sleep in the heat.

Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL channels in Telegram and Viber to be aware of the latest events.
Legendary actor Dharmendra reacted to his and Hema Malinis daughter Esha Deol uniting with his and Prakash Kaurs sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol for the first time in public. On Saturday night, Esha hosted a special screening of Gadar 2 for Sunny, Bobby and the Deol family. At the screening, Sunny held Esha close as they posed for the cameras with Bobby. Videos and photos of the trio has now gone viral.

While Hema is yet to react to Esha hosting the Gadar 2 screening and meeting her half-brothers, Dharmendra seemingly had a reaction. The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani star took to his Instagram Stories and shared a video featuring the trio. Although he did not comment on the spotting, it is safe to say that he was happy about the spotting.

Esha has been extending her support to Sunny for Gadar 2 for a while now. On Friday, Esha took to her Instagram Storoes and wrote, Today lets hear the lion roar & reach soaring heights. Best wishes @iamsunnydeol. Esha also reacted to the film recording a massive opening.

On Saturday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to social media to reiterate the same. He wrote, #SunnyDeol unleashes his power All pre-release calculations / estimations go for a toss  #Gadar2 RUNS RIOT at the #BO, is SENSATIONAL on Day 1 FLYING START all over SECOND HIGHEST OPENER OF 2023 Fri  40.10 cr. #India biz." Esha shared the post on her Instagram Stories with the strength smiley and an evil eye smiley.

Gadar 2 is set against the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. In the sequel, Tara Singh (Sunny Deol) and Sakeena (Ameesha Patel) are in a happy marriage, and their son Charan Jeet Singh (played by Utkarsh Sharma, who also essayed the childs role in 2001s Gadar) is all grown up now. Their lives are all hunky-dory but turn of events land Charan Jeet in Pakistan. The video shows hes being tortured. The trailer then confirms that Tara will return to Pakistan to save his son.
August 13 marks the birth anniversary of late veteran actress and icon Sridevi. To commemorate the same, Google Doodle on Sunday shared a gorgeous illustration of the beauty. The veteran Indian actress made her debut in the Indian cinema as a child actor at the age of four and was last seen in the 2017 movie Mom as she passed away in 2018.

Google also shared key details about her journey, explaining the doodle. She fell in love with movies as a child and started acting at four years old in the Tamil movie, Kandhan Karunai. Sridevi learned to speak multiple South Indian languages, which allowed her to break into Indias other film industries

Google further added,After playing the lead role in the action comedy Himmatwala, Sridevi established herself as a national icon and box-office attraction in Bollywood. In the following decade, her popularity gained further momentum through other massive hits such as Sadma, Chaalbaaz and other works. She remains one of the only Bollywood actresses to headline blockbuster movies without a male actor in an industry that was traditionally male-dominated.

Taking to Twitter, the official handle of Google read, Weve all danced to her songs, been in awe of her performances, and tried to recreate her iconic fashion moments as #ASrideviMoment. Paying a tribute to her life & legacy with this #GoogleDoodle. Tell us your fav Sridevi film in the replies!

We've all danced to her songs, been in awe of her performances, and tried to recreate her iconic fashion moments as #ASrideviMoment Paying a tribute to her life & legacy with this #GoogleDoodle Tell us your fav Sridevi film in the replies! https://t.co/CIsKoj29iA. pic.twitter.com/v4iLFRUNXN  Google India (@GoogleIndia) August 12, 2023

Google credited the doodle to Mumbai-based guest artist Bhumika Mukherjee.

On a closing note, the tech giant wrote, Sridevi forever made her mark on the film industry by charting new avenues for women to take on leading roles in Indian cinema. She will be remembered as one of the greatest Indian actors of her time. Happy birthday, Sridevi!

On February 24, 2018, Sridevi tragically passed away at the age of 54 due to accidental drowning in the bathtub of her hotel room in Dubai. Her untimely demise came as a rude shock to the entire film fraternity.
Disha Patani has carved out a name for herself in Bollywood with hits like Baaghi 2, M.S Dhoni-The Untold Story and Malang. The stunning actress has also delivered some of the most iconic statements in the field of fashion. As a charismatic face for the millennials and the Gen-Zs, the actress is also quite fond of keeping her social media feed up to date with glimpses from her personal as well as professional life. Maintaining that trajectory, Disha Patani set fire on social media again with her bikini pictures.

On Sunday, Disha Patani took to her Instagram handle and dropped a sizzling picture of herself, sporting a dark blue bikini, as she posed on a couch. Keeping her caption brief, she used a butterfly emoji along with tagging the popular brand Calvin Klein.

Take a look:

Her fans bombarded the comment section with compliments. One of them wrote,"Dayuuuuuuummmmmm." Another one commented, Hotness." Someone else said, You look beautiful Disha!" A fan stated, Sexy girl Disha patani aap akdam jakkas ." Tiger Shroffs sister dropped feeling hot emoji and Mouni Roy reacted with heart eyes emojis.

Last month, Disha made headlines, when she was spotted with her rumoured ex-boyfriend Tiger Shroff. They were rumoured to be dating for a few years before parting ways last year. They were seen arriving together for this event in Delhi. Tigers sister Krishna also accompanied them. Now a video of them from the event has gone viral.

This year when, Disha celebrated her birthday, Tiger took to his Instagram stories to share a picture of them against the background of a crowd cheering for them. He wrote, Only the best times ahead. Keep spreading your wings and love and laughter always. Happy birthday." He also tagged her and dropped a red heart emoji, while the song O Saathi played in the backdrop.

While Tiger and Disha remained silent about the break-up speculations, reports suggested that Tiger had moved on with Akanksha Sharma, with whom he has collaborated on two music videos. These include Casanova and I am a Disco Dancer 2.0.

In fact, when Jackie Shroff was asked about Tiger and Dishas breakup rumours, he called them thick buddies and said, They (Tiger and Disha) have always been friends and are still friends. I have seen them go out together. Not that I keep track of my sons love life. Thats the last thing I want to do, like infringe on their privacy. But I feel that they are thick buddies. They spend time with each other besides work.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Disha Patani will soon be seen in Project K with Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Prabhas. Tiger on the other hand has Bade Miyan Chote Miyan with Akshay Kumar.
Salman Khan-hosted Bigg Boss OTT 2 is eyeing a grand finale soon. The controversial reality show is currently ruling the TRP charts, entertaining the masses with its umpteen fights, drama, and challenging tasks between the contestants. With the grand finale just around the corner, the contestants are gearing up for a neck-to-neck competition to win the coveted trophy. But ahead of the grand finale, interesting news has found its way to social media which claims Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will be gracing the finale of Salman Khan hosted reality show.

Both Twitter and Instagram has been bombarded with speculations that the Pathaan duo SRK and Deepika Padukone have been approached to appear for the Bigg Boss OTT 2 finale, that will be taking place on Monday, August 12. Not only that, SRK and Deepika will also be interacting with the top five contestants Elvish Yadav, Abhishek Malhan, Pooja Bhatt, Bebika Dhurve, and Manisha Rani, who are fighting for the coveted winners trophy.

Meanwhile, YouTubers Abhishek Malhan and Elvish Yadav knew each other professionally but became close friends in the Bigg Boss OTT 2 house. They are touted as one anothers strongest competitors by many contestants in the house. While the two remain friends inside the house, their fans have taken to social media to create a rivalry between them as the shows finale nears. Recently, an advertisement for Abhishek appeared in Times Square, New York. Elvishs fans said that it was a copy of an advertisement that had appeared for Elvish earlier at the iconic location.

While Elvishs advertisement appeared on August 6, Abhisheks advertisement appeared on August 12. One fan of Elvish wrote, Mubarak ho bhai Aab to TUM LOG BHI Systumm ko follow karne lage .. Ye Jeet hai Elvis and Systumm army ki. Rahna hai to Systumm ke niche rahna hoga." Another one tweeted, " editing pakdi gyi u r very hosiyar bro aise kaun bhikh mangta hai."

In a recent episode, Abhishek accused Elvish of engaging in negative PR against him outside the show. However, Elvish denied this claim, saying that if he had wanted any rivalry between the two, he would never have become his close friend. An ETimes report quoted Abhishek as saying, I got to know from someone that you and your team are doing negative PR against me outside. However, I want to see things from my eyes before I believe it." Elvish responded, You have been with me from the start, do you think I can do something like this?"

Elvish later confided in co-contestant Jiya Shankar saying, I didnt feel this bad in the show until now. How can he think that Im capable of something so low? Its very hurtful." Jiya advised him to directly express his feelings to Abhishek, due to their brother-like bond. The two YouTubers later hashed the issue, not letting it affect their friendship. However, their fans continue to often pit the two against each other.

The finale of Bigg Boss OTT 2, hosted by Salman Khan will air on August 14. Bebika Dhurve, Manisha Rani, Pooja Bhatt, Abhishek Malhan and Elvish Yadav are the top five contestants on the show. Bigg Boss OTT alum and choreographer Nishant Bhatt will choreograph the contestants dance performances for the special finale episode.
Sridevi is no more with us but she still holds a special place in the hearts of her fans. Her remarkable performances in the films have left an indelible mark on the industry. Today is the late actresss birth anniversary, and her daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi have shared throwback pictures on their social handles. But in an old clip, Arjun Kapoor is seen praising his stepmother Sridevi and calling her Legend.

Arjun and Janhvi appeared on Koffee With Karan and then the Kuttey actor spoke about Sridevi. He said, There were lesser expectations from me, I was not a star son, my father was a film producer but the reference point for Janhvi is very very different as her mother is a legend that defined a generation. People decided to work in this profession because of what she did." It is a coincidence that both Arjun and Janhvi lost their mothers ahead of their Bollywood debut. Arjun Kapoor is a son of Boney Kapoors first marriage.

In the same interview, he also revealed why he chose to be with his father and sister Janhvi and Khushi after Sridevis death. A moment changes everything, I have been through that moment, I wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy. I and Anshula did everything was an impulse out of pure honesty because we knew that we would have needed somebody at that time. We couldnt have that but that doesnt mean Janhvi and Khushi shouldnt. But at that point, it stemmed purely out of being a good son to my father because that is the first impulse. My mother would have wanted that. My mother would have wanted that. If she was alive, the first thing she shouldve said is, Go be there. Dont hold any grudges; life is too short," Arjun said.

On February 24, 2018, Sridevi tragically passed away at the age of 54 due to accidental drowning in the bathtub of her hotel room in Dubai. Her untimely demise came as a shock to the entire film fraternity.
Earlier this week in Parliament, replying to the no-confidence motion towards his government brought forth by the Opposition coalition due to the Manipur violence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a long, impactful speech. During this speech, he highlighted various historical occurrences in the North-East which have culminated to the tense and violent situation which has re-emerged in Manipur. He proceeded to recall three instances involving actions taken by Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, which seem to have contributed heavily in complicating the communal situation in the region which has implications surfacing today. One of which, of Gandhi calling in the Indian Air Force to bomb Mizoram, on March 5, 1966  as a quick-fix solution to end a communal conflict, seems to have triggered the durbari cabal, who have been relentless in defending her on all media platforms, since the prime ministers speech.

As there has been excessive focus on Indira Gandhis nationalism over the past few days, it is pertinent to understand some of the other actions she has taken as the prime minister, which were certainly not in national interest. As Gandhi settled into the prime ministership, she began to, very quickly, make space for her younger son, Sanjay, as an extra-constitutional power centre.

It all began when she ensured that Sanjays company  Maruti Motors Private Limited  gets the deal from the Government of India, to make the Maruti car, despite large flaws in the model, no prior experience in building any kind of an automobile and unrealistic pricing. All rules were bent, even those related to national security  Sanjays company got their desired parcel of land to set up their manufacturing unit in Gurgaon for a measly sum, next to an airfield and ammunition dump (for those unaware, an automobile manufacturing unit cannot be set up next to an airfield and ammunition dump). Just so that Sanjays plans could go ahead hindrance-free, the then Defence Minister moved the airfield and ammunition dump  both resources of the Government of India to another location.

While his mother, the prime minister with the entire government of India at her disposal moved mountains to make Sanjays automobile dreams come true, somewhere in early 70s, Sanjay abandoned the car project. He wanted more power, more authority and began to weigh heavily on his mothers prime-ministerial decisions. As Gandhi began to focus on nationalising enterprises, Sanjay became the chief negotiator with business groups around the country  hed make the decisions on which industries would be allowed to remain private and which would be handed out licences, based on the cash-deal he arrived at with them. In that era, categorically called the briefcase politics due to briefcases of cash going into the coffers of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Sanjay became the undisputed king of loot, with Gandhi rendered truly nothing more than a goongi gudiya. Sanjay began to use the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department to raid businesses and homes of leading industrialists to instil fear and extort money. Hundreds of crores of rupees went into running Sanjays parallel government of goons and roughnecks, who would further go around collecting money from medium and small businesses. So many millions he must have siphoned off, not even contributing to the party fund, that the day after Sanjays funeral, when uncle B.K. Nehru asked Rajiv Gandhi whether the money Sanjay had allegedly collected for the Congress was safe, Rajiv responded that only Rs 20 lakh had been found in the Congress almarihs out of the uncounted crores collected by Sanjay.

As Gandhi seemed to be losing popular support, with protests erupting all over the country in addition to the judicial decision which voided her candidacy in the recently concluded elections by which she lost her voting rights in Parliament, she, on Sanjays advice, proceeded to persuade the President of India, to announce a state of Internal Emergency in the country on June 25, 1975. Fundamental rights of citizens were suspended, almost all of the political opposition was jailed and Indias thriving democracy was brought to a grinding halt by a mother-son duo.

After the murder of all constitutional procedures, Sanjay truly became the undisputed ruler of India. One episode describing this phenomenon is when he had instituted country-wide mass-sterilisation drives. During an inspection tour in Delhi, he stood near Turkman Gate and announced the he wanted to be able to see Jama Masjid from the spot where he was standing. Once his royal edict was uttered, no matter how unrealistic, orders were issued and the Delhi Developmental Authority rushed to obey them, by immediately clearing the sea of shops, jhuggis, slum colonies and markets which stood between Sanjay and the Jama Masjid. As people protested, Gandhi and her son deployed the Central Reserve Police Force to quell the protestors.

The Congress symbol at the time was of a cow coddling her calf and as these heinous acts perpetrated by mother-son became commonplace, the people of India began to say, bachada gai ko khaa gaya (the calf ate the cow). To my mind, none of these excesses would have taken place, had Gandhi reined in her children, respecting the sacred, constitutional position of the Prime Minister of India which she occupied and its implications on national security and integrity.

This is Part IV of a multi-part series. A look at the other parts:

Part I: Opinion | Indian Prime Ministers and Cases of Corruption: Rajiv Gandhis Indefensible Defence Deals

Part II: Opinion | Indian Prime Ministers and Cases of Corruption: Nehru and the Birth of Scams

Part III: Opinion | Indian Prime Ministers and Cases of Corruption: Indiras Biggest Racket  Garibi Hatao

Priyam Gandhi-Mody is an author of three bestselling books, including A Nation to Protect. Her fourth book is expected to be released in October 2023. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Pietro Della Valle was the typical renaissance man. Born into an aristocratic family in Rome in 1586, he acquired the typical classical education of the era. He mastered Greek, Latin, and epic mythology and became a Biblical scholar. But his fame rests on his accomplishments as a versifier, composer and musicologist. Much later in life, Pietro Valle also earned renown as a prolific author of travelogues and as a prodigious collector of rare manuscripts and books.

Valles journey as a travel writer was the outcome of unrequited love. We have no information about the lady who spurned him but we know that he contemplated suicide in Naples. His physician friend, Mario Schipano, also became the physician of his wounded heart. He counselled him to travel the world. The idea instantly appealed to Pietro and as a devout Christian, he made a vow to visit Jerusalem.

That was the beginning of an extensive journey that he embarked upon in 1614. He visited Constantinople, Alexandria, Cairo, Mount Sinai, Jerusalem, Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, Nineveh, Hamadan, and Isfahan. He took a wife in Baghdad and was treated as a state guest by the Persian king, Shah Abbas. The biting winter of 1620 imperilled his health and he decided to return to Italy. The next year, his wife, aged just 23, died. Pietro was heartbroken a second time. A month later, he was again struck by a serious illness and collapsed in the city of Lar. However, an exceptionally gifted doctor nursed him back to health.

In the winter of 1623, Pietro climbed on an English ship named Whale, headed to Surat from Shiraz. His return journey to Italy would be via India.

Our story begins at this point.

Pietro Valle stayed in India for a year. But he only travelled in a small slice within India. He operated mainly from Surat and Gomantaka (Goa) but journeyed for some months along the coastline of Cochin, Kozhikode, Mangalore and Honnavara. At Honnavara, he was introduced to Vitthala Shenoy, the Ambassador of the powerful Keladi king, Hiriya Venkatappa Nayaka. This meeting has proven fortuitous for history. Pietros detailed record of his journey into the heart of Venkatappa Nayakas kingdom is one of the invaluable primary sources for understanding the political situation of Malnad and coastal Karnataka of the early 17th century.

The overall picture is not flattering. Political instability, fragmentation and internecine wars among small Hindu kingdoms are the hallmarks of this period. Half a century after the annihilation of the Vijayanagara Empire, all its former feudatories are baying for one anothers blood. Hopelessly disunited, they have to singly battle threats from multiple sources including Muslim chieftains and the Portuguese, who have emerged as a formidable power.

Pietro Valles meticulous narrative helps us flesh out these political currents apart from his descriptions of the society he witnessed. His eye for detail is razor-sharp. He misses nothing including the colour of leaves and shrubs and water bodies and hillocks and crevices. His description of the scenic beauty of the Gerusoppa landscape (home to the world-famous Jog Falls) is truly outstanding for its vividness and lifelike quality. We notice the same narrative tenor in his descriptions of its temples, people, festivals, customs, and society.

However, there is a cautionary element in this narrative. Pietro was a devout Catholic Christian and his natural prejudice against heathens freely flows in his explanations of Hindu festivals and deities.

Here is a short list of the topics he writes about (the titles listed below are reproduced verbatim):

 Description of the journey up the Gerusoppa River

 Ascent of the Ghat

 Beautiful scenery

 Temple and statue of Hanuman

 Female saint

 Indian fencing match

 Indian torches

 Night spent under trees

 Myrobalan trees described

One of the charming anecdotes is related to the method of primary education that Pietro witnessed in the Gerusoppa region.

Pietro Valle and his entourage have taken rest at a fort (now unidentifiable) in the Ghats in Gerusoppa. The next morning, they resume their onward journey to Ikkeri, the capital of Venkatappa Nayaka. Their luggage is being loaded on oxen and Pietro needs to wait for a considerable time till the whole operation is over.

Having nothing to do, he engages himself by visiting a beautiful Hanuman Temple in the vicinity of the fort. This is what he observes: I entertained myself in the porch of the Temple, beholding little boys learning Arithmetic after a strange manner, which I will here relate. They were four boys, all taken the same lesson from the Master.

In order to get that lesson by heart and repeat likewise, their earlier lessons and not forget them, one of them was singing musically with a certain continued tone. This has the force of making a deep impression in the memory. The boy recited part of the lesson. For example, One by itself makes one. Whilst he was thus speaking, he wrote down the same number, not with any kind of Pen, nor on Paper, but (not to spend paper in vain) with his finger on the ground. For that purpose, the pavement was strewn all over with very fine sand.

After the first boy had writ what he sung, all the rest sung and writ down the same thing together. Then the first boy sung and writ down another part of the lesson; as, for example, Two by itself make two. All the other boys recited in the same manner, and so forward in order.

When the pavement was full of figures, they erased them with the hand. If need arose, they strewed sand from a little heap which they had before them wherewith to write further. And thus they did as long as the exercise continued.

They told me, they learnt to read and write without spilling Paper, Pens, or Ink, which certainly is a pretty way. I asked them, if they happened to forget, or be mistaken in any part of the lesson, who corrected and taught them? They were all scholars without the assistance of any Master at the moment. They answered me and said: true, it was not possible for all four of them to forget, or make a mistake in the same part of the lesson. Thus, they exercised together so that if one happened to be wrong, the others might correct him. Indeed this is a pretty, easy and secure way of learning.

What Pietro Valle witnessed in those wild hills of Gerusoppa in the 17th century was simply the time-tested Indian method of learning. Marvellous in its simplicity and an incredibly powerful method whereby what you have learned stays with you forever. This is precisely what an astonished Monier Williams witnessed and recorded two centuries later. This is also how the stalwarts of the Modern Indian Renaissance such as Jadunath Sarkar, D.V. Gundappa, R.C. Majumdar and P.V. Kane learned in their boyhood. It has intrinsic effectiveness and an innate capacity to strengthen the mental and intellectual faculty at a very early age. This method of primary education was not limited only to Arithmetic.

It is profoundly tragic that this method has all but disappeared in our era of reckless reliance on machines.

The author is the founder and chief editor, The Dharma Dispatch. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Political repression is on the rise in PoJK with the 76th anniversary of the creation of Pakistan, which is being observed on August 14. Several political activists were arrested in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PoJK, on August 11 for sharing anti-Pakistan posts on social media. They were beaten up at the local police station and forced to condemn their actions and repost pro-Pakistan statements on social media.

The government in PoJK has ordered that the Pakistani flag should be hoisted at all government buildings and salami (salutation) offered on August 14. This is in stark contradiction to the United Nation resolutions that recognise PoJK as a disputed territory.

The fact is that PoJK is the only Indian territory, which has been occupied by Pakistan since October 1947 when its army invaded Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistans repression and atrocities have increased since the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

The fast-paced development and return of peace in the new union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has brought Pakistans oppressive role into question, and youth in PoJK want the countrys army to quit the region. Hence, they have issued a call for August 14 to be observed as a black day. The Baloch people have also declared August 14 as a black day.

The Pakistani army occupied the independent state of Balochistan on March 28, 1947, and, ever since, the Baloch population have raised arms against Pakistan on at least five occasions. Not a day passes by when Baloch rebels of different formations do not attack security personnel using guerrilla warfare tactics.

Contrary to August 14 being observed as a black day, in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir, August 15 is being observed as a great day, and rightly so. The day marks when India won freedom from the colonial rule of the British empire. It was the culmination of 200 years of anti-colonial struggle from the 1775 Battle of Plassey to the Revolt of 1857 to the naval rebellion of Sholapur in 1946. All the above struggles against colonial rule led to the birth of the Indian National Congress (1885), the Ghadar party (1913), Communist Party of India (1925), Nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh popularly known as the RSS (1925), and many more political as well as social campaign groups that fought or advocated for the liberation of Hindustan.

What makes August 15 a great day is the fact that, on this very day, a new nation was born that came to be known as the largest democracy in the world. It was a day when more than 500 princely states of British India joined hands to give birth to a new Republic of India.

India was partitioned by the British on August 14, culminating in the deaths of more than a million people of all faiths and displacement of no less than 10 million people. It is known as the worst communal-based migration in the history of mankind. August 14 can never be celebrated as a great day. It was, and remains to this day, a day marked with communal hate and bloodshed.

The two-nation theory of Muhammad Ali Jinnah continues, to this day, to poison the minds of millions in the Indian subcontinent, especially in the PoJK. A nation state born on August 14 called Pakistan has Islam as its state religion and has become a terrorist training camp at an industrial scale.

Pakistan has provided a safe haven to terrorists like Osama bin Laden, Hafiz Saeed, Salahuddin among others. A nation state born on August 15 called India has produced a secular Constitution, where all citizens are equal before the law of the land.

Pakistan has a history of persecuting religious minorities. India, on the other hand, has a tradition of honouring its religious and ethnic minorities. A Muslim by the name of APJ Abdul Kalam became the president of India and, today, Droupadi Murmu, a member of a tribal community, is president.

Pakistan has a corrupt military and civil bureaucracy that have drained their country leading it to the brink of default. India has become the fifth largest economy of the world, surpassing the UK that colonised her. Pakistan has nothing to feel gratified about, whereas India has every reason to be proud and hold her head high.

Pakistan has plundered the natural resources of PoJK while India has enriched the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. PoJK only has 2G, while J&K has 5G. The sewerage in Muzaffarabad has collapsed, while Srinagar has become a smart city. Pakistan has established launch pads to infiltrate India and cause harm. India has held G20 to uplift J&K.

At a time when Indian citizens are celebrating their newfound prosperity, the residents of PoJK are protesting out on the streets against non-payment of pensions, wheat shortages, load shedding and worsening living conditions. For the youth of PoJK, therefore, August 14 is truly a black day and August 15 is, beyond a doubt, a great day. Happy 76th Indian Independence Day!

(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views)
In the monsoon session of Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi evoked the name of Bharat Mata to target the ruling party over recent violence in Manipur. Though his remarks were expunged, this incident raises an important question. Does Congress really understand the concept of Bharat Mata, or is it merely political rhetoric?

In this context, it would be pertinent to have a look at the concept of Bharat Mata and how it is intrinsically linked to spiritual nationalism that forms the core of Bharat as a nation since the dawn of Hindu civilisation.

Vedic literature explained Bharats geography thousands of years ago: Uttaram yat samudrasya, Himadreshchaiv dakshinam, varsham tad bharatam nama, Bharatee yatra santatihi. (The country that is north of the Sea and south of the Himalayas is known as Bharat and its residents are known as Bharatiya.) So, Bharat as a nation has existed for thousands of years and the rise of nationalism was equated with the love for your motherland here. Another ancient Sanskrit verse from our scriptures said, Janani Janma Bhoomischa Swargaadapi Gariyasi (Mother that gives birth and motherland are superior even to heaven.)

Thus, in Hindu civilisation, motherland was always deified as a manifestation of the divine much before the nationalism emerged in the West after the French revolution of 1789. That is why Marxist and Western framework isnt capable to understand Hindu nationalism and the concept of Bharat Mata. Those political leaders who follow these frameworks are bound to have a flawed understanding of Bharat, Bharat Mata and Hindu nationalism.

In the recent times, it was Bankim Chandra Chatterjee who recreated an imagery of the motherland as a deity i.e. Bharat Mata, that gave a new impetus to spiritual nationalism from late 19th century onwards.

Despite being a civil servant under the British rule, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838-1894) raised his voice against the foreign rule. His revolutionary work, Anandamath (The Abbey of Bliss), had a significant impact on Bharats struggle for independence. The novel was first serialized in a Bengali journal. In 1882, it was published as a book. It became hugely popular in a short time that resulted in its translation in English and major Bharatiya languages. The plot of the novel was set in the backdrop of 18th century Bengal when it was passing through a transitional phase of moving from native to the British rule. The story revolves around the protagonist Mahendra, a landlord devastated by the famine of 1773. Mahendra meets revolutionary ascetics Santans (the children of Hindu Dharma) who were fighting to free their mother, the land that gave birth to them, from the clutches of British exploitation. After meeting them, he dedicates his life to free his motherland from the British rule.

Anandmath personified the nation as mother goddess and advocated renouncement of all material wealth and comforts to make the supreme sacrifice for the Motherland. The song Vande Mataram (I revere thee mother), sung by the revolutionaries in Anandmath became a battle cry for freedom fighters and Bharat Mata ki Jai became an integral part of the nations socio-cultural milieu. This personification of the nation as Bharat Mata also brought to the fore Bharats original national identity.

This national identity is deeply rooted in Spiritual nationalism. But the Marxists and the Western academia have deliberately targeted and misleadingly projected this as an aggressive manifestation of Hindu majoritarianism.

Swapan Dasgupta, makes some candid observations in The Awakening of Bharat Mata: The political beliefs of the Indian Right, The combativeness over Vande Matram, particularly since Independence, is inextricably linked to larger questions of nationhood. For, a start Bankimchandra envisaged India as the mother and then proceeded to define the imagery:

O Mother, thou art love and faith,

it is thy image we raise in every temple.

For thou art Durga holding her ten weapons of war,

Kamala at play in the lotuses

And Speech, the goddess, giver of all lore.

to thee I bow

(Original: Tumi vidya, tumi dharma, Tumi hridi, tumi marma, Tvam hi pranah sharire, Bahute tumi ma shakti, Hridaye tumi ma bhakti, Tomarayi pratima gari mandire mandire

Tvam hi Durga dashapraharana dharini, Kamala Kamaladalaviharini, Vani vidyadayini, namami tvam, Namami Kamalam, amalam atulam, Sujalam, suphalam, Mataram )

Subsequently, portraits of the Mother Goddess astride a lion with a map of India as the backdrop was popularised as the personification of Bharat Mata. This portrait of Mother India, inspired by Vande Matram, soon became a central feature of nationalist iconography. There were alternative versions such as Abindranath Tagores 1905 painting Bharat Mata that visualised the mother as a saffron-robed sadhvi.

Equally robust was the Bengali writer Dwijendralal Roys celebration of Bharat Mata:

The day you arose from the blue ocean, Mother Bharatvarsha,The world erupted in such a joyful clamour, such devotion, Mother, and so much laughter.

On his part, Aurobindo left no scope for ambiguity, Nationalism is a religion, he wrote in 1907, that has come from God. He was subsequently to equate it with Sanatan Dharma and devotion to the Goddess, added Dasgupta

Bipin Chandra Pal, a leading light of Bharats freedom struggle explained lucidly the concept of Bharat Mata in The Soul of India: A constructive study of Indian thoughts and ideals (published in 1911). What he wrote 112 years ago, seems to be even more relevant in the contemporary context as the concept of Bharat Mata is being evoked in our polity and socio-cultural discourse very frequently. Many of our intellectuals as well as public figures do it without understanding the essence and historical context.

Pal wrote: The real concept of Mother as applied to India by her children has no metaphor behind it. Of course, most of our modern-educated people use and understand the word in a poetical and metaphorical sense. But this is because their education and environment have more or less completely divorced their thought and imagination from the ancient realities of their language and literature. There are, indeed, numerous words in common use among us to-day, that have entirely lost their original sense, owing to the loss of the genuine thought, unassimilated foreign words and concepts accumulated by our present system of education.

He continued, When, for instance, we talk of Dharma we do not understand it to mean either law of being or sacrifices and rituals or duty, the three different senses in which the word was always used among us, but the imported concept of religion.  With the Europeanisation of our mind and modes of thinking even our words have been perceptibly Europeanised. It is not at all surprising, therefore, that the original significance of the word Mother as applied to our country, has also been largely lost to many of our educated countrymen, who see nothing more sacred or serious in it than a very tender and beautiful metaphor.

He added, It was, however, very different with those who first applied this word to their land. The Mother in what people call the Motherland, was to them not a mere idea or fancy, but a distinct personality. The woman who bore them and nursed them, and brought them up with her own life and substance was no more real a personality in their thought and idea than the land which bore and reared, and gave food and shelter to all their race. But to seize the full truth and reality of this concept you will have to study it in the light of the entire Nature Philosophy of the Hindus.

The writer, an author and columnist has written several books. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said the Modi government believes in "politics of development" and not "politics in development" while urging Bihar minister Tejashwi Yadav to provide suitable land for the construction of AIIMS in Darbhanga.

The comments come after Yadav, who holds the health portfolio in the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'safed jhooth' (blatant lie) in his address earlier in the day when he spoke of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the north Bihar district of Darbhanga.

"It is an outright lie on the part of the PM to have made a mention of AIIMS at Darbhanga, which is yet to be constructed. He reminds me of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who some time ago boasted of Purnea airport, which is far from functional, as one of the achievements of the government," Yadav told PTI video.

"The fact is, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had taken the initiative for AIIMS, Darbhanga and a piece of land, suitably located just a few kilometres from a national highway, was also allocated. But the Centre threw a spanner by claiming the location of the land was not convenient," he added.

The young RJD leader also expressed his dismay over the Centre's sudden change of mind in a telephonic conversation with Mandaviya and shared a copy of a letter he wrote to the latter in this regard on his social media handles. Responding to Yadav's claims, Mandaviya said the Modi government "does not do politics in development but does politics of development". Saying the Centre's intention is clear, the Union health minister said the permission for AIIMS Darbhanga was given by the Modi government on September 19, 2020, and the first land was given by the Bihar government on November 3, 2021.

"After this, you came to the government and changed this place on April 30, 2023, while doing politics," he said in a series of tweets.

Mandaviya said the expert committee inspected the land and checked it according to the rules. On May 26, 2023, the health ministry sent a letter to the Bihar government informing that the second land provided by it is not suitable for the construction of AIIMS, he said, attaching a copy of the letter along with his tweet.

"You tell me why the land was changed, in whose interest was it changed?" he asked.

"What did your own MLA say in the Bihar Legislative Assembly about the unsuitable land given for AIIMS? Come out of politics and immediately give a proper place for the construction of AIIMS! We are ready to build AIIMS in Bihar," Mandaviya said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Modi spoke of AIIMS, Darbhanga in his address, via video conference, to the Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal. He made a mention of the proposed hospital while underscoring that premier health centres were set up in all parts of the country to ensure that people did not have to travel long distances for medical treatment.
A Russian serviceman shot dead his fellow soldier, a 42-year-old sergeant of the army of the aggressor country Alexei L in the north of the temporarily occupied Crimea,

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The incident occurred on the night of August 12. This was reported by one of the propaganda Telegram channels.

According to its version, Alexei L., who was a contract worker from Moscow, entered the guarded territory, did not give the password and did not respond to warning shots.

Ruslan M., a 45-year-old private from Krasnogorsk (Moscow Region), was on guard duty at one of the positions near the village of Pochetne.

The sergeant entered the positions of the Russian occupiers. The private saw an "unknown man" and asked for the password but the latter did not answer. Ruslan M. then fired two shots in the air, but the man kept moving. Then the guard shot him.

The Russian media say that later it turned out that the dead man was Ruslan M.'s coworker from the same military unit.

The Telegram channel has no information about what exactly Alexei L. was doing in the protected area. The materials were transferred to the military investigation department of the aggressor country.

ADVERTISIMENT

As OBOZREVATEL wrote, the operational command South warned the occupiers that the "hot season" of strikes will continue. It will be loud in Crimea until the last one of them leaves all our land.

Only verified information from us in Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Pointing out the lawlessness" prevailing in Andhra Pradesh, former chief minister and TDP supremo, Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday sought the interference of President Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back things to order.

In separate letters to the president Murmu, and PM Modi, the TDP supremo expressed serious concerns over the anarchy prevailing in the State.

Stating that the five crore people of the state are undergoing unprecedented" and harrowing" due to the anti-democratic and unconstitutional acts unleashed by the unsound mind" of the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TDP national president wrote.

Explaining as to how Jagan unleashed the governance of destruction" by demolishing the Praja Vedika soon after coming to power Naidu informed the said how the CM was misusing the public money on frivolous cases moving the judiciary on Amaravathi.

The bureaucrats are facing the highest number of contempt cases standing in the dock due to utter disregard displayed by Mr Jagan," he added.

Naidu further said that the State Election Commissioner (SEC) and the chairperson of the Public Service Commission have been hounded and how the SEC approached the Centre for security.

Jagan has made attempts to undermine the whole electoral process and is forcing the volunteers to resort to illegal jobs," he added.

The Chief Minister has appointed a person, who is a non-believer of Hindu traditions as the chairman of the Trust Board of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and has done away with the tradition of non-Hindus submitting a declaration which is mandatory before going for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara, " he said.

Over 250 incidents of attacks on Hindu temples have been reported in the past four years while properties belonging to Wakf Board and churches are being encroached upon," he added.

Naidu then talks about lawlessness" saying that it is resulted in rise in crime, adding that sane" voices were being hounded through social media and state machinery.

Anyone raising voice against the state government is being brutally targeted," he said.

A 60-year-old woman, Mrs P Ranganayaki, who asked 10 questions through social media about the State Governments response to LG Polymers gas leak incident in 2020 was charged under various Sections of IPC and IT Act and was jailed," the TDP supremo said.

Maintaining that Andhra Pradesh has turned into a major epicenter for drugs and criminals, Chandrababu said that the drug trade is breeding crime in the State.

Ganja gangs and blade gangs are thriving in the state and when the TDP mentioned this the party headquarters office in Mangalagiri was attacked by the YSRCP goons in which several staff members of the party office were grievously injured," he said.

The 2021-22 report on Smuggling in India released by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence clearly mentioned the state as leading in drug abuse, he highlighted.

Naidu further says how the former MP and minister, YS Vivekananda Reddy, the paternal uncle of Jagan, was brutally murdered in his house in Pulivendula in 2019. Mentioning that though the ruling party MP, Avinash Reddy and his father, Bhasker Reddy, have been established as accused, Chandrababu said that Jagans modus operandi is to blame the Opposition parties on this using his own media.

"As soon as Mr Jagan assumed power he tried to reduce my security drastically and it is the High Court that finally restored my security," Naidu said, adding that drones were flown on his residence in Undavalli.
Stating his stance quite clearly, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Sunday said his party will not go with the BJP, even though some well-wishers" are trying to make that happen.

As the national president of the NCP, I am making it clear that my party (NCP) will not go with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party does not fit in NCPs political policy, Pawar said addressing reporters at Sangola.

Pawar added that even though some well-wishers" are trying to persuade him, he will never align with the saffron party.

Without naming anyone, Pawar said, Some of us have taken a different stand. Some of our well-wishers are trying to see if there can be any change in our stand. That is why they are trying to have a cordial discussion with us."

#WATCH | Solapur, Maharashtra: NCP chief Sharad Pawar says, In this regard, we are very clear that be it in power or in oppositionWhen we (both factions of NCP) were together or when we will be together, one thing is clear BJPs thinking & ideology do not fit in our pic.twitter.com/nvwh6fuCD2 ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2023

This comes a day after he met Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Pune on Saturday.

Speaking about his meeting, he said, Ajit Pawar is my nephew. My meeting with him was not secret. There is nothing wrong in meeting a younger person from the family.

He also highlighted that there was nothing wrong if a senior member of a family desires to meet another member, and at the end of the day Ajit is his nephew.

Notably, the Pawar senior shared the dais with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis in Solapur district to unveil the statue of late MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government last month, while eight MLAs of NCP supporting him took oath as ministers.

If Nawaz Sharif & PM Modi can meet: Sanjay Raut on Pawar meet

Amid this, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday defended the meet between the Pawars, saying if Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PM Modi can meet, so can they.

Jokes apart, Sharad Pawar is expected to clear his stand in a few days. Sharad Pawar might have told Ajit Pawar to come back to Maha Vikas Aghadi like he did after the early morning swearing-in (2019 with Fadnavis as CM). Anything can happen in politics," Raut added.

With PTI inputs
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was recently reinstated as a member of parliament, was on Saturday seen dancing with the tribal community ahead of his visit to his constituency Wayanad.

The video of Gandhis dance with the tribals dawning a folk shawl has gone viral on social media. In the clip, the Wayanad MP can be seen joining the artists of the Toda tribal community to perform their tribal dance in the Muthunadu village near Ooty.

#WATCH | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with members of the Toda tribal community in Muthunadu village near Ooty in Tamil Nadu pic.twitter.com/g7iBVcKhTJ ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2023

Gandhi was presented with a traditional shawl upon his arrival from Coimbatore by road and also tasted their local food.

The Congress leader also visited the temple of the tribal deity while he was on his way to the constituency in Kerala when he stopped at Muthunadumandu to interact with the tribal community members.

In an overwhelming reaction, the leader was wished by the Toda women that he should return as Prime Minister as General Elections are slated to take place this year.

Reportedly, he witnessed the traditional sport Ilavattakkal, wherein young women use all their might to lift a round boulder.

Rahul Gandhis Visit to Wayanad

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Saturday welcomed by workers of the Congress-led UDF on his maiden visit to his parliamentary constituency, Wayanad, in Kerala after his Lok Sabha membership was restored.

Hundreds of Congress workers, who assembled at the reception venue here, raised slogans in support of Gandhi.

Attacking the Centre on Manipur Ethnic violence issue and said that the prime minister spoke for hours on the no-confidence motion in the parliament while in Manipur he spoke only for two minutes.

The Congress leader added that PM Modi is more concerned about politics than about real issues.
Calling Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi Jhagdalu (quarrelsome) and Nikammi (useless)", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bansuri Swaraj on Saturday said now that the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 has been passed, administration in the national capital will work in accordance with the law.

Bansuri, who is the daughter of BJP veteran and former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj, said that since 2015, when the AAP government came into power, it has made excuses for its inefficiency.

It is a jhagdalu and nikammi governmentI congratulate the President for passing the Delhi Services Bill. Now that the Bill is passed, the administration in Delhi will work in accordance with the law," she said addressing a press conference in Delhi.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed on August 7, replacing an ordinance promulgated by the Centre for handling the transfers and postings of officials in the Delhi government.

The Upper House on Monday passed the Bill that empowers the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to control Group A services in Delhi, including on matters relating to appointments, transfers, and postings. The bill was passed after a division in which 131 MPs voted in favour of the legislation and 102 against it.

Home Minister Amit Shah defended the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, saying the proposed legislation is aimed at providing effective and corruption-free governance in the national capital.

During the debate on the bill in the Rajya Sabha, former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in his maiden debate said that the legislature is perfectly, legitimately valid" and that if any member disagrees, his conscience must be left free.

The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.

(With ANI Inputs)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee on Saturday held a meeting with senior party leaders to discuss the strategy for the upcoming by-elections in the state.

The by-elections in Dhanpur and Boxanagar in Sepahijala district will be held on September 5.

Chief Minister Manik Saha held a meeting with senior party functionaries  state party president Rajib Bhattacharjee, former Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath to discuss the strategy for the byelection in two Assembly seats. This was a preliminary meeting and it was decided that the party will contest both Assembly seats", Food & Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury told the media after the meeting on Saturday.

Chowdhury said the party will start its campaign for the byelection from August 15 and the candidates for both seats are expected to be declared on August 17.

The names of party candidates have not been finalised yet. It will be done in accordance with the partys system. Yes, the candidates will be announced from Delhi", he said, adding the partys central leaders are expected to arrive in the northeastern state shortly.

In the 60-member Tripura Assembly, the BJP has 31 MLAs while its ally the IPFT has one legislator. Tipra Motha has 13 lawmakers, CPI(M) has 10 MLAs and Congress 3 legislators.

The last date for filing nomination is August 17 while scrutiny will be held on August 18 and the last date for withdrawal is August 21.
Chinas foreign ministry on Sunday condemned a brief U.S. visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he was a separatist and troublemaker through and through" and Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty. Lai, front-runner to be Taiwans next president at elections in January, arrived in New York late on Saturday for what is officially a transit on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lais trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei. In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, Chinas foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States.

Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said.

Taiwan is the core of Chinas core interests" and facts have shown again and again that the reason for the rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan trying to rely on the United States to seek independence", it said. China is closely following developments and will take resolute and vigorous measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

China has an especial dislike of Lai, who has previously described himself as a practical worker for Taiwan independence", though he has repeatedly said on the campaign trail he is not seeking to change the status quo, but that only Taiwans people can decide their future.

LOW KEY VISIT

A person familiar with the trips planning said Lai will join receptions with overseas Taiwanese during the stopover in New York, during which he will make a speech. He will not meet U.S. lawmakers, the person said, adding Lai will keep the visit low key", in line with Taipei and Washingtons shared position to jointly manage risks when facing an authoritarian region at this sensitive time".

Lai, greeted by supporters waving flags as he arrived at his New York hotel, wrote on social media platform X he was looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York".

Laura Rosenberger, chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan, said on X that she would meet Lai in San Francisco, where he is due on Wednesday on his way home.

China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Lais U.S. stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of a next years election and make them fear war," Taiwanese officials say.

On Sunday, the Eastern Theatre Command of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army, which is responsible for the area around Taiwan, posted on its WeChat account a short video of fighter jets practicing dog fights at an undisclosed location, saying its forces had recently been engaged in high-intensity flight training".

We pay attention to daily training, constructing an actual combat environment and treating every lift-off into the skies as actual combat," it quoted an unnamed commander as saying.

Lais transits come as Beijing and Washington are trying to improve relations.

That includes the prospect of a visit to the U.S. by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which could pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinas leader Xi Jinping this year.

China has stepped up its military activities around Taiwan over the past three years, seeking to force the island into accepting Beijings sovereignty.

In April, China staged war games around Taiwan in an angry response to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen meeting U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California on a stopover on the way back to Taipei following her visit to Central America.
Only a few years ago, Ecuador was an island of peace wedged between Colombia and Peru, the worlds largest cocaine producers. But since 2018, drug seizures and homicides have increased alarmingly, blamed widely on transnational organized crime groups. The assassination Wednesday of centrist candidate Fernando Villavicencio  up to then second in polls ahead of the August 20 presidential election  has shaken the country to its core.

Six Colombians have been arrested in connection with the shooting attack outside a campaign rally, and a seventh died in a gunbattle with security agents. Drug-linked violence in Ecuador last year propelled the homicide rate to 26 per 100,000 inhabitants, nearly double the previous years level.

President Guillermo Lasso, who has been battling the drug gangs but been unable to stem the rising violence, has accused organized crime" of killing Villavicencio, a former journalist who had denounced corruption and received death threats from the drug gang known as Los Choneros.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata has said there are more than 13 organized crime groups operating in Ecuador, the oldest and most powerful of which is Los Choneros, now allied with the Sinaloa cartel of Mexico.

But the countrys military intelligence says it has identified as many as 26 active narcotrafficking gangs, which are heavily armed and with numbers that experts said could perhaps rival Ecuadors 60,000-strong police forces.

Analysts told AFP the wars on drugs in Mexico and Colombia have put pressure on the cartels in those countries  as well as Albanian mafias  prompting them to set up operations in Ecuador.

For the narcotraffickers, Ecuadors ports on the Pacific provide useful points from which to export cocaine to Europe and the United States. The gangs were attracted as well by the countrys porous borders, dollarized economy, widespread corruption and lack of money laundering controls, the experts said.

- Extreme violence -

Jorge Restrepo, director of Colombias CERAC think tank, said the cartels can operate in Ecuador at a lower production cost." Ecuador has a policy of fighting organized crime that has not prevented government forces and judicial organizations from being infiltrated by drug-linked organized crime," he told AFP.

Luis Cordova Alarcon, who heads a program on conflict and violence at the Central University of Ecuador, dates the beginning of extreme criminal violence" to a deadly car bombing in January 2018.

The attack partly destroyed a police headquarters and wounded 23 people in a town on the border with Colombia. It was blamed on a dissident of the Colombian guerrilla group FARC, who murdered three journalists working for Quitos El Comercio newspaper and was killed that year by Colombian security guards.

The car bomb attack was followed by bloody prison massacres between rival drug gangs that left 430 inmates dead over the following three years. Much like in Mexico, Ecuadorans began to see dismembered bodies left in the streets, corpses hanging from bridges, and kidnappings-for-ransom in which captors cut off their victims fingers or ears.

Among the victims of violence in Ecuador have been mayors, judges, prosecutors and dozens of innocent civilians. Cocaine seizures, meantime, have steadily risen. Experts say the growing number of seizures, and police crackdowns in the prisons from which many drug-gang leaders operate, have only made things worse.

Ecuador is becoming increasingly violent because of the way the state intervenes through its security forces, capturing the ringleaders and increasing cocaine seizures," said Cordova Alarcon. The criminals grow more violent as they defend their business, as well as other illegal activities like illicit gold mining and arms trafficking, he said.

Organized crime is already taking over the state," he added.
A shooting Sunday at a Shiite Muslim shrine in Irans south killed at least four people, state media said, less than a year after a similar attack on the same site.

Four people have been killed so far following a terrorist attack by two armed men on the holy shrine of Shah Cheragh" in the city of Shiraz, official news agency IRNA reported.

One of the suspected assailants was arrested while the other went on the run, according to Tasnim news agency.

A mass shooting in October at the revered shrine left 13 people dead and 30 wounded, in an attack later claimed by Islamic State (IS) group extremists.

Iran hanged two men in public over the October attack, the judiciarys Mizan Online news website reported last month, identifying them as Mohammad Ramez Rashidi and Naeem Hashem Qatali but not revealing their nationalities.

Authorities had previously said the attack involved people from other countries including neighbouring Afghanistan.

The pair were hanged at dawn on July 8 on a street near the shrine in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, IRNA reported at the time.

Mizan said they had been convicted of corruption on earth, armed rebellion and acting against national security" as well as conspiracy against the security of the country".

According to Mizan, Rashidi had confessed to having collaborated with IS to carry out the shooting.

Three other defendants in the case were sentenced to prison for five, 15 and 25 years for being members of IS, Fars chief justice Kazem Moussavi said.

The main assailant  who Iranian media had identified as Hamed Badakhshan, a man in his 30s  died of injuries sustained during his arrest, authorities said.

In November, Tehran said 26 takfiri terrorists" from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan had been arrested in connection with the attack.

In Shiite-dominated Iran, The term takfiri generally refers to jihadists or proponents of radical Sunni Islam.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday welcomed a recent Saudi-led summit on a peace settlement to end the fighting in Ukraine, and called for further diplomatic efforts.

Representatives from around 40 countries including China, Germany, India and the United States took part in last weekends gathering in Jeddah, though Russia was not invited.

It makes sense for us to continue these talks, because they increase the pressure on Russia to realise that it has taken the wrong path and that it must withdraw its troops and make peace possible," Scholz said in his annual summer interview with German broadcaster ZDF.

Similar international talks to discuss a path towards peace also took place in Copenhagen in June.

Scholz called the talks in Denmark and Saudi Arabia, held at the level of foreign policy advisors, very special".

They are very important and they are really only the beginning," Scholz said.

Ukraine on Monday said it was satisfied" with the Saudi summit during which Kyiv sought to drum up support for its 10-point peace plan, including the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

Moscow meanwhile said a peace settlement was only possible if Kyiv put down its arms.

More than a year after Russias invasion, Ukraine launched a highly anticipated counteroffensive in June after stockpiling Western weapons. But it has struggled to make headway in the face of stiff Russian resistance.

Kyiv has repeatedly asked Berlin for long-range Taurus cruise missiles to boost its efforts, but Germany has so far resisted amid concerns the weapons could reach Russian territory and widen the conflict.

Scholz reiterated in the interview that Germany was now the second-biggest supplier of military assistance to Ukraine after the United States.

But on the issue of sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the chancellor remained vague.

As in the past, we will always review every single decision very carefully, what is possible, what makes sense, what can be our contribution," Scholz said.
The Indian mission in the United States has expressed grief over the lives lost and devastation caused by wildfires in the US state of Hawaii, an archipelago of volcanic islands in the central Pacific Ocean. Through a post on the social media platform X, the Indian embassy expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved during this challenging time.

Deeply saddened by the devastating wildfires in #Maui, Hawaii. Our hearts go out to the families of the bereaved at this difficult hour. We pray that the local community finds strength and normalcy returns soon," the Indian mission wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Deeply saddened by the devastating wildfires in #Maui, Hawaii. Our hearts go out to the families of the bereaved at this difficult hour.We pray that the local community finds strength and normalcy returns soon.  India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) August 12, 2023

A fire that rapidly swept through a picturesque town in Maui this week has resulted in the tragic loss of at least 89 lives, according to authorities statement on Saturday. This devastating incident marks the deadliest U.S. wildfire in the past century.

Aerial footage released on Sunday, August 13, revealed the extensive devastation in Maui, where deadly wildfires ravaged large parts of the island. The flames engulfed 1,000 structures, rendering thousands homeless, and the process of rebuilding is anticipated to extend over several years and require significant financial resources.

Hawaiian authorities are striving to ascertain how the blaze, which ignited on Tuesday, rapidly spread through the historic resort town with minimal advance warning.

The newly revealed figure now surpasses the toll of the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California, which claimed 85 lives. Going back a century, the 1918 Cloquet Fire erupted in drought-ridden northern Minnesota and raced through multiple rural communities, obliterating thousands of homes and causing the death of hundreds.

Meanwhile, at least two other fires have been ablaze in Maui, fortunately without reported fatalities thus far: one in the Kihei area of south Maui and another in the mountainous inland regions known as Upcountry. A fourth fire emerged on Friday evening in Kaanapali, a coastal community in West Maui located north of Lahaina.
Rheinmetall German defense concern plans to provide Ukraine with the most advanced reconnaissance drones. It is about the Luna New Generation (Luna NG) unmanned aerial reconnaissance system, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces are to receive by the end of this year.

ADVERTISIMENT

This is reported by the Bild am Sonntag, citing its sources in the company. This "drone package" will consist of a ground control station with several drones, a launching catapult and military trucks.

The Luna drone system from Rheinmetall is a brand-new drone system that surpasses the previous model in all important features. This drone system can be used as a reconnaissance system, provide an LTE network and intercept or jam enemy communications.

"NG stands for New Generation of the Luna drone. Other drone models have already been delivered to Ukraine from Bundeswehr warehouses," the statement said.

ADVERTISIMENT

There will also be a version of this UAV that can carry weapons. The version of the drones that has been already supplied to Ukraine does not have such a function.

"The Bundeswehr should also receive attack drones. But the rules for the use of attack drones have to be drawn up by the federal government and adopted by the Defense Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. The troops cannot receive or use attack drones until these decisions are made," the article said.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Germany's largest arms manufacturer Rheinmetall has purchased 50 Leopard 1 tanks from the OIP Land Systems Belgian company. The concern will modernize them on its machines and then send 30 of them to Ukraine.

Only verified information from us on Telegram channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The leader of Nigers military regime is ready to consider a diplomatic solution to its stand-off with West African bloc ECOWAS, the head of a religious delegation of mediators said Sunday.

General (Abdourahamane) Tiani said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter," said Sheikh Bala Lau, a day after his delegation held talks in Niamey.

The Muslim leaders visited the capital Niamey with the blessing of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS has approved the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger as soon as possible, but scrapped a Saturday crisis meeting on the coup that deposed Mohamed Bazoum as president.

Bazoum, 63, was toppled on July 26 by his presidential guard, which has since held him and his family at his official Niamey residence.
Four Chinese engineers and nine Pakistani Army personnel were killed in what is being termed as one of the biggest attacks by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in Gwadar region of Pakistan on Sunday, according to local sources.

The BLA claimed two fidayeens from its Majeed Brigade executed the attack. The Chinese Consulate in Karachi has issued a security alert for Chinese citizens in view of the attack.

Gwadar port is one of the focal points of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan militarys media wing, the operation was launched after the presence of terrorists in the area was reported. The security forces have cordoned off the entire area [and] launched a search operation, the ISPR said.

Video from earlier today in Gwadar. Gunfire can be heard as Pakistani security forces personnel take cover. pic.twitter.com/yGB4PBKFAi The Balochistan Post - English (@TBPEnglish) August 13, 2023

THE CPEC

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was in Pakistan capital in July to mark the 10th anniversary of the enormous economic plan that is the cornerstone of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative. Since its initiation in 2013, the CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects.

ALSO READ | China, Pakistan to Celebrate 10th Anniversary of CPEC amid Terror Threat

But the undertaking has also been hit by Pakistan struggling to keep up its financial obligations, as well as attacks on Chinese targets by militants.

Beijing granted Pakistan a two-year rollover on a $2.4 billion loan, giving the debt-saddled nation much-needed breathing space as it tackles a balance-of-payments crisis.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report last year said China and its commercial banks held about 30 per cent of Pakistans total external debt.

ATTACKS IN BALOCHISTAN

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistan Taliban, was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007.

Last month, as many as 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were killed in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan. This was the militarys highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year.

ALSO READ | Who is Behind the Attack on Chinese in Pakistan?

Three Chinese academics and their Pakistani driver lost their lives when a woman suicide bomber activated her explosive device as they approached the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi in April last year. The responsibility for the attack was taken by the BLA.

A year prior, a lethal assault, attributed to Pakistans Taliban, resulted in the deaths of five individuals at a high-end hotel where the Chinese ambassador was staying in Quetta.

In 2021, a dozen individuals, including nine Chinese laborers, perished in an explosion on a bus transporting employees to the Dasu dam location.

With PTI Inputs
A prominent Baloch militant group attacked a convoy carrying Chinese engineers to the Beijing-financed Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan on Sunday. The Pakistani security forces engaged in a firefight in Balochistans Gwadar, resulting in the killing of one terrorist, the Dawn newspaper reported, citing the countrys militarys media wing.

BLA Majeed Brigade today targeted a convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar. The attack is still ongoing," the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) said in a statement. Security sources confirmed an attack on a convoy carrying Chinese engineers, but there was no immediate official confirmation, AFP reported.

Video from earlier today in Gwadar. Gunfire can be heard as Pakistani security forces personnel take cover. pic.twitter.com/yGB4PBKFAi The Balochistan Post - English (@TBPEnglish) August 13, 2023

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terror activities, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the TTPs ceasefire ended in November last year. A report by Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies revealed a rise in terror attacks, claiming 389 lives in the first half of the year.

In the past, different factions advocating Baloch separatism have taken responsibility for targeting projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). These attacks have prompted the deployment of a substantial number of security forces to mitigate potential risks to Beijings interests.

Baloch separatist groups often amplify their accomplishments on the battlefield, while Pakistans military public relations division tends to downplay or delay the reporting of such incidents.

Three Chinese academics and their Pakistani driver lost their lives when a female suicide bomber activated her explosive device as they approached the Confucius Institute at the University of Karachi in April last year. The responsibility for the attack was taken by the BLA.

A year prior, a lethal assault, attributed to Pakistans Taliban, resulted in the deaths of five individuals at a high-end hotel where the Chinese ambassador was staying in Quetta. In 2021, a dozen individuals, including nine Chinese laborers, perished in an explosion on a bus transporting employees to the Dasu dam location.
The running mate of slain Ecuadoran candidate Fernando Villavicencio will run for president in his place in August 20 elections, their party said Saturday. The movement will replace the presidential ticket by putting Andrea Gonzalez as president," the centrist Construye party said in a statement.

Villavicencio, a 59-year-old journalist and prominent anti-corruption crusader, was gunned down as he left a campaign rally in the capital Quito on Wednesday night. President Guillermo Lasso has blamed the murder on organized crime. Gonzalez, 36, is due to participate in Sundays presidential debate in Quito.

Her work has been focused on environmental advocacy, particularly concerning oceans and mangroves, as well as combatting wildlife trafficking and deforestation.

The name of the vice presidential candidate will be announced in the next hours and will be chosen among the most trusted of those who have shared the struggles of comrade Fernando Villavicencio," the party said.

Six Colombians have so far been arrested and another killed over the assassination.
Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest brand ambassador for India in the world, a top Indian-American Congressman has said. The remarks by Congressman Ro Khanna came after he met Bachchan, 80, in Mumbai on Saturday.

Khanna, the co-chair of the Congressional India Caucus, is currently leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to India along with Congressman Michael Waltz, the other co-chair of the India Caucus.

We had a wide-ranging conversation for an hour on Artificial intelligence (AI)the rise of India, Bachchans father, and the importance of the US-India relationship. Amitabh Bachchans life story embodies the story of India. He is the biggest brand ambassador for India to the world," Congressman Ro Khanna told PTI.

I told Mr Bachchan that he must visit the United States again that he offers hope to so many Indian American immigrants like my family and parents and he is a symbol for the rise of India and Indian-Americans," Khanna said in response to a question.

We discussed the importance of the eternal values compassion, respect, consideration, empathy and how much these values matter more ultimately to our future, Khanna said. In a short video posted on X, formally known as Twitter, Khanna is seen meeting Bachchan at his residence in Mumbai. An honour and a privilege," Bachchan said in a post on X.

It was an absolute honor to meet with @SrBachchan Bachan. He was proud about Indias journey since independence linked with his own life & of the Indian American community. He presented me with a book by his father who knew my grandfather. pic.twitter.com/CPZQL6ZY3h Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) August 12, 2023

It was an absolute honour to meet with @SrBachchan Bachan. He was proud of Indias journey since independence linked with his own life and of the Indian American community. He presented me with a book by his father who knew my grandfather, Khanna wrote.

The Indian American Congressman also met actor Anupam Kher during his trip to Mumbai.

It was a pleasure to have US Rep @DeborahRossNC and @RoKhanna visit our school @actorprepares. We had a great interactive session with the upcoming students of acting. It was my joy to show them around the school. Thank you, my friends, for your warmth and appreciation. Jai Ho!" Kher, 68, said on social media.
Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy was more than 40 minutes into a town hall in rural Iowa when a woman in the crowd posed a pointed question. Or perhaps it was a suggestion. I know you want to be president," she said. But would you consider being Trumps vice president? The query drew light laughter from attendees and a lengthy response from Ramaswamy. (The short answer: No.)

It also highlighted the central challenge facing the wealthy entrepreneur, who has risen from little-known newcomer to as high as third in some Republican primary polls since joining the race nearly six months ago. While voters are increasingly interested in Ramaswamy, its former President Donald Trump who continues to be many conservatives favorite.

With the first Republican primary debate in just over a week and the leadoff Iowa caucus five months away, he is delicately working to convince more voters that he could be their nominee and  as much as he says he respects Trump  would be a better 2024 candidate and president.

The debate will be important, but I think also just continuing on the trajectory weve been on, Ramaswamy said after the town hall held in a cavernous welding company workshed in Vail, Iowa. He returns to Iowa on Saturday for the Iowa State Fair, a rite of passage for presidential candidates.

Ramaswamy described the months leading up to the first debate as just the pre-season. So were entering the regular season of this and Im coming in with a running start, he said. Thats the way I look at it.

He says his strategy heading into the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is speak the truth, pointing to a banner emblazoned with the word TRUTH" that serves as his backdrop and has become a campaign theme. The word  in all capital letters and a font and that resembles Trump campaign signage  is emblazoned on placards, T-shirts and stickers.

Ramaswamy says he and others cannot trust the government because the government doesnt tell the truth. It was what motivated him, he says, to travel to the courthouse where Trump was to appear on charges earlier this month to announce he is suing the Justice Department and seeking all records the department has with information about why Trump was indicted.

Though such a lawsuit is unlikely to be successful before any GOP primary votes are cast, it was a move that struck a balance between defending Trump and drawing positive attention to his own candidacy, at least among the Republican primary electorate.

Thats what this campaign is already all about, speaking the hard truths, the truth that you might speak at the dinner table, but you dont feel free to speak in public, Ramaswamy told the Iowa audience. If he is elected, he said, people will speak those truths again, such as God is real" and reverse racism is racism.

Having just turned 38, Ramaswamy is the youngest person to be a major Republican presidential candidate. Born in Ohio to immigrant parents from India, he earned a biology degree from Harvard University and then finished Yale Law School.

He made his fortune after starting a biotech company, last year founded an asset management firm and is the author of several books, including Woke, Inc. His books helped Ramaswamy gain exposure in conservative circles, including on Fox News, as a critic of ESG, or looking not just at profit in investments, but also at environmental, social and governance issues, such as a companys policies on climate. He bemoans that the United States has become a place full of victims, and says the country has lost its purpose and its focus on faith, patriotism, hard work and family.

On the stump, Ramaswamy is able to wax on issues ranging from digital currency to his stance on Israel, the U.S. Constitution and the civil service rules regarding mass layoffs of federal employees  rules he says he understands better than any other candidate. He is proud of not needing a teleprompter, and his mix of policy specifics and smooth delivery has won over some voters.

Hes a great orator, he has a keen intellect and a lot of knowledge, said Margarite Goodenow, a retiree from Council Bluffs who said she is so far supporting Ramaswamy over Trump. She described the former president as too toxic  a position she held before he was indicted in multiple criminal cases  though Goodenow said she will support Trump if he is the nominee.

Ramaswamy says he can use his deep knowledge to accomplish what Trump couldnt and his other rivals wouldnt be able to  laying off 75% of the federal bureaucracy in his first term, including 50% in year one.

Some 20,000 members of the FBI would be let go as he dismantles the agency, he said. The remaining 15,000 frontline agents would go to work for what he says are more effective agencies, such as the U.S. Marshals Service, to focus on crimes such as child sex trafficking. He also said that by March 31, 2025, he would station the military along the U.S.-Mexico border  positioned every half-mile  to protect against illegal immigration and drugs like fentanyl entering the country. Those proposals all brought cheers during his recent Iowa stops.

Kelly and Amy Pieper were among the nearly 200 people  hailing from more than eight counties, according to organizers  who turned out for the Ramaswamy town hall in in the northwest Iowa community of Vail, which has a population of fewer than 400. They liked that Ramaswamy would carry forward many of Trumps policies, but presents himself as more eloquent and optimistic.

He gives you a sense of hope, not all doom and gloom, Kelly Pieper said.

Its like hes got Trump ideals but is a more eloquent version. Not this crazy uncle talking, his wife, Amy Pieper, added. Thats what we need.

Not everyone is convinced he can pull it off, however, even if Iowa has been known to provide some surprises.

For Republicans, Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum lodged an unexpected 2012 victory, though he later lost the GOP primary to Mitt Romney. On the Democratic side, it was then-Sen. Barack Obama whose 2008 defeat of Hillary Clinton threw that nomination battle into question. And in 2020, Pete Buttigieg, whose highest office was mayor of South Bend, Indiana, finished atop the field alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders. Joe Biden later won the nomination and defeated Trump.

That has set up the rare presidential race with a former office holder seeking reelection, making Trump a formidable opponent whose rallies attract thousands more people. Trumps closest challenger to be Republicans nominee so far is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has consistently polled a distant second, with Ramaswamy trailing.

Voters at the Ramaswamy events consistently said they were deciding between the two alternatives to Trump. But like the woman who intimated that Ramaswamy could be Trumps running mate, Andrew Grove has his doubts about whether the first-time candidate can pull it off.

His message is on spot. I just dont know if he has the support to take him over the top, over Trump and DeSantis," said Grove, 53. He added that DeSantis is a proven leader" while Ramaswamy has not held public office.

Ramaswamy maintains that he is the only candidate in the GOP field who can deliver the landslide victory that the country needs in 2024  something akin to Ronald Reagans wipeout of his 1984 rival  rather than the kind of tight race the nation saw in 2020. He says he is attracting support from young people and new donors that older candidates are not. Of his roughly 70,000 individual donors, he says, 40% of those making small-dollar contributions are giving to a Republican for the first time.

As for Trump, Ramaswamy responded to the question of being his running mate by speaking warmly of the former president. Ramaswamy was a hardcore supporter of the president in 2020, he said, adding that they talk from time to time, had dinner together a few years ago and that if he becomes president, Trump probably would be his most useful adviser and mentor.

But he says the America First movement belongs not just to Trump but to we the people. And he believes he can be more effective at accomplishing things Trump could not, saying a certain segment of the electorate automatically opposes Trump  through no fault of his own, he said. Im not having that effect on people, Ramaswamy said.

He noted another key difference as he made his case to top the ticket. Hes not the same person he was eight years ago, Ramaswamy said of Trump. I hope certainly and pray that my best days are ahead of me. And I think we might just want a U.S. president whose best days arent behind him.
39 military clashes took place on the previous day. The defense forces repulsed the occupants' attempts to advance in the Kupiansk and Bakhmut directions and also prevented them from regaining their lost position in Shakhtarsk. The defenders used aviation to hit the accumulation of the enemy's manpower and equipment, inflicting new losses.

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Panic moods and increasing cases of desertion are growing in the ranks of the invaders. This is reported by the General Staff of the AFU in the morning report for August 13, the 536th day of the full-scale war.

The Russian troops launched seven missiles, 47 airstrikes and 43 multiple rocket launchers on our troops' positions and populated areas over the past 24 hours. Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Residential houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed.

The operational situation is without significant changes in the Volyn and Polessia directions. The enemy launched an air strike near Huriyv Kozachok in the Kharkiv region, mortar and artillery attacks on more than 20 settlements, including Klyusy in the Chernihiv region; Rozhkovychi, Kondrativka, Loknia, Uhroidy, Popovka in the Sumy region; Udy, Strilecha, Hlyboke, Ohrymivka and Budarky in the Kharkiv region in the Seversk and Slobozhansk directions.

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The occupiers conducted unsuccessful offensives in the areas northeast of Synkivka, north of Kyslivka and southeast of Andriivka in the Kharkiv region in the Kupyiansk direction. They hit Kyslivka and Pervomaiske with air strikes and Kupiansk, Masiutivka, Kyslivka and Berestove with artillery and mortars.

The Russian Armed Forces launched airstrikes in the areas of Bilohorivka in Luhansk and Serebrianka, Siversk, Spirne and Vesele in Donetsk in the Lyman direction. More than 10 settlements were subjected to Russian artillery shelling, including Nevske and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region; Torske, Verkhniokamianka and Spirne in the Donetsk region.

The invaders conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the areas of Klishchiivka and Bila Hora in the Bakhmut direction. They carried out an air strike near Blahodatne and shelled more than 15 settlements, including Mynkivka, Markove, Chasiv Yar, Predtechyne, Dyliivka and Toretsk in the Donetsk region.

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Our defenders continue to hold back the offensive of Russian troops near Avdiivka in the Avdeevka direction under the dense fire of aviation and artillery. The occupants launched an air strike near the city and shelled it with artillery, as well as Pivnichne, Netailove, Nevelske and Karlivka in the Donetsk region.

The Defense Forces continue to contain the offensive of the RF Armed Forces in the area of Marinka in the Marinka direction. The enemy launched an airstrike near Krasnohorivka and more than 10 settlements, including Aleksandropil, Maksymilianivka, Peremoha, Novomykhailivka and Yelizavetivka in the Donetsk region, were subjected to shelling.

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The occupants made unsuccessful attempts to restore the lost position in the area of Urozhayne in the Donetsk region in the Shakhtar direction. They shelled more than 15 towns, including Bohoyavlenka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, Staromaiorske, Novosilka and Novopol in Donetsk Region.

The Russian army shelled more than 25 localities, including Levadne, Olhivske, Malynivka, Huliaipole, Pavlivka and Kamianske in the Zaporizhzhia region and Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region in the Zaporizhzhia direction.

More than 25 towns, including Mykhailivka, Vesele, Ivanivka, Antonivka, Berehove and Veletenske in the Kherson region and Kutsurub and Ochakiv in the Mykolaiv region, were subjected to artillery fire from the enemy in the Kherson direction.

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The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct offensive operations in Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, having partial success in the area of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia, consolidating on the achieved borders and implementing measures of counter-battery warfare.

Panic moods are growing among the occupants, with the number of desertions increasing. Thus, military patrols and servicemen of the commandant's office of the Russian occupation troops are making rounds of every house to search for deserters among their own in temporarily occupied Hornostaivka in the Kherson region. It is noted that the command resorted to such actions as a result of the fact that the number of not only deserters but also people who use alcoholic beverages and drugs has increased significantly among the newly arrived servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces in the village and its vicinity. The occupants are leaving their duty stations and trying to hide in abandoned buildings.

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The aviation of the Defense Forces carried out 10 strikes on areas where enemy personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated over the past 24 hours. Rocket troops and artillery units hit an anti-aircraft missile system, an ammunition depot, an electronic warfare station and three artillery pieces at a firing position.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, analysts noted that Ukraine has made tactically significant progress in the counter offensive. We are talking about the two main directions on the way to the coast, where the Defense Forces advanced by 16-19 km.

Only verified information from us in Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
UPDATE

Aug 13, 2023 7:25 AM CDT

Jury selection begins Monday in a high-profile murder case in Maryland involving a dentist accused of supplying his girlfriend with anesthesia drugs he took from his office, reports the Washington Post. Defense lawyers for James Ryan, now 50, will argue that he didn't kill 25-year-old Sarah Harris but that she took her own life. Ryan helped administer drugs including ketamine and propofol to Harris before her 2022 death, say prosecutors. He is accused of "depraved heart" second-degree murder, meaning that prosecutors say he kept supplying drugs to Harris and worsening her addiction even though he knew how powerful they were.

Mar 24, 2022 4:25 PM CDT

A Maryland dentist has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, a former patient and employee, whom he was allegedly supplying with drugs. Sarah Harris, 25, had been living with 48-year-old James Michael Ryan in Clarksburg for seven months when she died of an anesthesia overdose on Jan. 26. At the scene, investigators found seven bottlesusually restricted to medical settingsfilled with or containing residue of injectable propofol, midazolam, and ketamine, along with hypodermic needles, syringes and tourniquets, court records show, per the Washington Post.
The US and its European allies are importing vast amounts of nuclear fuel and compounds from Russia, providing Moscow with hundreds of millions of dollars in badly needed revenue as it wages war on Ukraine, per the AP . The sales, which are legal and unsanctioned, have raised alarms from nonproliferation experts and elected officials who say the imports are helping to bankroll the development of Moscow's nuclear arsenal and are complicating efforts to curtail Russia's war-making abilities. The dependence on Russian nuclear productsused mostly to fuel civilian reactorsleaves the US and its allies open to energy shortages if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to cut off supplies.

The challenge is likely to grow more intense as those nations seek to boost production of emissions-free electricity to combat climate change. "We have to give money to the people who make weapons? That's absurd," said Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Washington-based Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. "If there isn't a clear rule that prevents nuclear power providers from importing fuel from Russiaand it's cheaper to get it from therewhy wouldn't they do it?" Russia sold about $1.7 billion in nuclear products to firms in the US and Europe, according to trade data and experts. The purchases occurred as the West has leveled stiff sanctions on Moscow over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, blocking imports of such Russian staples as oil, gas, vodka, and caviar.

The West has been reluctant to target Russia's nuclear exports, however, because they play key roles in keeping reactors humming. Russia supplied the US nuclear industry with about 12% of its uranium last year, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Europe reported getting about 17% of its uranium in 2022 from Russia. Many of the 30 countries generating nuclear energy in some 440 plants are importing radioactive materials from Russia's state-owned energy corporation Rosatom and its subsidiaries. Rosatom leads the world in uranium enrichment, and is ranked third in uranium production and fuel fabrication, according to its 2022 annual report. Read the full AP story.

(Read more Russia stories.)
Across the country, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened during the pandemic. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year, making them chronically absent, according to the most recent data available. Before the pandemic, only 15% of students missed that much school. All told, an estimated 6.5 million additional students became chronically absent, according to the data, which was compiled by Stanford University education professor Thomas Dee in partnership with the AP . Absences were more prevalent among Latino, Black, and low-income students.

The absences come on top of time students missed during school closures and pandemic disruptions. They cost crucial classroom time as schools work to recover from massive learning setbacks. Absent students miss out not only on instruction but also on all the other things schools providemeals, counseling, socialization. In the end, students who are chronically absentmissing 18 or more days a year, in most placesare at higher risk of not learning to read and eventually dropping out. "The long-term consequences of disengaging from school are devastating," said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit addressing chronic absenteeism.

Absences worsened in every state with available datanotably, the analysis found growth in chronic absenteeism did not correlate strongly with state COVID rates. Kids are staying home for myriad reasonsfinances, housing instability, illness, transportation issues, school staffing shortages, anxiety, depression, bullying, and generally feeling unwelcome at school. Another lasting effect from the pandemic: Educators and experts say some parents and students have been conditioned to stay home at the slightest sign of sickness.

Alaska led in absenteeism, with 48.6% of students missing significant amounts of school. Alaska Native students' rate was higher, 56.5%. Most states have yet to release attendance data from 2022-23, the most recent school year. But based on the few that have shared figures, it seems the chronic-absence trend may have long legs. In Connecticut and Massachusetts, chronic absenteeism remained double its pre-pandemic rate.

(Read more education stories.)
Think of it as the great-grandson of LOL, after ROFL and LMAO. The term is IJBOL, which stands for "I just burst out laughing." Last month, Mashable christened it the "summer's ironic term" and now the New York Times is catching up with the trend. The "internet wants to revitalize laughing online with a new term," writes Shirley Wang. The odd-looking ijbol actually entered the Urban Dictionary in 2009 but then languished, explains Mashable. However, for some inexplicable reason, it caught fire in forums for the music genre K-pop last year and has since "escaped the confines of fandom (and niche ironic circles) and gone mainstream," writes Elena Cavender.

A post at KnowYourMeme tracks the first viral tweet using the phrase back to 2021, but it notes they became more prevalent this year. (Behold one from July. Others feature VP Kamala Harris, known for her propensity to, yes, burst out laughing.) The Times reports that phrase is particularly popular with Gen Z-ers, who view the earlier terms as outdated. "My friends, we're all around the same age, like 18 to early 20s," college student Sebastian Champagne tells the newspaper. "So a lot of us were like, 'This is going to be our word now!'" But the story also gets meta, quoting City University of New York prof Michelle McSweeney as saying that having the word explained in a newspaper might be enough to torpedo its popularity. (Read more language stories.)
Witnesses including a former lieutenant governor say they expect to testify on Tuesday, an indication that a Georgia grand jury will begin hearing the election interference case against former President Donald Trump this week. Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and independent journalist George Chidi confirmed their appearances have been scheduled, CNN reports. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis plans to start her presentation to jurors on Monday, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , which would mean the grand jury's decision on indictments could be publicly known sometime Tuesday. More than a dozen people could face criminal charges concerning efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Duncan addressed his appearance before jurors in a post Saturday on X. "I look forward to answering their questions around the 2020 election," he wrote. "Republicans should never let honesty be mistaken for weakness." A former Trump backer, the Republican was in office at the time of the election. In his role as president of the state Senate, Duncan removed titles from three legislators who supported Trump in his effort to overturn the election of leadership positions. Chidi, who came across a meeting of sham fake electors at the state Capitol, also posted that he's been asked to appear Tuesday.

Other potential witnesses said they have not yet been summoned, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was lobbied by Trump over the phone to "find" enough votes for him to defeat Joe Biden in the state. "How can they charge me in Georgia?" Trump posted Saturday on Truth Social. "The phone call was perfect." Willis opened her investigation in early 2021, shortly after Trump made that call. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
An American Airlines flight last week dropped nearly 20,000 feet over 11 minutes after the pilot received a warning of a pressurization problem, a descent that a passenger called terrifying. Flight 5916, which took off Thursday afternoon from Charlotte, landed safely in Gainesville, Florida. No one was injured, WCNC reports, and the cockpit crew did not declare an emergency. "This was scary," wrote Harrison Hove, a passenger who posted photos on social media. "The photos cannot capture the burning smell, loud bang or ear pops."

FlightAware data show the biggest drop was 18,600 feet over six minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the problem was a pressurization issue, per WOFL. The plane carried 48 passengers and three crew members and was being operated by Piedmont Airlines. Hove praised the crew for being "cool under pressure" and keeping the passengers, who put on oxygen masks and remained calm, informed. "It was terrifying but turned out ok," he posted. (A Delta flight made a similar descent for a similar reason, leading to "instant panic.")
One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the country's ousted president or face military intervention, the junta has not acquiesced. No military action has been taken, and the coup leaders appear to have gained the upper hand over the regional group that issued the threat, analysts say. The West African bloc ECOWAS had given the soldiers that overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum until last Sunday to release and reinstate him or they threatened military action. On Thursday, the bloc ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in Niger, with Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, and Ivory Coast saying they would contribute troops, the AP reports.

But it's unclear when, how, or if the troops will deploy. The move could take weeks or months to set into motion, and while the bloc decides what to do the junta is gaining power, some observers say. "It looks as though the putschists have won and will stay. ... The putschists are holding all the cards and have cemented their rule," said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank. ECOWAS is unlikely to intervene militarily and risk dragging Niger into civil war, he said, adding that ECOWAS and Western countries would instead likely press the junta to agree to a short transition period.

Europe and the US will have little choice but to recognize the junta in order to continue the security cooperation in the region, Laessing said. The July 26 coup is seen by analysts as a major blow to many Western nations, which considered Niger one of its last partners in the conflict-riddled Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that they could work with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The US and France have more than 2,500 military personnel in the region and together with other European countries have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training Niger's forces. There was still little clarity about what would happen days after ECOWAS announced the "standby" force deployment.

A meeting of the region's defense chiefs was postponed indefinitely. The African Union is expected to meet Monday on the crisis. But the delay of the defense chiefs' meeting shows that ECOWAS views force as a last resort, said one African analyst. Those with ties to the junta say they are preparing for a fight, especially since the soldiers are unwilling to negotiate unless ECOWAS acknowledges its leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who overthrew the president, as the new ruler. "Whether Bazoum resigns or not, he will never be Niger's president again," said Insa Garba Saidou, an activist who assists the military rulers. On Sunday people marched, biked and drove through downtown Niamey, chanting "down with France" and expressing anger at ECOWAS. "If ECWOAS allows people to attack Niger, it will cross a red line," said resident Saidou Issaka.

(Read more Niger stories.)
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Panic sentiments and an increase in desertions are being reported within the ranks of the Russian occupation forces again. Russians who have just been mobilized for the war are hiding in their homes, resorting to drinking and drug use.

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Now it occurred in Hornostaivka in the Kakhovsky district of the Kherson region. This was reported by the General Staff of the AFU.

It is noted that military patrols and servicemen of the commandant's office of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are making rounds of each house to find fugitives in the settlement.

It is done because of the behavior of conscripts. The number of not only deserters but also persons consuming alcoholic beverages and narcotic substances has significantly increased among newly arrived servicemen of the Russian army who are in the settlement and its vicinity.

"The occupants leave the places of service and try to hide in abandoned buildings", the General staff explained.

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As reported by OBOZREVATEL, a Russian military shot fellow countrymen. Two residents of Chuvashia, who came to the city with a "volunteer mission", were killed in temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia. A Russian blogger said that women and alcohol were to blame.

A Russian commander who came to fight against Ukraine complained about occupants from Chuvashia drinking alcohol. He hinted that his subordinates had not long to live.

Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Ukraine attacked a logistics base of Russian occupation troops near temporarily seized Yevpatoria, Crimea on Saturday night. According to preliminary data, dozens of Putin's military were killed or wounded.

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This is reported by the Ukrainian media, citing information from its sources in the Security Service of Ukraine. According to their data, the logistics base was attacked by 17 drones.

"The military counterintelligence of the SSU worked on the occupants' tent city, parking lots of automotive equipment and fuel tankers," the source said.

The extent of the damage is still being specified. According to preliminary data, we are talking about dozens of killed and wounded occupants and a lot of damaged equipment.

It is worth noting that Russia said that allegedly 20 drones were used during the night attack on the temporarily occupied Crimea. They claim that all of them were destroyed: 14 by air defense equipment and another six by EW equipment.

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Footage showing damage to the Olenegorsk miner Russian landing ship, and the SIG tanker in the Black Sea appeared online. They were attacked by Ukrainian maritime drones. In particular, the SIG tanker was damaged on the night of August 5 by maritime drones 30 miles from the Kerch Strait. Olenegorsk Miner was attacked on August 4 in Novorossiysk Bay. As can be seen in the published footage, the holes in the vessels are of considerable size.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said that drone attacks affected the holiday season in temporarily occupied Crimea significantly. The number of Russians vacationing there has halved;

- Russians complained about their territory being attacked by drones. Explosions due to "shooting down" do not let them sleep. This time the cause of hysteria was the attack of allegedly Ukrainian UAVs in the Moscow region near Moscow, as well as in temporarily occupied Crimea on August 10.

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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

In a move termed "an important step", Saudi Arabia yesterday named a non-resident ambassador for the Palestinian Territories who will also serve as consul general in Jerusalem.

The role will be filled by Nayef al-Sudairi, the current ambassador to Jordan, according to a social media post from the embassy in Amman confirmed by a Saudi foreign ministry official.

The move also reflects the desire of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "to strengthen relations with the brothers of the State of Palestine and give it a formal boost in all areas", a video broadcast by the Saudi state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya channel said.

The file for the Palestinian Territories has traditionally been handled by Saudi Arabias embassy in Amman.

Riyadh has repeatedly said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not establishing official ties with Israel until the conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.

After a meeting on Saturday at the Palestinian embassy in Amman where Sudairi presented a copy of his credentials, Majdi al-Khaldi, the Palestinian presidential adviser for diplomatic affairs, said he "welcomed" the appointment, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

It "will contribute to strengthening the strong and solid brotherly relations that bind the two countries and the two brotherly peoples," Khaldi said.

A Palestinian Authority official said that with this announcement "Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its recognition of the state of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital".

"This is one part of several steps, and we will continue to develop the relationship with them," he told AFP on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.




The Chief Press Secretary to the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Mr Richard Olatunde has stated that the governor was still recuperating in a hospital in Germany.





The governor recently appeared in a viral video, working in an environment that looks like an airport, as a helicopter was seeing behind him, giving the impression that he had returned to the state.





Reacting to the viral video, in a statement issued on Sunday, the CPS said the video was not recent as it was recorded during the election campaign.





The statement read, Our attention has been drawn to a recent video circulating on social media, suggesting the return of Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, from his medical vacation.





While we acknowledge the eagerness of the people of the state, as well as supporters and well-wishers from both within and outside the country to have the governor back, we want to clarify that Governor Akeredolu is currently in Germany, focused on his full recovery.





Governor Akeredolu extends his deep appreciation to the citizens of Ondo State for their unwavering prayers and support. Their genuine concern and compassion have been instrumental in aiding his recovery journey.





Its important to note that Governor Akeredolu will return to the state very soon to continue executing his administrations Redeemed agenda and providing impactful governance. His commitment to delivering positive and lasting development remains steadfast.





The video in question, which is circulating, was captured during the Governors campaign tour in preparation for the last Presidential and National Assembly elections.





Olatunde noted that the governor was eagerly looking forward to reuniting with the people of the sunshine state.





He is deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support, and he cant wait to continue working towards a brighter future for Ondo State, he stressed.




Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, is of the view that the people of Niger Republic should be allowed, via their national institutions, the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government.





This is even as he has described the ongoing political crisis in Niger Republic as a matter of dire and urgent national interest and security to Nigeria.





Obi said that primacy must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region, regardless of the positions taken by other various parties.





In a statement issued via his verified social media platform on Sunday, the former Anambra State governor applauded the respective mediatory efforts by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, His Eminence Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.





The statement read: Recent developments in the neighbouring Niger Republic have become the subject of international attention. For Nigeria, this development is a matter of dire and urgent national interest and security.





Inevitably, Niger is a hot-button issue for ECOWAS, as well as various international interlocutors. Regardless of the positions taken by various parties that have direct or tangential interests in Niger, primacy must be given to dialogue and diplomacy towards a resolution with minimal disruptive impact on Nigeria and the West African sub-region. A total diplomatic resolution must take into consideration the realpolitik of the West African sub-region.





I applaud the respective mediatory efforts by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, His Eminence Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and His Royal Highness Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Whereas ECOWAS authorities have indicated that they remain open to various conflict resolution options, diplomacy must remain the overarching imperative in resolving the present crisis.





I join the many well-meaning Nigerians who have advocated that any intervention in the crisis, should be pre-eminently through diplomatic dialogue among all strategic interests in the crisis.





It is therefore important that the people of Niger are allowed via their national institutions, the opportunity to revert quickly to a representative democratic government. All national, regional and international assistance should be extended to the people of Niger to return their country to normalcy. While ECOWAS must seek to discourage the spread of military dictatorships in West Africa, the recourse to armed deterrence must be retrained by multilateral diplomatic mechanisms.





What the situation in Niger urgently calls for is a concerted multilateral coalition of Nigeria, ECOWAS, the AU and the UN towards a programmed return to a democratic constitutional order. In this process, Nigerias leadership role must not be in any doubt.




The Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, told his congregation on Sunday that he warned against the Emilokan kind of politics.





Emilokan, a Yoruba saying, meaning Its my turn, became very popular when it was used by President Bola Tinubu during his 2023 pre-election campaign.





Bakare, during a State of the Nation broadcast, at the church in Ikeja, Lagos, said emilokan was a tendency of authoritarianism.





During his speech themed Vice, Virtue & Time: Three Things That Never Stand Still, the cleric said, Im reminded of the warning that I sounded to Nigerians in January 2023 in my address titled, Bridging the gap between politics and governance.





I warned that the politics of entitlement; the emilokan type of politics would breed an imperium presidency, one that would slide towards dictatorship and would be intolerant of dissent.





Bakares comments were regarding the arrest, detention and prosecution of the suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, as well as the detention of the former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, by the Department of State Services.





The DSS arrested Emefiele in June, which according to the spokesperson of the security agency, Peter Afunanya, was on the strength of suspected fresh criminal infractions/information, one of which forms the basis for his current prosecution.





The Federal High Court in Lagos, last Thursday, fixed August 15 to hear an application by Emefiele seeking to halt his trial by the Federal Government through the DSS.





Reacting, Bakare said, The actions of the DSS have raised concerns about professionalism and adherence to the rule of law. The reported invasion of the premises of the EFCC and the handling of the case of Emefiele have sparked discussions regarding the need for due process and equitable application of justice.





The handling of the Emefiele case has sent a signal to the world and the current Presidents disposition to the war against corruption.





The cleric said the war against corruption by the present administration was like making some people scapegoats by virtue of them being political adversaries while various other major enemies of Nigeria remain untouched.





He said Emefiele if found culpable, should be prosecuted, adding that the suspended CBN governor might have made a wrong call in the management of the monetary affairs of the country, but he should not be made a scapegoat because he could not have acted without presidential authorisation.




The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has begun the distribution of flyers and posters to residents of the South-East informing them of the cancellation of the sit-at-home order.





IPOB said the flyer distribution was to inform South-East residents that it will no longer be used as a tool of civil disobedience in their pursuit of Biafra actualization.





A statement by IPOBs spokesman, Emma Powerful, said the groups leader, Nnamdi Kanu, authorised the distribution of the flyers and posters.





According to Powerful: Any person or persons talking about a non-existent sit-at-home in Biafraland is an enemy of the people and shall be dealt with accordingly.





This is to inform Biafrans about the flyers and posters being distributed all over the southeast conveying our leaders famous pronouncement cancelling Monday sit-at-home, and to inform the good people of Biafrans that sit-at-home is not only dead but will never again be invoked or deployed as a tool of civil disobedience in our quest for self-determination.





It is to be stated for the umpteenth time, for those who may feign ignorance of the laws governing the conduct expected of IPOB family worldwide, that our supreme leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has ordered the permanent end to Monday sit-at-home in Biafraland and anybody seen enforcing this illegal and non-existent Monday sit-at-home will be apprehended and summarily dealt with on the spot.




Niger Republics military junta has agreed to dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve the political crisis in the country.





Nigerias Intervention Team, comprised of scholars from various Islamic sects in the country, stated this in a statement on Sunday.





The team, led by Sheikh Bala Lau, met at the weekend with the coup leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, during which they deliberated on all the issues, including the ECOWAS demand to reinstate former President Bazoum.





Bala Lau, in a statement signed on Sunday, said the team was in Niger on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who approved their request to intervene, ThisDay reports.





He, therefore, told General Tchiani that the visit to Niger was to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage him and other military leaders behind the coup to toe the path of peace instead of war to resolve the crisis.





In his response, General Tchiani, who accorded the teams warm reception, welcomed their intervention.





He said: Our doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter. It was painful that ECOWAS leaders did not hear our side of the matter before issuing an ultimatum to quit office.





He further claimed the coup was well intended, adding that they struck to stave off an imminent threat that would have affected not only Niger Republic but also Nigeria.





While apologising for not giving the required attention to the team earlier sent by President Tinubu, the coup leader explained that it was because they were angry about the ECOWAS ultimatum.
Russian troops during the morning artillery shelling of Kherson hit a high-rise building. As a consequence of the attack three local residents were injured, two of them are hospitalized in serious condition.

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"Following the enemy shelling of the city of Kherson is known about three wounded civilians. Also the enemy made two drops from a drone on the territory of the Berislav hospital", - said the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak.

In the Kherson regional Prosecutor's office said that the occupants opened fire from artillery on Kherson around 11:30.

"In one of the microdistricts hit a high-rise building and near it. Injured three local residents, two of them in serious condition hospitalized in the hospital," - stated in the message.

Law enforcers, emergency services and medics arrived at the scene of the shelling .

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Supplemented by...




Nigerian religious leaders, despatched by President Bola Tinubu, arrived in Niger on Saturday to meet members of the military who seized power last month.





Newly appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine received the delegation at the capitals Diori Hamani airport, Nigers ANP press agency reported.





The delegation is made up of Muslim religious leaders, and headed by Sheikh Bala Lau, leader of the Izala Salafist movement in Nigeria.





Coup leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani and junta-appointed Prime Minister Ali Maham Lamine Zeine both met with the delegation, according to Nigerien media.





A source close to the delegation told AFP the group had left on their mediation mission with the consent of Nigerian leader Bola Tinubu, who is currently president of the West African bloc ECOWAS.





The clerical delegation is currently in Niamey on the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to douse tension created by the prospect of military intervention by ECOWAS, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.





The clerics are in Niamey to explain to the junta leaders that Nigeria is not fighting Niger and that the decisions taken on Niger are not Nigerias but those of ECOWAS as a regional bloc, the source said.





Lau had earlier in the week led a delegation of clerics who met with Tinubu in his office in Nigerias capital where the mission was discussed, the source said.




Former Governor of Jigawa State and one of the founding fathers of the major opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Sule Lamido has described President Bola Ahmad Tinubu as a novice in the field of International diplomacy.





Lamido stated this while reacting to the stand taken by ECOWAS on the coup detat in Niger Republic.





His reaction was contained in a post via his verified Facebook account, titled Nigeria/Niger face off.





He explained that for the past few weeks, President Bola Ahmad Tinubu has found himself in a tightrope and a state of dilemma regarding the best way to handle the Niger crisis.





He advised the President to harvest from the connection and wisdom of Nigerias former Presidents and Heads of State in dealing with the crisis.





According to him, since the coup detat in Niger some weeks back, President Tinubu has found himself walking on a very tightrope.





He has never been exposed to international diplomacy and can fittingly be called a novice in this field. The fact that he is an emperor with the total dominance of the most populous and prosperous State of Lagos does not confer on him any wisdom in diplomacy.





But he is also the luckiest Nigerian president had he desired to harvest from the wisdom and experience of former Presidents and Heads of State Nigeria is so richly blessed with.





I thought President Tinubu would have from the onset looked into the chemistry of the cocktail called ECOWAS before taking a weighty decision on any issue that affects the region and its consequences on his country.





Had he done so, he would have found out what is the history of one of the oldest members of the region, President Alassane Quattara of Ivory Coast.





There was a time when Quattaras nationality was in dispute, that his ancestral country was Mali. President Lauren Ghabbo disqualified him from running as president even though he was at once prime Minister of Ivory Coast! But today he is the President of Ivory Coast.





By a twist of fate, there is today a military junta in Mali (his ancestral home) running the country and we have not heard President Quattara asking for a war to be launched on Mali in the name of DEMOCRACY. The saying blood is thicker than water readily comes to mind.





Back to Nigeria and the face-off with Niger. There is total unanimity in Nigeria that we should not go to war with Niger for so many many reasons given by all and sundry, especially the seven States contiguous to the Niger Republic! In any case, the Senate mandated by Nigerian Constitution to authorize the President with such power has unambiguously withheld that authority.





The next thing for President Tinibu now is to embark on damage control and repair and harvest from the connection and wisdom of our former Presidents and Heads of State as someone rightly advised over BBC Hausa service.





These leaders are highly respected and trusted not only in our sub-region but globally. There is indeed no love lost between President Tinubu and some of them, but certainly, on any issue that affects Nigeria no matter how remote, those leaders will always be there for Nigeria!





Time is not on the side of both countries. What we had in the last one thousand years has been lost in a matter of a few weeks. But we have a bond and love for each other to build on. May Allah bless Nigeria and Niger. Ameen.
The Greatest Love of All

The sun and Venus in Leo embrace. The conjunction of our solar center to the love planet is reminiscent of Whitney Houston singing, ... the greatest love of all is happening to me ... in her anthem to deep self-acceptance. Do you agree that learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Its natural for relationships to fall in and out of sync for no particular reason, but your good energy has a way of making connections happen. Like a key in the lock, sometimes you have to give it a jiggle to find the click again.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). To some a relationship is an opportunity to give, and to others its an opportunity to take. As a giver, try to stay aware of the balance. When you stop providing whats being explicitly or implicitly asked of you, what happens?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Talk about your dream to anyone who will listen. This is how youll hone it. Saying what you want out loud illuminates the way to improvement, regardless of the reaction you get. Also, youll learn who might join your team.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Make yourself happy. Do it like its your job. Today it is, because when youre happy, people around you feel better, too, and it will be easier for all to rise to their brightest potential.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The day has many offerings -- some tempting, others laughable and one thats too good to pass up. Youll know it when you see it. Be ready to do what it takes to hold your spot in line.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Parts of your vision are more vivid than your reality. Congratulations! Youre officially a dreamer. With a little more intention and work, youll usher some of the ideas into the world of facts and things.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Youll be super productive, partly because your passion for your project keeps energy high but mostly because of good organization. Take the time to order yourself again before every step.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Youll assert yourself, which might feel uncomfortable. Communication doesnt have to be perfect to be effective. If you were always polite and easygoing, your nearest and dearest would take you for granted.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Determine whats really worth fighting for before you suit up to get in the ring. You can save yourself a lot of time and energy by staying out of the matches with a small or nonexistent purse.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You care a lot, but that doesnt mean you have to worry a lot or emote to prove your dedication. Yours will be a fuss-free sort of caring. Youll do what needs doing and youll make the difference that helps.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Now is the only time. History is created from now moments, and the future will be what happens now, too. Its smart to set yourself up for an event, insomuch as youre also getting something valuable from the prep time.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Youre fully aware that everyone judges by their own criteria. Your project will rank one way on your rating system and differently on someone elses. Youll take note for the sake of awareness, then stick to your own rules.

TODAYS BIRTHDAY (Aug. 13). Not only can you really trust yourself to follow through on your goals, you can trust future-you to handle interesting problems and come up with brilliant strategies and winning connections. Youll prove it 1,000 times over this year. More highlights: Youll tell your history in a new and empowering way. Youll save and invest like a pro. Scorpio and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 12, 10, 7 and 30.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: In the new film My Name is Alfred Hitchcock, the auteur supposedly narrates from beyond the grave, revealing the techniques and meanings behind choice movie clips. Widely recognized among the all-time greatest directors, Alfred Hitchcocks inventive contributions include the dolly zoom and the word MacGuffin, meaning an object that everybody is searching for, like the Maltese Falcon or the mysterious briefcase in Pulp Fiction. The master of suspense was born on a day like today, with the sun and Venus in Leo.

Holiday Mathis debut novel, How To Fail Epically in Hollywood, is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and ebook. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information.

Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
Authorities have arrested a 51-year-old man from Lodi for allegedly sexually assaulting multiple children on numerous occasions, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

Corey Hipscher was arrested Thursday after the Lodi Police Department contacted the Bergen County Prosecutors Office Special Victims Unit about the alleged sexual assault of a child, officials said.

An investigation revealed Hipscher sexually assaulted several children under the age of 16, on multiple occasions in Lodi, the prosecutor said.

Hipscher is charged with aggravated sexual assault, attempted aggravated sexual assault, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and two counts of aggravated sexual contact, the prosecutor said.

Authorities did not say how many children Hipscher is believed to have sexually assaulted.

A person with the same name, age, and date of birth as Hipscher is listed as a registered sex offender in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Sexual Offender and Predator Registry.

State law requires sex offenders convicted in another state of registering as an offender within 10 days of moving to New Jersey, according to the New Jersey State Police website.

The prosecutors office did not immediately respond Sunday to inquiries about whether Hipscher was a registered sex offender.

Hipscher is being held in Bergen County Jail pending his first court appearance, officials said. No attorney information for Hipscher was immediately available.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
Patrick J. Pespas is slumped over in his gray cubicle, nearly passed out with his headset on.

As he gradually dozes, the shock of white streaming through his dark hair is in danger of hitting his desk.
Philadelphia, are you ready for Bruce Springsteen?

Springsteen and the E Street Band are performing in Philadelphia on Aug. 16 and 18 at Citizens Bank Park.

Since this is the second leg of Springsteens U.S. tour, tickets are likely to be snatched off the secondary market websites.

The second leg of The Boss North American tour begins on Aug. 9 in Chicago and wraps up on Dec. 12 in San Francisco.

Just based off Springsteens last stint in the U.S., the New Jersey native is set to sell out the rest of his tour.

If you want to see Springsteen in Philadelphia, here are the cheapest tickets.

Wednesday, Aug. 16

Cheapest Tickets: $85 StubHub | $76 Vivid Seats | $115 MegaSeats

Friday, Aug. 18

Cheapest Tickets: $122 StubHub | $123 Vivid Seats | $175 MegaSeats

A complete list of Bruce Springsteens tour dates is available here.

More upcoming stadium tours

Bruce Springsteen is not the only artist on a stadium tour this year.

Here is a list of upcoming tours that you wont want to miss.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:

Bruce Springsteen tour 2023: Full schedule, dates, ticket info

Taylor Swift tour 2023: Full schedule, dates, where to buy tickets

Bruce Springsteen tickets are under $100 for MetLife Stadium concert

Jon Stewart, John Mulaney, Pete Davidson tour 2023: Dates, schedule, ticket info

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
A $100,000 grant will help fuel the next phase of a community partnership to bring art and literature to residents of Atlantic City.

The Noyes Arts Garage was founded in 2013 as a way to amplify the voices of underrepresented city residents. Stories of Atlantic City was founded in 2018 with a similar mission. Stories of Atlantic City and the Noyes Art Garage are affiliated with Stockton University and will use the grant to further their mission.

This helps strengthen the narrative that were trying to express in Atlantic City using the arts to tell the story of the community, Michael Cagno, executive director of the Noyes Museum of Stockton University and the Arts Garage, told NJ Advance Media. The key part of that is celebrating the diversity but also asking people to rise up and share some of the not so popular things to engage in talk and conversation to open dialogue to find solutions.

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation grant will help the Arts Garage and Stories of Atlantic City work more closely toward goals of building power, reimagine systems and strengthen economic resilience, a statement said.

The grant will support several joint projects, including expanding a multicultural art studio residency and a Black Art Matters program at the Noyes Arts Garage. The monthly arts program curates local African American and Afro-Latin American artists work in visual, performing and literary art.

The plan also includes an incubator to create a network of people to create a storytelling, branding and strategies to help individuals and businesses develop their message.

The grant is part of the Dodge Foundations goal to donate to organizations focusing on addressing the root cause and repair of structural racism and inequality across New Jersey. The money will also help hire a full-time community outreach organizer to coordinate projects.

A mural by artist BK Foxx depicts Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr. and Fannie Lou Hamer while they were in Atlantic City.

Connect with our community through the arts is another way for our community to get involved, Toby Rosenthal, Stories of AC project director, told NJ Advance Media. There are so many overlaps between civic engagement, storytelling and the art world, as well.

Stories of Atlantic City is a collaborative project focused on telling restorative, untold stories about the city and its people. Stockton journalism students help report and write content for the Stories of Atlantic City website and help produce and host recurring podcasts.

Theres a lot of work needs to be done in Atlantic City, Cagno said. How do we find strategies to bring people together to build power and to influence policy and to use the arts as a catalyst to advance the justice system and socio-economic challenges? We want to use the arts as a way to assist disruption. We got to disrupt the status-quo and have these difficult conversations.

We have to find ways of bringing people together in a very safe environment.

An example of Art Garage work was a wall-sized mural painting last year of Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr. and Fannie Lou Hamer, who rocketed to national attention during the 1964 Democratic National Convention, held in Atlantic City. The mural was a collaboration to mark the NAACP convention there last July.

Cagno said some of the biggest concerns of city residents is lack of opportunities. He said more than 70% of city residents dont own their home. He also said he thinks casinos are not the root of Atlantic Citys challenges.

The grant is part of the Dodge Foundations goal to donate to organizations focusing on addressing the root cause and repair of structural racism and inequality across New Jersey, a statement said.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@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.
For as long as Ruben Tapia can remember, a pair of illuminated bridges has been a staple of New Orleans' nighttime skyline.

Tapia crossed the Crescent City Connection, the two bridges that connect New Orleans' West Bank and Central Business District, every day when he commuted to his job at the Louisiana Department of Health.

But since Hurricane Ida, the bridges have sat dark. Tapia, 73, reached out to Curious Louisiana to find out why the lights on the iconic bridges have yet to turn back on.

"These two bridges are major landmarks to our beloved city," he wrote. "What happened?"

Why are the bridges dark?

There's a short story and a long story of what turned the Crescent City Connection's lights off.

The short story is that when Hurricane Ida hit in 2021, the electrical system surged, making many of the bridge's bulbs defunct. Any replacement bulbs shorted right away, and an overhaul of the entire electrical system became the only solution.
Thirty-five years ago this week, the 1988 Republican National Convention drew more than 5,000 delegates to New Orleans, along with nearly as many members of the media. During the four-day event at the Superdome, Republican delegates nominated George H.W. Bush for president.

The city and host committee raised $5.5 million to host the convention, which local organizers (including Peggy Wilson and Bryan Wagner) saw as a way for the city to showcase its food, music and hospitality to the nation.

Speakers at the Aug. 15-18 convention included outgoing President and First Lady Ronald and Nancy Reagan, the Rev. Billy Graham, Charlton Heston, former President Gerald Ford and a host of GOP lawmakers, including Bob Dole, John McCain, Jack Kemp, Newt Gingrich, and the keynote speaker, New Jersey Gov. Thomas Kean.

At an outdoor rally at Spanish Plaza, Bush announced his pick for running mate: Sen. Dan Quayle, 41, of Indiana. The Times-Picayune called him a surprise choice of a virtual unknown intended to add a dash of youthful verve and right-wing conviction to the Republican ticket.

The next night, Bush and Quayle accepted their partys nomination, with Bush, who had served eight years as vice president, pledging to continue Reagans policies. Bushs speech contained the famous line: Read my lips: no new taxes as well as references to his well-remembered thousand points of light.

The spotlight was on the city from the national media for the four-day event, with print and broadcast reporters from every major outlet in America featuring New Orleans unique culture as part of their coverage. The city got what then-Mayor Sidney Barthelemy called "$1 billion worth of free publicity" as a result.
Russia on August 13 attacked the Palau-flagged civilian dry cargo ship Sukru Okan in the Black Sea. The vessel was on its way to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

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The occupants opened fire on the dry cargo ship with automatic small arms and used a helicopter. The attack was boasted in the Ministry of Defense of the aggressor state.

The occupants said that the attack took place in the early morning of August 13. At that time, at about 6:40 a.m., the Defense Ministry said, the patrol ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet Vasily Bykov discovered the Palau-flagged dry cargo ship Sukru Okan, which was on its way to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

The aggressor state, which decided it had the right to "exercise control over shipping" in the Black Sea, ordered the dry cargo ship to stop for inspection. When the crew ignored the illegal demands, the invaders opened fire on it.

"The captain of the dry cargo ship did not respond to the demand to stop for inspection for transportation of prohibited goods. In order to forcefully stop the vessel, the Russian warship opened warning fire from automatic small arms. In order to inspect the dry cargo ship, a Ka-29 helicopter with a group of Russian servicemen was lifted from the patrol ship Vasily Bykov," the Russian Federation said.

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The vessel was forced to stop after the attack.

"According to the results of radio conversations, the vessel stopped the move, the inspection team boarded the dry cargo ship. After completion of the work of the inspection team on board the Sukru Okan the vessel continued to the port of Izmail. The Black Sea Fleet ships continue patrolling in the designated areas," the Russian Defense Ministry boasted of the war crime.

The ship attacked by the occupiers left the Greek port of Chalkida on August 7. On August 14, it was supposed to arrive in Izmail.

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The patrol ship Vasily Bykov, which attacked a civilian vessel, has been involved in Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine since February 24, 2022. In particular, together with the sunken flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the cruiser Moskva, it participated in the attack on the Ukrainian island of Zmeinyi.

On August 4, 2022, Ukrainian soldiers managed to attack this Russian patrol ship. It had 8 Kalibr cruise missiles on board. The next day it was spotted during a call in Sevastopol Bay in occupied Crimea. The starboard side of the Vasily Bykov in the stern area was burned along with the launcher. At 09:30, the ship moored at Kurina pier with the help of tugboats.

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We will remind, at the end of July at the network appeared audio with threats of a Russian ship to a civilian vessel in the Black sea. the occupants over the radio demanded that the captain of the ship to answer what exactly transports and under what flag he goes, and also "warned" that the movement to Ukrainian ports by the aggressor state "prohibited", the transportation of any cargo by ships to Ukraine "is considered by the Russian side as a potential transportation of military cargo".

"The country under whose flag the ship is traveling will be considered to be involved in the 'conflict' in Ukraine," the terrorists said.
The first time Asia Davis called 911 on April 6, five weeks before she was murdered, she wailed for help.

Can I have someone at 6841 Mayo Blvd? Apt. B.

Whats your name?

He stole my phone.

Davis, 28, was frantic on the 6:13 p.m. call. She reported that her boyfriend was using crack cocaine when he hit her, then swiped her cellphone and left. The promise of a forceful police response seemed to come as a relief, though, as Davis told a nearby friend, Hes going to jail, girl.

Nine seconds later, unbeknownst to her, a New Orleans police district supervisor downgraded her call to a nonemergency, placing it in a much slower queue for a response from a police force stretched thin.

Police say the supervisor made the decision because Davis told the call taker that Henry Talley, the boyfriend shed identified, had bailed.
Kevin and Giulia Barker discuss the permanent installation of Rhythm of Louisiana sculpture by Brad Bourgoyne with Luke St. John McKnight (right), Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge Chief Operations Officer. The sculpture is located within the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center in downtown Baton Rouge.
Russian servicemen and Kadyrov troops had an armed fight in the temporarily occupied village of Urzuf near Mariupol. Civilians were killed.

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It is known about seven dead. This was reported by the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol city Petro Andryushchenko in his Telegram (to see photos and video, scroll to the end of the page).

According to him, Kadyrov soldiers came to Urzuf "on vacation". As a result, they had a conflict with the local military commandant's office. The altercation turned into a shooting. However, apart from the occupants, civilians were also killed.

Adryushchenko said that now it is known about seven dead civilians. He also added that two teenage girls, four young men and a woman are among them.

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Earlier it was reported that Russian occupants engaged in a firefight with the Kadyrov mercenaries in the occupied village of Urzuf. At least two servicemen of the Russian aggressor country were killed.

Russian occupants caused a shooting in the temporarily occupied Mykhailivka of the Melitopol district of the Zaporizhzhia region. A conflict with the use of firearms broke out between the Kadyrov soldiers and fighters from North Ossetia.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the occupants had an armed fight in Melitopol. The instigators were preliminarily drunken servicemen of the aggressor country. They opened fire on representatives of the so-called military commandant's office, military police, the Federal Security Service and other security agencies who had come to subdue the drunken company.

Only verified information from us in Telegram channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
An empty spot on reporter Phyllis Zorn's desk shows where the tower for her computer sat before law enforcement officers seized it in a raid on the Marion County Record, in Marion County, Kan., on Aug. 13, 2023. (John Hanna/AP Photo)

Police in the small Kansas town of Marion have raided a local newspaper office and the home of its publisher, seizing equipment and sparking claims of abuse of power and threats of legal action.

Eric Meyer, the owner and publisher of the Marion County Record, said in an Aug. 9 edition of the newspaper that four Marion police officers and three sheriffs deputies recently carried out a raid on his home and the Record office, seizing personal cell phones and computers.

Mr. Meyer said that the police also seized the newspapers file server and equipment that was unrelated to their search but which was needed to continue publishing work.

Our first priority is to be able to publish next week, Mr. Meyer was cited by the Record as saying. But we also want to make sure no other news organization is ever exposed to the Gestapo tactics we witnessed today.

A reporter for the Record said on social media that she was injured in the raid, which she called chilling.

The chief of the Marion, Kansas Police Department, Gideon Cody, forcibly yanked my cell phone out of my hand, so heads up that I will be without it (my phone, not my hand) for a while, reporter Deb Gruver wrote in a post on Facebook.

Ive filed a report with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation because a previously dislocated finger was re-injured, she added.

I thought I lived in the United States, she wrote.

Illegal Search?

The search warrant, which was viewed by The Epoch Times, identifies several pages of items that law enforcement officers were allowed to seize and indicates that the raid was related to suspicion of having participated in identity theft of local business owner Kari Newell.

Questions have been raised about the legality of the search warrant, which was signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar, as there are protections in federal law against searching and seizing materials from journalists. Normally, law enforcement is required to obtain a subpoena for such materials.

Ms. Viars office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on questions about the legality of the warrant.

The Marion County police chief told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that he cannot give details of what he said was a criminal investigation, but explained that there are exceptions to a subpoena, namely when when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing.

I believe when the rest of the story is available to the public, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated, Mr. Cody said.

More Details

The raid was based on a search warrant that focuses on allegations that there was probable cause of identity theft and unlawful computer acts targeting Ms. Newell.

A confidential source had contacted the Record with evidence that Ms. Newell had been convicted of drunken driving and continued to operate her vehicle without a license, according to the Kansas Reflector.

A reporter with the Record reportedly verified the information provided by the source but Mr. Meyer decided not to publish a story about the information, telling the Kansas Reflector that he thought we were being set up. Instead, he said he contacted the police.

However, after the police notified Ms. Newell about the sensitive information provided by the source to the Record, she reportedly publicly accused the paper at a city council meeting that it had illegally obtained and disseminated the documents.

Ms. Newells public remarks at the meeting prompted Mr. Meyer to write an article apparently seeking to set the record straight, with the police raid taking place one day after.

While Ms. Newell was unavailable for comment, she said in a statement cited by the Kansas Reflector that the entire debacle was brought forth in an attempt to smear my name, jeopardize my licensing through ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division), harm my business, seek retaliation, and for personal leverage in an ongoing domestic court battle.

Mr. Meyer said he plans to sue the city of Marion and individuals involved in the raid.

We will be seeking the maximum sanctions possible under law, he said, per the Record.

Reactions

Journalist Joel Mathis, who writes for the Kansas City Star, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his first-ever newspaper job was for the Record.

Since we dont know the full details behind the raid  Im not going to get into all the nitty-gritty, he wrote in an Aug. 12 op-ed in the Kansas City Star. But its scary when police raid a newspaper. It looks and smells like a threat to the First Amendment. Investigators had better have a damned goodeven extraordinaryjustification for the search warrant. God help them otherwise.

Clay Wirestone, the opinion editor for the Kansas Reflector, said in a post on X that the raid amounts to a threatening message being sent to journalists.

No matter how the story shakes outif officials return all the seized computers and cellphones this afternoona message has been sent, he wrote. That message conflicts with the tenets of an open society. It shuts down the ability of democracys defenders to do their jobs.

In an op-ed in the Kansas Reflector, Mr. Wirestone called the outrageous raid a grim threat to Kansans First Amendment rights.

Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said in a statement cited by Mr. Wirestone in the Kansas Reflector that the raid represented a crackdown on free speech.

An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the publics right to know. This cannot be allowed to stand, Ms. Bradbury was cited as saying.

In a statement obtained by The Epoch Times, the Marion Kansas Police Department said in its defense that the victim asks that we do all the law allows to ensure justice is served and that the department will do nothing less.

The department said it believes it is the fundamental duty of the police is to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of all members of the public and that its commitment to doing so must remain steadfast and unbiased, unaffected by political or media influences, in order to uphold the principles of justice, equal protection, and the rule of law for everyone in the community.

From The Epoch Times
The leadership of the army of the aggressor country Russia continues to use mobilized people as cannon fodder. They are used to form assault groups by deceiving them to the front line. At first, they are given a goal that has nothing to do with the performance of risky tasks.

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This became known from a telephone conversation between the occupant and his wife, intercepted by the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (to listen, scroll to the end of the page). The woman urged her husband and fellow soldiers to refuse if they were offered some supposedly non-dangerous job.

"If they say they are recruiting 10-20 f*cking people, it doesn't matter what it will be. They say you need to go somewhere, guard something, do something else, but you are being deceived. Refuse," the Russian woman said.

In addition, the message noted that some of the Russian conscripts who are already in Ukraine are still listed at the selection points or at the training grounds where they were trained.

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"Mobilized personnel (sometimes entire units) are refusing to perform tasks on the battle line en masse," the GIU noted.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Russian citizens are starting to understand the consequences of the actions of their state that has unleashed war in Ukraine. Civilian Russians began to discuss the possibility of evading mobilization in private conversations.

Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel and in Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
As an Ogden Dunes homeowner residing along Lake Michigan, I share many of the thoughts expressed by Susan MiHalo in her recent opinion piece ("Wonders of walking the beach enhanced by public ownership", Aug. 6). I stroll along the beach in awe of its natural wonders and beauty and it also brings me pleasure to see families and individuals enjoying our public beaches as well.

Thus, I wholeheartedly support the Public Trust Doctrine, the legal principle establishing that natural resources such as shorelines are preserved for public use and which the government is responsible for protecting and maintaining.

I take issue with the suggestion that some argue about who owns what, what is causing erosion and sand starvation and whether protection measures should be allowed  

There is little debate about what has principally caused the loss of our shoreline. In 1966, the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor was built with massive breakwaters extending into the lake. This breakwater has blocked the natural flow of sand from east to west and has resulted in accumulation of millions of cubic yards of sand to our east. This sand would have replenished our beaches on a continuing basis and would have protected homeowners, town property and public accessways from the ravages of high lake levels.

This calamity was predicted by the Army Corps of Engineers before the port was constructed and nothing was done by government to address it. That was a true violation of the Public Trust Doctrine and seminal event leading to our current situation. All attempts by Ogden Dunes to get government agencies to mitigate this problem through beach nourishment have failed. Sand replenishment is expensive and beyond the means of our town.

In a 2019 report, the economic activity generated by the Ports of Indiana-Burns Harbor amounted to over $1.2 billion of state and local taxes annually. The steel mills, the Ports of Indiana, and the state of Indiana which have profited immensely from the Burns Harbor Port as well as the Army Corps of Engineers, should fix the problem they created.

Allan Halline, Ogden Dunes
HAMMOND  Armed with a gun, a male suspect entered a Mobil Gas Station at 1440 Indianapolis Boulevard around 10:15 p.m. Friday night and demanded money from a cash register and packs of cigarettes. He ordered the clerks to lay on the floor as he dashed out of the gas station, stolen items in tow.

Police are searching for the person who committed the robbery, described as a Black or Latino man in his early 20s.

The Hammond Police Department is working diligently to apprehend the individual responsible for this crime," Lt. Steve Kellogg said in a news release. "Investigators are currently reviewing security footage and collecting evidence to aid in the identification and apprehension of the suspect.

The robbery is one of many that has taken place at gas stations throughout Hammond over the last couple of weeks and approximately 200 violent crimes at the city's 37 gas stations since 2019, according to data from the Hammond Police Department.

In an effort to curb the crime, Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. introduced a city ordinance in early July that would require gas stations within city limits to close between midnight and 5 a.m. The Hammond Common Council has considered the legislation, but some councilmembers seem unconvinced the closures are the best way to reduce crime. The council has tabled discussions of the ordinance and said they will continue to look through the data before making their decision. The council is set to meet again Monday evening.

Kellogg said the department supports the ordinance in the hopes it will help reduce the high volume of violent crime at gas stations. Police who have spoken at recent city council meetings said the gas station incident take away important public safety resources from other parts of the city.

The safety and security of our citizens is our top priority," Hammond police Chief William Short said in a news release. "We will not tolerate criminal activities that threaten the well-being of our community members.

Anyone with information on the Friday night robbery can contact Detective Sgt. Brian Webber at 219-852-2967.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Convicted former Portage Mayor James Snyder is asking the Supreme Court to hear his appeal before he is required to begin his prison term this fall.

In a 36-page petition for a writ of certiorari, which is a request for the Supreme Court to hear a case, Snyder's lawyers challenge the federal statute under which he was convicted that prohibits a public official from accepting a bribe. His attorneys write that the each of the twelve United States federal circuit courts interpret the law differently, and therefore request an assessment from the nation's highest court.

The petition was filed Aug. 1, according to court records. The Supreme Court is required to respond by Sept. 5.

The petition comes after U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Matthew Kennelly denied a request July 14 for Snyder, 45, to have his case reheard en banc, meaning his case would be heard before all the court's judges. Snyder's attorneys filed the petition on June 29 after he was denied an appeal on June 15.

Kennelly previously ordered Snyder to surrender himself Oct. 16 to begin serving a 21-month prison term. Federal prosecutors initially requested Snyder turn himself in the week after his appeal was denied, but Kennelly struck down the request. Since the court denied his motion, he will likely still be required to begin his prison sentence in October.

In the appeal argued before the Seventh Circuit appeals court in January, attorneys said court should vacate Snyder's convictions because of an alleged government intrusion into the attorney-client relationship as it pertains to the seizure of Snyder's personal and professional email accounts as part of the criminal investigation. Judges determined that none of Snyders Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights were violated during the course of the investigation into his conduct.

Snyder was first convicted in February 2019. When his attorneys moved for a judgment of acquittal or a new trial, the district court denied the motion for acquittal but granted Snyder a new trial on the bribery charge. He was convicted for a second time in March 2021 for charges of corrupt solicitation and interfering with the Internal Revenue Service. He accepted a $13,000 bribe in 2014 in return for steering a $1.125 million contract for the purchase of garbage trucks for the city of Portage to the local Great Lakes Peterbilt company and dodged the IRS when they tried to collect his unpaid taxes from his mortgage company.

When reached by phone Saturday evening, Snyder deferred to his attorneys for comment. His attorneys were not immediately available.
Jerry Davich Metro columnist Follow Jerry Davich 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

Andrea Vega immediately began crying when asked about her two sons.

My sons are everything to me, Vega said, wiping away tears. My whole life here has been to keep them moving forward.

Vega migrated to the U.S. from Costa Rica 23 years ago with her 2-month-old baby boy and the dream of a better life for them both. She came to Northwest Indiana because an uncle lives in Munster, where she now lives.

Vegas life in this country has been more difficult than she imagined as a 19-year-old woman leaving her impoverished homeland. But shes grateful to be here and even more grateful for the opportunities afforded her two boys.

I love this country but my life here has not been easy, Vega said.

Her first job was mowing lawns, then cleaning houses. She later opened her own home cleaning business. Its now named Harmony Cleaning Service, LLC, after getting it registered in May with assistance from her attorney, Alfredo Estrada.

They have known each other for nearly 20 years, since their children attended the same preschool in East Chicago.

I met Vega at Estradas law office in Merrillville, which provided us a translator, Angelica Marquez. Vega understands English with more confidence than she does speaking it, especially during an interview with a newspaper columnist. Our candid conversation was a blending of English, Spanish, laughs and tears. (Watch a video of Vega in her own words at the online version of this column.)

Estrada is a partner at Burke Costanza & Carberry, where he practices civil litigation and immigration law in federal and state courts. Months ago, I asked him if one of his foreign-born immigrant clients would talk to me about their experiences.

Many of them have fear of publicly sharing their story. And for good reason. Judgment is immediate. Bias is probable. Retaliation is a possibility. Vega agreed to do so anyway, though she was visibly nervous when we met.

She is brave to share her story, Estrada said, looking at her from across a conference room table.

'More love in their heart'

Vega agreed to share her story with the hope it helps others in her former situation seek legal assistance if needed. Vega is a client of the Hammond Legal Aid Clinic, which was founded in 2004 by Mayor Thomas McDermott and the Hammond City Council. It has since served thousands of residents in need of legal services that they otherwise could not afford. Estrada has worked with many clients through this legal clinic.

Alfredo has been a blessing to me, Vega said.

Hes been a blessing to countless foreign-born clients who depend on his legal services and personal kindness.

I better get some tissues, Estrada said when Vega got emotional.

I asked her why she believes immigrants in her situation face such a fierce backlash from native-born Americans. She paused for a minute to respond.

I wish they had more love in their heart, she said.

Immigration and illegal immigration are complex issues that have been weaponized by partisan politics. Its not as black and white as Americans are led to believe by politicians, lawmakers and media outlets. Many cases of immigrants, such as Vegas, are instead painted in the messy hues of gray; not with broad brushstrokes that cause knee-jerk discrimination, but with more nuanced strokes that can create a clearer portrait.

This controversial issue isnt specific only to the United States. Other countries also are struggling to regulate, reform and enforce immigration policies that are outdated or overwhelmed by millions of migrants and refugees fleeing their homelands. How we handle this humanitarian crisis defines in part who we are as a nation, a remarkable experiment in progress.

Vegas case gives us an opportunity to view this complicated topic with more understanding and less bias. She didnt sneak into the U.S. by crossing a river or a wall at the Mexican border, as we are repeatedly shown through news accounts and viral videos. Vega entered this country on a tourist visa - allowing her temporary admission for vacation purposes.

It is a legal entry, Estrada said.

A personal conflict in Vegas life compelled her to remain in the U.S.

I want my sons to have what I never had, she said.

Vega chose to stay in Indiana for the school systems and the secondary educational opportunities for her two sons. Both have received scholarships from colleges. Her oldest son, whos 22, attends Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Her younger son, whos 19, attends Purdue University in West Lafayette.

Im a proud mother, Vega said with a smile.

'With Gods help'

Vegas case was deemed a tourist visa overstay until her status was adjusted to legal permanent residence. Shes currently working on attaining official U.S. citizenship, which is likely three years away.

Andrea needs to work more on her English, Estrada said during my interview with Vega. Shes just not very confident with it.

Vega nodded in agreement.

When I first met with her at Estradas office, neither he or Marquez had arrived. Vega and I chatted casually for a few minutes without any translation needed. But some of my questions for her later needed translation to keep the conversation moving. I welcomed Marquez assistance. Spanish is a language I should have learned decades ago.

Our nation is an evolving multicultural, multilingual society whether you agree with it or not. This isnt my opinion. This is a statistical fact of life in the U.S. By 2050, our country is projected to become a minority-majority nation, and Spanish will be even more of our nations linguistic tapestry, a reflection of an increasingly global society.

I love Costa Rica. Its beautiful there. But I dont see me living there again, Vega said.

She has now lived in America longer than she has lived in Costa Rica. Her sons have visited her homeland only twice. Vegas long-term goal is to open a business in Costa Rica to help people there.

With Gods help, she said. God has always been with me. And with my sons.

As with most parents of college kids, Vega is looking forward to the day when her sons have their own careers and become financially stable. Their long-term goal is to someday take care of their mother, who has cleaned hundreds of other peoples homes to provide a loving, stable home for them.

I asked Vega what she would tell other migrants who risked everything to travel to the U.S. in the face of public backlash.

Do it for your children, she said without any more tears.
In 1950, he enlisted in the Navy despite never having seen the ocean. It was long before the era of dont ask, dont tell. He recalled several men he served with being court-martialed for their homosexuality. To avoid the same fate, he said, it was important not to even associate with other gay people.

In 1957, when he took a job as an insurance investigator in Long Beach, Calif., after graduating from the University of Kansas with a bachelors degree in social sciences two years earlier, he adopted the persona of a straight man.

During that time, however, he had a secret love affair with a male colleague named Phillip Jones, who also attended the local Church of God with Mr. Felts. He was in the choir, and I was in the pews, Mr. Felts said.

Mr. Jones was able to square his sexuality with church doctrine; Mr. Felts was not. One Sunday, he said, out of the blue, I was bombarded with guilt. I knew I was going to go to hell, that I would burn in fire for eternity. Overcome with shame, Mr. Felts left California in 1958 and returned to Dodge City. He never said goodbye to Mr. Jones, though Mr. Felts was sure by then he was the love of his life.

Over the years, Mr. Felts would intermittently search for Mr. Jones in every California phone book he could get his hands on. I called every Phillip Jones and every P. Jones I could find, he said. The search was never successful.
A man accused of using a chair to attack others during a brawl in Montgomery, Ala., last weekend turned himself in to the police on Friday, the authorities said, becoming the fifth person charged in a fight that captured national attention largely because of the racial overtones.

The man, Reggie Ray, 42, turned himself in to the Montgomery Police Department and was charged with disorderly conduct, Capt. Jarrett Williams said in a statement.

Calls placed to phone numbers listed as belonging to Mr. Ray were not immediately returned on Saturday. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

Mr. Rays arrest came days after the police charged four other people with assault in connection with the brawl, which broke out last week along a waterfront where a group of white boaters attacked a Black riverboat cruise captain.
Claudia Mitchell, a potter from Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, gathers clay on a mesa between two sandstone rock formations, hammer and pick at the ready. First she gives thanks to the Clay Mother  the Earth  in prayers and offerings that include a sprinkling of cornmeal, a small piece of turquoise and, always, water  the high deserts most precious gift. She also thanks the women who came before her, especially her grandmother Lucy M. Lewis, a much-acclaimed potter who worked well into her 80s and whose hands, smooth and soft from years of clay, never lost their strong grip.

In her own work, Mitchell, 59, incorporates shards of pottery from previous generations that she finds along the road, grinding them into a powder to give her pots extra strength before firing. Through her vessels, the spirit of all those people is brought back to life, she said. Our past and present become the future in the pottery.

Now she is helping to broaden the understanding of American art. In a radical sea change for museums, Mitchell is one of 68 Pueblo potters, artists and cultural leaders invited to largely organize Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the first Native American exhibition there that has been community curated. The objects were all selected by members of the Pueblo Pottery Collective and the labels highlight Pueblo peoples voices and perspectives, rather than the traditional museum label style. (The show, through June 2024, continues by appointment in a more intimate setting at the Vilcek Foundation in Manhattan, before traveling to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Saint Louis Art Museum.)
Death toll climbs to 93 in Hawaii

The wildfires in Maui, now the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century, have left many questions about how so many lives were lost and why government aid has still not reached many survivors.

The death toll reached 93 on Saturday night and was expected to climb even further, officials said. About 2,200 structures, around 86 percent of them residential, were destroyed in West Maui, Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii said, and about 1,400 people were in shelters. About 4,500 customers, mostly in Maui, were without electricity in Hawaii early yesterday.

Many survivors in the region were relying on each other in the wake of the disaster. In the town of Honokowai, residents were filling dozens of cans of gas to pass out.

This is from our own pockets, one resident said. Where is the government?

Green said in a statement that the government had secured 1,000 rooms, with 500 going to families who had been displaced and the other 500 being used for support. In the coming days, the government will secure long-term rentals, paid for by the state, charities and FEMA, for people displaced by the fire, he said.
Poland moved troops to the border with Belarus. The military group was created to carry out Rengaw Operation.

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This statement was made by Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak during a visit to the base in Jarilowka in Podlaskie Voivodeship. This is reported by the press service of the government.

According to Blaszczak, the purpose of the operation is deterrence and urgent response in case of need.

The Polish Prime Minister assessed the current situation on the border with Belarus as alarming. He expressed the opinion that Poland's border is in danger:

"We are witnessing prolonged pressure on the Polish border, attempts to illegally cross the border by migrants encouraged by the Belarusian regime. There is no doubt that the Belarusian regime cooperates with the Kremlin. This action is directed against Poland to destabilize our country," he stressed.

In addition, the Minister of Defense recalled that the Border Guards commanded the Gryf operation, aimed at closing the border with Belarus, is being implemented. It will involve up to 4 thousand soldiers of the Polish army supporting the border service.

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It should be noted that mercenaries of the Wagner Russian private military company were recently spotted 2 km from the border with Poland. They had already attempted to break through from the territory of Belarus. The Polish side is considering complete closure of the border.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that some fighters of Wagner OMC were deployed near the Lithuanian state border. The head of state emphasized that the presence of its soldiers in Belarus creates an additional risk factor for the security of his country.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL reported that propagandists from the Russia-1 TV channel often speculate about hypothetical success on the front with NATO countries. State Duma deputy Kartapolov assessed the prospect of seizing control of the Suwalski corridor connecting the borders of Lithuania and Poland.

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Only verified information from us in Telegram-channel Obozrevatel, Threads and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A small town in Kansas has become a battleground over the First Amendment, after the local police force and county sheriffs deputies raided the office of The Marion County Record.

Raids of news organizations are exceedingly rare in the United States, with its long history of legal protections for journalists. At The Record, a family-owned paper with a circulation of about 4,000, the police seized computers, servers and cellphones of reporters and editors. They also searched the home of the publications owner and semiretired editor as well as the home of a city councilwoman.

The searches, conducted on Friday, appeared to be linked to an investigation into how a document containing information about a local restaurateur found its way to the local newspaper  and whether the restaurant owners privacy was violated in the process. The editor of the newspaper said the raids may have had more to do with tensions between the paper and officials in Marion, a town of about 2,000 north of Wichita, over prior coverage.

The raid is one of several recent cases of local authorities taking aggressive actions against news organizations  some of which are part of a dwindling cohort left in their area to hold governments to account. And it fits a pattern of pressure being applied to local newsrooms. One recent example is the 2019 police raid of the home of Bryan Carmody, a freelance journalist in San Francisco, who was reporting on the death of Jeff Adachi, a longtime public defender.
Good morning. One of my favorite meals at La Caridad 78 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, before it closed in 2020, was pork egg foo young, alongside yellow rice, black beans and a platter of maduros.

Id eat that for lunch with my friend Michael, dousing the omelets with vinegar and hot sauce, and sometimes wed break out laughing at the sheer audacity of this midday feast poised to destroy an afternoon meant for hard work. Once, afterward, I paused on my way back to the newsroom to sit on a park bench. I slept there for the better part of an hour.

And now its dinner at home! Kay Chun has a terrific new recipe for egg foo young (above) that Ill dress up with roast pork from the takeout shop and serve with rice augmented with Sazon seasoning, along with Cuban black beans and these lovely fried sweet plantains. This meal approximates my old lunchtime joy with no need to sleep in public. I just clean up the kitchen and pitch into bed.
In Word Through The Times, we trace how one word or phrase has changed throughout the history of the newspaper.

In 2008, the headline Bump. Grind. Repeat. appeared on an article in the Styles section of The New York Times. Dan Levin had reported from a bar in New York City where patrons danced in close contact. The dancing was, in a word, dramatic, he wrote. The crowd vamped and twirled. Necking and grinding were de rigueur.

One of the earliest meanings of the word grind was to crush into bits or fine particles between two hard surfaces, according to Websters New World Dictionary. But, over time, the term has come to represent something more, including the doldrums of the 9-5 work day and saucy dance moves.

In 1860, The Times used grind for one of the first times in its pages, in idiomatic terms: to have a problem with something or someone. A column titled San Francisco Gossip noted that, because the Legislature was about to open in California, people were heading to what would eventually become the states capital. Everybody having an axe to grind has gone up to Sacramento, it said.

To grind also took on another figurative meaning, to afflict with cruelty, hardship, etc.; crush; oppress. In an article from 1970, the journalist David K. Shipler described the tensions between building superintendents and renters in New York City. He wrote of the hostility and suspicion that grind down both tenants and supers.
Slobbering and wheezing in anticipation, Brooklyn, a pit bull mix, strained against her collar as she marched purposefully toward a fenced play area at Animal Care Centers of NYCs Manhattan shelter, where she knew she would be showered with butt scratches and attention.

The gate opened, and volunteers laughed as Brooklyn bounded around like a playful wrecking ball.

She is the cutest, roly-poly, delicious dog, said Katy Hansen, the director of marketing and communications for Animal Care Centers, which runs New York Citys public animal shelters. She said it was hard to believe Brooklyn had been living at the shelter for six months.

The citys shelter animal population has exploded, with many animals waiting weeks or months without being adopted. Because of overcrowding, dogs at the Manhattan shelter are being kept in makeshift kennels in offices, and stacks of cat cages line the halls.

The cat population has grown to the point that last month, Animal Care Centers said it was closed for cat intake. But the organizations contract with the city requires it to take in animals in need, and Ms. Hansen said hundreds of cats had been accepted since the announcement.
Rebecca Weiner learned about catastrophic threats at an early age: She grew up in Santa Fe, N.M., near the cradle of the nuclear bomb.

Her grandfather, a mathematician, fled Poland in 1939, studied at Harvard and then moved to New Mexico in 1943 to help develop atomic weapons. In college, Ms. Weiner studied the ethical questions that Manhattan Project scientists, and their wives, confronted as they devised the bombs that annihilated two Japanese cities, but that they hoped would end war as we know it, she said.

Now, Ms. Weiner, 46, has been named the New York Police Departments deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, commanding about 1,500 people spread throughout the city. The bureau includes dozens of analysts and hundreds of officers and investigators who monitor threats like bomb plots, mass shootings and spontaneous chaos like a social media influencers video game giveaway that drew thousands of rowdy teenagers to Union Square this month.

A lawyer and 17-year department veteran, Ms. Weiner is taking over a bureau that includes a counterterrorism unit created after the Sept. 11 attacks. Since its inception, the unit has helped foil a plan to kidnap an American-Iranian journalist and what officials say were dozens of terrorist plots.
The sky was clear over Rockaway Beach in Queens early Saturday afternoon. Lifeguards scanned the still waters, dotted by a few swimmers, and occasionally blew whistles to warn those who ventured too far into the ocean.

It was a tranquil scene along the same stretch of beach where, just days earlier, a shark bit a 65-year-old woman, alarming many New Yorkers during the height of summer.

The woman, Tatyana Koltunyuk, had been swimming alone near Beach 59th Street when she was bitten on the left leg, officials said. Lifeguards who heard her screaming for help rescued her, and she was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where she was in serious but stable condition as of Tuesday, the police said. The beach was closed for swimming and surfing on Tuesday.

Jose Velez, 64, was at Beach 59th Street on Saturday with his wife, brother, sister-in-law and nieces and nephews. The family comes to the beach every year, he said, and had never, never, never heard of such an attack.
Frederick Eberstadt, a fashion and society photographer whose varied work encompassed the parlors of Park Avenue as well as the gritty performance spaces of downtown Manhattan during New Yorks avant-garde era of the 1960s, died on July 29 at his apartment in Manhattan. He was 97.

His death was confirmed by his son, the political economist Nicholas Eberstadt.

Mr. Eberstadt had started on a career in banking, following in the footsteps of his father, Ferdinand Eberstadt, a lion of Wall Street who founded the investment bank Eberstadt & Company and pioneered the development of mutual funds.

But the younger Mr. Eberstadt left for a stint in television and then received a chance opportunity to work as an assistant to the photographer Richard Avedon that led him into a 30-year career behind the lens.

As a fashion photographer and photojournalist, he shot for Vogue, Womens Wear Daily, Town & Country, The New York Herald Tribune and many other publications. His subjects ran the spectrum, culturally, from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, decades after the former King Edward VIII of England abdicated the English throne, to the actors Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in their Easy Rider era as haute hippie Hollywood bad boys.
When I came here, I was disoriented. I was trying to be an adult; I was trying to be a writer; I was constantly, I felt, failing at both. And to add to my confusion, I had managed to turn myself into a foreigner. To come abroad is to understand yourself as a product of your own culture, and to see just how specific that culture is. So much of what I thought of as my personality  whatever made me different from other people  turned out to pale in comparison with what made me similar to other people, especially other Americans.

The size of the United States makes it hard to see outside it. Away from it, I realized that many things I thought of as normal are not, in fact, normal. Moving to Europe meant learning how to speak a new language, and not just the kind of language that can be taught in textbooks or classrooms. So many things that I had never thought about, like smiling at strangers or holding my fork with my right hand, suddenly became markers of a particular culture. Learning to live here meant mastering a grammar that gave me access to other ways to see  other ways to be. I wanted to learn that grammar. I didnt want to be a clueless foreigner forever.

Eventually, I found guides in an unlikely place: in the museums of the Netherlands, where I discovered the dazzling constellation of artists of the age of Rembrandt, Vermeer and Frans Hals. I grew obsessed by what, I fancied, these Dutch artists were trying to tell me. They seemed to be asking the same questions I was. In their work and in the stories of their lives, I discovered answers to my own questions about family and money and career, about love and death and art. Why do we make art, and why do we need it? Who, and what, is an artist? What does it mean to have talent, and how can one develop whatever one has been given? How, in other words, is a person supposed to live?

But if I felt that they were guiding me through their country  and indeed my own life  I also realized that this was my foreigners fantasy. They had been dead for centuries. In the past nearly 400 years, their country, like every other country, had changed so much as to be unrecognizable. But I made up my mind to live in their world. This was because the longer I stayed in the Netherlands, the more familiar the country became to me. I often feared that I had learned the grammar a little bit too well.
To the Editor:

Re A Drug Users Paradise (Science Times, Aug. 1):

Portland, Ore., is not a drug users paradise. The people who are struggling with addiction, homelessness and mental illness in Portland and other cities in America are barely surviving, and more will die without access to treatment services, affordable housing, and medical and mental health care.

The citizens of Portland who voted in favor of Measure 110 understood this to be an approach that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs and direct revenue from marijuana sales to fund drug treatment and recovery services. This is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough.

Drug treatment is not a soft option. It is a rigorous, structured process that addresses the underlying issues of a persons addiction, including trauma, mental illness and medical concerns. When operated by trained staff, with the provision of medication-assisted treatment, primary health care services, and connections to jobs and housing, treatment is the most effective solution.

Compared with the cost of lives lost and the increased burdens on police, prison systems, emergency health care and other essential services, treatment is also an investment at a bargain price that we cannot afford to pass up.
It seemed, for a moment, that Shakespeare was being canceled. Last week, school district officials in Hillsborough County, Fla., said that they were preparing high school lessons for the new academic year with some of William Shakespeares works taught only with excerpts, partly in keeping with Gov. Ron DeSantiss legislation about what students can or cant be exposed to.

Im here to say: Good. Cancel Shakespeare. Its about time.

Anyone who spends a lot of time reading Shakespeare (or working on his plays, as I have for most of my professional career) understands that he couldnt have been less interested in puritanical notions of respectability. Given how hes become an exalted landmark on the high road of culture, its easy to forget that theres always been a secret smugglers path to a more salacious and subversive Shakespeare, one well known and beloved by artists and theater people. The Bard has long been a patron saint to rebel poets and social outcasts, queer nonconformists and punk provocateurs.

Yes, Shakespeare is ribald, salacious, even shocking. But to understand his genius  and his indelible legacy on literature  students need to be exposed to the whole of his work, even, perhaps especially, the naughty bits.

The closing lines of Shakespeares Sonnet 20, addressed to the poems male subject, are among the dirtiest  and hottest  of the 16th century. But since she pricked thee out for womens pleasure, / Mine be thy love and thy loves use their treasure. A favorite trick of Shakespeares was to play with word order, especially when he wanted to disclose something too daring to be said in a more straightforward way, such as the love that dared not speak its name. The untangled meaning here: Your love ultimately belongs to me, sir, even if women (sometimes) enjoy your prick. Or, from the neck up you are as beautiful as a woman, and from the waist down you are all man.
The Mutter Museum, a 19th-century repository of medical oddments and arcana at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, attracts as many as 160,000 visitors a year. Among the anatomical and pathological specimens exhibited are skulls corroded by syphilis; spines twisted by rickets; skeletons deformed by corsets; microcephalic fetuses; a two-headed baby; a bound foot from China; an ovarian cyst the size of a Jack Russell terrier; Grover Clevelands jaw tumor; the liver that joined the original Siamese twins, Cheng and Eng Bunker; and the pickled corpse of the Soap Lady, whose fatty tissues decomposed into a congealed asphalt-colored substance called adipocere.

People are just intrinsically more interested in the unusual, said Dean Richardson, a professor of equine surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicines New Bolton Center. Who could look at a two-headed calf without wanting to know how that happened? Biology is a marvel and better understood if you recognize that its complexities must inevitably lead to some errors.

The celebrity magician Teller, a Philadelphia native, called the Mutter a place of electrifying frankness. We are permitted to confront real, not simulated, artifacts of human suffering, and are, at a gut level, able to appreciate the epic achievements of medicine, he said.

But, like museums everywhere, the Mutter is reassessing what it has and why it has it. Recently, the institution enlisted a public-relations consultant with expertise in crisis management to contain criticism from within and without.
When Hawaiis last sugar cane plantation shut down in Maui in 2016, it marked the end of an era when sugar reigned supreme in the archipelagos economy. But the last harvest at the 36,000-acre plantation underscored another pivotal shift: the relentless spread of extremely flammable, nonnative grasses on idled lands where cash crops once flourished.

Varieties like guinea grass, molasses grass and buffel grass  which originated in Africa and were introduced to Hawaii as livestock forage  now occupy nearly a quarter of Hawaiis landmass. Fast growing when it rains and drought resistant when lands are parched, such grasses are fueling wildfires across Hawaii, including the blaze that claimed at least 93 lives in Maui last week.

These grasses are highly aggressive, grow very fast and are highly flammable, said Melissa Chimera, whose grandmother lived on the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Companys plantation in Maui after emigrating from the Philippines. Thats a recipe for fires that are a lot larger and a lot more destructive, added Ms. Chimera, who now coordinates the Pacific Fire Exchange, a Hawaii-based project sharing fire science among Pacific island governments.
The death toll in the firestorm that decimated the Maui town of Lahaina reached 89 on Saturday, the authorities said, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

The toll seemed likely to rise further in the coming days. Chief John Pelletier of the Maui County Police Department said that only 3 percent of areas burned on Tuesday had been searched by canine teams. He urged people with family members who were missing to be swabbed for DNA. More cadaver dogs were on the way, he said.

The death toll surpassed that of the 2018 Camp Fire in California and marked the deadliest wildfire since a blaze in northeast Minnesota killed hundreds of people in 1918.

Although the fires were extinguished in western Maui, the area was far from calm. The authorities reversed themselves and closed off entry to residents looking to return.
Ms. Vasquez said that she needed to stay healthy while breastfeeding and be able to see a doctor if she falls ill. When you are taking care of someone else, its very different, she said of needing health insurance as a new parent.

Enrollment in Medicaid, a joint federal-state health insurance program for low-income people, soared to record levels while the pandemic-era policy was in place, and the nations uninsured rate fell to a record low early this year. But since the so-called unwinding began, states have reported dropping more than 4.5 million people from Medicaid, according to KFF.

That number will climb in the coming months. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that more than 15 million people will be dropped from Medicaid over a year and a half and that more than six million of them will end up uninsured.

While some people like Ms. Vasquez are losing their coverage because they no longer meet the eligibility criteria, many others are being dropped for procedural reasons, suggesting that some people may be losing their insurance even though they still qualify for it.

The upheaval is especially acute in Texas and nine other states that have not adopted the Affordable Care Acts expansion of Medicaid, all of which have state governments either partly or fully controlled by Republicans. Under the health law, states can expand their Medicaid programs to cover adults who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $41,000 for a family of four.
Early on March 18, former President Donald J. Trump hit send on a social media post saying he would be arrested on Tuesday of next week.

Protest, he wrote on his Truth Social website. Take our nation back!

Mr. Trumps prediction was based on media reports, according to his lawyers, and his timing was off by two weeks.

Yet the statement set in motion events that profoundly altered the course of the Republican nominating contest. Donors sent checks. Fox News changed its tune. The party apparatus rushed to defend Mr. Trump. And the polls went up  and up.

These series of falling dominoes  call it the indictment effect  can be measured in ways that reveal much about the state of the Republican Party. To examine the phenomenon, The New York Times reviewed national and early state polls, interviewed Republican primary voters, examined federal campaign finance records, analyzed hundreds of party emails, scrutinized the shifts in conservative media coverage and talked to operatives inside the campaigns of Mr. Trumps rivals.
It doesnt feel right, said Jessica Campos, 41, a parent at Pugh Elementary, a Spanish dual-language school slated for immediate changes. I lose sleep over this. Its a serious thing. These are our children and were not having a say in our childrens education, and that is not OK.

The new state-run administration said it hoped to create a new education system in elementary and middle schools that feed into poor-performing high schools. The new approach includes a focus on reading and math, paying teachers more when their students score higher on standardized tests and shifting time-consuming tasks, such as making copies or grading work or writing lesson plans, from teachers to other staff members. Schools will also hire community members to teach elective courses like photography and spin classes.

Under the plan, libraries in some schools would become team rooms, which may be a bit of a misnomer, a department spokesman acknowledged: Though some students could work in teams, those sent there for disrupting class would be expected to spend their time at individual desks, watching their classes on laptops.

Mr. Miles has said that given limited space and resources, the decision was a trade-off and that students in schools where libraries have been converted into team rooms would still be able to borrow books before or after school.

Still, Sylvester Turner, Houstons mayor, said the effort risked creating two systems.

Hes gone too far, and hes dismantling the largest educational district in the state of Texas, Mr. Turner said of Mr. Miles during a City Council hearing last month. You cannot have a situation where you are closing libraries for some schools in certain neighborhoods, and there are other neighborhoods where there are libraries, fully equipped. What the hell are you doing?
When a fisherman showed up for work on a recent morning at a popular beach in Dakar, the capital of the West African nation of Senegal, he found a horrifying scene: Dead bodies splayed across the sand and a painted wooden boat bobbing unattended.

He plunged into the water to help search for survivors. The pirogue, a wooden fishing boat, had been loaded with migrants hoping to reach Spain, but instead it struck a ring of underwater rocks early on July 24.

At least 16 bodies were recovered, the latest in a string of tragedies to befall people risking the treacherous ocean route to Europe.

This boat, however, was being chased by patrol vessels from Spain and Senegal in near-total darkness when it hit the rocks, according to a witness who was on the beach and the leader of a local aid group who has spoken with survivors. The deputy mayor for the area also said in an interview that the boat was being pursued.
Ukraines counteroffensive began two months ago, but in many ways its forces have been preparing for it for years by learning how to fight like NATO militaries, with a mix of infantry, artillery, armored vehicles and air power.

But the Biden administration waited more than a year before letting NATO countries send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. By the time pilots are trained on the advanced aircraft, it will be too late for them to assist and protect ground forces slogging through this phase of fighting.

All of which has raised a question: Without significant air power  a pillar of the warfare tactics that the West has urged Ukraine to adopt  can the counteroffensive prevail?

The answer appears to be yes, as current and former officials in Ukraine, the United States and Europe, as well as Western defense analysts, said in interviews last week as the counteroffensive ground on, with volleys of artillery fire and drone strikes but no major breakthroughs.
Since bursting onto the scene nearly two decades ago with her first novel about her experience working in a call center, a novel that later inspired a popular film, Michela Murgia had become a public persona  and a lightning rod for political debate in Italy.

A novelist, intellectual and civil rights campaigner, she was an outspoken critic of the countrys rightward shift at a time when its left-wing parties appeared to have lost their voice, and a feminist and civil rights champion urging acceptance of nontraditional family configurations in a nation in which the governing parties have promoted a more conservative vision.

Before she died, on Thursday at age 51, she told her friends that she wanted her funeral to be open to everyone.

Many hundreds heeded her invitation.

They came from all walks of life  a retired banker, a hotel employee, a translator, students  to honor a symbol of freedom and feminism whose words should be transformed into action, said Maria Luisa Celani, who works in the arts and was one of many gathered outside the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto, known as the church of the artists, in Romes central Piazza del Popolo, for the funeral.
The protesters who had gathered on an arid patch of lawn in Romes central Piazza Venezia hailed from neighborhoods all around the capital, but they had one concern in common: saving the towering umbrella pine trees that for centuries have adorned the citys low-slung skyline but are disappearing in distressing numbers.

Celebrated in music and art, and admired by the ancient Romans, the trees are as much a part of the citys identity as its human-made landmarks.

They are in the hearts, photographs and memories of everyone, said Jacopa Stinchelli, who is helping lead the defense of the pines, which in recent years have taken a mangy turn.

An infestation of a pernicious and invasive pest, an insect known as the pine tortoise scale, which sneaked into Italy about a decade ago, has killed many trees.
The large crowd of men congregated at the center of a mosque in the central city of Yazd, clad in black and beating their chests rhythmically in unison. They were commemorating Ashura, Shiite Islams most sacred ritual, showcased annually with great fanfare in Iran as a testament to the Shiite theocracys power and strength.

But this year Ashura looked different. The mourners who gathered in Yazd last month and in many other cities across Iran diverged unexpectedly from the script to target the clerical rulers of Iran, turning religious ballads into protest songs about the suffering of Iranians.

For a city in ruins, for all of us held hostage, for the grieving mothers, for the tears of the marginalized, the men sang, according to videos. We are mourning thousands of innocent lives, we are ashamed of this raging fire. Oh rain, oh storm, come. They have set fire to our tent.

In Kermanshah, a Kurdish city in western Iran, a religious vocalist known as a maddah stood on the street, microphone in hand, singing about officials stealing and devouring resources away from desolate people.
Saudi Arabia has appointed its first envoy to the Palestinian administration in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a move widely seen as linked to efforts led by the United States to forge diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The Saudi envoy to Jordan, Nayef Al-Sudairi, will now concurrently serve as a nonresident ambassador to the State of Palestine, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday in a brief statement. Saudi Arabia recognizes Palestinian statehood across the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, territories that Israel captured during the Arab-Israeli war of 1967.

The announcement came amid escalating efforts by the United States to establish formal relations for the first time between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

It also followed speculation in Israel that Saudi Arabia  which has long opposed enacting formal ties until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been resolved  might now be prepared to do so without Israels providing the Palestinians with greater autonomy.
You were right. Its not a passing fad.

For all of the legal trouble that entrepreneurs like Sam Bankman-Fried are in and the regulatory mess that companies like Binance find themselves in, people keep buying cryptocurrency.

Even as the price of Bitcoin fell precipitously in 2022, the percentage of people in the United States owning crypto grew to 11 percent from 3 percent in just a year. Its at 12 percent this year, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper, and Bitcoins price has risen more than 75 percent from its 2022 low.

Crypto conviction  or just curiosity  is not something that merits condescension from the olds and scolds of personal finance. It just requires you to ask a few questions about who you are and why you find crypto alluring.

It is true that younger adults are more open to this way of putting money to work. If youre under 40, youre more likely to own crypto than people over 60, according to the N.B.E.R. research. Youre also more likely to be male.
Talk The Worlds Happiest Man Shares His Three Rules for Life

Matthieu Ricard is an ordained Buddhist monk and an internationally best-selling author of books about altruism, animal rights, happiness and wisdom. His humanitarian efforts led to his homelands awarding him the French National Order of Merit. (Ricards primary residence is a Nepalese monastery.) He was the Dalai Lamas French interpreter and holds a Ph.D in cellular genetics. In the early 2000s, researchers at the University of Wisconsin found that Ricards brain produced gamma waves  which have been linked to learning, attention and memory  at such pronounced levels that the media named him the worlds happiest man. He was also late for our Zoom, and it was driving me nuts. Didnt he get my confirmation email? Why hadnt he emailed to say he was running late? I had deadlines! Tight deadlines! My carefully planned schedule was being shot to hell! Alas, everything turned out fine, as it was always going to. Clearly, I had much to learn about taming the mind. You should not get quickly discouraged, said Ricard, whose memoir, Notebooks of a Wandering Monk, is forthcoming. You cannot master playing the piano now. These skills take time.

Its not the best thing to say, but I can easily imagine wanting certain people to suffer. How are we supposed to deal gracefully with our polar opposites in a world that feels increasingly about polarities? I mean, the Dalai Lama could talk to Vladimir Putin all he wants, but Putins not going to say, Your compassion has changed me. Once, a long time ago, someone said to me, who is the person you would like to spend 24 hours alone with? I said Saddam Hussein. I said, Maybe, maybe, some small change in him might be possible. When we speak of compassion, you want everybody to find happiness. No exception. You cannot just do that for those who are good to you or close to you. It has to be universal. You may say that Putin and Bashar al-Assad are the scum of humanity, and rightly so. But compassion is about remedying the suffering and its cause. How would that look? You can wish that the system that allowed someone like that to emerge is changed. I sometimes visualize Donald Trump going to hospitals, taking care of people, taking migrants to his home. You can wish that the cruelty, the indifference, the greed may disappear from these peoples minds. Thats compassion; thats being impartial.

But why does compassion have to be universal? Because this is different from moral judgment. It doesnt prevent you from saying that those are walking psychopaths, that they have no heart. But compassion is to remedy suffering wherever it is, whatever form it takes and whoever causes it. So what is the object of compassion here? It is the hatred and the person under its power. If someone beats you with a stick, you dont get angry with the stick  you get angry with the person. These people we are talking about are like sticks in the hands of ignorance and hatred. We can judge the acts of a person at a particular time, but compassion is wishing that the present aspect of suffering and the causes of suffering may be remedied.

Matthieu Ricard, right, with his teacher Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Paro, Bhutan, in 1983. Marilyn Silverstone/Shechen Archives

For a while now, people have been calling you the worlds happiest man. Do you feel that happy? Its a big joke. We cannot know the level of happiness through neuroscience. Its a good title for journalists to use, but I cannot get rid of it. Maybe on my tomb, it will say, Here lies the happiest person in the world. Anyway, I enjoy every moment of life, but of course there are moments of extreme sadness  especially when you see so much suffering. But this should kindle your compassion, and if it kindles your compassion, you go to a stronger, healthier, more meaningful way of being. Thats what I call happiness. Its not as if all the time you jump for joy. Happiness is more like your baseline. Its where you come to after the ups and downs, the joy and sorrows. We perceive even more intensely  bad taste, seeing someone suffer  but we keep this sense of the depth. Thats what meditation brings.

But if I were explaining that to someone, they still might say, OK, how do I change? Is the answer as simple as Just start thinking about compassion? When you are in that moment of unconditional love  say, for a child  this fills our mind for 30 seconds, maybe a minute, then suddenly its gone. We all have experienced that. The only difference now is to cultivate that in some way. Make it stay a little longer. Try to be quiet with it for 10 minutes, 20 minutes. If it goes away, try to bring it back. Give it vibrancy and presence. Thats exactly what meditation is about. If you do that for 20 minutes a day, even for three weeks, this will trigger a change.

Ricard with the Dalai Lama at an international meeting on Tibetan issues at the French Senate in 2016. Philippe Lopez/Agence France-Presse, via Getty Images.

Not to reduce 2,500 years of contemplative science to a single sentence, but is there a thought that you can suggest to people that they can carry in their minds that might be helpful to them as they go through lifes challenges? If you can, as much as possible, cultivate that quality of human warmth, wanting genuinely for other people to be happy; thats the best way to fulfill your own happiness. This is also the most gratifying state of mind. Those guys who believe in selfishness and say, You do that because you feel good about it  this is so stupid. Because if you help others but you dont care a damn, then you wont feel anything! Wanting to separate doing something for others from feeling good yourself is like trying to make a flame that burns with light but no warmth. If we try humbly, with some happiness, to enhance our benevolence, that will be the best way to have a good life. Thats the best modest advice I could give.

Sorry, are you wearing an Apple Watch? Yes.

Why does a Buddhist monk need an Apple Watch? I walk in the forest. I try to count 10,000 steps to be healthy at 77 years old. I dont do many interviews anymore, but when I do, I usually dont put this on, because the first thing the guys say is Why do you have an Apple Watch?

I realize this is a question that no one on the path to enlightenment would ask, but broadly speaking, am I on the right path? You?

Yes. [Laughs.] I mean, I cannot make a clinical examination, but I feel that you resonate with ideas which are dear to me. So thats a good sign.

Ill take it! If you had said, Oh, thats all rubbish  you know, once there was a French journalist, very cynical, and he said to me, This thing about becoming a better person and all that, this is the politics of the hash trade. I dont know what he meant. But what I said was, My dear friend, if genuinely trying to become a better person and do a little good  if thats the politics of the hash trade, Im happy to spend my whole life in the hash trade.

Opening illustration: Source photograph by Raphaele Demandre

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.
Farmers are seven times more likely to have a workplace accident than the two million other workers in Ireland the official opening of a major event at Tullamore Show and the FBD National Livestock Show was told this morning.

Minister with responsibility for farm safety, Martin Heydon said farm safety should be at the heart of everything that farmers do.

Speaking at the launch of Farm Safety Live, the Minister  the first ever to have special responsibility for farm safety  stressed: Farm safety needs to be the first thought every day and not an after thought.

Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, who performed the official opening, acknowledged it was a challenging year for farmers but stressed that the focus always needed to be maintained on safety.

He paid tribute to Tullamore Show and the organisers of the event, FRS, the Health and Safety Authority and FBD.

A series of quad bike demonstrations and lectures on livestock and machinery safety are now taking place at the stand n the showgrounds

The opening heard the Government has introduced special grants for PTO shafts and quad bike helmets.

It was also revealed that the majority of the last 12 people killed in quad bike accidents died from head injuries.
The past year has been a very challenging one for Irish farming on a number of different fronts the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has stated.

Speaking at the official opening of Tullamore Show and the FBD National Livestock Show today, Minister Charlie McConalogue said his department had introduced a number of different supports to aid farmers in meeting these challenges.

In a wide ranging address, the Minister stressed the importance of farming sustainably and praised the show for introducing a Sustainable Livestock Village at this year's event.

He also highlighted the importance of farm safety and noted the high number of workplace accidents on farms every year.

Minister McConalogue encouraged those in attendance at the show to visit the Farm Safety Live Stand to view the demonstrations and listen to expert speakers on livestock and machinery safe practices.

Stressing the importance of agriculture to the economy the Donegal based Minister said 90 per cent of food was exported to over 180 countries to a total value of 19 billion.

Pat Gilligan, head of sales for the Midlands and East region, described Tullamore as the highlight of the summer shows calendar.

He also stressed the importance of protecting the environment and predicted that agriculture will rise to the challenges it faces.

Tullamore Show had become more an occasion than just a show said Irish Shows Association chief, Ray Brady who described it as Ireland's premier show, logistically perfectly located in the centre of the country.

He said the volunteers who put in a huge effort to make the event possible deserved special praise.

Joe Molloy, chairman of Tullamore Show, said the creme de la creme of livestock was on display in Tullamore and said lots of people would go home with prizes and awards.

He thanked the site owners, volunteers and all the services and agencies who made the event possible.

The official opening concluded with a blessing by Fr Michael Whittaker and Rev. Yvonne Hutchinson.
PM Should Be Held Accountable For 'Scams' Pointed Out By CAG: Congress

Will PM Modi Address The Nation From Red Fort Next Year? Here's What Times Now ETG Survey Says

Ahead Of Independence Day, PM Modi Urges People To Put Tricolour As Social Media DP

India

pti-PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to change the display picture of their social media accounts to the tricolour in the spirit of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign.

PM Modi also changed the display picture of his social media accounts to the national flag. The prime minister on Friday called on people to take part in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement between August 13 to 15.

"In the spirit of the #HarGharTiranga movement, let us change the DP of our social media accounts and extend support to this unique effort which will deepen the bond between our beloved country and us," Modi said on X.

He has also urged people to upload their photos with the tricolour on www.harghartiranga.com.
Amit Shah Compares Opposition Alliance INDIA To 'Old Wine In Old Bottle'

India

pti-PTI

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday took a swipe at the opposition alliance, likening it to an "old wine in old bottle" and claimed it was a group of leaders involved in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore.

Shah hit out at the opposition Congress, saying during its rule, India's economy did not go beyond the 11th rank in the world, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi took it to the 5th position in one shot. He was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for a regional centre of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Mansa town in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district.

Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a group of 26 opposition parties have come together under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Shah said, "The UPA and Congress are a group of leaders involved in Rs 12 lakh crore corruption. They have now changed their name, haven't they? But you must refer to them as UPA...Who will vote for those who have committed a scam of Rs 12 lakh crore?" "Haven't you heard the saying: 'Old wine in a new bottle'.

But here both the bottle and the wine are old. So, do not get cheated. Under PM Modi's leadership, the BJP will return to power with full majority," the Union minister said. Shah further said many of us have not seen the country's struggle for independence and have not got the opportunity to die for the nation.

"Many people say had they been there, they would have sacrificed their life for the nation. We do not need to sacrifice our life for the nation, but nobody can stop us from living for the nation," he said.

"Let us raise five children, starting from our home, who are filled to the brim with patriotism, whose entire life is dedicated to the country. Let us raise five children who live for our language, literature, culture, village, state and the country," the BJP leader said.

Shah also said that while he is not against English as a language, it is our responsibility to keep the Gujarati language alive. "If a student does not learn Gujarati, he will not recognise Gujarat, and the country. And if he does not recognise the country, he will never do anything good for it. If we do not introduce our children to the 15,000 years' old culture of our country, then we shall be responsible for endangering our culture," he said.

India has shown the path to the world for thousands of years, Shah said, and appealed to people to help create an India which is on top in fields ranging from education, space, security and economy.
FIR Filed Against Kannada Actor Upendra For Using Derogatory Remarks Against Dalits

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Popular Kannada film actor and director Upendra lands into trouble for using a derogatory proverb about Dalits. An FIR has been filed against the actor under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Upendra was live on Facebook talking about his political party Prajakeeya when he made that controversial statement. During the interaction, he cited "If there is a town, it inevitably will have Dalits."

The actor who seemed to have deleted the video, said, "Change can happen only with innocent hearts. I wish for innocent hearts to join us and speak up. Their suggestions will benefit us. They won't speak carelessly or insult someone. There are some who have a lot of time in their hands. They comment on whatever comes to their mind. Can't do anything about them. If there's a town, it will have Dalits. Similarly, these kinds of people also exist. Let's ignore them. Let's not read those comments. Patriotism is when you love people."

The video went viral, prompting backlash from Dalit groups. However, Upendra was quick to apologise on Facebook.

"During today's live interaction on my social media account, I slipped my tongue and quoted an old proverb. I have noticed that many people are disappointed with my statement. I extend apologies to everyone for using the proverb and have deleted the video from my social media accounts," Upendra wrote in Kannada.

However, the Samatha Sainik Dal (SSD) wrote to the Assistant Director of the Social Welfare Department, Madhusudhan K N, who registered a complaint at the CK Achukattu police station.

The complaint demanded strict action against the actor. SSD youth wing president, Gopal Giriyappa, said the context in which Upendra used the proverb suggested that a Dalit community was "troublemakers and unimportant", which has hurt the community.

He demanded a public apology from Upendra. P Krishnakant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said the police were reviewing the video to ascertain the actor's statement. Any further action will be taken accordingly, he added.

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Story first published: Monday, August 14, 2023, 0:41 [IST]
Haryana: Curfew Relaxed On August 14, 15 In Nuh district, Details Inside

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, the District Magistrate of Nuh has announced that the curfew in Haryana's Nuh district has been relaxed from 6 am to 8 pm on August 14 and 15.

However, the Haryana government extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services in the Nuh district till August 13.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that erupted in Muslim-dominated Nuh when a Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession or the Braj Mandal Yatra was attacked by mobs on July 31.

"Keeping in view, the information received from the Police department, in the exercise of the powers vested in me by virtue of Section-144 of the code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, I, Dhirendra Khadgata, IAS, District Magistrate, Nuh do hereby lift the curfew for the movement of public from 6 am to 8 pm on 14.08.2023 and 15.08.2023," the order reads.

The District Magistrate further said that this order is passed ex-parte and is addressed to the public in general. However, if any person is found guilty of a violation of the aforesaid order, he will be liable for punishment under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and all other relevant rules as applicable.

"In exceptional cases, where the undersigned or concerned SDM is satisfied that it is essential for any person or persons to be allowed to move during curfew hours to seek urgent medical aid, may permit such person(s) for the purpose by issuing him/them curfew passes," it said.

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Story first published: Sunday, August 13, 2023, 21:44 [IST]
Defying Police Warning, Hate Speech At Hindu Outfit Meeting In Haryana

India

oi-Prakash KL

In spite of the "no hate speech" condition laid down by the Haryana authorities to grant permission for 'Mahapanchayat' by a Hindu outfit in the Palwal district, a few issued open threats in the presence of police, NDTV reported.

"If you raise a finger, we will cut off your hands," a speaker was quoted as saying at the event. Another one reportedly claimed that they need licences for rifles.

The Haryana government granted permission to 'mahapanchayat' in Pondri village on Sunday where the Hindu leaders will take a call on resuming VHP's Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh that was disrupted on July 31 after communal violence broke out in Nuh.

"Permission has been granted on several conditions. Hate speech is prohibited. Our team will keep an eye on each and every person and action will be taken against people for any wrong action," SP, Palwal Lokender Singh, said on Mahapanchayat organised at Pondri village.

The 'Sarva Jatiye Mahapanchayat' was originally planned to be held in Nuh district's Kira village but permission was denied for it in view of the prevailing law and order situation. Permission for the event has been given in Palwal, he added.

Palwal and Nuh are adjoining districts. The 'mahapanchayat' will be held under the banner of 'Sarv Hindu Samaj', in which Hindu outfits including the Vishva Hindu Parishad, will take part. Police said a gathering of around 500 people has been allowed for the mahapanchayat and strict action will be taken if anyone makes any kind of hate speech.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a VHP procession was attacked by a mob.

On the other hand, VHP leader from Gurugram Devender Singh claimed that the yatra will resume on August 28 in Nuh after the earlier one came under attack.

It may be recalled that the Hindu Samaj Mahapanchayat, following the violence, had organized a gathering in Gurugram, despite the police department refusing to grant permission. During this gathering, they gave a call to boycott Muslim traders.
Why President unfurls Tricolour on R-Day while PM hoists it on I-Day

Independence Day Quotes In English: Wishes, Powerful Slogans, Greetings To Share With Friends, Well Wishers

India

oi-Prakash KL

Gyan Path in front of the Red Fort in central Delhi will be decked up with flowers and G20 signage and more than 10,000 security personnel will be deployed for the Independence Day celebrations when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation.

Around 1,000 cameras with facial recognition and video analytic systems will be installed in and around the Mughal-era fort and at other strategic locations to ensure foolproof security and monitor VVIP movements, police said.

Around 70 to 75 couples from every state are among the special invitees to the programme and they will attend it in their traditional dresses. Sarpanches of vibrant villages, nurses, fishermen and labourers engaged in the construction of Central Vista project are also among the special invitees.

As the country is set to celebrate its Independence Day, here we bring you quotes, messages and famous slogans by our great freedom fighters to share with your friends, family members and well-wishers:

Powerful Messages From Freedom Fighters

Every citizen of India must remember that... he is an Indian and he has every right in this country but with certain... duties: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

So as long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you: BR Ambedkar

Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living? Mahatma Gandhi

It is easy to kill individuals, but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled while the ideas survived: Bhagat Singh

Forget not that the grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong. Remember the eternal law: you must give if you want to get: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

If your blood does not rage, then it is water that flows in your veins. For what is the flush of youth if it is not of service to the motherland? Chandra Shekhar Azad

It is easy to kill individuals, but you cannot kill the ideas. Great empires crumbled, while the ideas survived: Bhagat Singh.

One individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Freedom is never dear at any price. It is the breath of life. What would a man not pay for living? Mahatma Gandhi.

Tum Muje Khoon Do, Mai Tumhe Azadi Dunga: Subhash Chandra Bose.

Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it: Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Quotes To Share With Your Friends, Colleagues and Family Members:

May your spirits soar with the Indian flag today! Happy Independence Day!

May the Indian tricolor always fly high, Warm wishes on the grand occasion of Independence Day.

Thousands of men laid their lives and thousands of mothers sacrificed their sons to bring freedom to India.... Let us value and celebrate it with pride.... Happy Independence Day.

Fortunate are those who are born in free India... Independence Day is the time to remember all those who struggled to get us freedom and gifted us an Independence India. Jai Hind!!

My love for my country is boundless. All I desire for my nation is happiness. Let me be the first one to wish you a very Happy Independence Day!

May the Indian flag always fly high! Warm regards on the occasion of Independence Day.

Today is a day to feel proud about being a part of this great nation. May this spirit of freedom leads us all to success and glory in life. Happy Independence Day!

Let's not forget people who sacrificed everything so that we could live freely and be treated equally. Happy Independence Day.

United we stand and divided we fall. We should abide by this saying and pledge not to discriminate based on class, caste, creed, and gender. We should promise to build an India where people have equal opportunities (Right To Education). Happy Independence Day 2023.

People say that everything has a price, and so does freedom. India got its freedom from British rule by sacrificing its brave soldiers. Happy Independence Day!

Freedom is a precious gift that we must not take lightly. We must promise ourselves to fight for the freedom of others if we get the chance. Happy Independence Day!
Missing Cheetah From MP's Sheopur District Found After 22 Days

India

pti-PTI

A South African female cheetah that went missing in the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district was captured on Sunday after a 22-day search operation.

Reportedly her radio collar stopped working on July 21. The cheetah, Nirva, was caught at around 10 am in Dhoret range of the Kuno National Park (KNP), after which a health check-up was conducted on her,

"An intense search for the female feline was on for the last 22 days after her radio collar stopped functioning on July 21", a release issued by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the Madhya Pradesh forest department said.

More than 100 field staff, including officers, veterinarians, and cheetah trackers were searching for the spotted cat day and night, it said. Besides the team on the ground, two drone teams, one dog squad, and available elephants were deployed in the search operation.

On August 12, information about the cheetah's location was received from the satellite. It gave information about her location on August 11 evening.

"A search team was immediately sent to the spot and with the help of a drone team and dog squad, a team of veterinarians was able to finally trace Nirva in the evening, but could not capture her. Nirva looked healthy and was moving, it said, adding that a decision was taken to restart the operation on Sunday morning as it was getting dark. Drone teams were given the task of keeping track of Nirva's location throughout the night.

It took nearly six hours to capture Nirva. Nirva is healthy and has been kept inside a boma (enclosure) for a further health check-up.

Since March, six of the adult cheetahs have died due to various reasons, taking the total death count of felines, including three cubs, to nine.
Pakistanis Have No Place In Indian Films: MNS On Seema Haider's Bollywood Entry

India

oi-Prakash KL

A leader from Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has warned the makers of a Hindi movie for roping in Pakistani woman Seema Haider, who illegally entered India to be with her Indian boyfriend Sachin Meena from Noida.

It comes after the makers started shooting with Seema Haider for the upcoming movie 'Karachi To Noida'.

"Pakistani citizens have no place in the Indian film industry. We stand firm on this stance. Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman, is currently in India. There were even rumours that she is an ISI agent. For some fleeting fame in our industry, they are trying to turn Seema Haider into an actress. How can these traitorous producers not feel ashamed? Put an end to this immediately, or be prepared for resolute action from MNS," MNS leader Ameya Khopkar tweeted in Marathi.

A clip of Haider busy with the auditioning had gone viral, recently.

The upcoming flick is being funded by Amit Jani. He had also asked her Pakistani husband Ghulam Haider to watch the film to know more about her.

"We want to tell the world how this love story unfolded while playing PUBG, how and why she came to India. We want to convey these elements in our film. So, that's why we are gathering every detail about Seema Haider," Amit Jani added.

Earlier, it was reported that Seema Haider was working on a film called 'A Tailor Murder Story' which was based on Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor who was murdered by Islam radicals.

Seema Haider, a married Muslim woman from Pakistan and mother of four, came across 22-year-old Sachin Meen on PUBG during the pandemic in 2020. After falling in love, she left her country and married him in Nepal. She then went back to her country, sold her property for flight tickets and a Nepal visa from where she illegally entered India with her four children to stay with the man whom she married in May.

She took a bus from Delhi to Noida to meet her lover.
PM Modi Will Hoist National Flag At His Home In 2024: Kharge

Unfulfilled Promise: Family Of Cook Who Refused To Poison Mahatma Gandhi Yet To Receive Land Promised By Prez

'Bharat Mata' Is Voice Of Every Indian: Rahul Gandhi On Independence Day

'He Will Hoist The Flag At Home': Mallikarjun Kharge Reacts To PM's Red Fort Comment

Platform X (Formerly Twitter) Removes Golden Tick Of These BJP Leaders: Details Inside

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Several leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party lost their golden tick on platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

This happened just after they changed their display picture to the tricolour as part of the 'Har Ghar Tiranga campaign'. The leaders included various chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also changed his display picture to the Indian tricolour as part of the campaign. However, his tick was not removed by the social media platform.

The leaders who lost their golden tick on 'X' include Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Goa CM Dr Pramod Sawant, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra has also lost the golden tick on the social media platform.

The social media platform has a policy that requires verified accounts to use their real names and display pictures.

According to the platform's amended criteria, the 'X' management will now review the leaders' profile and, if it fits all of the guidelines, the golden tick will be restored.

The campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of India's 77th Independence Day encourages citizens to display the Indian flag on their social media profiles. The leaders complied with the request and changed its profile picture to the tricolour.

The golden tick is a verification mark that signifies an account is genuine and belongs to the person or organisation that it claims to represent.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, August 14, 2023, 0:01 [IST]
Security Beefed Up Across Jammu To Ensure Peaceful Independence Day Celebrations

India

pti-PTI

Security has been beefed up across Jammu, especially along the borders with Pakistan, to thwart any attempt to disrupt peace in the region ahead of Independence Day, officials said on Sunday. Massive 'tiranga' rallies are being held in the region in the run up to Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday.

The army and Border Security Force have intensified their vigil all along the 225-km Line of Control (LoC) and 192-km International Border (IB), officials said. Area domination and checking in the hinterland have also been stepped up as part of the heightened security arrangements, they said.

Police have issued a security advisory in the border district of Rajouri, seeking people's cooperation during checking and also asked them to report to security agencies any suspicious movement or object.

Last week, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh chaired a joint meeting of various security agencies and called for a high level of alertness and 'offensive operations' to thwart terror threats.

He also stressed for strengthening of the border security grid, anti-drone measures, joint checking points at vulnerable locations and inter-district boundaries. The officials said the Maulana Azad Stadium, the venue of the main Independence Day function in Jammu city was virtually sealed with additional deployment of police and paramilitary personnel.

Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Ramesh Kumar visited the venue on Saturday to inspect and finalise the arrangements on the eve of full-dress rehearsal, they said. Jammu division has been witnessing massive public participation in a variety of activities organized as part of the nationwide 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign launched towards the end of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

Besides 'tiranga' rallies in the 10 districts, the celebrations also witnessed installation of statues of martyrs, creation of Amrit Vatikas and plantation drives.
Will PM Modi Address The Nation From Red Fort Next Year? Here's What Times Now ETG Survey Says

PM To Lead I-Day Celebrations From Red Fort: Selfie Points, Guests & More

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Nation in celebrating the 77th Independence Day from the iconic Red Fort in Delhi on August 15.

He will unfurl the National Flag and deliver the customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic monument. This year's Independence Day will culminate the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations, which were launched by the Prime Minister from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on March 12, 2021.

A number of new initiatives have been taken to celebrate the 77th Independence Day. A large number of guests have been invited as compared to last year.

Special Guests

Approximately 1,800 individuals representing various professions, accompanied by their spouses, have received invitations from all corners of the country to participate as Special Guests in the festivities at the Red Fort. This initiative aligns seamlessly with the Government's commitment to 'Jan Bhagidari' or public participation, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

This distinguished group of Special Guests encompasses over 400 Sarpanches from more than 660 vibrant villages, 250 beneficiaries of the Farmer Producer Organisations scheme, 50 participants each from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

Additionally, there are 50 Shram Yogis (construction workers) associated with the Central Vista Project, including the New Parliament Building, alongside 50 Khadi workers, contributors to border road construction, the creation of Amrit Sarovar, and the Har Ghar Jal Yojana. Furthermore, 50 primary school teachers, nurses, and fishermen have also been extended this special invitation. As part of their visit to Delhi, a number of these Special Guests will have the opportunity to explore the National War Memorial and pay a visit to Ajay Bhatt.

Moreover, each state and union territory will be represented by 75 couples donning their traditional attire, who have also been cordially invited to partake in witnessing the ceremony at the Red Fort.

Selfie Points

The press release said that selfie points dedicated to different schemes and initiatives of the government have been installed at 12 locations, including National War Memorial, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan, Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid Metro Station, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Delhi Gate Metro Station, ITO Metro Gate, Naubat Khana and Sheesh Ganj Gurudwara.

The schemes and initiatives include Global Hope: Vaccine & Yoga; Ujjwala Yojana; Space Power; Digital India; Skill India; Start-up India; Swachh Bharat; Sashakt Bharat, Naya Bharat; Powering India; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission.

As part of the celebrations, an online selfie contest will be conducted by the Ministry of Defence on MyGov portal from August 15-20. People are encouraged to take selfies at one or more of the 12 installations and upload them on MyGov platform to take part in the contest. Twelve winners, one from each installation, will be selected on the basis of the online selfie contest. The winners would be given prize money of Rs 10,000 each.

E-Invitations

All official invites have been sent online through aamantran portal (www.aamantran.mod.gov.in). 17,000 e-invitation cards have been issued through the portal.

The Ceremony

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the Prime Minister will be received by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. The Defence Secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth to the Prime Minister. The GoC Delhi Area will then conduct Narendra Modi to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour.

The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister will consist of one officer and 25 personnel each from the Army, Air Force &Delhi Police and one officer & 24 personnel from Navy. The Indian Army is the coordinating service this year. The Guard of Honour will be commanded by Major Vikas Sangwan. The Army Contingent in the Prime Minister's Guard will be commanded by Major Indrajeet Sachin, the Navalcontingent by Lieutenant Commander MV Rahul Raman and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Akash Ganghas. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Sandhya Swami.

After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Rajnath Singh, Ajay Bhatt, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. The GoC, Delhi area will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to unfurl the National Flag.

After being unfurled, the Tricolour will receive a 'Rashtriya Salute'. The Army band, consisting of one JCO and 20 Other Ranks, will play the National Anthem during the unfurling of the National Flag and presenting of the 'Rashtriya Salute'. The Band will be conducted by Naib Subedar Jatinder Singh.

Major Nikita Nair and Major Jasmine Kaur will assist the Prime Minister in unfurling the National Flag. It will be synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute by the valiant gunners of the elite 8711 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery will be commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Vikas Kumar and the Gun Position Officer will be Naib Subedar (AIG) Anoop Singh.

The National Flag Guard comprising five officers and 128 Other Ranks from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police will present Rashtriya Salute at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Major Abhinav Detha from the Army will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard.

The Army Contingent in the National Flag Guard will be commanded by Major Mukesh Kumar Singh, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Harpreet Mann and the Air Force Contingent by Squadron Leader Shrey Chawdhary. The Delhi Police contingent will be commanded by Additional DCP Shashank Jaiswal.

As soon as the National Flag is unfurled by the Prime Minister, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III Dhruv of the Indian Air Force in the Line Astern Formation. The captains of the helicopter will be Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Squadron Leader Himanshu Sharma.

After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the Nation. At the conclusion of the speech of the Prime Minister, the cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) will sing the National Anthem. One thousand one hundred (1,100) boy and girl NCC cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) from different schools across the country will take part in this festival of National Fervour. Bleachers have been installed at the Gyanpath, on which the cadets would be seated in official white dress.

In addition, NCC cadets in uniform will be seated at the Gyan Path as part of the celebrations.Another highlight would be the G-20 logo, which will be part of the floral decorations at the Red Fort.
Eurasia Review 20 Aug 2023

The British defense ministry said Sunday in its daily report about Russias invasion of Ukraine that Ukraine is striking deep..
The German chancellor said the Saudi-led peace talks and others will help Russia realize it has "taken the wrong path." Scholz was, however, non-committal on whether Berlin would supply Kyiv with Taurus cruise missiles.
BJP state president K Surendran has urged social media influencers associated with his party to change the narrative that they were 'anti-Kerala'.

Addressing a 'social media meet' in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Surendran said the BJP and Sangh Parivar get cornered easily whenever they raise issues concerning Kerala.

"When we talk about the Kerala's social backwardness, economic crisis, violence and inequality, are we talking against Kerala? That is a question that quite efficiently puts us on the defensive," Surendran said.

The BJP leader said even he faces the dilemma while interacting on social media or using other means to convey certain things about Kerala to the public.

"Do the things we speak and write result in a thinking that we are against Kerala, or it is being tweaked that way? Why does the counter-argument that 'this is Kerala' stands firm?" Surendran asked the gathering. The 'this is Kerala' reference is an opposing argument, often from BJP's political rivals.



Introspect and adapt

Surendran claimed that there exists an ecosystem that interprets everything his party or affiliates say about Kerala as against the state. "Even a Somalia reference from the prime minister brings out the statement that Sanghis are against Kerala," Surendran said. He was referring to a controversial statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi that drew a lot of flak.

In 2016, ahead of the Assembly polls in Kerala, Modi said that the infant mortality rate among scheduled tribes in Kerala was worse than Somalia.

The refernece met with widespread objection, especially on social media. Then chief minister, Oommen Chandy, demanded an apology from Modi. Soon, the hashtag, 'Po Mone Modi' (roughly translates as Go man, Modi) became a trend on social media.

Surendran urged the right-wing social media influencers to handle social media thoughtfully.

"Are we able to guide social media discussions in the way we intend it to is something that needs introspection," Surendran said.

Modi doesn't need Kerala?

Surendran told the gathering that the BJP would return to power after the 2024 General Elections even if the state did not side with his party. "Even if Kerala doesn't contribute anything, Narendra Modi's BJP has the potential to rule India for five year and five years after that... we have a strong social media presence, but that has to be used properly and channelised for success," Surendran said.

The BJP has yet to win a Parliament seat from Kerala. Its only success in the Assembly elections came in 2016 when O Rajagopal won from the Nemom constituency in Thiruvananthapuram.
Vice President Kamala Harris couldn't get on the presidential jet fast enough to get to Florida in July 2023. She was not campaigning. She was on another kind of political mission. She was there to blast Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for claiming that slavery had some benefits; namely that it enabled the slaves to gain valuable skills.

DeSantis's ludicrous retort might have been dismissed as just another of the far-right Florida governor's never-ending assault against those who maintain that systemic racism is the cause of Black political and economic victimization. But DeSantis's pro-slavery defense was backed up by the decision by his hand-picked Florida Board of Education to ban school districts from "indoctrinating" students with teaching that systemic racism and racial oppression is the cause of Black suffering.

An enraged Harris quickly went on the attack in a talk to a Black sorority group she noted, "They decided middle school students will be taught that enslaved people benefited from slavery. They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it."

Harris didn't stop there. She called on Blacks and others to vigorously counter any effort by DeSantis, the GOP, and rightist ideologues to put a pretty face on slavery, "There is so much at stake in this moment: our most basic rights and freedoms, fact versus fiction, foundational principles about what it means to be a democracy."

Harris had plenty of company in ripping DeSantis and the Board on their pro-slavery tact. And they'd need all the support they could muster. DeSantis quickly counter-attacked. He branded Harris a liar and claimed that she deliberately misread what the Board mandated in the history curriculum change. "So now they're saying there is a provision in there that says somehow this [slavery] was good. That's not what it says.

What it says was some slaves developed skills, which they did, but that was despite slavery. It wasn't because of slavery. And then they used those skills postbellum to be able to provide for themselves and their families."

DeSantis spoke for a wide body of GOP opinion which either distorted, twisted, deliberately ignored, or apologized for slavery in one form or another. However, in his lambaste of Harris and his critics, he inadvertently proved their point and why they were furious.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
In my fight against the American Nuclear Society (ANS) cover-up of nuclear power plant explosion dangers, the ANS refuses to acknowledge any dissenting opinions to improve nuclear power plant explosion safety to prevent death and protect our environment. There is something grossly wrong when we stand by and just wait for the next nuclear power plant explosion.



Figure 1. Preventable Fukushima explosions.

(Image by Japanese government) Details DMCA



In their most recent flagrant act of censorship, the ANS stopped another publication that would have further discussed and improved nuclear safety and nuclear plant explosion prevention. At the recommendation of the past Chair of the ANS, I submitted a proposed article to the Winter Conference of ANS, where competent work was previously refused by the Annual Conference. The title of my submission for the Winter Conference was "A Fight for Reactor Safety - Nuclear Power Plant Explosions".

If the article had been accepted, I would have further accused the ANS of their cover-up of nuclear power plant explosions, and their dishonest responses to my previous requests to publish through the ANS. I requested the opportunity to present a dissenting opinion at the Winter Conference, where my primary goal is to protect lives and the environment from the next major nuclear power plant explosion before 2039, where such an explosion will be comparable to Three Mile Island or Fukushima. Another goal is to stop ongoing smaller nuclear power plant explosions.

As expected, the ANS did not even respond to my submission. The ANS risks our lives to protect profits in the nuclear power industry. The ANS selects nuclear power plant explosions over explosion prevention. This latest ANS effort to crush nuclear safety is consistent with my earlier publications, which are partially quoted below.

A copy of this Op Ed was forwarded to the ANS with a request for comment. Given the ANS cover-up of nuclear power plant explosions, a response was not expected, and was not received. ANS censorship that supports industry and government explosion cover-ups will cost lives. However, the ANS is absolutely willing to pay the price with our lives.

Addendum

Today, 8/14/2023, I spoke with a software representative about another possible $20,000 to $30,000 in personal investments to further this research. My wife asked if I realized how crazy I sounded to tell a merchant that I was performing voluntary research to support our government. My answer was that I may seem crazy for pursuing this research on my own, but I am not trying to help the government, who is killing people through cover-ups. I am trying to help the families who will suffer their family members deaths unnecessarily. I also told that merchant that if we work together, that merchant can help stop people from dying.

Perhaps I will lose this fight against the ANS and the nuclear industry. However, fighting for the right to save lives is worth this fight, whether or not the deaths are stopped. I may lose this fight, but the real losers will be those people who die.

(Article changed on Aug 14, 2023 at 10:50 PM EDT)
By Jason Sibert

Those who value the rule of international law and the idea of peace certainly don't like what they see with China/United States relations.

Chinese Xi Jinping says he wants the Chinese military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, a scary idea. There's currently a US military buildup in the Pacific intended to deter China from an invasion and avoid a war. However, we must consider all the options when trying to manage our relationship with China.

Taiwan has been an issue with our relationship with the People's Republic of China since the 1970s when we started to build a stronger relationship with the country. The opening arrived because of the Sino-Soviet split in the Cold War. During that period in history, the PRC left the Soviet orbit and entered the US orbit because the country was more afraid of Soviet Russia than the US. The PRC started to change in the late-1970s when a reform government came to power, liberalizing its economy to adapt features of a market economy and liberalizing other parts of its society.

However, the country has not arrived at a Western model, and a war could break out between the US and the PRC over Taiwan, or the Republic of China. The ROC was settled by the nationalist Chinese, led by Chiang Kai-Shek, after the nationalist side of the Chinese civil war lost to the Communists. The PRC always stated that Taiwan is a part of the mainland. Since normalization of relations with China, we've followed a one China policy while saying Taiwan's legal status is undetermined. The US said it's open to peaceful unification but doesn't support formal independence for Taiwan. At the same time, China has said it will use force to prevent the permanent separation of Taiwan from the PRC. For years, this arrangement helped maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait, and economic prosperity followed all parties involved.

Things have certainly changed because some now call the Taiwan Strait the most dangerous place on earth. There's a lot of talk amongst politicians in Washington that makes war with the PRC seem inevitable. There's currently a naval buildup in the Pacific that's supposed to deter China from attacking the ROC. Deterrence as a strategy certainly beats war, but it's far from certain that the PRC will back down just because of a US-led military buildup in the region. Then there's a larger question to be asked. How big does the defense buildup have to be before the PRC considers it a provocation and starts a war because of it?

Right now, both sides should concentrate on avoiding war and maintaining the status quo. Let's avoid confrontation and not force the PRC into a corner that will lead to war, and let's also consider what the people of Taiwan want, as they don't want to be swallowed up by the PRC, but they don't want war either. A less confrontational and more diplomatic approach on the part of the US would serve the people of Taiwan better than a slow march toward a war - a war where their neighborhood becomes a battleground for two nuclear-armed superpowers. The shared vital interests of both the US, ROC, and the PRC can bring many benefits to the region. Our next step should be keeping the diplomatic door open to China.

Jason Sibert is the Lead Writer of the Peace Economy Project
A grand jury indicted Jared Walter, the convicted sex offender known as the TriMet Barber for crimes committed on the transit system, on more than 30 new charges Thursday. The 36-year-old is accused of filming multiple women while they were using public restrooms in April.

Walter faces 32 counts of first-degree invasion of personal privacy, one count of first-degree theft and one of second-degree theft, the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office said Friday.

Walter, who received a lifetime ban from TriMet in 2017 after numerous arrests for cutting, touching or masturbating into the hair of female passengers, was arrested and booked into Multnomah County jail on May 2, where he remained Saturday, according to jail records.

Walter was arrested after a TriMet employee reviewing surveillance footage spotted him walking onto the Southwest 18th Avenue MAX platform April 26.

On April 20, Portland Community College security officers responded to reports from a student whose backpack was missing. The student said she was using the restroom when someone entered the bathroom and took her bag off the coat hooks. The colleges security footage caught the person, later identified as Walter, entering the bathroom and taking the backpack, the DAs office said.

Between April 26 and April 30, police received multiple reports of a person entering womens bathrooms and recording women in different businesses in Portland. Investigators tracked the person using surveillance footage and witness statements, and identified the man as Walter.

Walters criminal history dates to 2010, when multiple TriMet passengers reported that he had snipped off chunks of their hair while on the bus. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison in January, 2011.

In 2013, Walter was arrested again for masturbating into female bus passengers hair. Walters was sentenced to two years in prison.

Most recently, Walter was sentenced to 22 months in prison after pleading guilty in July 2021 to trying to take a photo or video of a woman inside a bathroom inside Northeast Portlands Lloyd Center mall.

Walter will appear in court next Monday, court records show.

 Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744

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Portland photographer Jay Shah visited the Peter Iredale Shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park along the northwest Oregon coast Saturday night to capture the Perseid meteor shower during its peak. His images from the shower caught shooting stars, the Milky Way, glowing bioluminescence and a ship on the horizon that looks like the sunset.

Shah emphasizes that he only shoots single long exposure shots. He also said that bioluminescence sparkled all around his boots the night he got the images.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is currently forecasting clear or mostly clear skies over Oregon for the meteor showers peak tonight.

Check out where to watch the Perseid meteor shower in Oregon.

And click here to learn more about the Peter Iredale Shipwreck.

Image above:

Taken 10:39pm, August 12, 2023.

Camera: Sony Alpha 7 IV.

Lens: FE 24mm F1.4.

Exposure: 15 seconds.

ISO: 3200

Aperture: f/1.6

Portland photographer Jay Shah visited the Peter Iredale Shipwreck at Fort Stevens State Park Aug. 12, 2023, along the northwest Oregon coast Saturday night to capture the Perseid meteor shower during its peak. His images from the shower caught shooting stars, the Milky Way, glowing bioluminescence and a ship on the horizon that looks like the sunset. Courtesy of Jay Shah

Image above:

Taken 10:27pm, August 12, 2023.

Camera: Sony Alpha 7 IV.

Lens: FE 24mm F1.4.

Exposure: 20 seconds.

ISO: 3200

Aperture: f/1.6

Escaping light pollution

Where are the darkest locations in Oregon? The interactive map below shows light produced at night by human activity, along with six suggested locations for watching the night sky.
Brian Holoyda

Holoyda is a forensic psychiatrist who evaluates prisoners in the Oregon Department of Corrections and lives in Denver. He recently published a commentary piece on Oregons psilocybin program in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

In November 2020, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 109, which legalized the administration of psilocybin  a chemical found in magic mushrooms  at supervised, licensed facilities in the state. The associated statute, ORS 475A, explained the rationale for the measure as an effort to combat the states mental health and addiction crises, noting Oregons high prevalence of mental illness with one in every five adults in Oregon  coping with a mental health condition. The implication, offered without evidence, was that psilocybin might help this state of affairs.

Unfortunately, that unsupported assertion is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the states ill-informed approach to implementing Measure 109. The program set up by the state allows facilitators with no mental health or medical training to conduct psilocybin sessions, ignores best practices in this emerging therapy and fails to adequately consider the serious risk that clients may face. With psilocybin services now starting to be offered, Oregonians may soon bear the price of the states poor implementation of this experimental ballot measure.

Psilocybin is a psychedelic compound capable of fundamentally altering an individuals conscious experience, affecting ones emotional, cognitive and perceptual processes in ways that can be splendid, revealing or even transcendent  as well as frightening, nerve-racking or terrifying. As part of the so-called psychedelic renaissance of the last few decades, there has been a renewed interest in the potential benefits of psilocybin to treat mental health disorders, following a moratorium on research after psychedelics were classified on Schedule I per the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

For example, one recent clinical trial found that two doses of psilocybin were as effective for moderate-to-severe depression as treatment with the standard anti-depressant escitalopram. There remains insufficient evidence regarding the safety of psilocybin, however. In addition, clinical trials have been extremely exclusionary in selecting participants, so there is little data on the effect of psilocybin in real-world populations of patients with psychiatric disorders.

Though it may seem unwise for a state to legalize the administration of an insufficiently researched, unpredictable drug without any established protocols for recommending or administering treatment, Oregons framework is particularly alarming. Most research on psilocybin has involved psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in which one or two trained professional psychotherapists support a patient during the psilocybin experience, which can be challenging and destabilizing.

Oregon, however, has established a licensure pathway for psilocybin facilitators without requiring any medical or mental health training. In fact, the only education required is a high school diploma; a 120-hour course that includes instruction on irrelevant topics including history and cultural equity; and 40 hours of in-person training. Potential psilocybin users must review a mandatory informed consent document with these woefully ill-prepared facilitators and write their initials next to 30 bullet points, one of which reads, I understand that psilocybin services do not require medical diagnosis or referral and that psilocybin services are not a medical or clinical treatment. So much for the Oregon Legislatures lip service to its mental health crisis.

At the point of administration, a psilocybin user self-doses the drug and then sits with the facilitator, who is expected to utilize their training to distinguish between typical side effects of consuming psilocybin and medical emergencies. How a person with no health care background should be able to distinguish between medical emergencies and the effects of a mind-altering drug is unclear.

Oregons psilocybin policy poses serious risk in other ways, as well. Individuals who may be predisposed to a negative psilocybin experience (or a bad trip), such as those with psychotic disorders, severe mood disorders, or personality disorders, will have ready access to the drug and some may have long-lasting negative effects from receiving it. In a recent study of individuals with self-reported bipolar disorder, 32% described unwanted outcomes, including increasing manic symptoms, during or within 14 days of a full psychedelic journey from psilocybin.

Notably, Oregon does not restrict individuals with bipolar disorder from receiving psilocybin  nor would facilitators necessarily know, since it is up to clients to share their medical information. For those who do have a bad trip and develop agitation or aggression, the facilitator is legally allowed to provide only supportive touch, or touch limited to hugs or placing hands on the clients hands, feet or shoulders. Any further efforts to restrain an agitated person intoxicated with psilocybin could foreseeably lead to allegations of battery. Someone having a bad trip who attempts to stand or leave the facility will likely be able to do so, potentially placing other clients, staff and the general public at risk.

I suspect that Oregon is not ready for the onslaught of lawsuits likely to stem from the harm inflicted on vulnerable people because of its misguided policy. Instead of targeting Oregons mental health crisis by providing mental health services, the state legalized the recreational use of an unapproved, unpredictable and consciousness-altering drug overseen by high school graduates with no legitimate professional training. The threadbare framework developed by the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board makes it clear that the psychiatric justification for the measure was just that: a cynical rationalization.

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Of all the gorgeous, wild, awe-inspiring places to see in northeast Oregon, few can match Wallowa Lake.

Its not just that its strikingly beautiful (it is) or that the waters are crystal clear (they really are), Wallowa Lake, found in the small town of Joseph, also happens to be easily accessible, culturally significant and surrounded by a number of good amenities.

Joseph is known as a gateway to some of the best natural attractions in the region: the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Hells Canyon and Zumwalt Prairie, to name a few. Still, Wallowa Lake remains the go-to outdoor destination in town, drawing thousands of visitors to its waters each summer, and even a few hardy adventurers come winter.

The lake itself was formed after Ice Age glaciers advanced and retreated off the slopes of the Wallowa Mountains. When the glaciers melted, the lake was left behind. Today, its fed by the branching forks of the Wallowa River, which pour off the mountains.

With summer days fading, now is the time to visit. Grab a kayak, pull on your hiking boots and get ready to explore Wallowa Lake. Heres what to check out while youre there:

The sun begins to set over the Wallowa Mountains and Wallowa Lake, seen from a county park on the north end of the lake near Joseph.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

COUNTY PARK

The best views of Wallowa Lake are found at the Wallowa County Park on its northernmost shores. Here, you get a look not just at the clear waters, but the majestic Wallowa Mountains and the moraines on either side. Its one of the best places to watch a sunset in Oregon, whether you paddle out onto the lake or just gaze from the shore. A dock and boat ramp are available for boaters, as well as picnic tables and restrooms.

People enjoy a warm summer evening at Wallowa Lake State Park during a performance of In a Landscape by pianist Hunter Noack. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

WALLOWA LAKE STATE PARK

Wallowa Lake State Park is found on the southern shore, where there is ample room to spread out and a lot to do. The 200-site campground is the biggest camping option in northeast Oregon, and a seasonal marina offers boat rentals, snacks and supplies. Large parking lots, restrooms and grassy areas are able to accommodate a lot of visitors. If youre lucky, you might catch a piano concert on the lakeshore.

Wildflowers grow along the Wallowa Lake East Moraine Trail, found above the northeast Oregon lake at the foot of the Wallowa Mountains near Joseph.Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

EAST MORAINE

One of the newest hiking options in Joseph, the East Moraine Trail takes hikers through the East Moraine Community Forest and up to incredible views over the lake. In spring and summer, fields atop the moraine fill with colorful wildflowers. The hike begins at the main East Moraine Trailhead, found about 3.6 miles south of downtown Joseph along Oregon 351, where a network of trails runs through the area.

Boaters disembark at the dock at Wallowa Lake State Park in northeast Oregon. Divers found the barrels nearby. (Jamie Hale/The Oregonian)LC- Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

BOATING

Dont have a boat to take out on the lake? No problem. The Wallowa Lake Marina, which is open May to September, rents everything from paddleboards to pontoons, starting at $20 per hour. You can also book a tour with local outfitter JO Paddle, known for its glass-bottom kayaks and paddleboards, starting at $55 and $50 per hour, respectively. Check out their nighttime tours for a truly special experience.

The Wallowa Lake Lodge, originally constructed in 1923, still serves tourists and locals on the south end of Wallowa Lake in Joseph. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

WALLOWA LAKE LODGE

Located beside Wallowa Lake State Park, the Wallowa Lake Lodge is a great option for overnight lodging or dining on the south side of the lake. The 100-year-old lodge offers 22 rooms open seasonally, and eight cabins open year-round. Guests and the general public can dine at the lodges restaurant, The Camas Room, from Thursday to Sunday for dinner, or daily for breakfast. A lobby bar, The Redd, serves drinks and small plates from 1 to 9 p.m. every day.

Items are left at Old Chief Josephs Gravesite, a cemetery and historical site near the north shore of Wallowa Lake in Joseph. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

OLD CHIEF JOSEPH GRAVESITE

In 1926, the remains of beloved Nez Perce leader tiwiteqis, known as Old Chief Joseph, were laid to rest at a gravesite overlooking Wallowa Lake. Found on the side of Route 351, just north of Wallowa County Park, the cultural landmark is officially part of the multi-state Nez Perce National Historic Park.

The Wallowa Lake Tramway takes visitors up to the summit of Mount Howard in the Wallowa Mountains, where there are hiking trails, viewpoints and a full restaurant. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

MORE NEARBY

While not explicitly part of Wallowa Lake itself, there are a ton of attractions found close by. The Wallowa Lake Tramway takes people up to the top of Mount Howard, where there are incredible views and even a full restaurant. The Eagle Cap Wilderness has miles upon miles of day hiking and backpacking trails, leading to some of the best views in the Pacific Northwest. And Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site is a small, but beautiful park on the other side of Chief Josephs Gravesite, which is another great place to spend sunset.

 Jamie Hale

503-294-4077; jhale@oregonian.com; @HaleJamesB
An excessive heat warning is in effect for the Portland region, Southwest Washington and the Willamette Valley starting at 11 a.m. Sunday through 11 p.m. Wednesday.

High temperatures in the triple digits will make the next few days dangerous to vulnerable humans who work in hot locations or lack air conditioning, and dry windy conditions in parts of Oregon will be conducive to serious wildfires.

Sunday could see a high of 101 degrees in Portland, while Monday could get even hotter across the region  reaching 103 degrees in Portland, 106 in Canby and 108 degrees in Corvallis, according to the National Weather Service.

The temperatures start to drop slightly on Tuesday  to 100 degrees in Portland, 102 in Canby and 104 in Corvallis.

In Portland on Wednesday and Thursday, high temperatures will hover in the low- to mid-90s. Theyre expected to drop back into the 80s on Friday and Saturday.

Oregonians and residents of Southwest Washington can call 211 or go to 211info.org to find a nearby cooling center. Or stay cool by visiting a splash pad or interactive fountain from Hillsboro to Sandy.

Anyone visiting a river or lake should wear a life jacket and take precautions to avoid deadly cold water shock.

 Beth Slovic; bslovic@oregonian.com; 503-221-8551

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Niamey, Niger (PANA) - A group of Islamic scholars from Nigeria on Saturday met the military junta in Niger as the diplomatic alternative to resolve the crisis accelerated
We may be living at a time when education should be readily available for everyone, but knowledge still appears to be hard to come by. A new research suggests that black and Latino students are still a few grade levels behind their white classmates.

Stanford University conducted an educational study on the test scores of around 40 million US students and discovered that students of color had lower scores than white students. In addition to that, the academic-achievement gap between white and colored students was even greater in wealthy university towns like Evanston in Illinois and Berkeley in California.

Is It A Poverty Issue?

The researchers of Stanford University were quick to analyze whether poverty was a major factor in the gap, since children of color tend to come from poorer families. However, it seems as though that is not the only factor.

The study found that there is still an the academic-achievement gap still exists between white and colored students who have similar socioeconomic backgrounds and go to the same schools. So what is happening in these schools that are allowing white students to be more knowledgeable than their Latino and black classmates?

Racial Segregation In School

Stanford University professor Sean Reardon, who also served as a lead researcher on the study, told The Atlantic that one of the causes of the educational gap could be the tendency for white students to be tracked into more demanding courses. This usually leads to white children learning so much more compared to their colored classmates.

"The results of these descriptive analyses are unequivocal," Reardon stated. "Racial segregation is strongly associated with racial achievement gaps; and the racial difference in the proportion of students' schoolmates who are poor is the key dimension of segregation driving this association."

It certainly sounds like the issue can be easily overlooked by schools, but Reardon hopes that something will be done with the help of their research. "This isn't a little problem," he stated. "We've got to work on lots of fronts at once."

Understanding the Academic Achievement Gap Between White Students and Their Peers of Color

The academic achievement gap between white students and their peers of color is a multifaceted issue that has long intrigued educators, researchers, policymakers, and communities. This disparity in educational outcomes transcends borders, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds, sparking discussions about systemic inequities and their impact on learning opportunities. Unraveling the reasons behind this gap requires delving into a web of interrelated factors that shape educational experiences and outcomes for students of diverse backgrounds.

Read Also: Grieving Families at Risk: FTC Issues Warning Against Funeral Home Scam Preying on Vulnerable

Socioeconomic Disparities

One of the most influential factors contributing to the achievement gap is socioeconomic status. Research consistently shows that students from low-income households face barriers that impede their academic success. These barriers range from limited access to quality early childhood education and learning resources to inadequate healthcare and unstable home environments. Children growing up in poverty often confront stressors that can affect cognitive development and overall well-being, creating a ripple effect on their educational journey.

Educational Resources and Funding

A well-funded educational system is vital for nurturing students' potential, but it's no secret that schools in low-income areas often struggle to secure adequate resources. Schools with predominantly white student populations tend to have access to more advanced curricula, extracurricular activities, and technology. On the other hand, schools serving communities of color may face overcrowded classrooms, outdated textbooks, and a lack of essential support services. This disparity in resources perpetuates an uneven playing field that directly impacts students' academic growth.

Cultural Bias in Curriculum

The curriculum taught in schools is not always representative of the diverse cultural backgrounds of students. This can lead to feelings of disconnection and disengagement among students of color. By integrating culturally relevant content and perspectives into the curriculum, educators can create a more inclusive learning environment that resonates with the experiences of all students. Acknowledging the histories, achievements, and contributions of diverse communities fosters a sense of belonging that can positively impact academic performance.

Implicit Bias and Stereotypes

Implicit biases-unconscious associations based on stereotypes-can influence educators' perceptions and expectations of their students. These biases may inadvertently affect grading, discipline, and overall interactions in the classroom. When students of color are unfairly judged or held to lower expectations, their self-esteem and motivation can suffer, hindering their academic progress. Raising awareness about these biases and providing ongoing training for educators can contribute to a more equitable educational experience.

Cultural and Linguistic Differences

Language barriers and cultural differences can pose challenges for students who are learning in an environment that doesn't align with their home culture. English language learners, for instance, may struggle to access and comprehend the curriculum, leading to disparities in academic achievement. Schools that prioritize providing support services, bilingual programs, and culturally responsive teaching practices can help bridge these gaps and empower students to succeed.

Parental Involvement and Expectations

Parental involvement plays a crucial role in students' academic journeys. However, socioeconomically disadvantaged families might face barriers such as time constraints due to work commitments or limited access to information about their child's education. Schools can take proactive steps to engage parents by fostering open communication, offering workshops, and creating a welcoming atmosphere that encourages parental participation. When parents are informed and engaged, students are more likely to excel academically.

Is Academic Acheivement Gap a Simple Issue?

The academic achievement gap between white students and their peers of color is not a simple issue with a single solution. It is a complex tapestry woven from systemic inequities, socioeconomic disparities, cultural biases, and educational challenges. Addressing this gap requires a multifaceted approach that involves policymakers, educators, communities, and families working together to dismantle barriers and create inclusive learning environments for all students. By acknowledging the intricate layers that contribute to this gap, we can pave the way toward a more equitable and just educational landscape for every child, regardless of their background or color.

This post was first published Febrary 5, 2016. Updated August 13, 2023.

Related Article: US Teen Suicides Double in a Decade: Insights for Parents To Safeguard Adolescents' Mental Health
Over on the Patheos General Christian channel, the Patheos Editorial Team has put together a piece titled Genesis 1:1  Bible Verse and Perspectives. Its part of their Questions & Answers series intended to provide high-level answers to basic questions about religious beliefs, practices, and history. This particular feature begins by saying:

Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth) is one of the most foundational verses in the entire Bible. Its primary focus is the basic belief that an omnipotent God is responsible for the creation of the universe. The biggest distinction in how this verse would be interpreted by various religions centers around how God creates; something largely left unexplained by the passage.

It then goes on to provide short paragraphs on how various Christian traditions interpret this verse: Baptists tend to read it literally, while Catholics and Progressive Christians do not. It doesnt cover every denomination, but it does a good job of listing what many different kinds of Christians believe, and of clearly stating that:

No major world religion has complete uniformity of belief among all of its practitioners.

It also includes perspectives from other religions. Its quite appropriate to include a Jewish perspective, since Genesis was (and still is) Jewish before it was Christian. The Muslim perspective quotes a similar verse from the Quran  again, appropriate given the roots Islam shares with Christianity.

And then it includes a Pagan perspective.

What is written isnt bad. It points out that many Pagans are polytheists and so they may not adhere to the common monotheistic reading of Genesis 1:1. I have no data to back me up, but when it says many Pagans would still interpret the Genesis account metaphorically I strongly suspect its more right than wrong. Whether thats a good thing or a bad thing is another matter. And its exactly right when it says it is impossible to summarize what all Pagans would believe about this verse, or even about the creation.

The answer the article gives to what is the Pagan perspective on Genesis 1:1? is respectful and reasonable.

The problem is that the question is of limited relevance to Pagans or to people curious about Paganism. Because ultimately, there is no Pagan perspective on Genesis 1:1 or any other Christian scripture.

The Bible as literature is for everyone  the Bible as scripture is only for Christians

Even uber-atheist Richard Dawkins agrees that the Bible is a great work of literature. Numerous English idioms have their roots in the Bible. You cannot fully understand Western art, music, literature, and philosophy without at least a casual familiarity with the Bible, preferably the King James Version (and you cant understand U.S. politics without an understanding of Calvinism, but thats another rant for another time). As a work of literature, we are all free to read the Bible and to take what meaning and inspiration we find in its stories.

The Bible as literature is for everyone. It is scripture only for Christians. Genesis is one example of a creation myth, but only one among many. Its only relevance to Pagans is to compare and contrast it with other creation myths, especially others from the ancient Near East. There is no need for Pagans to offer perspectives on it, because its not our story.

The Pagan perspective on Genesis is as irrelevant as the Catholic perspective on The Charge of the Goddess or the Mormon perspective on The Book of Cernunnos  neither of which are scripture, but both of which are examples of writings that are meaningful to many Pagans and sacred to some.

When Pagans debate the Bible, we reinforce the idea that it is authoritative for us

I grew up going to Baptist Sunday School. I read the Bible as a young adult. And Im a religion nerd  Im genuinely interested in the worlds religions. I know the Bible better than most Christians, and its always tempting to jump in when someone misquotes the Bible, takes something out of context, or blatantly misinterprets something (the sin of Sodom was inhospitality  a serious offense in that culture  not homosexuality).

I do my best to walk away from those arguments. When Pagans argue from the Bible, we reinforce the idea that the Bible is authoritative for everyone. It is not. The Bible is a set of writings by and for a particular group of people living in a particular time and place. It is authoritative only for those who accept its authority. Being familiar with the Bible as literature does not require us to participate in discussions of the Bible as scripture.

What the Bible says about this or that is simply not relevant to Pagans and other non-Christians.

Our many Pagan traditions have many creation myths

Our ancient ancestors wondered where all this came from. They wondered, and they thought, and they told stories of primordial materials, of Creator Gods, of Titans giving way to Olympians. Some said humans were made by the Gods. Some said humans grew out of the Earth. These stories werent primitive attempts at science  no one believed they were literally true. They were myths: stories that provide meaning.

It can be interesting to compare creation myths across cultures. What do they have in common? Where are they different? But we do this for what it can tell us about the cultures that produced the myths, not to tease out some universal creation myth that never existed, much less some fragments of literal history.

There is no Celtic creation myth. Was there one that was lost? Or did the ancient Celts simply not find that question interesting enough to develop a story about it? While Im extremely curious about deep questions like this, theyre not essential to living a good life.

Ultimately, where we come from is far less important than the fact that we are here. Now what are we going to do with this life and this world?

The modern Pagan creation myth is the Big Bang

I want to make sure theres no misunderstanding: the Big Bang is a scientific theory grounded in a materialist worldview. It makes claims of literal truth, claims that hold up very well to examination  even though current physics breaks down a fraction of a second after the Big Bang and thus cannot answer questions of ultimate origins (I suspect those questions are unanswerable by humans, but thats another topic for another time).

But the Big Bang is also a myth: a story that provides meaning. It says that in the beginning, all was one. And then the universe began to expand and coalesce. And then stars formed, and then planets orbiting the stars. And on at least one of those planets, life began, first as a single-celled organism, then as more complicated organisms, and then as the beautifully diverse and complex assortment of life we see and are a part of today.

I love the Greek, Norse, Egyptian, and other ancient creation myths. I find the creation myths of different cultures and traditions to be interesting and inspiring. But my creation myth is the Big Bang.

Focus on our own religion

I appreciate the Patheos Editorial Team including a Pagan perspective on this question. I wish they had asked a Pagan to write it, but honestly, I couldnt have done substantially better with this question for this audience.

The core problem is that a general question was presented in a Christian context: whats your traditions perspective on Genesis 1:1? instead of what is your traditions creation myth and how do you interpret it? This is similar to atheists who complain about the harmful effects of religion and then when you ask for examples, theyre all from conservative Christianity. Insisting that myths must be read literally simply isnt an issue for Pagans, or Buddhists, or for Progressive Christians.

Religion is more than Christianity, and Christianity is not the norm against which all religions are evaluated  even though many Christians act like it is.

As Pagans, we need to focus on our own religion and our own myths and not get caught up in the myths of religions to which we do not belong. When general questions are presented in a Christian context we need to reframe them in a Pagan context or at least in a universal context.

Or we can simply say thats not part of my religion and decline to answer.
When the apostles saw Jesus walking on water, Saint Matthew writes that they werent just scared or shaken up, they were terrified. It is a ghost!, they said. They had no idea what was happening as a figure approached them.

Have you ever been terrified? Its such a strong word. I can think of many times that Ive been scared, uncertain, afraid but terrified?

Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid! are the words of Jesus to them.

These are reminiscent of the words of the angels to the shepherds in the fields after the birth of Jesus, Fear not, for behold we bring tidings of great joy! Tonight, is born in the city of Bethlehem a child who is Christ the Lord! Likewise, the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary saying, Fear not, for you have found favor with God!

Some have counted, and say the words Fear Not appear 365 times in the Bible, once per day of the year.

Why is it that we experience so much fear? Even when we are in the presence of something very good? What are the things that cause us fear?

As children, were afraid of the dark, or the boogie man. As adults though, we all still face many fears.

The fear of failure, the fear of being ridiculed or being forgotten, the fear of not being noticed or considered, the fear of illness, the fear of loss, the fear of the unknown or unexpected. Some people live paralyzed with fear, unable to make a decision due to the fear and anxiety they experience. Just watch some television and you see how the news and politicians play on our collective fears many times to get their way.

I ask you today: where do you experience fear? Where is Jesus stretching out his hand to you and saying like he did to Peter, take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!

I recently returned from World Youth Day in Lisbon where hundreds of thousands of young people gathered for days of prayer, fellowship and union with Pope Francis. The opening ceremony gathered half a million people at a park in downtown Lisbon, the final Mass brought together over 1.5 million in a large field outside the city.

During the Opening Ceremony, Pope Francis addressed the crowd and said, each one of us has been called by name by Jesus. We are called because we are loved: in Gods eyes, we are precious children.

Reflecting on todays Gospel, I add to the Popes words, if this is the case, that we are called by name by Jesus and that we are Gods precious children, then why are we afraid?

Pope Francis continued, We are not a community of the perfect, but we are called as we are, with our problems, with our limitations, with our joys and with our wish to become better. We are all called as we are. God loves us not as we want to be, but as we are.

I ask again then, if this is the case, that God calls us as we are even with our defects and limitations, then why are we afraid?

The Pope ended his address saying, If God calls you by name, you are not a number, you are a face. You are precious in his sight. You are loved.

Why is it that we forget how much we are loved, and allow fear to enter our hearts?

When the sea became stormy, the apostles forgot everything Jesus had taught them. He reprimanded them, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? Once Jesus got on the boat, the wind died down, the apostles remembered that they were not alone, and all was well.

How do we respond to the storms of life? Do we forget the promises Jesus has made to us? Even when we face our greatest fears, perhaps including illness and death, do we remember the promise of eternal life?

We have nothing to fear, because God is with us. He allows us to face tomorrow with confidence, because He is with us.

Saint Paul wrote to Timothy, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. Love casts away all fear.

We pray today that we may not lose sight of Jesus in our midst  that we surrender to his love and mercy our fears and insecurities, trusting that in Him, we have nothing to fear.

Picture taken from the Public Domain
I have seen the freest and best educated in the happiest circumstances the world can afford; yet it seemed that a cloud hung on their brow and they appeared serious and almost sad even in their pleasures (because they) never stop thinking of the good things they have not got.

Alexis de Tocqueville[1]

Among the various smaller and larger tragedies of Zens taking root here in North America was what happened when Daido Loori, one of our more charismatic native born Zen masters died. He had established a major training temple, and when he died, one of his senior successors, Konrad Ryushin Marchaj was named abbot. The new abbot had trained for many years and was seen as a clear-eyed teacher.

After a few years it all collapsed. While married he had conducted an affair with someone outside of his community. Itself damaging to many people. But there was something else going at the same time. He had become interested in the South American hallucinogen, Ayahuasca. It appears he gave dharma talks while intoxicated. He was asked to step down as abbot because of the affair, but it seems obvious his drug use was in the mix, as well.

Which when I first heard it, I thought, well, Ive known of others whove given dharma talks while drunk. Taizan Maezumi, a Japanese Zen teacher central to the establishment of Zen in the West and Chogyam Trungpa, a very prominent Tibetan master popped up in my mind pretty much immediately.

Im not by any means making excuses here. These are damaging acts, and not to be excused with euphemisms such as crazy wisdom. Accepting the role of spiritual director comes with more stringent restraints on behavior than might otherwise be the case. The cure of souls, as it was called in the west, is a powerful thing. And boundaries and consequences are important.

Coming at this from another angle I recall how someone who had been interviewing Buddhist teachers for several years noted hed never met a full Buddha. When asked what should a full Buddha would look like? How would you know? The response was that thered be no self.

Here I think we find a part of the problem and something worth pausing to consider.

There are spiritual traditions that assert there is no self, that what we call ourselves is a delusion, a dream, or an hallucination. Now there are truths within such an assertion. But, the principal point, certainly, the point we find in Zen is that of course theres a self. To ignore that fact on the ground is a profound mistake.

A major point is that our selves have no abiding quality. Our sense of self is the product of causes and conditions, genetics and history, all coming together in a moment. We call that moment our self. It can hang together for a while. That moment runs from birth to death. Although truthfully it is changing all the time between birth and death. But there is some big part of it, a sense of continuity, a thread of memory. However, however true or illusory, it ends with the disruption of the elements that have come together to form a self-aware entity.

Buddhist metaphysics can obscure this point. And it is doubly complicated by the fact of variations among the schools. While Tibetan Buddhism seems to teach a form of reincarnation, at least among their deepest realized practitioners, most other schools speak of rebirth. The distinction is that in reincarnation one can posit something that moves from body to body, while in rebirth what passes from body to body are simply bundles of karmic consequences. More like ones children than ones self.

The critical point however is impermanence. Were real. Were also impermanent. Much of our human suffering is our emotional and psychic response to that impermanence. It is the first noble truth of Buddhism.

Theres also a corollary to this. It is the secret teaching of the Mahayana, the great way. What were going to experience in our spiritual lives is no different than what were going to experience in our physical lives. The sadness and joys of our existence continue before and after awakening.

That impermanence, that lack, that emptiness. It isnt just that everything dies. It is that everything is dying in every moment. And even more, that every moment is in itself empty, vacant, if you will, dead. Life and death are bound up together as something that can be called one, or at the very least, as not two.

So, with that, our shortcomings, our failures, our personalities, they are the stuff of our awakening. This body in all its complexity, this mind in all its wonder, is the place where the magic happens. There is something kind of wonderful in this. But it is easy to miss, and once we notice it, it is easy to forget. This is part of the spiritual conundrum.

And it is a problem with the stories we tell ourselves about awakening and salvation. Most stories in most spiritual traditions say its one and done. Mainly because thats true. To see deeply into the matter, to touch the heart of the matter, to have that experience of healing and salvation, happens. But it happens within and as who we are. And that remains. Our bodies and our minds abide, for as long as causes and conditions allow. And during that time we find ourselves playing peek a boo with our true nature. Now we understand, now we dont.

For those of us who have trained in the koan system associated with the great eighteenth century Japanese master Hakuin Ekaku, there is a choke point in our training. After we meet this emptiness, and our sense of this as our own intimate truth were asked a question. What is the source of this emptiness? In some schools the question is organic, what is the root of this emptiness?

We must touch this source, and we must touch this source with all our heart and mind and body. An interesting consequence to touching this place is that many people experience a let down. I had what Id have to call a moment of depression. A sense of lack in all that might mean negatively.

We are touching our ordinariness. It isnt This Very Body with capital letters, it is this very body. Yours. Mine. This one. Not some other. And it comes with all the same issues that were there when we began the journey. In western traditions this is noticed, and a common prayer is to remain constant to the end. The prayer because we know it doesnt have to end that way.

As the Zen poet Ryokan noted, Last year, a foolish monk. This year, no change.

Im concerned with what happens after weve had a glimpse of our true nature. What about now? How is it different than before?

Well, there isnt a lot of difference. If our insight is deep, like being struck in the heart with an arrow, were graced with some quality, where no matter what happens, we never totally forget. Although we can forget for long enough to do ourselves and others real damage. If our insight was more like being grazed by the arrow, we can just plain forget.

We are wise to assume our insights are never steady state. And we should always, always be cautious about what we think is so.

Here I find it wise to think of that term crazy wisdom. The term comes from the Tibetan tradition. And it speaks to people whose realization manifests in ways contrary to our cultural norms. Its a good term. We can see it manifesting in different religious traditions. In Sufism there are madzubs, a person who is divinely intoxicated. We see examples of holy fools throughout the history religions, and their mystics.

As for the former abbot. He professed a need to continue to investigate the matter of his mind and he found psychedelics seemed to help. They might. I have no hard view on the subject. But it was critical he resign his abbacy. That is a specialized task, and it had clear boundaries.

For the most part such ecstatics have excused themselves or have been excused by divine grace from meeting the world and its conventional expectations. It is a special calling. And these people are only sometimes actual spiritual directors. It can be too confusing. So long as they keep within the bounds of their vows, it is fine to bow to their eccentricities. But not beyond them. When a teacher seems to be acting in a self-serving way, for the most part, its wise to assume they are.

The same thing is true for us as practitioners of the intimate way, as pilgrims of the heart. And with that the question is how do we see our own thoughts and actions? What do we believe were doing when we dont govern ourselves and what we do?

Like with medicine, the first vow of a serious spiritual practitioner is to do no harm. More deeply how do we meet ourselves and the world as full Buddhas? Buddhas with desires and resentments and hatreds and endless foolish ideas that were sure are as true as truth itself. While each of these things are in fact gates into the mystery, by indulging them they become barriers.

The arts of the spiritual life are how to encounter the gates. In this case, how do we meet the obstacles of being ordinary people? Confronted with the intimate truth that this moment and this place is the buddhaland, is heaven, how do we act?

I think of Dr Marchaj. I can envision a time when he incorporates his new explorations as a teacher in a new context. The world isnt done revealing itself and we are particularly in a time that invites profound and wholehearted explorations beyond the boundaries of conventional religions. Time will tell.

But theres something else in all this, something important.

Here I find myself returning to that observation made by de Tocqueville. He was observing early American culture. And I believe a trait we continue to have. At the time he was comparing Americans to poor people he was aware of who seemed more satisfied with their lives. This is a common observation of people who come from poorer cultures to more affluent ones. And similar to people who notice how little they may have had in their childhoods, but never thought of themselves as poor.

While those who have studied the matter observe, money is important to happiness. In money cultures, at least. There is a saturation point, beyond which more money doesnt make things better. That point is a bit of a moving target, and beyond the point here. Which is, after attending to what needs attending, how do we meet the world?

After weve touched the intimate matter, after weve seen into the deep possibilities of our lived lives, how do we meet our lives? Knowing these things of our lives can be gates or boundaries, how do we live? Specifically knowing we are built dissatisfied, that our bodies want, how do we deal with it?

We are born dissatisfied. How do we meet our inherent need for novelty?

Henry Thoreau, another of those people who walked deeply into the mystery, but who was a bit more of a madzub than personal guide called us all to simplify, simplify, simplify. He said to let ones affairs fall to two or three things. Probably not possible for most of us. But pruning, and letting go, are wise words.

Im much taken with how the organizing consultant Marie Kondo who originally counseled people to cut back on anything that one didnt need, or as she liked to say, give one joy, found her life complicated with children. Some people expressed disdain for her turn to a bit of a mess. But me, I saw something of a pointer.

We need to learn to meet the moment. Sometimes its tidying. Sometimes its living with a small tornado racing through your life. Observe, watch, witness. Return to the pillow. Notice. Judge as little as you can. And act when you must.

Remember the desire for novelty is as natural as natural can be. And at some point it is harmful to the spiritual life.

Enjoy that cup of coffee or tea. Fully.

And when the cup is empty, put it down.

Notice. Be aware. Meet the mystery. Even when it is boring. Especially when it is boring.

Traps and possibilities await. What matters is how we meet the moment.

[1] Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Anchor Books, 1969, p. 536
A retired Plant Taxonomist and Ethnobotanist at the University of Ghana, Prof Daniel Kwasi Abbiw has reiterated the need for the adoption of a national tree.



He contends that many countries have made this move which is paying dividends in different forms.



Prof Abbiw indicated that although nothing seems to be done about it, he and others will continue to advocate.



He stressed the need for the iroko tree, known as Odum, to be named the national tree.



A national plant is one selected by a country to represent it. And that one selected might have contributed in one way or the other to the nation's development, either economically, culturally, in war, in peace and anywhere at all that the plant contributes.



For example, I selected Odum and the reason for choosing is that Odum has been used to build Ghana from the very beginning.



Prof Abbiw noted that he has done a lot to bring the matter to the governments attention, but he has not elicited any positive response yet.



He added that through the effort of Veteran journalist, Madam Elizabeth Ohene, he met President Akufo-Addo in 2019 to formally inform him about the copy of a book which contained the proposal for a national plant.



Prof Abbiw added that he took it and said we will hear from him or they will work on it.And that was the end.



He also indicated that they wrote to the Speaker of Parliament in January this year, but there has not been any response.



Prof Abbew said in the interim, they have set up a secretariat to champion this aspiration.



Be further said Ghana is not the only country on the continent without a national plant.



But it has the potential of spearheading that cause by coordinating and prosecuting this laudable initiative.



Prof Abbew noted that the iroko tree which can be grown in any part of the country should be considered and made the national tree.



He said as part of continental efforts towards conservation, African countries have been urged to present their national plants which will be compiled and infused into the schools curriculum.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marrer Ghana Limited, Susatgad Boat Building and Fishing Industries, Mr. Novihoho Afaglo has added his voice to calls from section of Ghanaians and the Minority in Parliament demanding the immediate resignation of the Governor of Bank of Ghana (BoG) and his deputies.



According to him, not only the Governor but the entire chain and setup of BoG should be dissolved over what he termed as "corruption".



Speaking to the Republic Press, Mr Afaglo said the Governor and his deputies alone could not have engage in this distasteful act but it was committed under the watch of the entire 12-member board.



He said, it will not be out of place if the board members and their chairman are immediately dissolved for gleefully watching and supervising incompetent and corrupt practices.



Mr. Afaglo said the 12-member BoG board has also contributed to the failed Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's regime for failing to whip management of the bank in line on matters of principles and banking.



What Im saying is that if three years ago the BoG has the power to supervised the collapse of some banks in Ghana over what they discribed as mismanagement, what will Ghanaians now described the Central Bank and its board members, he quizzed.



The CEO said the BoGs staggering loss of GHS 60.8 billion, twice of what the country is now seeking from International Monetary Fund, is disgraceful and unacceptable.



One thing the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is promising the good people of Ghana is that once former President John Mahama is sworn into office come 2025, they should have hope that all these criminals will face the law, Mr. Afaglo stated.



He said what is more troubling and disturbing is after bringing the BoG under its knees, the Board, Governor, deputies and entire management find it expedient to invest GHS 2.8 million on a new head office building despite their huge financial burden on Ghana.



He called on all meaningful Ghanaians to join the Minority's call and save the Bank of Ghana from collapse.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged tertiary institutions across the country to find innovative and effective ways of linking up with industry and corporate organisations to find practical solutions to real-life challenges.



He said the government was committed to strengthening existing systems and structures to ensure that universities lived up to their mandate of producing graduates who would be able to facilitate the accelerated development of the country and the world.



Addressing a thanksgiving service to climax the 75th anniversary of the University of Ghana at Legon in Accra yesterday, President Akufo-Addo said the government fully supports and shares in your vision to become a research-intensive university, and we will do all in our power to help you realise it.



President Akufo-Addo said 75 years in the life of any institution was no mean feat, and that from the modest beginnings in 1948 when the university was housed on the premises of the Achimota College, the then University College of Gold Coast had evolved into one of Africa's leading universities.



Today, there is a worldwide recognition of the excellent performance of the universitys faculties and students, and professional successes chalked up by her alumni, both home and abroad, he said, adding that the university continues to be a proud pacesetter in mentoring and nurturing higher institutions and think tanks in the country.



The President further said that the university had over the years lived up to its mission of developing world-class human resource and capabilities to meet the development needs of the nation and global challenges.



He also said that graduates from the university had contributed to national and global development, and had been a source of pride to the nation.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Niger's junta, last Tuesday rejected the latest diplomatic mission from African countries aimed at restoring constitutional order after a July 26 coup, resisting pressure from the United States and the United Nations to come to the negotiating table.



Heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had earlier discussed the possibility of military intervention as a last resort. had to back down from that threat.



Amidst uncertainties as to what holds in the future, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who ousted the democratically elected President of that country, Mohamed Bazoum, seems to be encouraged by

the success of fellow coup leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.



Much as he is turning away regional and international blocs from meeting him to discuss any issues related to the coup and the need to reinstate Mr Bazoum to power, he is being extremely cautious by avoiding public gatherings.



For instance, he was not at the huge rally the junta organised in Niger's capital Niamey last Sunday. Reports monitored across all media say he has only appeared on TV on three occasions since the coup and has spoken twice  once to present himself as Niger's new leader and once to make an Independence Day address.



To some, the General does not even know where the crisis is going next. But his junta has announced the appointment of a prime minister, former Finance Minister and African Development Bank official Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeini  signalling its ambitions to establish a prolonged political transition.



The move is obviously strategic because the Prime Minister is a known civilian who is likely to be embraced by the regional bloc and signal that the military is not interested in holding on to power for the sake of it, but will allow a civilian to run the state of affairs in a manner that benefits the country as a whole and not a few elites.



ECOWAS tested again



Meanwhile, the developments in Niger ignite the debate about whether ECOWAS really has what it takes to move in to restore democratically elected governments that have been overthrown through the barrel of a gun.



The sub-regional bloc threatened the coup leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea but those threats seem to be on paper.



It must be noted that aside from risking the lives of soldiers from the individual countries in the bloc in an attempt to oust a coup leader who has the full backing of that countrys military, there is also the bigger picture of funding.



This is a region plagued with poverty and economic challenges with most, if not all member states, under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme as part of measures to manage their huge debts and restore lost economic confidence.



The individual countries within the sub-region are also not well equipped with the kind of sophisticated military weapons and equipment needed to overpower the military of another country without needless bloodshed.



Lessons



Coups, of course, can never be hailed as an alternative to a democratically elected government. Coups, from history, have been proven to be counterproductive to any economic transformation, particularly in Africa, because the leaders of that coup eventually entrench themselves and become worse than the same democratically elected governments they overthrow. The leaders also abuse the rights of their fellow citizens and become power-drunk to an extent, as they stifle press freedom.



On the flip side, there is evidence all over about leaders who come to power democratically but engage in nepotism, embezzlement of state funds, cronyism, and mismanagement and blatantly refuse to be accountable to the same people who elected them.



The worst part is when the democratically elected governments attempt to change the same constitution that brought them to power to favour them at the expense of their political opponents.



For instance, it is common on the continent to see leaders change their countrys constitutions to extend their tenure in office from two terms to three against the will of the people.



These and more have been the major triggers of coups in the subregion and until that stops, it will be difficult for ECOWAS to maintain its position as one against coups.



For coups to stop, ECOWAS leaders must be bold enough to warn their colleagues about the consequences of their actions and inactions. While the coup-makers should not be allowed to have their way, the reverse is also true; so that in the end, the masses will be the beneficiaries and not a minute few.



For now, the world is watching to see whether ECOWAS, to whose good governance and democracy protocol Niger is a signatory, will really launch a military intervention, as it has threatened to do later in the weeks to come to first demonstrate its resolve or permanently buck down on that threat and opt for peaceful negotiations with the coup leaders.



There are also questions about whether ECOWAS will wait for sanctions to gradually do their work in ratcheting up pressure on the junta, particularly as there is significant political opposition to the military option in Nigeria, the present ECOWAS chair, and some other ECOWAS states.



Way forward



For now, ECOWAS must continue to mount pressure on the coup leaders and make themselves unpredictable as to the next steps meant to restore democratic rule.



While it engages the West for military and financial support, there is the need for the regional bloc to find ways to rally the support of the people of Niger to reject the coup leaders, and, giving their ousted president another chance to prove himself.



The stakes are high but it will only take tact, transparency and frank negotiations to achieve the intended results.

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.

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Russia has warned that military intervention in Niger would lead to a "protracted confrontation" after regional bloc Ecowas said it would assemble a standby force.



Such an intervention would destabilise the Sahel region as a whole, the Russian foreign ministry said.



Russia does not formally back the coup.



But the US, which backs efforts to restore deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum, says its Wagner mercenary group is taking advantage of the instability.



On Friday coup supporters, some waving Russian flags, protested at a French military base near the capital NIamey, some chanting "down with France, down with Ecowas".



Both France and the US operate military bases in Niger and they have been used to launch operations against jihadist groups in the wider region.



Military officials from Ecowas countries are reportedly set to meet on Saturday to draft plans for a military intervention.



The bloc has said it remains open to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu said on Thursday that "No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort".



The US has not explicitly backed military action but has called on the junta to step aside and allow the restoration of the country's democratic constitution.



The Niger junta has not responded to the latest statements from Ecowas leaders.



Meanwhile fears are growing for the health and safety of Mr Bazoum, who has been held captive since the military seized power on 26 July.



He and his family had been "deprived of food, electricity and medical care for several days", EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.



UN rights commissioner Volker Turk said he had received credible reports that the conditions of detention "could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment".



Rights group Human Rights Watch said Mr Bazoum had told them this week that he and his family were being treated in an "inhuman and cruel" way.



"My son is sick, has a serious heart condition, and needs to see a doctor," HRW quoted Mr Bazoum as telling them.

Source: BBC









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Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a lecturer at the Central University, has disclosed his favorite candidate in the upcoming presidential election of the New Patriotic Party(NPP).



Ten candidates will be competing in a Special Delegates Conference of the New Patriotic Party on Saturday, August 26, 2023.



The ten include; Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP; Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Trade Minister; Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, former Agriculture Minister; Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, former Energy Minister; Boakye Agyarko, former Attorney General and Railways Minister; Joe Ghartey, former NPP General Secretary; Kwabena Agyei Agyepong among others.



The Special Delegates Conference is to trim the number to five with the five candidates going into the main election on November 4 where one will be elected as flagbearer.



Commenting on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah ticked Kennedy Agyapong to become the NPP flagbearer.



According to him, the Assin Central MP will emerge first among the five candidates stressing "I support Kennedy Agyapong...Kennedy Agyapong will be first and Bawumia and Alan will share the second and third positions".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha has jumped to the defence of the Bank of Ghana following the public backlash after the Minority in Parliament revealed the bank had run into losses to a tune of GH60.8 billion.



The Minority, addressing Journalists at their "Moment of Truth" event on Tuesday, revealed "the Bank of Ghana recorded a staggering loss of GHS60.8 billion, which is equivalent to $6 billion. This is twice the amount we are to receive from our recent IMF bailout".



They continued that, "the bank has also recorded a negative equity of over GHS55.1 billion. What this simply means is that the Bank of Ghana is insolvent" and blamed the incumbent government stating "the once prestigious Bank of Ghana, the mother of all banks in Ghana, has been bankrupted and collapsed by this NPP economic management team led by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with the complicity of the Governor of the Central Bank".



The Minority also asked the Governor of the bank, Dr. Ernest Addison and his deputies to resign, blaming them for mismanaging the bank.



"This means the recklessness and mismanagement of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana has cost the nation twice what we are struggling and sacrificing to receive from the IMF amid major conditionalities", the leader of the Minority, Ato Forson said.



But Salam Mustapha has asked the public to cut the Bank of Ghana, particularly the Governor, some slack.



According to him, the bank authorities instead deserve credit emphasizing they cushioned the economy during the perilous times.



"Truthfully, this Bank of Ghana has done well in the face of very trying times. Extreme economic pressures that we have gone through, this Bank of Ghana has done well . . . When you check how we have ably kept the economy . . . I think the Bank of Ghana deserves some credit," he told Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show.



He added that the "Bank of Ghana is a regulator. It does not engage in trading like the commercial banks. Bank of Ghana does not do that. It regulates the financial space . . . and also principal advisor to government on financial issues" and stressed the huge expenditures of the bank are not a "one-line item. The amount also involves the financing of government".



Watch video below







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Charismalogo, the incredible Afrobeat Afro Fusion artiste from Ghana, is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of his EP titled "Change My Life."

This extraordinary musical compilation promises to captivate listeners worldwide with its infectious beats, soul-stirring lyrics and transformative energy.



Drawing inspiration from the rich cultural roots of Ghana and infusing it with elements of Afrobeat and Afro Fusion, Charismalogo has crafted a musical journey like no other.

With "Change My Life," he aims to create an immersive experience that transcends boundaries and uplifts the human spirit.



The EP "Change My Life" is a labor of love reflecting Charismalogo's passion, talent and unwavering commitment to his craft.

Each track is carefully crafted to showcase the artist's versatility, vocal prowess and knack for storytelling.

Listeners can expect a seamless fusion of traditional African rhythms, contemporary melodies and powerful messages that resonate with the soul.



Charismalogo's music has always been known for its ability to evoke emotions and inspire personal growth.

With "Change My Life," the artiste takes it a step further, weaving together tales of love, resilience and self-discovery.

The EP serves as a powerful reminder that music has the power to transform lives and ignite positive change in society.



The release of "Change My Life" marks a significant milestone in Charismalogo's career solidifying his position as a rising star in the Afrobeat Afro Fusion genre.

The EP is set to captivate audiences with its infectious energy and undeniable authenticity, leaving a lasting impression on fans and music enthusiasts alike.



Charismalogo's profound storytelling ability combined with his unique vocal style sets him apart as one of the most promising Afro Fusion artistes on the international stage.

The EP's tracks effortlessly blend traditional African sounds with contemporary influences, creating a sound that is distinctly Charismalogo.

"Change My Life" is set to be released and will be available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.



Fans and music lovers alike are invited to embark on this transformative musical journey, immersing themselves in the captivating melodies and heartfelt lyrics that Charismalogo has to offer.



Charismalogo's EP "Change My Life" is evidence of their commitment to creating timeless music that leaves a lasting impact.



With each track, the artiste invites listeners to join him on an extraordinary musical odyssey that has the power to change lives and inspire personal growth.



Enjoy the EP here: https://ditto.fm/change-my-life-charisma



Connect with him: https://charismalogomusic.com/

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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SANTA ANA, Calif.  A Southern California judge accused of killing his wife during an argument while drunk texted his court clerk and bailiff afterward to say he had shot her, prosecutors said Friday as they charged him with murder.

A court filing from prosecutors says Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson texted minutes after last weeks killing: I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I wont be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. Im so sorry.

Ferguson is free on $1 million bail. But prosecutors said theyre seeking new bail conditions to protect public safety and ensure he doesnt flee after authorities found 47 weapons, including the pistol used in the shooting, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition at his Anaheim home. The weapons are legally owned but a rifle registered in his name is still missing, they said.

The shooting happened after Ferguson and his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, were arguing at a restaurant on Aug. 3, the Orange County district attorneys office said in the court filing. The argument continued after the couple returned to their home in the upscale neighborhood of Anaheim Hills. The court document says the wife said something to the effect of why dont you point a real gun at me? and he pulled a pistol from his ankle holster and shot her in the chest.

Their adult son called 911 and said his father had been drinking too much and shot his mom, the document says.

FILE - Investigators remove firearms from a house in in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2023. A Southern California judge was charged Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, with murder in the shooting death of his wife and 47 weapons were seized from the house, authorities said. Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, 72, was arrested last week after his adult son called 911 to report his mother, Sheryl Ferguson, had been shot at the family's home in the upscale neighborhood of Anaheim Hills, the district attorney's office said in a statement. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, File)AP

Jeffrey Ferguson also called 911 to vaguely report the shooting. When asked if he shot his wife, he said he didnt want to talk about it at that time and she needed paramedics.

When officers arrived, Ferguson smelled of alcohol and told them, Oh man I cant believe I did this, according to the document.

Ferguson, 72, was arrested at his home. He was released a day later and is set to be arraigned on Sept. 1.

On Friday, prosecutors charged Ferguson with murder with weapons-related enhancements. They want him to surrender his passport, wear an ankle monitor and possess no alcohol or firearms.

Fergusons attorneys, Paul Meyer and John Barnett, issued a brief statement and declined to answer questions. This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more, they said.

Ferguson has been a judge since 2015. He handles criminal cases in the Orange County city of Fullerton. He started his legal career in the Orange County district attorneys office in 1983 and went on to work narcotics cases, for which he won various awards. He served as president of the North Orange County Bar Association from 2012 to 2014.

In 2017, Ferguson was admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance for posting a statement on Facebook about a judicial candidate with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth of the statement and for being Facebook friends with attorneys appearing before him in court, according to a copy of the agencys findings.

Ferguson said on his Facebook page that he grew up in a military family and traveled throughout Asia as a child. He went on to attend college and law school in California. He and his wife were married in 1996.

The arrest shocked the Southern California legal community and officials have been grappling with how the case should be handled. The Orange County district attorneys office asked state officials to weigh in on whether there was a conflict of interest before filing charges. A judge in neighboring Los Angeles County will hear the case, officials said.

FILE - Investigators remove firearms from a house in the 8500 block of E. Canyon Vista Dr. in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2023. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP, File)AP

The Orange County Sheriffs Department, which runs the county jail, said Ferguson was released last week according to the pre-established rules for bail and the law. No additional conditions were sought for his release by Anaheims police agency, which arrested him, said Jeff Puckett, Orange Countys assistant sheriff for custody operations.

Were simply the people that housed him as part of our county mandate to house arrestees, he said. The sheriffs department cannot impose conditions.

At the time of Fergusons arrest, the facts and circumstances didnt justify a bail enhancement, said Anaheim police Sgt. Jon McClintock. He said the judge is afforded the same constitutional right to post bail as anyone else and declined to comment on the filing by the district attorneys office.

Orange County is made up of a cluster of cities  the most populous being Anaheim  that are between Los Angeles and San Diego and are collectively home to more than 3 million people.

Amy Taxin of The Associated Press wrote this story.

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Those were among the comments of manager Tom Bradley as his Media team prepares to play Needville, Texas, in the opening round of the 76th Little League World Series on Wednesday.
A man from Pennsylvania died after having a medical emergency while hiking in New Hampshires White Mountains on Friday.

According to New Hampshire Fish and Game, Jason Apreku, 21, of Stroudsburg, was accompanied by friends ascending the Osgood Trail from Mt. Madison when he collapsed around 4:30 p.m. Friday.

A friend called 911 and performed CPR, according to WMUR9, an ABC news outlet Manchester, New Hampshire. Other passing hikers and Appalachian Mountain Club members assisted in trying to save Apreku over a period of several hours.

New Hampshire Fish and Game called the New Hampshire Army National Guard, which launched a helicopter from Concord. But bad weather prevented the helicopter from landing on the mountain, the story said. Nearby Mt. Washington was experiencing wind gusts of up to 90 miles an hour with a wind chill of 29 degrees.

By the time members from Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue arrived, Apreku had died.

His body was carried over the summit of Mt. Madison to Madison Spring Hut, an effort described by Fish and Game as a grueling and challenging feat with extreme wind gusts and below freezing temperatures that lasted until around 4:10 a.m. Saturday.

A National Guard crew training nearby was able to fly up to Madison Spring Hut to bring Aprekus body off the mountain, the story said.

More:

Record-breaking summit dogged by allegations that Western climbers left Pakistani man to die

Researchers identify new pack of endangered gray wolves in California
By Kevin Dolphin

Many Pennsylvanians with an arrest or other legal record didnt seek out a life of crime. We made dumb mistakes or didnt believe in our own potential and lacked the tools or support people need to make good decisions. Many were struggling with substance abuse. We found ourselves in a cycle of poverty, crime and incarceration, and we didnt know how to break out of it.
A recent Commonwealth Court ruling found the states school funding system to be unconstitutional. It finds that students should have access to a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system of public education.

Chronic underfunding of public education in state budgets over the years has hobbled many school districts. The pandemic has exacerbated that situation. And still some legislators whose power is an outgrowth of gerrymandering argue for vouchers - and so called lifeline scholarships that are thinly veiled more of the same.

Are vouchers in the state constitution? I think not.
Earlier this spring, the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) moved the full management of the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) from a third-party contractor to our in-house team. Since that time, our mission-driven staff has been doing everything in PHFAs power to responsibly accelerate a pandemic-relief program that we believed was moving too slowly to help Pennsylvania homeowners access funds for mortgage and housing-related expenses.

PHFA prepared to directly administer the program by strengthening procedures, training a dedicated call center staff and implementing a software system to improve how applications are tracked.

The program transition took longer than expected. As application information began to transfer to PHFA, we learned that many applications had incomplete data or discrepancies. PHFA spent two months longer than expected reconciling homeowner applications and cleaning up the data so staff could begin processing them as quickly as possible.

The backlog of waiting applicants was significant. When PHFA took the program in-house, we were very concerned about the backlog of pending applications, which we estimated to be in the range of 6,000, based on the information provided to us. In fact, these waiting homeowners were a driving factor behind our decision to administer the program ourselves. However, the process of cleaning up the files revealed the number of Pennsylvanians waiting to be helped was 18,000, three times larger than communicated to us.

PHFA has also been addressing the challenge of re-registering applicants in the new system. While homeowners do not need to reapply or resubmit their documents, applications cannot be processed until applicants review and confirm that their information is up to date. This process provides authorization to verify debt and helps us understand if applicants have an adverse action pending against them that may not have been part of their original application.

Nonetheless, there were still too many cases that werent getting reviewed because applicants hadnt taken the next step to re-register with PHFA. We used  and continue to use  every tool available to reach those applicants. Since May, our call center staff has been making calls to applicants to help them re-register and answer their questions. Homeowners have received instructions via email and U.S. Mail, in both English and Spanish, to walk them through the process as well.

Additionally, in July, PHFA took its message directly to homeowners by hosting 14 community-based events across the state. Using neighborhood gathering places like local libraries, corner bodegas and community colleges, PHFA staff delivered hands-on help to PAHAF homeowners. These events also provided information about other resources available to help homeowners while they wait. A number of applicants in attendance told us how grateful they were for the assistance provided in helping them get re-registered, upload missing documentation, navigate language and technology hurdles, and clarify the process.

PHFA has continued to address a disruption in forward mortgage payments as part of the transition. Some applicants experienced a disruption in their forward mortgage payments as they were transitioned to PHFA. When PHFA learned that there was an issue, we treated these cases as a high priority and worked with applicants and their lenders to address the gap.

PHFA has been criticized because some applicants who have successfully re-registered in the new system are still waiting. As PHFA works through the backlog, we have prioritized those homeowners who need assistance most urgently. Homeowners who are facing an imminent adverse action are processed first, including homeowners facing a pending foreclosure, sheriff sale or shut-off notice, followed by the date of application (beginning with the oldest files in the system).

To further assist homeowners at greatest risk, PHFA is providing dedicated access to courts and tax claim bureaus. Were working with the courts to address PAHAF homeowners facing imminent judicial proceedings, along with tax claim bureaus handling sheriff sales, to create a dedicated process for escalated review and resolution.

PHFA has focused on enhancing communications and transparency. One of the key benefits of the new system implemented by PHFA is the ability for applicants to track the status of their application once they have re-registered.

In late July, PHFA launched an updated tracking dashboard to provide accountability and transparency in the programs operations. The dashboard is available on our public website and is intended to help everyone  applicants, advocates, policymakers and the media  see how quickly PHFA can get funds into the hands of homeowners.

All of these actions are moving the trend lines in the right direction. As of August, PHFA has distributed more than $133 million and is now disbursing four times the amount of money to Pennsylvania households than when we took over the program in the spring.

All along, PHFA believed the PA Homeowner Assistance Fund was not moving fast enough to provide financial assistance to the people it was created to help. While its a careful balancing act between ensuring the integrity of the program and getting assistance out as quickly as we can, PHFA remains deeply committed to doing everything we can to help waiting homeowners.

Robin Wiessmann is the executive director and CEO of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA)
Roger Thibault, one half of the first same-sex couple married in a civil ceremony in North America, died Friday at the age of 77. Thibault, left, places a wedding band on his husband Theo Wouters during their wedding at the Montreal Courthouse, Thursday, July 18, 2002. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Anthony Peters
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Republicans want to make an issue out of President Bidens age, but lets talk about the fact that Donald Trump lasted less than an hour at the Iowa State Fair before he had to leave.

There are conflicting reports about why Trump left after less than an hour at the Iowa State Fair. Without official confirmation, it has been said that the former president was tired, while others say he was not feeling well.

According to the live blog published by The Des Moines Register, Donald Trump lasted less than an hour campaigning at the Iowa State Fair. Trump arrived at the fair at 12:45 PM local time, and he was out of there by 1:32 PM local time. It took Trump longer to fly to Iowa than the time that he spent campaigning and talking to his supporters.

Meanwhile, this is how President Joe Biden spent his Sunday morning:

POTUS and FLOTUS on a morning bike ride in Rehoboth pic.twitter.com/G2wwMwoDL5  Emily Goodin (@Emilylgoodin) July 31, 2023

Trump cant even campaign without needing to leave, but President Biden is taking bike rides and exercising on a regular basis. Given the incriminating comments that Trump made on Saturday, he would have been better off staying at his club than coming to Iowa.

Trump is only a couple of years younger than Biden but clearly in worse shape.

If Republicans want to discuss the physical health of their likely presidential nominee versus that of the incumbent president, Democrats should welcome that conversation.

Donald Trumps inability to campaign raises serious questions about his physical fitness for office, and since Trump wont release his medical records, voters should demand answers about the former presidents health.
The heat didnt stop several families in Aiken from getting a bag full of school supplies Saturday as Rural Health Services Inc. held its annual school supply giveaway at the Clyburn Center for Primary Care.

The event offered additional school supplies for students to use during the school year.

The event also included car seat safety checks to make sure children were in the correct car seat.

Saturdays giveaway was the last event held as part of National Health Center Week. Rural Health Services held several events to celebrate the week, including an event for the homeless, a food give away and a legislative breakfast.

Families who drove by also received coupons for Chick-fil-A and for a haircut at a local barbershop in addition to school supplies.

Rural Health Services prepared about 300 school supply bags for elementary, middle and high school students to be picked up during the giveaway.

We feel like you can never have enough school supplies. These are just some things they can keep aside for later on, said Aiken City Councilwoman Gail Diggs.

Diggs said people coming to get school supplies was steady and expected a rush toward the end of the event.

Last year everyone waited until the last minute, Diggs said.

Diggs said if any bags were left over, they would be taken to the pediatrics center at the Margaret J. Weston Community Health Center.

Aiken residents Eddie and Kay Miles came out to the school supply giveaway after hearing about the event from their niece.

Nikki Cannon brought her daughter Sheridan to get additional school supplies.

Its absolutely a good thing for the community and to help individuals that need school supplies, Cannon said.

Diggs said even though the event was lot different, since school started earlier than usual this year, she said it was important to give back to the community.

We still wanted to make the supplies available, she said.
William Byron dominated the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen International and notched his Cup Series-leading fifth victory of the season. Driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, Byron overtook Michael McDowell in the first quarter of the 90-lap event and pretty much remained in controlled the rest of the way. Pole-sitter Denny Hamlin was second, followed by Christopher Bell, AJ Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs. It was Byrons first win on a road course in six Cup seasons. It came in the penultimate race of the regular season. Read moreWilliam Byron dominates at Watkins Glen for his Cup Series-leading fifth victory of the season
What happens when a developer proposes to build on land thats unzoned?

Edgefield County is going through just such a finding-out.

The county planning commission on Aug. 10 rejected on a split vote the development application for a 254-unit residential project near Fox Creek High School, just outside North Augusta in unincorporated Edgefield County.

But the board's rejection wasn't made from any legal basis, just the non-binding recommendations of a comprehensive plan.

Those who voted against BlueSky Development's proposal for the 97-acre Trestle Run on Stephens Road  commissioners Karlene Butler, Sharon Hadden, Rhonda Nowicki and Tracy Walsh  said it was too many homes in too small an area and that the proposed density of the development goes against the countys Comprehensive Plan.

We cannot stop growth, and nobody wants to do that. But the density is a large issue, said Hadden, who represents the parts of Edgefield County in and around North Augusta. It needs to be controlled growth. We do not want to be North Augusta, and we do not want to be Columbia County.

That stretch of Stephens Road has borne the construction of three other major subdivisions in recent years.

Commissioners Daniel Baker and Lisa Whittaker, and Commission Chair James Burt, voted for the project, with Whittaker arguing the county could not reject a development solely on the grounds of it not falling in with the Comp Plan, a guiding document but without the legal standing of an ordinance.

At heart of it is an old debate: that Edgefield County remains about 80% un-zoned, and the proposed development would go up on un-zoned land, which carries with it very few restrictions for such things as density, lot size or land use.

The only thing now governing those parcels off Stephens Road where Trestle Run would go  and governing those parcels only in a way that is not legally binding  is the countys Comprehensive Plan and its land use map.

Though Edgefield County officials have set up the zoning intention for much of the county in that land use map, these designations remain uncodified by an actual ordinance.

The Comp Plan is an idea, a guideline, but the zoning is law, commissioner Whittaker said. Had the zoning been changed back in 2021, we wouldnt be stirring this pot again.

The developer has met all legal requirements, she added. The Comp Plan does not apply here, and the developer is within his legal limits.

The commissions rejection could open the county up to a lawsuit, should the developer appeal the decision.

Edgefield County attorney Andrew Marne said multiple cases have landed in the courts over county or municipal governments rejecting a development application without having a statutory reason to do so. Decisions in these cases have not been uniform, and the South Carolina Supreme Court hasnt issued a ruling on the subject, he said.

State law (under section 6-29-540) does allow a developer to move forward on a project that was denied for the reason of it conflicting with a local governments comprehensive plan.

BlueSky will have to decide whether they will appeal the decision in court, continue the project regardless of the decision, change the development plan to meet the requirements of the Comprehensive Plan, or abandon the project, Hart Doc Clark, Edgefield County planning director, told Post and Courier North Augusta.

Should BlueSky decide to appeal the case or move forward with it in any way, Edgefield County Council would then have to decide whether to take legal action.

If we get sued, fight it, urged Kathy Ekre, an Edgefield County resident. Ekre said she was frustrated with the largescale development going up on the tiny, rural road that is Stephens Road.

Its not conducive for rural county living to put these big complexes in and then expect everybody just to cope, she said. We do need development, but just to look at Stephens Road  just that one little area  and youve got these huge developments on both sides of the road.

The new Tavern Hill by Stanley Martin Homes is only a couple miles west on Stephens Road, while Sweetwater Landing and Annison Pointe  two projects from the same developer proposing Trestle Run  are a couple miles to the east.

Development is good, but make sure you have a good game plan, advised another Edgefield County resident, Jay Garrison.

Defending their proposal, BlueSkys Stuart and David Thompson said the projects higher density  Trestle Run exceeds the guidelines of Edgefield County's Comp Plan by 25 percent, at 2.5 units per acre to the Comp Plans maximum 2 units per acre  was an effort to keep building costs down and provide a more affordable product.

We have discussed it and done everything we can do, David Thompson said. We are trying to keep the cost of overall building down. If we were to go to a 190-unit project, the average person couldnt afford the house.

As proposed, the homes at Trestle Run fall into multiple price points, with $175,000 likely for a townhouse and the single-family homes coming in between $200,000 and $600,000 depending on the market.

Commissioner Hadden said Edgefield County, like many areas of the state, needs more affordable housing, but Im not okay with this project being presented as if its some philanthropic endeavor that were providing affordable housing for the county, because it is not, she said. It, like everything else, its for profit. And I dont think the profit of a developer should be at the expense of our county.
The good news was we made our way out of the fog. The bad news was we were deep into deserted farmland  a long way from the pulpit, where my parishioners expected to find me within the next few hours. Read moreNorris Burkes: Self-importance is a one-way train ride
Elaine DeaKyne remembers battling depression after the birth of her oldest daughter, Eloise, and having to wait weeks for her medication to kick in. So it was exciting to her that a newly approved pill for treating postpartum depression, which was tested in Charleston, can begin working within a few days.

"Its really, really a significant step for maternal mental health and really getting mothers the support that they need, said DeaKyne, executive director of Postpartum Support Charleston, a nonprofit serving women in the Lowcountry. The new medication is called zuranolone and is being marketed as Zurzuvae.

While it is common for new mothers to experience the "baby blues," short periods of sadness in the week or so after birth, about one out of seven will have postpartum depression that lasts longer and and can have a more devastating impact, according to a review article at StatPearls. It is thought to be one of the leading causes of death for new mothers, where suicide accounts for one in five deaths after birth, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health.

Only one in eight women gets screened for it and, even when the symptoms are recognized, only 20 percent get treated, said Dr. Constance Guille, director of the Women's Reproductive Behavioral Health Division at Medical University of South Carolina.

"Its safe to say a lot of women are falling through the cracks," she said. In years past, that therapy was a standard antidepressant that could take at least six weeks to work, and women could be on it for up to a year. Guille and MUSC were part of clinical trials that looked at the widely fluctuating hormone activity surrounding pregnancy and birth, in particular one called allopregnanolone, and an earlier drug to target that mechanism. It could start helping women within a couple of days, Guille said. But that drug was given by IV over 60 hours in a health care setting, which made it difficult for many patients to access it.

The new drug, which was tested at MUSC as well, received approval Aug. 4 from the Food and Drug Administration. It is similar but is a pill that can be taken at home for 14 days.

"This is really a very significant paradigm shift for us," Guille said, in having a fast-acting, shorter term of treatment.

The attention the new pill is receiving could also be a positive in showing that there is a biological mechanism to what is happening with new mothers and their depression, and that there is now a medication that targets it, Guille said.

"I think it can be helpful in destigmatizing the condition, she said.

It was "quite a surprise" for DeaKyne when she found herself struggling with it.

"Postpartum depression was not on my radar at all," she said. The new medication can help stir conversations about it.

But there are still some significant questions to be answered about the new pill. The price of the drug is not yet set and whether insurance companies will cover it is also up in the air. Guille hopes it will not be subject to what is known as step therapy, where insurance coverage requires patients to try and fail on an older, cheaper drug before authorizing the newer medication. Both are concerns, she said.

"To have a treatment available that we know can help women and alleviate their symptoms quickly, and not be able to use it will be devastating," Guille said.

It is not an abstract question for DeaKyne, whose organization offers peer support and one-on-one mentoring for new mothers who are struggling.

"Even in our community, mothers are dying," she said. "Its happening and it shouldnt be that way."
Insects seem to be the main pest at the Possums counter this week. Armyworms, chinch bugs, fleas, roaches (hey, it is Charleston, they like the worlds best city also) and mosquitoes have been attacking our Lowcountry homes and yards. Read moreSummer pests at the gate
Before we get too far removed from the whole bizarre dispute between Equity Court Judge Joseph Strickland and the Richland County legislative delegation, we need to spend a few minutes on an extraordinary rebuke that one of our justices lobbed at his colleagues on the S.C. Supreme Court as p Read moreScoppe: How Justice Few is keeping mysterious missing opinion in the spotlight
It was an audacious effort to stretch the bounds of South Carolinas stand-your-ground law, even by the audacious terms of that law: A man went to a house uninvited and, claiming he felt threatened, shot an invited guest nine times  including three times in the back.

Of course, the courts have sided with plenty of audacious claims. Like the time the state Supreme Court dismissed the case against a security guard who ejected a drunk, followed him down the street and then shot him when the drunk cursed him. Or the time a judge agreed with S.C. House Democratic Leader Todd Rutherford (some things never change) that his client couldnt be charged with a crime for mistakenly killing an innocent bystander. When what he meant to do was shoot the carful of menacing teenage girls who had followed his daughter home. As the prosecutor in that case explained with only slight sarcasm, the law means someone who claims to fear for his life "could shoot a 4-year-old playing in her front yard and still be immune from prosecution."

But Circuit Judge Bentley Price got it right this time, rejecting as The Post and Couriers Ali Rockett reports  Jaylin Smalls claim that he had a right to kill Raquan Hughes at a Goose Creek home in 2020.

Mr. Smalls can still argue at trial that he shot Mr. Hughes in self-defense  something people had the option of doing long before we ever had a stand-your-ground law. And indeed, police or prosecutors long have used their discretion to decline to either charge or prosecute people who clearly acted in self-defense. What stand your ground did was prohibit prosecutors from proceeding with the case if a judge determines that the killer met the stand-your-ground-standards, which require only that the killer was somewhere he had a legal right to be and that he feared for his life  whether that fear was justified or not, and even if the killer provoked the response that made him fearful.

All of which makes this latest case a good reminder of the problems with South Carolinas 2006 law, which has been used too many times to allow people to provoke a fight and then claim self-defense, like a 5-year-old bully who runs and hides behind his mommys skirts when his victim fights back. Only these bullies have guns.

This is not what lawmakers had in mind when they passed the law that loosened the definition of self-defense from the age-old notion that youre supposed to escape from a threat if you can to the new notion that you can fight back in self-defense even if you were perfectly capable of escaping the fight.

In fact, this latest effort to abuse the law to cover hostile acts would be laughable if not for the fatality involved and how easy it is to see why people who know about the stand-your-ground law would think they can use it this way.

After all, the most famous case of a successful stand-your-ground defense involved George Zimmerman, the self-appointed neighborhood watchman in Florida who indisputably created a confrontation with Trayvon Martin by following him, getting out of his car with a gun to confront him and then killing the teenager when, the gunman claimed, he fought back.

For that matter, its easy to draw a line from stand-your-ground laws to the increasingly popular road-rage shootings  a spate of which weve seen in recent weeks in Charleston and elsewhere in South Carolina.

Not a legal line: Were not aware of any circumstances under which it would be legal to start shooting at a car unless someone in that car is shooting at you  and possibly not even then. But a pretty clear line in the minds of the sort of people for whom lawmakers created stand-your-ground laws: men who think it's weak or cowardly to back away from a fight, who believe that by golly they've got a right to be here, and nobodys going to stop them. You know, as opposed to the level-headed men and women among us who recognize that if a place seems unsafe, we should leave or stay away.

And that straight line should surprise no one who recalls that S.C. legislators passed this law because the people who demanded the right to carry guns to bars and other public places where they might need to defend themselves also insisted that they shouldnt have to back down from a fight. Because thats not manly. Or some similar nonsense.

We dont like the whole idea of the stand-your-ground law, since the castle doctrine already covered people who felt threatened in their homes and people have always been able to argue self-defense at trial. But theres no way to defend the particular stand-your-ground law we have, which lets people instigate a confrontation, then claim they had a right to kill the person they were bullying because their target didnt run away. Our Legislature can and must change that.

Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina state Sen. John Scott, a Democratic legislator for 33 years, died Aug. 13 at the Medical University of South Carolina. He was 69.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, son, and brother, Sen. John L. Scott Jr., who passed away peaceably while surrounded by family and close friends," his family said in a statement. "We ask the community to keep his family in prayer."

A cause was not immediately announced.

Scott, owner of a realty company, was first elected to the state House of Representatives in a 1990 special election. He won his Senate seat representing northwest parts of Richland County in 2008.

"God took one of his most precious angels and perhaps one of his greatest public servants to serve the state of South Carolina," said Antjuan Seawright, a longtime consultant for state Senate Democrats.

In recent years, Scott focused on expanding high-speed internet access across rural parts of the state and increasing funding for South Carolina's historically black colleges and universities.

The 1975 graduate of South Carolina State University had become a fixture on HBCU campuses as he sought to make them centers of excellence for a particular specialty, said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat.

The initiative, which he dubbed SC HBCU Institutes of Innovation and Information, has received $1.4 million through the state budget over the last two years.

Other state funding he sponsored for private HBCUs this year and last include $450,000 for Morris College in Sumter, a combined $350,000 for Voorhees University in Denmark, $100,000 for Allen University in Columbia, and $50,000 each for Benedict College in Columbia and Claflin University in Orangeburg.

"He was very proud of those accomplishments," Hutto said about the HBCU initiative. "John was somebody all the Senate respected. He worked hard. He put in the time and energy to understand issues.

"We're all going to miss John," he continued. "He was not only a wonderful public servant but also just a tremendous person."

Rep. Leon Howard, chairman of the Richland County legislative delegation, said his lifetime friend and Statehouse colleague was passionate about raising people's quality of life. He said giving people a life-changing opportunity factored into who he wanted to appoint to positions in Richland County, including magistrates, which are judgeships decided by state senators.

"He constantly talked to people about being good stewards of their finances and being able to retire comfortably," Howard said. "He talked about giving people opportunities who didn't have opportunities."

In 2018, Scott was picked by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis as her running mate when she was still in what would be an unsuccessful run for the party nomination. But she touted the pick as a historic opportunity to pair a woman and an African American on the ticket for South Carolinas top two posts.

When I thought of the kind of lieutenant governor I wanted to run with, I knew I wanted someone with integrity, someone with a history of serving their community, someone who has been a voice for change in our state, Willis, a Florence antitrust attorney, said at the time.

Lawmakers were stunned by the news of Scott's death. The last legislative meeting he attended was an Aug. 2 gathering of the Richland County delegation regarding disputed Master-in-Equity Joseph Strickland. Scott was among those voting not to reappoint Strickland and to declare the seat vacant. Strickland alleged in a lawsuit that he wasn't being reappointed because of a personal grudge from Scott, which the senator denied.

The state Supreme Court ruled in Strickland's favor a week later and ordered the delegation to send his name to Gov. Henry McMaster for reappointment.

McMaster said he will order all flags on state-owned property to be lowered in honor of Scott's service to the state once funeral arrangements are announced.

"Peggy and I extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Sen. John Scott," McMaster said in a statement. "He has had a profound impact on Richland County and all of South Carolina. He will be deeply missed. May God bless him and his family."

Scott was a former clerk and deacon of his church, New Ebenezer Baptist.

He leaves behind his wife, Joan, and son John Scott III.

Funeral arrangements are being made. A special election will be held to fill the remainder of his term.

Statements about Scott and his legacy continue to come in. Here are excerpts from some of them:

In addition to his hard work on behalf of his constituents in Richland County, Senator Scotts devotion to his alma mater (Class of 1975) was apparent throughout his 33 years in the state Legislature. He was a vital contributor to the universitys successes, as well as to those of South Carolinas other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

 Alexander Conyers, president of South Carolina State University

Senator John L. Scott, Jr. leaves a legacy that will forever inspire and guide us. As we celebrate his life and mourn his loss, let us honor his memory by embodying his ethos of diligent work, selfless dedication, and a resolute commitment to the betterment of our beloved South Carolina.

 South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Mostly sunny skies. Hot. High near 90F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 76F. Winds light and variable.
The scenes out of Lahaina on Maui are horrific, but naturally the climate cult is rushing to say the inferno that engulfed the town is yet more proof of climate change, and hand over your car keys and gas stoves now. Yes, I Blame the Climate Crisis for the Horrors on Maui, says a writer in that premier science journal Esquire. Never mind that Hawaiian officials have been warning for years that overgrowth of non-native grasses on the dry side of Maui and other Hawaiian islands was creating a severe wildfire risk. (For an antidote to the madness, see Stop claiming that fires in Canada, Greece, and now Maui are due to climate change.)

Much of the summers news has been about heat waves, which are also said to be proof of climate change, even though very few record high temperatures were broken this summer. Heat waves have always been big news for the media, but decades ago no one thought to blame them on human sin.

It is worth following a fellow named Don Penim on Twitter. Mr. Penim appears to have sufficient leisure time on his hands to scour old newspaper archives for articles on heat waves and extreme weather events, and he also turned up headlines from a few decades ago to remind us that wildfires are not unusual for Hawaii:

Lets note a few others from Mr. Penims archive while were herenote the dates of most of these stories:

And never forget these 1970s-era gems of climate prediction:

I could go on. Mr. Penim has lots more. What about recent high temps? Here are some of the official temperature records for places suffering from extreme climate change in recent weeks:

ChaserThe Babylon Bee, reporting the real news as usual:
Mineral Admixtures Market

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The global mineral admixtures market report is a comprehensive report that provides a detailed analysis of the current status and future trends of the mineral admixtures market worldwide. This report provides valuable information to industry stakeholders by offering an in-depth perspective on market dynamics, competitive landscape, growth opportunities, and key challenges faced by industry participants.From the perspective of market dynamics, this report explores the factors driving the growth of the mineral admixtures market. This includes the increasing demand for mineral admixtures products due to changes in consumer preferences, technological advancements, and the demand for more efficient and sustainable solutions. Additionally, government regulations and initiatives to promote the adoption of mineral admixtures products also contribute to market growth. On the other hand, this report identifies and analyzes factors that may hinder market growth, such as economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and intense competition in the market.Request for Sample Report:The competitive landscape section of the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the leading companies operating in the mineral admixtures market. It introduces the major companies, their business strategy, product portfolio, recent trends, and financial performance. This analysis provides valuable insights for market stakeholders to understand the intensity of competition in the market and gain an insightful view of the strategies adopted by major market players to maintain their position.Some of the major companies in the Mineral Admixtures market are as follows: ADCON cc, Air Liquide, AkzoNobel N. V., Asahi Kasei Corporation, Concrete Additives and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd, DowDuPont, Ducon Construction Chemicals, Durgamba Build Solutions Co., Euclid Chemical, Evonik Industries, HA-BE BETONCHEMIE, Henan GO Biotech Co.,Ltd , Linde AG, Mapei S.P.A, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, RPM International Inc., RussTechiInc., SABIC Innovative Plastics USBy segmenting the market, the report provides a detailed understanding of each segment by analyzing market size, growth potential, and key trends within each segment. Through this detailed analysis, industry participants can identify profitable opportunities, develop strategies tailored to specific customer segments, and allocate resources effectively.Market Segmentation:Type: Cementitious Materials, PozzolansApplication: Plain Concrete, Reinforced Concrete, Prestressed Concrete, Air Entrained Concrete, High-Strength Concrete, OthersIdentifying growth opportunities is crucial for companies operating in the mineral admixtures market. This report focuses on highlighting these opportunities by analyzing emerging technologies, market trends, and changing customer needs that have the potential to shape the future of the market. By identifying untapped market segments, geographies with high growth potential, and innovative product development strategies, this report supports stakeholders in harnessing these opportunities and leading business growth.In addition, this report addresses the key challenges faced by industry participants. It provides insightful information on challenges such as intense market competition, price pressure, regulatory compliance, and technological confusion. By understanding these challenges, companies can develop effective mitigation strategies and adapt to a constantly changing market environment. This enables them to ensure sustainable growth.The regional analysis section of the global mineral admixtures market report thoroughly evaluates the market in various regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. This section provides valuable information on market size, growth potential, and key market trends specific to each region.Market by Regions:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaThis report provides a comprehensive assessment of the mineral admixtures market in these specific regions, enabling stakeholders to understand regional differences, market potential, and growth prospects. This provides valuable insights that help make informed decisions related to market entry, expansion strategies, and resource allocation. Additionally, understanding the regulatory landscape and market dynamics in each region is useful for companies to comply with regulatory requirements and adjust their business strategies to fit specific markets.Overall, the global mineral admixtures market report strives to provide comprehensive and practical information to industry stakeholders. By offering a deep understanding of market trends, competitive dynamics, growth opportunities, and potential risks, this report plays a valuable role as a tool for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Through this information, they are able to make informed business decisions and execute successful strategies in the dynamic and evolving mineral admixtures market.
Optical Lens Assemblies Market

PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-13 18:47:25

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+91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088

The global optical lens assemblies market report is a comprehensive report that provides a detailed analysis of the current status and future trends of the optical lens assemblies market worldwide. This report provides valuable information to industry stakeholders by offering an in-depth perspective on market dynamics, competitive landscape, growth opportunities, and key challenges faced by industry participants.From the perspective of market dynamics, this report explores the factors driving the growth of the optical lens assemblies market. This includes the increasing demand for optical lens assemblies products due to changes in consumer preferences, technological advancements, and the demand for more efficient and sustainable solutions. Additionally, government regulations and initiatives to promote the adoption of optical lens assemblies products also contribute to market growth. On the other hand, this report identifies and analyzes factors that may hinder market growth, such as economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and intense competition in the market.Request for Sample Report:The competitive landscape section of the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the leading companies operating in the optical lens assemblies market. It introduces the major companies, their business strategy, product portfolio, recent trends, and financial performance. This analysis provides valuable insights for market stakeholders to understand the intensity of competition in the market and gain an insightful view of the strategies adopted by major market players to maintain their position.Some of the major companies in the Optical Lens Assemblies market are as follows: Beijing Lenstech Science & Technology, Canon, Fujifilm, Kantatsu, Kenko, Kunming Full-wave Infrared Technology, Largan, LightPath Technologies, Nikon, Olympus, Ophir Optronics Solutions, Panasonic, Sigma, Sunny Optical Technology (Group), TAMRON, Umicore, Yunnan Chihong North photoelectricBy segmenting the market, the report provides a detailed understanding of each segment by analyzing market size, growth potential, and key trends within each segment. Through this detailed analysis, industry participants can identify profitable opportunities, develop strategies tailored to specific customer segments, and allocate resources effectively.Market Segmentation:Type: Telecentric Optical Lenses, Collimators, Beam Expanders, Zoom Lenses, OthersApplication: Mobile phones, Cameras, Instruments, OthersIdentifying growth opportunities is crucial for companies operating in the optical lens assemblies market. This report focuses on highlighting these opportunities by analyzing emerging technologies, market trends, and changing customer needs that have the potential to shape the future of the market. By identifying untapped market segments, geographies with high growth potential, and innovative product development strategies, this report supports stakeholders in harnessing these opportunities and leading business growth.In addition, this report addresses the key challenges faced by industry participants. It provides insightful information on challenges such as intense market competition, price pressure, regulatory compliance, and technological confusion. By understanding these challenges, companies can develop effective mitigation strategies and adapt to a constantly changing market environment. This enables them to ensure sustainable growth.The regional analysis section of the global optical lens assemblies market report thoroughly evaluates the market in various regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa. This section provides valuable information on market size, growth potential, and key market trends specific to each region.Market by Regions:North AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaThis report provides a comprehensive assessment of the optical lens assemblies market in these specific regions, enabling stakeholders to understand regional differences, market potential, and growth prospects. This provides valuable insights that help make informed decisions related to market entry, expansion strategies, and resource allocation. Additionally, understanding the regulatory landscape and market dynamics in each region is useful for companies to comply with regulatory requirements and adjust their business strategies to fit specific markets.Overall, the global optical lens assemblies market report strives to provide comprehensive and practical information to industry stakeholders. By offering a deep understanding of market trends, competitive dynamics, growth opportunities, and potential risks, this report plays a valuable role as a tool for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and investors. Through this information, they are able to make informed business decisions and execute successful strategies in the dynamic and evolving optical lens assemblies market.
A famous Nigerian beautician and entrepreneur Winifred Aigbogun has revealed why Nigerian women are obsessed with skin-lightening products.

Over the years, Nigerias cultural landscape has evolved, and so has its beauty industry; this has created a flourishing market for skin care products to thrive.

However, in March, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) warned Nigerians against using unapproved cosmetics because the dangers were largely irreversible.

NAFDAC also reported that 77 per cent of Nigerian women used skin bleaching creams, the highest in Africa, compared to 59 per cent in Togo, 35 per cent in South Africa and 27 per cent in women in Senegal.

Speaking about this obsession with skin-lightening creams and products, Ms Aigbogun blamed it on the decline of cultural standards and marketing influence.

She said,  Nigeria has a diverse population with various ethnic groups, each with its beauty standards. However, for many Nigerian women, particularly those from certain ethnic groups, having lighter skin is considered more desirable and attractive.

Historical factors, such as colonialism and the influence of European beauty ideals, often influence this preference for lighter skin. We Africans must embrace our skin tone, culture and beauty standards.

Ms Aigbogun, passionate about beauty and body care, also blamed the beauty industry for this obsession with skin lightening in women.

The beautician said this at the debut of Absolute Glamour Cosmetics, a skincare and cosmetic brand at Ulta Beauty retail in Lagos recently.

Skin lightening craze

She told PREMIUM TIMES that the beauty industry plays a significant role in fueling the demand for skin-lightening products.

Companies market these products as a solution to achieve a desired lighter complexion, promising increased beauty, confidence, and success. Advertisements often feature lighter-skinned models, creating an aspirational image for consumers. It is wrong because lightning products harm the skin, she said.

Ms Aigbogun, who owns Absolute Glamour Cosmetics, said it is important to note that the craze for skin lightening is not unique to Nigeria and has been observed in other countries.

She, however, said it is crucial to promote diversity and challenge narrow beauty standards that perpetuate colourism and reinforce inequality based on skin tone.

She said, My Body-care and skincare solutions are not lightening. I focus on body-care products that improve weight loss and weight gain products, body sculpting, and natural body enhancement products.

Buttressing her arguments, she said her brand uses natural ingredients and incorporates the latest technological advancements and has garnered a loyal customer base.

Ms Aigboguns brand has taken significant steps towards reducing its environmental impact by using eco-friendly packaging and sourcing ingredients responsibly.

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No doubt, Nigerian men are a special breed of men, as they have continued to remain the topic of several discussions, especially around the issues of relationships and marriage, both at home and abroad.

Often, many Nigerian men have been forcefully categorised as notorious serial cheaters, Yoruba Demons, scums and players, but that is not always the case as there are some exceptions.

It is also noteworthy that Nigerian men are also applauded for their exceptional knowledge of how to cater to a womans needs.

However, an aphorism says, After God, fear Nigerian men, which has become a curious stumbling block to enjoying a successful relationship with a Nigerian man.

Are you in a relationship with a Nigerian man, and you are wondering if he is serious about you? Here are five easy ways to know if he is serious about you or not

When a Nigerian man calls you pet names, like Love of my life;

Pet names like baby, babe, Ikem, Obim, and Iyawomi could be romantic gestures and are unique, but do not get carried away; its just a name; that could change anytime, and it may surprise you that you are not the only one he calls those sweet names.

When a Nigerian man says he wants to marry you;

The topic of marriage is very holy to a Nigerian man, and he often doesnt joke about it. But when a typical Nigerian man says he wants to marry you, do not take him for his word; he might just be flirting. Its just a password to get what he wants.

When a Nigerian man says he wants you to be the mother of his children;

Nigerian men are very attached to their children, so when he tells you that he wants you to be the mother of his children, do not rejoice yet, it is not a sure ticket to being his wife. Thats like flirty banter or sweet pillow talk, and before you fall for his words, please be reminded that baby mama is not synonymous with wife.

When his friends are shipping you ;

Sometimes his friends would be hailing you, calling you all sorts of lovely names like Our wife, Chef, or Madam They would always tell you stories of how you changed his life and made their friend a better person. All these names and tales come with a trophy-winning feeling, but be on your guard, and dont let anyone deceive you; its just fun; they are fans; fans dont determine the goals scored in a match.

When a Nigerian man takes you to meet his mother;

Nigerian men do not joke with their mothers, so when your man takes you to meet his mother, it feels like you are a step into his life, but thats not always the case. Perhaps it could be a coincidence, or indeed, he is taking you to his mother for assessment, and she is just assessing you like she is assessing the others.

When a Nigerian man spends money on you

Money and Gifting are vital love languages, and Nigerian men could be generous and spend their money on you, take you places and buy you beautiful and expensive things, but that does not mean you have snagged a slot in his heart.

The fact

The only way you know a Nigerian man is serious with you is when he holds your hand and walks you down the aisle, and says, I do Until then, anything can happen!

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This is the third and final part of this report. Read the first part here and the second part here.

Laws and grey areas

For many vulnerable women on the path of surrogacy in Nigeria, the journey is fraught with half-truths, hearsay and a conditioning of the mind that leads them to discount personal health and future complications. This brings the question: is there a legal framework protecting them? Surrogacy may not be illegal in Nigeria, but the laws are either non-existent or ambiguous, creating room for exploitation and illegal practices to thrive.

For instance, Section 30 of the Child Rights Act (2003) prohibits the buying, selling, hiring or dealing in children. Also, the Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act also condemns all forms of human trafficking.

A lawyer, Onyekachi Umah, said the law by implication prohibits the practice of surrogacy.

Section 30 of the Child Rights Act is against surrogacy in Nigeria. The section reads; No person shall buy, sell, hire, let on hire, dispose of or obtain possession of or otherwise deal in a child.

He said the provision clearly frowns at the processes and procedures of surrogacy, even without mentioning the term surrogacy.

Also, Oluyemi Orija, the Founder of Headfort Foundation, a pro-poor legal firm, noted that in Nigeria, there are no specific laws regulating Assisted Reproductive Technology.

She said the closest law is the Assisted Reproductive Technology [ART] Bill 2016, which has not been passed into law by parliament. However, the situation is slightly different in Lagos, she said.

Lagos State on the other hand passed a guideline on assisted Reproductive Technology in 2019, leaving the remaining 35 states of Nigeria and the FCT with laws on surrogacy or Assisted Reproductive system. It is important to state that surrogacy is not a crime in Nigeria, and neither is there any law providing for it, she added,

Timothy Adewale, a lawyer and the Executive Director of the Centre for Health Equity and Justice (CEHEJ), an NGO that promotes reproductive health rights, decried the absence of a law regulating ART in the country.

We do not have laws that regulate ART in Nigeria, whether it is egg donor, IVF or surrogacy. It is more or less left to the dictates of those who are involved, and we have seen cases of manipulations of different kinds, he said.

Normally, the National Assembly is supposed to pass a bill and when it has been signed into an Act, it then trickles down to the states for domestication. For instance, the National Health Act covers the issues of using humans and foetuses as scientific research but doesnt specifically say anything about ART. There is a need for a law to regulate ART at the national level because if it is well guided in a state, people can go to another state to do whatever they like, the CEHEJ director said.

Absence of Law: Opportunity for illegal practices

Mrs Odukoya of the ParahFamily Foundation agreed that the absence of a legal framework has led to the prevalence of sharp practices in some fertility clinics and some surrogacy agencies running baby factories.

You cannot rule out sharp practices since there are no guiding principles. I dont know any hospital that is involved in illegality but there are a lot of baby factories under the guise of fertility clinics. Some clinics would even give injections to women that will make their stomachs feel bloated but they are not pregnant, and at the end of the day, they would just give out a baby to such a woman and the woman might have thought she did IVF, she added.

Mrs Orija said she has not had first-hand experience of any illegality in fertility clinics. But, she said, Nothing is impossible. I have heard stories where the oocytes (eggs) of young ladies are collected for a meagre amount of money by fertility clinics without proper sensitisation on the consequences to the girls. Girls who are in dire need of money continually donate eggs, with no proper documentation, medical care after donation and sensitisation. These to me are inappropriate.

International practices and guidelines

Well-regulated surrogacy practices focus on transparency, informed consent, and the protection of the surrogates physical and emotional well-being. In countries with such laws, they balance the interests of intended parents, surrogates, and donors. For instance, in Australia, Ukraine, Mexico and Colombia where surrogacy is legalised, the surrogates do not get financial compensation outside of being reimbursed for medical and other reasonable expenses. Perhaps, if surrogates are not rewarded handsomely in Nigeria too, women would not consider it as a survival option.

It is important to note that ART has come to stay and it should be regulated in line with global best practices, Mr Adewale warned.

Adopting a better approach to surrogacy

Mrs Odukoya highlighted the importance of counselling for couples seeking alternative fertility options so they could make informed decisions and not be dragged into illegality. She said counselling, regulation and collaboration among key agencies are vital to improving the fertility sector in Nigeria. Again stressing the need for legislation, she said, Surrogacy is not a government-legalised option in Nigeria but most of the things we do, we dont have legal backing to it. There are individuals who make legal arrangements, between the surrogate mother and the hospital involved. But this cannot be taken to court if anyone defaults.

In Parah, when we bring our members together, we bring all these options to the table, so they know why they should select a specific option, and they are better informed about all it entails, she added.

She believes that the government needs to show more commitment to the lives of citizens by making laws to guide surrogacy and other assistive fertility methods in Nigeria.

There is a need for collaboration between surrogacy agencies, hospitals and the government to establish ethical practices and regulations in the fertility space. The current lack of government attention and involvement allows unethical practices to flourish, she explained.

Mrs Odukoya said some surrogacy agencies do not have proper accreditation and hide under the hospital. There should be continuous monitoring of health facilities so that there can be a clampdown on those who are involved in illegality.

Even with relevant laws, it is important that transparency, ethical standards, and proper medical protocols are enforced to ensure the safety and dignity of surrogates and intended parents alike. Only then can Nigeria move towards a surrogacy industry that operates within legal boundaries and upholds ethical standards, providing hope for couples without exploitation of innocent women.

The creation of laws to regulate how assisted reproductive technology is carried out is essential to prevent shady practices like baby-making factories, prostitution, human trafficking, illegal semen, and egg harvesting agencies amongst others, Mrs Orija said.

Editors Note: All the names of the donors in the first two parts of this story have been changed to protect their identities.

This report was supported by the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under its Report Women! Female Reporters Leadership Programme (FRLP), champion building edition.

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The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has explained why it suspended its nationwide strike more than two weeks after it commenced.

The president of NARD, Emeka Orji, who confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, said the association decided to suspend the strike due to significant moves by the federal government to address its demands.

Mr Orji said the National Executive Council (NEC) of NARD met and concluded its in the best interest to give the government two weeks to meet their demands.

He said: We also observed that the federal government has approved the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), and has started work on the circular on one-for-one replacement, he said.

The circular on one-for-one replacement is a very important demand because we believe it would address the severe manpower shortage but from what we have seen, it would take another two weeks for government to finalise it.

He said all resident doctors are directed to resume 8 a.m. on Saturday, noting that there will be a review of progress made in two weeks

Doctors strike

The members of NARD embarked on industrial action on 26 July following the failure of the Nigerian government to meet their demands.

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.

READ ALSO:

The doctors also want the immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and the 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.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the strike disrupted health services in health facilities in some major parts of the country.

The resident doctors comprise the bulk of medical personnel in Nigerias tertiary hospitals; hence health activities are mostly crippled when they are on strike.

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Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo on Saturday unveiled Chinyere Ekomaru as his running mate for the 11 November governorship election in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unveiling took place at an APC stakeholders meeting in Owerri.

The governor also presented his scorecard under his 3R Government of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery from 15 January 2020 to date.

In a speech, he said his administration had laid the foundation for growth in all sectors of the economy and would consolidate on them to deliver an industrial, prosperous and safe Imo in the coming years.

We have so much to campaign with. Our works speak for us.

So, today, we are here to reinforce our genuine claim to re-election.

I have picked a female deputy governorship candidate in the person of Chinyere Ihuoma Ekomaru.

I believe she will add value to this ticket.

I expect Imo women to appreciate this gesture as my genuine appreciation of their innate strength and capacity to contribute to the growth of our state, he said.

Mr Uzodimma said that the process of choosing Ms Ekomaru was all-inclusive and appealed to all to accept and make peace with the decision.

He commended his outgoing Deputy, Placid Njoku, saying, I enjoyed a good working relationship with him.

Let me use this opportunity to make it clear that I dont have any problem with my deputy.

He is a very loyal and committed partner in progress.

My confidence in him has not waned in any way.

I want to assure you that he is still very relevant in our political family and his political career is not by any means over.

The truth is that as representatives of the people, we need to be sensitive to the ecumenical nature of the environment, he said.

The governor said he could rightly and proudly claim that he kept the social contract he entered into with the Imo people when he assumed office in January 2020.

According to him, the security situation in the state has improved as the wanton and unprovoked killing of citizens by mercenary criminals had abated while the indiscriminate attacks on security agencies have been checked.

He further said that the state had regained its pride of place as the hub of hospitality.

The governor cited the hosting of high-profile events and conferences, including those by the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Guild of Editors in the state to buttress his point.

He also said that his administration had put in place a fully automated system in the civil service, eliminated corruption and abolished the menace of ghost workers.

Other achievements in the state civil service, he said, included the renovation of the entire secretariat blocks, provision of relevant equipment, regular payment of salaries, payment of 13th-month salary and other welfare packages.

Our roads, which were mere death traps when I assumed office, are now motorable.

At the last count, this administration has done more than 100 good quality roads across the entire state.

These include the dual carriageway of Owerri  Okigwe Road and Owerri  Orlu Road, while the construction of five kilometres of roads in the 27 LGAs is at various stages of completion.

The reconstruction of Owerri -Mbaise  Obowo  Umuahia and Orlu  Mgbidi  Akokwa- Uga Road is also ongoing, he further said.

In education, we recovered the KO Mbadiwe University.

We also established the Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Umuagwo to ensure that our children are availed more admission spaces while creating employment and boosting the economy of the state.

We are also effectively funding a polytechnic and a college of education and our primary and secondary schools are enjoying equal attention, he said.

Mr Uzodimma also said that similar efforts were being replicated in the health sector, where his administration recovered the Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH), Orlu from decay.

He said that his government ensured that medical students graduated from the institution after eight years of stagnation.

IMSUTH remains a truly tertiary health institution with the requisite experts and consultants.

Through our collaboration with the Federal Government, the Federal Medical Center, Owerri has been converted to Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Owerri, he said.

He further disclosed that three new well-equipped general hospitals would be commissioned soon.

The governor said he had ensured the recovery of Adapalm Nigeria Limited and was in the process of doing the same at Imo Shoe Industry, the Rubber Company, Avutu Poultry and Nsu Ceramic Industry, among others.

Through a friendly tax regime and creation of new business opportunities, we have also created the enabling environment for investors to establish industries and create employment opportunities in the state, he said.

The governor also said that the ongoing dredging of the Oguta-Orashi-Degema River to the Atlantic Ocean project would help to rejuvenate the state economy and that of the entire South-East, when completed.

Earlier, the state APC Chairman, Macdonald Ebere, acknowledged the good work done by Mr Uzodimmas administration and expressed the need for continuity.

Mr Ebere said, We are not unmindful that the increasing strength, popularity and visibility of our party in the state as reflected in the just-concluded election, the litany of defections from major political parties are attributable to your pacesetting infrastructure development and economic re-engineering of our state.

He said that the party was firmly positioned to take advantage of the achievements of the shared prosperity administration to secure once again the mandate of the people by 11 November.

We are very optimistic that our people will once again speak through their votes, to revalidate their implicit vote of confidence in our party and the shared prosperity administration of our governor, he said.

In an acceptance speech, Mrs Ekomaru, accompanied by her husband, thanked the governor for choosing her as his running mate and promised not to betray the confidence he reposed in her.

She said that she had been in politics for more than 40 years and assured the governor that her choice meant winning supporters from the Anglican Communion, academia and social groups, where she belongs.

She further expressed confidence that the party would win more votes from the judiciary, where her husband belonged, the health sector, where her child belonged and the numerous womens social groups, where she also belonged.

(NAN)

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Some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed one person and abducted many travellers along Ugwogo-Neke Odenigbo Road in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The victim, Cyril Mbah, was said to be going home with his daughter in their vehicle when they ran into the kidnappers who suddenly opened fire on them.

The incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Friday, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The hoodlums subsequently flagged down another vehicle and abducted a yet-to-be-ascertained number of travellers.

Chief Cyril Mbah from Neke Odenigbo-Nike was gunned down by suspected kidnappers along the Ugwogo/Isi-Uzo road, near Neke Odenigbo junction, a witness, Kingsley Odoh, told reporters in Enugu on Saturday.

Unfortunately, he (Mbah) couldnt survive the gunshots but nothing happened to his daughter.

The kidnappers went further, fired and flattened the tyres of another vehicle approaching the scene and successfully whisked away the driver and other people on board. Till now, no one is certain where they are, Mr Odoh added.

A youth leader in Ugwogo-Nike, who asked not to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES that only Mr Mbah was killed by the kidnappers, contrary to speculations that two were killed in the attack.

The youth leader said the victim died at Ugwogo-Nike Roundabout while he was being taken to a hospital by a vigilante operative, identified as Okenna Okoh, who had gone to rescue them.

He (Mbah) was kept on a motorcycle and he was shouting, I am dying (because he was uncomfortable) before Okenna used the vehicle which the kidnappers had flattened its tyres to carry the man and his daughter to the hospital, he said.

When contacted on Sunday morning, the police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the killing of the victim to PREMIUM TIMES.

The manhunt operation is underway to apprehend the armed assailants, Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said

READ ALSO: Gunmen kill 17 persons in fresh Plateau attack

He, however, said the police in the state were not aware of the abduction of travellers during the attack.

Increased kidnap attacks

This is not the first kidnapping incident around Ugwogo-Nike community in recent times.

Several people, including university students and government officials, have been kidnapped, lately, along Ugwogo-Opi-Ekwegbe Road in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of the state.

The latest attack occurred about three years after many people, including a Catholic reverend sister, were kidnapped along Ugwogo-Neke Odenigbo Road while returning from the burial of a former State House of Assembly member, Chijioke Ugwueze.

The deceased lawmaker, who hailed from Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, died in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Neke Odenigbo shares a boundary with communities in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the state.

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The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced plans to establish a Special Intervention Squad (SIS) to deal with security threats in the country.

Mr Egbetokun disclosed this when he led the police force management team on a courtesy call to Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State on Saturday at Government House.

He solicited the support of the Kano State Government in order to succeed with Kano being one of the pilot states.

Your Excellency, I want to inform you that the present police management has decided to set up a squad called the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) to intervene quickly in crisis.

Where there is crisis or violent crime in Nigeria we have a dedicated squad that can easily be deployed to take care of those challenges, he said.

Mr Egbetokun said that the need for the new squad could not be overemphasised as its success would depend on the cooperation and support the police got from the Kano state government.

We will equip the squad with well-trained personnel and well-remunerated to meet the overwhelming security challenges.

The special squad will be specially trained, we will specially equip them, with modern working facilities. We will kit them properly and we will remunerate them specially. They will be so motivated to do their job.

I want to appeal for cooperation and support of Your Excellency in making a success of this arrangement.

We have chosen Kano State as one of the pilot states. But a lot will depend on the support we get from His Excellency.

I honestly want you to take note of that and to take this as a request coming from the Nigerian Police to Governor Yusuf, he said.

Responding, the governor lauded the political commitment demonstrated by the present police management in the ongoing fight against banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery in the country.

Mr Yusuf expressed appreciation for the way policing was taking place in the state which had drastically reduced some of the security challenges since the advent of the new administration.

He explained that Kano State Government would continue to support the police to perform optimally.

Kano State Government is a very serious government in this dispensation. We came on board when there were very serious insecurity challenges in the state.

There was the issue of thuggery, the issue of phone snatching, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry and so on and so forth.

When we came we ensured that we brought all the security agencies working in Kano on board, especially the Nigerian Police Force.

We have a very good relationship between the government and the police authorities, said the governor.

I want to assure you that we will continue doing our best to ensure that we achieve peace in the state and deal with the insecurity issues bedevilling the state.

Let me seize this opportunity to also ask the IGP to support us also in our fight against drug abuse, armed robbery, phone snatching, thuggery and so on and so forth.

We appreciate what you have been doing, the tremendous efforts you have been making in ending kidnapping, not only in Kano but in Nigeria as a whole, Mr Yusuf said.

(NAN)

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a warm message of goodwill and felicitations to veteran journalist and celebrated columnist, Ray Ekpu, on the occasion of his 75th birthday.

The President assesses Mr Ekpus life as one that is synonymous with the struggle for freedom, democracy and the entrenchment of good governance in Nigeria.

I join friends, family and admirers of the veteran journalist and respected columnist, Mr Ray Ekpu, in celebrating his purposeful life as he marks his 75th birthday. In a career spanning over 50 years in the Nigerian media landscape, Mr Ekpu has consistently demonstrated a dogged commitment to progressive ideals.

His pen has been deployed to the service of society through frank, analytical and engaging commentary that is uniquely characterised by his beautiful prose. As he marks his 75th birthday, I send my heartfelt congratulations to this doyen of journalism on behalf of the Government and people of Nigeria, the president said.

Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has condemned the killing of two people at the Kofar Gayan area of Zaria, Kaduna State, during an attack by suspected terrorists late Saturday.

According to a statement signed by the speakers media aide, Musa Krishi, he said the suspected terrorists invaded the area, shot sporadically, killing the individuals, while they kidnapped others.

The killings, coming just over 24 hours after the death of several people during the collapse of parts of the Zaria Central Mosque, were unfortunate and abhorrent, the statement said.

Expressing disgust at the killings of the two innocent people, Speaker Abbas noted with concern the recurring attacks in parts of Zaria and environs in the past few years.

The lives of Nigerians, wherever they are, should be protected, hence the need for the security agencies to up their game in the protection of Nigerians and their property.

Mr Abbas, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, called for a thorough investigation into the attack and the killings to unravel those behind it.

Mr Tajudeen noted that Zaria people are peace-loving and have been living peacefully over the years, saying the activities of the bandits should not be allowed to disrupt the tranquillity of the ancient city.

The attack that led to the killings of our two innocent brothers at Kofar Gayan was most calamitous, horrendous, tragic, heinous and disgusting.

It was most unfortunate that when innocent people were going about their normal and legitimate activities, others were planning evil to disturb the peace enjoyed by everyone.

The action of those behind this dastardly act stands condemned, and I call on the security agencies to swing into action immediately to fish out the perpetrators. This evil act must not be allowed to go unchecked.

My heart goes out to the families of those that lost their loved ones. I pray that Allah (SWT) will grant the departed Jannatul Firdaus and give the families the fortitude to bear the painful and irreparable loss, Mr said.

He also commiserated with the Kaduna State Government, the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness, Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and the people of Zaria over the unfortunate incident, the statement said.

Kaduna is one of Nigerias states terrorised by terrorists, commonly called bandits. Killings and kidnapping for ransom are common across the state  including Zaria, the largest local government area of the state.

The terrorists target peasants in vulnerable communities in the state, and many have fallen prey to the kidnappers. Some have been killed in captivity, while others were freed after ransom payment.

The insecurity has remained unabated despite the Nigerian governments efforts to check criminality.

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The Nigerian military has described as highly unpatriotic, wicked, the call by some Nigerians for a coup in the country.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Tukur Gusau, a brigadier general, the military also restated its commitment to democracy.

Read the full statement below.

The Defence Heaquartes frown at a report being circulated online about welfare issues in the Armed Forces of Nigeria. The reports call on the military to interfere in our democracy is highly unpatriotic, wicked, and an attempt to distract the Armed Forces of Nigeria from performing its constitutional responsibilities.

While the leadership of the AFN gives priority to welfare of its personnel however, we detest any attempt by any individual or group to instigate the law abiding Armed Forces of Nigeria to embark on any unconstitutional change of government in our country. We wish to state unequivocally that the military is happy and better under democracy and Will not get involved in any act to sabotage the hard-earned democracy in our country.

The AFN under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, General CG Musa is determined to ensure complete subordination of the Armed Forces to constitutional authority under His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and will not be distracted from its roles that are well defined in the 1999 constitution (as amended).

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President Bola Tinubu on Saturday, said his administration would make adequate provision for the enhancement of the operational capabilities of security and law enforcement agencies.

Mr Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, gave the assurance at the Passing Out Parade of the 5th Regular Course of the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano.

Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, made this known in a statement on Saturday.

The Nigerian leader also assured of the commitment of his administration towards improving the welfare of personnel in its renewed drive to address security and related concerns across the country.

This administration is committed to implementing effective measures to combat security challenges in Nigeria and our synergy is the surest ticket to that destiny. We are implementing a comprehensive approach that focuses on key areas.

First, we are investing in our law enforcement agencies to enhance their capabilities and effectiveness. We are offering extra resources, training, and equipment to bolster our Police Force and Security Agencies.

Simultaneously, we are enhancing our intelligence systems and information sharing at both the national and international levels.

Mr Tinubu said the government acknowledges that addressing security challenges necessitates cooperative endeavours with other countries.

Hence, we are establishing alliances to adeptly tackle transnational threats. Furthermore, we are executing all-encompassing social programmes and economic development projects aimed at fostering inclusiveness, social unity, and economic prospects for everyone, the president added.

While commending the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for their efforts, the president said Our moral duty now is to support the Nigeria Police Force and other security organisations in intensifying their bids to improve public safety.

We must do the best within our capacity to ensure there is an improvement in the security of lives, properties, and investments of our people and foreign investors.

Mr Tinubu urged members of the Force to always hold fast to the core virtues of our Police Force; integrity, honesty, and compassion.

We must treat all citizens fairly and uphold their human rights, regardless of background. Our actions must exemplify the highest ethical standards as we safeguard the rule of law. Together, we embody the principles that define a trusted and responsible Police Force.

He expressed confidence in the ability of the graduands to fit into the agenda of the present administration.

He noted that with the quality of training that you have received over the five years in the Academy, I believe you are adequately prepared to serve this country.

May you all embark on this journey with courage and determination, knowing that the nation needs your patriotic services. Stay vigilant, stay united, and stay focused on the ideals that make our Police Force an example of honour and integrity.

Earlier, the Commandant of the Academy, Sadiq Abubakar, an assistant inspector general of police, thanked the federal government for its unwavering support of the institution.

He noted that the successful graduation of the 169 cadets was a testament to the present administrations commitment to infrastructure and manpower development in the Force.

The high point of the event was the presentation of a sword and prizes to the best-graduating cadets, the symbolic piping and commissioning of the cadets by the president who was the Special Guest of Honour.

Dignitaries present at the event include Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State; Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, some members of the National Assembly; Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Solomon Arase; Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, among others.

(NAN)

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The governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has denied media reports that he visited President Bola Tinubu to discuss the ministerial nominee suggested by his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai.

In a statement by the governors chief press secretary, Mohammed Shehu, on Saturday, Mr Sani called on the media to desist from spreading false and unverified information as that could mislead readers and cause unnecessary tension in the polity.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that Mr El-Rufai, who had been nominated to serve as a minister, told President Tinubu at a meeting on Tuesday that he was no longer interested in becoming a minister but would continue to contribute his quota to the development of Nigeria as a private citizen.

Another insider also told PREMIUM TIMES that the former governor suggested a new ministerial nominee, Jafaru Sani, as his replacement.

Uba meets Tinubu

Mr Ubas meeting with Mr Tinubu occurred after that of Mr El-Rufai thus leading to speculations they discussed Mr El-Rufais replacement as minister.

After meeting with Mr Tinubu, the governor told journalists that he did not discuss the issue of Mr El-Rufais replacement with the president.

The only thing that is true in the story is that I met with the President. Every other thing is false and a conjecture to create friction between me and Malam Nasir El-Rufai. At no time did we discuss the issue of replacement, he said.

The governor urged the media to be cautious and avoid becoming tools for mischief-makers who specialize in spreading falsehoods and divisive narratives.

In these days of click baits and fake news, it is imperative for traditional and new media platforms to maintain their integrity by sharing balanced and verified stories that will be useful in moving the nation forward, the governor said.

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Nigerien protesters tried to attack the Nigerian embassy in Niamey but were repelled by the Nigerien military, an official has said.

The attempted attack happened on Sunday, 30 July, four days after presidential guards toppled the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum who has since remained in detention with his family.

Nigerias Ambassador to Niger, Mohamed Usman, stated this in a Friday statement signed by a staff of the embassy Liti Auwalu, following a video shared on social media of a building being set ablaze which many claimed is the Nigerian embassy.

At the moment, the Embassy is well guarded by the Nigerien Military and other Security Authorities, the statement said, reiterating that the videos are fake and should be disregarded.

Nigeria has continued to operate its embassy in Niger despite the coup there and the strong response of ECOWAS.

Presidential guards led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Wednesday, 26 July, arrested Mr Bazoum, dissolved the government and assumed leadership of the country.

In response, ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger in a bid to have them reinstate Mr Bazoum. It also gave a seven days ultimatum to the putschists which they ignored.

The bloc held another meeting last Thursday where it ordered the activation and deployment of its standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger.

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A woman suspected to be the head of a drug syndicate, Faith Nwankwo, has been arrested at her Lagos residence, Nigerias anti-narcotics agency says.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspected kingpin was arrested on Wednesday at her residence, House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos, shortly after she returned from a warehouse at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.

A search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of Two Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (2,750,000) pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916 kilograms. The drugs and the SUV were recovered while the suspect was taken into custody.

In another operation on 4 August, the agency said it tracked a group of transnational syndicates involved in the importation, exportation, distribution, and dealing of cocaine and Canadian Loud.

The group was tracked to the Atlantic Nominee Estate in Lekki- Ajah area of Lagos, where a blue Toyota Highlander SUV was loaded with 8.49kg of cocaine and 10.3kg Canadian Loud for distribution, allegedly by Urama Chinemelum Precious, 32, and Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, 55.

A follow-up operation to the recovery of additional 18 blocks of Loud weighing 18.5kg at the residence of Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos.

The following day, Saturday 5th August, operatives of the Special Unit went after another syndicate involved in importation, distribution and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride, a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine, following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25 kilograms of the substance, the statement reads.

Two members of the syndicate: Udeh Vincent Ogbonna, 53, and Okonkwo Ifeanyi Uzozie, 50, were arrested at a commercial bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South East. A body search on the two suspects led to the recovery of Three Thousand ($3,000) US Dollars found on Udeh Vincent Ogbonna.

At a courier firm in the state, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday intercepted a 4.5kg consignment of Loud coming from the United States.

Other states

In operations across four other states of Ogun, Ondo, Edo and Nasarawa, NDLEA operatives recovered over 13,391.8 kilogrammes of skunk.

In Ogun State, no fewer than 1,955kgs of the illicit substance packed in 139 jumbo bags and stored in the warehouse of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Lekan Jimoh (aka Konmo Konmo) in Ado Odo Ota area of the state were recovered on Saturday 12th in collaboration with officers of the Nigerian Army.

Similarly in Ondo, Ogbu Paul Odey, 30, Daniel Osidi, 34; John Iyage, 41, Friday Simon, 28; and Friday James, 24, were arrested in connection with the seizure and/or destruction of over 10,325.5kgs of cannabis sativa in Iju and Ala forests, in Akure area of the state between Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th August.

While 22-year-old James Aga was arrested during the raid of an uncompleted building on the outskirts of Utese town in Ovia North East LGA of Edo State on Friday 11th August with 10kg skunk, 976kg of the same substance was recovered from the building in addition to the recovery of four motorcycles.

In an earlier operation in Utese forest on Tuesday 8th August, at least 46.545kgs of skunk were recovered, and 1.581146 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed

while two suspects: Onyelunisue Azuka, 48 and Abraham Ayomide, 30, were arrested.

Also in Nasarawa state, 49-year-old Umar Abdullahi was arrested on Friday, 11th August, with 64.8kgs of cannabis sativa in Doma LGA.

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The Ondo State government has denied reports that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has returned to Nigeria after a prolonged medical leave abroad.

The clarification followed a viral video depicting the governor looking healthy and disembarking from a helicopter.

The governors spokesperson, Richard Olatunde, said the video was recorded during the 2023 presidential election campaign.

Mr Akeredolus illness requiring treatment abroad has forced him to transmit power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who now acts as governor.

While we acknowledge the eagerness of the people of the state, as well as supporters and well-wishers from both within and outside the country, to have the Governor back, we want to clarify that Governor Akeredolu is currently in Germany, focused on his full recovery, Mr Olatunde said in a state made available to journalists in Akure on Sunday.

Governor Akeredolu extends his deep appreciation to the citizens of Ondo State for their unwavering prayers and support.

Their genuine concern and compassion have been instrumental in aiding his recovery journey.

Its important to note that Governor Akeredolu will return to the state very soon to continue executing his administrations Redeemed agenda and providing impactful governance.

His commitment to delivering positive and lasting development remains steadfast.

The video in question, which is circulating, was captured during the Governors campaign tour in preparation for the last Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Mr Olatunde said Governor Akeredolu is eagerly looking forward to reuniting with the people of the state.

He is deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support, and he cant wait to continue working towards a brighter future for Ondo State, he said.

Mr Akeredolus absence provoked squabbles over the control of his government.

However, since he sent a letter to the House of Assembly enabling Mr Aiyedatiwa to become acting governor, calm appears to have returned.

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Nigers coup leader, Abdourahmane Tchiani, has offered explanations for refusing to meet an ECOWAS delegation led by former Nigerian military leader, Abdulsalami Abubakar.

According to a statement signed by an Islamic scholar, Bala Lau, who led a team of Nigerian Islamic scholars to meet with the coup leader in Niamey, Mr Tchiani said they (the coup leaders) were angry that ECOWAS did not hear them out before issuing them an ultimatum.

He however apologised for his action noting that the juntas doors are open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter.

The statement did not, however, state if Mr Tchiani also apologised for his decision to meet delegations from the AU, UN and the US.

Mr Tchiani claimed the coup was well intended, stating that they struck to starve off an imminent threat that would have affected not only Niger but also Nigeria. The statement did not, however, quote him as saying what the imminent threat was.

The coup leader added that Niger and Nigeria were not only neighbours but brothers and sisters who should resolve issues amicably.

At their meeting, the Nigerian team and the coup leader agreed to further explore using dialogue to resolve the political crisis in Niger.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Islamic scholars last week met with Nigerias President and ECOWAS chair, Bola Tinubu, to discuss the use of dialogue in resolving the conflict. They also requested to be allowed to intervene, a request the Nigerian leader agreed to.

According to the Sunday statement, Mr Lau told the coup leader that the visit to Niger was to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage him and other military leaders behind the coup to toe the path of peace instead of war to resolve the crisis.

Speaking with journalists in Niamey after the meeting, another member of the intervention team and Chief Missioner of Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, Abdulrahman Ahmad, said contrary to reports in some sections of the media, the team was well received by Mr Tchiani and both parties had fruitful discussions.

We will now go back home and report to President Tinubu what we have discussed and press it on him that war is not an option in resolving the matter.

We believe that war is an ill wind that will not blow any good and that peaceful resolution should prevail.

The team comprised scholars from various Islamic organisations in the country including Kabiru Gombe, the secretary of Jamatul izalatul bida waikamatul sunnah; Yakubu Katsina, director of Daawah of JIBWIS; Dahiru Bauchi, represented by Ibrahim Bauchi and Khalid Aliya, the secretary-general of Jammatul Nasril Islam.

Nigerians and indeed the rest of the world will wait to see the impact of the clerics visit on the situation in Niger particularly the resolution by ECOWAS that it would use force to dislodge the putschists unless they hand over power back to detained President Mohamed Bazoum.

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The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, says there is no big deal in Nigerian senators being paid N2 million each as recess allowance.

Mr Ndume, in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, also said sharing a total of N218 million among the 109 senators to enjoy their vacation is nothing special.

After the screening and confirmation of the ministerial nominees last Monday, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, told senators that money had been credited to their bank accounts to enjoy their vacation, which began on 7 August.

Mr Akpabios statement was greeted with public criticisms among Nigerians though some of the senators later admitted that each of them received N2 million as allowance for seven weeks holiday allowance, which will end on 26 September.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the allowance was illegal as it is not provided for in the remuneration package approved by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the body authorised by law to prepare salaries and allowances for public servants.

Drastic action against Akpabio

Mr Ndume, who represents Borno North, blamed the senate president for disclosing details of the holiday allowance to the public, saying it was like an allowance an employee is paid while going on leave.

Its common knowledge that if any employee is going on leave, he or she is entitled to a leave grant. That was the money we received, and it is nothing unusual or special.

All senators received two million naira. And I am making this comment with a heavy heart because he (Akpabio) is the cause of this controversy.

READ ALSO:

He created an impression as if we were given some special or huge amounts of money. Whats the big deal if I receive two million naira allowance in my capacity as a senator, he said.

The chief whip said that other senators are planning to take drastic action against the senate president for exposing details of the vacation allowance.

He made a very wrong statement, and I warned him immediately that his comments were unbecoming of an elder.

In fact, we are even planning to take drastic action against him if he continues making unguarded statements and acting as if we are kids, Mr Ndume said.

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Amidst the myriad challenges confronting Nigeria and the vast expanse of the African continent, one formidable obstacle looms large  a veritable resource curse. Our lands lie blessed with abundant natural riches, yet regrettably the lions share of these treasures remains untapped within our borders. Instead, they are swiftly harvested as raw materials, whisked away to distant shores in Europe, America, and beyond, where they undergo metamorphosis into coveted finished goods.

In the rich tapestry of Greek mythology, one resolute Titan shines with celestial brilliance  the formidable figure of Atlas. His name resonates through the ages, inseparable from the legendary Titanomachy  the epic ten-year war that shook the heavens, pitting the audacious Titans against the majestic Olympian gods, led by none other than Zeus himself. The Titans ambitious quest to supplant the Olympians and seize cosmic dominion ended in utter defeat, consigning them to Tartarus, an abyss of unfathomable depths beneath the underworld.

Of all the Titans, Atlas stood as a central figure, a colossus of cosmic consequence. His pivotal role in the rebellion garnered him a fate most profound  condemnation by the mighty Zeus to bear the weight of the celestial heavens eternally upon his Herculean shoulders. A symbol of resolute endurance and unwavering fortitude, Atlas bore the burden of an immense globe, emblematic of the vast cosmos itself.

But his unyielding perseverance transcends the mythic realms, resonating in the human experience  a poignant allegory of the weight of responsibility, the consequences of defiance, and the inexorable outcomes of our choices. The mighty Atlas, an emblem of cosmic gravity, bears witness to the enduring lesson of carrying the weight of the world upon our shoulders.

Amidst the myriad challenges confronting Nigeria and the vast expanse of the African continent, one formidable obstacle looms large  a veritable resource curse. Our lands lie blessed with abundant natural riches, yet regrettably the lions share of these treasures remains untapped within our borders. Instead, they are swiftly harvested as raw materials, whisked away to distant shores in Europe, America, and beyond, where they undergo metamorphosis into coveted finished goods. Alas, these same goods find their ways back to Africa, commanding prices that bear the indelible mark of exorbitance, cruelly depleting our lean foreign exchange reserves.

To embark upon a trajectory that leads toward true economic independence, Africa must resolutely pivot its attention toward cultivating a robust manufacturing sector. We can no longer idly abide by our lamentable role as a mere receptacle for products that hail from far-off lands.

When Nigerians are the topic of discourse, a prevailing sentiment emerges  a resounding acknowledgment of our exceptional intellectual prowess. Our men and women, akin to celestial seeds scattered across the globe, engender remarkable transformations and foster the growth of other nations. Within the recesses of our cerebral confines reside world-class economists, instrumental in elevating countries, now hailed as the illustrious Asian Tigers, to the zenith of prosperity.

In the pursuit of a brighter path, I felt compelled to orchestrate a technology and innovation fair in Enugu two years ago. The sheer creativity exhibited by local talents, giving rise to awe-inspiring inventions  many of which captivated social media  inspired my team and I at the Enugu Technology and Innovation (E-Tech) Centre. Bolstered by this creative wealth, we aspired to harness these talents and establish manufacturing hubs in Nigeria, commencing our endeavour in the South-East.

With zeal and vision, we acquired nearly an acre of land in an industrial layout, erecting a robust space intended as a Research and Development laboratory. Equipments were diligently procured to enable the manifestation of our aspirations. In engaging the Enugu State Government to organise the Technology and Innovation fair, we obtained access to a public space to host this momentous event. Yet, despite our earnest intentions, securing an audience with the governor proved to be a disheartening pursuit.

The governors reluctance to engage with our cause became apparent when he declined to honor our invitation to the fair, opting instead to dispatch his SSG (Secretary to the State Government) on his behalf. However, in a bizarre twist, weeks later, the same governor who failed to grace our event personally, orchestrated an extravagant reception for the winner of the Big Brother Naija reality show, merrily reveling in the festivities. The governments skewed priorities were laid bare.

The whole vision of partnership, a harmonious symphony between enterprising minds and the guiding hand of the State Government  forging Enugu into a shining beacon of manufacturing prowess, nurtured by the wealth of local talents  encountered an impregnable wall. The governments tepid response cast us, a fervent group of innovators, as mere inconveniences, thwarted in our earnest pursuit. Thus, the noble plan that carried the torch of progress met an untimely demise, suffusing our spirits with a sense of melancholy and diminishing the fervour to persist in our resolute journey.

Atlas Shrugged is a novel written by Ayn Rand, a Russian-American novelist and philosopher. It presents a dystopian world where society is crumbling due to ill-informed government policies. The story revolves around some powerful industrialists, led by Dagny Taggart and John Galt, who go on strike, withdrawing their talents and resources from a society that doesnt value their contributions. Through their actions, the novel explores Rands philosophy of Objectivism, emphasising the importance of reason, individual rights, and self-interest. The act of shrugging is an act of defiance, where these productive individuals decide to stop supporting a society that fails to recognise their worth.

In the crucible of these Senate confirmation hearings, an inescapable question lingers  how can such candidates, marked by a disconcerting deficit of academic mettle, be entrusted with the herculean task of extricating Nigeria from its inexorable doldrums? The monumental responsibility of steering the nation towards progress and prosperity rests upon their shoulders, yet their qualifications seem inadequate to rise to this formidable occasion. In the face of such disquieting revelations, the soul of Nigeria weeps.

When Nigerians are the topic of discourse, a prevailing sentiment emerges  a resounding acknowledgment of our exceptional intellectual prowess. Our men and women, akin to celestial seeds scattered across the globe, engender remarkable transformations and foster the growth of other nations. Within the recesses of our cerebral confines reside world-class economists, instrumental in elevating countries, now hailed as the illustrious Asian Tigers, to the zenith of prosperity. Many such individuals today generously offer their services pro bono, yet they remain disregarded merely because they are neither politicians nor aligned with the ruling party.

However, in the recent hallowed halls of the Senate, where presidential ministerial nominees faced the crucible of scrutiny, disconcerting revelations unfurled. Among the nominees, a glaring dissonance manifested itself  a disheartening discordance between the exalted mantle they aspire to assume and the underwhelming provenance of their academic credentials. A nominees Ordinary level (O-Level) examination bore the imprints of a mere two credits, bearing witness to the hollow echoes of scholastic accomplishment. Another nominees stated age and academic dossier appeared enigmatically misaligned, veiled in an opaque shroud of incongruity.

In the crucible of these Senate confirmation hearings, an inescapable question lingers  how can such candidates, marked by a disconcerting deficit of academic mettle, be entrusted with the herculean task of extricating Nigeria from its inexorable doldrums? The monumental responsibility of steering the nation towards progress and prosperity rests upon their shoulders, yet their qualifications seem inadequate to rise to this formidable occasion. In the face of such disquieting revelations, the soul of Nigeria weeps.

Similarly, the outcome of our intervention in Enugu epitomises the poignant struggles encountered by enterprising individuals and entrepreneurs striving for economic progress in Africa and most especially in Nigeria, amid a backdrop of government apathy and bureaucratic barriers. These frustrations and obstacles often lead these contributors to shrug and withdraw their fervent efforts in societies that undervalue or obstruct their invaluable contributions. Ayn Rand has this to say about such societies:

When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing  When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors  When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws dont protect you against them, but protect them against you. When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice  You may know that your society is doomed.

Isnt it about time we sing Nunc Dimittis to this Republic?

Osmund Agbo writes from Houston, Texas. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.

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I will share my thoughts on how the civil and public service in Nigeria, can continue to be relevant now and in the future. To assess where we are currently, I will delve into a brief history of the civil service, touch on experiences that we have witnessed first-hand and proffer suggestions for making the service that critical delivery engine of government that will deliver high-value services to citizens and accelerate other reforms.

A Brief History of the Public/Civil Service

The history of the public/civil service in Nigeria dates to the colonial era when the British entrenched the philosophy of good governance and transparency through its administrative structures.

Since Nigerias independence, various panels have studied and made recommendations for reforming the Civil Service, including the Morgan Commission of 1963, the Adebo Commission of 1971 and the Udoji Commission of 1972-74. The 1988 Civil Service Reorganisation Decree 43 had a significant impact on the structure and efficiency of the Civil Service as it abolished the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF). The White Paper on the report of the Ayida Panel of 1997 reinstated the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and made far-reaching decisions to drive a more efficient Civil Service. In 1999, a new constitution was adopted and made specific provisions in Section 171 for appointing the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

This background is to emphasise the critical role that the Civil Service plays in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as the sustenance of governance objectives and goals.

Chapter VI, Part D, Section 169 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria stipulates, under the heading The Public Service of the Federation, that There shall be a civil service of the Federation, adding in Section 170 that: Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Federal Civil Service Commission may, with the approval of the President and subject to such conditions as it may deem fit, delegate any of the powers conferred upon it by this Constitution to any of its members or any officer in the civil service of the Federation.

Part IV (Section 318) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria defines the civil service of the Federation as service of the Federation in a civil capacity as staff of the office of the President, the Vice-President, a ministry or department of the government of the Federation assigned with the responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation.

Similarly, it defines the civil service of the state as service of the government of a state in a civil capacity as staff of the office of the governor, deputy governor or a ministry or department of the government of the state assigned with the responsibility for any business of the government of the state.

As aptly noted by Haroun Ayomikun of Learn Nigeria Law, the civil service in Nigeria, like in other climes, is perpetual in nature. The civil service has some characteristics: permanence, anonymity, neutrality, impartiality, bureaucracy, technical know-how and capacity. The civil service works under specific rules, e.g. Code of Conduct. The civil service comprises permanent officials, unlike the government, which changes periodically.

While the history of public service in Nigeria is traceable to the colonial era, that of Edo State was birthed during the tenure of Chief Dennis Osadebey as Premier of the Mid-Western Region in November 1963. Over the years, successive administrations have made the civil service function more optimally.

The Role of the Public/Civil Service

Whether at the State or Federal level, public service plays a crucial role in providing public goods on the exclusive and concurrent lists. In other words, it provides a bond between the government and the people. Hence, we discuss a social contract between the state and its citizens. It follows, therefore, that a capable public service is vital for facilitating the participation of citizens in the governance of their respective states and Nigeria. With the world evolving daily, particularly with the innovations on the Internet, many more citizens are becoming more involved and demanding more from the Government. The End SARS campaign is a significant pointer to the voice of todays Nigerian citizens.

It is against this background that service delivery by civil/public servants has attained new heights as the Federal and State governments need to respond pragmatically to the demands of a more aware citizenry. As the engine room of government, the civil service serves as the fulcrum of government operations, making it very relevant in governance. Designing and implementing policies, as the Edo State Government anticipated, would require an efficient public service manned by officers capable of predicting and proffering solutions to emerging issues.

Assessing the Public/Civil Service

The general perception among the average knowledgeable citizen is that the public/civil service at the Federal and State levels and the governments they represent are not delivering optimally on the citizens expectations. Many stakeholders believe there is a waste of resources across the different tiers and organs of government due to inefficiencies within the ranks. It is a truism that an efficient public service is necessary to transmit government benefits to the socially and economically weaker sections of society who have fewer alternatives to services provided by the government. Public service scholars believe that the mere allocation of funds for programmes that do not work effectively would be a waste of public funds unless extra efforts are spent on improving government efficiency and sustainability.

To be relevant in the present, the civil service must be professional in providing required services regarding knowledge, intellect, skill, assurance of upholding the rule of law, integrity, courage and confidence.

Lessons From the Federal Civil Service Experience

I want to share with you, briefly, my story and journey in the Federal Civil Service from when I served as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Many parallels and similarities from that experience remain relevant today and offer lessons to improve the existing state of Public Service both at the Federal and State levels.

I was appointed as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on 16 June, 2009. In accepting the appointment, I set for myself the task of leading a service that is dedicated to achieving the governments objectives and goals that are responsive to the needs of society at large. This required instituting a Service where integrity, professionalism and merit are entrenched.

My first impression upon my assumption of office was the noticeable challenge of human capacity and competence, which largely accounted for the ineffectiveness and inefficiencies observed across the Federal Civil Service. The dearth of knowledge and skills was further compounded by the attitude and work culture which pervaded the service at the time.

To validate my assessment and to have first-hand feedback on the state of affairs within the service, I engaged the Directorate cadre in the Federal Civil Service in an interactive session to exchange views on the challenges before the Service and how best to tackle the identified problems. The frank comments of officers focused on indiscipline in the Service, loss of morale induced by stagnation, supersession, poor working conditions, and low capacity, among others.

Similarly, to have a more expansive feel and feedback on the strategic direction in which the Service should go, a Forum of Serving and Retired Permanent Secretaries, which Chief Odigie-Oyegun graced, was held in September 2009. Highlights of the communique from that forum were:

That the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) should interface with the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to institute a competency-based Human Resource Management framework to address the problems of perceived inequity and injustice in recruitment, transfer and promotions in the Service, and That the OHCSF should collaborate with the FCSC to institute an eight-year tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries and Directors.

Following the conclusion of these two wide consultations, a proposal was made to the government to institute a tenure policy for Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the Public Service. The policy was to reinvigorate the Service, restore the morale of officers and unlock the creative potential of committed staff. The policy, which was widely accepted by well-meaning Nigerians and civil servants that had stagnated for no fault of theirs, sought to ventilate the system, promote efficiency, and strengthen the institutionalisation of due process in career progression.

Sequel to the implementation of the tenure policy, several Permanent Secretaries retired from the Service, and there arose the need to replace them and appoint Permanent Secretaries to existing vacancies. The innovative thing about the appointment of the Permanent Secretaries was that an interactive session followed an integrity and knowledge-based examination conducted by a select panel before being recommended for the Presidents approval. In addition, the selection was thrown open to all Directors from the affected states and zones. Following the appointment of the successful candidates and to give them a head start and a feeling of their schedule, a three-day induction course was also conducted for them with all existing permanent secretaries in attendance to allow for inter-collegial interaction.

As noted by the directorate cadre in the civil service, civil servants competency level was low due largely to the neglect of yesteryear to provide proper and adequate training for officers for effective service delivery. It was, therefore, evident that officers required massive training to keep up with the changing architecture of the 21st-century civil service.

In understanding the capacity challenges that had beset the Federal Civil Service over the years, one must reflect on how we got here. I will outline some of the fundamental issues that brought us here.

Abandonment of previous Human Capacity Development structures put in place by our Forebears, The absence of training modules in core Public Service areas and the mismatch between training needs and training attended, To a large extent, training became a route to addressing employee welfare needs, The recruitment process in the Service was also a challenge. Ageing staff population in the Service, Slow adoption and utilisation of available technology in the Service, and Inadequate performance management and consequence management mechanisms, among others.

This situation created a significant deficiency in staff competencies and presented a lot of skills gap, a weak knowledge base, and unethical and unprofessional conduct which were unacceptable and ultimately affected the quality of service delivery across the board.

To frontally address this disorder, a massive training programme was embarked upon to resuscitate the learning abilities of officers and ensure their adaptability to information and communication technology. With the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), now SDGs/World Bank Debt relief fund, over 19,125 officers were trained between October 2009 and October 2010. The enthusiasm to learn, as exhibited by the participants, underscored the need for training to become a priority programme for all MDAs so that civil servants can deliver, in a seamless manner, on all government programmes. To sustain this momentum, training modules were produced by the Manpower Development Office (MDO) in collaboration with all the Manpower Development Institutes (MDIs) and other stakeholders, emphasising the development of officers managerial abilities.

As we did then in the Federal Civil Service, I believe the services potential can be continually unlocked with the right policies and ongoing training, mentoring, proper career management, and a sanctions and reward system.

In essence, in this journey, it is helpful to reflect on the measures which we took to address some of the issues we were confronted with.

We brought back to life the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) and strengthened other training institutions such as the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) and the Centre for Management Development (CMD). We also developed structured and statutory courses to provide competence and quality service delivery.

Furthermore, we:

Established a Content Development Team  the team was set up to develop training modules in all core areas of the public service across all levels i.e. levels 8  17. The course contents were assessment based. We complemented with General Training modules in contemporary subjects, including ICT; Report writing/Presentation; Public Speaking; and French. We commenced the initiative to use online as an additional learning tool. We uploaded the course content and training modules developed, so that all civil servants can access the modules at minimal cost to the service. The idea was that civil servants would have to complete specified courses prescribed for various Grade levels as appropriate as benchmark assurance of capacity and being fit and proper before the Head of the Civil Service could present them to the Federal Civil Service Commission for promotion examinations. We also collaborated with relevant institutions (Tertiary and Non-Tertiary) within and outside Nigeria for knowledge broadening and exposure to state-of-the-art competencies. In addition, exchange programmes between the private sector and the civil service were also implemented to improve understanding and exposure to the private sectors operational practices. The idea was to enable appreciation of differences and peculiarities of objectives in both sectors for better partnership and smoother relationships in service delivery. We also made provision for special funds to strengthen some public service institutions for capacity building, namely Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Centre for Management Development (CMD), and the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN).

Despite the merits of our objectives and efforts, there was significant resistance from open and unusual quarters, within and outside the Service.

Another area of concern at the time was the inconsistency of the yardstick for promotion and consequent dangerous overtaking, resulting in low morale, loss of confidence, promotion of lobbying as a way of life over competence and diligence, clogging the senior level positions with the relatively younger workforce that had prevented predictable upward movement and compensation for competence and hard work, etc.

The eight-year tenure policy, which I explained earlier, was our response to this challenge.

Looking back, I must admit that my team and I stepped on many toes and crossed many red lines to make the Federal Civil Service better compete with those from other climes.

I have taken this time to share these with you so you appreciate that what the Edo State Government is doing is not easy. The reforms might even be resisted by persons who are at ease with their current status.

The News Out There

I was enthused by a recent newspaper report that quoted the Edo State Head of Service as saying ongoing reforms in the states civil and public service by the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration have repositioned the states service as the most digitised in the country.

That report said the government has focused on leveraging technology to improve efficiency, transparency, and service delivery to the Edo people.

It said the government has enhanced productivity and transparency, reduced bureaucracy, and improved overall performance in our civil and public service through innovative reforms and investments in digital infrastructure.

Furthermore, it said the government had introduced the e-governance platform and transitioned from manual to electronic processes in its service. The report also disclosed that the administration had hired a new generation of civil servants who are being trained and equipped with the necessary skills and tools to fully embrace and utilise digital technology in their day-to-day work of delivering effective and efficient service to Edo people.

This is music in my ears and I commend all those who have contributed to the success story. Beyond these, however, you need to tell your own stories to attract the best of hands to the service of the State.

At this Juncture

Before I end this address, let me comment on the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA). I am Impressed. This has turned out to be a world-class training academy which will offer exceptional opportunities to the public servants in Edo State, the region, and the nation. Clearly, this will justify the massive investment of resources deployed to this development.

JOOPSA should aim to collaborate with ASCON, PSIN and similar institutions for knowledge sharing and develop certification programs that align with global standards for the benefit of Civil Servants. May I advise that JOOPSA acquire all the necessary accreditations and regulatory permits to give legitimacy to its content.

In due course, the Academy should endeavour to either directly provide accommodation facilities or partner with the private sector for students and trainees to enhance their learning experience and create an enabling environment.

Whilst commending Governor Godwin Obaseki and his team for giving form to the vision of upskilling the machinery of the Edo State Public Service, I urge us all to work in unity in achieving the dreams of the government to make Edo State work for the greater good of the majority of citizens and residents.

I submit that the degree and dimension of the issues raised in this speech will vary from State to State; therefore, I suggest a dedicated retreat to address some of these issues and challenges.

I also wish that this Academy would serve perpetually as the institution where basic and advanced knowledge required for Human Capital Development will be nurtured, germinated, and delivered to public servants as their food and drink.

As a parting advice, I urge the leadership, political or technocrats, to remain focused, committed, courageous and clear-headed in the Business of Public Service Human Capital Development. On this journey, continuity of leadership commitment is sine qua non to sustainability and the long-term relevance of this grand edifice. Indeed, mentorship should be part of the strategy to ensure continuity. At the risk of overemphasis, mentoring of upcoming young officers should be given strong attention.

Performance management should be entrenched for staff accountability, reward and sanction. Rewarding good behaviours and sanctioning bad behaviours must be institutionalised by way of a name and shame policy. I also recommend a strong synergy between the Office of the Head of Service and the State Civil Service Commission for continuity of purpose.

Stephen Oronsaye is a former head of the civil service of the federation.

This is excerpted from the text of the keynote address at the formal opening of the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Benin City, Edo State, on Saturday, 12 August, 2023.

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For playing their part excellently in this ritual, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, himself also a former governor and former minister, announced to the senators with some initial relish at the end of the process, that they were the proud recipients of a token to see them off on their holidays. When some fastidious officials called his attention to what appeared to be a faux pas, Senator Akpabio upgraded the token to prayers.

161 days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) picked a winner in the Nigerias presidential election at the beginning of March and 72 days after the inauguration of a new administration, the Senate on 8 August transmitted to the presidency the names of 45 persons whom it had cleared for appointment as ministers, including a number of politicians described as some of the most violent, corrupt politicians the country has ever seen.

Azu Ishiekwene  a columnist who is not unsympathetic to Bola Ahmed Tinubu  writes about the incoming cabinet that a few nominees. make the legend of Robin Hood look like a childs play and raises informed doubts about the integrity of the nominees list. This is an insult to Robin Hood, who is reputed to have accomplished some good with his plunder.

This raises two legitimate questions about the cabinet list. The first concerns its provenance. On this, Leadership newspaper alleged that an original list of cabinet nominations had been tampered with, laying responsibility for this at the feet of the Chief of Staff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. The new chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and immediate past governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, claimed that neither he nor the president knew anything about a female nominee from his state who was subsequently stood down from the list of nominees, before being replaced.

The second question goes to the strategy that informs the list. For an answer to this, we must look at the composition of the cabinet list. Eight of the 45 cleared nominees, representing 17.78%, are women. This is a marginal improvement on the seven women (16.67%) who made Muhammadu Buharis 42-member cabinet in 2019, but considerably less than the 13 (31%) in the 41-member cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. Three of the eight women are from the South-East zone, which gets the least number of ministers. Two are from the North-West, which has nearly double the number of ministers from the South-East.

The final list that returned to the presidency also features eight former governors and a similar number of former or serving legislators. With a ministerial list largely comprising a majority of former elected officials or senior political office holders, the screening felt like a mutual admiration club mostly bereft of both seriousness and purpose. What passed for ministerial screening for most of the nominees was a process of ritualised bowing, after which the Senate set them free to go.

In response to what has become known as bow-and-go, columnist, Nosa Igbinadolor, complained that the Senate has turned its screening powers into a laughable jamboree that ensures that incompetent and corrupt former governors and unproductive MDA chiefs walk boldly through the process to become ministers because they are not being sufficiently asked critical questions.

If, however, the suggestion that the screening process was under-written by a deferred quid pro quo turns out to be true, it could go a long way in explaining why the process felt like a mutual back-slapping festival enacted with parliamentary circumstance. For instance, the Senate failed to account for the fact that at least two of the nominees, a male from Lagos and a female from Katsina, do not appear to have done the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.

For playing their part excellently in this ritual, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, himself also a former governor and former minister, announced to the senators with some initial relish at the end of the process, that they were the proud recipients of a token to see them off on their holidays. When some fastidious officials called his attention to what appeared to be a faux pas, Senator Akpabio upgraded the token to prayers. This was a mere fortnight after he appeared to take equal relish in joking about the contagion of poverty in Nigeria. The appearance of a self-absorbed Senate leadership was not lost on Nigerians.

As they departed for their holidays after the screening, some senators at least appeared to share that feeling. Senators reportedly let it out that the token sent to them from the Senate President was a mere two million naira. Some of them could not hide their disappointment at the paltry sum, while others appeared to be clearly upset that the Senate President had gratuitously exposed the fact that they received bribe money from ministerial screening.

Premium Times computed the sum of money administered among senators for this token at N218 million, a figure ostensibly arrived at by multiplying the number of Senators (109) by two million. It is claimed that the money was part of a pot of one billion naira contributed by or on behalf of the ministerial nominees to facilitate the screening process. If so, then it seems clear that some members of the Senate would have received more than just two million naira and that the sum of N218 million is only a fraction of what got shared out, unless the Senate President was overcome by an uncharacteristic affliction of selflessness.

Sources in the Senate compare this with the sum of $30,000 which was the reported capitation for each senator after the conclusion of a similar process four years ago. If that figure is correct, it was nearly fifteen times the size of the token administered this time around to the senators.

If, however, the suggestion that the screening process was under-written by a deferred quid pro quo turns out to be true, it could go a long way in explaining why the process felt like a mutual back-slapping festival enacted with parliamentary circumstance. For instance, the Senate failed to account for the fact that at least two of the nominees, a male from Lagos and a female from Katsina, do not appear to have done the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. The NYSC Act, which is entrenched in the 1999 Constitution, makes national service mandatory for eligible persons. Those who fail to undertake it are ineligible for employment assuredly in the public service or political office.

In 2018, Kemi Adeosun, whose NYSC discharge certificate turned out to have been invented, was forced to resign as Finance Minister. Five years later, the 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Akpabio appears to have decided to retrench the NYSC Act into a statutory artefact without any need for a formal parliamentary process.

In the interim, Muhammad Pate, an accomplished doctor in both Medicine and the academia and one of the few experts in the world on health systems, emerged as one of the few bright spots on the ministerial list. Another bright spot is the talented Yusuf Tuggar, Nigerias current Ambassador to Germany. Both Yusuf and Muhammad, coincidentally, are from Bauchi State.

For some reason that remains still undisclosed, however, the Senate at the point of voting through the confirmations, failed to extend its forbearance to three nominees. One of the three is former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and recent Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai. Neither the Senate nor the Presidency has issued any formal reason for the failure to confirm Mr el-Rufai besides the unspecified claims of a delayed security clearanceor suppressed animosity from the Presidency.

Mr el-Rufais first ministerial screening in 2003 was nearly scuppered after he accused some senators then of bribery. This time around, his nomination appears to have been sunk by allegations of human rights abuses, unguarded public utterances, and a purported flood of petitions masterminded by some well-connected persons.

In a quarter of a century in public life, he has gotten into what has been delicately described as a romance with controversy. In 2016, Mr el-Rufai gloated as State governor that he had paid identified killers in Southern Kaduna to stop killing others. As State Governor, he gleefully took credit for the death in 2010 of President Umaru Musa YarAdua, who was his senior in high school. Ahead of the 2019 general elections, he threatened international observers, warning them that they would go back in body bags.

Shortly thereafter, Mr el-Rufai went to Lagos, the political home of Mr Tinubu, to attack him as a political godfather who needed to be defenestrated. He has been viciously intolerant of criticism and one of his foremost critics as governor, Dadiyata, has been missing for over four years. This record forced the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in 2020 to cancel an invitation to him to address its annual general conference.

After the Senate declined to vote through his nomination, Mr el-Rufai remembered that he is a doctoral student in the Netherlands and stood down so he could return to school. It is not inconceivable that his record as governor will attract attention if and when he reports to Europe to pursue his doctoral research.

In the interim, Muhammad Pate, an accomplished doctor in both Medicine and the academia and one of the few experts in the world on health systems, emerged as one of the few bright spots on the ministerial list. Another bright spot is the talented Yusuf Tuggar, Nigerias current Ambassador to Germany. Both Yusuf and Muhammad, coincidentally, are from Bauchi State.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu.

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If we continue to lose the capacity to produce and instead throw more people into the unemployment market, the requiem wont just be for the manufacturers who have bitten the dust but for the whole country of economic bystanders who cannot produce what they consume.

Anyone who still wonders why Nigeria and its citizens have become mendicants, in spite of their rich natural endowments, should take another look at the number of manufacturing companies that have gone under or relocated from the country in the last five decades.

In the 70s and 80s, Nigeria-made goods were the gold standard in the West African market  from automobiles to tyres, to batteries, to household toiletries. From Lagos to Abidjan, our companies had a captive market for their products. Companies competed for freshly minted graduates to fill their ever increasing vacancies as they expanded to meet up with market demands. Final year university and polytechnic students were spoilt for choices between competing companies scouting for fresh blood.

Those were the days! Gradually, we were afflicted by the importation bug. Our rulers, intoxicated by the newfound wealth occasioned by petrodollars, abandoned the Buy Nigeria mantra, and started showing signs that, as far as they were concerned, charity began abroad. Afrobeat superstar, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, criticised the burgeoning insanity at the time in his album titled Buy Africa:

Se tiwa ni o, mi o fe (Is that our product? I reject it)

Se tiwa ni o, mi o ra (Is that our product? I wont buy)

Ta lo ma ba wa je? (Whos going to eat this with us?)

Ta lo ma ba wa je? (Whos going to eat this with us?)

Afi ta ba ra tiwa o (If we dont patronise our own)

Ki la se ma lowo lAfrica? (How can Africa prosper)

Afi ta ba ra tiwa o (If we dont patronise our own)

We didnt listen to Fela. We watched as one iconic manufacturing concern died after another.

Just as the death of any human being diminishes the rest of humanity, the demise of any corporate entity is a source of distress for its surviving peers. In many parts of the world, when successful corporate players who have become household names succumb to the economic variant of the grim reaper, the funeral train stretches from the location of the company to the rest of the country.

In Nigeria, we have become so used to erstwhile manufacturing giants biting the dust that it is no longer news. In a sense, one can say that the general attitude is to ask, who next?

Many manufacturing companies have died over the years. Last week, it was the turn of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), to announce its own obituary after 51 years in Nigeria. The company is well known for its pharmaceutical products, especially household brands like Panadol and Sensodyne. (If it is not Panadol)

In a corporate filing, the pharmaceutical giant said it would now adopt a distributor-led model to supply the country with its products.

It made more sense to simply import and sell finished products than to manufacture goods in an environment where every manufacturing firm has to generate about 70% of its power requirements, depend on black market operators for foreign exchange to import raw materials, contend with multiple taxation and inadequate municipal infrastructure, tiptoe around corporate landmines planted by corrupt government officials

In our published Q2 results we disclosed that the GSK UK Group has informed GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria PLC of its strategic intent to cease commercialisation of its prescription medicines and vaccines in Nigeria through the GSK local operating companies and transition to a third-party direct distribution model for its pharmaceutical products, the company said.

For the above reasons, and having, together with GSK UK, evaluated various other options, the board of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc has concluded that there is no alternative but to cease operations.

GSK Nigerias sales in the first half (H1) of 2023 dropped to N7.75 billion from N14.8 billion in the same period a year ago. In its 2023 H1 report, the company lamented that the business environment continued to be very challenging with foreign exchange (FX) availability affecting its ability to settle foreign currency-denominated trade payables with product suppliers. The company made more money from the sale of its consumer healthcare brands than its pharmaceutical brands (N2.49 billion).

It made more sense to simply import and sell finished products than to manufacture goods in an environment where every manufacturing firm has to generate about 70% of its power requirements, depend on black market operators for foreign exchange to import raw materials, contend with multiple taxation and inadequate municipal infrastructure, tiptoe around corporate landmines planted by corrupt government officials, and compete with smugglers and importers of competing Asian brands dumped in the market.

In an interview with The Cable, Ade Popoola, managing director of Reals Pharmaceuticals, described the situation thus: Its like being in the middle of an expressway. When you have too much traffic, the rate at which you will progress will be difficult, no matter how good your car is, Popoola explained.

The look-alike from India crowded them (GSK) out. You find out that if you have been selling 250,000 units per year, when cheaper alternatives come in, it will first of all reduce to 200,000, and subsequently to 150,000, and 100,000.

Later you will find yourself struggling to sell 50,000 because the hospital buying from you prefers alternatives because the other companies too may be quality. Once they crowd you out, you find it difficult to maintain your volume, and when you cant maintain your volume, you cannot pay your cost. The Indian will sell at 20 percent of your price. It has happened to me, so I know what I am saying.

Eleven years ago, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) raised an alarm that at least 800 companies had closed shop in Nigeria between 2009 and 2011 due to the harsh business environment. It warned that half of those remaining were ailing and that capacity utilisation in industries hovered around 30% to 45% on the average. Successive governments did not solve the problems; they introduced complexities of their own.

Nigerian manufacturers self-generate 13,22 million 3.67 mega MW of electricity, according to a survey carried out by the Nigerian Energy Support Programme and Deutsche Zusammenarbeit (GZ) in 2015.

Now, who is to save Nigerian jobs being shipped away to other climes while we stand akimbo and continue to wallow in our regression? At this rate, Nigerians may soon have to buy commonplace items, such as toothpaste and methyl balms, from neighbouring countries. I have seen how some of them bend over backwards to accommodate foreign manufacturing firms.

In 2014, Procter & Gamble set up a $300 million diaper plant in Agbara Estate, Ogun State. It was celebrated by the government, being the United States biggest non-oil investment in the country.

However, four years later, the company announced its decision to quit production. An insider revealed that apart from problems associated with electricity generation and inadequate infrastructure, the companys refusal to bribe customs officers and other revenue agencies led to perennial frustration, making the management decide to beat a retreat.

Apparently, the business climate of Ghana is considered more clement. That is the only reason that could account for the relocation of some of the businesses that left Nigeria for Ghana. Among such firms are Berec Batteries; Exide Batteries; Okin Biscuits; Osogbo Steel Rolling Mills; Nigeria Sugar Company; Bacita; Tate and Lyle Sugar Company; Matches Manufacturing Company, Ilorin; Nigeria Paper Mill Limited located in Jebba, Kwara State; Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited, Oku-Iboku, among many others.

Elsewhere, responsible governments move mountains to keep the wheels of manufacturing firms rolling, as both Presidents Bush and Obama did across two administrations (Republican and Democrat) to save the automobile industry in the United States. The federal bailout of General Motors Co, Chrysler and parts suppliers in 2009 saved 1.5 million jobs and preserved $105.3 billion in personal and social insurance tax collections.

Critics of the bailout at the time had argued the companies should be allowed to fail and the industry that resulted from the aftermath would be stronger. Treasury officials had repeatedly said the bailout was not an investment meant to turn a profit, but a move to save US jobs.

Now, who is to save Nigerian jobs being shipped away to other climes while we stand akimbo and continue to wallow in our regression? At this rate, Nigerians may soon have to buy commonplace items, such as toothpaste and methyl balms, from neighbouring countries. I have seen how some of them bend over backwards to accommodate foreign manufacturing firms. The fact that the level of corruption in many of those countries is of kindergarten proportions compared to ours, makes their terrain even more attractive.

It is not just GlaxoSmithKline that is leaving Nigeria, it is Nigerian jobs that are growing wings! Do we love our country enough to staunch this economic haemorrhage?

If we continue to lose the capacity to produce and instead throw more people into the unemployment market, the requiem wont just be for the manufacturers who have bitten the dust but for the whole country of economic bystanders who cannot produce what they consume.

Congratulations, Professor Okojie

Hearty congratulations to Emeritus Professor Julius Okojie, former executive secretary of the National Universities Commission, (NUC) on the Inaugural edition of his annual Speaker Series and the launch of his Taco Charity Foundation. Im convinced, more than ever before, that living for others is an investment in immortality. Happy 75th birthday, Prof.

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021.

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Adamawa Ministry of Justice has secured one conviction out of four rape cases between January and August 10, the Senior State Counsel, Adamu Abubakar, said.

Mr Abubakar, who is also the Police Liaison Officer in charge of the sexual offences database in the state, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola.

He said that the three other cases are still ongoing in court.

According to him, the chamber of the attorney-general only received and prosecute cases of rape and defilement.

He added that from January till date, we received few cases from the police. So far, we received four cases, one of which secured conviction.

He said the establishment of the DNA Forensic Laboratory by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Yola would help investigators and prosecutors in the collection and presentation of evidence, especially on sexual matters.

The senior state counsel, therefore, advised the public to take it as a matter of responsibility to report any case of sexual nature to the police.

He also advised that such cases could also be reported to the Hope Centre, where victims could receive prompt first aid immediately after the incident happened, especially rape cases.

He said that Before now, we received a lot of cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), but due to lack of forensic evidence in some cases, we lost them.

In most cases, the challenge we have is the lack of evidence and to some extent, lack of cooperation from families.

Also, the Adamawa DNA Forensic Laboratory, dedicated to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases, recorded 16 samples for analysis between January and July 2023.

The Laboratory Technician, Usman Adamu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Sunday.

He said that the analysis is for investigations to get evidence for the conviction of GBV perpetrators in court, especially rape cases.

The UN has defined GBV as any violence committed against a person because of his or her sex or gender, forcing another person to do something against his or her will through violence, coercion, threats, deception, cultural expectations, or economic means.

Some examples of SGBV are rape, physical assault, forced marriage, and Female Genital Mutilation.

The technician, therefore, said out of the 16 samples, 13 were negative and one turned out to be positive, while two are awaiting analysis.

He told NAN that the laboratory recorded 87 samples since inception in 2021, aimed at accelerating access to justice for GBV survivors.

He said that the samples were brought for analysis by Police CID, Civil Defence and the HOPE Centre, which in the end would help the prosecution in courts.

According to him, the laboratory does not accept samples from individuals.

NAN reports that the laboratory is being run by the Modibbo Adama University, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA Nigeria) and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.

It is an effort to provide forensic results to prove a rape case or otherwise beyond every peripheral submission.

(NAN

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Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has appealed to Taraba indigenes living outside the state to support their homeland through economic hardship and security challenges.

Dont allow our state to sink, Mr Kefas told his audience.

Mr Kefas, who made the appeal at the weekend during an engagement with indigenes living outside the state in Abuja, said he needs their collaboration for the state to move forward.

The governor said Taraba would grow from strength to strength if its citizens, at home and those residing outside the state, would do their part by contributing to its development.

He noted that the support his administration wants from them is through initiatives that would encourage productivity, peaceful coexistence and also guarantee economic prosperity.

Mr Kefas noted that Taraba is blessed with abundant human, solid mineral and natural resources, adding that their input as major stakeholders is crucial to fast-track development of the state.

The economic development of Taraba state is a crucial aspect that demands our attention. Taraba holds immense potential, from its fertile land to its rich cultural potential.

So let us come together and invest in our economic growth through entrepreneurship, investment in key sectors and providing mentorship to the youth.

By doing this, we would not only create opportunities for Tarabians but also contribute to the prosperity of our dear state, Mr Kefas said.

Mr Kefas then charged them to take action by channelling their resources, knowledge and influence to this course.

Earlier, Secretary to the Government of the State, Gebon Kataps, harped on the importance of the diaspora community and informed the forum about the state governments adoption of a participatory approach that encourages dialogue, feedback, and ideas from all stakeholders.

It is in this regard that Agbu Kefas, request the collective efforts of all well-placed Tarabians to propel our state to unimaginable heights, especially in the thematic area of peace and security, education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism in Taraba State.

The Taraba State Government is committed to creating an enabling environment for investments, fostering transparency, and ensuring accountability in all sectors, he said.

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New funding brings total potential in securitized financing raised since 2020 to USD$490M

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- d.light, the global provider of transformational household products and affordable finance for low-income households, today announced a $30 million securitization facility has been successfully secured from the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group), with the capability to purchase up to $125 million of receivable assets .

Nick Imudia

d.light will use the capital to increase its existing securitized financing facility in Tanzania and scale up its low-cost Pay-Go personal finance service in the country so that more low-income people and households can purchase the company's affordable, solar-powered household products.

d.light has now raised $490 million in total securitized financing since 2020. The financing facility in Tanzania will be anchored by TDB.

d.light CEO Nick Imudia said, "This new financing from TDB gives us the extra funding to reach more low-income families and households in Tanzania via our Pay-Go business, in a way that is affordable for our customers and sustainable for our business."

"d.light and our lending partners are long-time pioneers in developing securitized finance as an innovative, scalable financing model for raising equity for off-grid solar that is guaranteed against current and future customer sales. We've successfully used the securitization model for several years in Kenya and now we and our partners are expanding it to Tanzania."

Michael Awori, CEO of TDB, said, "Access to energy is critical to the sustainable development of the continent, especially for the most vulnerable off-grid communities. As one of the leading renewable energy financiers in the region, we are delighted to extend this second facility to d.light, this time in Tanzania. Globally, in 2022 alone the company reached over 1,677,216 people through PAY-GO model, created close to 2,000 jobs, and averted 1,329,371 tons of CO2 and black carbon emissions with solar replacing kerosene lamps. This is the kind of impactful track record TDB is keen to support."

d.light's Imudia continued, "As a scalable method of financing, securitization is an important fiscal tool to help African countries achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals for energy access. Expect further expansion of this facility by d.light into other major sub-Saharan African markets during 2023."

Tanzania is the fifth most populous country in Africa and its population of 63.6 million people is spread out over a wide geographical area. According to the World Bank, only 40 percent of the population have electricity access: the majority currently don't have grid connectivity and a reliable power supply. Tanzania was one of d.light's first markets and it has been selling its products there since 2008, a year after the company was founded. It has an office in Arusha City, Tanzania, that employs over 50 full-time employees.

d.light's finance facility in Tanzania works by leveraging the payments of d.light's existing and future customers there for solar products purchased using its Pay-Go service. This is then used to raise funding to upscale the company's activities and grow market share in the country.

"d.light's distribution and after-sales service network serves some of the most remote and hardest to reach areas of Tanzania," Imudia explained. "We will continue to grow our distribution footprint to enable more communities to benefit from our range of safe, reliable, and affordable solar-powered products."

In April, d.light achieved the milestone of transforming the lives of more than 150 million people worldwide with its range of reliable, affordable solar-powered household products.

d.light and its lending partner African Frontier Capital (AFC) are using the incoming capital as the basis for a new financing vehicle, Brighter Life Tanzania 1 Limited (BLT1).

Eric De Moudt, AFC's founder and CEO, commented, "We are very happy to announce the launch of our latest social impact securitization, BLT1, which further expands our industry leading off-balance sheet securitization structures into new jurisdictions for d.light and brings the total volume of local currency receivables being financed to almost USD500M.

"These social impact securitizations are helping d.light to bring financial inclusion and access to reliable and clean energy to millions of people while simultaneously helping to ensure a just and equitable energy transition that benefits everyone."

About d.light

Founded in 2007 at Stanford in California, d.light is a global leader in making transformative products available and affordable to low-income families. d.light has sold nearly 30 million products, including solar lanterns, solar home systems, TVs, radios, and smartphones, impacting the lives of over 150 million people. Our vision is to transform the lives of one billion people with sustainable products by 2030. For further information, visit: https://www.dlight.com

Follow us at twitter.com/dlightdesign and https://www.facebook.com/dlightdesigninc.

About TDB

Established in 1985, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a regional development finance institution, with investment grade ratings and assets of USD 8.4bn. TDB serves 25 member states in its region, with the mandate to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration and sustainable development, through trade finance, project and infrastructure finance and asset management.

TDB is part of TDB Group, which also comprises the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), Eastern and Southern African Trade Advisers Limited (ESATAL), TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI), and the TDB Academy.

About AFC

African Frontier Capital (Mauritius) LLC and its subsidiary companies are a dedicated impact investment group focused on bringing financial inclusion to people living at the bottom of the pyramid in a socially and environmentally sustainable way. For more information visit www.africanfrontiercapital.com or you can reach out to us on [email protected].

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2184321/Nick_Imudia.jpg

SOURCE d.light
Firms donate $100,000 for recovery efforts

HONOLULU, Aug. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner and Frantz Law Group join in expressing their deepest sympathy to the families who lost loved ones, lost their homes, and are struggling to begin the very long and difficult road to recovery from the horrific wildfire.

"We are heartbroken by the devastating fires on Maui and extend our heartfelt sympathies to all those on Maui and throughout Hawaii who have been impacted," said John Yamane of Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner.

Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner has joined forces with the renowned wildfire attorneys of the Frantz Law Group to provide support and guidance to our people and to begin the road to recovery.

"It is jarring to see the anguish, pain, and suffering that the wildfire has brought to the people of Maui," said James P. Frantz, CEO of the Frantz Law Group. "We stand ready to help them put their lives back together again."

Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner and Frantz Law Group are jointly donating $100,000 to the Hawaii Community Fund to assist with recovery efforts.

About Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner

Since 1985, Hawaii's own Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner has been helping those who have been seriously injured or killed by the wrongful acts of others. Leavitt, Yamane & Soldner's is consistently recognized by US News as a Best Law Firm and Best Lawyers in Hawaii for plaintiff's personal injury litigation. https://lyslaw.com

About Frantz Law Group

Frantz Law Group is a nationally recognized law firm that has specialized experience representing victims of wildfires caused by the negligence of public utility companies and has represented and/or currently represents over 15,000 victims against various utility companies. In 2020, Frantz Law Group played an important part in achieving a landmark settlement of $13.5 billion against PG&E on behalf of thousands of victims harmed in the 2017 and 2018 Northern California wildfires.

Frantz Law Group has been ranked Tier 1 in US News Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms from 2010-2023 for plaintiff's mass tort litigation/class actions. James P. Frantz is a fellow and associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates, is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, is a 20-year Special Master appointed by the State Bar of California, and a 20-year Master in The Enright Chapter, American Inns of Court. https://www.frantzlawgroup.com

Media contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Frantz Law Group
Tehran, Aug 13 : Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has strongly condemned the deadly "terrorist" attack by the IS militants on a Syrian military bus in east Syria.

Kanaani made the remarks on Saturday in a statement published on the Ministry's website, expressing Iran's sympathy with the Syrian government, people and army.

He attributed the rise in "terrorist" operations and attacks in Syria over the past few months to the continued foreign support for "terrorist" groups with the aim of preventing complete stability and security in Syria, Xinhua news agency reported.

The IS militants ambushed the bus in the desert region of Al-Mayadeen city in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour predawn Friday, killing 33 soldiers, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Friday incident has brought the fatalities due to the increasing IS attacks in the desert region to 420 since the beginning of 2023, according to the war monitor.
Damascus, Aug 13 : The death toll from the Islamic State (IS) attack on a Syrian military bus on rose to 33, a war monitor reported.

The IS militants attacked the bus in the desert region of al-Mayadeen city in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour before daybreak on Friday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday.

The UK-based watchdog group added the IS militants planned the ambush and opened fire on the bus with light and medium-sized weapons, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Syrian army was on alert in the desert region, searching for soldiers who had gone missing, while the attackers disappeared into the desert, as reported by the observatory.

Meanwhile, video footage believed to have been shot by one of the killed soldiers' mobile phones circulated online, showing the soldiers joyfully singing before the attack.

The Syrian military confirmed the incident in a statement without giving the death toll.

As the IS has intensified its attacks in the desert region, 420 people, mainly soldiers, have been killed since the beginning of 2023 by the IS in the area, according to the war monitor.
Moscow/Kiev, Aug 13 : Two Ukrainian missiles attempting to attack the Crimean Bridge have been shot down by the air defence system in the Kerch Strait, Russia's Defence Ministry said.

Ukraine on Saturday launched two S-200 missiles to strike the Crimean Bridge, but they "were detected in a timely manner and were intercepted in the air by Russian air defence systems," Russia's Tass news agency reported on Saturday, citing the country's Defence Ministry.

The failed attack caused no damage or casualties, said the Ministry.

However, the Ukrainian government-run Ukrinform news agency said that two explosions were heard on Saturday near the bridge, citing Ukraine's Centre of National Resistance, Xinhua news agency reported.

The 19-km Crimean Bridge that links Crimea to Russia consists of two parallel routes for automobiles and trains over the Kerch Strait.
Islamabad, Aug 13 : Pakistani President Arif Alvi has approved the appointment of Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as the caretaker Prime Minister, said a statement from the President House Media Wing.

The President has given the approval in terms of Article 224(1A) of the Constitution of Pakistan, according to the statement on Saturday.

Earlier, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after detailed consultations with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, or the lower house of the Parliament, Raja Riaz, forwarded a summary to this effect to the President for approval, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

Kakar has been a member of the Senate of Pakistan since March 2018. He was elected to the Senate of Pakistan as an independent candidate in the general seat from the southwest Balochistan province in the 2018 Pakistani Senate election.
Lucknow, Aug 13 : Uttar Pradesh has been put on alert following a disclosure made by the state's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that suspected terror operative, Ahmad Raza, 24, arrested from Moradabad 10 days ago, had planned a 'fidayeen' attack on Independence Day, an official said.

ATS officials said Raza confessed his plan during the 14-day custody remand, that will continue till August 19.

The officials said they were still verifying details of the terror plan and added that Raza will be taken to a few places in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag and Srinagar where he had taken up firearms training in secret terror camps.

Uttar Pradesh ATS also shared a detailed press note in which its officials shared that on the direction of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror operative Waleed, Raza had even purchased a US-made automatic pistol.

The ATS officials said a .32 bore US-made pistol along with magazine and six live cartridges, hidden at a secret place near Raza's village in Moradabad, had also been recovered.

Officials said he will be taken to Saharanpur to procure more information about his nefarious intentions and plans.

The ATS said Raza was allegedly influenced by Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani and Zakir Musa and was in regular touch with a Pakistan-based handler and two Hizbul commanders. He allegedly received firearms training at two places in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022 and recently, during the month of Ramzan, the officials added.

Officials said Raza received training in secret terror camps in Jammu and Kashmir with help from Firdaus Ahmad Darr, another terror suspect arrested by ATS from Anantnag on August 4.

Darr is also presently in ATS custody for 14 days till August 19.

ATS officials said Darr's uncle Ghulam Ahmad Darr was also a terrorist and was killed in an encounter with the Indian Army in 1994. They said he was deeply influenced by his uncle and Hizbul Mujahideen's poster boy Zakir Musa.

The officials said that Darr had radicalised Ahmad Raza through his chats and jihadi contents provided to him on chats and recruited him to Hizbul Mujahideen. They said Darr was in regular touch with Pakistani handler Gazi through different messaging applications and added that Gazi promised Darr to provide a consignment of firearms, ammunitions and explosives to carry out terror activities in the Valley and eventually establish the Sharia law in India.

ATS officials said Darr was also asked to recruit people across the country for this mission and added that he confessed having undergone firearms training in Hizbul camps.

Security has been intensified in the city leading up to Independence Day on August 15. Numerous events and programs are scheduled for the big day in the city.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, several roads and intersections in the city were partially barricaded, with police teams inspecting suspicious vehicles on the streets. Groups of police officers, accompanied by senior officials, were also observed conducting inspection drives in malls and other shopping areas.

Aparna Rajat Kaushik, DCP (Central),said, "In anticipation of Independence Day, the Lucknow Police Commissionerate is evaluating the security measures being implemented at various locations."

"An extensive inspection campaign is underway. Furthermore, the bomb disposal squad has been deployed at prominent sites such as malls, shopping complexes, markets and other public areas with substantial footfall," she added.
New Delhi: Students leave after attending the first day as schools reopen following summer vacation. Image Source: IANS News

Lucknow. Aug 13 : All the basic and secondary schools of Uttar Pradesh will remain open on Sunday for the implementation of "Har Ghar Tiranga" and "Meri Maati, Mera Desh" programmes under the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" initiative, said an order released by the state government.

This is the first time that schools will remain open on a Sunday as per the directives of the state government.

As per the orders, special mid-day meals will also be provided to all students.

The state government has fixed the date-wise outline of the two programmes in schools.

According to it, poetry recitation will be organised for students in all schools on August 13.

Due to the day being a public holiday, the government has given instructions to ensure special mid-day meal arrangements for all the children of the schools.

Director General, School Education, and Director, Mid-Day Meal Authority, Vijay Kiran Anand, has issued an order in this regard.

In the order issued to all basic education officers, it has been said that as a part of the closing ceremony of "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav," programmes under the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign are to be organised in all gram panchayats, nagar panchayats and local urban bodies from August 9 to 15 in compliance with the guidelines.

As per the instructions received from the government, various programmes will also be organised in schools on August 13.

Additionally, the district-wise number of teachers and students involved in the programmes should also be made available to the concerned nodal officer of the directorate.
All Tollywood dynasties have had political stars, but new gen stays away. Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, Aug 13 : Politics and films are intertwined in Andhra Pradesh and ever since legendary actor N. T. Rama Rao floated Telugu Desam Party (TDP) four decades ago, the politics had never been devoid of glamour quotient.

However, no one came closer to NTR, who dominated the state politics till his demise in 1996. Worshipped as a demigod by people in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh, the thespian became the chief minister for three terms.

Andhra Pradesh, which contributes almost the entire cream of the Telugu film industry, is a film crazy state. However, Telangana, which was carved out of Andhra Pradesh as a separate state in 2014, presents a different picture.

After NTR his two actor sons tried their luck in politics to carry forward his legacy and other famous Tollywood family of superstar Chiranjeevi also forayed into politics, none of them could even come closer to the TDP founder, who had redefined the politics.

While many actors, including contemporaries of NTR, campaigned for different parties and contested elections, no one could become a factor to influence politics across the state.

"Andhra Pradesh is more cinema crazy. There is an added element of caste. Parties and actors get public support along caste lines," pointed out political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.

NTR belonged to the Kamma caste and TDP is still seen by many as a party of Kammas. The powerful caste dominated politics for over two decades in the united and later in new Andhra Pradesh.

Chiranjeevi's family comes from the Kapu community. It may be recalled that Chiranjeevi, whose mass popularity was often compared with that of late NTR, had launched Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) amid much fanfare in 2008.

Chiranjeevi, who is popular in Tollywood as a megastar, was joined by his brothers Pawan Kalyan and Nagababu, brother-in-law and leading producer Allu Arvind in the campaign. However, the elections proved a disaster for Chiranjeevi as the PRP could win just 18 seats in the 294-member Assembly and drew a blank in the Lok Sabha.

Chiranjeevi himself tasted defeat in one of the two seats he contested. The superstar merged his party with the Congress in 2011 and became a minister at the Centre after he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

The bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the Congress party's humiliating defeat in 2014 elections brought an abrupt end to Chiranjeevi's political career.

Pawan Kalyan, who had floated Jana Sena Party (JSP), did not contest 2014 polls but backed TDP-BJP combine.

After distancing from both TDP and BJP, he joined hands with the Left parties and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to contest the 2019 elections.

However, his electoral debut proved more disastrous than that of his elder brother. JSP secured just one seat in the 175-member Assembly with Pawan himself losing from both the seats he contested.

Pawan Kalyan later revived his alliance with the BJP. A bitter critic of Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, he is now trying to forge a grand alliance with the TDP to defeat YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in the elections scheduled to be held next year.

Despite the 2019 debacle, Pawan Kalyan, has refused to give up. The 51-year-old has made it clear that he is into politics for a long battle.

NTR had named his fourth son N. Balakrishna, a popular Tollywood actor, as his political heir. However, after NTR's sudden death in 1996 a few months after his son-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu unseated him from power, the latter emerged as political successor.

Balakrishna, who like other children of NTR had backed Naidu in the revolt, entered active politics in 2014. Balaiah, as Balakrishna is popularly known, was elected to the Assembly from Hindupur, which was represented by his legendary father. He retained the seat in 2019.

Balaiah, 63, is happy playing second fiddle to Naidu. He is also father-in-law of Nara Lokesh, the only son of Chandrababu Naidu.

He will be happy to see his son-in-law succeeding Naidu, who has already announced that 2024 elections will be the last poll of his political career.

Jr NTR, one of the top actors of Tollywood, is seen by many as someone who can carry forward the political legacy of his grandfather.

He had briefly campaigned for TDP in 2009. However, his campaign was cut short after he was injured in a road accident. Since then, he has stayed away from politics.

The young actor is the son of Harikrishna, one of the sons of NTR. Harikrishna, who wanted to see his son take over reins of the party, died in a road accident in 2018.

Jr NTR, who turned 40 in May, is rated as the most successful actor from the NTR clan after his grandfather and uncle Balakrishna.

Another Tollywood dynasty is of veteran actor Mohan Babu. An ardent admirer of NTR, he was associated with TDP since its inception in 1982. In 1995, he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. In 2019, Mohan Babu joined YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and campaigned for the party.

Eminent film producer Daggubati Ramanaidu was associated with the TDP. He was elected to Lok Sabha from Bapatla constituency in 1999.

Ramanaidu's elder son D. Suresh Babu is a well-known producer while younger son Venkatesh is one of the leading actors. Suresh Babu's son Rana Daggubati (of Baahubali fame) is a popular actor. However, Ramanaidu's family members stayed away from politics.

The family of thespian Akkineni Nageswara Rao, a contemporary of NTR, also kept itself away from politics. ANR, as he was popularly known, passed away in 2014 at the age of 90. His son Nagarjuna is a leading actor of Tollywood.

Nagarjuna has one son, actor Naga Chaitanya, from his first wife Lakshmi Daggubati, sister of actor Venkatesh. After divorcing Lakshmi, Nagarjuna married actress Amala and the couple have one son Akhil, who is also an actor.

In 2014, Nagarjuna had endorsed Narendra Modi's candidature for Prime Ministership. The actor, however, ruled out joining politics.

Superstar Krishna, who passed away last year, also had a brief stint in politics. Hailing from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, Krishna was considered close to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He joined the Congress party in 1984 and was a critic of legendary actor N. T. Rama Rao and his TDP.

Krishna was elected to Lok Sabha from Eluru in 1989 but lost the election in 1991 from the same constituency. After Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, Krishna distanced himself from politics.

Krishna's son Mahesh Babu is one the top actors of Tollywood but he has made clear that he has no intentions to join politics.

Veteran actor Krishnam Raju, who passed away last year at the age of 83, had entered politics in 1991 by joining Congress. He later joined BJP and was elected to Lok Sabha from Kakinada in 1998.

He was re-elected to Lok Sabha in 1999 and was made minister of state for external affairs in Vajpayee government. He had joined PRP floated by Chiranjeevi but lost the Lok Sabha election to Rajahmundry. In 2014, just before elections he re-joined BJP. Popular actor Prabhas, of Baahubali fame, is nephew of Krishnam Raju.

Unlike in Andhra Pradesh, film personalities have never been a factor in Telangana. "NTR also became a factor in Telangana mainly because he worked for political empowerment of backward classes and scrapped patel/patwari system," said analyst Raghavendra Reddy.

Currently, Vijayashanthi is the only film personality active in Telangana politics.

Once popular as 'Lady Amitabh' for her action roles, Vijayashanti had joined the BJP in 1997. She later floated Talli Telangana to fight for separate statehood for Telangana. After merging Talli Telangana with TRS (now BRS), she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Medak in 2009.

She later joined the Congress party and unsuccessfully contested from the Medak Assembly constituency in the 2014 polls.

After lying low for four years, Vijayashanti again became active in Congress in 2017 and was named its star campaigner for the party in 2018 Assembly polls. After the party's debacle, she was not active in the party and returned to BJP in 2020.

Actor and former MLA Jayasudha joined last month. The actress, who played leading roles in many films in 1970s and 1980s, had joined politics at the invitation of Congress leader and then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy in 2009.

She was elected to Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Secunderabad constituency in 2009. She, however, could not retain the seat in the 2014 elections.

She had quit the Congress to join the TDP in 2016 but remained largely inactive in it.

In 2019, she along with her son Nihar Kapoor had joined YSR Congress Party.
Patna Aug 13 : On Saturday, cyber criminals tried to dupe a pharma trader in Bihar's Saharsa in the name of the DIG of Saharsa range.

The accused sent a threat message telling the pharma trader -- Suchain Kumar, a resident of Bhartiya Nagar -- about a raid to be carried out at his outlet by the Saharsa DIG for keeping illegal items in his shop.They also sent the copy of the 'notice' on his WhatsApp number.

Suchain, however, did not panic and lodged a complaint with the cyber cell.

This was an incident which reflects how cyber criminals are duping the common people of Bihar and other states.

On August 9, Nalanda police had arrested eight cyber criminals who duped common people of lakhs of rupees using the website of a Central ministry.

The district police also recovered Rs 7.25 lakh in cash, 24 mobile phones, three laptops, 62 SIM cards and a fingerprint cloning machine from their possession.

"The accused made a website of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and duped many people, especially in Nagarnausa, Chandi and other places in Nalanda district," said Ashok Mishra, SP of Nalanda district.

When it comes to cyber crime, people generally think of Jamtara in Jharkhand, but there are many pockets in Bihar like Nawada, Nalanda, Aurangabad and Jamui where cyber criminals are active and working on the lines of Jamtara scammers.

They have even duped ADGP-rank officers, SHOs and IAS officers in Bihar.

G.S. Gangwar, the ADGP of Bihar Police (Headquarter), said: "We have zero tolerance towards any crime, including cyber frauds. Hence, we have opened 44 cyber police stations in the state. The officers deployed in the cyber police stations are dedicated to deal with cases related to various kinds of cyber crime. Since the opening of the cyber police stations, we have registered over 300 FIRs.

"Cyber crime cases need special focus as the criminals dupe a large number of people. Hence, we have alerted every police station to seriously take notice of such cases.

"Since February 26 this year, we have deployed 150 cyber experts on the National Cyber Crime Reporting helpline number 1930 and have managed to hold over Rs 15 crore, with the assistance of different banks. Such actions were taken due to immediate registration of cases on the helpline number followed by the prompt action of our experts.

"The process of returning the money to the victims is underway. We firmly believe that awareness is the key to stop cyber crime cases. Hence, we have also initiated digital as well as manual campaigns to inform people about cyber crime cases."

The officer also said that the police department is focusing on opening the defunct police stations in the state.
NIA starts probe into seizure of explosives from Bengal's Birbhum. Image Source: IANS News

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 13 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday was conducting raids at four places of former activists of the banned Islamist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI).

The raids were being held at four residences of former PFI activists in the Tirur and Tanur areas of Malappuram district.

Sources in the Malappuram district police told IANS that they were informed just before the commencement of the raids.

The raids, which began early morning, were being held simultaneously.

Earlier, the NIA had held raids and sealed the PFI headquarters, Green Valley in Manjeri in Malappuram district.

The PFI was banned by the Union Home Ministry in September 2022 and most of the frontline leaders of the Islamist organisation were jailed. The PFI is accused in several murder cases across the country, and was working towards converting India into an Islamic nation.

Further details regarding the raids are awaited.

--IANSaal/dpb
(SUNDAY 9 AM, INSIGHT) There are always new challenges before Intelligence (Column: The Third Eye). Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Aug 13 : In the current geopolitical environ - marked by signs of a new Cold War on the horizon, the dual demand of ensuring national security and economic advancement and the rapid rise of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a world power that is adopting a new approach to international relations - the tasks of Indian Intelligence have multiplied both externally and on the home front.

The challenges for Indian Intelligence are organisational, operational as well as outreach-related - in the backdrop of new trends that have come into play.

Inter-agency coordination has acquired a new-found importance since in the emerging situation, external threats to internal security have become particularly pronounced, strategic intelligence is required for handling international relations and role of technology in dealing with the security scenario is now of unprecedented significance.

The transformational change for Indian Intelligence is that it is not merely to report on the threats, but also to proactively help the regime in formulating solutions for countering the same in the interest of national security, sovereignty and integrity.

This makes Intelligence a noble profession, deserving of national esteem and enjoins upon the agencies in India to put up their best efforts to measure up to the expectations rising from them by the worldas largest democracy.

The first challenge is to perfect the management of Intelligence itself. Security by definition is protection against the acoverta threats from the enemy - an open attack is repulsed by the defence forces - and it is the job of Intelligence to confidentially gather information about the plans of the unseen adversary so that effective action to neutralise them could be taken in time.

Intelligence is therefore the aanchora of security, which in turn makes it mandatory that all pieces of Intelligence on a given threat reach a common point at the national apex for total collation, analysis and assessment.

Complete Intelligence is difficult to come by and therefore any part thereof should not be lost for lack of communication.

The Kargil Review Committee, which laid the groundwork for the establishment of the institutions of National Security Advisor and National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), had noted that scores of Intelligence reports never moved up to a common point and were literally lost in transit.

In todayas international situation, strategic assessment has become far more important and demands aimaginationa on the part of the analysts to see what lies beyond the facts in front and envisage the shape of things to come.

An intense coordination among the agencies - spread across the Ministries of the government - that allows for full sharing of Intelligence has to come about and this is precisely what the present NSA has been able to achieve.

Integral assessments and coordinated responses are the hallmarks of success of security, and Intelligence has to be comprehensive enough to provide leads for counter measures in police, diplomatic and economic spheres.

The solution finding role of Intelligence for a sovereign India has become extremely important at present and it is clearly above any kind of political interpretations.

Indiaas national security scenario is set by the range of threats facing the country at a given point of time. Security is therefore not a one-time event and strategic assessments may have to be subjected to course correction depending upon material changes in the threat perceptions brought about by sudden shifts in the geopolitical developments.

Intelligence agencies accommodate these changes by reframing their agenda and resource utilisation. During the Cold War, they devoted themselves to the study of international Communism in a major way and post-Cold War, their time and energy is focused on tracking terrorism and helping counter-terror operations.

Even in Kashmir and Northeast where the Army had to be inducted in these operations, Intelligence-based action designed to reduce collateral damage has remained the aim of counter-terror initiatives - notwithstanding the provisions of AFSPA made available to the Army.

The Army is meant to inflict maximum damage to the enemy per bullet and it goes to its credit that while deployed on aour own soila, it has quickly adjusted to the restraint needed in the new situation and handled counter-terror operations very well.

As mentioned earlier, strategic analysis is a challenging work for it has to take in not only the reports of the Intelligence agencies, but also absorb credible information available in the public domain, including the social media, and give due weightage to the readings of our diplomats abroad.

It calls for an exceptional capacity to adistinguish essentials from non-essentialsa and as already mentioned, an aimaginationa that can help to rise above the details and not miss the forest for the trees.

The security concerns of India currently arise from the situation in the Pakistan-Afghan region, the strategic alliance between Pakistan and China that has become extremely hostile towards India after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution by the Indian Parliament, the ascendancy of radical Islam in the Muslim world, emergence of social media as an instrument of combat and ainformation warfarea, and repercussions of Ukraine-Russia armed conflict leading to the prospect of return of the Cold War.

Pakistan pretended to be a mediator in the Doha talks and managed to reinstall the Taliban Emirate in Kabul in 2021, securing some strategic advantage over India in Afghanistan.

The Joe Biden administration in the US had a certain comfort of distance in relation to Afghanistan after the withdrawal of American troops from there and Pentagon continued to have goodwill towards the Pak Generals.

Pakistan's ISI has in the process acquired the capacity to set upon India Islamic radical outfits in addition to the India-specific militants of HuM, LeT and JeM carrying on with cross-border terrorism in Kashmir and elsewhere in the country.

On line indoctrination for raising Mujahideen is fully in play adding to the challenge for Indian Intelligence. The situation on LAC, particularly in Ladakh and Arunachal, is sensitive because of the aggressive profile of PLA there and it goes to the credit of the Modi regime that adequate military build-up on the Indian side of LAC was ordered in time to check any Chinese designs on the border.

The Sino-Pak axis, however, has become much stronger and the give-and-take entered into by these two adversaries of India on Taliban controlled Afghanistan is paving the way for China to extend its B&RI project in Afghanistan.

Indiaas foreign policy based on bilateral relationships that were guided by mutual security and economic interests now includes participation in multilateral fora like Quad in the interest of advancement of world peace and global economic growth - this has served India extremely well.

It has helped India to strategise its moves against both Pakistan and China and enabled Prime Minister Modi to stand by his approach to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and retain his image as the world counsel on issues of war and peace.

The charter of Intelligence has undergone a fundamental expansion in keeping with the new age mandate and the requirements placed on it by the sovereign nation in the current world situation.

The threats to internal security like terrorism, radicalisation and communal militancy materialise closer to the ground - in lanes and localities - and it is therefore incumbent on the Intelligence agencies to go to the local levels to gather information.

The situation requires close liaison of Intelligence set up at the Centre with state and district Intelligence units so that the gap between ainformationa and aactiona is reduced.

This should be done without compromising the principle followed in the Indian context that Intelligence personnel passed on ainformationa and did not become part of the aactiona of police and other executive authorities of the state.

Terrorism in Kashmir and insurgencies in the Northeast had compelled drafting in of Army in these regions for countering violence. As Army was mandated to confine itself largely to conducting Intelligence-based operations, the responsibility of Intelligence agencies became particularly demanding.

Further, external threats and internal security has a acause and effecta relationship particularly for India and it therefore goes without saying that our external Intelligence agencies and those handling internal security had to have perfect coordination and prompt exchange of information for their own professional interest.

This holds good also for Technical Intelligence providers operating within and outside of the country. Our agencies are doing extremely well as far as mutual cooperation is concerned.

And finally, in keeping with the strategy of pursuing bilateral relations to the mutual advantage of both sides, an important part of responsibility of the Intelligence set up is to maintain liaison with the counterpart in the other country - this in fact is emerging as the test of true friendship between nations.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that in the regime of Prime Minister Modi, Indiaas National Security Advisor has ensured that this function is performed in a flawless note.

(The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. The views expressed are personal)
Lucknow, Aug 13 : An IT hub will come up over a 40-acre land in Nadarganj industrial area, off Lucknow-Kanpur highway, making it the country's largest such hub.

The UP government has announced that the blueprint for setting up the facility has already been prepared by UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN).

The hub will be divided into three parts -- IT park, business park, and international incubation facility centre. A government spokesperson added that the integrated facility being planned in the state capital is going to be the largest in the country.

Earlier, the Yogi Adityanath government had committed to shape Lucknow as the artificial intelligence city of the country and the upcoming IT hub is a step forward in that direction, said the spokesperson and added that the incubation centre will also focus on training college students and engineering graduates in the latest AI technologies.

The IT hub will have a six storey IT park which will be established over 11.47-acre area while the business park will come up in 7.4 acre and the incubation centre will be established over 6.9 acre. The remaining area will be used to set up infrastructure, common facilities, green space and roads.

According to the blueprint for the project, roads will take up about 6-acre land within the facility.

The procedure to shortlist the consultant who will implement and execute the project has been initiated and the role of the company would be to provide world class facilities and latest infrastructure.

The state government will tie up with prominent IT companies and industry leaders to mentor, hire and handhold the graduates who are groomed at the incubation centre.

Five wings will be constituted within the facility which will encourage women entrepreneurship, skill and knowledge development, prototyping, research and innovation and learn emerging technologies.
Lucknow, Aug 13 : The CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow has introduced an innovative contraceptive named 'Levormeloxifene'.

The breakthrough contraceptive is notably more effective to the human body with its reduced dose and chemical burden compared to existing market options.

Levormeloxifene is a modernised version of the 1990s 'Saheli' pill, initially developed by CDRI. Once a staple during the 1990s, Saheli, also known as 'Chaya' under the National Family Planning programme, has now evolved into Levormeloxifene.

Radha Rangarajan, Director of CSIR-CDRI, explained, "The core objective behind this contraceptive's development was to minimise the chemical content, particularly crucial for women in their reproductive phase who predominantly consume such tablets."

Rangarajan elaborated, "The compound ormeloxifene within Saheli comprises two enantiomers, dextro-ormeloxifene, and levo-ormeloxifene (levormeloxifene). Extensive preclinical studies have indicated higher efficacy of the levo counterpart, levormeloxifene. This research solely focuses on testing the levo model as a contraceptive, thereby reducing the unnecessary use of dextro-ormeloxifene and alleviating women from undue chemical exposure."

The development of this groundbreaking contraceptive is the culmination of a decade-long intensive research effort led by a team of scientists, including Wahajul Haq, Vivek Bhosle, Arun Trivedi, Rajesh Jha, Rabi Bhatta, Sharad Sharma, SK Rath and others.

Upon successful clinical trials, this contraceptive will bolster family planning initiatives, adding to the existing range of contraceptive services within the programme. These services encompass Oral Contraceptive Pills, condoms, government-provided 'Nirodh' brand, intra-uterine contraceptive devices, female and male sterilisation, as well as emergency contraceptive pills (ECP).

Notably, Cipla has received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India to conduct Phase-I clinical trials for Levormeoxifene.

This investigational drug is a collaborative effort between Cipla and CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow, aimed at developing an oral, non-hormonal contraceptive solution.
Bengaluru, Aug 13 : Karnataka's Congress government has come under scanner following Dalit organisations raising suspicion over the water contamination case which resulted in seven deaths and more than 200 persons getting hospitalised.

The organisations are suspecting it to be a case of poisoning of drinking water out of vengeance and caste hatred and decided to take out a protest march from Kavadigarahatti to the residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The incident was reported from Kavadigarahatti area which comes under Chitradurga Municipality limits in Karnataka.

The Dalit organisations are alleging that Kavadigarahatti area is a Dalit colony and all the deceased and hospitalised victims belong to Dalit community. The water was poisoned as one of the residents married a woman from the upper caste, they alleged.

The Congress government is alleged to be playing a safe game with political calculations. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara, a prominent Dalit leader, are being questioned on their stand regarding the issue.

Bhaskar Prasad, State General Secretary of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), speaking to IANS, explained that the state government has proved it to be a case of cholera as it would face an embarrassment if the matter of poisoning of water comes out. No action has been initiated against the concerned officers.

"Considering it as contaminated water, why did the contaminated water reach only Dalit colony? Not a single case has been reported from the other areas which are supplied water from the same source where Lingayats and other upper caste people live," he explained.

"It is shameful that no legal action has been taken against the water man and the local corporator who have disappeared after the incident. Since the government is not able to do justice, it has been decided to hold a protest march from the Kavadigarahatti area, where the tragedy occurred, to the residence of the Chief Minister in Bengaluru. The meeting is organised on Aug 18 to discuss and take a final call on this," stated Bhaskar Prasad.

Kambalapalli massacre was the most heinous attack on Dalits took place in Kolar district of Karnataka, where seven Dalits were burnt alive when present AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge was the Home Minister of the state on Mar 11, 2000.

"Senior police officers belonged to Dalit community then who were in-charge of the investigation of the case. Still justice was denied to Dalits in the case. Having Dalits or OBC's at the helm of power is not really stopping atrocities on them," Bhaskar Prasad explained.

Hariram, State Coordinator of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) explained that waterman Suresh and Corporator Jayanna, for personal hatred, because a girl in their family fell in love and got married to a Dalit boy, they poisoned the water supplied to the entire Dalit colony.

"It is shameful for Home Minister Parameshwar that the evidence is destroyed systematically. The water tank has been cleaned and the pipes which supplied water to Dalit colony are replaced to get rid of traces of supply of poisonous water abruptly in police protection," he alleged.

"The government and local influential people are hand in glove to hush up the case. This is a government sponsored massacre. Seven people have died in the incident. The government should have safeguarded the pipes and for FSL tests. Police arrest terrorists but they are not able to track the water man and corporator who committed cold-blooded murders," Hariram stated.

The incident of water contamination was reported on July 31. Many of those who have been hospitalised are in critical condition, according to local authorities. The FSL report of the water sample has confirmed that there was no poisonous chemical found. However, the authorities are claiming that the FSL report has confirmed that the tragedy has occurred due to contamination of water.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered a probe into the incident and directed the district authorities to initiate stern action against the officers found guilty. The authorities have sent a report recommending suspension of AEE R. Manjunath Giraddi and JE S.R. Kiran Kumar, attached to Chitradurga Municipality. Prakash, who worked as a volve operator in Kavadigarahatti was also suspended by the district commissioner.

Karnataka Lokayukta has summoned the top government authorities on August 24 in connection with the water contamination case. Lokayukta Justice B.S. Patil had stated that suo moto case has already been taken regarding the matter and stated that the tragedy is painful. He has expressed concern over the development and sought a report.

The Secretary of Department of Urban Development from Bengaluru, District Commissioner of Chitradurga, Administrative Director of Chitradurga Municipality, District Health Officer, Municipality Commissioner, AEE and Health Inspectors are summoned to the office of Lokayukta. The concerned officials have been asked to furnish complete facts of the case with the report at his office.

The major political parties BJP, JD (S) and Congress are presently busy with the development of row over clearing of pending bills to contractors. Dalit organisations along with BSP and SDPI are planning to take up the matter and launch a huge agitation. It remains to be seen whether justice will be done.
New York, Aug 13 : Nearly 70 nationals have filed a lawsuit against the US government for denying them H-1B visas because of fraud committed by their employers, a report by Bloomberg Law said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied the Indian graduates H-1B specialty occupation visas despite their subsequent employment at legitimate businesses, a lawsuit filed in federal district court in Washington state said this week.

According to the complaint, the Indian graduates -- employed via a training programme for foreign graduates of US colleges and universities -- were unfairly punished for their association with those businesses without a chance to respond.

The Indians in the suit worked for four IT staffing companies -- Andwill Technologies, AzTech Technologies LLC, Integra Technologies LLC, and WireClass Technologies LLC.

Each of the companies was approved to participate in OPT (Optional Practical Training) and certified through the E-Verify employment verification program.

Many international graduates participate in the OPT programme to start careers in the US while attempting to secure an H-1B visa or other longer-term status.

According to the lawsuit, DHS later uncovered the companies' scheme to defraud the government, schools, and foreign national students.

"Rather than protecting the students, however, DHS later sought to sanction them as if they were co-conspirators who knowingly participated in the fraudulent operation," the Bloomberg Law said, citing the complaint.

"The agency assumed that anybody who had touched these companies was somehow guilty of fraudulent misrepresentations to the US government in an attempt to get a visa or immigration benefit," said Wasden Law attorney Jonathan Wasden, who's representing the plaintiffs.

"DHS has to go through the process of actually giving the affected parties notice and the ability to respond," Wasden said.

The complaint mentioned the case of Siddhartha Kalavala Venkata, who said he was in "complete pain" after learning he couldn't enter the US.

Venkata worked at Integra through OPT after completing a master's degree in 2016 at the New York Institute of Technology.

The company, listed as one of the largest participants in the OPT programme, employing more than 700 student visa holders as recently as 2019, told students they needed to pay for training to further upgrade their skills.

Venkata left within months for a position with another IT firm and later attempted to change status from an F-1 visa to an H-1B visa last year. But DHS denied his H-1B visa, deeming him inadmissible because of fraud or willful misrepresentation, the news report said.

"If I made a mistake, I would accept it. It was a mistake made by someone else. The US has given me a lot of opportunities that now I cannot use," Venkata was quoted as saying in the report.

Venkata and others are asking the court to set aside the DHS' decision on their visa applications and order that the agency allow them to respond to any fraud allegations before making a determination on their admissibility to the US.

The complaint stated that the DHS violated the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding its authority and deeming the plaintiffs as inadmissible without a full record of the evidence.

The agency's actions were also procedurally deficient because it didn't notify the visa applicants of the action against them, the complaint said.

More than 1,17,000 people participated in the programme in calendar year 2022, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DHS component that runs the OPT program.
New York, Aug 13 : A 41-year-old Indian-American has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the possession of false identity documents and operating an unlicensed money transfer business.

Vimalkumar Trivedi's fraud led to approximately $1.5 million in losses to the victims, the Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Indiana said.

The 46-month sentence was imposed by the US District Court Chief Judge Tanya Walton Pratt, who also ordered that Trivedi be supervised by the US Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.

"These vicious crimes often devastate families and individuals victimised by these heartless thieves. The sentence in this case demonstrates that fraudsters seeking a quick buck will pay a heavy price for their crimes," said US Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers.

According to court documents, from April 2017 through April 1, 2021, Trivedi defrauded multiple victims, including some elderly individuals, into sending cash to various locations, including Indianapolis via FedEx.

Trivedi and his co-conspirators in the US and India masqueraded as federal law enforcement agents and told the victims that their Social Security numbers had been found in connection with criminal activity, often narcotics trafficking.

The criminals stated that the victims would be arrested if they did not immediately withdraw large sums of cash and mail it to fictitious individuals.

Trivedi tracked the packages of money sent by fraud victims to the fictitious recipients and picked them up at multiple FedEx locations.

In each instance, he used a false identification document in the name of the listed package recipient.

"Trivedi was part of an imposter scam that used scare tactics and identity theft to scam innocent victims out of hard-earned money. Todayas sentence shows that such behavior will not be tolerated," said Gail S Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.

In total, Trivedi possessed at least 53 false identification documents, each with his picture but containing different identifying information.

He used these false identification documents to pick up at least 122 packages containing $901,124 in cash proceeds of the fraud.

Trivedi kept $60,000 stolen from victims for his own use and forwarded the remainder to his associates.

Through the investigation, law enforcement agents have identified and confirmed approximately 17 victims, identified approximately 50 other suspected victims, and approximately $1.5 million in losses to the victims.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : A community forcibly thrown out of its ancestral land has a lot to mourn about. The tragedy brings multitudes of problems along with it and often people and communities succumb. But the Kashmiri Pandits have turned their dislocation from their homeland into an opportunity powered by their talent and perseverance.

The community did fall, but has risen again and today a majority of its members are well placed in all walks of life. It has spread out not just within the country, but are now scattered all over the world, doing well professionally and socially.

The community is progressing, much to the dismay of those who had raised the slogan of "Raliv, Galiv, Chaliv (Succumb, Get Killed or Flee)".

Pakistan-backed separatists targeted the community en masse and when the then government in the state and the Centre failed to protect it, the Pandits had no option but to flee.

The late 1980s and thereafter have been the most torturous period for the community in recent history. When the first mass migration happened on January 19, 1990, the community was reduced to penury overnight.

From being owners of houses and land, Pandits found themselves struggling in torn tents on barren fields in the Jammu plains and in Delhi. Many in these camps succumbed to heatstroke, snake bites and disease, and some lost their mental balance. The sight was pitiful, especially the everyday struggle for food, water, clothes and a bit of shade.

In those initial years, the only thing that the community did not lose out on was education. In those tents and camps, even if the parents had no food and money, children were made to sit together and get literate and educated.

Those children grew up to become engineers, doctors, teachers, actors, writers, journalists, CEOs and scientists. Many have gone overseas and made a name for themselves.

The community of more than 7 lakh people today has thousands of individual success stories. These have rattled many who took no time in saying that the community is not interested to return to its homeland.

Will they ever return to the valley? That one question may be dismissed by some or joked about by a few, and many in the majority community in the valley may want them to return, but there are those who don't want it to happen.

Targeted killings are as much a fact as the truth that the majority community in the valley was silend when the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits happened. No one, not even leaders such as Farooq Abdullah or Late Mufti Mohd Sayeed, stood up for them then.

Ethnic cleansing did take place and the community lost its native land.

With the now Union Territory under Central rule since 2019, and after Article 370 was abrogated, it was hoped that the situation would improve for Pandits. But targeted killings have petrified them. Terrorists are able to pick their targets and carry out dastardly crimes with impunity and at a place of their choice. The support system that continues to exist for these terrorists is what unnerves the Pandit community.

The long return to the homeland seems to be growing all the more longer and this is what is the cause of concern for the community.

"Where we love is home -- home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts," American jurist and legal scholar Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr had said in early 1900s. And this is what the Kashmiri Pandit community also feels.

The community members have built their new homes in new places, and also temples that replicate Hari Parbat and Kheer Bhawani -- the two most revered ancient shrines of Kashmir -- but the longing to return to their native land is ever growing.

There are concerns that being away from the native land has affected their culture, language, rituals and food, which are rooted in the valley, and are slowly fading for want of space and place.

The younger members of the community, who were born after the exodus, have heard of Kashmir only in tales of betrayal and sorrow. Their connection with the valley is indirect.

Some have just not visited Kashmir; many have been to their former homes as tourists. But there is a growing number who want to reconnect with their ancestral land. And this is what gives hope to the community elders, who long to return and continue to wait for the right response from the majority community in the valley.

It has been a 34-year wait for the Pandit community and in the meantime the majority community has also undergone changes. Today, it appears to be difficult to convey to the younger generation in Kashmir the kind of relationship that the two communities had before 1990.

But then, this has not happened for the first time. History is replete with examples of the persecution of Kashmiri Pandits. It is said that during the Afghan rule between 1752 to 1819, Kashmiri Pandits were targeted for persecution. They were tortured to death unless they converted to Islam and ultimately only 11 families survived. And from those 11 families, the community rose again.

This is the story which has been passed on in Kashmiri Pandit families for centuries and has served as an example to not lose hope and keep showing resilience.

What happened to the community three decades ago was not a sudden attack, but the outcome of a plan that took root in the early 1930s with the formation of the Muslim Conference.

Its agenda was to fight Dogra rule and take away the land and jobs of Kashmiri Pandits, who had been doing well under Sikh and Dogra rule. The well-crafted plan finally took off in the late 1980s with the support of Pakistan, whose first targets in the valley were the Kashmiri Pandits.

Three decades later, the community, though scattered, is on its feet again.

The Kashmiri Pandit community is no vote bank for anyone. Politically, it is a small population and their votes do not matter to any political party. But their pain and suffering is a weapon for the BJP, an emotional and strategic connect for the Congress, and not much for the rest.

The Kashmiri Pandits are charting out their own course and have proved that they are not dependent upon any political party. But, in their hearts, their home will always be Kashmir.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted atdeepika.b@ians.in)

--IANSdpb/ksk
Guwahati/Agartala, Aug 13 : Congress leaders from all the eight northeastern states have urged the central leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge to include the region in the second phase of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra in a bid to regain lost ground.

The Congress' state party chiefs and senior leaders from the northeastern states during a meeting with the central party leaders including Kharge in Delhi on July 15 requested them to include the region in the second leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as the region had been a stronghold of the party for decades.

"We believe Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra would rejuvenate the Congress leadership, workers, supporters and sympathisers in the northeastern region before next year's Lok Sabha elections," Tripura Pradesh Congress' newly appointed president Ashish Kumar Saha told IANS.

Saha is very optimistic that Gandhi's second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra would be more successful than the first phase, in which the Congress leader walked almost 4,000 kilometres from Kanyakumari in Kerala to Kashmir in between September 7 last year and January 30 this year.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra in more than 130 days covered 12 states and two Union Territories.

Congress sources said that the second leg of the Yatra was expected to begin from Gujarat on October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, and extend to the northeastern state of Meghalaya.

"The schedule of the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra has not yet been finalized. A committee has been formed at the central level to chalk out the next phase of the Yatra and the details are being finalised," a Congress leader told IANS.

All India Congress Committee secretary Szarita Laitphlang however refused to comment on the proposed second leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as the schedule was not yet finalised.

"Yes, if Rahul Gandhi visits the northeast, it would be good for the party," she told IANS.

Though the Congress leaders are very confident that Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra would help the party to regain lost ground and secure electoral mileage in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, political pundits are skeptical about the possible benefits to the party from this padayatra.

Writer and political commentator Sekhar Datta said that after India's Independence, for many decades the Congress had governed the northeastern region but now it has been struggling for its survival in the region.

"The organisational network of the Congress in most of the northeastern regions is very weak. The Central leaders of the party very occasionally or just before the elections visited the states," Datta told IANS.

The Congress is the only opposition party in Assam, where in the 126-member assembly the party currently has 27 members while in the other states of the region the party's presence in the legislative assemblies and other elected bodies, is very meagre.

Leaders of the Left parties, which are allies of the newly floated Congress led opposition alliance INDIA, are also very enthusiastic about Gandhi's second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

CPI-M politburo member Manik Sarkar, who was the chief minister of Tripura for 20 years (1998-2018), said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra initiative taken to foil the attempt to divide the country is very good.

"If Rahul Gandhi comes to Tripura and other northeastern states to unify the country, the people would certainly welcome him. It would help to thwart the divisive policies and practices of the BJP," Sarkar told IANS.

In the assembly elections in February in three northeastern states  Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya with 60 seats each -- the Congress performed very poorly.

The party secured only three and five seats in Tripura and Meghalaya respectively while it, like the 2018 polls, could not open its account in Nagaland.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which ousted the Congress in the northeastern states is now governing four states there  Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh  while its allies are running governments in the remaining four states.

The BJP leaders claimed that the region is now almost "Congress Mukt" (Congress free) and Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra would do nothing.

Tripura Pradesh BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee said that those who divided India earlier are now organising the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is very ridiculous.

"Congress when it was in power both at the Centre and the states did nothing for the northeast region. When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, then the real development of the region started.

"During the past nine years, the region witnessed all-round development in all sectors -- connectivity to academic spheres, health to public welfare, technology to rural development," Bhattacharjee told IANS.

Saying that Modi visited the region more than 50 times in nine years, while other central ministers and BJP leaders frequently toured the region, the BJP leader claimed that the Congress leaders are 'seasonal tourists' to the region.

Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei said that Rahul Gandhi's tour was always beneficial both for the Congress and the common man.

"Wherever Rahul Gandhi goes, he unites the divided hearts and minds for an inclusively better society.

"He came to Manipur to unite all the people of the state. Northeast India needs him and the country needs the Bharat Jodo Yatra to stand united in today's scenario of divisive politics," he told IANS.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)
Kolkata, Aug 13 : As the Congress nationally is getting enthused over the Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 by their leader Rahul Gandhi, in West Bengal the enthusiasm is yet to pick up.

There is no clear roadmap of how the Congress in West Bengal will participate in the mega event or which leaders of the allies of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be invited to participate in the event.

State Congress leaders like S Aich Roy feel that the state unit of the party is waiting for specific instructions from the party high command. "The situation in West Bengal is tricky considering our arch political rival in the state, the ruling Trinamool Congress, is also a part of the INDIA alliance. As regards the CPI(M)- led Left Front there is not much complication since we are already having an understanding with them at the state level. So we are waiting for instructions from our high command on whether we will be inviting leaders of other INDIA constituents to participate in the event," said a senior Congress leader who did not wish to be named.

He admitted there is a high possibility that leaders from no other INDIA constituent from West Bengal might be invited for the event. "In the case of West Bengal we are having an understanding with the CPI(M)- led Left Front, which is the Congress's principal opposition in Kerala. So in case the Left Front leaders in West Bengal are invited for the event, our Kerala unit might be offended. So we have decided to leave the decision entirely to our high command," he explained.

In Tripura also, the Congress is having an understanding with the CPI(M)- led Left Front and in Tripura as well the party's state unit will in all probability leave the decision to the central leadership.

As for the Trinamool Congress leadership it will not discuss the matter until they receive a formal invitation from the Congress. According to veteran party MLA Tapas Ray, any decision will be taken only after a formal invitation comes from the Congress and it will be taken only by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. "The party will act as per the directions of the chief minister," he said.

The CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal too feels that giving the matter a thought before a formal invitation is counting the chickens before they are hatched. "The problem for us is the same as that of the Congress on this count in the perspective of Kerala, where the principal opponent for the Left Front is the Congress. So whatever needs to be done will be a collective decision," said a state committee member of the party on condition of anonymity.

Political observers also feel that the question of inviting INDIA alliance partners is relevant in states where the relationship of the country's oldest national party with the regional parties is extremely smooth.

"This question is relevant in a state like Bihar, where at the state- level the Congress is having a smooth understanding with the two foremost regional parties there, namely the RHP and the JD(U). But in West Bengal the entire concept of the INDIA alliance is confusing because of the state- level compulsions among all the INDIA allies. The Trinamool Congress, on the one hand, is accusing the Congress and the CPI(M) of having a clandestine understanding with the BJP. Both the Congress and the CPI(M) are accusing the Trinamool Congress of secretely going with the BJP. So when the basic alliance itself is in such a confused stage, the question of the alliance partners participating in Bharat Jodo 2.0 becomes irrelevant," said a city- based political observer.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : After the first leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is gearing up for the second phase.

In Bharat Jodo Yatra-II, Rahul Gandhi will be travelling through the states from the western to the eastern regions.

The 'padyatra', spanning from Gujarat to Meghalaya, is being touted by the Congress as a preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP asserts that Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is an attempt to politically mature himself and considers it an unsuccessful endeavour. The party said that the Yatra is unlikely to have any significant impact.

Speaking to IANS, Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Bankura (West Bengal) Subhash Sarkar, remarked that the opposition's actions have nothing to do with the welfare and development of the country's citizens. The Congress is only concerned about protesting.

Sarkar added that the Bharat Jodo Yatra will not yield any meaningful result, as the nation has already perceived Rahul Gandhi's true intentions.

He questioned the effectiveness of someone who can deliver flying kisses while leaving Parliament -- what substantial actions can they possibly undertake? Hence, the Bharat Jodo Yatra holds no significance and is unlikely to make any impact.

The BJP's Lok Sabha MP, Sunita Duggal, also raised questions about Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, claiming that he is attempting to mature himself politically, and is trying unsuccessfully.

Taking a dig at the commencement of the second phase of the journey from Gujarat, she pointed out that in Gujarat, the BJP has been winning elections consistently. Whether it was during Narendra Modi's tenure as Chief Minister or after he became the Prime Minister, the BJP has continuously secured victories. She emphasised that the opposition's presence in Gujarat is almost negligible, and this trend is likely to persist in 2024 as well.

Duggal said that the nation's trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi persisted in 2014, in 2019, and will continue in 2024. She confidently proclaimed that in 2024, the BJP-led NDA coalition will once again form the government.
Mumbai, Aug 13 : Today marks what would have been the 60th birthday of the legendary actress Sridevi, who had become a face of beauty and great acting among audiences . Five years after her passing away, she is still fondly remembered.

Her husband, film producer Boney Kapoor, and actress daughter Jahvi Kapoor took the lead in remembering Sridevi on social media.

Boney Kapoor shared throwback photos of him with his late wife on Instagram, and captioned the post simply with "Happy Birthday" and many heart emojis. Sridevi's young daughter and rising star Khushi Kapoor, who will be seen in the film 'Archies', wrote "Happy Birthday Mama" with a white emoji.

Jahnvi, who was just seen in the film 'Bawaal', reposted her father's message on her Instagram stories.

During the promotion of her new film a while back, Jahnvi had said that her mother's passing was a very tough issue for her, who she looks up to as a role model. She said that she would like to shape her career after the late actress.

Google Calendars paid a tribute to the actress, celebrating her legacy with an artsy doodle, which Boney Kapoor went on to share on his social media.

Sridevi was born in Tamil Nadu in 1963 and had made inroads into acting when she was merely four years old with the Tamil film 'Kandan Kurunai'. After that, she took a lead role as a child actress in the 1969 film 'Thunaivan'.

The actress then began cutting across languages and genres, doing films in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, with roles ranging from epic dramas, comedy, romance, action, thrillers and more.

After making a very strong impression in Southern cinema with films such as 16 Vayathinile, Thulavarsham, Angeekaaram, Vetagaadu, Varumayin Niram Sivappu and Meendum Kokila, she debuted in Hindi cinema with the film 'Himmatwala'.

She established herself as a leading figure in Bollywood with film such as Mawaali, Justice Chaudhary, Mister India, Sadma, Nagin, Judaai with her last films being English Vinglish and Mom.

Called the female version of Amitabh Bachchan due to her ability to simply transform into whatever role she played and carry a film by herself onto her shoulders, the actress received various accolades throughout her life.

Some of these include National Award, The Kerala State Awards, Filmfare Awards South, Filmfare Awards, Star Guild Awards, International Indian Academy Film Awards. She later went on to posthumously receive the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in 'Mom'.

Sridevi's life was cut short unfortunately, when the actress tragically passed away in 2018 due to cardiac arrest in Abu Dhabi at the age of 54. The actress has since then become a pan-Indian icon and is remembered greatly for her contribution to Indian cinema as well as establishing herself as a role model for aspiring Indian actors.
Lucknow, Aug 13 : Congressmen in Uttar Pradesh are hopeful that party leader Rahul Gandhi will devote substantial time in Uttar Pradesh during the second phase of his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Though the date and schedule of BJY 2.0 is still being finalised, the state unit is confident that Rahul Gandhi will tour a major part of the state in the second leg of the yatra.

Rahul has stayed away from Uttar Pradesh for almost four-and-a-half years after he lost his Amethi seat in the 2019 general elections.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President Brijlal Khabri said, "Though things are fluid at the moment, party workers and the state leadership have urged Rahul Gandhi to spend more time in UP in the second phase of his Bharat Jodo Yatra."

In the first leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi had covered just three districts -- Ghaziabad, Baghpat and Shamli.

The Congress leader had walked for over 130 km from Ghaziabad, and covered parts of Shamli and Baghpat from where he entered Haryana. Questions were raised on his brief visit to UP.

Rahul Gandhi has maintained a distance from party affairs in the state ever since his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was appointed in charge of UP in 2019 for undisclosed reasons.

Party sources said that Rahul Gandhi was not comfortable with his sister's coterie, but did not wish to confront her on this issue.

"Almost everyone in UP Congress has a problem with Priyanka's coterie and whenever we tried to approach Rahul with the problems here, he told us 'Talk to Priyanka', but Priyanka was not willing to listen. This led to an exodus from the party, which has hit rock bottom in Uttar Pradesh," said a veteran Congress leader.

The UP unit of the Congress, sources said, has not even decided its role in the second phase of the yatra.

"Preparations, if any, are not known to anyone in the party. We have not been involved and neither have we been informed. There is no move to mobilise the party workers ahead of the event," said a former Congress MLA.

However, he said that if Rahul Gandhi tours Uttar Pradesh, he would revive the party organisation to a great extent and the cadres will also be mobilised.

"His mere presence here will lift the party from the realms of despair," he said.

In the changed political scenario after the formation of Opposition's INDIA, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary could also join Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0 in UP.

Both the leaders had kept away from BJY in its first leg.

According to a party source, "Internal analysis indicates that the SP-RLD-Congress can swing votes in favour of the coalition in seats covering districts like Saharanpur, Baghpat, Rampur, Bareilly, Badaun and Aligarh in the west, and Deoria, Maharajganj, Ghazipur, Azamgarh and Kushinagar in the east. Rahul's itinerary may include these districts."

UP Congress leaders also want that Rahul Gandhi should spend more than two weeks in UP in the second phase and the route could cover around two-dozen parliamentary constituencies.

The second phase of the yatra is said to begin from Porbandar in Gujarat and end in Agartala (Tripura), sources said.
Ahmedabad, Aug 13 : Gujarat Congress has decided to invite Rahul Gandhi to inaugurate the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra from the land associated with the nation's icons - Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

Building on the success of the first phase, the Yatra is poised to take the political dialogue to the next level, covering areas from east to west of the country.

Emphasising the importance of Gujarat, Amit Chavda, Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, said: "We have extended an invitation to Rahul Gandhi to start the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra from Gujarat, which is the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel."

The symbolic significance of choosing Gujarat adds weight to this political initiative.

During the Gujarat elections 2022, many people questioned Gujarat Congress leaders over Rahul Gandhi's first phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra on why the Yatra will not cross the state of Gujarat or not. Now the Gujarat Congress is all set to answer peoples questions.

Congress has strong presence in state's tribal belt. However, during 2022 assembly elections the results didn't turn in party's favour partly owing to the role played by AAP in these areas. Now with the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress is trying to reconnect with its traditional vote bank.

For Congress, the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra is more than a political march. Rahul Gandhi has said that the endeavor aims at the betterment of the nation and to stand against ideologies that challenge country's foundations.

A central committee has been formed to finalise the details of the second phase, demonstrating a coordinated approach. Other state units have made various suggestions, indicating a collective effort. The groundwork has already begun for the Yatra. The planning phase exhibits the intent of Congress to turn the second phase of Yatra once again into a memorable and impactful campaign.

The first phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra began on September 7, 2022 from Kanyakumari which culminated in Kashmir after 130 days. It covered 12 states and two Union Territories. The first phase's success has unsettled the BJP.

Leader of Opposition Amit Chavda also highlighted the political context, such as the restoration of Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership and the allegations against the BJP concerning billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, such remarks adding to broader narrative surrounding the second phase of Yatra.

As the preparations for the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra are underway, with Gujarat as the proposed starting point, the state is abuzz with anticipation. The nation watches as the details unfold, marking another significant chapter in Indian politics with Gujarat playing an important role.
Beijing, Aug 13 : China's foreign ministry on Sunday condemned Taiwan's vice president William Lai's stopover in the US, calling him a "troublemaker".

Lai arrived in New York on Saturday en route to Paraguay, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in South America, where he is scheduled to attend inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena on August 15, CNN reported.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when asked for comments on Lai's arriving in New York for a "stopover."

We have stated our position clearly on Lai's US "stopover" on many occasions, Zhu said, adding that the China firmly opposes Lai's acts to "harm" Taiwan by soliciting US support for his independence agenda, Xinhua news agency reported.

She expressed firm opposition to any form of US "connivance" and support for "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities.

Describing himself as "a pragmatic 'Taiwan independence' worker," Lai clings stubbornly to the separatist position for "Taiwan independence," Zhu said.

Under the pretext of "stopover," Lai is "selling" Taiwan away to grab selfish gains for his own election, which will ultimately damage the interests of the people of Taiwan and undermine the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, said Zhu, noting that he is a troublemaker through and through.

"Cross-Strait peace and stability and 'Taiwan independence' are as irreconcilable as water and fire," Zhu said.

These moves made by "Taiwan independence" separatist forces run counter to the dominant will of Taiwan people for peace, development, exchanges and cooperation.

"In the end, they will only drag Taiwan into a treacherous zone of war and bring disaster to compatriots in Taiwan," Zhu said.
Allu Arjun's first look from 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' mints 7 million likes. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Aug 13 : The first look poster of the Allu Arjun-fronted 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' has taken the social media world by storm and has garnered seven million likes on Instagram.

The makers had released the much-awaited first look poster of Allu Arjun as Pushpa Raj from the film on the special occasion of Icon Star's birthday.

Sharing the news on social media, the Mythri Movie Makers wrote: "Icon Star @alluarjun's NATIONWIDE RULE #Pushpa2TheRule First Look creates a sensational record Becomes the first-ever Indian first-look poster to hit 7 MILLION LIKES on Instagram."

Right from its announcement, 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' has left a significant mark on the mind of the audience that went on to create examples of its success, when the makers released the first poster with a massive campaign that travelled to almost every region of the country ranging from small towns to metro cities.

Last month, the actor accelerated the much-hyped anticipation of the audience, and had revealed a dialogue from 'Pushpa 2 The Rule' at an event.

The star was asked to give a little sneak peek of his upcoming film, and Allu Arjun quoted a dialogue saying: "Eedantha jarigedi okate rule meeda jarugutaanadadi, Pushpa gadi Rule."

The first installment 'Pushpa: The Rise' depicted the rise of coolie Pushpa Raj (Allu Arjun) in the smuggling syndicate of red sandalwood, that grows only in the Seshachalam Hills of Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh.

'Pushpa 2 The Rule' is directed by Sukumar and stars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil. The film is produced by Mythri Movie Makers.
Kanpur : , Aug 13 (IANS) The Kanpur district jail will soon start an FM radio channel to keep inmates informed on the jail related updates, their cases and also what is happening around the world.

It will also broadcast their poems and songs and give tips on health issues.

The jail inmates will also play the role of radio jockey.

"If everything goes well then it can be launched on August 15 on the occasion of Independence Day," informed jail superintendent B.D. Pandey.

He said through this radio channel, the jail inmates will get to know what is happening in the world.

"Radio FM is being launched to bring about a change in their behavioural pattern and living standards of the prisoners and to judge their creativity. The initiative will improve the mental psyche of the prisoners. With the help of music through radio, the prisoners will be given the time table of the jail administration and vital information with regard to the hearing of their cases, besides the schedule of Lok Adalat," he said.

By this, the effect of the crime committed by them in the past can be reduced from their heart and mind and positive energy can be transmitted in them.

It will work like FM radio and its frequency will be in the entire jail premises.

A survey is being conducted in the jail and every possible interaction will be done with them to know their accent and flawless conversation, said the senior jail official.

"The selected inmates will be trained by the famous radio jockeys of the country," he added.

--IANSamita/dpb
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 13 : The NIA on Sunday conducted raids at eight places linked to former PFI activists in Malappuram, Kannur and Kollam districts of Kerala.

The raids were conducted at the residences of the former activists -- four places in Malappuram, three in Kannur and one in Kollam.

The raids that commenced at 4 a.m.continued till 9.30 a.m. All the raids were conducted simultaneously.

Sources in the Kannur district police told IANS that the local police were informed about the raids just before the commencement of the raids.

The NIA conducted raids across the country in several places associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI) in September 2022 and later the Union home ministry banned the organisation temporarily for a period of five years.

Many senior national leaders of the Islamist organisation are under judicial custody and lodged in various jails across the country.

The NIA had conducted a raid at aGreen Valleya, considered as the headquarters of PFI situated in Manjeri, Malappuram district on August 1 and had sealed the premises. The Green Valley is spread across eight acres and houses several institutions. There were allegations that the Popular Front of India used to conduct armed training at the Green Valley.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Goa and Mumbai teams of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have arrested eight persons, including a serving constable of J&K Police, and recovered leopard skins from their possession.

The DRI said that an operation was launched by the teams after it developed specific intelligence over a period of time that a few gangs in Srinagar (J&K) were involved in the illegal wildlife trade and were searching for prospective buyers for the sale of leopard skins.Accordingly, a detailed plan was made to apprehend the members of the gangs.

"Posing as buyers, officers of Mumbai Zonal Unit (Goa Regional Unit) reached Srinagar in J&K. After several rounds of negotiations, the sellers brought the first skin of a leopard to a pre-designated place in Srinagar near Dalgate. Officers on surveillance intercepted a person who was carrying the leopard skin near the designated place. On the basis of his information, another accomplice was also intercepted at a public place in Srinagar," the official said.

The official further said that after securing the first catch, the rounds of intense negotiations were continued with another gang of sellers. After overnight negotiations, the sellers finally agreed to bring three leopard skins to a pre-designated location.

"Three people carrying the contraband (three leopard skins) were intercepted. The leads generated by information gathered from them indicated that three more persons connected to the transaction were waiting nearby at a public place.

"Two teams of officers were immediately dispatched and they intercepted three persons at the public place. Thus, a total eight persons involved in this illegal trading of wildlife, including one serving police constable, were intercepted and a total four skins of Leopard (Panthera pardus) were recovered," the DRI said.

The official said that initial investigation suggested that the leopards were poached from Ladakh, Doda and Uri.

The subject four leopard skins were seized under the provision of section 50(1)(c) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

The seized contraband and the eight persons, who committed the offence under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, were handed over to the officials of Department of WildLife Protection, Jammu and Kashmir after initial seizure proceedings under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.

--IANSatk/dpb
New Delhi, Aug 13 : As many as 508 Indian prisoners have been repatriated from Pakistan in the last three years between 2020 and 2023, while India has repatriated 143 Pakistani prisoners during the same period.

According to the external affairs ministry, 266 Indian fishermen and 42 civilian prisoners are in Pakistani custody, as per the list of prisoners exchanged between the two countries on July 1. While there are 343 civilians and 74 fishermen from Pakistan in Indian custody.

As per the India-Pakistan aAgreement on Consular Accessa signed on May 21, 2008, lists of prisoners of each country, lodged in the jails of the other, are exchanged on January 1 and July 1 of every year.

The government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners and fishermen along with their boats, from Pakistanas custody, sources informed.

The external affairs ministry sources further informed that it attaches highest priority to the welfare, safety and security of Indian prisoners in Pakistani custody.

As soon as cases of apprehension of Indian nationals by Pakistan are reported, immediate steps are taken by the Indian Mission in Islamabad towards seeking Consular Access from the Pakistan government, they added.

During Consular Access, officials from the Indian high commission visit the Indian prisoners in Pakistani jails to ascertain their well-being and distribute daily-use welfare items. All possible assistance, including legal assistance, is extended to the Indian prisoners for their early release and repatriation, they added further.

--IANSans/dpb
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Two women officers Major Nikita Nair and Major Jasmine Kaur will assist Prime Minister Narendra Modi in unfurling the National Flag at Red Fort on Independence Day. It will be synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute by the valiant gunners of the elite 8711 Field Battery (Ceremonial), the ministry of defence (MoD) said on Sunday.

As soon as the National Flag is unfurled by the Prime Minister, on I-Day, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III Dhruv of the Indian Air Force in the Line Astern Formation.

According to the ministry, the Guard of Honour contingent, for the Prime Minister, will consist of one officer and 25 personnel each from the Army, Air Force and Delhi Police and one officer and 24 personnel from Navy.

"After inspecting the Guard of Honour, the Prime Minister will proceed to the ramparts of the Red Fort where he will be greeted by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff, Army, Navy and Air Force chief. The GoC, Delhi area, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, will conduct the Prime Minister to the dais on the ramparts to unfurl the National Flag," MoD officials added.

PM will unfurl, the Tricolour and then he will receive a aRashtriya Salutea. The Army band, consisting of one JCO and 20 Other Ranks, will play the National Anthem during the unfurling of the National Flag and presenting of the aRashtriya Salutea. The Band will be conducted by Naib Subedar Jatinder Singh.

The National Flag Guard comprising five officers and 128 Other Ranks from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police will present Rashtriya Salute at the time of unfurling of the National Flag by the Prime Minister. Major Abhinav Detha from the Army will be in command of this Inter-Services Guard and Police Guard, the ministry added.

"After the showering of flower petals, the Prime Minister will address the nation. At the conclusion of the speech of the Prime Minister, the cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) will sing the National Anthem. One thousand one hundred boy and girl NCC cadets (Army, Navy and Air Force) from different schools across the country will take part in this festival of National Fervour. Bleachers have been installed at the Gyanpath, on which the cadets would be seated in official white dress," the official said.

The defence ministry said that the Indian Army is the coordinating service this year. All official invites have been sent online through aamantran portal (www.aamantran.mod.gov.in). 17,000 e-invitation cards have been issued through the portal, they added.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 13 : A temporary nurse was suspended at Angamalai government hospital after she allegedly administered a rabies vaccine to a girl patient who was under treatment of fever.

Parents of the seven year-old girl said that the nurse administered the injection without checking her prescription.

The incident took place on August 11. The State Health Minister Veena George had ordered a probe and following investigation the nurse was terminated from service.

Anjali, mother of the child, told the media that she would not press for a police probe as the doctors have informed her that the child will not have any medical complications.

She said that the nurse has apologised to the family and that the family is not interested in further proceeding with the case.
Guwahati, Aug 13 : Badruddin Ajmal, the chief of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), has alleged that both the BJP and Congress hatched a controversy to politically corner his party through the delimitation exercises.

Ajmal told reporters here on Sunday, "The Chief Minister is talking about safeguarding the interests of indigenous people in the state through the delimitation exercise. I want to tell him that Muslim people are also the original inhabitants of Assam."

According to him, the delimitation will decrease the number of Muslim MLAs in the Assam Assembly.

"Our party is the biggest loser in the delimitation. Many of our MLAs will fail to win next time due to the change in dynamics of the assembly seats," Ajmal said.

He alleged that the BJP did it with the motive to finish the AIUDF in state politics, and Congress secretly supported the BJP.

"Following the delimitation order, both the BJP and Congress are happy. It proves that they earlier had understanding, said the AIUDF leader.

Regarding the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Ajmal asserted that his party would win at least three seats.

He said, "Earlier we won Dhubri, Barpeta, and Karimganj Lok Sabha constituencies. This time, the Nagaon seat is also favourable for us. We will contest there with full strength and hope to win at least three out of these four seats."

Meanwhile, Ajmal further said that despite the fact that Congress has been opposing AIUDFas inclusion in the INDIA alliance, the party will tender its support to the opposition bloc.
Gurugram, Aug 13 : Following violent clashes in Nuh, a Hindu group called Mahapanchayat on Sunday to discuss the resumption of Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Brajmandal Jalabhishek Yatra.

The yatra was disrupted by mobsters, leading to the death of six people, including two home guards and a cleric on July 31 in Haryanaas Nuh.

The Mahapanchayat, organised by Sarv Hindu Samaj, is underway at Pondri village in Palwal district, which borders Nuh.

The Mahapanchayat was originally scheduled to be held in Nuh but due to security reasons, it was denied by the Nuh administration.

However, the Palwal administration later granted conditional permission with a gathering of around 500 people for the Mmahapanchayat and strict action will be taken if anyone makes any kind of hate speech.

Sources said, the Hindu group decided to complete the yatra on August 28 which was attacked on July 31 in Nuh.

During communal riots, several vehicles were torched and stones were thrown as clashes broke out over reports of cow vigilantes and two Muslim men Nasir and Junaid killing suspect Monu Manesar will join the Yatra.
Jaipur, Aug 13 : At a time when there are discussions on changing weather system and demographics in Rajasthan, the political landscape of the desert state has also changed with the creation of 19 new districts, taking the total number of districts to 50.

Jaipur, which was the largest district of the state is now divided into Jaipur city and Jaipur rural, both having eight assembly seats.

Besides Jaipur, Alwar, Jodhpur and Nagaur have been split. Similarly, the newly-created districts of Kekri, Salumber and Dudu will now have only one assembly each.

Dudu will be the smallest district in state.

Meanwhile, experts say that after the formation of new districts, there may be an increase in the confusion regarding the assemblies.

The Election Commission in the book 'Changing Face of Electoral India - Delimitation 2008' has said that all the assemblies should be within the limits of their district. That is, one assembly should not be divided into more than one district. But there are dozens of such assemblies in Rajasthan, which will be divided into one or more districts.

Broadly, there are many such assemblies, which will be held in more than one district. Sanganer, Jhotwara, Amer and Bagru from Jaipur will come in both Jaipur city and rural districts. Similarly, in Jodhpur, the part of Sursagar will come in Jodhpur city and rural.

Todabhim assembly will be divided into Gangapur and Karauli districts, Aspur assembly into Salumber and Dungarpur districts, Jaitaran assembly into Pali and Beawar and Khajuwala into Bikaner and Anupgarh.

Similarly, many other assemblies will be divided among the districts of Alwar-Khairthal, Neem Ka Thana-Sikar, Alwar-Kotputli-Behror, Neem Ka Thana-Jhunjhunu, Barmer-Balotra, Nagaur-Didwana.

Professor Seema Jalan, an expert on delimitation and Professor in the Department of Geography, states that the EC has given guidelines for the demarcation of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the country. In the past, this guideline for making assembly constituencies was being violated, so this inconsistency was removed during the re-delimitation of assembly constituencies in 2008.

Meanwhile, Ramlal Jat, Revenue Minister, Rajasthan, says, "The next Delimitation Commission will decide its criteria accordingly. We have tried that the assemblies remain in one district only, but what to do if the public protests, he added.

With the formation of new districts, there are many such assemblies, which have shifted from one district to another.

Jaipur district has been divided into four districts. In such a situation, 19 assemblies of the Jaipur district will be divided into four districts.

Jaipur city and rural, both will have around eight assemblies each. Among these, Adarsh Nagar, Civil Lines, Hawamahal, Jhotwara, Kishanpole, Malviyanagar, Vidyadharnagar and Sanganer will be constituencies in Jaipur city.

While Jaipur Rural will have Bassi, Chaksu, Jamvaramgarh, Chaumun, Phulera, Shahpura, Bagru and Amer. Similarly, Kotputli and Biratnagar, the earlier assemblies of Jaipur, have now shifted to Kotputli-Behror district. Whereas Dudu earlier in Jaipur will be an individual district with only one assembly (Dudu).

Jodhpur has been divided into two districts, while Phalodi has been made a new district. In such a situation, till now 10 Vidhan Sabhas coming in Jodhpur district will also be divided.

Maximum five assembly seats Luni, Bhopalgarh, Osian, Shergarh and Bilada will come in Jodhpur rural district while Jodhpur, Sardarpura and Sursagar assemblies will be in Jodhpur city. Phalodi and Lohawat will be in Phalodi district. However, many of these assemblies will come in the part of more than one district.

Similarly, Alwar was the second largest district after Jaipur in terms of number of assemblies with 11 seats. Now only six assemblies will remain in Alwar.

These will include Alwar City, Alwar Rural, Kathumar, Rajgarh-Laxmangarh, Thanagji, Ramgarh Assemblies while Kishangarhbas, Tijara and Mundavar Assemblies of Alwar district will come under Khairtal district. On the other hand, Behror and Bansur assemblies will come under Kotputli-Behror district.

Similarly, till now there were seven assemblies in Barmer. But now Balotra district has been carved out of Barmer. In such a situation, now these 7 assemblies have been divided in these two districts. The assembly structure of Bharatpur and Bhilwara districts will also change with new landscape.

After the new system of districts, Nagaur district with 10 assembly seats will now be left with only 5 seats. Further, there were 8 assemblies in Sikar and 7 in Jhunjhunu district. But now 2-2 assemblies of both these districts will come in the newly formed Neemkathana district.

Besides new districts, three new divisions namely Sikar, Banswara and Pali have been formed taking the total count to 10 divisions in state.

The list of divisions, new districts and total number of assembly seats are as follows:

Jaipur: Jaipur City, Jaipur Rural, Dudu, Dausa, Kotputli-Behror, Alwar, Khairthal: 35 assembly seats

Ajmer: Ajmer, Beawar, Nagaur, Tonk, Didwana-Kuchaman, Shahpura, Kekri: 25 assembly seats

Udaipur: Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Salumber: 22 assembly seats

Sikar: Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Neemkathana: 21 assembly seats

Jodhpur: Jodhpur City, Jodhpur Rural, Phalodi, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Balotra: 19 assembly seats

Bikaner: Bikaner, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh, Anupgarh: 19 assembly seats

Bharatpur: Bharatpur, Dhaulpur, Karauli, Deeg, Sawaimadhopur, Gangapur City: 19 assembly seats

Kota: Kota, Jhalawar, Bundi, Baran: 16 assembly seats

Pali: Pali, Jalore, Sanchore, Sirohi: 13 assembly seats

Banswara: Banswara, Dungarpur, Pratapgarh: 11 assembly seats
Chandigarh, Aug 13 : The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police on specific information jointly carried out a search operation in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on Sunday and recovered a broken drone.

The drone was kept in a plastic sack and tied with bricks near Lakhna village, said the BSF.

The recovered drone is a Quadcopter.

In another joint search operation, a packet of narcotics suspected to be 530 gm heroin, wrapped with yellow adhesive tape, was recovered from fields in Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district.
Chennai, Aug 13 : Tamil Nadu Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi who was admitted to Narayana Hridayala in Bengaluru is stable as per hospital authorities.

The minister had complained of chest pain while traveling from Salem to Krishnagiri on Saturday.

He was initially admitted to a hospital in Krishnagiri however the minister was later taken to Narayana Hridayalaya in Bengaluru and is planning to undergo a coronary angiogram.

The hospital in a bulletin said that the condition of the minister is stable.
Los Angeles, Aug 13 : The hikers who found the body of Julian Sands in California's Mount Baldy area, have shared their feelings on finding the actor's corpse, saying that it was a chilling and surreal experience.

As reported by People magazine, Sands, who died at the age of 65, was first reported missing on January 3, and his corpse was found on June 24. His belongings were scattered all over, but his body was found intact.

"It was surreal," Bill Dwyer, one of the hikers who stumbled upon Sands' remains in Goode Canyon in the area, told The Los Angeles Times. Dwyer, who was one of the members of the rescue team in the search operations, found a boot away from the rubble.

After that, they found yet another boot, then trekking poles and uncovered some human bones, and later came across "a pile of dark winter clothes" nearby, with a pocket containing a wallet with a driver's license that displayed Sands' face.

"He was dressed like a ninja," one of the hikers recalled upon finding his torn clothing. Strapped to one of Sands' boots were a set of microspikes, which are typically used for shallow snowy trails.

"I was a little shocked to see the microspikes," Dwyer said. "They were just the wrong tools for the job at hand."

The hiking group also said they were aware of the ongoing search for Sands when they embarked on their trail. They figured that Goode Canyon "was a likely place for (Sands) to end up" following his last reported cellphone ping at an "icy ridge" on Baldy Bowl trail, the Times reported.

The group then told The Times that Sands' cellphone was also discovered on a rock under a tree, though the hikers couldn't find any signal where they discovered his remains. No backpack was found with the remains as well, they said.

Sands was an avid hiker and went on several hiking trips. Upon being identified, Sands was declared dead, though the exact cause of death still remains a mystery.
Lucknow, Aug 13 : The parents of a young teenager, born with a heart ailment, is eagerly waiting for a donor at a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh capital, that will give their daughter a new lease of life.

If it happens, this will be the first cardiac transplant in the city.

Most of the key government and private hospitals in the city are either geared up or are in the procedure or in the final stages of the permission.

As per data from the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), centres awaiting a donor include the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), King George's Medical University (KGMU) and Apollomedics Super Speciality Hospitals.

Those in the final stages are Medanta Medicity and Divine Heart Hospital.

Apollomedics can boast of having a first line cardiac transplant surgeon, who has learnt from Prof P Venugopal (the heart surgeon credited with the first cardiac transplant procedure in India) and has done five cardiac transplants.

"Awareness among patients who require cardiac transplants in also low. Many take their medical condition as fait accompli and wait for their end. But end-stage heart disease is not the end of life, there is hope," said Bharat Dubey, cardiac surgeon at Apollomedics.

According to official estimates, about 50,000 people need cardiac transplant each year. Numbers also show that each one of these patients can get a new heart as about 80,000 enter the brain death stage before their actual demise across the globe annually.

India records eight million deaths annually and of these, an estimated 1 per cent, or approximately 80,000 cases, are brain deaths.

Dr Rakesh Kapoor, director, Medanta Medicity, said: "A lot depends on the call that the family of a brain dead person takes. Awareness holds the key. If a patient's family is aware, the chances of convincing them to help someone in distress are higher."

The nodal officer SOTTO and head of hospital administration department at SGPGIMS, Prof R Harshvardhan, said: "The number of centres has gone up from 15 in 2017 to 54 now. The team is in the making but awareness activities are underway in full swing. More collaborations to sensitise the people in need and people who can help are in the pipeline. The efforts will bear fruits."
Toronto, Aug 13 : Just ahead of India's 76th Independence Day, another prominent Hindu temple was vandalised in the Canadian province of British Columbia with its walls defaced with anti-India and pro-Khalistan posters, according to reports.

The posters were found pasted on the front and rear walls of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey the early hours of Saturday, and were removed after they were discovered by the temple authorities.

Displaying photos of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the poster was shared by 'The Australia Today' on its twitter handle and read: "Canada investigates India's role in June 18th assassination".

The CCTV footage of the incident, which was shared on social media, showed two masked men pasting posters and taking pictures before leaving the temple premises.

Despite New Delhi registering strong protests, an anti-India campaign continues in Canada with pro-Khalistani graffiti and posters targeting Indian diplomats and temples across the country.

An uptick in Khalistani poster campaign has been noted after Nijjar, chief of the separatist organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed by two unidentified men on the premises of the gurdwara on June 18 evening.

On August 1, a poster saying "wanted" and "kill India" was put up near the entrance to the building housing the consulate in Vancouver.

In April this year, the premises of the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Windsor was spray-painted with pro-Khalistan graffiti.

Similarly, in January, the Gauri Shankar Mandir was targeted with anti-India graffiti in Brampton, with leaders in Canada and India asking the Ottawa government to take the matter 'seriously'.

In June, a tableau depicting former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards was showcased in a parade in the country's Punjab-dominated Brampton.

The tableau, part of a Sikh parade in Brampton on June 4, depicted Khalistan flags with a poster that said "revenge".

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had raised the issue of security of Indian diplomats with his Canadian counterpart Melanie Joly on the sidelines of ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in Jakarta last month.

Jaishankar had earlier said that Canada giving space to separatist elements was probably driven by "votebank politics".
New Delhi, Aug 13 : South Delhi Police on Sunday said it has busted an illegal call centre and arrested five accused, including two women, who used to cheat innocent people on the pretext of providing them higher education degree.

A senior police officer said that the accused were identified as Ashish, Ashfa, and Danish while the names of the arrested women have been withheld.

Police said that have also recovered four keypad mobile phones, one laptop, five phones, Data of clients, stamp of institute of management and engineering, blank admission forms of I.M.E., registers and diaries.

Police said that it got a tip off regarding an illegal call centre which was being operated at Kotla Mubarak Pur and learned that the accused were duping people on the pretext of providing them higher education degree.

The police conducted a raid and arrested the accused people.

"They were enquired and asked to provide the authorisation documents to run the call centre but they could not produce any authorisation documents. The accused disclosed that they used to dupe innocent people on the pretext of providing degree of higher education. They further disclosed that they used to charge fees ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 in the name of admission, exam, fees," said the official.

They police said that Danish and Nadeem were masterminds of this fraud tele-calling office and recruited all the apprehended persons.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : As the opposition parties have come together by forging 'INDIA' bloc, the BJP also does not want to leave anything to chance, and is gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In view of the same, the BJP convened a meeting of 39 constituents of NDA in Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 18 and asked everyone to be active in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

On August 11, the BJP also held a day-long meeting of the spokespersons of all the allies including its party in the Parliament Annexe located in the Parliament House Complex and also advised them to speak in unison.

It is being said that this time the BJP is not only taking feedback, conducting surveys at many levels to find the candidates for the Lok Sabha seats, but it is also working equally hard on those Lok Sabha seats where the leaders of NDA's allies are currently MPs or the seats from where NDA's new and old partners are preparing for 2024.

According to sources, BJP is continuously taking feedback on all 543 seats in the country and if needed, this feedback can also be shared with the allies. The BJP will try to find out from the allies that if those particular seats are given to them from the NDA quota, then who will they make a candidate from there and what will be the possibility of their winning.

If the matter gets stuck between the constituents on a particular seat, as is the case between Pashupati Paras and Chirag Paswan regarding the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat, then in such a case the final decision will also be taken by the BJP high command. There is every possibility of a tussle between Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) over several Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, and in such a situation, the BJP will convene a meeting of both the parties and decide on the basis of the candidate's winnability.

BJP allies from several other states including Upendra Kushwaha and Jitan Ram Manjhi in Bihar, Om Prakash Rajbhar and Sanjay Nishad in Uttar Pradesh, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa from Punjab have also put up their demands before the BJP to contest the Lok Sabha elections.

According to sources, the BJP will also seek the names of seat-wise candidates from all allies which wish to contest the Lok Sabha polls, and seats will be given to them only if they are likely to win and have an edge over the rest of the parties in a particular state.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, out of 543 Lok Sabha seats in the country, the BJP alone contested 436 Lok Sabha seats and the party gave the remaining seats to its allies. This time also, the party wants to contest alone 425-450 Lok Sabha seats. In that case, the BJP will try to offer Lok Sabha seats to 10-12 political parties out of about 40 allies while promise MLA or MLC posts to the rest of the allies in a bid to keep the NDA alliance intact.

However, one thing is very clear that this time not only the contenders of the BJP, but also the leaders seeking tickets from the NDA alliance will have to go through the saffron partyas tough candidate selection procedure.
Ahmedabad, Aug 13 : Mahipalsinh Vala, a 25-year-old soldier from Gujarat's Surendranagar was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Kashmir last week. Six days later his widow gave birth to a daughter and christened her Viralba, reminiscent of 'Virangana,' signifying a brave woman.

Currently, both mother and newborn are recovering. The emotional impact of this tragedy was visible in the hospital, where the family gathered, tears flowing freely as they welcomed the child of the hero they had lost.

They see in their daughter the legacy of Mahipalsinh Vala and are determined to give Viralba a life filled with happiness, education, and every comfort. They're even prepared to support her if she decides to follow in her father's footsteps into the defence services.

Mahipalsing Vala had joined the Army around 2016. After a year of training in Jabalpur( Madhya Pradesh), he served in different locations, including Guwahati and Chandigarh, before his posting to Jammu and Kashmir six months ago, where he served in the 34th National Rifles unit.

As the nation gets ready to celebrate Independence Day on August 15, this bereaved family will mark the somber 12th day since their beloved soldier's death.

The 25-year old soldier was among the three Army jawans martyred during the exchange of fire with terrorists in Kulgam area of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Chief Minister himself paid a visit to the family, expressing his personal condolences.
Gorakhpur : , Aug 13 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign by hoisting the National Flag on the Gorakhnath Temple premises on Sunday.

The Chief Minister took a selfie with the national flag and also urged the residents of the state to participate in Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Yogi Adityanath is on a three-day tour to Gorakhpur.

He appealed people of the state to join this campaign before the 76th Independence Day.

Yogi government set a significant example by hoisting 4.5 crore flags across the state last year as well.

Similarly, the government plans to fly the national flag on residential and non-residential buildings, government and non-government offices, institutions, and more this year also.

The Chief Minister has also changed the profile picture of all his social media accounts and uploaded the picture of the Tricolour on the online platforms.

On this second Independence Day of the Amrit Kal, various events will take place for a week. Silent processions will be held on Partition Day, August 14, in all the districts of the state, remembering the horrors of the partition of India and paying homage to the victims of the violence during that period.

Additionally, under the aMeri Mati Mera Desha program, earthen lamps will be lit paying homage to the brave sacrifices of our soldiers.

Furthermore, relatives of freedom fighters, military forces, central police force and police department sacrifices will be honoured in the districts and Kavi Sammelan and Mushairas will be organised.

Notably, the Yogi government has prepared a date-wise programme of Har Ghar Tiranga and Meri Mati Mera Desh evens in schools.

Following the Chief Ministeras instructions, the basic and secondary schools of the state were also open on Sunday for the implementation of Har Ghar Tiranga and Meri Mati Mera Desh programmes.

Additionally, special arrangements were made for mid-day meal for the students.
Los Angeles, Aug 13 : Joey King, best known for her roles in films such as 'Bullet Train' and the crime thriller series 'The Act', recalled joining Taylor Swift on stage during her Eras Tour Kansas gig on July 7. She said she started freaking out and got nervous.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Swift brought King, Taylor Lautner and Presley Cash onto the stage of her first stop in Kansas City to premiere her music video for aI Can See You (Tayloras Version)a, which they all starred in.

"That's a different level," King told CNN of the experience. "It's a very niche experience to walk out on a stage of 70,000-plus people."

"I was like, 'Bring me on stage?' [And Taylor] was like, 'Didn't I tell you?' I was like, 'You did not tell me I was going on stage'," King added, noting: "I started sweating and freaking out and I got really nervous. But it was incredible to just have that experience and feel that energy coming at you."

She further compared the whole experience to taking an ice bath, saying as she got cold sweating, because it was unanticipated for her to suddenly walk up to stage in front of thousands of people.

"It just takes your breath away, and you're genuinely caught for breath," she said. "It was truly a breathtaking experience to see all those people that are sending all this energy at you directly. It was exhilarating."

'The Kissing Booth' actress recalled meeting Swift, who had asked her to work with her back in 2011 to star in Swift's song 'Mean'. The 24-year old who is a big Swiftie didn't need much convincing when asked later to star in the 'I Can See You'.

Recalling the incident, she said: "She showed me the treatment for the video that she had written, and it was an immediate 'yes' for me. I love Taylor. Who doesn't? She's amazing."
Los Angeles Aug 13 : Gal Gadot recalled her audition for the live action remake of the 1937 animated classic 'Snow White', where she is scheduled to play the 'Evil Queen'.

Recalling the audition, Gadot said that it was a delicious and exciting moment for her.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the 'Wonder Woman' star said: "It was the first time I had to kind of audition for a project in a while," Gadot said in a GQ video. "They needed to make sure I can sing because this is a musical."

Gadot then spent weeks preparing for the audition. Talking about her prep work, she said: "So, for a month, I was working on the song, and then I auditioned. And we filmed the song, and I got the part, and it was very exciting."

In an interview with People, the actress who recently got off doing her spy-thriller-action film 'Heart of Stone' with Alia Bhatt said that her daughter had initially thought that she was going to play the titular character of Snow White.

But upon finding out the she was in fact going to the villain in the new live action remake, her eldest daughter was not very surprised though her middle child was a bit disappointed.

"My middle child was a bit disappointed that I wasn't Snow White. When I told them I'm going to shoot 'Snow White' for a month, she was convinced that I'm going to play Snow White. But when I told her, 'No, it's the evil queen.' (Then) my oldest said, 'Oh, how appropriate'."

Gal Gadot and actress Rachel Zegler who will play Snow White previously took the stage at D23 in September 2022 where they shared brief footage of the two of them in character.

"Snow White is the girl you remember, but she definitely is made for the modern age," Zegler said at the time. "There's such an emphasis on what it means to be the fairest of them all. For Snow White, it's about finding her voice and finding her agency so she can be a fair and just ruler."

The live action 'Snow White' remake will be directed by Marc Webb with a screenplay from 'Barbie' director Greta Gerwig, and will release on March 22, 2024.
Singer Nick Jonas, who celebrated Karva Chauth for the very first time with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, says his wife is incredible in every way and that she has taught him so much about Indian culture and her religion.. Image Source: IANS News

Los Angeles, Aug 13 : Nick Jonas spoke about a particularly difficult moment during his wedding with Priyanka Chopra back in 2018. He recalled how the ceremony, which was performed the traditional Indian way, was unfamiliar to him and thus a bit of a cultural shock.

"There's this one moment in Indian weddings where the bride and groom are lifted on the shoulders of their family members and there's sort of a game that's played where this garland is put on each other," Nick said, talking to People magazine, as reported by Aceshowbiz.

"They try to be the first to put the garland on the other," Nick continued. "And it's surprisingly difficult, especially when you have someone as competitive as me and Pri. But whoever is the one to put it on first, that side of the family is the more dominant."

While it was a bit awkward for him due to his unfamiliarity with Indian weddings, it did not stop him from going ahead with the marriage. He went on to say that he loved the ceremony as it was both something different and beautiful.

Nick described the ceremony, as a "great way for the families to all connect. It's really for the family members to feel pride and that's just a funny game. But it's really heartwarming and a great way for the families to all connect."

Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra, who had previously described Nick as "a wise man beyond his years," went on to praise the pop star for helping her in overcoming her own insecurities due to their age difference and different backgrounds.

The Hollywood-Bollywood star told British Vogue magazine: "He's a wise man beyond his years ... I get affirmations from him all the time, to remind me of my value when I forget or when I get insecure. He just sees through the fog for me. He sees the best in people."

Both Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra have enjoyed a spree of great success since their marriage, gaining a lot of attention and being called one of the best celebrity couples on social media.
Patna, Aug 13 : The BJP on Sunday alleged that the Bihar government does not want AIIMS to get constructed in Darbhanga, Bihar while the state leaders also supported Prime Minister remarks where he blamed the state government for not providing land for construction.

"Bihar government had earlier allocated lands inside premises of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). Why have they changed the location and given it to Sobhan bypass which is affected with flood during monsoon session. The Bihar government does not want AIIMS to be constructed in Darbhanga so that the credit does not go to PM Modi. They have deliberately changed the location," BJP MP Nityanand Rai said.

BJP MP Sushil Modi asked why the Bihar government had given around 90 acre land inside the premises of DMCH for the construction of AIIMS.

"DMCH is well connected with roads. What is wrong if two hospitals exist in one premises of DMCH? The place given at Sobhan bypass is a flood affected area. How can seven storey buildings be constructed on the flood prone area? Nitish Kumar does not want AIIMS to be constructed in Darbhanga," Modi said.

Earlier, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya claimed that his government is ready to build AIIMS in Darbhanga but it needs land. He also wrote a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav saying: "The Narendra Modi government does not believe in doing politics when it is about development."

"On September 19, 2019, the Narendra Modi government had given the permission to build AIIMS in Darbhanga. On November 3, 2021, Bihar government had given the land but when Mahagathbandhan government came into power in Bihar, it changed the location in 2023," Mandaviya said in his letter.

"You (Tejashwi Yadav) should come out from politics and allocate land to us. We are ready to construct AIIMS in Darbhanga. Our intention is clear," he said.

PM Modi in a video statement had said that AIIMS Darbhanga is open for common people. The people of the surrounding areas will not have to travel thousands of kms for treatment.

Following PM's statement, Tejashwi Yadav and JD-U President Lalan Singh attacked PM Modi for telling lies publically.

Tejashwi Yadav also uploaded a letter which he wrote to Mansukh Mandaviya in June this year asking to construction AIIMS in Darbhanga. He also uploaded a video statement on social media saying PM Narendra Modi has lied to the country.

"I want to appeal to the PM to take proper information from the authorities. PM should not lie. No AIIMS is operational in Darbhanga. The Chief Minister is making efforts and has allocated about 151 acres land. We have also sanctioned Rs 300 crore for clay fill up. The place is just 10 kms away from Darbhanga airport but due to the pressure of BJP, the project was stopped by the Union Health Ministry," Yadav said.

Lalan Singh also slammed Modi for misleading the people of Bihar and the country. While sharing a video post on his official twitter handle he asked the Modi to take correct information from the Union Health Ministry.

"The Bihar government has allocated land in Darbhanga for the construction of AIIMS. The state government also allocated funds for filling clay at the earmarked site but your government is not ready to construct AIIMS," Singh wrote on X.
Guwahati, Aug 13 : A 12-year-old student's beheaded body was discovered in a madrasa's dorm room in Assam's Cachar district early on Sunday.

The incident was reported at the Darus Salam Hafizia madrasa. The student had went to his room to sleep after dinner. However, his decapitated body was found the next morning, triggering panic.

The deceased has been identified as Rabijul Hussain.

According to the police, when a madrasa instructor entered the dorm room to call children for "Fazr Namaz", he discovered the beheaded body lying on the floor.

The police was informed, which sent the body to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) for post-mortem and detained three teachers and 20 students who were housemates of Hussain.

The madrasa has currently been cordoned off.
Saira Banu looks back at Sridevi's 'great contribution' to world of cinema. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Aug 13 : Bollywood's iconic actress Saira Banu praised on her 60th birth anniversary on Sunday, saying her art was a great contribution to the world of cinema.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, Saira shared a heartwarming throwback coloured photo of Sridevi along with late actor Dilip Kumar.

Along with the photo, she wrote in the caption: "Remembering the stunning and graceful Sridevi on her birth anniversary. Her art was a great contribution to the world of cinema."

Earlier in the day, Sridevi's husband and filmmaker Boney Kapoor, and her daughters Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor shared a heartfelt post for her. Boney shared throwback photos of him with his late wife on Instagram, and captioned the post simply with "Happy Birthday" and many heart emojis.

Sridevi's young daughter Khushi, who will be seen in the upcoming film 'Archies', wrote "Happy Birthday Mama" with a white emoji.

Jahnvi, who was last seen in the film 'Bawaal', reposted her father's message on her Instagram Stories. Google Calendars also paid a tribute to the actress, celebrating her legacy with an artsy doodle.

Sridevi passed away in 2018 as a result of a cardiac arrest at the age of 54.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Nelson Mandela once said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails and a nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.

Recently, the Delhi High Court has taken a significant step toward addressing the rights of prisoners by directing the Delhi Government to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking conjugal visitation rights for incarcerated individuals across various jails in the national capital.

The concept of conjugal visitation, often referred to as 'Private Family Visiting,' entails allowing inmates to spend private time with their legal partners or spouses, including engaging in sexual activity.

A division bench, headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula, granted a six-week period to the Delhi Government's counsel to prepare a response to the plea. The case is scheduled for further hearing on October 9.

Psychologists and psychiatrists have long emphasised the importance of addressing the emotional and psychological needs of prisoners.

Advocates of conjugal visits argue that these visits could play a crucial role in alleviating frustration, tension, and negative emotions among inmates. This, in turn, could contribute to better behavioral outcomes and facilitate prisoners' reintegration into society.

Amit Sahni, the petitioner who filed the PIL, stated, "While considering the merits and demerits of allowing conjugal visits or permitting leave for the purpose of artificial insemination, the advantages are more than the disadvantages."

Sahni has also challenged the validity of Rule 608 of the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018.

Rule 608 currently mandates that all meetings with prisoners occur in the presence of a prison officer, who is responsible for observing and monitoring the interaction.

However, international standards, such as the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, commonly referred to as the Nelson Mandela Rules, advocate for uniformity in granting conjugal visits as a part of prisoners' rights.

In his plea, Sahni seeks a declaration that the right to conjugal visitation is fundamental for prisoners and their spouses. He further requests the Delhi Government and the Director General of Prisons to make necessary arrangements to enable conjugal visitation rights for incarcerated individuals.

Sahni's PIL highlights the broader implications of denying conjugal visits, suggesting that it could lead to an increase in prison riots and sexual crimes.

Furthermore, Sahni contends that such visitations could aid in prisoners' rehabilitation and encourage good behavior.

He asserts that the denial of conjugal visits not only affects prisoners but also infringes upon the basic human rights of their spouses, who are being punished without having committed any wrongdoing themselves.

In 2022, Punjab became the first state in the country to launch conjugal visits for jail inmates with good conduct lodged in central jails, allowing the prisoners an opportunity for some intimacy with their spouse during incarceration.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Minister for Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday hit back at the Congress over its remarks that the BJP government has made country's health system 'sick'.

The Minister accused the grand old party of misleading the country.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had attacked the government over reported shortage of doctors and staffs at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the recent CAG report on Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The Congress President had said that the "loot and jumlas (rhetoric)" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the country 'unhealthy'.

In response to Kharge's remarks, the Minister wrote on X: "Kharge ji our intentions are pure, and our intentions are clear...Only one AIIMS opened during the 50 years of Congress regime. Six AIIMS opened in the time of (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji, and 15 new AIIMS are being opened under the Modi ji regime.

"I hope you will try to understand that according to the need of AIIMS phase wise recruitment is being done from time to time. Modi ji gave over 5 lakh appointment letters to the youth of the country through 'Rozgar Mela' without any nepotism, only on the basis of merit," he said.

Mandaviya asked Kharge to inform the country if there is any achievement in the health sector during the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre.

"The country is understanding very well the failure of the UPA rule. Efforts are being made to mislead the country at present," the Minister said.

Earlier in the day, the Congress chief wrote on X, "Loot and jumlas (rhetoric) made the country unhealthy. There are only lies in every word of (Narendra )Modi ji. He claimed to have made many AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), but the truth is that our AIIMS is facing severe shortage of doctors and staff."

"Modi ji, from apathy in the Corona pandemic, to scams in the Ayushman Bharat...Your government has made the country's health system sick.

"People have woken up. Your deceit has been recognised. The time has come for your government's farewell," the Congress chief said in an apparent reference to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Echoing similar sentiment, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said the health facilities itself are 'sick' under the BJP government.

"Modi government means hollow propaganda. The health facilities are sick. There is a shortage of doctors, staff in AIIMS. There is corruption in Ayushman Yojana," Surjewala wrote on X.

"Because of the Modi government's inefficiency people had to pay by losing its near and dear one's during the corona pandemic. Even now, due to BJP's loot, corruption and negativity, people's health and life are in danger," he said.

It may be mentioned that a report of CAG which was presented in Parliament earlier this week, has highlighted various irregularities in the implementation of the AB-PMJAY.
Chandigarh, Aug 13 : A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel was deployed on Sunday to retrieve a 54-year-old technician who has been trapped in a 70-foot-deep trench in Punjab.

The worker has been identified as Suresh Yadav. He hails from Jind in Haryana, and has a good experience in digging trenches.

He fell into the pit while rectifying a fault in the machine deployed for digging during the construction of the Delhi-Katra expressway near Kartarpur in Jalandhar district on Saturday evening.

Rescuers have been digging a parallel pit for the evacuation of the worker who got struck after a huge mass of earth collapsed and fell on him.

Suresh along with another technician Pawan Kumar had entered the trench to inspect the machine. While they were in the trench, the disaster occurred.

Kumar was successfully rescued, while Yadav got trapped.

Both have been employed by a National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) contractor, which has been laying the Kapurthala-Kartarpur stretch of the expressway.

A team of doctors and ambulances were stationed at the spot to provide emergency aid.

Adequate supply of oxygen inside the trench is being provided to the struck worker.

After digging the parallel tunnel, a passage to create access to the technician is being made through another horizontal tunnel, a rescuer told IANS.
More than 80 UFO sightings in Spain have been published by the Defense Ministry on its online library . Over 1,953 pages provide information about 33 years of investigations carried out to clear up the origin of strange lights spotted in the sky. But more than three decades of probing have failed to turn up any answers.

Part of a file about one sighting.

One of the best-known cases in the Catalonia region took place on May 13, 1969. At the Reus military base, near Tarragona, a motionless light was seen in the sky by air traffic controllers. It was spotted while a Boeing 727 flight bound for Dusseldorf, Germany was taking off.

An agile light aircraft that was in the area was ordered to approach the UFO, in an attempt to identify what it was. But as soon as the plane came closer to it, the light disappeared in the blink of an eye.

This is just one of the previously confidential cases that have now have been declassified. Sixteen sightings from a total of 84, documented between 1962 and 1995, took place in Catalonia.

In each report the circumstances surrounding the sighting are detailed. Time, place and meteorological conditions are included, and in some cases there are pictures, drawings, pieces of news or interviews that help to contextualize them.

Sixteen sightings from a total of 84, documented between 1962 and 1995, took place in Catalonia

Ufology enthusiasts believe that Montserrat mountain, one of the Catalonias most important tourist attractions, is a good place to see UFOs. A group meets there the on the 11th day of every month in a bid to spot new unidentified objects on the sky. The day was not chosen randomly.

One of the most famous ufology cases in Spain took place on November 11, 1979. A plane flying from Austria to Tenerife had to make an emergency landing at Manises Airport, close to Valencia. While the aircraft was flying over Catalonia, the crew was surprised by three red lights approaching dangerously close to it. Captain, co-pilot, crew and passengers all witnessed the incident. A military aircraft tried to identify the origin of the lights but when they came close to the UFO, it disappeared. It seems the only thing the pilot was able to see was a triangular object.

More information More stories in Elpais.cat In English

In 1971 there is evidence of a sighting in Montserrat. The abbot of the Santa Maria de Montserrat Benedictine abbey reported seeing mysterious lights in the sky on on October 23. In fact, it was not an isolated phenomenon. That same day many warnings of sightings were received throughout the whole Iberian Peninsula.

Although some of these events have perfectly rational theories that would explain the sighting, some are not that easy to solve and serve to keep the mystery alive.

English version by Mireia Moles and Julia Sanchez.
Los Angeles, Aug 13 : The upcoming 'Star Wars' series 'Ahsoka' has released its new promo video 'Force', which for the first time features actor Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker talking to his apprentice Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson).

This will be the first time that the interactions of the popular Master and Padawan duo from the aClone Warsa series will be shown in live action.

The 42-second clip only connects the series more to the events of the animated aStar Warsa shows aClone Warsa and aRebelsa, as well as featuring connections to aThe Mandaloriana live action series.

Before that, just a week ago, the show had released another video titled aMaster and Apprenticea which showcased Ahsoka Tano training aRebelsa character Sabine Wren in lightsaber combat.

The aForcea clip shows Ahsoka facing off against both Imperial Inquisitors, as well as her interactions with aRebelsa character, the pilot Hera Syndulla while also facing off against Rogue force users, one of which is played by the late actor Ray Stevenson.

Hayden Christensen can be heard voicing Anakin Skywalker in the background talking to Ahsoka, as well as brief clips of him as both Anakin and later the nefarious Sith Lord Darth Vader.

The show will apparently feature different timelines, connecting threads from both the past as well as the present from the times of the Republic, to the Galactic Empire and now the New Republic which was formed after the events of aStar Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedia.

Audiences will also get to see aRebelsa characters Grand Admiral Thrawn and Ezra Bridger, both of whom vanished in the series with their whereabouts completely unknown.

In addition, the series will also apparently dive deeper into the lore of The Force, which is the religion of all Force users, Jedi, Sith or otherwise. So far, Luke Skywalker or Din Djarin aka the Mandalorian have not made any appearance but it is guessed that they too will be coming to the show.

aAhsokaa will come out on August 23 on Disney+ with two episodes and will have over eight episodes, all of which are directed by Dave Filoni.
Noida, Aug 13 : People buy their dream homes after spending lakhs or crores of money and believe that they could now breathe easy. But the residents of high-rise societies are facing a growing concern, particularly regarding elevators.

Inhabitants of these high-rise societies now fear using elevators due to the ongoing streak of mishaps.

The recent incident, involving the tragic demise of a 72-year-old elderly woman in a lift mishap on August 3 in the Paras Tierea society in Noida's Sector 137, has escalated concerns among residents, igniting a fervent demand for the implementation of the 'Lift Act'.

The issue has been raised by MLAs of Noida and Jewar in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Responding to this, Energy Minister AK Sharma assured that the Lift Act will soon be passed, and strict measures against those found responsible for such accidents will be made in laws.

After the unfortunate demise of the elderly woman on August 3, a case has been registered against eight individuals, including representatives from the society's maintenance department and the Apartment Owners' Association.

Increasing incidents over the past month

On June 27, nine individuals were trapped in an elevator in Gaur Home Society, Ghaziabad, creating panic among residents. The residents claim that despite paying hefty maintenance fees, they continue to face incidents of lift malfunctions.

They have demanded for the implementation of the Lift Act to ensure safer lift operations. The homebuyers had also met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his Noida visit, and demanded for the implementation of the Lift Act.

On July 10, four women and two children were stuck in an elevator in Mahagun Mantra society, Greater Noida West, for nearly 20 minutes.

On July 28, 29-year-old man Ramkishan, who was working with a company in Sector 63, Noida, stuck in company building's elevator after it crashed to the ground. He was immediately taken to a hospital but died during the treatment.

On August 3, a 70-year-old woman, Sushila Devi, residing in Noida's Paras Tierea society in sector 137, lost her life after being trapped in the lift for 45 minutes. She experienced a terrifying free fall.

Along with Greater Noida West, cases of people getting stuck in lifts are also coming to the fore from the highrise society of Ghaziabad.

On August 11, two children and two elderly people were stuck for about 25 minutes in the D Tower of Charms Castle society of Raj Nagar Extension due to a sudden lift failure. The door of the lift was broken and all of them rescued by putting a wooden ladder.

Meanwhile, the MLAs of Gautam Budh Nagar have raised the issue of Lift Act in the assembly to ensure safer lift operations.

With the rising number of incidents and the growing fear among residents, the prospect of enacting the Lift Act seems more likely.

Noida MLA Pankaj Singh and Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh raised this issue in the assembly. In this regard, State Energy Minister AK Sharma in his statement expressed the hope that the Lift Act will be implemented soon.

Pankaj Singh raised the issue with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for the first time on January 21, 2023, in a cabinet meeting.

A letter was also given on his behalf on January 22, and a demand was made to implement the Lift Act while informing the assembly.

He had demanded a statement on the matter of public importance to implement the Lift Act under Rule 51 in the Assembly.

Regarding this matter, Uttar Pradesh's Energy Minister AK Sharma said that under the provisions of the Central Electricity Authority Regulation 2010, investigations are done from time to time by the Electricity Department. Similarly, reports have been issued after inspection of the Directorate of Electrical Safety in various cases of lift.

He said that most new buildings and apartment complexes have lifts.

The Energy Minister has also assured that prompt action will be taken to implement the Lift Act.

Challenges despite paying high maintenance fees

Despite paying high maintenance fees, residents of high-rise societies continue to face lift accidents. The residents question why, despite paying significant fees, their safety isn't adequately ensured. The repeated occurrences of lift mishaps have raised concerns about who will be held accountable for their safety.

In this regard, town planning expert Abhinav Singh Chauhan emphasised the need for comprehensive regulations to ensure the safety of the people using passengers.

He said that often the maintenance department does not take care of the time limit while maintaining the lift and due to excessive use of substandard material, accidents of this type happen.
Ichchapuram: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu addresses during an election rally at Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh on March 30, 2019. . Image Source: IANS News

Amaravati, Aug 13 : Stating that an 'extraordinary situation' is prevailing in Andhra Pradesh with democracy under attack by the ruling YSR Congress Party, former chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday sought intervention of the President of India and the Prime Minister to set the state in order.

In separate letters to the President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi the TDP president expressed serious concern over the anarchy prevailing in the state.

He said that five crore people of the State are undergoing through unprecedented and the most harrowing times due to the anti-democratic and unconstitutional acts unleashed with the 'unsound mind' of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He said that as the Leader of the Opposition he is drawing President's and PM's attention to the high degree of mal-governance prevailing in the state.

Explaining as to how Jagan unleashed the 'governance of destruction' by demolishing the 'Praja Vedika' soon after coming to power, Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the Chief Minister is misusing the public money on frivolous cases by moving the judiciary on Amaravati.

He said that the bureaucrats are facing the highest number of contempt cases standing in the dock due to utter disregard displayed by Jagan, the former chief minister narrated.

He also explained to them how the State Election Commissioner (SEC) and the chairperson of the Public Service Commission have been hounded and how the SEC approached the Centre for security.

Jagan has made attempts to undermine the whole electoral process and is forcing the 'volunteers' to resort to illegal jobs, Chandrababu mentioned in the letters.

"The Chief Minister has appointed a person, who is a non-believer of Hindu traditions as the chairman of the Trust Board of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) and has done away with the tradition of non-Hindus submitting a declaration which is mandatory before going for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara. Over 250 incidents of attacks on Hindu temples have been reported in the past four years while properties belonging to Wakf Board and churches are being encroached upon," Chandrababu said in the letters.

Lawlessness is ruling the roost and criminals are having a field day in the State, the TDP supremo said and also pointed out how ransom was paid to the leaders of the ruling party by none other than the family members of a Member of Parliament (MP) belonging to the same outfit from Visakhapatnam as recently as in June this year.

Chandrababu Naidu also mentioned the incidents of how a 14-year-old boy, Umanath, was burnt alive and how a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from the YSRCP murdered his own driver and delivered the body to the family members.

Stating that sane voices are being hounded through social media and through state machinery, Chandrababu said and expressed concern that anyone raising voice against the state government is being brutally targeted.

"A 60-year-old woman, P Ranganayaki, who asked 10 questions through social media about the State Government's response to LG Polymers gas leak incident in 2020 was charged under various Sections of IPC and IT Act and was jailed," the TDP supremo said.

Maintaining that Andhra Pradesh has turned into a major epicenter for drugs and criminals, Chandrababu regretted that the drug trade is breeding crime in the state.

Ganja gangs and blade gangs are thriving in the state and when the TDP mentioned this, the party headquarters in Mangalagiri was attacked by the YSRCP goons in which several staff members of the party office were grievously injured, he said.

The 2021-22 report on 'Smuggling in India' released by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence clearly mentioned the state as leading in drug abuse.

Chandrababu Naidu also pointed out how the former MP and former minister, YS Vivekananda Reddy, the paternal uncle of Jagan, was brutally murdered in his house in Pulivendula in 2019.

Mentioning that though the ruling party MP, Avinash Reddy and his father, Bhasker Reddy, have been established as accused, Jagan is blaming the opposition parties using his own media.

"As soon as Jagan assumed power he tried to reduce my security drastically and it is the High Court that finally restored my security," Nara Chandrababu Naidu said and stated that drones were flown on his residence in Undavalli.

He claimed attempts are being made to attack him every time he goes on tour. The TDP leader said even stones were pelted at him several times while sticks and rods were used to attack the people who are attending his meetings.

A draconian GO number 1 was brought in to prevent the Opposition parties holding public meetings. Naidu explained in detail as to how he was attacked at Yerragondapalem and Nandigama in which his Chief Security Officer and the NSG team commander were injured.

During his recent visit to various places, Jagan has orchestrated a murderous attack on him by goons, he said, adding that Jagan is resorting to this as he is frightened by the public anger due to revelation of facts and corrupt deeds of the ruling party leaders in various projects.
Moscow, Aug 13 : Typhoon Khanun triggered severe floods in Primorsky Krai of Russia, prompting 21 municipalities to declare a state of emergency, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Sunday.

The typhoon triggered heavy rainfall to Primorsky Krai from August 9 to 11.

The ministry said more than 2,000 people, including 405 children, have been evacuated from the flooded areas, Xinhua news agency reported.

Twenty-eight settlements are cut off by water and nine boat crossings have been set up.

The floods are still affecting 16 municipal districts, where 4,368 residential buildings, 5,654 household plots and 43 sections of roads remain submerged, the ministry said, adding that engineers will start restoring power supply after the transformer substations are freed from water.

Alexander Kurenkov, head of the ministry, sent an operational group to Primorsky Krai to coordinate the work.

Ussuriysk, a major city in Primorsky Krai, suffered the most destructive flooding in the last ten years. The water level in the Razdolnaya River rose to a record high of ten meters, inundating residential buildings and streets. Gas supply was also cut off to ensure safety.
Gurugram, Aug 13 : Haryana khaps, religious leaders and Hindu bodies at the Palwal Mahapanchayat on Sunday decided to resume the Braj Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra in Nuh on August 28.

The mahapanchayat was called by the Sarv Hindu Samaj at Pondri village in Palwal to discuss the resumption of Vishva Hindu Parishad's (VHP) Jalabhishek Yatra.

However, despite the permission for only 500 people for the mahapanchayat, the gathering far exceeded that number.In view of the mahapanchayat, the police had barred outsiders from entering the village besides beefing up security.

The Yatra was halted due to communal clashes in Nuh on July 31, which left six people dead and several others injured.

At the mahapanchayat, the participants also demanded a fair investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the communal violence, and the merger of Muslim-dominated Nuh district with other districts of Haryana.

They also demanded Rs 1 crore as compensation and government jobs for the deceased's family members and Rs 50 lakh for those who were injured in the Nuh riots. Another demand was that Rohingyas, and people from any other country living in Nuh should be removed.

They also sought arms licence for Hindus living in Nuh for self-defense, declaration of Nuh as a cow slaughter-free district, transfer of FIRs registered in Nuh to Gurugram, permanent deployment of security forces - RAF or police - in Nuh, and an inquiry against former Nuh SP Varun Singla, who was on leave despite intelligence inputs of chances violence.

They also demanded recovery of shops and homes of Hindus from those involved in the riots.

"We have decided that the Yatra will resume on August 28 as per the plan. People from across the state will take out the procession and gather at the Nalhar temple for a uniform Yatra up to the Shringar temple. We urge people to join the Yarta, which was earlier disrupted by mobsters," Ajeet Singh, President of Gurugram VHP, told IANS.

The panchayat was held amid the deployment of heavy security at Pondri village in Palwal. Several companies of paramilitary forces, along with the police, patrolled the area from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"Strict action is required against those involved in this conspiracy. Several decisions have been taken in today's mahapanchayat, including the resumption of the Yatra, NIA probe, compensation for victims, arms licence for Hindus living in Nuh, among others. Such violence will not be tolerated anymore," Bajrang Dal leader Kulbhushan Bhardwaj told IANS.

"As per the demand of our Hindu brothers, we have decided to resume the Jalabhishek Yatra on August 28 in Nuh. It was our religious procession and it will be completed as per the scheduled plan. We demand a fair probe into the entire incident and those found guilty should be punished," Arun Zaildar, a senior VHP leader, told IANS.

The mahapanchayat was attended by several khaps of Haryana, leaders of VHP and Bajrang Dal, current and former MLAs from Sohna, Nuh BJP President Narender Patel, Arun Zaildar, and senior VHP leader Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, among others.

The mahapanchayat was originally scheduled to be held in Nuh, but due to security reasons, permission was denied by the administration.

However, the Palwal administration later granted conditional permission for a gathering of around 500 people for the mahapanchayat. The administration also said that strict action will be taken if anyone makes any kind of hate speech.
Thane, Aug 13 : At least 18 people have died in last 24-hours at the government-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial (CSMM) Hospital in Thane's Kalwa sparking a wave of public and political outrage in Maharashtra.

Five patients have also died on August 10 at the hospital taking the total death to 23.

"In past 48 hours, 18 deaths have been reported. Some of the deceased patients were already undergoing treatment for various ailments like chronic kidney disease, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, and road accidents. The majority of the patients who succumbed were admitted to the ICU," Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar.

NCP Chief Sharad Pawar expressed grief over the incident and criticised the district administration for its delayed response.

"A heartbreaking incident took place in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital... It is very unfortunate that the administration did not wake up even when the incident of death of 5 patients in the last few days was fresh," he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered the setting up of an independent probe committee, headed by the Commissioner of Health Services, to investigate the clinical aspect of the deaths.

The committee will include the collector, civic chief, Director of Health Services, interventionist at state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai, and civic surgeon.

Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said that any negligence found would result in action and potential compensation.

"Our sympathies are with the families," he said, emphasising that the ICU capacity of CSMM Hospital had been increased, admitting critical patients in their final stages.

He recognised the challenges faced by doctors in such cases but assured that a committee had been formed to probe the matter.

On Thursday, an angry mob gathered at the hospital questioning the authorities and alleging that deaths have occurred due to 'negligence' of doctors.
Chandigarh, Aug 13 : Former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Sneh Parashar, superannuated as the Chairperson of Haryana State Administrative Tribunal without disposing a single case but with a salary tag of Rs 1.35 crore.

The reason -- the quasi judicial body has been embroiled in a controversy and the issue has been pending in the pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The result -- Justice Parashar enjoyed a whopping salary of Rs 1.35 crore, besides additional facilities, including official vehicle and office staff, and perks as per the protocol.

Justice Parashar was appointed for a term of five years or up to the age of 65, whichever is earlier, in July 2019 as the Haryana State Administrative Tribunal Chairperson.

Responding to the appointment, Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan said the tribunal could not start functioning because of the pendency of matter with the high court for a long time.

"The committee appointed on the high court's directions regarding the tribunal's functioning has already submitted its report to the high court," he added.

Despite strike by lawyers of Punjab and Haryana High Court for nearly two weeks over the constitution of the Haryana Administrative Tribunal, the state government refused to withdraw the notification.

The lawyers were against the tribunal, saying it will lengthen the litigation process and could end up favouring the government.

The tribunal was set up by the Central government on the request of Haryana to provide speedy redressal to the grievances of employees and cut short the pendency of service matters in the high court.
New Delhi, August 13 : In an exhibition curated to commemorate its 25th anniversary, Gallery Threshold is organising 'Reflecting the Self' at Bikaner House from August 18 to 28 which will bring together the works of 35 multi-generational artists who have had an ongoing reciprocal relationship with the gallery.

The theme of self-portraiture unites the diversity of artists' practices supported by the gallery. Comprising paintings, sculptures, installations, photography, and mixed media, the works delve deep into the narratives and vignettes from their own life stories.

The exhibition fulfils two objectives: Tto visit the idea of self-representation and to celebrate the strong bonds forged between the gallery and the artists, acknowledging their artistic excellence and the lasting impact they have made within the art community.

The curators -- Tunty Chauhan and Deeksha Nath -- embrace a broader understanding of self-representation that encompasses figurative and abstract works, as well as alliterative and metaphorical approaches. Self-portraits can contain deeply personal and introspective elements, as well as convey political and cultural significance or evoke personal empowerment.

They serve as a means for artists to connect with others, fostering empathy and sparking conversations about the intricate nature of the self. The process of creating self-portraits holds profound significance for the artists themselves and for those who engage with their artwork in the exhibition.

Gallery Threshold was established in 1997 when Tunty Chauhan, through friendships with artists V. Ramesh, Ravindar Reddy, and Lama Goud, to name a few, began exhibiting the works of upcoming artists in Visakhapatnam.

Over the course of the next few years, in association with the Faculty of Fine Arts, Chauhan invited over 40 artists to the city to exchange ideas and share their practices, setting in motion relationships and partnerships that have lasted 25 years and supported the practices of artists across generations. It moved to the Capital in 2001.
Los Angeles, Aug 13 : Actor Kevin Costner has accused his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner of deliberately trying to "delay" their divorce proceedings.

'The Untouchables' actor, 68, called it quits with Baumgartner in May after 19 years of marriage.

As per Aceshowbiz, despite having a prenuptial agreement in place, the estranged couple have been locked in dispute over issues including finances, child support for their kids Cayden (16), Hayes (14), and Grace (13), and their family home.

"Christine has only thrown roadblock after roadblock up in an unjustified effort to avoid answering this discovery," he wrote in court documents obtained by 'Us Weekly' magazine.

He accused her of having "steadfastly refused" to respond to a "very basic discovery" request involving the "facts, documents and witnesses supporting her contentions".

Costner is seeking financial sanctions against Baumgartner for allegedly failing to respond to the discovery requests he sent in May, which he explained were designed to "elicit her contentions as to the validity" of their prenuptial agreement.

The documents read, "Christine asserts she cannot admit or deny that she understood the Premarital Agreement because she (and apparently all of her attorneys) do not understand the word 'understood'. This is gamesmanship of the worst sort."

"'Understood' is not a technical or arcane word. It is not ground for objection that a request is ambiguous, unless it is so ambiguous that the responding party cannot in good faith frame an intelligent reply."

"The notion that Christine and the multiple seasoned lawyers representing her do not understand the word 'understood' and cannot reply to this simple, straightforward (request for admission) is frivolous. Clearly, this vagueness objection was interposed only for the purpose of delay."

Costner and Baumgartner tied the knot in 2004, and she filed for divorce this May 1 after 18 years of marriage, launching a battle over their assets and child support.

The battle recently took a head-spinning turn when Costner claimed Baumgartner and her legal team asked for a definition of the word "understand" in reference to whether she understood the terms of their 2004 pre-nup.
New York, Aug 13 : Individuals with Covid-19 may experience small, temporary changes in menstrual cycle length, according to a new study.

Researchers emphasise changes are minor and typically return to normal in the next menstrual cycle.

In the study, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, researchers analysed menstrual cycle data from more than 6,000 individuals in 110 countries using Clue, a menstrual and reproductive health platform.

Among unvaccinated participants reporting Covid illness, researchers found, on average, a 1.45-day increase in menstrual cycle length compared with participants' previous cycle length average.

These increases were consistent with changes reported among the cohort who had received a Covid vaccination.

Researchers emphasise that in both cohorts, changes resolved in the first cycle after vaccination or illness.

In addition, they noted that the immune and reproductive systems are known to interact with each other, so while these findings aren't surprising, they should validate the public's experiences and provide reassurance that if changes in flow occur during or after Covid infection, they are likely to be small and temporary.

"Changes to your menstrual cycle can be concerning and even frightening," said Blair Darney, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and gynaecology from Oregon Health & Science University.

"We want this research to reassure individuals that on a population level, these changes are not typically a cause for concern," Darney added.

Cycle changes are likely due to temporary, disease-related activation of immune response, but because individuals naturally experience variations in menstrual cycle duration and bleeding patterns, researchers say that it is challenging to isolate Covid as a sole cause.

The research team also notes that the study was not focused on individuals known to be experiencing long Covid.

The physician-scientists also advise that individuals who notice prolonged changes in menstruation should seek guidance from their clinician.

Looking forward, researchers hope to learn more about the biological mechanism of these changes and will continue to leverage data from cycle tracking apps to investigate other reported variations in menstruation following vaccination, including missed cycles, unexpected vaginal bleeding and pain.
Tom Hanks is now an author. He has just written a novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, which comes after a previous collection of short stories, Uncommon Type: Some Stories (2017). And what is the two-time Oscar winner going to talk about? Well, Hollywood, film shoots and the murky times the film industry is experiencing. And about the America in which Hanks seems to feel increasingly alone every day and, as such, becomes an aspiration that is far from reality: a multiethnic America that repays hard work and talent with promotions and decent salaries. The best that can be said about Hankss novel is that it oozes Hanks from every angle and that it is fluidly written. But that also weighs the book down: Hanks has not written a satire but believes in his work and, like a prestigious director, has retained control over the final editing.

Throughout his career, Hanks has been followed by the idea that he is a modern-day Jimmy Stewart, the notion that he is kind of corny and soft, though he has moments of assertiveness when it is called for. In person, he is a charming guy, who has come back from many things (including a bad case of Covid-19 that he and his wife, fellow actress Rita Wilson, contracted after filming Elvis in Australia); he also has a tremendous ability to laugh at himself.

Yet his spirit and novel resemble Norman Rockwells drawings of a blessed America: weathered and vilified, it has its dark side, but its essentially pure and timeless at heart. In The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, which is hard to get into because of its Russian doll-like structure, the United States becomes yet another character, a nation born of the Democrats best dreams, with its mix of ethnicities and commitment to gender equality, just rewards for ones efforts, forgiveness from societys wayward children who return home as good prodigal sons and daughters, and the triumph of quality films and actors (not just the ones with chiseled muscles). What Hanks sees as a beautiful place to live will seem like a pipe dream to others.

The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece opens with a journalist explaining that he is the author of the work, and he immediately starts projecting Hankss thoughts into his words: I dont hate any films. Movies are too hard to make to warrant hatred. If a movie is not great, I just wait it out in my seat and journalists  the lazy ones anyway  always try to explain how movies are made, as though theres a secret formula that weve patented, or procedures that are listed like a flight plan for a voyage to the moon and back [...]. If they saw how we movie-orphans do our job, they would be bored silly and very disappointed.

Tom Hanks, on the film set of 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.'

From there, Hanks jumps to 1947 and the happy childhood of a boy in an exemplary family from Lone Butte, California  excessively similar to Concord, the authors hometown, both places with a strong Hispanic influence. The boy receives a surprise visit from his maternal uncle, who is emotionally shattered, since witnessing and causing trauma in World War II.

Flash forward to 1971. That boy, now in his twenties and living in the middle of the Vietnam War, returns to his childhood comics of war exploits to draw a political-satirical comic. The result is brimming with the pain of his relative and the hell he suffered, starring Firefall, a flamethrower-operating soldier who jumps from conflict to conflict, supporting the American troops, without mercy for the enemy. And that work, The Legend of Firefall, will be the basis for a superhero movie directed by Bill Johnson  a fictionalized version of Steven Spielberg  who is a filmmaker so perfect that he is simultaneously  and without contradiction  an auteur and box-office powerhouse.

Hanks continues to project his musings. Making movies is about solving more problems than you cause, he notes. I make movies because no other labor satisfies my quest to capture an unspoken truth, the director blurts out in a motivational talk ahead of the 2020 filming of Knightshade: The Lathe of Firefall. At another point, the writer devotes lines and lines to describing typewriters (the actor collects them), weighing down the emotional progression of the plot.

Of course, there are bad guys in the novel, obnoxious star actors. However, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece is written a la Forrest Gump: the good guys are good, and the bad guys are bad; goodhearted wayward boys will reform and the kind, hard-working people will prosper. Good triumphs. Even if it is on a 53-day shoot for a Hollywood blockbuster in which a self-important star is fired two days into the movie.

In promoting the novel, Hanks confessed to the BBC: Not everybody is at their best every single day on a motion picture set. Ive had tough days trying to be a professional when my life has been falling apart in more ways than one and the requirement for me that day is to be funny, charming and loving  and its the last way I feel. And on CBS Mornings, he revealed that some of the jokes, such as wearing sunglasses to lend truth to a character the star plays, came from his own experience blowing up a film shoot during those tough times.

The actor has been writing all his life and has authored several screenplays. He started this novel in 2018: I wrote in between films, I wrote wherever I was, I wrote on planes, I wrote at home, I wrote on vacation, I wrote in hotel rooms, I wrote on long weekends when I wasnt working. The novel reads like a love letter to his Hollywood, to his United States, to that which Norman Rockwell might paint in 2023. But the reality, with actors on strikes, Q-Anon plotting and systemic racism still a problem, paint a different picture.

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New Delhi, Aug 13 : Known for his role in shows such as 'Beta Hi Chahiye', 'Thapki Pyar Ki', 'Tu Sooraj Main Saanjh, Piyaji' and 'Naagin 4', television actor Ankit Bathla went down the memory lane to recall his routine as a child on Independence Day.

Ankit, who is currently seen as Yash Garg in the show 'Kundali Milan', reminisced about his childhood days, saying that he used to sit in front of the TV and watch flag hoisting at the Red Fort with his grandma.

"I remember as a kid, this day meant no school, no office for Dad, and a special feast like 'chole puri', 'aloo puri', or 'kadhi chawal'. Early in the morning, along with my Grandma, I'd sit in front of the TV to watch the flag hoisting at the Red Fort and the amazing performances," said Ankit.

Talking about what importance the day holds for him, he said: "August 15 holds a powerful reminder of the incredible efforts our freedom fighters and ancestors put in for our country's freedom. As the next generation, we have a big role too. It's our duty to free our nation from issues like illiteracy and poverty and make India even better."

The actor also said that he will be joining the 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan'.

"This year, even with my shooting schedule, I'm proudly joining the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' Mission. I'm encouraging everyone to bring the Tricolour home," he added.

The Government of India is celebrating 'Har Ghar Tiranga Abhiyan' from August 13-15 to commemorate 76th year of Independence.

In the current track of the show 'Kundali Milan', the 90 days are over and Anjali (played by Shubhanshi Raghuvanshi) is ready to handover Yash to Richa (played by Prachi Bohra), but now Yash is confused about his feelings and doesn't want to let go of Anjali.

The show also sees the entry of Aditya, an obsessive lover whose entry is poised to unleash unforeseen turmoil in Anjali's life. As the ongoing storyline unravels, Anjali becomes entwined in a complex web of trouble due to Aditya's unrelenting pursuit.

As Yash's emotions for Anjali deepen, Aditya played by Gaurav Bajpai is set to layer the storyline with intrigue and suspense. With Aditya's entrance, the balance between Yash, Richa, and Anjali is poised for a transformative shift, weaving an engrossing narrative that encapsulates themes of love, obsession, and unforeseen challenges.

'Kundali Milan' airs on Shemaroo Umang.
Jaipur, Aug 13 : State President of Shri Rajput Karni Sena State President Bhanwar Singh Saladia was shot at in Udaipur on Sunday.

The incident took place at Bhupal Nobles (BN) University. He was shot in his waist and was rushed to the hospital.

A programme was being organised in the university and Saladia was invited as guest. However, a person identified as Digvijay Singh shot at the Karni president following which the people got hold of the accused and thrashed him. He was then handed over to the police.

The accused was also present in the program. Reportedly, the accused was former district president of Karni Sena and there were differences between Digvijay Singh and Bhanwar Singh.

Digvijay Singh was Udaipur District President of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena and was removed from the post four months ago.

Udaipur SP Bhuvan Bhushan Yadav said that the accused Digvijay was removed from the post of district president due to a mutual dispute.

"There was a dispute between them after his removal. Investigation is on to find out if there are some other reasons behind the act," he officials.
Bhopal, Aug 13 : A South African female cheetah -- Nirva, who has been missing from the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradesh since July 21, was captured on Sunday, an official said.

It came as a big relief to the officials associated with 'project cheetah'.

Two female cheetahs -- Nirva and Dhatri, had gone out of the radar and their radio collars also stopped working.

Dhatri was found dead on August 2.

The KNP officials, however, continued their search for Nirva relentlessly.

As per a press note issued by Chief Wildlife Warden of the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department on Sunday, Nirva was caught at around 10 a.m. in the Dhoret range of the KNP.

Veterinarians conducted a health checkup and her condition was found to be good, official said.

"Nirva is healthy and has been kept inside a boma (enclosure) for a further health check-up," the release added.

More than 100 field staff, including officers, veterinarians and cheetah trackers were searching for the cheetah day and night.

Besides the team on ground, two drones and a dog squad were also deployed in the search operation.

An area of 15-20 sq km was being searched, it said.

In addition to this, local villagers were also informed about Nirva.

Any information received about the cheetah from the villagers was being checked and verified immediately, the release said.
Tirupati, Aug 13 : Following the killing of a six-year-old girl by a leopard on the Alipiri footpath route, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) on Sunday decided not to allow pilgrims with children aged below 15 years after 2 p.m. to trek on both the footpath routes to Tirumala temple.

The TTD, which manages the affairs of the famous hill shrine, decided to allow pilgrims with children aged below 15years from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. only to trek on both the footpath routes.

The restrictions came into force from Sunday in the wake of Friday nightas incident.

The movement of the two-wheelers has also been banned from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

TTD said that the movement of leopards have been sighted at five places that includes three places near Alipiri to Galigopuram, at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy(LNS) temple and at the 38th Turning on Saturday night.

The temple body has beefed up security along with Forest and Police departments at all the vulnerable points along the footpath route to Tirumala temple.

TTD Chairman B. Karunakara Reddy will hold a high-level meeting with the TTD Executive Officer, District Collector and Superintendent of Police on Monday to discuss on the measures to be taken in view of the safety of the pilgrims in both the footpath routes and Ghat roads.

The TTD has appealed to the devotees to extend their co-operation in following the guidelines given by TTD keeping in view the larger interests of the pilgrim devotees till the issue of wild beasts is resolved.

TTD EO AV Dharma Reddy carried out a surprise check in the night from Seventh Mile to Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple trekking the footpath.

The EO inspected the pilgrim safety measures which came into force on Saturday that included increasing security guards at vulnerable points, grouping the devotees in a set of 100 and allowing them to trek the footpath route in the accompaniment of a Security Guard, continuous announcements informing the parents to take care of their children while trekking the footpath etc.

The TTD EO walked along with a set of pilgrims and enlightened them on the safety measures to keep themselves cautious from the attacks of wild beasts.

A six-year-old girl was suspected to have been killed by a leopard while she was walking to Tirumala along the Alipiri footpath on Friday night. Lakshitha had been walking far ahead of her parents Dinesh and Sasikala.

Her parents searched for her in vain and alerted the TTD officials. TTDa vigilance and security along with local police and forest department launched a search operation and they found the girlas body behind Narasimha Swamy temple on Saturday morning. Forest staff who examined injuries on Lakshithaas body said she might have succumbed to injuries inflicted by a leopard.
Jamnagar, Aug 13 : Gujarat police has arrested a man who had allegedly masqueraded as an official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) with an attempt to secure the release of an accused involved in a cybercrime case.

The suspect, identified as Nikunj Patel, arrested on Saturday in Ahmedabad and subsequently transported to Jamnagar for further investigation.

The saga began on August 10 when Patel reportedly initiated a WhatsApp call, purporting to be from the CMO, to Jamnagar Superintendent of Police, Premsukh Delu. During the call, Patel introduced himself as an official from the CMO.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jayvirsinh Zala, recounted that during the call, Patel beseeched the senior police officer to secure the release of Amir Aslam, recently detained in connection with a cybercrime-related offense.

Patel further requested to be connected with the accused over the phone.

His audacious ploy would trigger an in-depth probe by Superintendent Delu.

The phone number utilised for the call did not correspond to any official linked to the CMO. The discovery prompted Deputy Superintendent Zala to address the matter during a press briefing.

"In light of the evidence gathered from the phone number, law enforcement managed to track down Patel, leading to his arrest in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

"Subsequently, he was transported to Jamnagar for further legal proceedings. Authorities have taken decisive action by registering a case against Patel under Section 170 of the Indian Penal Code, which pertains to impersonating a public servant," Zala said.
Terrorist killed in exchange of fire with security forces in Pak's Balochistan. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Aug 13 : A convoy of vehicles belonging to Chinese engineers and Pakistani forces was targeted in an armed attack in Balochistan's coastal city of Gwadar on Sunday morning. "Pro-independence" group Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, as per reports.

According to details, two heavily armed men attacked a convoy of Chinese company and Pakistani forces, who were guarding the convey, near Faqir Colony Bridge in Gwadar early on Sunday morning.

According to local sources, heavy gunfire and explosions were heard for several hours, while citizens have been confined to their homes and area barricaded. There have also been reports of internet shutdowns in different areas of the coastal city, the reports said.

Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack. In a short media statement, BLA spokesman Jeeyand Baloch said that BLA's Majeed Brigade was behind the attack on convoy of Chinese engineers in Gwadar.

The group named the attackers as Naveed Baloch alias Aslam of Nigewar Dasht and Maqbool Baloch alias Qaim of Awaran, the reports said.

Pakistan Army's Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a media statement confirmed the attack and said that 'terrorists' used small arms and hand grenades in the attack.

"Due to an efficient and swift response, two terrorists were sent to hell with no harm to any military or civil persons," ISPR statement read.
PM Modi running away from discussion on Manipur, says Kharge. Image Source: IANS News

Raipur, Aug 13 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of running away from discussion on the violence in Manipur.

He said that instead of working to ensure peace in violence-hit Manipur, Modi is comparing the situation with peaceful Chhattisgarh.

"Comparing the violence in Manipur with Chhattisgarh is an insult to the people of Chhattisgarh," Kharge said while addressing a poll rally in Janjgir-Chamapa district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday.

The Congress president asked has any incident like Manipur taken place in Chhattisgarh.

"Women are being raped, their houses are burnt and they have nothing to eat. Who created such a situation in Manipur? The Prime Minister did," he said.

He said Congress wanted Modi to make a statement in the Parliament on Manipur incident but he did not break his silence.

"It is shameful that instead of discussing the Manipur violence and answering the opposition's questions in the Parliament Modi was focused on cracking jokes on the Congress party," Kharge said.

He also accused Modi of misusing the central agencies like ED and IT in Chhattisgarh. "Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel would not be intimidated by such tactics employed by the central government led by BJP," he said.

Praising Baghel for delivering on electoral promises, Kharge said that the CM had 'Aladdin's magic lamp', one that had something to offer to all sections of the society.

During the programme, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched a total of 1043 development works for the residents of the district.
Chandigarh, Aug 13 : Punjab Police have busted a terror module being operated by Czech Republic (Czechia)-based Gurdev Singh, a.k.a. Jaisel, with the arrest of its three associates after recovering three pistols along with ammunition from Tarn Taran, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here on Sunday.

The development came just ahead of Independence Day. Gurdev Jaisel is a key operative of Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir, a.k.a. Landa, and Satbir Singh, a.k.a. Satta, who were behind the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at the police station in Sarhali and numerous plots to commit targeted killings in the state.

Those arrested have been identified as Ashmpreet Singh, Pardeep Singh and Sukhman.

Apart from three pistols, the police teams have also recovered Rs 37,500 cash from their possession.

DGP Yadav said following inputs that Gurdev Jaisel has been developing a new module to carry terror activities, the police in a joint operation with Counter Intelligence have arrested the trio from Tarn Taran, when they were hatching a conspiracy to commit a crime.

SSP Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said that Jaisel, sitting in Czechia, was in contact in touch with module members and gave them directions over the phone to carry out terror activities and target killings to disrupt peace and harmony in the state.

The arrested accused also confessed to having picked up some consignments of weapons and money for terror funding to deliver them to different persons on the directions of Gurdev Jaisel, he said, while adding further investigation is being carried out to unearth the backward and forward linkages.
San Francisco, Aug 13 : Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday traded barbs at each other before their upcoming cage fight at an epic location in Italy, with the Tesla CEO challenging Meta Founder to fight in his backyard on Monday.

Musk posted a chat with Zuckerberg on X (formerly Twitter), saying he will be in Palo Alto (California) on Monday and offered to fight on Zuckerberg's "Octagon".

Zuckerberg apparently messaged Musk: "If you still want to do a real MMA fight, then you should train on your own and let me know when you're ready to compete".

"I don't want to keep hyping something that will never happen, so you should either decide you're going to do this and do it soon, or we should move on," Zuckerberg said.

Musk replied: "1 have not been practicing much, apart from a brief bout with Lex Fridman today. While I think it is very unlikely, given our size difference, perhaps you are a modern day Bruce Lee and will somehow win".

American author-journalist Walter Isaacson first posted that Musk is asking Zuckerberg to fight at his home in Palo Alto, California.

In a tweet, Isaacson who has been the President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan policy studies organisation, said: "I got this text message from Elon Musk at 4:44am CT showing a screenshot of some text messages in which he tells Zuckerberg they should fight this Monday at Zuckerberg's home in Palo Alto".

Zuckerberg later posted on Threads that "I think we can all agree Elon isn't serious and it's time to move on".

"I offered a real date. Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won't confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead," said the Meta Founder.

"If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously," Zuckerberg added.

Meta Founder and CEO earlier said he was "not holding his breath" for Musk to agree to a fight date.

Musk had said he has been in contact with the Italian prime minister and minister of culture about hosting the event.

However, Zuckerberg said no date has been agreed.

Zuckerberg, 39, holds a blue belt in jiu-jitsu and recently won gold and silver medals in a tournament.

--IANS

na/
New Delhi, Aug 13 : The Special Cell of Delhi Police has learned that Canada-based terrorist Arshdeep Singh a.k.a. Arsh Dalla, and others used the Botim app to connect with their aides in India.

A source told IANS that they use this app to communicate with their associates.

Sources also revealed that Dalla hacked the Facebook ID of a Punjab-based girl, which he used to connect with Indian gangsters, namely Neeraj Bawana, Lawrence Bishnoi, the Bambiha gang, and their aides.

The source mentioned that two gangsters, Sunny Dagar and Jagjit a.k.a. Jassa, were in touch with Dalla.

During the investigation, the police learned that although Dalla is said to be based in Canada, he uses IP addresses from the Philippines and Pakistan.

"Jagjit Singh a.k.a. Jagga was in constant touch with terrorist Arshdeep Singh a.k.a. Arsh Dalla. The police learned that Dalla had directed him to carry out a significant operation. Later, the role of Sunny Dagar a.k.a. Vikram also came to the fore as he was also in touch with Dalla. Both were already in judicial custody in other criminal cases," the source said.

"Dagar and Jassa both knew that Dalla was a terrorist but they willingly joined his terrorist group, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Dagar was tasked with raising funds for the gang, and Jassa was tasked with target killing," the source further said.

The source stated that Dalla told Dagar that he needed money for KTF.

In exchange for raising funds, Dagar was promised the most modern weapons and a minimum share in each deal.

In a few months, Jassa turned into a blind supporter of Khalistan after he came into contact with a person named Baljinder Singh Balli.

The Bambiha gang directed Jassa to contact Dalla.

Jassa was then tasked by Dalla to kill Amit Arora, Shiv Sena Vice President of Punjab, and Gursimran Singh Mand, National Joint Coordinator of All India Congress Committee, and President of the International Anti Khalistani Terrorist Front, in exchange for Rs 2 crore.

However, Jassa, who was out on bail, was apprehended by the Delhi Police.

"Dalla is said to be based in Canada, but the IP addresses of his social media accounts suggest that he is either hiding or using accounts from the Philippines. Dalla also hacked the Facebook ID of a Punjab-based girl to spread his ideology," the source said.

The source said Jassa was also in touch with Pakistan-based individual Sohail and ISI.

(Atul Krishan can be approached at atul.k@ians.in)
Angela Molina, 67, is the face of Zaras new campaign. The Madrid-born actress  who won an honorary Goya award 2021  is the model for Thirteen Pieces: a collection of timeless, minimalist garments in neutral tones, which exudes elegance and sophistication. The ad campaigns photographs are black-and-white. In them, Molina appears relaxed, with her hair loose and gray.

The actress  who has earned national and international acclaim, thanks to films such as The Obscure Object of Desire, Camorra and Half of Heaven  is considered to be one of the most elegant women in Spain, as well as a symbol of natural aging. In an interview with EL PAIS, Molina says she has little interest in cosmetic surgery: Thats not beauty. I see it as impossible. Im not interested. Would you like to see your grandmother with a fish face?

Angela Molina, the face of Zaras new collection.

The presentation of Angela Molina as the image of Zara is yet another commitment by the fashion giant to showcase diversity in all its forms. With the choice of a 67-year-old woman as a model, the Spanish company has contributed to the fight against ageism  that is, the discrimination against older people based on age.

Spains Ministry of Health has also launched an awareness campaign about ageism. Ageism is part of our understanding of aging itself and of our intergenerational relationships. It perpetuates stereotyped concepts of the elderly, limiting our understanding of the diversity that exists in old age. When this becomes a common attitude in our family and personal relationships and our professional practices, there are consequences both for the elderly and for society, a spokesperson for the ministry noted. Ageism was a term coined by Robert Butler in the 1960s, to refer to existing stereotypes and prejudices in relation to age. Research suggests that age discrimination may now be even more pervasive than sexism and racism.

The Spanish government also offers advice regarding how to fight against this form of discrimination, such as understanding aging as another stage of life and countering negative and stereotyped concepts by recognizing the diversity in old age. Changes due to age must always be respected. In addition, the authorities ask for the informed participation of older people in decision-making, especially in activities in which they are involved.

Angela Molina, in the images released by Zara.

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Gandhinagar, Aug 13 : Under the 'Rashtriya Netra Jyoti Abhiyan' initiative, Gujarat not only reached its cataract surgery target for 2022-23, but also exceeded it by 504 per cent, performing 6,36,428 surgeries against an intended target of 1,26,300.

The state stands as a national front-runner with a rate of 10,000 cataract surgeries per 10 lakh population. The state is already ahead of the 2023-24 target with an 81 per cent completion, performing 1,23,975 surgeries.

The aRashtriya Netra Jyoti Abhiyana is a three-year campaign of the Government of India, aimed at reducing blindness prevalence to 0.25 per cent by May 2025. Individuals aged 50 and above, who are blind or visually impaired due to cataract, are entitled to free surgeries.

Aligned with the Central government's initiative, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel launched the aCataract Blindness-Free Gujarata campaign in 2022. More than 8 lakh successful operations have been performed under this campaign, covering all 33 districts and eight municipal corporation areas of the state.

The first of the four-phase campaign included a vision survey for people over 30; followed by registration of visually-impaired patients; patient surgeries; and follow-up action. Around 50,000 female ASHA workers were trained to facilitate vision tests through an 'E-card'.

Additionally, hydrophobic intraocular lenses are provided free of charge after operations, reducing postoperative complications.

In an effort to streamline the process, the Health Department of the Gujarat government has launched a dedicated website - cataractblindfree.gujarat.gov.in - providing all necessary information, from primary registration to follow-up services.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Delhi Police officers had a narrow escape after shots were fired at them during a raid at a gambling den in the Samaypur Badli area.

The accused, who ran a gambling racket, also thrashed the police personnel. One of the attackers was said to be a woman. The incident took place on Thursday night.

"The injured police personnel have been identified as ASI Vijendra and constables Satyendra, Pradeep, and Robin. They were attacked with rods, knives, and sticks and had to run to save their lives," said a source in the Delhi Police.

The source said the police got a tip-off that Bhola and Mange, who are siblings, were running a gambling den in Samaypur Badli. It was learnt that liquor was also being sold to the customers.

The police then formed a team which went to raid the place and nab the accused. The police saw that people were gambling and drinking liquor without any fear.

The police asked them to shut down the place, which led to an argument. One of the police constables showed them his I-card, but the accused pulled out a pistol and opened fire at the police team.

The police source said that Simran, the sister of Bhola, also attacked the police personnel.

"The police were shocked to see their behaviour. They first tried to record a video, which also irked the accused. The police also fired in the air in self-defence. The accused even tried to strangle ASI Vijender, but others saved him," the source said.

The police said that an FIR under relevant sections of the IPC has been lodged. All the accused are said to be on the run.
Chennai, Aug 13 : Ousted AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam, on Sunday urged the Tamil Nadu government to bring harmony among school and college students of various communities.

The former Chief Minister was responding to the attack on the residence of a Dalit boy at Nanguneri in Tiruneveli district by his classmates belonging to an intermediate caste.

The Dalit boy was attacked by lethal weapons, including sickles, and his younger sister was also injured while trying to save her brother.

Panneerselvam in a statement on Sunday referred to the Nanguneri incident and said that teachers should impart the ideals of patriotism, humanity and moral values to the students. He also said that efforts should be made to strengthen teaching techniques and student-teacher relations.

A heavy police contingent has been deployed in parts of Tirunelveli district after the attack on the Dalit boy and his sister by his classmates.

The district has previous history of violent incidents in the name of caste in which many people have lost their lives, hence, to prevent any untoward incident taking place, a heavy contingent of police has been deployed in the caste-sensitive areas of the district.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Delhi Police said on Sunday that they have arrested five persons and solved a staged robbery case amounting to Rs 10.80 lakh.

A senior police officer said that the accused have been identified as Akbar Ali, Zuber, Uruz, Zahid and Ansab. Incidentally, Uruz was the complainant, who later turned out to be an accused.

On the intervening night of August 9-10, a PCR call was received at the Seelampur police station reporting a robbery of Rs 10.80 lakh at gunpoint.

When the police reached the spot, the complainant, Uruz, said that he works at a metal sheets shop belonging to his maternal uncle. At around 12.30 a.m., while he was going to deliver a packet carrying Rs 10,80,000 in cash to a client, he was allegedly intercepted by two persons who robbed him at gunpoint.

"The CCTV cameras installed in the vicinity were scrutinised in detail and in one of the frames, a suspected person was seen carrying a similar polythene bag in his hand which was robbed from the 'victim'. The suspect was further seen handing over the bag to another person in Jafrabad area," the police said.

The police said that both the persons -- identified as Akbar Ali and Zuber -- were nabbed.

During their sustained interrogation, they confessed about their involvement in the instant case and further revealed the involvement of Uruz as a conspirator of the robbery plan.

"Uruz was apprehended and during interrogation, he disclosed that he shared the information about the delivery of cash to his cousin Zaid, and both of them hatched a plan of robbery and project Uruz as the victim," the police said.

Zaid was also apprehended who confessed about his involvement in the case and further revealed about Ansab. Together they hired two robbers with the help of Ansabas brother who works as a driver in Kuwait, and they carried out the robbery.

While executing the plan, Zaid kept informing about the location of Uruz to both the robbers -- Akbar and Zuber. At the time of commission of robbery, Zaid was present there at a distance and signalled the robbers about Uruz carrying the payment.

"They all made conspiracy and together they executed their plan of robbery in which one of the conspirators was projected as a victim. Further efforts are being made to trace their possible involvement in other cases," the police said.
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Two persons were apprehended by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police for defrauding a man of Rs 3.50 crore in lieu of a property.

The accused were identified as Madhur Jain and Sarbjeet Singh, a property dealer.

The complainant, Satyan Kapoor, was searching for a property in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar area. He got in touch with property agent Vijay Mittal, who told him about a property in Lajpat Nagar-III andintroduced him to Singh and his associate Sunny.

They claimed that Usha Rani Jain is the sole owner of the property and her grandson Madhur Jain is the General Power of Attorney (GPA) holder, who had her authorization to sell it (the property) to Sarabjeet Singh, who had "paid an advance of Rs 5.11 crore".

"The accused offered to sell the property to him for Rs 17.50 crore. Before finalising the agreement, they disclosed an existing loan on the property from Hero Fincorp Ltd. They assured that the entire loan amount would be repaid, and the initial payment would be utilised for the loan repayment," the complainant said.

Based on these representations, Kapoor agreed to purchase the property. He made an advance payment of Rs 3.50 crore.

Kapoor claimed that he had a video call with a lady purported to be Usha Rani Jain, and after her assurance, he made the payment. "However, after some time, Kapoor received a legal notice from Usha Rani Jain, the property owner, stating that she had not issued any General Power of Attorney (GPA) in favor of her grandson Madhur Jain, and that the GPA presented was forged and fabricated. Subsequently, Kapoor filed a complaint, leading to the registration of the current case," police said.

"Accused Madhur Jain, a Commerce Graduate from Delhi University, worked as a freelance property dealer. Due to an existing mortgage with Hero Fincorp Ltd, he needed funds to clear the loan. Since the property was in his grandmother's name, he allegedly created a fraudulent GPA in his favour, deceiving the complainant," they added.
Kabul, Aug 14 : The Afghan caretaker government has declared August 15, the day of the administration's takeover of Kabul, as the "victory day" and a public holiday in the war-ravaged country.

"Tuesday, Asad 24, 1402 (August 15 according to the Persian Calendar) is the victory day of the Jihad (holy war) of the people of Afghanistan under the leadership of Islamic Emirate against the United States and its allies. It will be a public holiday in the country," said a statement released by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The US-led NATO troops left Afghanistan following the resistance of Taliban forces under the leadership of Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada in August 2021.
Wisconsin state Rep. Jimmy Anderson poses, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Madison, Wis., outside of a condominium complex that is disconnected from the rest of his legislative district.

If Wisconsin state Rep. Jimmy Anderson wants to visit residents in some of the northern neighborhoods he represents, he first must leave his own district  twice.

From his Fitchburg home in suburban Madison, Anderson must exit his 47th Assembly District, pass through the 77th District, reenter the 47th District, then head north through the 48th District to finally reach a cluster of homes assigned like a remote outpost to his district.

Unusual? Yes. Inconvenient? Yes.

Unconstitutional? Perhaps.

Though the Wisconsin Constitution requires legislative districts to consist of contiguous territory, many nonetheless contain sections of land that are not actually connected. The resulting map looks a bit like Swiss cheese, where some districts are dotted with small neighborhood holes assigned to different representatives.

Wisconsins nationally peculiar practice of detached districts is cited as one of several alleged violations in a recent lawsuit seeking to strike down current Assembly and Senate districts and replace them before the 2024 election.

Like similar cases in states ranging from North Carolina to Utah, the Wisconsin lawsuit also alleges partisan gerrymandering is illegal under the state constitutions guarantee of equal protection and free speech.

Though such claims have had mixed results nationally, Democrats hope the Wisconsin Supreme Courts new liberal majority will deliver a resounding rejection of gerrymandering that has given Republicans a lopsided legislative majority.

But the challenge to noncontiguous districts could provide judges a way to decide the case without ever addressing whether partisan gerrymandering is illegal.

It could be that this gives the court a completely neutral basis for deciding the maps are no good, said Kenneth R. Mayer, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor.

Wisconsins Assembly districts rank among the most tilted nationally, with Republicans routinely winning far more seats than would be expected based on their average share of the vote, according to an Associated Press analysis. In other states, such as Nevada, Democrats have reaped a disproportionate advantage from redistricting.

Most states are guided by at least four traditional principles for reshaping state legislative districts after each decennial census. Those include districts being nearly equal in population, compact and contiguous and following the boundaries of cities and counties. Contiguous generally is understood to mean all parts of a district are connected, with some logical exceptions for islands.

In some states, mapmakers have gotten creative by using narrow strips of roads or rivers to connect otherwise distinct parts of a district. But few have gone so far as Wisconsin in treating contiguous as a loose synonym for nearby.

Wisconsins detached districts are profoundly weird, said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Marymount University Law School in Los Angeles who created the All About Redistricting website.

Andersons legislative district, for example, includes more than a dozen remote territories scattered around the Madison area that are disconnected from the districts main portion in Fitchburg, McFarland and Monona. That makes door-to-door canvassing particularly challenging for Anderson, who uses a wheelchair that must be repeatedly loaded and unloaded from a van.

The situation also is confusing for his remote constituents whose neighbors are represented by someone else, Anderson said.

It just doesnt serve the people that live in those little bubbles to not have the same kind of community cohesion and interests being represented, he said.

Gabrielle Young, 46, lives in one of the land islands Anderson represents. But until she was contacted by lawyers filing the redistricting lawsuit, Young said she had no idea Anderson had to travel through another district to campaign in her neighborhood. Young agreed to serve as a plaintiff in the lawsuit alleging the disconnected districts violate the state constitution.

I could have gone the rest of my life living here not realizing it was happening, but that doesnt make it OK, she said. Its ridiculous.

Among other things, the lawsuit cites an 1892 case in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court stated districts cannot be made up of two or more pieces of detached territory. Yet the practice proliferated over time, with 55 of the 99 Assembly districts and 21 of the 33 Senate districts now composed of disconnected portions, according to the lawsuit.

Clearly, at some point, things sort of went awry, said Mark Gaber, senior director of redistricting at Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.-based group that helped bring the lawsuit.

It seems pretty clear to me that you have to enforce the words as they are written, Gaber added.

That has not always been the case.

In 1992, a federal judicial panel considering a Wisconsin redistricting lawsuit essentially endorsed detached legislative districts. Wisconsins Democratic-led Legislature and Republican governor had failed to agree on new districts following the 1990 census. The court was left to pick among various plans submitted by the parties. Republican plans proposed districts with literal contiguity, but the judges opted for a Democratic approach that did not.

The federal judges said legislative districts containing disconnected islands of land were similar to towns that had been legally permitted to annex noncontiguous areas.

Since the distance between town and island is slight, we do not think the failure of the legislative plan to achieve literal contiguity a serious demerit, the judges wrote in 1992.

The political roles are reversed 30 years later. Republicans, who now control the Legislature, proposed Assembly and Senate maps with disconnected districts that the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted last year. Democrats, who control the governors office, are backing the legal challenge.

The districts are constitutional because they are legally contiguous, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement to The Associated Press alluding to prior court rulings. He declined further comment.

Though contiguity requirements have a long national history in redistricting, they have not always been explicitly defined, thus leaving room for interpretation, said Micah Altman, a research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose specialties include redistricting.

Criteria such as contiguous and compact districts must be balanced with other principles, such as distributing the population equally and not splitting municipalities and counties among districts, he said.

Turning one knob on the system makes you have to turn down the other knob at least a bit, Altman said.

In the case of Andersons district, the disconnected sections likely have not made much difference in the partisan composition of his voters. Anderson is a Democrat, and so are the majority of Madison-area voters.

But redistricting experts say there still is potential for politicians to rig the map to their favor by drawing remote sections of districts.

When you allow mapmakers to draw districts that are noncontiguous, you give them even more flexibility to perpetrate abuse, Levitt said.

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Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot dead last Wednesday in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. On Sunday, the candidates will take part in a televised debate. And next August 20, in less than two weeks, more than 13 million Ecuadorians will cast their vote. Insecurity, an issue that already dominated the campaign before Villavicencios assassination, now dominates every speech, fueling distrust in the government of President Guillermo Lasso. Meanwhile, the shadow of drug violence hangs over the first round of the presidential election.

As it faces its worst security crisis in recent history, Ecuador is at war against the mafias. Thats according to Ecuadors Defense Minister General Luis Lara, who made the statement after Villavicencios murder. President Lasso used the same phrase two years ago, when he declared a state of emergency following several riots in the countrys prisons. This narrative of war is dominating the discourse of the government, opposition leaders and the opinion columns of the countrys leading newspapers.

Fernando fought until his last breath to save us from this state of evil and impunity in which we are trapped. If his sacrifice should serve for anything, it is to bury the mafias, the criminals disguised as politicians, said Andrea Gonzalez Nader, vice-presidential candidate and Villavicencios running mate in Movimiento Construye (Build Ecuador Movement). The presidential candidates are all talking about the same problem: extortion, gangs, drug cartels, criminal bosses, prison riots and political assassinations.

This is the moment for all of us who believe that the mafias and criminals must be defeated, said businessman and former vice president Otto Sonnenholzner, from the Actuemos (Lets Act) alliance, who is polling in second place of the eight candidates. Sonnenholzner argues that criminals control crime from the countrys prisons and have plunged Ecuador into a wave of violence similar to what was seen in Colombia in the 1980s or Mexico in the 1990s. To address the crisis, he has proposed new prison measures to prevent the most dangerous prisoners from having contact with the outside world.

Leftist candidate Yaku Perez, in turn, called for a pact between the candidates to put the countrys needs first, but only one of his rivals responded to the call.

Supporters say goodbye to assassinated presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Jose Jacome (EFE)

The businessman Jan Topic, who has drawn attention for wanting to emulate the security strategy of Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, has begun to capitalize on his slogan Ecuador without fear. His result at the August 20 vote will reveal how willing Ecuadorian voters are to embrace iron-fist policies against crime.

Luisa Gonzalez, from the Movimiento Revolucion Ciudadana (Citizen Revolution Movement), founded by former president Rafael Correa, pointed out that Villavicencio is not the only politician to have been attacked. In February, Omar Menendez, the candidate for mayor of Puerto Lopez, was also assassinated, and last December, Javier Pincay, the candidate for mayor of Portoviejo, survived an attack. The mayor of Duran, Luis Chonillo, was also shot in May and fled the country. He now governs remotely. In July, Agustin Intriago, the mayor of Manta, was shot six times. The list of attacks and threats from organized crime, such as those denounced by Villavicencio before his murder, is practically endless. The latest victim was Estefany Puente, a candidate for the National Assembly, who escaped unharmed after being attacked on Friday by two men on a motorcycle, who opened fire on her car.

Gonzalez has blamed the wave of violence on Lassos ineptitude. If elected, she promises that she will dismantle criminal organizations, bring peace to prisons and eliminate extortion mafias. Gonzalez, who is the only female candidate in the race, says she intends to do this by working with the army, ridding the police of corruption, and introducing policy that addresses the root causes of violence, such as lack of education and lack of opportunities. While she is leading in the polls, it is not clear whether the assassination of Villavicencio, who was close to Lasso, will strengthen Gonzalezs advantage or mobilize voters who oppose Correa.

The analyses that everyone made are useless now, says political analyst Pedro Donoso. In his opinion, the murder of Villavicencio marks a turning point since May, when Lasso dissolved the National Assembly and called early elections to avoid an impeachment vote. According to Donoso, until a few days ago, four out of 10 voters were still undecided, a considerable number were going to cast blank ballots, and Gonzalezs lead seemed practically assured. The attack will have consequences, but we still dont know what they will be, he acknowledges.

What is clear is that insecurity is at the top of the agenda. Today, violence is what drives votes. It is not on the ballot, but is present in all of Ecuadors political life, says Donoso. In his opinion, the visibility of the attacks against Villavicencio and other politicians is a challenge for the state, just as Ecuadorians prepare to elect a new government. The murder of Villavicencio sends a political message against democracy, the crime seeks to show that criminals are the ones who impose the rules, he says.

Soldiers inspect cars at a roadblock in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Cesar Munoz (AP)

The homicide rate in Ecuador has tripled in the last decade. Almost two out of every three Ecuadorians believe the country is insecure, according to a poll by the Gallup consultancy published in January. It was the highest number in Latin America. Almost 95% of citizens believe that Ecuador is on the wrong path and six out of 10 do not trust the state, according to a survey by Perfiles de Opinion last July. Lasso has the lowest approval ratings of Latin America, with only 14%, while 87% of the population is dissatisfied with democracy, according to the latest issue of Latinobarometro. Almost one in five Ecuadorians support authoritarianism, according to that study.

Now, 11 days after the murder of Villavicencio, the country is returning to the polls. Ecuador will vote amid a state of emergency, which was called following the assassination, and fears over whether there will be more attacks on election day. Despite this, the prevailing view among the candidates, electoral authorities and the government is that postponing the vote would further deepen the crisis. It is the worst message that the state could send, Donoso agrees. The winner of the election will govern Ecuador from November 2023 to May 2025.

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Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has sent his condolences to the President of the United States Joe Biden following deadly wildfires in Hawaii.

Read More: Sheikh Tamim Appoints Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman as New Qatar PM

Sheikh Tamim also wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Several wildfires initially broke out in various areas in Hawaii on Tuesday, August 8th.

The death toll from the wildfires reached 89 as of Saturday, making them the deadliest to hit the US in over a century.

Hawaii governor Josh Green warned during a press conference on Saturday that the death toll is likely to increase as the effort to find and identify the dead is still in its early stages.

Crews with cadaver dogs that have been trained to carry out search and rescue efforts have covered just 3 percent of the search area.

"It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever facedWe can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding," Green said, as quoted by CBS News.
Donald Trump has been indicted for a third time. Special counsel Jack Smith has charged the former president with four counts of conspiracy and obstruction for his actions leading up to the events of January 6, 2021. This indictment follows Alvin Braggs in New Yorkpertaining to Trumps alleged campaign-finance violations in 2015 and 2016, as he arranged to settle a dispute with Stormy Danielsand Smiths first indictment in June, a collection of federal charges relating to Trumps alleged mishandling of classified documents and his subsequent obstruction of the inquiry thereof.

In other legal news, Delaware district judge Maryellen Noreika declined to ratify Hunter Bidens plea deal with the Justice Department, observing that the deal favored form over substance and was, in other words, too sweet. The first son had previously pled guilty to two misdemeanor tax-fraud charges and entered a pretrial diversion agreement on one felony firearms charge after failing to disclose his ongoing substance abuse when purchasing a handgun. The younger Biden recently made his first court appearance since the DOJ began investigating him in 2018, under Trump-appointed prosecutor David Weisss supervision.

At a moment when nearly half of the country is cheering on a steady procession of judicial action against the leading Republican presidential candidate, its important to remember that the alleged crimes of one president do not absolve those of another. In a different political climate, it would be uncontroversial to question why, exactly, the son of a sitting American president has been paid millions of dollars by foreign actors in exchange for obscure consulting services. In our political climate, however, and particularly in the wake of two Trump impeachments and three Trump indictments, asking such a question is widely seen by supporters of President Biden as beyond the pale.

What this critique ignores is the work done by journalists and writers, such as Miranda Devine at the New York Post, who have been covering the Hunter Biden story for years, long before it could have been construed as mere whataboutism.

Devine is perhaps the most consistent voiceapart from Donald Trump himselfon the shady relationships that President Biden and his son have cultivated with Ukraine. She has chronicled the saga prolifically since 2019, when Hunters fraught connection to the Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma first attracted public attention.

The story runs something like this: Hunter Biden, second-eldest son of Joe Biden, left his career as a lobbyist once his father was elected vice president in 2008. Soon thereafter, pivoting from U.S. lobbying to foreign consulting, he was appointed to the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, earning roughly $80,000 monthly. At the same time, Vice President Biden was playing a central role in U.S.Ukraine relations. Hunters Burisma invoices and emails were discovered on the infamous laptop that he delivered to a repair shop in 2019  an incident that would later become the target of censorship efforts by Facebook and Twitter in the run-up to Election Day in 2020.

Devine was the first to report on Twitters decision (the deliberations over which have been well documented in the Twitter Files) to block the New York Posts account and to affix a note to any Tweet containing the Hunter Biden laptop story, warning readers that The link you are trying to access has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe. In concert, Facebook announced that it would reduce [the] distribution of the story on its platform.

In hindsight, two of Devines questions are remarkably prescient. Did [Facebook and Twitter] ever fact-check the Times and the Washington Posts debunked Russia collusion tall tales?, she asks, and, further, Did they interfere with BuzzFeed spreading the infamous Steele Dossier tissue of lies? While some journalists involved, including BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith, stand by the publication of the dossierthe veracity of which was as questionable as Hunters laptop, if not more sothe double standard is striking. In 2020, only conservatives were calling Russiagate a fraud; today, bipartisan consensus is growing that the Steele dossier was erroneous and misguided and that the Russiagate narrative was hyperinflated by a mainstream press eager to invalidate 2016 Trumps election.

One of the difficulties in covering these highly politicized stories is distinguishing scoops from genuine falsehoods, which abound on both sides. Earlier this year Devine, essentially on the Hunter beat for the last three years, served as the source of a story involving a rental application in Hunter Bidens name that showed a history of monthly rent payments of $50,000. Critics of the Bidens, including Tucker Carlson, primed to be suspicious of Hunters finances, soon began claiming without evidence that the property in question was Joe Bidens Wilmington, Delaware, home, and that the absurdly high rent was a method of laundering money from foreign actors to the president through his son. If true, this would have been the crucial clue connecting Hunters suspect business dealings directly to his father and his political influence. When this supposition was demonstrated to be falseit was confirmed that the rental payments were for an office space in Washington, D.C.Devine warned her followers on Twitter against wild speculation and acknowledged that the story was not at all what conservatives hoped it would be.

Its rare these days to see public corrections issued by journalists covering controversial and politicized topics. The incentives are not to do so, precisely because such admissions are leveraged by the other side to discredit the reporter involved. Just as we are owed corrections from mainstream outlets like the Times and the Washington Post for hasty and erroneous reporting on Russiagate, we should expect mainstream conservative media figures to retract false and defamatory content about Joe Biden. Devine, in sticking to the evidence, is fostering a space for genuine conservative skepticism of the sitting president.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro could still be the first in his party to provide genuine school choice for his constituents.

Part of Shapiros original allure was his ability to think and act for himself. When, as a gubernatorial candidate, he expressed his support for Lifeline Scholarships, Shapiro captured the attention of voters and pundits alike. Bucking the Democratic Partys orthodoxy, which explicitly rejects school choice in its platform, takes guts.

And Pennsylvanians rewarded Shapiro by voting him into office by a wide margin.

Shapiro was on track to be the first Democratic governor to sign a significant school-choice initiative into law. The $100 million appropriation for Lifeline Scholarships, called the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Program in the 202324 budget, would provide students trapped in the commonwealths lowest-performing schools with education opportunity accounts (EOAs) for use on private tuition.

Instead, Shapiro did what weve grown accustomed to in modern politics: When the going gets tough, the not-so-tough take the path of least resistance. Rather than sticking to his guns, Shapiro caved to partisanship and betrayed Pennsylvanias neediest families by line-item vetoing the Lifeline Scholarship/PASS Program.

Shapiro followed a long line of prominent Democrats who have flip-flopped on school choice.

Consider the trajectory of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. Booker, a Democrat, was once a rising star in his party. An Oxford-educated black man and a popular New Jersey politician (where he previously served as mayor of Newark), Booker was on the fast track to be the next Obama. But his presidential ambitions came to a grinding halt because of his previous support for vouchers and charter schools. The media called his support of school choice a problem and a dilemma for his national ambitions.

How did Booker respond? He fell into line. Though he had once cosponsored the nations only federally funded voucher program, Booker reversed course, saying, Vouchers do not help  and in fact, hurt  the cause of educational equity. Despite partnering with and serving alongside former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on several school-choice initiatives, Booker voted along party lines opposing her nomination, saying that he had no confidence in her. Once a vocal proponent of charter schools, Booker voted for the U.S. Department of Educations new restrictive rules directly affecting charter school funding.

President Joe Biden flip-flopped on the issue, too. In 1997, Biden made an impassioned speech on the Senate floor in favor of school choice. It is legitimate to ask what would happen to the public schools with increased competition from private schools, he said. Is it not possible that giving poor kids a way out will force the public schools to improve and result in more people coming back?

Fast forward to 2020, and then-presidential candidate Biden had abandoned his previous support for school choice. Weve got to prioritize investing in our public schools, so every kid in America gets a fair shot, Biden tweeted. Thats why I oppose vouchers.

To be sure, the deck seems stacked against pro-school-choice Democrats like Shapiro.

But the numbers tell another story: Theres a disconnect between Democratic politicians and their voters.

According to data collected by Education Next, Democratic-leaning voters favor school choice  often by greater margins than the general public. The poll shows 51% of Democrats support a voucher program for lower-income families, compared with 48% for all respondents.

A recent Commonwealth Foundation poll confirmed this trend. Among likely Pennsylvania voters, 78% of Democrats  11 points higher than the average  support EOAs that provide funds to students assigned to low-achieving schools.

Democratic voters seem to want school choice more than their elected representatives.

Shapiro can still do the right thing. The state budget isnt final, and, despite his veto, the Lifeline Scholarship/PASS Program technically remains on the negotiating table  both facts that Shapiro readily admits. The governor has a once-in-a-lifetime shot to fulfill a popular campaign promise, break the cycle of party politics trumping principles, and provide meaningful educational opportunities to Pennsylvania students.

Considering his national ambitions, Shapiro should not let this opportunity pass.
Ecuadorian authorities on Saturday transferred Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias Fito, the ringleader of the criminal gang Los Choneros, to a maximum security prison, La Roca, in Guayaquil. Fito, who is believed to control all crime in Ecuador, was transferred three days after presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated. At the end of July, Villavicencio said that he had received a death threat from the gang leader. According to police, Los Choneros are the operating arm of Mexicos Sinaloa Cartel. Around 3,600 police and military officers took part in the operation to take the inmate from his ordinary cell to a maximum security prison, which is located in the same prison complex in Guayaquil.

Until now, Fito, 43, had been held in Prison 4, known as the Guayaquil Regional. In the last two years, officers have carried out more than a dozen of operations to crack down on riots, but this center was untouchable.

More information Before assassination, Fernando Villavicencio denounced threats from criminal group linked to Sinaloa Cartel

Ecuadorian authorities filmed the transfer of the prisoner and shared the recording. In the footage, Fito appears topless, with his hands tied behind his back, lying face down in the courtyard of the prison along with a hundred other inmates. The prison system is on alert in case the transfer sparks a new prison riot, as has happened on other occasions.

Before his murder, Villavicencio said that he had been threatened by Fito. He said it was a warning that if I keep mentioning him and his structure, they will attack me or try to kill me. Villavicencio filed a complaint with the Prosecutors Office on the recommendation of his police bodyguards, which the government had granted him after finding that he had a 97% risk of being killed.

Last March, a Guayaquil judge annulled four of his sentences. This means that Fito could benefit from early release, and finish serving his sentence outside of jail, as happened with other leaders of Los Choneros, such as Jorge Rasquina Luis Zambrano and JR, who were both murdered months after being released.

Fito grew up in Manta, a coastal city in the province of Manabi, which is a strategic location for drug trafficking. He has 14 cases against him for crimes such as murder, robbery, organized crime, possession of weapons. He is serving a 34-year prison sentence, and has been behind bars for 12 years. During that period, he escaped from a maximum security with 16 other prisoners and was on the run for 10 months.

Fito is now back in that same maximum security prison. The operation took place at dawn and lasted eight hours. During the operation, officers seized 3,400 grams of marijuana, 937 grams of cocaine, 147 bullets, 195 fireworks, and other unauthorized items such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, speakers, sound equipment, and cellphones, according to a bulletin released by the Ecuadorian government.

Fitos rise to the leadership of Los Choneros occurred as a result of the murder of gang leader Rasquina. Los Choneros gained a reputation as hitmen, although over time they expanded their list of crimes to extortion, robbery and drug trafficking. They were the first to form links with foreign cartels.

The death of Rasquina at the end of 2020 sparked a violent power struggle that led to massacres in Ecuadors prisons. Nearly 300 inmates were killed in 2021. It was decided that Fito and JR would be in charge of Los Choneros, but Fitos appointment divided the criminal group, which split into rival factions. Some of these splinter groups now work with Mexicos Jalisco New Generation cartel.

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The cost of open cells has seen an average increase of between 3 and 20%, and is higher for larger screen TVs in July, according to manufacturers of televisions

Kindly note the image has only been published for representational purposes. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters

Television (TV) manufacturers will increase prices by up to another 10 per cent in August due to rising costs of open cells, a key component in TV production.

Since the beginning of 2023, the prices of open cells are on the rise, nudging manufacturers to raise their prices accordingly.

The cost of open cells has seen an average increase of between 3 and 20 per cent, and is higher for larger screen TVs in July, according to manufacturers of televisions.

Open cells constitute 60 to 65 per cent of the overall manufacturing costs for televisions.

Up until June, the cost of open cells had already risen by 15 to 17 per cent. This is an additional burden that manufacturers are grappling with.

This price surge is attributed to the consolidation of four to five panel manufacturers in China.

There has been a minor increase in open cell prices and are now up by 3 to 5 per cent, Atul Lall, managing director at Dixon Technologies, told Business Standard.

Photograph: PTI Photo

Dixon Technologies, being a contract manufacturer, transfers the entire price increase onto its clients. Lall said the prices of open cells should stabilise within a month.

Super Plastronics, a Kodak brand licensee, also plans to increase the prices of its television sets by 10 per cent towards the end of August.

The problem arises because of our dependence on one country for the supply of open cells. The production is dominated by four players, which is why prices are rising, said Avneet Singh Marwah, director and chief executive officer, Super Plastronics Private Limited.He has witnessed that the average price increase is around 20 per cent.

The television industry will frequently face such sudden price surges as the dependency for panels is primarily on one specific country, said Marwah, adding that the prices of open cells had been rising every month, to the tune of 10 to 20 per cent.

In the past six months, panel prices have shot up by around 50 to 70 per cent, with a further increase of approximately 6 to 10 per cent in the previous month, said Arjun Bajaj, director at Videotex International.

As a result, the production costs have spiraled, leading to a surge in the final product's price.

Depending on the size of the TV, the price of televisions may be raised by at least 5 to 10 per cent, Bajaj said.

Videotex International is an original equipment manufacturer and original design manufacturer and smart TV maker for brands such as Lloyd, Realmi, Toshiba, Hyundai, BPL, Vise, and Daiwa.

Videotex International has adopted several strategies to deal with the challenges posed by increasing production costs.

We have optimised and tightened our supply chain to minimise inefficiencies and bring down costs. Building solid supplier partnerships has been crucial in obtaining better terms, more favourable pricing, and enhanced collaboration. Through the emphasis on Inventory Management, we aim to mitigate the impact of price fluctuations and ensure a stable supply of components, he said.

Due to the increase in raw material prices, the company has increased its inventory, which has subsequently raised its overall working capital, enabling the company to provide better prices to brands and pass on the price benefits to them.

These measures have become essential to adapt to the challenging market conditions and sustain our business amidst the unprecedented price disruptions in the panel industry," Bajaj said.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar and his deputy chief minister nephew Ajit Pawar, who heads the group of rebel MLAs of the party, are believed to have met at the residence of a businessman in Pune on Saturday, sparking a buzz in Maharashtra political circles.

IMAGE: NCP president Sharad Pawar in a discussion with party leader Ajit Pawar after announcing being resigned from the party post in Mumbai, May 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Nationalist Congress Party leader Amol Mitkari said, "It could be a family meeting between the two leaders".

Visuals aired by regional news channels showed Sharad Pawar arriving at the residence of the businessman in Koregaon Park area at around 1 pm. He left by around 5 pm.

After nearly two hours, deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was seen leaving the premises in a car at 6:45 pm while apparently trying to avoid cameras.

The visuals showed the car brushing the gate.

Maharashtra NCP president (Pawar faction) Jayant Patil is also believed to have attended the meeting.

Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar were in Pune on Saturday to attend various programmes separately.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, "It is better to ask them (the Pawars and Jayant Patil) what transpired during the meeting".

Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar are family members, he added.

In a sudden development that stunned political circles in Maharashtra last month, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

The eight MLAs of NCP supporting him took oath as ministers.

Out of 54 MLAs, the exact number of legislators supporting the groups led by the Pawar senior and Ajit Pawar is not known.
A mahapanchayat by Hindu outfits at Pondri village in Haryana's Palwal on Sunday decided to resume on August 28 the Vishva Hindu Parishad's Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh that was disrupted after communal violence in July.

IMAGE: Heavy police deployed on the Gurugram-Nuh border near the KMP Expressway after violence between two groups in the Nuh district of Haryana on August 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The mahapanchayat also made several demands, which included a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the attack on the VHP yatra in Nuh on July 31 and declaring Nuh a cow slaughter-free district.

At the 'Sarva Jatiye Mahapanchayat', participants from Palwal, Gurugram and other nearby places took part, and it was decided that the yatra will resume from Nalhar in Nuh and pass through Firozpur Jhirka's Jhir and Shingar temples in the district.

While addressing the event, some Hindu leaders said that Hindus in Nuh, a Muslim-dominated district, be given relaxation in securing arms licences for self-defence.

At the gathering, Haryana Gau Rakshak Dal's Acharya Azad Shastri told the youth 'not to be afraid of FIRs'.

"We should immediately ensure getting licence of 100 rifles in Mewat," he said.

The mahapanchayat, attended by some local Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, was held under the banner of 'Sarv Hindu Samaj', in which several Hindu outfits, including the VHP and Bajrang Dal, took part. It was presided over by Arun Jaildar, a Khap leader.

Zaildar said the annual yatra, which has remained incomplete, must be completed on August 28.

The mahapanchayat was originally planned to be held in Nuh district's Kira village but permission was denied for it in view of the prevailing law and order situation.

Permission for the mahapanchayat was given in Palwal, Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters), Palwal, Sandeep Mor said on Sunday.

Palwal and Nuh are adjoining districts.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the clashes that erupted in Nuh after the VHP procession was attacked by mobs on July 31. Gurugram also witnessed stray incidents of violence.

VHP leader Devender Singh had earlier claimed that the yatra will resume on August 28 in Nuh after the earlier one came under attack.

The mahapanchayat also demanded that Nuh district be merged with adjoining Palwal and Gurugram districts, and a survey of losses of shops and homes of Hindus be carried out and they be compensated.

There should be permanent deployment of Rapid Action Force and four battalions of central forces in Nuh, it sought, and further demanded that cases registered in Nuh against those indulged in violence should be heard in a court outside the district and the arrested accused be lodged in Gurugram or other jail instead of Nuh.

Rohingyas and people from any other place outside the country living in Nuh should be removed and a law should be made to enforce this, the Hindu leaders demanded.

It was also demanded that compensation of Rs 1 crore and a government job be provided to the family members of Hindus who died in the Nuh violence and Rs 50 lakh to those injured.

In the mahapanchayat, Bharat Bhushan, state convener of Bajrang Dal; Anurag Kulshrestha, social media head of VHP; BJP's Sohna MLA Sanjay Singh, former Palwal MLA Subhash Chowdhary, Nuh BJP former district president Surender Arya and officials of the VHP, Bajarang Dal and other Hindu outfits were present.
Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday.

IMAGE: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Thane. Photograph: Courtesy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital/Facebook

These comprise 10 women and eight men, of which six are from Thane city, four from Kalyan, three from Sahapur, one each from Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar and Govandi (in Mumbai), one patient is from some other place and and one is unidentified, he said.

Twelve of the deceased were above the age of 50, with the oldest being an 83-year-old woman and the youngest a 4-year-old boy Bangar added.

Earlier, state health minister Tanaji Sawant and local Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde had put the number of deaths at 17.

Addressing a news conference, Bangar said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had taken feedback about the situation and had ordered the setting up of an independent probe committee that will be headed by the commissioner of health services and will include collector, civic chief, director of health services, interventionist at state-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai and civic surgeon.

It will carry out probe into the clinical aspect of the deaths, he added.

These patients had complications of kidney stone, chronic paralysis, ulcer, pneumonia, kerosene poisoning, septicemia etc, he said.

"The line of treatment will be probed and statements of kin of the deceased etc will be recorded. Allegations of negligence levelled by some kin is a serious matter, which the probe committee will look into," Bangar said.

"The entire COVID staff of 500 has been shifted to this hospital and additional nursing staff has been appointed. We are also aiming to have round the clock post mortem facility here," he told reporters.

Earlier in the day, state health minister Sawant said the dean of the hospital had been asked to submit a report in two days.

A Thane Municipal Corporation official said the deaths were being analysed and several civic officials are at the heavily-patronised facility for inspection of records etc.

Speaking to PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ganesh Gawde said, "We have information of 17 deaths in the last 24 hours. We have been told the usual figure per day is six to seven."

"The hospital management told us some of the patients arrived there in a critical stage and succumbed during treatment. Some were elderly. We have increased police presence at the hospital to avoid any untoward incident due to these high number of deaths," the DCP informed.

Speaking on the issue, Sawant said, "Of these 17, a total of 13 were in the ICU. A few days ago, five patients had died in the hospital. The state government has asked the dean to submit a report in two days."

"Action will be taken as per the report of the dean. This hospital comes under the state medical education and research department. Its minister Hasan Mushrif has reached the hospital and he is looking into the matter," Sawant told reporters in Pune.

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar called the deaths heart-breaking and said the administration did not wake up despite five deaths at the facility in a single day recently.

Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Girish Mahajan said '16 deaths' in a a single day in a hospital with a capacity of 500 was a matter of concern.

Nationalist Congress Party leader and MLA from the region Jitendra Awhad said the hospital was mismanaged and asked the administration to set things right before it was too late.

He said kin of the deceased must be given compensation of Rs 50 lakh.

Awhad said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was slow in reacting to the situation and should have ordered corrective steps when five people died at the facility earlier.

State minister Aditi Tatkare, who visited the hospital, called the deaths unfortunate and said the Maharashtra government will take all efforts to ensure such an incident is not repeated.

Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Clyde Crasto sought a detailed inquiry into the deaths.

Chief Minister Shinde belongs to Thane and the medical negligence leading to these deaths took place in his backyard (Thane is the stronghold of Shinde), Crasto said.

It goes to show Shinde is not paying attention to Thane and is 'probably so busy in breaking and forming governments that he has no time for his own people', the NCP leader alleged.

State NCP chief Jayant Patil too slammed CM Shinde, saying the latter boasted about 'government at your doorstep' but there was lack of medical facilities in his own backyard.

Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhakse, who is also spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the hospital was 'over loaded' and was treating 650 patients per day against a capacity of 500.

The civil hospital in the area is being renovated so the load falls on this facility in Kalwa, Mhaske claimed.

Hospital sources, meanwhile, said some doctors were down with dengue which was also affecting the running of the facility.

Sources said Thane civil hospital, with 300 beds, was operating at 50 per cent capacity.

BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare said it has been decided to shift some patients from the Kalwa facility to Thane civil hospital, while medical personnel from the latter will be posted in Kalwa.

He also said private hospitals must be roped in to provide relief to people in the district.

Local MNS leader Avinash Jadhav sought proactive measures to improve the efficiency of the hospital.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kedar Dighe slammed authorities for what he claimed were medical lapses as well as lack of planning to overcome problems rising due to the relocation of the civil hospital.

Thane Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare said authorities must take all efforts to ensure such incidents are not repeated, adding there were complaints of patients being asked money for certain services.

Later in the evening, the Thane district administration, in a press release gave the names of the deceased.

They are Geeta (age unknown), Zaida Sheikh (60), Sunita Indulkar (70), Tarabai Hari Gage (56), Bhanumati Padhi (83), Sanadi Sabira Mohammad Hussain (66), Ninad Ramesh Lokur (52), Bhaskar Bhimrao Chabukswar (33), Amrin Abdul Kalam Ansari (33), Ashok Jaiswal (53), Bhagwan Damoo Potdar (65), Abdul Rahim Khan (58), Sunil Tukaram Patil (55), Lalitabai Shankar Chavan (42), Chetak Sunil Gode (4), Ashok Barlkrishna Nichal (81), Noorjahan Khan (60) and Kalpana Jairam Humne (65).
In a mega capability boost, the Indian Air Force has inducted its latest Heron Mark 2 drones, which have strike capability and can carry out surveillance along the borders with both China and Pakistan in a single sortie itself.

IMAGE: Indian Air Forces newly inducted Heron Mark 2 drone operating from a forward air base in the northern sector, August 13, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The four new Heron Mark-2 drones, which can be equipped with long-range missiles and other weapons systems, have been deployed at a forward air base in the northern sector, where Team ANI witnessed their operations.

The drones with satellite communication capability have given a long desired capability to the Indian Air Force, as its drones can operate at very long distances for close to 36 hours at a stretch and can also laser illuminate enemy targets from very long ranges to help fighter aircraft destroy them using their long-range weapons.

"The Heron Mark 2 is a very capable drone. This is capable of longer endurance and has beyond line of sight capability. With this, the entire country can be surveilled from the same place,a the commanding officer of the drone squadron, Wing Commander Pankaj Rana," told ANI in an exclusive interaction at the base.

He said the longer endurance also ensures that multiple missions can be flown and multiple sectors can be addressed in one mission itself.A

"The drone simply amalgamates into the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance matrix of the Indian Air Force," Rana said.

Highlighting the major strength of the drone, Rana said it can provide 24x7 surveillance of targets.

Modern avionics and engines have ensured that the operational ceilings of the aircraft have been increased.

He said the drone can operate in any weather and on any terrain to address its targets and complete the mission.

"Flying from here, the drone can cover both the adversaries in the same sortie itself," Rana said while highlighting the major strengths of the latest unmanned machine of the force.

Defence officials said the drones are capable of being equipped with weapons, and work towards weaponising them is in progress.

The drones can be equipped with different types of weapons, as the original equipment manufacturers can equip it with air-to-ground missiles, air-to-ground anti-tank weapons, and bombs.

Squadron Leader Arpit Tandon, who is a pilot of the Heron Mark 2 drone, said the new version of the Heron drones has multiple advantages over the previous versions, which started getting inducted into the IAF in the early 2000s.

"The payloads and the onboard avionics of the Heron Mark 2 can operate at sub-zero temperatures and in any weather condition. This is helping the Indian Air Force achieve footprints over any type of terrain," he said.

The Indian Air Force is also working on Project Cheetah, under which around 70 of the Indian Armed Forcesa Heron drones are to be upgraded with satellite communication links and weaponised to meet the requirements of the armed forces.

The Indian armed forces are also getting 31 Predator drones, which are in the high altitude, long endurance category and are helping the Navy presently to cover large tracts of the Indian Ocean region.

India is getting a version of the drones that can be equipped with weapons and will have sensors for different roles in different terrains.

Fifteen of these drones are to be operated by the Indian Navy, while the other two forces would be getting eight each.
A 33-year-old Indian-American doctor has been arrested and charged for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself in front of a 14-year-old female seated next to him onboard a flight from Honolulu to Boston.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Max Rossi/Reuters

US attorney's office in a statement said that the incident took place on a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May last year.

The doctor, identified as Dr Sudipta Mohanty, was charged by "criminal complaint with one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States," according to the statement.

Mohanty was arrested on Thursday and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.

According to the charging documents, Mohanty is an internal medicine and primary care doctor with a practice in Boston.

It is alleged that Mohanty was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight enroute from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion on May 27, 2022.

He was seated next to a 14-year-old minor, who was travelling with her grandparents, who were seated nearby.

The US attorney's office in a press release said, "About half-way through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohantyas leg was bouncing up and down."

It further said, "Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight."

After reaching Boston, the minor informed her family members about the incident and law enforcement was notified.

According to the press release, the charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the US provides for a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.

Acting United States attorney Joshua S Levy in the press release said, "Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are traveling."

Levy further said, "If you engage in the type of illicit behavior alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the continuing violence in the northeastern state of Manipur is disturbing and needs to be stopped immediately.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi embraces a supporter during the inauguration of the HT Installation at Tribal Specialty Hospital, at Nalloornad, Mananthavady, in Wayanad on Sunday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The MP from Wayanad said the violence in the state was a direct result of a particular type of politics of division, hatred and anger.

"So, it is important to keep everyone together as a family," said Gandhi, who was on a two-day visit to Kerala.

He said everyone has to come together to not only help Manipur heal, but also 'ensure this new unpleasant type of politics does not spread and is stopped in its tracks'.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone of the Community Disability Management Center (CDMC) at St Joseph High School Auditorium in Kodenchery in Kozhikode, Gandhi said he has been disturbed for the last few months ever since he visited Manipur.

"I saw with my own eyes what happened there and what has been done to the people of Manipur. In my 19 years of political life, I have never experienced what I experienced in Manipur.

"It is as if one person has been torn into two pieces. It is like someone has torn one whole state of the union. The violence, rape and killing just continues. So, it is important that the violence (in Manipur) is stopped immediately," he said.

Gandhi further said that the wounds inflicted as a result of the violence would take many years to heal.

"The sadness and anger will not go away so easily," he added.

He said the violence in Manipur was a lesson to him on what happens when you use politics of division, hatred and anger in a state.

"It is a direct result of a particular type of politics where you divide the country and spread hatred and anger. So, it is important to keep everyone together as family," he said.

On Saturday, he had launched a stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by accusing him of not addressing the problem of Manipur even during the debate on the violence in the northeastern state in the Parliament a few days ago.

Lashing out at Modi, Gandhi had said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the government led by it 'murdered the idea of India' in Manipur.

Gandhi's visit to Kerala is the first one after his reinstatement as MP of Wayanad and he is scheduled to depart for Delhi from Calicut International airport at around 10.30 PM. He arrived in the state on Saturday.

Prior to sharing his views about the violence in Manipur, he spoke about the CMDC and how it will help the differently-abled children.

Gandhi said that everyone has a special ability or unique strength within them which society does not allow them to discover.

"These kinds of centres should try to discover the unique strengths of such children," he said.

The Wayanad MP also said that the centre would carry out 'early intervention, treatment and rehabilitation' with regard to disabled and differently-abled children.

He said he was happy and honoured to give Rs 55 lakh from his MPLADS fund to the CMDC and looked forward to helping them in any way he can in future.
Black cat commandos of the National Security Guard conducted security drills over the last few weeks to effectively secure the national capital during the upcoming Independence Day celebrations and the G20 Leaders' Summit scheduled next month, officials said on Saturday.

IMAGE: NSG conducts security drills at multiple locations of the capital ahead of Independence Day, August 12, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

A contingent of about 500 commandos, snipers and VIP security personnel drawn from various Central Armed Police Forces have been stationed in Delhi as part of the overall protection grid being laid by the central security and intelligence setup in view of the two events.

"The National Security Guard conducted aerial insertion drills at multiple locations in Delhi to fine-tune security preparedness for Independence Day and other upcoming international events."

"Multiple contingencies were rehearsed involving other stakeholders to strengthen the response mechanism," the federal counter-terrorist force said on its official handle at X (formerly Twitter).

A senior officer told PTI that multiple house intervention teams, snipers, K9 (canine) and bomb detection and disposal teams of the 'black cats' commandos force rehearsed these drills over the last few weeks, including air dropping of soldiers from a helicopter near the Akshardham temple in east Delhi.

Commandos and VIP security duty personnel from various CAPFs like the CRPF, ITBP, BSF, CISF and the SSB have been called to Delhi from their various field formations to render "protocol and protection" duties during the G20 Leaders' Summit to be held here on September 9-10 at the Bharat Mandapam convention centre, earlier Pragati Maidan, and some other vital locations.

These special units, including that of the Delhi Police, will function under the central command of the Ministry of Home Affairs till the G20 meet gets over and all the premiers and dignitaries leave for their respective destinations, the officer said.
As cars passed along the main avenue of Duran, a small city in Ecuador near Guayaquil, they skirted around a bundle hanging on a rope from the bridge at the entrance to the city, the body of a man with a bare torso  his head almost touching the road. Further ahead, another corpse was suspended, with its hands tied behind its back and a rope around its neck. Both showed signs of torture. This was February 14, 2022, and Ecuador was breaking news after bodies were found strung up on bridges. For the first time, the nation accepted the message that organized crime had transcended the prison walls and was on the street, sowing a degree of violence that this South American country had never experienced before. The scene sparked fear and silence.

By that time, the number of deaths caused by violent crimes was already in its thousands  2,500 last year. After that episode, the wave of violence spiraled out of control, as the government continued to follow its same approach to combat the expansion of crime: decree states of emergency to enable the military to assume control of public security in the streets, alongside the police.

The data show this approach had been unsuccessful. In 2022 alone, the country was under military control for 165 days, with four states of emergency decreed by the president, Guillermo Lasso. That same year, the nation recorded its highest ever homicide rate, 26 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, according to official data.

Never before had Ecuadorians experienced such high levels of violence. Before 2019, violent deaths did not even amount to 1,000. The police mainly patrolled the streets to deal with minor crimes such as cell phone theft and street fighting. Cities were abuzz with festivities to mark holy saints and important civic dates. The weather had always helped businesses to stay open late. Violence had never risen to the point of having to confine residents to their homes, forcing businesses to close or schools to suspend classes, as is happening now.

At the current rate of 4,200 violent deaths so far this year, Ecuador is set to smash its own record. By the end of this year, it could hit a rate of 40 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, making it among the most violent countries in the world.

For a long time, the discourse of the Lasso government was based on the idea that the murders were the result of a turf war between criminal gangs, downplaying the problem by saying that those who were killed were criminals. However, the figures for other common crimes do not support the governments narrative. Ecuadorians live in constant fear of being extorted and kidnapped. According to the Attorney Generals Office, between January 2022 and June of this year, it registered 15,671 reports of extortion and 1,556 of kidnapping, of which only 59 cases have resulted in convictions. Ninety percent are still in the initial judicial stage of preliminary investigation.

The criminal operation centers are focused on prisons, where the leaders of the criminal groups that dominate the streets of Ecuador reside. The prison blocks are divided according to criminal gangs, where inmates have access to everything: satellite communication, drones, alcohol, a gym, drugs, money, weapons of all types, thousands of rounds of ammunition, explosives, and they even have the privilege of celebrating their leaders birthdays with pyrotechnic games. The prisons are both punishment centers and schools of criminal activity, states the Prison Dialogue Commission set up by the government in one of its initiatives to restore order in the prisons.

The high levels of crime are compounded by corruption and impunity. After the most recent prison massacre at the Litoral Penitentiary on July 25, the armed forces staged an operation in which they seized more than 30,000 rounds of ammunition, weapons, grenades  a recurring theme in the country.

For the first time, the operations hit the administrative offices of the state institution in charge of the prisons. The military opened the ceilings where they found weapons, guns, ammunition, drugs and cash.

The Prosecutors Office also indicted nine officials, including the director of the prison. If no external oversight mechanisms are put in place for the police and armed forces, organized crime will continue to infiltrate to the core, says Luis Cordova, coordinator of the Research, Order, Conflict and Violence program of Ecuadors Central University.

The fatal shooting of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has thrown the spotlight on the governments actions, which attributes the spread of violence to the shift in criminality away from the hegemony of a gang known as Los Choneros since the 1990s. The group is made up of hitmen trained around the town of Chone, which is in the coastal province of Manabi.

In December 2020, the head of this criminal group, nicknamed Rasquina, was murdered a few months after being released from prison. He had been convicted of murder, escaping from a high-security prison and bringing prohibited objects into the detention center. Nonetheless, a judge ruled that he could finish serving his sentence out of prison. Left without the head who coordinated thousands of Los Choneros gang members, the leadership struggle devastated the prisons where those who would eventually succeed him, Fito and Jr, were held. The latter was killed in May in Colombia after being granted pre-release.

Los Choneros splintered into other gangs such as Los Lobos, Tiguerones and Chone Killers, who terrorize cities across the country in their quest for power and territory.

The penetration of organized crime did not happen overnight; it has numerous roots, said the Minister of Government, Henry Cucalon, hours after the murder of presidential candidate Villavicencio, which has stunned Ecuador. The minister is confident that the states strategy in the war against crime will yield results, obviously with government responsibilities at the head, of course, no one has disassociated them. But there is involvement, the armed forces, the judicial system, there are a lot of things, and we are working on it.

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Senior AGP MLA Pradip Hazarika resigned from all posts in his party on Saturday, protesting the abolition of his Amguri seat in the final delimitation report for assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam.

IMAGE: Congress MPs Abdul Khaliq and Pradyut Bordoloi hold a banner during the protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue demanding the scraping of Assam delimitation draft, on the first day of Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, July 20, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The opposition Raijor Dal protested against the delimitation report in Sivasagar district, while the All Tiwa Students' Association demonstrated as its demand to reserve the Morigaon seat for tribals was not fulfilled.

The final report, which was published by the Election Commission on Friday, retained the number of assembly constituencies in the state at 126 and Lok Sabha seats at 14.

However, it revised the nomenclature of one parliamentary and 19 assembly constituencies.

According to an EC statement, 19 assembly and two Lok Sabha constituencies have been reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs), while nine assembly and one Lok Sabha constituencies have been reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Hazarika, a former minister, said that he resigned from all posts in the AGP, including that of the general secretary.

The AGP is a part of the BJP-led government in the state.

"I have failed my people in giving leadership. The draft delimitation proposal had done away with Amguri but we had made a strong pitch for retaining it. However, after the publication of the final report, we now know that our demand was not met," he told reporters in Guwahati after sending his resignation to AGP chief Atul Bora.

However, Hazarika said that he has not resigned from the primary membership of the party.

Locals also protested against the abolition of the Amguri constituency, raising slogans against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Hazarika.

As the police prevented the protestors from burning effigies of Sarma and Hazarika, they stripped off their shirts to register their objection to the final delimitation report.

Raijor Dal activists protested near Sivasagar town, blocking the national highway for some time.

Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi, the MLA of Sivasagar, stated that the final EC order is subject to the outcome of petitions filed by different political parties before the Supreme Court against the entire delimitation exercise.

Protesting against the delimitation report, the All Tiwa Students Association said, "We had submitted before the state government and the EC with evidence why Morigaon should be reserved for STs. But our demand has gone unheeded. We are forced to think that the government does not consider the Tiwas as indigenous people."

All assembly and parliamentary constituencies in the state were redrawn based on the 2001 census. The last delimitation exercise in Assam took place in 1976 on the basis of the 1971 census.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra has said that his wife Priyanka Gandhi would be "very good" in Parliament and hoped that the party plans better for her.

IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accompanied by Congress leaders MB Patil, BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, and Byrathi Suresh meets with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra (third from right), in New Delhi, May 26, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

"She should be in Lok Sabha for sure. She has all the qualifications for it. She would be very good in Parliament and she deserves to be there. I hope that the Congress party accepts and plans better for her," he told PTI.

Vadra also hit out at Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani for linking his name with business tycoon Gautam Adani while speaking in Parliament. During a debate on the no-confidence motion in Parliament, Irani displayed a picture of Vadra with Adani.

Vadra said he keeps away from politics but "I will speak to fight for my name because if there is anything they say they have to prove it".

"I challenge them that if they are going to take my name and 'you are going to bring my photograph, please show me something that I have done with Mr Adani. And if there is any wrongdoing I will deal with it and if not, they have to apologise and will have to take it back," he said.

"We have a picture of our very own prime minister sitting in Adani's plane. Why should not we ask questions about that and what Rahul (Gandhi) has been asking? And why these questions are not answered," he said.

Vadra said champion women wrestlers were protesting in Delhi for their rights, but Irani as the union minister for women and child development never went to meet them and hear out their grievances.

"I did not see Smriti Irani meet them and take up their issues. Manipur has been burning and this minister (Smriti Irani) has to bring up some kind of negative thing about me. I am not even in Parliament," he said.

"Since this government came to power, they always come up with something against me whenever they are cornered and they want to digress from real issues... but they have never been able to prove anything against me," he said.

On the opposition alliance, he said, the Congress has joined the INDIA bloc and it will give them (the BJP-led NDA) a good fight in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"I feel INDIA is a very good title. We are going to make India great again. The BJP government has destroyed India," he said. "I am very hopeful. And I think and I hope the citizens of the country give this group a chance to make India better again, secular again, progressive again and... united again."

He also asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not visited Manipur so far and why he talked in a "derogatory way" about the state during his speech in parliament.

"Those shocking videos need to be sent to the prime minister again to show what is happening in Manipur," Vadra said, referring to the video of two women being paraded naked in the state.

"It is definitely a very sensitive matter. The prime minister himself should look into what is happening in Manipur. They have their government there. They need to resolve the matter or let another party handle it," he said.

On the suspension of opposition MPs from Parliament, he said it shows a complete misuse of power by the ruling dispensation.

"As they use central agency on (opposition party) people, they use the suspension tactics," he said.
An expert panel and the University Grants Commission have recommended that Jadavpur University and Jamia Hamdard University, which were shortlisted by the Centre for granting institutions of eminence status, should not be granted the tag, according to officials.

Imave used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Also, the Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn the proposal submitted earlier to confer the status of IoE on the Anna University, they said.

The ministry of education is yet to take call on the recommendations by the empowered expert committee and the University Grants Commission.

"Jadavpur University, a state public varsity had initially submitted a proposal with budget outlay of Rs 3,299 crore under the scheme. Subsequently, the ministry had sought financial commitment from the West Bengal government for their share of funds since the scheme has a provision to fund up to Rs 1,000 crore of the proposed outlay only and to ensure continuity of funds for the implementation plans in case of any shortfall," a top official privy to the development told PTI.

"However, the same was not agreed to by West Bengal government and it revised the proposal, first to Rs 1,015 crore and then again revised steeply downward to Rs 606 crore with 25 per cent of the amount to be generated by the university at its level. Noticing a significant decrease in the budget outlay, the matter was referred to the UGC and EEC to examine the proposal afresh and both of them recommended the Ministry of Education to not consider the university for IoE status," the official added.

No response was available from the three universities on the issue.

The education ministry had launched the IoE scheme in 2018 as per which 20 institutions were to be selected -- 10 public and 10 private ones -- that would enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.

In the first lot, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Bombay and the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science were awarded the IoE status in the public sector, and Manipal Academy of Higher Education and BITS Pilani in the private sector, while the Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation was given the tag in Greenfield category.

In 2019, five public institutions, including Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, University of Hyderabad, IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur were granted the status.

A Letter of Intent for granting the IoE status was also issued to five private universities -- Amrita Vidyapeetham and Vellore Institute of Technology in Tamil Nadu, Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi and Satya Bharti Foundation's Bharti Institute in Mohali.

Similarly, governments of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu were asked to indicate their commitment towards contribution to Jadavpur University and Anna University to enable them to have the IoE tag.

"On the recommendation of EEC and UGC, the Ministry had sought financial commitment from the Tamil Nadu government for its share of funds under the scheme to make good of the shortfall in funds, if any, to ensure proper execution of implementation plans under the IoE Scheme. However, the state government refused any financial commitment owing to its financial condition and informed that the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly had passed a bill, bifurcating the University into Anna Technological and Research University and Anna University."

"Also, a committee set up by the Tamil Nadu government recommended that Anna University does not require IoE status. Therefore, the state government has withdrawn the proposal submitted earlier to confer the status of IoE on the university," the official said.

While the government will provide funding up to Rs 1,000 crore to public institutions with IoE tag, in case of private institutions proposed as institutions of eminence, there will be no financial support. But they will be entitled to more autonomy as a special category Deemed University.

"Following the Supreme Court order, division of Hamdard National Foundation into Hamdard Education and Cultural Aid Committee and Medical Relief and Education Committee based on the resolution of the family settlement deed is proposed. Since, IoE status was granted in toto, the EEC, after due deliberation has recommended to not consider the institution for IoE status," the official said.

According to a Parliamentary panel, the ministry of education has informed that the draft MoUs received from four private institutions -- JIO Institute; Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore; Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore -- recommended for IoE status have been forwarded to the UGC for placing it before the EEC and forward its advice.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 83F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 54F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 82F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds from time to time. Low 54F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Vermont has been generous to the people of Northern Kenya. ... It gives us a lot of pride to demonstrate such a gesture. We give you these goats for they are what we have."

-- Ahmed Kura Omar

Quote
In this image provided by Fox Corp., Viet Dinh, the chief legal officer at the company, poses for a photo.

Fox Corp. said Friday that its chief legal officer who oversaw a $787 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation allegations is leaving the company.

Viet Dinh, Foxs chief legal and policy officer, will step down effective Dec. 31, the New York-based company said in a statement. He will remain a special advisor to Fox Corp., it added.

Fox News, a unit of Fox Corp., agreed to settle the case brought by the voting machine producer in mid-April following weeks of pretrial disclosures that revealed the network had aired false claims about the 2020 U.S. presidential election, even though many within the company knew they were not true.

The company did not say why Dinh was leaving Fox Corp. Brian Nick, a spokesman for Fox, said the company had no comment beyond the statement.

Records released as part of the lawsuit showed Fox aired the claims in part to win back viewers who were fleeing the network after it correctly called hotly contested Arizona for Democrat Joe Biden on election night. One Fox Corp. vice president called the claims MIND BLOWINGLY NUTS.

During a deposition, Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch testified that he believed the 2020 election was fair and had not been stolen from former President Donald Trump.

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KYODO NEWS - Aug 13, 2023 - 15:00 | All, World

Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te arrived in New York on Saturday for a two-day stay before traveling to Paraguay to attend a presidential inauguration ceremony.

The transit by Lai, a leading candidate ahead of next year's presidential election, has angered China, which considers Taiwan as its own and opposes any official contact between other countries and the self-ruled democratic island.

China "deplores and strongly condemns" the decision of the United States to arrange his transit, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

Beijing regards Lai, a member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party under President Tsai Ing-wen, as a pro-independence figure.

On his way home from Paraguay, Lai will transit in San Francisco on Aug. 16 and 17, according to Vice Foreign Minister Alexander Tah-ray Yui.

The Liberty Times of Taiwan reported Lai is expected to attend a meeting with Taiwanese residents of the United States and meet with U.S. congressional officials during his stay.

Lai will visit Paraguay, the only South American country to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan, for the Aug. 15 inauguration ceremony of President-elect Santiago Pena.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in July that China will closely follow the situation regarding Lai's trip and "take resolute and strong measures to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Tsai made stopovers in the United States in April as part of a trip to South America and met with House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California, which prompted China to launch military drills near Taiwan.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war. Beijing regards the territory as a renegade province and intends to unify it with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Related coverage:

Taiwan Vice President Lai to transit U.S. during Paraguay trip
BSF on Sunday foiled foiled two nefarious attempts of Pakistani drugs smugglers. A drone was recovered from a well near the International Border in Punjab's Tarn Taran district and in separate incidents, over three kilograms of drugs was seized from western borders of Punjab.

In the first incident, BSF recovered a packet of drugs weighing 530 grams which was dropped by a drone. The recovery was made in Dhanoe Kalan village located at International Border in Amritsar. The drugs consignment was recovered based on a tip-off following which BSF carried out the search operations. The consignment was wrapped in a yellow packet and was dropped in mid of an agricultural field.

BSF along with Punjab police jointly carried out a search operation in the area trying to track a person who was supposed to receive a drug consignment from Pakistani-based smugglers.

Pak drone recovered

In another incident, BSF on Sunday foiled another attempt of Pakistan drug smugglers. In a joint operation led by Punjab Police and BSF, a Pakistani drone was recovered from a well at Lakhna village in Tarn Taran. The drone, a quadcopter, was broken; it was kept inside a plastic bag and was tied with bricks. During preliminary investigation it has been learnt that the Pakistani drone was damaged by BSF bullets and some locals hid the damaged drone in the well to mislead police and BSF.

"Several search operations against the Pakistani drug smugglers are being carried out jointly with Punjab Police. Security agencies are foiling every attempt of the smugglers. We are also tracking the 'on-ground supports' of the Pakistan-based smugglers and trying to break the chain of smuggling," BSF said in a statement.
The Indian Air Force has deployed its newly-inducted Heron Mark 2 drones at a forward air base in the northern sector from August 13, ANI reported. These unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) are now fully operational under the 'Warden of the North' squadron. The drones have been conducting surveillance missions along the shared border areas with China and Pakistan.

IAF's Heron mk2 drone at its foward air base. | Image: ANI

IAF: Entire country can be surveilled from the same place

The Heron Mark 2 drones come equipped with advanced satellite communication links. According to Squadron Leader Arpit Tandon, a pilot specialising in Heron Mark 2 drones, this upgraded version possess the capability to operate seamlessly in sub-zero temperatures.

"The payloads and the onboard avionics of the Heron Mark 2 can operate at sub-zero temperatures and in any weather condition. This is helping the Indian Air Force achieve footprints over any type of terrain," Squadron Leader Arpit Tandon said.

Wing Commander Pankaj Rana, the commanding officer of the drone squadron, stated, "Heron Mark 2 is a very capable drone. This is capable of longer endurance and has beyond line of sight capability. With this, the entire country can be surveilled from the same place. The drone simply amalgamates into the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance matrix of the Indian Air Force.

Heron: Unveiling its strategic capabilities

Image: A Heron MK2 drone. | Image: IAI

The Heron Mk 2, categorised as a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV/UCAV, represents a substantial advancement from its early 2000s predecessors. Developed by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Mark 2 incorporates a range of advanced technologies. With a Rotax 916 iS engine, it boasts of an operational altitude ceiling of 35,000 feet, a top speed of 150 knots, and an endurance period of 45 consecutive hours.

The enhanced manufacturing techniques of this model result in a more robust and easily maintainable structure, optimising operational efficiency. Additionally, the drone's maximum takeoff weight is 1430 kg, with a payload capacity of 490 kg.

As Wing Commander Rana mentioned, the drone has a Line of Sight (LOS) range greater than 250 km and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) capability of more than 100 km, coupled with specialised manoeuvring capabilities and the ability to loiter effectively with a speed of 60-80 knots.

One of the 'standout' features of the Mk 2 variant is its adaptability in carrying diverse payloads. Outfitted with long-range observation sensors, radars, and an array of other payloads including ELINT, COMINT, and ESM, this UAV can effectively execute a wide range of missions. Also, notable is its Standoff Capability, which enables intelligence gathering from substantial distances without crossing borders, thanks to its larger and more sophisticated sensors.

The deployed Herons of the IAF were also observed showcasing their ELL-8385 ESM pod, a feature that the previous variants in service with the IAF also exhibited.

India strengthening its strategic arsenal

Heron Mk2 drone during flight. | Image: IAI

India initiated plans to acquire 97 drones for its armed forces under the 'Make-in-India' initiative on July 18. The Indian Air Force is leading the defense procurement efforts. Additionally, through Project Cheetah, India is upgrading its existing fleet of 46 Heron UAVs with enhanced versions that exhibit improved strike capabilities and other incremental enhancements. Some Heron drones were procured on a priority basis from Israel during the height of the tensions in Galwan.

While Pakistan and China already possess a range of unmanned combat vehicles, the recent acquisition of Turkish drones by Pakistan, including the renowned Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci drones, has been noted. Likewise, China has developed a drone manufacturing industry that has produced products equivalent to top-tier Western drones, such as the WZ-7 Soaring Dragon and the WZ8 drone, showcased at the Zhuhai airshow in 2019. In light of these developments, the acquisition of more armed drones becomes a critical endeavour for the Indian Armed Forces.
Security has been beefed up across Jammu, especially along the borders with Pakistan, to thwart any attempt to disrupt peace in the region ahead of Independence Day, officials said on Sunday. Massive 'tiranga' rallies are being held in the region in the run up to Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday.

The army and Border Security Force have intensified their vigil all along the 225-km Line of Control (LoC) and 192-km International Border (IB), officials said. Area domination and checking in the hinterland have also been stepped up as part of the heightened security arrangements, they said.

Police have issued a security advisory in the border district of Rajouri, seeking people's cooperation during checking and also asked them to report to security agencies any suspicious movement or object. Last week, Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh chaired a joint meeting of various security agencies and called for a high level of alertness and 'offensive operations' to thwart terror threats.

He also stressed for strengthening of the border security grid, anti-drone measures, joint checking points at vulnerable locations and inter-district boundaries. The officials said the Maulana Azad Stadium, the venue of the main Independence Day function in Jammu city was virtually sealed with additional deployment of police and paramilitary personnel.

Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Ramesh Kumar visited the venue on Saturday to inspect and finalise the arrangements on the eve of full-dress rehearsal, they said. Jammu division has been witnessing massive public participation in a variety of activities organized as part of the nationwide 'Meri Maati Mera Desh' campaign launched towards the end of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. Besides 'tiranga' rallies in the 10 districts, the celebrations also witnessed installation of statues of martyrs, creation of Amrit Vatikas and plantation drives.
The only way to avoid conflict in Niger between mutinous soldiers who ousted the president and regional countries threatening an invasion to reinstate him is to recognize the new regime, a rights defender with ties to the junta told The Associated Press.

In his first interview with Western media Friday, Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications and says he is in direct contact with them, said there will be no dialogue with regional countries until they acknowledge the new head of state. Although Saidou is not an official member of the junta, he acts as a liaison between them and the media.

His comments to the AP were the strongest statement since mutinous soldiers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum nearly three weeks ago that the junta was not open to negotiations with regional countries unless it is recognized as Nigers new leaders. This heightens the risk of regional violence and puts Western nations, many who saw Niger as the last democratic country in the Sahel region to partner with in beating back a jihadi insurgency, in a difficult position.

On July 26, the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, overthrew the West African countrys democratically elected president, claiming they could do a better job of securing the nation from extremist violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Tchiani was declared in charge of the country.

The West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, has threatened to use military force if President Bazoum, who took office two years ago, is not released and reinstated. However, the junta has dismissed its warnings and refused most attempts at dialogue.

There is only one option, accepting the regime or war, said Saidou. It is finished for Bazoum, you must forget about him. It is finished, it is a waste of time trying to restore him. It is not possible, he said.

On Thursday, ECOWAS said it had directed the deployment of a standby force to restore democracy in Niger after its deadline to reinstate Bazoum expired. Its unclear when, or where the force will be deployed, but analysts say it could include up to 5,000 troops from countries including Nigeria, Benin, Ivory Coast and Senegal.

While the bloc says it wants mediation to prevail, multiple attempts by ECOWAS, as well as others, have yielded little.

Last week a proposed visit by ECOWAS, the United Nations and the African Union was rejected on the grounds of evident reasons of security in this atmosphere of menace against Niger. A day earlier, a top U.S. diplomat met some members of the junta but was unable to speak with Tchiani or see Bazoum.

Western countries have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into providing equipment and training for Nigers military by specialized French and U.S. forces, all of which could now be used by the junta to tighten its grip on power.

The military regime is already entrenching itself, appointing a new government and stoking anti-French sentiment toward its former colonial ruler, to shore up its support.

Mercenaries from the Russian-linked Wagner group, already operate in a handful of other African countries and are accused of committing human rights abuses. Earlier this month during a trip to neighboring Mali, which is also run by a military regime and cooperates with Wagner, the junta reportedly asked the mercenaries for help.

Days after ECOWAS order for the standby force to deploy, its still unclear what that entails or if theyll invade. The African Union Peace and Security Council could overrule the decision if it felt that wider peace and security on the continent was threatened by an intervention, say analysts. The African Union is expected to meet Monday to discuss Nigers crisis.

Some Sahel experts say the insistence on force is a cover to spare ECOWAS from the embarrassment of having made a threat with no real capacity or notion of how to execute it. The bloc is acting like a poker player who tried (to) bluff and, when called on it, raised the stakes to buy time, said Peter Pham, former U.S. special envoy for West Africas Sahel region and a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council.

If fighting does ensue, the most battle-experienced and best-equipped militaries in West Africa, either belong to Niger or are sympathetic to it, such as Mali and Burkina Faso. Both countries have opposed the intervention and sent delegations to Niger to discuss joint defense efforts.

Aid workers who remained during the start of the coup are evacuating on U.N. run flights to Burkina Faso. Several flights left on Friday and more are scheduled for Saturday, according to a foreigner whos leaving on one of the flights and did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation

In anticipation of a possible invasion, some Nigeriens have also moved their families out of the capital. But others say theyre not going anywhere and want ECOWAS to negotiate a peaceful transition of power with the junta.

(What) we want to do now is to put things in order and move on. ... Were not expecting ECOWAS as an African society to come and attack us in this manner. Its not the best, we are not really happy about it, said Moussa Ahmed, a food seller in Niamey.

Saidou, the activist who supports the junta, said no matter how ECOWAS plans to invade, be it by land through neighboring Benin or Nigeria or by air, any attack on the palace will result in Bazoums death. While he didnt confirm a deliberate plan to murder the now-ousted president, he said that if an invasion began soldiers would kill him.

There is no one among the soldiers still loyal to Bazoum, he said.

He dismissed reports that Bazoums conditions under house arrest in his presidential compound were dire and said he had access to medical care if needed and still had his phone, a sign that no one wanted to harm him. He did not say how he had knowledge of the presidents condition. Saidou said he was being kept for his own security and the only way for Bazoum to be released was for ECOWAS to accept that his time in office was finished.

Those close to the president, however, paint a much starker picture.

Since the July 26 coup, Bazoums been confined with his wife and son to the basement of his presidential compound, which is surrounded by guards and is now cut off from resupplies of food, electricity, water and cooking gas. Nigers ambassador to the United States, Mamadou Kiari Liman-Tinguiri, told the AP that the junta is trying to starve him to death.

On Saturday an advisor to the president who was not authorized to speak about the situation told The AP that for the first time a doctor visited Bazoum and brought him and the family some food. The advisor did not want to comment more on the nature of the visit.

On Friday, United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk said he was extremely concerned about Bazoums rapidly deteriorating condition, calling the familys treatment inhuman and degrading and in violation of international human rights law.
One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the countrys ousted president or face military intervention, the junta has not acquiesced. No military action has been taken and the coup leaders appear to have gained the upper hand over the regional group that issued the threat, analysts say.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS had given the soldiers that overthrew Nigers democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum until last Sunday to release and reinstate him or they threatened military action. On Thursday, the bloc ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in Niger, with Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and Ivory Coast saying they would contribute troops.

But its unclear when, how or if the troops will deploy. The move could take weeks or months to set into motion, and while the bloc decides what to do the junta is gaining power, some say.

It looks the putschists have won and will stay ... The putschists are holding all the cards and have cemented their rule, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

ECOWAS is unlikely to intervene militarily and risk dragging Niger into civil war, he said, adding that ECOWAS and Western countries would instead likely press the junta to agree to a short transition period.

Europe and the United States will have little choice but to recognize the junta in order to continue the security cooperation in the region, Laessing said.

The July 26 coup is seen as a major blow to many Western nations, which saw Niger as one of the last partners in the conflict-riddled Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that they could work with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The U.S. and France have more than 2,500 military personnel in the region and together with other European countries have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training Nigers forces.

There was still little clarity about what would happen days after ECOWAS announced the standby force deployment.

A meeting of the regions defense chiefs was postponed indefinitely. The African Union is expected to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss Nigers crisis. The groups Peace and Security Council could overrule the decision if it felt that wider peace and security on the continent was threatened by an intervention.

The delay of the defense chiefs meeting to discuss the standby force shows that ECOWAS views the use of force as a last resort, said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

Given the likely challenges an intervention would face, (the use of force would) require a high degree of consensus and coordination not just within ECOWAS, but within the African Union and international community writ large, he said.

But those with ties to the junta say they are preparing for a fight, especially since the soldiers are unwilling to negotiate unless ECOWAS acknowledges its leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who overthrew the president, as the new ruler.

ECOWAS is demanding that (the junta) immediately release president Bazoum and restore him as head of state. Is this a joke? said Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications and says he is in direct contact with them. Whether Bazoum resigns or not, he will never be Nigers president again.

As time drags on, there is mounting concern for Bazoums safety, who has been under house arrest with his wife and son since the coup. Those close to him say his situation is deteriorating with no water, electricity and a lack of food. Nigers junta told a top U.S. diplomat that they would kill the deposed president if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule, two Western officials told The Associated Press.

Most Nigeriens are trying to go about their lives as the standoff continues between the coup leaders and regional countries.

For the most part, the streets in the capital, Niamey, are calm with sporadic pockets of pro-junta demonstrations. On Friday hundreds of people marched toward Frances military base demanding the French leave while waving Russian flags.

Mercenaries from the Russian-linked Wagner group already operate in a handful of other African countries and are accused of committing human rights abuses. Earlier this month during a trip to neighboring Mali, which is also run by a military regime and cooperates with Wagner, the junta reportedly asked the mercenaries for help.

But many Nigeriens dont have time for protests and are more focused on feeding their families.

The country of some 25 million people is one of the poorest in the world and the harsh travel and economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS are taking a toll.

Moussa Ahmed, a food seller in Niamey, said the prices of food items such as cooking oil and rice have increased by 20% since the coup and there isnt enough electricity to power the fridges in his shop. Niger gets up to 90% of its power from neighboring Nigeria, which has cut off some of its supply.

Aid groups operating in the country that were grappling with the challenges of helping more than 4 million people who need humanitarian assistance say the crisis will exacerbate an already dire situation.

We cannot overstate the impact on civilians, both in terms of humanitarian and protection needs, when military imperatives take precedence over civilian governance, said Jan Egeland, secretary general for the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Niger has the youngest and one of the poorest populations in the world and the sanctions and suspensions of development aid are expected to have a dramatic impact on living conditions for a country already under heavy strain, he said.
Iranian MPs have voted to debate the controversial hijab law in Iran behind closed doors and there will not be any public say in the matter, according to the emerging reports. For several months now, Iran has witnessed women uprising against the Islamic Republic's strict moral dress code that imposes strict punishments on women who refuse to wear a headscarf.

The draft-- Hijab and Chastity Bill--was approved for a three to five-year trial and was brought in response to the mass protests that were triggered following the death of the 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in Iran's moral police's custody. Amini was detained with coercion by the morality police for not wearing the hijab properly.

MPs evoked Article 85 of Iranian constitution

Iran's politicians will now be able to change the legislation after the trial, making it a permanent law. They evoked Article 85 of the Iranian constitution that allows review of the bill without public debate, reports suggest. The voting happened during the open session of parliament. As many as 175 members voted in favour of the move, meanwhile 49 voted against it. Iranian MP Gholamreza Nouri-Qezeljeh was reported warning that such a move comes with risks and dangers of its own, while another MP Mohammad Rashidi argued that the vote was conducted to see how the law can be implemented "experimentally."

The bill mainly focuses on criminalising the hijab-related breaches. It would specifically target hijab violators and lists out a range of proposals to punish the women. It includes long prison time for defiant women who refuse to adhere to the rule of wearing a headscarf. The bill also imposes new penalties for prominent public figures and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in an attempt to surveil women who violate the country's strict moral dress code.

Scores of Iranian women across dozens of professions who appeared in public without the hijab in defiance of the controversial rule were arrested and summoned by the authorities, have gone missing, or prosecuted, with criminal courts ruling brutal sentences against the defendants for defying the dress code and exercising their individual rights and freedom.

"It is a clear response to the protests from September of last fall, Sanam Vakil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think-tank in London said about the bill. He added that it is an attempt by the leaders to reassert authority over veiling and the requirements expected of women.
In the aftermath of Typhoon Khanun that battered Japan earlier this week, Russia's Primorye region in the Far East incurred heavy flooding prompting the officials to evacuate as many as 2,000 people on Sunday, August 13. Heavy downpours wreaked havoc across dozens of villages as the typhoon made its way toward the Korean peninsula. The remnants of the storm, coupled with heavy rainfall that doubled the monthly average caused widespread flooding, reducing the residences to debris, according to Russian state media reports.

More than 2,000 people, including 405 children, have been evacuated in Primorye, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said on Telegram.

4,300 residential buildings in 28 settlements affected

An estimated 4,300 residential buildings were reduced to rubble in at least 28 settlements. The access to several villages was cut off by floodwaters. An estimated 16 of the regions of the districts located in the Far East were affected by the torrential rains. Flash floods were caused in seven districts. At least three people were killed including a woman and two children, ages 10 and 12 as of Sunday.

The storm brought by Khanun that barrelled towards the Korean peninsula also prompted evacuations of tens of thousands of scouts from their jamboree campsite in South Korea. Russia sent a task force for the cleanup of parts of the countrys Far East as homes were damaged and residential properties were destroyed by the storm. The worst affected cities were the Ussuriysk and Spassk-Dalny. In the Oktyabrsky municipal district, in the region of Primorye, where the port of Vladivostok is the administrative centre, several homes crumbled under the impact of heavy rain and storm.

More than 2 thousand people evacuated in Primorye due to flooding after the destruction of the dam in Ussuriysk pic.twitter.com/6I7izd07S0   paolo rel (@paolobucci18) August 13, 2023

The South Korean authorities, meanwhile also scrambled to evacuate more than 10,000 people in the flood-hit regions as tropical storm Khanun swept over the peninsula. One person was reported dead as 350 flights and 410 train routes were suspended with immediate effect. The worst to be impacted was the southern inland city of Daegu. City's emergency workers searched for the survivors as one person was reported missing. Storm also threatened North Koreas capital, Pyongyang, where authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un ordered the military to prepare for the mitigation efforts.
A media star with ties to the Chinese Embassy wears traditional dresses, sings folk songs and cooks Uyghur dishes.

Rahat Abdullah from northwestern China's Xinjiang region lives in Pakistan, where she has become notable on social media and local radio and TV broadcasts.

Chinese Rahat Abdullah has become a regular on Pakistani social media channels, YouTube and Facebook, wearing Atlas silk dresses, Pakistani clothing, or traditional Chinese outfits.

Regarded as a Chinese internet star, she also sings in Urdu on local radio and cooks Uyghur dishes on Pakistani TV programs  though she refers to the dishes as Chinese food.

Her sudden rise in popularity has raised questions among Uyghurs living in Pakistan about Beijings efforts to use local Uyghurs as pro-Chinese Communist Party propaganda tools to downplay the Chinese governments horrific treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.



China has come under harsh international criticism for its severe rights abuses against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs, including forced labor. The U.S. government and several Western parliaments have declared that the abuses amount to genocide or crimes against humanity.

Abdullah is believed to hail from the city of Ghulja  or Yining in Chinese  in Xinjiang. Information on Pakistani social media platforms says she earned a law degree in China and arrived in Pakistan in 2010.

She has been known to teach Chinese at various universities in Pakistan and is portrayed in the videos as a messenger of friendship between China and the predominantly Muslim Pakistan.

But Abdullah doesnt mix with local Uyghurs, according to Omar Uyghur, the founder of a trust that provides assistance to Uyghur refugees in Pakistan.

She doesnt come to the weddings or funerals, he said. Uyghurs dont meet with her either. She spreads propaganda in the Pakistani media on how Uyghurs are living happily.

At a time when Uyghurs in Pakistan cannot freely return to Xinjiang and some Uyghur women married to Pakistanis are being detained by Chinese authorities in the region, Abdullah was able to visit Ghulja last June.

During her visit, she participated in a wedding and recorded Uyghur songs and dances there, later posting them on Facebook and other social media platforms to give her Pakistani followers the impression that Uyghurs live happy lives.

In June 2023, Rahat Abdullah visited Ghulja in northwestern China's Xinjiang region, where she recorded Uyghur songs and dances to give her Pakistani followers the impression that Uyghurs live happy lives. Credit: Screenshot from Rahat Abdullah Facebook

Television host and actress

Until recently, Abdullah had about 10 social media followers, but her follower count has climbed to more than 40,000, largely due to her appearances on Pakistani TV.

She recently became a host of the Ni Hao program  Mandarin for Hello  on Pakistans Kay2 TV, a channel that has received investment from China. She also has portrayed a Pakistani woman married to a Chinese man in a TV series that highlights the friendship between China and Pakistan.

On June 4, Abdullah sang a Pakistani folk song on an Eid al-Adha TV program in Islamabad while wearing a traditional Uyghur Atlas dress and introducing herself as Chinese Rahat Abdullah.

Photos on her social media accounts indicate that she has had connections with the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan and other Chinese organizations there since 2017.

Abdullah, who is relatively unfamiliar to Uyghurs but is gaining popularity through local broadcasts in Pakistan, did not respond to Radio Free Asias requests for comment via messages sent to her social media accounts.

Other efforts with Pakistanis

Abdullahs new notoriety comes as China and Pakistan have strengthened ties across various sectors in recent years, and as Beijing has invited some influential Pakistanis on trips to Xinjiang.

On July 18, Ma Xingrui, Communist Party Secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang government chairman Erkin Tuniyaz welcomed a delegation of Pakistani scholars in Urumqi, Xinjiangs capital.

During the meeting, Ma told his guests that they have created a free and happy living environment for the people of Xinjiang. He also criticized Western countries that have followed the lead of the United States in condemning China for human rights violations.

Alleged atrocities against the Uyghurs have included detention in re-education camps and prisons, torture, sexual assaults and forced labor.

Qibla Ayaz, chairman of Pakistans Council of Islamic Ideology and leader of the visiting delegation, affirmed the participants unwavering support for China and expressed admiration for the progress in Xinjiangs development and the peaceful lives of its Muslim population.

The participants also expressed hopes for creating closer connections with Xinjiang through the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, a 3,000-kilometer Chinese infrastructure network project under the Belt and Road Initiative to secure and reduce travel time for Chinas Middle East energy imports.

Pakistani student Muhammad Usman Asad holds the flag of East Turkistan, Uyghurs' preferred name for Xinjiang, in front of a billboard announcing a Dragon Boat Festival event at the National University of Sciences & Technology in Islamabad, Pakistan, June 10, 2022. Credit: Mumahhad Usman Asad

An ineffective measure

Some Pakistanis have expressed growing concern that their government has remained silent about the abuses in Xinjiang.

Pakistani scholar Muhammad Usman Asad, who has spoken out on behalf of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, said when China invites Pakistani religious scholars to tour Xinjiang, news about their visits always appears on Chinese social media, but not in the Pakistani media.

These so-called religious scholars are not the kind of scholars that the Muslim masses in Pakistan would listen to, said Asad, who staged a solitary sit-in in Islamabad in June 2022 to protest Chinas repressive policies against Uyghurs. They are only pro-government and government-sponsored Islamist organizations, so their false propaganda about China will have little effect.

Nonetheless, China is extending its attempts to sanitize its image, Asad said, following heavy criticism from Western nations about the governments brutal treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities in Xinjiang.

Just as China's campaign to improve its image through the religious sphere has been ineffective, its campaign in Pakistan through English-speaking Chinese or Pakistani internet stars has been equally ineffective, he said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matthew Reed.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 13, 2023 - 10:01 | All, Japan

Over 80 percent of major companies in Japan expect the country's economy to expand in the next one year, supported by a recovery in personal consumption following the removal of COVID-19 restrictions, a Kyodo News survey showed.

In the survey of 114 companies, including Toyota Motor Corp. and the Uniqlo clothing chain operator Fast Retailing Co., 82 percent said they project economic expansion, up from 55 percent the previous summer, when firms were concerned over price surges.

The results showed optimism over the economy even as firms grapple with rising material and energy costs, with 94 percent of those forecasting an expansion citing recovery of consumer spending as one of the main drivers.

With multiple answered allowed, 67 percent cited recovery in capital expenditure, while 55 percent chose departing from the coronavirus pandemic. A significant number also pointed to hopes for increased spending by foreign tourists visiting Japan.

The percentage of respondents that expect economic conditions to remain unchanged or contract moderately dropped to 15 percent from 42 percent a year ago. Among such firms, the largest number cited expectations of a slowdown of the U.S. economy as a reason behind their response.

While 59 percent said their business performance is on an expansionary trend, around the same number said rising material and energy costs are pressuring their profits.

About half of the companies surveyed said they plan to raise the prices of their goods and services through next fiscal year starting April.

Nearly half said they are short-staffed, but only 24 percent said they are considering pay hikes, the survey found.

As for desirable foreign exchange rates, many said they want the yen to trade between 120 and 140 against the U.S. dollar.

Asked about the accomplishments of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government, 25 percent cited its effort to secure domestic production bases for advanced semiconductors.

On the government's goal of increasing the proportion of female executives in major companies to over 30 percent by 2030, only 5 percent said they have achieved or will attain that target by the end of the year.

The survey covered representative companies in each industry from early July to early August.
A polytechnic school in Russias Tatarstan, a region some 900 kilometers east of Moscow, is using manufacturing facilities that are part of a nearby special economic zone to assemble Iranian attack drones and are increasingly turning to underage students as laborers, many of whom often work in exploitative conditions.

The revelations at Alabuga Polytechnic University raise troubling implications about the lengths that Russian authorities are going to in order to boost the war effort and how the advanced Iranian weaponry -- which is increasingly used to bombard Ukrainian cities and has only recently begun to be manufactured inside Russia -- could contribute to escalating tensions and rising civilian casualties.

The use of underage students as drone factory workers and the details of the manufacturing facilities were first reported by Russian independent media outlets Protokol and Razvorot, which published a series of investigations in July.

Since then, RFE/RLs Idel.Realities has spoken with students who describe grueling working conditions and interviewed dozens of parents whose children have been enrolled at Alabuga Polytechnic University -- some as young at 15 -- who say that their children were forced to work exceedingly long hours, often without proper breaks or meals, and under hostile conditions that have deeply affected their mental health.

My son enrolled and 2 1/2 months later he called for me to take him away, Zhanna, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect against reprisals for speaking about the operation, told RFE/RL. He said to me on the phone, Come and get me or Ill die, so I picked him up immediately.

Zhanna, who asked that her underage sons name also not be used, says that she sent him from Nizhny Novgorod to study at Alabuga Polytechnic University in 2022 because of its reputation as a leading technical institution inside Russia.

The school offered students -- often between the ages of 15-18 -- an opportunity to get vocational training as part of a dual program that combines a classroom education with practical work experience. Students were also promised an opportunity to work and earn a locally competitive salary of up to 70,000 rubles ($700) a month as part of the work experience program that could further their career growth.

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.

But, instead, those enrolled were encouraged and in some cases pressured into working at the drone facility, where the salaries of the mostly underage laborers are contingent on meeting tough production quotas.

This is a textbook definition of what constitutes exploitation, Sergei Podsytnik, an investigative journalist at Protokol who worked on the series of reports, told RFE/RL. [Students] assemble drones, with the work taking priority over their studies.

The pressure to fulfill these quotas has allegedly led to strenuous back-to-back days -- with some shifts lasting up to 15 hours -- with little time for sleep or adequate sustenance. Overtime work is often unpaid, further highlighting potential labor violations. Exhausted students also reported not always meeting their quotas, which led to them not earning the salary initially promised by the school. Many students came from disadvantaged backgrounds and relied on their earnings to cover costs for tuition, room, and board and would send the remainder home.

Other parents, such as Marina, said she decided to take her daughter out of the program when she discovered that she was working in apparent unsafe conditions and that staff from the school had instructed students not to tell their parents about the drone assembly work.

This was the last straw for me, Marina, who also asked for her identity to be concealed, told RFE/RL. This is a dangerous production process that involves dangerous chemicals. They also forbid the kids from telling everything to their parents.

RFE/RL sent multiple requests for comment to various staff and administrators at Alabuga Polytechnic University but received no replies.

Making Iranian Drones In Russia

The complicated and concerning dynamic at Alabuga Polytechnic University stems from growing military cooperation between Iran and Russia that has accelerated since Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Iran has said it provided drones to Russia before the start of the war, but not since. However, U.S. intelligence officials have warned for months of continued deliveries and deepening cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, saying the two sides were exploring how to set up a manufacturing plant for Iranian drones inside Russia.

According to The Wall Street Journal, an Iranian delegation visited Yelabuga in Tatarstan on January 5, touring a potential site for such a factory at the Alabuga special economic zone close to Alabuga Polytechnic University. U.S. officials released satellite images in April of the plant being built.

Russia already possesses an array of unarmed aerial vehicles, or UAVs, which are used mainly for surveillance and artillery spotting, but has turned increasingly to Tehran for attack drones.

After being forced to abandon Ukrainian territory that its troops captured in the early stretches of the war, Moscow shifted to a strategy of relentless air assaults on Ukrainian cities. These attacks often rely on a combination of cruise missiles and self-detonating drones packed with explosives to knock out electricity and running water for the civilian population in Ukraine.

So far, Iran has provided Russia mostly with so-called "suicide" drones, known as the Shahed-136, that contain a modest amount of explosives that can detonate when the drones crash into targets, military experts say.

In acquiring its own domestic assembly line, Russia could dramatically increase its stockpile of the relatively inexpensive but highly destructive weapons systems.

WATCH: Russia has resorted to using Shahed-136 drones from Iran in its war on Ukraine. Ukraine says it's already downed many of the drones, which work by slamming into their intended target, laden with explosives. Ordinary Ukrainians say they can already recognize the sound of the drones, which use two-stroke engines like lawnmowers or motorbikes. Iran has denied supplying the drones to Russia.

The arrangement also offers substantial economic and political benefits for Iran, which has sought to portray itself as neutral in the Ukraine war. The appearance of Iranian-made drones over Ukrainian cities, however, has triggered threats of new economic sanctions from the West. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have also all issued rules in recent months designed to cut off the flow of drone components to Russia and Iran.

The Washington Post reported in November 2022, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, that the agreement to deliver Iranian drone schematics and materials for manufacture in Russia resulted from Iranian leaders believing that the arrangement would allow Tehran to avert new sanctions.

Foreign Recruitment And Patriotic Education

Alabuga Polytechnic University is formally not a college. All of its students are officially enrolled at nearby Yelabuga Polytechnic College, with the Alabuga institution existing on paper as a specialized program for students looking to break into high-tech industries.

Currently, about 1,000 students are studying at Alabuga Polytechnic University, with several hundred of them -- most of whom are between the ages of 15 and 17 -- involved in assembling the Iranian drones.

In addition to the work on the drones, there are other signs that point to blurred lines in Russia between the education system and the countrys military amid the war in Ukraine.

According to current and former Alabuga Polytechnic University students, team-building and organized extracurricular activities through the school often take on a patriotic character that may be designed to expose students to official government narratives of international events or echo talking points from state television.

Organized paintball games have become a mainstay for students, especially first-year arrivals, in which they are encouraged to compete against one another and then play together against more experienced outside players. Teachers and administration officials regularly refer to paintball as being part of a patriotic education needed to complement the technical aspect of their studies.

In one instance, a group of new students competed in paintball as Soviet soldiers against outside players who were dressed as troops from Nazi Germany in a capture-the-flag competition meant to simulate the World War II battle of Stalingrad. According to one student, the Nazi flag contained the compass symbol used by the NATO military alliance instead of the swastika used by Nazi Germany.

Other instances of political teachings from staff are more direct. In a recording obtained by RFE/RL from June 16, a senior administrator can be heard telling the teenagers that NATO launched a hybrid war against Russia back in 2011 and that it has slowly become more overt. The man then goes on to tell students that their hard work and exceeding long days at the drone factory are part of a nationwide struggle against the West and that their patriotism will be rewarded.

Several students and parents identified the man in the recording as Timur Shagivaleev, the director-general of the special economic zone where Alabuga Polytechnic University and the drone factory operate.

Shagivaleev did not respond to RFE/RLs request for comment.

The man in the recording then goes on to tell students not to take holidays and to continue working even if it's mom's birthday, before ending his speech with, Long live our great country.

WATCH: Amid a new wave of Russian drone attacks on Ukraine, analysts in Kyiv are gaining useful intelligence from a collection of downed Russian aerial weapons. They have been studying the remains of Iranian Shahed drones and Russian Kinzhal missiles, among others.

Multiple current and former students told RFE/RL that students who work in the drone factory are often praised by staff, while those who have refused or asked to be reassigned due to the high workload are often publicly shamed. In some instances -- according to recordings heard by RFE/RL -- staff even encourage students to bully others who are not deemed patriotic enough.

According to Protokol and Razvorots investigations, Alabuga Polytechnic University has also turned toward recruiting foreign students to enroll. The majority of them come from African countries, but also from Central Asia and Azerbaijan, where they are promised world class salaries as part of the dual-track world experience program.

However, these foreign students are then given low-skill and menial tasks around the campus and the special economic zone, such as janitorial work, and are also paid lower salaries than initially promised.

Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by RFE/RLs Idel.Realities
PRIZREN, Kosovo -- The smell of sizzling meat wafts through the air of the cobblestoned streets of Prizren, as locals and tourists alike soak up the atmosphere of one of Kosovo's more picturesque towns at the foothills of the Sharr Mountains, many lounging in the outdoor seating of restaurants and cafes.

As they enjoy the local delicacies in the sweltering summer heat, small children, dressed in tattered clothes, dart in and out of the tables, palms extended, asking for handouts.

Children begging, especially Roma children, is not a new phenomenon in Kosovo or elsewhere in Europe. However, activists as well as police there say the problem is getting worse in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They say Kosovo's communities of Roma -- mostly Serbian-speaking -- as well as Askhali and Balkan Egyptian -- Albanian-language speakers who claim origins in ancient Egypt -- not only struggled with the virus but received, on average, a fraction of the aid doled out by Pristina to soften the economic blow.

Already longtime victims of discrimination, these communities are reportedly even more vulnerable now, activists say, and children may be paying the price amid reports of increased begging and trafficking of such children, sometimes by their parents or relatives.

Osman Osmani, who is Romany himself and has worked with kids from that community for 22 years to improve their lives, says what he's seeing now is unprecedented.

"In the 1980s or 1990s, the situation was not like this. There was poverty even then, but there were rarely families whose children were pushed to do these things," Osmani told RFE/RL's Balkan Service.

According to official data from Kosovar police, 41 children were stopped and officially registered by police for begging over the first six months of 2023, a figure that is on track to set a new annual record. (Being minors, they can't be charged with a crime.)

Most of the begging is reported in the biggest towns and cities, including Kosovo's capital, Pristina, Prizren, as well as Peja and Gjakova. That number is likely higher as many Romany kids lack proper documents, leaving police unable to process them.

Petrit Collaku, a spokesperson for the People's Advocate Institution, Kosovo's ombudsman office, acknowledges much of the community is "invisible," as far as the authorities are concerned.

"Many of them are on the move (internal or cross-border migration), and some are not registered in the birth registers or have no form of personal identification," Collaku said.

Children from Kosovo, Albania, and other neighboring countries are "forced to beg within the country," the U.S. State Department said in its latest annual report on Kosovo.

Kosovo is one of Europe's poorest countries, with 23 percent of its 1.8 million people living in poverty, according to UN data. Those figures are believed to be much higher for Kosovo's Roma, Ashkali, and Balkan Egyptians, who have historically suffered the worst poverty and have been the most economically, politically, and socially marginalized minorities.

At a day center for street children in Pristina, run by Terre des Hommes, a network of organizations that campaigns for children's rights, some 250 children are given food every day. About 90 percent of those receiving the free meals are Roma, Askhali, and Balkan Egyptian. With many Roma plunging into deeper poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic, Terre des Hommes says that every day it is giving out more free food.

With many not registered with the authorities, only 12.7 percent of Roma, Askhali, and Balkan Egyptians received local or national financial relief during the pandemic, according to findings from Foleja, a Kosovar NGO advocating for those communities' rights.

An opinion poll by Foleja found 44 percent of those surveyed from those communities said their economic situation was difficult or worse after COVID-19. A further 3 percent said things had gotten "much worse."

Osmani, who heads Nevo Koncepti, a Kosovar NGO advocating for Roma rights, said that he is "really worried" about their current plight.

The "severe economic and social conditions" at home are leading to more begging by Romany kids on the streets of Kosovo, said Riza Murati, from the Trafficking in Human Beings Directorate (THBD) of the Kosovar police.

"These are the main reasons why [the children] are on the streets. They are mainly children who do not have proper care from their family but also from the district [government]. They drop out of school and their only option is to go out on the streets," Murati told RFE/RL.

To get a better picture of the backgrounds of the children forced into begging, the Kosovo office of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched a program to gather data on Kosovo's street kids.

Echoing others, Murati said it is the parents who push their children to beg on the streets, adding that has been confirmed in 90 percent of such cases that have been investigated by police in Kosovo.

Kosovo's Criminal Code may also be part of the problem, the U.S. State Department, among others, has noted. Under the current law, forcing their children to beg is classified as parental neglect rather than trafficking, meaning more lenient penalties in cases of conviction, the U.S. State Department said in its report, adding that police should do more to convict what it said were officials involved in the trafficking.

Osmani said there was plenty of blame to go around but singled out parents for "the lack of conscience that children should be in school, to socialize and play with their peers and not on the street begging."

Murati said police in Kosovo are doing all they can to tackle the problem of children being forced to beg, "but the problem cannot be solved by the police alone." He emphasized that many of the children registered for begging return to the streets, saying that the police know some of them by name.

Given that the local law defines forced begging of children by their parents as parental abuse rather than trafficking, judges in Kosovo "continued to issue lenient sentences for the majority of convicted traffickers, which were below the minimum penalty prescribed under the trafficking law," the State Department noted in its report.

Longer term, education is the key to pulling Kosovo's poor out of poverty, Osmani said.

"We must have a stronger response from the social services, so that those families [in need] are in social care -- and then also from the schools so that those children are getting an education," said Osmani, who added that he and his NGO have made getting kids into school a top priority.

"We have visited families and their children in difficult conditions and engaged [the children] with various activities. We wanted them [to do this so they could] see and hear what's happening, to teach them that this is the way they should grow up and live," Osmani said.

The latest official data shows only about 25 percent of Roma finish high school, while the U.S. State Department noted vocational training was also lacking.

Osmani said change is possible if children from hardscrabble communities are given "positive examples" of those who resemble them and have "achieved success."

"With a positive example, you can influence young people, children, but also parents to make a change," said Osmani.

As for tackling the current problem of forced begging, Osmani had one bit of advice.

"Poor people should be helped, but I'm trying not to give them money," he said. "Because when you give them money, tomorrow you will see them again in the same place, and then the day after tomorrow you will see them again in the same place."

Written by Tony Wesolowsky based on reporting by RFE/RL Balkan Service's Doruntina Baftiu
At least seven people, including a child, were killed and 129 were wounded in a Russian missile strike on the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on August 19, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a "terrorist state" had carried out the attack and caused "a day of pain and loss."

Oleksandr Lomako, acting mayor of Chernihiv, said the attack was another blow to the city.

"This is another war crime by Russia against Ukraine. The blood of all innocent children and people is on the hands of Russia. We will not forgive this. Never," Lomako said on Telegram, adding that three days of mourning would be observed on August 19-21 under a decree he signed.

Zelenskiy, who is on a visit to Sweden, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, "Russian missile hit the heart of Chernihiv. A square, a university, and a theater." Zelenskiy also posted a video of the purported place of the attack.

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.

"Russia turned an ordinary Saturday into a day of pain and loss," said Zelenskiy.

"This is what it means to live next to a terrorist state," he said, adding, "I urge the world to stand up to Russian terror."

Regional Governor Vyacheslav Chaus said on Telegram that the attack was "probably a ballistic missile."

Separately, the Interior Ministry said a 6-year-old boy was killed and 15 other children were among the wounded by the missile, which struck Chernihiv's Drama Theater. The mother of the boy killed in the attack was in serious condition, authorities said.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said most of the victims were in vehicles or were crossing the street on foot. The people inside the theater reached a shelter in time after the air-raid alert was announced, he said.

The UN's humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine condemned the missile attack as "heinous" and called on Moscow to end strikes on populated areas.

"It is heinous to attack the main square of a large city, in the morning, while people are out walking, some going to church to celebrate a religious day for many Ukrainians," said Denise Brown in a statement.

"I condemn this repeated pattern of Russian strikes on populated areas of Ukraine, causing deaths, massive destruction, and soaring humanitarian needs."

Earlier on August 19, the Ukrainian military said that the air defense shot down 15 out of 17 Iranian Shahed drones that Russia used in its latest overnight attack on Ukraine.

"The air force in cooperation with the air defense and other components of the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed 15 enemy drones," the military said in its daily report, adding that the attacks targeted the eastern, northern, and western parts of Ukraine.

Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said on August 19 that its air-defense systems repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on a military airfield in Novgorod region located northwest of Moscow, but the attack resulted in a damaged Russian warplane.

There were no casualties in what the ministry's statement called "a terrorist attack," but a fire that broke out on the airfield causing damage to one of the warplanes parked there.

The information could not be independently verified.

WATCH: Residents of Kupyansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv region are being transported to safety amid signs of a buildup of Russian forces nearby.

The ministry earlier claimed that it had downed a Ukrainian missile over Moscow-occupied Crimea overnight.

On the diplomatic field, Zelenskiy and his wife, Olena, traveled to Sweden for talks on defense cooperation.

Zelenskiy visited Sweden with his wife, Olena, for talks on defense cooperation.

He announced that he and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson had agreed on 10 points, including cooperation on the production of powerful CV-90 combat armored vehicles in Ukraine, joint training on equipment provided by Sweden, and further steps to transfer Gripen fighter aircraft to Ukraine.

"I am grateful to Sweden for its firm and consistent support. Together, we protect life, freedom, and our common values." Zelenskiy said at the conclusion of his visit to Sweden, which has applied for NATO membership.

Kristersson said he was proud to have had the honor to welcome Zelenskiy.



"I highly appreciate our close contacts and cooperation. Swedens support for Ukraines freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity will continue for as long as it takes," Kristersson said on X.

Sweden, which abandoned its longstanding policy of military nonalignment to support Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, is part of a coalition of 11 Western countries together with Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and the United Kingdom that pledged last month to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces continue to advance in the areas near the southern cities of Melitopol and Berdyansk, the military said on August 19, adding that during the day Ukrainian forces fought a total of 26 clashes along the front line.

The General Staff's evening summary said Russian forces carried out five missile and 44 air strikes and 17 attacks from rocket salvo systems on troop positions and populated areas.



The push toward the Russian-occupied strategic city of Melitopol is part of Ukrainian forces' attempt to cut off Russia's land bridge to Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

It comes as a U.S. intelligence report quoted by The Washington Post assessed that Ukrainian forces do not appear likely to reach and retake Melitopol during the ongoing counteroffensive.



Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, most of the Luhansk region, and large tracts of the regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson.

The Russia-installed head of the military in Kharkiv, Vitaly Ganchev, said on Russian television on August 19 that the number of communities Russia controls in the Kharkiv region had grown by five and now totals 33.



"The front line is slowly moving toward Kharkiv. Our troops are approaching the suburbs of Kupyansk," he said.



It is not possible for RFE/RL to verify either side's claims of battlefield success.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
The education of girls and women is universally accepted in more than 200 countries and territories, including nearly 50 Muslim-majority nations.

But Afghanistans hard-line Islamist Taliban rulers have banned teenage girls from attending school after the sixth grade since they returned to power two years ago. The ban was extended in December to women in universities.

Countless protests by Afghans inside the country, pressure from the international community, and lobbying by Muslim scholars and clerics have failed to convince the fundamentalist Taliban leaders to reopen schools.



Experts are divided over whether the ban is rooted in how the Talibans interpretation of Islam is shaped by conservative Pashtun tribal customs and cultural practices or if it is prompted by how senior Taliban ideologues interpret Islamic teachings.



Most Taliban leaders are ethnic Pashtun, Sunni Muslim clerics. Many were educated in Deobandi madrasahs in neighboring Pakistan. Deobandism emerged as a puritanical Islamic revivalist movement in 19-century British Colonial India. Based on the Sunni Hanafi school of jurisprudence, it is a prominent strain among Islamists in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Tribal Influences

Sami Yousafzai, a veteran Afghan journalist and commentator, argues that the Taliban restrictions against women are linked to social customs and cultural practices in eastern and southern Afghanistan.

Most Taliban leaders come from various Pashtun rural tribal communities in these regions bordering Pakistan.

"They believe that a woman's place is either inside a house or in a grave," Yousafzai said of the basic Taliban belief influenced by the status of women in the families of clerics and religious leaders in these Pashtun regions.

Women living in the households of the current Taliban policymakers were never educated and never left their homes, said Yousafzai, who has tracked the Islamist group since it emerged as a ragtag militia in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar in late 1994. These women never performed any government or nongovernmental jobs.

Yousafzai says the Taliban backs policies shaped by this worldview by leaning on Islamic teachings supporting such ideas. He says Taliban leaders rely on sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad that discourage women from leaving their homes.

Their primary belief is that pubescent girls should not leave home under any circumstance, he said. This is why they view women leaving home for education or work as engaging in moral corruption.

In Afghanistan, a Muslim nation of some 40 million people, activists and rights advocates accuse the Taliban of implementing "gender apartheid" by denying women education, work, freedom of movement, and deciding how they can appear in public.

Most Muslims agree that Islam allows women to get an education. Yet the Taliban publicly says that it will allow girls access to education only after ensuring complete gender segregation and other unspecified conditions.

Almost all Afghan secondary schools were gender segregated and universities imposed a strict separation between men and women after the Taliban takeover.



Yousafzai says in conservative and traditional Muslim societies around the world, some clerics also favor restrictions on women's education, work, and their role in public life. But the governments in those countries usually oppose or limit such ideas.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia -- one of the most conservative Sunni Muslim nations -- has allowed women to drive and granted them freedom of movement without a male guardian. These steps are part of a reform and modernity drive by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman.

The Taliban ban on education has invited universal condemnation from Muslims globally.

The Taliban's ban on women's education is not rooted in [the Islamic] Sharia law but rather reflects cultural biases that contradict the teachings of Islam, said Salam al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the United States.

He said that contrary to Taliban practices, Islam emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge and encourages all individuals, regardless of gender, to acquire an education.

Historical Conflict

But Islamic scholars and those who have attempted to convince the Taliban about reopening girls schools offer a different explanation.

John Mohammad Butt, an Islamic scholar and former BBC broadcaster who is the only Westerner to graduate from Indias Darul Uloom Deoband, argues that the Taliban's policy on girls' education is not tribal but shaped by the century-old conflict over modern education.

The problem is that girls' education in Afghanistan -- indeed, contemporary education in general -- has generally been introduced in Afghanistan in line with a secular agenda, he said.



In the 1920s, a coalition of conservative clerics and tribal and community leaders deposed reformist King Amanullah Khan. He wanted to modernize Afghanistan along Turkish leader Kamal Ataturk's secular lines and championed modern education and rights for women.

This opposition to modernity and secularism continued, and conservative clerics opposed women's education and work. It became a key part of the Islamist opposition to the pro-Soviet Afghan communist governments after the April 1978 military coup that ended the Afghan monarchy. The mujahedin accused the communists of spreading immorality by promoting womens education and empowerment.

This has led to particular wariness on the part of conservative circles in Afghanistan with regard to girls' education, Butt said.

'Deep Ideological Conviction'

Obaidullah Baheer, a political science lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, became part of an effort to rescind the ban by talking to the Taliban last year.

But he says the effort failed because the ban is a matter of deep ideological conviction for the current supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.

Baheer says that the most prominent Taliban leaders have studied in Pakistani madrasahs and were thus disconnected from village and tribal life.

They have been indoctrinated by the Deobandi school of thought so that they now enforce the strictest version of Islam on the Afghan population, he said.

He argues that the ban on girls schools is a deliberate policy championed by Akhundzada, who he says has endorsed Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani's Arabic language book The Islamic Emirate And Its System. In this book, Haqqani supports a fringe Islamic opinion of preferring the choice of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives, Sawdah Bint Zam'ah, who chose to stay at home until her death.

Baheer says Haqqani ignores his other wives and other female companions that played an active role in many sectors of society and how they served as students and teachers for men.

This fringe opinion is not held by all Taliban leaders but is one that the current absolute sovereign, the Taliban emir, seems to be convinced of, he said.

Butt says that even Haqqani has acknowledged the principle that if there is something that women need to act upon, then that is also something that women need to learn about.

I hope the Taliban authorities will come to realize in the not-too-distant future that education for women will make Afghan women into better Muslims, he says. It will enable them to make a stronger contribution to the well-being of their country.



Two years after grappling with the issue, Western diplomats appear to be encouraging Afghan conservative and clerical circles to find ways to end the ban.

Tom West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently tweeted that Afghan women must be educated and contribute to the economy to help their country stand on its own two feet.

If change to policies is made, it will be because Afghans have asked for it, not a result of foreign requests, he wrote.
At least seven civilians, including four members of one family, were killed by Russian shelling in southern Ukraine as fighting continued in both the south and east of the country, Kyiv said on August 13, amid reports of Ukrainian battlefield gains in the ongoing southern counteroffensive.

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.

A couple, their infant daughter, and 12-year-old son were killed in an attack in the Shyroka Balka municipality in the Kherson region, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in a post on Telegram.

He added that a total of seven civilians had been killed and 20 injured in the Kherson region during shelling that damaged residential buildings in several settlements,

"The terrorists will never willingly stop killing civilians. Terrorists must be stopped. [By] force. They do not understand anything else," he said.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said the pastor of a church and a fellow villager in Stanislav were among the dead as a result of the Russian strikes.

Shelling was also reported in civilian areas around the city of Nikopol, in the southern Zaporizhzhya region. No casualties were reported after almost a dozen shells struck Nikopol and the town of Chervonogrygorivsk, according to local officials.

The Ukrainian General Staff said its troops had achieved partial success around Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhya region, with some social media postings indicating Ukrainian troops had entered the small settlement that stands in the way of Kyivs southern push toward Melitopol.

Earlier, the Ukrainian General Staff reported 39 clashes in the preceding 24 hours with fighting in the eastern part of the Kharkiv region, the western part of the Donetsk region, and in the area around Robotyne.

Vadim Rogov, a Russia-installed occupation official in the occupied part of Ukraines Zaporizhzhya region, said Ukrainian forces had pierced Russian lines and gained a foothold in the settlement of Urozhayne, in the southwestern part of the Donetsk region.

Rogov said Ukrainian forces were trying to take control of the nearby town of Staromlynivka.

Russian news agencies reported on August 13 that traffic had been temporarily halted on the bridge connecting Russia with occupied Crimea over the Kerch Strait.

No reason was given for the suspension of traffic, which later resumed, according to Russian officials.

The bridge has been damaged several times in recent months by suspected Ukrainian missile and drone attacks.

WATCH: RFE/RL has found documentary evidence that Russia is attacking Ukraine with cruise missiles that Kyiv handed over to Moscow in the 1990s.

In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the bridge is being used to supply ammunition for war, and this is done every day" and that it must be neutralized.

Meanwhile, Russias Defense Ministry reported thwarting Ukrainian efforts to carry out terrorist attacks on objects in Russia. The ministry said three Ukrainian drones had been shot down over the Belgorod region and a fourth in the Kursk region. No casualties or damages were reported.

The governor of the Belgorod region of Russia near the Ukrainian border said late on August 13 that several apartments had been damaged due to an attack by Ukrainian drones.

Kyiv rarely comments on claims of attacks inside of Russia. There was no immediate word of possible casualties.

Moscow also reported firing a warning shot near a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The Palau-flagged vessel reportedly stopped and was searched before being allowed to head to the Ukrainian Danube River port of Ismail.

RFE/RL is not able to independently verify combat reports from areas of heavy fighting.

In an update on August 13, Britains Defense Ministry reported that Russias Wagner mercenary group is likely moving toward a downsizingat a time of financial pressure.

The ministry said it is likely the Kremlin has largely stopped funding the notorious group in the wake of an attempted armed mutiny in June.

With reporting by Reuters
Crimea is facing a shortage of gasoline after Ukraine last month bombed the only bridge connecting the Russian-controlled peninsula to Russia.

Gasoline stations in Crimea have at times run out of the oil product over the past month, residents have told RFE/RL.

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.

One of the leading gasoline chains in Criema sent clients a text message last week urging them to stock up on the product amid concerns about a shortfall, residents said.

Russia, one of the worlds largest produces of oil products, has been supplying the peninsula with gasoline and other oil products via rail across the $4 billion Crimean bridge opened in 2018.

Ukraines armed forces on July 17 struck the bridge for the second time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion last year. The strike forced Russia to halt oil product shipments by rail.

The bridge has become a key Ukrainian target as it tries to drive Russian forces from its territory, including Crimea. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Oil products are now delivered via a slow ferry crossing that can only take place during the day.

Local residents have taken to social media to complain about the lack of gasoline.

There is no 95 [octane] for the third day in a row, especially at Atan [gasoline station chain], one resident posted on a Sevastopol community page on Vkontake, a Russian social network.

Following the July 17 bombing, Russian-installed Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev tried to calm residents, assuring them there wont be a deficit and said there was no need to stock up.

Misha, whats up with gasoline?  one resident wrote last week under Razvozhaevs Telegram channel, using the diminutive form of the governors first name in a sign of their displeasure. Do tankers only ship [Russian oil products] overseas?"

Some residents said gasoline can be found if you look for it. If some cases you need a ration card to fill up.

There is no gasoline at some gas stations. But there are plenty of those where it is sold freely. So you can find it when you need to fill up. I've filled up a full tank, and I only drive when its important business, one resident told RFE/RL.

There is gasoline, but you need a ration card. When I hear this, I feel that we have stepped 35 years into the past when you could only get sausage with a ration card, Nadezhda Golovanova wrote on a Sevastopol social media page, referring to food deficits during the Perestroika years.

WATCH: A section of the Crimea bridge was damaged by a deadly explosion last month. Moscow said two people were killed and a child was injured in the blast that it blamed on Ukrainian maritime drones.

Ukraine has sought to make life in Crimea untenable for Russia in an attempt to regain control of the peninsula.

With the receipt of new Western weapons and the development of indigenous ones, including drones, it has been making progress with that goal.

Kyiv has stepped up its targeting of Crimea in recent months and is also trying to cut off the land bridge from Russia to Crimea through the Donesk region with its latest counteroffensive. Ukraine has recently hit two bridges connecting Crimea to Ukrainian territory under Russian control.

Ukrainian military officials say the situation with supplies for residents will only get worse as Russia will need to prioritize deliveries to its military on Crimea.

Oleksandr Khmelevskiy, an independent expert, told RFE/RL that this could lead to social unrest, putting pressure on Moscow.

If the economic situation deteriorates significantly, support for the war from the population will decrease significantly. The further it goes, the more difficult it will be to explain to the population what Russia is fighting for, what this war was required for, he said.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 13, 2023 - 19:43 | All, World

The death toll in fires in Maui, Hawaii, climbed to 93, local authorities said Saturday, marking the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century.

At least 2,207 structures have been damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres have been burned by the blaze that started Tuesday on the island, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's damage assessment as of Friday.

Firefighters continued to battle flare-ups in the historic town of Lahaina and in Upcountry Maui, while the fire in Pulehu has been fully contained, the county government of Maui said.

FEMA said an estimated $5.52 billion will be needed to rebuild affected areas of Lahaina, where most impacted buildings were residential.

The disaster is the deadliest wildfire in the United States since 1918 when a blaze killed hundreds in Minnesota, according to U.S. media reports.

Some 1,000 people were still unaccounted for, U.S. media have reported, while Japan's consulate general in Honolulu said it was trying to confirm the safety of several hundred Japanese nationals living in Maui.

Related coverage:

Hawaii fires U.S. state's worst disaster as death toll rises to 80

Death toll in Hawaii wildfire rises to 55, national disaster declared

At least 36 killed as Hawaii wildfires continue raging
Nikola said that it has recalled about 209 Class 8 battery electric trucks following two battery fires and has placed a temporary hold on new battery-electric vehicle sales until a resolution is in place. However, the recall does not affect the hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle currently in production as the truck's battery pack has a different design.

According to preliminary findings from a third-party investigator, a coolant leak inside a single battery pack was found to be the probable cause of the truck fire at the company's headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona on June 23, 2023. The findings were further corroborated by a minor thermal incident that impacted one pack on an engineering validation truck parked at the company's Coolidge, Arizona plant on August 10. No one was injured in either incident, the company said in a statement on Friday.

Foul play or other external factors were unlikely to have caused the incident, the company said in the statement.

Nikola's initial statement on June 23 alluded to foul play as a possible cause of the incident, based on video footage showing a vehicle parked next to the impacted trucks and quickly pulling away after a bright flash and the commencement of the fire.

Nikola said on Friday that its internal investigations indicated a single supplier component within the battery pack as the likely source of the coolant leak and efforts are underway to provide a field remedy in the coming weeks.

The battery-powered trucks can remain in operation, Nikola said, but it recommended owners enable real-time monitoring of the vehicles by the company and consider parking trucks outside.

Nikola noted that its software systems are being used in real-time to monitor trucks in the field closely and continually assess risks. Thus far, only two battery packs have experienced a thermal event, out of more than 3,100 packs on trucks produced to date (less than 0.07%).

The company stated that additional information, updates and required customer actions will be announced in the coming weeks.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
By Minori Moriuchi, KYODO NEWS - Aug 13, 2023 - 12:56 | Arts, Feature, All, Japan

Admirers of Hasui Kawase, one of Japan's best-known print artists of the modern era, are banding together to raise awareness of the disappearing waterfront landscapes that he depicted around Lake Kasumigaura as water quality there continues to deteriorate.

Nicknamed "the traveling poet," Kawase was active in the Taisho era (1912-1926) and the early decades of the Showa period (ended 1989) and became famous for his contributions to the "shin-hanga," or new prints, movement.

Tomoyuki Someya, a 66-year-old professor at Ibaraki Christian University, has been leading the charge in promoting water quality improvement in Kasumigaura, Ibaraki Prefecture, located northeast of Tokyo. Someya hopes that by showcasing the artist's prints of the beautiful Ibaraki waterfronts, people will reflect on the pressing water issues facing the region.

Kawase, whose style was heavily influenced by Western art, produced approximately 700 prints of sunsets, waterfronts, and other landscapes. While they were often based on sketches and watercolors he made during his extensive travels around Japan, he also worked with sculptors and engravers to produce his works.

According to Someya, Kawase's prints mostly featured scenes from his hometown of Tokyo, along with Shizuoka Prefecture -- home to the iconic Mt. Fuji -- and Tochigi Prefecture, where he spent a significant portion of his time. But 26 were inspired by Ibaraki Prefecture, with 11 specifically portraying scenes facing Kasumigaura near Itako city.

Kawase's works have won many overseas fans. The late Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc., was one of them.

Someya's interest in Kawase grew when four watercolors were discovered at Ibaraki Christian University. In 2015, he founded a society dedicated to studying Kawase and his time, leading a team of around 30 members on a mission to identify some of the locations depicted in the artist's prints that were still unknown.

Based on aerial photos and interviews with local residents, they managed to pinpoint 15 locations Kawase had sketched, focusing on Ibaraki. However, Someya said, they were disheartened to find that the once-striking waterfront scenes were no longer as pristine as portrayed in the prints.

The Kasumigaura prints show birds and small boats floating on crystal clear water. Someya recalls a "heavenly time" swimming all day in the lake and catching numerous fish when he visited relatives in Ibaraki as a child.

But Kasumigaura has suffered from deteriorating water quality since the 1970s, caused by population growth and increased industrial activities in the area. Today, algal blooms plague the lake during summers, leading to damage to the freshwater ecosystem and foul odors that residents must endure. Despite efforts by the prefecture to implement drainage measures, the lake's water quality continues to decline, and Someya knows that it is no longer possible to swim in Kasumigaura in the way he did as a child.

To raise awareness about the region's original landscapes and the importance of conservation, Someya delivered lectures in Itako, calling on people to appreciate the beauty that once existed in Kawase's prints.

The society's efforts have led to an exhibition of Kawase's works, showcasing the city in its brighter days, to be held at the town library and central community center in August.

Looking forward, the society plans to extend its search for locations depicted in Kawase's artwork throughout Japan, including Nasushiobara city in Tochigi, where the artist designed three prints during his debut.

"We hope to convey Hasui's charms to the younger generation, while remaining vigilant about environmental issues in various regions," Someya said.
Politics

spotlight

How SF is working to slow the rise of graffiti

Craig Lee/The Examiner The corner of Sycamore Street and Mission Street in the Mission district Craig Lee/The Examiner Full Gospel Chapel at 3327 17th Street in the Mission district

A parklet, a storefront, a billboard.

Graffiti pops up across The City seemingly as fast as its removed.

The City launched a pilot program to help businesses clean up graffiti last November in a press conference that featured Mayor London Breed painting over graffiti scrawled over a vacant brewery in the Inner Sunset.

Less than a year later, graffiti still abounds in not only the Inner Sunset but other San Francisco neighborhoods as well.

The $2 million courtesy graffiti abatement program was funded for a second consecutive year in The City budget adopted by legislators and signed by Breed last month. It employs workers who will respond to businesses that report tagging on their buildings.

From its launch in November, the crew has tallied 582 abatements, which can include multiple tags on the same property. The new program applies only to businesses in commercial corridors, where graffiti has the highest visibility.

The Department of Public Works handles tags on public property, but city law requires business owners to address graffiti on their buildings within 30 days.

Previously, that would have been 582 abatements that small businesses would have had to pay for, essentially punishing the victim. So from that (point of view), this is tremendous progress, said Sharky Laguana, a former president of the Small Business Commission who advocated for The City to change its approach to graffiti enforcement.

The effort remains small in comparison to the issue at hand. In 2022, The City received nearly 79,000 graffiti complaints through its 311 system.

Graffiti complaints have risen every year since 2019, according to The Citys 311 data. This year, complaints are on pace to blow past last years total. (The 311 data consists only of reports of graffiti and is not necessarily an exact representation of the quantity of graffiti in San Francisco.)

Its incumbent on businesses to opt into the courtesy abatement program. So far, 388 property owners or businesses have done so, while another 88 had applied as of last week, according to the Department of Public Works, which is overseeing the effort.

The Citys crew usually responds to an abatement request within three to four days, said DPW spokesperson Rachel Gordon. In certain cases, such as when the graffiti is difficult to reach, The City will contract out the work  which can take a couple of weeks.

For businesses, graffiti adds up to more than the cost of paint and a brush. Theres also the price of labor and general hassle, Laguna said. The threat of a fine is only the beginning.

When a complaint is filed, theres an inspection, research on where to issue the notice, a follow-up inspection, another notice/citation, possibly administrative hearings if theres a dispute, and then, of course, the collection of fines, Laguna said. These are significant administrative expenses. This is why I started pushing for The City to just do the cleanup. Its actually cheaper, quicker, and more efficient.

City legislators may be hesitant to pour more funding into graffiti abatement. This year, they were forced to close a $780 million budget deficit. Barring a miracle, The Citys financial picture is not expected to significantly improve in the coming years, meaning money will remain tight.

Sean Ingram, who owns The Dark Horse Inn restaurant in The Excelsior, said the neighborhood gets tagged quite often. It can remain uncovered for weeks and  despite the city program  is usually cleaned by business and property owners, he said.

One popular corner is highly trafficked and near a bus stop.

Its graffitied every single day, Ingram said.

Betty Louie, a consultant to the San Francisco Chinatown Merchants Association and a former business owner, said Chinatown was long a ground zero for tagging.

Basically every single day, we had to wipe graffiti off our buildings before we could open for business; thats how bad it got, Louie said.

One helpful response Louie discovered was to confront a graffiti artist and persuade them to paint a mural instead. This tactic resulted in the Chinatown-themed mural at Grant and Sacramento Streets in 2011, Louie said.

She also credited former District Attorney George Gascon for amping up enforcement against prolific taggers, which coincided with a drop in graffiti reports, the San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2019.

Laguana said he believes the best strategy is a quick cleanup.

Taggers are in and out so quickly that increasing law enforcement resources doesnt meaningfully impact their behavior, he said. Theres been some big lawsuits against serial taggers, and the problem is worse than ever.

As Louie found in Chinatown, diverting taggers artistic ambitions might prove fruitful.

We might also benefit from some sort of public place where they could display their artistic talents and get recognition (which at the end of the day is what they want), Laguana said. Weve had that at different moments in our history, but not really right now.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

That businesses are responsible for cleaning up graffiti  and face fines if they dont  pisses me off, Louie acknowledged. Still, she implored everyone to play their part.

We already are in a state of doom, and having all that graffiti out there doesnt help the image of The City, Louie said, pointing to national news teams descending on San Francisco ready to document that we look like an urban war zone.

The City also maintains theres a benefit in removing graffiti as quickly as possible to keep the tags from mushrooming, Gordon wrote in an email to The Examiner.

Our ultimate goal, of course, is to get to the place where graffiti vandals stop defacing private and public property  the tags stain our neighborhoods and are costly to clean up, she said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Anti-government protests on Staten Island during the coronavirus pandemic were just the beginning, according to local activists who spoke Saturday at a rally in Midland Beach objecting to the citys latest plans to house migrants.

In railing against discussions to turn the Island Shores assisted living facility in Midland Beach into a migrant shelter, Scott LoBaido told the approximately 300 people gathered across the street from the building that it is up to them to fight for what he said was the citys anti-American policies.

We are at war ... and its not looking good, said LoBaido, referencing the migrant crisis, the LGBTQ+ movement and what has been referred to as cancel culture. LoBaido said theres no excuse not to gather in mass whenever the time calls for it, likening it to the nations founding fathers who had farms to tend to.

- A rally was held in front of 1111 Father Capodanno Blvd.to protest a proposed migrant shelter on August 12,2023.(Steve White for the Staten Island Advance) Steve WhiteSteve White

The proposal to convert Island Shores into a migrant shelter is part of an ongoing crisis estimated to cost the city more than $12 billion through July 2025, with the city already having spent $1.45 billion.

More than 50,000 migrants remain in the citys care, prompting 198 emergency shelter sites around the five boroughs, including 13 massive humanitarian emergency relief and response centers, sites at Staten Island hotels and at least one former school building.

Mayor Eric Adams administration has not confirmed specific plans for the Midland Beach site, and the institutions owners, a nonprofit organization called Homes for the Homeless, has deferred inquiries to the city. The mayor said Wednesday that officials will need to set up more and more migrant shelters in less than desirable locations if higher levels of government dont step up to address the ongoing crisis.

- Curtis Sliwa speaks at the protest rally on August 12,2023.(Steve White for the Staten Island Advance) Steve WhiteSteve White

According to state Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn), the disrespect to the citys forgotten borough doesnt end there.

He lamented to protesters Saturday that his office got an email Friday at 5 p.m. on the dot from the city Department of Social Services about the citys latest plans in regard to housing migrants. Not a phone call, not an invitation to a meeting, he said. Thats how we are being treated in this city.

Mayor Adams ill-advised plan to turn senior housing into a migrant shelter is a slap in the face to our elderly citizens who are in desperate need of housing, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said in a statement sent to the Advance/SILive.com.

For years, Midland Beach residents fought to rid their community of a transient hotel that disrupted their neighborhood. For the City and Island Shores to cut a secret deal and dump this shelter on them with no notification or public engagement is wrong. I stand with my colleagues and the community in strong opposition to this plan and urge the city to listen to its residents and keep this facility as much-needed senior housing or facilitate its sale to a buyer who will.

LoBaido called images on news stations of migrant women carrying small children across waterways to reach America propaganda, saying that most of the individuals entering the country are fighting age men who should be sent back to defend their own country.

- A rally was held in front of 1111 Father Capodanno Blvd.to protest a proposed migrant shelter on August 12,2023.(Steve White for the Staten Island Advance) Steve WhiteSteve White

Others involved directly with the migrant crisis have painted the issue differently.

Following a gruesome incident recently at a Staten Island hospital involving a woman from Mexico who gave birth in the lobby bathroom, Michelle Molina, executive director of El Centro del Inmigrante, said its important to note that many migrant women escaping hardships in their homeland are at some point victimized by those aiding in their passage.

I cant tell you the amount of sexual abuse that most of these women go through before coming here, because they need to cross or need to go somewhere or are sexually attacked, she said. This is one of the reasons we try to advocate for physical and mental health services.

Those in attendance Saturday railed about concerns surrounding their own familys physical and financial security in the midst of a crisis thats garnered federal involvement. Shouted one man: Dont let them in! Send them back!

Shouted another: Whats the address of the guy who owns that building? Lets go to his house!

- A rally was held in front of 1111 Father Capodanno Blvd.to protest a proposed migrant shelter on August 12,2023.(Steve White for the Staten Island Advance) Steve WhiteSteve White

Also invited to speak were Newsmax television personality John Tabacco and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, who ran for mayor against Adams. They referenced the raucous gathering in 2020 outside a Staten Island bar during government shutdowns, which led to arrests, an injured sheriffs deputy and, ultimately, the dismissal of several charges.

After telling the politicians in attendance  which included Borough President Vito Fossella, state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), City Councilman David Carr (R-Mid-Island) and state Assemblyman Michael Reilly (R-South Shore)  to cover their ears, Tabacco made a vow to those in attendance that he planned to call on some of the same activists who gathered outside Macs Public House in 2020 in a raucous chain of events that made national news. Among those in attendance at the time were the Proud Boys, whose then-leader has since been sentenced for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Im going to call a meeting of real patriots, Tabacco said.

- Curtis Sliwa speaks at the protest rally on August 12,2022.(Steve White for the Staten Island Advance) Steve WhiteSteve White

Lined up next to him were seniors representing the assisted living facility, wearing shirts that read Happy Day Adult Day Care.

Referencing those who live or frequent the adult care facility, Midland Beach Civic Association President Debbie Vadola called the proposal quite honestly disgusting and an insult to every senior citizen in the U.S.

Some speakers threatened to march on Gracie Mansion amid rallying cries that migrants should be housed there in lieu of Staten Island neighborhoods.

In responding to the backlash, Adams previously said: People are just feeling the weight of this. I understand the feeling that people are having on the ground, but this is what out of space means. We have to find less-than desirable locations for people to stay.

Sliwa meanwhile took direct aim at Adams, noting he once welcomed the migration of immigrants and now is reeling, forced to shove them into every neighborhood, every community ... while spending his weekends at hip-hop hooray events. The jab, referring to the citys ongoing celebration of hip-hops 50th anniversary, drew an emphatic response from the crowd.

This is a vendetta now, this is a blood feud, you have forsaken our people, Sliwa said. This is the Alamo.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Over the span of his career as an award-winning photojournalist, former St. George resident William (Bill) Lyons jobs have ranged from a red-carpet paparazzo to staff photographer of the Staten Island Advance. Now, as a retiree, Lyons continues to pursue photographic endeavors on his own terms.

After his eventful career, Lyons carries his passion for capturing the essence of the world around him into his retirement. Settling in Japan with his wife, Mami Miyashita Lyons, he has been able to capture glimpses of Japanese culture while sharing aspects from New York and other cultures with his new community.

Lyons was drawn to photography from a young age. Born in Ohio, Lyons said his father did a lot of photos. Lyons sketched and painted as well, but was most impressed by the camera.

Yabusame (Horseback archery) festival at the Sengen Taisha shrine in Fujinomiya, Japan on May 5, 2023. The festival has its origins in a hunting trip to the base of Mt. Fuji around the year 1193. It is a three-day festival and features archers on horseback shooting arrows at small wooden targets. Yabusame is held every year on May 4, 5 and 6. (photo by Bill Lyons)Bill Lyons

Photography is pretty powerful because if you think about what youre doing, you capture things,' Lyons said. Its something that happens within one fraction of a second and youre taking that one fraction of a second and capturing it forever.

Brought to New York by his career, Lyons embarked on decades of rich photography for outlets including the Associated Press and Metro. Finally, in 2008, Lyons joined the Staten Island Advance, where he worked until his retirement in 2018.

For this devoted photojournalist, retirement did not mark the end of his photography career, but the beginning of a new era of his work: capturing photos of the vibrant scenery and culture of Japan.

Although he moved to Japan for familial reasons, the change has become a prevalent aspect of his work. He and his wife now live in a wonderful mountaintop community in the city of Fujinomiya. I can look out my window and see Mount Fuji every day,' he said.

A prevailing feature of the landscape, Mount Fuji is featured in quite a number of Lyons photos.

"This is a view of Mt. Fuji from the community where I live in Fujinomiya, Japan,'' said Bill Lyons. "There are often these spectacular clouds that form on and around the mountain." February 2, 2021. (Photo by Bill Lyons)

In Japan, Lyons is constantly invited to attend and photograph festivals, as well as present galleries displaying his work. His work gained traction through speaking with people in his neighborhood, as well as connecting with city officials. From there, it just snowballed,' he said.

Lyons proudly discusses his work photographing a family that has made mochi for centuries. Mochi, a popular traditional Japanese dessert, is made of rice flour milled into a chewy ball. Lyons has used photography to document most of the process and hopes to capture the family harvesting the rice this upcoming season.

I made a lot of friends, and friends introduced me to different things in Japanese culture that most people probably dont get to see, he said. And thats kind of the things that Ive been photographing, along with my personal work that I do all the time, which is a more arty kind of photography.

The restaurant Mimi makes Fujinomiya Yaki Soba. Yaki Soba is a B-level gourmet food and Fujinomiya is know for having the best. It is soba noodles fried with meat and vegetables and topped with fish powder, which is unique to Fujinomiya, and pickled red ginger. July 11, 2019, Fujinomiya , Japan. (Photo by Bill Lyons)Bill Lyons

Moving to Japan sparked Lyons creativity. He has broadened his scope to include more landscape photos. Additionally, hes is experimenting with different techniques to develop his photos.

He even built a darkroom for developing photos in his house. He shoots digital as well as black-and-white film photographs. Lyons has delved into environmentally-friendly methods of developing, such as using vitamin C and coffee as a film developer.

Despite photography now serving as a hobby and passion rather than a career, Lyons work is highly recognized in Japan.

Along with documenting everything he experiences in Japan, he is also bringing pieces of his past work along with him to share. In fact, he doing a three-part photo series of New York photos in a local newspaper, Gakunan.

The theme of this series is New York Light and Shadow,' Lyons said. My goal is to show the readers a different way of seeing things.

Lyons and his wife were even featured on a television program, in which a reporter followed them around for a day and documented Lyons daily life and work.

Despite his undeniable success in Japan, Lyons is not concerned with popularity or recognition. He asserts that photography is something he thoroughly enjoys.

Im not doing anything thats making me any money,' he said. So Im not working. Im just photographing.

Dashi meet in the street and the participants have a "battle" which everyone wins during the three-day Fijinomiya matsuri. November 5, 2022. (Photo by Bill Lyons)Bill Lyons

His work is driven solely by his love of capturing the essence of a moment. When asked about his intended audience, he quickly responds: Its for me. He also enjoys sharing his work on Instagram.

It makes me very happy, Lyons said. Ive always been interested in different cultures all through my career. Thats one of the best things about being a photojournalist. You get to meet so many different people and youre invited into their lives for a short period of time.
Editors Note: The author of this article is a Curtis High School student who participates in the Advance/SILive.com journalism e-mentorship program. The Curtis-Advance/SILive.com partnership is designed to help young people explore the world of journalism, photography and social media.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  In todays social-media-obsessed society, adolescent mental health is a critical and pressing issue that demands attention. As teens undergo rapid physical and psychological growth, coupled with hormonal development, academic pressure and social differences, a lack of attention to nagging self-esteem issues could have a significant impact on their well-being.

Mental health is an important part of childrens overall health and well-being. Mental health includes childrens mental, emotional and behavioral well-being, stated the CDC on its website. It affects how children think, feel and act. It also plays a role in how children handle stress, relate to others and make healthy choices.

Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin at age 14, according to the American Psychiatric Association. The organizations studies showed that 15.1% of youth experienced at least one major depressive episode in the 2018-2019 calendar year, including 8.9% of youth attempting suicide. According to Mental Health America, New Yorks data alone showed that 13.29% of youth experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2022.

And on Staten Island, the ratio of population to mental health providers is not what it should be. In fact, research-driven website Data USA showed that the ratio of patients to mental health providers in the borough has decreased by 2.75% since 2014.

So where can Staten Island teens turn when they need assistance? Here are some free mental health services through New York City Mayor Eric Adams office:

 OK2TALK: An online social community for teens and young adults experiencing mental health problems.

 Teen Talk: Offers information about struggles and mental illness, as well as answers to any questions you may have.

 Seize the Awkward: Offers strategies for ways to connect with friends and family and offers mental health support, from the Jed Foundation and Ad Council.

 Teen Line Online: Offers support given by teenage peers who listen, help settle concerns and explore options.

Here are free, private ways to talk with a mental health professional:

 NYC Well provides free, confidential mental health and substance misuse services in more than 200 languages, regardless of immigration status. Call 1-888-NYCWELL (692-9355) or text Well to 65173. You can also chat online at nyc.gov/nycwell.

 Crisis Text Line offers free, emotional support 24/7. Text HOME to 741741.

 ULifeline provides mental health resources for college students. Text START to 741-741 or call 1-800- 273-TALK (8255).

 Virtual counseling appointments for City University of New York (CUNY) students: https://www.cuny.edu/current-students/student-affairs/student-services/counseling/

 The Trevor Project has a suicide prevention and crisis intervention hotline for LGBTQ youth and their loved ones. Call 1-866-488-7386.

 The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. If you or someone you know needs support, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Heres a look at some resources for long-term counseling available in the borough:

With increasing rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders among this age group, it is crucial to recognize the importance of addressing and supporting teenage mental health.

Mental health professionals said seeking help is a brave step toward healing. Everyones journey is unique, and finding the right path might take time. But experts said the patience and persistence can help teenagers overcome difficult stages of life. Working with a professional counselor is a first step toward a healthier future.

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NYC student dress code policy remains point of debate: Can guidelines co-exist with self-expression?

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5 things to know as the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  One of the children most critically injured in a tragic school dormitory fire in Mahdia, Guyana, has been treated at the Regional Burn Center at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in Ocean Breeze, and soon will be ready to head home.

The May 21 blaze killed 20, and was allegedly started by a student after her cell phone was taken away by a dormitory teacher, according to a report on CNN. The 15-year-old girl has been charged with murder, the Guardian reported.

A 12-year-old girl with severe burns to more than 40% of her body was initially taken to Guyanas capital for lifesaving treatment at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Because of the serious extent of her injuries, the patient was then transferred to the United States to receive comprehensive care at SIUH, a center thats known nationally for its treatment of burns.

The patient suffered second and third degree burns to approximately 40% of her body, explained Dr. Michael Cooper, director of the Regional Burn Center at SIUH. Her injuries required extensive skin graft surgeries, 24/7 pain management, physical and occupational therapy and counseling.

The Burn Unit team at Staten Island University Hospital. (Courtesy/SIUH)Staten Island Advance

Two months after the tragedy, Dr. Frank Anthony, the South American nations Minister of Health, travelled to the U.S. and visited SIUH.

Minister Anthony spent time with the patient and her care team to discuss her ongoing treatment and prognosis.

In addition to Dr. Cooper, the minister spoke to Dr. Eric Cioe Pena, vice president of Northwell Healths Center for Global Health, and Dr. Kimlyn Long, associate director of the Regional Burn Center at SIUH.

To see her smile is emotional, said Dr. Pena. The physical recovery is the first part, but the psychological recovery is so important and can be even harder with emotional scars. This childs recovery is a sign of hope for Guyana and, God willing, will help the healing process for the country.

Though burns can be very complex injuries that require a slow healing process, its been reported that the patient has now begun to walk about 10 to 15 feet. But her physicians would like to get her to around 40 before discharging her home, which will likely be in a few weeks.

In preparation of her returning to Guyana, the team discussed the next steps in transition of care for the patient and their commitment to making the integration as seamless as possible between the two institutions.

We had a national tragedy, but I was glad to see her today. When she left Guyana she was unconscious, and today she is smiling. Over the last couple of weeks, she has made significant progress, added Minister Anthony. I am grateful to the staff at Northwell for the care, experience and expertise they have put in to make sure she is getting the best outcome. Were excited to bring her home!
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For this Staten Island teen and her family, a special concert in Pennsylvania made an everlasting memory.

In March, Chloe Daly, a 14-year-old girl battling cerebral palsy, received a unique gift from the team at Concord Music: A VIP experience for a Kidz Bop Live show at PNC Bank Arts Center this summer.

Chloe, a resident of Bulls Head, constantly struggles with a multitude of symptoms because of her injuries, from severe epilepsy to hydrocephalus of the brain, to trouble regulating her core body temperature. However, the sweet sounds of Chloes favorite music group, Kidz Bop, provide much-needed comfort and support in her most trying times.

This (the music of Kidz Bop) is her escape, this is what she loves, said the teens father, William Daly. When were at doctors or hospitals this is what we put on the phone to calm her down.

When Chloe learned that she would soon see her favorite performers live, she was positively joyous.

William Daly (left) with his daughter Chloe (right) at the Kidz Bop concert in Hershey, Pa., on August 12, 2023. Chloe was originally set to attend a New Jersey-based concert in July but was unable to due to a seizure. (Courtesy of William Daly)

The days ticked on, and soon enough, the July concert was at hand. However, on the highly anticipated day, Chloe suffered a seizure and was forced to miss the event.

As a result, Mr. Daly reached out to the Vice President of Global Touring at Concord Music, Amanda Andrews, who originally provided the Daly family with the tickets. Upon hearing of the unfortunate circumstance, Andrews coordinated with her team to invite the Daly family to the next closest venue, the GIANT Center in Hersey, Pa.

Despite the setback, Andrews and the Kidz Bop team ensured that Chloe received the experience of a lifetime. On Saturday, Aug. 12, the Daly family drove to Hershey and were welcomed with a one-of-a-kind experience. Donna Orr, the Road Manager for Kidz Bop, oversaw all the accommodations, making sure the Daly family was treated to a spectacular outing. In addition to private parking and VIP tickets, Chloe was able to spend 20 minutes in a personal meet-and-greet with the Kidz Bop kids. During this special session, the young performers even danced and sang for Chloe, creating what is sure to be an unforgettable memory for Chloe and the Daly family alike.

Just one day that she forgets about her pain, her C.P., her seizures, it was just a kid seeing her favorite group and nothing more, Chloes father said.

The Kidz Bop kids dance with Chloe Daly on August 12, 2023. (Courtesy of William Daly)

Chloe Daly, 14, opens up her special care package from the Kidz Bop Team in March of 2023. (Courtesy of William Daly)(Courtesy of William Daly)
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The boss of Melbourne Airport has called on the government to make it easier for international airlines to fly to Australia, after a request from Qatar Airways for additional services was controversially knocked back.

Chief executive Lorie Argus said more international competition would improve outcomes for passengers and create a lower-fare environment, as well as enhanced service and improved reliability.

Melbourne Airport in July recorded its busiest month for domestic travellers since before the pandemic. Credit: Paul Rovere

We believe there is a significant potential for improved access to Australia and Melbourne in particular through Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, Argus said.

More than 2.9 million people passed through the airport over July, but just 900,000 travellers came from overseas. It was the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that more than 2 million domestic travellers were processed through Melbournes terminals in one month.
Whod want to be the subject of a documentary, to have their lives  or versions of them  put on display for all the world to see? In perpetuity? Yes, it might give you fame for 15 minutes, but would the angst be worth it? Maybe youd see it as a chance to tell your untold story and have people listen? Its your choice, of course, for whatever reasons, but Subject (US, 2022), a new documentary that has just made its Down Under debut on DocPlay, offers a cautionary tale about the risks involved.

One of the documentaries explored in Subject is The Staircase, which examines the trial of Michael Peterson (accused of murdering wife Kathleen) and the impact it has on their family, including adopted daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff (pictured).

Made by Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall, it primarily concerns itself with the impact of one-off films or mini-series on those who are sharing their stories with the filmmakers. Featuring interviewee testimonies, it examines half a dozen documentaries in detail: The Staircase (France, 2004-2018, Netflix), The Square (UK, 2013), Hoop Dreams (US, 1994, Stan & DocPlay), The Wolfpack (US, 2015, DocPlay), Capturing the Friedmans (US, 2003, DocPlay) and Minding the Gap (US, 2018, DocPlay). Numerous others are referred to in passing.

Theyre all cases where filmmakers have needed to seek permission from people to enter their private spaces or circumstances and make films about them. The issues that emerge run parallel to those that arise between journalists and those they interview on the record, and each of the situations is what one might classify as in the public interest. Such as the consequences for a family when a father is accused of murdering his wife, as in The Staircase, or of being a paedophile, as in Capturing the Friedmans.

Subject begins by suggesting that the language being used in describing the relationships between those behind the camera and those in front of it is crucial. Instead of calling interviewees subjects, it proposes that thinking of them as participants might go some way towards adjusting the power balance. Which is why, as the films title appears on screen at the start, a line is slowly drawn through it.
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Eating outJust open Duo behind Pyrmonts tiny taqueria bring small-batch Mexican spirits and Oaxacan food to Glebe Mezcologist Diana Farrera and partner chef Manuel Diaz of Nativo Mexican are bringing their expertise and talent for fine-dining and drinks to Mexican bar and restaurant Nuu by Nativo on Glebe Point Road. Scott Bolles August 15, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

1 / 10 Memela del mercado (grilled maize dough, bone marrow, pork shoulder Oaxacan cecina and queso fresco). Nick de Lorenzo 2 / 10 Nuu by Nativo is opening on Glebe Point Road. Nick de Lorenzo 3 / 10 Pulpo escondido (grilled octopus on chintextle paste with huitlacoche and tostada). Nick de Lorenzo 4 / 10 Nuu by Nativo will offer a mezcal-based cocktail line-up. Nick de Lorenzo 5 / 10 Chef Manuel Diaz (left) and mezcologist Diana Farrera. Nick de Lorenzo 6 / 10 The interior of Nuu by Nativo. Nick de Lorenzo 7 / 10 Chile relleno (poblano chilli stuffed with shiitake picadillo over mole verde). Nick de Lorenzo 8 / 10 Spicy margarita with ancho chilli. Nick de Lorenzo 9 / 10 Crispy pork belly, cured mole, grilled drunken peaches and mezcal molasses. Nick de Lorenzo 10 / 10 Mezcal, Oaxaca way. Nick de Lorenzo Previous Slide Next Slide Finally across all the cool hospitality job titles, such as mixologist? Dont rest on your botanical laurels just yet because a mezcologist just rode into town. Mezcologist Diana Farrera picked up her credentials at a centre for studies of mezcal in her native state of Oaxaca, Mexico. Not only is Oaxaca the birthplace of the Mexican spirit made from agave, she likens the intense study of it to doing a masters of wine. Chef Manuel Diaz (left) and mezcologist Diana Farrera. Nick de Lorenzo

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You learn how to taste it, how to sell it ethically, everything about it, she says. From Friday, August 18, Sydneysiders will be able to tap her knowledge first-hand when Farrera and her partner, chef Manuel Diaz, open Nuu by Nativo, a Mexican restaurant and mezcal bar in Glebe. The duo kickstarted their ambitious Sydney plans last year, with the opening of Nativo Mexican, a tiny Pyrmont taqueria with just 14 outdoor seats. While the tacos at the hole-in-the-wall venue gained plenty of foodie traction, Nuu by Nativo on Glebe Point Road will give Diaz a chance to show off more of the skills he polished at upmarket restaurants in Mexico and France. Pulpo escondido (grilled octopus on chintextle paste with huitlacoche and tostada, left) and chile relleno (poblano chilli stuffed with shiitake picadillo over mole verde, right). Nick de Lorenzo

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At its heart, the menu is an ode to Oaxaca and southern Mexican. Oaxaca is a cultural capital, bohemian, the food full of strong flavours, says Diaz. Ask Mexicans where the best food in Mexico is and theyll tell you to go to Oaxaca. Their opening menu will include grilled maize dough with bone marrow and pork shoulder, an octopus dish with a paste made from assorted dried chillies, and crispy pork belly with grilled drunken peaches and mezcal molasses. And of course, theres mole, the cornerstone of Mexican kitchens. There are 30 different ingredients in it, Diaz says of rich mole base served with a pepper stuffed with shiitake picadillo. Mezcal, Oaxaca way. Nick de Lorenzo Were doing a green mole. Its complex and delicate, if you dont make it properly its not going to be balanced.

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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 People travel from everywhere for Joseph Vongsaphays needles. He presides over a booming piercing parlour in Cabramatta, lined with steel and sparkle, and is too busy poking at tongues and noses to follow complicated politics. But Vongsaphay, whose family fled Laos for Australia in the 1980s, will vote Yes in the Voice referendum. Its an easy decision; he can identify with people who feel like outcasts in their own country. They are the originals, they should have a voice, he says. Joseph Vongsaphay in his piercing studio. Credit: James Brickwood His client, 27-year-old Darna Tunks from Bass Hill, nods as she braces for his needle. She and her friends have discussed it: We dont see theres a negative. Yet up the road in Ingleburn, retiree June McWilliams is having none of it. Im going to vote No, the 73-year-old says. I was told they will end up selling our land. With three states leaning No and two Yes, NSW will be crucial to achieving the majority of states required to embed the Voice to parliament in the Constitution. And to win NSW, the Yes campaign needs western Sydney, home to a third of the states electors. This is where votes are won and lost, says pollster Jim Reed, director of Resolve Political Monitor. No one knows which way this diverse, electorally unpredictable region will fall. There are those like McWilliams, whose views solidified over decades of debates about land rights, apologies and interventions. There are those like Vongsaphay, who see echoes of their migrant experience in the plight of First Nations people. Others are indifferent, more worried about the cost of living. Some dont know what a referendum is. In migrant communities, there isnt that deep emotional connection with the Indigenous cause, says Jason Yat-Sen Li, the state Labor MP for Strathfield.

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Voice architect Noel Pearson recently visited Parramatta Mosque and spoke at an Indian community event. No advocate Jacinta Nampijinpa Price will soon head to Blacktown. The Yes campaign is drawing on migrants empathy, linking it with their experiences of discrimination; the No campaign argues new Australians deserve equal opportunity, rather than a system that elevates one group. Voice architect Noel Pearson and Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton address Parramatta Mosque. Charlton said Pearson gave a lecture between prayers and people were interested to have this issue personalised for them. Multicultural leaders are lining up behind the Yes side  more than 150 groups have signed their support  but that doesnt mean their communities will follow. [The Yes camp says] weve got all the migrant organisations locked up, says No campaigner Nyunggai Warren Mundine. But they havent got their members. [Migrants] have only been here for one or two generations; why are they being blamed for this stuff in the past? When it comes to money and education, western Sydney is more typically Australian than the citys east or north. Its the regions cultural diversity and strong faith that set it apart. Nearly half of households speak a language other than English at home, compared with 22.2 per cent across the rest of Australia, while almost three-quarters of residents have a religious affiliation (nationally, its just over 60 per cent). Religion influenced the wests unusually high No vote in the 2017 marriage equality plebiscite (56 per cent compared, with 38.4 per cent nationally). Adding to the complex cultural mix is the fact that one in nine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in Sydney, and most of them are in the west. This creates campaign challenges. New Australians tend to know less about Indigenous history. A lot of new migrants were so busy working hard  they didnt have the headspace to connect with a lot of political or social justice issues, says Yat-Sen Li, whose parents came to Australia from Hong Kong in the 1960s. How do we create that connection and understanding?

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Khushaal Vyas, the co-founder of Desis for Yes, worries a lack of background knowledge makes voters such as those in the South Asian community vulnerable to scare campaigns. But theres an upside. There are people who genuinely dont have a strong view either way; it does mean that those who are undecided or who say they will vote No are soft Nos, theyre not strong [opinions]. Vyas is teaching people how to initiate conversations with their own communities  Tamils, Pakistanis  in their own tongue, believing thats how to win votes. He encourages them to raise parallels between South Asia and the Indigenous experience. South Asias colonial past still has impacts that are felt to this day, thats despite later on achieving independence, he says. That resonates with a lot of people to say gee, thats something we can understand. Thomas Richards, from Ingleburn, is voting Yes. Credit: James Brickwood Wahid, a Rohingya who fled persecution in Myanmar, intends to vote Yes for that reason. [Indigenous people] are under-represented in our jobs, government, opportunity, he says. Back home, we were everything under-represented. So does George Hondros, who presents a Greek language radio show. Someone called me a wog. I said if Im a wog, you are too; you came here from England. Not everyone in Hondros social circle agrees with him, but most of them feel the same. Yet Kalvin Biag, a No campaigner with Filipino and Maltese heritage, argues migrants come to Australia because its a land of opportunity. They come here to be equal  you have Vietnamese, you have Assyrians who left war-torn countries to be equal, he says. They dont understand the premise of one group being amplified over another.

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Many in western Sydney are completely disengaged. When the Herald spoke to shoppers along John Street in Cabramatta, few had heard of the referendum. Independent federal member Dai Le  who is not taking a position on the Voice  says no one is asking her about it. Theyre more worried about electricity, housing, and the cost of putting food on the table. Andy Marks from Western Sydney University says financial pressures had paralysed a lot of peoples engagement with politics. Few of the people the Herald spoke in Cabramattas main street had heard of the referendum. Credit: James Brickwood One Catholic priest, whose bishops are backing the Yes campaign, says he will vote No because the debate is taking attention away from more important things. Ive got parishioners who are barely putting food on the table, he says. I begin to question the relevance of the Voice. But Yat-Sen Li argues governments can focus on multiple issues at once. We need to prosecute foreign policy, we need to pay attention to defence  and the Voice is one of those national issues, he says. Marks is worried the disengagement is because non-English-speaking voters havent really been included in debates about the referendum. Not a lot of the campaign material from either side overtly addresses that audience  it is a very significant untapped cohort, he says. Pawan Luthra, founder of the popular Indian Link publication, suspects a lack of information will make migrants who arrived in the past decade vote No. There havent been too many efforts to engage them, he says. Biag says No campaigners are translating pamphlets into Vietnamese and Hindi. Some communities are running their own campaigns. Jamal Rifi, a prominent doctor in Sydneys Lebanese Muslim community, is actively supporting Yes, a position also held by the mufti and the imams. We feel we have a special connection because were both underdogs, he says. The response is mostly positive, he says, with one point of confusion. The only hurdle we felt that we needed to explain is the fact there are some Aboriginal community members voicing their opposition, he says.

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Division within the Indigenous community is a hurdle for Georgia Manion, 23, who converted to Islam a few years ago and whose Aboriginal father has not taken a position. That disagreement, as well as the complexities around how the Voice will work, have left her Muslim friends confused. I know a lot of Indigenous [people] will vote No, she says, during her shift at a womens wear shop in Lakemba. My Muslim and Arab friends [think], I dont understand it at all  I feel theyll vote No. Georgia Manions Aboriginal father does not have a position on the Voice, while her Muslim and Arab friends dont understand it. Credit: James Brickwood Confusion is also an obstacle in the Pasifika community, says Jioji Ravulo, a social work professor at Sydney University. Theres a level of allyship, he says. I think the general vibe in Pasifika communities is to vote Yes  but its a matter of our communities understanding the legal and constitutional context its being played out in. Loading There are, of course, many residents of western Sydney of Anglo-Celtic heritage, particularly in the Penrith and Blue Mountains areas. When some of them were questioned by the Herald, a generational divide became clear. That trend has also been reflected in polling, which shows opposition from older people, and support from the young. As they sip coffee at a Macquarie Fields shopping Centre, Evelyn and Cecily, both retirees who want to be known only by their first names, discuss their plans to vote No. We are all one, we should not be separate, says Evelyn. Over a Red Bull in the Ingleburn railway car park a few kilometres away, two 30-something men are more open. I havent really been keeping up with it, but is it the worst thing in the world? says one, who wanted to be known only as James. Theres no harm, agrees his friend Nelson Funes-Gonzalez.

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[The police officer] was just like, Look, if it did happen, theres no evidence ... Why did you report it? What were you hoping for?  and he just said We cant do anything about it. And then that was it. Central to the study is how barriers cause an attrition rate, or premature end, before justice can be attained. Saxon Mullins, from Rape and Sexual Assault Research and Advocacy, urged reform of the justice system after a government study interviewed survivors about barriers in reporting to police, and prosecuting in the courts. Sexual assault has among the lowest reporting rates, and lowest conviction rates, of any crime in NSW. Its suspected only 16 per cent of sexual assaults resulted in a report to police within 12 months. Weve seen cases not go to court because a police officer decided to be arbiter of justice and said there was not enough evidence, Sexual Assault Research and Advocacys Saxon Mullins told the Herald.

Loading Theyre meant to investigate, to find the evidence, if they come at it with their own expectations and views we see that in the attrition rate. The report recommended trauma-informed training for police. Sex crimes squad commander, Jayne Doherty, welcomed the study saying detectives were now being given updated training. Each police area command is also being given a sexual violence portfolio holder to support investigations, the detective superintendent told the Herald.

The report makes a striking finding that most complainants who had negative experiences in the police station wished to continue with the legal process. As one survivor explained if somebodys gone to the police, they obviously want you to do something. Im the victim, not the f---ing witness  they kept saying, Its not your case  my whole f---ing life is on hold for three years. Anonymous sexual assault victim Last week the Herald revealed a study found rape myths permeated the NSW trial process. Complainants are routinely accused of lies and personal failings particularly during cross-examination. A survivor in Mondays report said the trial process was as bad as the abuse.

I would advise victims not to go ahead with the trial, one said. Theres other ways to get the truth out of people without making them feel as though that theres somethings wrong with them. Sex crime squad commander Jayne Doherty says NSW Police must listen to abuse survivors to reform after the study urged police to put victims at the centre of the cases. Credit: James Alcock Survivors reported a loss of agency and struggled, realising it was not their case  but their attackers case  and their role was as a witness. Well-documented delays in courts, too, weighed on survivors. Im the victim, not the f---ing witness  they kept saying, Its not your case  my whole f---ing life is on hold for three years, one said.

Mullins said harmful rape myths must be dismantled in wider society and police despite the requirements of the justice system. Loading [Police] have to work inside the structure, they have to abide by the evidence, they have a job to do. But myths about rape are not part of the job. Doherty said her officers will always investigate as far as survivors are willing, and want to educate the community to encourage reporting on sexual violence. If there is sufficient evidence to proceed to charge, and the victim is willing to give evidence in court, then we will proceed, Doherty said.

We understand that reporting sexual assault can be distressing and traumatic for victims  and it is always the choice of an individual whether to proceed with an investigation or not. Not all experiences were negative. Some survivors reported police were supportive and reassuring. When Id stop and say things like Oh, you know, its probably nothing  [the detective] would say No, its not nothing ... what youre saying is really serious, one survivor said. Police say health and support services are just as important as they are  and can make referrals for survivors. A single, consistent support contact was one recommendation in the report. Another recommendation is for an alternative type of court process called restorative justice be considered for sexual assault. Restorative justice would focus on apologies, reparations and ways to prevent re-offending.
You cant outrun your past, Catherine Reddan (C8): I taught Cath at the sadly defunct Duval High, recounts Graham Applegate of Macleay Island (Qld). She chucked a sickie one day, so I convinced her mates (and Dad) not to tell her it was a uniform-free day the next day. She turned up in full uniform. Still at the lovely Rocky River? Good days!

Another yeast feast? Years ago, an avocado grower suggested we spread a little Vegemite (V8) on our toast and then the avocado, says David Mulley of Merewether. Been doing it ever since.

Talk of place names (C8) reminds me of a conversation years ago between a relative of mine and his daughter, writes Barry May of Mona Vale. He was watching a Test match during the Lillee/Thompson era, and she was looking in newspapers for accommodation near Sydney Uni. She said to him wheres Lilyfield?, he replied usually somewhere on the boundary.

Suburban namesakes? You must remember the suburbs named after the Sham brothers; Petersham and Lewisham? says James Hocking of Cronulla.

What about the Moores/Mores? asks Nanette Moore Kincumber. I took care not to name my children; Stan, Glen or Bel. Then again I am Enmore.
Teaching graduates should be tested on their ability to educate students effectively when they complete their degrees and not only on literacy and numeracy skills, a new report argues.

Education ministers last month backed a radical overhaul of teaching degrees that will force universities to teach students back-to-basics core content, including evidence-based maths and reading instruction and skills on how to manage unruly classrooms.

A new CIS report outlines possible changes to initial teacher education degrees. Credit: iStock

A research paper from the Centre for Independent Studies, released on Monday, said the reforms would have a better chance of success if graduates sat a standardised exit exam to test their knowledge of effective teaching practices.

Its one thing to change teaching degree course content, but to guarantee that translates to improved practice, teachers should be examined on the content of their degrees, the science of learning and how childrens brains learn, Glenn Fahey, CIS research fellow and report author, said.
About 50 parishioners packed Korumburras Baptist church on Sunday morning to pray for the towns mushroom poisoning victims, the congregations hymns and prayers audible to those outside the small weatherboard building.

The church has been opening its doors every afternoon to allow people to gather in the aftermath of the tragedy. Other parishes in the Gippsland town have also held regular prayer services for the families since news spread that couples Don and Gail Patterson and Ian and Heather Wilkinson had eaten poisonous mushrooms.

Left to right: Don Patterson, Gail Patterson, Heather Wilkinson and Ian Wilkinson.

Please pass on our sincere thanks to our church family for all the prayers and support. We truly appreciate the care and kindness and feel upheld by the love, a message from the families read.

Members of both families have kept out of the limelight following the tragedy, hiring a media adviser to handle requests from journalists.
The tribunal decision says it could not order Peter Rowland Group to pay Sabbatini because she launched legal action nine days after quitting, and equal pay orders could be made only for current employees. Even if she was still employed, it could only lift her wage, not order backpay for the time spent being underpaid. It is difficult to read Section 302 [of the Fair Work Act] as indicative of an intention that equal remuneration orders could operate to remedy past instances of unequal remuneration, the decision said. I think its unreal, Sabbatini said. Something like that should never happen, especially in Australia, which I believe [is] a pretty fair country to live in. I needed to get out of that place. University of Adelaide labour law expert Andrew Stewart said the case was significant because it confirmed individuals could only use equal pay provisions if they remained with their employer.

Most employees do not take their employers to court, he said. So its going to take a brave employee to run a similar claim. Stewart said the provisions were designed to address structural inequality for large groups of workers, such as historically low-paid female-dominated industries, but nothing stopped a single person from using them. Sabbatini says a pay disparity such as hers should never happen, especially in Australia. Credit: Justin McManus Anti-discrimination laws, at federal and state levels, were an alternative to remedy past pay injustices for individuals, such as women who suffered wage inequity, he said. But they were often inaccessible. Except in South Australia and Queensland, discrimination laws effectively require you to pursue a claim in court to get any legal remedies, Stewart said, explaining this protracted, formal process also meant an applicant might have to pay their employers legal fees.

Cost, delay, uncertainty of outcome  theres a reason why we dont tend to see equal pay matters being brought by individuals, even under discrimination laws, he said. But I think that says something. Theres a huge amount of evidence about a lack of pay equity in our society. Sabbatinis case, Stewart said, does help strengthen the argument that, if this case is going to be a discrimination remedy, shouldnt there be a more effective system  particularly for unrepresented, un-unionised workers  to have their claim dealt with in a fairly quick way? Loading I certainly would see that as involving conciliation and the Fair Work Commission. And then if that didnt succeed, a Fair Work court thats set up to operate quickly. Professor Dominique Allen, a Monash University labour law expert, said discrimination laws required workers to prove to a higher legal standard, which was often difficult without costly legal help.

You would have to show she was treated less favourably because of her sex. Its often hard to show that link, she said. Sabbatini said her kitchen colleagues were stunned she was paid less, particularly as executive chef Shannon McKay had asked the company to pay all casual chefs a $65,000 annual salary when they were put on full-time contracts in December 2021. McKay is now in a relationship with Sabbatini. The Fair Work decision notes one male fellow chef de partie was paid the same as Sabbatini for a time. But he started his full-time wage on January 4, 2022  about four months before Sabbatini was offered hers. The male chef left in July 2022. Peter Rowland Group is known for its fine-dining catering. Credit: Simon Schluter Two other chefs on $80,000 also began their contracts in January 2022, the Fair Work decision says. A third on $80,000 started full-time in December 2022.

They just treated me with the least respect I can get. And I just felt it was because I am a woman, first, and second, because Im not an Australian citizen, Sabbatini said. Elena Sabbatinis burns after a workplace accident. After joining Peter Rowland Group in April 2021, Sabbatini said, her life revolved around work  and she embraced it. She moved to Docklands to be close to the kitchen, often worked considerable overtime to finish well after dusk while starting before dawn, and took on extra jobs. I used to love working there. I used to love the team. And I really didnt care much [about money], she said. Last December, her aunt who raised her died in Italy. Having to stay in Australia to eventually gain residency, Sabbatini could not fly back to say goodbye. She said she came to work instead to see kitchen colleagues she considered her Australian family. She ended the day in hospital with accidental burns to her right arm.

During that time, I was feeling extremely depressed, Sabbatini said. Out of curiosity, I asked one of the [other] chef de partie  a good friend  how much they were getting paid. I saw black  all I could see was all the sacrifices that I gave for the company. It wasnt about money  it never was. It was just the way they treated me. Peter Rowland Groups Docklands headquarters. Credit: Justin McManus The way they just didnt give a damn about me. Peter Rowland Groups eponymous founder established the business in 1962 before it developed a reputation for fine-dining catering at prestigious events such as the Melbourne Cup and for Rich Listers such as Kerry Packer.

The business, once known as Peter Rowland Catering, encountered financial difficulty in the mid-2010s. It collapsed in 2017 before Melbourne-based developer and investment firm Capital Alliance paid $3.6 million and took on the wound-up companys $7 million in debt, forming the current group. Peter Rowland Group declined to comment.
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes any form of official interaction between the United States and the Taiwan region, firmly opposes any visit by "Taiwan independence" separatists to the United States in any name or under whatever pretext, and firmly opposes any form of U.S. connivance and support for "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities, said a spokesperson of the Chinese Consulate General in New York on Saturday.

The spokesperson made the remarks responding to the so-called "stopover" in New York of Lai Ching-te, deputy leader of China's Taiwan region.

Lai has openly described himself as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence," attacking the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, the spokesperson said, adding that Lai is an out-and-out "Taiwan independence" separatist.

The purpose of his "transit" in America is to build momentum for the election and seek support for "Taiwan independence" from the United States, the spokesperson said, noting that being fully aware of his real intentions, the United States deliberately greenlighted the "transit," conniving at "Taiwan independence" separatists.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, the spokesperson underscored.

U.S. President Joe Biden has reiterated his commitment that Washington does not support "Taiwan independence," "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan," nor does it seek to use Taiwan as a tool to contain China, but the United States has taken tricks to obscure and hollow out the one-China principle, constantly using tactics to challenge the red line, said the spokesperson.

Driven by selfish gains, "Taiwan independence" separatists have no scruples to betray the interests of the nation and people, and it will only bring disastrous consequences for the Taiwan people as well as tension and instability in the Taiwan Strait, said the spokesperson.

The vast number of Chinese in America firmly oppose Lai's "transit" by publishing open letters and holding protests, proving once again that "Taiwan independence" is unpopular, the spokesperson said, adding that the outrageous acts of flattering the United States and betraying Taiwan and the Taiwan people will never succeed. 
Fergeus said most councillors would not be transparent about meetings or phone calls with developers unless forced by law, and he believed that had harmed councils standing in the community. Loading Having a register of councillor interactions with property developers isnt just about cracking down on people doing the wrong thing, its about establishing community trust in councils, he said. It is emblematic of councils doing the right thing and having an open dialogue with the community about how planning decisions are made. Although a large proportion of planning decisions are made by council officers under delegation without councillor input, Fergeus said more months than not, Monash councillors were approached by developers advocating for a certain planning outcome.

He said he had met with developers himself, with other councillors at group briefings, but he declined such invitations now. I didnt find them particularly useful. We get a detailed report by officers on submissions made by developers and when we get those, we get them with the benefit of expert analysis from our planners, he said. Im a social worker  Im going to rely on experts, not people with vested interests. Merri-bek Council in Melbournes inner north and Dandenong in Melbournes outer south-east voted to implement opt-in trials of registers in 2021 and 2022, respectively  both pushed by Greens councillors. Im a social worker  Im going to rely on experts, not people with vested interests. Monash councillor Josh Fergeus But both have seen a lack of engagement: Dandenong has published no entries since it took effect in March last year, and Merri-bek has had just two contributions. It is unknown if the lack of contributions means there have been no meetings, or if meetings have not been disclosed.

Merri-bek councillors this week asked officers to consider tweaking the policy to ban developers from meeting councillors at all  alone or as a group  whenever the public is not invited. Kingston Council introduced a mandatory register in March 2022, but it is only tabled publicly every two years. City of Whitehorse last month adopted a register that will be available for public perusal on the council website and updated on a quarterly basis. Port Phillip Council and Baw Baw Shire have both considered reports about registers in the past two years but did not implement them. Merri-bek Council is considering whether to ban all meetings between developers and councillors when the public isnt present. Credit: Joe Armao IBACs Operation Sandon report recommended that statutory planning responsibilities be removed from councillors.

But how the government will respond to the recommendation is unclear, and there may still be a role for councillors in strategic planning or smaller projects. Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad, who pushed for a register, said the lack of uniformity on developer interaction rules was a failure of the state government. They had the opportunity to make these standard governance processes and they chose not to do that, the Greens councillor said. IBAC acting Commissioner Stephen Farrow (left) and Deputy Commissioner David Wolf. The watchdog has recommended an overhaul of council conduct and planning. Credit: Wayne Taylor Garad said she was concerned loose practices would be weaponised as an excuse to push councils and local communities out of planning decisions.



[The state government is] implicating the whole local government sector as being incompetent at best or corrupt at worse, when it was two or three councillors in one council and because there were not standardised levels of integrity baked into the act.

A state government spokesman said councils were required to develop their own governance rules but the government was considering recommendations of Operation Sandon and will respond in due course. At a state level, the Labor and National parties have opposed a ban on donations from the property industry. The Centre for Public Integrity last year called for publication of the ministerial diaries of state MPs, as Queensland, NSW and the ACT does.



Council Watch, formerly known as Ratepayers Victoria, said councils did not need to wait for government reform to adopt registers. [Councillors] are still decision-makers for the foreseeable future, and they should lead the way on this, said vice president Dean Hurlston.



It would restore public image of councils ... flush it into the public domain. Municipal Association of Victoria president David Clarke said councils already had disclosure requirements for receiving gifts or declaring conflicts of interest on specific decisions as they came up, and some councils already required that councillors meet with developers only with a council officer present.
A growing number of year 12 graduates are heading straight to the workforce, straying off the traditional path from high school to a trade or university.

The latest Education Department data shows 24.3 per cent of students who completed year 12 in Victoria in 2021 were employed the following year. The 2021 graduates represent the lowest percentage of university enrolment since 2014s year 12 graduates, in what is partly a reflection of the pandemic and students decisions to defer study.

Many young school leavers who choose to work after year 12 are employed in hospitality. Credit: Australian Financial Review

Experts say the trend is indicative of students embracing the ideal of lifelong learning, enrolling in study when they are ready, instead of immediately after high school. But another warns early employment without sufficient training could also leave graduates unprepared for future jobs markets.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said the growth in the number of students heading straight to the workforce was a positive trend that was here to stay.
Vietnam veterans who returned home were spat at in public, and at some RSL branches were ignored and made aware that their presence wasnt welcome, having served in what was by some considered to be not a proper war.

Half a century on, the RSL will make a formal apology for the way they were treated following the conflict which divided the nation.

With banners ranging from Make love, not war to Stop the dirty war in Vietnam, hundreds of demonstrators marched in a disorderly but peaceful fashion from Martin Place to the Town Hall in 1965. Credit: Fairfax

Speaking ahead of Vietnam Veterans Day on Friday, which marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australias involvement in the Vietnam War in 1973, RSL president Ray James said: I am sorry to those who were rejected at the time by some RSL sub-branches.

RSL NSW acknowledges a generation of veterans who are still healing and we publicly recognise our charitys past mistakes ahead of Vietnam Veterans Day, he will say in a formal apology on Monday. As a Vietnam veteran myself, its extremely important to me that all veterans know that RSL NSW is committed to ensuring that no veteran is ever left feeling unwelcome.
A Water Corporation internal briefing note from 2022, obtained via a freedom-of-information request by the Wilderness Society, made its position clear. Alcoas mining was a very significant intergenerational risk to water quality and security of supply in drinking water catchments. Loading The corporation was also direct about the cause of the problem. Mining operations have not been effectively regulated, primarily due to limitations associated with the outdated  State Agreements, the note said. A trip into the history of the deal between the state government and Alcoa showed it was not an agreement suited for modern times.

When it was passed in 1961, state parliament was also considering financial assistance to the tobacco industry and a controversial amendment ... dealing with natives to slightly increase the number of Aboriginal people who could vote. Parliament at the time was told Alcoa planned to clear about 10 hectares of jarrah a year. However, Alcoa knocked over about 800 hectares of jarrah forest a year in the decade before 2021, when the government pushback started. In 60 years environmental knowledge and concern exploded, as did the scale of Alcoas mining. But Alcoas clearing of the jarrah forest is still approved behind closed doors by a committee of bureaucrats in a process shielded from the public.

Playing with words Writing a story about a large corporation involves asking a lot of questions and then waiting days for a response that often answers few of your queries, if any. The to-and-fro trying to extract anything meaningful can go on for weeks. Reporting on Alcoa could also involve up to four state government entities that often pointed to each other as the responsible party. However, scrutiny of the heavily wordsmithed responses paid off.

As concerning revelations mounted, Alcoas oft-repeated line was that it had never negatively impacted public drinking water supply. That may be correct but it is irrelevant. A heavy rainfall this winter could send Perths water supply into disarray for years. Concern about a ticking bomb is still legitimate, despite the fact it has not gone off yet. Another frequent claim by Alcoa was that more than 75 per cent of all areas cleared for mining have already been rehabilitated.

Loading That led to a simple question: what do you mean by rehabilitated? Rehabilitated in general use clearly means rehabilitation has been completed. However, the English language works differently at Alcoa. Alcoa classifies an area as rehabilitated once it has done the first 12 months of work of landscaping, topsoil return and seeding. It is reporting the areas where it has started the process, not where it has finished.

The miner argued that within the world of forestry this was a correct definition. Maybe so, but its use with the general public, where it clearly would be understood differently, was, to put it mildly, less than forthright. So, how much of the 280 square kilometres of jarrah forest cleared by Alcoa over 60 years has met the rehabilitation completion criteria agreed with the government? Not a single square metre. This did not stop the state-owned Forest Products Commission from labelling the timber it collected before Alcoa mined as sustainable.

The loophole was that the global Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification awards the use of the term Responsible Wood as long as there is a mandated requirement for rehabilitation. Actual achievement of rehabilitation was not required. The same thinking applied to civil aviation would allow planes to be certified safe simply because they are required to be so. No time-consuming inspections required. Unsurprisingly, an environmental group called the process greenwashing. A sin of omission

The oddest twist in the Alcoa tale so far was its pipeline to move water contaminated with toxic PFAS over a drinking water dam near Waroona. Loading In February, this masthead reported on Alcoas plan it lodged with the environmental regulator in August 2022, which later invited public comment. Dam owner Water Corporation said it was an unacceptable risk to drinking water quality. However, that story missed two important details: Alcoa had already built and used the pipeline, but failed to mention that important fact.

The truth was revealed by a story based on photos of the pipeline received from a whistleblower. By omission, Alcoa had misrepresented its actions to the dam owner, the environment regulator, the public who commented on their already built plan, and the media. After 62 years, the first small official crack in the confidentiality that has shielded Alcoas mining in the jarrah forests appeared last week when the independent WA Environmental Protection Authority published maps of Alcoas mining. The cleared areas around Serpentine Dam (grey) pose a risk of sediment runoff into the dam and are set to increase under Alcoas 2023-2023 mining plan (pink) were only revealed to the public after a referral to the EPA. Credit: Alcoa The map revealed the vast and worrying extent of clearing around Serpentine Dam that endangers the safe and reliable supply of water to 1.1 million properties.
Were living in an era of very long flights. New generation aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 can fly non-stop at greater distances than ever before.

When Qantas begins operating its Project Sunrise flights between Australias east coast and London and New York City, scheduled to begin in 2025, flight time will be about 20 hours. More than half the seats on board will be economy class and Qantas is promising a seat pitch of 83.8 centimetres. Thats generous for an economy seat, but 20 hours in that seat might give you pause.

The Airbus A350 flies some of the worlds longest non-stop routes.

Were all different, but after about 10 hours on a daytime flight in an economy seat Ive watched a movie or two, had a meal and Im starting to wonder if this is ever going to end. If its a westbound flight out of Australia heading for Qatar or Dubai, were a tiny speck over the blue of the Indian Ocean according to the inflight map, and theres still another four hours to go. Fast forward to 2025 and if Im on a flight from Melbourne to New York, 10 hours is just the halfway mark.

Does getting to a faraway destination a little quicker really make sense, or am I better off with a layover of a few hours where I can stretch my legs and maybe have a massage, a shower or even a swim?
Beijing: Chinas foreign ministry on Sunday condemned a brief US visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he is a separatist and troublemaker through and through and Beijing will take strong steps to protect its sovereignty.

Lai, front-runner to be Taiwans next president at elections in January, arrived in New York late on Saturday on what is officially a transit on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president.

William Lai (centre) arrives at the Lotte Hotel in Manhattan in New York on Saturday. Credit: Reuters

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lais trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way back to Taipei.

In a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York on a scheduled flight from Taipei, Chinas foreign ministry said it opposed any form of visit by Taiwan independence separatists to the United States.
Washington: A lawyer for Hunter Biden said hes committed to avoiding a trial for the US presidents son, whose legal entanglements are set to remain in focus during the 2024 election campaign after his plea deal collapsed.

Going to trial is not inevitable, attorney Abbe Lowell said on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday. We were trying to avoid one all along.

Joe Bidens son Hunter. Credit: AP

President Joe Bidens son faces a potentially extended probe after Attorney-General Merrick Garland on Friday elevated the prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden, Delaware-based US Attorney David Weiss, to a special counsel.

While that widens Weisss powers, Lowell said he sees no reason for further charges after a painstaking five-year probe.
London: Britain on Sunday warned citizens going to Sweden of possible terrorist attacks following Koran burnings by anti-Islam activists that have outraged Muslims.

In updated travel advice, Britains foreign ministry said Swedish authorities had successfully disrupted some planned attacks and made arrests.

Protesters in Pakistan on July 7 burn the Swedish flag in retaliation for someone burning the Koran in Sweden. Credit: Reuters

You should be vigilant at this time, it said, adding that terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in Sweden with places visited by foreigners potential targets.

In a statement acknowledging Britains changed travel advice, Swedens National Security Advisor Henrik Landerholm reiterated the increased threats to Sweden since the burnings.
Readers visit the 23rd Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., the United States, Aug. 12, 2023. The festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors, author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Readers visit the 23rd Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., the United States, Aug. 12, 2023. The festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors, author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Readers visit the 23rd Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., the United States, Aug. 12, 2023. The festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors, author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Readers visit the 23rd Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., the United States, Aug. 12, 2023. The festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors, author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)
N early 100,000 small business have been launched across rural areas of the UK over the past 12 months, according to research.

An increase in women and older founders have helped to drive the boom in new firms across the countryside, according to GoDaddys Venture Forward research initiative.

It comes after many Britons moved out of large cities during the pandemic due to increased home working and better value housing.

The latest data from more than 2.3 million British microbusinesses  firms with fewer than 10 employees  has revealed that that 25.9% of Britains microbusinesses are now based rurally, up from 24.1% a year ago.

It comes after 94,464 new start-ups were launched in rural areas over the past 12 months, according to the research.

Experts at GoDaddy said improvements in technology have allowed for more businesses to be launched in more remote areas of the country.

The figures also showed that the rise has been buoyed by women entrepreneurs.

In 2022, 33.1% of rural entrepreneurs were female, which has jumped to 43.6% this year. This compares with 35% of urban microbusinesses being run by female founders.

The data also showed that rural entrepreneurs are also older than their city-based counterparts.

Around a quarter (26%) of urban microbusiness owners are over 50, which jumps to 39% for those running rural businesses.

While in the past, commerce and enterprise was associated with major urban hubs, advancements in technology and online tools mean businesses can be easily started from anywhere

Andrew Gradon, head of GoDaddy UK & Ireland, said: This data demonstrates a sizeable shift we are seeing in Britains microbusiness community.

While in the past, commerce and enterprise was associated with major urban hubs, advancements in technology and online tools mean businesses can be easily started from anywhere.

Venture Forward suggests that the countryside economy is in good health, generating billions for the economy and supporting millions of jobs.

However, the cost-of-living crisis is an ongoing concern and rural businesses have been hit by rising costs just like their urban counterparts have.
U K households are installing more heat pumps and solar panels than ever before, the body that accredits low-carbon products has said.

Analysing its latest data, MCS said there have been more than 120,000 solar panel installations since the start of the year, surpassing the previous record set in 2012 before incentives were cut.

It is the first year to have averaged more than 20,000 renewable installations a month, with over 3,000 heat pumps also installed each month on average.

In June alone there were 27,791 new solar panel systems put on homes and businesses across the UK.

This takes the small-scale solar and wind capacity to 4GW during peak conditions, providing 13% of the UKs total energy demand of 29.4GW per day.

More consumers have the confidence to invest in small-scale renewables now than ever, but we have to make that transition even easier

MCS analysts said that if this rate continues, nearly a quarter of a million households could install renewable energy by the end of the year.

Gareth Simkins, of Solar Energy UK, said: In the spring, it was looking like we would have something like 215,000 MCS certified solar installations this year. But that was clearly an underestimate  I would bet on around 250,000 now.

Installing solar on your roof is one of the best home improvements you can make and more and more people realise the financial and environmental benefits.

Battery technology is also being installed at record rates, with each month this year surpassing the last. More than 1,000 batteries have gone into homes and businesses so far this year, MCS said.

The Government wants to reach a target of 70GW of solar capacity by 2035 and 600,000 heat pump installations by 2028.

People in England are eligible for a 5,000-6,000 grant under the boiler upgrade scheme. In Scotland, people can claim 7,000-9,000 with an additional loan option of 7,500.

This has led to 17,920 heat pump installations in the first six months of this year, though a House of Lords committee recently found there to be a lower uptake of heat pump grants than was expected.

MCS said one of the largest barriers to growing the number of installations is the amount of qualified, skilled installers, and that to meet the 600,000 target there will need to be 50,000 workers.

Over 850 new contractors have become certified so far this year, more than during the whole of 2022, so the pace is picking up, MCS said.

They want an expansion to the boiler upgrade scheme with more money offered in grants and more vouchers per year, with further investment in skills and training to build up the installation workforce.

The Government should also mandate solar panel, heat pump and battery installations in all new homes from 2025, MCS added.

MCS CEO Ian Rippin said: As the cost of energy continues to grow, we are seeing more people turn to renewable technology to generate their own energy and heat at home.

We need to continue to push this expansion to meet our shared national ambitions to reach net zero by 2050.

More consumers have the confidence to invest in small-scale renewables now than ever, but we have to make that transition even easier.

A Government spokesperson said: We welcome these figures, which build on our multibillion-pound investment to improve energy efficiency across the country.

This includes issuing over 81 million in vouchers to installers in the first year of our Boiler Upgrade Scheme while extending it to 2025 with new, additional funding in each year until 2028 to further scale up investment in low carbon heating.

Since last year, we have further improved energy efficiency standards in new homes, with them now expected to produce around 30% less carbon emissions compared to those built to the previous 2013 standards.
P olice are warning of the dangers of taking illegal substances after a man died in Camden.

Officers were scrambled to an address in Arlington Road at 4.15pm on Saturday.

A man, aged in his early 70s, was found deceased and drug paraphernalia was discovered at the property.

Officers are in the process of contacting the mans next of kin.

Police were called by the LAS about 20 minutes later to reports of two men taken unwell on Cubitt Street, near Kings Cross.

The men were treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

It is believed that both men had taken drugs, thought to be heroin.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Soole, from the Central North Command Unit, said: There is no safe way of taking illegal drugs, however the incidents today have caused us particular concern. We would urge anyone who bought drugs in or around this area to safely dispose of these substances as soon as possible.

An investigation is continuing to establish where these drugs have come from and I encourage anyone with information to contact police.

If anyone has taken an illegal substance and becomes unwell then they should seek immediate medical advice.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.
A total of 509 people crossed the English Channel in 10 boats on the day six died when a boat carrying migrants sank off the coast of France.

The latest Home Office figures take the provisional total for the past three days alone to more than 1,600, with more than 16,600 having made the journey so far this year.

They mark a further setback for the Governments stop the boats pledge, which is one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks five key priorities for his leadership.

More than 100,000 people have now made the journey since 2018, according to Home Office figures.

At least six people died and at least 58  many of them Afghans  were rescued after a boat got into difficulty of the coast of Sangatte on Saturday.

According to the accounts of survivors, around 65 people had originally boarded the overloaded vessel before a passing ship saw it sinking and raised the alarm at around 4.20am.

The Government is under renewed pressure to tackle the crisis of migrant crossings following the incident.

MPs have called for action against criminal people-smuggling gangs profiting from the journeys while campaigners have described the deaths as an appalling and preventable tragedy.

Writing in the Sunday Express, Conservative backbencher and former party chairman Sir Jake Berry said: We must put a stop to the vile people smugglers who trade in human misery and whose actions result in the loss of life.

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said action to deter criminal gangs facilitating the journeys is desperately needed.

Care4Calais said the incident was an appalling and preventable tragedy, while the Refugee Council warned more people will die unless more safe routes to the UK are created.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman described the incident as a tragic loss of life and said she had chaired a meeting with Border Force officials later on Saturday.

It comes after the Government was accused of allowing its small boats week of linked announcements on immigration to descend into farce following the removal of dozens of asylum seekers from the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Senior Conservative backbencher David Davis said the startling incompetence of the Home Office had been laid bare after all 39 people on board the 500-capacity vessel were disembarked due to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply.

However, ministers intend to push on with plans to hire more barges to house asylum seekers, as well as student halls and former office blocks, The Telegraph reported.

The people who had been on the Bibby Stockholm, which had been billed as a cheaper alternative to expensive hotels for those awaiting the outcome of their claims, are now back being housed in other accommodation.

The Home Office has said the health and welfare of asylum seekers remains of the utmost priority and that the evacuation took place as a precautionary measure, with all protocol and advice followed.

Minister David TC Davies on Sunday defended the Governments handling of the setback, saying its evacuation of people from the vessel actually demonstrates how were putting the safety of people first.

Asked whether the incident points to a wider failure within the Home Office, he told Times Radio: No, it doesnt. It doesnt at all. The checks were being made.

But shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said a better, fairer system is needed to tackle the backlog of asylum applications and cut the need for temporary accommodation.

She told the same programme that prosecutions of people smugglers are falling under the current Government.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton said the Governments small boats week of linked announcements on immigration was a hostage to fortune.

He told Times Radio: I think it was probably not a good idea to have a small boats week. It was a hostage to fortune and clearly it depends on how many people are risking their lives coming across the Channel, which is dependent on the weather and how people smugglers are operating.

But Mr Loughton, a member of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, also said part of the problem lies with France, calling on the countrys authorities to intervene.

Without the French actually intercepting and detaining those boats, then we have a problem stopping that, he said.

Secondly, the Home Office has got to do a lot better in speeding up the processing times of those people who do then come to the UK to see whether they have a legitimate asylum claim or not.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Mail on Sunday the incident was a wake-up call for all those who speak only of rights, but seem incapable of balancing those rights against the terrible risks that people are undertaking.
A suspected gunman who threatened two people was arrested on the beach in a village popular with tourists.

The man, in shorts and camouflage jacket, was spotted by an ambulance crew wielding a firearm on Saturday morning.

It brought armed police, backed by a dog unit and a helicopter, to the unspoilt resort of Charmouth on Dorsets Jurassic coast.

The suspect, in his 50s, was detained for a firearm offence and a weapon was recovered.

Detective Inspector Rhys Griffiths, of County CID, said: This incident sparked a large police and emergency service response and I understand that it will have caused great concern to those members of the public who were in the area at the time.

No one was injured during the incident, and we would like to thank the local community for their patience and assistance while we brought this matter to a safe conclusion.

I would ask anyone who witnessed this incident and has not yet spoken to officers, to please contact Dorset Police so we can investigate this matter thoroughly.
U krainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has promised justice after seven people including a 22-day-old baby were killed in Russian shelling on Sunday.

At least 22 more people were wounded in the missile attack on Ukraines southern region of Kherson on Sunday, prompting local officials to declare Monday a day of mourning.

Five people in the village of Shyroka Balka were among those killed, including the 22-day-old girl, her 12-year-old brother who died from serious injuries in hospital, and their 39-year-old mother, Olesia.

Two people, including the pastor of a church, were killed in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, according to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Mr Zelensky condemned the brutal attack during his nightly video address on Sunday.

He said that by 6pm there had been 17 reports of shelling in Kherson region alone on Sunday, as well as incidents in the regions of Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donbas, Kharkiv, and in border areas in northeast Ukraine.

There is no day when Russian evil does not receive our entirely just response, he said in his nightly video address.

He named past Russian targets - including occupiers, equipment, depots, and the Kerch Bridge linking occupied Crimea with Russia that his domestic intelligence agency recently acknowledged sabotaging last October - as evidence that we will not leave any of Russias crimes unanswered.

Three people each in Kherson city and the town of Beryslav were wounded, according to the interior ministry, and casualties were also reported in five other settlements across the region.

Kyiv reclaimed part of Kherson from Russian occupation last November but Kremlin troops have continued shelling the regional capital and areas around it from across the Dnipro River.

The terrorists will never willingly stop killing civilians, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote in a Telegram post. The terrorists must be stopped. With force. They dont understand anything else.

Today the Kherson region shuddered from terrible news. Kherson, Veletenske, Zolota Balka, Stanislav, Komyshany, Shyroka Balka... Mr Prokudin wrote on Telegram, listing the settlements hit in Sundays attacks.

Later in the evening, the local Kherson government said a new air strike and artillery shelling had injured a 31-year-old woman and a man and damaged at least 12 houses in the town of Bilozerka. In a Telegram post, it said three guided aerial bombs had damaged several houses in the village of Odradokamianka.

Ukraines military launched a counteroffensive in June to reclaim Russian-occupied territory across the southeast but has not made any significant attempts to cross the Dnipro to reach the other side of the Kherson region.

The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliars remarks on Saturday where she moved to deny rumours that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnipro in the Kherson region.

Ukraines military launched a counteroffensive in June to reclaim Russian-occupied territory across the southeast but has not made any significant attempts to cross the Dnipro to reach the other side of the Kherson region.

Thousands were evacuated from the region after a river breach which Ukraine claimed was caused by the Russians blowing up the Kakhovka dam in June.

This created a humanitarian crisis with homes washed away and the population facing unsanitary conditions and disease.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian military officials said on Saturday evening that Kyivs forces had made progress in the south, claiming some success near a key village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and capturing other unspecified territories.

Ukraines General Staff said they had partial success around the tactically important Robotyne area in the Zaporizhzhia region, a key Russian stronghold that Ukraine needs to retake in order to continue pushing south towards Melitopol.

There are liberated territories. The defence forces are working, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraines southern forces, said of the southern front.
DHAKA. Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Two incidents of bird strikes have occurred at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, but no casualties have been reported.

A flight of the national flag-carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines on the Dhaka-Bangkok route aborted take-off as a bird strike caused one of its tyres to burst on Saturday.

Passengers of the plane had to disembark in the taxiway, a senior pilot of the national flag carrier told the Daily Star, a leading local newspaper.

Later the authorities have made alternative arrangements for the passengers to travel to Bangkok.

In the second case, according to the report, a flight of Fly Dubai abandoned take-off after a bird strike on its left engine and damaged three propeller blades of it.

As the plane had to be halted on its final phase of take-off, two wheels also melted, the leading local daily reported quoting unnamed sources.

Earlier in December last year, a Dreamliner aircraft of Biman was reportedly damaged when a bird hit the engine of the aircraft during landing at the same airport. 
D onald Trump has boasted that he has a close to 100 per cent chance of beating Joe Biden if the two men face off in the 2024 presidential election.

Mr Trump also mocked his closest rival for the Republican nomination Ron DeSantis, who he leads in the polls by more than 40 points.

Speaking at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, Mr Trump told dailymail.com: He didnt have many people show up. Thats not good. Hes doing very poorly in the polls. Very, very poorly. And I think hes going to be leaving the race pretty soon, I think.

Mr Trump later told The Sunday Times that he has a close to 100 per cent chance of beating President Joe Biden in a national election.

It comes after a US judge warned Mr Trump not to make inflammatory statements which could taint the jury pool before his trial for conspiring to overturn the result of the 2020 election.

Tanya Chutkan said at a 90-minute hearing in Washington: He is a criminal defendant. He is going to have restrictions.

The fact that the defendant is engaged in a political campaign is not going to allow him any greater or lesser latitude.

What Mr Trump can say in public is one of several disputes between his legal team and prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the US Attorney General said Mr Bidens son Hunter, 53, faces a tough new investigation after a plea-bargaining deal on tax and gun charges collapsed.

As Republicans push for an inquiry into the sons business dealings, his lawyer Chris Clark pointed out that the probe has lasted five years so far.

We are confident when all of these manoeuvrings are at an end my client will have resolution and will be moving on with his life successfully, he added.
A Russian warship has fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the Black Sea after it failed to respond to demands to stop, Moscow has said.

Russia reported that one of its patrol boats opened fire with automatic weapons after the vessel ignored a request to halt for an inspection on Sunday. The ship claimed to be eventually heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

The incident comes Moscow warned last month that it could not guarantee the safety of civilian vessels in the Black Sea after it pulled out of a UN-backed international deal to allow the safe export of grain from Ukraine.

International shipping data showed the cargo ship had been in the south-western region of the Black Sea, near the coast of Bulgaria, suggesting it was heading towards the Romanian port Sulina, which is close to the border with Ukraine.

The Sukru Okan vessel, which was flying the flag of Palau - a small island country in the Pacific - did stop following the warning shots and there were no reports of any damage or casualties, the Russian authorities said.

The Russian defence ministry said its military then boarded the ship with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter.

It added: After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail.

A spokesperson for the Turkish defence ministry said it was aware of an incident involving a ship heading for Romania, and confirmed officials were looking into it.

There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine or the ships owners.

The incident ratchets up pressure in the Black Sea with tensions high over the dirching of a deal which allowed Ukraine to export grain.

Disruption to shipping routes could have a knock-on effect on global supply chains and prices.

Ukraine and its allies have accused Russias warnings to vessels in the Black Sea as amounting to an effective blockade of Ukrainian ports that threatens to cut off the flow of wheat and sunflower seeds to world markets.

Russia has rejected the claim accused the West of failing to implement an agreement to ease rules on Russian exports of food and fertilisers.

The Black Sea grain initiative was negotiated in July 2022 between Turkey, the UN and Russia as a way of ensuring that Ukraine, could ensure that its grain could leave its southern ports via the Bosphorus.

The graincould not be exported in the quantities required using the alternative methods of road or rail through Poland or by canal and river through Romania. Ukatine is known as the breadbasket of the world because the amount of grain it produces and exports.
T he Russian Defense Ministry has reported that it intercepted a drone attack overnight.

Russias air defense reportedly shot down the drone over the territory of Belgorod Oblast around 4am local time on Sunday,

There were no casualties or damage, the ministry said.

While Russia blames the Ukrainian military for the strikes, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The attacks were launched at the area which is in Russia but close to the border with Ukraine.

The ministry said in a statement: The Kyiv regimes unsuccessful attempt to attack facilities on the Russian territory with a plane-type unmanned aerial vehicle was thwarted at around 4am today.

Russian missile defenses detected the drone and destroyed it above the territory of the Belgorod Region.

Meanwhile Russian state media also claimed on Saturday that 20 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight in occupied Crimea.

Fourteen drones were destroyed by air defense, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Six others were suppressed by means of electronic warfare.

Russias Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraines Luhansk, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. The region has seen periodic shelling and cross-border rocket attacks since spring 2022.

.
B elarus may be funding the activities of the Wagner mercenary group, British defence chiefs claim.

In its latest intelligence update, Britains Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there is a realistic possibility that Russia no longer finances the activities of Wagner.

The MoD said the Russian state had acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed mutiny against the Russian armys top brass in June.

If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities, it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belaruss resources.

The MoD said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses due to financial pressures.

It comes after Polands defence minister has said the country intends to put 10,000 soldiers along its border with Belarus due to the arrival of Wanger forces in the neighbouring state.

Warsaw is concerned about the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus and migrants trying to cross the border.

Previously, Poland warned Wagner mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, a strategic stretch of territory situated between Belarus and Kaliningrad, a Russian territory separated from the mainland.

In an interview given to state radio, Mariusz Blaszczak said 10,000 soldiers would ultimately be deployed to the border area.

He made the announcement a day after a different official said Poland was sending 2,000 additional troops to the border, essentially doubling its military presence there.

The soldiers are being sent to reinforce the work of police and Border Guard officers.
About the series

Questions linger for those whose loved ones are the victims of unsolved homicides or other unexplained deaths. While some survivors say there is never true closure, answers offer some finality to their grief.

Such was the case for the family of 9-year-old Marise A. Chiverella. In 2022, 58 years after her murder-rape, state police used DNA and genealogy to identifier her killer.

Her case brought hope that the coldest of cases  cases like the ones contained in this series  will find finality, too.

This is the fifth story in the series. To read previous stories in this series, visit standardspeaker.com/news/searching.

Previous stories in the series include:

April 16: The case of Carlos Luna Polanco.

May 21: The case of Michael Ruggiero.

June 17: the case of Ferdinand Iacono.

July 16: The case of Lorenzo Soriano.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Sunday voiced firm opposition to visit by Lai Ching-te to the United States in any name or under whatever pretext.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when asked for comments on Lai's arriving in New York for a "stopover."

We have stated our position clearly on Lai's U.S. "stopover" on many occasions, Zhu said, adding that the Chinese mainland firmly opposes Lai's acts to harm Taiwan by soliciting U.S. support for his independence agenda.

She expressed firm opposition to any form of U.S. connivance and support for "Taiwan independence" separatists and their separatist activities.

Describing himself as "a pragmatic 'Taiwan independence' worker," Lai clings stubbornly to the separatist position for "Taiwan independence," Zhu said.

Under the pretext of "stopover," Lai is selling Taiwan away to grab selfish gains for his own election, which will ultimately damage the interests of the people of Taiwan and undermine the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, said Zhu, noting that he is a troublemaker through and through.

"Cross-Strait peace and stability and 'Taiwan independence' are as irreconcilable as water and fire," Zhu said.

These moves made by "Taiwan independence" separatist forces run counter to the dominant will of Taiwan people for peace, development, exchanges and cooperation. "In the end, they will only drag Taiwan into a treacherous zone of war and bring disaster to compatriots in Taiwan," Zhu said. 
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Imran Zakeria, an associate professor at the Regional Research Center of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan, talks during an interview with Xinhua in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 9, 2023. For decades, and especially since the pull-out of the U.S. army in August 2021, numerous batches of Afghan students traveled to neighboring China for higher education. (Photo by Sabawoon/Xinhua)

KABUL, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- With a master's degree in civil engineering Obtained from the Southeast University in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, Abasin Danis returned to his native land in Afghanistan five years ago and became a project manager under the Ministry of Public Works.

For decades, and especially since the pull-out of the U.S. army in August 2021, numerous batches of Afghan students traveled to neighboring China for higher education.

Now, Danis, 36, mainly participates in planning and reconstructing roads all over Afghanistan, most of which were bombed beyond recognition during the two-decade-long war.

To date, almost everything needs restoring in the war-ridden country, and many Afghans who used to study in China, like Danis, are active in all walks of life, joining the like-minded to nation-rebuild with the expertise they acknowledged in China, whereby they also help enhance the friendly relationship between the countries.

Danis said that studying in China guided his life in the right direction and threw a light on his career making. "The linking roads between the districts of the provinces, as well as the national highways between provinces and the capital, play an important role in building the infrastructure of the country, and it also has a direct impact on people's life and the GDP of the country," he said.

"I had an amazing academic and social environment in China and got a lot of love, respect and assistance from Chinese people during my stay from 2016 to 2018," he added.

Imran Zakeria, an associate professor at the Regional Research Center of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan, said he went to different provincial-level regions of China seven times from 2015 to 2017 for academic exchanges.

Those experiences encouraged Zakeria to apply for a master's degree at a Chinese university. Sponsored by the China Scholarship Council in 2018, he chose Central China Normal University based in Wuhan City to study international relations.

Zakeria was also among one of the overseas students who stayed in Wuhan during the outbreak of the COVID-19 cluster early in 2020.

"I want to say that I'm extremely thankful for the university officials, and especially the international office... They provided us with doctors as well, and even like some students, they were in isolation, but they have also been provided with psychological doctors as well," Zakeria said while recalling the hardships he went through with Chinese friends.

Receiving an interview with Xinhua outside his office, Zakeria said his connections to China propelled him to focus on studies of Chinese politics and policies. He is also active in public diplomacy and contributing to the exchanges between authorities and the people of Afghanistan and China.

For Khalil Ahmad Hijrat, a cardiologist and Health Director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, the country's major charity, life in China comprised most of his youth.

In 2007, Hijrat began his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Nanjing Medical University and Southeast University, successively. He is now still a Ph.D. student at Southeast University, though the epidemic postponed his study.

"The Health Directorate of the Afghan Red Crescent Society has around 225 health facilities... We have 36 routine immunization teams working for polio eradication. We have 65 emergency mobile health teams working in Afghanistan in case we have a disaster, so for the management of the disaster in the health field, we work there," said Hijrat.

Once working as a resident doctor at the Zhongnan Hospital of Southeast University, he highly commended the high-end technology and quality medical education in Chinese hospitals and medical schools.

As a heart surgeon, Hijrat also focuses on diagnosing and treating congenital heart diseases in children. According to Hijrat, his department is currently responsible for eight medical projects, the most important of which is saving children with such conditions.

"Until now, we have registered around 26,000 patients, and around 13,000 patients have been operated (for heart surgeries) inside and outside the country," he said, adding that the charity is the only organization in Afghanistan that receives all children with congenital heart diseases free of charge.

Hijrat told Xinhua that he had yet to decide when to return to China to continue his study. He explained that he was working around the clock in Afghanistan, and crowds were waiting for assistance and aid from many willing to devote themselves to nation-rebuilding like him. 

Khalil Ahmad Hijrat, Health Director of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, talks during an interview with Xinhua in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 9, 2023. For decades, and especially since the pull-out of the U.S. army in August 2021, numerous batches of Afghan students traveled to neighboring China for higher education. (Photo by Sabawoon/Xinhua)
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis-area activists have been fighting for years to get government compensation for people with cancer and other serious illnesses potentially connected to Manhattan Project nuclear contamination. This week marked a major victory, with support coming from the president.

Uranium was processed in St. Louis starting at the onset of World War II as America raced to develop nuclear bombs.

Reports last fall that Jana Elementary, near Coldwater Creek in Florissant, may have been contaminated  a finding from a testing lab hired by plaintiffs' lawyers in a pending case against several companies  drew renewed interest in St. Louis' nuclear legacy. In response to alarmed constituents, both U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, and U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for additional testing, remediation and compensation. Jana was closed, forcing kids to study elsewhere, despite repeated assurances by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the school was safe.

Then, in July, reporting by The Missouri Independent, the nonprofit newsroom Muck Rock and The Associated Press on government documents obtained by outside researchers gave new momentum to bipartisan efforts to compensate those in St. Louis and elsewhere whose illnesses may be tied to nuclear fallout and contamination.

On Wednesday, that support extended to President Joe Biden.

"I'm prepared to help in terms of making sure that those folks are taken care of," Biden said during a visit to New Mexico.

Dawn Chapman and Karen Nickel, who lead the activist group Just Moms STL, said they're optimistic but not letting up.

"It's a great day," Chapman said. "We feel incredible. But we don't take the time to celebrate it. For us, it's like we have a strong wind at our back. Now who do we push? We don't let up for a moment."

Hawley introduced legislation last month to expand an existing compensation program for exposure victims. The Senate endorsed the amendment, but the proposed changes to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act are not yet included in a House-approved defense bill amid negotiations toward final legislation.

St. Louis is far from alone in suffering the effects of the geographically scattered national nuclear program. Advocates have been trying for years to bring awareness to the lingering effects of radiation exposure on the Navajo Nation, where millions of tons of uranium ore were extracted over decades to support U.S. nuclear activities.

Months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis began processing uranium into a concentrated form that could be further refined elsewhere into the material that made it into weapons.

By the late-1940s, the government was trucking nuclear waste from the Mallinckrodt plant to a site near Lambert Airport. It was there that the waste was dumped into Coldwater Creek, contaminating a 19-mile waterway that stretches across north St. Louis County.

In 1966, the Atomic Energy Commission demolished and buried buildings near the airport and moved the waste to another site, contaminating it, too. Documents cited by AP and the other news organizations showed that storage was haphazard and waste was spilled on roads but that mistakes were often ignored.

Uranium waste also was illegally dumped in West Lake Landfill, near the airport, in 1973. It's still there.

Cleanup in St. Louis County has topped $1 billion, and it's far from over.

Meanwhile, uranium was processed in neighboring St. Charles County starting in the 1950s, creating more contamination. The government built a 75-foot mound, covered in rock, to serve as a permanent disposal cell, and the area is considered remediated.

Some experts are skeptical about the connection between diseases and the contamination. Tim Jorgensen, a professor of radiation medicine at Georgetown University, told the AP in July that the biggest risk factor for cancer is age and that local radiation's contribution would be so low as to be hard to detect.
Travel planning can be a real chore. Booking flights, deciding on the right hotel and building an itinerary might be fun for some, but others dread it. Thats why some travelers are opting for an unorthodox travel strategy that eliminates the planning stage altogether. Its called mystery or surprise travel, and the destination isnt revealed until the day of departure.

This idea isnt new. Some friend groups plan regular mystery travel vacations, with one person or family planning and booking the itinerary for everyone else.

Lanie van der Horst, a travel blogger, asked her husband to plan a trip. He decided to keep the destination  Byron Bay, Australia  a secret.

I literally cried when he told me that he had a trip planned that I didnt have to think about, van der Horst says.

Let a travel company plan your trip

As these surprise trips have become more popular, travel booking companies have begun offering them. Customers pay a flat fee for the trip and set certain guidelines such as dates and preferences, but the destination remains a surprise until the last minute. For group travel, this means that everybody will be surprised when the destination is revealed.

Mystery travel is not only exciting and simple to plan, but it can also nudge travelers to explore destinations they may never have considered otherwise.

If you like white-water rafting, you may have already been to the well-known spots in Arizona and Colorado, Roshni Agarwal, co-founder of The Vacation Hunt, a mystery travel service, said in an email. But did you know that the U.S. National Whitewater Center is in Charlotte, North Carolina?

How it works

Although it differs from travel agency to travel agency (and from friend group to friend group), the basic process of mystery travel involves:

Choosing a date or range of dates.

Deciding on a budget.

Setting certain parameters or preferences.

Preferences could include the types of activities you enjoy, such as outdoor adventures, or exclusions for destinations youve recently visited or plan to visit.

Then you wait and let the anticipation build. Some mystery travel agencies (and friend groups) will even send a physical envelope with the trip details inside  not to be opened until the day of departure.

Airfare and lodging costs are included in the trip budget, which can vary from $1,499 per traveler for a short weekend trip (3-4 days) to several thousand for longer international excursions. Recommendations for food and activities are generally offered, but the costs are not included for package trips.

We often tell our travelers to expect to spend around $100 per person per day on dining, shopping and activities, Agarwal said.

For mystery trips planned for a group of friends or family, its imperative to get aligned on the budget ahead of time. The cost of the trip shouldnt be one of the surprises.

Decisions, decisions

Beyond the sense of adventure and the fun story to share with friends, the appeal of mystery travel lies in its simplicity. Rather than spending time and energy on decision making, travelers can focus on the trips experience.

There are a lot of decisions that have to be made at every stage of a trip, and having someone else decide for you is honestly one of the biggest advantages of surprise trips, Agarwal said.

Even the relatively simple act of booking a flight involves dozens of decisions, such as choosing the airline, where to sit and when to depart. Handing these decisions to a travel booker or trusted friend can mitigate decision fatigue.

This simplicity comes with trade-offs: You may prefer an afternoon departure but get stuck with a morning flight. Or you could end up in a destination you would never choose for yourself (for good reason).

Meticulous planners, who prefer to set every detail of their trips months before departure, could also feel discombobulated by the uncertainty of mystery travel. What to pack? How to know what activities or restaurants to visit? These uncertainties could generate a sense of anxiety rather than adventure for planners.

Van der Horst, whose husband planned a last-minute trip to the beach, suggests that planners share some details about what travelers need  like a bathing suit.

If you want to trick them  tell them to pack extra stuff. Just let people know what they actually need.
DEXTER, Mo.  For a city of 7,900, the impending shutdown of a Tyson Foods plant that employs nearly 700 people here was heavy news.

The word came Monday morning: The Arkansas-based meatpacking company was executing a cost-cutting move. It would shutter four U.S. poultry plants, including one here, in southeast Missouris Bootheel region.

By midweek, Tyson employees were sending out job applications to other companies in the area. Officials were contemplating what the closure would mean for residents  and for city coffers.

You couldnt get more terrible news, as a city leader, said Dexter Mayor Jason Banken. You just couldnt get a more devastating phone call.

Dexter was founded in the late 1800s, planned by the Cairo, Arkansas and Texas Railroad Co. The city is surrounded by rows of soybeans and cornfields, with Cape Girardeau to the northeast and Poplar Bluff to the west. The poultry processing plant, which dates back to the 1930s, is on the east side of town, divided from the rest of Dexter by a highway and a railroad track.

The plant has changed ownership several times, but has always provided the area jobs and tax revenues. Its workers have pumped money into the local economy by living and spending inside Dexters city limits.

Banken said everyone in the city knows someone who works there.

And come Oct. 13, the plant will close. The shutdown includes the processing facility, a feed mill, a hatchery and a grow house, according to a layoff notice filed with the state.

Now workers in Dexter are deciding whether to stay on until the plant shuts its doors  the company is offering a $1,000 retention bonus to hourly workers who do.

Noah Hirt, a 21-year-old operator, said he has no choice but to stay on for the extra money.

I have to stick it out, Hirt said. Im check-to-check.

Cutting costs

Tyson has been under pressure to improve profit margins in its chicken business, said Kristoffer Inton, a Morningstar financial analyst who follows the company.

The company has announced six plant closures this year. CEO Donnie King said during a call with analysts Monday that those sites are generally smaller in scale, and in need of upgrades.

Four of those were announced Monday. They amount to more than 2,900 jobs across five small cities: 683 in Dexter; 1,513 in Noel, in the southwest corner of Missouri; 20 at that plants feed mill in Westville, Oklahoma; 368 workers at a plant in Corydon, Indiana; and 339 workers at a plant in North Little Rock, Arkansas, according to local media reports.

Tyson says it is working with state and local officials to connect workers with help and resources. Workers are encouraged to apply for open roles within the company, and Tyson will offer relocation benefits in some cases, a spokesperson said. As of October, the company owned or leased 185 chicken facilities in total, according to regulatory filings.

Today the plant employs people in a range of positions  from managers and administrative staff to forklift and truck drivers, machine repair workers, and general laborers  and it supports a network of truckers, farmers and other ancillary businesses.

Companies in the area have been contacting the city, each looking to hire two- or three-dozen Tyson workers. The city keeps them on a list for a planned job fair closer to the plant shutdown.

The first priority is to help people find employment, said David Wyman, Dexters city administrator. But Dexter will fare better if peoples new jobs are within city limits.

Some of the larger employers in the area are outside of Dexter, or across the state line in northern Arkansas, more than 40 miles away. Officials are worried about people moving away.

They buy groceries here in Dexter. They buy their cars here in Dexter, Wyman said. Theres no way to really calculate it.

Town leaders also need to determine the next steps for the site. But its complicated.

Dexter officials said they were told by company representatives that Tyson is unlikely to sell the plant and property to a competitor. The city will try to negotiate with the company over that: The facility is built to process poultry  that is the most effective way to market the site to potential buyers  and farmers in the area rely on it to buy their chickens and grain.

In a statement, a Tyson spokesperson said the company will honor its obligations to the contract chicken growers affected by the closure, and will have individual discussions with each about their options.

And if the city cant find a new tenant for the plant, it could run into other problems. Would it still, for instance, be able to afford a planned upgrade to one of its two wastewater treatment plants, which is needed for the city to grow?

At a grand opening for his Broosters Butts, Bones and Pie barbecue joint in Dexter on Wednesday, co-owner Todd Stroder said he expects some businesses in town will be affected, especially those near the plant that get a lot of foot traffic from the workers. But, he said, the closure isnt going to shut down the community.

It takes your breath. Youve got to get your wits about you, said Stroder, 59.

The community will get together, he said, and make a plan of action.

Still, he added, I dont think Tyson will be a good word in this town, after this.

Resilience

Two blocks from the Tyson plant, on the wall next to the door at Garys Quick Stop, a flyer advertised work at a company that operates a poultry plant 90 minutes southwest, in northern Arkansas. Wages started at $14.66 an hour, plus a $3-an-hour bonus for perfect attendance.

Just a quarter-mile from the plant, Tyson workers passed through the gas station and convenience store throughout the day for coffee, sodas and sandwiches. Gary Starnes started working there in 1981, when he was a teenager and the building was a service station. In 1997, he took it over and changed the name to Garys Quick Stop.

When the Tyson news hit, Starnes said, everyone was shocked. Its going to hurt everything, he said as he rang up a customer buying a drink Wednesday morning.

In the afternoon, a group of Starnes friends stopped in for coffee and lunch. They talked about the plant closing, and about how it might affect local businesses. Occasionally, trucks loaded with chicken cages passed by.

Its going to be rough on a lot of people, said Jack Putney, 64, a semi-retired contractor.

Despite their fears, longtime residents were quick to recall: Theyd been through this before.

International Hat Co. closed its plant in Dexter, where 200 people worked, in 1989. Brown Shoe Co. shuttered its plant, which had nearly 300 union employees, in 1992. The Purolator Products plant there, which had 450 workers manufacturing automotive filters, closed in 1995. The city still has a Faurecia auto parts plant, but it doesnt employ nearly as many as it used to, residents said.

In spite of the losses in manufacturing jobs, the citys population has held about steady for the past few decades.

It hasnt grown much, but it also hasnt shrunk, said Larry Lancaster, 74, an insurance broker who moved to Dexter 38 years ago.

Fifty years ago, every town around here had a shoe factory. Now theyre all gone, he said. Little towns like this get dinged, but I guess were resilient.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday vetoed a bipartisan proposal that would have lifted a decades-old ban on construction of nuclear power plants in Illinois.

With the relatively rare use of his veto pen, the second-term Democrat handed a victory to environmentalists who opposed lifting the ban, while also dealing a defeat to labor unions, who saw the measure as a way to generate construction projects and preserve high-paying energy sector jobs as coal and natural gas plants are shut down in the coming decades.

The issue was one of several in recent years that have pitted the two key constituencies of the Democratic Party against each other.

Pritzker, who two years ago signed a sweeping energy policy overhaul that aims to achieve carbon-free power by midcentury, had previously expressed some interest in the idea of allowing smaller modular nuclear reactors in Illinois, while cautioning that the devils in the details.

He ultimately decided the bill passed by legislators didnt address enough of those details.

Unfortunately, the vague definitions in the bill, including the overly broad definition of advanced reactors, will open the door to proliferation of large-scale nuclear reactors that are so costly to build that they will cause exorbitant ratepayer-funded bailouts, Pritzker wrote in a veto message to lawmakers.

Pritzker said he wants lawmakers to make another attempt at crafting legislation that would include more safeguards for people living near new nuclear plants and that would be more targeted toward small modular reactors.

Pritzker also used his amendatory veto power to remove a provision in separate legislation that would have allowed local governments to enter into public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects. Labor unions had backed the provision as part of their push to bring privately operated toll lanes to a congested stretch of Interstate 55, though Pritzkers change would not affect that proposal.

As written, the bill creates a pathway for private industry to enter (public-private partnership) agreements locally that skirts transparency and anti-corruption requirements established in state statute, Pritzker said in his veto message.

The legislature, dominated by Pritzkers fellow Democrats, could override the governors vetoes. Spokespeople for House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch of Hillside and Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park did not respond immediately to requests for comment on whether their respective chambers would attempt to override the governor.

In his message on the nuclear moratorium measure, Pritzker said he was vetoing it at the request of the leadership team of the speaker of the House and advocates.

State Sen. Sue Rezin, a Morris Republican who sponsored the measure, said in a statement Friday that she had already filed paperwork to initiate an override vote when lawmakers return to Springfield this fall.

The governor is clearly putting his own partisan political ambitions over what is in the best interest of the people of Illinois by his sole decision to veto bipartisan legislation to improve Illinois future energy portfolio sustainably and cost-effectively, Rezin said.

Advocates for lifting the moratorium, including labor unions, argued that allowing the construction of nuclear plants would help smooth the transition from sources that produce climate-damaging carbon emissions while also providing more reliable power.

Opponents, however, contended that investing in more nuclear plants would be an expensive distraction from developing more renewable energy while at the same time failing to address the long-running standoff over nuclear waste storage that prompted the ban in the first place.

Environmental and consumer groups praised Pritzkers action, while the Illinois AFL-CIO, which advocated for lifting the ban, declined to comment.

Nuclear power comes with significant safety risks and results in highly hazardous wastes that threaten our drinking water, with no safe, permanent waste solution in sight, Illinois Environmental Council Executive Director Jen Walling said in a statement. Rather than abandon all safeguards, Gov. Pritzker recognized that such substantial risks merit the highest protective guardrails our state can offer.

Illinois, already home to more nuclear power plants than any state in the nation, was not alone in instituting a moratorium. More than a dozen states from California to Vermont had some type of restrictions on new nuclear power facilities, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

But in recent years, some of those states have ended those limits, including Wisconsin in 2016, Kentucky in 2017, Montana in 2021 and West Virginia last year, according to the NCSL.

The Illinois moratorium  which garnered little news coverage and virtually no debate on the floor of the Illinois House and Senate when it was approved in spring 1987, about a year after the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine  was driven by a national political stalemate over how to dispose of radioactive waste, a controversy that continues to this day.

Although the Illinois moratorium has remained in place all these years, governors and lawmakers have remained mostly friendly and supportive of the nuclear industry.

Exelon, parent of scandal-plagued utility Commonwealth Edison, repeatedly threatened to shut down some of the states nuclear plants because company officials said the plants werent making enough money. In response, lawmakers propped up the nuclear fleet and Exelon won ratepayer subsidies for its Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear plants in 2016 during Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners tenure and its Byron, Dresden and Braidwood plants five years later, after Pritzker was elected.

In both instances, Exelon and ComEd partnered with labor unions and environmental groups to push for sweeping policy changes they argued would protect both jobs and the climate by properly accounting for the carbon-free benefits of nuclear power.

Exelon has since spun off a new firm, Constellation Energy, to run the power generation business, which includes 11 reactors at six plants providing about half of the states power.

Constellation was supportive of ending the moratorium but said the company currently ... has no plans to build new nuclear plants in Illinois.
BERKELEY  A St. Louis man was killed early Sunday morning after he lost control of his car on a north St. Louis County highway ramp.

Yelmer Ramirez-Tercero, 31, was driving from northbound Interstate 170 onto the ramp to eastbound Interstate 70 when he lost control of his car around 2 a.m.

Police said he his car left the road, traveled up an embankment and hit a MetroLink train overpass, overturning and catching fire.

Ramirez-Tercero was pronounced dead at the scene. A 21-year-old passenger in the car was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
DENVER  Bobbie Boyd is in a losing battle against near triple-digit temperatures in northwest Arkansas.

Her window air conditioner runs nonstop and the ballooning electric bill carves about $240 out of her $882-a-month fixed income. So the 57-year-old cuts other necessities.

Boyd eats one meal a day so her 15-year-old grandson, who shes raising alone, can have two. She stopped paying car insurance and skips medical appointments.

The rent and the light bill. And Im broke, said Boyd, who needs the cooling to stave off her heat-induced asthma attacks.

As climate change ratchets up temperatures across the U.S., millions of the poorest Americans grapple with the same agonizing decisions as Boyd  between perilous indoor heat or paying costly bills. While President Joe Biden has invested billions into federal programs that subsidize the poorest Americans energy costs, the money reaches only a fraction of the most vulnerable during the sweltering summer months.

Nationwide, nearly 30 million American households struggle to pay their energy bills and qualify for the subsidy, but less than 3% receive it for their summer bills, according to the latest, preliminary federal data.

Compared to food stamps, which reach over 80% of the eligible population nationwide, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, falls far short even as climate change helped make July Earths hottest month on record and air conditioning becomes a means of survival.

Thats because most states run out of their federal funding every year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program.

Were likely to see the energy insecure population grow unless we have some pretty significant and substantial government intervention, said Michelle Graff, who studies the federal subsidy at Cleveland State University.

As it stands, many states dont even offer the assistance for summer months, and those that do often run out of funds before the hottest days roll around. The program was founded decades ago with a focus on winter heating bills and has been slow to adapt to climate changes hotter summers.

Biden has promoted LIHEAP as crucial for low-income families to help with their energy bills, saying last week that during the sweltering summer, even when the heat is over, many of our families may see their largest-ever energy bill.

On a visit Tuesday, Biden told a crowd north of Phoenix  where residents endured 31 straight days above 110 degrees in which at least 18 people died indoors without air conditioning  that extreme heat is Americas No. 1 weather-related killer.

Still, in Arizona, the nations hottest state where roughly 650,000 low-income households qualify for the federal energy help for cooling assistance, only about 11,600 actually received it, according to the federal data.

Samira Burns, a Health and Human Services official, said in a statement that the Biden administration doubled the LIHEAP budget through the American Rescue Plan and that HHS has updated guidance to help states target support during extreme heat.

Just outside Phoenix five years ago, the death of 72-year-old Stephanie Pullman on a sweltering day after her electricity was cut off because of a $51 unpaid bill brought attention to the danger heat poses to people who are energy insecure.

While Arizona power companies are now banned from cutting off customers during the hottest months, last year nearly 3 million people had their power disconnected for failing to pay bills  a third within the three hottest summer months, according to data collected by the Energy Justice Lab.

In the more extreme, but not at all rare circumstance, the risk is death, said Sanya Carley, who studies energy policy at the University of Pennsylvania and is co-director of the Energy Justice Lab.

When Candace Griffin of Houston, Texas, received disconnection notices this summer, she scrambled to keep the electricity flowing by seeking nonprofit assistance to pay monthly bills that surpassed $400. There wasnt anywhere else to pull extra money from.

I have to pay the energy bill, I have to have lights, I have to have AC, the 51-year-old said. And, I have to eat.

The poorest Americans and minority communities already live in hotter neighborhoods and many suffer without air conditioning at all. While there are tax credits and rebates to help install air conditioning, most remain out of reach for impoverished households.

But even with air conditioning, those with the lowest incomes face higher costs than their wealthier counterparts  in part because they are more likely to live in older, less insulated and drafty homes.

Energy insecure households paid 20 cents more per square-foot for energy usage than the national average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The federal Weatherization Assistance Program helps shore up low-income homes to make them better insulated, less leaky and reduce reliance on air conditioning and heating altogether. Still, while almost 40 million low-income households are eligible, only about 35,000 households get the help each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

National nonprofits, including the The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities, offer emergency financial aid, which thousands rely upon, especially since LIHEAP requires a multi-step application every year.

Boyd doesnt receive LIHEAP; she didnt even know that the financial aid was available.

The only thing between me and the sun is the roof, she said.

5 smart strategies to lower your air conditioning bill this summer 1) Optimize your thermostat settings. Optimizing your thermostat settings can keep you cool without major changes to your comfort level. Experiment with setting your thermostat a few degrees higher than you normally would during the day. You might find youre unnecessarily blasting the AC. Turning your thermostat down during cooler nighttime temperatures can also add up to major savings. A programmable smart thermostat can also help you track your cooling costs, reduce unnecessary energy usage, and adjust your settings when youre away from home. 2) Use natural ventilation. Maximizing natural ventilation is an effective and eco-friendly way to cool your home. During cool morning and evening hours, open your windows to let in a fresh breeze. Then, once temperatures rise during the middle of the day, close windows and doors to keep the indoor temperature low. Ceiling and window fans also use less energy than HVAC units while increasing air circulation to keep you cool and comfortable. 3) Maintain your HVAC system. If you cant remember the last time you had your HVAC system serviced, youre probably paying more than you need to in cooling costs. To optimize your HVAC, clean and replace any filters every few months, and schedule a professional maintenance visit once a year. An HVAC specialist can ensure your system has proper airflow and check for issues that make your air conditioner less efficient. 4) Increase insulation to block outside heat. Upgrading your homes attic or wall insulation can be costly, but keeping the heat out could be as simple as installing energy-efficient window treatments. Adding blinds, blackout curtains, or reflective film will block out sunlight during the hottest parts of the day and keep your homes internal temperature cooler. 5) Skip the mid-day chores and cooking. Modifying your routine could help you reduce your cooling costs. Instead of cooking lunch in the oven, opt for sandwiches or salads while the sun is up. You can also line dry clothing or wait until the evening to use your dryer. A few simple changes to your habits could add up to some fun-money savings for your summer vacation.
Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden should be president of the United States in January 2025. That seems to be the position of a large percentage of Americans. And that seems to be the reason the bipartisan group No Labels is pushing to lay the groundwork in all 50 states for a third candidate to have the chance at the job.

Many people have their reasons for wishing the Republican Party would find somebody  anybody!  other than Trump to be their presidential nominees for the third time in a row. Hes too divisive. Too incompetent. Too racist. Too rapey. Too felonious.

But all polls show hes still the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, despite being recently indicted not once, not twice, but three times on felony charges that carry decades of prison time if convicted.

The silence from Republican leaders from Jefferson City to Washington D.C. in response to Trumps unprecedented presidential legal troubles is shocking. We are in uncharted waters here.

As former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon noted in a recent conversation, its equally shocking and unprecedented for another presidential candidate to seemingly not get any kind of a boost in the polls after his opponent has been indicted once, let alone time and time again, as Trump has. That unlucky candidate is President Joe Biden.

Biden is old. Lets just say it. And although hes not that much older than the 77-year-old Trump, Biden seems to wear every day of his 80 years like each one weighed a ton. And while many of the orchestrated attacks on Biden from his political opponents have been unfair, distasteful, ageist and mean-spirited, many people  especially young people whose knees are still good and arthritis is still an obscure concept  believe that the job is too much for him today, let alone by the end of a possible second term six years from now, when hes 86 years old.

Most Americans, according to polling from No Labels, dont want a Biden-Trump rematch and wonder where have all the new ideas and new faces gone in both parties. Is this truly the best America has to offer?

I spoke with Gov. Nixon on a Zoom call last week as a member of the Post-Dispatch Editorial Board. Nixon was joined by former NAACP President Benjamin Chavis and others representing No Labels. The board asked the group direct questions about the purpose and intent of the organization. Is this, as some have feared and openly criticized, a way to siphon off votes from one candidate (Trump or Biden, but given the groups moderate stances, likely Biden) to help the other?

Absolutely not, they insisted. Nixon, a lifelong Democrat, was especially adamant that he would never be involved in anything he thought would help Trump.

Their argument was that the two parties would be failing the American public if they nominated the same two candidates again. On that point, I strongly agree. The public doesnt want it, and the country desperately needs to move past this dark age of partisanship and division.

If a third party candidate does arise and gain significant enough support to either sway or win the election, it will have been a direct consequence of the failings of the two major parties to present new ideas and candidates for the times we live in.

The process to give Americans a third option is incredibly complicated and costly. The rules have been written by the two major parties and they dont like competition. Despite most Americans poor understanding of their own government, there is no national election in this country. We select our national leader through a series of 50 state elections, each one having its own rules and requirements to get a third party candidate on the ballot.

That's what No Labels is doing now: the hard and expensive work of getting a to be determined later candidate cleared to present themselves next year to American voters as another option.

And at a time when both parties have gone further to their political extremes, No Labels promises a ticket that would be moderate and bipartisan. It will likely be much younger too, not weighted down by questions of age or criminality. For many voters, that alone makes the effort worth it.

Antonio French is a member of the Post-Dispatch Editorial Board.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China imported 62.3 million tonnes of soybeans in the first seven months of this year, up 15 percent from a year earlier, customs data showed.

In July alone, the country's soybean imports reached 9.73 million tonnes, down from 10.27 million tonnes in June but more than the 7.88 million tonnes imported in the same month last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

The per-tonne value of the soybean imports increased 1.3 percent year on year in the first seven months to 4,334.6 yuan (about 605.39 U.S. dollars).

The country, as the world's largest soybean importer, imported a total of 91.08 million tonnes of soybeans last year. Imported soybeans are usually crushed into meal for animal feed in China. 
As per usual, Im in the minority, not because Im Black, or a woman. No, this time its because I dont condemn President Bidens reelection bid because of his age  and its not just because Im only seven years his junior.

According to a recent poll reported by The Washington Post, 68% of Americans disagree with me, particularly those under age 50. Several friends and associates have said that they think hes fit enough now but worry about what he will be like in four more years.

Not to be redundant but as Ive written before  age alone is not a measure of ability. And forecasting any individuals health for a day, much less in four years, is soothsaying, which is an uncommon gift. Im not buying it.

Truthfully, I do understand the hesitancy. If the only octogenarians, nonagenarians, or centenarians of your experience are feeble, needy, or mentally-challenged, it would be easy to believe that everyone in this group would manifest these same problems. Certainly Ive met quite a few people who do.

In my prior life as a caseworker for the state Department of Family Services, and later as a claims representative for the Social Security Administration, Ive visited homes where people were obviously physically or mentally unable to care for themselves. I spent many days at various nursing homes talking to patients or their representatives, attempting to update their Medicaid, or ensuring that Medicaid was paying their Medicare premiums if their income was low enough to qualify them for that.

Thankfully though, Ive had many more experiences with people in these age groups who remain competent and active, even if their bodies have needed a few replacement parts.

These days I volunteer with a large cadre of people in their 80s and 90s who are still active, physically and mentally. Some play competitive pickleball or other sports. Most drive themselves around and manage their own financial affairs. Several teach or operate businesses. Many are far more politically savvy than I could ever hope to be.

Could they run the country? Some probably could with appropriate advisors, but they are too smart to try.

Most of my maternal relatives managed to reach the age of 100 and were still self-sufficient enough to care for their personal and financial affairs until almost the end. Could they have run the country? Absolutely not. Government was not their area of expertise.

On the other hand, President Biden has devoted his entire life navigating that world and dealing with the ingenuous people who will say or do anything to hold their places in Congress, or to keep the wealth they have amassed. This is only one reason, to quote his platform slogan, I stand with Joe. There are three more.

First, Biden came into the job amid multiple crises and has been able to keep all of those plates spinning in the air deftly, often while battling members of his own party. He stepped up to assist those affected by the Covid epidemic, supporting bills to provide for people suddenly without jobs. He immediately offered help to Ukraine when it was attacked, while simultaneously dealing with supply-chain shortages, gasoline increases, and natural disasters requiring FEMA assistance. He has fought for voting rights, womens rights, and clean air in spite of the Congressional headwinds he faced. And, despite public perception, the economy is good.

Secondly, theres no one in the Democratic Party ready to step up if he defaults. We need to have someone with the aforementioned expertise and the patience to consider the needs of the many before protecting the privileges of the few. Certainly, Biden has made gaffs, the most glaring being the Afghanistan withdrawal. But lets remember who promised the Taliban leaders wed leave by May 21st, 2021  the former guy.

Lastly, this is a man who has been tested by personal loss of the sort that might have destroyed others  the loss of two children and the medical and financial problems of a third. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, still, he rises.

Through luck, faith, good genes, or some combination thereof, we seniors have managed to reach the ages we have. For democracy to survive, an 80-year-old with common sense and empathy trumps a 77-year-old who would be king, as well as any of his clones. I believe in Joe.

Janet Y. Jackson is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member.
Americas founders wanted to avoid what they called factions  what we call political parties  to the point of leaving out any mention of them from the Constitution. George Washington proudly didnt belong to any party.

But, alas, the nations first president was also its last nonpartisan one. The framers could scarcely have imagined that not only would political parties quickly come to control virtually every aspect of American politics and governance, but that just two parties at a time would dominate the nation for most of its history.

The frustration that so many Americans feel today about lack of choice on the ballot  especially in presidential elections  is understandable. In this era of deep partisan polarization, both parties often seem to be in the grip of extremist dogma that doesnt reflect what is, still, a broadly moderate citizenry.

What voter hasnt thought, I wish there was a third choice?

The organization known as No Labels is offering one, at least in concept, with a $70 million effort to gain ballot access in all 50 states for the 2024 presidential ballot. There isnt yet a candidates name attached to that effort. It is, for the moment, all about breaking the two-party systems iron hold over state ballots.

That hold is enforced in most states with complex, often expensive ballot-access rules that favor the two major parties and erect procedural roadblocks against everyone else. Breaking that hold is a valid goal.

But if the No Labels effort ultimately ends up fielding an actual candidate to go up against next years Democratic and Republican nominees (No Labels organizers say such a candidacy isnt a given in 2024), then this noble exercise in democracy could become a dangerous gambit.

Thats because this particular election will likely include a major-party nominee who represents an existential threat to democracy.

As valid as many of the No Labels principles are, their project should stay on the drawing board for now, if theres any chance it will heighten the risk of a second Donald Trump administration. And there is ominous math suggesting that almost any serious third-party or independent candidacy could do exactly that.

The Post-Dispatch editorial board met last week (virtually) with representatives of the No Labels effort, including former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. The states last Democratic governor, now a practicing attorney, Nixon served in office as a moderate restraint to an increasingly radical-right state Legislature.

In that sense, Nixon personifies the centrist philosophy of the No Labels movement, whose other notable backers include Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

Clearly were at a time in this country where other options should be explored, because voters are checking out, Nixon warned during our meeting. People are losing interest in our democracy. Others in the meeting cited movement in both parties toward the ideological fringes in recent years.

No Labels prioritizes political cooperation over partisan brinkmanship. On contentious issues such as abortion, guns and immigration, it favors policies that balance individual rights with commonsense restrictions, mirroring where polls show most Americans are (and where the two major parties too often arent).

The organizations critics, mostly Democrats, fear it could usher in another Trump term by drawing votes from President Joe Biden. The organization has pushed back, presenting itself as more of an insurance policy (in the words of some of its supporters) to ensure there is a procedural path to offer an alternative to Trump if Bidens campaign tanks before November 2024.

I have not nor will I ever do anything for Trump, Nixon emphatically told us.

No Labels points to polls showing that strong majorities of voters want neither Trump nor Biden. That construct, though, ignores the very different nature of the two mens support.

Yes, both are underwater in their approval ratings  but Trumps core base tends to strongly support him, while most of Bidens support is soft. Common sense suggests that a third-party campaign by a centrist like, say, Manchin or Hogan would draw heavily from centrist voters currently leaning toward Biden only because they find Trump unacceptable. Conversely, theres little reason to believe that Trumps famously loyal supporters are yearning for a moderate alternative.

That common sense is reflected in polling. FiveThirtyEight reported last month on five recent surveys that all found that introduction of a third major candidate would advantage Trump more than Biden.

But the biggest problem with the No Labels project is that it begins with the premise that the two likely major party nominees next year are equally unacceptable. This simply isnt true.

Thats not intended as a Biden endorsement. We have argued (and still do) that Biden should consider stepping aside and elevating a younger Democrat who can connect with the party and the country in a way that he clearly cant. To the extent that America needs an insurance policy to prevent another Trump term, Biden himself is largely to blame, by selfishly insisting on a re-election bid that all the polls say is shaky.

That said, Bidens accomplishments in office are significant, and he has ushered in a badly needed return to normalcy in the White House after the tumultuous Trump years. Undebatably, Bidens party has drifted leftward in recent years, but Biden himself is a relatively moderate president who has shown the ability to work with the opposing party.

Trump, on the other hand, attempted to overthrow a valid election, has suggested the Constitution should be suspended to return him to office, and has telegraphed that in a second term, he would fundamentally transform the federal government to scuttle the guardrails on the presidency and consolidate his own power.

It isnt hyperbole to say that Trump is a dictator in waiting. Were sorry if that qualifies as a label, but there is voluminous evidence, in Trumps own words and actions since 2016, that its an accurate one. And any electoral effort that might divide the many Americans who recognize that fact risks making his well-documented yearning for autocracy into a horrific reality.
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE: CLF) is publicly announcing a previously private offer that it had presented to the Board of the United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) on July 28, 2023. That offer, which was reiterated in writing to the U.S. Steel Board on August 11, 2023, proposed acquiring 100% of the outstanding stock of U.S. Steel for a per share value of $17.50 in cash and 1.023 shares of Cliffs stock. On July 28, 2023, this implied a total consideration value of $35.00 per share of U.S. Steel stock, which represented a 42% premium to U.S. Steels share price as of the market close on July 28, 2023. As of the close of market on Friday, August 11, 2023, this offer represents a 43% premium to U.S. Steels share price. Notwithstanding the compelling economic terms of Cliffs offer, it was rejected as being unreasonable by the Board of Directors of U.S. Steel via a letter Cliffs received today, August 13, 2023. As such, Cliffs feels compelled to make its offer publicly known for the direct benefit of all of U.S. Steels stockholders and also make it known that Cliffs stands ready to engage on this offer immediately.

Under the terms of the United Steelworkers (USW) collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Steel, the USW has the right to counter this proposal. On this matter, the USW has affirmed in writing to Cliffs that it endorses the transaction and will not exercise this right. Furthermore, the USW has also stated that it will not endorse anyone other than Cliffs for a transaction. The letter of support from the USW related to the transaction can be found on Cliffs website at www.clevelandcliffs.com.

To provide context to the above proposal, Lourenco Goncalves, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs said, On July 28th I approached U.S. Steels CEO and Board with a written proposal to acquire U.S. Steel for a substantial premium, valuing the company at $35.00 per share with 50% cash and 50% stock. After two weeks without any substantive engagement from U.S. Steel with respect to the economic terms contained in our compelling proposal, U.S. Steels board of directors rejected our proposal, calling it unreasonable. As such, I believe it necessary to now make our proposal public to help expedite substantive engagement between our two companies. Although we are now public, I do look forward to continuing to engage with U.S. Steel on a potential transaction, as I am convinced that the value potential and competitiveness to come out of a combination of our two iconic American companies is exceptional.

Mr. Goncalves continued, The numerous benefits we are excited about include the combination of our complementary U.S.-based footprint, our ability to leverage our in-house metallics capabilities, and enhancing our shared focus on emissions reduction. With these benefits, combined with our experience of extracting meaningful synergies from previous acquisitions, we expect to create a lower-cost, more innovative, and stronger domestic supplier for our customers across all segments. Furthermore, the transaction provides immediate multiple expansion to U.S. Steel stockholders, while simultaneously de-risking U.S. Steels future capital spend with our substantial expected free cash flow and very healthy balance sheet. We also plan to ramp up capital returns to shareholders and implement a dividend upon completion of the transaction. Presentation slides that expand on the compelling strategic rationale of Cliffs proposal can be found on Cliffs website at www.clevelandcliffs.com.

Mr. Goncalves concluded, Most importantly, our proposal has the full support of the United Steelworkers union. This is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our employees -- which would number approximately 40,500 pro forma for the transaction -- as well as to the communities in which we operate. We have proven in our previous M&A transactions our strong track record of significant value creation and our ability to grow the business through the addition of thousands of union jobs. Finally, with this transaction we will create the only American member of the Top 10 steel companies in the World, joining a select group of just three other companies outside of China -- one European, one Japanese and one Korean. We believe that having Cleveland-Cliffs as a world-class, internationally competitive steel company is critical for our country to retain its economic leadership and to regain its manufacturing independence.

As was noted in the letter that Cliffs sent to U.S. Steel on July 28, 2023, Cliffs remains prepared to engage immediately in substantive discussions with U.S. Steel to work towards a mutually acceptable definitive agreement and is ready to commit all necessary resources to finalize documentation.

The proposed transaction has the unanimous approval of Cliffs Board of Directors and is not subject to any financing condition. Several tier 1 U.S. and international banks have advised in writing that they are highly confident that they will be able to arrange the necessary debt financing for the proposed transaction.

In addition, based on review by outside counsel, Cliffs believes the proposed transaction would receive regulatory approval in a timely manner.

Moelis & Company LLC, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan and UBS are acting as financial advisors to Cliffs and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal counsel.
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Cincinnati's Jared Kamrass Gives Back With Scholarship Funding



We are delighted to unveil the prestigious Jared Kamrass Scholarship for Public Service, an esteemed opportunity for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students in the United States who are deeply committed to public service and dedicated to creating a profound impact within their communities. This distinguished scholarship is generously established by Jared Kamrass, Principal of Technicolor Political, a leading full-service messaging and ad making firm, renowned for advising Democratic candidates, committees, and progressive causes nationwide.

The Jared Kamrass Scholarship for Public Service is driven by the profound inspiration from Mr. Kamrass's passion for politics, catalyzed by witnessing the iconic 2004 DNC Convention Speech of Barack Obama in Boston and furthered by a transformative journey with Hodgkin's Lymphoma during college. Through this challenging experience, Mr. Kamrass's commitment to healthcare reform and social equality was ignited, leading to his steadfast dedication to electing policymakers who strive to address systemic inequities.

At its essence, the scholarship aspires to empower and support the next generation of leaders in public service, individuals who possess an unwavering commitment to effecting positive change in society. To be considered for this prestigious award, eligible students are invited to submit a creative essay of under 1000 words, articulating their inspirations and detailing how their education and skills will be harnessed to make a meaningful impact within their communities and beyond.

The application process is now open, and interested candidates are encouraged to visit the official scholarship website at https://jaredkamrassscholarship.com/jared-kamrass-scholarship/ to learn more about the eligibility criteria and submission guidelines.

Jared Kamrass, the visionary behind this scholarship, boasts an illustrious background in political advocacy and campaign management. Upon graduating from Ohio State University, he garnered invaluable experience by overseeing local campaigns in Cincinnati before founding Rivertown Strategies, a prominent full-service Democratic consulting firm. Throughout his illustrious career, Jared has played pivotal roles in numerous crucial election cycles, helping preserve a Democratic majority and championing meaningful policy changes.

Following the transformative 2020 cycle, Jared Kamrass assumed the role of Principal at Technicolor Political, where he has continued to showcase his prowess as an ad maker and media consultant, providing invaluable guidance to numerous national committees and candidates for Governor, Congress, and other statewide and local offices. Technicolor Political, the largest majority Black-owned firm in the Democratic party, consistently defies conventional political advertising norms, leveraging innovation to captivate and engage voters in unprecedented ways.

As recipients of the Jared Kamrass Scholarship for Public Service, students will not only be awarded financial assistance to support their academic endeavors but will also benefit from unparalleled recognition and mentorship from a revered figure in political consulting. This scholarship aims to forge a dynamic community of dedicated individuals who are resolute in driving transformative societal change and confronting the most pressing challenges of our time.

The application period for the Jared Kamrass Scholarship for Public Service is now open, and we eagerly anticipate receiving compelling essays from aspiring leaders across the nation. Qualified students are encouraged to seize this remarkable opportunity to embark on a path of public service and positively impact their communities.

For more information about the Jared Kamrass Scholarship for Public Service and the application process, please visit the official website at https://jaredkamrassscholarship.com/. Wishing all applicants the best of luck in their academic and public service endeavors.

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Name: Jared Kamrass

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Millionero grabs Best Emerging Crypto Exchange Accolade at World Blockchain Summit 2023, Singapore.



Singapore's vibrant cityscape played host to the World Blockchain Summit 2023, a global fulcrum for blockchain innovation, spotlighting the dynamic evolution of the decentralized economy. In this highly anticipated convergence, Millionero, an emergent tour de force in the crypto exchange space, etched its mark by garnering the esteemed 'Best Emerging Crypto Exchange' award.

The World Blockchain Summit Singapore 2023 unfurled as a global arena for delving into advancements in Internet technology, with a keen focus on the emergence of Web 3.0. The event identified Asia as a pivotal hub for crypto and blockchain innovation, highlighting pioneering entities like Millionero.

The summit presented an array of cutting-edge topics, exploring themes such as the regulation and compliance in the Web 3.0 landscape, the impact of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) on traditional finance, the emerging realm of Web 3.0 gaming and virtual worlds, and the future of digital ownership through NFTs. These themes underlined the accelerating pace of change, embodying the spirit of innovative crypto exchange platforms like Millionero.

A memorable moment from the event was the keynote speech delivered by Syed Suleman Kazim, the CEO of Millionero. Suleman eloquently outlined the company's vision and strategy in the bustling world of crypto trading. His address was followed by the much-anticipated presentation of the 'Best Emerging Crypto Exchange' award to Millionero, marking a significant high point at the summit.

Millionero's victory underscores its commitment to providing a user-friendly, secure, and efficient platform for crypto trading. Amid discussions around scaling solutions and roadblocks to mass adoption of Web 3.0 technologies, Millionero's award recognition affirms the vital role of innovative solutions in promoting wider acceptance of these technologies.

The acknowledgment at the World Blockchain Summit further solidifies Millionero's position as a trailblazer in the crypto exchange domain. Its user-centric approach has made it a preferred platform for both beginners and experienced traders, reinforcing its standing as the 'Best Emerging Crypto Exchange.'

The success of Millionero paints a promising picture for the future, a future where crypto exchanges like Millionero play a critical role in tackling challenges and harnessing opportunities within the Web 3.0 paradigm. It serves as a shining example of an entity that aligns with the broader objectives of Web 3.0, striking a balance between innovation, user-friendliness, and security.

As we continue to navigate the unfolding narrative of the digital economy, Millionero has firmly established itself as a name to watch. This accolade stands as a resounding testament to its growing influence in the decentralized economy, asserting its capacity to deliver solutions while upholding the ideals of Web 3.0 and the evolving dynamics of the digital world.

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Onschain introduces the worlds first platform with integration of blockchain and AI.



In the fast-moving world that embraces revolutionary strides, the adoption of the blockchain as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a stupendous advance towards wider technological acquisitions. Onschain, the worlds first platform that has been a result of the integration of blockchain and AI, the two pioneering technologies, marks a milestone in the space.

Onschains groundbreaking invention of amalgamating blockchain technology with Artificial Intelligence, particularly OpenAIs most advanced and highly efficient ChatGPT4, focuses mainly on a decentralized, transparent, and safe ecosystem. While Onschains decentralized system is not only built by AI but also monitored by it, the term decentralized becomes the most reliable and promising as there is no human interference.

While merging the most secure and unclouded blockchain technology and the capable AI, Onschain aims at building an ideal platform that facilitates real-time data-based decisions, guaranteeing efficiency and accuracy. The novel concept of the integration of these creative technologies sets a precursor for the future that excludes any human intervention, especially in tech-related areas. By incorporating AI technology into the blockchain ecosystem, Onschain looks forward to introducing a more appreciable digital asset management system.

The reports and analysis that surround Onschain also appreciate the companys novel standards and growing opportunities, utilizing AI and blockchain technologies. In addition, the leading crypto exchange Binance has also shared its interest in Onschain, by opening a blank chart page for the Onschain project.

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Rescuers transport an injured person after an attack in Shah Cheragh Shrine in Shiraz, Iran August 13, 2023. Mohammadreza Dehdari/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

DUBAI (Reuters) -An attack on a Shi'ite Muslim shrine in Iran's southern city of Shiraz killed at least one person on Sunday, a local official told state TV, adding that one person had been arrested.

Iranian state media earlier reported that at least four people had been killed in the attack.

"It happened around 19:00 local time (15:30 GMT) ... an armed terrorist entered the Shrine area and started shooting ... he was arrested," said Mohammad Hadi Imaniyeh, the governor of Fars province.

"One person was killed in the attack."

At least seven people were wounded, including two workers at the shrine and two pilgrims, and shops in the area had been closed. State TV said the shrine area had been cordoned off by security forces.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the Shah Cheragh shrine, which state news agency IRNA said had been carried out by terrorists. Islamic State last October said it had launched an attack on the shrine in which 15 people were killed.

Islamic state has claimed previous attacks in Iran, including the deadly twin bombings in 2017 that targeted Iran's parliament and the tomb of the Islamic Republic's founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Videos on Iranian state media showed panicked worshippers running to find their relatives and bloodied clothes left in the aftermath of the attack.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Nick Macfie and Ros Russell)
Taiwan's Vice President William Lai arrives at Taoyuan International Airport before his departure to the United States for a stopover in New York on his way to Paraguay, in Taoyuan, Taiwan August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins

By Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard

BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) -China on Sunday condemned a brief U.S. visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he was a separatist and "troublemaker through and through," and Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty, drawing a rebuke from Taipei.

Lai, front-runner to be Taiwan's next president at elections in January, arrived in New York late on Saturday for what was officially billed as a transit stopover on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way home.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer and arms supplier and is required by U.S. law to provide the island with means to defend itself.

Washington walks a fine line in allowing such stopovers by Taiwanese officials, telegraphing support for Taiwan without unduly angering China, which views them as provocative moves toward independence.

China's foreign ministry in a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States.

"Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said.

Taiwan is the "core of China's core interests" and facts have shown again and again that the reason for the rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan trying to "rely on the United States to seek independence," it said.

"China is closely following developments and will take resolute and vigorous measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.

Taiwan's China-policymaking Mainland Affairs Council said China was the real troublemaker, pointing to its standoff this month with the Philippines in the South China Sea and continued military harassment of Taiwan, among other actions.

"Our government firmly defends national sovereignty and security, guards the lines of defence of democracy and freedom, and will never back down, let alone capitulate," the council said in a statement.

China especially dislikes Lai, who has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence," though he has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he is not seeking to change the status quo and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

MILITARY DRILLS EXPECTED

Lai, greeted by supporters waving flags as he arrived at his New York hotel, posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was "looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York."

Laura Rosenberger, chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan, on X said she would meet Lai in San Francisco.

China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Lai's U.S. stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of next year's election and make them "fear war," Taiwanese officials say.

The Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army, which is responsible for the area around Taiwan, on Sunday posted on its WeChat account a short video of fighter jets practicing dog fights at an undisclosed location.

It said its forces had recently been engaged in "high-intensity flight training."

Lai's stopovers come as Beijing and Washington are trying to improve relations.

That includes a possible U.S. visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which could pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping this year.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei and Jeenah Moon in New York; Editing by William Mallard and Jamie Freed)
The logo of Credit Suisse is seen outside its office building in Hong Kong, China, August 8, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

(Reuters) - Retail investors who lost money when Credit Suisse was taken over by UBS in March plan to file a lawsuit challenging the buyout, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The Swiss Investor Protection Association plans to file the claim in Zurich's commercial court on Monday on behalf of about 500 Credit Suisse equity investors, the newspaper said.

(Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
BERLIN (Reuters) - A German lawmaker said on Sunday she was detained for several hours when entering Turkey earlier this month based on social media posts she made in 2019, adding that she would still travel to Turkey and speak her mind about its government.

Goekay Akbulut, a Bundestag member for far-left Die Linke party, was detained in Antalya airport on Aug. 3 after an arrest warrant was issued by the Turkish public prosecutor for alleged "terror propaganda", she said.

Germany is home to the world's largest Turkish diaspora community, but relations between Berlin and Ankara have been strained in recent years by German criticism of President Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on suspected opponents after a failed coup in 2016 and Turkey's military offensive against Kurdish militia in Syria in 2019.

Akbulut, a Turkey-born German citizen of Kurdish heritage, was released after making contact with the German foreign ministry, she said. Turkish authorities were not immediately available to comment.

Akbulut has criticized the Turkish government for "waging a brutal war against the Kurdish population inside and outside its borders," according to her official website.

"I will travel to #Tuerkei in October again as part of the delegation trip of the German-Turkish Parliamentary Group and, as always, will not mince my words: #FreeThemAll," she said in a post on social media platform X on Sunday.

It was not clear exactly what she was referring to, nor which social media posts she believed triggered the Turkish arrest warrant.

The German embassy in Ankara and the consulate in Antalya were in contact with lawmaker, a source at the German foreign ministry told Reuters.

Akbulut, 40, has called for the lifting of a German ban on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa in Berlin; Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay in Ankara; Editing by Ros Russell)
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) has thus far organized over 19,000 Youth Commandos and 2.34 million young volunteers to participate in flood control and disaster relief work across China, the CYLC Central Committee said Sunday.

Funds and materials with a combined worth of over 160 million yuan (about 22.35 million U.S. dollars) have been secured to support flood control and disaster relief efforts nationwide, it added.

For instance, the CYLC Beijing Municipal Committee has mobilized over 5,000 volunteers, and 51 youth commandos to assist with tasks such as emergency rescue, hidden danger investigation, communication support, transfer of people, river dredging and more. 
By Gul Yousafzai

QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) -Militants attacked a Pakistani military convoy near the strategic southwestern port of Gwadar on Sunday as it was escorting a delegation of Chinese nationals to a construction project, the military and China's consulate in Karachi said.

China has invested heavily under its Belt and Road Initiative in the mineral-rich province of Balochistan, including developing the deepwater port of Gwadar, despite a decades-long separatist insurgency in the area.

"Terrorists used small arms and hand grenades during the activity," the military's public relations wing said in a statement, adding that two militants were killed and no harm was caused to any military personnel or civilians.

China's consulate in the southern city of Karachi condemned the attack, adding in a statement that there were no casualties among its citizens on the convoy.

A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said two attackers died in a gun battle, without any injuries in the convoy. The attack targeted Chinese passengers travelling from Gwadar airport towards a construction site in the port area, the source said.

Separatist group the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed the attack, saying it inflicted multiple casualties. But no other reports from the area confirmed such casualties.

The BLA and other militant groups say Pakistan exploits the province's natural resources and have targeted Chinese interests in recent years for supporting that.

Gwadar is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil shipping route in the Arabian Sea, and is being developed under Chinese management.

(Additional reporting by Ethan Wang in Beijing; Writing by Gibran Peshimam; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Flags of Saudi Arabia and Israel stand together in a kitchen staging area at the State Department in Washington, October 14, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/Pool

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel ruled out on Sunday any eventual physical mission in Jerusalem for the first Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, even as they cast his appointment as endorsement of their goal of a state that would include part of the city as its capital.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy said "consul-general in Jerusalem" was also now among Al-Sudairi's duties.

The move came after Washington said there had been some progress in its efforts to mediate a forging of formal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - which had previously ruled out such a pact until Palestinian statehood goals are addressed.

Signalling that they felt sidelined by the stepped-up indirect talks, the Palestinians voiced hope earlier this month that Riyadh would hear their concerns and coordinate with them.

They sounded more upbeat after Al-Sudairi's appointment.

"What does it mean to also say (he is) 'consul-general in Jerusalem'? It means a continuation of the positions of Saudi Arabia," Palestinian Ambassador to Riyadh Bassam Al-Agha said.

Interviewed on Voice of Palestine radio, Al-Agha further interpreted the appointment as a "rejection" of the U.S. recognition in 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The Palestinians want a state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as their capital. U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel on achieving that stalled more than a decade ago.

Among the hurdles have been Israeli settlement of occupied land and feuding between Western-backed Palestinian authorities and armed Hamas Islamists who spurn coexistence with Israel.

Another sticking point is Jerusalem, which Israel deems its indivisible capital - a status not widely recognised abroad. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomacy in the city.

Al-Sudairi presented his credentials to the Palestinian mission in Amman, indicating the Jordanian capital would remain his base.

"This (Al-Sudairi) could be a delegate who will meet with representatives in the Palestinian Authority," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.

"Will there be an official physically sitting in Jerusalem? This we will not allow."

Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of the potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.

"What is behind this development (Al-Sudairi's appointment) is that, against the backdrop of progress in the U.S. talks with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Saudis want to relay a message to the Palestinians that they have not forgotten them," Cohen said.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-MughrabiWriting by Dan WilliamsEditing by Bernadette Baum and Frances Kerry)
FILE PHOTO: The U.S. (L) and Japanese national flags are hoisted next to a traditional Okinawan Shisa statue at the U.S. Marine's Camp Foster in Ginowan, on the southern island of Okinawa, Japan June 18, 2016. REUTERS/Tim Kelly

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the U.S. will agree this week to jointly develop an interceptor missile to counter hypersonic warheads being developed by China, Russia and North Korea, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper said on Sunday.

The agreement on interceptors to target weapons designed to evade existing ballistic missile defences is expected when President Joe Biden meets Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the U.S. on Friday, the report said, without giving any source for the information.

Officials at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs could not be reached for comment outside business hours.

Unlike typical ballistic warheads, which fly on predictable trajectories as they fall from space to their targets, hypersonic projectiles can change course, making them more difficult to target.

Biden and Kishida are to meet the sidelines of a trilateral summit with South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, the Yomiuri said.

The U.S. and Japan agreed in January to consider developing the interceptor at a meeting of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin with their Japanese counterparts, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada.

An agreement would be the second such collaboration in missile defence technology.

Washington and Tokyo developed a longer-range missile designed to hit warheads in space, which Japan is deploying on warships in the sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula to guard against North Korean missiles strikes.

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by William Mallard)
An Orlando pilots plane didnt make it to land before crash landing into the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Keys Sunday morning, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

After the 10:18 crash, Monroe County Sheriffs Office said, pilot Adam Barney got picked up by MCSO deputies about 3 miles off Sawyer Key and taken to paramedics waiting at Cudjoe Key.

There were no other passengers on the plane, an fixed wing, multi-engine Aero Commander 500 S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Rodriguez said the plane sank.

Kristen Livengood, spokeswoman for Monroe County Fire Rescue, said Barney radioed air traffic controllers before the plane went down that he was experiencing engine trouble and was going to make a water landing.

Barney was brought back to Venture Out Resorts, a Cudjoe Key neighborhood, to be medically evaluated by medics, but he refused to be taken to the hospital, Livengood said.

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The Navy has bid fair winds and following seas to USS Mobile Bay after more than three decades of service.

The Ticonderoga class guided-missile destroyer was decommissioned during a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego on Thursday attended by current and former crewmembers. The inactivated ship will be towed to the Navys inactive ship facility in Bremerton, Wash.

The sailors of USS Mobile Bay demonstrated time and time again the resolve and readiness the Surface Force provides around the clock in support of our nations interests, Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Naval Surface Forces, said during the ceremony, according to a Navy news release. Everywhere this ship and crew deployed, Mobile Bay Sailors served their nation well, and lived up to the valor enshrined in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

The Mobile Bay, commanded by Capt. Brandon J. Burkett, maintained a crew of 30 officers and 300 enlisted members  known as MOBsters.

It has been a distinct privilege to work alongside some of the finest sailors our Navy and our nation have to offer, Burkett said during the ceremony. Their persistence through adversity is commendable and truly represents the spirit of Mobile Bays motto, full speed ahead. They truly embody what it means to be a MOBster.  Those whove gone to sea know that a ship is more than a machine that floats. When you are away from home for months on end your ship becomes your home and your protection. We take care of her and she takes care of us.

Named in honor of the 1864 Civil War naval battle, Battle of Mobile Bay, the cruiser commissioned Feb. 21, 1987, in Mobile, Ala. During its more than 36 years of service, the Mobile Bay participated in the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1989; deployed in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991; and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

Brian Isbell, a retired plankowner of the Mobile Bay, was a gunners mate third class on the cruiser when it supported Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Off near the horizon an orange glow appeared. A second or two later a streak of fire shot out of it and headed into the sky, then turned north, Isbell said in a Navy news release. Then another glow appeared, this one much closer. Then another, and another. Seemed like hundreds all around us. It went on for what seemed forever but Im sure it wasnt more than a minute.

The cruisers motto, full speed ahead, comes from the cry Adm. David Farragut, commander of Union naval forces, used during the Battle of Mobile Bay: Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead.

Ship sponsor Kathryn Jane Maury Denton, wife of Vietnam War veteran and Sen. Jeremiah Denton, helped organize the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia in the 1960s after her husband was shot down and captured in 1965. The Flight III Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Jeremiah Denton is named for Sen. Denton, who died in 2014; Kathryn Denton died in 2007 at 81.
Female scientists played important roles in the Manhattan Project that created the first atomic bomb during World War II. But you wouldn't know this from the blockbuster movie, "Oppenheimer."

There were 640 women working at Los Alamos, 11% of the workforce, not counting other Manhattan Project sites elsewhere in the country. Many of these women filled administrative roles, but nearly half were scientists  mathematicians, physicists, chemists, biologists and computational analysts.

Some were leaders in their fields, although hardly household names.

Theoretical physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer shared a Nobel Prize in physics  with two men  in 1963, one of whom worked with her on nuclear shell structures. Chien-Shiung Wu was a celebrated nuclear physicist who studied under Ernest Lawrence, had Oppenheimer's enduring respect and provided in 1933 the first confirmation of physicist Enrico Fermi's theory of beta decay, a type of radioactive decay. A U.S. postage stamp was issued in her honor in 2021.

Others, though, are less well known.

Naomi Livesay was told: 'No place' for women in higher math

Naomi Livesay was a mathematician who had been told by the University of Wisconsin that she could not pursue a Ph.D in math because, as one of the professors in the math department put it, "there is no place in higher mathematics for any woman, however brilliant," according to the book, "Their Day in the Sun: Women of the Manhattan Project."

Livesay was recruited to Los Alamos in 1944, and was asked to join the group that did the calculations leading up to the Trinity atomic bomb test. It was a race against time, and the computation lab had just ordered IBM punched card machines to speed up the work.

Livesay was an expert at using the IBM machines, a skill most of the others in the computation lab lacked. It was implosion simulations performed by the punched card operation that helped the lab's leadership select the device that would ultimately be constructed  and detonated in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945.

Physicist Leona Woods worked with Fermi at a Manhattan Project site in Chicago that developed the first nuclear reactor. There's a remarkable photograph of her during her time there, standing in the middle of a group of men, staring hard at the camera. She could be saying, "please don't forget I was here, too."

Frances Dunne set triggers inside the bombs

Frances Dunne, an explosives technician, was part of a group that conducted the early explosives testing, in part because her small fingers were more dexterous than those of her male colleagues, and she could more easily reach inside the bombs to set the triggers.

Floy Agnes Lee, a biologist, was assigned to draw and analyze the blood of the scientists working with radioactive materials. After the war, she stayed on at Los Alamos and drew the blood of Louis Slotin, a 35-year-old physicist who died of radiation poisoning after an experiment with plutonium went horribly wrong.

Her experiences led her to spend much of her subsequent career studying the effects of radiation on living cells. She returned to Los Alamos in the 1970s to continue that research.

Maria Goeppert Mayer's battle for acceptance

Some 30 men with links to the Manhattan Project won Nobel Prizes over the course of their careers. Goeppert Mayer was the only woman to receive one. Yet for years she struggled for acceptance in academia, taking unpaid positions at universities because of rules against nepotism at places that employed her husband, chemist Joseph Mayer.

It wasn't until 1960, that Goeppert Mayer finally became a full professor, at the University of California at San Diego.

"Oppenheimer" tells a compelling story and certainly covers a lot of scientific ground. For the current generation of budding female scientists, it's important to learn that women also played significant roles in that momentous endeavor.

The male scientists featured in the film are sharply defined as characters, but Lilli Hornig, the one female scientist given some prominence in the movie, is a blur, popping up here and there to say they didn't teach typing in her graduate chemistry program at Harvard, when asked whether she could be a typist, or to rib a colleague, telling him that her reproductive system was better protected from radiation than his.

The role unfortunately comes across as a bit of tokenism among the many more developed male scientist characters populating the movie. The real Honig worked closely on plutonium research and was part of the team that developed and tested the mechanism for the plutonium weapon in the Trinity test.

She became a respected chemist who fought for the rights of female scientists.

Historically, science has not recognized the work of women. When asked to name a female scientist of historic note, one of the first  and few  names to come to mind is Marie Curie, the physicist and chemist who did pioneering work on radium and won the Nobel Prize not once but twice. Others might mention Rosalind Franklin, the chemist and X-ray crystallographer, whose work was crucial to the understanding of the structure of DNA. Still others might remember the film "Hidden Figures" (2016), which tells the story of Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician whose trajectory calculations were critical to the success of early crewed space missions.

Yet for every Curie, Franklin or Johnson, there are many more female scientists whose contributions remain unknown.

"Oppenheimer" focuses on the life and science of one man, theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and a group of admittedly stellar male scientists around him. But it's important to recognize the accomplished women, too, who made contributions to every aspect of the Manhattan Project carried out in the United States.

Katie Hafner and Amy Scharf are creators and co-executive producers of "Lost Women of Science" podcast. Since 2021, they have been building an archive of scientists, with a list of names already in the hundreds, for the series. They also have created the "Lost Women of the Manhattan Project" podcast series. The point is to shine a light on women who achieved great things in science yet went unrecognized in their lifetime.
Zanesville, Ohio, 2010: A memorial for those from Muskingum County, Ohio, who were killed in the Iraq War stands near downtown. Its located next to one for Vietnam casualties and other memorials honoring the local war dead since The Civil War.
In a timely return to their roots, U.S. Marines are training in the Middle East and preparing to embark on civilian merchant ships to protect them from Irans increasingly predatory behavior.

These specialized Marine units, known as Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams, or FASTs, have been deployed in response to over 20 incidents of Iranian Revolutionary Guard maritime forces harassing, firing on, boarding and seizing legitimate merchant traffic in the Arabian Gulf over the past two years. On July 5, Iranian forces opened fire on two tankers in international waters before U.S. forces intervened.

According to news reports, over 100 Marines and sailors are training in Bahrain, host to the U.S. 5th Fleet, which oversees all maritime operations throughout the Middle East. While the operation doesnt have final approval, it could roll out this month.

What does this plan tell us about U.S. intentions in the region, and how will the Iranians likely respond? First, it is important to remember that the original role of marines going back centuries was to be a powerful fighting force on sailing ships, often protecting convoys of commercial craft. For centuries, the British Royal Navy valued the marines embarked on massive sailing ships, who fought shoulder to shoulder with those sailors manning the big guns to repel boarders and rain down sniper fire from the masts.

Marines can be very lethal in these roles. For example, the most renowned admiral in history, Horatio Nelson, victor of the epic battle of Trafalgar, was himself shot down at the height of the battle by a marine sniper on a French warship. When I was a young engineer on the carrier USS Forrestal in the Mediterranean in early 1980s, we had a detachment of about 50 Marines on board  commanded by Capt. John Kelly, who probably put his combat skills to use decades later as chief of staff in the White House.

Despite the historical roots of the potential Gulf mission, using an embarked Marine detachment on civilian ships is not common these days, and doing so requires refining and developing operational protocols. The units will likely be offered to the merchant ships, not required, with priority probably given to U.S.-owned and flagged civilian vessels first. Next might come foreign ships with significant numbers of U.S. crew, and to those with cargoes coming to or departing U.S. waters.

The FAST squads would be outfitted with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, and .50-caliber machine guns. Depending on the threat level, they could also be equipped with shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (such as Stingers) and drones to provide surface surveillance.

Most importantly, they would have jam-proof communications to ensure they could contact the 5th Fleet instantly and guide combat aircraft to attack Iranian surface vessels.

In addition to the small group training in Bahrain, a full amphibious readiness group (typically three major warships) recently arrived in the region, centered on the large-deck carrier USS Bataan. It has over 3,000 Marines and sailors and dozens of helicopters (many with significant combat capability). Guided-missile destroyers already stationed in the region will provide escort.

Backing up all the seagoing firepower are new combat aircraft to supplement the current Gulf deployment. These include an additional squadron of fifth-generation fighters, the F-35 Lightning II, and a pair of squadrons of F-16s, which are older but still highly capable aircraft. Venerable A-10 Warthogs are also deployed and bring a powerful air-to-surface punch.

There are plenty of risks in taking this aggressive but necessary stance. A decade ago, when I was the military commander of NATO, we tried similar methods using both marines and civilian security forces in counterpiracy operations. Unfortunately, we had several instances of significant collateral damage to fishing vessels and small civilian craft in the area. Two Italian marines mistakenly shot at an Indian fishing vessel in 2012, killing two fisherman, and were prosecuted for years until Indias supreme court dropped the charges.

The risk of quick escalation in the Gulf is ever present  just as in South China Sea, where American and Chinese ships have had regular faceoffs. U.S. Marines are well-trained, but they are young warriors, not seasoned diplomats. If the mission goes ahead, they will be aggressive in defending the civilian ships entrusted to them, and Iran could easily miscalculate U.S. resolve and find itself on the receiving end of missiles and bombs.

Yet the alternative  continuing to sanction the Iranians, scold them diplomatically and hope their behavior improves  wont work. Almost 30% of the worlds oil comes through the Strait of Hormuz, and allowing Iran to control the Gulf and that vital chokepoint is unacceptable. Putting U.S. Marines on deck of vulnerable civilian merchant ships makes sense, and shows Iran we are deadly serious about freedom of the seas.

James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A retired U.S. Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, he is vice chairman of global affairs at the Carlyle Group. He is on the boards of American Water Works, Fortinet, PreVeil, NFP, Ankura Consulting Group, Titan Holdings, Michael Baker and Neuberger Berman, and has advised Shield Capital, a firm that invests in the cybersecurity sector. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners
NIAMEY, Niger  One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the country's ousted president or face military intervention, the junta has not acquiesced. No military action has been taken and the coup leaders appear to have gained the upper hand over the regional group that issued the threat, analysts say.

The West African bloc ECOWAS had given the soldiers that overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum until last Sunday to release and reinstate him or they threatened military action. On Thursday, the bloc ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in Niger, with Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and Ivory Coast saying they would contribute troops.

But it's unclear when, how or if the troops will deploy. The move could take weeks or months to set into motion, and while the bloc decides what to do the junta is gaining power, some observers say.

It looks as though the putschists have won and will stay ... The putschists are holding all the cards and have cemented their rule, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank.

ECOWAS is unlikely to intervene militarily and risk dragging Niger into civil war, he said, adding that ECOWAS and Western countries would instead likely press the junta to agree to a short transition period.

Europe and the United States will have little choice but to recognize the junta in order to continue the security cooperation in the region, Laessing said.

The July 26 coup is seen as a major blow to many Western nations, which viewed Niger as one of its last partners in the conflict-riddled Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that they could work with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The U.S. and France have more than 2,500 military personnel in the region and together with other European countries have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training Niger's forces.

There was still little clarity about what would happen days after ECOWAS announced the "standby" force deployment.

A meeting of the regions defense chiefs was postponed indefinitely. The African Union is expected to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss Nigers crisis. The group's Peace and Security Council could overrule the decision if it felt that wider peace and security on the continent were threatened by an intervention.

The delay of the defense chiefs' meeting to discuss the standby force shows that ECOWAS views the use of force as a last resort, said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

Given the likely challenges an intervention would face, (the use of force would) require a high degree of consensus and coordination not just within ECOWAS, but within the African Union and international community writ large, he said.

But those with ties to the junta say they are preparing for a fight, especially since the soldiers are unwilling to negotiate unless ECOWAS acknowledges its leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who overthrew the president, as the new ruler.

ECOWAS is demanding that (the junta) immediately release President Bazoum and restore him as head of state. Is this a joke? said Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications and says he is in direct contact with them. Whether Bazoum resigns or not, he will never be Niger's president again."

As time drags on, there is mounting concern for the safety of Bazoum, who has been under house arrest with his wife and son since the coup. Those close to him say his situation is deteriorating with no water, electricity and a lack of food. Nigers junta told a top U.S. diplomat that they would kill the deposed president if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule, two Western officials told The Associated Press.

Most Nigeriens are trying to go about their lives as the standoff continues between the coup leaders and regional countries.

For the most part, the streets in the capital, Niamey, are calm with sporadic pockets of pro-junta demonstrations. Any pro-Bazoum demonstrations are quickly silenced by security forces.

On Sunday people marched, biked and drove through downtown Niamey, chanting down with France and expressing anger at ECOWAS.

Niger is in a deplorable situation. We are very happy there was a coup d'etat. Now everyone can go into the streets without a problem ... (but) if ECWOAS allows people to attack Niger, it will cross a red line, said resident Saidou Issaka.

On Friday hundreds of people, many waving Russian flags, marched toward France's military base demanding the French leave. Mercenaries from the Russian-linked Wagner group already operate in a handful of other African countries and are accused of committing human rights abuses. Earlier this month during a trip to neighboring Mali, which is also run by a military regime and cooperates with Wagner, the junta reportedly asked the mercenaries for help.

Boubacar Adamou, a tailor in the capital, said he had made at least 50 Russian flags in the weeks since the coup.

But many Nigeriens don't have time for protests and are more focused on feeding their families.

The country of some 25 million people is one of the poorest in the world and the harsh travel and economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS are taking a toll.

Moussa Ahmed, a food seller in Niamey, said the prices of food items such as cooking oil and rice had increased by 20% since the coup and there wasn't enough electricity to power the fridges in his shop. Niger gets up to 90% of its power from neighboring Nigeria, which has cut off some of its supply.

Aid groups that were already grappling with the challenges of helping more than 4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance say the crisis will exacerbate an already dire situation.

We cannot overstate the impact on civilians, both in terms of humanitarian and protection needs, when military imperatives take precedence over civilian governance," said Jan Egeland, secretary general for the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The sanctions and suspensions of development aid are expected to have a dramatic impact on living conditions for a country already under heavy strain, he said.
Video: "Nihao China!," a Chinese cultural tourism promotion activity was held in the western U.S. city of Los Angeles on Aug. 11, 2023, aimed at promoting bilateral tourism and cultural exchanges. (Xinhua)

When you think about the shared experiences, it's the people-to-people exchanges that brought our cultures so close together.

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese cultural tourism promotion activity was held in the western U.S. city of Los Angeles on Friday, aimed at promoting bilateral tourism and cultural exchanges.

The event was held during "Nihao China!," a 2023 Yellow River-themed tourism overseas promotions season, USA special, featuring a photo exhibition and presentation of the glamorous Yellow River culture.

During the event, Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun underscored the significance of exchanges and cooperation in the areas of tourism as an integral part of China-U.S. economic and trade relations and a great opportunity for deeper understanding between the two peoples.

Adam Burke, head of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, said tourism is "the bridge that builds up the people-to-people exchanges."

"When you think about the shared experiences, it's the people-to-people exchanges that brought our cultures so close together," he said.

"You probably all know the quote by the noted American writer Mark Twain who said Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. It's only through people-to-people exchanges, through dialogue, that we understand we have far more in common than anything that may divide us."

China on Thursday announced the resumption of group tours to dozens of more overseas destinations, including Japan, Britain, the United States and Australia.

This year's Yellow River edition was rolled out as part of an effort to promote cultural exchanges between the provinces and regions along the Yellow River and countries across the world and to boost tourism.

Around 200 business leaders, tourism industry executives, and government officials from both countries attended the event. 
KIHEI, Hawaii  Four days before fast-moving brush fires engulfed parts of Maui, weather forecasters warned authorities that powerful wind gusts would trigger dangerous fire conditions across much of the island and Hawaii.

The state's electric utility responded with some preemptive steps but did not use what is widely regarded as the most aggressive but effective safety measure: shutting down the power.

Hawaiian Electric, the utility that oversees Maui Electric and provides service to 95% of the state's residents, did not deploy what's known as a "public power shutoff plan," which involves intentionally cutting off electricity to areas where big wind events could spark fires. A number of states, including California, have increasingly adopted this safety strategy after what were then the nation's most destructive and deadliest modern fires, in 2017 and 2018.

Hawaiian Electric was aware that a power shut-off was an effective strategy, documents show, but had not adopted it as part of its fire mitigation plans, according to the company and two former power and energy officials interviewed by The Washington Post. Nor, in the face of predicted dangerous winds, did it act on its own, utility officials said, fearing uncertain consequences.

The decision to avoid shutting off power is reflective of the utility's struggles to bolster its aging and vulnerable infrastructure against wildfires, said Jennifer Potter, who lives in Lahaina and was a member of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission until just nine months ago.

"They were not as proactive as they should have been," Potter said about Hawaiian Electric's fire-prevention planning, adding that there had not been any real meaningful action to "address some of those inadequacies in terms of wildfire."

Doug McLeod, a former energy commissioner for Maui County, also said the utility was aware of the need for a regular shutdown system and to bury lines, especially given the "number of close calls in the past."

Earlier this week, high winds caused widespread damage to utility infrastructure. The intense gusts knocked down about 30 utility poles across the region, many onto trees and roads, complicating evacuations, according to Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. He confirmed that some electrical lines were energized when they hit the ground.

The cause of the Maui blazes  now the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history  remains under investigation. That probe may take weeks or even months to produce official findings, and on Friday, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez (D) announced a "comprehensive review" of the decisions and policies surrounding the fires.

On Saturday, LippSmith LLP and other law firms filed a class-action lawsuit against the Hawaii utility, alleging that its downed power lines caused the fire, and that company officials "inexcusably kept their power lines energized" despite fire warnings.

Asked about its preparations and response, Hawaiian Electric confirmed that while it does not have a "formal power shutoff" protocol, it does have a "robust wildfire mitigation and grid resiliency program" that includes managing vegetation, hardening its power systems and inspecting its infrastructure. It also said it took preemptive actions, including "not enabling the automatic reclosure of circuits that may open during a weather event."

The circuit procedure prevents a line from continuing to shower sparks after it has fallen, but does not prevent the initial spark, said Michael Wara, a wildfire expert who directs the Climate and Energy Policy Program at Stanford University. That's the intent of a "public power shutoff plan," which does have serious tradeoffs.

Shutting down power disrupts lives, businesses and can spark backlash, especially if the anticipated wind event does not trigger fires. But as climate change intensifies extreme weather, the move can greatly help a utility prevent destructive and deadly wildfires.

Downed power lines, sparks from transmission hubs and other electrical-grid failures have started or helped to spread some of the deadliest and most destructive blazes in U.S. history. That has prompted utilities in states like California, Oregon and Nevada, with approval from regulators, to proactively shut down power to communities when red-flag conditions arise.

Hawaiian Electric recognized that a power shutoff plan could be effective, especially after it reviewed what happened with California's 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people, documents show. In a filing to the state last year, it pointed to California's Public Power Shutoff Plan as a successful way to prevent wildfires when additional robust techniques are not yet in place.

In its statement, however, Hawaiian Electric raised concerns that shutting off power might prevent fire crews from using electricity to draw water they needed for firefighting.

A utility spokesperson explained that it is difficult to enact "preemptive, short-notice power shutoffs" because they must be coordinated with first responders and that "notifications also need to be made to customers with special medical needs who use specialized equipment."

Such challenges are a real concern, wildfire experts note, but the purpose of a plan is to organize with agencies in advance. That includes emergency responders who, with enough time, can procure equipment such as backup generators to pump water if the grid goes down.

The vulnerable nature of Hawaii's grid has also been a concern for years. Old wooden poles are largely uninsulated and strung with lush vegetation over miles of rugged terrain, according to utility specialists. In interviews, residents and energy experts said they have long called for the utility to harden its grid, and despite the cost, to put more of it underground.

The poles have been in horrible shape for years, said Potter, the former utilities commissioner. "I think we were all playing on the fact that we got lucky  up until now," she said.

The pattern of Hawaii's fires suggests that a spate of small ignitions combined to form a bigger blaze, Wara and other experts said. There'd been no lightning strikes, which have sparked series of blazes in other parts of the United States, before the fires broke out. Instead, Wara said, and "the only real source of that is power lines."

The chronology of how and where the fires started, and when and where power equipment had problems, has alarmed many residents and officials.

Around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, a brush fire started near Olinda Road in Kula, a small town in a mountainous region called Upcountry, near Maui's highest peak. By that point, 80 mph gusts had caused power outages on other parts of the island.

Kyle Ellison, who lives in Kula, remembers looking out his bathroom window around 3 a.m. and seeing faint flames coming from Olinda Road. The winds, he recalled "were stronger than anything I've ever seen in my life and I've lived here 30 years."

A few hours later, shortly after 5 a.m. Hawaiian Electric reported that crews were responding to outages around Lahaina, 30 miles away on the coast. Around 6:30 a.m., another brush fire broke out in Lahaina; officials then said they'd contained that blaze.

By 9 a.m., thousands of people in Upcountry lost power "due to high winds," the utility said on Twitter. "There are several spans of downed power lines in various areas that require repairs," it wrote. "Mahalo for your patience." At 9:45 a.m., the utility reported that it was inspecting three main transmission lines to check for damage and also was responding to repair "multiple downed poles and spans of lines in various areas." Fire officials also warned that these downed lines "may be energized."

Around 11:30 a.m., Ellison and his wife had just finished making chicken nuggets for their children when they heard a crack and a boom, what sounded like a tree going down "and something electrical." He said his internet shut off and then, shortly after, flames were quickly crawling in the gulch behind his home. Grabbing their children and whatever items they could, the couple sprinted down the driveway and jumped into the car.

Photos from Hawaiian Electric on Twitter show wooden poles snapped in half and lines hanging or on the ground. One image was close to Ellison's home, he said.

By late afternoon Tuesday, Ellison and more than 12,400 other people were without power, and about 30 downed poles and "multiple spans of power lines in various areas" across the island were in need of repair, the utility wrote.

Then, the Lahaina Fire flared up again. Shortly after, flames seized the town, consuming the popular tourist destination Front Street and jumping from building to building, forcing some residents to flee into the ocean.

The horrific scenes, stories of survival and shocking loss of life feel traumatically familiar to the moment that arguably changed how the nation thinks about wildfires and their potentially catastrophic impacts: The 2017 Tubbs Fire, when flames rushed over parched hillsides and jumped a freeway into the Northern California city of Santa Rosa in what felt like a matter of minutes, incinerating apartment complexes, out of which people narrowly escaped, and killing 22 people.

The country would see this happen again, with the deadliest wildfire hitting California just a year later. On a bone-dry, gusty day in November, the Camp Fire nearly incinerated the rural town of Paradise, again catching hundreds of residents by surprise and killing 85 people.

Ultimately it was a utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric, that was blamed for the Camp Fire, as well as several other major blazes, ignoring warnings from state officials about its aged equipment, inspections and other protocols. In 2020, PG&E, which has since filed for bankruptcy, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Like California and other western states, Hawaii is becoming more prone to wildfires, in part because of climate change but also because of other human-linked phenomena  such the spread of nonnative grasses, which become fuel for fires when they dry out.

In filings with the state, Hawaiian Electric has been detailing its goals to make its infrastructure more resilient. These include putting lines underground in vulnerable areas, hardening poles and launching a program to remove hazardous trees, according to grid assessment reports and funding applications to the Public Utilities Commission over the past few years.

It had closely studied California's methodologies, including its Power Safety Shutoff (PSPS) Plan. Hawaiian Electric cited it as a strategy that helps mitigate "wildfire risks until more robust preventive measures have been implemented in an area."

The utility also took notice of California's faults, documents show, having considered the state's "devastating wildfires of 2018," as well as its own experiences in 2019. It noted that utility companies can be held liable when it comes to sparking or spreading a wildfire, and cited PG&E's $15 billion settlement with victims as an example.

"The risk of a utility system causing a wildfire ignition is significant," the company wrote last summer. As a result, it wanted to take the adequate steps to ensure that its facilities would not be "the origin or contributing source of ignition for a wildfire."
KYIV, Ukraine  Seven people  including a 23-day-old baby girl  were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country's Internal Affairs Ministry said.

Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family  a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl  and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighboring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar's comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumors that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied east bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

"Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement," she said.

Kherson regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Sunday that three people had been wounded in Russian attacks on the province on Saturday .

Ukrainian military officials said Saturday evening that Kyiv's forces had made progress in the south, claiming some success near a key village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and capturing other unspecified territories.

Ukraine's General Staff said they had "partial success" around the tactically important Robotyne area in the Zaporizhzhia region, a key Russian strongpoint that Ukraine needs to retake in order to continue pushing south towards Melitopol.

"There are liberated territories. The defense forces are working," General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraine's southern forces, said of the southern front.

Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the over 600-mile front line as Ukraine wages a counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons and Western-trained troops against Russian forces who invaded nearly 18 months ago.

Ukrainian troops have made only incremental gains since launching a counteroffensive in early June.

Meanwhile, a Russian warship on Sunday fired warning shots at a Palau-flagged cargo ship in the south-western Black Sea, the first time Russia has fired on a merchant ship beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.

According to Russias Defense Ministry, the Sukru Okan was heading northwards to the Ukrainian Danube River port of Izmail.

The captain of the dry-cargo ship did not respond to the request to stop for inspection for the carriage of prohibited goods. To force the ship to stop, warning fire was opened from automatic small arms from a Russian warship, Russias Ministry of Defense wrote on Telegram, adding that the ship later stopped and allowed an inspection team to board.

Four weeks ago, Moscow withdrew from a key export agreement that allowed Ukraine to ship millions of tons of grain across the Black Sea for sale on world markets. In the wake of that withdrawal, Russia carried out repeated strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa, and declared wide areas of the Black Sea unsafe for shipping.

In Russia, local officials reported on Sunday that air defense systems shot down three drones over the Belgorod region and one over the neighboring Kursk region, both of which border Ukraine.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian border regions are a fairly regular occurrence. Drone attacks deeper inside Russian territory have been on the rise since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. In recent weeks, attacks have increased both on Moscow and on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014  a move that most of the world considered illegal.

Firing drones at Russia, after more than 17 months of war, has little apparent military value for Ukraine but the strategy has served to unsettle Russians and bring home to them the conflicts consequences.

Later Sunday afternoon, local officials in the Belgorod province reported an explosion in an apartment building in the regional capital, also called Belgorod.

Regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the facade of the apartment building had been damaged, with windows shattered and air conditioning units broken. Fifteen cars parked nearby also sustained damage, but there were no casualties. Gladkov said that the cause of the explosion was under investigation.

The Wagner mercenary group has played a key role in Russia's military campaign, but there is a realistic possibility that the Kremlin is no longer providing funding, according to British defense officials.

In its latest intelligence briefing, the Ministry of Defense said it believed Wagner was likely moving toward a downsizing and reconfiguration process in order to save money, and that the Kremlin had acted against some other business interests of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. The officials assessed that Belarusian authorities were the second most plausible paymasters.

Thousands of Wagner fighters arrived in Russian-allied Belarus under a deal that ended their armed rebellion in late June and allowed them and Prigozhin to avoid criminal charges.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Western-backed maritime forces in the Middle East on Saturday warned shippers traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz to stay as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible to avoid being seized, a stark advisory amid heightened tensions between Iran and the U.S.

A similar warning went out to shippers earlier this year ahead of Iran seizing two tankers traveling near the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world's oil passes.

While Iran and the U.S. now near an apparent deal that would see billions of Iranian assets held in South Korea unfrozen in exchange for the release of five Iranian-Americans detained in Tehran, the warning shows that the tensions remain high at sea. Already, the U.S. is exploring plans to put armed troops on commercial ships in the strait to deter Iran amid a buildup of troops, ships and aircraft in the region.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the Mideast-based 5th Fleet, acknowledged the warning had been given, but declined to discuss specifics about it.

A U.S.-backed maritime group called the International Maritime Security Construct "is notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimize the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we seek to de-escalate," Hawkins said. "Vessels are being advised to transit as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible."

Separately, a European Union-led maritime organization watching shipping in the strait has "warned of a possibility of an attack on a merchant vessel of unknown flag in the Strait of Hormuz in the next 12 to 72 hours," said private intelligence firm Ambrey.

"Previously, after a similar warning was issued, a merchant vessel was seized by Iranian authorities under a false pretext," the firm warned.

The EU-led mission, called the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz, did not respond to a request for comment.

Hours later, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which also provides warnings to sailors in the Persian Gulf, issued its own alert.

"UKMTO have been made aware of an increased threat within the vicinity of Strait Of Hormuz," the warning said. "All vessels transiting are advised to exercise caution and report suspicious activity to UKMTO."

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency cited this AP report without quoting any Iranian officials about it. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment.

The Strait of Hormuz is in the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, which at its narrowest point is just 21 miles wide. The width of the shipping lane in either direction is only 2 miles. Anything affecting it ripples through global energy markets, potentially raising the price of crude oil. That then trickles down to consumers through what they pay for gasoline and other oil products.

There has been a wave of attacks on ships attributed to Iran since 2019, following the Trump administration unilaterally withdrawing America from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and re-imposing crushing sanctions on Tehran.

Those assaults resumed in late April, when Iran seized a ship carrying oil for Chevron Corp. and another tanker called the Niovi in May.

The taking of the two tankers in under a week comes as the Marshall Island-flagged Suez Rajan sits off Houston, likely waiting to offload sanctioned Iranian oil apparently seized by the U.S.

Those seizures led the U.S. military to launch a major deployment in the region, including thousands of Marines and sailors on both the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, a landing ship. Images released by the Navy showed the Bataan and Carter Hall in the Red Sea on Tuesday.
Designated caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Saturday extended gratitude to all the stakeholders for reposing their trust in him to lead the country.

Taking to the micro-blogging website X, he thanked the Almighty for being given an opportunity to serve the people of Pakistan.

Kakar further requested everyone for prayers that Allah gives him the fortitude to carry out his responsibilities with due diligence.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz in the dissolved National Assembly had agreed to nominate Anwaarul Haq Kakar as the caretaker prime minister.

I am thankful to the Almighty for being given an opportunity to serve the people of Pakistan. My gratitude also extends to all the stakeholders for reposing their trust in me to lead the country.



Prayers requested from everyone that Allah gives me the fortitude to carry out my  Senator Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) August 12, 2023

Later, Kakar was confirmed by President Arif Alvi as the choice of the outgoing coalition government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, and opposition leader Raja Riaz Ahmad.

The senator is set to become the eight caretaker prime minister of Pakistan.

The decision to nominate Kakar was taken during a consultation meeting held in the PM House between Raja Riaz and Prime Minister Sharif.

The consultation process for the appointment of the caretaker prime minister was amicably completed.
Rodney Bonnes has a long list of over 71 convictions

A convicted thug who once turned up at court naked is facing another trip to a courtroom.

Rodney Bonnes has a long list of violent convictions in Northern Ireland and England in connection with attacks on women and police officers among others.

He is due back before in court next week charged with attacking and harassing a woman.

The alleged offences happened in July 2021.

He is also charged with possession of cannabis in February of this year.

The case was mentioned briefly at Derry Magistrates Court this week and was adjourned until tomorrow.

Court documents indicate Bonnes will be pleading guilty to the offences.

The 38 year-old, who has an address in Glasgow, is certainly no stranger to the courts.

In April 2014, he was involved in a bizarre episode after he was arrested for breaching bail conditions.

He had been released on bail after being charged with assaulting a woman in a Derry pub.

However, while on patrol, officers spotted him urinating at Sackville Street in Derrys city centre.

The officers spoke to him and told him that as part of his bail conditions he was not to be intoxicated in a public place.

Bonnes was asked to perform a preliminary breath test but would not blow into the breathalyser.

A court report from the time stated Bonnes refused to enter the police car and shouted threats and swore at police.

Members of the public who appeared to know Bonnes asked him to co-operate but he did not heed them and became extremely aggressive, kicking at police officers' heads and causing considerable damage to a police car.

Bonnes continued to struggle violently and had to be put in limb restraints by police. He then spat twice at a police officer, spattering mucus and blood across his face.

A face mask was put on Bonnes to prevent further spitting but, according to the report, he ate the face mask.

Throughout the night in the police cell, Bonnes became increasingly agitated and appeared to be under the influence of another substance other than alcohol.

Bonnes then urinated and defecated in three police cells, smearing faeces over the walls, ceilings, bunks and cameras.

When told he was going to court, he refused to get dressed and said that he wished to go in front of Judge McElholm in his soiled state.

He refused to put on clothing or wash and came to the court naked.

Bonnes only got dressed before he was led up from the court holding cells to the dock.

His bail was revoked and a few weeks later, Bonnes was jailed for two years for assaulting the woman in the pub.

During the unprovoked attack in August 2012, Bonnes, without warning, grabbed the woman in the bar and head-butted her.

She fell to the floor and he continued to assault her by kicking her and punching her. He also dragged her about the floor by the hair.

Bonnes' girlfriend pulled him away but he returned to the victim who was lying helpless on the floor and kicked and punched her again.

The victim sustained a swollen nose and swollen cheeks and multiple bruises.

Bonnes also assaulted two police officers and resisted arrest outside the pub.

The court was told Bonnes had at that stage 71 previous convictions, 21 of them for assaults and three for threats to kill.

One of those convictions involved an attack during which Bonnes smashed a glass bottle over a mans head in York.

The victim was walking to a friend's house at about 3am at the end of a night out in October 2005 when Bonnes, who was then aged 20, jumped him from behind.

Bonnes and an unknown accomplice then robbed the man.

A court was told the two robbers were strangers to each other who had only met that evening, and that the other man had suggested they go and rob someone.

Bonnes had been drinking and taking drugs and had threatened to take his life a few hours earlier by jumping off a warehouse roof.

The court heard Bonnes has previous convictions in Belfast and elsewhere in Northern Ireland for robbery and violence.

His barrister claimed he had fled to England to escape paramilitary threats.

Judge David Bentley told him: "You may have been in a lot of trouble in Northern Ireland, but you are not in Northern Ireland now, you are in England, and we expect people here to behave decently and not indulge in the type of violence you indulged in."
Failed former council election candidate James Carey made headlines around the world last month after he identified himself as His Majesty, the Sovereign King of Ireland

James Carey has taken on several legal wrangles over the last decade

A MAN who proclaimed himself the Sovereign King of Ireland during a failed court case, has now made it official by legally changing his name by deed poll to King James.

Failed former council election candidate James Carey made headlines around the world last month after he identified himself as His Majesty, the Sovereign King of Ireland while failing in a legal bid to have a speeding ticket issued to him on one of the kings own private highways thrown out.

Undeterred, Carey from Preston Hill, Stamullen, Co Meath, who has been involved in several remarkable legal cases since first running for office in 2009, later confirmed his intention to appeal.

And not one for half measures, the Sunday World has also established how, on February 21 this year, Carey legally changed his name to Ri James Patrick Iago Lacey Switzer Lindsay Windsor Kenny Ahern.

Ri is the Irish for King.

Since failing in his bid to have his traffic record wiped, Carey subsequently published a manifesto online in which he said he intends to:

Carey came to prominence last month when, appearing before civil court in Dublin, 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, 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 also 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.

Carey outside the Circuit Civil Court in Dublin

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.

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.

But the judge struck out both Careys applications, with Carey saying he would appeal the decision.
Two phone calls were made to Longford Garda Station yesterday afternoon which resulted in the immediate evacuation of both the midlands town's shopping centre and Dunnes Stores

Gardai at the Dunnes Stores in Longford

Gardai direct traffic away from the shopping centre in Longford.

Detectives are this morning hunting for an individual behind two separate hoax bomb threats which resulted in the closure of two major shopping outlets in Longford town.

Two phone calls were made to Longford Garda Station yesterday afternoon which resulted in the immediate evacuation of both the midlands town's shopping centre and Dunnes Stores premises located a short distance away.

Entrances leading into both precincts were also cordoned off and car parks sealed off as gardai awaited the arrival of army bomb disposal experts.

Both scenes remained closed off last night, leading to lengthy tailbacks in and around the county town.

Gardai at the Dunnes Stores in Longford

Specialist Defence Forces personnel, together with detectives and uniformed gardai carried out a series of searches of both locations over the course of several hours.

Those searches, however, found no devices and both scenes were deemed safe and reopened at around midnight.

A garda spokesperson confirmed an investigation was now underway to try and determine the identity of the alleged hoax caller.

"Two calls were reported to Longford gardai on the afternoon of Saturday, August 12, 2023 regarding suspicious devices, a number of retail premises were cleared and scenes preserved in Longford town.

"Gardai liaised with specialist search resources and the Irish Defence Forces as well as management of these retail premises.

"A number of searches were conducted and no devices were located. The locations were deemed safe.

"As a result, gardai are now treating the call received as a hoax and investigations into all the circumstances of this call are ongoing.

"Gardai appeal to anyone with information in relation to these calls to contact Longford Garda Station on 043 335 0570 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station."
Brothers Sammy and Davie McConaghie required emergency treatment in hospital after they were sliced by a knife-wielding thug

Police investigating a machete attack on two men in Co. Antrim two weeks ago, have made two arrests

This afternoon a spokesperson for the PSNI confirmed: Detectives in Coleraine investigating an incident when two men were stabbed in the Carncullagh Road area of Dervock on Sunday July 30, have arrested a 33 year-old man and a 37 year-old woman in England.

At this time, both remain in custody for questioning.

Brothers Sammy and Davie McConaghie from Dervock, outside Ballymoney, required emergency treatment in hospital after they were sliced by a knife-wielding thug.

Minutes before the assault, the brothers had been enjoying a few Sunday evening pints in a local bar on the villages Carncullagh Road.

And when creamery worker Davie McConaghie (35) left to order a takeaway meal from a Chinese fast-foot bar next door, he was challenged on the pavement by another man.

When the man suddenly drew out a large machete, McConaghie tried to run off. But after just a few steps, he stumbled and fell on the pavement and breaking his shoulder.

As he lay helpless on the concrete, his attacker stabbed him three times leaving three large gashes on his back.

Sammy McConaghie

Sammy McConaghie (35)  who witnessed the attack from inside the pub - raced to his brothers aid and he managed to pull his attacker off.

But the frenzied knifeman suddenly turned his attention to the younger of the brothers.

He sliced Sammy on the face, causing a deep wound from his eyebrow to his mouth.

His attacker also continued to hit him repeatedly on the shoulder and chest.

Onlookers managed to pull the brothers back inside the bar for their own safety. And as they did so, their attacker made off in the direction of a nearby housing estate.

As the badly injured men were being placed in the back of an ambulance prior to a high-speed race to hospital in Coleraine, a group of local men gathered opposite the pub to jeer them.

Sammy McConaghie - the more seriously injured of the brothers - was later transferred by ambulance to the Ulster Hospital in Belfast.

Both McConaghie brothers were released from hospital on Wednesday, although medical personnel continue to visit them at home to monitor their condition.

But speaking to the Sunday World on Sunday morning Davie McConaghie said he had been contacted by officers from the PSNI who informed him a man had been detained in England in connection with the knife attack.

He said: The PSNI phoned this morning to say police in England had made an arrest in connection with the case and they would keep me informed of any further developments,

Last week, the PSNI took the unusual step of naming 32 year-old Paul Raymond Hamilton as someone they were keen to interview in connection with the attack in Dervock. And it also appealed to members of the public of assistance in tracking him down.
President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua meets with Daisy Veerasingham, president and CEO of the Associated Press (AP), in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua met with Daisy Veerasingham, president and CEO of the Associated Press (AP), here on Sunday.

Noting the long-term friendly and cooperative relationship Xinhua and AP have maintained, Fu expressed the hope that the two sides will further strengthen communication and exchanges, and continue to report China-U.S. relations comprehensively, objectively and accurately.

Fu called on the two sides to further consolidate and enhance cooperation in text news exchange and photo distribution, and continue to deepen cooperation on commercial promotion.

During the meeting, Fu talked about the progress of the fifth World Media Summit, which will be held later this year. He said that Xinhua stands ready to work with AP to promote the development of the summit and make it an effective platform for global media exchanges and mutual learning.

For her part, Veerasingham commended the history of cooperation between AP and Xinhua for more than 50 years. She said that AP is open to discussions with Xinhua in areas including news exchanges and commercial promotion. 
Crumlin man Dylan Smith was slashed in the neck with a shiv in the exercise yard of Mountjoy

This is the low-level criminal left fighting for his life after he was stabbed in the neck while in protective custody in Mountjoy Prison.

Serial offender Dylan Smith, with an address at Captains Road in Crumlin, south Dublin, was attacked in the exercise yard in the prison on Monday evening by a fellow inmate who was also in protective custody.

Sources said Smiths attacker walked straight up to him and, seemingly out of nowhere, pulled a shiv and stabbed him in the neck.

It was quick, efficient and brutal, the source said.

There was no dispute of any kind between this inmate and Smith  no prior arguments or disagreements.

Thats why they were trusted to be in each others company.

The source said it now believed Smiths attacker was likely paid by a third party to give Smith a stripe.

Smith was already on protection as a result of a threat from another faction in the prison.

And prison authorities are now examining whether the order to attack Smith originated from this faction.

It would be done for something like letting a drug debt slide, a threat being lifted or maybe even 1,000 being thrown to someone on the outside.

In the aftermath of the attack, 31-year-old Smith was given emergency first aid by prison officers before being rushed to the Mater Hospital.

Three prison officers are understood to have rushed to his aid and applied pressure to his neck to stem the loss of blood from his wounds.

Paramedics then arrived at the prison and stabilised the victim at the scene before he was taken to hospital.

He subsequently underwent two life-saving operations.

Sources said it appeared Smiths attacker had narrowly missed his jugular vein.

Smiths most recent conviction came last April when he was given an eight-month sentence for assault causing harm to a female.

Smith, who is well known to gardai, has spent a large part of his 20s in prison.

In December 2014, he was jailed for four and a half years for his role in a number of violent crimes, including stabbing a bus passenger during a robbery and attacking a taxi driver while taking his vehicle.

At his sentencing hearing for those offences, the court heard how a then 22-year-old Smith and an accomplice viciously attacked the taxi driver before they tied him up and dumped him headfirst into a ditch.

The victim managed to free himself and was later treated for a skull and facial fractures.

The following month they forced a passenger off a bus after Smith stabbed him in the thigh and robbed his phone and iPod.

Smith then escorted the man to a nearby ATM in a garage forecourt, where he forced the victim to withdraw 200 in cash.

He and his accomplice then made their escape in a nearby taxi, which they were later arrested in.

The pair pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unlawful seizure of a car and false imprisonment of a taxi driver on Tubber Lane, Lucan, on August 21, 2013.

Smith of Captains Road, Crumlin, and also Weaver Road in Clonsilla, also pleaded guilty to robbery of a man at Topaz Garage on the Kylemore Road, Bluebell, on September 17, 2013.

He also admitted possession of a knife and resisting a peace officer on the same date in Ballyfermot Garda Station.

Smith was on bail for a robbery in Roscommon at the time of both incidents.

The court heard he already had 57 previous convictions at that stage including robbery, threats to kill, possession of knives, theft and road traffic offences.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending Smith, handed in a number of psychological reports into court and said his client had a tough upbringing punctuated by episodes of violence.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed six years with the final 18 months suspended on Smith consecutive to his sentence from Roscommon.

The chief suspect for Sundays attack on Smith is a career criminal in his mid-20s who is originally from Dublin but had been living in the west of Ireland before being jailed.

He has a large number of previous convictions, including several for making threats to kill, seven for theft and over a dozen for public order offences.

In 2019, he received an 18-month sentence for threatening to kill or cause serious harm to an officer in Mountjoy.

Gardai have confirmed they are investigating the attack on Smith.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: Gardai are investigating an assault on a man in his 30s that occurred on the evening of Monday, August 7, at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.

The man is currently receiving treatment for serious injuries at a Dublin hospital. Investigations into this matter are ongoing.
Sources said two of the victims suffered broken noses while one suffered a broken eye socket in the attack, which took place behind the former Central Bank.

A teenage boy has been arrested in connection with a brutal assault on Friday night which left three tourists in hospital in Dublin.

Three English men suffered serious injuries after they were attacked and robbed while socialising in Temple Bar on August 11 in what is the latest in a string of concerning attacks on tourists and locals in Dublin city centre in recent weeks.

They were set upon on Fownes Street Upper in the popular tourist area and suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Ireland, Dublin, Temple Bar area, Crown Alley

Sources said two of the victims suffered broken noses while one suffered a broken eye socket in the attack, which took place behind the former Central Bank.

Gardai in Pearse Street have since arrested a male juvenile who is being held under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a garda station in Dublin city centre.

The three men, aged in their 20s, were taken to St. James's Hospital to be treated for their injuries. All three have been released.
I decided to do Zoom training sessions from my kitchen Alexandra used to join in the Zoom sessions as well during the lockdown. She is just so lovely and normal.

A Belfast fitness brand has taken the leap from local to global with the help of a little X Factor.

Danielle Neill dreamed up DDCTD when the gym business she runs with husband John had to shut its doors during the Covid pandemic.

The 35-year-old fashion graduate seized the chance to start the gym brand which had always been her dream, launching with three products three years ago.

The company now has a range of more than 200 items, clients from Asia to the US and dedicated support from pal Alexandra Burke.

The X Factor winner worked out with John in Dedicated Fitness in Townsend Enterprise Park when she was in Belfast for The Bodyguard and has backed their brand from the start.

Alexandra arranged a photoshoot with Danielle and her team of models in boxer Anthony Joshuas gym in London and regularly joined in Zoom fitness sessions from the designers home.

Danielle Neill and husband John

We got friendly when Alexandra was here for a few weeks and her dancers worked out in our gym and said she wanted to train somewhere, says Danielle.

She came in and did a workout with John and we all became so close.

The Belfast designer says she and her husband, a fine art graduate, both have a strong creative side but channelled all their energy into the city centre gym.

They sold a handful of branded T-shirts and hoodies but when Covid closed the doors of the business theyve run for ten years, Danielle decided to put her fashion training and experience of working in retail to good use.

Danielle Neill organising a photoshoot

When the pandemic started, we had to close up straight away and stop all the clients payments but we still had the rent and bills to pay.

I just thought wed give the clothing idea a proper go.

It was something I always wanted to do but the gym was always so busy I never had the time to sit down and think about designs.

I decided to do Zoom training sessions from my kitchen, while I was also working on designing and sourcing samples, and Id wear the stuff and then clients started asking about it.

Alexandra used to join in the Zoom sessions as well during the lockdown. She is just so lovely and normal.

Danielle Neill

Danielle says from the start she wanted athleisure items she could wear anywhere.

I wanted something you can wear to brunch with a jacket or a hoodie, and then go straight to the gym and start working out, says the designer.

Weve also tried it out so you can do anything from HIT to yoga and it wont tug or pull or fall down.

Shes immensely proud of the brands image team, who are all local models she scouted on social media.

The news about DDCTD spread so quickly they were delighted when their first pop-up shop in Belfasts CastleCourt became one of the retail events of the year.

Danielle, whos already planning ahead for her Christmas pop-up, says the focus is largely online and fitness lovers are flocking to her designs.

We sell all over the UK and Ireland, we have loads of customers from the south. Weve also sold to all over America and have clients in Japan.

Ive just found that I love it so much. If you didnt have that love it would be hard, but we live and breathe it. Every single penny we make goes back into the business and Im always looking for new colours and designs.

John is really creative with his art background, and were constantly surrounded by people in gym gear so theres always inspiration.

Im always working to expand the business and Im blown away by the support weve had and so grateful for it, says Danielle.
The man was seen sprinting through the streets with other revellers before being knocked to the ground

The Irish man was gored during the bull run in Blanca, Spain. Photo: Solarpix

An Irishman was left unconscious on the ground after being gored by a bull during a Spanish festival.

The 33-year-old suffered a gore injury to his anterior jugular vein in the drama on Friday in the village of Blanca, a half-hour drive from the city of Murcia.

The unnamed man was seen sprinting through the streets with other revellers before being knocked to the ground by one of the animals.

A second bull then left him seemingly unconscious on the tarmac as it smashed into him as he tried to get up and continue running.

A local resident then left the safety of a nearby doorway to try to help him but was knocked off balance by a third animal before some of the men watching helpless from safety barriers along the course went to their assistance after the bulls had passed by.

The gore victim was stabilised at a field hospital before being taken to hospital in Cieza 15 minutes away.

The first medic who assisted him, named locally as Pedro Gallindo, said he had suffered a fairly deep four-inch neck wound.

He also confirmed he had suffered head and pelvic injuries.

Health chiefs said overnight they could still not say how his injuries would evolve but confirmed his life was not in danger and said he was stable.

A medical report released to local press said the four-inch gore wound he had suffered had sectioned his anterior jugular vein and the ECM which provides structural support for cells and tissues.

The man at the centre of the drama is understood to have been taking part for the first time in a so-called encierro, the name given in Spanish to the Pamplona-style bull-runs which are a frequent feature of Spanish summer festivals.

Fridays event was the first of four encierros scheduled as part of Blancas patron saint festivities in honour of San Roque, which takes place every year from August 8 to 16.

Thousands of people attend the festivities.

The bulls set loose in the streets of Blanca's old town to chase down revellers are baby bulls rather than the fully-grown animals used at the Running of the Bulls festival called San Fermines in Spanish in the northern city of Pamplona in July.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the case and is in contact with the mans family.

"As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the detail of individual cases, a spokesperson said.
The teens, who range in age from 15 to 17, are the subject of a public appeal issued by gardai for information

UPDATE: Jennifer Halligan, Martin ODonoghue, and Molly McCormack have been found safe and well.

Gardai sought the publics help in tracing four teens who were missing in the Louth and Meath areas last week.

The teens, who range in age from 15 to 17, are the subject of an appeal issued by gardai for information.

Molly McCormack (15) is missing from Drogheda since last Tuesday afternoon.

She is described as being approximately 5ft 8 in height, has long brown hair and brown eyes.

It is unknown what Molly was wearing when she went missing.

Gardai are concerned for Molly's wellbeing.

Molly McCormack

Anyone with any information on Molly's whereabouts are asked to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01 801 0600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

Another 15 year old, Jennifer Halligan, has been missing from Ratoath in Meath, since Wednesday evening.

Jennifer is described as being approximately 4' 11 in height, with a small frame, black hair and green eyes and a nose piercing.

It is also unknown what Jennifer was wearing when she went missing.

Gardai were also concerned for Jennifer's wellbeing.

Anyone with any information on Jennifer's whereabouts are asked to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01 801 0600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.

Kristina Simeckova

Gardai are also appealing for information on the whereabouts of 17-year-old Kristina Simeckova who is missing from her home in Bellurgan since last Saturday.

It's believed she may be in Dublin or Drogheda.

Anyone with any information on Kristina's whereabouts are asked to contact Dundalk Garda Station on 042 938 8445, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

Martin O'Donoghue

Gardai are also trying to locate 15-year-old Martin O'Donoghue who was last seen in Julianstown eight days ago, and is believed to have travelled to Cork in recent days.

Martin, who was last seen in Julianstown, Drogheda, Co Louth on the evening of Friday 4th August, is described as being approximately 5ft 5 in height, of slim build, dark brown hair and blue eyes.

It is unknown what Martin was wearing when he went missing.

Martin is known to frequent Cork City, Midleton, Mahon and Little Island areas of Cork and it is believed that Martin may have travelled to Cork in recent days.

Gardai are concerned for Martin's wellbeing.

Anyone with any information on Martin's whereabouts are asked to contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01 801 0600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any

garda station.
It might be embarrassing for them, but its no big deal for us, we have been gathering intelligence on an ongoing basis, so nothing in this leak has added to that

Dissident leaders are claiming they already had the security force intelligence prior to the data breach, the Sunday World has learned.

One republican source said of the breach: It might be embarrassing for them (PSNI) but its no big deal for us, we have been gathering intelligence on an ongoing basis, so nothing in this leak has added to that.

The accidental release of the personal details of all serving officers and just under 2,500 civilian staff at the PSNI  in total more than 10,000 people  has prompted alarm in the ranks of the police force.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne has resisted calls to stand down but the Sunday World understands there is growing disillusionment in the force.

Simon Byrne

And the second data breach  when a laptop containing details of 200 officers was stolen from a car  has led to even more distress.

One officer told the Sunday World he was stunned to discover he had not been informed of the initial breach.

We had no idea, he said, Ive been driving my kids around, going shopping with my wife and all the time my security had been seriously affected.

How can they not tell us? That is my data, my information, they had no right to keep that from me and my colleagues.

There have been discussions about the way forward which could see officer numbers being removed from uniforms.

Some PSNI personnel have raised the issue of moving home. In the recent past officers moved house under the SPED system which saw many officers moved  in some cases overnight  after they came under threat from paramilitaries.

The scheme has been shut down but this latest breach will inevitably raise calls for it to be reinstated.

Security sources have told us there is particular concern for officers living in rural areas, perhaps in districts that are regarded as republican.

Those guys have been exposed, said our source, in a way that perhaps others havent. Their safety and that of their families needs to be addressed immediately.

The Sunday World also spoke to intelligence sources who told us the FoI blunder has significant implications for informants working for the PSNI and MI5.

How can the PSNI guarantee the confidentiality of informants when they cant protect their own personnel? one said.

Can we expect informants to come forward with information, potentially life-threatening and life-saving? It has huge implications for police work and the work of intelligence agencies in Northern Ireland.

The leak is the most serious security failing in Northern Ireland policing since the 2002 break-in by the IRA at the forces Castlereagh holding centre.

During that episode, the codenames of informers working in both republican and loyalist terrorist groups were stolen.

Cyber security, actual security, internet security seem to have crept up on the PSNI without them noticing, sources said.

This is catastrophic, it certainly raises the question over whether the PSNI is a force fit for purpose.
The information was shared on Tuesday afternoon on a website called WhatDoTheyKnow.com which allows people to request and share information received through FoI requests.

The person who inadvertently caused the PSNIs biggest ever data breach may themselves be a serving police officer, the Sunday World has been told.

As the fallout from the crisis  which saw personal details of around 10,000 PSNI employees published online this week  continues, the search goes on for the person whose Freedom of Information (FoI) request led to the details being shared.

While the blame for the public release of the information lies squarely with the PSNI, investigating officers are keen to speak to the person who made the FoI request to establish how many people saw or shared the details before they were removed from public view.

Sources close to the investigation said one theory being looked at is that the person behind the FoI request is a PSNI employee.

The information was shared on Tuesday afternoon on a website called WhatDoTheyKnow.com which allows people to request and share information received through FoI requests.

The request which led to the sensitive PSNI information being shared was made by a user called James Bell.

He had asked for the number of PSNI officers and staff employed at each grade and rank.

However, as well as providing this information, the response from the PSNI also included the surname and initials of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in.

The information remained on the site for close to three hours before it was removed.

James Bell has made one previous FoI request on the site.

In September last year, he asked for and received information on bonuses paid to PSNI officers of inspector and above rank.

Given the focus of his FoI requests, a source close to the investigation into the data breach said there was a belief James Bell could be a pseudonym used by a serving PSNI officer.

There is a definitely a suspicion that he, or she, is a police officer, said the source.

The Sunday World contacted James Bell through an email facility on the website but did not receive a response.

Questions are also being asked about the speed in which the FoI request was answered.

As part of FoI legislation, public bodies are required to respond to a request within 20 working days.

However, there have been significant delays to FoI requests to the PSNI in recent years.

Dissident republicans claim to possess leaked police information  PSNI chief

Despite this, the request submitted by James Bell last week on August 3 received a response on August 8  a wait of just three working days.

The Sunday World asked the PSNI why the request had been answered so quickly.

While this specific question was not answered, a PSNI spokesperson said: There are currently 113 active Freedom of Information cases, four of which still being finalised are considered outside of statutory timescales.

Meanwhile, the personal and political fallout from the massive data breach continues.

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI), which represents the majority of PSNI officers, said it has received almost 2,000 messages in relation to proposed compensation claims.

Despite the huge response, PFNI chair Liam Kelly stressed it was still the very early stages of a dreadful situation.

This has been a monumental breach and there are genuinely held fears around it and what it means for the personal security of our men and women, he said.

Officers feel exposed, not just for themselves but also their loved ones.

A major investigation is continuing into how the information was released and measures are also being discussed to ensure it never happens again.

However, this is little comfort to the thousands of PSNI officers and employees whose lives have been thrown into turmoil by the events of recent days.

They have been reports of officers deciding to emigrate over fears for their own security and that of their families.

Other PSNI workers have reportedly been forced to tell relatives and friends for the first time they work for the police now that some of their details have been placed in the public domain.

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne (right), who returned early from a family holiday to deal with the crisis, told a meeting of Northern Irelands Policing Board on Thursday he was aware of claims from dissident republicans they were in possession of some of the released information.

Meanwhile, Kellie Morwood from Edwards & Co Solicitors, who are handing potential compensation claims from PSNI officers, said the situation was unprecedented.

We have represented the Police Federation for Northern Ireland and its members for over 50 years and have never witnessed a single incident on this scale, certainly since the inception of the PSNI, which directly affects so many, she said.

But sources have told the Sunday World the PSNI information has been widely shared on WhatsApp.

Details of a second data breach within the PSNI also emerged this week.

On Wednesday, as PSNI staff were reeling from news of the massive online leak, it was revealed a spreadsheet with the names of 200 PSNI officers and staff was stolen along with a police issue laptop and radio in the Newtownabbey area of Co. Antrim on July 6.

Mr Byrne, who insisted he will not be resigning over the data breaches, said the theft had not been reported to senior management for three weeks.

He claimed the PSNI has a means of wiping the stolen devices remotely.
There have been no discussions about the termination of Tubridys contract and that the talks are focused solely on his getting back to his 9am show on RTE Radio 1

RTE and Ryan Tubridy are at a make-or-break stage in negotiations to return the presenter to the airwaves, the Sunday World can reveal.

Both sides will this week re-enter discussions described by director general Kevin Bakhurst as being at a delicate stage.

They are aimed at returning Tubridy to his weekday radio programme.

Mr Bakhurst told the Sunday World there have been no discussions about the termination of Tubridys contract and that the talks are focused solely on his getting back to his 9am show on RTE Radio 1.

There is an urgency now to resolving this matter, and I hope we can do so in the coming week or so, Mr Bakhurst said.

In RTE, there was growing expectation this weekend that agreement will be reached for Tubridys return.

He let it be known publicly that he wants to get back to work at the station, which he has described as his home.

Among outstanding matters, it is clear negotiations this week will centre on Tubridys pay, which he has said he would be happy to see immediately made known.

Kevin Bakhurst. Photo; Gerry Mooney

Mr Bakhurst confirmed that Tubridy had not yet returned 150,000 in payments made to him by RTE after a sponsorship deal with Renault was terminated, a disclosure that caused a public outcry when the RTE payments scandal erupted this summer.

Tubridy has been off the air since June following revelations that figures previously published by RTE relating to his earnings were inaccurate.

The subsequent controversy caused an unprecedented crisis at the national broadcaster, leading to several hearings before two Oireachtas committees.

Untruth or possible: Ryan Tubridy's Late Late Show exit and the payments audit

At the height of the controversy, the executive board of RTE was re-constituted by Mr Bakhurst, who was then the incoming director general.

So great was the crisis that it led to informed speculation that Tubridy  the former host of The Late Late Show and regarded as RTEs leading broadcaster  would never return.

During negotiations, Tubridy asked for more money than RTE was willing to pay

However, this weekend, in reply to several questions from the Sunday Independent, Mr Bakhurst said: Were in active, ongoing discussions with Ryan.

"As Ive said, were at a delicate point in discussions and the detail is between the parties concerned at this point.

Asked if RTE had offered Tubridy an opportunity to return to the 9am slot, the DG said: Thats the slot under discussion.

As Ive said previously, Ryan is a hugely talented broadcaster, and as with anyone with such talent theres always a range of possibilities.

At this point, discussions are focused around the 9am slot.

Asked if the likelihood of Tubridy returning to work with RTE had increased or decreased since discussions began, Mr Bakhurst said: Good question. There is an urgency now to resolving this matter, and I hope we can do so in the coming week or so.

"So that question will be answered quite naturally in due course.

Asked if Tubridys agent, Noel Kelly, who appeared with the broadcaster before the Oireachtas committees, was taking part in the talks, Mr Bakhurst said he was not, but added that legal representatives for both sides were involved, as would be standard in such discussions.

He added: As Ive said, Ryan and I have chatted personally and one-to-one on several occasions.

There has also been speculation that Tubridy might return to RTE as a staff member rather than an independent contractor, but Mr Bakhurst said: Thats not on the table.

As you can imagine, this is a complex discussion and theres a lot to consider on both sides.

"I hope to be announcing something next week or the week after.

It emerged yesterday in the Irish Times that RTE is currently paying Tubridy less than what he sought, after being taken off the air following revelations of hidden payments to him made by the national broadcaster over a number of years.

Mr Bakhurst told the Sunday Independent that RTE is still paying Tubridy, but both camps could not settle on a number.

In the report, Mr Bakhurst confirmed that RTE received an invoice from Tubridys representatives in mid-July, but the figure paid to him was less than that.

We didnt reach an agreement, so were paying him what we think is reasonable on an interim basis, Mr Bakhurst said.

Tubridy is being paid on a radio-only contract, following the end of his 14-year tenure as host of The Late Late Show in May.

Mr Bakhurst admitted that during negotiations Tubridy had asked for more money than RTE was willing to pay.

Well, this is always the case in negotiations, all right. Were not offering him more than he wants, he said.

It also emerged yesterday that over 200 voluntary exit packages offered to former executives and other staff are being examined in an external investigation.

RTE could be on the hook for a tax clawback following this external probe, the Irish Independent reported.

The terms of a package taken by former chief financial officer Breda OKeeffe will be examined by solicitors McCann Fitzgerald, along with payments to all staff offered redundancy and early retirement packages under two schemes.

Ms OKeeffes exit package, which was agreed with former director general Dee Forbes, will be scrutinised.

An Oireachtas committee was told the deal was not signed off by every member of the broadcasters former executive.

The review, which is already under way, will aim to discover who rubber-stamped the senior executives payout, which could be up to 400,000.

A key focus of the review is likely to centre on whether individuals should have been offered a redundancy payment if their roles were filled after they left.

Mr Bakhurst told staff he has asked the review team to report by the end of next month.
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Some of the answers to the complexities of the climate system are given in my recently published book "Climate Change: A Realistic Perspective". In Chapter 12 on "Energy" the topics covered are (1) Fossil fuels, (2) Geothermal energy, (3) Nuclear energy, (4) Solar energy, (5) Wind power, (6) Hydroelectricity (7) Tidal power, (7) Biomass, and (8) Nuclear fusion, Below are extracts from pages 360-365 relating to Nuclear Fusion.

Nuclear fusion

Nuclear fusion is an attempt to replicate the processes of the Sun on

Earth. It differs significantly from nuclear fission, which has been our

only way of getting electricity from atoms since the 1950s. The BBC

website in a report on Nuclear Energy by Matt McGrath on November

6, 2019 says prospects for developing nuclear fusion as a feasible source

of energy have significantly improved. The UK government has recently

announced an investment of 200m to deliver electricity from a fusion

reactor by 2040. Private companies and governments have told the BBC

they aim to have demonstration models working within five years. But

huge hurdles remain, say critics.



With the price of wind and solar continuing to drop, experts say these

existing renewables might offer a more economical and timely method

of tackling climate change and generating energy than an unproven

technology like fusion. Fission has proven to be hugely expensive. It

generates large amounts of radioactive waste and raises serious concerns

about safety and the proliferation of weapons.



Fusion is the process that drives our Sun. Every single second,

millions of tonnes of hydrogen atoms crash together in the tremendous

temperatures and pressures of our parent star. This forces them to break

their atomic bonds and fuse to make the heavier element, helium.



Build the Sun in a box



For decades, researchers have been trying to replicate this process on

Earth, or build the Sun in a box as one physicist dubbed it. The basic

idea is to take a type of hydrogen gas, heat it to more than 100 million

C until it forms a thin, fragile cloud called a plasma, and then control

it with powerful magnets until the atoms fuse and release energy.



Potentially, it can generate power that is low carbon, with much smaller

amounts of waste. It also comes without the danger of explosions. To

deliver the fusion concept, countries have focused their energies on a

major international co-operative effort called ITER. The BBC asks the

question is it .. a giant step forward or a white elephant?



The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project

involves 35 countries and, in 2020 it was constructing a huge test reactor

in southern France. The plan is to have the first plasma generated in

2025. However, getting from this step to producing energy is extremely

difficult. ITER has also been beset by long delays and budget overspend

which means it is unlikely to have a demonstration fusion power plant

working even by 2050. One of the reasons that ITER is late is that it

is really, really hard, said Prof Ian Chapman, chief executive of the UK

Atomic Energy Authority. What we are doing is fundamentally pushing

the barriers of whats known in the technology world. And of course you

reach hurdles and you have to overcome them, which we do all the time

and ITER will happen, I am completely convinced of it.



Until ITER is up and running in 2025, the UK based Joint European

Torus (Jet) remains the worlds largest fusion experiment. It has secured

EU funding until the end of 2020, but what happens after that, and the

participation of the UK in ITER after Brexit remains unclear. To give

some sense of certainty, the UK government recently announced 220m

for the conceptual design of a fusion power station by 2040. Over the

next four years, researchers based at Culham in Oxfordshire will develop

designs for a fusion power plant called Step or Spherical Tokamak for

Energy Production.



The most widely known approach to making fusion happen involves

a doughnut shaped vacuum chamber called a Tokamak. Hydrogen gas

is heated to 100 million C at which point it become a plasma. Powerful

magnets are used to confine and steer the plasma until fusion occurs.

In the UK, researchers have developed a different form of Tokamak,

that more resembles an apple core than a doughnut. Called a Spherical

Tokamak, it has the advantage of being more compact, potentially

allowing future power plants to be located in towns and cities.



If you look at some of the very big units, the big machines that we

are looking at, just finding geographically somewhere to put them is

difficult, said Nanna Heiberg from the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

What you really want to do is put them close to where the energy is

required. And so if you can do them in a much smaller footprint, you can

put them closer to the users and you can put more of them around the

country for example.



While governments are wrestling with ITER, many are also driving

ahead with their own national plans. China, India, Russia and the US

among others are working on developing commercial reactors.



As well as the UK government putting cash in, the European

Investment Bank is pumping hundreds of millions of euros into an Italian

programme to produce fusion energy by 2050. But perhaps the major

excitement comes from private companies. They are usually smaller,

nimbler, and they develop by making mistakes and learning from them

quickly. There are now dozens of them around the world, raising funds

and pushing forward often with different approaches to fusion than that

seen in ITER and in the UK.



Heres a brief sample of some different approaches to fusion:



First Light: This company originated in the University of Oxford and

was founded specifically to address the urgent need to decarbonise the

global energy system. Their idea involves firing a projectile at a target

that contains hydrogen atoms. The shockwave from the impact of the

projectile creates a shockwave that crushes the fuel and briefly this

reaction will produce plasma that is hotter than the sun and denser than

lead.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems: A private company created by former

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) staff, CFS has raised

significant funding of over $100m. It is focusing on developing a Tokamak

system but its key innovation is in superconducting magnets. They hope

to build powerful enough magnets so they can build smaller and cheaper

Tokamaks to contain the plasmas required to generate fusion.



TAE Technologies: With backing from Google and other high tech

investors, this California-based company is using a different mix of fuel

to develop smaller, cheaper reactors. They want to use hydrogen and

boron as both elements are readily available and non-radioactive. Their

prototype is a cylindrical colliding beam fusion reactor (CBFR) that heats

hydrogen gas to form two rings of plasma. These are merged and held

together with beams of neutral particles to make it hotter and last longer.

US Navy: Worried about how to power their ships in the future, the

US Navy has filed a patent for a plasma compression fusion device.

The patent says that it would use magnetic fields to create accelerated

vibration and/or accelerated spin. The idea would be to make fusion

power reactors small enough to be portable. Theres a lot of scepticism

that this approach will work.



One of the main challengers with ambitions to make fusion work is a

company based in British Columbia, Canada called General Fusion. Their

approach, which has gathered a lot of attention and backing from the

likes of Amazons Jeff Bezos, combines cutting edge physics with off the

shelf technology. They call their system magnetised target fusion.



Despite the hopes, no one to date has managed to get more energy out

of a fusion experiment than they have put in. Most experts are confident

the idea will work, but many believe that it is a matter of scale. To make

it work, you have to go large. I think fusion needs resources to really

make it work, said Prof Ian Chapman from UKAEA. You could do that

within a company or a country but you really need to have the requisite

scale and resources. When ITER works, and I say when, not if, it will be

a step change for fusion and you will see massive investment come into

the field.



Will renewable energy make fusion redundant?



A relevant question is will renewable energy make fusion redundant? In

2018, the IPCC reported that emissions of CO2 need to be reduced by

45% by 2030 to keep the rise in global temperatures under 1.5C. Getting

to that point requires a rapid decarbonisation of the energy sector. The

UK has committed to Net Zero emissions by 2050 which will require

the deployment of wind and solar on a massive scale. Some argue this

should be a greater priority for Britain, rather than spending large sums

on experimental fusion reactors.

The cost of renewables has shot down

while the cost of the world fusion project, ITER, has gone up and it now

looks very unlikely they will be able to compete without new ideas, said

Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, a one time chair of the ITER council and a

respected British physicist. I dont think this means we should give up

on fusion, there are ways it could become cheaper but it is not going to be

there immediately when we need it in the UK at least.



Others involved in the fusion industry take a different view. If youre

a country like Malaysia, that has a high carbon intensity of its energy

system, and youre trying to move away from coal, theres not a lot of

options today, said Chris Mowry, General Fusions chief executive. This

is the type of application were focused on. And even in countries like

Canada, which have a fair amount of renewables, it can never be 100%

renewables. And so we need a carbon free source of energy that can

complement renewables in the future.



The Center for Nuclear Science and Technology Information website

says that Nuclear Fusion is a nuclear process, where energy is produced

by smashing together light atoms. It is the opposite reaction of fission,

where heavy isotopes are split apart. Fusion is the process by which the

Sun and other stars generate light and heat. Its most easily achieved on

Earth by combining two isotopes of hydrogen: deuterium and tritium.

Hydrogen is the lightest of all the elements, being made up of a single

proton and an electron.

Deuterium has an extra neutron in its nucleus;

it can replace one of the hydrogen atoms in H2O to make what is called

heavy water. Tritium has two extra neutrons, and is therefore three

times as heavy as hydrogen. In a fusion cycle, tritium and deuterium are

combined and result in the formation of helium, the next heaviest element

in the Periodic Table, and the release of a free neutron. Deuterium is

found one part per 6,500 in ordinary seawater, and is therefore globally

available, eliminating the problem of unequal geographical distribution

of fuel resources. This means that there will be fuel for fusion as long as

there is water on the planet.



Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in

Greifswald, Germany, have demonstrated that it is possible to superheat

hydrogen atoms to form a plasma of 80 million C using a machine called

the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator. The plasma forms the basis for nuclear

fusion, in which hydrogen atoms collide and their nuclei fuse to form

helium atoms  a process which lets off energy and is similar to what

happens in our sun.



What is Fusion Power? Lets take look at a fusion reaction. As deuterium

and tritium fuse together, their component parts are recombined

into a helium atom and a free neutron. As the two heavy isotopes are

reassembled into a helium atom, you have extra mass leftover which is

converted into the kinetic energy of the neutron, according to Einsteins

formula: E = mc2



For a nuclear fusion reaction to occur, it is necessary to

bring two nuclei so close that nuclear forces become active and glue the

nuclei together. Nuclear forces are small-distance forces and have to act

against the electrostatic forces where positively charged nuclei repel each

other. This is the reason nuclear fusion reactions occur mostly in high

density, high temperature environment.



Worlds Largest Nuclear Fusion Experiment Clears Milestone



From the website Climatewire and in the E+E News dated July 24, 2019,

as reported in the Scientific American, Nathanial Gronewold said that

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor is set to launch

operations in 2025. The International Thermonuclear Experimental

Reactor is under construction in southern France.



A multination project to build a fusion reactor cleared a milestone in 2020

and is now 612 years away from First Plasma, officials

announced. Dignitaries attended a components handover ceremony at

the construction site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental

Reactor in southern France. The ITER project is an experiment aimed at

reaching the next stage in the evolution of nuclear energy as a means of

generating emissions-free electricity. The section recently installedthe

cryostat base and lower cylinderpaves the way for the installation of the

tokamak, the technology design chosen to house the powerful magnetic

field that will encase the ultra-hot plasma fusion core.



Manufactured by India, the ITER cryostat is 16,000 cubic metres,

ITER officials said in a release. Its diameter and height are both almost 30

metres and it weighs 3,850 tons. Because of its bulk, it is being fabricated

in four main sections: the base, lower cylinder, upper cylinder, and top

lid. The entire project is now 65% complete, the officials said. The worlds

first commercial-scale fusion reactor project is on track to officially

launch operations at the end of 2025, said spokeswoman Sabina Griffith,

but it will take at least a decade to fully power up the facility. The date for

First Plasma is set; we will push the button in December 2025, Griffith

said. It will take another 10 years until we reach full deuterium-tritium

operations. Thirty-five nations are cooperating on the project to bring

fusion power to the masses.



A potential answer to climate change

Achieving controlled fusion reactions that net more power than they

take to generate, and at commercial scale, is seen as a potential answer

to climate change. Fusion energy would eliminate the need for fossil

fuels and solve the intermittency and reliability concerns inherent with

renewable energy sources. The energy would be generated without

the dangerous amounts of radiation that raises concerns about fission

nuclear energy. Officials say the ITER nuclear fusion reactor is poised to

be the most complicated piece of machinery ever built. It will contain the

worlds largest superconducting magnets, needed to generate a magnetic

field powerful enough to contain a plasma that will reach temperatures of

150 million C , about 10 times hotter than the centre of the sun.
New research from Bank of New Zealand shows a significant jump in scam activity over the past 12 months, with nine out of ten New Zealanders targeted by a scam, up 13 per cent on the same time last year.

But while the volume of scams has surged, New Zealanders are getting more scam savvy, with only one in ten falling victim.

The research comes as BNZ launches its annual Scam Savvy Week to raise awareness, help people know how to identify scams, and be safer online.

"While its fantastic that New Zealanders are learning to spot the red flags, the sheer volume of scams is a stark reminder for all of us to remain vigilant," says BNZ's Head of Financial Crime, Ashley Kai Fong.

"All scams require people to do something - whether thats clicking on a link, engaging in a conversation, or sending money. Ultimately the best defence against scams is you. If you can recognise the signs of a scam, youre less likely to fall victim. Thats why BNZ has developed tools and resources to help New Zealanders get scam savvy at www.getscamsavvy.co.nz."

Businesses getting "con-conscious"

Businesses have also improved their ability to identify and avoid scams, with the number of small and medium enterprises falling victim to scams dropping from 47 per cent in 2022 to 34 per cent in 2023.

"Scams are a significant threat to our business community, but these figures show that SMEs are taking the right steps to protect themselves," says Kai Fong.

Despite the reduction, businesses are not being complacent. Reporting of scams to banks has seen a marked increase, with 60 percent of businesses scammed in 2023 reporting the incident, compared to 39 percent in the previous year.

"This underscores the growing awareness among businesses of the importance of swift reporting and robust prevention measures. It's a clear indication that the business community is recognising the threat posed by scammers."

More people reporting scams, but further progress needed

Reporting by individuals also increased with 64 per cent of individuals impacted by a scam reporting it, up from 46 percent last year.

"Reporting scams is a crucial step in fighting fraud," says Kai Fong. "It provides valuable data to help us understand and combat these threats more effectively, making it harder for scammers to operate.

"Its great that Kiwis are increasingly reporting scams, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Too many of us dont report scams, or even tell loved ones, due to embarrassment or shame, but we need to remember that this is a scammers fulltime job.

"Every minute of every day, they are out there thinking of new ways to take peoples hard-earned money. There is nothing to be embarrassed about if you do experience a scam, and by reporting it, you could be helping someone avoid being scammed in the future."

Top three scams

Government impersonation scams were the most prevalent over the last 12 months (45 per cent), followed by bank impersonation scams (31 per cent), and fake lottery, prize or grant scams (24 per cent).

Email was found to be the most common channel for scams (40 per cent), followed by text (34 per cent), and social media (28 per cent).

"Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, impersonating trusted brands and institutions and exploiting a range of channels to deceive New Zealanders," says Kai Fong.

Despite the rise in scams, the research shows that educating New Zealanders to spot and avoid scams is helping to keep them safe.

"Around two-thirds of those surveyed reported having seen educational material about scam prevention," he says. "Knowledge is power. We want as many people as possible to get Scam Savvy as the more we know about scams, the better equipped we are to spot and avoid them."

Our Scam Savvy tools are available online at www.getscamsavvy.co.nz.

Top tips to get Scam Savvy

Don't click on links or open attachments sent by someone you don't know or seem out of character for someone you do know.

Hover over links to reveal the actual site. If it doesn't seem right, call the sender using contact details you already have or that are available on their public website.

Urgency is a red flag - scammers will try to rush you. Banks will never ask for your bank account details, password or pin number, nor will they send you an email or text message with a link asking you to log in.

Keep your computer and phone security software up to date. If you think youve been scammed, contact your bank as soon as possible. Trust your gut - if it feels wrong, it probably is.

Scam Savvy Research

Other key findings from BNZs research:

One in 10 New Zealanders have fallen victim to a scam in the last 12 months, losing money, personal information, bank or card details, or device access.

Of those that lost money, two thirds (69 per cent) lost under $500, 26 per cent between $500 and $5000, and five per cent over $5000.

Email is the most common way to have fallen victim to a scam (40 per cent), followed by text (34 per cent), social media (28 per cent), phone calls (18 per cent), online websites nine per cent) or by someone you know (three per cent)

Those aged 15 - 34 years are more likely to have been targeted via social media (44 per cent) Social media and online website scams are harder for victims to recover stolen money, with 56 per cent of victims who were targted via social media and 22 per cent of victims targeted via an online website saying they couldnt recover their money

Those over the age of 50 are more likely to be targeted by tech scam calls

One in 10 males has responded to a dating or romance scam in the last 12 months, significantly higher than females Females are more likely to be more concerned about their personal data online

Business stats

About 45 per cent of SMEs reported being the target of scam attempts in the last year.

Of those targeted, one third have responded to a scam attempt, by clicking on a link (15 per cent), or replying to the scam via email, text, or phone call (14 per cent).

Almost half (47 per cent) of scam attempts are by email, with another 38 per cent by text message.

One third (33 per cent) are by phone calling, with websites (19 per cent) and social media (18 per cent) rounding out the top five.

One in five (22 per cent) of SMEs reported falling victim to a scam in the last 12 months 43 per cent of businesses that fell for a scam reported a financial loss.

Of those, more than half lost less than $500, 38 percent between $501 and $5000, and 11 per cent lost more than $5000.

It is important to note that losses to scams are not just financial, and can include data loss, operational impacts, technical damage and/or reputational damage
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (5th L), who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Sok Chenda Sophea (5th R), Cambodian deputy prime minister and foreign minister-designate, minister delegate attached to the Cambodian prime minister, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 12, 2023. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister-designate Sok Chenda Sophea here on Saturday, during which the two sides pledged to boost bilateral ties.

Sophea, also the minister delegate attached to the Cambodian Prime Minister, said Wang's visit is the most timely and powerful support for Cambodia.

China has always given a helping hand to Cambodia at critical moments to help the Southeast Asian country achieve peace, stability, development and revitalization, which has strengthened its confidence and ability to safeguard independence, he added.

Noting that bilateral cooperation has helped Cambodia rapidly improve people's livelihood, Sophea said Cambodia looks forward to working with China to continuously enhance the strategic nature of Cambodia-China relations, expand cooperation areas and set a good example for high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the traditional friendship between China and Cambodia, forged by the older generation of leaders of the two countries, is long-tested and ironclad, which is the most valuable asset of both sides and deserves to be cherished.

Noting that China attaches great importance to China-Cambodia relations, Wang said China will always be a reliable partner for Cambodia to seek development and revitalization, and a strong supporter when Cambodia encounters difficulties.

Calling the recent general election in Cambodia a great success, Wang said the support of the general public provides the greatest confidence and solid foundation for the CPP to face up to challenges and eliminate external interference.

Wang said China is ready to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with Cambodia, and enrich the bilateral "diamond hexagon" cooperation framework that covers politics, production capacity, agriculture, energy, security, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two sides also exchanged views on deepening cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). They agreed to maintain close communication and coordination, support ASEAN centrality, and promote regional peace, stability and development to achieve all-win and win-win outcomes.

Cambodia is the last leg of Wang's Southeast Asia tour which has taken him to Singapore and Malaysia. 
Tom Phillips and his three children Jayda, 10, Maverick, eight, and Ember, seven, were reported missing from their home in Marokopa by family on January 18, 2022.

Adam Dudding reports on the Marokopa mystery, after a number of recent sightings.

Here are some of the things Inspector Will Loughrin was able to tell assembled reporters at a press conference at Hamilton Central Police Station a couple of Thursdays ago.

There had been some fresh sightings in Waikato of Tom Phillips. He was disguised. He was driving a stolen, bronze-coloured Toyota Hilux.

The ute had been spotted in Pokuru, near a Bunnings in Te Rapa and again in Kawhia. The Kawhia sighting involved an altercation where a police chopper was deployed from Auckland to help out.

Police didnt know where the ute went, nor Phillips, nor his three children.

Loughrin called for the public to phone in with further sightings of Phillips, or of the ute (which would be found abandoned soon after). He also called on community members, who he believed knew the whereabouts of the entire family, to come forward.

I am urging those people to get in contact with us. We want to bring the children home.

Reporters peppered him with questions: Is Phillips dangerous? Who do you think is helping him? What was the altercation? Where do you think he is now? What did he buy at Bunnings?

Loughrin answered some questions but ducked many, with variations on a theme of our investigation team are working through that at the moment.

Some would be answered in dribs and drabs over the following days as police released new information and CCTV, and as reporters fanned out through Waikato in search of talkative locals.

This is why we know, for instance, what Phillips was wearing while at Bunnings. The vibe in the press conference had been that hed become a master of disguise, but CCTV revealed hed worn a face mask, beanie and pair of glasses.

We learnt, from another police-issued CCTV image, that while in the Bunnings car park, the stolen bronze-coloured ute was carrying a large, red fuel canister, four large water containers, six green Bunnings buckets (two upright with lids hiding unknowable, if any, contents, and another four stacked empty), plus two big rolls of what looked like plastic chicken wire.

Then, RNZ shed more light on the Kawhia altercation. Locals were saying it had in fact been a car chase which started when someone recognised the stolen Hilux as it passed through Pirongia and gave chase.

Tom Phillips at Bunnings hiding behind glasses, a surgical mask and a beanie. Photo: NZ Police.

Newshub reported the same ute owner had discovered a number of items of clothing had disappeared from his home.

Police asked the public more questions. Did anyone remember seeing the ute? Have you seen this Honda 50cc motocross bike, or this 200cc black Suzuki Trojan, or this 200cc Honda XR or a Honda 2008 FourTrax quadbike? Are you one of the people whove been helping Tom?

But there was another important question hanging. A reporter asked it at the initial August 3 press conference.

Given the recent sightings of Phillips close to Marokopa: Is it your understanding that hes potentially been under your nose this entire time?

Loughrins answer was, understandably, a variation on thats all part of the investigation.

The Toyota Hilux that police said Phillips had stolen and taken to Bunnings. Photo: NZ Police.

The vanishings

Before the recent flurry of new clues, heres what we knew about the strange disappearances of Tom Phillips, now 36, and his children.

When younger, Phillips worked as a fencer and spent several years in the South Island. He had three children with wife Catherine, but the couple have long since separated. The children are Jayda (who turned 10 last week), Maverick, 8 and Ember, 7.

After the separation Phillips became a full-time father and taught the children at home. He, too, had been home-schooled, apart from a stint at a private school in Hamilton.

In September 2021, the four were living in Otorohanga, 50km south of Hamilton. Then, a couple of days after they visited Phillips parents farm in coastal Marokopa (65km west of Otorohanga), they vanished, and Phillips Toyota Hilux was found below the tide-line at nearby Kiritehere beach.

A huge, expensive, search by police and locals was called off after 12 days, but five days later still, the family turned up back at the Marokopa family farm in good health. They had, evidently, been camping nearby.

Their older half-sister Jubilee Dawson (an adult daughter of Catherine) would later tell reporters that she and her sister Storm visited the three younger children at the Marokopa farm in late November 2021, taking them cupcakes and playdough.

Phillips was charged with wasting police resources, and was meant to appear in court in early 2022. But on December 9 the family vanished again. Phillips missed his January 12 court appearance and a warrant for his arrest was issued.

Since December 9  some 612 days and counting  theres been little news.

There was a report in March 2022, that the previous month Phillips had popped into the family farm alone, assured his parents the children were safe and well, and taken some supplies.

Inspector Will Loughrin in September 2021, days after the first disappearance of Phillips and his three children. Photo: Tom Lee/Stuff.

In May 2022, half-sister Jubilee Dawson launched a petition calling on authorities to do more, though Loughrin said police were actively on the case, and were staying in contact with Phillips family and the local community.

As recently as June, Dawson again spoke at length about her fears for her half-siblings, in an interview with 1News. That coverage included a plea from Phillips mother for him to come in from the cold, and quoted Loughrin as saying he believed the children were likely alive, and that the case frequently occupied his mind.

There has been an oddness at the heart of this case since the outset. Yes theres an active investigation. Yes, Loughrin has said its frequently on his mind. Yes police are looking for Phillips and Jayda and Maverick and Ember. Yes, Loughrin will look down the barrel of a TV camera and say Tom, we need you to come in and speak to us and resolve this [] The kids need to see their grandparents, their siblings, their mother  and we need to bring this to a close.

Yet this messaging seems curiously relaxed, given that this is a father who is in breach of a family court order, who has a warrant out for his arrest and who, going by the past fortnights events, has also stolen a bronze-coloured ute and perhaps a white beanie, and damaged a farm gate.

Perhaps, as has been claimed, Phillips is a fine bushman. Perhaps he is being supplied and supported by other persons, as Loughrin believes. Perhaps there is adequate food and shelter and love in these childrens lives.

Yet theres no getting away from the fact that these children are, to the best knowledge, are living outside the health system, outside the education system, outside their extended family networks and outside the sight of society.

Pakeha New Zealand has a deep, arguably bogus, nostalgia for the get-off-the-grid Kiwi bloke, whether its the self-constructed happy-go-lucky myth of Barry Crump or the darker version of Bruno Lawrences character in 1981s Crash Palace (theres a child in that story too, remember).

But you dont have to follow every detail of a thrilling rural ute-chase, or read every interview with anxious family members, or watch every police press conference, or zoom in on that CCTV image of the bronze-coloured utes tray and try to guess whats in the buckets, to know that something pretty troubling is going on here.

You have to presume, or maybe just hope, that Loughrin, with all his careful evasions of the tricky questions, knows a lot more than hes revealing for now. You have to hope that the answer to that question he ducked, about whether Phillips was dangerous is not very.

You have to hope that the ending to this very long, and very strange, and very puzzling New Zealand story is a happy one.

-Adam Dudding/Stuff.
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Indian Lake, N.Y. -- A woman has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a man in the Adirondacks town of Indian Lake on Saturday.

New York State Police and the Hamilton County Sheriffs Department responded to Big Brook Road in Indian Lake around 8:12 p.m. for a report of shots fired.

When troopers arrived, they found David J. Chenier, 32, of Indian Lake, dead at the scene, police said. An autopsy will be conducted at Glens Falls Hospital by pathologist Michael Sikirica, according to police.

Police said Ann M. Favro, 57, of Saranac Lake, was arrested following a vehicle and traffic stop and charged with second-degree murder. She was arraigned in the Town of Indian Lake Court and ordered held at the Hamilton County Jail without bail.

Investigators are asking that anyone with information about the shooting to contact State Police at (518) 873-2750.

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
The slow-motion trainwreck that is the legacy of Green Nationals mismanagement of moderate-income apartments in Syracuse continues. This time, the tragic consequences were foreseeable.

About 100 tenants of the Vincent, a complex of eight buildings with a total of 267 units, face eviction as the new owner, Clear Investment Group of Chicago, empties the buildings for renovations.

They have nowhere to go.

The same goes for the Skyline Apartments, where dozens of people still live for lack of a place to relocate. The Skylines problems were well documented by Syracuse.com/The Post-Standard in 2019. An elderly womans murder in 2021 finally moved Syracuse City Hall to force a change in ownership.

As staff writer Tim Knauss reports, its been a messy transition. Tenants at the Vincent who put up with mold, vermin and dirty needles for years will get an eviction notice for their troubles  and a spot in line behind 1,000 other people waiting for an affordable apartment in Syracuse.

There is plenty of blame to go around.

Start with Tim and Troy Green, the principals of Green National, whose mismanagement allowed their apartments to fall prey to filth, disrepair and crime. They have been fined heavily and banned forever from owning or managing affordable housing in New York state.

CIG, the new owners, proposed a takeover plan that required all the tenants to move out at once. Some tenants could move to other complexes, CIG said, but there were not nearly enough units available to house them all. City Hall and a judge went along with it, never sufficiently questioning what would happen to all those people when they lost their apartments. They cant say they werent warned. Sharon Sherman, executive director of the Greater Syracuse Tenants Network, sounded the alarm in March.

And then theres the larger problem: a dire lack of decent, affordable housing in Syracuse. This is not new. Efforts to bring new units online havent made a dent in the shortage. Low-income units that were taken out of circulation  such as the 21-story Harrison House owned by SUNY Upstate Medical University  remain vacant. Low supply and high demand have pushed rents higher  far out of the range of working people who live at the Vincent or at Skyline.

7 1 / 7 Mold, mice and neglect at Vincent Apartments

A Skyline tenant who was paying $685 a month is moving to an apartment where the rent is $1,025, plus utilities  a 50% increase.

More housing is in the pipeline but its not going to come online nearly fast enough. Syracuse needs some creative, interim solutions to address the current crisis.

The city and nonprofit agencies in Syracuse are now focused on finding homes for displaced tenants of the Skyline first, then the Vincent. The attention to their needs has come too late.

This is not new, either. The affordable housing mission often focuses on buildings rather than people. Yes, we need more buildings. We need to fix our existing buildings. But we have to take more care that the people who live in them arent displaced along the way, through eviction, gentrification or sky-high rents. The dealmaking by City Hall and the courts has to consider the welfare of tenants who have already been victimized once.

We acknowledge that this is hard work. If the buyer of the Vincent and the Skyline apartments can redeem these substandard properties and fill them, it will be a win for Syracuse. Bigger and harder projects are ahead. The public will be watching to see how the powerless are protected.

About Syracuse.com editorials

Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Katrina Tulloch and Marie Morelli.

To respond to this editorial: Submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines.

If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion lead, at mmorelli@syracuse.com
XI'AN, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a rain-triggered rock and mud slide in the suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Friday evening, has risen to 21, with six others still missing, said rescuers on Sunday. 
Update 11:20 p.m.: All power outages in Madison County have been restored, according to National Grid. A little more than 1,000 outages in Oswego County and 751 in Oneida County remain.

Original article

A tornado warning has been issued for parts of Oneida County Saturday night.

The National Weather Service is warning residents that a severe thunderstorm in the county is capable of producing a tornado.

The storm is moving east at about 45 mph in the Camden area.

The weather service is advising residents to take shelter in a basement if possible and to avoid windows.

Flying debris, damage to roofs and vehicles and tree damage are possible.

The warning lasts until 9:15 p.m. and covers central Oneida County.

The storm is expected to pass by Taberg, Lee and Rome.

There are nearly 3,000 National Grid customers without power in the county, according to the companys outage map.

More than 3,000 are without power in Oswego County. A tornado warning there expired around 8:15 p.m.

More than 1,000 outages are being reported in Madison County.

Staff writer Fernando Alba covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, question or comment? Reach him: Email | Twitter or at 315-690-6950.
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Join Date: Dec 2022 Location: KL Posts: 33 Thanked: 157 Times

Akira is home | My 2023 Kawasaki Ninja 300



I bought home Akira( 2023 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Lime Green) on 30 July 23. How I zeroed on Ninja 300 is briefed



Booking Experience:

I visited the showroom to see the 2023 Lime Green variant in the flesh on 10-Jun-2023. Looked amazing in new graphics. Now the lime green color painted parts are more compared to the older models which get the lime green color on the tank and some areas on the front only. BS4 and BS6 Ninjas used to get a lot of black color painted parts and I didn't like it. Now the black painted parts are less and the lime green dominates overall. Ninjas should be green..! The wait was well worth it as I didn't liked the BS6 graphics. Same day booked the bike with 50K. Overall experience was positive.





Booking receipt in a neat envelope:

Pre-Delivery Experience + Accessories/Riding gear hunt:

I wanted to equip the Ninja with frame sliders and radiator guard from day 1. As per Kawasaki Cochin, they have a locally manufactured frame slider which cost 8K. The brand name was MotorSports if I remember correctly. As I was skeptical about the quality and the mounting points, I decided to go for something reliable and premium. When asked the sales guy told me about Puig Framesliders. But they don't have stock, If ordered they can ship within 5 days. The cost quoted was 15-16K. I kept this in mind. Next Saturday went to MotorQueen Kaloor (Cochin) to purchase riding gear. I bought Rev'it Airwave 3 Textile Mesh Jacket, Scala Trekker Full gauntlet gloves, SMK helmet with matching color to my Akira, a Bike cover, and Raincoat for my Jacket from there. When I checked about frame sliders, they told me Puig frame sliders can be arranged. The cost is 14K. I ordered the same. He also told me he can directly deliver it to the showroom. I said ok and paid the full amount. Called the Kawasaki sales guy to inform him about the Frame sliders and also asked him to install the radiator guard(which was readily available at Kawasaki). Bought a Bobo Mobile holder with a charger from Amazon. Then visited the showroom to give the Bobo holder for installation and also to see the bike allocated for me. Checked the bike thoroughly. All ok, except for the uneven panel gap below the headlight cluster. Immediately got this to the sales guys' attention. He told me this is a common problem in all Ninjas after localization. For those who don't know, from BS4 onwards, body panels, wiring kit, headlight cluster etc are manufactured here in India. The engine and chassis are imported from Thailand and assembled here. Hence the body panels quality took a hit. Bit thin compared to the BS3 versions. The sales guy showed me emails sent to Kawasaki with images of 1st lot Ninja 300 that have serious panel gaps. I checked the other 300s parked in the showroom. All of them had the same issue. The sales guys told me they will refit it again. But after some riding the gap will again be evident due to vibrations. So this is something to do with the quality standards of Indian manufacturing. Will talk about this in detail later. Rest visually everything was fine with the Ninja allocated for me.



Delivery Experience:

Contacted sales executive to set the delivery date to 30 July @ 2 PM. On the delivery date, we couldn't reach the showroom on time. We were 1 hour late. Just before arriving at the showroom, the sales guy called me on my mobile to inform me there was a delay in the delivery and asked me to reach the showroom after some time. But we have almost reached the showroom and didn't want to go back. So I decided to get into the showroom and wait there for some time. The bike was in the service area for accessories installation. Puig frame sliders, Radiator guard, and Bobo mobile holder. Sometime later the sales guy came back and told me Bobo mobile holder installation will take some more time as it has to be connected to the battery and wire routing needs to be done. He asked me If I can postpone this. I told him ok, this can be installed later. And then he returned the Bobo holder. After some more waiting, I and my family went outside to have some drinks. Came back to see the bike made ready for delivery inside the showroom covered in a dark candy green colored cover. Did a curtain raiser. It was a fantastic moment as my decade-old dream of owning a Ninja is finally getting fulfilled. I was very excited..









3, 2, 1, Go... Uncovered the beauty... Everyone meet Akira...





Better half joined for 'big key' handover



























Changed the tyre to Appolo Alpha H1 on day one itself. Got 3.5k for the MRF from the same shop. Balancing is also done.



At Tyre Guys(Edappally) for tyre change to Applolo Alpha H1











Before tyre change







After tyre change







Puig frame sliders







Radiator guard which is bought and installed from Kawasaki Cochin itself. Also, notice the bronze-colored shiny exhaust pipes. Since BS6 the header pipes get a revised positioning.







All documents are neatly put inside a file folder.









Spare key and a Small Case which holds Warranty Book and User Manual.







Spare key up close





Warranty book





User manual





All specs and dimensions are neatly documented in the user manual





Pictorial representation in the user manual





Break in instructions clearly written in user manual





Kawasaki bag is given to me as a compliment





I bought Kawasaki Ceramic chain lube and cleaner







This is the panel gap I was talking about. RHS seems to be fine but LHS has this small gap. So the fit and finish levels are definitely one step below the BS3 CKD Ninja.

Ready for delivery3, 2, 1, Go... Uncovered the beauty... Everyone meetBetter half joined for 'big key' handoverChanged the tyre to Appolo Alpha H1 on day one itself. Got 3.5k for the MRF from the same shop. Balancing is also done.At Tyre Guys(Edappally) for tyre change to Applolo Alpha H1Before tyre changeAfter tyre changePuig frame slidersRadiator guard which is bought and installed from Kawasaki Cochin itself. Also, notice the bronze-colored shiny exhaust pipes. Since BS6 the header pipes get a revised positioning.All documents are neatly put inside a file folder.Spare key and a Small Case which holds Warranty Book and User Manual.Spare key up closeWarranty bookUser manualAll specs and dimensions are neatly documented in the user manualPictorial representation in the user manualBreak in instructions clearly written in user manualKawasaki bag is given to me as a complimentI bought Kawasaki Ceramic chain lube and cleanerThis is the panel gap I was talking about. RHS seems to be fine but LHS has this small gap. So the fit and finish levels are definitely one step below the BS3 CKD Ninja.



I am using Indian Oil XP95 from day 1. So far the experience is really good.

After the tyre change took her for a spin towards Angamaly only to get caught in heavy traffic. Akira heated up quickly in dead-moving traffic. The heat felt near the thigh area. This excessive heating should be because Akira is in her break-in period. Got some very small empty stretches here and there. Summarizing my initial impressions below:



Highs: Altogether a premium experience. Nothing except smooth parallel twin sound while riding.

Gear shifts are precise and smooth, except 1st to 2nd always had a thud sound.

Cluth is moderately light. Rev match is super easy and the engine sound while downshifting is addictive. It has a super refined turbine kind of sound.

Slow speeds in high gears? Why not? No problem. I never heard a knocking sound ever.

Low beam has good spread and throw. The high beam is a bit high. Need to get it adjusted in 1st service.

Brakes felt very good. I never had a panic-braking situation. And haven't had to do high-speed braking. So high-speed braking manners are yet to see.

Sorted suspension ensures very good stability at the twisties. Decent comfort on slightly bumpy highways. Straight-line stability is also good.

Very useful integrated bungee cord hooks. 2 hooks integrated with cast aluminum pillion footrest unit on both sides. 2 hooks under the tail section. Very very useful for tying luggage.

In the middle: Mirrors are just about adequate. Adjusting the view is a bit tricky. Can be nicely folded while parked.

Neither rider nor pillion foot peg has rubber mounting. I am feeling a bit of discomfort as compared to my Lex(Fazer 25) which has rubber mounting for the rider foot peg

Lows: Tight U-turns are a bit tricky. When I take tight U-turns, the handlebar comes too close to the fuel tank and my wrists are touching the fuel tank. This makes a bit of discomfort as twisting the accelerator is difficult. To overcome this, when I take U-turns I place my palms towards the very end of the handlebars so that the jamming is minimal.

Rider foot peg is set high and seat height is low. This means you will be sitting low and your legs are placed a bit high than normal.

Slightly committed riding stance and low GC makes tackling bad roads difficult.

Panels gaps near the headlight cluster

Other Observations : GC is low at 140mm. Since I am very conscious and careful at speed bumps and potholes, never scrapped the underbelly yet. Note, all the time I was riding solo.

Slight vibration felt at 4K to 4.5K RPM. Goes away at 5K RPM. All other RPMs are silky smooth. Note that I never took her post 8K RPM yet with brief bursts till 10K RPM

Riding position is a bit sporty. If you sit near the tank then you have a fairly upright riding position. If you push back and move toward the end of the seat, then you have a fairly committed stance.

Seat height is low at 785mm. I have planted foot on both sides. My height is 169cm.

Radiator fan shutdowns when the engine kill switch is turned off. No matter if the engine is hot or not. I thought the fan will stay on until I kill the ignition if the engine is hot.

On cold start, idle RPM goes up to 2K. After a couple of minutes, RPM starts to fall down and settles at 1.2K rpm. It is preferable not to ride nor wring the throttle until idle RPM settles at 1.2K.

My Riding Gear:









Rev'it Airwave 3 Mesh Jacket. Comes with CE Level 1 Shoulder and Elbow protector. CE Level 2 back protector separately purchased for 4K. The airflow is very good. Keeps me ventilated on the move.





Scala Trekker Full Gauntlet Gloves. Comes with a wiper on the left-hand index finger.





My garage. From left to right. Honda CB Twister(2012), Kawasaki Ninja 300(2023), Yamaha Fazer 25(2017)





Just before a night ride

SMK Typhoon Helmet with matching color as Akira. Pinlock comes pre-installed.Rev'it Airwave 3 Mesh Jacket. Comes with CE Level 1 Shoulder and Elbow protector. CE Level 2 back protector separately purchased for 4K. The airflow is very good. Keeps me ventilated on the move.Scala Trekker Full Gauntlet Gloves. Comes with a wiper on the left-hand index finger.My garage. From left to right.Just before a night ride



The very next day after the delivery, I took her to Munnar Gap Road which I will detail in another post.. Hi all,I bought home Akira( 2023 Kawasaki Ninja 300 Lime Green) on 30 July 23. How I zeroed on Ninja 300 is briefed here (Test Ride : Why I chose the Kawasaki Ninja 300 over the Honda CB300R) I visited the showroom to see the 2023 Lime Green variant in the flesh on 10-Jun-2023. Looked amazing in new graphics. Now the lime green color painted parts are more compared to the older models which get the lime green color on the tank and some areas on the front only. BS4 and BS6 Ninjas used to get a lot of black color painted parts and I didn't like it. Now the black painted parts are less and the lime green dominates overall. Ninjas should be green..! The wait was well worth it as I didn't liked the BS6 graphics. Same day booked the bike with 50K. Overall experience was positive.I wanted to equip the Ninja with frame sliders and radiator guard from day 1. As per Kawasaki Cochin, they have a locally manufactured frame slider which cost 8K. The brand name was MotorSports if I remember correctly. As I was skeptical about the quality and the mounting points, I decided to go for something reliable and premium. When asked the sales guy told me about Puig Framesliders. But they don't have stock, If ordered they can ship within 5 days. The cost quoted was 15-16K. I kept this in mind. Next Saturday went to MotorQueen Kaloor (Cochin) to purchase riding gear. I bought Rev'it Airwave 3 Textile Mesh Jacket, Scala Trekker Full gauntlet gloves, SMK helmet with matching color to my Akira, a Bike cover, and Raincoat for my Jacket from there. When I checked about frame sliders, they told me Puig frame sliders can be arranged. The cost is 14K. I ordered the same. He also told me he can directly deliver it to the showroom. I said ok and paid the full amount. Called the Kawasaki sales guy to inform him about the Frame sliders and also asked him to install the radiator guard(which was readily available at Kawasaki). Bought a Bobo Mobile holder with a charger from Amazon. Then visited the showroom to give the Bobo holder for installation and also to see the bike allocated for me. Checked the bike thoroughly. All ok, except for the uneven panel gap below the headlight cluster. Immediately got this to the sales guys' attention. He told me this is a common problem in all Ninjas after localization. For those who don't know, from BS4 onwards, body panels, wiring kit, headlight cluster etc are manufactured here in India. The engine and chassis are imported from Thailand and assembled here. Hence the body panels quality took a hit. Bit thin compared to the BS3 versions. The sales guy showed me emails sent to Kawasaki with images of 1st lot Ninja 300 that have serious panel gaps. I checked the other 300s parked in the showroom. All of them had the same issue. The sales guys told me they will refit it again. But after some riding the gap will again be evident due to vibrations. So this is something to do with the quality standards of Indian manufacturing. Will talk about this in detail later. Rest visually everything was fine with the Ninja allocated for me.Contacted sales executive to set the delivery date to 30 July @ 2 PM. On the delivery date, we couldn't reach the showroom on time. We were 1 hour late. Just before arriving at the showroom, the sales guy called me on my mobile to inform me there was a delay in the delivery and asked me to reach the showroom after some time. But we have almost reached the showroom and didn't want to go back. So I decided to get into the showroom and wait there for some time. The bike was in the service area for accessories installation. Puig frame sliders, Radiator guard, and Bobo mobile holder. Sometime later the sales guy came back and told me Bobo mobile holder installation will take some more time as it has to be connected to the battery and wire routing needs to be done. He asked me If I can postpone this. I told him ok, this can be installed later. And then he returned the Bobo holder. After some more waiting, I and my family went outside to have some drinks. Came back to see the bike made ready for delivery inside the showroom covered in a dark candy green colored cover. Did a curtain raiser. It was a fantastic moment as my decade-old dream of owning a Ninja is finally getting fulfilled. I was very excited..I am using Indian Oil XP95 from day 1. So far the experience is really good.After the tyre change took her for a spin towards Angamaly only to get caught in heavy traffic. Akira heated up quickly in dead-moving traffic. The heat felt near the thigh area. This excessive heating should be because Akira is in her break-in period. Got some very small empty stretches here and there. Summarizing my initial impressions below:The very next day after the delivery, I took her to Munnar Gap Road which I will detail in another post.. Last edited by SmartCat : 13th August 2023 at 15:07 . Reason: Minor typo
The Defcon hacker conference in August 2008 unveiled a controversial contest at the time that has raised concerns within the cybersecurity industry.

The "Race-to-Zero" contest challenges hackers to outwit antivirus software by modifying sample virus code.

While the contest organizers aim to shed light on antivirus limitations, critics argued back then that this initiative could inadvertently arm malicious actors with new techniques.

A Controversial Contest

As this ABCNews report writes, the Race-to-Zero contest tasked Defcon hackers with creatively altering sample virus code to bypass antivirus software.

Awards are designated for categories such as "Most elegant obfuscation," "Dirtiest hack of an obfuscation," "Comedy value," and "Most deserving beer." Contest organizers are trying to emphasize that antivirus alone cannot guarantee complete defense against malware.

Mixed Industry Reaction

Some experts, such as Paul Ferguson from TrendMicro, argued that encouraging hackers to find new ways to evade antivirus protection could do more harm than good.

Critics drew parallels to a 2006 Consumer Reports review that generated thousands of new virus samples, contributing to the ever-expanding list of known malware.

With security vendors already grappling with a deluge of new threats, opinions on the contest's value diverge.

Although not organized by Defcon itself, the Race-to-Zero contest is an unofficial event endorsed by the conference's organizers. The contest aimed to demonstrate the effort required to evade antivirus solutions and is expected to present results during the Defcon event.

Defcon 2023's "Generative Red Team Challenge"

Shifting to the present year, Defcon continues to capture attention with its unique cybersecurity events.

This year's "Generative Red Team Challenge" in the AI Village has garnered significant anticipation and support from major AI developers like Anthropic, Google, Hugging Face, Microsoft, NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Stability AI.

With backing from the White House and the industry, this challenge focuses on testing the security of large language models.

The AI Village's challenge represents a significant milestone in assessing the security of generative AI models.

Axios reports that roughly 3,500 participants are expected to take part, each allotted 50 minutes on one of the 156 closed-network computer terminals. The competition encompasses five challenge categories: prompt hacking, security, information integrity, internal consistency, and societal harms.

Read Also: UK TikTok Users Face Exclusion from Enhanced Safety Measures Following New EU 'For You Page' Rules

Unlike traditional adversarial attacks, the Generative Red Team Challenge emphasizes identifying "embedded harms" within AI models. This approach highlights inherent model flaws rather than forcing models into malicious actions. The diverse group of participants, not solely experts in AI, adds to the challenge's uniqueness.

As the excitement surrounding the AI Village and the red team challenge grows, organizers remain cautious about releasing results immediately to prevent exposing private data or vulnerabilities. However, approved researchers are expected to gain access to the results once security measures are in place.

The challenge organizers intend to keep the weekend's results private to avoid releasing private data or unpatched vulnerabilities into the wild.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: US Cyber Board Probes Cloud Identity Breach, Focusing on Recent Microsoft Incident

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Sunday evening issued a yellow alert for possible geological disasters triggered by rain.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Meteorological Administration have warned of risks of rain-induced geological disasters in parts of Liaoning, Jilin, Guizhou, and Xinjiang from 8 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday.

Residents have been advised to take precautions, especially in areas with hidden dangers.

China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system for geological disasters, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

The death toll in a rain-triggered rock and mudslide in the suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Friday evening has risen to 21, with six others still missing, said rescuers on Sunday. 
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from wildfires sweeping the U.S. state of Hawaii's Maui Island has risen to 89, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Saturday.

The latest update has made the wildfire the deadliest in more than a century in modern U.S. history, surpassing the Camp Fire that erupted on Nov. 8, 2018 in California and killed at least 85 people.

Green warned at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the number would continue to rise as "hard work is going on." He added that the government has secured 1,500 rooms for displaced families.

Deadly wildfires have nearly completely destroyed the historic town of Lahaina, a popular tourist spot and once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said at the news conference that canines had searched only 3 percent of impacted areas.

More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres (around 8.78 square kilometers) have burned as a result of the Lahaina Fire, according to the assessment of the Pacific Disaster Center, an applied research center managed by the University of Hawaii, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The assessment showed that the estimated cost to rebuild could reach 5.52 billion U.S. dollars.

Maui County said that firefighters continue working to extinguish flare-ups and contain fires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a major disaster declaration for Hawaii in the wake of the devastating hurricane-driven wildfires. 
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Fire in L'Ile-Saint-Denis: still in shock, residents help each other

"Cheems", the dog of the most viral memes on the Internet, dies

Superconductor hype: Hoping is ok, but it's not enough

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With a short lunch break and few places to eat, how to ensure that office workers in the office building eat?

The death of 7 people in the wild trip aroused social concern Enjoy the wild fun, please do not ignore the risks

Interview with the daughter of "China's last female chief": "We and the reindeer are her children"

The misfortune of the heroine Olga Carmona: her father died before the final and she knew it later

Decided the World Cup final  was informed that the father had died afterwards

Faith Kipyegon, queen of the 1,500 meters: "With pregnancy there was a risk of not returning, of disappearing"

Olga Carmona celebrates the winning goal  and learns of a stroke of fate after the game

Li Kyle made his home debut, and the Chinese men's basketball team warmed up before the World Cup

Hangzhou Asian Games viewing demand is strong, multi-event tickets are sold out as soon as they go online

The Chinese men's basketball team warms up before the end of the game The preparation for the World Cup has mixed results

Here are the participants of the Masters of Champions 2024

"Land-based aquaculture" away from the sea Major telecommunications companies enter the market one after another

The South China Expo held at the "Three Forks" in Asia: an important platform for exchanges and cooperation among nearly 40 billion people

Delivering the taste of famous restaurants with frozen foods Leave the menu to us Subscribe

In the first seven months, China's imports and exports to other BRICS countries reached 7.2 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38.19%;

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Construction of TSMC semiconductor plant in Kumamoto "Study on support for related infrastructure facility development"

After notice  now Dalahus in Linghed rehires those who have been laid off

The situation in the morning - How did the red house survive the firestorm on Maui?

Should nature be free? The county tourism manager in Jamtland Harjedalen wants the issue to be raised

End of the receipt: some French have trouble parting with this piece of paper

Drought: a village in the Herault tries to find solutions to the lack of water

Taiwan's "Return to the Road to the People's Parade" Calls on the Authorities to Pay Attention to Traffic Safety The blue, green, and white candidates had no interaction with Taiwan

The Ministry of Defense announced the suppression of a UAV attack in the Moscow region

Laura Escanes denounces that they have used her image to take her naked in photos manipulated with Artificial Intelligence

After the opening of fishing in the South China Sea, seafood enters the market in batches Guangdong Taishan's small sea fish are favored

The misfortune of the heroine Olga Carmona: her father died before the final and she knew it later

Rubiales kisses Jenni Hermoso on the mouth during the celebration: "I didn't like it"

Imani-Lara Lansiquot made a false start at the World Athletics Championships  but protested and was still allowed to run

Julia Fox. How and why a dominatrix became one of the most iconic characters of our time

Russia crashes in the new space race for the water of the Moon: "We are again in a kind of cold war, but with more actors"

Harassing on LinkedIn, or how more and more men confuse the professional network with Tinder

 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.
NANJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- East China's economic powerhouse Jiangsu Province recorded a total import and export volume of 2.93 trillion yuan (about 409.29 billion U.S. dollars) from January to July, the customs of Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu, said Sunday.

The figure, including exports of 1.89 trillion yuan and imports of 1.04 trillion yuan, accounted for 12.4 percent of China's total volume of imports and exports during the same period.

Growth of private enterprises in terms of imports and exports over the past seven months was outstanding, totaling 1.28 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.4 percent, while the province's foreign-invested enterprises and state-owned enterprises achieved import and export volumes of 1.39 trillion yuan and 255.9 billion yuan, respectively.

Jiangsu's trade with countries along the Belt and Road reached 853.92 billion yuan, accounting for 29.2 percent of the total. The amount of 853.92 billion yuan was an increase of 3 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

Exports of mobile phones, automotive parts and ships showed rapid growth in the first seven months of 2023, reaching 79.19 billion yuan, 46.46 billion yuan, and 35.09 billion yuan, respectively. These figures represented year-on-year growth rates of 31.6 percent, 17.7 percent, and 43.8 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, exports of lithium-ion batteries and electric passenger vehicles amounted to 55.21 billion yuan and 4.93 billion yuan, increasing 51.4 percent and 408.5 percent, respectively. 
After the announcement of a new leg in her 'Era's Tour,' Taylor Swift has been all the buzz in Louisiana. From your personal era's quiz to tips on snagging a seat in the Superdome, here's what we have so far in preparation for Swift's return to New Orleans next year.
Mary-Louise McLaws, the renowned epidemiologist who became the trusted voice to the nation during the pandemic, has died at the age of 70 after a long illness.

In January 2022, McLaws revealed she had been diagnosed with a brain tumour after seeking treatment for a severe headache.

Our dear Mary-Louise passed away in her sleep on Saturday night, her husband Richard Flook said. She had been so well cared for by the nurses and doctors at Wolper Hospital in Woollahra and had enjoyed the visits of her many friends who have been so supportive of her and our family. We will be planning her funeral service at Emanuel Synagogue in the next few days.

Professor Mary-Louise McLaws died after a long illness. Credit: Louise Kennerley

McLaws, born of Jewish parents in Tasmania on March 17, 1953, was an internationally renowned epidemiologist and professor at the University of New South Wales School of Public Health and Community Medicine.
When Melbourne woman Alicia Nolen became convinced the bag shed bought from luxury retailer Cosette was a superfake, she was, in her own words, fuming.

Nolen took her frustrations to online review site Trustpilot, in part to vent, but mainly to warn potential Cosette customers. The company claims to access discounts on designer labels, such as Prada, Gucci and Saint Laurent through European buying networks, but is now under investigation by Fair Trading NSW and Australian Border Force for selling high-quality replicas.

Alicia Nolen says she felt pressured into removing her original one-star review of Cosette after her Saint Laurent (similar to that pictured) was allegedly fake.

But what happened next surprised 44-year-old Nolen. When requesting a refund for her Saint Laurent Lou camera bag, which cost her $1817  significantly below the recommended retail price of $2550  Cosette asked her to remove the negative review. Although it was never explicitly stated that her refund was conditional on her doing so, Nolen felt like she didnt have a choice.

I had the feeling if I didnt remove it that they wouldnt refund me, she says. They never said it, but it was implied.
McLaws called for a central notification system for all hospital-acquired infections. She was drawn into the SARS program in Beijings population and among Hong Kongs healthcare personnel. Conscious of the acute risks for the aged and for those working in the health system, the Australian Department of Health and Ageing appointed her reviewer of Australias Pandemic Influenza Infection Control for Healthcare Workers. The position of healthcare workers, exposed to the diseases they were treating and of inadvertently transmitting those diseases to others, was vital, especially in the COVID era when health professionals worldwide were succumbing to the disease. McLaws conducted the first national prevalence study of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and created the first standardised surveillance and analytic system for HAI. In 1988, McLaws married a company director, Dr Richard Flook. Her brother, Barrie, introduced us as part of negotiations we were having for me to buy his wifes familys mine, Dr Flook said. Almost an arranged marriage! Our wedding invitation was a tape from us both and it included memorable songs such as Dean Martin singing Thats Amore with lines, When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, thats amore. When I met ML, I was very impressed that she had three jobs. Great credentials for a good wife. ML was the only person I had ever met that had a mosquito collection, all neatly pinned with extremely fine pins. At the time the only break from work she had was on Friday night when she had a bubble bath with a glass of champagne. When I found this out, I ensured that she always had a bottle of Moet in her refrigerator. The couple would go on to have two children, Zia and Zachary. Dr Flook was moving forward in an international career in mining, metallurgy and finance and of him she would say he was a perfect husband, who makes great dinners and lunches. In 1992, McLaws graduated as a PhD in epidemiology. She joined the staff of the University of NSW as an assistant professor in epidemiology, rising to become professor, epidemiology, healthcare infection and infectious diseases control in the school of public health and community medicine.

Epidemiology Professor Mary-Louise McLaws at her Mosman home, 2021. Credit: Louise Kennerley In 2005, McLaws served as World Health Organisation (WHO) adviser to China to create a national HAI surveillance. The following year, she went to Malaysia to do the same thing. Through her work with PhD candidates, she has helped with infection-control research in Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, Mali, Indonesia, Iran, Vietnam, Taiwan and Turkey. She was appointed director of the public health unit for the Sydney South West Area Health Service and would make significant contributions to eliminate HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, as well as being pivotal in containing the spread of the swine flu. She was author of what would become a portfolio of 180 scientific papers and contributions to many other books. She was on the boards of numerous associations and professional publications. In 2017, McLaws became a member of the Academic Board of UNSW. Tragically, that year, her brother died of brain cancer. In 2019, the COVID-19 virus started spreading and in Churchillian vein, it appeared that all her life had been a preparation for this hour. McLaws became widely known to the Australian public through her media appearances. She was also vocal about closing the Australian border early. She never backed away from holding governments to account for their pandemic response and was among the first experts to talk about the need for face masks when the idea of the public wearing them every day seemed unimaginable. The horse has bolted, but the horse started bolting last week, she said. McLaws said NSW Health was not providing full details on why infected people were leaving their homes. She suggested that much of the spread could be coming from essential workers. What the government is not telling us, which they need to, is how many of those not in isolation were essential services workers who inadvertently acquired it at work and then took it home to their household and caused x number of people in their households to be infected, she said.

If some people were prepared to be lackadaisical, thinking they would not be infected, she was there to put them in their place. McLaws warned that the 2020 Melbourne Grand Prix might become a coronavirus super-spreading event. The car race would be famously cancelled on the opening day, March 13, as crowds lined up outside. In February 2020, McLaws travelled to the WHO headquarters in Geneva to confer with other experts as they tried to make sense of the COVID virus. As a member of the WHO Health Emergencies Program Experts Advisory Panel for Infection Prevention and Control Preparedness, Readiness and Response to COVID-19, she had her work cut out for her. It was, she said, a very interesting disease ... That you know is going to spread. McLaws was also among the first to lobby for rapid antigen testing, and warned of the risks of outbreaks by keeping returned travellers in poorly ventilated hotels. She led the charge on the need for sophisticated quarantine facilities, such as Howard Springs in Darwin. She warned about complacency and urged the public to keep up with booster shots of the vaccine. I was never anti the government, I was only upset about how our community was not cared for with early vaccines, she said. In June 2021, McLaws was engaged by the WHO to help with the global outbreak of the disease. In January 2022, McLaws was hit by a thunderbolt. She sought treatment for a splitting headache and was diagnosed with brain cancer and took leave from UNSW for surgery and chemotherapy. When she made her condition public, there was an outpouring of public grief.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman is seeking to put a shop in his electorate on the State Heritage Register to prevent 30 apartments being built above it, just metres from Cronulla train station, in a case the government says is emblematic of the housing crisis.

It follows Speakmans objections to severe overdevelopment near Caringbah station, also in his electorate, on 30,000 square metres of vacant land formerly belonging to Caringbah High School.

The building on Gerrale Street, Cronulla, that Opposition Leader Mark Speakman wants added to the state heritage register. Credit: Nikki Short

In the Cronulla case, the developer wants to build 30 luxury units  mostly three-bedroom  over nine storeys on a small block of land between South Cronulla Beach and the station. The existing facade of the Federation-style building would be kept because it already has local heritage protection.

However, the Liberal leader is seeking an interim heritage order to halt any development and also wants the building added to the State Heritage Register. He told the Herald it was apparently the oldest surviving commercial building in the Sutherland Shire, with a fascinating history.
As Horsham Secondary College principal Rob Pyers says: Success for me is certainly made up of an ATAR, but its also the trainee, the apprentice. Its the quality of person who actually leaves your school. Horsham won the Schools that Excel government award for Victorias regional area. Anesti Anestis, principal of the northern government winner Bundoora Secondary College, says the results are just a pleasant byproduct of the schools resurgence. The result isnt what drives us, he says. Kids finding their passion, their purpose and taking those next steps confidently with a high degree of independence and a high degree of resilience. Thats what were on about.

Following students passions has also paid off for southern non-government winner Balcombe Grammar, where year 9 students hold a pop-up market featuring a product they have designed. The students come up with a business model, before showcasing it to the community. That kind of experience, not just of success, but failure too, means by the time they get to year 12 theyre more resilient, says principal Ross Patterson. And theyre braver. Balcombe Grammar principal Ross Patterson with students (left to right) Massimo, Emmerson, Kobi, Annali, Sophie and Indigo in their marketplace cafe. Credit: Penny Stephens Eastern government school winner Auburn High School welcomes students who have struggled at other schools. But the state school in Hawthorn East, surrounded by Melbournes most expensive schools, has become a first choice for many families. Its actually the biggest compliment that local families are saying, Auburn is a really good educational option for us, particularly with all the independents around, whereas it used to be: No other school will have my child. Now, it is a bit of a destination school, says principal Ross Pritchard.

And in the west, teachers at non-government winner Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar analyse VCE exam data to ensure there an early focus on areas where students are struggling. The heads of schools are educational experts that are hands on ... its one of the things weve worked hard [on] over the last 10 years, principal Elisabeth Rhodes says. The Schools that Excel interactive brings together detailed results from Victorian government, independent and Catholic schools. What can I learn from this interactive? The interactive lets you gauge a schools VCE performance over 10 years, so you can see whether it has improved or maintained its results.

When VCE results are released in December, only the current year's figures are provided. That information is useful, but it doesn't tell you anything about how representative the results are of the school's typical performance. By threading together data from the past decade, a much clearer picture emerges. You can also see how students enrolled in VET or VCAL programs fare, and whether they continue on to vocational education or apprenticeships. Not all schools cater to students who are predominantly after a place at university, and the Schools that Excel dashboard reflects this. Bundoora Secondary College student Aaliya Da Silva with Meatloaf in the schools reptile enclosure. Credit: Simon Schluter

What does the dashboard show? The information about each school is divided into several panels. Here is a guide to interpreting the data: Average student performance shows the median VCE subject study score for the school since 2013, which is a good indicator of typical student achievement. Study scores are out of 50, and a 30 is the average. The horizontal line at 30 on the graph is the yardstick that shows how the typical student at this school fares against the statewide average. The interactive does not show median ATARs because this data is not available for the past decade for each school. High achievers shows the percentage of the schools VCE subject scores that were among the best in the state. These are scores of 40 or above, which put students within the top 10 per cent of all those who completed that VCE subject. This panel also shows the subjects in which students obtained the best results.

Completion rates shows the enrolment numbers in VCE, VET and VCAL over the past five years, as well as the satisfactory completion rates among year 12s. Unfortunately, data was not released on VET completion rates in 2021, which is highlighted in the interactive. Student pathways shows what 2021s year 12 graduates were doing midway through last year  whether they had gone on to further study at university or TAFE, or whether they had taken on an apprenticeship or joined the workforce. This panel does not show up if a high percentage of a schools year 12 graduates did not complete the survey. The survey results have not yet been published for 2022s graduates, so 2021 is the latest year for which data is available. School awards shows the 10 high-gain schools that The Age judged as having shown the best improvement in their results over the past decade. Which schools are featured in the dashboard? The interactive dashboard features data on more than 500 Victorian schools that offered VCE, VET or VCAL programs in 2022.

Loading It also includes schools that were classified by the VCAA as small for having enrolments below a certain threshold. A dialogue box will pop up in the interactive if you enter the name of a small school to flag that its performance may not be comparable with larger schools and that it may not be possible to observe a trend in results over the 10-year time frame. If a school has few students, it means the median can fluctuate greatly year-on-year depending on the cohort. Which schools do not feature in the interactive? Schools for which there is insufficient data, schools that exclusively offer the International Baccalaureate, and adult education institutions do not show up in the interactive. There might also be gaps in the data for years in which student enrolments did not reach a certain threshold.

Loading How were the Schools that Excel awards decided? We used Department of Health boundaries to categorise schools as metropolitan or regional and divided the metropolitan region into west, north, east and south Melbourne. One government school and one non-government (Catholic or independent) school was chosen for each area based on their records of improvement. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
HARARE, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Experiencing power blackouts had long been the norm for Zimbabweans due to depressed power generation. But the country is now energy sufficient following the completion of a China-funded power expansion project, according to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service








Dr Dang Nguyen and her family havent had a mortgage for years.

After living in a caravan for 18 months with her husband and daughter - a fun lifestyle while travelling but too small for permanent living - she designed two tiny house units that are 9.5 metres long.

Dr Dang Nguyen and Peter Wigley in their tiny home. Credit: Danielle Smith

Advocates for tiny homes believe living in intentional tiny home communities with shared facilities could be one part of the solution to the affordable housing crisis. Although no substitute for more suburban infill development or apartment blocks near transport links, it could be a piece of the puzzle for some.

Her family has been living in their tiny house in northern NSW for two and a half years. The two units cost $240,000 to build and the separation was preferred to a tiny house with an upstairs level. The design allows everyone to have their sense of space and a cosy shared living area when they are all together.
Sicily is strewn with ancient Greek attractions and, with half the tourist crowds of Greece, theyre the most enjoyable, too.

The Sicilians are modest about their fabulous historical heritage. Chances are you havent heard of Selinunte in the islands southwest, but this is the only ancient Greek city whose entire layout has been preserved.

The Temple of Hera in Selinunte. Credit: iStock

The foundations of Selinuntes temples, aristocratic houses, public buildings, port facilities and manufacturing districts are spread across several hillsides. The most significant building is Temple E, whose 68 massive columns rise from skirts of wild poppies and delicate pink orchids.

Walk west from Temple E and youll likely have Selinunte to yourself. Admire clifftop views from what remains of Temple C, whose columns are golden-hued against the glittering blue Mediterranean.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/TNS U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (left) (R-CA) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) eat ice cream as they attend the Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 19, 2023, in Washington, DC. The annual picnic welcomes all members of Congress and their families to the White House to greet the President and spend time on the White House grounds enjoying food, music and games.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 81F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low around 65F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Dispute over finances led to murder of Sana Khan





Staff Reporter

A dispute over finances culminated in the murder of Sana Khan, a 34-year-old functionary of Bharatiya Janata Partys Minority Cell from Awasthi Nagar. Investigation revealed that a disagreement over Rs 5 lakh and jewelry escalated to a fatal confrontation. According to police, Sana Khan alias Heena Khan, had reportedly given Rs 5 lakh and jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh to Amit alias Pappu Shahu (35), a resident of Rajul Township, Gora Bazar, Jabalpur. The funds were intended to launch Ashirwad Dhaba near Katangi, Jabalpur. The business partnership turned sour when Amit allegedly failed to distribute the profits as agreed upon, added police.

An official privy to the investigation said that Sana had married Amit in April this year, shortly before the murder. The relationship seemed to deteriorate soon after, as Amit ceased sharing the profits with Sana. Matters escalated on August 1 during a video call between Amit and Sana. During the call, Sana noticed that a gold chain she had gifted Amit was absent. This information sparked a heated argument between the two, claimed police. During the argument, Sana asked Amit to return Rs 5 lakh she had invested in the Dhaba. Amit invited Sana to Jabalpur for discussion. As a result, Sana went to Jabalpur on August 2. Upon her arrival at Amits residence, a confrontation took place. In a fit of rage, Amit allegedly struck Sana on the head thrice with a stick. She collapsed on the ground, She was bleeding profusely. Before she could get medical help, Sana succumbed to her injuries on the spot.

Later, Amit with the assistance of his friend Rajesh Singh, reportedly concealed Sanas body by placing it in a bag. the duo put the bag in the car and drove towards Hiran river dam. Suddenly, it started raining heavy. This disturbed their plan. They tossed the body in the dam but it was washed away. The City police and State Disaster Management team launched extensive search operation covering approximately three-and-a-half kilometers in the river. However, Sanas body could not be traced yet. Amit Shahu and Rajesh Singh were arrested by the police at Jabalpur on Friday. The accused duo was presented before the court on Saturday. The court granted their remanded in police custody till August 18. DCP Zone II Rahul Madne is investigating the case.
Jhanda Satyagraha: Nagpur led stand against the British 100 years ago





By Kartik Lokhande

Persistence wins the battles, and determination the war. People of Central India, led by Nagpur, set an example before the nation in this regard 100 years ago when they participated in the historic Jhanda (Flag) Satyagraha to uphold the honour of the then version of the national tricolour and also to challenge the British rulers who had made Civil Lines area of the city their heavenly preserve where no Indians were allowed. This year, on August 18, not only the city but also the entire nation must celebrate the 100 years of the successful culmination of the historic movement. The story of the Jhanda Satyagraha, which attracted the national attention in 1923, is very interesting and inspiring. Many link the Nagpur Flag Satyagraha to an incident that happened in Jubbulpore (as Jabalpur was spelt back then). Sifting through various historic accounts, some books, and the official records of the time, The Hitavada has reconstructed the entire story of the historic resistance put up by the people of Nagpur, followed by people from other parts of the Central Provinces as well as Gujarat and Mumbai also joining in to participate. Those were the days charged with patriotic fervour. Since the 1920 convention of Congress party in Nagpur, and passage of resolution on non-cooperation movement, tricolor with charkha in the centre was adopted as national flag. On March 18, 1923, Congressmen decided to observe Gandhi Diwas as Mahatma Gandhi was arrested from Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat on that date. That day, in Jubbulpore, some Congressmen hoisted the said national flag on municipal building. Feeling offended, the British officials there got it removed and trampled upon it. This angered many Indians.

There is a little difference in accounts whether the Jabalpur incident was trigger of the months-long Flag Satyagraha in Nagpur. In his book Vithalbhai Patel: Life and Times -- Book One, Gordhanbhai I Patel stresses that the idea travelled from Jubbulpore to Nagpur. However, Dr Nandkishor Bachchraj Vyas and others from Nagpur differ. In his Hindi book Nagpur Nagar evam Swatantra Andolan, Dr Vyas states citing some evidences that the movement in Nagpur was a fallout of an incident on April 13, 1923. As per his book, on April 13, 1923, people had planned to take out a procession to mark the anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre perpetrated by the British. The procession of around 30-40 volunteers moved to Civil Station (as Civil Lines was referred to then), raised slogans, sang songs, and carried the tricolor. Near present-day Akashwani Square (then, Akashwani building was Bansilal Abirchand Bank), the procession was stopped and asked to change route. Volunteers led by General Mancharsha Avari refused to obey. So, they were arrested, prosecuted, awarded imprisonment of two months. But, this triggered a wave of daily marches that gradually attracted the attention of the Congress party leadership. The daily marches grew into what came to be known as Jhanda Satyagraha. However, not everything was so smooth. That time, Congress was divided into various streams of thoughts. There were non-cooperators (who rooted for non-cooperation with the British) and those opposed to such methods. Also, there was a clash of egos between Hindi and Marathi leaders of the freedom movement. In the initial phase of the agitation, the leaders included Avari, Sunderlal, and Bhagwandin Sharma. However, the agitation gained momentum and grew only after Seth Jamnalal Bajaj stepped into mustering support for the daily marches.

The daily marches were taken out despite the prohibitory orders issued by the British administration. On April 29 appeared the placards in Nagpur announcing flag procession on May 1. This was promptly followed by the prohibitory orders. According to Congress historian Pattabhi Sitaramaiahs account in his book The History of the Indian National Congress, The movement in Nagpur arose from the Police objecting to a procession carrying the National Flag, proceeding in the direction of the Civil Lines of the city, by the promulgation of Section 144 of CrPC on May 1, 1923. The volunteers insisted on their right to carry the flag where they willed. As per the account published in The Hitavada on May 2, 1923, Every day, ten volunteers march to the prohibited area and court arrest. They are duly arrested and carried off amidst the enthusiastic cheers of thousands of sympathetic onlookers. This became a routine. The arrested volunteers were tried in criminal courts and sentenced to six months imprisonment. By the end of May, the number of arrests went beyond 250.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L), who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 12, 2023. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong and Deputy Prime Minister-designate Sun Chanthol here on Saturday, with the two sides vowing to further build a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, extended congratulations to Cambodia on the successful general election and the upcoming formation of a new government.

As a comprehensive strategic cooperative partner which is building the China-Cambodia community with a shared future, Wang said China firmly supports Cambodia in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, safeguarding sovereignty, independence and national dignity, and playing a greater role in regional and international affairs.

Wang said Namhong has long been committed to enhancing China-Cambodia friendship and Chanthol has actively promoted the Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries.

China looks forward to working with Cambodia to further build the China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, Wang said, adding that China will continue to support Cambodia in improving its infrastructure and upgrading its industrial development.

Namhong and Chanthol expressed gratitude to China for taking Cambodia as an ironclad friend and always standing firmly with Cambodia at critical moments.

Noting that aid from China has helped the Southeast Asian kingdom take on a new look, Namhong and Chanthol look forward to advancing the Cambodia-China community with a shared future to a new level on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the Cambodia-China Year of Friendship this year.

Cambodia is the last leg of Wang's Southeast Asia tour which has taken him to Singapore and Malaysia. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L), who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister-designate Sun Chanthol in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 12, 2023. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (4th L), who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hor Namhong (2nd R) and Deputy Prime Minister-designate Sun Chanthol (3rd R) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Aug. 12, 2023. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)
1,800 special guests to attend I-Day at Red Fort





NEW DELHI,

AROUND 1,800 special guests from all over India will be attending the Independence Day Flag hoisting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. As India completes 75 years of Independence this year, Sarpanches from vibrant villages, teachers, nurses, farmers, fishermen, shram yogis who helped build the Central Vista project in New Delhi, khadi sector workers, national award-winning school teachers, Border Roads Organisation workers and those who helped and worked for the Amrit Sarovar projects and Har Ghar Jal Yojana Projects, implemented in various parts of the country, have been invited along with their spouse to attend the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi this year, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a release on Friday. Two beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN), from the State of Maharashtra, will witness the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

Fifty (50) beneficiaries of the scheme, along with their families, are among around 1,800 persons who have been invited to listen to PM Modis address. The initiative to invite people from all walks of life, across India, and be a part of the celebrations has been taken by the Government in line with its vision of Jan Bhagidari, the release said. Speaking about the invitation, 54-year-old Ashok Sudam Ghule from Dhekalwadi, Baramati in Pune district said, as per the release, I never thought I will ever be able to go to the Red Fort in New Delhi. Going there on Independence Day is like a dream come true. Ghule, who is a beneficiary of PM-KISAN, is a sugar cane farmer cultivating on a 1.5-acre piece of land. The other beneficiary, Vijay Gotiram Thakare, from Vaishakhare, Murbad, in Thane district is a traditional rice farmer and also grows vegetables. He is a beneficiary of PM-KISAN since 2019. PM-KISAN is a Central Sector Scheme, aims at providing financial assistance to all cultivable landholding farmers.
BJP is always supportive to women: Maya Naroliya





By Bhavana Aparajita

Shukla

In view of the upcoming elections, both Congress and BJP are trying hard to woo women voters in the state. Government has played master stroke through schemes like Ladli Bahna. On other side, Opposition Pradesh Congress also announced schemes for women. The Hitavadas Senior Special Correspondent has spoke to Maya Naroliya, the President of Pradesh BJP Mahila Morcha.

Q: After passing almost three years, your Government in the State came up with the Ladli Bahna Scheme in the election year. How would you like to respond to the oppositions allegation that women centric schemes are nothing more than vote bank politics?

A: I outrightly refuse such an allegation. Bharatiya Janata Party has always been supportive to women. Whether there is a question of economic support or social back up, the party has acted promptly and constantly. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJPs ideology and women issues are being taken as prime priority. It will be an ongoing scheme. It is false to say that it will be stopped after sometime.

Q: So do you agree that in the last 18 years, there was not enough done for the uplift of fair sex? Thats why the Government has to increase the number of schemes for women.

A: There is a need for constant efforts. Which the party has been doing. Through Ladli Bahna, the Governments aim is to reduce the financial dependence of women on others. If she needs medical treatment for her children, she won't need to look to others for help. Our Sisters who doesnt come in the tax payers bracket have now been able to fulfill her and her children's basic or emergency needs through this money. It is Shivraj Singh Chouhan government only who has implemented 50 per cent reservation for women in local body elections.
BJP lodges complaint in Crime Branch for action against Priyanka, Congress leaders





Staff Reporter

The BJP leaders reached Bhopal Crime Branch to lodge an FIR against Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Saturday. The leaders, including Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang and MLA Rameshwar Sharma, along with others handed over their complaint to the police and demanded action against the social media messages of the Congress leaders that they claimed intended to defame the ruling party in the State. The State BJP President, V D Sharma also attacked the opposition in a press conference over the matter of commission.

These leaders reached the Crime Branch and handed over a memorandum to the SHO. BJP District President Sumit Pachauri said that the Congress leaders tweeted delusion information. A letter floated on social media with claim that contractors are forced to give 50 per cent commission and the contractors association had written the letter to the Chief Justice of High Court for action in this regard, he said. However, no such letter was written by any authentic association and it was just a rumour. However, Gandhi shared malicious content on social media to defame the government, he said. We want the matter to be legally resolved as it was an attempt to malign the Governments image, he said.
BJP to observe Vibhajan Vibhishika Memorial Day on August 14





Staff Reporter

Reminding that last year people had responded to the appeal of Bharatiya Janata Party to hoist Indian tricolour at homes on August 15, Partys State Spokesperson Shivrai Kulkarni said, This year too we have urged people for Har Ghar Tiranga. Independence Day is a proud moment for us and we must celebrate it with much fanfare. We hope, our appeal will evoke good response from people this year too. Kulkarni was addressing mediapersons at Tilak Patrakar Bhavan on Saturday. Kulkarni informed mediapersons, The Party has also resolved to observe Vibhajan Vibhishika (Pain of Partition) Memorial Day on the eve of Independence Day, August 14, to commemorate the struggle and sacrifice of millions of Indians as a part of freedom struggle. To remember the pain caused by the partition of the country and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the partition, BJP has appealed to a large number of people to participate in this event.

Shivrai Kulkarni said that this years Amrut Mahotsav is a ceremony of pride for every citizen. In the elixir of freedom, as the country moves towards self-reliance, those who sacrificed for freedom must be remembered. However, we Indians will continue to feel the pain of partition, pointed out Kulkarni. Partition of India is a story of betrayal on religious grounds. Prior to independence, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced the decision of independence on February 20, 1947. Before June 30, 1948, the British had announced transfer of power and leaving the country. However, before that the British had divided the country into two. This act can never be forgotten, said Kulkarni. Partition cost us dearly. In fact, during the migration period, due to massive violence, nearly half a million citizens lost everything and had to live on the streets. About 6 million non-Muslims left their homes in West Pakistan and fled to India, while 2 million non-Muslims left their homes in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and migrated to India. More than five lakh citizens were killed, stated Kulkarni. City BJP President Jitendra Kukde, General Secretary Sanjay Bangale, Spokesperson Chandan Goswami and others were prominently present.
BJP urges SP to take action against Congmen for circulating fake letters





Staff Reporter

A number of senior BJP leaders and workers on Saturday handed over a complaint letter to the Superintendent of Police and demanded a thorough investigation into authenticity of viral misleading letters being circulated and attributed to Congress leaders, who are tarnishing image of the State Government. City President Prabhat Sahu expressed concern over repeated tendency of Congress party to resort to falsehood and sensationalism as election time is approaching in Madhya Pradesh. He highlighted a recent incident where the Congress party allegedly issued a fraudulent letter under the guise of a contractors association, containing baseless claims. The alleged fake document was broadcasted widely across social media platforms, with names of certain individuals, including Gyanendra Avasthi, associated with its creation. Sahu criticised the Congress partys leadership, including Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath for their active endorsement of these misleading statements.

He pointed out the unfortunate trend of the partys top leaders aligning themselves with such fabricated narratives. Sahu highlighted past instances where Rahul Gandhi had misled the public with false claims during previous elections and now Priyanka Gandhi seems to be following suit by circulating misleading information. The BJP City President assured that every BJP worker would address and counter these untruths within the public domain. In formal complaint BJP mentioned that tweets by Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi containing false and misleading information. They gave references of news clippings which allegedly demonstrate a demand for a 50 per cent commission in lieu of payment to contractors in Madhya Pradesh. BJP has questioned the authenticity of these claims, highlighting that the person making these accusations is neither identified nor affiliated with registered organisation. BJP leaders have asserted that these tweets not only cast serious doubts on the credibility of the Congress party but also potentially fall under the category of criminal offense due to their defamatory nature. Hence, the BJP has called for a swift and impartial investigation into the matter and stern action against guilty people for spreading fabricated post in social media.
Erratic King Of Satellites





By John Wojcik

Elon Musk has quietly, but rapidly expanded his empire into space. Perhaps nothing more than his personal control of over 4,500 low-orbit satellites (and plans to boost that number to 43,000) shows the folly of leaving high tech in the control of private capitalist hands.

THE MORE the US pumps into the war in Ukraine and other military operations around the world, the richer the dangerous and erratic Elon Musk becomes. Already known for his erratic stewardship of Tesla and Twitter (re-branded as X), the billionaire has also been quietlybut rapidlyexpanding his empire into space. Perhaps nothing more than his personal control of over 4,500 low-orbit satellites (and plans to boost that number to 43,000) shows the folly of leaving high tech in the control of private capitalist hands. Top Pentagon generals, along with high-level members of the Ukrainian military, have met with Musk recently to buy access to the Internet capabilities offered by his satellite network. Called Starlink, the system is a division of another of Musks corporations, SpaceX. The Ukrainian military has relied on the Musk satellites for its military attacks on Crimea which has been back in Russian control since 2014. Under decisions made in the days of the Soviet Union, the region had been under Ukrainian administration since the 1950s. According to a bombshell report in Fridays New York Times, Musk, the richest man on Earth, has surpassed all world governments, including the United States, to become the dominant force in satellite Internet technology.

Even to capitalists committed to private control of industry, that fact should raise world-wide alarm. Incredibly, the Times reports, on March 17, US General Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs, General Valeriy Zaluzhni, the leader of Ukraines Armed Forces, and Elon Musk spoke on a secured line generated by Musk satellites where they made real-time decisions about military efforts against Russian forces in Ukraine and where they shared Intelligence information gathered by the Musk satellites with one another. So, Musk is adding to his wealth now by selling information to the US and Ukraine which neither of those countries would have without him. There is almost no regulation or public control over the activity of a man who holds the fate of billions of people in his hands. To make matters worse, top leaders in the Pentagon, in order to operate the war machine that costs US taxpayers almost a trillion dollars a year, are conferring with him regularly over the war in Ukraine. The 4,500 Starlink satellites in the sky are the sole source of Internet and high-speed Internet used for military purposes in Ukraine. Maps that show the location of these satellites over Ukraine at any given moment help confirm this, but they also reveal that the only part of the country not saturated with Starlink coverage since 2022 are the eastern parts under Russian control. Even in those regions, however, Starlink reaches much of the area and is increasing its coverage.

Musks saturation of space with his satellites is so extensive that it has already changed the appearance of the night sky all over the planet, something that has not happened for billions of years. In the Ukraine war, Starlink is being used to coordinate drone strikes against the Russians in both Ukraine and also across the borders into Russia. Almost all Intelligence gathering in Ukraine is coordinated through Starlink. The US military is now the worlds biggest customer of Starlink with the Japanese Armed Forces joining the ranks of Musks top clients. Musk, therefore, along with the Pentagon, has become a major enabler of politicians and industrialists in Japan who are shelving that countrys commitment to pacifism after World War II. Musks power over what has become a deadly military instrument is total. He alone can shut down access to Starlink, whether that customer is a country or its military. He openly flaunts his power. Between Tesla, Starlink, and Twitter, I may have more real-time global economic data in one head than anyone ever, he has declared. When it comes to Ukraine, the news about Musk is downright frightening. Starlink is indeed the blood of our entire communication structure now, Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines digital minister, said in an interview. In the US, even Government-controlled outfits like NASA are now relying almost entirely on SpaceX for their Internet technology and ability to coordinate flight plans. Nothing, however, demonstrates the power of Musk and SpaceX more than the war in Ukraine.

According to the Times, more than 42,000 Starlink terminals are now used by Ukraines military, businesses, and other institutions. Without Starlink, we cannot fly, we cannot communicate, one Ukrainian deputy commander told the Times. He gave only the name Tooth. Starlink entered the Ukrainian market soon after the Russian invasion began in 2022, but now, just a year-and-a-half later, it exercises full control of communications in that country. Another disturbing aspect of the Starlink situation is that while Musk profits off his role in the war in Ukraine, much of the cost of his operation is picked up by US taxpayers, with the federal government being a major funder of the operations. Once again, the dangers of private capitalist control of major industries and technology are exposed. A dystopian future for the planet itself is not out of the question if capitalism is not replaced with political and economic democracy and socialism. (IPA/Courtesy: Peoples World)
FIR against 25 NSUI members for violating Sec 144, damaging assets





Staff Reporter

Police have registered an FIR against 25 NSUI members for damaging Government assets, creating disturbance in Government works and violation of Section 144 imposed at the Collectorate, during their protest two days back. NSUI members had taken out a protest rally and planned to stage gherao at Collectorate on Thursday. Police first tried to stop them from entering the premises of the Collectorate, but when NSUI members remained adamant to stage gherao, police used cane-charge to disperse the crowd.

NSUI workers were protesting against New Education Policy, Patwari Scam, irregularities in the Vyapam examination, Agriculture exam, Junior Engineer Recruitment Exam and other recruitment process in which hefty amounts are being demanded to select the candidates. The rally was taken out under the leadership of State President, Ashutosh Chouksey, former State Vice-president, Saurabh Gautam and District President, Sachin Rajak. On the basis of video footage, photos and other evidences, police registered FIR against 25 NSUI members including State President, Ashutosh Chouksey, District President, Sachin Rajak, Saurabh Gautam, Pinky Mudgal, Devki Patel, Sagar Shukla, Abhishek Patel, Rahul Rajak, Aamaj Quraishi, Ejaj Ansari and others.

Police have also registered a case under Section 148, 149, 146, 188, 353, 332, 428 and Section 3 of Public Property Damage Act against more than 300 NSUI workers. Criticising police for resorting to cane-charge against protesting NSUI members, City Congress President and Mayor, Jagat Bahadur Singh and other Congress MLAs demanded for action against the policemen.
Gadkari inaugurates multi-level flyover in Pune





PUNE,

UNION Minister of Road Transport and Highways on Saturday inaugurated a multi-level flyover built at Chandni Chowk in Maharashtras Pune and said it will address traffic congestion in the city. He also pitched for skybus services here. While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was not present at the event, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar attended the inauguration. The main issue of traffic congestion in Pune will be resolved as the bridge constructed here at Chandni Chowk has a total length of 16.98 km. An amount of Rs 865 crore has been spent on this project and now the work on the 2.2-km-long Chandni Chowk interchange has also been completed, Gadkari said. The internal and external service roads have been aligned with Mumbai-Banglore National Highway, he said.

The Union Minister also suggested that the State Government develop skybus services in Pune, saying roads in the city have little scope for expansion. I advise Ajit Pawar and Chandrakant Patil (Higher and Technical Education Minister) to go through a presentation on skybus. These buses have the capacity to carry 250 passengers and they travel above the ground. During his visit to the city, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also travelled on the newly launched Pune Metro. He took a ride from Ruby Hall station to Vanaz Metro station. During his travel, Pawar interacted with a number of passengers, including working professionals, senior citizens and students. Some of the passengers suggested to the minister that the public transport system be strengthened near the Metro stations. Also, the Metro network should be expanded, they said.
MiG-29 squadron deployed at Srinagar to tackle threats from Pak, China





By Ajit K Dubey

SRINAGAR,

INDIA has deployed a squadron of upgraded MiG-29 fighter jets at the Srinagar air base to tackle threats from both the Pakistani and Chinese front. The Tridents squadron which is now also known as the Defender of the North has replaced the MiG-21 squadron at the Srinagar air base which has traditionally been responsible for taking care of the threat from Pakistan. Srinagar lies in the centre of Kashmir Valley and its elevation is higher than plains. It is strategically better to place an aircraft with a higher weight-to-thrust ratio and less response time due to proximity to the border and is equipped with better avionics and long-range missiles. The MiG-29 fulfils all these criteria due to which we are capable of taking in the enemies on both fronts, Indian Air Force pilot Squadron Leader Vipul Sharma told ANI. The MiG 29s have multiple advantages over the MiG-21s which were able to successfully defend the area of their responsibility in the Kashmir Valley for many years and also managed to strike down an F-16 in 2019 post Balakot air strikes on Pakistani terrorist camps on their mainland.

The MiG-29 has also been equipped with very long-range air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground weaponry after the upgrades and has also been armed with lethal weaponry making use of the emergency procurement powers given to Armed Forces by the Government. The fighter aircraft have also been provided with the capability to jam the enemy aircrafts capabilities during times of conflict, officials said. Another pilot Squadron Leader Shivam Rana said the upgraded aircraft can operate at night with night vision goggles and has a longer range due to air-to-air refuelling capability.

We have also included the air-to-ground armament which was not there earlier. The biggest capability of the aircraft are the pilots which are handpicked by the Indian Air Force to serve on these aircraft, he said. The MiG-29s moved to the Srinagar air base in January this year and have flown extensively in the Kashmir valley along with the Ladakh sector where they would be one of the first to respond in case of any air space violation attempts by the Chinese.
Our Correspondent

SAGAR,

Today, the nation is moving forward with the same spirit of liberation and rejecting the mentality of slavery, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a gathering in Madhya Pradeshs Sagar. Quoting Sant Ravidas on social equality and availability of amenities for all, PM Modi said that in the Amrit Kaal, we are trying to eradicate poverty and hunger from the country. He recalled his determination to provide food to poor and deprived sections during the pandemic. I know the pain of hunger and self-respect of the poor. I am a member of your family and I dont need to look into the books to understand your pain, Modi said. Free ration was ensured for more than 80 crore people under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, a feat, said the Prime Minister, is being appreciated globally. Modi was speaking after laying the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, development projects in Madhya Pradeshs Sagar on Saturday.

The projects include laying the foundation stone of Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidasji Memorial to be constructed at a cost of over Rs 100 crore, two road projects to be developed at a cost of over Rs 1,580 crores and dedicating to the nation doubling of Kota-Bina rail route to the nation developed at a cost of Rs 2,475 crores. Talking about the Garib Kalyan Schemes being run in the country, the Prime Minister said that unlike earlier, the nation is standing with dalits, poor, tribals and women at every stage of life. At the time of birth Matru Vandana Yojana and Mission Indradhanush for total vaccine security of the new-born children where more than 5.5 crore mothers and children have been immunised. He informed that the campaign to save 7 crore Indians from Sickle Cell Anaemia is going on along with a campaign to free India from TB by 2025. Modi also noted the decreasing incidence of kala-azar and encephalitis. Talking about the Ayushman Card, the Prime Minister said People say that they have got Modi Card. For treatment needs of up to 5 lakh, your son (the Prime Minister) is there. Underling the importance of education in life, the Prime Minister mentioned 700 Eklavya Schools in the tribal areas with books and scholarships and a robust mid-day meal system.

He also listed measures like the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for girls, scholarships for SC, ST and OBC students, loans to large numbers of SC, ST community members under the MUDRA loans. He also talked about cumulative financial help of 8 thousand crores to SC, ST youth under Stand-up India and the inclusion of 90 forest products under MSP along with Pradhan Mantri Awas with electricity, water and gas connections. The people of SC-ST society are standing on their feet today. They are getting the right place in the society with equality, he added. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that one can witness the sagar (ocean) of harmony in the land of Sagar today with the presence of saints, the blessings of Saint Ravidasji and the huge crowd comprising different sections of the society. He mentioned that the foundation stone of Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidasji Memorial was laid for prosperity of the nation.

With the blessings of the saints, the Prime Minister recalled taking part in the bhoomipujan of the divine memorial and expressed confidence that he will come to inaugurate the temple on its completion in a few years. As a Parliamentarian from Varanasi, the Prime Minister informed about visiting the birthplace of Saint Ravidasji on multiple occasions and also paid tributes to him from Sagar in. The Prime Minister said Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidas ji Memorial will have grandeur as well as divinity which will flow from the teaching of Sant Ravidasji. He informed that the memorial is steeped in the spirit of Samrasta as the soil of more than 20,000 villages and 300 rivers have been used in it. Families from Madhya Pradesh have sent grain for Samrast Bhoj and five yatras also concluded on Saturday at Sagar.
DUBAI, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday dismissed claims that it had supplied warring parties in Sudan with arms and ammunition.

"The UAE does not take sides in the current conflict engulfing Sudan, and seeks an end to the conflict and calls for respecting Sudan's sovereignty," UAE's official news agency WAM quoted Foreign Ministry official Afra Al Hameli as saying.

The UAE official made the remarks after the Wall Street Journal reported last week that crates of weapons and ammunition were found on a UAE-sent cargo plane that had arrived in Uganda in early June, instead of aid for Sudanese refugees as indicated by the flight records.

Afra Al Hameli said the UAE has not supplied arms and ammunition to any of the warring parties in Sudan since the outbreak of their conflict in April.

The UAE will continue to support all efforts aimed at bringing security in Sudan and enhancing its stability and prosperity until a ceasefire is achieved, she was quoted as saying. 
NEW SANHITA !





BY INTRODUCING three bills seeking to replace the archaic Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act (IEA), the Government has taken one more very major step towards modernising and Indianising the body of law that is operating in India for a long, long time -- since all those laws were introduced by the alien British rulers to support their method and manner of governing the country. This step is certainly in tune with the Government policy of withdrawing from operation old laws that have lost their relevance with the passage of time. The replacement of the IPC, CrPC and IEA in due course of time will prove to be a great use to the system of justice from the lowest to the highest levels. It will help in curbing crime to an extent now not within the range of imagination. The three new proposed Acts -- namely the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) 2023 -- will create an altogether different legal parlance in the country and offer the legal and law enforcement machineries a brand new canvas to operate upon. Many parts of the new law have shadows of the old ones, all right.

But some parts of the new proposals have something that was hitherto not in the practice of law enforcement. Cumulatively, thus, there will be a new format and content of the three laws that will help the country in a big way in the future. As he tabled the three Bills in Parliament, Union Minister of Home Mr. Amit Shah promised the nation that the rate of prosecution will go up to as high as 90 % which should be considered truly phenomenal. Because of the flaws in the IPC, CrPC, and the IEA, the rate of prosecution had been quite low, causing concern among the responsible members of the vast ecosystem that took care criminal justice machinery in the country. The Governments proposed laws are now expected to take care of all those loopholes so that rate of prosecution rises phenomenally. That will be a truly welcome thing for the country. Mr. Amit Shah claimed that the new laws would ensure speedier justice to all and create a system in tune with the changing social needs and popular aspirations. The idea is to grant the citizens a stronger protection to common citizens who are law-abiding and even god-fearing.

The idea is not punish the wrong-doers but to provide justice to those who get hurt because of the societal flaws and dominance of the wrong practices, as Mr. Amit Shah indicated during his long presentation of the Governments view-point. The subsequent debate on the issue may produce something that might not have been envisaged in the proposed new laws. The Government appeared quite open-minded on that count and might not hesitate in implementing the new laws the moment the two Houses of Parliament were introduced. Rather, the Government may push this cause further by initiating certain measures that would ensure that the proposed laws are considered in full measure by Parliament at the earliest point in time. Though some elements may try to attribute political motives to the action of pushing this subject, the reality is that the current Government, before it came power in 2014, had made its mind clear on the issue. The three proposals, thus, are in tune with the avowed policy and ideology.
PM urges people to take part in Har Ghar Tiranga movement





NEW DELHI,

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to take part in the Har Ghar Tiranga movement between August 13 to 15. The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity, Modi said. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further national progress. I urge you all to take part in the #HarGharTiranga movement between 13th to 15th August. Upload your photos with the Tiranga here...HYPERLINK http://harghartiranga.Comharghartiranga.Com, he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. On Friday, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar flagged off a Har Ghar Tiranga bike rally of MPs in Delhi. The rally began from Pragati Maidan and culminated at the Major Dhyan Chand stadium after passing through the India Gate circle. Meanwhile, ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, Delhi police have stepped up checks, and security measures across the National Capital, police officials said on Friday.

Under the aegis of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), Har Ghar Tiranga will be celebrated across the nation from August 13 to 15 during which people will be encouraged to hoist the national flag at their homes, the Union Culture Ministry said. AKAM is an ongoing celebration to commemorate 75 years of Indias independence. The initiative is aimed at bringing in focus on the freedom struggle, and the milestones this nation has achieved, the Ministry said. The idea behind the campaign is to instil the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of people and reminisce the journey of India and those who have contributed towards creating this great nation.

Last year, this campaign witnessed immense success wherein crores of households hoisted the Tiranga at their homes physically and six crore people uploaded selfies on Har Ghar Tiranga website, it said. 5 LAKH TRICOLOURS TO BE DISTRIBUTED IN HARYANA: Five lakh national flags will be distributed in Haryana under the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign, which will be run by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs from August 13 to 15, an official statement said on Friday.
President to launch Navys stealth frigate on Aug 17





KOLKATA,

PRESIDENT Droupadi Murmu will launch a stealth frigate for the Indian Navy here on August 17, an official said.

Built by Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), this will be the third and last stealth frigate the warship maker was contracted to build for the Navy under Project 17A. The President will launch the ship at the GRSEs shipbuilding facility on the banks of River Hooghly here, the official said.

The state-of-the-art ship will be fitted with the latest gadgets and undergo extensive trials before being handed over to the Navy for commissioning into service. P17A ships are guided missile frigates, each of which is 149 metres long, with displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes and a speed of 28 knots, according to a GRSE official. They are a follow-on class of the P17 Shivalik class frigates with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. The Navy had placed orders for seven stealth frigates, four of which went to Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and three to GRSE. The Rs 19,294-crore contract for construction of the three stealth frigates under Project 17A is the largest-ever order for GRSE.
Sudha Murthy, Shankar Mahadevan on NCERTs 19-member panel to develop new textbooks





NEW DELHI,

INFOSYS Foundation Chairman Sudha Murthy, music maestro Shankar Mahadevan, economist Sanjeev Sanyal and 16 others are part of a new committee constituted by the NCERT to revise textbooks according to the new curriculum, officials said. The 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) will be headed by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) chancellor MC Pant and develop textbooks for classes 3 to 12. The committee is mandated to prepare the textbooks, and other teaching learning materials, which will, in turn, be published and used by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), as per the terms of reference, a senior official said. The NSTC will be assisted by Curricular Area Groups (CAGs) in the development of the teaching-learning material for each curricular area.

These groups will include appropriate experts for the said subject, and will be formed by the chairperson and the co-Chairperson of NSTC, with the assistance of NCERT, the official said. The committee will work to align the curriculum with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) developed by the K Kasturirangan-led steering committee as a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. While the final NCF-SE has already been submitted to the Union ministry of education, it is yet to be released in the public domain. The draft of the framework was released in April. The committee is co-chaired by Manjul Bhargav, a professor of mathematics at Princeton University. Its other members include mathematician Sujatha Ramdorai, badminton player U Vimal Kumar, chairperson of Centre for Policy Studies MD Srinivas, and chairperson of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti Chamu Krishna Shastry.

The dropping of several topics and portions from NCERT textbooks in May triggered a controversy, with the opposition blaming the BJP-led Centre for whitewashing with vengeance. At the heart of the controversy was the fact that while the changes made as part of a rationalisation exercise were notified, some of the controversial deletions were not mentioned. This led to allegations about a bid to delete these portions surreptitiously. Although the NCERT acknowledged that the omissions in the textbooks may have been unintentional, they declined to reverse the deletions. The NCERT said the removals were made based on the recommendations provided by experts.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi judicial authorities issued a decision on Sunday to confiscate the properties of former Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail on charges of abuse of office and fraud, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

The decision came after an investigative court accused Ismail of abusing his position and accepting bribes from some investors that had contracts with the Oil Ministry, the agency quoted a judicial source as saying.

Ismail served as Minister of Oil in 2020 in the government of former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Before that, he was the Director General of the state-owned Basra Oil Company.

According to media reports earlier this year, the Iraqi judiciary had looked into allegations against Ismail of corruption, including the seizure and illegal sale of oil ministry-owned lands in Baghdad and the southern city of Basra, as well as allegations that he had demanded payments from foreign firms in exchange for awarding contracts. 
GS Investments Inc. increased its holdings in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH  Free Report) by 1.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,504 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group accounts for 2.3% of GS Investments Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest position. GS Investments Inc.s holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,019,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the first quarter valued at about $210,000. McGowan Group Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. McGowan Group Asset Management Inc. now owns 744 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 31.8% during the 1st quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 250,196 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $127,592,000 after purchasing an additional 60,300 shares in the last quarter. MAS Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 10.8% during the 1st quarter. MAS Advisors LLC now owns 463 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Western Trust Bank bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $875,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.61% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other UnitedHealth Group news, CEO Andrew Witty sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $506.19, for a total transaction of $2,024,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 78,573 shares in the company, valued at $39,772,866.87. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance

UNH opened at $508.17 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $470.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.74, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.66. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1-year low of $445.68 and a 1-year high of $558.10. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $486.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $486.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 14th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $6.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.92 by $0.22. UnitedHealth Group had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 26.72%. The business had revenue of $92.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.57 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 24.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UnitedHealth Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Investors of record on Monday, June 19th were given a dividend of $1.88 per share. This is a positive change from UnitedHealth Groups previous quarterly dividend of $1.65. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 15th. This represents a $7.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.48%. UnitedHealth Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 33.65%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $592.00 to $572.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 17th. StockNews.com lowered shares of UnitedHealth Group from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $560.00 target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They issued an overweight rating and a $591.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $510.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $577.53.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on UNH

About UnitedHealth Group

(Free Report)

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. It operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.

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Sanlam Limited (OTCMKTS:SLLDY  Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 34,100 shares, a drop of 43.0% from the July 15th total of 59,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 31,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.1 days.

Sanlam Stock Performance

SLLDY traded down C$0.07 during trading on Friday, hitting C$7.03. 11,137 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 49,058. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$6.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$6.37. Sanlam has a 1 year low of C$5.02 and a 1 year high of C$7.72.

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About Sanlam

(Get Free Report)

Further Reading

Sanlam Limited provides various financial solutions to individual, business, and institutional clients in South Africa, rest of Africa, and internationally. The company operates through Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Emerging Markets, Sanlam Investment Group, and Santam segments. It offers life, disability, severe illness, income protection, funeral, credit life, health, short-term, medical, and group risk benefits, business debt, key person, and commercial insurance products; financial planning and retirement, and solutions; investment products; wealth, and professionals and graduates insurance services; and personal and home loans, and credit cards.

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Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT  Get Free Report) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at Robert W. Baird from $161.00 to $185.00 in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the industrial products companys stock. Robert W. Bairds price target would suggest a potential upside of 21.23% from the stocks previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from $162.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday.

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Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:AIT opened at $152.60 on Friday. Applied Industrial Technologies has a 52-week low of $96.43 and a 52-week high of $156.53. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $141.82 and a 200 day moving average of $137.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a PE ratio of 17.26 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 2.04 and a current ratio of 3.05.

Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 10th. The industrial products company reported $2.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.17 by $0.18. Applied Industrial Technologies had a net margin of 7.86% and a return on equity of 25.62%. The company had revenue of $1.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.02 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Applied Industrial Technologies will post 9.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Applied Industrial Technologies

In other news, CEO Neil A. Schrimsher sold 1,655 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.01, for a total transaction of $215,166.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 316,563 shares in the company, valued at $41,156,355.63. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Applied Industrial Technologies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AIT. Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies by 13.1% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 14,939 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,534,000 after purchasing an additional 1,726 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies in the first quarter worth about $271,000. Citigroup Inc. raised its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 3.4% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 38,917 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $3,995,000 after buying an additional 1,262 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 35.6% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 16,704 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,702,000 after buying an additional 4,388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 53.9% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 20,446 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,099,000 after buying an additional 7,164 shares in the last quarter. 92.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Applied Industrial Technologies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc distributes industrial motion, power, control, and automation technology solutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. It operates through two segments, Service Center Based Distribution, and Fluid Power & Flow Control. The company distributes bearings, power transmission products, engineered fluid power components and systems, specialty flow control solutions, advanced automation products, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, automation solutions, tools, safety products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial and maintenance supplies; and motors, belting, drives, couplings, pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic components, filtration supplies, valves, fittings, process instrumentation, actuators, and hoses, filtration supplies, as well as other related supplies for general operational needs of customers' machinery and equipment.

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Aptus Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Free Report) by 0.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 221,419 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 962 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLCs holdings in NextEra Energy were worth $17,067,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of NEE. Appleton Partners Inc. MA grew its position in NextEra Energy by 3.3% in the first quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA now owns 13,360 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,030,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Virginia VA increased its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 14.0% in the 1st quarter. Trust Co. of Virginia VA now owns 8,776 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $676,000 after purchasing an additional 1,075 shares during the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. increased its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 5,511 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP increased its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 9.7% in the 1st quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 36,563 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,818,000 after purchasing an additional 3,230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PFG Advisors increased its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 30,032 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,315,000 after purchasing an additional 1,042 shares during the last quarter. 77.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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NextEra Energy Stock Performance

NextEra Energy stock traded up $0.63 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $68.92. 6,524,199 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,182,304. The firm has a market cap of $139.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $73.15 and a 200 day moving average of $74.75. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a 12 month low of $67.91 and a 12 month high of $91.35.

NextEra Energy Dividend Announcement

NextEra Energy ( NYSE:NEE Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.68 billion. NextEra Energy had a return on equity of 12.25% and a net margin of 30.05%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.81 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 30th will be given a dividend of $0.4675 per share. This represents a $1.87 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 29th. NextEra Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.29%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NEE has been the subject of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on NextEra Energy from $93.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of NextEra Energy in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on NextEra Energy from $95.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of NextEra Energy in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. They set a buy rating and a $90.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $93.00 target price on shares of NextEra Energy in a research report on Friday, July 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $91.36.

View Our Latest Analysis on NextEra Energy

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Robert Coffey sold 4,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $299,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,292 shares in the company, valued at approximately $845,770.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other NextEra Energy news, EVP Robert Coffey sold 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.90, for a total value of $299,600.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,292 shares of the companys stock, valued at $845,770.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO John W. Ketchum bought 13,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $74.26 per share, for a total transaction of $1,009,936.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 184,485 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,699,856.10. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

NextEra Energy Profile

(Free Report)

NextEra Energy, Inc, through its subsidiaries, generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power to retail and wholesale customers in North America. The company generates electricity through wind, solar, nuclear, coal, and natural gas facilities. It also develops, constructs, and operates long-term contracted assets that consists of clean energy solutions, such as renewable generation facilities, battery storage projects, and electric transmission facilities; sells energy commodities; and owns, develops, constructs, manages and operates electric generation facilities in wholesale energy markets.

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Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$122.39 and traded as low as C$117.83. Bank of Montreal shares last traded at C$118.23, with a volume of 1,475,114 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on BMO. Cormark cut their price objective on Bank of Montreal from C$140.00 to C$131.00 in a report on Thursday, May 25th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$121.50 to C$130.50 in a research report on Monday, July 24th. CIBC lowered their price objective on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$145.00 to C$139.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. National Bankshares cut their target price on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$129.00 to C$122.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Bank of Montreal from C$151.00 to C$143.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$135.23.

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Bank of Montreal Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of C$84.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.78, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$119.53 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$122.29.

Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO  Get Free Report) (NYSE:BMO) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The bank reported C$2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$3.15 by C($0.22). The business had revenue of C$8.44 billion for the quarter. Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 23.87%. Equities research analysts predict that Bank of Montreal will post 13.3006682 EPS for the current year.

Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Investors of record on Monday, August 28th will be given a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.97%. This is an increase from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.43. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 27th. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.57%.

Insider Activity at Bank of Montreal

In other news, Director Linda Susan Huber sold 500 shares of Bank of Montreal stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$87.56, for a total transaction of C$43,780.00. 0.03% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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Centrica (LON:CNA  Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Berenberg Bank from GBX 110 ($1.41) to GBX 140 ($1.79) in a research report report published on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a hold rating on the integrated energy companys stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Centrica from GBX 140 ($1.79) to GBX 150 ($1.92) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 130 ($1.66) price objective on shares of Centrica in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Centrica in a research report on Friday, June 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a 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 GBX 138 ($1.76).

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Centrica Price Performance

Centrica Cuts Dividend

CNA opened at GBX 141.35 ($1.81) on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 125.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 114.14. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 313.83. The firm has a market cap of 7.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1,087.31, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.22. Centrica has a twelve month low of GBX 65.78 ($0.84) and a twelve month high of GBX 141.70 ($1.81).

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 16th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 5th will be given a GBX 1.33 ($0.02) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.07%. Centricas dividend payout ratio is presently -2,307.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Amber Rudd acquired 1,574 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 26th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 118 ($1.51) per share, with a total value of 1,857.32 ($2,373.57). Over the last three months, insiders bought 5,525 shares of company stock worth $660,995. 0.11% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Centrica Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Centrica plc operates as an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia, North America, and internationally. The company operates through British Gas Services & Solutions, British Gas Energy, Centrica Business Solutions, Bord Gais Energy, Energy Marketing & Trading, and Upstream segments.

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Clearwater Paper (NYSE:CLW  Get Free Report) and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing (OTCMKTS:LMPMF  Get Free Report) are both basic materials companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Clearwater Paper and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturings gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Clearwater Paper $2.08 billion 0.28 $46.10 million $4.02 8.62 Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing N/A N/A N/A $0.40 0.87

Clearwater Paper has higher revenue and earnings than Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing. Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Clearwater Paper, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

Profitability

89.0% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 14.2% of Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing shares are held by institutional investors. 2.3% of Clearwater Paper shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

This table compares Clearwater Paper and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturings net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Clearwater Paper 3.22% 13.73% 4.74% Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Clearwater Paper and Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Clearwater Paper 0 0 2 0 3.00 Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing 0 0 0 0 N/A

Clearwater Paper presently has a consensus target price of $47.00, indicating a potential upside of 35.56%. Given Clearwater Papers higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Clearwater Paper is more favorable than Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing.

Summary

Clearwater Paper beats Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing on 10 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Clearwater Paper

(Get Free Report)

Clearwater Paper Corporation manufactures and supplies bleached paperboards, and consumer and parent roll tissues in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Pulp and Paperboard, and Consumer Products. The Pulp and Paperboard segment manufactures and markets bleached paperboard; Solid Bleached Sulfate paperboard that is used to produce folding cartons, liquid packaging, cups and plates, blister and carded packaging, and top sheet and commercial printing items; and hardwood and softwood pulp, as well as offers services that include custom sheeting, slitting, and cutting. It sells its products to packaging converters, folding carton converters, merchants, and commercial printers. The Consumer Products segment provides a line of at-home tissue products, including bath tissues, paper towels, facial tissues, and napkins; recycled fiber value grade products; and away-from-home tissues. This segment sells its products to retailers and wholesale distributors, including grocery, club, mass merchants, and discount stores. Clearwater Paper Corporation was founded in 1900 and is based in Spokane, Washington.

About Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing

(Get Free Report)

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and trades in packaging papers, pulps, and tissue papers in the People's Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Macau, and Hong Kong. The company operates through Packaging Paper, Tissue Paper, and Pulp segments. It offers various pulp products, such as dissolved pulps for use in viscose chemical fibers, bamboo fibers, glass papers, acetate fibers, refined rayons, etc.; unbleached bamboo kraft pulps for use in ecru life papers, environmental table wares, food bags, etc.; and bleached bamboo kraft pulps for use in tissue papers, fine papers, cigarette papers, cup papers, etc. The company also provides containerboard products, including kraft and test linerboards for use in cartons, paper bags, file boxes, paperboards, wall papers, etc.; and corrugating liners for use in corrugated layer and septi-layer of paperboards, and honeycomb-like products. In addition, it offers white lined chipboards and environment friendly white linerboard coated products for use in graphic cartons, color card printing, and offset printing, as well as in packaging of commodities, household appliances, IT products, medicine/health care products, food products, toys, gifts, ceramic products, stationery products, beverages, etc.; toilet rolls for wiping and cleaning of hands, faces, food, etc.; and unbleached paper for use in various applications, such as baby care, menstruation, facial, sensitive skin, table, kitchen, etc. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in North Point, Hong Kong.

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Firm Capital Mortgage Investment (TSE:FC  Free Report) had its price objective reduced by TD Securities from C$13.50 to C$12.50 in a report issued on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

Firm Capital Mortgage Investment Trading Up 1.9 %

Firm Capital Mortgage Investment stock opened at C$11.10 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of C$382.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.81 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 11.63, a quick ratio of 17.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 50.99. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is C$10.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$11.09. Firm Capital Mortgage Investment has a 12 month low of C$9.90 and a 12 month high of C$13.00.

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Firm Capital Mortgage Investment Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.078 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 28th. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 8.43%. Firm Capital Mortgage Investments dividend payout ratio is presently 100.00%.

About Firm Capital Mortgage Investment

Firm Capital Mortgage Investment Corporation, through its mortgage banker, Firm Capital Corporation, provides residential and commercial short-term bridge, and conventional real estate finance in Canada. The company engages in originating, funding, purchasing, and servicing mortgage investments. It also offers mortgage services, such as real estate financing, real estate investment financing, capital market, and loan servicing and advisory services; and a line of lending programs, including construction and development lending, investment property financing, short term lending, bridge finance, mezzanine and equity investments, capital market facilities, alternative residential lending program, and infill construction lending program.

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KAMPALA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has reintroduced the use of breathalyzers on roads in a bid to curb traffic accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol.

A statement issued by the country's health ministry on Saturday evening said the decision to reintroduce the breathalyzers was taken after analyzing the nature of road accidents.

"Ugandans are the leading alcohol consumers in Africa and many individuals drive under the influence of alcohol," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the use of breathalyzers was suspended in 2020 following the outbreak of COVID-19 for fear of spreading the virus in the testing process.

"It is sad to note that since then, Uganda has registered an increase in the number of road traffic accidents with 40 percent being fatal. Accidents due to drunk driving can affect all road users including children, pedestrians and other drivers who are not drunk," the ministry said.

The ministry said the police would be provided with disposable single-usage tubes to be used for each client. "However, the public is strongly advised not to drive after alcohol consumption and to cooperate with the Uganda Police Force."

According to the country's laws, a convicted drunk driver is liable to a fine of up to 1,600 U.S. dollars or a jail term of up to three years.

Uganda registers some 20,000 road accidents nationwide each year, causing more than 2,000 deaths, according to police data. 
Formidable Asset Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC  Free Report) by 0.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,704 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 464 shares during the period. Formidable Asset Management LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $2,307,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BAC. Roundview Capital LLC increased its stake in Bank of America by 1.5% in the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 135,764 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,596,000 after purchasing an additional 2,013 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P increased its stake in Bank of America by 150.3% in the first quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 1,985 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $82,000 after purchasing an additional 1,192 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Bank of America by 4.2% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 405,098 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $16,698,000 after purchasing an additional 16,319 shares in the last quarter. First Western Trust Bank bought a new stake in Bank of America in the first quarter valued at approximately $586,000. Finally, Pearl River Capital LLC bought a new stake in Bank of America in the first quarter valued at approximately $534,000. 67.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on BAC shares. UBS Group increased their target price on Bank of America from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of Bank of America in a research report on Friday, June 30th. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $36.00 to $35.00 in a research report on Friday, May 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Bank of America from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Bank of America in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Bank of America currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $36.26.

Insider Activity at Bank of America

In other Bank of America news, insider James P. Demare sold 75,000 shares of Bank of America stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.53, for a total transaction of $2,364,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 185,108 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,836,455.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, insider Dean C. Athanasia sold 77,806 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.48, for a total value of $2,449,332.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 353,971 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,143,007.08. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider James P. Demare sold 75,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.53, for a total value of $2,364,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 185,108 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,836,455.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Bank of America Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSE BAC traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $31.29. The companys stock had a trading volume of 35,720,658 shares, compared to its average volume of 46,018,312. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $29.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.38. Bank of America Co. has a twelve month low of $26.32 and a twelve month high of $38.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $248.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.99, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.36.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.04. Bank of America had a return on equity of 12.01% and a net margin of 19.97%. The business had revenue of $25.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.98 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.73 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Bank of America Co. will post 3.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of America Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 1st will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This is a boost from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. Bank of Americas payout ratio is currently 25.29%.

Bank of America Profile

(Free Report)

Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional and money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit and IRAs, noninterest-and interest-bearing checking accounts, and investment accounts and products; and credit and debit cards, residential mortgages, and home equity loans, as well as direct and indirect loans, such as automotive, recreational vehicle, and consumer personal loans.

Further Reading

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Stock analysts at William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Hippo (NYSE:HIPO  Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm set a market perform rating on the stock.

Separately, JMP Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Hippo from $70.00 to $50.00 and set a market outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hippo presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $28.88.

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Hippo Trading Down 6.2 %

Shares of NYSE:HIPO opened at $9.69 on Friday. Hippo has a 52-week low of $9.37 and a 52-week high of $27.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $16.10 and a 200-day moving average of $16.69.

Hippo (NYSE:HIPO  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported ($4.61) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($2.31) by ($2.30). Hippo had a negative net margin of 240.20% and a negative return on equity of 56.30%. The firm had revenue of $47.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.00 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Hippo will post -12.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hippo

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada acquired a new position in shares of Hippo in the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank bought a new stake in shares of Hippo in the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC boosted its stake in Hippo by 60.0% during the third quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 2,080 shares of the companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 780 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Hippo by 219.1% in the second quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 49,453 shares of the companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 33,957 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in Hippo in the first quarter valued at $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.22% of the companys stock.

About Hippo

(Get Free Report)

Hippo Holdings Inc provides home protection insurance in the United States and the District of Columbia. Its insurance products include homeowners' insurance against risks of fire, wind, and theft; and personal and commercial insurance products. The company distributes insurance products and services through its technology platform; and offers its policies online, over the phone, or through licensed insurance agents.

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Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J  Free Report) had its price objective lifted by TD Cowen from $128.00 to $143.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on J. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $165.00 to $150.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 10th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $135.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $144.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $153.00 to $151.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Jacobs Solutions from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $149.00.

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Jacobs Solutions Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:J opened at $136.46 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $17.18 billion, a PE ratio of 23.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Jacobs Solutions has a twelve month low of $106.78 and a twelve month high of $137.45. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $121.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.92.

Jacobs Solutions (NYSE:J  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.82. The business had revenue of $4.19 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.07 billion. Jacobs Solutions had a net margin of 4.65% and a return on equity of 14.30%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.86 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Jacobs Solutions will post 7.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jacobs Solutions Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 28th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 27th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.76%. Jacobs Solutionss payout ratio is currently 17.93%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Jacobs Solutions news, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Kevin C. Berryman sold 1,500 shares of the businesss 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 sale, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Steven J. Demetriou sold 6,666 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.20, for a total transaction of $767,923.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 601,290 shares in the company, valued at $69,268,608. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 22,998 shares of company stock worth $2,714,356. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jacobs Solutions

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 1,162.8% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 866,765 shares of the companys stock valued at $119,449,000 after purchasing an additional 798,125 shares in the last quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 12.6% in the 1st quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 4,717,432 shares of the companys stock valued at $554,345,000 after purchasing an additional 529,557 shares in the last quarter. FIL Ltd purchased a new position in Jacobs Solutions in the 1st quarter valued at about $58,588,000. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new position in Jacobs Solutions in the 2nd quarter valued at about $50,891,000. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in Jacobs Solutions by 115.1% in the 1st quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 817,535 shares of the companys stock valued at $96,069,000 after purchasing an additional 437,414 shares in the last quarter. 85.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Jacobs Solutions Company Profile

(Get 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.

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Meridian Mining UK Societas (OTCMKTS:MRRDF  Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 8,300 shares, a growth of 591.7% from the July 15th total of 1,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 19,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days.

Meridian Mining UK Societas Stock Performance

MRRDF stock remained flat at C$0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of C$0.31 and a 200-day moving average of C$0.34. Meridian Mining UK Societas has a 52-week low of C$0.24 and a 52-week high of C$0.54.

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About Meridian Mining UK Societas

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Meridian Mining UK Societas, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Brazil. It explores for manganese, gold, copper, and tin deposits. The company holds a 100% interest in the Espigao polymetallic project and the Ariquemes tin project located in Rondonia.

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Meritage Homes Co. (NYSE:MTH  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $136.33.

MTH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price target on Meritage Homes from $155.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. Seaport Res Ptn reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Wednesday, June 14th. Wedbush increased their price target on Meritage Homes from $137.00 to $141.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. StockNews.com cut Meritage Homes from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, August 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Meritage Homes in a research note on Wednesday, May 31st. They set a buy rating on the stock.

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Meritage Homes Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:MTH opened at $144.40 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The business has a fifty day moving average of $139.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $123.97. The stock has a market cap of $5.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 1.64. Meritage Homes has a 52-week low of $65.40 and a 52-week high of $152.55.

Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The construction company reported $5.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.49 by $1.53. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.31 billion. Meritage Homes had a return on equity of 21.15% and a net margin of 13.10%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.77 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Meritage Homes will post 19.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Meritage Homes Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th were given a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 14th. Meritage Homess dividend payout ratio is currently 4.75%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meritage Homes

In other Meritage Homes news, CEO Phillippe Lord sold 1,350 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.03, for a total value of $201,190.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 43,091 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,421,851.73. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Meritage Homes news, CEO Phillippe Lord sold 1,350 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.03, for a total value of $201,190.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 43,091 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,421,851.73. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Peter L. Ax sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.50, for a total value of $448,500.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 15,029 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,246,835.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,831 shares of company stock valued at $721,841 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meritage Homes

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Capital CS Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Meritage Homes during the 1st quarter worth about $445,000. Bailard Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Meritage Homes during the 4th quarter worth about $267,000. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new position in Meritage Homes during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,878,000. Arizona State Retirement System grew its stake in Meritage Homes by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,596 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,237,000 after buying an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Meritage Homes during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,227,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.34% of the companys stock.

Meritage Homes Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Meritage Homes Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs and builds single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Homebuilding and Financial Services. It acquires and develops land; and constructs, markets, and sells homes for first-time and first move-up buyers in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

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Shares of Nektan PLC (LON:NKTN  Get Free Report) crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 0.85 ($0.01) and traded as high as GBX 0.85 ($0.01). Nektan shares last traded at GBX 0.85 ($0.01), with a volume of 104 shares changing hands.

Nektan Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of 2.10 million and a P/E ratio of -0.13. The company has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 0.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 0.85.

About Nektan

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Nektan plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides B2B gaming solutions and services in Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, the United States, India, and internationally. The company provides Evolve, a white label casino technology platform that manages the casino operator experience, including back-office operations.

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Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NMS  Get Free Report) announced a monthly dividend on Tuesday, August 1st, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.036 per share on Friday, September 1st. This represents a $0.43 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th.

Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1% per year over the last three years.

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Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:NMS opened at $10.80 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $11.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $11.52. Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund has a fifty-two week low of $10.33 and a fifty-two week high of $15.22.

Institutional Trading of Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund

About Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NMS. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its position in shares of Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund by 23.6% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 23,633 shares of the companys stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 4,508 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its position in shares of Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 25,425 shares of the companys stock worth $306,000 after buying an additional 2,854 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund by 26.2% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 29,297 shares of the companys stock worth $330,000 after buying an additional 6,076 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal Income Fund by 731.5% during the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 31,598 shares of the companys stock worth $355,000 after buying an additional 27,798 shares in the last quarter.

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Nuveen Minnesota Quality Municipal 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 the fixed income markets of the United States. The fund primarily invests in investment grade municipal securities that are exempt from regular federal and Minnesota personal income taxes.

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Sappi Limited (OTCMKTS:SPPJY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,200 shares, a decline of 53.0% from the July 15th total of 13,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.4 days.

Sappi Price Performance

OTCMKTS SPPJY remained flat at $2.20 during trading hours on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 51 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,019. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.19. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $2.24 and a 200-day moving average price of $2.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 1.24. Sappi has a 12 month low of $2.01 and a 12 month high of $3.50.

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Sappi Ltd. Is a holding company, which engages in the provision of wood-fiber based solutions. Its products include: Dissolving Pulp, Specialties and Packaging Papers, Printing and Writing Papers, and Forestry. The company was founded on December 17, 1936 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Schroder Japan Trust plc (LON:SJG  Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of GBX 225.14 ($2.88) and traded as high as GBX 229.38 ($2.93). Schroder Japan Trust shares last traded at GBX 227.50 ($2.91), with a volume of 44,290 shares changing hands.

Schroder Japan Trust Stock Performance

The businesss fifty day moving average is GBX 225.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 215.51. The stock has a market capitalization of 273.64 million, a PE ratio of 1,895.83 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 3.60, a current ratio of 3.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.96.

About Schroder Japan Trust

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Schroder Japan Growth Fund plc is an open-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Schroder Investment Management Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of Japan. It invests in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund typically invests in value stocks of companies.

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Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL  Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,440,000 shares, a drop of 43.3% from the July 15th total of 6,070,000 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the companys shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 4,580,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.8 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Shell

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Shell by 5.1% in the second quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 10,808 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $653,000 after purchasing an additional 529 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Shell during the second quarter worth approximately $41,082,000. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its position in Shell by 1.0% during the second quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 418,186 shares of the energy companys stock worth $25,250,000 after buying an additional 4,075 shares in the last quarter. Pale Fire Capital SE acquired a new stake in Shell during the second quarter worth approximately $327,997,000. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its position in Shell by 1.2% during the second quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 141,098 shares of the energy companys stock worth $8,519,000 after buying an additional 1,718 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 8.52% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Shell from 28.00 to 27.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Shell from $75.00 to $67.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Shell from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $1,992.17.

Shell Stock Up 0.2 %

SHEL traded up $0.10 on Friday, hitting $62.42. 4,513,205 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,812,767. Shell has a 12 month low of $46.74 and a 12 month high of $63.69. The company has a market cap of $217.56 billion, a PE ratio of 7.63, a PEG ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.46. The stocks fifty day moving average is $60.57 and its 200-day moving average is $59.98.

Shell (NYSE:SHEL  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The energy company reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $76.02 billion during the quarter. Shell had a net margin of 7.94% and a return on equity of 17.65%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.04 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Shell will post 8.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Shell Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 11th will be given a $0.662 dividend. This is an increase from Shells previous quarterly dividend of $0.58. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a $2.65 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.24%. Shells dividend payout ratio is presently 32.40%.

Shell Company Profile

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Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, the United States, and Rest of the Americas. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Marketing, Chemicals and Products, and Renewables and Energy Solutions segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market.

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RABAT, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Morocco welcomes China's decision to resume group tours to more overseas destinations, including Morocco, believing the move will give a fresh boost to the country's tourism industry, local media said on Sunday.

The decision is "a development that holds the potential to breathe fresh life into the flow of Chinese travelers to the North African kingdom," said Morocco's online news website Hespress on Sunday.

Nasser Bouchiba, the chair of the African-Chinese Development Cooperation Association, stressed in the Hespress report that there is a strong interest among Chinese citizens to explore Morocco, which has been encouraged by visa exemption and Morocco's growing international reputation.

The tourism industry serves as an important pillar of Morocco's economy. In the first six months of 2023, Morocco witnessed an influx of 6.5 million tourists. Forecasts from the Ministry of Tourism anticipate that this figure could rise to approximately 14.5 million by the end of 2023. 
Continental Aktiengesellschaft (OTCMKTS:CTTAY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,200 shares, a decrease of 55.6% from the July 15th total of 2,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 66,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, BNP Paribas upgraded Continental Aktiengesellschaft from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Continental Aktiengesellschaft has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $62.67.

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Continental Aktiengesellschaft Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of OTCMKTS:CTTAY traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $7.37. The stock had a trading volume of 544,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 120,551. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.74. Continental Aktiengesellschaft has a 1 year low of $4.27 and a 1 year high of $8.28. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $7.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.38.

Continental Aktiengesellschaft (OTCMKTS:CTTAY  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 9th. The company reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $11.35 billion during the quarter. Continental Aktiengesellschaft had a return on equity of 4.82% and a net margin of 1.64%. Sell-side analysts expect that Continental Aktiengesellschaft will post 0.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Continental Aktiengesellschaft

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Continental Aktiengesellschaft, a technology company, offers intelligent solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic, and transportation worldwide. It operates through four sectors: Automotive, Tires, ContiTech, and Contract Manufacturing. The company offers safety, brake, chassis, motion, and motion control systems; solutions for assisted and automated driving; and audio and camera solutions for the vehicle interior, as well as intelligent information and communication technology solutions.

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Singapore Telecommunications Limited (OTCMKTS:SGAPY  Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 75,100 shares, an increase of 66.9% from the July 15th total of 45,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 111,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.7 days.

Singapore Telecommunications Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of SGAPY traded down $0.35 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $18.05. 57,117 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 136,393. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $18.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $18.69. Singapore Telecommunications has a 1-year low of $16.19 and a 1-year high of $20.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38.

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Singapore Telecommunications Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.3712 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 2nd. This is a boost from Singapore Telecommunicationss previous dividend of $0.18.

About Singapore Telecommunications

Singapore Telecommunications Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunication services to consumers and small businesses in Singapore, Australia, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Optus, Singapore Consumer, Group Enterprise, NCS, Trustwave, and Amobee segments.

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Bancolombia (NYSE:CIB  Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $39.00 to $35.00 in a report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a buy rating on the banks stock. The Goldman Sachs Groups target price points to a potential upside of 24.11% from the companys current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. TheStreet raised Bancolombia from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Friday, April 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Bancolombia from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and set a $30.00 price target for the company. in a report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America downgraded Bancolombia from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, April 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $30.67.

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Bancolombia Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE CIB opened at $28.20 on Friday. Bancolombia has a 1-year low of $21.55 and a 1-year high of $33.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $28.21 and a 200-day moving average of $26.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Bancolombia (NYSE:CIB  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 10th. The bank reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $1.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.41 billion. Bancolombia had a return on equity of 18.40% and a net margin of 15.60%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Bancolombia will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CIB. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. acquired a new stake in shares of Bancolombia during the 4th quarter worth approximately $21,404,000. Vontobel Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Bancolombia by 12.1% during the 4th quarter. Vontobel Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,521,737 shares of the banks stock worth $71,485,000 after purchasing an additional 271,288 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Bancolombia during the 4th quarter worth approximately $10,165,000. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Bancolombia by 86.8% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,263 shares of the banks stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 587 shares during the period. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group acquired a new stake in shares of Bancolombia during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,641,000.

Bancolombia Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Bancolombia SA provides banking products and services in Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Bermuda, and Guatemala. The company operates through nine segments: Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment Banking, Brokerage, International Banking, and All Other.

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Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS  Free Report) by 62.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,152 shares of the transportation companys stock after purchasing an additional 8,888 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRCs holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $4,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. RB Capital Management LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 3.1% during the first quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 2,689 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $577,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC purchased a new position in United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth approximately $1,162,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its position in United Parcel Service by 10.0% during the first quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $264,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. First Western Trust Bank acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth $515,000. Finally, Stevens Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in United Parcel Service during the first quarter worth $701,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.94% of the companys stock.

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United Parcel Service Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of NYSE UPS opened at $176.62 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $151.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.34. The business has a 50-day moving average of $179.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $181.30. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 1 year low of $154.87 and a 1 year high of $209.39.

United Parcel Service Dividend Announcement

United Parcel Service ( NYSE:UPS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The transportation company reported $2.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.05. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 51.28% and a net margin of 10.41%. The company had revenue of $22.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.29 EPS. United Parcel Services revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 9.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 14th will be issued a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 11th. United Parcel Services payout ratio is currently 56.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on UPS shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on United Parcel Service from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Atlantic Securities initiated coverage on United Parcel Service in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. They set a neutral rating and a $162.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on United Parcel Service from $181.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James dropped their price objective on United Parcel Service from $207.00 to $205.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised United Parcel Service from an underperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $189.54.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on United Parcel Service

United Parcel Service Profile

(Free Report)

United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States.

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A youth body, Niger Delta YOUTH COALITION, NDYC, has called on the federal government to ensure that due process is followed in the arrest and subsequent trial of the suspended CBN governor, Dr, Godwin Emeifele by the court.

Prince Emmanuel Ogba, National Coordinator of the NDYC, made the call in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Prince Ogba stated that the rearrest and subsequent trial of the suspended CBN governor, Dr Godwin Emeifele by the DSS after he had been granted bail by a federal High court of competent jurisdiction in Abuja, was an infringement of his fundamental right to be granted bail since it is a bailable offence.

The NDYC however in the statement, sees the trial of Emeifele as not wrong, based on the allegations leveled against him but decried his continues detention after he had been granted bail.

He therefore called on the Godswill Akpabio led senate to intervene in the trial to ensure due process is followed by granting the embattled Emeifele bail.

Prince Ogba who is a graduate of economics, further stated that the introduction of e-banking was good as it has created jobs for many Nigerians especially, in the rural areas through the establishment of Point of Sale, POS centres across the country.

He though argued that the policy was corrupted by some politicians who withdrew huge sums of the new currencies for electioneering purpose during the last general elections, thereby hindering the common man from accessing the new notes for transactions

The NDYC boss also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for extending the expiration of the old notes to next year when he assumed the mantle of leadership.

E- Sign

Prince Emmanuel Ogba.

( National Coordinator, NDYC)


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Allow me to commence this piece, or rather, this admonition, with a tale.

A man was suspecting his wife of infidelity, so he decided to go to his village and consult a juju man. The juju man told him to come back in two weeks bringing along some sample of sand from his yard.

So, the man went back after two weeks with the sample of sand.

The juju man threw several cowries on the floor, chanted and performed his rituals and said to the man..."I don't know if you can handle hearing this.. The man said go ahead. I want to hear it.

The juju man said the two boys you have are not your sons, your daughter is seeing five different men and your wife is pregnant for your younger brother."

The man started laughing. The juju man asked him why he was laughing, after all these bad news.

The man responded; I don't know if you can handle this. The juju man said go ahead. The man said, I was running late and I forgot to bring the sand sample from my yard, so I dug out some from your compound.

BABALAWO SHOUTED!

With this anecdote in mind, I will now provide a succinct overview of Niger Republic. Niger, an extensive and arid state bordering the Sahara Desert, has experienced a series of coups and political upheavals since gaining independence from France in 1960. The country's struggles encompass recurring droughts and pervasive poverty. In its pursuit of economic modernization, Niger places its hopes on expanding oil exploration, gold mining, and its substantial uranium production.

An important milestone occurred in April 2021 when Mohamed Bazoum assumed the presidency, marking Niger's first democratic transfer of power since independence. Regrettably, this progress was cut short by an army-led coup in July 2023, leading to his removal.

Western nations regarded Niger as a bastion against escalating disorder and the expanding influence of Russia in the region. The country hosted French and US military bases and was deemed a crucial partner in countering Islamist insurgencies before the coup. Nevertheless, the new junta announced the termination of military cooperation agreements with France and the cancellation of agreements involving the presence of French troops.

The incident in Niger on July 26, the seventh coup within West Africa in the past three years, rapidly evolved into a challenge for Western interests. Parallels with developments in Mali and Burkina Faso underscore the intricate dilemma of balancing the West's unyielding security and geopolitical priorities with its commitment to democratic principles across diverse African regions.

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) West Africa plays an influential role in this scenario. The Nigeria President heads ECOWAS, and while the first steps toward a war have been enunciated, it remains a war under the guise of sanctions that have already commenced. At the core of peacebuilding lies dialogue, mediation, and, on the international stage, diplomacy.

The inauguration of the GPPAC Nigeria Network, a pivotal step towards promoting peace and preventing conflicts, took place recently. With 22 initial members, the network will collaboratively engage in conflict prevention and peacebuilding across Nigerian communities.

During the inaugural meeting held in Abuja, Mr. Rafiu-Adeniran Lawal, the Regional Representative of GPPAC West Africa, emphasized the network's commitment to decentralization and local ownership. GPPAC envisions a world where violence and armed conflicts are averted and resolved through peaceful means, prioritizing justice, gender equity, sustainable development, and human security for all.

The event's theme, "Role of Civil Society in Fostering Peace and Security and Social Cohesion," was timely, aiming to address the plethora of peace and security threats in Nigeria. The meeting brought together representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), government officials, and international stakeholders to discuss the vital role of CSOs in preventing conflicts and fostering peace.

GPPAC's focus extends to building national and regional capacity for prevention by enhancing the capabilities of its regional networks and global mechanisms to take collective actions against violent conflicts. By mobilizing early response actions based on early warning information, GPPAC aims to intervene effectively in impending crises and urge governments and international organizations to respond promptly to regional requests.

The GPPAC Nigeria Network is founded on three key priority areas: Locally Led Peacebuilding, Women and Youth Peace and Security, and a Conflict-Sensitive Approach to Climate-Related Risks and Other Emerging Threats. These priorities will guide the network's approach and agenda in addressing peace and security challenges in the region.

A standout moment in the meeting was the keynote address by Professor Charles Ukeje from Obafemi Awolowo University. Prof. Ukeje highlighted the value of CSOs as early warning providers and intermediaries between states and society. He called on governments to view CSOs as partners in progress, stressing the importance of collaboration and building bridges between CSOs and the government.

Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, commended GPPAC for its initiative. He acknowledged the devastating impact of armed conflicts, causing hunger, health challenges, displacement, destitution, and underdevelopment, particularly in Nigeria's North East.

The inaugural meeting concluded with 21 partner organizations identifying innovative methods and approaches to foster peace within Nigerian communities, with The Tattaaunawa Roundtable Initiative as focal national office, aspires to work together with a shared ambition of eradicating violence and insecurity in Nigeria, ultimately fostering a more peaceful and secure society.

The inauguration of the GPPAC Nigeria Network represents a pivotal stride toward nurturing peace, inclusion, and collaboration in the West African context. By rallying CSOs and cultivating cooperation with governments and international partners, GPPAC aims to make substantial contributions to preventing conflicts and building peace in Nigeria and the broader region.

In closing, the establishment of the GPPAC Nigeria Network stands as a testament to the potency of collective action and the determination to construct a safer, more peaceful world. The spirit of collaboration and the pursuit of shared objectives, embodied by GPPAC, ignite hope for a future where conflicts are forestalled through dialogue, understanding, and sustainable development. As GPPAC West Africa, indeed GPPAC Nigeria and sister nations assume leadership in fostering peace and inclusion, it conveys a potent message: together, we can surmount challenges and forge a more unified and prosperous West AfricaMay Nigeria win!
A former presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress and Senior Pastor of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has urged President Bola Tinubu to tackle corruption and not Nigerians as he steers the affairs of the country.

The clergyman cum politician lamented that the subsidy removal is having adverse effects on Nigerians saying, Mr President, kill corruption, and not Nigerians. No economy can thrive on impunity.

Speaking on the theme Vice, virtue and time: The three things that shall never stand still at the church auditorium, located on Kuditat Abiola way, Ikeja in Lagos, the cleric also faulted the proposed military intervention in Niger Republic by ECOWAS.

He said: Local support for Nigeria by Nigeriens is at an all-time low. It is, therefore, counter-productive to engage in a warfare. While we condemn coup detat in West Africa, we recognize that the situation calls for deep, introspection on the part of African leaders.

We call upon Nigeria at this time to provide good leadership. The real question is whether President Tinubu has capacity to provide the moral leadership even in the domestic context.

Expressing optimism that God will move in Nigeria after his state of the nation broadcast, he said: We must share what the Lord has said to us and what he has shown to us. Todays state of the nation broadcast is a by product of what we have seen and what we have heard.

Youre going to see Gods move in our nation after this state of the nation broadcast. Today will mark the time, day and season that God intervened in Nigerias affairs.
MANILA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Armed men ambushed a convoy of a local government official in the southern Philippines, killing a soldier and wounding six others and a police officer, a military spokesperson said on Sunday.

Army Major Andrew Linao of the military's Western Mindanao Command said the local official was not injured in the attack on Saturday in Basilan, an island province in the south.

Linao said around 10 armed men launched the ambush. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. 
Ahead of the impending judgment by the Enugu State Governorship and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal on the gubernatorial vote of March 18, the Network of Evangelical Bishops of Nigeria (NEBN), Southeast Zone, has advised Governor Peter Mbah to accept the judgment rather than appeal against it.

Mbah has wasted our time and resources enough since he connived with some elements in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the winner of the election held four days earlier, the bishops stated in a statement signed by their chairman, Bishop Samuel Anih, and their acting publicity secretary, Bishop Emmanuel Eneh.

We have learned authoritatively that he has given up on the Election Petitions Tribunal because of the overwhelming evidence against him, but his team is already working on how to influence the Court of Appeal justices in order to get them to rule in his favour when he appeals against the judgment of the Tribunal, the way his team compromised INEC which gave a ridiculous result on the governorship on March 22, 2023.

Describing the Court of Appeal justices as just, fair-minded, and capable jurists with integrity, the senior religious leaders foretold that Mbah would lose at the appellate court because, according to them, he is not qualified to run for the governorship and did not win the election.

The National Youth Service (NYSC) discharge certificate with number A808297 Mbah presented to INEC is forged, according to the NYSC Director General, Brigadier Ahmed, and the Director of Certification, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, as well as the Assistant Director of Certification, Mrs. Rhoda Dada, in their separate testimonies.

Various Nigerian public officers discovered to have presented forged documents have all lost their positions, including President Muhammadu Buharis first finance minister Kemi Adeosun, and House of Representatives Speaker Mohammed Salusi Buhari in 1999, and Bayelsa deputy governor elect Biobarakuma Degi-Eremioye who was removed by the Supreme Court in February 2020, alongside governor-elect David Lyon, as well as Muktar Yerima, a member of the House of Representatives who was four days ago declared ineligible to hold public office by the Kano State Governorship and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal.

Compounding his woe, said the bishops, "is the fact that Mbahdid not win the gubernatorial race; INEC merely allocated to him over 16,000 votes in his Nkanu East Local Government Area, an action it can't defend anywhere in the world.

Even when the Election Petitions Tribunal gave INEC two days to present witnesses, the electoral body couldnt produce even one witness, they asserted, adding that the situation "is as funny as when Mbah presented as a witness one fellow who claimed to be from the Department of State Service (DSS) and had investigated the NYSC, but couldnt present a document showing he works there nor anything indicating he has the organisations mandate to represent it at the tribunal, let alone being assigned the task of investigating NYSCs position on Mbah.

The bishops recalled how the governor's Chief of Staff, Victor Udeh, who claimed that Mbah did his NYSC primary assignment in his law firm in Lagos in 2003, was confronted with documents at the election petitions tribunal showing that our purported governor was, in fact, serving during this period as the Chief of Staff to Governor Chimaroke Nnamani, complete with signed letters of appointment and resumption of duties.

The bishops also recalled how both Mbah and Udeh were shocked also at the tribunal with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charge sheets of 2007 detailing the financial atrocities they committed against the government and people of Enugu State as government officials, thus publicly making a mess of their claim that they were then working in a private law firm in Lagos.

The armada of 15 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), assembled from all parts of the country with enormous resources of Enugu people couldnt help Mbahs watery case.

They accused the governor of worsening the security crisis in the state with what they called his ill-advised and ill-thought-out security steps.

He is so inept that he is already making his predecessor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, look like an excellent administrator and leader, they remarked.

Ugwuany made national headlines last February when, as a sitting governor running for the Senate, he was well defeated in his polling booth, polling unit, his hometown of Orba, and his Udenu Local Government Area as well as the entire Enugu North senatorial zone by Barrister Okey Ezeah of the Labour Party because his Nsukka people consider his record of achievements poor.

Mbah should stop wasting our time and sources and accept the verdict of the Enugu Election Petitions Tribunal anytime it is given, the bishops stated.

Mbah, more than any other person since the creation of our beloved state on August 27, 1991, has set Enugu back owing to his personal vaulting ambitions to be the governor at all costs".
The order to deploy standby force to Niger Republic by the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] has heightened the fear and tension of looming crisis in West African sub-regional territories.

It could be recalled that ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, after its second Extraordinary Summit in Abuja on Thursday, August 10, resolved to deploy its standby force to restore constitutional order in NIger Republic.

The President of ECOWAS, Omar Alieu Touray, made this known while reading the resolution of the regional bloc after the summit.

Direct the committee of the Chief of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS stand-by force with all its elements immediately.

Order the deployment of the ECOWAS stand-by force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger, parts of the resolution read.

MILITARY JUNTA FORM GOVERNMENT IN NIGER

Barely a few hours to the ECOWAS meeting, the military authorities in Niger Republic on Wednesday, August 9, announced the formation of a new government and the appointment of 21 persons as ministers.

They unveiled Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the newly appointed Prime Minister who will lead 21 new ministers with generals from the new military governing council heading the defence and interior ministries.

It could be recalled that members of Nigers Presidential Guard had on July 26 toppled the democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum-led government in a blood-free coup.

The ousted President and some members of his cabinet reportedly were thrown into detention.

The military coup plotters, consequently announced General Abduorahamane Tchiani, the former Chief of the presidential guard, as the President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), a council formed following the coup.

During a nationwide broadcast, the military claimed that their seizure of power was to end the government due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance in the country.

Ostensibly, the military takeover in Niger has been widely greeted with rejections, criticisms and condemnations among international communities including ECOWAS, African Union, France, United States governments among others.

ECOWAS PLANS MILITARY INTERVENTION TO FORCE DEMOCRATIC RULE IN NIGER

The ECOWAS leaders had earlier given the junta one-week ultimatum to restore constitutional order and return President Mohamed Bazoum to power.

The ultimatum which elapsed on August 6 was unapologetically shunned by the Nigerien military government despite the international and regional sanctions imposed on the country.

It could be recalled that the ECOWAS chaired by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria had placed economic sanctions on Niger following the military takeover.

The ECOWAS imposed 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 Aqua Central Bank. Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks.

Suspension of measure from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID, ECOWAS said in its initial ultimatum.

DIPLOMATIC TALKS FAILED

Efforts by the international communities to engage with the military junta diplomatically on over the week proven abortive.

It could be recalled that a special delegation sent by the ECOWAS to meet with the coup leaders did not achieve its targeted result as members of the delegation led by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) were unable to meet the military head in Niger.

Also a secret meeting between Victoria Nuland, a US diplomat, and the coup leaders reportedly ended in obscurity as the envoy could not meet the military junta leader and the ousted President Bazoum.

It was even as the military junta refused entry to a negotiating mission planned for Tuesday, August 8 by the United Nations, African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

That, however, came after the Nigers military rulers had announced shutdown of the countrys airspace, warning that any attempt to violate it would meet with an energetic and immediate response.

Faced with the threat of intervention, which is becoming clearer through the preparation of neighbouring countries, Nigers airspace is closed from this day on Sunday for all aircraft until further notice, they said this in a statement released on Sunday, the day ECOWAS ultimatum elapsed.

NIGERIAN FORMER EMIR MEET THE JUNTA FOR DIALOGUE

However, in a shocking development on Wednesday, August 8, the former Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, met with the military coup leaders, reportedly making efforts to fine-tune means to restore constitutional normalcy in the country.

It was learnt that Sanusi, who is the Khalifa of Tijjaniya sect in Nigeria and a respected Nigerian economist met the Junta leaders in the company of the Sultan of Damagaran, the third largest city in Niger.

Details of the meeting were not made known to the public even as Sanusi claimed that he was in Niger on his personal capacity without influence from the Nigerian government or international communities.

ECOWAS Lawmakers Divided Over Standby Force Deployment

The decision of ECOWAS to deploy its standby force to restore constitutional order in NIger Republic has generated intense concerns from different corners essentially in the ECOWAS Parliament.

Members of the parliament had a virtual extraordinary meeting on Saturday to deliberate on political developments in Niger Republic.

Some members of the chamber, who participated in the virtual extraordinary meeting said any military intervention would be counter-productive.

The First Deputy Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Idris Wase, who opposed the use of force in resolving the situation was quoted as saying: We should be careful not to start what we cant finish. When the Russia  Ukraine war started, people thought it was to be a sharp war. A year after, the war is still lingering on with the attendant economic squander and wanton destruction of lives and property.

Any war on Niger will have adverse effects on 60% of Nigeria, especially Northern Nigeria, he added.

Also, Senator Ali Ndume, a member of the parliament, berated President Bola Tinubu for cutting diplomatic ties with the Niger without getting Nigerian National Assembly approval.

We are the representatives of the people. Whatever action that must be taken should be dependent on what our people want.

The ECOWAS Chairman, President Tinubu, wrote the Nigerian Senate on the planned military intervention in Niger and the Red Chamber vehemently opposed the use of force. They prefer instead, dialogue should be adopted in resolving the impasse.

President Tinubu has no right to close the Niger  Nigeria border, cut electricity without the approval of the Nigerian National Assembly. It is not the Juntas that are suffering the sanctions, rather innocent people.

Similarly, a representative from Niger Republic, Ali Djibo, said no fewer than 9,000 schools already have been shut, adding that dialogue would be the best solution to the situation.

War will only compound the economic woes the peoples of the subregion are already going through.

As we speak, over a thousand trucks, loaded with goods, are stranded at the border. If a coup happened in Nigeria or CotedIviore tomorrow, where is ECOWAS going to mobilise troops to fight the Nigerian or Ivorian military? How many borders are we going to close?

We must also bear in mind that, if were applying the ECOWAS treaty, it should apply to all, he was quoted saying on the floor of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, a Nigerian representative, Linda Ikpeazu, said dialogue and diplomacy have not been able to discourage the spread of coups in West Africa.

She held that there should be consequences for every action against the ECOWAS Protocol and declared support for any measure aimed at stopping military involvement in politics.

Adebayo Balogun, another Nigerian Parliamentarian, held the view that what ECOWAS leaders are proposing is not a full-scale war but a military action against the coup leaders, saying that the action is premised on the fact that Niger is a signatory to ECOWAS revised protocol on non-military intervention.

NIGERIAN FLEEING NIGER AHEAD OF ECOWAS MILITARY FORCE

Reports have emerged that some Nigerians, who were residing in Niger, were already fleeing the country following the firm stance of ECOWAS leaders on the military coup.

Ever since the pronouncement by ECOWAS that the ousted president should be reinstated, a lot of us, especially those of us from Nigeria, have been having sleepless nights. Although there have not been any attacks on us, anything can happen if we are not careful. That was why I decided to come back to Nigeria and pray for an amicable resolutions of the crisis over there (in Niger Republic). To a layman in Niger Republic now, Nigeria is waging war against them, Umar Abubakar, an indigene of Kebbi State, told reporters after returning back to Nigeria.

Also, Haruna Abdulazeez, an indigene of Osun State who also flew Niger, said he left the country because of possible attack from Nigeriens.

When asked if there were there threats of an attack by the host communities against foreigners, Abdulazeez said, Honestly, there was nothing like that before but one never can say. Those people (Nigeriens) may decide to attack us anytime and since it would be difficult for us to hide, I decided to come back to Nigeria and stay in Illela for some time before things normalise over there.

Meanwhile, some protesters in Kano State took to streets on Saturday displaying Nigerien flags and placards in solidarity, and chanting anti-military action songs as they walked around the metropolis.

Some of the placards, it was learnt, read: War against Niger is injustice. It is the handiwork of America. It is the handiwork of Westerners. It is Islam that we want. It is justice that we want. Niger is ours.

This was even as the Nigerian Ambassador to Niger denied report that the nations embassy was burnt by angry protesters in Niamey, Niger.

In a statement by issued to clarify the viral report, Liti Auwalu, the Nigeria Ambassador to Niger, said protesters tried to gain access to the embassy, but the Nigerien military and police managed the situation, adding that the embassy is well guarded.

Many civil society groups and stakeholders in the country have expressed rejection of the military intervention to resolve the leadership crisis in Niger.

While many are raising concerns on potential inadvertent effects of military force on ordinary Nigerien residents, some commentators have lamented that the military action may boomerang on diplomatic relationships between Nigeria and Niger Republic.

This newspaper understands that Nigeria shares six borderlines with Niger including in Sokoto, Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi and Katsina States.

As of the time of filing this report, there were no any clear indications on whether ECOWAS have sent troops to Niger. However, authorities in the Niger have expressed readiness to embrace diplomatic dialogue to issues in their country.
Abia / Nigeria: For some weeks now, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development, FENRAD, a pro-democracy and environmental rights advocacy group in Abia State has followed the trends of the development in Niger Republic, a West African nation where a military coup d'etat staged by soldiers ousted the democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum. FENRAD condemns in its entirety any form of unconstitutional change of government (UCG) as enshrined in the Organisation of African Unity, OAU's 2000 Lome Declaration known as Framework for an OAU Response to Unconstitutional Change of Government, the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Charter and 2001 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, even in the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) adopted in 2007 by African Union (AU) member states.

We reaffirm our belief in all the extant instruments of international law as well as other constitutive laws binding on the sub-region that outlaw unconstitutional change of government, but we still maintain that for ECOWAS, war is not among the first options in addressing the Nigerien question. We validly state this mindful that there are no easy wars, even as contemporary global events keep showing that modern conventional wars are not easily winnable. Russia, for example, could not easily and conventionally decimate a weak Ukraine even with all her military might and sophisticated war machinery after one year now. Long-drawn asymmetric and internecine struggles in Africa have heightened instability, altered migration patterns with attendant refugee and humanitarian crises. This is what we believe ECOWAS is not pushing for in the sub-region.

The Foundation is of the view that reading coupists the riot act (through an 8-point resolution of ECOWAS's Authority of Heads of State and Government) which culminated in issuing a seven-day ultimatum, tightening sanctions and the screw on Niger were all tantamount to putting the cart before the horse. Shuttle diplomacy should have come first, in which case ECOWAS would be able to meet with and extract commitment from the junta in Niger, including on how to release and reinstate ousted Bazoum. Should that (shuttle diplomacy) fail, the next would be soft power diplomacy, in which case ECOWAS offers appealing choices to the junta for them to restore constitutional order. It is only after all the instruments and avenues of diplomacy have been exhausted that a war or military intervention becomes inevitable. Even in intervention, there are levels to military operation depending on the scale and type of hostility. There is 'peacekeeping' and there is 'peace enforcement.' Peacekeeping, usually a lighter military operation, comes first to create a safe passage or corridor in line with international humanitarian law. Peacekeeping is followed by peace enforcement, which is a full-fledged military operation/action targeted at coercing parties to a conflict to come to a resolution or ousting illegitimate and unpopular regimes. The Foundation thinks that a non-kinetic approach would have achieved a negotiated peace.

The questions ECOWAS has not asked are: what are the motivating factors behind incessant coups d'etat happening with a domino effect in the sub-region? What can be done to address them? Are there factors alien to the sub-region which explain these coups?

In Mali and Burkina Faso, for example, putschists are of the view that the failure of France to flush out jihadists and militant islamists in the Sahel states through the so-called 'Operation Barkhane' partly necessitated military intervention, including the need to end all forms of colonial imprints and stranglehold in the sub-region. In Niger, the perceived pro-West posturing of Mohammed Bazoum, for example, was adduced largely as reason for the coup. Frankly speaking, the age-old patterns established during colonial and post-colonial days still persist decades after self-government status was attained. The fact that these coups d'etat are happening in former French colonies, most of whom long after flag independence still have their national reserves held in the Bank of France and currencies tied in a weak monetary zone known as CFA franc Zone sustained through the policy of Francafrique is what ECOWAS, as an economic bloc, ought to have interrogated. What can ECOWAS do differently to end this unequal international economic relations, and to in its place establish one favourable to all parties in the sub-region and beyond?

The option of war edges the sub-region to a likely endless conflict given that Niger's neighbours to the west (Mali and Burkina Faso) promised to mobilise in support of the junta in Niamey in event of hostility outbreak. Here is where the question must be asked: since ECOWAS does not have any military air base or drone base from which it could launch un/manned or drone attacks, which country will open the channel or sector for the bloc? Currently, Benin Republic which is contiguous with Niger is showing a seeming neutral stance. Chad which shares border with Niger in her north-western flank is not a member state of the ECOWAS and so may not likely cooperate; and as earlier mentioned, Niger's western neighbours are all her allies. This leaves Nigeria as the likely option for launch of offensive. Here too, domestic politics with shared historical sentiments are already playing out, so the Foundation understands war is not in Nigeria's interest given that the military is already stretched trying to contain the forces of ISWAP, Ansaru, Boko Haram, bandits and unknown gunmen, both locally and internationally through the JTF military operations in the Lake Chad Basin.

With war mercenaries and warmongers having mining interests in Africa and running campaign and propaganda likely to reinforce the Cold War narratives, Africa may soon lose men and resources as had been observed elsewhere. The Wagner Group, today, is selling an anti-West narrative, and the Foundation is not unaware that with the sack of France's Operation Barkhane and its subsequent replacement with the Group in Mali, ideological and proxy wars are possible in the sub-region should any conflict happen. We urge ECOWAS leaders to weigh their options well as there are no free riders in the affairs of states. Merchants of death are cavorting, ECOWAS should be watchful. East is East, West is West.

The economies of member states at a a time like this are fragile, already on their knees, the Foundation laments. 14 of the 15 ECOWAS member states are 'heavily indebted,' according to IMF report of 2022, so whose interest is war in Niger in, and who will fund it among member states without further worsening debt burden and poverty? Moreso, considering that there is no efficient standing military group in the sub-region, like the old ECOMOG, with existing fragmented military alliances scattered across the sub-region like the Accra Initiative, Liptako-Gourman Authority and the Lake Chad Basin JTF, all existing within and beyond the sub-region, it will be a tough task organising and coordinating a military operation unanimously. This is not the time.

We urge ECOWAS to look inward and consider building strong institutions, ones that check corruption, electoral malfeasance, life presidency and the rest. Some countries in ECOWAS, like Cote D'Ivoire, have presidents who have gone beyond their constitutional term in office but will prefer to amend the laws and remain in power by other means. Sadly, the same France that ousted Lauren Gbagbo remains tight-lipped. The Foundation calls on ECOWAS to take democracy, as enshrined in its Charter and 2001 Protocol, including in AU's 2000 Lome Declaration, seriously as military coup alone does not constitute an illegitimate regime. We believe that ECOWAS should begin to act and rebuild supranational economies as was the goal in 1975 when it was founded. War in Niger does not assure a win-win outcome for the bloc, so we ask: in Niger, whose war is ECOWAS planning to fight?

Signed:

Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor

Executive Director

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria

Tel;/WhatsApp 08033383708,07062949232,

Email; [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected].

Website; www.fenrad.org.ng

Follow us at Twitter,Facebook, Instagram and linkedlin @FENRADNIGERIA.

Foundation For Environmental Rights,Advocacy & Development(FENRAD)

Plot 101 Jubilee Road,By mosque Street, 2nd Floor,Front ,Aba,Abia State.

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE;

Plot 11/13 Ezillo Avenue,Independence Layout,Enugu,Enugu State;

National Advocacy Office:

Plot 9 Lumsar street,Abacha Estate Behind sheraton Hotel Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Nigeria

Tel;08033383708,07062949232,08056480504,,

Email;fenradn[email protected],[email protected]. www.fenrad.org.ng

Facebook@fenradnigeria Twitter@fenradnigeria Skype;@fenradnigeria.
A snapshot of the South

To my amazement, the party  celebrating my partners family acquisition of a new house  went on all day. I should have expected it. After all, the previous days preparations had been exhaustive, and the cost far above what anyone might expect in a poor rural community. No expense had been spared.

Community

By Patrick Campbell

Sunday 13 August 2023 02:00 PM

An auspicious occasion, celebrated Southern style. Photo: Patrick Campbell

In the forecourt, a dozen tables were decked with red cloths and arranged under an awning. Non-stop food and drink. Mountains of rice. Forty kilos of snapper in two huge tureens of fish stew, a sour one made with green pineapples and a sweeter, fragrant concoction. A clear chicken soup with mushrooms and Chinese herbs. Simply delicious.

What was less surprising was the palpable sense of a local community putting on its best face, a celebratory occasion when friends and neighbours might give unstintingly to a respected and popular family. Everyone came bearing gifts: money in sealed envelopes, and items for the new home including a refrigerator, a water heater, no fewer than five electric fans, potted plants and, more in keeping with tradition, a caged singing bulbul, and numerous framed pictures of the usual culprits  His Majesty The King, and a celebrated local monk.

In fact, the Buddhist tradition of blessing a new venture was strictly observed. On a day long before chosen for its auspicious vibrations, five monks had arrived early to intone the chants that sanctify such occasions. These prayers called on the Almighty to bestow good fortune and prosperity on the new dwelling and its occupants, a tum boon baan ritual that involved sprinkling lustral water, and binding the home with white string. In return the monks received money and the first lavish breakfast. By eleven oclock they had gone.

Certain behaviour patterns were discernible to the outsider  and I was the only farang  especially unexpected differences between the younger and older generations, and the men and women. Though the party went on all day, with maybe 150 people coming and going, no one seemed to be worse for wear.

Nonetheless, the young bloods, all moustachioed like young Clark Gables, made frequent trips to the huge cooler box that contained the drinks  not to extract a beer as one might expect  but to pour a cloudy , brownish liquid into their insulated mugs. Kratom. Now legal tipple, but a key element in Southern Thai culture and long enjoyed by generations of rural Thais.

A plant from the coffee family, the deeply ribbed leaves are boiled in water to make a kind of concentrated tea. Acting on the same brain centres as opioids, kratom is a mild stimulant and pain reliever. Offered a swig, I noted that the slightly acerbic taste of the infusion had been masked by some kind of sweetener.

Bucking the trend, one table of young men drank Hong Thong , a Thai-style rum made with sugar cane molasses. But there was no sign of lao khao, the cheap rice whisky that is standard tipple among indigent rice farmers in the northern provinces.

As for the women, they drank nothing alcoholic apart from the odd beer. And in contrast to their menfolk, none of them smoked. The men, on the other hand, were rarely without a cigarette pressed between their lips  a rather worrying sight  at least to my jaundiced Western eyes. I wondered idly whether such differences in lifestyle might account for the fact that while the men were spare and slim, their partners were mostly pumpui. And be-trousered. Hardly a skirt or dress in sight. Phibun would have turned in his grave.

As a Westerner, one is inured to spoilt kids at parties screaming and shouting. What a contrast. Here there were many children, seen but not heard. And they were respectful, happy to wait and serve, fetching and carrying food and drink for their elders.

This might not be a prosperous community, at least by Western standards, but it still observed its time-honoured traditions with both pleasure and pride. Traditions worth preserving.

It was a privilege to be there.

Patrick Campbells book The Tropic Gardener, described in one Bangkok review as the best book on Thai gardening for 50 years, is available for B500 (half price) to personal callers from 59/84 Soi Saiyuan 13 in Rawai (Tel: 076-613227 or 085-7827551).
Tourist injured after ATV collides with bus on Phuket public road

PHUKET: A Chinese tourist was rushed to the hospital earlier this week after the ATV he was driving collided with a tour bus on Soi Yod Sane, a public road leading from Chao Fa West Rd to Big Buddha.

accidentstourismSafetyChinese

By The Phuket News

Sunday 13 August 2023 02:43 PM

A foreign tourist was injured when an ATV slammed into a bus in Chalong on Aug 9. Photo: PPAO

A foreign tourist was injured when an ATV slammed into a bus in Chalong on Aug 9. Photo: PPAO

A foreign tourist was injured when an ATV slammed into a bus in Chalong on Aug 9. Photo: PPAO

Phuket rescue workers were notified of the accident on Soi Yod Sane at around 5.25pm on Wednesday (Aug 9). An ambulance from Pearl Center was dispatched to provide assistance, reports Novosti Phuket, The Phuket News sister-paper.

The case was not reported by Chalong Police, Phuket Tourist Police or local media but was included in the Aug 9 report of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), the operator of Pearl Center.

Upon arriving at the scene, PPAO rescue workers found a damaged four-wheeled ATV that had collided with a small tour bus bearing the logo of a well-known local company.

The Chinese driver of the ATV, who remains unnamed, was conscious despite "a large tear wound on the forehead." It was not reported if the man was wearing a helmet.

Further injuries included what were described in the report as "disfigured limbs."

The man received first aid at the spot, was placed on a stretcher, and rushed to Chalong Hospital for further treatment.

Nothing has been revealed so far about any possible charges against the tourist regarding the operation of an ATV on a public road or against the tour operator that organised the recreational activity which resulted in material damage and bodily harm.

In February 2022, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong signed an order banning all electric scooter from public roads as they are not permitted there by law.

Gen Sermphan warned that people caught riding electric scooters on public roads may be fined for operating an unregistered vehicle on a public road as well as operating a vehicle without a valid licence.

The first violation is punishable by a fine of up to B10,000. The penalty for the second one is up to six months imprisonment or a fine of up to B9,000, or both.

For the period from Jan 1 through Aug 13, 2023, the national Thai Road Safety Committee (ThaiRSC) has recorded 92 deaths and 13,362 hospitalizations after road accidents in Phuket. The death toll is 53.3% higher than in 2022, the injury toll is 21.8% higher.
Details of desecrated Temples laid bare Falling in place

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Certainly not all, but certain important points are beginning to fall in place. Ever since the descration or destruction of Kuki Churches began to occupy an important place in the clash narrative, The Sangai Express in its own capacity had been urging civil society organisations concerned to give the total places of worship of the Meiteis which have been vandalised, desecrated, burnt, razed to the ground etc in the course of the bloody ethnic clash, and after more than 90 days of the violence, the answer has been provided. Thanks to the painstaking efforts taken up by the Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup (UKAL), Manipur, India and the world now know that at least 393 worship places of the Meiteis have been destroyed. The count is not final, and it could be more and the figure given till now was unearthed after extensive investigation and research. It is also extremely important to note that no places of worship of the Meiteis have been targeted in Naga dominated areas. This is a point that should be kept in mind. The extensive research and investigation line maintained by UKAL is also clear in the manner in which it has managed to give a break up of the places of worhip, such as 44 places of worship dedicated to Umang Lai which is inclusive of 3 in Tengnoupal, 11 in Churachandpur, 4 in Kakching, 3 in Imphal East, 10 in Kangpokpi, 6 in Bishnupur and 7 in Imphal West. Umang Lai, the forest deity and this underlines the fact that the Meitei is one of the few groups of people in the North East who continue to worship nature to this day, a distinct tribal trait. And to think that the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) staged the Tribal Solidarity March on May 3 ostensibly against the demand that the Meitei tribal group be included in the Scheduled list of tribal people under the Constitution of India and nothing can get more farcical than this. UKAL has also listed the other places of worship of the Meiteis which have been desecrated and this include 88 sites dedicated to Apokpa Laipham, the ancestral deity of the Meiteis, at Tengnoupal (15), Churachandpur (38), Kakching (23), Imphal East (9) and Kangpokpi (3). UKAL also gave a total of 223 Hingkhol Lai (homestead deity) shrines which were desecrated at Kakching (41), Churachandpur (72), Bishnupur (20), Tengnoupal (43), Imphal East (30), Imphal West (4) and Kangpokpi (13). Moreover 16 more Temples dedicated to Hindu Gods were also razed to the ground. Well researched, and one wish that this finding had been made public on or before August 11, the last day of the Monsoon session of Parliament. Wonder how Union Home Minister Amit Shah would have taken to this brazen act of vandalism, while crying foul and approaching the European Parliament that so many Churches have been destroyed by the majority Meiteis.

The madness is mind numbing. It should be clear that it was not for any hatred or anything against Christianity that a number of Churches were demolished or desecrated at Imphal but was in line with the ethnic clash. As stated many times in this column, no Naga Churches were targeted and the biggest Church in Manipur-the Central Church of the Manipur Baptist Convention-which is not identified with any particular community continues to stand tall. The false narrative that has been peddled to the outside world is beginning to fall apart. It would also be grossly wrong to interpret the ongoing clash as one between the tribals and non-tribals for not all the tribal groups are involved-not all the tribal groups are infiltrators from across the border and many of them are not poppy cultivators or drug smugglers. The line has to be drawn clearly and any narrative that seeks to cast the clash as one between tribals and non-tribals should be rubbished. A look at the places of worship and deities of the Meiteis that have been desecrated should more than say something significant about the tribal traits of the Meiteis and what they are pressing for is their enlistment in the Scheduled list, though this is not at all central to the ongoing clash.
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Four terrorists and a soldier were killed in a clash between security forces and militants in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a military statement said on Sunday.

The incident happened from the Saturday night to the early morning of Sunday when the security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Bajaur district of the province, the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in the statement.

"During the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange occurred between security forces and terrorists," the statement added.

The security forces recovered arms, ammunition and explosives, including a suicide vest from the terrorists, the ISPR said.

The slain terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and the killing of innocent citizens, the ISPR said. 
Unprovoked attacks on Meitei settlements in Manipur

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Laishram Devakumar Singh

Manipur has never been a peaceful and stable State since her forceful merger with the Union of India in 1949. Manipur continue to be neglected by the GOI and not even granted Statehood till 1972. A stark contrary to this, Nagaland which was not even a well-defined State under the colonial period was given Statehood in 1963 with the enactment of State of Nagaland Act in 1962 by merging many diverse ethnic tribal populations.

Thus, we can witness from the very beginning of her becoming part of India the step-motherly treatment of Manipuris and divisive policy by the GOI. After having been merged with the India the territorial boundary of Manipur is shrinking to its low due to lack of astute political leaders and lack of wisdom and political will on the parts of the political leaders. Manipur lost Tamu Valley as it was not claimed by GOI when Burma stopped payment of annual tribute amounting to 6000 siccas. As per the agreement arrived between British colonial India and Burma, Kabaw Valley (Tamu Valley) is to be reverted to Manipur when Burma stopped payment of annual tribute. Thus, Manipur lost a fertile valley which was once a part of proud Manipuri Kingdom of Southeast Asia.

The State of Manipur has been turned into battle ground between Indian security forces and revolutionaries groups of Manipur. During this period (1980s to 1990s) of peril around 3000 young bloods lost their lives for the cause of the Manipuri Nation.

From time to time, we have been witnessing violence and chaotic situation in Manipur due to lack of political will and statesmanship of the elected representatives who could unite and bring forth the idea of unity through uniform laws. History is obvious example where there is no uniform set of law, the Nation will develop friction in various forms.

The State of Manipur had witnessed the communal riots between Meiteis and Pangals in 1990s and Nagas and Kukis as well.

The idea of hills and valley is a venom which run in the policy of the State. As long as the barrier of hills and valley exist, the true spirit of peaceful co-existence will remain artificial.

Coming back to the clashes of Kukis and Meiteis which started on 3rd May 2023 at Churchanpurcan be traced back to the well-planned conspiracy hatched by Chin-Kukis-Zo Narco-terrorists who have been keeping good terms with Indian intelligence and Paramilitary forces particularly Assam Rifles stationed in the State since 1990s.

The recent crackdown on the PDF (People Defence force) in Myanmar by Military Junta and their influx into Manipur and involvement in harbouring cross-border illegal trade in drugs became a menace to the Manipuri society. The demographic change caused by the influx of illegal immigrants very much disturbed the landscape of the State of Manipur. The distortion of history of Manipur which is well over 2000 years old by some so-called Kuki intellectuals and scholars furthered the mutual suspicion and distrust. The renaming of Thangjing as Thangting, destruction of Koubru and Kongba Maru laiphamlen by Narco-terrorists further strained the relation between Meiteis and Kukis.

Of late it came to light how Chin-Kuki Zo Narco-terrorists planned their nefarious agenda to create a separate political and economic administration. To meet their end, theyve already activated many activities such as evicting indigenous Meiteis from their birth places in Churchandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh etc, improvement of the connectivity within the Chin-Kuki Zo settlement areas across the State and prepared literature in the form of pamphlets, distorted history and videos, and images etc.

After the tribal solidarity march across the hill districts on 3/07/2023, they started marching against the Meitei inhabited areas in Churachanpur district of Manipur.

To ignite the fire, they blamed the Meitei for burning gate which the Kukis considered their memorial gate dedicated to so called alleged Anglo-Kuki War. Chin-Kuki-Zo started shouting and attacking Meitei inhabitants of the areas with sophisticated firearms and burnt down many houses and more than hundred Churches belonging to Meitei Christians to ashes. To the great dismay and surprise of the Meiteis, the Chin-Kuki-Zo community showed it in electronic media as if Meitei burnt down these Churches. National and International media also highlighted it without verifying the facts. Ironically, Meiteis, suddenly became refugees in their own homeland. They left everything behind and ran to save their own skin. On the following day on 4/07/2023, Meiteis started tit for tat attack on Kukis in Imphal areas. Violence started like wildfire. Many innocent lives were lost in both the communities.

Had Government taken prompt action in time the violence could have been controlled but unfortunately, security forces started acting on communal line which reminded the partition event of India.

News started trickling in the ears of public that security forces in Manipur, covertly supported the Kuki separatists. To cite one clear evidence is rescue of two injured security personnel from the site of encounter at Senjam Chirang at Phayeng. Finding of many items which are apparently issued to the security force from the Kuki Narco-terrorists makeshift camp in the Sugnu areas are clear examples.

More than 50,000 Indian army and paramilitary forces are already stationed in Manipur but to control the violence which erupted on 3rd May,2023, around 70000 more Central Security Forces were sent to control the situation. Sad to say, no improvement happened.

All the economic activities of the State have been hampered by the blockade of National Highway by Kuki rioters. The prices of essential commodities sky-rocketed. Banning of internet service caused utmost difficulties to those who earned their livelihood through e-commerce/trading. It also affected personalised banking services, education, and e-learning etc. Blocking of internet services however bore no fruit. Still lawlessness and gunshots and firing of bombs can be heard in the periphery areas of the State.

All these seem to the public that the Government is facilitating and prolonging the disturbances for their own hidden agenda which everyone can smell. Imposing curfews and 144 CrPC will not suppress the will of the people. Instead, it added fuel to the fire which seems to be difficult to extinguish. Therefore, Government and our leaders need to come to the terms of the restoring peace in the interest of the public. To restore peace Government need to adopt the policy of clamping down on those groups which disturb the very peaceful co-existence of the society and indulge in dialogue to bring an amicable solution.

The unintelligent policy of the Government is uprooting the future generation by disallowing them the right to access e-learning.

The role of the Union Government has been seriously questioned about the way in which it handles the current embroils. Why is the Prime Minister silent ? The people of Manipur can also quote a line of Home Minister, Amit Shah who remarked, violence can be stopped only by the people. What does it mean ? It meant, GOI is not going to do anything to stop the present embroils.

What an irony is that Prime Minister for the first time spoke before the Parliament House building on 20/07/2023 after seeing the sensational viral video of two Vaphei ladies who were stripped, harassed and paraded by unruly mobs in Nongpok Sekmai allegedly on 4/07/2023.

Now the question is the timing of uploading the viral video. The video was uploaded just a day before the Monsoon session of the Parliament. The Prime Minister of India who had so long been in slumber woke up and called for stern action. Yes, of course, stern action must be taken against those perpetrators who tried to tarnish the image of Manipuri society. But suspicion is in the air. Any lay men could smell something fishy thing in it. It looks like a well-planned conspiracy to tarnish the image of Manipuri society. It is, indeed, a well-planned conspiracy to fulfil the agenda to disintegrate Manipur.

Still Government is silent about the gruesome acts of those Chin-KukiNarco-terrorists who shot death many young Manipuri at point blank and kicked them into the ditch and many more were murdered in cold blood by dismembering their bodies. One clear example was the Khamenlok massacre of nine village volunteers by the brutish Chin-Kuki-Zo Narco-terrorists. Same brutality was also perpetrated by Chin-Kuki Narco-terrorists to Meitei civilians including tender young girls.

On May 3rd a Meitei woman was gang raped by a group of Chin-Kuki Zo militants. Another heinous crime committed to an elderly woman in Sugnu area surfaced where a widow of a freedom fighter was burnt alive inside her house. Why the 140 billion people of India remained silent to such brutality and savage crimescommitted by the Chin-Kuki-Zo Narco-terrorists to Meiteis. Are Meiteis not human in the eyes of mainland Indian and Union government? Why did Prime Minister, Narendra Modi remain silent so long till 20/07/2023?

Government should stop partisan politics and must cherish equal justice for all by identifying and deporting those who came and settled in Manipur illegally. National media should also act in unpartisan manner. The brutality and barbarity perpetrated to the Meiteis by the Chin-Kuki-Zo Narco-terrorists should also be heard and redressed for lasting solution. No power and force can subdue the will and spirit of patriotism of Manipuri.
A war of words broke out between West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Mr Modi accused the Trinamul Congress of playing with blood during the recent panchayat elections in West Bengal. Mr Modi, addressing the Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal via videoconferencing, also alleged that the ruling party in the state not only committed atrocities on BJP workers but also on general voters.

An incensed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Mr Modi does not have the moral right to speak on issues like violence and corruption. The Prime Minister has spoken about panchayat poll violence in West Bengal. It was actually planned and unleashed by the state unit of BJP. The BJPbacked goons killed about 17 persons during the rural civic body polls.

The Prime Minister should first learn political courtesy before saying such things. He has no moral right to speak about violence in West Bengal at a time when he is unable to control the situation in Manipur, the Chief Minister said in a video message released after Mr Modis virtual address at the eastern regional Panchayati Raj workshop organised by the saffron camp. TMC ne panchayat chunav mein khooni khel khela hai the PM said in Hindi while addressing the Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad.

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Miss Banerjee in her response, said that that addressing the issue of corruption does not suit Mr Modi at a time when he himself is in the midst of corruption. The Prime Minister is speaking against corruption but unable to take action against the corrupt leaders in his own party.

From the PM Care Fund to the Rafale deal, there had been corruption everywhere, she said. She went on to say that Mr Modi should not take the common people for granted and think of them as fools. The demonetisation was done to serve the interest of BJP. No national interest was involved behind the demonetization decision.

If you want to start somewhere, you should start with cleaning up your own party. Why are you not taking action against your own party leaders who are involved in terrorising the common people and harassing women? Why are you not taking action against those who are involved in Manipur violence? Miss Banerjee asked.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda on Saturday visited novelist Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyays house in Howrah.

Earlier today, the party president participated in the BJPs panchayat state conference and held meetings with Bengal BJP Core Committee members, MPs and legislators to review preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

West Bengal is hosting the partys eastern regional conference from today, with the presence of 134 workers and district council members from the eastern region, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

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There is also a likelihood of Mr Nadda holding a separate meeting with Bengal BJP leaders, who have emerged victorious in the panchayat elections on 13 August.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Sunday said that the Governor R.N. Ravi has nothing to do with the anti-National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) bill and that the bill was with the President of India for approval.

The Health Minister was responding to the statement of the Governor in a programme on Saturday where he said that he will never give assent to the anti-NEET bill passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly.

He has nothing to do with the bill and there is no need for his consent, the Minister said.

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The Minister said that the state legislative assembly had readopted the bill that sought exemption for the state of Tamil Nadu from NEET after the Governor had returned it.

He said that if the President of India is satisfied with the anti-NEET bill and if approval is given, that information will be shared with the Governor.

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi and the ruling DMK have been at loggerheads on several issues and NEET is one of them.
The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) on Saturday hailed Delhi High Courts decision on Google infringing upon trademark rights, terming it a significant blow to Google.

The court issued a directive on Friday, compelling the tech giant to take decisive action against advertisements that infringe upon trademark rights.

This development is set against the backdrop of a trademark infringement case filed by DRS Logistics, where the company raised concerns about competitors using its trademark Agarwal Movers and Packers as keywords in Google searches. This practice allegedly led to the prominent display of competitors websites in search results for the trademark, said the ADIF.

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Before 2004, Googles trademark usage policy restricted trademarks from being used within a sponsored ads text. Googles policy also restricted using keywords that were protected under a trademark if the owner of that trademark requested it.

However, Google reduced the restrictions under the policy, which allowed Google to push trademarks as keywords, even if the trademark owner objected. Doing so though risked litigation against Google, Google moved forward as it generates higher revenue coming in as a result of the change in policy, said the alliance which has some of the top homegrown startups as its members.

The court observed that Googles assertion of being a mere intermediary lacked credibility.

The court pointed out that Google not only benefited significantly from keyword sales but also actively suggested keywords to advertisers, including competitors trademarks. Googles Keyword Planner Tool was cited as evidence of this practice, enabling businesses to gain insights into their rivals trademark usage, according to the ADIF.

The court further noted that there appeared to be a prima facie encouragement from Google for advertisers to exploit keywords associated with trademarks to target their ads.

This stance raised doubts about Googles entitlement to intermediary exemptions. Ultimately, the division bench upheld the previous single-judge ruling, directing Google to undertake investigations and remove any ads found to infringe upon another entitys trademark rights, according to the ADIF.

It further stated that this ruling coincides with previous regulatory actions, including the Competition Commission of Indias (CCI) decision in the Google Lagaan case and the scrutiny of Android bundling.

Meanwhile, Google on Saturday said it is pleased with the Delhi HC verdict which held that the companys ads trademark policy is in compliance with the Indian Trademarks Act (TM Act) and does not amount to infringement of trademarks, unless the resulting ad upon review is held to mislead users as to the source of origin of the ad.

In a statement, the company said that specifically on its ads trademarks policy, we have a clear and stated policy that does not allow advertisers to use trademarked terms in the ad-text of an ad, except in certain pro-consumer and legal scenarios, such as resellers and informational sites.

As a company, we comply with all local laws, it added.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has said that she is now planning to go back to acting by making a return to Hollywood. She has even signed an agreement with Hollywood talent agency William Morris Endeavour.

Before her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan had a strong career in Hollywood and was known for essaying the role of Rachel Zane in the drama series Suits.

However, after her marriage to the British royal, she walked out of Hollywood and joined the Royal family. While the couple left the Royal family in 2020, the former actress did not have any plans of returning to Hollywood.

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As reported by The Mirror, Meghan had earlier hinted that she had no intention of returning to acting when she had said that acting was not in her focus as of now, but that was before her signing with talent agency WME.

But now it has been reported by InTouchWeekly that according to a source, Meghan will make an acting comeback.

With Suits being a hit in reruns, there is said to be a lot of demand for Meghan to act again. A source told the outlet that she feels pressure to stay on top but is biting the bullet to return to acting.

It added: With other opportunities drying up, Meghan is now planning an acting comeback. And Harry is supporting her 100 per cent.

It was also reported that the Duchess of Sussex is quite excited about her return.

The Mirror reported that Peter Pan writer Nicole Russin-Mc Farland said the Duchess future in the world of Hollywood is looking bright.

She said: If she puts in the work that commands her that respect, Meghan will get the respect, adding that she can absolutely have an A-list acting career.

I really hope Meghan makes it big and proves herself as an acting talent and businesswoman, she went on to say, before revealing how much money Meghan could potentially earn in the film industry.

That depends, Nicole replied when asked how much.

If she were to go right into jumping into acting, she isnt going to be in that $20 million league with proven movie stars. Could she get $1 to 2 million? Easily with her fame.

Could she achieve $5 million? PERHAPS, because it would be negotiating with the curiosity factor, she said.
The tapestry of Indias freedom movement is woven with the threads of countless individuals who fought valiantly against British colonial rule. While the names of prominent leaders dominate the pages of history, the contributions of many others often remain hidden in the shadows. Among these unsung heroes, the people of Northeast India emerge as a powerful testament to unwavering commitment and sacrifice, as they too played a pivotal role in the fight for Indias independence.

Naga Hills: The Rise of Rani Gaidinliu

One of the most inspiring chapters in Northeast Indias struggle against British colonialism is the story of Rani Gaidinliu. A charismatic leader and spiritual icon, she became a symbol of resistance during the Heraka movement. Rani Gaidinlius leadership ignited a fire among the Naga people to resist British rule and safeguard their cultural heritage. With unwavering determination, she stood against both British authorities and the forced religious conversions imposed on the Nagas, inspiring countless individuals in their quest for freedom.

Manipurs Brave Stand: The Anglo-Manipur War

The courage of Manipurs resistance against British rule is exemplified through the bravery of Bir Tikendrajit Singh. The Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 witnessed his defiance alongside General Thangal against the formidable British forces. Their resistance embodied Manipurs spirit of asserting sovereignty and rejecting colonial domination. Bir Tikendrajit Singhs legacy endures as a testament to Manipurs steadfastness in the face of colonial oppression.

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Tripuras Revolt Against Taxation: Jhum Cultivation Movement

The saga of resistance in Tripura is illuminated by the Jhum Cultivation Movement, which stands as a powerful testament to the regions determination against unjust British taxation. Under the leadership of figures like Jitendra Chandra Das and Brajendra Kishore, the movement united Tripuras populace in protest against exploitative jhum cultivation taxes. The unity and resilience displayed during this movement underscore the strength of collective action against colonial exploitation.

Silent Rebellion in Meghalaya: Kiang Nangbah Uprising

The understated yet impactful Kiang Nangbah uprising in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya underscores the spirit of self-determination that coursed through the region. This silent rebellion was a profound response to the British-imposed begar (forced labor) system. Led by Kiang Nangbah, the people of Meghalaya defied exploitation and asserted their right to shape their own destiny.

Sacrifices of the Forgotten: The Lushai Uprising

Amidst the fervor of resistance, the Lushai Uprising of 1871 stands as an early example of Northeast Indias defiance against British oppression. Under the leadership of chiefs like Kaptura, this uprising serves as a reminder of the regions resilience. The sacrifices made by Lushai leaders and their people echo as a poignant reminder of their enduring spirit in the face of adversity.

The struggles and sacrifices of Northeast Indians during Indias freedom movement, often overlooked by mainstream narratives, are an integral part of the nations journey to independence. From the tenacious leadership of Rani Gaidinliu to the unwavering defiance of Manipurs Bir Tikendrajit Singh, these unsung heroes played pivotal roles in shaping history. The stories of Tripuras tax revolt, Meghalayas silent rebellion, and Mizorams forgotten uprising collectively speak to the indomitable spirit of the region.
Several BJP leaders and workers have lodged complaints against Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, MP Congress chief Kamal Nath and others on charges of spreading false propaganda against the MP government over the alleged letter of a contractors association, after which the police have registered FIRs against the Congress leaders.

The FIRs have been registered in at least four cities of MP, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Rewa.

In Bhopal, BJP district President Sumit Pachouri lodged the complaint against the Congress leaders at the Crime Branch Police Station.

In the complaint, the BJP leaders have charged that the Congress leaders used a fake letter to allege that contractors in MP get paid for their works only after they provide 50 per cent commission to the government.

The police have registered an FIR under Sections 469, 500, 420 and others against Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh, former Union Minister Arun Yadav, Congress leader Shobha Ozha and one Gyanendra Awasthi.
Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Sunday hit out at Amit Shah over the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill and asked with what intent the Union Home Minister brought this law.

Everything will be decided by the government. If the government says that you have done wrong, and your intentions were bad, then is there any officer in India who will move against the government? Because they could land in trouble. Any allegation could be raised against them the government will decide which decision is against the law. Then, he/she can be sentenced to seven years. Wherever there is a judge, a magistrate, a high court, a supreme court, the law decides, doesnt it? I want to know with what intention you brought this law, Home Minister, have you even seen this bill when you introduced it in the House, Kapil Sibal said.

He further said that while BJP claims to wanting to end the colonial mindset and they are bringing such laws.

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On one hand, they (BJP) are saying that we want to end the colonial mindset but on the other hand they are bringing such laws. The country cannot run like this. They say (India) is the mother of democracy, but I think it is the father of democracy, he added.

Earlier on Friday, Amit Shah introduced The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakhshya Bill, 2023, aimed at giving justice and protecting the rights given to Indian citizens by Constitution.

The bills will abolish the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Code, (1898), 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 made by the British.

The Indian Penal Code, 1860 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023; the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023, Amit Shah said.

He said British-era laws were made to strengthen and protect their rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice.

We (government) are going to bring changes in both these fundamental aspects. The soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to the Indian citizens. The objective will not be to punish anyone but give justice and in this process, punishment will be given where it is required to create a sense of prevention of crime, Shah stressed.

He said from 1860 to 2023, the criminal justice system of India continued to be operated on the basis of the laws made by the British Parliament, but now these three laws will be replaced with new laws imbibing Indias soul.

He said that in the current laws, heinous crimes like murder or crimes against women were placed very low and crimes like treason, robbery and attack on the official of the government were kept above these.

Shah said that 18 states, six Union Territories, a Supreme Court, 16 High Courts, five judicial academies, 22 Law Universities, 142 Members of Parliament, about 270 MLAs and people gave their suggestions regarding these new laws and that for four years these were discussed in depth and he himself was present in 158 meetings.

The Home Minister said that Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace CrPC, will now have 533 sections. A total of 160 sections have been changed, nine new sections have been added and nine sections have been repealed, he said.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, which will replace the IPC, will have 356 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, the minister said, adding that 175 sections have been amended, 8 new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed.

Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, which will replace the Evidence Act, will now have 170 sections instead of the earlier 167. Shah said 23 sections have been changed, one new section has been added and five repealed.
During his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined members of the Toda tribal community in a lively dance in the village of Muthunadu near Ooty. The heartwarming moment was caught on camera and shared online.

Sporting a traditional shawl, Rahul Gandhi happily participated in a circle dance with the local residents. The video clip, shared by ANI, was captioned, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with members of the Toda tribal community in Muthunadu village near Ooty in Tamil Nadu.

This visit holds special significance as it marks Mr. Gandhis first trip to his constituency, Wayanad, in Kerala, since his reinstatement as a Lok Sabha MP. Hes scheduled to attend a district Congress Committee meeting in Wayanad, and his supporters are gearing up to give him a warm welcome.

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VT Siddique, the Working President of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, expressed his excitement about Mr. Gandhis visit, saying, There will be a very warm welcome, the warmest in Wayanads history, for Rahul Gandhi. The district Congress Committee meeting is expected to be a platform for meaningful discussions and interactions.

After his engagements in India, Rahul Gandhi is all set for an international journey. In the second week of September, hell be visiting Belgium, France, and Norway. During this trip, he plans to connect with university students, the Indian community, and members of the European Union Parliament. This initiative underscores his commitment to fostering global relationships and understanding.

On another note, Mr. Gandhi is gearing up for the second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a journey aimed at connecting diverse communities across the country. This yatra, symbolizing unity and inclusivity, will take him from Gujarat to Meghalaya. This announcement was confirmed by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole.
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Cambodia is crucial to deepening the China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation, showing China's commitment to fostering stronger ties with its neighbors, a Cambodian expert said.

"Wang's visit demonstrates the importance that China places on its relationship with Cambodia," as the Southeastern Asian kingdom has long been an important partner of China, Seun Sam, a policy analyst of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told Xinhua.

He added that the historical and cultural connections between the two countries date back centuries ago, and in recent years, their economic cooperation has flourished.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, arrived in Phnom Penh on Saturday for a two-day official visit. Cambodia is the last leg of his Southeast Asian nation tour, which has already taken him to Singapore and Malaysia.

In Phnom Penh, he met with Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, outgoing Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, as well as incoming Prime Minister Hun Manet, among others.

Sam noted that China has become one of Cambodia's largest trade partners and investors, contributing significantly to the country's development and growth.

"Wang's visit signifies China's continued support for Cambodia's development agenda and its commitment to enhancing regional stability and prosperity," the expert said. "It also demonstrates China's continued efforts to strengthen its ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), particularly within the framework of China's Belt and Road Initiative."

Sam said the bond of friendship between China and Cambodia has been further strengthened through cultural exchange programs, educational scholarships, and people-to-people exchanges.

"Wang's visit also serves as a testament to the enduring friendship and strategic partnership between the two nations," he said. "It provides an opportunity for both countries to further strengthen their ties, explore new areas of collaboration, and address shared challenges."

He added that the visit would contribute to further deepening economic cooperation, trade and investment ties between both countries.

Wang's visit also reaffirms China's commitment to supporting Cambodia's domestic development agenda, indicating that China remains the best friend of Cambodia, Sam said.

China has been a major development partner for Cambodia, assisting in infrastructure projects, agriculture, education, and healthcare, he said, adding that the visit provides an opportunity to explore new cooperation in areas such as tourism, technology transfer, and human resource development.

"The visit served as a platform to reaffirm the commitment of both China and Cambodia to deepening their strategic partnership, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region, as well as promoting multilateralism and international order," he said.

It demonstrates China's dedication to fostering strong relationships with its neighbors and promoting a shared vision of peace, development and cooperation, he added. 
The Government of Rajasthan has banned the Student Union election in all government universities for the current academic year 2023-24 due to the implementation of National Education Policy-2020 and ongoing admission process and delayed examinations in some subjects.

This decision evoked strong resentment in political parties including the BJP and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, and protests on roads in many universities by students in the state.

A high level meeting of the Higher Education Department was held on Saturday night regarding the student union elections.

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In this meeting, Vice-Chancellors of universities from across the state talked about banning the student union elections, citing the ongoing admission and result process in the university, along with the implementation of the new National Education Policy-2020, an official of the Higher Education Department said.

The decisions copy was sent to 15 Registrars for immediate action.

Shortly after this decision of the government, the process of protest has also started outside universitys campus across the state despite it being Sunday today.

Student leaders in the capital Jaipur said that if the government does not reconsider its decision and announce the date of student union elections as soon as possible, then there will be a fierce agitation across the state, for which the government will be responsible.

In view of the warning of students protest, police force has been deployed in Rajasthan University and other universities of the state. The police detained the students who had come to protest outside Rajasthan University on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the nation in celebrating the 77th Independence Day from the iconic Red Fort in Delhi on 15 August. He will unfurl the National Flag and deliver the customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic monument.

This years Independence Day will culminate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, which were launched by the PM from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 12 March 2021 and will, once again, usher the country into Amrit Kaal with renewed vigour to realise the dream of making India a developed country by 2047.

A number of new initiatives have been taken to celebrate the 77th Independence Day. A large number of guests have been invited as compared to last year.

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Around 1,800 people from different vocations, with their spouse, have been invited from across the country to be a part of the celebrations at the Red Fort as Special Guests. The initiative has been taken in line with the governments vision of Jan Bhagidari.

These Special Guests include over 400 Sarpanches of more than 660 vibrant villages; 250 from Farmer Producer Organisations scheme; 50 participants each of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana; 50 Shram Yogis (construction workers) of the Central Vista Project, including the New Parliament Building; 50 each Khadi workers, those involved in construction of border roads, making of Amrit Sarovar & Har Ghar Jal Yojana as well as 50 each primary school teachers, nurses and fishermen. Some of these Special Guests are scheduled to visit the National War Memorial and call on Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt as part of their stay in Delhi.

Seventy five (75) couples from each State/Union Territory, in their traditional attire, have also been invited to witness the ceremony at Red Fort.

Selfie points dedicated to different schemes & initiatives of the government have been installed at 12 locations, including National War Memorial, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, New Delhi Railway Station, Pragati Maidan, Raj Ghat, Jama Masjid Metro Station, Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Delhi Gate Metro Station, ITO Metro Gate, Naubat Khana and Sheesh Ganj Gurudwara.

The schemes/initiatives include Global Hope: Vaccine & Yoga; Ujjwala Yojana; Space Power; Digital India; Skill India; Start-up India; Swachh Bharat; Sashakt Bharat, Naya Bharat; Powering India; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission.

As part of the celebrations, an online selfie contest will be conducted by the Ministry of Defence on MyGov portal from August 15-20. People are encouraged to take selfies at one or more of the 12 installations and upload them on MyGov platform to take part in the contest. Twelve winners, one from each installation, will be selected on the basis of the online selfie contest. The winners would be given prize money of Rs 10,000 each.

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, the PM will be received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, his deputy Ajay Bhatt and Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane. The defence secretary will introduce the General Officer Commanding (GoC), Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth to the PM. The GoC Delhi Area will then conduct Modi to the Saluting Base where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard will present general salute to the PM. Thereafter, he will inspect the Guard of Honour.

As soon as the National Flag is unfurled by the PM, flower petals will be showered at the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark-III Dhruv of the Indian Air Force in the Line Astern Formation.

After the showering of flower petals, the PM will address the nation. At the conclusion of the speech of the PM, the cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) will sing the National Anthem.
The Congress party in Telangana is set to intensify its preparations for the Assembly elections with a public meeting at Chevella near here on August 18.

All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge will address the public meeting, where the party plans to unveil its declaration for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy said if voted to power, the Congress party will enhance the reservation quota of SCs and STs.

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He told reporters that the Congress would do justice to the SCs and STs by providing them reservation in proportion to their population.

This will be the third major declaration to be unveiled by the party. Last year, Rahul Gandhi had announced farmers declaration at a public meeting at Warangal while Priyanka Gandhi had released a youth declaration at a public meeting in Hyderabad on May 8.

Assembly elections in Telangana are due to be held towards the year-end.

The August 18 public meeting will also see former minister and BJP leader A. Chandra Sekhar joining the Congress party. Revanth Reddy met Chandra Sekhar, hours after he resigned from the BJP.

Revanth Reddy told reporters that he invited Chandra Sekhar to join the Congress party and he accepted the invitation. The former minister will join Congress party in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge.

Chandra Sekhar, who sent his resignation letter to state BJP president G. Kishan Reddy, alleged that the party is not giving due recognition to leaders working hard for the organisation.

Chandra Sekhar had quit Congress to join BJP in 2021. He had earlier served as an MLA from Vikarabad constituency for five times from 1985 to 2008. He was elected on Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket from Vikarabad for four consecutive terms. He later joined TRS (now BRS) and was elected on TRS ticket in 2004. He had served as a minister in the Congress-led coalition government in united Andhra Pradesh.

Revanth Reddy alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and BJP were one and the same. He said both the parties were working to continue KCR rule in Telangana and Modi rule at the Centre.

He said KCR government was doing injustice to SCs by snatching lands which were allotted to them by the Congress governments in the past.

He alleged that the government was earning thousands of crores by auctioning 25 lakh acres assigned lands or lands allotted to Dalits. He accused the government of usurping 10 lakh acres of Podu lands of tribals.

Meanwhile, AICC incharge for Telangana Manikrao Thakare has said that the Congress party is committed to the welfare of Scheduled Tribes. Addressing a meeting of tribals at Gandhi Bhavan, he said Rahul Gandhi interacted with tribals during Bharat Jodo Yatra and had detailed study of their problems.

Manikrao Thakare alleged that RSS was conspiring to scrap the reservation of backward classes. He said differences were being created between Hindus and Muslims and between tribals and adivasis.
Uttar Pradesh chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign by hoisting the National Flag on the Gorakhnath Temple premises on Sunday.

The Chief Minister took a selfie with the national flag and also urged the residents of the state to participate in Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. CM Yogi is on a three-day tour to Gorakhpur,

CM Yogi further appealed to the people of the state to join this campaign before the 77th Independence Day. It is worth mentioning that the Yogi government set a significant example by hoisting 4.5 crore flags across the state last year as well.

Similarly, the government plans to fly the national flag on residential and non-residential buildings, government and non-government offices, institutions, and more this year also.

Furthermore, the Chief Minister changed the profile picture of all his social media accounts and uploaded the picture of the tricolor on the online platforms.

On this second Independence Day of the Amrit Kal (the era of freedom), various events will take place for a week. Along with the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign on August 13, silent processions will be held on Partition Day, i.e., August 14 in all the districts of the state, remembering the horrors of the partition of India and paying homage to the victims of the violence during that period.

Additionally, under the Meri Mati, Mera Desh program, earthen lamps will be lit paying homage to the brave sacrifices of our soldiers. Furthermore, relatives of freedom fighters, military forces, central police force and police department sacrifices will be honored in the districts and Kavi Sammelan (poetry sessions) and Mushairas (poetic gatherings) will be organised.

Notably, the Yogi Government has prepared a date-wise programme of Har Ghar Tiranga and Meri Mati, Mera Desh events in schools.

Following the Chief Ministers instructions, the basic and secondary schools of the state were also opened on Sunday (August 13) for the implementation of Har Ghar Tiranga and Meri Mati, Mera Desh programmes. Additionally, special arrangements were made for mid-day meals for the students.
A Parliamentary Committee has recommended legislation to make it mandatory for Supreme Court and High Court judges to declare their assets annually and make this public. Many will favour the report because it apparently is in the interest of transparency and probity without realising that such a move may actually endanger the independence of the judiciary ~ a fundamental pillar of our Constitution.

That the recommendation stems from a tit-for-tat approach became apparent with the justification put forth by committee chairman and BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Mr Sushil Kumar Modi who said the Supreme Court had gone to the extent of holding that the public has a right to know the assets of those contesting elections to Parliament or state assemblies. What is being ignored is the May 1997 Supreme Court resolution making it mandatory for judges of the apex court to declare to the Chief Justice of India all assets in the form of real estate or investments held by them, their spouses and dependants. Most high courts adopted a similar resolution soon after. Thus, judges of the higher judiciary have been filing asset statements like subordinate court judges as well as all government employees at the Centre and states. None of these declarations are in the public domain as they are kept confidential.

This confidentiality should remain for judges while assets declared by MPs and MLAs should be in the public domain. After all, voters need to scrutinise these while deciding whether to reject or re-elect them. There are other dimensions to making public assets of judges, including who should a judge be answering to on how he or she got the wealth. If voters can remove MPs and MLAs, Parliament can impeach judges of the higher judiciary. So, should Parliament scrutinise judges assets? There are other potential challenges that could arise from mandatory public declarations of judges assets. For instance, a judge own assets could be questioned during hearings in cases involving others assets. This could raise concerns about impartiality and fairness in the judicial process. Making judges assets public will clearly open a Pandoras box. It will raise concerns about judges accountability. Who should police the judiciary? Certainly not the executive or the legislature as it would jeopardise judicial independence. But making judges assets public might end up doing just that.

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This underscores the need for a balanced approach while addressing asset disclosures by judges. Of paramount importance is the need to ensure independence of the judiciary. At the same time, the judiciary should work on refining its internal procedures to ensure ethical conduct, and do with inputs from members of the Bar and public. If existing mechanisms are perceived as not being successful in preventing corruption in the judiciary, better procedures can be evolved. Like the collegium for appointment of judges, there could be one for probing corruption within the judiciary.
The recent curbs on tech investment in China by Washington, referred to as a small yard with a high fence, are designed to reduce risk without the USA completely severing ties with China. These restrictions, targeting investments in key technological sectors, aim to mitigate concerns about Chinese military advancements that could impact US national security. While these measures could strain US-China relations, analysts believe they wont change the overall trajectory towards eventual recovery. Chinese semiconductor, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence systems companies can still find funding from various sources other than American venture capital or private equity investments.

China has a growing domestic investment ecosystem, and there are international investors from regions other than the US who might be interested in funding these companies. Additionally, the Chinese government has been actively supporting its tech industry, which could provide alternative funding avenues. While the US restrictions may create challenges, they are not the sole source of funding for these companies. However, President Joe Bidens latest executive order imposing tech curbs on China could have several implications. The executive order could strain US-China relations further. While the order emphasises risk reduction rather than complete decoupling, it sends a signal of increased scrutiny and control over tech investments in China. This might exacerbate diplomatic tensions and mistrust between the two countries.

The orders focus on critical tech sectors like semiconductors, quantum computing, and AI reflects concerns about potential military applications that could threaten US national security. This move aligns with broader efforts to safeguard sensitive technology and intellectual property. Chinese tech companies in the affected sectors might face challenges in accessing US capital, potentially slowing down their growth and innovation. This could lead to a redirection of investments and research efforts towards non-US sources. One consequence may be that Chinese companies pivot towards seeking funding from other regions, including domestic sources, European investors, and alternative financing methods. This could lead to a diversification of investment channels for Chinese tech firms. But in parallel, the American executive order may prompt other countries to reconsider their own investments and partnerships with Chinese tech companies, contributing to a broader re-evaluation of global tech collaboration and supply chains. The order might also impact ongoing or future trade negotiations between the US and China.

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The tech sector is a significant component of these negotiations, and the curbs could be a point of contention in discussions related to trade and technology transfer. The orders long-term effects will depend on how China responds and adapts. It could accelerate Chinas efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in critical tech areas and stimulate further investment in domestic research and development. In summary, President Bidens executive order on tech curbs could contribute to a complex and evolving landscape of US-China relations, with potential repercussions spanning diplomacy, technology, investment, and global trade.
Chinas foreign ministry on Sunday condemned Taiwans vice president William Lais stopover in the US, calling him a troublemaker.

Lai arrived in New York on Saturday en route to Paraguay, Taiwans only diplomatic ally in South America, where he is scheduled to attend inauguration of Paraguayan President Santiago Pena on August 15, CNN reported.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when asked for comments on Lais arriving in New York for a stopover.

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We have stated our position clearly on Lais US stopover on many occasions, Zhu said, adding that the China firmly opposes Lais acts to harm Taiwan by soliciting US support for his independence agenda, Xinhua news agency reported.

She expressed firm opposition to any form of US connivance and support for Taiwan independence separatists and their separatist activities.

Describing himself as a pragmatic Taiwan independence worker, Lai clings stubbornly to the separatist position for Taiwan independence, Zhu said.

Under the pretext of stopover, Lai is selling Taiwan away to grab selfish gains for his own election, which will ultimately damage the interests of the people of Taiwan and undermine the peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, said Zhu, noting that he is a troublemaker through and through.

Cross-Strait peace and stability and Taiwan independence are as irreconcilable as water and fire, Zhu said.

These moves made by Taiwan independence separatist forces run counter to the dominant will of Taiwan people for peace, development, exchanges and cooperation.

In the end, they will only drag Taiwan into a treacherous zone of war and bring disaster to compatriots in Taiwan, Zhu said.
A terrorist was killed and three others injured on Sunday in an exchange of fire with security forces in Balochistans Gwadar, Pakistan militarys media affairs wing said, local media reported.

According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was launched after the presence of the terrorists in the area was reported.

The security forces have cordoned off the entire area and launched a search operation, the ISPR said, Dawn reported.

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Meanwhile, four terrorists were killed while one was arrested during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Bajaur district.

According to the ISPR, security forces conducted an operation in Charmang last night after receiving reports about the presence of terrorists. During the operation, intense fire exchange occurred between security forces and terrorists, the statement said, Dawn reported.

Four terrorists were sent to hell while one terrorist was apprehended, the ISPR said.

The statement went on to say that weapons, ammunition and explosives, including a suicide vest, were also recovered from the militants, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces and killing of innocent citizens, especially suicide blasts, Dawn reported.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

A report released by think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies in July said the first half of the current year witnessed a steady and alarming rise in terror and suicide attacks, claiming the lives of 389 people across the country, Dawn reported.
VLADIVOSTOK, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Khanun triggered severe floods in Primorsky Krai of Russia's Far East, prompting 21 municipalities to declare a state of emergency, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said on Sunday.

The ministry said on its social media channel that more than 2,000 people, including 405 children, have been evacuated from the flooded areas. Twenty-eight settlements are cut off by water and nine boat crossings have been set up.

The floods are still affecting 16 municipal districts, where 4,368 residential buildings, 5,654 household plots and 43 sections of roads remain submerged, the ministry said, adding that engineers will start restoring power supply after the transformer substations are freed from water.

Alexander Kurenkov, head of the ministry, sent an operational group to Primorsky Krai to coordinate the work.

The typhoon brought heavy rainfall to Primorsky Krai from Aug. 9 to 11.

Ussuriysk, a major city in Primorsky Krai, suffered the most destructive flooding in the last ten years. The water level in the Razdolnaya River rose to a record high of ten meters, inundating residential buildings and streets. Gas supply was also cut off to ensure safety. 


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U.S. President Joe Biden walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, May 10, 2023.(Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

It seems that U.S. President Joe Biden intends to take smearing China as part of his "grand strategy" to shoot America's economic troubles.

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- It seems that U.S. President Joe Biden intends to take smearing China as part of his "grand strategy" to shoot America's economic troubles.

At a fund-raising event on Thursday, the top U.S. leader characterized the Chinese economy as a "ticking time bomb." Quite an interesting description. If taking a closer look at the devastating impact America's economic failures have unleashed upon the world in recent years, one might come up with a very different conclusion.

In Fact, the United States itself is presently grappling with severe economic challenges, exemplified by Fitch Ratings' recent downgrade of its credit rating. Fitch attributed this downgrade to an "erosion of governance" relative to other leading economies over the past two decades.

Echoing Fitch's point, the Wall Street Journal noted that one of the reasons for Fitch's downgrade was the absence of any political will in the United States to deal with its domestic problems.

Photo taken on March 13, 2023 shows the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, the United States. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

Whenever confronted with criticism from both domestic and international spheres, it is a recurring pattern for the U.S. government to assuage pressure and divert public attention by hyping up all kinds of negative theories on China.

And Washington's track record of handling its economic problems would only instigate more global concerns. From the 2008 financial crisis to the recent wave of bank failures in the United States, history indicates that Uncle Sam has consistently been the spark that ignites global economic turmoil.

Undeniably, the Chinese economy is currently facing downward pressures, including such challenges as declining exports and investment. However, despite all these obstacles, China has stayed rather focused on solving problems, instead of blaming others. Already, Beijing has rolled out a range of measures to unleash its market potential, and has managed to maintain its growth trajectory.

Throughout this year, China's economy has consistently displayed signs of a relatively robust recovery. In the first half of the year, the nation's GDP expanded by 5.5 percent compared to the corresponding period last year. Domestic demand has gradually rebounded, with consumption expenditure contributing a remarkable 77.2 percent to economic growth in the first half of the year, marking a notable increase of 44.4 percentage points from the previous year.

When juxtaposed with most major developed economies, including the United States, China demonstrates not only faster economic growth but also a significant lead in its contribution to the global economy. International institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund recognize China as a vital driving force behind global economic growth.

A woman buys food at a food truck in New York, the United States, May 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Indeed, the world economy is currently mired in an unprecedented predicament. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economic climate is marked by a looming downturn. Many countries are experiencing a slowdown in growth momentum, and the expansion of global trade has been lackluster.

As the world's two largest economies, the United States and China bear a collective responsibility to join hands in boosting global recovery efforts.

Regrettably, what China has received from across the Pacific is not a cooperative hand, but an onslaught of stringent sanctions and measures intended to coerce other nations into cutting ties with China under the guise of "de-risking."

Driven by its pursuit of maintaining hegemony and prioritizing its own interests, the U.S. obsession with containing China has gravely undermined the stability of global supply chains and industrial networks, posing a significant threat to the overall well-being of the global economy.

The Economist said in a recent report that Washington is "putting the risk into de-risking," and the so-called "de-risking" measures are making "the world not safer, but more dangerous."

The world economy is like an expansive and interconnected ocean, not an isolated river, where no nation can thrive in isolation. Indulging in a blame game and solely fixating on hindering China's progress will only exacerbate the troubles faced by the already tottering global economy.
First things first. This column owes its all to two explanatory articles by Udit Mishra of The Indian Express published sequentially in the wake of Prime Minister Modis assertion before the US Congress that India was already at position five in the size of its GDP, and then after Modi assured the nation at the inauguration of the Bharat Mandapam in July that during the third term of our government, India will be among the top three economies of the world. Fair enough, even the IMF says so.

But what has been hidden by Modi is that the growth rate in India has dropped by one hundred percentage points between 2004-2014 and the nine years that Modi has been PM. For we grew under Dr Manmohan Singh by 183 per cent in the UPA decade and that decennial growth rate has fallen by exactly 100 percentage points to 83 per cent in the Modi years. Had the Manmohan rate of growth been maintained, we would have overtaken Germany and Japan, the current two and three, many years ago. Our present ranking is thus much more the contribution of Manmohanomics than Modinomics.

Second, it is not so much because India is growing but because of virtual stagnation or low growth rates in most of the other top 10, after the global financial crisis of 2008-09, that we have forged ahead in relative terms. But the gap between the top two and us is so wide, while the gap between each of the remaining eight is so narrow, that all eight of us are also-rans as compared with the US and China. We eight are overtaking each other not to get to the top but only to not be declared last!

Illustration: Bhaskaran

Third, we may be fifth, and might even become third in GDP by 2027, but the gap in GDP between no.1 (the US) and no.2 (China) and India is at present so wide as to be nearly eight times lower than the US and nearly five times lower than China. We are bunched way below the two giants with a group of countries ranked three to ten whose combined GDP is US dollars two trillion less than the US, and fifth to tenth is three trillion lower than China.

It gets worse when we look at per capita figures. For the US per capita income at $80,000 is some 38 times higher than Indias ($2,600) and China at $13,700 is some six times higher than India. Indeed, Germany and Japan, who we will be overtaking shortly in absolute size, are, in per capita terms, 26 times and 17 times higher than India. What boots it to come third in overall production when Indians languish at below 100 in per capita ranking and continue to lie in the 130s on the UNs human development index? While Modis business friends scale international heights in terms of their personal wealth and make India rich on the PMs metric, PM seems to forget that Indians on every other metric are poor.

PMs boast is also in derogation of our Constitution which clearly lays down in Article 39 (c) that the State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that the operation of the economic system does not result in concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment and in Article 39 (b) that the ownership and control of the material resources of the country are so distributed as best to subserve the common good.

It was another prime minister, [Benjamin] Disraeli, who denounced lies, damned liesand statistics. Modi might want to lend him an ear.

Aiyar is a former Union minister and social commentator.
My favourite scene in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaaniand it is a film with many amazing momentsis when Ranveer Singhs Rocky Randhawa emerges from behind Tota Roy Chowdhurys Chandon Chatterjee, both men performing the highly expressive kathak to Dola Re. The song, a homage to director Karan Johars forever muse Sanjay Leela Bhansali, originally featured Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Singh and Chowdhury are not only taking on a herculean task by attempting the incredibly fluid and articulate dance, but they are also competing with two fabulous female dancers.

The two men wear the most well-regarded kathak costumesa billowing angrakha and churidarthe gender-neutral costume of Mughal India where kathak was the preferred dance form. This is the exact moment when the two men, this sequence, and this film drove home the point that men could do traditionally feminine things and still be themselves.

Contrast this scene with another just less than an hour before. Chowdhurys Chandon is asked to perform at a traditionally loud Punjabi wedding, where his grace is greeted with embarrassing catcalls instead of a worthy applause. Then, the film grows and we grow up.

Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani...

As does Ranveers Rocky. So easily the most fun part of this hilarious film, Rocky is a Karol Bagh-style newly rich Punjabi who has perfect abs and imperfect English. His Can you repeat?, Escoose me, and West Bengal is in west India are highlighted by his resplendent wardrobe. He would put both Badshah and Diljit Dosanjh to shame wearing only monogrammed clothingrainbow-hued Gucci, Moncler in Switzerland, a parrot-green Louis Vuitton, a canary-yellow Versace robe, a starry denim suit by Amiri, and I know I saw a DSquared jacket somewhere, too. Once he begins to understand the cultural nuances of his Bengali hosts, he learns Rabindra Sangeet and kathak, and starts wearing more Indian clothes.

Perhaps the most important upshot of this film is its portrayal of men. Rocky moves from brawny masculinity to cultured dignity. Chandon is a dancer and a dance teacher in a household full of strong feminist women. And Dharmendras Papaji, cuckolded for all his adult life, finds a voice and his legs (he literally gets off his wheelchair singing Abhi na jao chod ke) when he finds his long-lost lover. Rocky Aur Rani is a prem kahani, a love story, of men with their own dark shadows, wherein they are told to let go of manliness and find their softer edges. Masculinity is not manliness, respect is.

This is also the story of the filmmaker Karan Johar, so easily the most open celebrity of our times. Johar has long pushed the envelope for dressing like a peacock. Like Ranveer, his colours and monograms are his armour. His non-masculinity has invited jibes on his sexuality. He offers generous hints, but insists it is his business alone. He says he would dance the heroines part of Bollywood songs as a child, not unlike Chowdhury. He had two children through surrogacy, and loves making reels with his tots in his wardrobe. He says he hopes for a late-life lover, like Dharmendra in the film. He is as tied to his family and as woke as Alia Bhatt is in the film.

Audiences have loved Rocky Aur Rani, as have most critics. With this film, both have also understood, accepted and opened their arms to Karan Johar. But most importantly, the film has brought about a major mainstream cultural moment, where the real hero of the film is the breakaway from the myth of masculinity.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said he was not against English, but children in India should learn both their respective mother tongues as well as Hindi, and called for the need to preserve the country's native languages.

He was addressing the graduating students of the Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE) here during its convocation ceremony. Shah also urged the graduating students to make use of the wealth of knowledge that is available in Sanskrit language, Upanishads and Vedas.

The Union minister said he was not against English as India is a country that cannot oppose any form of knowledge.

"It is your responsibility to preserve and enhance all Indian languages because they contain our culture, history, literature and grammar. We have to make our language strong. An important aspect of the National Education Policy 2020 is to teach children in their mother tongue," he said.

"I believe that children should learn French, German along with English, but a child from Gujarat should learn both Gujarati and Hindi, an Assamese should learn both Assamese and Hindi, and a Tamil should learn both Tamil and Hindi. If this happens, then nobody can stop our country from progressing," Shah said.

The aim of this institute (IITE), founded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister, was to unify the eastern and western educational philosophies, Shah said.

"Sanskrit is one of the four papers that are taught to you...I would request you to improve upon whatever basic knowledge of Sanskrit you have received here. If there is one place in the whole world where a wealth of knowledge is collected, then it is our Upanishads, Vedas and Sanskrit.

Once you study them, no problem of life will remain a problem for you," he further said. He said Vedas teach that we should collect good ideas from wherever we can without getting into where the knowledge has come from.

"We should see whether the knowledge is for the benefit of the society, people, world and universe without caring about where it has come from," Shah said.

The Union minister said it is important to connect our ancient Indian educational philosophy with modern dimension. He said there have been many changes in the fields of knowledge and science, and we should understand the changes and unify the two to create a complete education system.

Education means showing the right path to a child and becoming his or her guide, he said. A total of 2,927 students graduated from the institute.
The Indore police have filed FIR against the "handlers" of the 'X' accounts (formerly Twitter) of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath and former Union minister Arun Yadav in connection with a social media post on BJP's alleged corruption.

According to the BJP, the trio shared a fake letter that alleged that the BJP government took 50 per cent commission from contractors to make payments. Following this, BJP minister Vishvas Sarang filed a complaint with the crime branch in Bhopal on Saturday. In Indore, city BJP president Gaurav Randive led a delegation to Sanyongitaganj police station.He also filed a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).



Indore Police also posted that local BJP's legal cell convener Nimesh Pathak complained that a fake letter bearing the name of a person called Gyanendra Awasthi was circulated on social media. "A case has been registered against "Awasthi" as well as "handlers" of the X accounts of Vadra, Nath and Arun Yadav at the city's Sanyogitaganj police station," a release from the Indore police said, adding Pathak's complaint is being investigated.



The charges include cheating and forgery with intent to harm reputation. "Few BJP leaders have given a memo in which they claim some Congress leaders of putting out misinformation on social media platforms. They allege the (BJP) leaders' image is being maligned due to this. Names of Priyanka Gandhi and some others Congress leaders mentioned in the memo," Ram Sanehi Mishra, Additional DCP, told ANI.



The letter was first shared by Madhya Pradesh Congress ex-president Arun Yadav on the X platform on Thursday. But Gandhi, Nath and Ramesh did not use the letter facsimile on social media and rather used newspaper cuttings based on the charges of Yadav to tweet the about 50 per cent commission allegations.



However, THE WEEK could not trace the letter's writer Gyanendra Awasthi or his address (in Gwalior), and even an email sent to the mentioned address bounced back.



Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan too claimed that he got the so-called letter checked by the state intelligence, but they could not track the letter's writer or the address mentioned on the letter. "There is no such person, no such address of the organisation. The organisation and the letter are fake. This is part of Congresss negative strategy and its dangerous intentions. They cannot compete with us on positive aspects and developmental work, so they are resorting to such tactics," the CM said.



However, Kamal Nath responded to the BJP's action, stating that there are thousands of cases of corruption against the BJP. "How many FIRs will they file? (against Congress)," he asked.


A maha panchayat was held at Palwal in Haryana on Sunday to decide on resuming VHP's Braj Mandal Yatra in Nuh, that was disrupted on July 31 after communal violence broke out in the area.

The 'Sarva Jatiye Mahapanchayat' by Hindu outfits was initially planned at Nuh but had to be shifted to Haryana's Pondri village in Palwal after being denied permission.



"Permission for the event has been given in Palwal," Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters) Sandeep Mor said on Sunday. Officials had allowed only 500 people to attend the panchayat. Other conditions included banning bringing weapons, sticks, batons, or any flammable object. Tight security was also arranged for the meeting.



"We have explained the conditions, adding that only 500 people are allowed, and it should end by 2pm. Ample security arrangements have been made," Mor added.



Meanwhile, though the police had warned the participants not to engage in hate speech, reports emerged that some were openly threatening the police and engaging in hate speech. According to an NDTV report, some speakers were heard saying, "If you raise a finger, we will cut off your hands," while another demanded licences for rifles.



Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a VHP procession was attacked by a mob.



Meanwhile, the VHP leader had earlier claimed that the yatra will resume on August 28 in Nuh after the earlier one came under attack. However, the Gurugram police appealed to the residents not to take out any rally or procession without permission.



VHP division minister Devender Singh told PTI on Friday, "All the Hindu groups decided to complete the yatra on August 28 which was attacked on July 31 in Nuh. Hope that the yatra will be completed with admiration and enthusiasm."



In an official statement, the Gurugram Police Friday requested the general public to refrain from raising provocative slogans, making speeches, carrying banners or indulging in acts that may hurt the sentiments of any community and disturb the peace. "We have not made this appeal for any specific procession. The situation is normal in the district and we appealed only to maintain peace, law and order in the district," said Varun Dahiya, ACP crime.


The Indian Air Force (IAF) has inducted four Heron Mark 2 drones along the country's border with China and Pakistan. The UAVs are currently deployed at the forward air base in the northern sector.

The drones can carry out surveillance along both China and Pakistan borders in a single sortie and can be equipped with long-range missiles and other weapons systems, reported ANI.



Besides being equipped with satellite communication capability, the Israel-made Heron drones can operate long distances for close to 36 hours at a stretch. They can also laser illuminate enemy targets from very long ranges to help fighter aircraft destroy them. "The Heron Mark 2 is a very capable drone. This is capable of longer endurance and has 'beyond the line of sight' capability. With this, the entire country can be surveilled from the same place," the commanding officer of the drone squadron Wing Commander Pankaj Rana told ANI.



According to Israeli sources, the UAVs are fitted with a Rotax 916 iS engine and can reach an altitude of 35,000 feet. They can fly at a maximum speed of 150 knots and can remain in the air for longer hours. The longer endurance means multiple sectors can be handled in a single mission. "The drone simply amalgamates into the Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance matrix of the Indian Air Force," Rana said.



#WATCH | The squadron operating the Heron Mark2 drones is known as the Warden of the North and has been carrying out surveillance missions along with borders with both China and Pakistan. The drones have been equipped with satellite communication links and are the most advanced pic.twitter.com/hPingSKHoK  ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2023

Any weather, any terrain



These UAVs can be operated in any weather and on any terrain, enabling them to cover both China and Pakistan. "The payloads and the onboard avionics of the Heron Mark 2 can operate at sub-zero temperatures and in any weather condition. This is helping the Indian Air Force achieve footprints over any type of terrain," Squadron Leader Arpit Tandon told ANI.



Tandon, who pilots the drone, added that the newer version of the Heron drones has multiple advantages over the old ones, which started getting inducted into the IAF in the early 2000s.



Another focal point of the drone is its strength. These drones are capable of being equipped with weapons, air-to-ground missiles, air-to-ground anti-tank weapons, and bombs. The IAF is also working on Project Cheetah, under which around 70 Heron drones would be upgraded with satellite communication links and weaponised.



This comes as the Centre, hoping to give an impetus to the 'Make in India' programme, aims to procure 97 new highly capable drones under a joint acquisition plan. The move was taken after a scientific study held by the defence forces concluded that the same number of drones were required to meet the Medium Altitude Long Endurance requirements.



India had also plans to buy 31 Predator drones from US defence firm General Atomic. The firm has reportedly offered India 31 MQ9B drones for $ 3.072 billion, which is subject to negotiations.


Reacting to recent credible reports that China has leapfrogged from the production rate of about 40-50 J-20 Mighty Dragon fifth-generation fighters a year to about 120 now, a top official in Indias military establishment told THE WEEK that the development is a big concern for New Delhi.

Without doubt, it is a very big concern, particularly when we suffer from a scarcity of fighter aircraft. But at the same time, we have certain advantages. We will operate fighters that would be carrying full payloads taking off from Punjab whereas the Chinese fighters will have to operate from the oxygen-depleted Tibetan plateau, the official said on condition of not being identified.

Aircraft cannot utilize their full capacity and efficiency when operating from oxygen-depleted terrain like the 4,000 metre high Tibetan plateau.

On September 22, 2022, Chinas air force spokesperson Senior Colonel Shen Jinke had stated that the J-20 has been deployed across all five theater commands including the western one which faces India.

Already constrained by the significant asymmetry in air power with China, the new development will further widen the air power gulf between India and its northern neighbour.

While the J-20 is a fifth-generation fighter with stealth capabilities, Indias most advanced air fighter is the 4.5-generation Rafale which is a French origin platform from the Dassault stable.

Two factors may have mainly contributed to the scaling up of J-20 production.

First is the use of the locally-developed Shenyang WS-10 Taihang aero engine in the J-20 which has replaced the Russian Saturn AL-31 engine. In effect, China has been able to produce the entire aircraft on its own eliminating reliance on foreign technology. Notably, a much more powerful aero-engine WS-15 is also undergoing development.

Second is the use of the pulsating production line which is a far more mechanized and automatised method of assembling an aircraft with adjustable platforms precisely setting up and placing different components of the airframe line cockpits, landing gear, tails etc.

The J-20 is the worlds third stealth fighter aircraft to be deployed after the F-22A Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter both of which are with the US military.

The J-20 was first flight-tested in 2011. After its maiden appearance at a 2016 aerospace exhibition, it entered PLAAF service in 2017.

China usually does not announce the number of fighters in its fleet but it is believed that in addition to the existing 200 J-20s, five brigades55th Air Brigade based at Jining, 131st Air Brigade based at Nanning, 98th Air Brigade at Chongqing, 95th Air Brigade at Lianyungang and the 97th Air Brigade at Dazu have received the aircraft in the first half of 2023 alone.

Another fifth-generation stealth fighter is being developed in China that has been codenamed J-35 or J-XY.

The military official also added that the work has just begun on the Nyoma advanced landing ground (ALG) located at an altitude of 13,700 feet in eastern Ladakh after a bhumi-pujan ceremony was conducted earlier this week.

Upgrading and enhancing the present mud runway to a longer concrete runway will allow the entire range of fighters and transport aircraft in the Indian Air Force fleet to operate from the Nyoma base thereby fulfilling a critical gap for air operations in the area, the official said.

Many new fitments are being made to the fighter aircraft to enable them to operate from this high altitude air base without any problems.

Nyoma will add to the Leh and Thoise airfields in Ladakh from where all air power operations can be undertaken.

On the infrastructure build up across the border, the official said: It is continuing at a very very hectic pace and we have to mirror it. But it is a mystery as to what the real intentions for such a border buildup are.

--

# Production line is a far more mechanized and automatised method of assembling an aircraft with adjustable platforms precisely setting up and placing different components of the airframe line cockpits, landing gear, tails etc.


Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Sunday rebutted Governor R.N. Ravi's statement on the state's anti-NEET bill and said the latter has got nothing to do with the bill anymore. He added the bill has been sent for Presidential assent.



Talking to presspersons at Thenkasi on Sunday, Subramanian said, People in Tamil Nadu wish for exemption from NEET and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is working on this regard. He added that the state Assembly had re-adopted the bill, seeking exemption for Tamil Nadu from the NEET's ambit after Ravi returned it earlier.

"Left with no other option (this time), the Governor had sent the bill to the President. The bill is still alive. President forwarded the bill to the home ministry and they sought clarifications from Ayush, health and education departments, to which we have replied, Subramanian said. He added, Governor has got nothing to do with NEET (bill) anymore. His assent is no longer needed. This being the situation, the governor is trying to deceive the public with his statement, The Hindu Tamil reported quoting the minister.

If the President is satisfied and gives assent to the bill, the information of the approval will be shared with the Governor. In such a situation, his remarks against the anti-NEET bill amounted to 'fishing in troubled waters'," he said.

A governor should ideally support the welfare initiatives of the state government and the DMK regime's stand against the NEET was reflective of the public sentiment. DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had made an electoral assurance in 2021 to do away with the central qualifying test, if voted to power in the elections then, he said.

In his interaction with top NEET scorers in UG-2023, held as part of the 'Dare to Think Series' on Saturday, Ravi had said achievements without NEET were not enough for the future. The qualifying test is here to stay, he had asserted.

"Look, I will be the last man to give clearance; never, ever. I do not want my children to feel intellectually disabled. I want our children to compete and be the best. They have proved it," he added.

(With PTI inputs.)
Ukrainian war film honored with top directing prize at prestigious Locarno Film Festival 13 August, 07:24 PM Director Maryna Vroda with the award (Photo:facebook.com/UkrBotschaftSchweiz)

The Ukrainian film Stepne won the award for Best Director at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the Ukrainian State Film Agency reported on Aug. 13.

Director Maryna Vroda received the Pardo Award for Best Director for her movie Stepne. This is the director's first feature film.

In her speech, the Ukrainian director thanked the jury members and the entire international film crew. Vroda also mentioned the filmmakers who are currently at the frontline and the team members who were killed during the full-scale Russian invasion.

Video of day

The film Stepne depicts a few days in the life of an elderly man who returns to his Ukrainian village of Stepne to care for his mother in her final days. It stars Oleksandr Maksyakov, alongside Nina Antonova, Oleh Prymohenov, and Radmila Shcheholeva in the main roles as the protagonist spends time with his ailing mother before she passes.

The movie was co-produced by Ukraine, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Maryna Vroda is the winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for her short film Cross.

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Andrea Gonzalez, the running mate of slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio has been named to stand in his place in the August 20 elections, the centrist Construye party said in a statement on Saturday. 59-year-old Villavicencio was shot while leaving a campaign event in Quito last week.

Gonzalez is a 36-year-old environmental activist who hasn't previously held public office. You never have enough time to process something so shocking and so sobering as the assassination of a presidential candidate (on) such a level of violence and so soon  so close to the presidential elections, Gonzalez told CNN. Ballots have been printed, but, as per law, votes for Villvicencio will automatically transfer to the party candidate.

The slain candidate's widow, on Saturday, criticised the party's replacement and called it unlawful, Reuters reported. Villavicencio was an ex-lawmaker and journalist with a track record of exposing corruption. Six suspects have been charged with the murder of Villavicencio. The police have accused all six of them, Colombian nationals, have links to criminal groups.

A judge on Thursday said that all suspects should remain behind bars as the criminal investigation continues. Veronica Sarauz, Villavicencios widow, said the government has to provide a lot of answers for her husbands murder.

Ecuador, in recent years, has seen a rise in violence and an increase in the murder rate. Besides this, migration and employment have emerged as key campaign issues.
The Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, a prominent temple in Canada's British Columbia state that was visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, was vandalised with anti-India pro-Khalistani posters on Saturday, said reports.

CCTV footage from the security cameras showed two people on the Surrey temple premises putting up posters on the main door. The posters pasted on its front gate and rear wall in the wee hours of Saturday were removed after they were discovered in the morning.

We never expected something like this, Hindustan Times quoted Satish Kumar, the president of the temple, as saying.

One of the posters, portraying pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar as a martyr, read, Khalistan referendum  Shaheed Jathedar Hardeep Singh Nijjar  Canada  Investigate India's Role in June 18th Assassination.

Nijjar was shot dead in his truck on June 18 by two masked men in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, where the desecrated Hindu temple is also located.

In 2022, the NIA declared a Rs 10 lakh reward on Nijjar after he was accused of conspiring to kill a Hindu priest in Jalandhar. Nijjar allegedly trained Khalistan Tiger Force militants and tried to revive the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), THE WEEK reported earlier.

Nijjar had several FIRs against him and was allegedly behind the killing of Indian-origin Canadian businessman Ripudaman Malik who was shot dead on July 14, 2022, in Surrey.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, another prominent Hindu temple in Canada's Ontario, was vandalised by unidentified people with "anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti" on April 5, 2023.

On January 31, the Gauri Shankar temple in Brampton was defaced with anti-India graffiti. At least three similar vandalism incidents were reported in Canada last year as well.

Security beefed up at Indian High Commission in London

Separately, the UK has beefed up safety and security of the Indian High Commission in London and its staff members, British Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said on Sunday. This comes around five months after the mission was attacked by pro-Khalistani forces who pulled down the national flag from a pole at the front of the building.

"Let me be very clear about this. This is not an Indian problem in the UK. Whenever there is radicalisation in the UK of UK citizens, this is a British problem. And so any attempt to radicalise any UK citizen in any direction will be dealt with by the British government," he told PTI. "That is why we have the Prevent Programme and we are using it to face those challenges of radicalisation across different communities.

On Friday, the minister announced a fund of 95,000 pounds (around Rs 1 crore) to enhance the country's capability to tackle "pro-Khalistan extremism".
The death toll in the Maui wildfire has reached 93. The cataclysmic fire that swept through the Hawaiian city destroyed the centuries-old town of Lahaina. Search and rescue crews continue to sift through the debris. Governor Josh Green, on Saturday, said the death toll is expected to rise, Gulf News reported.



The newly released death toll surpassed the number of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California, which left 85 dead. Cars and mailboxes are being marked with huge Xs so that rescue teams know that these places have already been searched for bodies.

The Maui fire has been termed the deadliest wildfire in the US since 1918 when a fire raced through drought-stricken northern Minnesota destroying thousands of homes and killing hundreds.

"It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced...We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding," Governor Green told CBS News.

Green said that the state had secured 1000 rooms to accommodate the temporarily displaced residents and that long-term rentals will be made available in the coming days.

According to Pacific Disaster Centre, as of Friday, nearly 5,000 structures have been exposed, damaged or destroyed by fire, 90 per cent of which are residential. While it is unclear as to what caused the fire, the flames rapidly spread thanks to dry conditions combined with hurricane-induced winds.



Hawaii congresswoman Jill Tokuda told CNN, "We underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire." Authorities also expressed concern about morgues and the singular hospital being able to accommodate victims, CBS News reported.


Seven people including a 23-day-old baby girl were killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Sunday, the country's Internal Affairs Ministry said.



Artillery shelling in the village of Shiroka Balka, on the banks of the Dnieper River killed a family a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl and another resident.

Two men were killed in the neighbouring village of Stanislav, where a woman was also wounded.

The attack on Kherson province followed Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar's comments on Saturday attempting to quell rumours that Ukrainian forces had landed on the occupied left (east) bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region.

"Again, the expert hype around the left bank in the Kherson region began. There are no reasons for excitement," she said.

Kherson regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Sunday that three people had been wounded in Russian attacks on the province on Saturday. Ukrainian military officials said Saturday evening that Kyiv's forces had made progress in the south, claiming some success near a key village in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and capturing other unspecified territories.

Ukraine's General Staff said they had partial success around the tactically important Robotyne area in the Zaporizhzhia region, a key Russian strongpoint that Ukraine needs to retake in order to continue pushing south towards Melitopol.

There are liberated territories. The defence forces are working, General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, commander of Ukraine's southern forces, said of the southern front.

Battles in recent weeks have taken place on multiple points along the over 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) front line as Ukraine wages a counteroffensive with Western-supplied weapons and Western-trained troops against Russian forces who invaded nearly 18 months ago.

Ukrainian troops have made only incremental gains since launching a counteroffensive in early June.

In Russia, local officials reported on Sunday that air defence systems shot down two drones over the Belgorod region and one over the neighbouring Kursk region, both of which border Ukraine.

Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian border regions are a fairly regular occurrence. Drone attacks deeper inside Russian territory have been on the rise since a drone was destroyed over the Kremlin in early May. In recent weeks, attacks have increased both on Moscow and on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 a move that most of the world considered illegal.

Firing drones at Russia, after more than 17 months of war, has little apparent military value for Ukraine but the strategy has served to unsettle Russians and bring home to them the conflict's consequences.
In an intelligence update, the UK's defence ministry said on Sunday that Wagner Group is looking at downsizing reportedly owing to a fund crunch.



The Wagner Group is likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure, Britain's intelligence said.

British intelligence said following Wagner's mutiny in June, Moscow had possibly stopped funding Wagner and the government also acted against other businesses of Wagner chief. Since the abortive mutiny of June 2023, the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. There is a realistic possibility that the Kremlin no longer funds the group, it said.

If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities, the defence intel said. However, defence authorities assessed that it would be an unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources.
Even a week after the August 6 deadline set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), passed for Niger coup leaders to reinstate the country's ousted President Mohammed Bazoum, the 15-nation bloc has not taken any military action against the junta.



According to analysts quoted by Associated Press, the coup leaders seemingly gained the upper hand over ECOWAS which has ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in Niger. Of the 15 member nations, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and Ivory Coast said they would contribute troops.



However, there is no clear sign of when and if this standby force will be deployed. Some analysts feel it could take weeks or months. Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, told AP, It looks the putschists have won and will stay ... The putschists are holding all the cards and have cemented their rule.



Laessing said the regional bloc is unlikely to intervene militarily and risk a civil war in the country. However, he opined that ECOWAS and Western countries may push the new regime into following a short transition period.



He said Europe and the US has no choice but to give in to the junta in order to continue the anti-terrorist cooperation with Niger, where they have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance. Niger is seen as one of the last partners in the Sahel region to tackle growing insurgency fueled by al-Qaida and the Islamic State.



ECOWAS defense chiefs in the region were set to hold a meeting to discuss the standby force. However, it has been delayed indefinitely. Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, said this show that ECOWAS wants to avoid the use of force unless necessary, the report said.

Moreover, the African Union, which is expected to hold a meeting on Monday, could override ECOWAS decision to take military action if it is seen as a security threat to the continent.



On the other hand, Russia said any military intervention in Niger would lead to a "protracted confrontation" and destabilise the Sahel region as a whole, reported BBC.

Earlier, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah told CNN, We are determined to stop it, but ECOWAS is not going to tell the coup plotters when and where we are going to strike. That is an operational decision that would be taken by the heads of state who are going to be like the commanders in chief of this operation.

French foreign ministry has also extended support to ECOWAS in its move to topple the junta in Niger.
THE BUDDHA preached equality of human beings. He knew that a government was necessary to ensure social order and welfare consistent with the dharma. This made Budhhism and democracy compatible. Monasteries followed democratic traditions.

The Buddha, say historians, could have been inspired by the democratic traditions in gana sanghas such as Lichchhavi. The Vinaya Pitaka, the Buddhist rule book that was written after the Buddhas death, details the discipline to be followed in the monastic community. It describes an election process, the method of voting in it; the constitution of Santhagara (an assembly), the election of the Mahasammata (the great elect), the process of moving a resolution, and what quorum, consent, dissent and referendum means.

The Vinaya Pitaka also describes three voting procedures that still has resonance: a secret ballot that employs voting sticks; whispering ones preference into another monks ear; and open voting through show of hands. It put the presiding officer in charge of detecting unfair practices, such as voting twice or conducting a ballot without ensuring quorum. Disputes regarding interpretation of rules were to be resolved by a committee elected for the purpose, and by a majority vote in the monastic assembly.

B.R. Ambedkar, head of the committee that drafted the Constitution of India, drew inspiration from democratic principles of the Buddhist sanghas. A close look at the Vinaya Pitaka, and its similarities with our modern Constitution becomes clear.
UNLIKE ANCIENT civilisations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt, the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) had no signs of imperial authority like palaces or big buildings. The IVC, which flourished between 6000 BCE to 1300 BCE, was double the size of other developed civilisations of its time. So, how did the IVC set up and govern very well-organised cities?

There is archaeological evidence pointing to the governing system in cities being democratic. The Harappans created a network of streets, tracks and drainage systems, and infrastructure like granaries, public baths and irrigation systems were built for the welfare of the people. The architecture indicates a hierarchypriests or merchants stayed in the citadel area, while common people were in the outer area. In the absence of structures indicating the existence of a kingdom, archaeologists say the IVC was a nation or empire governed by peaceful methods rather than by force. It also had trade links with other civilisations.

According to archaeologist Vasant Shinde, the Harappans likely introduced the panchayat system of democracy. DNA testings in Rakhigarhi show no links to steppe pastoralists and Iranians, but they reveal similarities with present-day south Asians.

Since there is cultural uniformity in large tracts of excavated sites from Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan to Dholavira and Lothal in Gujarat, it is possible that there was an organisation for political or administrative control. A remarkable feature has been the discovery of weight stones and seals, which point to a civic authority that maintained rule of law.

It has been 100 years since the IVC was discovered. New excavations, climate studies and discoveries continue to add to our knowledge of a well-formed proto-democracy.
A few months before his samadhi, the Buddha was in Rajgriha (present-day Rajgir in Bihar), preparing to start his three-month rain retreat. He had an unexpected visitorVassakara, minister of King Ajatashatru of Magadha. The minister wanted the Buddhas counsel on Magadhas plan to annex Vajji, a neighbouring confederacy of republican tribal states.

The Lichchhavi Gana Sangha had a number of administrative units, each of which was a mini state. Decision-making in ancient republics such as Lichchhavi was a privilege of the ruling clans. The gana sanghas had kings as the head of the executive, but the kings did not enjoy absolute power.

But the Buddha did not answer Vassakara directly. He turned to his disciple Ananda and started a conversation that gave a peek into the republican governance system in the sixth century BCE. Have you heard, Ananda, the Buddha said, that the Vajjians frequently hold public meetings of their clan?

Lord, said Ananda, so have I heard.

As long as the Vajjians meet so often, said the Buddha, and call public meetings of their clan frequently, may they be expected not to decline but to prosper.

He then laid down seven conditions of welfare that the Vajjians were expected to adhere to: holding full and frequent assemblies, taking and implementing decisions in concord, preserving institutions, honouring elders, protecting women, conserving shrines and supporting the enlightened.

The message: the Vajjians should prosper as long as they met the conditions. Having received the Buddhas counsel, Vassakara took leave after assuring him that Vajji would not be annexedat least not in the near future.

The conversation, recorded in the Pali text Mahaparinibbana Sutta, moots a key discourse on polity. Scholars have wondered whether the Buddhas advice ended up showing Ajatashatru a way to conquer the Vajjians, which he ultimately did more than a decade later as he expanded the Magadhan empire.

The seven conditions of welfare are often recognised as key governance principles that had elements of democracy. Buddhist monasteries adhered to the principles, which mirrored the ethos of the prevalent gana sanghas (clan-based oligarchies) of the time.

The leading republican state in the Vajjian confederacy, Lichchhavi, followed its own system of governance. Another text, Ekapanna Jataka, says Vaishali (the capital of Lichchhavi, in present-day Bihar) always had 7,707 kings to govern the state. These kings belonged to the Lichchhavi clan and they were given to argument and disputation.

The Lichchhavi Gana Sangha had a number of administrative units, each of which was a mini state. They had an elected council, a general assembly that met once a year, and a system of voting that employed sticks. The ruling clans practised egalitarian traditions and rejected Vedic ones.

After the Buddhas death, monasteries, too, followed a system of discussion and voting, says the Buddhist text Vinaya Pitaka. They had three systems of voting: the ballot, whispering in another monks ear, and show of hands.

Inscriptions on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple at Uthiramerur in Tamil Nadu, which has been dated to 920 CE, detail an elaborate system of local self-governance that elected councils by secret ballot. Similar inscriptions have been found in other parts of the state, indicating that an early form of democracy was prevalent in ancient times.

So, can India call itself the mother of democracy, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi phrased it while laying the foundation stone for the new Parliament building in 2020. Modi has since used the phrase multiple timesfrom his address to the United Nations in 2021 and his speeches abroad during official visits, to his radio show, Mann ki Baat. As India gets ready to host the G20 meetings in September, the invite says, Welcome to the Mother of Democracy.

House of lords: An exhibit by S. Sen Roy in Parliament, showing the meeting of Lichchhavi clansmen | Pratul Sharma

The phrase gives a cultural and nationalistic interpretation of Indias ancient history. The UNs adoption of the International Day of Yoga was a soft-power success that helped India maintain its position as vishwaguru. The mother of democracy tag now places the country in the front row of world powers which have been employing cultural history in their quest for dominance.

The Chinese use their culture, along with their economic prowess, to present China as the dominant cultural civilisation. The US prides itself on being the worlds oldest modern democracy that has been thriving for more than 200 years.

The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) recently took Modis cue to come out with India: The Mother of Democracy, a book of 30 essays that detail the presence and evolution of democratic traditions in India over the ages.

The book covers a lot of groundthe sabha and samiti of the Vedic period, the gana sanghas, Kautilyas Arthashastra, republican leanings of the Kakatiyas, Kashmir under Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin, the bhakti tradition of the Deccan, local self-governance in Tamil Nadu, Buddhist democratic ideals, democratic traditions of Namdharis, Bhils, northeastern tribes and Haryanas khap panchayats, and continuation of the panchayat system under the East India Company.

India is the largest democracy in the world and we Indians are also proud of the fact that our country is also the mother of democracy, said Modi while talking about the book in the January edition of Mann ki Baat. Democracy is in our veins, it is in our culture. It has been an integral part of our work for centuries. By nature, we are a democratic society.

Glorious past: The ruins of Mohenjo-daro | Getty Images

Modi said B.R. Ambedkar, chairman of the committee that drafted Indias Constitution, once compared the Buddhist monks union to the Indian Parliament. He described [the union] as an institution where there were many rules for motions, resolutions, quorum, voting and counting of votes. Babasaheb believed that Lord Buddha must have got inspiration from the political systems of that time, said Modi in Mann ki Baat.

The concept of democracy as a political system goes back to ancient Greece, particularly Athens. Cleisthenes (508-507 BCE), the father of Athenian democracy, introduced a system where all male citizens had equal political rights, freedom of speech, and opportunity for political participation.

The Athenian democracy had three separate institutionsthe ekklesia, a sovereign governing body that wrote laws and dictated foreign policy; the boule, a council of representatives from the ten Athenian tribes; and the dikasteria, popular courts in which citizens argued cases before a group of lottery-selected jurors. The Athenian democracy survived for only two centuries.

In India, two millennia of rule by powerful empires uprooted previous concepts of democracy. The colonial powers who followed floated the idea of oriental despotism, a concept popularised by the German sociologist Karl Wittfogel.

But new archaeological and historical findings at the turn of twentieth century gave rise to several nationalist historians such as K.P. Jayaswal, A.S. Altekar, D.R. Bhandarkar and R.C. Majumdar. They talked about ancient republics and democratic societies. Jayaswals Hindu Polity, Majumdars Corporate Life in Ancient India, and Altekars State and Government in Ancient India shed new light on the gana sanghas, Vedas, Buddhist sanghas and local self-governance in Tamil Nadu of ancient times. It prompted a wave of nationalism as India was still under British rule. The discovery of Kautilyas Arthashastra in 1906 also aided the nationalist project, which came to question the western notion of democracy that had Athenian democracy as the starting point.

Most of the oldest civilisations have either died or are in museums, ICHR chairman Raghuvendra Tanwar told THE WEEK. Ours is the only surviving one, where linkages can be seen for 10,000 years.

Critics, however, point out that India did not have developed systems of democracy, as decision-making in ancient republics such as Lichchhavi was a privilege of the ruling clans. Wealth and caste played a factor.

Tanwar says it is important to understand the essence of what mother of democracy means. In Rajtarangini, a 12th-century account of the history of Kashmir, author Kalhana talks about how kings should be: He should be dispassionate and fair, and should not take sides.

During the Vedic period, kings took oath that they were committed to the common good and welfare of the poor. Vedic literature, for example, talks about the presence of sabha and samiti, from which kings drew their power, said Tanwar. We told the world that you dont escape actions. In the broader sense, this is precisely what democracy should be, meaning that you cannot escape the course of your actions.

The ICHR book projects Harappa as an example of an early democratic institution. According to Vasant Shinde, archaeologist and former vice chancellor of Deccan College, the concept of democracy and welfare state can be traced back to the Harappans. He says archaeological evidence of well-planned Harappan cities indicates that they had an administrative system similar to todays panchayats.

Unlike Egyptians who built pyramids, the Harappans did not build imposing structures that served no purpose for ordinary people. Instead, they used their wealth to create clean, well-planned civic amenities, said Shinde, who headed the recent Harappa-related excavation at Rakhigarhi in Haryana.

Apparently, the Harappans were able to collect tax efficiently, provide clean and hygienic water to residents, and build public granaries. It would not be farfetched to surmise that all these facilities were created on the instructions of a group of administrators, like modern-day panchayat members, who were likely chosen by the populace, said Shinde.

According to him, the administrators had a slightly higher status in Harappan society, as indicated by the fact that they had spacious, independent residential units in the citadel area of the city. All available evidence affirms the existence of a democratic system during the Harappan period, which dates back to about 4,500 years ago.

Standing tall: The Ashoka Pillar at Vaishali, Bihar | Getty Images

Ideas of participative governance come from the Vedas as well. The Rig Veda and Atharva Veda talk about sabha and samiti. Jayaswal argued that a samiti was a sovereign body from the constitutional point of view, while sabha was a standing body of selected men working under the authority of the samiti. The terminology is still prevalent.

Grammarian Panini talks about presence of janapadas (republics); Arthashastra identifies sanghas and ganas; and Pali texts translated by Buddhist scholar T.W. Rhys Davis reveal a society that took decisions after convening assemblies. Greek records and travelogues of Arrian and Megasthanes also attest to the existence of republics in ancient India.

The gana sanghas had kings as the head of the executive, but the kings did not enjoy absolute power. There was a council of ministers, comprising members of the ruling clan. Apparently, the Malla republic had four members in its council, while Lichchhavi and Videha republics had nine and 18 members, respectively.

In Lichchhavi, disputes regarding matters of war and religious and social issues called for voting. If consensus proved elusive, a committee called udayvahika was appointed. There were four voting techniquesopen voting, secret ballot, mouth-to-ear whispers and the evident system, in which names of other voters were declared. There were seven types of courts as well, with the king heading the judiciary. Lichchhavis had presidents (ganapati), vice presidents (upa ganapati), army chiefs (senapati), ambassadors and other key heads of administration.

Inscriptions found in Tamil Nadu shed light on the rules governing these ancient republican societies. A slab discovered at the Bhaktavatsala Perumal temple at Thirunindravur has rules of the judiciary. Artefacts found at a temple at Mannur specify the criteria for selecting judges. Apparently, temples acted as social institutions and public meetings were held in their mandapas.

Inscriptions dated to the rule of Chola king Parantaka-I have information on the criteria for electing members of different committees. Proficiency in Vedas and Vedangas was necessary, and the members were selected by lot (kudavolai). They held office for a fixed term and were not eligible for reelection, so that others could have the opportunity to serve.

As colonial administrator Charles Metcalfe wrote in 1830, Indian villages survived centuries of rulers and ruling systems. The village communities are little republics, he wrote. They seem to last where nothing else lasts. Dynasty after dynasty tumbles down, revolution succeeds revolution but the village community remains the same.

Another example of democratic ideals in medieval India is the Anubhava Mantapa, established by 12th-century social reformer Basavanna in present-day Karnataka. The Anubhava Mantapa was a platform for people of diverse backgrounds to engage in open dialogue, share their experiences and ideas, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge. The body was inclusivethere was no discrimination on the basis of caste, colour or gender.

Billed as an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers of the Lingayat faith, it still finds resonance in present-day Indian politics. The new international convention centre for G20 meetings at Pragati Maidan in Delhi was recently christened Bharat Mandapam. The Anubhava Mantapaoften referred to as the first parliament of the worldrepresents a democratic platform for debates, discussions and expression of ideas, said Modi while inaugurating the centre on July 26. Today, the world acknowledges that India is the mother of democracy. From ancient inscriptions found in Uthiramerur, Tamil Nadu, to places like Vaishali, Indias vibrant democracy has been our pride for centuries.

Modern body, ancient soul: The new Parliament building in Delhi | Sanjay Ahlawat

No reference to democracy in India can be complete without referring to the drafting of the Constitution. As many as 389 members spent more than 1,000 hours over 166 daysroughly, 149 million work hoursto draft the Constitution.

A key feature of India has been the ability to involve individuals in the tasks of governance, irrespective of primordial identities based on family, language, caste, colour and religion, said M. Rajivlochan in his essay in India: The Mother of Democracy. This differed from the western notion of democracy that was predicated on a model of power-sharing between groups. In India, the individual was the centre of all such norms. In 1928, when the Nehru report created first draft of the Constitution, it focused on individuals and not political parties. It deliberately avoided any reference to parties or partisan groupings. In free India, individual would remain the focus of all norms.

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts has created a website on India as the mother of democracy. It highlights the egalitarian views of bhakti poets and mystics like Lal Ded, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srimanta Sankerdev, Guru Ravidas, Sant Dyaneshwar, Bulleh Shah, Tukaram and Poonthanam Nambudiri, the traditional councils of tribes in the northeast, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the worlds oldest democracy of Malana village in Himachal Pradesh, the tenures of rulers such as Ashoka, Akbar, Suheldev and Shivaji; and empires such as Vijayanagaram, where democratic ideas were practised.

The question is: how resonant are these ancient democratic traditions today? The answer, perhaps, lies in the warning that Ambedkar sounded. A time may come, he said, when we may get so fed up with the vagaries of democracies that we may only want democracy for the people, and may not be bothered whether it was of or by the people.

Clearly, ancient India tells us that there is more to democracy than mere elections.
Mumbai, Aug 13 (PTI) Superstar Sridevi's family and film industry friends paid homage to the late actor and celebrated her everlasting impact on the Indian cinema on her 60th birth anniversary.

Sridevi, hailed as one of the first female superstars of the Indian film industry, worked across languages. Some of her most prominent films are "Moondru Mudichu", "Pokkiri Raja", "Sadma", "Chaalbaaz", "Lamhe", "Chandni" and "English Vinglish".

The actor's husband, producer Boney Kapoor, shared a throwback photograph with her on Instagram.

"Happy Birthday," he wrote along with several heart emoji.

While her elder daughter, "Bawaal" actor Janhvi Kapoor, shared the same post on her Instagram Stories, Khushi Kapoor posted a childhood pic of her and her sister with the screen icon.

"Happy birthday mama," Khushi, who is set to make her acting debut with the Netflix film "The Archies", wrote.

Anil Kapoor, Sridevi's brother-in-law and co-star from iconic films such as "Lamhe" "Chandni" and "Mr India", said her legacy will live on forever.

"Happy birthday, Sri Your legacy lives on, and your impact on the world of cinema is everlasting. You are deeply missed and forever cherished!" he wrote alongside a photograph from the sets of Yash Chopra's "Lamhe".

Sridevi's close friend, ace couturier Manish Malhotra, said she will forever be his "all time favourite".

The actor died in 2018 in Dubai at the age of 54. Her last theatrical release was 2017's crime thriller "Mom".
Far more intense than expected  Ukrainian marines speak about U.K. training 13 August, 07:48 PM Training of Ukrainian Marines in the UK (Photo:General Staff/Facebook)

More details about the training of Ukrainian marines who have conducted six months of exercises with their counterparts from the United Kingdom have been revealed in the General Staff's Facebook update on Aug. 13.

"It is the first programme of amphibious training delivered by the U.K. to Ukraine, culminating with Ukrainian marines planning and conducting raids by both day and night," the message reads.

All cadets underwent a rigorous five-week program that developed individual skills in staying and surviving in the field, first aid, close combat, physical training, and planning unit actions in close-to-real-life scenarios.

Video of day

In the past, Ukrainian cadets had different professions. Many were civilians who volunteered without any previous military experience, while others transferred from other units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

According to one Ukrainian marine, British instructors were there all the time, showing them how to move and how to work in a small team.

"The training I have received from the U.K. Royal Marines has been far more intense than I expected," he said.

I have learned so much and never expected to be doing the things I have done. All the way through, our British instructors have been beside us, showing us how to move and how to work together in a small team  this will make a difference when we return home to Ukraine.

More than 20,000 recruits of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already been trained in the United Kingdom since the beginning of 2022. They were taught basic military skills, including trench and urban warfare techniques, leadership skills, and medical training.

The Royal Navy announced on Aug. 12 that it had completed training for more than 1,000 Ukrainian marines who had been trained to conduct raids and complex operations.

The British Ministry of Defense reported on July 15 that it had trained 18,000 Ukrainian service members under the Interflex program.

The British military is training an elite Ukrainian special forces brigade to help Ukraine liberate the temporarily occupied Crimea by Christmas, the Sunday Express reported on July 29, citing anonymous sources.

On Aug. 9, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed how the Ukrainian military is being trained in the UK, where the exercises include a plausible recreation of a combat situation.

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London, Aug 13 (PTI) The British government is under renewed pressure on Sunday as six migrants drowned in the English Channel and 59 were rescued after their vessel sank off the French coast.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she spoke to UK Border Force teams as she expressed her grief over the tragic loss of lives.

The Opposition Labour Party and campaigners renewed their calls on the government to act on the small boat crisis of unsafe vessels being used by migrants to cross over illegally into the UK.

My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic loss of life in the Channel today. This morning I spoke with our Border Force teams who have been supporting the French authorities in response to this incident, Braverman tweeted on Saturday.

The overloaded vessel got into difficulty and capsized 20km off Sangatte in France on Saturday. Five French ships, two British ships and a helicopter were involved in the rescue operation to save lives.

"This incident is sadly another reminder of the extreme dangers of crossing the Channel in small boats and how vital it is that we break the people smugglers' business model and stop the boats," a UK government spokesperson said.

Labour's shadow immigration minister, Stephen Kinnock, accused the government of having "no workable plan" to sort out the asylum system.

"It's time to end the small boats nightmare  we can't sit by as more lives are put at risk. The country deserves better than this mess," he writes in the Sunday Mirror.

The Conservative Party government also faced pressure on the issue from within its own ranks, with former Tory chairman Jake Berry calling for radical changes to turn the tide.

"We have a moral duty, both to our own citizens and those asylum seekers, to act," he writes in the Sunday Express.

Meanwhile, human rights groups are urging the government to create more safe routes for asylum seekers to the UK, with the Refugee Council warning "more people will die" unless urgent action is taken.

This terrible loss of life demonstrates yet again the need for a system of safe passage to the UK for refugees, said refugee charity Care4Calais.

The incident came in the wake of a backlash over the UK governments plan to house asylum seekers on a barge docked in south-west England after the first set of migrants had to be removed just days after being moved in over dangerous bacteria fears.

The Bibby Stockholm, a large floating vessel docked at Portland in Dorset opened up to its first set of migrants earlier this week amid controversy as human rights groups questioned its suitability as a long-term accommodation.

However, the government insisted that it was an essential part of its plans to address the soaring taxpayer-funded hotel bills to house migrants while their asylum claims are processed. But on Friday it emerged that bacteria which causes legionnaires disease, a kind of pneumonia, was found in the water supply and all 39 migrants had to be moved out to alternate accommodation.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made stop the boats one of his governments top priorities as he pledged to clamp down on people smugglers facilitating migrants landing up on the countrys shores illegally.
Karachi, Aug 13 (PTI) One terrorist was killed and three others injured on Sunday in an exchange of fire with security forces in the port city of Gwadar in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province, the army said.

Gwadar port is one of the focal points of the multi-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with many Chinese workers working at the port. China is investing heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Pakistan military's media wing, the operation was launched after the presence of terrorists in the area was reported.

The security forces have cordoned off the entire area [and] launched a search operation, the ISPR said. Pakistan has seen an uptick in terror activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

Last month, as many as 12 soldiers of the Pakistan Army were killed in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan. This was the militarys highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year.
Islamabad, Aug 13 (PTI) Pakistan electronic media watchdog has stopped TV channels from giving air space to 11 people, including journalists, accused of criticising the military and the Shehbaz Sharif-led previous government and declared proclaimed offenders or absconders by courts.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) issued a directive on Saturday, citing a decision from the Sindh High Court that such people cannot enjoy certain rights like appearing on television, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Pemra directive has also said that under section 27 of Pemra Ordinance 2002, hereby prohibits media coverage of above-mentioned individuals being proclaimed offenders on electronic media and refrain from airing any news, reports, statements or tickers of these individuals.

While warning the news channels of serious penalties in case of a violation of the directive, Pemra has also referred the matter to the Council of Complaints, reported Dawn.

The 11 persons include Sabir Shakir, Moid Peerzada, Wajahat Saeed Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Adil Farooq Raja, Ali Nawaz Awan, Murad Saeed and Hammad Azhar.

Shakir, Peerzada, Saeed Khan and Sehbai are journalists who are considered supporters of former premier Imran Khan, who was ousted as prime minister in April last year when he fell out with the powerful military establishment.

Saeed, Awan and Azhar were part of Khans government.

Adil Farooq Raja is a former Army major who lives in the UK and has been extremely critical of the Army because of the treatment meted out to Khan.

These people have been implicated in different cases, a familiar tactic to silence critics in Pakistan, and declared proclaimed offenders for failing to appear before courts. It is believed that they have fled the country to evade their arrests.

The tenure of the Sharif-led government ended when he dissolved the National Assembly on August 9 to pave the way for a neutral caretaker setup to run the country until the next general elections.
Mumbai, Aug 13 (PTI) A 21-year-old man has been arrested by Mumbai Police's crime branch for possessing the MD drug worth more than Rs 13 lakh, an official said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Ahmad Raza Khan, was nabbed from Gulshan Nagar locality in Oshiwara area on Saturday and 65 mg Mephedrone or MD drug, two mobile phones and cash were seized from his possession.

The official said the crime branch was conducting a search operation for the absconding accused in narcotic drugs cases on Saturday. Khan tried to flee after spotting police officials but was nabbed.

A case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and further investigation is underway, the official added.
Mumbai, Aug 13 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 5 PM.



BOM12 MH-HOSPITAL-3RD LD-DEATHS



* Maharashtra: 18 deaths reported in 24 hours in Thane hospital; probe panel constituted, says civic chief



Thane: Eighteen patients have died in the last 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa in Thane, civic commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Sunday. *



BOM8

GJ-OPPOSITION-SHAH



* Amit Shah compares opposition alliance to 'old wine in old bottle'



Mansa (Gujarat): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday took a swipe at the opposition alliance, likening it to an "old wine in old bottle" and claimed it was a group of leaders involved in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore. *



BOM13 CG-KHARGE



* Kharge urges people to back Congress in 2024 LS elections; says he is confident of party's win in Chhattisgarh



Janjgir: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday expressed confidence that his party will once again win the Chhattisgarh assembly polls due by the year-end, and urged people to support it in the next year's Lok Sabha elections "to save Constitution and democracy". *



BOM10 MH-PAWARS-NCP



* Not aware of what transpired between Pawars: Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil



Mumbai: Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil on Sunday said he was not aware of what transpired between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, amid a buzz in political circles of a 'secret' meeting in Pune between the NCP founder and his nephew, who is the state's deputy chief minister. *



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MH-PAWARS-RAUT



* Maharashtra: Raut downplays meeting of Pawars, says NCP founder may have invited Dy CM to INDIA meet in Mumbai on Aug 31-Sep 1





Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday downplayed the "secret" meeting between Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Pune a day earlier and said the octogenarian stalwart may have asked his nephew to join the meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA here on August 31 and September 1. *

BES2

MH-SRK MOVIE-FIR



* Mumbai: Clips of SRK's 'Jawan' stolen, leaked online; FIR registered



Mumbai: The Mumbai police have registered an offence against unidentified persons for allegedly stealing and leaking clips of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khans upcoming film Jawan on Twitter, an official said on Sunday. *
Bhopal, Aug 13 (PTI) Two retired officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and some local leaders and workers of the opposition Congress joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, months ahead of the state assembly elections.

Retired bureaucrats Kavindra Kiyawat and Raghuveer Shrivastava joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state party president V D Sharma in state capital Bhopal, a party spokesman said.

Chhaya More, who had contested as a Congress candidate from Pandhana assembly seat in the last state assembly election, and around 1,200 others, including leaders and workers of the grand old party as well as Jai Adivasi Yuva Shakti (JAYS) also joined the party, he said.

Chouhan welcomed them into the party fold.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister alleged that the Congress committed the sin of not improving the condition of the poor during its rule, and also accused the party of not doing anything for the welfare tribals and others.

Assembly polls for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly are due by the end of this year.
Gangtok, Aug 13 (PTI) Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Sikkim Organic Agriculture University (SOAU) at Mondegaon in Soreng district.

Stating that Sikkim has established itself as the country's first organic state, Tamang said SOAU will be a centre of excellence where subjects related to organic farming will be taught.

Hundreds of students from the state go outside to study agriculture, horticulture and forestry, he said, adding that he had met over 500 students in Dehradun itself who were doing urndergraduate and post-graduate courses in these subjects.

With the SOAU coming up in Sikkim, the students of the state will no longer have to travel outside for studying these subjects, Tamang said.

He directed officials to identify temporary spaces for the commencement of courses at the earliest.

The Sikkim assembly passed the Sikkim Organic Agriculture University Act, 2023 earlier this year.

The varsity will also boost economic activities in the remote Mondegaon area, the chief minister said.

"The SOAU will become a hub of economic activities, generating employment opportunities for the local people once the infrastructure is developed within a year," Tamang said.
Patna, Aug 13 (PTI) Union Minister Nityanand Rai has rejected Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's charge that former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan had worked as a BJP agent in the assembly polls three years ago.

Rai alleged that Paswan had parted ways with NDA because of the "arrogance" of Kumar, the JD(U)'s supreme leader, whom he also charged with having lost touch with public sentiment.

It is false to say that we wanted to weaken Nitish Kumar in the 2020 assembly polls. His party fared much worse than the BJP because he has lost touch with public sentiment. His arrogance had become a big problem and it was the only reason why Chirag Paswan had to break apart, Rai, a former Bihar BJP president, claimed on Saturday.

Paswan had fielded LJP candidates, many of them BJP rebels, in all seats contested by the JD(U) which finished with a tally of 43, a steep decline since 2015 when it had won 71 seats.

Though the BJP chose to stick to its alliance with Kumar, Paswan openly stated that his brinkmanship was aimed at helping the saffron party form its own government.

On Friday, Kumar had blamed the poor show of his party in the 2020 assembly polls on the BJP's use of its agent, without naming the former ally or Paswan by name.

Kumar had dumped the BJP in August last year to join hands with the RJD and other parties to form the 'Mahagathbandhan' government in the state.
Kolkata, Aug 13 (PTI) A team of West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Sunday visited the house of Jadavpur University student Swapnadip Kundu who died after falling from the balcony of a hostel.

Led by Ananya Chatterjee, adviser to the commission, the team went to the house of Kundu at Bagula in Nadia district and met his family members.

Kundu fell from the second-floor balcony of the main hostel building around 11.45 pm on Wednesday and died while undergoing treatment at a hospital at 3.40 am the next day.

Two students of the varsity were arrested on Sunday morning for their alleged involvement in ragging Kundu, police said.

Three persons have so far been held in the case, a senior officer said.

The deceased was a first-year Bengali honours student at the university.
Kolkata, Aug 13 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Eastern Region at 5 pm.



CAL 9 WB-STUDENT-DEATH-LD ARREST

Two more arrested over JU student's death, allegations of sexual harassment also surface

Kolkata: Two students of Jadavpur University were arrested on Sunday for their alleged involvement in the ragging of an undergraduate student who died after falling from the balcony of a hostel, police said.



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Nadda holds back-to-back meetings with BJP's Bengal leaders, takes stock of organisation

Kolkata: BJP president JP Nadda on Sunday held a series of meetings in Kolkata with party leaders of the state, and asked them to strengthen the booth-level organisation ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.



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Security beefed up in Tripura ahead of I-Day celebrations

Agartala: Security has been upped in Tripura ahead of Independence Day celebrations, a senior police officer said.



CAL 6 BH-CASTE-SURVEY

Field survey exercise of ongoing caste-based headcount in Bihar complete: Officials

Patna: The field survey exercise pertaining to the ongoing caste-based headcount survey in Bihar is complete now, officials said.



CAL 5 MN-INDEPENDENCE DAY-SECURITY

Security heightened in Manipur ahead of I-Day celebrations

Imphal: Security arrangements were beefed up in Manipur on Sunday after some Imphal valley-based banned organisations called for a strike on Independence Day, officials said.



CAL 4 WB-FISHING CAT

Conservative breeding programme on to protect 'vulnerable' fishing cat, Bengals state animal

Kolkata: A conservation breeding programme has been launched in a zoo in West Bengal to protect the fishing cat, a vulnerable species, state Forest Minister Jyotipriya Mallick said.
Four Ukrainians killed, including two children, in minibus accident in Austria 13 August, 01:46 PM Ukrainians died in a road accident in Austria (Photo:FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER)

Four Ukrainians, including two children, are dead after a Poland-registered minivan drove off a bridge in Austria, Polands RMF FW reported.

The deadly accident happened on A5 highway near Gaweinstal in the direction of Vienna at about 7 am on Aug. 12.

The vehicle drove through the railing of a bridge, rolled over, and came to rest on a road beneath the highway, Austrian media reported with pictures.

Five rescue trucks, three ambulances, and a helicopter from the nearby town of Gaweinstal came to the scene.

Video of day

The driver, who survived the incident, admitted that he fell asleep for a few seconds.

Photo: FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Photo: FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Photo: FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Photo: FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Photo: FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Photo: FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Two adults and two children  a three-year old and a seven-month-old  were killed in the incident. The children's grandmother and grandfather were killed in the accident, firefighters said.

Four other passengers, including a child, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

No Polish citizens were in the minibus which had a Polish license plate, Polish deputy foreign minister, Pawe Jabonski, told PAP news. There were only Ukrainians onboard, he added.

The Ukrainian family had residence permit in Poland, Austrian news outlet Salzburg24 reported.

The Polish side immediately informed Kyiv about the tragic accident. Austrian police are also in contact with Ukraine.

Read also: Top Emergency Service official arrested over interior ministry helicopter crash

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the deadly crash.

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.

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New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday accused Home Minister Amit Shah of "misleading" Parliament and the people about certain provisions in the three new bills that seek to overhaul the country's criminal justice system and demanded wider consultations on the proposed legislations involving experts and public.

The opposition party also alleged that these bills, introduced by Shah in Lok Sabha on the last day of the Monsoon session on Friday, were brought by the government in a "clandestine, hidden and opaque manner without any consultations".

In a statement, Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala claimed that without any prior intimation or public consultation or inviting suggestions from legal experts, jurists, criminologists and other stakeholders, the Modi government introduced the three bills from its "black magic hat" on August 11.

"The introductory remarks of the Home Minister gave away the fact that Amit Shah is himself out of depth, ignorant and oblivious to the entire exercise," the Congress leader said.

"Other than some credit seeking and point scoring in desperation, a hidden exercise, away from the public glare or stakeholders' suggestions and wisdom, cannot serve the public purpose of reforming the criminal law structure of the country," Surjewala said.

After an extensive "scrutiny" of existing and proposed laws, he said the detailed definitions of terrorism and terrorist acts already exist since the time of Indira Gandhi and "the definition of terrorists in the IPC is an eyewash".

On the issue of FIR against mob lynching, claimed to be brought for the first time, he alleged that Shah has given a "huge concession" to mob lynchers.

"The BJP government has watered down the lowest punishment for mob lynching to seven years (under BNS, 2023), whereas the lowest punishment under IPC for such crime was life imprisonment," he claimed.

Surjewala claimed that the issue of sexual assault on minors, all provisions already exist and so does the punishment of 20 years for gang rape.

Shah had introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Bill, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023 that will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.

The minister also urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to refer the three bills for examination by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

Surjewala countered Shah's remarks on the changes made through the bills and alleged that he had "lied and misled" on many points of the proposed legislation and accused the government of restructuring the nation's entire criminal law apparatus in a "clandestine, hidden and opaque manner".

"While the Bills have been referred to the Select Committee of Parliament, the Bills and their provisions must be thrown open for a larger public debate by judges, lawyers, jurists, criminologists, reformers, stakeholders and the general public in order to stay away from the trap of bulldozing the entire criminal law structure without discussion that is so ingrained in the DNA of the BJP government," he said.

"We hope that better sense will prevail," he added.

Congress MP Manish Tewari has also called for wider consultations on the bills.

"Some of these Acts, especially CrPC, have state amendments - given that law and order is a state subject. Each provision in each of these enactments has been extensively litigated over the past 150-100 years and the interpretation of each provision has been settled by judicial pronouncements by the privy council, federal court, Supreme Court, various high courts and in some cases even by subordinate courts," Tewari said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The three new Bills introduced by Shah and referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs need to be examined critically, provision by provision, in the light of judicial pronouncements interpreting them, he said.

"It, therefore, is imperative that a Joint Committee of Parliament consisting of lawyers, retired judges, former police officials/civil servants, jurists and members active in human, women and civil rights movements should be constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to examine all these three bills very very critically," Tewari said on Saturday.

These bills have serious implications on the fundamental rights enshrined in Part -III of the Constitution of India especially the Golden Triangle of rights - Article-14, 19 and 21, he asserted.

Among other things, the three Bills propose to repeal the sedition law and introduce a new provision with a wider definition of the offence.

Besides defining terrorism for the first time, the changes aimed at transforming the country's criminal justice system include provisions for maximum capital punishment for mob lynching, sexual assault of minors, maximum imprisonment of 20 years for all types of gangrape and community service as one of the punishments for first-time petty offences.

Former Congress leader Kapil Sibal also alleged that the government talks about ending colonial-era laws but wants to impose "dictatorship" through such legislation.

The Rajya Sabha MP and former law minister called on the government to take back the three bills, 1872, alleging that if such laws become a reality, they would "imperil the future" of the country.
Shimla, Aug 13 (PTI) Police here have registered a case of murder against unknown people after the body of a priest was found near a temple in a village here, officials said on Sunday.

Sunil Das (45), a native of Maharashtra, was a priest at the Bhuteshwar Maharaj temple in Kanti village of the district since March 2021, police said.

According to a complaint by one Kamal Singh, he got a call from Satya Pal on Saturday afternoon informing him that he wanted to call the priest to his house for a ceremony but his phone was switched off.

The duo went to the temple, which is located at an isolated place, and found the door of the priest's cottage on the temple premises locked. Upon looking around, they found his body with injury marks in the bushes nearby, police said.

A case under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against unknown people and an investigation is underway, police said.
Lucknow, Aug 13 (PTI) The Rashtriya Lok Dal's alliance with the BJP in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls had proved "most advantageous" for the Jayant Chaudhary led party as it had won five seats, and any decision on a tie-up between the two parties for the next elections will be taken by the leadership, Uttar Pradesh minister Kapil Dev Aggarwal has said.

He also claimed that the RLD's voters were today attracted towards the BJP.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the RLD had an alliance with the BJP, and it had won five seats. In the subsequent polls, they did not have an MP in the lower house, he said.

"This means that for the RLD, its alliance with the BJP has proved to be most advantageous," he said.

Whether they forge an alliance with the BJP or not in the Lok Sabha polls early next year will be decided by the BJP's leadership and RLD chief Chaudhary, he said.

"It is not my job. However, I would definitely say that the RLD's voters are today attracted towards the BJP," Aggarwal, the MLA from Muzaffarnagar, told PTI in an interview.

He asserted that the BJP has given the RLD respect and reservation.

Currently, the RLD is an ally of the Samajwadi Party, and had contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections with the SP. The RLD has nine MLAs in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

The western Uttar Pradesh centric party under the leadership of Ajit Singh had fought the 2009 Lok Sabha elections with the BJP. While the BJP had won 10 seats, the RLD had bagged five seats.

As far as the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is concerned, Aggarwal said it has "weakened" over a period of time and its traditional voters are being attracted towards the BJP.

"The BJP may not be the first choice for them, but it is definitely the second choice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given them security, patronage and work is being done for their development and make them competent. They are seeing it," Aggarwal said.

He added that the law and order situation has improved, and now "daughters from the Dalit community are pursuing B.Tech and M.Tech, and becoming scientists and professors".

The three-time BJP MLA from Muzaffarnagar also said that a large number of youths from western Uttar Pradesh are joining the Army and are full of patriotism.

"Unlike in the past, when bodies (of jawans) used to come on a daily basis from Kashmir and Assam, as terror incidents took place daily, today terrorism has been controlled 95 per cent. This is after Modi came to power," he said.

"The farmers of western Uttar Pradesh are seeing that after Modi came to power, terrorism has ended, the number of bodies (of jawans) coming there has reduced to minimum, and the border has become secured," Aggarwal said.

The minister also asserted the opposition bloc INDIA "will have no impact in Uttar Pradesh, and that the Congress is almost moving towards zero (seats). The BJP has 80 per cent of vote share, while the rest are fighting for 20 per cent."

On SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's assertion that the BJP will be wiped out in the upcoming elections, Aggarwal said, "He had said it last time (2022 Assembly elections) as well. The seats, which he (Akhilesh) has currently, those (seats) will also not remain with him".

"People have come to know what type of politics is done by Akhilesh Yadav, what type of anti-social elements have joined hands with him. Even his own voters are unhappy with him," he claimed.

On the issue of skill development, the minister said after the Global Investor Summit in Lucknow in February 2023, people from all across the world are coming here to invest, and it is natural that they have to select youngsters from here only, apart from senior technical professionals.

"So, what type of manpower do they need, we are doing the skill-mapping for it, and are also consulting the industry people for it," he added.

The UP minister also said that prime minister is working to make India a USD 5 trillion dollar economy, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is working to make Uttar Pradesh a USD 1 trillion economy.

However, the children of the country need to be skilled to realise this dream, he said, adding his department is working at a faster pace so that they could make the children skilled, link them with technical education, and make them all-rounders.

The Uttar Pradesh government has also signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) of over Rs 5,000 crore with Tata Technologies to upgrade 150 ITIs in the state, he added.
Srinagar, Aug 13 (PTI) BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Sunday said the central government will not hold any dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir but will talk only to the citizens of India.

He was responding to a question about National Conference president Farooq Abdullah urging New Delhi and Islamabad to hold talks for solving the Kashmir problem.

"Talks will be (held) only with Indian citizens. Why does Farooq Abdullah repeatedly see Pakistan in his dreams? Why does he sing the China song?" Chugh said.

He said in India, Jammu and Kashmir was safe and secure.

"The security of India and Jammu and Kashmir is not at someone's mercy. It is not at Pakistan's mercy. The people of Kashmir are with development and they will not fall prey to these conspiracies anymore," he added.

Hitting out PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Chugh accused the former chief minister of indulging in "negative politics".

"She has always indulged in negative politics. These three families have always played negative politics to vitiate the atmosphere," he said.

The BJP leader said he was surprised to see the huge participation of people in the 'tiranga tally' organised by the Lieutenant Governor administration on Sunday and advised the PDP leader to "pick up a tricolour" before Independence Day.

"I want to ask her why her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who was the Union Home minister, did not unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk? She was herself a chief minister and PDP president, why did she not hoist the flag? Mehbooba is still singing the old tune. I want to tell her that there is still time, she should come out and pick up a tricolour," he added.

Chugh said Jammu and Kashmir is marching ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"There is peace, development and trust. Earlier, only thousands used to come out to vote but now lakhs of people vote because they believe that Modi is working for their rights and development of this place," he said.

Abdullah on Saturday had said promoting border tourism or holding rallies in Jammu and Kashmir is only a "tamasha" (spectacle) which will go on until India and Pakistan hold talks with honesty on the Kashmir issue.

"The hearts of both the countries should be pure. There has been enough show-off," the Srinagar MP told reporters here when asked whether the situation in Kashmir had changed as border tourism is being promoted and tiranga rallies are being organised across the valley.
Jammu, Aug 13 (PTI) The family of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mudassir Hussain hoisted the national flag at home in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Sunday, joining the campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to unfurl the tricolour ahead of Independence Day.

"My son has taken the wrong path," Hussain's father Tariq told reporters in the remote Dachhan area of the hilly district, adding: "We request the government to find him."

"We hoisted the national flag on our home and want every household to hoist the tricolour," he said.

Hussain's mother said she wanted him to return and surrender before the security forces. "We tried our best to know his whereabouts but failed. The Army should find him for us as we want him to return," she added.

One of the most wanted terrorists in the Union territory, Hussain carries a reward of Rs 20 lakh on his head, according to police.

On Friday, Prime Minister Modi urged people of the country to take part in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement between August 13 to 15.
Gurugram, Aug 13 (PTI) The "Har Ghar Tiranga" campaign was on Sunday launched in Haryana's Nuh district, which saw communal violence on July 31.

Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khargata said under the campaign, the national flag will be hoisted on all houses as well as establishments in the district.

He said on Sunday, the yatra was taken out by people in Hilalpur village of Indri block, adding the campaign will continue in the district till August 15.

Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in communal clashes that erupted when a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked by mobs in Nuh and later spread to adjoining Gurugram.

Khargata also said the curfew will be relaxed in Nuh on August 14 and 15.

"The movement of people will be allowed from 6 am to 8 pm on both days," he said.
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) Five people, including two women, were arrested for allegedly duping people on the pretext of providing them with higher education or degrees, police said on Sunday.

The three male accused have been identified as Ashish (22), Ashfa Ahmad (24) and Danish Khan (30), all residents of Delhi, they said.

On Saturday, police got a tip-off about a call centre being operated illegally at Bapu Park in Kotla Mubarakpur where the accused persons made calls to people to dupe them on the pretext of providing them with higher education or degrees, Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Chandan Chowdhary said.

A raid was conducted and five people, including two women, were found to be indulging in duping people by making calls on mobile phones. They were asked to provide the authorisation documents to run the centre but they could not, he said, adding all five were nabbed.

Interrogation revealed that they were working in the call centre for the past one year. They used to demand money ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 in the name of admission, exam fees, etc in higher education institutes. It was revealed that Danish Khan and one Nadeem were masterminds behind the fraud, police said.
Swamp Yankee Stories: Engineering fads come and go, but this one is billed as safer




Israels Supreme Court on Sunday rejected the Lavi Associations petition to disqualify Supreme Court President Esther Hayut from participating in the panel that will deliberate the Reasonabless Law due to her obvious conflict of interest after she publicly slammed the law in a speech in January.

The decision states that the reason for rejecting the petition is that the Lavi organization is not a party to the deliberation.

In response, the Lavi Association stated: The Supreme Court Presidents motive to head the panel that will deliberate the petitions against the Reasonableness Law is bright and clear. The rejection of the petition on technical grounds does not add to the respect of the Supreme Court.

The petition filed by the association against Hayut stated, among other things, that any other judge who would have expressed firm and public positions on this or that issue would have been disqualified from sitting in the court on the same issue. It is unfathomable to accept double standards and such obvious conflicts of interest just because the person in question is the president of the Supreme Court.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




The Federal Election Commission has begun a process to potentially regulate AI-generated deepfakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 election, a move advocates say would safeguard voters against a particularly insidious form of election disinformation.

The FECs unanimous procedural vote on Thursday advances a petition asking it to regulate ads that use artificial intelligence to misrepresent political opponents as saying or doing something they didnt  a stark issue that is already being highlighted in the current 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Though the circulation of convincing fake images, videos or audio clips is not new, innovative generative AI tools are making them cheaper, easier to use, and more likely to manipulate public perception. As a result, some presidential campaigns in the 2024 race  including that of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis  already are using them to persuade voters.

The Republican National Committee in April released an entirely AI-generated ad meant to show the future of the United States if President Joe Biden is re-elected. It employed fake but realistic, photos showing boarded up storefronts, armored military patrols in the streets, and waves of immigrants creating panic.

In June, DeSantis campaign shared an attack ad against his GOP primary opponent Donald Trump that used AI-generated images of the former president hugging infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.

SOS America PAC, which supports Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, also has experimented with generative AI, using a tool called VideoAsk to create an AI chatbot in his likeness.

Thursdays FEC meeting comes after the advocacy group Public Citizen asked the agency to clarify that an existing federal law against fraudulent misrepresentation in campaign communications applies to AI-generated deepfakes.

The panels vote shows the agencys intent to consider the question, but it will not decide whether to actually develop rules governing the ads until after a 60-day public comment window, which is likely to begin next week.

In June, the FEC deadlocked on an earlier petition from the group, with some commissioners expressing skepticism that they had the authority to regulate AI ads. Public Citizen came back with a new petition identifying the fraudulent misrepresentation law and explaining it thought the FEC did have jurisdiction.

A group of 50 Democratic lawmakers led by House Rep. Adam Schiff also wrote a letter to the FEC urging the agency to advance the petition, saying, Quickly evolving AI technology makes it increasingly difficult for voters to accurately identify fraudulent video and audio material, which is increasingly troubling in the context of campaign advertisements.

Republican Commissioner Allen Dickerson said in Thursdays meeting he remained unconvinced that the agency had the authority to regulate deepfake ads.

Ill note that theres absolutely nothing special about deepfakes or generative AI, the buzzwords of the day, in the context of this petition, he said, adding that if the FEC had this authority, it would mean it also could punish other kinds of doctored media or lies in campaign ads.

Dickerson argued the law doesnt go that far, but noted the FEC has unanimously asked Congress for more authority. He also raised concerns the move would wrongly chill expression thats protected under the First Amendment.

Public Citizen President Robert Weissman disputed Dickersons points, arguing in an interview Thursday that deepfakes are different from other false statements or media because they fraudulently claim to speak on a candidates behalf in a way thats convincing to the viewer.

The deepfake has an ability to fool the voter into believing that they are themselves seeing a person say or do something they didnt say, he said. Its a technological leap from prior existing tools.

Weissman said acknowledging deepfakes are fraud solves Dickersons First Amendment concerns too  while false speech is protected, fraud is not.

Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizens executive vice president, said under its proposal, candidates would also have the option to prominently disclose the use of artificial intelligence to misrepresent an opponent, rather than avoid the technology altogether.

She argued action is needed because if a deepfake misleadingly impugning a candidate circulates without a disclaimer and doesnt get publicly debunked, it could unfairly sway an election.

For instance, the RNC disclosed the use of AI in its ad, but in small print that many viewers missed. Gilbert said the FEC could set guidelines on where, how and for how long campaigns and parties need to display these disclaimers.

Even if the FEC decides to ban AI deepfakes in campaign ads, it wouldnt cover all the threats they pose to elections.

For example, the law on fraudulent misrepresentation wouldnt enable the FEC to require outside groups, like PACs, to disclose when they imitate a candidate using artificial intelligence technology, Gilbert said.

That means it wouldnt cover an ad recently released by Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis, that used an AI voice cloning tool to imitate Trumps voice, making it seem like he narrated a social media post.

It also wouldnt stop individual social media users from creating and disseminating misleading content  as they long have  with both AI-generated falsehoods and other misrepresented media, often referred to as cheap fakes.

Congress, however, could pass legislation creating guardrails for AI-generated deceptive content, and lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have expressed intent to do so.

Several states also have discussed or passed legislation related to deepfake technology.

Daniel Weiner, director of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said misinformation about elections being fraudulently stolen is already a potent force in American politics.

More sophisticated AI, he said, threatens to worsen that problem.

To what degree? You know, I think were still assessing, he said. But do I worry about it? Absolutely.

(AP)
German Rheinmetall to deliver next generation drones to Ukraine by year-end 13 August, 01:18 PM German Rheinmetall to deliver next generation drones to Ukraine (Photo:Rheinmetall / Wulf)

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will supply its new Luna NG unmanned reconnaissance system by the end of the year, Germanys Bild said on Aug. 12, citing its own sources.

The Luna NG is a next-generation unmanned aircraft for real-time airborne surveillance, detection, and tracking. Its flight time is over 12 hours and its data link range exceeds 100 km.

The system includes a compact ground station with several drones and a rope hoist catapult for launching. The size of the Luna NG allows it to fit in the standard cabin of a helicopter, for example, or in a small vehicle.

Video of day

The new generation reconnaissance system is in many ways superior to the previous one, Bild reported. The drones are used not only for tactical reconnaissance, but also to deploy LTE networks to intercept or jam communications.

'NG' in the name stands for "new generation" of the Luna drone. Ukraine is already using older models, supplied by Germany.

Reconnaissance drones play a crucial role in real-time frontline actions.

Rheinmetall also purchased 50 Leopard 1 tanks from Belgium in order to donate them to Ukraine after repairs and re-equipment.

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Former President Donald Trump vehemently defended his innocence on Saturday, asserting that he had done nothing wrong amidst mounting legal challenges. Addressing concerns about a potential plea deal in the election interference case pending against him in Georgia, Trump confidently rejected any notion of cooperation. These remarks came as District Attorney Fani Willis of Fulton County confirmed her plans to present the case to a grand jury in the upcoming week.

This would mark the fourth indictment for the former president, following a recent indictment less than two weeks ago in Washington, D.C. Despite these legal hurdles, Trump remains a prominent figure within the Republican Party, as was evident during his appearance at the Iowa State Fair  a key stop on the 2024 campaign trail.

Trumps walk-through at the event was met with enthusiastic cheers from supporters, with many expressing their unwavering loyalty.

Speaking to reporters during a brief press availability at the Iowa State Fair, Trump was posed with a question regarding his potential consideration of a plea deal in the Georgia election interference case. Responding with his signature confidence, Trump dismissed the idea of a plea deal, citing his belief in his own innocence.

We did nothing wrong. We dont ever take a plea deal. Its a wise guy question. Youre just a wise guy, Trump asserted firmly. We dont take plea deals because I did nothing wrong. Its called election interference.

In a continued exchange, Trump shifted the focus to President Joe Biden, insinuating that the charges against him were politically motivated to sway the outcome of the 2024 elections. Trump also took the opportunity to ridicule the recent appointment of a special counsel for the Hunter Biden investigation. Throughout the conversation, he repeatedly referred to the reporter as a wise guy, emphasizing his disagreement with the line of questioning.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




As he gears up for reelection, President Joe Biden is already facing questions about his ability to convince voters that the economy is performing well. Theres skepticism about the 80-year-old presidents ability to manage a second term. And on Friday, Biden faced a fresh setback when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to probe his son, Hunter.

Bidens challenges pale in comparison with his predecessor and possible future rival, Donald Trump, who is facing three criminal indictments, with additional charges expected soon. But the appointment of the special counsel was nonetheless a reminder of the vulnerabilities facing Biden as he wages another election campaign in a deeply uncertain political climate.

There was little immediate sign that Garlands decision meaningfully changed Bidens standing within his party. If anything, it underscored the unprecedented nature of the next election. Rather than a battle of ideas waged on the traditional campaign trail, the next push for the presidency may be shaped by sudden legal twists in courtrooms from Washington to Delaware and Miami.

Prior to Trump, this would be a big deal, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley said of Fridays announcement. Now, I dont think it means anything. Trump has made everyone so numb to this stuff.

Referring to Trumps Make America Great Again slogan, Buckley added, Because of how dismissive MAGA America is to the very real crimes of Trump and his family, it has numbed the minds of swing voters and Democratic voters or activists who would normally be fully engaged and outraged.

Polling has consistently shown that Democratic voters were not excited about Bidens reelection even before Garlands announcement.

Just 47% of Democrats wanted Biden to run again in 2024, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in April. Democrats enthusiasm for Bidens presidential campaign has consistently trailed behind Republicans enthusiasm for Trumps: 55% of Republicans said they wanted Trump to run again in the AP-NORC poll. And Bidens approval rating in polling by Gallup stood at 41% on average over the last three months. Only Jimmy Carter notched a lower average rating in Gallups polling at this point in his presidency, while ratings for Trump were about the same at 43%.

Garland announced Friday that he was naming David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Delaware, as the special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation. It comes as plea deal talks involving tax and gun charges in the case Weiss had already been probing hit an impasse.

The appointment of a special counsel ensures that Trump will not stand alone as the only presidential candidate grappling with the fallout of a serious criminal investigation in the midst of the 2024 campaign season.

Of course, the cases are hardly equal in the context of the next presidential election.

There is no evidence that President Biden himself has committed any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Trump has been charged in a plot to undermine democracy for his actions leading up the the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Hes also facing separate charges for refusing to turn over classified documents after leaving the White House and financial crimes in New York related to a hush money case involving a porn star. And Georgia prosecutors are investigating whether Trump broke state laws by interfering in the 2020 election.

Still, Republicans were hopeful that the new special counsel may ultimately shift attention away from Trumps baggage while bolstering conservative calls to impeach the Democratic president, a proposal that has divided the GOP on Capitol Hill, which has long sought evidence linking Hunter Bidens alleged wrongdoings to his father.

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, has already obtained thousands of pages of financial records from various members of the Biden family through subpoenas to the Treasury Department and various financial institutions as part of a congressional probe. He released a statement Friday accusing Garland of trying to stonewall congressional oversight.

Comer vowed to follow the Biden familys money trail.

Trump, the overwhelming front-runner in the crowded Republican presidential nomination fight, used the opportunity to put his likely general election opponent on the defensive, referring to the Biden crime family and the Biden cartel.

If this special counsel is truly independent  even though he failed to bring proper charges after a four year investigation and he appears to be trying to move the case to a more Democrat-friendly venue  he will quickly conclude that Joe Biden, his troubled son Hunter, and their enablers, including the media, which colluded with the 51 intelligence officials who knowingly misled the public about Hunters laptop, should face the required consequences, the Trump campaign said in a statement.

Back in New Hampshire, Buckley acknowledged that voters are not excited about Bidens reelection.

But theyre really not excited about Trump, he said. Theres a seriousness around this election. People can say theyre not excited (about Biden). They can say, Oh, he shouldnt run again. But the reality is that hes the only alternative to Trump.

Meanwhile, its unclear how closely key voters are paying attention.

A Marquette Law School Poll conducted last month found that about three-quarters of Americans had heard about Hunter Bidens agreement to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of tax evasion and a gun charge. Republicans were slightly more likely than Democrats to say they have heard a lot about the topic, with independents being much less likely to be paying attention.

Democratic strategist Bill Burton suggested the GOPs focus on the presidents son would backfire.

From a political standpoint, I think Republicans are stupid to spend so much time talking about the presidents son, he said. People are going to be voting on the economy. Theyre going to be voting on whos tougher on social media companies and national security.

Burton continued, As a dad, I think its pretty disgusting that you would attack someones son like this.

(AP)




Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy was more than 40 minutes into a town hall in rural Iowa when a woman in the crowd posed a pointed question. Or perhaps it was a suggestion.

I know you want to be president, she said. But would you consider being Trumps vice president?

The query drew light laughter from attendees and a lengthy response from Ramaswamy. (The short answer: No.)

It also highlighted the central challenge facing the wealthy entrepreneur, who has risen from little-known newcomer to as high as third in some Republican primary polls since joining the race nearly six months ago. While voters are increasingly interested in Ramaswamy, its former President Donald Trump who continues to be many conservatives favorite.

With the first Republican primary debate in just over a week and the leadoff Iowa caucus five months away, he is delicately working to convince more voters that he could be their nominee and  as much as he says he respects Trump  would be a better 2024 candidate and president.

The debate will be important, but I think also just continuing on the trajectory weve been on, Ramaswamy said after the town hall held in a cavernous welding company workshed in Vail, Iowa. He returned to Iowa on Saturday for the Iowa State Fair, a rite of passage for presidential candidates.

Ramaswamy described the months leading up to the first debate as just the pre-season.

So were entering the regular season of this and Im coming in with a running start, he said. Thats the way I look at it.

He says his strategy heading into the debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is speak the truth, pointing to a banner emblazoned with the word TRUTH that serves as his backdrop and has become a campaign theme. The word  in all capital letters and a font and that resembles Trump campaign signage  is emblazoned on placards, T-shirts and stickers.

Ramaswamy says he and others cannot trust the government because the government doesnt tell the truth. It was what motivated him, he says, to travel to the courthouse where Trump was to appear on charges earlier this month to announce he is suing the Justice Department and seeking all records the department has with information about why Trump was indicted.

Though such a lawsuit is unlikely to be successful before any GOP primary votes are cast, it was a move that struck a balance between defending Trump and drawing positive attention to his own candidacy, at least among the Republican primary electorate.

Thats what this campaign is already all about, speaking the hard truths, the truth that you might speak at the dinner table, but you dont feel free to speak in public, Ramaswamy told the Iowa audience.

If he is elected, he said, people will speak those truths again, such as God is real and reverse racism is racism.

Having just turned 38, Ramaswamy is the youngest person to be a major Republican presidential candidate. Born in Ohio to immigrant parents from India, he earned a biology degree from Harvard University and then finished Yale Law School.

He made his fortune after starting a biotech company, last year founded an asset management firm and is the author of several books, including Woke, Inc. His books helped Ramaswamy gain exposure in conservative circles, including on Fox News, as a critic of ESG, or looking not just at profit in investments, but also at environmental, social and governance issues, such as a companys policies on climate. He bemoans that the United States has become a place full of victims, and says the country has lost its purpose and its focus on faith, patriotism, hard work and family.

On the stump, Ramaswamy is able to wax on issues ranging from digital currency to his stance on Israel, the U.S. Constitution and the civil service rules regarding mass layoffs of federal employees  rules he says he understands better than any other candidate. He is proud of not needing a teleprompter, and his mix of policy specifics and smooth delivery has won over some voters.

Hes a great orator, he has a keen intellect and a lot of knowledge, said Margarite Goodenow, a retiree from Council Bluffs who said she is so far supporting Ramaswamy over Trump. She described the former president as too toxic  a position she held before he was indicted in multiple criminal cases  though Goodenow said she will support Trump if he is the nominee.

Ramaswamy says he can use his deep knowledge to accomplish what Trump couldnt and his other rivals wouldnt be able to  laying off 75% of the federal bureaucracy in his first term, including 50% in year one.

Some 20,000 members of the FBI would be let go as he dismantles the agency, he said. The remaining 15,000 frontline agents would go to work for what he says are more effective agencies, such as the U.S. Marshals Service, to focus on crimes such as child sex trafficking. He also said that by March 31, 2025, he would station the military along the U.S.-Mexico border  positioned every half-mile  to protect against illegal immigration and drugs like fentanyl entering the country.

Those proposals all brought cheers during his recent Iowa stops.

Kelly and Amy Pieper were among the nearly 200 people  hailing from more than eight counties, according to organizers  who turned out for the Ramaswamy town hall in in the northwest Iowa community of Vail, which has a population of fewer than 400. They liked that Ramaswamy would carry forward many of Trumps policies, but presents himself as more eloquent and optimistic.

He gives you a sense of hope, not all doom and gloom, Kelly Pieper said.

Its like hes got Trump ideals but is a more eloquent version. Not this crazy uncle talking, his wife, Amy Pieper, added. Thats what we need.

Not everyone is convinced he can pull it off, however, even if Iowa has been known to provide some surprises.

For Republicans, Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum lodged an unexpected 2012 victory, though he later lost the GOP primary to Mitt Romney. On the Democratic side, it was then-Sen. Barack Obama whose 2008 defeat of Hillary Clinton threw that nomination battle into question. And in 2020, Pete Buttigieg, whose highest office was mayor of South Bend, Indiana, finished atop the field alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders. Joe Biden later won the nomination and defeated Trump.

That has set up the rare presidential race with a former office holder seeking reelection, making Trump a formidable opponent whose rallies attract thousands more people. Trumps closest challenger to be Republicans nominee so far is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has consistently polled a distant second, with Ramaswamy trailing.

Voters at the Ramaswamy events consistently said they were deciding between the two alternatives to Trump. But like the woman who intimated that Ramaswamy could be Trumps running mate, Andrew Grove has his doubts about whether the first-time candidate can pull it off.

His message is on spot. I just dont know if he has the support to take him over the top, over Trump and DeSantis, said Grove, 53. He added that DeSantis is a proven leader while Ramaswamy has not held public office.

Ramaswamy maintains that he is the only candidate in the GOP field who can deliver the landslide victory that the country needs in 2024  something akin to Ronald Reagans wipeout of his 1984 rival  rather than the kind of tight race the nation saw in 2020. He says he is attracting support from young people and new donors that older candidates are not. Of his roughly 70,000 individual donors, he says, 40% of those making small-dollar contributions are giving to a Republican for the first time.

As for Trump, Ramaswamy responded to the question of being his running mate by speaking warmly of the former president.

Ramaswamy was a hardcore supporter of the president in 2020, he said, adding that they talk from time to time, had dinner together a few years ago and that if he becomes president, Trump probably would be his most useful adviser and mentor.

But he says the America First movement belongs not just to Trump but to we the people. And he believes he can be more effective at accomplishing things Trump could not, saying a certain segment of the electorate automatically opposes Trump  through no fault of his own, he said.

Im not having that effect on people, Ramaswamy said.

He noted another key difference as he made his case to top the ticket.

Hes not the same person he was eight years ago, Ramaswamy said of Trump.

I hope certainly and pray that my best days are ahead of me. And I think we might just want a U.S. president whose best days arent behind him.

(AP)




Russia thwarted an attack by 20 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow-annexed Crimea overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

Fourteen drones were shot down by Russian air defenses and a further six were jammed electronically, the ministry said in a Telegram post. No casualties or damage were reported. Kyiv officials neither confirmed nor denied Ukraines involvement in the attacks.

As videos circulated on Russian social media Saturday appearing to show smoke rising above a bridge linking Russia to Crimea, the annexed peninsulas Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov, reported that Russian air defense had also prevented an attack there by shooting down two Ukrainian missiles.

The bridge was not damaged, he said, although traffic was briefly halted. An adviser to Aksyonov, Oleg Kryuchkov, claimed that a smoke screen was put up by special services.

Russias Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attempted attack on the Crimean bridge. The ministry said in a statement that such barbaric actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not go unanswered.

Shortly after reporting the downing of the two Ukrainian missiles, Aksyonov said Russian air defense had shot down another missile over the Kerch Strait.

The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia across the Kerch Strait carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014.

Last week, a Ukrainian sea drone hit a Russian tanker near the bridge, while an attack on the bridge last month killed a couple and seriously wounded their daughter, leaving a span of the roadway hanging perilously. The damage appeared to be less severe than that caused by an assault in October, but it again highlighted the bridges vulnerability.

The attempted drone and missile attacks follow three consecutive days of drone attacks on the Russian capital, Moscow. Firing drones at Russia, after more than 17 months of war, has little apparent military value for Ukraine but the strategy has served to unsettle Russians and bring home to them the conflicts consequences.

Drone attacks have increased in recent weeks both on Moscow and on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014  a move that most of the world considered illegal.

Elsewhere, Russia claimed Saturday it had regained control of the village of Urozhaine in Ukraines easternmost Luhansk region in an overnight counterattack.

A 73-year-old woman was killed early Saturday morning in Russian shelling of Ukraines northeastern Kharkiv region, according to regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov.

Ukrainian internal affairs minister Ihor Klymenko said a police officer was killed and 12 people wounded when a guided Russian aerial bomb hit the city of Orikhiv in Ukraines partially occupied southern Zaporizhzhia region. Four of the wounded were also police officers, he said.

In the neighboring Kherson province, regional Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said that two people were wounded in Russian attacks on Saturday. A 70-year-old was wounded when a shell hit a residential building in the village of Ponyativka, while a man, 72, was hurt when a drone dropped explosives on the village of Odradokamyanka.

Local officials said explosions rang out Saturday morning in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys hometown, but that there were no known casualties.

On Ukraines Black Sea coast, the city of Odesa opened several beaches for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Odesa Gov. Oleh Kiper said that six beaches were open, but he stressed that accessing beaches during air raid alerts was forbidden.

The strategic port and key hub for exporting grain has been subject to repeated missile and drone attacks  particularly since Moscow canceled a landmark grain deal last month amid Kyivs grinding efforts to retake its occupied territories  while Russian mines have regularly washed up on the citys beaches.

(AP)




The Pentagon is developing plans to restructure the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in a move to address problems highlighted by the chaotic response to the Jan. 6 riot and safety breaches during the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd, The Associated Press has learned.

The changes under discussion would transfer the District of Columbias aviation units, which came under sharp criticism during the protests when a helicopter flew dangerously low over a crowd. In exchange, the district would get more military police, which is often the citys most significant need, as it grapples with crowd control and large public events.

Several current and former officials familiar with the talks spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They said no final decisions have been made.

A key sticking point is who would be in control of the D.C. Guard  a politically divisive question that gets to the heart of what has been an ongoing, turbulent issue.

Across the country, governors control their National Guard units and can make decisions on deploying them to local disasters and other needs. But D.C. is not a state, so the president is in charge but gives that authority to the defense secretary, who generally delegates it to the Army secretary.

According to officials, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is weighing two options: maintaining the current system or handing control to U.S. Northern Command, which is in charge of homeland defense.

Senior officials have argued in favor of Northern Command, which would take control out of the hands of political appointees in Washington who may be at odds with the D.C. government, and giving it to nonpartisan military commanders who already oversee homeland defense. Others, however, believe the decision-making should remain at the Pentagon, mirroring the civilian control that governors have on their troops.

The overall goal, officials said, is not to decrease the size of the districts Guard, but reform it and ensure it has the units, equipment and training to do the missions it routinely faces. The proposal to shift the aviation forces is largely an Army decision. It would move the D.C. Air Guard wing and its aircraft to the Maryland Guard, and the Army aviation unit, with its helicopters, to Virginias Guard.

An Army official added that a review of the D.C. Guard examined its ability to provide rapid response, mission command and coordination with other forces when needed over the past four years. The review, which led to the recommendations, involved the District Guard and Army leaders.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers office did not respond to a request for comment Friday on the proposed changes.

But Bowser and other local officials have long claimed that the mayors office should have sole authority to deploy the local guard, arguing that the D.C. mayor has the responsibilities of any governor without the extra authorities or tools.

When faced with a potential security event, the mayor of D.C. has to go to the Pentagon  usually the Army secretary  to request National Guard assistance. That was true during the violent protests in the city over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in 2020, and later as an angry mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to overturn the election of Joe Biden as president.

As the Jan. 6 riot was unfolding, city leaders were making frantic calls to Army leaders, asking them to send Guard troops to the Capitol where police and security were being overrun. City leaders complained heatedly about delays in the response as the Pentagon considered Bowsers National Guard request. City police ended up reinforcing the Capitol Police.

Army leaders, in response, said the district was demanding help but not providing the details and information necessary to determine what forces were needed and how they would be used.

Army officials were concerned about taking the Guard troops who were arrayed around the city doing traffic duty and sending them into a riot, because they were not prepared and didnt have appropriate gear. And they criticized the city for repeatedly insisting it would not need security help when asked by federal authorities in the days leading up to Jan. 6.

The swirling confusion spurred congressional hearings and accusations that political considerations influenced the Trump administrations response to the unrest in the Democratic-majority city. Defense officials rejected those charges, and blamed the city.

Within the Pentagon, however, there are broader concerns that D.C. is too quick to seek National Guard troops to augment law enforcement shortfalls in the city that should be handled by police. In recent days, a city council member suggested the D.C. Guard might be needed to help battle spiking local crime.

The restructuring is an effort to smooth out the process and avoid communications problems if another crisis erupts.

An Army investigation in April 2021 sharply criticized the D.C. Guard, saying troops lacked clear guidance and didnt fully understand how to use helicopters appropriately during the civil unrest in June 2020.

The probe was triggered by widespread objections, including from Congress, after one of the D.C. Guard helicopters hovered low enough over protesters near the Capitol One Arena to create a deafening noise and spray protesters with rotor wash. There were also concerns that the Guard used a medivac helicopter  with medical markings  to make such a show of force against the crowds gathered to protest Floyds death.

The report found that the use of medical helicopters was appropriate because it was an emergency, but the episode raised worries among defense leaders about the need for improved planning, training and oversight of the D.C. Guards use of aviation and calls for a stricter approval process.

(AP)




Opposition leader Yair Lapid has been expressing criticism about recent reports of a potential Isaeli-Saudi deal.

According to reports, as part of a deal, Saudi Arabia is demanding, among other things, that the US support a Saudi civilian nuclear program. Lapid, who signed a controversial maritime deal with Lebanon without Knesset approval during his short stint as a caretaker prime minister, told Channel 12 News: Israel cannot agree to uranium enrichment in Saudi Arabia because it endangers Israels security, and that is now on the table.

Lapid also met with a delegation of Democratic Congress members visiting Israel last week and told them that the agreement endangers Israels security and that of the region.

In response, senior US officials slammed Lapid, telling Ynet that Lapid is in the opposition and hes criticizing the deal because he doesnt want to allow Netanyahu to reach this achievement.

The Likud party responded by stating that its better if Lapid, who gave Hezbollah free Israeli gas reserves, will refrain from preaching to Netanyahu, who will continue to protect Israels security and vital interests in any peace deal.

That being said, Israeli security officials do have concerns about the kingdoms demand for a nuclear program. In an interview with Radio 103FM on Sunday, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen suggested that the US sign a nuclear defense pact with the kingdom, promising to strike Iran if it bombs Saudi Arabia in lieu of backing a Saudi nuclear program.

US officials also told Ynet that the chances of a US-brokered Saudi-Israel deal are low  with only about a 30-35% chance of a deal being reached.

Meanwhile, Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef al-Sudairi over the weekend became the kingdoms first-ever ambassador to Palestine, with Sudairi presenting his credentials to a PA diplomatic adviser at the Palestinian embassy in Amman.

However, Sudairi will be a non-resident consul only as Israel will not allow the opening of a diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem. According to Foreign Minister Cohen, the Saudi move is a symbolic gesture to the Palestinians as rumors swirl about a possible Israeli-Saudi deal.

The Saudis wanted to send a message to the Palestinians that they didnt forget them, Cohen said on 103FM.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




An Iranian man of Jewish descent was apprehended at Ben Gurion Airport on Friday, raising suspicions of engaging in espionage activities on behalf of Iranian intelligence, according to Israels Shin Bet security agency.

The man, who has familial connections in Israel, was taken into custody by Shin Bet agents upon his arrival early on Friday morning. The security agency disclosed that during interrogation, the man admitted to being in Israel on a mission to spy for Tehran. Consequently, he was promptly deported back to Iran via a third country. Authorities deemed that he posed no immediate threat.

The specific country from which he had entered Israel has not been disclosed by the Shin Bet.

According to the Shin Bets report, the individual had been directed by Iranian security operatives to gather intelligence on Israel prior to his journey. He was furnished with a seemingly innocuous item  an empty tissue box  intended to conceal surveillance equipment, including a cellular phone and a portable power bank.

The provided items were likely intended for his use in clandestine espionage activities targeting entities within Israel, remarked the Shin Bet.

The agency further disclosed that the suspect was instructed to utilize his time within Israel to collect information on multiple designated targets. The addresses of these targets were intended to be communicated to him by his Iranian handler subsequent to his arrival.

The incident is perceived as part of a broader Iranian endeavor to establish covert espionage and potentially terror networks within Israel. The Shin Bet also highlighted the influence that Iran seeks to exert on social divisions via online platforms.

This announcement deviates from the customary practice of the Shin Bet, which typically refrains from promptly publicizing developments in international espionage cases involving Iran. Furthermore, the agency does not typically repatriate apprehended spies back to their home countries.

Sources within the defense establishment conveyed that the individual in question had likely succumbed to pressure from Iranian intelligence, as well as the allure of substantial financial gain. This contributed to the decision to deport him rather than press charges.

A defense official emphasized that the low likelihood of the individual facing legal charges within the Israeli system was due to his non-Israeli citizenship and the fact that he had not yet engaged in any substantive activities.

He was intercepted before any action was taken. This is in addition to other operational considerations, the official elaborated.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
The Rimac Nevera is the fastest electric car in the world, capable of reaching 258mph with a 0-60 record of just 1.74 seconds. Exceptionally exclusive, production is limited to just 150 models, each of which costs around 2.4 million.

Rimac is based in Croatia, shareholders include Porsche and Hyundai and the group is known throughout the world for its electrical vehicle expertise. But a key component of the Rimac Nevera comes from Equipmake, an engineering firm based in Snetterton, Norfolk.

Equipmake was founded in 1997 by former Formula One engineer Ian Foley. Initially a consultancy, the company began delving into the world of hybrid and electric vehi-cles more than 15 years ago and has been honing its expertise ever since.

Fast mover: Equipmake builds electric motors for buses, emergency vehicles and the fastest electric car, the Rimac Nevera, at its factory in Norfolk

From the start, Foley realised that a small business like Equipmake could not compete in the high-volume electric car market. Instead, he chose to focus on more specialist areas, such as buses, emergency vehicles and the occasional motor for millionaires and speed freaks.

The decision paid off. Today, Equipmake supplies two of the UK's biggest bus groups, First Bus, which has a fleet of almost 6,500 vehicles, and Go Ahead, which operates nearly a quarter of London's bus routes.

Foley also works with leading fire and rescue firm Emergency One and Wisconsin-based REV Group, a top fire engine maker in America.

Equipmake is also involved in developing the first commercial electric aeroplane, scheduled to be on sale from 2025 and already attracting significant interest from airlines.

The company listed on the Aquis Exchange in July 2022, the shares are 9.5p and should accelerate as Foley pursues his plans for growth.

Making the parts that power an electric vehicle is complicated and many firms focus on one or two elements. Equipmake is different. Not only can the group supply individual components but it can also design and make everything that allows an electric vehicle to operate, from chassis to motors to chargers.

Some customers want the lot. Others pick and mix. In every case, however, Foley and his team aim to combine high-performance with affordability. Progress was slow in the early days, as traditional manufacturers wrestled with the idea of moving from combustion engines to electric power.

In recent years, however, momentum has gathered pace, with firms from across the world calling on Equipmake for its experience and expertise.

At home, bus makers are asking Foley to produce new electric motors and retrofit older models with more environmentally friendly alternatives. Fire engines are being converted to electric motors with Equipmake's help. And aircraft groups are tasking the firm with developing efficient take-off and landing systems.

Overseas, US firms are looking at REV Group's progress and thinking of following suit, especially given government subsidies for green technology.

Equipmake has a customer in India too, Sona Comstar, which specialises in electric components and works for vehicle makers across the world. Demand is such that the Norfolk group recently opened a second plant, quadrupling capacity to more than 65,000 square feet, a move that will allow Foley to increase production severalfold over the next couple of years.

Brokers expect swift progress too. Revenues of 5.1 million are forecast for the year to May 31 2023, rising to 13.4 million in the current year and 24 million in 2024/25. Equipmake is loss-making at the moment, as all spare cash is ploughed back into the business but profits are expected from 2026, rising steadily from that year.

Environmental agendas are pervasive, with governments across the globe committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2050. None of those commitments will be possible without eco-friendly transport and Equipmake is at the centre of these endeavours.

Over time, therefore, the firm should become materially larger and more profitable.

The group is already a leading player on the Aquis Exchange, where shares can be traded in a similar way to the main market or AIM. Foley has no imminent plans to move to the London Stock Exchange but he runs Equipmake as if he were already listed on one of the larger markets.

Midas verdict: Equipmake is a ground-breaking business in a fast-moving industry. The shares are 9.5p and should go far. Buy and watch this British pioneer motor.

Traded on: Aquis Ticker: EQUIP Contact: equipmake.co.uk or 01953 661200
Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX  Free Report)  Equities research analysts at Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report issued on Wednesday, August 9th. Zacks Research analyst M. Mondal now forecasts that the medical research company will post earnings of $2.14 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $2.22. The consensus estimate for Quest Diagnostics current full-year earnings is $8.69 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Quest Diagnostics Q4 2023 earnings at $2.12 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $2.46 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $2.36 EPS.

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Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 26th. The medical research company reported $2.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $2.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.25 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 16.32% and a net margin of 8.37%. Quest Diagnosticss revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.36 earnings per share.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley restated an equal weight rating and issued a $145.00 price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, Bank of America lowered Quest Diagnostics from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $166.00 to $148.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $149.90.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE DGX opened at $135.01 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $15.15 billion, a PE ratio of 19.65 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.92. The companys fifty day moving average price is $138.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $139.11. Quest Diagnostics has a 1 year low of $120.40 and a 1 year high of $158.34.

Institutional Trading of Quest Diagnostics

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jag Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 8,388 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,179,000 after purchasing an additional 557 shares during the last quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. lifted its position in Quest Diagnostics by 1,524.6% during the second quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. now owns 5,085 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $715,000 after buying an additional 4,772 shares in the last quarter. Ossiam boosted its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 28.0% during the second quarter. Ossiam now owns 1,623 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $228,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 166.3% in the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 99,983 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $14,054,000 after buying an additional 62,441 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Qsemble Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics in the 2nd quarter worth $394,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.39% of the companys stock.

Quest Diagnostics Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 11th were issued a dividend of $0.71 per share. This represents a $2.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 10th. Quest Diagnosticss payout ratio is 41.34%.

About Quest Diagnostics

(Get Free Report)

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services.

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Sigma Planning Corp cut its stake in shares of Royce Value Trust Inc. (NYSE:RVT  Free Report) by 2.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,676 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 832 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corps holdings in Royce Value Trust were worth $389,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. New Hampshire Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Royce Value Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royce Value Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. CWM LLC acquired a new position in shares of Royce Value Trust during the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp acquired a new position in shares of Royce Value Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $73,000. Finally, Spire Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Royce Value Trust during the 4th quarter valued at $74,000. 24.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Royce Value Trust Stock Performance

NYSE:RVT opened at $13.98 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $13.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $13.63. Royce Value Trust Inc. has a twelve month low of $12.24 and a twelve month high of $16.51.

Royce Value Trust Cuts Dividend

Royce Value Trust Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 9th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.15%.

(Free Report)

Royce Value Trust Inc is a close ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Royce & Associates, LLC. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund spreads its investments across diversified sectors. It invests in value oriented stocks of small cap and micro cap companies.

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Photo: The Canadian Press Airtankers work on a wildfire near Edson, Alta., in a Friday, June 9, 2023, handout photo. Evacuation orders have been issued for several communities along the boundary between Alberta and the Northwest Territories due to nearby wildfires. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Government of Alberta Fire Service,

Evacuation orders have been issued for several communities along the boundary between Alberta and the Northwest Territories due to nearby wildfires.

The Town of Fort Smith, NWT, with a population of about 2,000, posted on its website on Saturday that people should leave the area in a calm fashion over the next eight hours.

The post says the decision was based on a recommendation by Parks Canada due to forecasted fire behaviour, and the same order was also posted online by the Smith's Landing First Nation.

It says that Parks Canada and the NWT government will try and maintain Highway 5 access for as long as possible throughout the night.

Twenty-five kilometres south in Alberta, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo says all residents of Fort Fitzgerald, a hamlet along the Slave River, must also leave due to nearby wildfires.

Parks Canada said earlier Saturday that strong winds were forecasted to push Wood Buffalo National Parks Fire 7 to the east, close to communities, and that residents of Fort Smith had already put its residents on evacuation alert.
Over a quarter of Ukraines territory requires demining, says President Zelenskyy 13 August, 06:12 PM Demining must be accomplished not in decades, but in years, says the Ukrainian President (Photo:Office of the President)

174,000 square kilometers of Ukraine are dangerous due to mines and ammunition, and the state needs help and equipment to solve this problem, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Aug. 12.

"As of today, 174,000 square kilometers of our country are dangerous due to mines and unexploded ordnance. Every day, our specialists discover hundreds of explosive items," Zelenskyy stated.

Ukraine needs more vehicles and special drones for demining to improve safety for citizens, he stressed.

"Ukraine also needs equipment from partners, and it is very important to create a production base in Ukraine so that we can clear our land of Russian mines. And this task must be accomplished not in decades, but in years," Zelenskyy emphasized.

Video of day

The head of state thanked all Ukrainian specialists involved in demining.

"They are really working on the ground," Zelenskyy concluded.

They are demining fields, the territory of settlements, power lines, infrastructure facilities. Over the past day, 133 pyrotechnic teams were working across the country. Most of them were in Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts. I thank you - each and every one of you who is clearing the Ukrainian land of traces of Russian terror.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 221 people have been killed by mines and other explosive devices, and approximately 450 others have been injured, State Emergency Service spokesman Oleksandr Khorunzhyi reported on July 19.

Ukraine will receive over $244 million from international partners for humanitarian demining. First Vice PM and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko announced on July 25.

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.

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NewEdge Wealth LLC cut its stake in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (NYSEARCA:PCY  Free Report) by 26.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,303 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,227 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLCs holdings in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF were worth $332,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PCY. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,521,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF by 215.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 771,440 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,796,000 after buying an additional 527,082 shares in the last quarter. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $9,816,000. Royal Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF in the 1st quarter valued at about $9,737,000. Finally, Financial & Tax Architects LLC purchased a new position in Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $8,545,000.

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Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Trading Down 0.4 %

PCY stock opened at $19.42 on Friday. Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF has a 12 month low of $16.20 and a 12 month high of $20.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $19.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.22.

Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF Company Profile

The Invesco Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt ETF (PCY) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in broad credit fixed income. The fund tracks a tier-weighted index of US-dollar-denominated sovereign debt in emerging markets with at least 3 years to maturity. PCY was launched on Oct 11, 2007 and is managed by Invesco.

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UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corp cut its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM  Free Report) by 6.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 33,949 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,483 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. comprises about 1.4% of UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corps holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. UNIVEST FINANCIAL Corps holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. were worth $4,424,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in JPM. Investment Partners LTD. grew its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 0.4% during the first quarter. Investment Partners LTD. now owns 20,900 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,723,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC grew its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 12.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 139,986 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $18,242,000 after buying an additional 15,952 shares in the last quarter. Private Management Group Inc. grew its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 0.4% during the first quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 371,761 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $48,444,000 after buying an additional 1,315 shares in the last quarter. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 5.8% during the first quarter. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 67,670 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,818,000 after buying an additional 3,724 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Braun Stacey Associates Inc. grew its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 101.0% during the first quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. now owns 400,586 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $52,200,000 after buying an additional 201,298 shares in the last quarter. 70.10% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

In other JPMorgan Chase & Co. news, General Counsel Stacey Friedman sold 4,310 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.16, for a total transaction of $677,359.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 57,735 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,073,632.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CEO Douglas B. Petno sold 4,930 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.16, for a total value of $700,848.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 277,161 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $39,401,207.76. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Stacey Friedman sold 4,310 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.16, for a total value of $677,359.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 57,735 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,073,632.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 36,531 shares of company stock valued at $5,088,550 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.79% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on JPM shares. Citigroup cut JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $160.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. Societe Generale cut JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $160.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. Bank of America upped their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $152.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $174.00 to $180.00 in a report on Monday, July 17th. Seven equities 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, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $164.39.

View Our Latest Research Report on JPM

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE JPM opened at $154.45 on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a 1-year low of $101.28 and a 1-year high of $159.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $148.09 and a 200-day moving average of $140.45. The firm has a market cap of $448.84 billion, a PE ratio of 9.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.10.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 14th. The financial services provider reported $4.37 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.62 by $0.75. The business had revenue of $42.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.66 billion. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a return on equity of 17.29% and a net margin of 23.45%. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s quarterly revenue was up 34.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.76 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 15.23 EPS for the current year.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 6th were given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s payout ratio is 25.74%.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile

(Free Report)

JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). The CCB segment offers deposit, investment and lending products, cash management, and payments and services to consumers and small businesses; mortgage origination and servicing activities; residential mortgages and home equity loans; and credit cards, auto loans, leases, and travel services.

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Free Report) by 12.0% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 18,562 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 1,984 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.s holdings in Waste Management were worth $3,029,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WM. Institutional & Family Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Waste Management by 2.0% during the first quarter. Institutional & Family Asset Management LLC now owns 28,188 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,599,000 after buying an additional 541 shares during the period. Personal CFO Solutions LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 1,377 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $225,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC lifted its stake in Waste Management by 69.6% in the first quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 17,085 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,788,000 after purchasing an additional 7,012 shares during the last quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Waste Management by 10.1% during the first quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC now owns 28,104 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $4,586,000 after buying an additional 2,567 shares during the period. Finally, Stokes Family Office LLC grew its stake in shares of Waste Management by 29.3% during the first quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC now owns 7,074 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,154,000 after buying an additional 1,604 shares during the last quarter. 78.91% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John C. Pope sold 198 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.40, for a total transaction of $33,343.20. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 56,147 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,455,154.80. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Waste Management from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $171.00 to $177.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Waste Management from $185.00 to $179.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 27th. Truist Financial began coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research note on Monday, April 17th. They set a buy rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $179.18.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on WM

Waste Management Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $160.94 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.14, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.71. Waste Management, Inc. has a 1-year low of $148.31 and a 1-year high of $175.98. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $166.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.27.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 25th. The business services provider reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.54 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $5.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.23 billion. Waste Management had a return on equity of 33.81% and a net margin of 11.42%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.44 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 5.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Company Profile

(Free Report)

Waste Management, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of environmental solutions to residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in the United States and Canada. It offers collection services, including picking up and transporting waste and recyclable materials from where it was generated to a transfer station, material recovery facility (MRF), or disposal site; and owns and operates transfer stations, as well as owns, develops, and operates landfill facilities that produce landfill gas used as renewable natural gas for generating electricity.

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California State Teachers Retirement System cut its stake in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU  Free Report) by 1.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 638,523 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 10,561 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.17% of Prudential Financial worth $52,831,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aspire Private Capital LLC bought a new position in Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth $18,699,240,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. 55.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Prudential Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PRU opened at $95.21 on Friday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $90.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The company has a market cap of $34.56 billion, a PE ratio of 31.74, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.40. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 52-week low of $75.37 and a 52-week high of $110.96.

Prudential Financial Announces Dividend

Prudential Financial ( NYSE:PRU Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The financial services provider reported $2.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.04 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $12.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.68 billion. Prudential Financial had a net margin of 1.82% and a return on equity of 15.73%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.74 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 11.76 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 21st. Prudential Financials payout ratio is presently 166.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PRU has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley reiterated an equal weight rating and issued a $102.00 price target on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $91.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, VNET Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Prudential Financial currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $101.27.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on PRU

Prudential Financial Company Profile

(Free Report)

Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Annuities, Individual Life, Assurance IQ, and International Businesses segments.

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California State Teachers Retirement System reduced its stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen Co. (NYSE:ABC  Free Report) by 0.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 258,915 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,361 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.13% of AmerisourceBergen worth $41,455,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABC. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new stake in AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC acquired a new stake in AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Dupont Capital Management Corp grew its position in AmerisourceBergen by 83.0% during the 4th quarter. Dupont Capital Management Corp now owns 269 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the period. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC grew its position in shares of AmerisourceBergen by 76.3% during the 1st quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 298 shares of the companys stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 129 shares during the period. 92.64% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on ABC. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $174.00 to $182.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Mizuho raised their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $174.00 to $192.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. Barclays raised their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $182.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Bank of America raised their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $200.00 to $212.00 in a research report on Monday, July 17th. Finally, 888 restated a maintains rating on shares of AmerisourceBergen in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $189.36.

AmerisourceBergen Stock Up 0.2 %

ABC stock opened at $187.37 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $37.88 billion, a PE ratio of 22.82, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.51, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 0.88. The firms 50 day moving average price is $187.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $171.15. AmerisourceBergen Co. has a one year low of $135.14 and a one year high of $194.79.

AmerisourceBergen (NYSE:ABC  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.83 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $66.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $63.93 billion. AmerisourceBergen had a net margin of 0.66% and a return on equity of 612.69%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.62 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AmerisourceBergen Co. will post 11.92 EPS for the current year.

AmerisourceBergen Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 11th will be given a $0.485 dividend. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 10th. AmerisourceBergens payout ratio is 23.63%.

Insider Buying and Selling at AmerisourceBergen

In other AmerisourceBergen news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,499 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.44, for a total value of $1,873,441.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 257,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at $46,031,631.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other AmerisourceBergen news, CEO Steven H. Collis sold 10,499 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.44, for a total value of $1,873,441.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 257,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at $46,031,631.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. sold 1,320,858 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.27, for a total value of $249,998,793.66. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 31,769,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,013,021,971.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,655,881 shares of company stock valued at $310,997,955 over the last quarter. 20.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AmerisourceBergen Company 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.

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California State Teachers Retirement System lessened its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR  Free Report) by 0.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 672,708 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 4,680 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement Systems holdings in Ingersoll Rand were worth $39,138,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in IR. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 9.1% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 286,846 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $16,662,000 after purchasing an additional 23,835 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 14.8% in the first quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 20,174 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,172,000 after purchasing an additional 2,607 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 24.5% in the first quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 5,673 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $330,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 3.6% in the first quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 532,323 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $30,971,000 after purchasing an additional 18,253 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 74.7% in the first quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 305,227 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $17,758,000 after purchasing an additional 130,500 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.73% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $61.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Cfra boosted their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $67.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $69.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ingersoll Rand

In other news, insider Kathleen M. Keene sold 4,003 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total value of $250,187.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,879 shares of the companys stock, valued at $117,437.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, insider Kathleen M. Keene sold 4,003 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total value of $250,187.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,879 shares of the companys stock, valued at $117,437.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Gary E. Gillespie sold 27,487 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.73, for a total transaction of $1,669,285.51. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 42,234 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,564,870.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 58,659 shares of company stock worth $3,685,458 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.83% of the companys stock.

Ingersoll Rand Stock Performance

NYSE IR opened at $68.09 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 2.29 and a quick ratio of 1.62. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 1 year low of $42.20 and a 1 year high of $68.92. The company has a market capitalization of $27.54 billion, a PE ratio of 39.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a fifty day moving average of $64.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.70.

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.11. Ingersoll Rand had a net margin of 10.89% and a return on equity of 11.20%. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Ingersoll Rand Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 23rd will be paid a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 22nd. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.12%. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio is presently 4.65%.

Ingersoll Rand Profile

(Free Report)

Ingersoll Rand Inc provides various mission-critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle, and medical technologies in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through two segments, Industrial Technologies and Services, and Precision and Science Technologies.

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Bank of New York Mellon Corp lowered its position in Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD  Free Report) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 177,491 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after selling 6,097 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 0.80% of Mettler-Toledo International worth $271,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MTD. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,534,104 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $3,479,806,000 after acquiring an additional 17,826 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 532,108 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $769,136,000 after acquiring an additional 69,852 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 497,285 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $717,762,000 after acquiring an additional 6,532 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 26.2% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 326,105 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $471,369,000 after acquiring an additional 67,758 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 317,905 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $459,517,000 after acquiring an additional 8,610 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.89% of the companys stock.

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Mettler-Toledo International Stock Down 0.5 %

MTD stock opened at $1,239.80 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.17, a PEG ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 76.98, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.24. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a one year low of $1,065.55 and a one year high of $1,615.97. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $1,302.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,415.05.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Analyst Ratings Changes

In other news, insider Gerry Keller sold 449 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,400.00, for a total transaction of $628,600.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . In other news, insider Gerry Keller sold 449 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,400.00, for a total transaction of $628,600.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, insider Christian Magloth sold 725 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,384.65, for a total transaction of $1,003,871.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 730 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,010,794.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last three months, insiders sold 2,537 shares of company stock valued at $3,534,224. Company insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,700.00 to $1,650.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,660.00 to $1,520.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 31st. 51job restated a maintains rating on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,650.00 to $1,525.00 in a research report on Sunday, May 7th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Mettler-Toledo International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Five equities 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, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $1,470.14.

Read Our Latest Research Report on Mettler-Toledo International

About Mettler-Toledo International

(Free Report)

Mettler-Toledo International Inc manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations, and Other. The company's laboratory instruments include laboratory balances, liquid pipetting solutions, automated laboratory reactors, titrators, pH meters, process analytics sensors and analyzer technologies, physical value analyzers, density and refractometry, thermal analysis systems, and other analytical instruments; and LabX, a laboratory software platform to manage and analyze data generated from its instruments.

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Bank of New York Mellon Corp lessened its stake in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK  Free Report) by 0.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,906,210 shares of the banks stock after selling 46,010 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corps holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $268,378,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Manchester Capital Management LLC increased its position in Bank of New York Mellon by 34.1% in the 1st quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 11,686 shares of the banks stock valued at $531,000 after acquiring an additional 2,969 shares during the period. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 23.7% in the 1st quarter. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 12,220 shares of the banks stock valued at $555,000 after purchasing an additional 2,340 shares in the last quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 44,029 shares of the banks stock valued at $2,001,000 after purchasing an additional 2,834 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 4,474 shares of the banks stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Bank of New York Mellon by 21.1% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 943,694 shares of the banks stock valued at $42,836,000 after purchasing an additional 164,311 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.19% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on BK shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Bank of New York Mellon from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Bank of New York Mellon in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $43.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price target on Bank of New York Mellon from $49.00 to $46.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $52.90.

Bank of New York Mellon Price Performance

BK stock opened at $46.01 on Friday. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 1 year low of $36.22 and a 1 year high of $52.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.72. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $44.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.30. The firm has a market cap of $35.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.41, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.09.

Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK  Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 18th. The bank reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.16. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.88% and a net margin of 10.95%. The firm had revenue of $4.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.15 EPS. Bank of New York Mellons revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank of New York Mellon Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 28th were issued a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 27th. This is an increase from Bank of New York Mellons previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.65%. Bank of New York Mellons payout ratio is 48.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bank of New York Mellon

In other Bank of New York Mellon news, EVP J Kevin Mccarthy sold 35,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.33, for a total value of $1,621,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 98,102 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,545,065.66. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Bank of New York Mellon news, insider Kurtis R. Kurimsky sold 14,045 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.64, for a total value of $641,013.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 23,816 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,086,962.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP J Kevin Mccarthy sold 35,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.33, for a total value of $1,621,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 98,102 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,545,065.66. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Bank of New York Mellon

(Free Report)

The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and Other segment. The Securities Services segment includes Asset Servicing business, which provides global custody, fund accounting, integrated middle-office solutions, transfer agency and data and analytics solutions.

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US Bancorp DE reduced its holdings in shares of CMS Energy Co. (NYSE:CMS  Free Report) by 0.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 294,999 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,699 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DE owned approximately 0.10% of CMS Energy worth $18,107,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Covington Capital Management bought a new position in shares of CMS Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Pinebridge Investments L.P. bought a new position in shares of CMS Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Spirit of America Management Corp NY bought a new position in shares of CMS Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC bought a new position in shares of CMS Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in CMS Energy by 1,614.6% during the 4th quarter. BerganKDV Wealth Management LLC now owns 823 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 775 shares during the last quarter. 91.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on CMS. Mizuho dropped their price target on CMS Energy from $68.00 to $65.00 in a report on Monday, June 5th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on CMS Energy from $61.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. StockNews.com began coverage on CMS Energy in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on CMS Energy from $70.00 to $64.00 in a report on Friday, May 19th. Finally, Argus dropped their price objective on CMS Energy from $75.00 to $62.00 in a report on Monday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $65.60.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Catherine A. Hendrian sold 7,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.26, for a total transaction of $451,950.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 48,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,918,753.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

CMS Energy Price Performance

CMS Energy stock opened at $57.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.95. CMS Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $52.41 and a 52 week high of $71.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $59.99 and a 200-day moving average of $60.46.

CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.06. CMS Energy had a return on equity of 10.38% and a net margin of 9.07%. The company had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.53 EPS. CMS Energys revenue was down 19.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that CMS Energy Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CMS Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 4th will be given a dividend of $0.4875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 3rd. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.38%. CMS Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 78.00%.

CMS Energy Profile

(Free Report)

CMS Energy Corporation operates as an energy company primarily in Michigan. The company operates through three segments: Electric Utility; Gas Utility; and Enterprises. The Electric Utility segment is involved in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. This segment generates electricity through coal, wind, gas, renewable energy, oil, and nuclear sources.

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California State Teachers Retirement System lessened its stake in shares of Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE:RSG  Free Report) by 1.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 350,497 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 3,703 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.11% of Republic Services worth $47,394,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its position in Republic Services by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 16,313 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,206,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. First Interstate Bank acquired a new stake in Republic Services during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $243,000. Cumberland Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in Republic Services during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $813,000. Aviva PLC lifted its stake in Republic Services by 17.3% during the 4th quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 182,563 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $23,549,000 after acquiring an additional 26,984 shares during the period. Finally, Czech National Bank lifted its stake in Republic Services by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 24,197 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $3,272,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.36% of the companys stock.

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Republic Services Price Performance

Republic Services stock opened at $147.57 on Friday. Republic Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $120.58 and a 52-week high of $156.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.69, a PEG ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $148.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

Republic Services Increases Dividend

Republic Services ( NYSE:RSG Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 31st. The business services provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.09. Republic Services had a net margin of 10.91% and a return on equity of 16.53%. The business had revenue of $3.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.73 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Republic Services, Inc. will post 5.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 13th. Investors of record on Monday, October 2nd will be issued a $0.535 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 29th. This represents a $2.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. This is a positive change from Republic Servicess previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Republic Servicess dividend payout ratio is currently 39.84%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on RSG. VNET Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Republic Services in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Raymond James lifted their price objective on shares of Republic Services from $154.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $158.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 1st. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $156.00 to $163.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 1st. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Republic Services from $146.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $159.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on RSG

Insider Activity at Republic Services

In related news, CMO Amanda Hodges sold 2,712 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.66, for a total value of $403,165.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 4,969 shares of the companys stock, valued at $738,691.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Republic Services news, CFO Brian M. Delghiaccio sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.65, for a total transaction of $823,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 5,071 shares of the companys stock, valued at $758,875.15. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CMO Amanda Hodges sold 2,712 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.66, for a total transaction of $403,165.92. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 4,969 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $738,691.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Republic Services Profile

(Free Report)

Republic Services, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, offers environmental services in the United States. It is involved in the collection and processing of recyclable, solid waste, and industrial waste materials; transportation and disposal of non-hazardous and hazardous waste streams; and other environmental solutions.

Further Reading

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Two Russian ammunition houses destroyed in temporarily occupied Oleshky 13 August, 02:03 PM Warehouses with Russian ammunition exploded at night in occupied Oleshki (Photo:Screenshot from the video from   / Telegram)

Two warehouses storing Russian ammunition were destroyed in the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, during the night of Aug. 12-13, South Operational Command spokesperson Vladyslav Nazarov reported on Telegram, adding a video of the explosion.

He added that there was also a strike on an enemy troop cluster in Oleshky.



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California State Teachers Retirement System decreased its holdings in shares of Global Payments Inc. (NYSE:GPN  Free Report) by 3.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 448,064 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 15,065 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.17% of Global Payments worth $47,154,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPN. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Global Payments by 10.3% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 6,136 shares of the business services providers stock worth $840,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC lifted its stake in Global Payments by 7.7% during the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 3,942 shares of the business services providers stock worth $539,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in Global Payments by 3.9% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,288,788 shares of the business services providers stock worth $176,366,000 after purchasing an additional 48,605 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Global Payments by 259.7% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 17,285 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,377,000 after buying an additional 12,479 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential PLC purchased a new position in shares of Global Payments in the first quarter worth about $766,000. Institutional investors own 85.68% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on GPN shares. Robert W. Baird upgraded Global Payments from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $130.00 to $156.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Global Payments from $128.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Oppenheimer restated an outperform rating and set a $122.00 price target on shares of Global Payments in a report on Monday, July 24th. Raymond James cut their price objective on Global Payments from $156.00 to $155.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Global Payments from $144.00 to $146.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Global Payments currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $147.07.

Global Payments Stock Performance

GPN stock opened at $126.84 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.98 billion, a PE ratio of 42.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.00. Global Payments Inc. has a 12-month low of $92.27 and a 12-month high of $136.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $107.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $107.09.

Global Payments (NYSE:GPN  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The business services provider reported $2.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.43 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $2.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.19 billion. Global Payments had a return on equity of 10.98% and a net margin of 8.65%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.23 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Global Payments Inc. will post 9.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Global Payments Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.79%. Global Paymentss dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Global Payments

In other Global Payments news, CAO David M. Sheffield sold 2,016 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.47, for a total transaction of $240,851.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 25,045 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,992,126.15. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.30% of the companys stock.

Global Payments Company Profile

(Free Report)

Global Payments Inc provides payment technology and software solutions for card, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization, settlement and funding, customer support, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security, and consolidated billing and reporting services.

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RFG Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Targa Resources Corp. (NYSE:TRGP  Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 11,424 shares of the pipeline companys stock, valued at approximately $833,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ellevest Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Targa Resources by 122.9% in the 4th quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 350 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Targa Resources in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Targa Resources in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Targa Resources in the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Fred Alger Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Targa Resources in the 3rd quarter worth about $56,000. 99.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on TRGP. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Targa Resources from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $92.00 to $89.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Targa Resources in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $108.00 to $106.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Targa Resources currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $100.64.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Targa Resources news, insider Regina Gregory sold 1,819 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.58, for a total transaction of $153,851.02. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 47,304 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,000,972.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Targa Resources news, insider Regina Gregory sold 1,819 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.58, for a total transaction of $153,851.02. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 47,304 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,000,972.32. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Julie H. Boushka sold 2,184 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total transaction of $174,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 64,596 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,167,680. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,610 shares of company stock worth $1,215,524 in the last 90 days. 1.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Targa Resources Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE TRGP opened at $84.94 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.60. The firm has a market cap of $19.00 billion, a PE ratio of 23.02 and a beta of 2.28. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $76.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $74.51. Targa Resources Corp. has a 52 week low of $57.23 and a 52 week high of $85.53.

Targa Resources Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Investors of record on Monday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 28th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.35%. Targa Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.20%.

About Targa Resources

(Free Report)

Targa Resources Corp., together with its subsidiary, Targa Resources Partners LP, owns, operates, acquires, and develops a portfolio of complementary domestic midstream infrastructure assets in North America. The company operates in two segments, Gathering and Processing, and Logistics and Transportation.

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RFG Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Free Report) by 8.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,155 shares of the energy companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,200 shares during the period. RFG Advisory LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $818,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Simplicity Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 247.3% in the 1st quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLC now owns 30,114 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $1,524,000 after purchasing an additional 21,442 shares in the last quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. Clear Creek Financial Management LLC now owns 8,656 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $438,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC increased its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 23.4% in the 4th quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 368,272 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $16,394,000 after purchasing an additional 69,819 shares in the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 211,291 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $10,693,000 after purchasing an additional 1,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, E&G Advisors LP purchased a new position in shares of Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $254,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.00% of the companys stock.

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Devon Energy Trading Down 0.7 %

DVN opened at $50.41 on Friday. Devon Energy Co. has a one year low of $44.03 and a one year high of $78.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.30 billion, a PE ratio of 6.90, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 2.32. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $50.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.98.

Devon Energy Cuts Dividend

Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 1st. The energy company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.18. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 37.89% and a net margin of 28.10%. The firm had revenue of $3.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.59 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 38.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.89%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 14th. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 10.94%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,870 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.13, for a total transaction of $402,393.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 210,548 shares in the company, valued at $10,765,319.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.63% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DVN has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $54.00 to $53.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $71.00 to $64.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Devon Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $63.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $71.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday, May 19th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Devon Energy from $71.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Devon Energy presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $65.53.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Devon Energy

Devon Energy Company Profile

(Free Report)

Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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KCM Investment Advisors LLC reduced its position in PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG  Free Report) by 18.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,101 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 490 shares during the period. KCM Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in PPG Industries were worth $281,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of PPG. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of PPG Industries by 6.9% during the 1st quarter. Sompo Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 12,070 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,612,000 after purchasing an additional 780 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in PPG Industries by 2.3% during the first quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 12,808 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $1,711,000 after buying an additional 284 shares during the last quarter. Lokken Investment Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of PPG Industries by 9.7% during the 1st quarter. Lokken Investment Group LLC now owns 4,917 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $657,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of PPG Industries by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 175,883 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $23,406,000 after acquiring an additional 14,105 shares during the period. Finally, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its holdings in PPG Industries by 9.4% in the 1st quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 49,953 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $6,669,000 after purchasing an additional 4,286 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.95% of the companys stock.

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PPG Industries Trading Down 2.0 %

PPG stock opened at $136.64 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $144.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $137.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $32.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78. PPG Industries, Inc. has a twelve month low of $107.40 and a twelve month high of $152.89.

PPG Industries Increases Dividend

PPG Industries ( NYSE:PPG Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.11. PPG Industries had a net margin of 7.38% and a return on equity of 23.59%. The company had revenue of $4.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.51 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 9th. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.90%. This is a boost from PPG Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. PPG Industriess payout ratio is presently 46.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on PPG shares. Barclays upped their price target on PPG Industries from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of PPG Industries from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price target for the company from $130.00 to $156.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of PPG Industries from $143.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of PPG Industries from $150.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on shares of PPG Industries from $133.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a report on Friday, July 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PPG Industries has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $156.47.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on PPG Industries

Insider Buying and Selling at PPG Industries

In other news, CFO Vincent J. Morales sold 3,700 shares of PPG Industries stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.33, for a total transaction of $530,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 22,665 shares in the company, valued at $3,248,574.45. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CFO Vincent J. Morales sold 3,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.33, for a total transaction of $530,321.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 22,665 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,248,574.45. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Michael H. Mcgarry sold 58,378 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.46, for a total value of $8,491,663.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 195,706 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $28,467,394.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

PPG Industries Company Profile

(Free Report)

PPG Industries, Inc engages in the manufacture and distribution of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. It operates through the Performance Coatings and Industrial Coatings segments. The Performance Coatings segment supplies a variety of protective and decorative coatings, sealants, and finishes along with pavement marking products, paint strippers, stains, and related chemicals, as well as transparencies and transparent armor.

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KCM Investment Advisors LLC decreased its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK  Free Report) by 7.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,473 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 297 shares during the quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in American Water Works were worth $509,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings in American Water Works by 4.3% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 346,742 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $50,794,000 after buying an additional 14,410 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of American Water Works by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 54,996 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $8,056,000 after acquiring an additional 1,222 shares during the period. Glenview Trust co increased its stake in shares of American Water Works by 21.0% in the 1st quarter. Glenview Trust co now owns 4,224 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $619,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its holdings in American Water Works by 7.6% in the 1st quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 3,419 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the period. Finally, Lokken Investment Group LLC boosted its position in American Water Works by 18.9% during the first quarter. Lokken Investment Group LLC now owns 3,400 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $498,000 after purchasing an additional 541 shares in the last quarter. 84.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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American Water Works Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of AWK opened at $140.20 on Friday. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 52-week low of $122.77 and a 52-week high of $162.59. The stock has a market cap of $27.29 billion, a PE ratio of 29.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.56. The firms fifty day moving average is $144.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.00. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20.

American Water Works Announces Dividend

American Water Works ( NYSE:AWK Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The utilities provider reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. American Water Works had a net margin of 22.08% and a return on equity of 10.31%. American Water Workss quarterly revenue was up 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.20 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 8th will be issued a $0.7075 dividend. This represents a $2.83 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 7th. American Water Workss dividend payout ratio is currently 59.08%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on AWK shares. Guggenheim cut their price objective on American Water Works from $152.00 to $147.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of American Water Works from $140.00 to $139.00 in a report on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of American Water Works from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $157.00.

View Our Latest Report on American Water Works

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Michael Marberry purchased 1,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $142.35 per share, with a total value of $199,290.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,673 shares in the company, valued at approximately $522,851.55. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.08% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About American Water Works

(Free Report)

American Water Works Company, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,600 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.4 million active customers. The company serves residential customers; commercial customers, including food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers; fire service and private fire customers; industrial customers, such as large-scale manufacturers, mining, and production operations; public authorities comprising government buildings and other public sector facilities, such as schools and universities; and other utilities and community water and wastewater systems.

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Bank of New York Mellon Corp decreased its stake in Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED  Free Report) by 2.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 2,900,975 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 86,068 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corps holdings in Consolidated Edison were worth $277,536,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of ED. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 89,231.2% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,145,861 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $395,142,000 after acquiring an additional 4,141,220 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Consolidated Edison during the 4th quarter valued at $318,245,000. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,128,579 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $393,495,000 after acquiring an additional 1,030,730 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 20.5% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,541,038 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $248,958,000 after acquiring an additional 432,432 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 100.2% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 692,473 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $65,998,000 after acquiring an additional 346,612 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.30% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an underweight rating and set a $74.00 target price (up from $73.00) on shares of Consolidated Edison in a research report on Friday, July 21st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Consolidated Edison in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Consolidated Edison in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. They set a sell rating and a $88.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim decreased their target price on Consolidated Edison from $90.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Consolidated Edison from $89.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and two have assigned 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 $91.31.

Consolidated Edison Trading Up 0.5 %

Consolidated Edison stock opened at $90.83 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $92.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $94.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.02. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a one year low of $78.10 and a one year high of $102.21. The stock has a market cap of $31.33 billion, a PE ratio of 13.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.34 and a beta of 0.36.

Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.58 by $0.03. Consolidated Edison had a return on equity of 8.27% and a net margin of 15.84%. The company had revenue of $2.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.31 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 4.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Consolidated Edison Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 16th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 15th. Consolidated Edisons payout ratio is 46.62%.

About Consolidated Edison

(Free Report)

Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan.

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Glenview Trust co increased its stake in shares of The J. M. Smucker Company (NYSE:SJM  Free Report) by 7.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,627 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the quarter. Glenview Trust cos holdings in J. M. Smucker were worth $256,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in J. M. Smucker during the 1st quarter worth $519,000. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lifted its stake in shares of J. M. Smucker by 3.9% during the first quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 22,878 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,600,000 after acquiring an additional 868 shares during the period. MGO One Seven LLC boosted its holdings in J. M. Smucker by 5.1% in the first quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 3,394 shares of the companys stock valued at $534,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC increased its position in J. M. Smucker by 2.5% in the first quarter. Stokes Family Office LLC now owns 2,622 shares of the companys stock worth $413,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in J. M. Smucker by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC now owns 11,085 shares of the companys stock worth $1,744,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.58% of the companys stock.

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J. M. Smucker Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:SJM opened at $147.96 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.44. The J. M. Smucker Company has a 12-month low of $132.42 and a 12-month high of $163.07. The business has a 50 day moving average of $149.87 and a 200-day moving average of $151.30.

J. M. Smucker Increases Dividend

J. M. Smucker ( NYSE:SJM Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 6th. The company reported $2.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.41 by $0.23. J. M. Smucker had a positive return on equity of 11.89% and a negative net margin of 1.07%. The firm had revenue of $2.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.23 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that The J. M. Smucker Company will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 18th will be issued a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 17th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.87%. This is an increase from J. M. Smuckers previous quarterly dividend of $1.02. J. M. Smuckers payout ratio is currently -438.71%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO John P. Brase sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.86, for a total value of $1,488,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 15,780 shares in the company, valued at $2,349,010.80. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, Director Richard K. Smucker sold 19,576 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.95, for a total value of $2,974,573.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 623,605 shares in the company, valued at approximately $94,756,779.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, COO John P. Brase sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.86, for a total transaction of $1,488,600.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 15,780 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,349,010.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,550 shares of company stock worth $6,443,176 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.50% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SJM has been the topic of several recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of J. M. Smucker from $135.00 to $142.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. TheStreet cut shares of J. M. Smucker from an a- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, June 6th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of J. M. Smucker from $165.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. StockNews.com started coverage on J. M. Smucker in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of J. M. Smucker from $168.00 to $160.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $154.42.

View Our Latest Stock Report on SJM

J. M. Smucker Profile

(Free Report)

The J. M. Smucker Company manufactures and markets branded food and beverage products worldwide. It operates in three segments: U.S. Retail Pet Foods, U.S. Retail Coffee, and U.S. Retail Consumer Foods. The company offers mainstream roast, ground, single serve, and premium coffee; peanut butter and specialty spreads; fruit spreads, toppings, and syrups; jelly products; nut mix products; shortening and oils; frozen sandwiches and snacks; pet food and pet snacks; and foodservice hot beverage, foodservice portion control, and flour products, as well as dog and cat food, frozen handheld products, juices and beverages, and baking mixes and ingredients.

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Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its position in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 24.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 44,113 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 8,541 shares during the quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.s holdings in Southern were worth $3,062,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southern by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,651 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $741,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southern by 10.2% in the 1st quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $107,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Tranquility Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Southern by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Tranquility Partners LLC now owns 4,528 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $315,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC lifted its position in Southern by 2.8% during the first quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 5,327 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calamos Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Southern by 0.5% during the first quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC now owns 29,642 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,062,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. 63.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Southern Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of SO stock opened at $69.50 on Friday. The Southern Company has a 12-month low of $58.85 and a 12-month high of $80.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $70.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.50.

Southern Announces Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.47 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 9.86% and a net margin of 11.17%. The businesss revenue was down 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.07 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that The Southern Company will post 3.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 6th. Investors of record on Monday, August 21st will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 18th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.03%. Southerns dividend payout ratio is currently 98.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on SO. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Southern from a buy rating to a conviction-buy rating in a research report on Monday, July 3rd. VNET Group reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Southern from $75.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Friday, August 4th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH assumed coverage on Southern in a report on Wednesday. They set a buy rating and a $72.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Southern from $77.00 to $76.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Southern presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $74.07.

View Our Latest Analysis on SO

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.70, for a total value of $348,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 126,284 shares in the company, valued at $8,801,994.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Southern news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 47,326 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.78, for a total transaction of $3,302,408.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 118,659 shares in the company, valued at $8,280,025.02. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.70, for a total value of $348,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 126,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,801,994.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 143,761 shares of company stock worth $10,152,544. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

Southern Profile

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of CMS Energy Co. (NYSE:CMS  Free Report) by 0.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,771,356 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 7,819 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 1.64% of CMS Energy worth $292,866,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of CMS Energy by 103.2% during the first quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 2,067 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $127,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in CMS Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $559,000. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. boosted its holdings in CMS Energy by 25.7% during the first quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 8,002 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $491,000 after buying an additional 1,636 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in CMS Energy by 0.6% during the first quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 41,295 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,535,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in CMS Energy by 1.3% during the first quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 103,339 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $6,343,000 after buying an additional 1,297 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.92% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of CMS Energy in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating for the company. UBS Group upgraded shares of CMS Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the stock from $63.00 to $68.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 6th. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $65.00 to $61.00 in a research note on Friday, July 7th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $68.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Monday, June 5th. Finally, Argus decreased their price objective on shares of CMS Energy from $75.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Monday, June 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $65.60.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Catherine A. Hendrian sold 7,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.26, for a total transaction of $451,950.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 48,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,918,753.36. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

CMS Energy Stock Up 0.6 %

CMS stock opened at $57.76 on Friday. CMS Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $52.41 and a 12-month high of $71.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87. The company has a market cap of $16.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.10, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a 50 day moving average of $59.99 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.46.

CMS Energy (NYSE:CMS  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.06. CMS Energy had a net margin of 9.07% and a return on equity of 10.38%. The company had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.04 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.53 EPS. The companys revenue was down 19.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CMS Energy Co. will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CMS Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.4875 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 3rd. This represents a $1.95 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.38%. CMS Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 78.00%.

About CMS Energy

(Free Report)

CMS Energy Corporation operates as an energy company primarily in Michigan. The company operates through three segments: Electric Utility; Gas Utility; and Enterprises. The Electric Utility segment is involved in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. This segment generates electricity through coal, wind, gas, renewable energy, oil, and nuclear sources.

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Reuniting with a Familiar Face

A new dawn beckons for the Brazilian league leaders Botafogo as they unveil the signing of Diego Costa, former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker. The 34-year-old, whose tenure with Wolverhampton Wanderers ended in June, has penned a four-month deal report BBC Sport.

Im very happy to have been chosen to be part of the family, Costa shared on social media. Thanks and I see you soon.

This transfer brings about a reunion with former Wolves boss Bruno Lage, at the Rio de Janeiro-based Botafogo.

A Glittering Legacy and a Fresh Start

Last seen in the Premier League, Costa made 23 appearances for Wolves and ended a near six-year dry spell with a decisive 2-0 victory over Brentford in April. His record boasts two English league titles, 59 goals with Chelsea, two La Liga trophies, and a Europa League victory during two stints with Atletico Madrid.

A Dominant Force in Serie A

Costas move to Botafogo, who have taken Serie A by storm with 15 wins in 19 games and are an imposing 16 points clear at the top of the table, is sure to add another layer of excitement to a club already dominating the scene.

The next chapter of Costas illustrious career promises to be an exciting one, filled with opportunity, challenges, and the prospects of adding more silverware to an already glittering career.
By Gareth Jones Reuters

Russias Foreign Ministry condemned on Saturday what it called Ukraines terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge, saying it put innocent civilians lives at risk, and vowed retaliation.

There can be no justification for such barbaric actions and they will not go unanswered, ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Earlier, Russias Defence Ministry said its forces had thwarted a Ukrainian rocket attack on the 12-mile (19 km) bridge, which links Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia across the Kerch Strait.

The ministry said Russian forces had also shot down a number of Ukrainian drones targeting the peninsula.
I first met Stephen Kearney in June 2021 when he came to my farm to saw up the trunk of an old Spanish chestnut tree.

It had fallen some years previously and Stephens specially adapted chainsaw eliminates the need to transport these huge logs to a sawmill.

The first finished cut revealed the treasure within - a richly grained surface resembling the patterns left on the sand by a receding tide.

While Stephen was delighted with the quality of the timber, he bemoaned the fact that the log had been cut somewhat short of the eight foot that is the optimum length for a finished table.

That evening, the sawn planks of Spanish chestnut were stacked in Stephens homemade kiln where they would remain in a controlled drying environment for up to twelve weeks. Thereafter they would become full width tabletops.

Back at his workshop close to the village of Rossmore, Stephen relates how he got into the woodworking business.

A guitar and a mandolin lie in their cases atop a huge slab of beech. Tables are his business, but musical instruments are his passion. Stephen explains that the workshop was originally built to make musical instruments. Handing me the mandolin Im struck by its lightness and exquisite finish.

I made an electric guitar for my Leaving Cert woodworking project, he says nonchalantly, and he remembers the teacher suggesting that such a project might be somewhat over ambitious.

A PRIZE

Stephen smiles as he recalls, While I was making an electric guitar, guys beside me were making CD racks. Electric guitars are easier to make than acoustic guitars, a solid chunk of timber, rout out some cavities for the electronics and you make a neck. I had an old guitar so just pulled out all the pieces, even the fret wire and fitted them into the new guitar. It functioned and they gave me a prize for my efforts.

Being left-handed was the incentive for Stephen to make guitars for himself and some were fashioned from the more exotic timbers such as zebrano wood.

People invariably remarked on these and, on asking where they could be bought, were told by Stephen that he made them himself.

I was then asked if I assembled them from a kit and I said ,No, I sawed up the timber and made them myself.

MAKING A MANDOLIN

Stephen reckons around 90 hours could go into making a mandolin and up to 110 hours for a guitar.

The first few took a lot longer than that! he adds. Everything about guitar making is about symmetry. The sides are identical bookends from the one piece of timber, and if, during the curving process, one side snaps, then you have to start all over again with a new piece. Its difficult to find good quality Irish timber to make musical instruments, you really need clean, knot-free timber, said Stephen.

At this point I examine the mandolin a bit closer. Stephen recalls travelling to Galway to get larch wood for the top, to Ennis for sycamore to make the bottom and the bog oak for the bridge and fretboard came from Kildare. The sycamore has a rare ripple grain that shimmers beneath its lacquered finish.

DIFFERENT RESONANCE

Each wood gives a different resonance and notes can even vary in timber taken from different parts of the same tree. Guitar tops are usually made from a softwood such as spruce or cedar because these have strength as well as being light whereas the back and sides are always made from hardwoods.

Yew, walnut and sycamore, Stephen has found to be the best.

Yew is extremely flexible but still needs to be steam bent. Straight grained knot-free timber is essential for steam bending.

Stephen then shows me a bouzouki that he is working on at present using walnut timber and brings my attention to the relatively wide spacing between the growth rings which suggests that the tree was actually fast growing.

Guitar tops must be made from wood that has sufficient strength to bear the tension of the strings and the fast growth rate of our Irish spruce produces a timber that cannot match the strength of spruce the originates in Canada or in Scandinavia.

Apart from looking smart, the instrument needs to sound well and to demonstrate the effect a particular wood may have on the sound, Stephen reaches over for a piece of mahogany and taps it with his knuckles.

TONE

He does the same with a piece of larch and its tone is indeed noticeably different. In constructing the top, small pieces of timber are used as struts on the underside.

Stephen will tap the top at various points and, depending on the sound, may decide to add extra timber or perhaps remove some. He refers to this as voicing the top.

For the saddle and the nut of the guitar, Stephen uses cow bone which is boiled, bleached and polished to give a finish that could well pass for ivory.

The black timber used for the fretboard and the bridge was traditionally made from ebony, but for his own guitars, Stephen uses bog oak, which is really the only other black timber in existence.

As an aside Stephen mentions the Taylor Guitar Company that has started an initiative to source ebony in an environmentally sensitive way from Cameroon.

BOG OAK

Its impressive to see a tiny 1mm strip of bog oak inlaid into a piece of larch that itself is just 2mm in thickness. We are talking of material that is wafer thin. At the mandolins headstock, Stephen has crafted a Celtic knot using tiny slivers of bog oak and he speaks with unbridled passion of the possibility afforded by this material that has remained underground for thousands of years now becoming part of a musical instrument.

Likewise, the idea of taking a log, sawing it up and using the timber to make a guitar never fails to amaze him.

Every time you string up one, you get the jitters, just to play open notes, made with the planks, taken from the treeS.But you never know what use the timber is until you saw it up, it could be full of flaws, said Stephen

All that flawed timber that Stephen has come across over the years has led to his finding another niche, in the form of single piece tabletops, worktops, counters or anything else that could be fashioned from wood, such as the huge piece of spalted beech in the workshop.

The patterned discolouration, or spalting, is caused by the infection of the timber by various fungi that result in a marbling effect of brown, yellow and peach hues with lots of irregular black lines throughout.

Stephen tells me that the client who commissioned this piece intends to use it as kitchen island and was there earlier to mark out the position for a sink.

She picked out this particular piece because of its shape and for the black colouring in it. People like to have an input into something that is custom made and these 8 foot by 3 foot chunk of timber is something natural that will stand out among all the clean, crisp edges of the other units, said Stephen.

Stephen ruefully suggests that making tabletops is the better way to pay the bills, but he quips, If I didnt have the bills, I would make musical instruments all the time. I would make them to please myself and then if I could, I would sell them on. I would make them for the sheer enjoyment.

ARTISTIC INGENUITY

Stephen is not aware of anyone else in the family who was into woodworking or indeed music, so how did he hone his talent to this level?

Reading, looking at YouTube videos and lots of failure is his reply.

Earlier, Stephen mentioned that he would be willing to try anything and there is no doubting that the sense of experimentation, of stretching the possibilities, combined with an inherent artistic ingenuity has led this Tipperary man to finding his true metier.

He leaves me with a parting thought, You cant really do everything for money as such.

Two books, Artisans of Clonmel and Artisans of Cashel, were published before Christmas.

They were launched as part of Clonmel Applefest and the Cashel Arts Festival. They both carry the stories of craftspeople in the community.

The Nationalist is publishing stories from both books. The article for this week was written by Pierse McCan.

Pierse McCan lives close to the village of Dualla. Married to Josephine, they have five grown-up children. He has been involved in farming for the last forty years and is currently pursuing a Masters at the University of Life.
County Tipperary nursing home residents will participate in a special national music performance to mark Nursing Homes Week 2023.

The Music Speaks broadcast, to take place Monday, August 21, will encompass performances from over 100 nursing home residents from over 30 nursing homes.

Featuring from Tipperary will be residents and staff from St Marthas, Cahir.

Their performances will encompass:

- Rivers of Bablylon  a collective performance by residents and staff

- Boys from the County Armagh  Resident Joan Ryan will sing with Margaret Childs, Healthcare Assistant

- Its a Long Way to Tipperary  Resident Marie McGrath will be singing

- At the End of the Day  Resident Joan Ryan will sing

- Staff member Christine Harding (Healthcare Assistant) will recite a staff reflection

Nursing homes in Tipperary and across the country will be hosting music-themed celebrations from August 21 to August 27 to mark Nursing Homes Week 2023.

The Music Speaks performance will be broadcast to over 400 nursing homes with 25,000 residents across the country and available for the broader public to watch via NHI.ie

The Music Speaks performance is a highlight of the broader online Music Speaks festival which will mark the national celebration of nursing home care.

The Music Speaks festival will include performances from Mobile Music Machine with Niamh Kavanagh, Sive, Ross Scanlon performs John McCormack, John Spillane.

Further, performances from the Irish Traditional Music Archive will be opened up to nursing home residents and an online discussion will be hosted discussing the impact of music on nursing home residents.
Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited (SGX:J36) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 3 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 because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. In other words, investors can purchase Jardine Matheson Holdings' shares before the 17th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 11th of October.

The company's next dividend payment will be US$0.60 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed US$2.20 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Jardine Matheson Holdings stock has a trailing yield of around 4.6% on the current share price of $47.93. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether Jardine Matheson Holdings's dividend is reliable and sustainable. So we need to investigate whether Jardine Matheson Holdings can afford its dividend, and if the dividend could grow.

Check out our latest analysis for Jardine Matheson Holdings

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. Jardine Matheson Holdings paid out 128% of profit in the past year, which we think is typically not sustainable unless there are mitigating characteristics such as unusually strong cash flow or a large cash balance. 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. What's good is that dividends were well covered by free cash flow, with the company paying out 12% of its cash flow last year.

Story continues

It's disappointing to see that the dividend was not covered by profits, but cash is more important from a dividend sustainability perspective, and Jardine Matheson Holdings fortunately did generate enough cash to fund its dividend. Still, if the company repeatedly paid a dividend greater than its profits, we'd be concerned. Extraordinarily few companies are capable of persistently paying a dividend that is greater than their profits.

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. Jardine Matheson Holdings's earnings have collapsed faster than Wile E Coyote's schemes to trap the Road Runner; down a tremendous 30% a year over the past five years.

Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. In the past 10 years, Jardine Matheson Holdings has increased its dividend at approximately 5.0% a year on average. That's intriguing, but the combination of growing dividends despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out a larger percentage of profits. Jardine Matheson Holdings is already paying out a high percentage of its income, so without earnings growth, we're doubtful of whether this dividend will grow much in the future.

To Sum It Up

Is Jardine Matheson Holdings worth buying for its dividend? It's not a great combination to see a company with earnings in decline and paying out 128% of its profits, which could imply the dividend may be at risk of being cut in the future. Yet cashflow was much stronger, which makes us wonder if there are some large timing issues in Jardine Matheson Holdings's cash flows, or perhaps the company has written down some assets aggressively, reducing its income. Overall it doesn't look like the most suitable dividend stock for a long-term buy and hold investor.

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 Jardine Matheson Holdings. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 3 warning signs with Jardine Matheson Holdings and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.
This year libraries in Ireland have been thrust into the headlines due to far-right demonstrations.

These demonstrations have left staff and users, young and old, fearful. And for an institution known for being quiet, its sure getting loud.

Protests over the stocking of LGBT+ reading material forced the closure of Cork City Library in recent weeks.

A group of nationalist and far-right agitators were on a tour in a small boat up the River Shannon and into Lough Derg.

Through figures obtained by the Tipperary Star under the Freedom of Information Act, we took a closer look at whats going on in libraries in the Premier County.

The Tipperary Star requested the number of safety concerns raised by Tipperary library staff in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

We also requested the type of concerns raised.

The figures show staff have raised 16 safety and six harassment from public complaints since 2021.

In 2021 staff raised two safety concerns and no harassment complaints.

In 2022, that went up to seven safety concerns and four for harassment.

And this year, there have been seven safety concerns and two for harassment.

This is an encouragingly small number of complaints, but it may be trending upwards.

A spokesperson from Tipperary County Council told the Tipperary Star that the increase is down to the closures during 2021.

Libraries were closed for five months, which meant less footfall. These harassment complaints were general and not in any way related to the current spate of far-right demonstrations. However, should that become an issue, the spokesperson said there is a risk assessment and procedures in place.

The safety complaints were likewise, what one might expect from providing a service to the public.

In last weeks Tipperary Star editorial, we wrote that libraries offer significant value to the localities they serve.

Libraries in Tipperary and across Ireland carry books on almost any topic, but its not just about books.

Libraries are spaces for childrens projects, art exhibitions, lectures and much much more.

They provide a space where people can go for free or low-cost and read, attend educational events and enjoy the arts. Libraries also have a range of assistive technology loans in, which included the c-pen, acorn tab, sensory toys and facilities like a sensory pod and magic table.

You can even read a newspaper, just like this one at your local library.

In fact, the Tipperary Library Service spent 10,000 on newspapers last year and the same in 2021.

It is clear from the records released that there has been a significant increase in interest and investment in Tipperarys libraries.

In 2021, Tipperary County Council Library Service spent 27,031.87 on reading initiatives for children.

That increased to 41,472.77 in 2022. In 2022, 8,746.90 was spent on Childrens Book Festival stock and 1,753.64 on the juvenile book club.

Schools cost 12,721.95 in 2022 which was a little down on the 2021 figure of 14,119.49.

In total 238,495.93 were spent on books in 2022, and a further 55,701.73 was spent on e-books, audiobooks etc.

In 2022, 248,068 books were borrowed from Tipperary libraries. This was up from 145,649 in 2021.

Nenagh, Clonmel and Thurles all had the highest issue of loans, with all three exceeding 30,000 issues.

The fewest books were borrowed from smaller libraries like Killenaule (1,698) and Borrisokane (2,397).

However Killenaule more than doubled their loans compared to the 2021 figure of 548. Tipperary Studies, who are responsible for preserving documents of local interest and promoting history in the county, also saw an increase in interest.

The records show 598 issues in 2021 for Tipperary Studies which increased to 1,128 in 2022.

Perhaps these increases can be attributed to the reopening of the libraries to the public after lockdown. But they also illustrate recovery and the public interest in supporting their local libraries.
It was a beautiful and sad, yet uplifting, evening in Clonoulty last Saturday which brought out the best in people. Dillon Quirkes first anniversary mass, in the grounds now named after him, brought people from across Ireland together to remember Dillon.

The club grounds were officially named and the president of the GAA was on hand for the evening. Liam Cahill was there and spoke about how Dillon will always be part of the team and will always be an inspiration to the players and the management who won and lost together.

Proceedings opened with Andrew Fryday, the chairperson of the club, addressing everyone and then a plaque was unveiled by Larry McCarthy in Dillons memory and to mark the occasion. The loss was hard hitting in the community and speaking afterwards Larry McCarthy said it was testament to the esteem in which Dillon was held:

A sad occasion but a great occasion and the community came out in droves this evening not just from here. It has been a very quick year but Im sure it hasnt been a quick year for the family.

So much has happened in the past year and the setting up of the Dillon Quirke Foundation has helped build a positive out of such tragedy. The efforts of Dillons parents and family to build something new and help those in need is amazing.

The aim is to screen all children in the region for heart issues and perhaps save some lives and prevent what happened to the Quirkes happening to someone else. It was something that the president of the GAA agreed was highly noble:

Kudos to the Quirke family for pushing forward with this idea. Sometimes out of tragedy great things evolve and grow. This is an example of that. All credit to the family for allowing Dillons name to be memorialised through the Foundation.

Hurling followers attended in their droves and some beautiful songs were sung and poems recited. Suffice to say it was a beautiful ceremony. The community came together and that is ultimately what it is all about.
[August 12, 2023]

Quantzig's Customer Micro-Segmentation Solution Revolutionized Customer Marketing for a Retailer in the USA

NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading data analytics and strategic consulting firm, Quantzig is proud to announce its successful collaboration with a prominent player in the USA Retail industry. Through the deployment of cutting-edge Customer Micro-Segmentation techniques, Quantzig transformed its customer marketing strategies, driving unprecedented growth and customer engagement.

The client faced significant challenges in their customer marketing efforts, as disconnected data across various channels hindered their understanding of the complete customer journey. The absence of a unified customer view led to suboptimal customer targeting, personalized messaging, and limited customer engagement.

Our team of experts employedadvanced analytics and micro-segmentation techniques to build a cohesive 360-degree customer profile for the client. The development of a comprehensive customer journey map across channels facilitated the identification of potential churn points. Utilizing predictive analytics, our team predicted the next-best actions for each customer, enabling personalized and targeted marketing campaigns.







The above initiatives resulted in:

13% higher customer engagement

7.5% higher sales

11% increase in revenue from existing customers

To read the full article: Click here!

About Quantzig:??

Quantzig is a global analytics and business intelligence solution provider. It turns clients' complex, unstructured data into intelligent, actionable insights that enable them to solve complex business problems and inspire innovation, change, and growth.??

Over the past 17 years, our insights have helped over 120 clients, including 55 Fortune 500 companies, spanning industries and sectors like Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, Retail and CPG, Food and Beverage, and more. We have successfully delivered 1500 in-depth solutions in areas like Supply Chain Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Customer Analytics, and more.???

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quantzigs-customer-micro-segmentation-solution-revolutionized-customer-marketing-for-a-retailer-in-the-usa-301896584.html

SOURCE Quantzig
[August 13, 2023] MIT-ADT University's 8th Foundation Day Celebrates Research and Progress for Tomorrow's India Tweet

PUNE, India, Aug. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst the fervor of India's Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, the role of researchers in driving the nation's progress over the past 75 years has been widely acknowledged. Looking ahead, the need for a robust force of researchers to guide India's future journey to advancement remains paramount. In this endeavor, MIT Art, Design and Technology University stands as a beacon, nurturing the researchers who will shape tomorrow's India, as expressed by Padma Shri Dr. Prem Shankar Goel, the former Director of ISRO Sateliite Centre. The vibrant celebration of MIT-ADT University's eighth anniversary at Loni Kalbhor on Friday, August 11, was marked by enthusiastic participation and the presence of distinguished dignitaries. Dr. Prem Shankar Goel as the Chief Guest, in his address, emphasized the pivotal role researchers have played in India's progress and how they will continue to mold its future. The ceremony was presided over by the founder of MAEER's MIT Group of Institutions, Professor Vishwadharmi Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, the visionary behind MIT-ADT University. Dignitaries including Chief Scientist of National Chemical Laboratory Dr. Ashish Lele, and Managing Director of Marex Media, Kamal Chadha, graced the event. The ceremony commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by esteemed dignitaries, followed by the unveiling of a revolutionary agricultural innovation - the unique Do-Bot machine designed for customized delivery. During the ceremony, Prof. Dhimant Panchal was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions. Dr. Mohit Dubey received the Leadership Excellence Award, reflecting the commitment to nurturing leaders at MIT-ADT University. Dr. Ashish Lele, from CSIR National Chemical Laboratory, lauded MIT-ADT University's 8th Foundation Day celebration. He praised its affiliation with the MIT Group of Institutions, likening institutions to wine, gaining value over time. Applauding the institution's purpose-driven education, he highlighted its innovative degree programs and design thinking approach. He emphasized MIT-ADT University's aspiration for excellence and relevance, shaping agile, spiritually elevated professionals. Acknowledging its achievements, Dr. Lele urged the institution to aim higher, citing global benchmarks. Addressing students, he emphasized the power of wisdom over mere knowledge and shared five life mantras, urging them to rise to challenges with courage. In conclusion, he expressed unwavering confidence in MIT-ADT University's boundless potential and its students' ability to achieve greatness. Mr. Kamal addressed the vibrant gathering, acknowledging the thousands of eager students before him. Drawing from his extensive experience visiting universities globally, he emphsized that monuments and structures cannot replace the confidence and smiles of students. Highlighting flexibility as vital, he shared a powerful acronym - FAMILY, FITNESS, LAW ABIDING, EXAMINER, EXTRAORDINARY, IDEATE, BOLDNESS, LEADERSHIP, and MONEY. He praised the Karad family and its impact on society, urging respect for one's family and society. He stressed the importance of physical and mental fitness, while being law-abiding and disciplined. With wit and wisdom, he shared his maritime and media journey, underlining the journey of success, not a destination. His reflections resonated with the audience, leaving them with a profound message of holistic success.



Padma Shri Goel graced MIT-ADT University with his presence, commending its remarkable achievements within a short span. Amidst luminaries, he highlighted the intrinsic connection between science, technology, and society in India. He recognized engineers as creators of revolutionary marvels and praised India's space triumphs. Yet, he addressed disconnects, including lagging silicon electronics and manufacturing. Shri Goel accentuated the need for comprehensive manufacturing, especially in defense, and urged students to embrace innovation's transformative power. As he emphasized the vital role of science and technology, his words resonated, creating a resonant echo within MIT-ADT's innovative realm. Dr. Vishwanath Karad's address at MIT-ADT University was a compelling call to embrace the unique fusion of science and spirituality on campus. He dismissed comparisons with prestigious institutions and showcased the monumental creation symbolizing this blend. Urging everyone to delve deep, he challenged students and faculty to comprehend the mechanism linking science and spirituality. Highlighting the upcoming congregation of global thinkers, he positioned India as a beacon for this intersection. Drawing parallels with western top universities' historic influence, he proclaimed India's turn to lead the discourse. His speech wasn't just informative; it was a powerful plea for active involvement. Dr. Karad's words weren't just an address; they ignited a passion to shape a future where science and spirituality harmonize for human advancement. His address was a thought-provoking catalyst for MIT-ADT's community to be at the forefront of transformative education and innovation.

Dr. Sudarshan Sanap, Dean of the School of Engineering and Science, extended sincere gratitude to all dignitaries, guests, faculty, and students present. He acknowledged their pivotal roles in making the event a remarkable success. Dr. Sanap acknowledged the visionary leadership of Dr. Vishwanath Karad, the driving force behind MIT-ADT's values and achievements. In conclusion, the event and celebration showcased the remarkable achievements and aspirations of MIT-ADT University, underscoring its commitment to excellence in education, research, and innovation. With gratitude to all participants, the University looks forward to a future filled with continued growth and impactful contributions to society. About MIT-ADT University: Spearheading Excellence in Education and Innovation Founded under the visionary guidance of MAEER's Trust, a pioneer in private engineering education in Maharashtra, the inception story traces back to the establishment of Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT-Pune) in 1983. MIT-Pune, standing as the group's flagship institution, set the benchmark for quality education. Formally established through the enactment of the MIT Art, Design and Technology University Act, 2015, MIT-ADT University in Pune emerged on June 27, 2016. Operating on a self-financed model and conferred with the authority to grant degrees under the UGC Act, 1956, the university redefines education with its central focus on Art, Design, and Technology. Adopting a holistic approach to education, MIT-ADT University fosters physically resilient, intellectually sharp, mentally agile, and spiritually elevated individuals. The curriculum encourages the practice of yoga, meditation, and various enrichment activities to nurture well-rounded personalities. The university caters to over 12,000 students across diverse disciplines such as Engineering, Arts, Design, and more. MIT-ADT University has firmly positioned itself as a champion of innovation and entrepreneurship, evident through its ranking within the Top 50-100 for NIRF innovation in 2022. The institution's "Excellent" performance in ARIIA 2021 and the coveted 5-star Innovation Council rating reflects its unswerving dedication. The Atal Incubation Centre, a joint venture with AIM, NITI Aayog, stands as a beacon of progress and innovation. As a mentor institution under the aegis of the Ministry of Education's Innovation Cell, MIT-ADT University has been instrumental in guiding institutions and ATL Tinkering Schools across Maharashtra. By sharing best practices in multidisciplinary education, fostering industry collaborations, and nurturing innovation events, the university has fostered a thriving culture of entrepreneurship and innovation among these mentee institutions. The enduring impact is evident in the growth of these institutions and the enrichment of Maharashtra's innovation ecosystem. MIT-ADT University: A cradle of education where innovation thrives, entrepreneurship blossoms, and excellence prevails. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2184662/Foundation_Day.jpg

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[August 13, 2023] ImPact Biotech Announces Research Collaboration to develop a treatment to arrest Pathologic Myopia using its Padeliporfin minimally invasive platform Tweet

ImPact Biotech to collaborate with Maastricht University researchers to develop a treatment to arrest the progressive condition Pathologic Myopia, a leading cause of irreversible sight impairment and blindness among adults. TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ImPact Biotech, a leader in photodynamic therapy, recently announced an agreement with Maastricht University to collaborate in research focused on eye treatment to arrest the progression of the severe eye disease Pathological Myopia, also known as Myopic Macular Degeneration (MMD). The project will use ImPacts Padeliporfin VTP therapy platform. Pathologic Myopia represents a subgroup of high myopia (a severe form of short-sightedness) that affects up to 3.8% of the world population. The progressive elongation of the affected eye's axis leads to damages to the retina and macula, with resulting degenerative changes that leads to progressive sight impairment and blindness. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the vision loss related to Pathologic Myopia is of great clinical significance as it can be progressive, irreversible and affects individuals during their most productive years. Currently there is no treatment to arrest the Pathological Myopia, prevent its debilitating visual complications, or change its course. ImPact is collaborating with several leading research institutions and experts in related fields to explore the potential role of its therapy platform in Pathological Myopia, and the new collaboration with the University of Maastricht experts - Dr Mor Dickman, a corneal surgeon and an Associate Professor at Maastricht University, and Dr Vanessa LaPointe, an Associate Professor at the MERLN Institute - marks a significant step and milestone in these efforts. We look forward to collaborting with Maastricht University's Drs. LaPointe & Dickman on this important research collaboration to address the huge unmet medical need in progressive Myopia, while leveraging our Padeliporfin VTP technology to help patients afflicted with this highly debilitating condition, said Dr David Perry, Global Head of Research and Development at ImPact Biotech. Initial results with our Padeliporfin approach are very encouraging and we are looking forward to progress it rapidly towards clinical research by growing our understanding of the disease and the potential interventions to change its course with the contribution of this collaboration.



Padeliporfin has been approved by the EMA for patients with low-risk Prostate Cancer and is currently being investigated in a phase 3 clinical trial in low-grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma. Additional clinical studies are planned to be initiated in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer. About ImPact Biotech

ImPact Biotech is an Israeli biotech organization with operations in the EU, Israel and the US. ImPact biotech focuses on the development of a minimally invasive novel oncology platform to treat a range of solid tumors with Padeliporfin VTP (Vascular Targeted Photodynamic) therapy. ImPact Biotech is implementing a bold strategy concentrating on a range of solid tumors with a high medical need such as UTUC, NSCLC and Pancreatic cancer.

ImPact Biotechs strong relationships with The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US have produced exciting early results in a range of solid tumor types, including UTUC, Esophageal, Lung and Pancreatic Cancer. These programs are now being accelerated into the clinic, supported by the safety and efficacy profile already established during earlier research in low-risk prostate cancer. For more on ImPact Biotech Ltd., please go to: www.impactbiotech.com

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning ImPact Biotech and its business. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that ImPact Biotech considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will be verified, which statements are subject to numerous risks and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which ImPact Biotech operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to ImPact Biotech or not currently considered material by ImPact Biotech. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance, or achievements of ImPact Biotech to be materially different from such forward-looking statements.

This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, ImPact Biotech shares in any country. The communication of this press release in certain countries may constitute a violation of local laws and regulations. Any recipient of this press release must inform oneself of any such local restrictions and comply therewith.



Contacts Global Head of Business Development Guy Schmidt [email protected]

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Right now a globally renowned diva inspires our look at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Puppers Need New Friends

'Walk the kennels, you might fall in love': Wayside Waifs holds puppy adoption special Nearly 70 puppies are waiting at Wayside Waifs for a chance at a good home. The organization is holding a weekend-long adoption event.

Road Work Tonight

First Alert traffic: Overnight closure of westbound I-70 and northbound I-35 Ramp in Kansas City The closure is happening for the removal of a sign truss spanning over the westbound lanes of I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Community Conversation En Espanol

302: Revolucion Educativa con Edgar Palacios En este episodio de Northeast Newscast, Daisy Garcia Montoya platica con nuestro invitado Edgar Palacias, fundador y CEO de Revolucion [...]

Body Art Backstory

Meet the Branson man who gave Missouri Governor Mike Parson his first tattoo Yes, you read that right, Governor Parson has a tattoo, and he shared the news this week on social media.

Local

Tradition Still Growing

Here comes the sun(flowers): Russell Sunflower Patch opens to the public Sunflower season is officially upon Kansas City with the Russell Sunflower Patch opening to the public in full bloom on August 11.

Show Never Stops . . .

Beyonce stuns in a cutout lime green gown as she takes tour to Atlanta Beyonce was active on Instagram this weekend, sharing new posts containing fresh images from her Renaissance World Tour.

Beltway Grudge Match Alleged

Former senator told Biden he'd 'kick the sh-it out of' the then-VP for getting handsy with his wife Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown says he threatened President Joe Biden with bodily harm when the then-veep got fresh with Brown's wife more than a decade ago.

MAGA Talks Money

Trump blames left for legal costs Trump's Save America PAC shrank from over $100 million at the beginning of last year to $3.6 million after bankrolling legal fees for the former president and his allies.

Midwest Crowd Turns On 2nd Place

Ron DeSantis dogged by protesters at Iowa State Fair Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds urged the demonstrators who interrupted her one-on-one interview with DeSantis to be "Iowa nice."

War In Europe Cont'd

Ukraine fires missiles at Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea to Russia Kyiv takes war to Russia with multiple strikes on Crimean peninsula targets, many of which were shot down

World Gets Smaller Again

US, China agree to double weekly flights between countries The U.S. and China will approve twice the number of passenger flights currently permitted for air carriers to fly between the two countries, the Biden administration said on Friday, in a rare sign of cooperation between the world's largest two economies.

Love Never Changes Opinions

Interracial relationships don't always make people less racist The landmark United States Supreme Court ruling in Loving v. Commonwealth of Virginia abolished bans on interracial marriage in the United States in 1967, but a new academic paper from Rice University and Texas A&M University said an uptick in interracial relationships since then has not ended discriminatory tendencies, even among individuals who are in these romantic partnerships.

Drink In Local Goodness



Home-delivered juice maker nibbles its way into sparkling water market with expansion Zen Donkey Farms - known for its raw, organic, cold-pressed juices available through home delivery - is expanding while continuing its mission of rescuing donkeys and bringing donkey-facilitated wellness programs to Kansas City, said co-founder Kate Barker.

Katie's Forecast Tonight

Warm and humid Saturday, but brace for Sunday storms Saturday will have high temperatures around 88 degrees; Sunday will have another chance of severe storms.

And this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Not so long ago . . . Remember that local activists told us that public support for a new pet shelter would solve all of Kansas City's pupper problem.

They also promised they'd help pay for it . . . Neither of those things happened.

Here's the sitch . . .



At animal shelters from the city to the suburbs, more dogs are coming in, sometimes relinquished, but often cast to the streets by their owners. Fewer dogs are being adopted out, placing distraught workers at shelters into an unsettling circumstance. At KC Pet Project near Swope Park, technically a no kill shelter, staff members are now euthanizing up to 10 dogs a day that theyd hoped to save.



Its a huge crisis. It is, said Tori Fugate, KC Pet Projects chief communications officer. Its incredible to see how many animals are coming in here right now. We have never seen anything like this in Kansas City before. And its not just isolated to Kansas City. Every municipal shelter like ours across the country is seeing this massive intake.



In July alone, KC Pet Project took in 818 dogs, the most in a single month in the organizations history.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Right now angel Elsa inspires another peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check www.TonysKansasCity.com news gathering . . .

Cowtown Couple Crafts Together

This Kansas City couple is making a name with 'slow fashion' reimagined from thrift store finds With tens of thousands of social media followers, the fashion brand Yvonne and Mitchel is the passion project of Jared Armstrong and Caylin Willis. They take clothing and materials from secondhand stores like Scraps KC and repurpose them into new outfits.

Traffic Tragedy Aftermath

7-year-old child from Kansas City killed in wrong-way crash in St. Charles, Missouri The crash occurred on Interstate 70 just east of David Hoekel Parkway.

Home Team Stays Losing

Repeated Royal rallies refuse to result in runs; KC loses 5-4 Cole Ragans could have used some help this time.

Angel Enjoys All Of Summer

Model Elsa Hosk shows off her stunning figure as she poses in floral lingerie VICTORIA'S Secret model Elsa Hosk must have got dressed in a hurry - ending up in mismatched underwear before dashing off on holiday. The 34-year-old Swede shared a snap of her break on a yacht off...

Consequences For Hasty Retreat

Joe Biden could lose the presidency because of Afghanistan: Marc Thiessen Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen joins "America Reports" to discuss the impact of President Biden's failed Afghanistan exit following the first hearing with Afghanistan Gold Star families.

MAGA Reigns Supreme Amongst Republicans

Analysis: Trump heading for Republican 'coronation' as 2024 rivals struggle to stop him As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flipped pork chops in front of the cameras at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, a plane appeared in the broiling blue sky.

GOP Hip-Hop Hope

WATCH: Vivek Ramaswamy Raps Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' in Iowa Ramaswamy said at the Iowa State Fair that the song was his top pick as a walk-out tune at campaign events.

War In Europe Persists

Ukraine makes partial but 'significant' gain in south as counteroffensive grinds on | CNN Ukraine has claimed "partial success" at a village along the southern front, as Kyiv's counteroffensive continues to struggle to make significant progress.

Far East Biz FAIL Foreseen

China's economy is showing signs of serious trouble - and the problems are still mounting China was supposed to see a strong rebound from the pandemic. Instead it's facing deflation, massive debt, and a wobbling housing market.

Secret Society Submits

Opus Dei accepts changes pope made to canon law, prelate says The prelate of Opus Dei said members "accept with sincere filial obedience" the slight modifications Pope Francis made to the section of the Code of Canon Law dealing with personal prelatures.

Heiress Shares Sneak Peek At Gear

Gracie Hunt Attends a Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp in Sporty Nike Pegasus Running Sneakers and Athleisure Gracie Hunt spent the day at Kansas City Chiefs training camp alongside her father Clark Hunt. Hunt wore white Nike Pegasus shoes and athleisure.

Griggs Talks Week Ahead

Storms on Sunday, cooler temperatures begin the work week Storms are expected to move into the Kansas City area after 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Joan Osborne - One Of Us is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Financial advisor with clients

Successful financial advisors recognize the importance of maintaining a steady stream of new clients in order to keep their businesses running smoothly. Developing sales skills is essential for bringing in new business and encouraging clients to entrust you with their financial goals. If you're not a natural salesperson or you simply want to level up your game, you may consider investing in professional sales training. The best sales training for financial advisors should be designed to produce results in a way that's tailored to your personality type and sales style. If you're ready to connect with more clients, SmartAsset's SmartAdvisor platform brings leads to you.

Benefits of Sales Training for Financial Advisors

Completing a sales training program requires both time and money, so it's important to ensure that you're getting a solid return for your efforts. The best sales training for financial advisors devotes attention to the following:

Developing intuitive skills to help you better understand what clients need and how to meet those needs.

Fostering better communication, both with clients and the team members you work alongside.

Building confidence in your skills so that you're able to approach selling without feeling intimidated.

Tracking industry developments and changes so that you can more effectively serve your clients.

Cultivating a unique value proposition that allows you to stand out from the crowd and keep pace with the competition.

Setting realistic goals for your business growth and developing clear strategies for achieving them.

Sales training isn't a requirement for financial advisors, but it may be worth considering if you're not generating as many new leads as you'd like or you feel as if your business is stagnating. A sales training program can offer a fresh perspective and introduce ideas for acquiring new clients that you might have otherwise overlooked.

Best Sales Training for Financial Advisors

Student in training to be a financial advisor

If you're considering sales training for the first time, sifting through the options may be a little overwhelming. To make your search easier, we've rounded up some of the best sales training programs for advisors.

Story continues

1. Financial Advisor Success Training (FAST) Program  Susan Danzig

Cost: Schedule a free consultation

Susan Danzig's FAST Program is designed for advisors who are ready to create a personalized plan for attracting clients while weatherproofing their business against changing economic conditions. Some of the key focal points of the training include attracting clients, boosting visibility and earning more referrals from strategic partners. The core activity of the training is creating a personalized 90-day marketing plan for scaling your business.

When you purchase the program, you get access to 12 weeks of virtual group training which is designed to be interactive. There are five training models complete with workbooks, templates and scripts, along with 25 on-demand videos.

2. The Taylor Method  Eszylfie Taylor

Cost: Varies

The Taylor Method is designed to teach financial advisors the skills they need to sell solutions to their clients. The essential elements of the training center on effective prospecting, handling objections and offering clients solutions that are designed to close the deal. If you've struggled with any of those things, the Taylor Method could help you to crack the code so you can get more clients.

There are two different training plans: self-serve and hands-on. There are two tiers for each option each with different price points, so you can choose the one that aligns best with your budget. At the low end, you'll pay a one-time fee of $197 for the Essential self-serve package, while the Advanced hands-on package is priced at $5,000 per year.

3. Financial Services Sales Training  RAIN Group

Cost: Schedule a consultation

RAIN Group "works with global and regional financial services firms to expand key accounts, lead persuasive conversations with clients and build a culture of business development to improve sales performance." The Group's sales training uses a behavioral approach to counter the biggest challenges associated with reaching new clients.

If you're interested in learning how to differentiate your business from other advisory firms, establish social proof and master cross-selling, you might consider training with RAIN Group. Training is available on-site or off, with courses taught by virtual instructors.

4. The Sales Accelerator  Anthony Iannarino

Cost: $997 for one year

Need help setting and achieving sales targets? Ready to exponentially increase growth and revenues for your advisory business? The Sales Accelerator offers over 30 hours of training for new and experienced advisors who are interested in improving their sales skills. When you pay the $997 fee, you'll get a full year's access to the course, which is self-paced.

You can learn around your schedule with access to video lessons, workbooks and scripts. Course enrollment also includes live events hosted by the program creator, Anthony Iannarino.

5. Advisor's Academy  David Scranton

Cost: Schedule a consultation

Advisor's Academy offers sales training for financial advisors who are ready to increase sales while streamlining the process. When you join the Academy, you'll get access to David Scranton's Turnkey Sales Process which is designed to help you accurately categorize prospects so that you can offer appropriate solutions to their needs.

Training is available on a weekly basis through webinars and role-playing scenarios. The training format emphasizes learning how to react in different situations, while also teaching you how to run your business more efficiently so you can focus on revenue-generating activities.

How to Choose a Sales Training Program

When searching for the best sales training for financial advisors, it's helpful to have some criteria that you can use to evaluate different options. As you compare sales training, consider the following:

Program length: Some training programs run longer than others and it's important to think about how much time you can realistically commit. The program that you choose should be flexible enough to fit your busy schedule.

Format: The format can also make a difference, as not everyone learns in the same way. For example, training thats workbook-based may not be an ideal fit if youd prefer to learn through videos or virtual events.

Cost: Sales training can easily cost several hundred dollars and some programs may require you to spend $1,000 or more. It's wise to think about how much you might be willing to spend on sales training and what kind of return you're expecting for the money.

Transparency: A good sales training program should be able to answer any and all questions you might have upfront. That includes questions about how the program works and what kind of results it's generated for past participants.

Reputation and legitimacy: If someone is making big claims about the kind of results they produce for their students, then it's worth your time to fact-check their validity. Testimonials and reviews from advisors who've completed the training can shed some light on its reputation and the reputation of its creator.

Last but not least, consider the approach of the program itself and what types of sales strategies are encouraged. No matter how highly-rated a training program is, it may be a mismatch for you if the tactics that are promoted don't align with your personality type or values.

Bottom Line

Financial advisors in sales training session

Sales training can be a stepping stone for finding success as an advisor, but it's essential to choose the right program for your needs and goals. Comparing different sales training for financial advisors and understanding what it is you hope to achieve can help you find the program that's right for you.

Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business

Prospecting can take up a large part of your daily schedule as a financial advisor. If you'd like to focus your time elsewhere, consider using an online lead generation tool like SmartAdvisor. With SmartAdvisor, you can get qualified leads delivered to your inbox so that you have more time to focus on serving your clients.

Digital marketing can be an effective way to cultivate your brand image and connect with new clients. Creating content for social media platforms and cultivating an email list are two examples of ways to leverage the potential of marketing your business online.

Photo credit: iStock.com/Kerkez, iStock.com/kate_sept2004, iStock.com/filadendron

The post 5 Best Financial Advisor Sales Training Programs appeared first on SmartReads by SmartAsset.
This story has garnered headlines across the nation and the globe.

In the past 48 hours there have been so many blustery editorials and screed about a so-called abuse of power.

Rather than add to the glut . . . We merely offer a question . . .

IS THIS THREAT TO THE CONSTITUTION JUST ANOTHER DEBATE OVER THE ANTICS OF KAREN THAT SPREAD ACROSS THE GLOBE & THE KILLED SOME LADY?!?

Tread carefully . . . Somebody wants to speak to your manager as well . . . And unless the small town po-po find out that the newspaper was smuggling drugs or worse . . . (Unlikely) . . . Their explanation seems unlikely to convince many people now that an old lady was killed in the drama.

Still . . . Here's the word about a "crisis" that was started by just another ALLEGEDLY drunk white lady wanted to escape accountability . . .



Marion Police Department Chief Gideon Cody was not able to provide details on Fridays raid, saying it remains an ongoing criminal investigation  but offered a justification.



I believe when the rest of the story is available to the public, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated, Chief Cody told CNN in a statement. I appreciate all the assistance from all the state and local investigators along with the entire judicial process thus far.



Cody explained in most cases, police are required to use subpoenas rather than search warrants to search the premises of journalists unless they themselves are suspects in the offense that is the subject of the search.



Cody added while the Federal Privacy Protection Act protects journalists from most searches of newsrooms by federal and state law enforcement officials, there are certain exceptions in limited circumstances where a subpoena is not needed, including when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing.



According to Meyer, law enforcement officials did not provide an explanation of why they were being raided. He said he was given a copy of the search warrant after the search.



Meyer tried to obtain a probable cause affidavit that would support the search warrant, he said, but the judge who issued the search warrant responded in a letter there was no such probable cause warrant in her office.



The more widely publicized part of the story . . .

We are shocked and outraged by this brazen violation of press freedom, said a statement by Eileen OReilly, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the clubs Journalism Institute.

A law enforcement raid of a newspaper office is deeply upsetting anywhere in the world, the statement said. It is especially concerning in the United States, where we have strong and well-established legal protections guaranteeing the freedom of the press.

Today's tragic turn . . .



"Joan Meyer, 98, who co-owned the newspaper with her son Eric, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home, after becoming stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief after illegal raids, the newspaper reported."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Police raid Kansas newspaper office and owner's home, seize records and computers | CNN Law enforcement officers in Kansas raided the home and office of a newspaper owner, prompting a sharp rebuke from a press freedom group and raising constitutional questions far beyond the small city in the state.

Police defend raid on Kansas newspaper amid backlash over 'brazen violation of press freedom' - Kansas Reflector Marion County police on Saturday defended their unprecedented raid on a newspaper office and the publisher's home by pointing to a loophole in federal law that protects journalists from searches and seizures.

Kansas police raid newspaper's office, publisher's home to seize records; reporter injured Kansas police raided a local newspaper's newsroom and its publisher's home, seizing devices and reporting materials and injuring a reporter's hand.

Kansas Newspaper Slams 'Gestapo Tactics' After Police Raid "We will be seeking maximum sanctions under the law possible," Marion County Record's publisher said after the entire local police department seized reporting materials.

PEN America: Police Raid on Kansas Newspaper "Almost Certainly" Violates Federal Law n response to the police raid on The Marion County Record newspaper in Kansas, PEN America issued the following statement: "Journalists rely on confidential sources to report on matters of vital public concern. Law enforcement's sweeping raid on The Marion County Record and confiscation of its equipment almost certainly violates federal law and puts the paper's very ability to publish the news in jeopardy.

End game . . .

Kansas newspaper co-owner, 98, dies after cops raid home, staff Kansas police seized a newspaper office's computers, cellphones and reporting materials with what appears to be an improper search warrant.

Developing . . .
Here's just a bit of a Show-Me state anticlimax wherein college scholars seemingly outwit GOP elected officials and engage in wordplay that avoids a showdown over SCOTUS rules.

The bigger deal outside of culture war . . . A quality university education no longer assures a good paying job . . . If it ever did . . . AND so many working-class denizens have given up on the idea of American social mobility by way of education . . . And see more opportunity thru social media apps.

Good luck with OnlyFans everybody!!!

Check the conversation . . .



Paul Wagner, executive director of the Council on Public Higher Education, said the decision had no impact on the councils member schools  which includes Missouri State University, Lincoln University and Truman State University.



Race is not a factor in admissions at any of my schools, and it wasnt before the decision or now or. There were no plans to make it a factor in admission decisions, Wagner told the committee.



Kim Humphrey, the University of Missouris vice provost for enrollment management, said undergraduate admissions are unchanged at Mizzou and other MU campuses but some graduate programs have to adapt.



At the undergraduate level, weve never included race as a factor in admissions, and thats true for my colleagues at the other institutions as well, Humphrey told the committee. There have been some programs at the graduate and professional level, which I dont oversee, but they did include (race) as a factor. But they have since stopped that.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
armed forces

The Army is struggling to hire cyber security experts amid intense competition from business, its recruitment chief has admitted.

Richard Holroyd, managing director of Defence and Security at Capita, which handles recruitment for the Armed Forces, said it was having difficulty attracting candidates given the wealth of jobs on offer.

He told the Telegraph: Youre saying to people with an interest in it, come and be a cyber specialist in the armed forces, but Raytheon is saying come and be a cyber specialist, BT are saying come and be a cyber specialist. So in those spaces, youre competing.

In a labour market with full employment its a tough, tough play.

Mr Holroyd said Capita was on track to only meet 80pc of its Army recruitment target this year, in part because of difficulties filling technical roles.

He said: Anything related to STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] is a highly competitive environment. So STEM skills are tough.

Capitas exact target wasnt given and the Ministry of Defence declined to comment on it.

The admission comes despite the increasing importance of cyber for both offensive and defensive capabilities.

The Minister of Defence said last month there was an urgent requirement to continue to modernise the force to keep pace with technological developments.

Boosting the digital skills is a matter of priority over the next three years, officials wrote in the Defence Command paper.

Mr Holroyd said cyber security experts have much more choice than in previous years and admitted that private sector companies have proven faster at recruiting, sometimes making offers within a few weeks.

Demand for cyber security experts is growing rapidly across both the public and private sector as attacks on Britain ramp up.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden warned earlier this year about the rise of ideologically motivated hackers who are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure and major businesses in an effort to disrupt everyday life.

Story continues

Britain faces a national skills shortage in cyber with employers struggling to fill almost four in 10 of the roles, official government figures show. Demand for cyber security experts jumped by a third last year, with over 160,000 jobs advertised.

Cyber is seen as an increasingly important area in modern warfare, alongside space.

The Minister of Defence and GCHQ, Britains digital intelligence agency, launched the National Cyber Force (NCF) in 2020 to respond to growing challenges. The NCF said in April it carries out cyber operations on a daily basis to protect against threats to the UK, further the UKs foreign policy, support military operations, and prevent serious crime.

Former GCHQ chief Sir Jeremy Fleming said nations must be able to contest and compete with adversaries in cyberspace - Stefan Jeremiah/PA

Then-GCHQ chief Sir Jeremy Fleming said at the time: In an increasingly volatile and interconnected world, to be a truly responsible cyber power, nations must be able to contest and compete with adversaries in cyberspace.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: We are confident ongoing work will ensure the Armed Forces remains a highly attractive employer. The Ministry of Defence will continue to address skills shortages in the coming years as outlined in the Defence Command Paper 2023, particularly around cyber security.

In July we announced plans to prioritise greater career flexibility; implement a Total Reward Approach; and digitise our people management system.

As well as technical roles, Mr Holroyd said Capita was having difficulty recruiting chefs and tanker drivers for the Army, where the service is competing with supermarkets and energy companies.

A hoped-for uptick in interest in an Armed Forces career following the start of the Ukraine war did not materialise, he said, although the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III provided a boost.

Capita won a 10-year contract to run recruitment for the Armed Forces in 2012 and was handed a two-year extension in 2020. It has previously come under fire for its running of the programme, which for several years missed its recruitment targets.

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.
From August 5 to 11, Ukrainian sappers neutralized 1,919 explosive devices in the territories of Ukraine liberated from the Russian invaders.

First Deputy Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk announced this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"Demining teams of the units of the State Special Transport Service of the Ministry of Defense and the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces continue to clear the communities of Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kharkiv and other liberated regions of explosive objects," Pavliuk said.

According to him, over the past week, specialists of the Support Forces Command and the State Special Transport Service examined and cleared 1,522.7 hectares of territories, 76.6 hectares of agricultural land and 1.77 km of motor roads.

Read also: Canadian military show Ukrainian sappers undergoing training

"The inspection of buildings and structures in the liberated settlements is ongoing. Over the past week, 1,919 explosive objects were removed and neutralized," Pavliuk said.

A total of 196,962 explosive objects were found and destroyed by demining teams as part of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the State Special Transport Service.

As reported by Ukrinform, the village of Tsyrkuny of Kharkiv district was completely cleared of explosive objects.
Ukrainian aircraft launched ten strikes on the areas of concentration of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment on Saturday, August 12.

According to Ukrinform, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a post on Facebook.

"In the last 24 hours, the Russian occupiers launched 7 missile strikes, 47 air strikes and carried out 43 attacks using multiple rocket launchers on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas. As a result of the Russian terrorist attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed," the post reads.

The probability of further missile and air strikes on targets across Ukraine remains high, the General Staff warned.

Thirty-nine combat engagements took place along the front line in the last 24 hours, the report said.

In the Volyn and Polissia sectors, the operational situation has not changed significantly.

In the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna sectors, the enemy launched an air strike outside Huriiv Kozachok, Kharkiv region. The enemy carried out mortar and artillery shelling of more than 20 settlements, including Kliusy in the Chernihiv region, Rozhkovychi, Kindrativka, Loknia, Uhroidy and Popivka in the Sumy region, as well as Udy, Strilecha, Hlyboke, Okhrimivka and Budarky in the Kharkiv region.

On the Kupiansk axis, the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions northeast of Synkivka, north of Kyslivka, and southeast of Andriivka in the Kharkiv region. The enemy carried out air strikes near Kyslivka and Pershotravneve in the Kharkiv region. The settlements of Kupiansk, Masiutivka, Kyslivka and Berestove came under enemy artillery and mortar attacks.

On the Lyman axis, the enemy carried out air strikes outside Bilohorivka, Luhansk region, and Serebrianka, Siversk, Spirne and Vesele, Donetsk region. More than ten settlements, including Nevske and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and Torske, Verkhniokamianske and Spirne in the Donetsk region were hit by enemy artillery fire.

On the Bakhmut axis, the enemy carried out unsuccessful offensive actions near Klishchiivka and Bila Hora, Donetsk region. The enemy carried out an air strike outside Blahodatne. More than 15 settlements, including Minkivka, Markove, Chasiv Yar, Predtechyne, Dyliivka and Toretsk, Donetsk region, were hit by enemy artillery shelling.

In the Avdiivka sector, under heavy fire from the enemy's aircraft and artillery, Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the advance of Russian troops near Avdiivka, Donetsk region. The enemy launched an air strike in the Avdiivka area. More than ten settlements, including Avdiivka, Sieverne, Netailove, Nevelske and Karlivka, Donetsk region, were hit by artillery fire.

In the Marinka sector, Ukraine's defense forces continue to hold back the advance of Russian troops near Marinka, Donetsk region. The enemy launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk region. More than ten settlements, including Oleksandropil, Maksymilianivka, Pobieda, Novomykhailivka and Yelyzavetivka, Donetsk region, were hit by artillery fire.

In the Shakhtarske sector, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to regain lost positions near Urozhaine, Donetsk region. About 15 settlements, including Bohoiavlenka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, Staromaiorske, Novosilka and Novopil in the Donetsk region were hit by artillery fire.

In the Zaporizhzhia sector, the enemy fired artillery at more than 25 settlements, including Levadne, Olhivske, Malynivka, Huliaipole, Pavlivka and Kamianske, Zaporizhzhia region, and Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region.

In the Kherson sector, more than 25 settlements were hit by enemy artillery fire, among them Mykhailivka, Vesele, Ivanivka, Antonivka, Berehove and Veletenske, Kherson region, and Kutsurub and Ochakiv, Mykolaiv region.

At the same time, Ukraine's defense forces continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Melitopol and Berdiansk sectors, made limited gains near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region, are entrenching themselves on the achieved lines and carry outing counter-battery measures.

According to the General Staff, panic is growing among the occupiers and the number of desertions is increasing. In the temporarily occupied settlement of Hornostaivka, Kherson region, patrols and servicemen of the commandant's office of the Russian occupation forces visit every house in order to search for deserters among their troops. The command is resorting to such actions due to the growing number of not only deserters, but also people who consume alcoholic beverages and drugs among newly mobilized Russian military personnel. The occupiers leave their places of service and try to hide in abandoned buildings.

"In the past 24 hours, the aircraft of the [Ukrainian] defense forces carried out ten strikes on areas where the enemy's personnel, weapons, and military equipment were concentrated. Units of rocket forces and artillery hit an anti-aircraft missile system, an ammunition depot, an electronic warfare station, and three artillery pieces of the enemy," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Russian army injured a resident of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Sunday, August 13.

Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

"On August 13, the Russians wounded a resident of the Donetsk region - in Toretsk," he said.

Kyrylenko said it was currently impossible to establish the exact number of casualties in Mariupol and Volnovakha.

Late on August 11, the Russian military shelled the village of Yelyzavetivka in the Marinka community, Donetsk region, killing a woman and wounding a man.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale armed invasion of Ukraine, 500 children have been killed in the country.

More than 1,597 children in Ukraine have suffered from the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. As of the morning of August 13, 2023, according to the official information provided by juvenile prosecutors, 500 children were killed and more than 1,097 received injuries of various degrees of severity, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office posted on Telegram.

It is noted that these figures are not final, as work is underway in the areas of active hostilities, in the temporarily occupied and liberated territories.

Most children were affected in Donetsk region - 485, Kharkiv region - 298, Kyiv region - 129, Kherson region - 118, Zaporizhzhia region  99, Mykolaiv region - 97, Dnipropetrovsk region  94, Chernihiv region  71, and Luhansk region  67.

As reported by Ukrinform, the "White Angel" group evacuated three minor children and their mother from the city of Zalizne, Donetsk region.
Twenty-four combat clashes have occurred between the Defense Forces of Ukraine and Russian troops in the past 24 hours.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in its evening update as of 18:00 on August 13, Ukrinform reports.

Over the past day, the enemy launched 2 missile attacks and 24 air strikes, carried out 40 attacks using multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and populated areas.

Unfortunately, as a result of the Russian terrorist attacks, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population, as well as damage to residential buildings and other infrastructure.

The threat of the enemy launching further missile and air strikes on Ukraine remains high.

"In the past 24 hours, about 24 combat clashes have taken place," the report says.

At the same time, the Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct an offensive operation in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, getting entrenched in the regained positions and engaging in counter-battery fire.

The Air Force of the Defense Forces launched 10 strikes on the areas where the enemy's personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated, as well as one strike targeting an anti-aircraft missile system," the General Staff reported.

For their part, Ukrainian rocket and artillery units hit artillery pieces in firing positions, one anti-aircraft

As reported by Ukrinform, the Defense Forces of Ukraine from February 24, 2022 to August 13, 2023 eliminated about 253,850 Russian invaders, including 560 occupiers in the past day alone.

Photo: Konstantin Liberov
Russia's attack and forced inspection of Sukru Okan civilian bulk carrier en route to the Ukrainian port of Izmail is an act of piracy and a crime and requires a clear legal fixation.

Today's deliberate attack and forced inspection by Russia of Sukru Okan international civilian bulk carrier, which was en route to the Ukrainian port of Izmail, is a clear violation of international law of the sea, an act of piracy and a crime against civilian vessels of a third country in the waters of other states. This precedent with the attempt to introduce a "Letter of Marque and Reprisal" requires clear legal fixation, identification of all persons and recognition of the fact of the crime by the international community, Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Head of the Presidents Office, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

He noted that Ukraine would draw all the necessary conclusions and choose the best possible response.

As reported, the Russian military opened warning fire on Sukra Okan bulk carrier flying the flag of Palau, which was heading to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
Hello A-J readers!

This week saw Rusty Taco, The Dutch House of Plants, Ollie's Bargain Outlet and Smothered Cakes open for business in Lubbock. The new Tractor Supply, 4810 North FM 2528, also hosted its opening on Saturday. That's a pretty impressive round of openings for one week, so I'm hopeful the rest of August will add more options to our community.

Ollie's Bargain Outlet announces Lubbock opening date, big savings

I did get to visit Ollie's over the week, and I have to say, I get the hype. Several readers had reached out to me months ago to verify if it was really coming to Lubbock. On Aug. 9, it officially opened at 5002 34th St. and offered a ton of deals for shoppers. I found some great work items and art supplies, along with some possible holiday presents for later this year. In my opinion, it is definitely worth a trip.

Looking into next week, I'm tracking down some rumors and circling back with some upcoming businesses. I will also meet with a company that will be celebrating 100 years of business, so stay tuned for that upcoming feature.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting the A-J.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock business news includes Ollie's, Rusty Taco, more
Russian evil receives a just response every day.

"Just from the beginning of this day until six oclock in the evening, there have already been 17 reports of shelling in Kherson region alone. And also in Mykolayiv region, Zaporizhzhia region, Donbas, Kharkiv region, the border areas with Russia in the regions of the northeast. Everywhere, our soldiers respond to the occupiers' terror. Russian evil receives our completely just response every day. Every eliminated occupier, all units of Russian equipment burned, fire instead of their headquarters and depots, very eloquent smoke on the Crimean Bridge and not only  all this is evidence that we will not leave Russian crimes without response," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.

He noted that every soldier who gives Ukraine a result on the front line has the opportunity to return Ukraine justice.

"Now there can be only two personal lines of behavior: either you fight for the sake of Ukraine, or you help fight, help save lives," Zelensky added.

As reported, August 14 was declared a day of mourning for those killed in the Russian shelling of Kherson region. According to the latest data, seven people were killed and nine more were injured.
The combined unit of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine continues to help carry out restoration works in the flood-affected Republic of Slovenia.

"On August 12, the combined unit conducted an engineering inspection of the work site. 150 m of the riverbed were cleared and widened, and 150 m of the bank were strengthened," said Serhiy Kruk, head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the Service posted on Telegram.

As Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko noted, our rescuers know their job well: a few introductory meetings  and the work is in full swing.

According to him, this is how the EU Civil Protection Mechanism works  the format of mutual support and assistance.

As reported, Slovenia has been suffering from heavy rains since the beginning of August. The storm caused landslides and a dam breach in the country.

Read also: Ukrainian rescuers start restoration works in Slovenia

On August 11, the President of Ukraine signed a decree on the provision of humanitarian aid to Slovenia to overcome the flood consequences. On the same day, Ukrainian rescuers went to help their Slovenian colleagues.

Two main locations were identified for Ukrainian rescuers to work in the Dreta riverbed.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's office is working in Putin's favor by constantly delaying the supply of much-needed weapons to Ukraine.

Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the Bundestag from the opposition Christian Democratic Union, said this in an interview with the n-tv channel, Ukrinform reports.

"This is an extreme war of attrition caused by hesitation in support. Maybe even especially from Germany," the politician said.

He noted that Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in an environment in which the Bundestag would never send the German military: no air superiority, extreme shortage of ammunition, difficult supply of spare parts, and problems with personnel rotation.

Kiesewetter recalled that his country had handed over only 16 Leopard tanks to Ukraine. At the same time, Germany refused to participate in a "fighter jets coalition," although it could have provided about 30-40 of its Eurofighters that will soon be phased out. And now, due to a lack of political will, Germany is still delaying the transfer of Taurus cruise missiles.

"Germany should have produced ammunition on a massive scale over the winter. The British have suggested an eightfold increase in their ammunition production. The Germans didn't do anything. This allowed the Russians to dig in deep. [] If Ukraine had received Western fighter jets early on, the [Russian] defense could have been destroyed long ago," the politician said.

He added that in addition to the slogan "we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes," it should have also been stated that "we must help as quickly and as much as possible."

According to the MP, one gets the impression that some countries, including Germany, are more concerned "that Russia will be exhausted without being defeated - and for this, they are ready to accept the defeat of Ukraine." At the same time, Kiesewetter pointed to two basic wrong assumptions that prevail in the German chancellor's office: little trust in Kyiv and lack of recognition that Ukraine is preventing the war from spreading and thereby defending freedom in Europe.

"It is important to trust Ukraine. Instead, it is said that one does not know whether the Ukrainians will attack Russian territory. However, this is permitted under international law as long as it is proportionate and no civilian targets are being attacked. It makes strategic sense and is politically correct to attack facilities in Russia that contribute to the war," the MP said.

At the same time, he said, Scholz articulates tasks in the war for German citizens not clearly enough, saying that "Russia should not win."

Putin's goal is not only the incorporation of Ukraine and Belarus (which has actually already happened), but also of the Baltic States and Moldova," the politician warned, urging not to trust Russia, which is interested in a temporary truce in order to accumulate forces and launch a new attack.

The politician concluded that Ukraine must completely liberate its territory within 1991 borders, and its partners must provide the country with everything it needs to achieve this goal.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said earlier that Germany does not plan to supply Ukraine with Taurus cruise missiles in the near future.
Annely Kolk, Estonia's new ambassador to Ukraine, has explained why her country supports Ukraine amid Russian aggression so strongly.

According to Ukrinform, she said this in an interview with Estonian online news outlet DELFI.

"We are doing this not only in the interests of Ukraine, but also in our own interests. Since the outbreak of hostilities, the main goal of every Estonian diplomat has been to support Ukraine. Estonia really provides tremendous support. We realize that Ukraine is fighting for the freedom of all of Europe. Russia is our neighbor too, and if Ukraine doesn't stop it, the same could happen to us. We understand well what Russia is, we were under occupation. We warned that Russia might invade Ukraine, even when all of Europe did not believe it. We talked about her ability to do so. Ukrainians and Estonians, being occupied by the Soviet Union, understand each other quite well," Kolk said.

According to her, Russia is currently a member of the UN Security Council, but it should be excluded from this organization.

"It is important for us to jointly stop Russia, exclude it from international bodies and bring responsible persons to justice. Only then can we feel safe, and this applies not only to Estonia, but to the whole of Europe. We know what Russia is," the diplomat said.

She also drew attention to the fact that the topic of Ukraine has become a priority in the Estonian media.

"Estonia has a deep sense of justice, and what is happening now seems to us extremely unfair. It is unacceptable for one country to seek to destroy another country and its people. When there are attacks on peaceful cities, I don't even have words. You know that the topic of Ukraine has become a priority in the Estonian media. This has been going on for a year and a half now. We are all deeply concerned," she said.

On August 10, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis received copies of credentials from the newly appointed Estonian ambassador to Ukraine, Annely Kolk.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s (NYSE:AJG) dividend will be increasing from last year's payment of the same period to $0.55 on 15th of September. This takes the annual payment to 1.0% of the current stock price, which unfortunately is below what the industry is paying.

See our latest analysis for Arthur J. Gallagher

Arthur J. Gallagher's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings

It would be nice for the yield to be higher, but we should also check if higher levels of dividend payment would be sustainable. Based on the last payment, Arthur J. Gallagher was quite comfortably earning enough to cover the dividend. This indicates that quite a large proportion of earnings is being invested back into the business.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 81.3% over the next year. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 24%, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend.

Arthur J. Gallagher Has A Solid Track Record

The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $1.36, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $2.20. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.9% a year over that time. Slow and steady dividend growth might not sound that exciting, but dividends have been stable for ten years, which we think makes this a fairly attractive offer.

The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow

The company's investors will be pleased to have been receiving dividend income for some time. It's encouraging to see that Arthur J. Gallagher has been growing its earnings per share at 10% a year over the past five years. Earnings are on the uptrend, and it is only paying a small portion of those earnings to shareholders.

Arthur J. Gallagher Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock

Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Arthur J. Gallagher is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. Earnings are easily covering distributions, and the company is generating plenty of cash. All of these factors considered, we think this has solid potential as a dividend stock.

It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. Still, investors need to consider a host of other factors, apart from dividend payments, when analysing a company. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 3 warning signs for Arthur J. Gallagher that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Looking for more high-yielding dividend ideas? Try our collection of strong dividend payers.

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.
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And the truth is, you can make significant gains if you buy good quality businesses at the right price. For example, the AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN) share price is up 86% in the last 5 years, clearly besting the market decline of around 7.0% (ignoring dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 5.1% , including dividends .

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for AstraZeneca

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the last half decade, AstraZeneca became profitable. That's generally thought to be a genuine positive, so we would expect to see an increasing share price.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on AstraZeneca'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). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, AstraZeneca's TSR for the last 5 years was 113%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that AstraZeneca has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 5.1% in the last twelve months. And that does include the dividend. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 16% a year, is even better. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand AstraZeneca better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for AstraZeneca that you should be aware of.

AstraZeneca is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
ISTANBUL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Aug, 2023 ) :A sand and dust storm in Iran's southeastern region disrupted daily life, sending 733 people to hospitals to seek medical attention.

"Due to the storm, 733 people from the cities of Zabul, Zehek, Hamun, Hirmend, and Nimruz in the northern part of Sistan-Baluchestan province sought medical attention at hospitals within three days. Among these individuals, 58 were hospitalized and treated," Sistan-Baluchestan Emergency Director Mecid Muhibbi told Iran's official news agency IRNA.

Sistan-Baluchestan Meteorology Director Muhsin Haydari explained that due to increased airborne dust levels, visibility dropped to three kilometers (1.

9 miles) in Zabul and two kilometers (1.3 miles) in Zehek.

In a written statement, the Sistan-Baluchestan Governorate announced that government institutions and banks were closed on Sunday in the cities of Zabul, Zehek, Hamun, Hirmend, and Nimruz due to the sand and dust storm.

Last month, hundreds of people were hospitalized in Sistan-Baluchestan province due to a sandstorm.
(@FahadShabbir)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Aug, 2023 ) :Iran's ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam has congratulated the government and nation of Pakistan on the 76th Independence Day.

In a message on the eve of the 76th Independence Day of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he said, "I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to the government and honourable nation of Pakistan.

" The envoy said Iran was the first country that recognized Pakistan and with which established diplomatic relations.

"Since then, Iran and Pakistan's historic relationship, based upon history-long commonalities and links, has during the time strengthened and nurtured into a solid brotherhood." "Today we celebrate together the 76th year of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.

I wish peace, unity, stability, security and prosperity for Pakistan," he added.
Chinas foreign ministry was quick to voice its opposition to a transit stop in the United States by Taiwans Vice President William Lai as he travels to Paraguay, warning Sunday that it could take resolute and strong measures in response to the visit.

In its Sunday statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said: "China deplores and strongly condemns the US decision to arrange the so-called stopover," adding that Beijing firmly opposes "the US government having any form of official contact with the Taiwan region."

Lai, the statement added, "clings stubbornly to the separatist position for 'Taiwan independence,'" and that he is a "troublemaker through and through."

Lai, a Harvard-educated doctor turned politician is the front-runner in Taiwans upcoming presidential elections. He has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence," but on the campaign trail he has stressed that he is not seeking to change the current situation. He has also expressed willingness to be friends with China.

Before departing, Lai spoke to reporters but barely mentioned the United States. Arriving at his hotel in New York, he was greeted by dozens of supporters, who waved U.S. and Taiwan flags, as well as the green and white banner of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party. As the crowd shouted, "Go Taiwan!" "Go Vice President!" others waved flags that read "Keep Taiwan Free." One supporter held a sign that said: "Against War on Taiwan."

On his social media feed on X, formerly Twitter, Lai wrote that he was happy to arrive in the Big Apple, and that he was "looking forward to seeing friends & attending transit programs in #New York."

Analysts say that during Lais stopovers, Taipei and Washington will try to ensure that they do not further exacerbate U.S.-China tensions, but the visit comes as challenges to relations between the worlds two biggest economies continue to mount.

"Taiwan and the U.S. will try to make this trip meaningful for Lai but not in a way that pokes the bear," Lev Nachman, a political scientist at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, told VOA.

Taiwanese presidential candidates have visited the U.S. during election campaigns in the past but experts say Lais role as Taiwans sitting vice president will make Washington handle his transit more carefully because it does not want to be perceived as endorsing Lai.

"The U.S. can neither treat Lai too well nor too badly, so letting him transit through New York and San Francisco is a compromise in my opinion," Chen Fang-yu, a political scientist at Soochow University in Taiwan, told VOA.

Chen added that at a time when Washington hopes to have more military and diplomatic engagement with China, with Washington inviting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit Washington next month, it will try to make Lais stopovers "less formal" to avoid triggering any overreaction from Beijing.

"Diplomatically, the U.S. would like to avoid too many surprises," he said.

Lai will be in New York for just about a day before heading on to Paraguay on Sunday. Taiwanese authorities have revealed few details of Lais itinerary, but sources with knowledge of the arrangement told VOA that he may hold events with the Taiwanese-American community.

After his arrival on Sunday, Laura Rosenberger, the chair of the American Institute in Taiwan  a U.S. government-run nonprofit that manages unofficial relations with Taiwan  confirmed on X that she would be meeting with Lai when he transits back through San Francisco Wednesday before returning to Taiwan.

Lai made similar transit stops in the U.S. in January 2022 as part of his trip to Honduras. During those stopovers, he conducted online meetings with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Tammy Duckworth and met with members of the Taiwanese community. This time, it is unclear whether he will have such high-level discussions and how Beijing may respond to any of his activities.

Beijings response

China views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory and has long opposed high-level engagement between officials from Taiwan and other countries. Over the past year, China staged two large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in response to visits, once after Pelosis visited to Taipei last August and again in April when Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Following Tsais stopover in California and meeting with McCarthy and other U.S. lawmakers, Beijing staged a multiday, blockade-style military exercise around Taiwan.

This time, experts think Beijing will launch a military response to Lais stopovers in the U.S., but the scale will depend on how "official-looking" his trip is. "This includes who he meets with, what he says, and how public those meetings are," Amanda Hsiao, senior China analyst at the International Crisis Group, told VOA.

As Taiwan gears up for the presidential election, Hsiao said she thinks Beijing will try to moderate its response to Lais transit stops, as any reaction deemed too provocative could help increase Lais chance of winning the election. However, she added that Beijing also worries about sending the wrong signal if its responses are deemed too weak.

"They may respond with a small-scale military exercise, and it can simply be an increase in what they already do on an almost daily basis," she said.

China has deployed 79 military aircraft and 23 naval vessels to areas near Taiwan since Sunday, according to Taiwans National Defense Ministry. Among them, 25 military craft have crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or intruded Taiwans southwestern and southeastern air defense identification zone.

Making a good impression

For Lai, the trip is an opportunity to make a good impression and his positions both on relations with China and the U.S. clear.

Before departing for the trip, in an interview with Taiwanese broadcaster SETN, Lai emphasized that Taiwan is not a part of China, expressed his willingness to "be friends" with China, and highlighted the importance of Taiwans relationship with the U.S.

"Pushing away our best partner, the U.S., would be unwise," he said.

Analysts say Lai has largely inherited the "four commitments" put forward by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in 2021, which focus on defending Taiwans democratic system, safeguarding Taiwan's sovereignty, pushing back against pressure from China, and letting Taiwan's people determine the islands future.

"Tsais approach has earned international recognition so its a safe approach for Lai and the Democratic Progressive Party," Chen from Soochow University told VOA.

Nachman from National Chengchi University said he thinks Lai should continue to try to make a good impression on the U.S. government.

"He needs to prove that he can be Tsai Ing-wen 2.0 and this trip is one of the big tests," he told VOA.

Mandarin service reporter Yi-hua Lee and video journalist Ning Lu contributed to this report.
Bumitama Agri (SGX:P8Z) First Half 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: Rp7.50t (down 16% from 1H 2022).

Net income: Rp1.19t (down 45% from 1H 2022).

Profit margin: 16% (down from 24% in 1H 2022). The decrease in margin was driven by lower revenue.

EPS: Rp686 (down from Rp1,247 in 1H 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Bumitama Agri Earnings Insights

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to stay flat during the next 3 years compared to a 1.0% growth forecast for the Food industry in Singapore.

Performance of the Singaporean Food industry.

The company's shares are down 2.6% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Bumitama Agri that you should be aware of.

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.
Authorities in southwestern Pakistan said Sunday that insurgents attacked a convoy carrying Chinese engineers to the China-run Arabian Sea Gwadar port, but the foreigners were not harmed.

The ambush began with assailants detonating a roadside bomb before opening fire on several "bulletproof" vehicles reportedly transporting 23 Chinese citizens from the airport to the deep-water strategic Pakistani port.

Local Pakistani police and military officials said the ensuing gun battles with security forces escorting the convoy killed two "terrorists" while several security forces were injured.

"The incident caused no casualties on the Chinese side, and the relevant personnel have been properly placed in safety," said the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad.

A statement from the embassy urged Pakistani authorities to thoroughly investigate the "terrorist act" and "severely punish" those behind it. The statement called on the host government to take "practical and effective" steps to counter such incidents in the future.

"China will continue to work with the Pakistani side, to jointly counter the threats of terrorism and earnestly protect the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions, and projects in Pakistan," the embassy stated.

There was no immediate comment from the Pakistani government, but the Pakistan military issued this statement while sharing details of its forces retaliation to the attack, security forces of Pakistan remain determined to thwart efforts of the enemies of peace and prosperity in the country.

The separatist Baluchistan Liberation Army, or BLA, claimed credit for plotting Sunday's ambush in Gwadar, saying it killed several Chinese workers and Pakistani security forces escorting the convoy. The outlawed group often releases inflated claims.

The BLA has previously targeted Chinese personnel working on infrastructure development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC. The multibillion-dollar flagship program is the biggest extension of Beijing's global Belt and Road infrastructure initiative.

The Gwadar port in southwestern Baluchistan province is the centerpiece of CPEC, linking the two countries and giving China the shortest possible trade access to international markets.

Beijing is also building an international airport in Gwadar. Pakistani officials say it is expected to be inaugurated next month.

Pakistan, the United States, and Britain have designated the BLA as a global terrorist organization.

Like other Baluch insurgent outfits, BLA has vehemently opposed CPEC and other Chinese investments in Baluchistan, publicly threatening to attack Chinese workers associated with them.

Insurgent attacks have killed more than a dozen Chinese citizens recently, prompting Beijing to press Islamabad to ensure security measures for CPEC projects and its nationals in Pakistan.

China has lately directed its diplomats and workers to strictly limit their movements and avoid visiting certain Pakistani cities for security reasons.

China's investment under CPEC has built roads and power plants and made the Gwadar port operational over the past decade when the bilateral project was initiated.

Last month, Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng visited Islamabad to participate in a government-sponsored ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the CPEC collaboration.

Officials in both China and Pakistan say CPEC 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 Pakistan.
In China, the government is facing anger and criticism from the netizens who accuse the authorities of insufficient response to the flooding that brought death and devastation to the areas surrounding the capital, Beijing.



From July 29 to August 2, Tropical Storm Doksuri brought the heaviest rainfall to the Chinese capital in 140 years. The Beijing municipal government reported that by August 9, at least 33 people were killed, 18 are still missing.

But Hu Xijin, a political commentator and former editor-in-chief of Chinas state-run newspaper Global Times, defended the authorities on Weibo, one of Chinas biggest social media platforms:



"Now, criticism over the governments lack of precautions and lack of rescue efforts might not be based on facts. For the most part, people are just venting.



That is false.



Chinese netizens criticism is focused on the authorities decision to divert 1.8 billion cubic meters of floodwater to Hebei province to save Beijing and Tianjin, two important Chinese municipalities.



Tropical Storm Doksuri landed in Chinas Fujian province on July 28. It then traveled north, bringing Beijing 60% of its average annual rainfall in just 83 hours.

In Mentougou, a district in western Beijing, the extreme rainfall and flooding has inundated 310,000 residents and damaged nearly 35,000 houses.



The Paper, a state-owned Chinese digital newspaper reported on August 1 that authorities began draining Beijing by opening seven flood storage zones in low-lying areas. Chinas flood prevention system consists largely of flood retention basins in low-lying areas and lakes.



Beijings plan was to use rivers to discharge floodwater and reservoirs to store excess water, but that failed due to the amount of rainfall. The Hebei Emergency Management Department then activated seven flood retention basins, telling 850,000 people in the province, which borders the capital on three sides, to evacuate as they opened flood gates and spillways to help drain water in Beijing.



Many Hebei residents took to social media to complain about not having been given a heads-up before the authorities made their decision.

Moreover, Ni Yuefeng, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) secretary of Hebei, said the province would resolutely build a moat for the capital. His speech, which triggered an angry response on social media, has since been censored on Weibo and WeChat, two of Chinas most popular social media platforms.

Tianjins Jinghai district, which borders Hebei province and is home to one of the flood retention basins, asked 30,000 residents in 23 villages to evacuate.



In a letter to all district residents on August 2, a district official said we are sacrificing ourselves to save our country, we are saving Beijing and Tianjin. History will remember us.



The decision was taken earlier by the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, and the water gate was opened at 2 a.m. on August 1, before the government sent out the letter.



According to The Paper, Chinas Ministry of Water Resources said on August 1 that the country will compensate the residents in the flood retention areas. They are sacrificing a small family for the big one, it said.



Hebei provinces Zhuozhou was the city hardest hit by the flooding, with hundreds of thousands of homes completely destroyed and power still not restored. Reporting from state media shows that help arrived promptly.

Still, angry residents are asking why the local government didnt do more to help them.

"In other places you see leaders rushing to the front line and coordinating rescue efforts, but in Zhuozhou they disappeared," a resident told Reuters as he was stranded in his apartment for three days without electricity.

One netizen responded mockingly to Hu Xijins Weibo post, writing: So we have zero death, zero missing in Zhuozhou.



Unlike his predecessors, who would usually visit disaster-stricken areas, Chinese President Xi Jinping has not made a public appearance.



However, on August 6, the central government posted an article from the state-run Xinhua News Agency headlined: Unite as One Hebeis Disaster Relief With Comrade Xi Jinping as the Core.



The safety of peoples lives and property is of utmost importance to President Xi Jinping, the article stated, adding that he had made important instructions regarding rescue efforts in order to minimize casualties and make sure people can feel that they can rely on the party.



The Chinese government announced on August 10 that it had allocated 1.5 billion RMB ($209 million) to repair damaged water conservancy facilities.
On August 6, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro sought to implicate European leaders in anti-Islam activists' burning of the Quran in Denmark and Sweden in recent months.

"I condemn these racist acts of hatred against Muslim nations," Russia's TASS news agency quoted Maduro as telling Al Mayadeen TV, a Lebanon-based broadcaster.

"The silence of European leaders over the burning of copies of the Quran is surprising, which amounts to their complicity in the crime."

That is false.

Swedish, Danish and European authorities have condemned the burning of the Quran. Following the latest incidents, Sweden and Denmark announced that they are looking into measures to curb the burning of holy books that will not infringe on free speech protections.

This year, a series of Quran-burning protests in Sweden and Denmark have sparked outrage in the Muslim world and created security concerns for both countries, with broader political implications for the West.

In a particularly controversial action, Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden, desecrated and burned a Quran outside Stockholm's largest mosque on June 28, the first day of Eid  a significant Muslim holiday.

After Salwan threatened to burn a copy of the Quran at a separate protest outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm, demonstrators in Iraq stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on July 20, setting part of the complex on fire.

Iraq expelled Sweden's ambassador, although Iraqi authorities also condemned the attack on the embassy compound.

On June 29, Sweden's Foreign Ministry condemned the desecration and burning of the Quran.

"The Swedish government strongly rejects the Islamophobic act committed by individuals in Sweden. This act in no way reflects the opinions of the Swedish Government," the ministry said in a statement.

Sweden is looking into measures that would allow police to stop Quran burnings on national security grounds that won't require making changes to its free speech laws.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on August 1:

"In a free country like Sweden, you have a great deal of freedom. But with that great degree of freedom comes a great degree of responsibility. Everything that is legal is not appropriate. It can be awful but still lawful."

The European Union's top foreign policy official, Josep Borrell, offered a similar assessment in a July 26 statement:

"The desecration of the Quran, or of any other book considered holy, is offensive, disrespectful and a clear provocation. Expressions of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance have no place in the European Union."

"We continue to stand up for freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression, abroad and at home; but not everything that is legal is ethical."

In Denmark, a group called the Danish Patriots has carried out a series of Quran-burning protests this year, including in front of the Iraqi, Turkish and Egyptian embassies in Copenhagen.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen condemned the burning of the Quran in a July 30 statement:

"The Danish government has clearly distanced itself from and condemned the burnings of the holy Quran. 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."

Rasmussen said the Danish government was seeking a legal tool to prevent anti-Islam activists from burning the Quran.

"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," he told Denmark's national broadcaster on July 30, Reuters reported.

While the tensions have ratcheted up in recent months, the Quran-burning controversy in Northern Europe goes back years.

In February 2017, prosecutors in Denmark charged a Danish man with blasphemy for burning a Quran and uploading the video to Facebook in December 2015.

Those charges were dropped after Denmark's 334-year-old blasphemy law, which empowered authorities to fine and even jail individuals who insulted a religion, was revoked in June 2017.

Sweden revoked its blasphemy law in 1970.

Rasmus Paludan, a far-right politician with Danish and Swedish citizenship, has burned and desecrated the Quran on multiple occasions in recent years, and encouraged others to do the same.

On January 21, Paludan reignited controversy when he burned a Quran outside of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

Turkey has cited Sweden's "complicity" in the Quran-burning protest as a pretext to thwart Sweden from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Paludan's permit for the January 21 protest was paid for by Chang Frick, a former contributor to the Russian state-broadcaster RT. Frick denies his former affiliation with RT was connected to his decision to finance the protest permit.

Swedish authorities have accused Russian state media of spreading false stories in Arabic claiming Stockholm supports the Quran burnings, in part to stymie Sweden's NATO bid.

In February, Swedish police refused to issue permits for Quran-burning protests outside the Turkish and Iranian embassies on security grounds. But Swedish courts ruled the police could not curtail freedom of assembly and the right to demonstrate over unspecified terrorist threats.
The death toll from a mudslide in China's northwestern city of Xian has risen to 21, with six people still missing, the city's emergency management authority said Sunday, as China grapples with unusually high summer rainfall.

State-owned China Central Television (CCTV) had earlier reported that Friday's mudslide left a total of 18 people dead or missing, with two confirmed casualties.

A video released by the official Xinhua news agency showed broken trees and rubble piling up along muddy roads in a village, with houses and infrastructure damaged or destroyed.

The mudslide destroyed two houses and cut power to 900 households, the authority said in a statement on its WeChat account.

Typhoon Khanun, which pounded parts Japan and South Korea, weakened into a tropical depression when it made landfall in China's northeastern Liaoning province Friday night.

Rain still posed flooding risks to low-lying cities including Anshan, where 17,859 people had been evacuated, according to CCTV.

Overnight rainfall in Liaoning peaked at 52 mm (2 inches) per hour, with four reservoirs exceeding flood limits, CCTV said.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management held a special meeting Sunday to discuss flood prevention and emergency response measures in badly affected provinces such as Liaoning, Shaanxi, Tianjin and Chongqing, CCTV reported.

Khanun came as the country was reeling from the impact of Typhoon Doksuri, which lashed northern China with torrential rain and flooding after it made landfall on July 28.

Warmer temperatures have also fueled powerful convective weather in many parts of China amid an unusually wet summer.

On Saturday morning, a dramatic supercell storm formed in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang. A video posted by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), showed thick swirling clouds hanging low above the ground, darkening the sky.

"The force of nature is irresistible," one commentator exclaimed on the video.
Ecuador transferred a powerful gang leader, accused of threatening a slain presidential candidate, to a maximum-security prison via a massive military and police operation Saturday, officials said.

At dawn about 4,000 heavily armed agents entered Prison 8 in Guayaquil in southwestern Ecuador, where the head of the powerful Los Choneros criminal group, Jose Adolfo Macias, alias "Fito," was being held.

Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso reported on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, that Macias had been transferred to La Roca, a 150-person maximum security prison, part of the same penitentiary complex he was already in.

The gang leader had controlled at least one cellblock in the prison.

Ecuador has been under a state of emergency since the assassination Wednesday of journalist and anti-corruption crusader Fernando Villavicencio.

Lasso has blamed the killing on organized crime, and Villavicencio had complained of receiving death threats from Macias.

Villavicencio told a local program that an "emissary" of the gang leader had contacted him and warned "that if I continue  mentioning Los Choneros, they are going to break me."

On Saturday his party announced that his running mate, Andrea Gonzalez, would take his place in the Aug. 20 election.

Gonzalez, 36, is an environmental advocate who has fought in particular for the protection of oceans, forests and mangroves.

Villavicencio drew the ire of gangs and drug traffickers for his investigations.

Six Colombians have been arrested in his death, while a seventh was killed in a shootout with his bodyguards. Authorities haven't said who hired and paid the hitmen.

Macias had been sentenced to 34 years in prison for organized crime, drug trafficking and murder.

Prisons have become the center of operations for drug trafficking in Ecuador.

More than 430 inmates have died violently since 2021, dozens of them dismembered and incinerated amid disputes between rival gangs.

The global community has condemned Villavicencio's killing, including the United Nations, United States and European Union.

On Saturday, Pope Francis rejected the violence plaguing Ecuador in a message to the Archbishop of Quito, Alfredo Espinoza.

The pope condemned "with all his strength" the "suffering caused by unjustifiable violence."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday welcomed a recent Saudi-led summit on a peace settlement to end the fighting in Ukraine and called for further diplomatic efforts.

Representatives from around 40 countries, including China, Germany, India and the United States, took part in last weekend's gathering in Jeddah, though Russia was not invited.

"It makes sense for us to continue these talks, because they increase the pressure on Russia to realize that it has taken the wrong path and that it must withdraw its troops and make peace possible," Scholz said in his annual summer interview with German broadcaster ZDF.

Similar international talks to discuss a path toward peace also took place in Copenhagen in June.

Scholz called the talks in Denmark and Saudi Arabia, held at the level of foreign policy advisers, "very special."

"They are very important and they are really only the beginning," Scholz said.

Ukraine on Monday said it was "satisfied" with the Saudi summit during which Kyiv sought to drum up support for its 10-point peace plan, including the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

Moscow, meanwhile, said a peace settlement was only possible if Kyiv put down its arms.

More than a year after Russia's invasion, Ukraine launched a highly anticipated counteroffensive in June after stockpiling Western weapons. But it has struggled to make headway in the face of stiff Russian resistance.

Kyiv has repeatedly asked Berlin for long-range Taurus cruise missiles to boost its efforts, but Germany has so far resisted amid concerns the weapons could reach Russian territory and widen the conflict.

Scholz reiterated in the interview that Germany was now the second-biggest supplier of military assistance to Ukraine after the United States.

But on the issue of sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the chancellor remained vague.

"As in the past, we will always review every single decision very carefully, what is possible, what makes sense, what can be our contribution," Scholz said.
Postal worker Eugene Gates Jr. was delivering mail in the suffocating Dallas heat this summer when he collapsed in a homeowner's yard and was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Carla Gates said she's sure heat was a factor in her 66-year-old husband's death, even though she's still waiting for the autopsy report. When Eugene Gates died on June 20, the temperature was 36.6 Celsius and the heat index, which also considers humidity, had soared over 43.3 Celsius.

"I will believe this until the day I die, that it was heat-related," Carla Gates said.

Even when it seems obvious that extreme heat was a factor, death certificates don't always reflect the role it played. Experts say a mishmash of ways more than 3,000 counties calculate heat deaths means we don't really know how many people die in the U.S. each year because of high temperatures in an ever-warming world.

That imprecision harms efforts to better protect people from extreme heat because officials who set policies and fund programs can't get the financial and other support needed to make a difference.

"Essentially, all heat related deaths are preventable. People don't need to die from the heat," said epidemiologist Kristie L. Ebi, who focuses on global warming's impact on human health as a professor at the University of Washington.

With a better count, she said, "you can start developing much better heat wave early warning systems and target people who are at higher risk and make sure that they're aware of these risks."

Currently, about the only consistency in counting heat deaths in the U.S. is that officials and climate specialists acknowledge fatalities are grossly undercounted.

"Deaths are investigated in vastly different ways based on where a person died," said Dr. Greg Hess, the medical examiner for Pima County, Arizona's second most populous county and home to Tucson. "It should be no surprise that we don't have good nationwide data on heat-related deaths."

Many experts say a standard decades-old method known as counting excess deaths could better show how extreme heat harms people.

"You want to look at the number of people who would not have died during that time period and get a true sense of the magnitude of the impact," Ebi said, including people who would not have suffered a fatal heart attack or renal failure without the heat.

The excess deaths calculation is often used to estimate the death toll in natural disasters, with researchers tallying fatalities that exceeded those that occurred at the same time the previous year when circumstances were average.

Counting excess deaths was used to calculate the human impact of a heat wave in Chicago that killed more than 700 people in July 1995, many elderly Black people who lived alone. Researchers also counted excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide more complete information about deaths directly and indirectly related to the coronavirus.

But as things stand now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports just 600 to 700 heat deaths annually in the United States. A study published last month in the journal Nature Medicine estimated more than 61,000 heat-related deaths last summer across Europe, which has roughly double the U.S. population but more than 100 times as many heat deaths.

Dr. Sameed Khatana, a staff cardiologist at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, has said deaths in which heat contributed significantly to fatalities from causes like heart failure should also be considered.

Khatana participated in research published last year that counted excess deaths in all U.S. counties. The findings suggested that from 2008 to 2017 between 3,000 to 20,000 adult deaths from all causes listed on death certificates were linked to extreme heat. Heart disease was listed as the cause of about half of the deaths.

After the Pacific Northwest heat wave in summer of 2021, the Canadian province of British Columbia reported more than 600 deaths due to heat exposure while Oregon and Washington each initially reported a little more than 100 such fatalities.

"It's frustrating that for 90 years public health officials in the United States have not had a good picture of heat-related mortality because we have such a bad data system," said Dr. David Jones, a Harvard Medical School professor who also teaches in the epidemiology department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

There is no uniformity among who does the counting across U.S. jurisdictions. Death investigations in some places might be carried out by a medical examiner, typically a physician trained in forensic pathology. In other locales, the coroner could be an elected sheriff, such as the one in Orange County, California. In some small counties in Texas, a justice of peace might determine cause of death.

Utah and Massachusetts are among states that do not track heat-related deaths where exposure to extreme heat was a secondary factor.

The CDC, which is often several years behind in reporting, draws information on heat deaths from death certificate information included in local, state, tribal and territorial databases.

The CDC said in a statement that coroners and others who fill out death certificates "are encouraged to report all causes of death," but they may not always associate those contributing causes to an extreme heat exposure death and include the diagnostic codes for heat illnesses.

Hess, the Arizona coroner, said determining environmental heat was a factor in someone's death is difficult and can take weeks or even months of investigation including toxicological tests.

"If someone was shot in the head, it's pretty obvious what happened there," Hess said. "But when you find a body in a hot apartment 48 hours after they died, there is a lot of ambiguity."

Hess noted that Pima County this year began including heat-related deaths in its tally of environmental heat fatalities. Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, America's hottest big city, for years has included heat-related deaths. Clark County, Nevada, home to Las Vegas, now also considers deaths in which heat was a contributing factor.

Maricopa's Public Health Department counted 425 "heat associated" deaths last year, including those where heat was a secondary factor, such as a heart attack provoked by high temperatures.

It reports there were 59 heat-associated deaths confirmed this year through Aug. 5, with another 345 under investigation. The latest count follows the hottest month in Phoenix on record, and a record 31 consecutive days that hit 43.3 Celsius or higher.

Dallas, which regularly sees summer highs above 37.7 Celsius, sweltered through an excessive heat warning this month and also grapples with oppressive humidity.

Carla Gates, whose mail carrier husband died, noted cities worldwide now must learn to deal with extreme weather. She said her spouse, with 36 years on the job, tried to protect himself by taking a chest filled with ice and several bottles of cold water on his rounds.

"Our climate has changed," she said. "And I don't think it's going back to how it was 20 years ago. So we're going to have to get used to it and we're going to have to make some adjustments."

Now she wants to honor her husband by pushing legislation to ensure people working outside are better protected from the heat. Gates noted that the day her husband died he was in an old mail truck without working air conditioning.

"I don't wish this on anyone, anyone to get a phone call that their loved one died working, doing something that they love in the heat," she said.
Israel ruled out on Sunday a diplomatic base in Jerusalem for the new Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, whose appointment comes as Washington tries to forge formal Israeli relations with Riyadh.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy in Amman said "consul-general in Jerusalem" was now among Al-Sudairi's duties.

That appeared to correspond with the Palestinians' long-standing and so-far fruitless goal of founding a state in territories occupied by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as capital.

Israel deems Jerusalem its own capital, a status recognized by the United States under then-President Donald Trump in 2017 but not by other world powers. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomatic activity in the city.

Saudi Arabia, Islam's birthplace, has championed the Palestinian cause and shunned official ties with Israel but the U.S. is seeking to promote what could be a historic Middle East deal that would include normalizing Israeli-Saudi relations.

"This [Al-Sudairi] could be a delegate who will meet with representatives in the Palestinian Authority," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.

"We will not allow the opening of any kind of diplomatic mission" in Jerusalem, Cohen added. "Will there be an official physically sitting in Jerusalem? This we will not allow."

Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh has previously conditioned recognition of Israel on Palestinians' statehood goal being addressed. Among challenges to that goal is the schism between the internationally backed Palestinian administration and its armed Islamist rival Hamas.

Bassam Al-Agha, the Palestinian ambassador to Riyadh, cast Al-Sudairi's appointment as Saudi affirmation of Palestinian statehood and "rejection of what had been announced by former U.S. President Trump."

"This means a continuation of Saudi Arabia's positions," Al-Agha told Voice of Palestine radio.

While Cohen said Al-Sudairi's appointment had not been coordinated with Israel, he saw a possible link to the normalization prospects.

"What is behind this development is that, against the backdrop of progress in the U.S. talks with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Saudis want to relay a message to the Palestinians that they have not forgotten them," Cohen said.
Canada's military deployed to far north Sunday in the fight against hundreds of out-of-control wildfires as residents of several remote communities fled the advancing blazes.

The province of British Columbia, on the country's Pacific Coast, meanwhile, braced for a heat wave expected to further fuel fires burning there.

"We stand with the people of the Northwest Territories as they deal with serious wildfires," Defense Minister Bill Blair said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"In response to a request for assistance, the @CanadianForces will help with firefighting efforts, air transportation, and planning, coordination and logistics," he said.

The size of the deployment was not announced, but the Canadian military has sent hundreds of troops to four other provinces in recent months to help battle wildfires alongside nearly 11,000 firefighters  including 5,000 brought in from abroad.

This season, megafires have spread across the country with remarkable intensity, forcing 168,000 Canadians to flee their homes and scorching 13.5 million hectares  almost twice the area of the last record of 7.3 million hectares, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC).

Four people have died so far in this year's wildfires.

The blazes have also emitted an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide  more than a billion tons  which is roughly the same amount that would be produced in a year by 217 million cars, or approximately the annual emissions of Japan.

Over the weekend, several communities in the Northwest Territories were ordered to evacuate, including 2,500 residents of Fort Smith, as 233 wildfires raged over 2.1 million hectares of the boreal forest.

Environment Canada, meanwhile, warned that temperatures in Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia  where 390 wildfires are burning  would soar through Wednesday.

Temperatures, however, are not expected to top a record high set in June 2021, when the mercury in Lytton hit 49.6 degrees Celsius (121.3 Fahrenheit) before the village was ravaged days later by a fire that killed at least two residents.

"A strong ridge of high pressure will bring rising temperatures to the South Coast (region of British Columbia)," the agency said in an advisory.

"Well above seasonal daytime temperatures combined with elevated overnight temperatures will mean little relief from the heat."

Cultus Lake, east of Vancouver, was Canada's hotspot Sunday, at 31.1 degrees Celsius (87.9 degrees Fahrenheit). Parts of British Columbia are forecast to rise to 40 Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this week.
When in-person school resumed after pandemic closures, Rousmery Negron and her 11-year-old son both noticed a change: School seemed less welcoming.

Parents were no longer allowed in the building without appointments, she said, and punishments were more severe. Everyone seemed less tolerant, more angry. Negron's son told her he overheard a teacher mocking his learning disabilities, calling him an ugly name.

Her son didn't want to go to school anymore. And she didn't feel he was safe there.

He would end up missing more than five months of sixth grade.

Across the country, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened during the pandemic. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year, making them chronically absent, according to the most recent data available. Before the pandemic, only 15% of students missed that much school.

All told, an estimated 6.5 million additional students became chronically absent, according to the data, which was compiled by Stanford University education professor Thomas Dee in partnership with The Associated Press. Taken together, the data from 40 states and Washington, D.C., provides the most comprehensive accounting of absenteeism nationwide. Absences were more prevalent among Latino, Black and low-income students, according to Dee's analysis.

The absences come on top of time students missed during school closures and pandemic disruptions. They cost crucial classroom time as schools work to recover from massive learning setbacks.

Absent students miss out not only on instruction but also on all the other things schools provide  meals, counseling, socialization. In the end, students who are chronically absent  missing 18 or more days a year, in most places  are at higher risk of not learning to read and eventually dropping out.

"The long-term consequences of disengaging from school are devastating. And the pandemic has absolutely made things worse and for more students," said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit addressing chronic absenteeism.

In seven states, the rate of chronically absent kids doubled for the 2021-22 school year, from 2018-19, before the pandemic. Absences worsened in every state with available data  notably, the analysis found growth in chronic absenteeism did not correlate strongly with state COVID rates.

Kids are staying home for myriad reasons  finances, housing instability, illness, transportation issues, school staffing shortages, anxiety, depression, bullying and generally feeling unwelcome at school.

And the effects of online learning linger: School relationships have frayed, and after months at home, many parents and students don't see the point of regular attendance.

"For almost two years, we told families that school can look different and that schoolwork could be accomplished in times outside of the traditional 8-to-3 day. Families got used to that," said Elmer Roldan, of Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, which helps schools follow up with absent students.

When classrooms closed in March 2020, Negron in some ways felt relieved her two sons were home in Springfield. Since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Negron, who grew up in Puerto Rico, had become convinced mainland American schools were dangerous.

A year after in-person instruction resumed, she said, staff placed her son in a class for students with disabilities, citing hyperactive and distracted behavior. He felt unwelcome and unsafe. Now, it seemed to Negron, there was danger inside school, too.

"He needs to learn," said Negron, a single mom who works as a cook at another school. "He's very intelligent. But I'm not going to waste my time, my money on uniforms, for him to go to a school where he's just going to fail."

For people who've long studied chronic absenteeism, the post-COVID era feels different. Some of the things that prevent students from getting to school are consistent  illness, economic distress  but "something has changed," said Todd Langager, who helps San Diego County schools address absenteeism. He sees students who already felt unseen, or without a caring adult at school, feel further disconnected.

Alaska led in absenteeism, with 48.6% of students missing significant amounts of school. Alaska Native students' rate was higher, 56.5%.

Those students face poverty and a lack of mental health services, as well as a school calendar that isn't aligned to traditional hunting and fishing activities, said Heather Powell, a teacher and Alaska Native. Many students are raised by grandparents who remember the government forcing Native children into boarding schools.

"Our families aren't valuing education because it isn't something that's ever valued us," Powell said.

In New York, Marisa Kosek said son James lost the relationships fostered at his school  and with them, his desire to attend class altogether. James, 12, has autism and struggled first with online learning and then with a hybrid model. During absences, he'd see his teachers in the neighborhood. They encouraged him to return, and he did.

But when he moved to middle school in another neighborhood, he didn't know anyone. He lost interest and missed more than 100 days of sixth grade. The next year, his mom pushed for him to repeat the grade  and he missed all but five days.

His mother, a high school teacher, enlisted help: relatives, therapists, New York's crisis unit. But James just wanted to stay home. He's anxious because he knows he's behind, and he's lost his stamina.

"Being around people all day in school and trying to act 'normal' is tiring," said Kosek. She's more hopeful now that James has been accepted to a private residential school that specializes in students with autism.

Some students had chronic absences because of medical and staffing issues. Juan Ballina, 17, has epilepsy; a trained staff member must be nearby to administer medication in case of a seizure. But post-COVID-19, many school nurses retired or sought better pay in hospitals, exacerbating a nationwide shortage.

Last year, Juan's nurse was on medical leave. His school couldn't find a substitute. He missed more than 90 days at his Chula Vista, California, high school.

"I was lonely," Ballina said. "I missed my friends."

Last month, school started again. So far, Juan's been there, with his nurse. But his mom, Carmen Ballina, said the effects of his absence persist: "He used to read a lot more. I don't think he's motivated anymore."

Another lasting effect from the pandemic: Educators and experts say some parents and students have been conditioned to stay home at the slightest sign of sickness.

Renee Slater's daughter rarely missed school before the pandemic. But last school year, the straight-A middle schooler insisted on staying home 20 days, saying she just didn't feel well.

"As they get older, you can't physically pick them up into the car  you can only take away privileges, and that doesn't always work," said Slater, who teaches in the rural California district her daughter attends. "She doesn't dislike school, it's just a change in mindset."

Most states have yet to release attendance data from 2022-23, the most recent school year. Based on the few that have shared figures, it seems the chronic-absence trend may have long legs. In Connecticut and Massachusetts, chronic absenteeism remained double its pre-pandemic rate.

In Negron's hometown of Springfield, 39% of students were chronically absent last school year, an improvement from 50% the year before. Rates are higher for students with disabilities.

While Negron's son was out of school, she said, she tried to stay on top of his learning. She picked up a weekly folder of worksheets and homework; he couldn't finish because he didn't know the material.

"He was struggling so much, and the situation was putting him in a down mood," Negron said.

Last year, she filed a complaint asking officials to give her son compensatory services and pay for him to attend a private special education school. The judge sided with the district.

Now, she's eyeing the new year with dread. Her son doesn't want to return. Negron said she'll consider it only if the district grants her request for him to study in a mainstream classroom with a personal aide. The district told AP it can't comment on individual student cases due to privacy considerations.

Negron wishes she could homeschool her sons, but she has to work and fears they'd suffer from isolation.

"If I had another option, I wouldn't send them to school," she said.
Hong Kong: Tang Ping-keung to lead study tour

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung will lead about 40 members of the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum, as well as non-Chinese speaking students involved in Project Lighthouse, on a visit to Shaanxi and Beijing tomorrow.

The eight-day study tour is aimed at enhancing the participants understanding of the countrys history, culture and development.

The group will visit Xi'an and Yan'an in Shaanxi Province, and later Beijing, from August 14 to 21.

Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on the evening of August 16 upon completion of the Xi'an leg of the trip. He will join the visit to Beijing on August 19 and return to Hong Kong the next day.

During Mr Tang's absence, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk will be Acting Secretary.

This story has been published on: 2023-08-13. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Photo: UBCO

A recent trend amongst urban planners and housing critics on social media is to take a deep dive into the theory that the growth of universities is having a negative impact on local housing markets, with particular consideration given to the rise of international students.

The argument goes something like this: universities are admitting more and more international students each year as a means to make more money, and while they are significantly increasing the number of these students - they are not building any new housing to home those residents and, as a result, competition for homes increases which increases rents.

In this vein, I decided to explore a little about the rates at UBC Okanagan through publicly available data.

From 2016 to 2023, overall student enrolment at UBC Okanagan (UBCO) increased to 11,978 students from 8,687, an increase of 38%. At the same time, the number of student housing units increased to 2,150 from 1,676, an increase of 28%. That meant that while UBCO enrolment is outpaced the universitys construction of student residence spots, it did not do so by a significant amount.

Of course, as I said previously, the argument being made by housing critics is mostly related to international students, so lets focus in on that. From 2017 to 2023 the number of international students enrolled at UBCO increased to 2,613 from 1,676, an increase of 55.9%. Now thats certainly a dramatic increase.

As the backdrop, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Kelowna was $980 in 2016 and today, in 2023, it is $1,952, an increase of 99%.

By looking at these numbers, Im sure you could make the argument that housing prices have increased at almost the same pace as international student growth at UBCO, so they must be the cause. But thats the incredible thing about statistics , you can make them say pretty much whatever you want.

It is highly improbable that the addition of just under 1,000 new international students is the cause of the Okanagans housing woes. But that hasnt stopped this type of discussion from proliferating across online platforms.

In addition, the economic impact of UBCO on the Okanagan is an estimated $1.5 billion and employs 1,688 people in our community.

None of this is to say we shouldnt be encouraging UBCO to build more student housing. As rents get more expensive, it becomes more challenging to attend university in Kelowna if you dont have family or friends you can live with while completing your studies.

Further and disappointingly, the new UBCO tower in downtown Kelowna is not student housing. On UBCs own website it states, the housing that is included in the project is not a student residence but a facility where units will be rented out to students and others at rental rates that support their construction.

That means that while they may choose to only rent to students, theyre not subsidized like student housing units and will likely be rented out at market-rent.

You may read this column and think, he wrote an entire column disproving his own thesis. But it was never my thesis.

Its something thats proliferating online and sometimes its just as important to show that the theories of others do not hold true here in the Okanagan.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Hires

Ahmed Khalafalla

Stormont Vail Health announced that Ahmed Khalafalla, M.D., has joined its inpatient neurohospitalist team at the Topeka Campus Hospital, 1500 S.W. 10th Ave. Khalafalla was born in Egypt and grew up in a family of physicians. As a child, he saw their impact on the community and recalled how rewarding it was for them. This upbringing shaped his decision to enter medicine, while his keen interest in problem-solving led him to specialize in neurology. I chose neurology because its very challenging, Khalafalla said. When I approach a patient with a neurological condition, its like a puzzle that requires me to dig deeper to discover whats wrong. We mainly deal with patients who have dementia, memory problems, or who are comatose. These situations can limit my available information, like previous history or exams. Khalafalla moved to the United Arab Emirates and obtained his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at the College of Medicine, University of Sharjah. In 2018, he moved to the United States to complete his adult clinical neurology residency at the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, Texas. As an internal neurohospitalist with Stormont Vail, Khalafallas perspective and empathy will significantly elevate patients experience during some of their most trying moments. I want patients and their families to know that Im going to provide not only the best medical management but also sympathy, support, and knowledge about whats going on with their loved ones.

Hossam Abed

Stormont Vail Health welcomed Hossam Abed as the hospitals newest nocturnist. As a nocturnist specializing in internal medicine, Abed provides overnight care in the Topeka Campus Hospital, 1500 S.W. 10th Ave. Abed was born and raised in Jordan, where he obtained his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at Mutah University Medical School. At Hamad Medical Corporation, a clinical affiliate of Weill Cornell-Q Medical College in Qatar, he completed his internal medicine residency and received his certification through the Arab Board of Medicine. I spent most of my life in medicine. I graduated from university in 2013 and have done internal medicine since then. I really like it; I like helping people, seeing a variety of different cases and diagnoses and getting to help those people. Abed moved to the United States to continue his education and career path. He attended St. Michaels Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey, where he completed his postgraduate training through the Internal Medicine Residency Program at New York Medical College. While there, Abed was elected as a chief resident.

Topeka-area hirings, promotions, retirements and other announcements can be emailed to iyb@cjonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: It's Your Business includes new doctors at Stormont Vail Health
Niger's coup leaders said late Sunday that they are ready to "prosecute" ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum for "high treason" and "undermining the security" of the country.

The United States, United Nations and West African leaders condemned the move, calling it a further sign that the junta is unwilling to seek a peaceful route out of the crisis.

"It's obviously a very worrying declaration," said U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Dujarric. "We remain extremely concerned about the state of being, the health and safety of the president and his family. And again, we call for his immediate and unconditional release, and his reinstatement as head of state, of course," he added.

West Africa's main regional bloc ECOWAS expressed shock Monday to learn about the military junta's plans for the democratically elected Nigerien president.

The move is viewed as a provocation by Niger's coup leaders and contradicts their reported willingness to find a peaceful solution to the current crisis, the bloc said in a statement.

Junta spokesperson Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, speaking on state television, said the military regime had "gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute before the competent national and international authorities the ousted president and his local and foreign accomplices for high treason and for undermining the internal and external security of Niger."

Hours earlier, Niger's junta leaders said they were open to negotiations to avert conflict with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), according to a group of senior Nigerien Islamic scholars who met with the military insurgents Sunday in Niamey.

ECOWAS is mulling how to restore civilian rule in Niger, and how to reinstate Bazoum, who was ousted in the military takeover last month.

Although ECOWAS has threatened military intervention in Niger, it appears reluctant to deploy troops there, fearing that such a move could plunge Niger into civil war.

Any military intervention by the bloc could further strain regional ties as juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have expressed support for Niger's military rule.

Pursuing a peaceful resolution, ECOWAS chairman and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved the clerical diplomatic mission in Niger.

Ulf Laessing is head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a research group headquartered in Germany. He said Niger's junta seems to be cementing its rule. "It looks as though the putschists have won and will stay," he noted.
A delegation of religious leaders from Nigeria arrived Saturday in Niger and met with members of the military junta who took control of the country last month.

Coup leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani and junta-appointed Prime Minister Ali Maham Lamine Zeine both met with the delegation of Muslim religious leaders led by Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, leader of the Izala Salafist movement in Nigeria, according to Nigerien media.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu gave his approval to the mediation delegation. Tinubu currently serves as the president of the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), which has threatened to intervene militarily if the leaders of the military coup in Niger do not reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, 63, who was deposed by members of his guard on July 26.

The clerical delegation hopes to ease tensions between Nigeria and the junta leaders, a source close to the delegation told AFP.

"The clerics are in Niamey to explain to the junta leaders that Nigeria is not fighting Niger and that the decisions taken on Niger are not Nigeria's but those of ECOWAS as a regional bloc," the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.

ECOWAS has approved the deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger, but still hopes to find a peaceful resolution to the situation. The ECOWAS parliament met Saturday to discuss further action, but no decision was made.

A crisis meeting set for Saturday was called off for technical reasons, the chiefs of staff of ECOWAS said. The meeting was to discuss the best options for deploying the standby force.

"The military option seriously envisaged by ECOWAS is not a war against Niger and its people but a police operation against hostage takers and their accomplices," Hassoumi Massaoudou, foreign minister in the ousted civilian government, said Saturday. Coup leaders defiant

So far, the coup leaders remain defiant and refuse to restore constitutional order in Niger.

The threat of a military intervention has proved divisive among the 15-member ECOWAS bloc, but it remains determined to restore Bazoum to his elected position while other African nations fear sparking a conflict with an unpredictable outcome.

Niger, an impoverished country of about 25 million people, was seen as one of the last hopes for Western nations to partner with in quelling a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that's ravaged the region.

France and the United States together have more than 2,500 military personnel in Niger and with other European partners had poured hundreds of millions of dollars into propping up its military.

The junta responsible for spearheading the coup, led by Tchiani, has maintained it could be more effective at protecting the nation from jihadi violence and has exploited anti-French sentiment among the population to shore up its support.

Nigeriens in the capital of Niamey said on Friday that ECOWAS has been out of touch with the political realities in Niger and that it shouldn't interfere.

"It is our business, not theirs. They don't even know the reason why the coup happened in Niger," said Achirou Harouna Albassi, a resident. Bazoum was not abiding by the will of the people, he said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. appreciated "the determination of ECOWAS to explore all options for the peaceful resolution of the crisis" and would hold the junta accountable for the safety and security of Bazoum. However, he did not specify whether the U.S. supported the deployment of troops.

Western powers fear Russian influence increasing if Niger follows neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which expelled troops of former colonial power France after coups in those countries.

Mali has since teamed up with mercenaries from the Russian-led Wagner Group and kicked out a United Nations peacekeeping force there, something security analysts say could lead to further conflict.

In Niamey, thousands demonstrated Friday outside a French military base.

"Long live Russia," one protester's sign read. "Down with France ... Down with ECOWAS." Another said: "Wagner will protect our children from terrorism." Doctor visits Bazoum

Meanwhile, Niger's military junta remains in power, appears closed to dialogue, and refuses to release the constitutionally elected president.

Bazoum, who had complained recently of the treatment he, his wife and son were receiving and the conditions they were held in, was seen by a doctor Saturday.

Bazoum "had a visit by his doctor today," a member of the doctor's team told AFP, adding the physician had also brought food for Bazoum, his wife, and son.

"He's fine, given the situation," the source added.

Representatives of the junta told U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland during her visit to the country this week that they would kill Bazoum if ECOWAS intervened militarily, a Western military official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

"The threat to kill Bazoum is grim," said Alexander Thurston, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati. There have been unwritten rules until now about how overthrown presidents will be treated and violence against Bazoum would evoke some of the worst coups of the past, he said.

Human Rights Watch said Friday that it had spoken to Bazoum, who said that his 20-year-old son was sick with a serious heart condition and has been refused access to a doctor. The president said he hasn't had electricity for nearly 10 days and isn't allowed to see family, friends or bring food supplies into the house.

Blinken said he was "dismayed" by the military's refusal to release Bazoum's family as a "demonstration of goodwill."
The Pentagon is developing plans to restructure the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in a move to address problems highlighted by the chaotic response to the Jan. 6 riot and safety breaches during the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd, The Associated Press has learned.

The changes under discussion would transfer the District of Columbia's aviation units, which came under sharp criticism during the protests when a helicopter flew dangerously low over a crowd. In exchange, the district would get more military police, which is often the city's most significant need, as it grapples with crowd control and large public events.

Several current and former officials familiar with the talks spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They said no final decisions have been made.

A key sticking point is who would be in control of the D.C. Guard  a politically divisive question that gets to the heart of what has been an ongoing, turbulent issue. Across the country, governors control their National Guard units and can make decisions on deploying them to local disasters and other needs. But D.C. is not a state, so the president is in charge but gives that authority to the defense secretary, who generally delegates it to the Army secretary.

According to officials, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is weighing two options: maintaining the current system or handing control to U.S. Northern Command, which is in charge of homeland defense.

Senior officials have argued in favor of Northern Command, which would take control out of the hands of political appointees in Washington who may be at odds with the D.C. government, and giving it to nonpartisan military commanders who already oversee homeland defense. Others, however, believe the decision-making should remain at the Pentagon, mirroring the civilian control that governors have on their troops.

The overall goal, officials said, is not to decrease the size of the district's Guard, but reform it and ensure it has the units, equipment and training to do the missions it routinely faces. The proposal to shift the aviation forces is largely an Army decision. It would move the D.C. Air Guard wing and its aircraft to the Maryland Guard, and the Army aviation unit, with its helicopters, to Virginia's Guard.

An Army official added that a review of the D.C. Guard examined its ability to provide rapid response, mission command and coordination with other forces when needed over the past four years. The review, which led to the recommendations, involved the District Guard and Army leaders.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office did not respond to a request for comment Friday on the proposed changes.

But Bowser and other local officials have long claimed that the mayor's office should have sole authority to deploy the local guard, arguing that the D.C. mayor has the responsibilities of any governor without the extra authorities or tools.

When faced with a potential security event, the mayor of D.C. must go to the Pentagon  usually the Army secretary  to request National Guard assistance. That was true during the violent protests in the city over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in 2020, and later as an angry mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the election of Joe Biden as president.

As the Jan. 6 riot was unfolding, city leaders were making frantic calls to Army leaders, asking them to send Guard troops to the Capitol where police and security were being overrun. City leaders complained heatedly about delays in the response as the Pentagon considered Bowser's National Guard request. City police ended up reinforcing the Capitol Police.

Army leaders, in response, said the district was demanding help but not providing the details and information necessary to determine what forces were needed and how they would be used.

Army officials were concerned about taking the Guard troops who were arrayed around the city doing traffic duty and sending them into a riot, because they were not prepared and didn't have appropriate gear. And they criticized the city for repeatedly insisting it would not need security help when asked by federal authorities in the days leading up to Jan. 6.

The swirling confusion spurred congressional hearings and accusations that political considerations influenced the Trump administration's response to the unrest in the Democratic-majority city. Defense officials rejected those charges and blamed the city.

Within the Pentagon, however, there are broader concerns that D.C. is too quick to seek National Guard troops to augment law enforcement shortfalls in the city that should be handled by police. In recent days, a city council member suggested the D.C. Guard might be needed to help battle spiking local crime.

The restructuring is an effort to smooth out the process and avoid communications problems if another crisis erupts.
Polands ruling party wants to ask voters in a referendum whether they support accepting thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa as part of a European Union relocation plan, the prime minister said Sunday, as his conservative party seeks to hold onto power in an October parliamentary election.

Mateusz Morawiecki announced the referendum question in a new video published on social media. It indicated that his party, Law and Justice, is seeking to use migration in its election campaign, a tactic that helped it take power in 2015.

Poland is hosting more than a million Ukrainian refugees, who are primarily white and Christian, but officials have long made clear that they consider Muslims and others from different cultures to be a threat to the nations cultural identity and security.

EU interior ministers in June endorsed a plan to share out responsibility for migrants entering Europe without authorization, the root of one of the blocs longest-running political crises.

The Polish government wants to hold the referendum alongside the parliamentary election, scheduled for Oct. 15. Morawiecki said that the question would say: Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by the European bureaucracy?

The video announcing the question includes scenes of burning cars and other street violence in western Europe. A Black man licks a huge knife in apparent anticipation of committing a crime. Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski then says, Do you want this to happen in Poland as well? Do you want to cease being masters of your own country?

Leaders have announced two other questions in recent days. One will ask voters for their views on privatizing state-owned enterprises and the other will ask if they support raising the retirement age, which Law and Justice lowered to 60 for women and 65 for men.

The questions are set up to depict the opposition party, Civic Platform, as a threat to the interests of Poles. The pro-business and pro-EU party, which governed from 2007 to 2015, raised the retirement age during its time in power, favored some privatization and signaled a willingness to accept a few thousand refugees before it lost power.

The video takes aim directly at Civic Platform leader Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council. Tusk is the greatest threat to our security, he is the greatest threat to Polands security, Morawiecki says. Lets not let Tusk  as an envoy of the Brussels elites  demolish security in Poland.

Europes asylum system collapsed eight years ago after well over a million people entered the bloc  most of them fleeing conflict in Syria  and overwhelmed reception capacities in Greece and Italy, in the process sparking one of the EUs biggest political crises.

The 27 EU nations have bickered ever since over which countries should take responsibility for people arriving without authorization, and whether other members should be obliged to help them cope.

Initially Poland was neither an entry country nor a destination country for migrants and refugees. It became a front-line state two years ago when migrants began crossing from Belarus, something European authorities view as an effort by the Russian ally to generate turmoil in Poland and other European countries.

Poland responded by building a large wall on its border. It has recently increased its military presence on the border, fearing an uptick in migration and other possible instability.

As well as disagreements over migration, Law and Justice has long been in conflict with the EU over a perception by the bloc that the Warsaw government has been eroding democratic norms.
Iraqis in Baghdad are baking in brutal heat as a scorching heatwave regularly pushes the temperature above 50 degrees Celsius during the day.

Baghdad resident Mohammed Saddam said he was struggling to cope with the hot weather while out shopping, speaking as he wiped the sweat off his face.

"Every single hour, I have to drink water. Every hour. I even didnt finish shopping and I am going back home now," he said.

Those who have no option but to go to the street for shopping or working, are trying to drink a lot of water and juice to help them cool down in the summer swelter.

"The weather is hot and people need drinks, so it is time for juice," said street vendor Marwan Ammar as he sold iced juice to thirsty Baghdad residents.

With scorching temperatures likely to continue for some time, most construction workers have changed their shift to work at night only.

Other workers continue to work in the daylight dealing with the heat.

"We must work in this weather because we have families, and they have needs. So, we have no other choice as this is our only source of income," said Ahmad Ali, a blacksmith.

Iraq is known for its extremely hot summers, but a crippling water shortage for the past few years has made dealing with the heat even harder.

With record temperatures all over the world, scientists say there is a chance that 2023 will go down as the hottest year since record-keeping began in the mid-19th century.

At the same time, many parts of the globe are seeing heavy rains and are hit by floods.
The Russian defense ministry said Sunday that a Russian warship fired warning shots on a Palau-flagged cargo vessel headed to the Ukrainian port of Izmail.

The ministry said the shots were fired because the captain of the Sukru Okan had ignored demands from the warship to stop. After firing the shots, Russian military descended from a helicopter onto the cargo ship.

After Russian forces inspected the Sukru Okan, the vessel was allowed to proceed to Izmail, the defense ministry said. Izmail is main export route for Ukrainian agricultural products.

Russia withdrew from a Black Sea grain agreement in July.

Meanwhile in the Kherson region Sunday, Russian shelling killed at least five people, including a days-old baby, Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko announced on messaging app Telegram.

"A husband, wife and their 23-day-old daughter were killed by enemy artillery fire," Klymenko posted. He said the couples 12-year-old son had been hospitalized in critical condition.

Meanwhile, two men were killed in the village of Stanislav and another was injured, Klymenko said.

Russian troops withdrew from Kherson last year, but they continue to target the area.

Russia shot down a Ukrainian drone Sunday over Russias southwestern Belgorod region, according to Tass, the Russian state news agency. No fatalities or damages were reported.

Also Sunday, the British defense ministry said there was a realistic possibility that Russia was no longer funding the Wagner Group, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who openly called for a rebellion in June against Russias leadership.

The ministry said the Wagner Group may be looking to Belarus for funding, but Wagners sizable force would be a significant and potentially unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources.

On Saturday, Russia's foreign ministry said it thwarted Ukraines rocket strike on the Crimean Bridge, calling it a terrorist attack and vowing retaliation.

Ukrainian forces targeted the Crimean Bridge and several other unspecified targets Saturday on the Crimean Peninsula with S-200 rockets and drones, but there were no casualties or damage, according to Russia's defense ministry.

The 19-kilometer-long bridge that connects Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia has come under repeated attack from Ukrainian forces since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Meanwhile, the British defense ministry said Saturday that Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are about to get a break from the fighting. In its daily intelligence update, the ministry said that early in July the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army was fired, probably partially because he said elements of his forces needed to be relieved.

The ministry said Russia is likely redeploying airborne forces units from the Kherson region to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector in Zaporizhzhia oblast. The report said the 58th Combined Arms Army has been engaged in combat since June.

In addition, the defense ministry report said the arrival of the airborne forces units will also allow the 70th and 71st Motor Rifle Regiments, which have been under heavy fire, to take a break from the front line. However, this move, according to the report, will likely leave Russias defenses near the east bank of the Dnipro River weaker, where theyre increasingly harassed by Ukrainian amphibious raids.

Belarus provocations

Poland said Saturday that it has increased the number of troops on its border with Belarus as a deterrent amid destabilizing efforts by its pro-Russian neighbor.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak visited some of the troops recently deployed close to the Belarusian border.

He said this week that up to 10,000 Polish Army and Territorial Defense troops will be stationed on the border with Belarus. Some will be in active training and patrolling, others on standby.

Two Belarusian military helicopters briefly entered Polands airspace last week, a move considered by Warsaw to be a provocation.

Polish Defense Minister Blaszczak said that such actions by Belarus pose a threat to our security and for that reason Poland is building up its deterrence potential.

According to analysts, Poland has become the personification of the collective enemy of Russia due to its support for Ukraine and because Western military equipment sent to Ukraine goes through Poland.

Belarusian independent analyst Valery Karbalevich told The Associated Press that Moscow very much doesnt like that it is Poland that insists on new sanctions, advocates for Kyiv and actively supports Ukraines accession to the EU and NATO.

Poland is also concerned about the presence in Belarus of Wagner mercenaries and about sending migrants to the border in an act of hybrid warfare aimed at creating instability in the West.

Russian airstrikes

An elderly woman and a police officer were killed early Saturday by Russian shelling on a settlement in Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Twelve others were injured, Ukrainian officials said.

On Friday, Russias airstrikes also targeted civilian infrastructure in western Ukraine, killing an eight-year-old child. In a statement late Friday, France condemned the attacks as "war crimes and must not go unpunished," France's foreign ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would reinforce its military support to Ukraine, notably in strengthening air defense capacities, in close cooperation with its partners.

"France's support to Ukrainian and international jurisdictions to fight against the impunity of crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine remains total," the statement read.

US-Ukraine

The White House says it is committed to training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in the United States once such training programs in Europe have reached capacity.

White House spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing Friday it is important to speed up the process of pilot training on the military aircraft as well as caring for maintenance and other logistics.

"It's going to be a while before jets can show up in Ukraine and for them to be integrated into the air fleet, he said. And it's not just a function of the transfer of actual airframes, but, as you mentioned, the appropriate training for pilots as well as setting up all the maintenance, logistics and sustainment efforts.

Kirby noted that that English language training for Ukrainian specialists is also critical.

"All the tech manuals are in English and all the controls inside the aircraft are in English, said Kirby. And so, a pilot is going to have to have at least some basic proficiency in the language.

The Biden administration has asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense funding to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year.

The White House supplemental spending request for Ukraine may prove to be too much for Republicans, who are facing great pressure from the partys presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, who has a tepid attitude toward the war, while a recent CNN poll indicated declining support for the effort among some voters.

The U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new round of sanctions Friday, targeting prominent members of Russias financial elite, along with a Russian business association.

Wealthy Russian elites should disabuse themselves of the notion that they can operate business as usual while the Kremlin wages war against the Ukrainian people, said the deputy secretary of the treasury, Wally Adeyemo. Our international coalition will continue to hold accountable those enabling the unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse.
Russia shot down a Ukrainian drone Sunday over Russias southwestern Belgorod region, according to Tass, the Russian state news agency. No fatalities or damages were reported.

Also Sunday, the British Defense Ministry said there is "a realistic possibility" that Russia is no longer funding the Wagner Group, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who openly called for a rebellion in June against Russias leadership.

The ministry said the Wagner Group may be looking to Belarus for funding, but Wagners "sizable force would be a significant and potentially unwelcome drain on modest Belarusian resources."

On Saturday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it thwarted Ukraines rocket strike on the Crimean Bridge, calling it a "terrorist attack" and vowing retaliation.

Ukrainian forces targeted the Crimean Bridge and several other unspecified targets Saturday on the Crimean Peninsula with S-200 rockets and drones, but there were no casualties or damage, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.

The 19-kilometer-long bridge that connects Russian-annexed Crimea to Russia has come under repeated attack from Ukrainian forces since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry said Saturday that Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are about to get a break from the fighting. In its daily intelligence update, the ministry said that early in July the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army was fired, probably partially because he said elements of his forces needed to be relieved.

The ministry said Russia is likely redeploying airborne forces units from the Kherson region to the heavily contested Orikhiv sector in Zaporizhzhia oblast. The report said the 58th Combined Arms Army has been engaged in combat since June.

In addition, the Defense Ministry report said the arrival of the airborne forces units will also allow the 70th and 71st Motor Rifle Regiments, which have been under heavy fire, to take a break from the front line. However, this move, according to the report, will likely leave Russias defenses near the east bank of the Dnipro River weaker, where theyre increasingly harassed by Ukrainian amphibious raids.

Belarus provocations

Poland said Saturday that it has increased the number of troops on its border with Belarus as a deterrent amid destabilizing efforts by its pro-Russian neighbor.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak visited some of the troops recently deployed close to the Belarus border.

He said this week that up to 10,000 Polish Army and Territorial Defense troops will be stationed on the border with Belarus. Some will be in active training and patrolling, others on standby.

Two Belarus military helicopters briefly entered Polands airspace last week, a move considered by Warsaw to be a provocation.

Polish Defense Minister Blaszczak said that such actions by Belarus pose a threat to our security and for that reason Poland is building up its deterrence potential.

According to analysts, Poland has become the personification of the collective enemy of Russia due to its support for Ukraine and because western military equipment sent to Ukraine goes through Poland.

Belarusian independent analyst Valery Karbalevich told The Associated Press that Moscow very much doesnt like that it is Poland that insists on new sanctions, advocates for Kyiv and actively supports Ukraines accession to the EU and NATO.

Poland is also concerned about the presence in Belarus of Wagner Group mercenaries and about sending migrants to the border in an act of hybrid warfare aimed at creating instability in the West.

Russian airstrikes

An elderly woman and a police officer were killed early Saturday by Russian shelling on a settlement in Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Twelve others were injured, Ukrainian officials said.

On Friday, Russias airstrikes also targeted civilian infrastructure in western Ukraine killing an 8-year-old child. In a statement late Friday, France condemned the attacks as "war crimes and must not go unpunished," France's foreign ministry said in a statement late on Friday.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would reinforce its military support to Ukraine, notably in strengthening air defense capacities, in close cooperation with its partners.

"France's support to Ukrainian and international jurisdictions to fight against the impunity of crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine remains total," the statement read.

U.S.-Ukraine

The White House says it is committed to training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s in the United States once such training programs in Europe have reached capacity.

White House spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing Friday it is important to speed up the process of pilot training on the military aircraft as well as caring for maintenance and other logistics.

"It's going to be a while before jets can show up in Ukraine and for them to be integrated into the air fleet, he said. And it's not just a function of the transfer of actual airframes, but  the appropriate training for pilots as well as setting up all the maintenance, logistics and sustainment efforts.

Kirby noted that English language training for Ukrainian specialists is also critical.

"All the tech manuals are in English and all the controls inside the aircraft are in English, said Kirby. And so, a pilot is going to have to have at least some basic proficiency in the language.

The Biden administration has asked Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense funding to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year.

The White House supplemental spending request for Ukraine may prove to be too much for Republicans, who are facing great pressure from the partys presidential front-runner, Donald Trump, who has a tepid attitude toward the war, while a recent CNN poll indicated declining support for the effort among some voters.

The U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a new round of sanctions Friday, targeting prominent members of Russias financial elite, along with a Russian business association.

Wealthy Russian elites should disabuse themselves of the notion that they can operate business as usual while the Kremlin wages war against the Ukrainian people, said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. Our international coalition will continue to hold accountable those enabling the unjustified and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse.
Standing in an old Orthodox church in Antalya with a Bible in one hand and a candle in the other, the Rev. Ioann Koval led one of his first services in Turkey after the Russian Orthodox Church leadership decided to defrock him following his prayer for peace in Ukraine.

Last September, when Russia President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists, Moscow Patriarch Kirill required his clergymen to pray for victory. Standing in front of the altar and dozens of his parishioners in one of Moscow's churches, Koval decided to put the peace above the patriarch's orders.

"With the word 'victory' the prayer acquired a propagandistic meaning, shaping the correct thinking among the parishioners, among the clergy, what they should think about and how they should see these hostilities," Koval said. "It went against my conscience. I couldn't submit to this political pressure from the hierarchy."

In the prayer he recited multiple times, the 45-year-old priest changed just one word, replacing "victory" with "peace"  but it was enough for the church court to remove his priestly rank.

Publicly praying or calling for peace also poses risks of prosecution from the Russian state. Shortly after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, lawmakers passed legislation that allowed prosecuting thousands of people for "discrediting the Russian army," a charge that applies to anything that contradicts the official narrative, be it a commentary on social networks or a prayer in church. Church required conformity

Similar to Putin's authoritarian regime, Kirill built a harsh hierarchy in the church that demands total conformity, Andrey Desnitsky, professor of philology at Vilnius University in Lithuania, told The Associated Press. If a priest refuses to read the patriarch's prayer, his loyalty is suspect.

"If you are not loyal, then there is no place for you in church," added Desnitsky, a longtime expert on the Russian church.

When the war started, most priests remained silent, fearing pressure from the church and state authorities; only a small fraction have spoken out. Of more than 40,000 clergymen in the Russian Orthodox Church, only 300 priests signed a public letter calling for peace in Ukraine.

But each of the public voices against the war is crucial, said Natallia Vasilevich, the coordinator for the human rights group Christians Against War.

"It breaks what seems to be a monolithic position of the Russian Orthodox Church," she told AP.

Since the beginning of the war, Vasilevich's team has counted at least 30 Orthodox priests who faced pressure by religious or state authorities. But there might be even more cases, she says, as some priests are afraid to talk about repressions, fearing it will bring more.

The Russian Orthodox Church says the actions against the priests who spoke against the war are punishment for their so-called engagement in politics.

"The clergy who turn themselves from priests into political agitators and persons participating in the political struggle, they, obviously, cease to fulfill their pastoral duty and are subject to canonical bans," Vakhtang Kipshidze, the deputy head of the church's press service, told AP.

At the same time, the priests who publicly support the war in Ukraine do not face any repercussions and moreover are supported by the state, Vasilevich said.

"The Russian regime is interested in making these voices sound louder," she added.

The priests who refuse to join this chorus or stay quiet can be reassigned, temporarily relieved of their duties, or defrocked  losing their salary, housing, benefits, and most importantly their ministries to their flock.

"I never questioned the choice I made," Koval said. "I, my whole soul, my whole being opposed this war. It was impossible for me to support the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine with my prayer."

After a Russian Orthodox Church court decided he should be defrocked, Koval appealed to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who has asserted a right to receive petitions of appeal from other Orthodox churches' clergy, over Russia's objections.

In June, the Constantinople patriarchate decided that Koval was punished for his stance on the war in Ukraine and restored his holy rank. The same day, Bartholomew allowed him to serve in his churches.

During his more than two decades in power, Putin has massively boosted the Russian Orthodox Church's standing, increasing its prestige, wealth and power in society after decades of oppression or indifference under Soviet leaders.

In turn, its leaders, like Patriarch Kirill, have supported his initiatives. The church has thrown its weight behind the war in Ukraine, and it has been commonplace to see its clergymen blessing troops and equipment heading into battle and invoking God's blessings in the campaign.

The Rev. Iakov Vorontsov, a priest in Kazakhstan, was shocked and desperate when he first heard the news of the war. He was hoping the church would step in to mediate the conflict. But neither his peers nor his superiors supported his calls to preach peace.

"I realized that no one hears the words about peace," the 37-year-old priest says. "It should have been conveyed to the people, to our flock, but it was not. And then I realized that I have another tool: social networks."

While his anti-war posts on Facebook received support online, the offline reaction was hostile. His superiors reassigned him several times, forbade him from giving sermons, and told parishioners to stay away from him. In the end, the priest lost hope and has stopped serving in the Russian Orthodox Church for now.

"They wanted me to leave, and in the end, they got it," the priest says, sitting in his apartment without a black robe that he wore for the past 13 years. "But I didn't renounce my rank, I just decided for the time being that I can't be among these people in this situation."

The patriarch's influence goes far beyond the boundaries of his country and his orders apply even to priests serving abroad. In February, Kirill suspended for three months the Rev. Andrei Kordochkin, a priest at an Orthodox church in Madrid, for his anti-war stance.

Kordochkin was punished for "inciting hatred" among his parishioners. But the priest says it's a warning to dissuade him from further criticism.

"I don't think that there is something that I have done wrong canonically," Kordochkin said. "If there is no canonical crime, then it means that canon law is simply used as a mechanism of political repression."

Since the first days of the war, Kordochkin has publicly condemned the Russian invasion and has been regularly praying for peace in Ukraine. He believes priests should not remain silent and must convey a Christian message to people.
Six Malian soldiers have been killed in an attack by "armed terrorist groups" in the north of the country, according to an army report.

An earlier army statement on the incident had said one soldier was killed and four wounded in the attack in Ber on Friday.

The death toll has risen to six, it said on Saturday, while "in their rout armed terrorist groups abandoned 24 bodies."

They also left behind AK-47 assault rifles and motorbikes, the army said.

It said the clashes in the Timbuktu region took place after an "attempted incursion and harassing fire by terrorist groups against FAMa (Malian Armed Forces) units."

The Malian troops were due to be stationed in Ber as part of a handover while the U.N. mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, prepares to leave the country, the army said.

Mali's junta, in power since 2020, pushed the U.N. Security Council in June to withdraw MINUSMA by the end of the year.

Tuaregs report army attack

Also in Ber on Friday, former Tuareg rebels said their forces were attacked by the army and the Russian mercenary group Wagner.

The Coordination of Azawad Movements, which controls vast areas of the north, said in a statement to AFP on Saturday that there were "maneuvers against its positions by the Malian armed forces accompanied by the Wagner militia."

The CMA is an alliance of Tuareg-dominated groups seeking autonomy or independence from the Malian state.

"The FAMa is determined to occupy MINUSMA's holdings at all costs, including those in areas under CMA control, in violation of all the security arrangements guaranteed to date by the U.N. mission and the international community", it added, referring to a 2015 peace agreement.

On Thursday, the former Tuareg rebels announced the departure of all their representatives from Bamako for "security" reasons, further widening the gap with the country's military rulers.

The CMA also criticizes the military for having approved a new constitution in June, which it believes compromises the agreement.

Mali's military government has fallen out with former colonial power France and turned to Russia for political and military support.

Since 2012, Mali has been in the grip of a deep security crisis that began with an Islamist insurgency in the north, which has spread to the center of the country as well as to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.
MIT Receives Funding from SenseTime Amid Uyghur Genocide Sanctions

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology received funding from China's SenseTime for facial recognition technology, despite sanctions on the Chinese AI company related to alleged Uyghur genocide. SenseTimes technology has allegedly been used to track Uyghurs in China. MIT sustained its collaboration with the company, leading to the publication of 20 related tech papers, despite the U.S. sanctions, according to a review by The Washington Free Beacon. SenseTime utilized MIT's research for patent filings. MIT said after SenseTime was sanctioned by the U.S. for a second time in 2021, the university stopped using any funds from the Chinese company that had yet to be allocated. SenseTime denies that its technology has been used against Uyghurs.

Uyghur Brothers' Escape from China Ends in Indian Jail

Three Uyghur brothers, who escaped Xinjiang a decade ago, now find themselves incarcerated in India, providing insight into the ongoing hardships faced by Uyghurs who fled China to escape a crackdown against the Muslim community. Illustrated by Rebel Pepper, an Australian Chinese dissident artist, the story of these siblings underscores their pursuit of refuge from the challenges endured by Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Their journey to safety led them to India in 2013, only to be met with arrest upon arrival, where they were labeled Chinese intruders.

China's Time Zone Policy Impacts Uyghur Identity in Xinjiang

The manipulation of time has acquired political significance in China, notably concerning the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, as the Communist Party's imposition of a centralized time zone centered on Beijing overlooks natural daylight patterns. In Xinjiang, time disputes arise between local communities and authorities, with increased state control erasing historical autonomy. Analysts argue the enforcement of Beijing time is part of a strategy to reinforce a united China narrative, diminish minority identities, and employ social control, with the move particularly affecting the Uyghurs. Similar time control is seen in Tibet and Inner (or South) Mongolia.

Uyghur Couples Separation Continues Amid China's Exit Ban

Despite facing no criminal charges, Uyghur dentist Ablimit Abliz, who resides in Urumqi in northwest China, continues to be banned from leaving the country, while his wife Adalet Sabit and daughter await him in the United States. This separation, enduring for six years, is the result of an exit ban and constant surveillance that prevent Abliz from reuniting with his family. The couple's story began when they married in Urumqi in January 2017; Sabit later returned to the U.S. to facilitate Abliz's immigration process. Despite efforts from U.S. officials, Abliz's exit ban remains unchanged.

Uyghur Diaspora in Turkey Targeted for Transnational Repression

China is intensifying pressure on Uyghurs in Turkey to surveil and report on the local Uyghur diaspora, according to a recent report by human rights group Safeguard Defenders titled Targeted in Turkiye: Chinas Transnational Repression Against Uyghurs. This strategy involves transnational networks, including neighborhood committees in Xinjiang and informants of the Chinese mission in Turkey, to manipulate Uyghurs abroad.

Uyghur Refugee Testimonies Unveiled on 'Audacious with Chion Wolf' Episode

In a recent episode of the PBS program Audacious with Chion Wolf titled Tell the world what's happening: Uyghur refugees on escaping genocide in China, the host delves into the distressing theme of genocide persisting despite the international promise to prevent it post-Holocaust. This installment sheds a spotlight on the Uyghur genocide through firsthand narratives of survivors. The featured guests include Zumrat Dawut and Tahir Hamut Izgil, Uyghur individuals who have experienced the horrors firsthand, as well as rights activists Julie Millsap and Omer Kanat. China denies that is committing genocide against Uyghurs.

News in brief

Uyghur community centers in Turkey empower Uyghur youth to tackle challenges and preserve identity. Two Uyghur community centers in Turkey  the East Turkistan Youth Center and the Palwan Uyghur Youth Center  positively impact young Uyghurs facing challenges like unemployment, economic hardships and drug addiction, as reported by Radio Free Asia. The East Turkistan Youth Center, founded by Abdusami Hoten, helps Uyghur youths with addiction and gambling, aiming for their reintegration into society while preserving their ethnic identity. The Palwan Uyghur Youth Center, founded by Samarjan Saidi, offers sports, skills training, and various courses, fostering a sense of community and belonging. These centers are crucial in transforming the lives of young Uyghurs, offering personal growth, education, and a supportive environment.

Quote of note

"My grandmother passed away in early 2018, without being able to see her beloved daughter  my mother. We grieved in our two-bedroomed apartment in Istanbul, far away from home and our loved ones. No one back home dared to speak to us on the phone when we wanted to express our condolences and share our pain."

 Yalkun Uluyol, Uyghur dissident and social scientist in Turkey
Key Insights

Asian Television Network International's estimated fair value is CA$0.12 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of CA$0.14 suggests Asian Television Network International is potentially trading close to its fair value

Peers of Asian Television Network International are currently trading on average at a 19% discount

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Asian Television Network International Limited (CVE:SAT) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. 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 Asian Television Network International

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. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. 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 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 (CA$, Millions) CA$275.9k CA$235.1k CA$212.0k CA$198.6k CA$191.0k CA$186.9k CA$185.1k CA$184.9k CA$185.8k CA$187.5k Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -21.96% Est @ -14.81% Est @ -9.81% Est @ -6.31% Est @ -3.86% Est @ -2.14% Est @ -0.94% Est @ -0.10% Est @ 0.49% Est @ 0.90% Present Value (CA$, Millions) Discounted @ 7.7% CA$0.3 CA$0.2 CA$0.2 CA$0.1 CA$0.1 CA$0.1 CA$0.1 CA$0.1 CA$0.1 CA$0.09

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = CA$1.4m

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 (1.9%) 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 7.7%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = CA$187k (1 + 1.9%)  (7.7% 1.9%) = CA$3.3m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= CA$3.3m ( 1 + 7.7%)10= CA$1.6m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is CA$3.0m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of CA$0.1, 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

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Asian Television Network International 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 7.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.171. 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 Asian Television Network International

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.

Weakness

Current share price is above our estimate of fair value.

Opportunity

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine SAT's earnings prospects.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for SAT.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess 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 Asian Television Network International, we've put together three essential elements you should further examine:

Risks: Take risks, for example - Asian Television Network International has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for SAT's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Canadian 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.
WAD MADANI, SUDAN (AFP Four months into a battle both believed they would win, Sudan's army has lost its grip on Khartoum to paramilitaries, who are unable to declare victory and instead are accused of waging war on civilians.

When fighting began on April 15, Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was certain it would be over "within two weeks."

His former deputy, turned enemy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has sworn his Rapid Support Forces will achieve "victory."

Yet neither has been able to gain a decisive advantage, while fighting has killed at least 3,900 people, uprooted more than 4 million, worsened food shortages and sparked war crimes allegations.

"The army thought it knew the exact military capacity of the RSF," said military expert Mohammed Abdelkarim.

But the RSF realized "they could be in for a long war" and immediately "seized the entry points to Khartoum and secured their supply lines," a former army officer said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

The army in July announced the closure of the highway linking Khartoum and Darfur  a paramilitary stronghold  but that did little to stem their flow of troops and weaponry, residents and analysts said.

Sanctions by the United States and Britain on companies linked to both sides also seem to have done little to slow the fighting.

While the armed forces try to hold key Khartoum bases, they dominate the skies, raining regular air strikes on the capital.

But they lack the RSF's infantry power, which is "essential given the urban nature of the war," Abdelkarim told AFP.

Sudan's army has all but ceded the streets to the RSF.

'Appalling abuses'

"The army has for years neglected its infantry," the former officer said, choosing to instead contract out its many wars -- including, ironically, to the RSF, which previously fought in the Darfur region and South Kordofan state.

Sudan's army long relied on the Popular Defense Forces Islamist militia, and in Darfur, where a rebellion began in 2003, then-president Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, which later evolved into the RSF.

Their campaign led to war crimes charges against Bashir and others by the International Criminal Court.

Bashir's overthrow in 2019 ushered in a transition to civilian rule but that was derailed when Burhan, the country's de facto leader, carried out a coup with Daglo in 2021.

Through its inability to control Khartoum, the army's "claim to represent the government was in question," said Sudan expert Alex de Waal.

But "what it gained on the battlefield, the RSF lost in the political arena," he said, decisively eliminating any sympathies among city dwellers "through the appalling abuses" its fighters committed.

The U.S.-supported Sudan Conflict Observatory said the RSF's positions in civilian-occupied neighborhoods and buildings are "a potential violation of the Geneva Conventions."

A separate Observatory report issued Aug. 2 found that, in Darfur, RSF and "aligned forces" had destroyed at least 27 towns.

And on Aug. 4, Britain, Norway and the United States condemned "reports of killings based on ethnicity and widespread sexual violence" in Darfur by the RSF and allied militias.

The army has also been accused of abuses, including a July 8 air strike that killed around two dozen civilians.

Burhan retains "the political upper hand" but only "by default," de Waal said.

De Waal said Burhan had "shown neither political profile nor leadership, and it is unclear if he can manage his cabal of quarrelsome lieutenants.

Diplomatic impasse

What initially appeared as a fight between two generals has since threatened to broaden into "full-scale civil war," the United Nations has warned.

On the army side, "it has opened the door to the Islamists, because they're the most prepared, but that would prolong the war and complicate Sudan's diplomatic relations," the former officer said.

The RSF "has mobilized Arab tribes from Darfur in addition to our traditional forces," said a paramilitary source speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

"Some fight to support their brothers," the RSF source said, "while others fight for money," a resource Daglo appears to have in abundance through his reputed ties to the country's gold mines.

Before the war, Washington sanctioned companies that it said served as a cover for Russian mercenary force Wagner and were also linked to Sudan's gold.

The United Arab Emirates is the largest buyer of Sudanese gold and, "according to some reports, is still supplying him with weapons," de Waal said of Daglo.

Backing the army are Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayipp Erdogan.

These allies, according to de Waal, "are talking peace even while they are arming their favored clients."

In July, Cairo hosted a summit of Sudan's neighbors but this had "the aim of blocking IGAD," the East African bloc whose mediation efforts Burhan accused of bias, the analyst said.

That adds a diplomatic impasse to political stalemate and military quagmire.

"It could last for years," one Western diplomat warned, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Nigers junta leaders are open to negotiation to avert conflict with West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS, a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars said Sunday after meeting with the military insurgents in Niamey.

ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, is mulling how to restore civilian rule in Niger, and how to reinstate the constitutionally elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Bazoum was ousted after a military takeover in Niger last month. This marks the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years.

Pursuing a peaceful resolution, ECOWAS chairman and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved the clerical diplomatic mission in Niger.

The Islamic scholars met for several hours with junta leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who has, reportedly, stated that Niger and Nigeria "were not only neighbors but brothers and sisters who should resolve issues amicably."

Although ECOWAS has threatened military intervention in Niger, it appears reluctant to deploy troops there, fearing that such a move could plunge Niger into a civil war.

Any military intervention by the bloc could further strain regional ties as juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have expressed support for Nigers military rule.

Tchiani sent a delegation Saturday to the Guinean capital, Conakry, to thank leaders there for their support  a sign of the junta's drive to affirm alliances as it stands up to regional and other powers.

"We are pan-African. When our people have problems, we are always present, and we will always be there," Guinea's interim president, Mamady Doumbouya, said at the meeting, according to a video shared late Saturday night by the presidency.

Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a research group headquartered in Germany, said said Nigers junta seems to be cementing its rule. It looks as though the putschists have won and will stay, he noted.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Harley-Davidson

Not since Hamm & Buble has Michael Buble been such a good sport. Buble joined the Foo Fighters at their Outside Lands 2023 set in a rousing rendition of Havent Met You Yet. Apparently, this is a thing the Foo Fighters do now? Cover Buble? It all started when new drummer Josh Freese joined the band. In order to welcome Freese more fully into the Foo Fam, the band started doing a medley of all the artists hes worked with. This includes Beastie Boys, Avril Lavigne, Blink-182, Nine Inch Nails, and Michael Buble. (One of these things is not like the other one, no?) The band has taken to brining a fan on stage to sing the Buble section of the medley, and at Outside Lands, that fan happened to be Ol Bubbly himself. If you didnt catch the livestream, fans got plenty of footage across social media.
Key Insights

Using the Dividend Discount Model, Korvest fair value estimate is AU$9.88

With AU$8.57 share price, Korvest appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value

How far off is Korvest Ltd (ASX:KOV) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. 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. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for Korvest

The Calculation

We have to calculate the value of Korvest slightly differently to other stocks because it is a machinery company. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. 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. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a company's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In this case we used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.1%. Relative to the current share price of AU$8.6, the company appears about fair value at a 13% 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.

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Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

= AU$0.6 / (8.1%  2.0%)

= AU$9.9

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Korvest 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 8.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.215. 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 Korvest

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 Machinery market.

Opportunity

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine KOV's earnings prospects.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for KOV.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. 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. For Korvest, we've put together three further elements you should further research:

Risks: Take risks, for example - Korvest has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of. 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 Australian 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.
Pompeii rumours grow as Colosseum is ruled out.

When Elon Musk confirmed on Friday that he would fight Mark Zuckerberg at an "epic location" in Italy with an ancient Roman backdrop, many assumed the venue would be the Colosseum in Rome.

The bizarre notion of the two tech billionaires battling it out in a cage fight in the ancient amphitheatre was first mooted in June however the prospect was ruled out definitively by Italy's culture minister on Friday.

Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), said the brawl in Italy with Facebook founder Zuckerberg would be managed by their respective foundations and would be livestreamed on Meta (Facebook) and X.

In a surprise statement, culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said he had "a long and friendly conversation with Elon Musk about a major historical reenactment event" that would result in a donation of "many millions of euro" to two children's hospitals in Italy.

Hailing it as a chance "to promote our history and our archaeological, artistic and cultural heritage on a world stage, Sangiuliano did not disclose the venue but specified that it would not be in Rome.

This prompted much speculation about which of Italy's many "epic locations" would host the mixed-martial arts fight between Musk, 52, and Zuckerberg, 39.

It has also sparked a flurry of offers from authorities around Italy eager to host the highly-anticipated Musk vs Zuck" showdown.

With the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus out of the equation, the focus quickly shifted to Pompeii whose mayor described the ancient Roman city as "the most suitable place" for the duel.

Pompeii

Carmine Lo Sapio told news agency ANSA that he "really hoped" the "extraordinarily original event" could take place in the amphitheatre of the Pompeii archaeological park, which hosted a legendary Pink Floyd concert in 1971.

However the renowned Italian archaeologist Andrea Carandini is firmly against this idea, stating that Pompeii was anything but suited to hosting this "clown show".

Calabria

The president of the southern Calabria region, Roberto Occhiuto, is also clamouring to host the event and has submitted an official application to the culture minister.

Underlining his region as "the cradle of the Riace Bronzes, Occhiuto said Calabria has "all the credentials - historical, cultural and social - required to take up this challenge".

Taormina

The mayor of Taormina in Sicily has also sent an application to the culture ministry, proposing the town's ancient amphitheatre as "an epic, suggestive and enchanting location" for the fight.

Cateno De Luca wrote on Facebook: "All that would be required is for them to donate at least 10 million to the hospital in Taormina to safeguard the paediatric heart surgery centre."

Benevento

There were also offers from Benevento, near Naples, courtesy of mayor Clemente Mastella who said the town's Roman theatre would make a "perfect location" for the "super-challenge".

Florence

A different sort of offer came from Florence mayor Dario Nardella who in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper on Sunday suggested Piazza della Signoria as a venue.

However, rather than a physical clash, Nardella proposes a battle of wits between the tech titans, recalling the legendary artistic showdown between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in 1504.

Ostia Antica

Paolo Ferrara, a politician with the populist Movimento 5 Stelle, suggested the Teatro Romano in Ostia Antica as "an epic setting" for the event, adding: "it's not in central Rome but it's still immersed in its history."

Cinecitta World

Even the Cinecitta World theme park south of Rome has thrown its hat in the ring by offering its Ben Hur set as the backdrop to the duel.

Other potential venues mentioned by the Italian media - without official requests to host the event - include the Arena in Verona and the Roman amphitheatre of Santa Maria Capua Vetere near Naples.

Criticism

The flurry of offers has however been matched by a hail of criticism at the idea of an ancient site in Italy hosting such an event.

"I find it simply incredible that Italy's cultural heritage is being put at the disposal of two billionaires who want to duke it out like idiotic teenagers," said Carlo Calenda, leader of the centrist Azione party.

"It's not a question of how much they are paying" - Calenda said - "There are things that are simply not up for sale. One of these is the dignity and history of a great country."

The mayor of Herculaneum, Ciro Buonajuto, was also quick to say that his historic town didn't need "two billionaires playing at aping modern gladiators!"

When will the Musk vs Zuck fight take place?

As speculation grows about the venue of the fight, the date also remains undisclosed.

Zuckerberg said on Friday that hes ready to fight Musk but not to believe that theres a scheduled date until he confirms it.

If he ever agrees on an actual date, youll hear it from me" - Zuckerberg wrote on Threads - "Until then, please assume anything he says has not been agreed on.

One date mentioned was 26 August however this is thought unlikely.

Another date mentioned in the Italian media is 15 March, or the Ides of March, the date on which Julius Caesar was assassinated in Rome in 44 BC.
As a 17-year-old, the prince worked on a farm at Wagga Wagga, revealing in 2013: You have to let go of a lot of things that you thought were given. You have to adapt to a new environment, and once you return to your home, you will benefit from these experiences. Charles at Timbertop in 1966. Credit: Fairfax Media King Charles III was a 17-year-old when he was dispatched for six months at Geelong Grammars Timbertop campus in the Victorian Alps. He has since described those six months in Australia as by far the best part of his education. He undertook cross-country expeditions in blistering heat, logging 113 kilometres in three days, climbing five peaks along the way, and spending nights freezing in a sleeping bag. While I was here I had the Pommy bits bashed off me, he said years later during a return visit to Australia.

On a chilly autumn night, inside a small boiler room at Timbertop campus, a then 14-year-old named Jonathan Jonny Southey had an encounter with the future King that he would never forget. He was smoking a cigarette  a big no-no  when he was caught by the prince. He said, Southey, you should know better than that. I better confiscate that cigarette, Southey recalled years later to The Age. Southey figured he would soon be admonished by teachers and caned, but revealed the prince had spared him by saying nothing of the encounter. Decades later Charles sent his wayward son Prince Harry to Australia in 2003.

In his biography Spare, Prince Harry writes about the joys of mustering cattle in dusty rural Queensland, as he escaped his life in fishbowl Britain. Harry musters cattle on a horse called Guardsman at Tooloombilla in central Queensland. Credit: AP My family believed hard labour is the answer to everything, Harry wrote. This wasnt merely work. Being a jackaroo required stamina, but it also demanded a certain artistry. You had to be a whisperer to animals. You had to be a reader of the skies, and the land. You also had to possess a superior level of horsemanship.

Despite planning to spend six months in Australia, the appearance of paparazzi camping out meant his stay was cut short to nine weeks. Time out Down Under was also something his mother Diana, then Lady Spencer, had taken when she was mulling over Charless marriage proposal. The then-Lady Diana Spencer described herself in later life as a lamb to the slaughter. Credit: Bettmann For three weeks during the Australian summer of 1981 she secretly lived in a beach house in sleepy Mollymook, on the NSW South Coast, where local Margie Nyholm ran a fish and chip shop. This very tall girl started coming in and she had a scarf around her hair and big glasses on, Nyholm later told Who magazine. Her mother usually ordered fish and chips. Diana would stand there and look at all the food and then just buy a little fruit-juice box. Shed talk to her mother and her mother said, Darling you must keep your strength up. She was trying to encourage her to eat.

After Dianas return to England, she and Charles announced their engagement on February 24, 1981. Zara Phillips met her future husband, rugby player Mike Tindall, at the Manly Wharf Hotel during her gap year travelling around Australia. Denmarks Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, pictured in 2021, with son Prince Christian. Credit: AP And perhaps it wont be long until another of Europes future kings is shipped to our shores. Princess Marys oldest child, Prince Christian, marks his 18th birthday in October. Loading
I have very few memories of my parents as a couple, but their stories from before I was born are legendary. Dad was a guitarist in Perths underground music scene in the 1980s. Mum attended gigs with a punk Dad assumed was her boyfriend, until finding out they were brother and sister. There was a shared car to the Red Parrot nightclub. Mum wore a T-shirt covered in cute cartoon animals that, on closer inspection, appeared to be copulating.

Laura Woollett is the author of three novels and a collection of short stories.

They moved to Sydney in pursuit of Dads dreams of going pro, living with the band in a share-house that Mum refused to clean for fear of being saddled with all the housework. Once, a mouse crawled into the toaster and was incinerated. Another time, Mum worked alongside a beautiful nurse whose body was later found in a paddock. An American record deal came along, but Dad no longer liked the band. In 1987, they headed back west, Dad got a job in mining, Mum got pregnant, and their starving-artist era concluded.

My sister K and I were born 18 months apart, at the tail end of the 1980s. Those months made a difference. When Dad accepted a FIFO position with a coal mining company in Kalimantan, Indonesia, K missed him and anticipated his returns, whereas I sometimes forgot who he was. When our parents began to argue in the laundry on Dads visits home, K cried and attempted to make peace, while I enjoyed the extensive collection of toy dinosaurs that Dads mining money had afforded us. At some point they broke up, but it didnt really register. Mum was always there. Dad was sometimes there. I didnt mind. When he brought home his new fiancee in 1996, I was thrilled.

Wida was a travel agent from Jakarta, the second-youngest of 11 siblings. In contrast to Mums silver suns, moons and crucifixes, she wore gold hoops and a gold Koran necklace. Her voice was loud, not soft. Her make-up, red lipstick rather than black liquid eyeliner. But both women were petite and dark, with short, stylishly cut hair. I loved them both, unquestioningly.
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 The words came on the radio and the television  so goes the Yothu Yindi song Treaty. The then prime minister Bob Hawke agreed to negotiate Australias first treaty with First Nations people by 1990. As it turned out, a policy of reconciliation took priority instead. Promises can disappear, just like writing in the sand, went the lyrics. The chorus caught on  treaty yeah, treaty now  but there was no treaty to come. Guwamu woman Cheryl Buchanan says these were dark years after the prospect of a treaty faded. Social justice issues come to the fore, then theyre lost, and then they come up again, and then theyre lost, says Buchanan, who was among the first campers at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy outside Parliament House in Canberra in 1972. Weve had to keep pushing forward. Today, treaty negotiations have never appeared more likely as nearly all states and territories commit to pursuing them, along with truth-telling about historical injustices. Victoria and Queensland are the most advanced. A sense of hope is building for Buchanan, co-chair of Queenslands Interim Truth and Treaty Body, which was set up last year to advise the state on how to proceed. There are great opportunities here for our people. Meanwhile, in Canberra the prospect of a treaty following the establishment of a Voice to Parliament has been raised, with the Coalition  which broadly opposes the Voice  questioning the federal government on the matter. In turn, the government has attempted to deflect the questions by pointing out that processes for treaty-making are already under way in several states. What is an Indigenous treaty? What would a treaty or treaties with First Nations Australians look like? And is the Voice a precursor? Cheryl Buchanan: Weve had to keep pushing forward. Credit: Rhett Wyman (digital altered)

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First, whats an Indigenous treaty? Treaties have helped world leaders to end wars with one another, to agree to stop nuclear proliferation, to negotiate trade, to commit to emissions reduction targets. But international treaties are different from those between governments and Indigenous people. These treaties help provide a structure for resolving ongoing differences after settlers have colonised lands. [They] are agreements, essentially, where the parties come together, discuss how they can resolve differences and set down an agreed framework for living together more positively, says George Williams, a professor at the University of NSW and co-author of the book Treaty. The aspiration of treaties is to achieve a just coexistence. Australia is the only Commonwealth country with an Indigenous population that doesnt have a treaty with that population. This is partly because no treaty with the Crown was entered into when colonists arrived in the late 18th century, Williams says, and neither were they negotiated as settlements expanded. Some settlers did make agreements. John Batman, for example, claimed to have negotiated a treaty with Wurundjeri people in 1835 to hand over land in present-day Melbourne for items including blankets, clothing and flour. But even if the Aboriginal individuals involved regarded the treaty in the same way as Batman, he was not acting on behalf of the Crown and his treaty was quickly deemed invalid. Half a century after the British arrived in Australia, in 1840 in New Zealand they entered into the Treaty of Waitangi with about 540 Maori chiefs. The Maori sought to protect their interests as the British sought to secure the Crowns position in New Zealand. Since 1975, a tribunal has been dealing with claims where the Crown is alleged to have breached the treatys principles. The circumstances of the Waitangi Treatys creation were very different to those in Australia. The treaty itself is three articles, far less complex than modern treaties with First Nations people. Historic treaties are first-principles treaties. Theyre saying, Well engage this way, you can have this, well have that and good luck to each other, says Harry Hobbs, an associate professor of human rights law at University of Technology Sydney. A treaty between the United States and the Six Nations of the Iroquois League signed at Fort Stanwix in 1784. Credit: US National Archives The United States government also struck several hundred historic treaties with American Indian Nations between 1778 and 1871, mostly to establish peace and land boundaries, before Congress ended this kind of treaty-making. Often broken, sometimes coerced, treaties still define mutual obligations between the United States and Indian Nations, notes the National Museum of American Indians. Canada recognises 70 historic treaties covering land rights and peace agreements and has 26 modern treaties, which aim to address historical injustices.

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Uluru Dialogue co-chair Megan Davis is cautious about comparing historical treaties overseas with what treaties might be able to achieve today. One of the problems I have with the way treaties have been done is people have created really unrealistic expectations about what a treaty will be able to achieve, she says. Because a treaty [in Australia] is an ordinary act of parliament it will be very limited with what it can do and achieve. A modern treaty has three main elements, based on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, says Hobbs. First, the agreement acknowledges that Indigenous peoples are a distinct political community: Theyre not just Australian citizens, but they are something different as well: they could be Wurundjeri, they could be Wiradjuri, they could be Wik  theyve got this distinct community. Second, the agreement must be reached by a process of negotiation between equals. Last, it has a concrete outcome that recognises unceded sovereignty and a degree of self-governance. It needs to provide for some exercise of that right in the modern-day situation, Hobbs says. In Canada, for example, the Nisgaa treaty is comprehensive: it provides for a government that makes laws including over the administration of itself, management of Nisgaa lands and assets and Nisgaa language, culture and citizenship. These laws operate alongside existing laws; the treaty sets out how to resolve any conflicts and inconsistencies between laws. Nisgaa people and officials at the dedication of their government building in New Aiyansh, Canada, in 2000. Credit: WikiCommons Sydney senior counsel and Wirdi man Tony McAvoy, who is the former acting Northern Territory treaty commissioner, says self-governance can vary in practice. In remote parts of Australia, self-governance will be something entirely different to the self-governance that First Nations can carry out in the capital cities, he says. So the system has to understand that and have the flexibility to accommodate the aspirations of the various First Nations. Several legal experts, including Williams and Hobbs, argue that the Western Australian South West Native Title Settlement (known also as the Noongar settlement) is the nations first treaty. The settlement, reached in 2021, includes recognition of the Noongar people through an act in the WA parliament and the transfer of up to 320,000 hectares of Crown land into the Noongar Boodja Trust. Over 12 years, the WA government pays $50 million annually to a trust managing assets for six Noongar corporations, and $10 million to the corporations for their operations. Id say its kind of a lowercase-T treaty, Hobbs says. Others say the settlement is not a treaty because it didnt go far enough to achieve self-governance and wasnt negotiated through a formal treaty process. Rueben Berg and Ngarra Murray are overseeing treaty negotiations with the Victorian government. Credit: Justin McManus (digitally altered)

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Where are treaties up to in Australia? In 2019, the inaugural members of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria met in the states upper house, possum skins draped across red seats, native flora screening the vice-regal chair. The assembly began to set up a negotiation framework for treaties with the state government. Most states and territories are committed to pursuing treaty negotiations. Western Australia is holding out; former premier Mark McGowan said in 2022 he wanted to see a successful national Voice before the state aligned its framework. Its important we dont confuse things. The aim is to ensure this referendum is successful first, he said. NSW has also committed to a year-long consultation process after the Voice referendum. As with most modern treaty negotiations, such as in Canada ... an independent umpire, a Treaty Authority, will ensure deliberations are fair. In the Northern Territory, McAvoy delivered a report last year recommending a treaty and truth-telling commission. The government has not acted on this so far, finding there was no consensus view on what treaty framework is best for the state, but says it is continuing the treaty journey. South Australia has legislated a state-based Voice to parliament  an election for First Nations people will occur in March to determine members  while the state says it is committed to pursuing treaties. Queensland passed a Path to Treaty Bill in June to create a First Nations Treaty Institute, overseen by a 10-person First Nations Council, and a formal Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry. There are more than 150 First Nations groups in Queensland; Buchanan says groups will work with the institute to discuss what they want to negotiate. We have to get some consensus on these things, and I dont think thats going to happen overnight, she says. Victoria is the furthest ahead with a framework for treaty negotiations. The assembly has 32 members representing five regions across the state. Members are elected through two systems: communities in particular regions elect 22 of the representatives, and there are 11 reserved seats for specific traditional owner groups. (This number can expand, and one seat is currently vacant.)

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As with most modern treaty negotiations, such as in Canada, the government and assembly have established an independent umpire, a Treaty Authority, that will ensure parties are prepared to negotiate and deliberations are fair. You cant have an entity thats part of the state because theyre clearly not independent, says assembly co-chair Rueben Berg. The authority was created through Victorian law, but also gets its power from both parties signing up to the framework. Separately, Victorias Yoorrook Justice Commission is facilitating truth-telling, with a final report due in 2025. Berg says truth-telling is an important part of treaty negotiations because it can make recommendations about what needs to change. Uncovering and understanding all those truths and injustices is a way of saying, This is why we need a treaty, he says. Megan Davis says truth-telling can help develop broad support for treaties, which have to pass through parliament. You are going to have to get both sides of parliament on board, she says. At a state level, treaty processes have bipartisan support in Queensland and Victoria, although not in NSW. Tony McAvoy: [Treaties] havent brought about any economic crash. What could the treaties cover? The Victorian First Peoples Assembly believes treaty negotiations could start in 2024; its vision is for one treaty between the state and the assembly on statewide matters. This could cover anything from granting the assembly greater powers to appointing board members to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council (currently a power that sits with the minister) or some state land being returned for Aboriginal management. Theres nothing, automatically by default, thats off the table. But it has to be reached in an agreement between the two parties, Berg says. The assembly also wants to empower traditional owner groups to negotiate multiple treaties at a local level. This could include anything from dual-naming of places such as Melbourne or Wilsons Promontory to increasing representation for First Nations people on local councils. Berg is wary of the view that treaties and forms of self-governance could be perceived to create a separate society thats just for Aboriginal people. Thats not the aspiration, he says. We know there are discrepancies in outcomes for our people. So we need dedicated approaches to improve those outcomes.

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Canadian insurer Sun Life Financial plans to increase its roster of agents in Hong Kong and use the city as a launch pad to expand into other Asian markets to capture growing opportunities in the region, according to its Asia head.

"We are based in Hong Kong, which is our regional headquarters," said Ingrid Johnson, president of Sun Life Asia, in an interview. "It has served us extremely well because Hong Kong is a fantastic location from where we can travel around the region easily."

The insurer has wholly owned operations in the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore, as well as joint ventures in Malaysia, India and mainland China. The company has been operating in Asia for 131 years, serving 25 million clients across the region with its army of 30,000 employees and 97,000 financial advisers.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Sun Life's planned expansion matches the vision of Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who wants more international insurers to base themselves in the city to oversee their Asia operations.

Ingrid Johnson, president of Sun Life Asia, says the company will focus on hiring quality agents. Photo: May Tse alt=Ingrid Johnson, president of Sun Life Asia, says the company will focus on hiring quality agents. Photo: May Tse>

"We certainly would like to see more cross-selling of products among our customers," Johnson said. "We have over 1 million clients in Hong Kong, but less than 20 per cent have life, health and wealth with us. So that is an opportunity."

In April, Sun Life opened a 23,000 sq ft customer centre at The Gateway in the tourist hotspot of Tsim Sha Tsui, joining peers such as HSBC Life, Manulife, Prudential and Standard Chartered who have set up such dedicated customer centres over the past two years to tap wealthy clients.

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"While we are a late entrant in creating this client space, we have raised the bar in terms of client experience," Johnson said. "The new centre has helped boost sales."

Sun Life said new policy sales in Hong Kong rose fourfold year on year in the second quarter, with mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong accounting for more than 20 per cent of the total, up from 10 per cent before the pandemic.

The strong growth in Hong Kong, alongside doubling of sales in mainland China and 39 per cent jump in India during the second quarter contributed to a 25 per cent increase in profit to C$150 million (US$111.9 million) for the quarter ended June in the region, while its insurance sales rose 51 per cent to C$450 million.

The insurer's underlying profit in Asia rose 36 per cent over five years from C$461 million in 2017 to C$627 million last year.

Johnson said Sun Life will continue to invest in agents but will focus on quality instead of quantity.

"We are investing very carefully to pursue quality agents to make sure that we do not end up getting people who just care about the money," she said. "As such, we do not want to just expand the number of the agents, but we want to invest in facilities and technology to enhance their productivity and services to customers."

The expansion plan in Hong Kong comes as Sun Life is eyeing growth in the Greater Bay Area, Johnson said. Sun Life has an insurance joint venture in mainland China with Everbright Group, allowing its banking partner China Everbright Bank to sell in the region that comprises Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province.

Johnson was appointed Asia president at the end of 2021, relocating to Hong Kong from London in January last year and undergoing mandatory quarantine when the city was in grip of the fifth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Johnson has put the trauma of settling in the city behind her, rating Hong Kong highly for ease of doing business, good food and hiking trails.

"Hong Kong is a beautiful city," she said. "It is not until you arrive here that you see the ease with which we can live, and the government has set all the necessary structures to support society to live very comfortably."

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Partly sunny, very warm, and more humid; spotty late shower or t-storm possible, especially north, however most remain dry..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. There might be a stray early shower or t-storm but most should stay dry. It will turn less humid overnight.
The state attorney general's office announced it has reached a $2.6 million settlement with Leominster-based MedStar Ambulance Inc.

$2.6M

The state attorney general's office announced it has reached a $2.6 million settlement with a Leominster-based ambulance company. MedStar Ambulance Inc., along with its parent corporation and affiliates, settled with the office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims to MassHealth, the states Medicaid program. MedStar provides services to several Central and Western Massachusetts cities and towns including Worcester, Fitchburg and Leominster. Campbell's office contended that the company knowingly submitted false claims to MassHealth for emergency ambulance services when only a less expensive level of service was provided.

Toro Loco owner Miguel Perez

1,200

A new Mexican express restaurant is now open at the DCU Center. Toro Loco Taqueria now occupies the 1,200-square-foot space located at Foster and Commercial streets. The spot was previously the home of Glazy Susan Specialty Doughnuts, which closed in January. The new Mexican eatery is owned by Miguel Perez and his wife, Denise Medina. The menu is based on family recipes that originate from their upbringing in Union de Tula, a town in Jalisco, Mexico. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Christmas Tree Shops closed Saturday in Shrewsbury.

35

The Christmas Tree Shops location that has been at Olde Shrewsbury Village in Shrewsbury for more than 35 years closed Saturday, together with the store's branch in Hyannis. In the 1950s, Mark and Alice Matthews opened The Christmas Tree Gift Shop in Yarmouth Port. The chain's successive owners were Charles and Doreen Bilezikian, Bed Bath & Beyond and Handhil Holdings LLC. The chain filed bankruptcy in May. Built on 22 acres on the Shrewsbury-Northborough line at Routes 9 and 20, Olde Shrewsbury Village, at 1000 Boston Turnpike, opened with 40 stores and two anchors, Christmas Tree Shops and Calverts.

Signs indicating a contractor is beginning work on the demolition of the vacant building at 195 Mill St. were visible in front of the building.

195

Signs indicating a contractor is beginning work on the demolition of the vacant building at 195 Mill St. were visible in front of the building recently. The building, the former site of a Big D and Price Chopper supermarket, features two prominent posters saying Bellingham-based demolition company Regional Industrial Services Corp. would be conducting the demolition. Vacant for two decades, the property has been a regular issue for city councilors and a recurring issue during election years, with city councilors lamenting the property becoming an "eyesore" and a missed opportunity for redevelopment in an attractive part of the city.

Story continues

Louis Brady, president and CEO of the Family Health Center of Worcester on Queen Street in Worcester.

$1.2M

Less than a year after financial problems at the Family Health Center resulted in more than 30 staff layoffs, the nonprofit reported a budget surplus. The center announced a $1.2 million surplus in fiscal 2023 resulting from its Better Together turnaround effort that started in November. In September, the center laid off 35 workers, furloughed 15 and closed branches in Southbridge and Webster. Low state Medicaid reimbursements, fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and a computer malware attack were cited by center leadership as primary reasons for those moves. Family Health Center serves more than 30,000 patients, many of them low income.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Business Matters: Central Mass. by the Numbers
Ingalls & Snyder LLC decreased its position in Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 363,220 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 8,972 shares during the quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $10,388,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Ahrens Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 67.34% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider James P. Demare sold 75,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.53, for a total transaction of $2,364,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 185,108 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,836,455.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider James P. Demare sold 75,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.53, for a total transaction of $2,364,750.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 185,108 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,836,455.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Dean C. Athanasia sold 77,806 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.48, for a total value of $2,449,332.88. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 353,971 shares in the company, valued at $11,143,007.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on BAC. StockNews.com began coverage on Bank of America in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Bank of America from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Bank of America in a report on Friday, June 30th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Bank of America from $41.00 to $40.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Bank of America from $38.00 to $33.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and 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 price target of $36.26.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BAC

Bank of America Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE BAC traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $31.29. 35,720,658 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 46,018,312. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. The stock has a market cap of $248.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.36. Bank of America Co. has a 1 year low of $26.32 and a 1 year high of $38.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $29.93 and a 200 day moving average of $30.41.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $25.20 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.98 billion. Bank of America had a return on equity of 12.01% and a net margin of 19.97%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.73 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Bank of America Co. will post 3.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of America Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Investors of record on Friday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. This is a boost from Bank of Americas previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio is 25.29%.

About Bank of America

(Free Report)

Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional and money market savings accounts, certificates of deposit and IRAs, noninterest-and interest-bearing checking accounts, and investment accounts and products; and credit and debit cards, residential mortgages, and home equity loans, as well as direct and indirect loans, such as automotive, recreational vehicle, and consumer personal loans.

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Motco raised its position in The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Free Report) by 7,859.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 21,888 shares of the investment management companys stock after purchasing an additional 21,613 shares during the period. Motcos holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $7,160,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tower View Investment Management & Research LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its holdings in 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 buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Elequin Securities LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC grew its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 3,433.3% in the 1st quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 106 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. 76.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on GS shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on The Goldman Sachs Group from $339.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com started coverage on The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Societe Generale lowered The Goldman Sachs Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 10th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $433.00 to $483.00 in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group reissued an outperform rating and set a $410.00 target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Thursday, July 20th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $396.93.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 9,000,000 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total value of $105,570,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 51,676,439 shares in the company, valued at $606,164,629.47. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other The Goldman Sachs Group news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 9,000,000 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.73, for a total value of $105,570,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 51,676,439 shares in the company, valued at $606,164,629.47. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO David M. Solomon sold 4,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $356.28, for a total value of $1,496,376.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 124,782 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $44,457,330.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 10,159,686 shares of company stock worth $123,960,027. 0.54% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

Shares of GS stock traded up $0.33 on Friday, hitting $340.73. 1,256,837 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,406,315. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.18, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $287.75 and a 12 month high of $389.58. The stock has a market cap of $112.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a 50 day moving average of $335.47 and a 200 day moving average of $337.41.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Free Report) last posted 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 company 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 8.27% and a net margin of 9.74%. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue was down 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $7.73 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 25.75 EPS for the current year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $2.75 dividend. This is an increase from The Goldman Sachs Groups previous quarterly dividend of $2.50. This represents a $11.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 30th. The Goldman Sachs Groups payout ratio is presently 42.66%.

The Goldman Sachs Group Company Profile

(Free Report)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements.

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Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 22,290,000 shares, a drop of 33.7% from the July 15th total of 33,630,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 15,640,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Currently, 1.2% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Citigroup

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its holdings in Citigroup by 86,191.4% during the second quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 545,751,112 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,126,381,000 after purchasing an additional 545,118,661 shares during the last quarter. Snider Financial Group grew its stake in Citigroup by 96,645.9% in the 1st quarter. Snider Financial Group now owns 84,494,926 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,512,000 after buying an additional 84,407,589 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Citigroup by 216,016.2% in the 1st quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 21,888,245 shares of the companys stock worth $1,026,340,000 after acquiring an additional 21,878,117 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Citigroup during the 4th quarter worth $631,922,000. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its holdings in Citigroup by 161.9% during the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 18,451,528 shares of the companys stock valued at $865,192,000 after acquiring an additional 11,407,293 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.39% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on shares of Citigroup from $75.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Credit Suisse Group lowered their price target on Citigroup from $54.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Citigroup from $50.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Citigroup from $58.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Monday, June 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Citigroup from $53.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $53.73.

Citigroup Stock Up 0.5 %

C traded up $0.23 during trading on Friday, reaching $44.57. 11,973,166 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 18,083,904. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. Citigroup has a fifty-two week low of $40.01 and a fifty-two week high of $54.56. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $46.83 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $47.56. The stock has a market cap of $86.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.55.

Citigroup (NYSE:C  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 14th. The company reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $19.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $19.34 billion. Citigroup had a return on equity of 6.80% and a net margin of 10.24%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.30 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Citigroup will post 5.75 EPS for the current year.

Citigroup Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 4th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.76%. This is an increase from Citigroups previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. Citigroups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.60%.

About Citigroup

(Get Free Report)

Citigroup Inc, a diversified financial services holding company, provides various financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions in North America, Latin America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It operates through three segments: Institutional Clients Group (ICG), Personal Banking and Wealth Management (PBWM), and Legacy Franchises.

Further Reading

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SLC Agricola S.A. (OTCMKTS:SLCJY  Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,700 shares, a growth of 50.0% from the July 15th total of 3,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.3 days.

SLC Agricola Price Performance

Shares of SLCJY remained flat at $8.71 during trading hours on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $8.21 and a 200 day moving average of $8.26. SLC Agricola has a 12-month low of $6.42 and a 12-month high of $11.18.

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SLC Agricola Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Recommended Stories

SLC Agricola SA produces and sells agricultural products in Brazil and internationally. The company cultivates soybean, corn, cotton, wheat, seed corn, popcorn corn, mung beans, and brachiaria crops, as well as produces and markets seeds and seedlings, including soybean, wheat, and cotton seeds. In addition, the company is involved in the cattle raising business; acquiring and developing land for agriculture; property rental; and agro-industrial activities of industrialization of sugar cane, alcohol, and related derivatives, as well as reception, cleaning, drying, and storing of cereals.

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Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Smartspace Software plc (LON:SMRT) CEO & Director, Francis Beechinor-Collins, recently bought UK50k worth of stock, for UK0.41 per share. While that isn't the hugest buy, it actually boosted their shareholding by 120%, which is good to see.

See our latest analysis for Smartspace Software

Smartspace Software Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

In fact, the recent purchase by Francis Beechinor-Collins was the biggest purchase of Smartspace Software shares made by an insider individual in the last twelve months, according to our records. We do like to see buying, but this purchase was made at well below the current price of UK0.49. 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.

Smartspace Software insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. 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).

Insider Ownership

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Insiders own 5.3% of Smartspace Software shares, worth about UK758k, according to our data. However, it's possible that insiders might have an indirect interest through a more complex structure. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

So What Do The Smartspace Software Insider Transactions Indicate?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchases. We also take confidence from the longer term picture of insider transactions. But we don't feel the same about the fact the company is making losses. On this analysis the only slight negative we see is the fairly low (overall) insider ownership; their transactions suggest that they are quite positive on Smartspace Software stock. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Smartspace Software has 3 warning signs (1 is concerning!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

Story continues

Of course Smartspace Software 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.
Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC decreased its position in shares of The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO  Free Report) by 2.1% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 70,182 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,510 shares during the period. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLCs holdings in Coca-Cola were worth $4,353,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pacific Wealth Strategies Group Inc. grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 12.8% during the 1st quarter. Pacific Wealth Strategies Group Inc. now owns 15,800 shares of the companys stock worth $980,000 after acquiring an additional 1,788 shares in the last quarter. Arabesque Asset Management Ltd grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 104.1% during the 4th quarter. Arabesque Asset Management Ltd now owns 73,354 shares of the companys stock worth $4,666,000 after acquiring an additional 37,412 shares in the last quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 13.5% during the 1st quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC now owns 50,687 shares of the companys stock worth $3,144,000 after acquiring an additional 6,020 shares in the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 26.1% during the 1st quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 13,313 shares of the companys stock worth $826,000 after acquiring an additional 2,758 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service grew its holdings in Coca-Cola by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. National Pension Service now owns 5,950,675 shares of the companys stock worth $378,522,000 after acquiring an additional 134,244 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.61% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Coca-Cola from $69.00 to $70.00 in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $61.00 to $63.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $67.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, July 27th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $69.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, HSBC decreased their price target on shares of Coca-Cola from $77.00 to $74.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $68.33.

Coca-Cola Price Performance

Shares of KO stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $61.17. 8,483,912 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,810,843. The Coca-Cola Company has a 12 month low of $54.01 and a 12 month high of $65.47. The company has a market cap of $264.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.17, a PEG ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 0.54. The companys 50 day moving average price is $61.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 1.14.

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO  Get Free Report) last released 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 net margin of 23.81% and a return on equity of 43.06%. The company had revenue of $12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.74 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.70 EPS. Coca-Colas revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Coca-Cola Company will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Coca-Cola Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.01%. Coca-Colas payout ratio is currently 75.72%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 156,290 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.10, for a total value of $9,705,609.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 228,830 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,210,343. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CFO John Murphy sold 156,290 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.10, for a total value of $9,705,609.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 228,830 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,210,343. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Beatriz R. Perez sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.66, for a total transaction of $3,133,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 143,383 shares in the company, valued at $8,984,378.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock.

Coca-Cola Company Profile

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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.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Free Report) in a report published on Wednesday. The firm issued a sell rating on the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock.

Ampio Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE opened at $0.21 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $0.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $0.26. The company has a market cap of $3.16 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.17 and a beta of 1.72. Ampio Pharmaceuticals has a fifty-two week low of $0.17 and a fifty-two week high of $1.90.

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Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter.

Institutional Trading of Ampio Pharmaceuticals

Ampio Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 13,996,074 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $6,578,000 after buying an additional 61,269 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,307,338 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $4,375,000 after purchasing an additional 77,822 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,430,770 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,612,000 after purchasing an additional 66,375 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 998.6% in the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,035,413 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 1,850,138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new position in Ampio Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter worth about $168,000. 3.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, develops therapies for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain. It focuses on the preclinical development of AR-300, a novel proprietary, small molecule formulation for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. The company is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.

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AngloGold Ashanti Limited (NYSE:AU  Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,820,000 shares, a growth of 21.6% from the July 15th total of 5,610,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,360,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AU has been the topic of a number of research reports. Investec downgraded AngloGold Ashanti from a buy rating to a sell rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on AngloGold Ashanti in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

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Institutional Trading of AngloGold Ashanti

AngloGold Ashanti Stock Performance

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its stake in shares of AngloGold Ashanti by 89.1% during the 4th quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 1,475 shares of the mining companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 30.9% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,194 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in AngloGold Ashanti by 31.4% during the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,540 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in AngloGold Ashanti during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Institutional investors own 24.20% of the companys stock.

NYSE AU traded down $0.23 on Friday, reaching $17.90. The stock had a trading volume of 1,944,634 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,125,259. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $21.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.17. AngloGold Ashanti has a 1 year low of $11.94 and a 1 year high of $30.26.

AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, June 23rd. The mining company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts expect that AngloGold Ashanti will post 1.42 EPS for the current year.

AngloGold Ashanti Company Profile

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AngloGold Ashanti Limited operates as a gold mining company in Africa, the Americas, and Australia. The company explores for gold. Its flagship property is a 100% owned Geita project located in the Lake Victoria goldfields of the Mwanza region in north-western Tanzania. The company also owns 100% interest in the Iduapriem mine which covers 137 square kilometers located in the western region of Ghana; Obuasi project located in Ghana; AGA Mineracao in Brazil; Serra Grande located in central Brazil in the state of Goias; Greenfield Projects in the Beatty district in Nevada; and Sunrise Dam in Australia.

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Baloise Holding AG (OTCMKTS:BLHEF  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,900 shares, a decrease of 60.1% from the July 15th total of 19,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently  days.

Baloise Stock Performance

BLHEF stock remained flat at $149.96 during midday trading on Friday. Baloise has a twelve month low of $142.15 and a twelve month high of $153.45. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $149.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $154.69.

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Baloise Company Profile

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Baloise Holding AG, together with its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the insurance and banking businesses in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg. It operates through Non-Life, Life, Asset Management & Banking, and Other Activities segments. The company offers various non-life insurance products, including accident, health, general liability, motor, fire and other property, marine, credit protection, and legal expenses insurance.

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BDO Wealth Advisors LLC lessened its stake in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY  Free Report) by 21.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,625 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,013 shares during the quarter. BDO Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $1,245,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of LLY. Cora Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $328,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Aries Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Aries Wealth Management now owns 3,701 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,271,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 397 shares of the companys stock valued at $136,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC now owns 1,248 shares of the companys stock valued at $428,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avantax Planning Partners Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 2,555 shares of the companys stock valued at $877,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.25% of the companys stock.

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Eli Lilly and Company Price Performance

Shares of LLY opened at $528.28 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $501.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 73.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.13. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $296.32 and a one year high of $538.00. The stocks fifty day moving average is $458.58 and its 200-day moving average is $398.93.

Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement

Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $8.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.58 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 65.00% and a net margin of 22.01%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 28.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.25 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 9.85 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.86%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is currently 62.87%.

Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company

In related news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total transaction of $2,576,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,941 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,864,681.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total transaction of $2,576,760.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 36,941 shares of the companys stock, valued at $15,864,681.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The shares were 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 of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 755,017 shares of company stock valued at $357,815,036 over the last 90 days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $490.00 to $580.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $600.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $615.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $510.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, 22nd Century Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Tuesday, June 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Eli Lilly and Company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $517.00.

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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.

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Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Chart Industries (NYSE:GTLS  Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has $224.00 price target on the industrial products companys stock, up from their prior price target of $162.00.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on GTLS. Raymond James upped their price objective on Chart Industries from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, July 31st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Chart Industries in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Citigroup increased their price target on Chart Industries from $165.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on Chart Industries from $131.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 31st. Finally, Capital One Financial assumed coverage on Chart Industries in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $174.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Chart Industries presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $200.86.

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Chart Industries Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GTLS opened at $168.42 on Wednesday. Chart Industries has a twelve month low of $101.44 and a twelve month high of $242.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. The company has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -366.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.55. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $132.83.

Chart Industries (NYSE:GTLS  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The industrial products company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.25. Chart Industries had a positive return on equity of 8.21% and a negative net margin of 0.28%. The business had revenue of $908.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $971.28 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.88 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 124.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Chart Industries will post 6.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chart Industries

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. KB Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Chart Industries in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chart Industries by 164.6% in the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Pinebridge Investments L.P. bought a new position in shares of Chart Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Chart Industries by 59.0% in the 2nd quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 248 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Chart Industries by 31.5% in the 2nd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 417 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter.

Chart Industries Company Profile

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Chart Industries, Inc manufactures and sells engineered cryogenic equipment for the industrial gas and clean energy markets in the United States and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Cryo Tank Solutions, Heat Transfer Systems, Specialty Products, and Repair, Service & Leasing.

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China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:CYYHF  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 69,000 shares, a decline of 81.6% from the July 15th total of 375,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently  days.

China Yongda Automobiles Services Price Performance

Shares of China Yongda Automobiles Services stock remained flat at $0.50 on Friday. China Yongda Automobiles Services has a 12 month low of $0.45 and a 12 month high of $1.05. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $0.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $0.65.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CYYHF has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut China Yongda Automobiles Services from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, July 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut China Yongda Automobiles Services from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th.

China Yongda Automobiles Services Company Profile

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China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, operates as a passenger vehicle retailer and service provider in the People's Republic of China. It operates through Passenger Vehicle Sales and Services and Automobile Operating Lease Services segments. The company focuses on luxury and ultra-luxury brands.

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia (OTCMKTS:CBAUF  Get Free Report) shares passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $67.56 and traded as low as $66.72. Commonwealth Bank of Australia shares last traded at $66.72, with a volume of 483 shares.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Price Performance

The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $67.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $67.53.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia Company Profile

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Retail Banking Services, Business Banking, Institutional Banking and Markets, New Zealand, Corporate Centre and Other, and Wealth Management. The Retail Banking Services segment provides home loan, consumer finance, and retail deposit products and servicing to all retail bank customers and non-relationship managed small business customers.

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RenaissanceRe (NYSE:RNR  Get Free Report) and Swiss Re (OTCMKTS:SSREF  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Dividends

RenaissanceRe pays an annual dividend of $1.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Swiss Re pays an annual dividend of $4.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.4%. RenaissanceRe pays out 19.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Swiss Re pays out 37.0% 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. RenaissanceRe has increased its dividend for 28 consecutive years.

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Profitability

This table compares RenaissanceRe and Swiss Res net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets RenaissanceRe 5.60% 14.22% 1.91% Swiss Re N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score RenaissanceRe 1 1 3 0 2.40 Swiss Re 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for RenaissanceRe and Swiss Re, as reported by MarketBeat.

RenaissanceRe currently has a consensus target price of $221.40, suggesting a potential upside of 20.02%. Given RenaissanceRes higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe RenaissanceRe is more favorable than Swiss Re.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

93.2% of RenaissanceRe shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.3% of Swiss Re shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of RenaissanceRe shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares RenaissanceRe and Swiss Res top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio RenaissanceRe $5.06 billion 1.87 -$1.06 billion $8.00 23.06 Swiss Re N/A N/A N/A $11.77 8.46

Swiss Re has lower revenue, but higher earnings than RenaissanceRe. Swiss Re is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than RenaissanceRe, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

RenaissanceRe beats Swiss Re on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About RenaissanceRe

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RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance and insurance products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Property, and Casualty and Specialty segments. The Property segment writes property catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance and excess of loss reinsurance to insure insurance and reinsurance companies against natural and man-made catastrophes, including hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, and tsunamis, as well as winter storms, freezes, floods, fires, windstorms, tornadoes, explosions, and acts of terrorism; and other property class of products, such as proportional reinsurance, property per risk, property reinsurance, binding facilities, and regional U.S. multi-line reinsurance. The Casualty and Specialty segment writes various classes of products, such as directors and officers, medical malpractice, and professional indemnity; automobile and employer's liability, casualty clash, umbrella or excess casualty, workers' compensation, and general liability; financial and mortgage guaranty, political risk, surety, and trade credit; and accident and health, agriculture, aviation, cyber, energy, marine, satellite, and terrorism. The company distributes its products and services primarily through intermediaries. It also invests in and manages funds. RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.

About Swiss Re

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Swiss Re AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides wholesale reinsurance, insurance, other insurance-based forms of risk transfer, and other insurance-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Property & Casualty Reinsurance, Life & Health Reinsurance, and Corporate Solutions. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance, including property, credit and surety, engineering, aviation, marine, agriculture, retakaful, and facultative reinsurance solutions; and casualty reinsurance, such as liability, motor, worker's compensation, personal accident, management and professional liability, cyber, and facultative reinsurance solutions. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment underwrites life and health insurance products. The Corporate Solutions segment offers standard risk transfer covers and multi-line programs to customized solutions. It serves stock and mutual insurance companies, public sector and governmental entities, mid-sized and large corporations, and individuals. Swiss Re AG was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

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StockNews.com downgraded shares of Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday morning.

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Flowers Foods from $26.00 to $24.00 in a research report on Monday, May 22nd.

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Flowers Foods Price Performance

FLO stock opened at $25.82 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $24.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $26.45. The company has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.59 and a beta of 0.41. Flowers Foods has a twelve month low of $23.87 and a twelve month high of $30.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 10th. The company reported $0.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.05. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 4.47% and a return on equity of 18.35%. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.31 EPS. Flowers Foodss revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Flowers Foods will post 1.2 EPS for the current year.

Flowers Foods Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, June 8th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is an increase from Flowers Foodss previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.56%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 7th. Flowers Foodss payout ratio is currently 87.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Flowers Foods news, insider H Mark Courtney sold 14,272 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.39, for a total transaction of $348,094.08. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 41,488 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,011,892.32. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 11.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of FLO. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Flowers Foods by 2.2% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 19,913,247 shares of the companys stock worth $491,657,000 after acquiring an additional 426,547 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in Flowers Foods by 1.3% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 19,313,735 shares of the companys stock worth $529,389,000 after buying an additional 243,602 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Flowers Foods by 206.0% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 17,286,504 shares of the companys stock worth $473,823,000 after acquiring an additional 11,637,370 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Flowers Foods by 2,563.0% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Shields Capital Management LLC now owns 14,174,952 shares of the companys stock valued at $407,388,000 after acquiring an additional 13,642,655 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Shields & Co. LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Flowers Foods by 3,245.4% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Shields & Co. LLC now owns 6,849,098 shares of the companys stock valued at $196,843,000 after acquiring an additional 6,644,368 shares in the last quarter. 81.27% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Flowers Foods Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Flowers Foods, Inc produces and markets packaged bakery food products in the United States. Its principal products include fresh breads, buns, rolls, snack cakes, and tortillas, as well as frozen breads and rolls under the Nature's Own, Dave's Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, Mrs. Freshley's, and Tastykake brand names.

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Revocable trusts can be changed or revoked as long as the person who created the trust is still alive.

Trustees play a vital role in the management and direction of revocable trusts. However, sometimes trustees need to be removed and replaced. While some trusts can be easily amended to change trustees, other circumstances may require a petition to be filed in court before a trustee can be removed from power. Heres what you should know about how to change the trustee on a revocable trust. Advice from a financial advisor or estate planning attorney is also highly recommended when dealing with these potentially complex matters.

What Is a Revocable Trust?

A revocable trust, often referred to as a living trust, is a legal entity that holds assets during a persons lifetime. It carries the advantage of being alterable or revocable at any given time. This provides the grantor  the individual who creates the trust  full control over their assets while ensuring they are distributed according to their preferred terms after their death.

The Role of a Trustee

The beneficiary of a trust shakes hands with the trustee.

While responsibilities might vary depending on the terms of the trust, trustees can be responsible for asset management, tax filing, distribution of assets and frequent communication with beneficiaries. For instance, in the realm of asset management, a trustee might be tasked with making investment decisions or selling property. When it comes to tax filing, duties could involve preparing and filing the trusts annual tax returns. The trustee generally ensures that the terms of the trust are adhered to and attempts to manage the assets effectively for the beneficiaries and according to the grantors wishes.

Common Legal Grounds for Removing a Trustee

Trustee removal can be a serious but sometimes necessary action. In some cases, the reason for removal may be straightforward. If the trustee has died or has become incapacitated, theyll obviously need to be replaced. Or perhaps the trustee no longer has the time or energy to devote to their duties and asks to be replaced.

Other circumstances, however, may be more complicated. A trustee will need to be removed if theyve violated their fiduciary duty by personally profiting from trust assets, mismanaging funds or neglecting to provide annual reports.

Story continues

For example, if there is substantial proof of a trustee depleting trust funds for their personal gain, it is deemed a breach of fiduciary duty and a valid reason for removal. However, there can also be conditions and limitations that could apply, such as needing court approval and valid justification for the removal.

Ways to Remove a Trustee

A probate judge rules on a petition to remove a trustee.

The trust itself should include language detailing how and by whom a trustee can be removed. Depending on the terms of the trust agreement, a trustee can potentially be removed by the grantor of the trust, a co-trustee or a beneficiary. However, some removals  including allegations of misconduct or breach of fiduciary duty  may require a petition in probate court.

Removal by the grantor: In most cases, the grantor or creator the trust will retain the ability to remove and replace the trustee, provided the trust includes language that explicitly allows for these changes. The grantor can also revoke the trust, and in effect, remove the trustee from a position of power.

Removal by a co-trustee: If a trust has more than one person managing it, one of the trustees may remove or replace another. However, a co-trustee may have to petition the probate court to follow through on this removal.

Removal by a beneficiary: Beneficiaries can also seek to remove a trustee if the trust agreement includes a provision that allows it. This may happen if the trustee is unresponsive or hostile to beneficiaries. But like co-trustees, beneficiaries may need to go to court to get a trustee removed.

How to Petition the Court for Removal

If the circumstances surrounding the trustees removal require court approval, the process usually starts by gathering evidence of the trustees misconduct or incapability to effectively manage the trusts assets. This evidence can include financial records, communications with the trustee and testimony from relevant individuals. The evidence forms the basis of a petition thats submitted to the court for consideration.

The court then schedules a hearing, where the validity of the allegations will be assessed. During this period, the trusts operations may be stalled or placed under a temporary trustee. Outcomes may range from the removal of the trustee and the appointment of a new trustee to the petition being denied outright.

Keep in mind that this process can be lengthy and expensive. The trustee may even be entitled to use trust funds to defend themself in court. Missteps or lack of knowledge can potentially result in protracted legal disputes, mismanagement of trust assets or disregard for the grantors wishes. Its paramount that all the players involved, from trustors, co-trustees to beneficiaries, familiarize themselves with the nuances of the process and the conditions that could validate a trustees removal.

Bottom Line

Employing revocable trusts remains a viable strategy for effective estate management and ensuring seamless asset transfer to intended beneficiaries. Trustees hold a pivotal role in this whole process, but there may be circumstances that call for their removal. Knowing how to proficiently handle this process, and when to seek legal or financial advisors advice, can help prevent complications and ensure the grantors intentions are fulfilled.

Estate Planning Tips

A financial advisor can help you organize your assets and build an estate plan. Finding a financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

If youre considering a trust as part of your estate plan, be sure to identify the entity that best suits your needs. Heres a comprehensive guide to help you better understand the different trust variations and when they may make the most sense.

Photo credit: iStock.com/designer4911, iStock.com/shot Production, iStock.com/gorodenkoff

The post How to Change the Trustee on a Revocable Trust appeared first on SmartReads by SmartAsset.
Ingalls & Snyder LLC lowered its stake in Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS  Free Report) by 2.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 38,921 shares of the companys stock after selling 915 shares during the quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLCs holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises were worth $1,530,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises during the 1st quarter worth about $336,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 39.1% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 58,476 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,800,000 after acquiring an additional 16,431 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Nu Skin Enterprises in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $385,000. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 148,426 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,107,000 after acquiring an additional 849 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in Nu Skin Enterprises by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 18,260 shares of the companys stock valued at $874,000 after acquiring an additional 1,741 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.06% of the companys stock.

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Nu Skin Enterprises Trading Down 0.7 %

NUS stock opened at $25.19 on Friday. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. has a 1-year low of $25.07 and a 1-year high of $47.31. The firm has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.87 and a beta of 1.17. The businesss 50 day moving average is $30.85 and its 200-day moving average is $36.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Nu Skin Enterprises Announces Dividend

Nu Skin Enterprises ( NYSE:NUS Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $500.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $512.35 million. Nu Skin Enterprises had a return on equity of 12.88% and a net margin of 3.43%. Equities analysts anticipate that Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. will post 2.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 24th. Nu Skin Enterprisess dividend payout ratio is 110.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on NUS. DA Davidson cut their price target on Nu Skin Enterprises from $38.00 to $29.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Nu Skin Enterprises from $43.00 to $35.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Nu Skin Enterprises in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $36.00.

View Our Latest Analysis on NUS

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Nu Skin Enterprises news, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.12, for a total transaction of $64,240.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,625 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,947,275. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Nu Skin Enterprises news, Director Emma S. Battle sold 1,272 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.15, for a total transaction of $33,262.80. Following the transaction, the director now owns 7,619 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $199,236.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, June 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.12, for a total value of $64,240.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 60,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,947,275. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,272 shares of company stock valued at $224,043. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Nu Skin Enterprises

(Free Report)

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops and distributes various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO, ageLOC Body Spa; and nutricentials skin care products.

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Perrigo (NYSE:PRGO  Free Report) had its price objective increased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $45.00 to $48.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Perrigo from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $48.00.

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Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Perrigo

Perrigo Stock Up 2.6 %

PRGO opened at $39.49 on Wednesday. Perrigo has a 52 week low of $30.78 and a 52 week high of $42.21. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $34.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.43, a current ratio of 2.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.

Perrigo (NYSE:PRGO  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.18 billion. Perrigo had a positive return on equity of 6.79% and a negative net margin of 1.22%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.43 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Perrigo will post 2.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Perrigo Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.273 per share. This represents a $1.09 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.77%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 31st. Perrigos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -259.52%.

Insider Activity at Perrigo

In other news, EVP Svend Andersen purchased 2,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $33.41 per share, with a total value of $96,889.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president now directly owns 68,741 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,296,636.81. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Geoffrey M. Parker bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $33.06 per share, for a total transaction of $330,600.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 25,879 shares in the company, valued at $855,559.74. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Svend Andersen purchased 2,900 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 23rd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $33.41 per share, with a total value of $96,889.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president now owns 68,741 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,296,636.81. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Perrigo

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PRGO. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of Perrigo by 73.0% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 295 shares in the last quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Perrigo in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Perrigo in the 1st quarter valued at $31,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Perrigo by 434.8% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,214 shares of the companys stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 987 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Perrigo by 345.5% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,430 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,109 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.06% of the companys stock.

About Perrigo

(Get 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.

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Tower Research Capital LLC TRC cut its position in shares of Linde plc (NYSE:LIN  Free Report) by 18.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 7,489 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 1,674 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRCs holdings in Linde were worth $2,662,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Woodmont Investment Counsel LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Linde in the first quarter worth approximately $233,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Linde in the first quarter worth approximately $548,000. ING Groep NV lifted its position in shares of Linde by 198.5% in the first quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 74,999 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $26,658,000 after purchasing an additional 49,873 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. lifted its position in shares of Linde by 173.7% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 4,187 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,488,000 after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Egerton Capital UK LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Linde in the first quarter worth approximately $42,388,000. 80.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Linde from $400.00 to $418.00 in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Linde from $382.00 to $410.00 in a research report on Monday, July 31st. Berenberg Bank increased their price target on shares of Linde from $375.00 to $415.00 in a research report on Friday, May 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Linde from $420.00 to $444.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, July 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and issued a $420.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a report on Tuesday, August 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued 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 target price of $404.41.

Insider Transactions at Linde

In other news, VP Sean Durbin sold 1,966 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $373.46, for a total value of $734,222.36. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 8,149 shares in the company, valued at $3,043,325.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, VP David P. Strauss sold 2,194 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $371.02, for a total value of $814,017.88. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 23,939 shares in the company, valued at $8,881,847.78. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Sean Durbin sold 1,966 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $373.46, for a total transaction of $734,222.36. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 8,149 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,043,325.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 43,855 shares of company stock worth $17,093,596. Insiders own 0.70% of the companys stock.

Linde Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of LIN stock opened at $381.82 on Friday. Linde plc has a 12 month low of $262.47 and a 12 month high of $393.67. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The businesss 50 day moving average is $376.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $359.11. The company has a market cap of $186.31 billion, a PE ratio of 33.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.84.

Linde (NYSE:LIN  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $3.57 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.47 by $0.10. Linde had a return on equity of 16.17% and a net margin of 17.20%. The company had revenue of $8.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.70 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.10 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Linde plc will post 14.03 EPS for the current year.

Linde Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 19th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 5th will be paid a $1.275 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 1st. This represents a $5.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.34%. Lindes payout ratio is 44.50%.

Linde Profile

(Free Report)

Linde plc operates as an industrial gas company in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene.

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Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:MDIBY  Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 32,100 shares, a decline of 42.2% from the July 15th total of 55,500 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 8,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.0 days.

Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of OTCMKTS MDIBY traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $12.80. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,288 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,523. Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario has a 1-year low of $7.36 and a 1-year high of $13.37. The firms fifty day moving average price is $12.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.18.

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Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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Mediobanca Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services in Italy and internationally. The company operates through Wealth Management, Consumer Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, Principal Investing, and Holding Functions segments.

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Motco lowered its position in Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR  Free Report) by 7.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,397 shares of the banks stock after selling 108 shares during the period. Motcos holdings in Cullen/Frost Bankers were worth $147,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CFR. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 10.3% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,345 shares of the banks stock worth $740,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. bought a new stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers in the first quarter worth about $1,736,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 0.8% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,032,068 shares of the banks stock worth $696,489,000 after purchasing an additional 39,554 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers by 9.0% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 31,607 shares of the banks stock worth $4,501,000 after purchasing an additional 2,600 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in Cullen/Frost Bankers in the first quarter worth about $211,000. Institutional investors own 80.49% of the companys stock.

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Cullen/Frost Bankers Price Performance

NYSE CFR opened at $104.83 on Friday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $109.21 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. has a 12-month low of $92.55 and a 12-month high of $160.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.04.

Cullen/Frost Bankers Increases Dividend

Cullen/Frost Bankers ( NYSE:CFR Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The bank reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.07. Cullen/Frost Bankers had a net margin of 29.14% and a return on equity of 22.93%. The business had revenue of $512.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $496.85 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.81 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 31st will be issued a $0.92 dividend. This is a positive change from Cullen/Frost Bankerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.87. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.51%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 30th. Cullen/Frost Bankerss payout ratio is currently 32.61%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Cullen/Frost Bankers news, insider Patrick B. Frost sold 6,617 shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers stock in a transaction on Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.09, for a total value of $668,912.53. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 210,946 shares of the companys stock, valued at $21,324,531.14. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director Howard Willome John bought 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $98.66 per share, with a total value of $197,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,000 shares in the company, valued at $887,940. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Patrick B. Frost sold 6,617 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, May 19th. The shares were 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 directly owns 210,946 shares in the company, valued at $21,324,531.14. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.89% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CFR. Wedbush decreased their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $120.00 to $112.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $121.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Friday, July 7th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $134.00 to $126.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Cullen/Frost Bankers from $127.00 to $122.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $127.73.

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Cullen/Frost Bankers Company Profile

(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.

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Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NRK  Get Free Report) announced a monthly dividend on Tuesday, August 1st, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be given a dividend of 0.034 per share by the financial services provider on Friday, September 1st. This represents a $0.41 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th.

Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund Stock Performance

NRK opened at $10.13 on Friday. Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund has a 12 month low of $9.38 and a 12 month high of $11.51. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $10.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.40.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of NRK. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund during the first quarter valued at $130,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund in the first quarter worth $146,000. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its holdings in Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund by 7.1% in the second quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 14,725 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $163,000 after purchasing an additional 980 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund in the first quarter worth $159,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth approximately $196,000.

Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund Company Profile

Nuveen New York AMT-Free Quality Municipal 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 the fixed income markets of New York. The fund invests in undervalued municipal securities and other related investments the income, covered by insurance from insurers with a claims-paying ability, exempt from regular federal and New York income tax and are rated Baa, BBB or better and having an average maturity of 15.98 years.

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Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund (NYSE:JRI  Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 23,200 shares, an increase of 179.5% from the July 15th total of 8,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 66,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund Stock Performance

Shares of JRI traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $11.40. 43,008 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 72,439. Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund has a fifty-two week low of $10.61 and a fifty-two week high of $14.39. The firms fifty day moving average is $11.41 and its 200 day moving average is $11.64.

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Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.087 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th.

Institutional Trading of Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund

Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund Company Profile

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of JRI. Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in shares of Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 59,578 shares of the companys stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 4,756 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 199.2% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 80,810 shares of the companys stock worth $1,235,000 after buying an additional 53,800 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 12.3% during the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 153,692 shares of the companys stock worth $2,348,000 after buying an additional 16,818 shares during the last quarter. Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd lifted its position in shares of Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund by 45.8% during the 1st quarter. Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd now owns 29,923 shares of the companys stock worth $457,000 after buying an additional 9,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund during the 1st quarter worth $295,000.

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Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund is an closed ended balanced 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 public equity markets across the globe. The fund also makes its investments in depository receipts.

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Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. bought a new position in shares of Modine Manufacturing (NYSE:MOD  Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 85,675 shares of the auto parts companys stock, valued at approximately $1,975,000. Modine Manufacturing comprises about 1.9% of Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. owned 0.16% of Modine Manufacturing as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Modine Manufacturing by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 113,000 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $2,244,000 after purchasing an additional 2,900 shares during the last quarter. Phocas Financial Corp. boosted its holdings in shares of Modine Manufacturing by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. Phocas Financial Corp. now owns 423,976 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $9,773,000 after purchasing an additional 4,147 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Modine Manufacturing by 441.7% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 16,250 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 13,250 shares during the last quarter. Portolan Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Modine Manufacturing during the 4th quarter worth approximately $6,048,000. Finally, Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Modine Manufacturing during the 4th quarter worth approximately $299,000. 90.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Modine Manufacturing

In other Modine Manufacturing news, CFO Michael B. Lucareli sold 15,255 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.13, for a total value of $459,633.15. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 299,604 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,027,068.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Larry Oscar Moore sold 17,742 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.58, for a total transaction of $560,292.36. Following the sale, the director now owns 57,773 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,824,471.34. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Michael B. Lucareli sold 15,255 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.13, for a total value of $459,633.15. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 299,604 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,027,068.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Modine Manufacturing Trading Up 0.2 %

NYSE MOD traded up $0.09 on Friday, reaching $46.25. The stock had a trading volume of 569,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 733,261. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 2.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Modine Manufacturing has a 12-month low of $12.85 and a 12-month high of $47.48. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $35.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $27.18.

Modine Manufacturing (NYSE:MOD  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The auto parts company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.42. The company had revenue of $622.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $563.10 million. Modine Manufacturing had a return on equity of 23.96% and a net margin of 7.72%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Modine Manufacturing will post 2.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on MOD shares. B. Riley lifted their price target on shares of Modine Manufacturing from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Modine Manufacturing from $38.00 to $43.00 in a research report on Friday, June 23rd. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Modine Manufacturing in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, CJS Securities started coverage on shares of Modine Manufacturing in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $43.33.

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About Modine Manufacturing

(Free Report)

Modine Manufacturing Company provides engineered heat transfer systems and heat transfer components for use in on- and off-highway original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicular applications. It operates through Climate Solutions and Performance Technologies segments. The company offers gas-fired, hydronic, electric, and oil-fired unit heaters; indoor and outdoor duct furnaces; infrared units; perimeter heating products, such as commercial fin-tube radiation, cabinet unit heaters, and convectors; roof-mounted direct- and indirect-fired makeup air units; unit ventilators; single packaged vertical units; precision air conditioning units for data center applications; air handler units; fan walls; chillers; ceiling cassettes; hybrid fan coils; and condensers and condensing units.

Further Reading

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSEAMERICAN:PLX  Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Wednesday.

Separately, TheStreet raised shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics from a d- rating to a c- rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th.

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Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on PLX

Protalix BioTherapeutics Trading Up 1.6 %

NYSEAMERICAN PLX opened at $1.92 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $125.61 million, a PE ratio of -6.40 and a beta of 1.35. Protalix BioTherapeutics has a 12 month low of $1.00 and a 12 month high of $3.55. The business has a 50-day moving average of $2.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 28.04.

Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSEAMERICAN:PLX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 7th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.04) by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $35.08 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.22 million. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.15) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Protalix BioTherapeutics will post 0.12 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Protalix BioTherapeutics

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Natixis acquired a new stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics in the second quarter worth approximately $264,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics by 2,173.9% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,640,971 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,282,000 after purchasing an additional 2,524,828 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Protalix BioTherapeutics during the second quarter worth $1,105,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in Protalix BioTherapeutics in the 2nd quarter valued at $90,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth $726,000. 4.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Protalix BioTherapeutics

(Get Free Report)

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development, production, and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins based on its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, and internationally.

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YPF Sociedad Anonima (NYSE:YPF  Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,060,000 shares, a drop of 27.1% from the July 15th total of 4,200,000 shares. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,830,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.7 days.

YPF Sociedad Anonima Stock Performance

Shares of YPF stock traded up $0.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $14.51. The stock had a trading volume of 2,083,271 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,591,975. YPF Sociedad Anonima has a fifty-two week low of $4.11 and a fifty-two week high of $16.19. The firm has a market cap of $5.71 billion, a PE ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $14.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.36.

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YPF Sociedad Anonima (NYSE:YPF  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 11th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.91 by ($0.04). YPF Sociedad Anonima had a net margin of 12.02% and a return on equity of 22.01%. The company had revenue of $4.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.37 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that YPF Sociedad Anonima will post 4.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of YPF Sociedad Anonima

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of YPF Sociedad Anonima by 131.7% in the second quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 32,204 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $480,000 after purchasing an additional 18,306 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anonima by 15.4% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 109,071 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $1,624,000 after acquiring an additional 14,548 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anonima by 59.8% during the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 431,478 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $6,425,000 after acquiring an additional 161,482 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anonima by 37.5% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 842,085 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $12,539,000 after acquiring an additional 229,744 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Advisors LLC raised its position in YPF Sociedad Anonima by 29.9% during the second quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 93,770 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $1,396,000 after acquiring an additional 21,576 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 10.16% of the companys stock.

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of YPF Sociedad Anonima in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, YPF Sociedad Anonima has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $9.17.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on YPF

About YPF Sociedad Anonima

(Get Free Report)

YPF Sociedad Anonima, an energy company, engages in the oil and gas upstream and downstream activities in Argentina. Its upstream operations include the exploration, exploitation, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. The company's downstream operations include the refining, marketing, and distribution of oil and petroleum products, as well as petroleum derivatives, such as petrochemicals, hydrocarbons, non-fossil fuels, biofuels, and related components; and production of hydrocarbons electric power.

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A clash between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea last weekend will make Southeast Asian nations a little anxious but it may make some governments more likely to speak up against Beijing's actions if tensions escalate, observers said.

Chinese coastguard ships intercepted and fired water cannons on August 5 to warn off a Philippine vessel that was carrying supplies for Filipino troops stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal in the contested Spratly Islands.

Manila summoned the Chinese envoy to the Philippines over the incident and called China's actions "illegal" and "dangerous", while its long-time ally the United States said the actions directly threatened regional peace and stability.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

China said it had implemented "necessary controls" to stop the Philippine ships, and that Beijing had "indisputable" sovereignty over the Spratly Islands.

It also claimed that the Philippine ships had "disregarded China's repeated dissuasion and warnings and attempted to transfer construction materials used for maintaining and repairing the ship, which has been grounded on the shoal illegally".

The Second Thomas Shoal is controlled by Manila but also claimed by Hanoi, Taipei and Beijing, which also claims the resource-rich South China Sea waterway almost in its entirety.

A Chinese Coast Guard ship launches what it says is a warning water cannon spray in the direction of a Philippine vessel as seen in a screen grab from a video released on August 8. Photo: China Coast Guard alt=A Chinese Coast Guard ship launches what it says is a warning water cannon spray in the direction of a Philippine vessel as seen in a screen grab from a video released on August 8. Photo: China Coast Guard>

Story continues

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, said the Philippines' neighbours were likely to have watched the incident unfold with some unease against a backdrop of repeated stand-offs between Beijing and Manila.

"[Southeast Asian countries] will certainly view that as something quite worrisome and see it as an uptick in tensions that seem to have built up," said Koh, who specialises in naval affairs in the Indo-Pacific. "They view that as potentially impinging upon regional peace and stability."

In February, Chinese coastguard ships directed lasers at a Philippine vessel and disrupted a supply mission. More recently, vessels from the two countries nearly collided.

Last weekend's incident was the first time since 2021 that China's coastguard had used a water cannon against a Philippine resupply mission to the Second Thomas Shoal.

Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said the incident and the overall "rise in Chinese coercion ... makes everyone in the region nervous".

But the anxiety, he suggested, would be much more immediate for other South China Sea claimants in the region, from Malaysia to Indonesia and Vietnam.

These countries have in recent months appeared to be more cautious about China's actions in the disputed seas.

Manila now had plans to sign a maritime cooperation pact with Hanoi, and Indonesia had undergone a major shift within its security services after the Chinese coastguard "dangerously harassed" Indonesian oil and gas operations some two years ago, according to Poling.

"If China continues to ratchet up pressure, and especially if it causes a threat to the lives of Filipino mariners, I expect some Southeast Asian parties - Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, potentially a future Thai government - could feel compelled to speak up more forcefully," he said.

Thomas Daniel, a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, said claimant states "ought to be worried", noting that Malaysian and Vietnamese stations - like the Philippines - also relied on resupply runs.

The response of Southeast Asian countries would largely rely on their interests in the South China Sea and their relationship with China, he added.

Koh from RSIS said most, if not all, Southeast Asian countries were likely to remain silent on the incident or stick to the refrain that they were monitoring the situation, for fear of appearing to take sides and being "embroiled in what seemed to be a very unnecessary problem".

There was also a fear of repercussions from China, which remains a key trading partner for many of the region's economies.

Any continued silence from Southeast Asian countries, and especially claimant states that had experienced some form of aggression from China, would be "both telling and damning", Daniel said.

"Perhaps this is a reflection of a real fear of escalation dominance by Beijing, which no claimant state can ever hope to counter," he said.

"Worse still, perhaps Hanoi and Putrajaya [Malaysia] have been slowly, reluctantly, but successfully conditioned by Beijing to keep their heads down, in the ultimately doomed hope of biding one's time."

Beyond that, the recent stand-off could also prompt countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to question whether they should still trust China in negotiating a code of conduct for the South China Sea, said Aristyo Rizka Darmawan, an international law expert at the University of Indonesia.

China and Asean last month completed the second reading of a much-delayed code of conduct, which would be a legally binding document to regulate behaviour in the disputed waterway.

Darmawan, whose research focuses on maritime security in Southeast Asia, said it was important for claimant states to stand behind the Philippines and put pressure on China to not escalate tensions if Beijing was committed in the negotiations.

"Otherwise, this shows that China is not trustworthy on any mechanism and therefore there is no point in the negotiation of code of conduct if China does not commit to keeping peace in the area," he said.

While most countries in Southeast Asia would have viewed last week's incident with some anxieties, Koh said some might see it as a "welcome development".

"Not to say that they welcome tensions but I think what they saw ... was a somewhat interesting phenomenon where there are more countries in Southeast Asia who are more willing to speak up against China and, in a way, hoping that at least it might have some positive impact of moderating Chinese behaviour from now on," he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cheniere Energy Partners (NYSE:CQP  Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

Cheniere Energy Partners Price Performance

About Cheniere Energy Partners

(Get Free Report)

Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) to integrated energy companies, utilities, and energy trading companies worldwide. It owns and operates natural gas liquefaction and export facility at the Sabine Pass LNG production terminal located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

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Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. reduced its stake in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 53.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,591 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 31,380 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.s holdings in Southern were worth $1,920,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Southern by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Jeppson Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,651 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $741,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Southern by 10.2% in the 1st quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. Tranquility Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Southern by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Tranquility Partners LLC now owns 4,528 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Marcum Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Southern by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Marcum Wealth LLC now owns 5,327 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $371,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. Finally, Calamos Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Southern by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Calamos Wealth Management LLC now owns 29,642 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,062,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. 63.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Southern Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of Southern stock opened at $69.50 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 0.50. The Southern Company has a 12-month low of $58.85 and a 12-month high of $80.57. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $69.75.

Southern Announces Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.47 billion. Southern had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 9.86%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.07 EPS. Research analysts expect that The Southern Company will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 21st will be given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 18th. Southerns payout ratio is presently 98.94%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. VNET Group reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a report on Friday, April 28th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Southern from $77.00 to $76.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Southern from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $60.00 to $69.00 in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Southern from $75.00 to $74.00 in a report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $69.00 in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $74.07.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on SO

Insider Buying and Selling at Southern

In other Southern news, Director Thomas A. Fanning sold 50,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.76, for a total value of $3,538,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 844,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $59,738,351.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 47,326 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.78, for a total transaction of $3,302,408.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 118,659 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,280,025.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Thomas A. Fanning sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.76, for a total transaction of $3,538,000.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 844,239 shares of the companys stock, valued at $59,738,351.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 143,761 shares of company stock worth $10,152,544. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Southern

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

Further Reading

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Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (NYSE:XIN  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 24,200 shares, a growth of 118.0% from the July 15th total of 11,100 shares. Approximately 0.5% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 45,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Xinyuan Real Estate Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE:XIN traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $3.11. 9,159 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,006. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.87, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 0.96. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $3.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.02. Xinyuan Real Estate has a 1 year low of $2.95 and a 1 year high of $7.55.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Xinyuan Real Estate in a research report on Saturday. They set a hold rating for the company.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Xinyuan Real Estate

A hedge fund recently bought a new stake in Xinyuan Real Estate stock. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. (NYSE:XIN  Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 478,629 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $536,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. owned 0.90% of Xinyuan Real Estate as of its most recent SEC filing. 1.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Xinyuan Real Estate

(Get Free Report)

Xinyuan Real Estate Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in residential real estate development and construction in the People's Republic of China, the United States, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. The company develops residential projects, such as multi-layer apartment buildings, sub-high-rise apartment buildings, high-rise apartment buildings; auxiliary services and amenities, such as retail outlets, leisure and health facilities, kindergartens, and schools, as well as office, mixed-use, and commercial properties.

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Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 10 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values of 105 to 115 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. Generally locations along and northwest of a line from Fulton to Paducah Kentucky to Shawneetown Illinois to Princeton Indiana. * WHEN...From noon today to 10 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...This will likely be the worst heat wave we have experienced this summer in terms of duration. The multiple day aspect of this excessive heat will add to the impact. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values of 105 to 115 expected. * WHERE...Southern Illinois and southeast Missouri along with the westernmost portions of southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. * WHEN...From noon today to 10 PM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...This will likely be the worst heat wave we have experienced this summer in terms of duration. The multiple day aspect of this excessive heat will add to the impact. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
(Bloomberg) -- United States Steel Corp. surged after it rejected a takeover offer from rival Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. to create one of the worlds biggest steelmakers, and said it will begin a review of its strategic options instead.

Most Read from Bloomberg

US Steel, an icon of American industry with roots stretching back more than a century, on Sunday announced a formal process to assess its alternatives after receiving approaches for parts or all of the business. About three hours later, Cliffs went public with its cash-and-share bid, which values the company at about $7.25 billion based on closing prices on Friday, a 43% premium. US Steel surged more than 29% Monday in New York. Cliffs jumped as much as 6.7%.

Cliffs said it submitted the proposal privately on July 28 and received a rejection letter on Sunday that called the offer unreasonable. The bid has the backing of the powerful United Steelworkers union, it said. US Steel later confirmed the response, but defended its decision saying that Cliffs had refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement unless the Pittsburgh-based producer agreed to the economic terms of the proposal in advance.

The back-and-forth jousting was part of a whirlwind Sunday in which two of the biggest American steelmakers thrust the future makeup of the industry into question, just a week from the start of the biggest steel conference in North America.

A deal with US Steel would catapult Cliffs into the ranks of the top producers globally, a list dominated by China. The combined company would hold a powerful position as the primary supplier to the US auto industry, as well as ownership of 100% of domestic iron ore reserves. Its an issue US Steel addressed in its letter to Cliffs, saying it had discussed with Cliffs counsel questions that both sides would need to better understand to assess antitrust risk in the proposal.

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Cliffs Chief Executive Officer Lourenco Goncalves on Monday dismissed regulatory concerns and said hes confident the bid will succeed, citing the USW union support. Theres no daylight between him and the union, Goncalves said on an interview with CNBC.

Cliffs, which was traditionally an iron ore miner rather than a steelmaker, has been the most active dealmaker in the US industry in recent years  first snapping up AK Steel Holding Corp., and then buying the US business of European steel giant ArcelorMittal. The purchases made Cliffs a key operator of traditional blast furnaces in the US, and gave it a massive foothold in the highly profitable business of steelmaking for the car industry.

Demand Outlook

The bid comes at a time when producers including US Steel are predicting that domestic demand will benefit from green-energy infrastructure and manufacturing projects, bolstered by the Biden administrations Inflation Reduction Act.

Read more: US Steel CEO Hails IRA as a Manufacturing Renaissance Act

It also shines a light on one of the key dynamics in the global steel industry: the divide between traditional blast-furnace production of steel from iron ore, and the more efficient, cost-effective and lower-emission plants that remelt scrap and turn it into steel, called electric-arc furnaces.

Cliffs boss Goncalves, known for his combative personality and who never shies away from publicly stating his opinions, still has little footprint in electric-arc furnaces.

However, US Steel, which traces its roots back to 1901 when J. Pierpont Morgan merged a collection of assets with Andrew Carnegies Carnegie Steel Co., has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years under CEO David B. Burritt, as its investment focus pivoted toward the more modern plants.

Burritt, who took the helm of the then-struggling metal producer in 2017, purchased Big River Steel in Arkansas and expects to pour an additional $3 billion in the operation by 2024 to double its capacity. The bet has paid off, with shares of the company doubling since the end of 2019, although the stock had retreated 9.3% this year through last week. Cliffs had declined 8.8% in 2023.

Read more: U.S. Steel Bets on a New Technologyand the Southto Survive

Ohio-based Cliffs said on Sunday it offered to pay $17.50 in cash and 1.023 of its shares for each US Steel stock. That implies a value of $32.53 per share as of Fridays close, a 43% premium to US Steels last closing price of $22.72 and values the Pittsburgh-based company at about $7.25 billion.

Although we are now public, I do look forward to continuing to engage with US Steel on a potential transaction, as I am convinced that the value potential and competitiveness to come out of a combination of our two iconic American companies is exceptional, Goncalves said in the statement.

US Steel has hired Barclays Capital Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. as financial advisers for its strategic review. The steelmaker hasnt set a deadline for the review to be completed, and the process may not result in a transaction or any other strategic outcome, the company said in its statement.

Cliffs is being advised by Moelis & Company LLC, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan and UBS, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as its legal counsel.

(Adds CEO comments in sixth paragraph.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The horrific sinking of a boat full of refugees and asylum seekers in the English Channel has taken at least six lives. At least 65 people were on the boat when it capsized Saturday in the middle of the Channel, a 21-mile stretch of waters between Britain and France.

The deaths are the worst loss of life in the Channel since at least 27 people died in November 2021 after an inflatable dinghy capsized in rough seas near to the French port city of Calais.

Two people are still missing said French authorities. The confirmed dead are six men from Afghanistan who were about 30 years old.

Migrants disembark from a British Border Force patrol boat after being picked up from a dingy in the English Channel in Dover harbour, England, Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. [AP Photo/Alastair Grant]

The Financial Times reported, In the early hours of Saturday, a cargo ship in the Channel reported a boat in trouble off the French coast near Sangatte beach, according to a statement from the Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and the North Sea.

It is understood that French and British coastguard vessels intervened and were able to save most of those on board the stricken vessel.

Whatever the immediate circumstances of the deaths, they occurred as the result of migrants being treated as a political hot potatoes by the British and French authorities, both committed to keeping them away from their borders by any means necessary.

According to a report published Saturday in the Daily Mail, A French warship [PSP Cormoran] was escorting an overloaded small boat across the Channel to UK waters when it sank today, killing at least six migrants It added, A second French vessel [Pluvier] was believed to be close by at the time of the tragedy.

The report added that a well-informed source said The boat was being escorted towards Britain by a French navy patrol vessel when it capsized, adding, This is a French policy designed to ensure the migrants make it to British waters as safely and quickly as possible

French authorities confirmed that the Cormoran rescued 33 survivors, while the Pluvier rescued five.

The Mail is seeking to play down Britains role in the deaths and expresses the position of the Conservative government saying, Furious MPs tonight [Saturday] questioned why France was not doing more to tackle the crisis, given that the UK is giving the country almost 500 million to help stop the crossings.

Nevertheless, the sequence of the events described are highly likely. This is not the first time such an intervention has led to mass death. All evidence points to the Greek coastguard causing the deaths of hundreds of refugees aboard the fishing boat Adriana on June 14. Eyewitness said the decision of the coastguard to tow the stricken boat away from Greek waters caused the vessel to sink and the deaths of over 600 people.

The Channel deaths were used by the Tories and the right-wing media as fuel for an anti-immigration agenda. Crocodile tears were shed, but only to reinforce the message best articulated by the rabidly anti-migrant Sunday Express in a front page headline, For Pitys Sake Stop the Boats.

The main slogan of the Rishi Sunak government as it cultivates a fascistic constituency is Stop the Boats. The media cheered the Tories as they passed the draconian Illegal Migration Bill only last month, depriving migrants who cross the Channel, deemed to have arrived illegally, of the right to asylum.

The Channel deaths also served to overshadow the brutal events around the arrival of the first asylum seekers onboard new prison ship, the Bibby Stockholm barge. On Monday, the first 15 migrants were forced aboard the Bibby Stockholm, berthed in at Portland Port, Dorset. This is the first such ship deployed by the government to detain migrants as part of the policy to remove 50,000 asylum seekers from hotelsaccompanied by screaming headlines claiming migrants are living in luxury hotels at a cost of 6 million a day to the taxpayer.

The asylum seekers were bundled onboard despite warnings from the Fire Brigades Union that the vessel was dangerous. Twenty refused after taking legal advice, as the Home Office didnt even carry out suitability screening of people deeply traumatised by past experiences including seeing people drown.

On Friday, the Bibby Stockholm was evacuated due to Legionella in the onboard water system. It transpired that the Home Office knew that Legionella had been detected on the vessel on Monday, as the first asylum seekers went aboard. The pro-government Telegraph, reported Saturday, A spokesman from the campaign group Stand Up To Racism, who is in contact with the asylum seekers, said three of them claim to have flu-like symptoms consistent with a Legionella infection. It is understood that they have been tested but are still waiting for their results.

The FBU commented, This outbreak of Legionella suggests that it's only a matter of time before either lives are lost or there is serious harm to a detainee.

Virtually no-one sent onto a dangerous and disease-ridden boat had entered Britain illegally based on the governments criteria. The Independent reported, After speaking to charities and legal firms working with more than 30 asylum seekers ordered to move onto the barge by the Home Office, The Independent has been told of only two who arrived by small boat. All others used regular passenger planes to reach the UK, with some claiming asylum at the airport shortly after landingmeaning they did not enter the country illegally.

None of this will have the slightest impact on a government determined to ram through its brutal agenda. Mass evictions from hotels are underway, including 40 asylum seekers being forced out of a hotel in Scarborough by August 16. Around 50 have already been booted out. North Yorkshire Council has had to make homelessness referrals for some families in the hotel. The BBC reported that 400 Afghan asylum seekers are being evicted from hotels in Essex.

Last week the government threatened that anyone refusing to get aboard barges or any other proposed alternative to hotels, faces being made homeless and will have to fend for themselves.

On Sunday, the Telegraph reported that the government will hire more barges to house asylum seekers and host up to 5,000 migrants in office and student accommodation blocks. The 10 unused student accommodation and former office block sites being lined up have a capacity averaging at about 500 places per site.

Ministry of Defence sites are also being utilised, with officials heartened by the fact that legal bids have so far not prevented migrants being moved onto former military sites like Wethersfield, in Essex. The Telegraph understands that another base, RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, will begin receiving migrants from next month.

The policy of shoving asylum seekers into appalling conditions is all about warning any other asylum seekers that this is what you will face if they make it to the UKs shores. Speaking to the Telegraph, South Thanet Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay said, This type of accommodation, whether its office blocks, ex-student accommodation or floating barges, cant do any harm as a deterrent effect. Being put in a barge is not going to be as attractive as a three- or four-star hotel in Pimlico.

The Tories are moving aheaddespite legal challengeswith their fascistic policy to deport asylum seekers, as soon as they arrive in Britain, thousands of miles away to Rwanda or another third country. Countries being designated safe include Niger, just taken over by military leaders in a coup and the latest flashpoint in the struggle by the imperialist powers for a redivision of the world.

Conservative MP Marco Longhi said, The tragic loss of life in the Channel was only a matter of timeand it will happen again and again until we deter people from trying to cross. Unless we can state, and execute, a policy that says come to the UK illegally and you will be removed to Rwanda or elsewherewe shall continue failing not just the British people but those crossing the Channel too.

The full force of the state is being brought down on a few thousand people fleeing their poverty stricken and war-torn homelands, destroyed by decades of imperialist war and Western power intrigues. Only around 15,800 people have made the Channel crossing this year, according to the government, a fall of around 15 percent on the same period last year.
Key Insights

Hasen-Immobilien's estimated fair value is 190 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Hasen-Immobilien's 170 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

The average premium for Hasen-Immobilien's competitorsis currently 83%

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Hasen-Immobilien AG (BST:ABHA) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. 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 Hasen-Immobilien

The Method

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate 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.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 5.12m 5.49m 5.77m 5.99m 6.15m 6.27m 6.37m 6.44m 6.50m 6.55m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ 10.23% Est @ 7.27% Est @ 5.19% Est @ 3.74% Est @ 2.72% Est @ 2.01% Est @ 1.51% Est @ 1.16% Est @ 0.92% Est @ 0.75% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 7.1% 4.8 4.8 4.7 4.6 4.4 4.2 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.3

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 42m

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.4%) 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 7.1%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 6.6m (1 + 0.4%)  (7.1% 0.4%) = 98m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 98m ( 1 + 7.1%)10= 49m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 91m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 170, the company appears about fair value at a 11% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important Assumptions

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. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Hasen-Immobilien 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 7.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.345. 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 Hasen-Immobilien

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Real Estate market.

Opportunity

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine ABHA's earnings prospects.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Looking Ahead:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess 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. For Hasen-Immobilien, there are three pertinent elements you should look at:

Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Hasen-Immobilien . 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 German 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.
"My leg and I have come far in 2.5 years since my accident," the actress wrote on Instagram

Ashley Judd/Instagram Ashley Judd poses for a photo in Switzerland

Ashley Judd is reflecting on her "stunning recovery" after her severe leg injury in February 2021.

On Saturday, the Double Jeopardy actress, 55, shared several photos taken in Switzerland of her walking the Alps and exploring some stunning views  now two-and-a-half years after she shattered her leg in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"Walking. Switzerland. After 5 breaks in right leg, a paralyzed foot, possible amputation, all while hemorrhaging, my leg and I have come far in 2.5 years since my accident in Democratic Republic of Congo," Judd wrote to her fans.

"We came far up these Alps, for the sheer joy of it, confidently. Ongoing gratitude of profound proportions to the Congolese who saved me, and the surgeons, neurologist, and physical therapist who set me up for this stunning recovery. How are you celebrating your blessings?"

In the images included in her Instagram carousel, Judd showed off the bright blue sky, butterflies, hiking sticks, waterfalls and other picturesque views from her time in the outdoors.

Related: Ashley Judd Breaks Leg Again, Citing 'Clumsiness' After Mom Naomi's Death: 'It Allowed Me to Grieve'

Judd previously revealed that in February 2021, she broke her leg in multiple places after tripping over a tree, and underwent an eight-hour surgery in a South African hospital. She spent months in intensive physical therapy.

At the time, Judd was visiting the African country for research on the endangered ape species, the Bonobos.

"My leg will never be the same. She is a new leg. And I love her. We are buddies," she wrote. "We have a come a long way and we have a fabulous life ahead."

On the 11-month anniversary of the fall in 2022, she took on a 25-mile hike in the Appalachian Mountains, writing that her "heart is open and eager."

Ashley Judd/Instagram Ashley Judd shares photos from Switzerland

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Back in October, Judd told UCLA professor Dr. Jonathan Flint in a lecture series that she also fractured the leg due to grief-associated clumsiness following her mother Naomi Judd's suicide. She suffered the femoral condyle over the summer in 2022, and "healed in two months, lickety-split."

"It was what it was," she said at the time. "Clumsiness is associated with grief, and there were other people in our family, after mom died, who fell down stairs and had accidents, and that's just what mine happened to look like. It really allowed me to grieve. It really allowed me to stop what I was working on at that moment and to grieve."

"The day that my beloved mother died by suicide, I had so many people to call," she also shared of her mother's death. "There were five women who were with me within moments of my sharing that tragic news with them, and they are my chosen sisters. I was just reflecting overnight. I had one of my 2 a.m. wake-ups overnight, and I was reflecting on those first days after her passing and how there was always someone with me at my house."

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Read the original article on People.
Its no secret that Donald Trump Jr. has been a hunting fanatic for decades now, with the viral photo of him and his younger brother Eric Trump on their African wildlife still making rounds over a decade later. But now, another aspect of Donald Jrs hunting hobby is going viral again, but probably not for the reason he wanted.

In case you didnt know, Donald Jr co-founded a company that releases a podcast and print publications on everything to do with hunting  and people are tearing it to shreds.

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All eyes are on the journal after a scathing review from Slate came out, calling the journal for its toxic masculinity and egregious hunting philosophies. In fact, the writer of the review, Rebecca Onion, pointed out that one journal even said At our core we are about embracing toxic masculinity and rejecting the woke, P.C. culture. (And when you try to look at a glimpse of the newest journal, it blurs out the image, claiming its sensitive content, and tells potential buyers Dont be a beta. Subscribe.)

And thats only the tip of the iceberg.

Click here to read the full article.

For those who dont know, the term toxic masculinity refers to the notion that one has to perpetuate typical masculine ideals in order to feel accepted. These can range from perpetuating domination and aggression to not showing any emotion, per VeryWell Mind.

Because of the toxic masculinity in society and in popular culture, it can increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and even suicide for men. A study by the CDC found that men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, so its something people should care about.

Donald Jr. founded the publication in 2022, and it releases quarterly journals that claims to discuss everything like the modern adventure, historical context, and perspectives forged through global travel, per their website. They also sell copies of older printed journals, along with a $300 journal and a mimosa set.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text STRENGTH to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Ill Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House by Stephanie Grisham







With the fallout of the Trump presidency, everyone involved in those four years seems to be rehabilitating their public image in the most obvious way: selling a book and spilling supposed secrets. Everyone was ready to talk, especially Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. The author of the Trump tell-all Ill Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House, gives readers a first account of what the Trump presidency was like behind closed doors. Grishams claims and allegations are serious enough to consider picking up this book and potentially never putting it down.

Ill Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House

Price: $10.15

Buy On Amazon

Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History.



Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton

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Photo: Dan MacLeod

With government officials warning British Columbians about the incoming heat wave for several days, temperatures in the Okanagan are expected to hit the mid-30s today and through next week.

Environment Canada issued a number of special weather statements and warnings Sunday morning about the rise in temperature expected across the province. The heat wave is forecast to continue through to Thursday.

A strong ridge of high pressure will bring rising temperatures to the southern interior, Environment Canada says.

Well above seasonal daytime temperatures are forecast. However, nighttime temperatures over these regions may cool to the mid teens for some relief of the heat.

In the Okanagan, temperatures are expected to hit a high of 33 C Sunday, rising to 35 C through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures could rise to as high as 38 C around Kamloops and in the Fraser Canyon region.

While the more serious heat warnings have been issued for the Kootenay Lake, West Columbia, Fraser Canyon, Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver regions, the Okanagan remains under a special weather statement.

Heat warnings may be issued if the nighttime temperatures are forecast to be 18 degree Celsius or above, Environment Canada says.

Interior Health issued a statement Sunday morning warning that high temperatures increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, and pointed to the BC Centre for Disease Control webpage with tips on how to stay safe.
Key Insights

ISEC Healthcare's estimated fair value is S$0.52 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of S$0.47 suggests ISEC Healthcare is potentially trading close to its fair value

When compared to theindustry average discount to fair value of 43%, ISEC Healthcare's competitors seem to be trading at a greater discount

How far off is ISEC Healthcare Ltd. (Catalist:40T) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for ISEC Healthcare

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. 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 discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (SGD, Millions) S$12.9m S$12.8m S$12.8m S$12.9m S$13.1m S$13.3m S$13.5m S$13.7m S$13.9m S$14.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -1.52% Est @ -0.47% Est @ 0.26% Est @ 0.78% Est @ 1.14% Est @ 1.39% Est @ 1.57% Est @ 1.69% Est @ 1.78% Est @ 1.84% Present Value (SGD, Millions) Discounted @ 6.0% S$12.1 S$11.4 S$10.8 S$10.2 S$9.8 S$9.4 S$9.0 S$8.6 S$8.3 S$7.9

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = S$97m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.0%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = S$14m (1 + 2.0%)  (6.0% 2.0%) = S$362m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= S$362m ( 1 + 6.0%)10= S$202m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is S$300m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of S$0.5, the company appears about fair value at a 11% 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. 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 ISEC 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 6.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for ISEC Healthcare

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Healthcare market.

Opportunity

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine 40T's earnings prospects.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for 40T.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for 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. For ISEC Healthcare, there are three additional factors you should assess:

Risks: Be aware that ISEC Healthcare is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... 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.
A former Family Feud contestant who joked about getting married will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the shooting death of his estranged wife.

Tim Bliefnick, who appeared on the syndicated game show in January 2020, received three life sentences for the murder of Rebecca Bliefnick.

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A jury convicted Bliefnick on May 31 on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion. According to the Associated Press, Rebeccas body was found by a family member inside her Quincy, Ill. home on Feb. 23. She had been shot 14 times at close range.

You researched this murder. You planned this murder. You practiced this murder. You broke into her house and you shot her 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 times, Judge Robert Adrian said while sentencing Bliefnick in an Illinois courtroom Friday. I dont know how long it took you to do that. Some of those shots were fired while she was lying on the ground, and you did all of that while your children were upstairs at your house, lying snug in their beds.

During his stint on Family Feud, Bliefnick was asked by host Steve Harvey, Whats the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?

Honey, I love you, but said I do,' he answered. After getting a big reaction from the audience, he attempted to walk his answer back. Not my mistake! Not my mistake! I love my wife.

He will now spend the remainder of his life in prison, with no possibility of parole.

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Footage from Thai Zoo Shows Sun Bears Standing Up Like Chinese Zoo Bears Accused of Being Human

While in the upright position, the sun bear at the Tha Lat Open Zoo in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, appears to wave and nod at guests

Viral Press

A video showing a Malayan sun bear standing upright in a Thai zoo recalls the stance of the Chinese zoo bears recently accused of being humans dressed in costumes.

The footage distributed by the Associated Press shows a sun bear standing on its hind legs at the Tha Lat Open Zoo in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand.

In the clip, while upright, the black-colored bear appears to wave and nod as if directly greeting zoo visitors.

Another shot from the video later shows the bear doing the same thing before it returns to a crawling position and roams inside the enclosure.

Viral Press

Related: Here Are the U.S. Zoos with Sun Bears  the Now-Viral Bears That Stand on Their Hind Legs

According to National Geographic, sun bears, one of the smallest members of the bear family, are found in the forests of Southeast Asia. The animal's moniker comes from "the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest."

The human-like stance of the bear at the Thai zoo parallels that of the sun bears at China's Hangzhou Zoo. The animals were recently recorded in a viral video standing upright, drawing speculation that they were actually people disguised in bear costumes.

WATCH:  A viral video of a black sun bear at the Hangzhou Zoo in China's Zhejiang province has some netizens convinced that it is a human in disguise. The zoo has since spoken out to quell the rumours, maintaining that it is "definitely a real animal". pic.twitter.com/hzHOZSnLPT  TODAY (@TODAYonline) July 31, 2023

The Hangzhou Zoo denied the rumors via a statement written from the perspective of one of the bears accused of being human, per the Associated Press: "Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don't understand me very well."

A spokesperson for the Chinese zoo explained that a person dressing as a bear would not be permitted in the state-run facility, and added someone dressed in a bear costume would collapse in eastern China's recent bout of extreme summer heat, reported The Guardian.

Viral Press

Related: Hank the Tank  Wild Bear Linked to Over 20 Home Invasions  Set to Move to Colorado Sanctuary

The viral clip of the bear at the Hangzhou Zoo has generated various opinions on social media, with one user writing: "Looks more like a bear on all fours, but it definitely looks like a person."

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.

Another commenter remarked: "Bears can stand upright, they copy behavior from people after a long time. Plus I haven't seen anyone in an animal suit that actually tries to catch a snack with the mouth, then to pick it up with his mouth and actually eat it. People gotta stop with the conspiracies."



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd, who is positioning himself as the anti-Donald Trump contender in the 2024 primary race, went after the former president again after CNN reported that new evidence has surfaced connecting Trumps team to a breach in Georgias election system.

According to CNN, prosecutors in Atlanta have found text messages that show that members of Trumps team were invited to access confidential election office data in Georgias heavily GOP-leaning Coffee County.

Though that county easily went to Trump in the 2020 election, the texts show that his team were seeking access to the data to find proof for Trumps unsubstantiated claims that Joe Bidens victory was fraudulent. At the same time, Atlanta prosecutors are preparing what would be a fourth indictment against the former president.

This is about a president trying to overturn an election and creating a conspiracy. This kind of infrastructure is considered critical infrastructure, and its supposed to be defended, Hurd, a former Texas congressman, told Jake Tapper on CNNs State of the Union.

To me, its an indication of how fragile our election system is and how Donald Trumps efforts were making us increase our lack of trust in our systems, he said. Donald Trump is running for presidentbecause hes trying to stay out of jail  because, as more of this information comes out and as the American people recognize the extent of his baggage, theyre getting sick and tired of it.

Tapper questioned Hurds claim that the growing indictments against Trump are turning Republican voters against the former president, pointing to poll numbers showing Trump in the lead in the 2024 GOP primary. Hurd dismissed those polls, pointing to the 2022 midterm results that ended up being much closer than polls predicted.

When I crisscross the state, whether Im in New Hampshire, Iowa, Texas, California, Alabama, people come up to me and they say, Hey, youre right. He is running to stay out of prison,' Hurd said. So, Im not questioning his front-runner status, but what I am saying is that many people dont want to see Donald Trump or Joe Biden be the nominees. And people are looking for something different.

Watch Hurds interview on State of the Union in the video above.

The post GOP Candidate Will Hurd Slams Trump for Trying to Overturn an Election After CNN Report appeared first on TheWrap.
Joan Meyer, 98-year-old co-owner of the Marion County Record newspaper in Marion, Kansas, died Saturday following police raids on Friday of her home and the newspapers offices. The raids contributed to Meyers death, according to the outlet.

The newspaper and numerous observers have argued that these raids of the Marion County Record offices and Meyers home were illegal. Warrants shown by police alleged that there was probably cause to believe that identity theft and unlawful computer acts had been committed involving Marion business owner Kari Newell.

Newell, who owns local restaurant Karis Kitchen, had alleged at a Monday city council meeting that the Record illegally obtained drunken driving information about Newell and had supplied it to Marion vice mayor Ruth Herbel. Herbels home was also raided by police at the same time as Meyer and the paper.

According to the Record, it had been supplied with information indicating that Newell had an invalid drivers license  it was suspended in 2008 following a drunken-driving conviction  and that law enforcement was aware of this, but ignored Newell driving illegally. The paper had declined to publish the information and states that its source sent the information to both the paper and Herbel. That information was believed to have been leaked as part of divorce proceeding disputes between Newell and her estranged husband.

County attorney Joel Ensey was asked by the Record for the affidavit used to issue the warrant, but he declined to release it and said it was not a public document, according to the Record. There was also no copy of the document filed with the district court.

Enseys brother owns the hotel which houses Newells restaurant.

Meyer was otherwise in good health for her age, according the paper, but was stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief after the raids and collapsed Saturday afternoon, dying at her home.

[Meyer] had not been able to eat after police showed up atthe door of her home Friday with a search warrant in hand. Neither was she able to sleep Friday night. She tearfully watched during the raid, the paper writes.

Police seized computers from the Records offices, including the newspapers file server and other equipment which the paper writes was unrelated to the search. The items were necessary for publishing the paper, according to the Record, but they have obtained other requipment to allow for publication.

The Record plans to file a federal suit against both the city and those involved in the search.

Our first priority is to be able to publish next week, Meyers son and the Records publisher Eric Meyer told the Record, but we also want to make sure no other news organization is ever exposed to the Gestapo tactics we witnessed today.

The Marion Police Department issued a statement Saturday, declining to comment specifically on the case but providing general comments about its actions.

While conceding that the law normally protects journalists from most newsroom searches and requires police to use subpoenas instead of search warrants, they noted that this doesnt apply if the journalists are suspects in the offense that is the subject of the search.

I believe when the rest of the story is available to the public, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated, the post from the department reads. The victim asks that we do all the law allows to ensure justice is served. The Marion Kansas Police Department will nothing less.

The last post from the Marion Police Department before their defense of the raid was about a meeting hosted at Karis Kitchen with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner and a state representative, thanking Newell for the invitation. Attendees included Marions police chief.

The post Kansas Newspaper Co-Owner, 98, Collapses and Dies Following Police Raid of Her Home, Papers Offices appeared first on TheWrap.
Rockets, sickness, progress and the environment  all uneasy keywords of our present.

In Katharina Hubers A Good Place (Ein schoner Ort) which won on Saturday Locarnos best emerging director award and best performance (Clara Schwinning) in the Swiss fests Filmmakers of the Present, a remote and untimely village sets the scene for an imminent apocalypse but also for an otherworldly fairytale. Or are these two one and the same?

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Hubers first feature opens with an image of a forest fire, foreshadowing the dystopian tone of an elusive audiovisual journey where emotions prevail over rational explanations.

Set to the rhythm of a countdown, this chaptered story sees Margarita (Celine De Gennaro) and Gute (Schwinning)  two women with contrasting personalities, juggle mundane tasks of daily life with disruptive acts of sabotage. Yet they themselves dont seem to know what the looming menace is and what they are rebelling against.

People keep mysteriously disappearing. An unknown sickness starts sweeping through the village. As if an omen of a terrible disaster, dismembered parts of chicken appear out of nowhere. How are all these related? Or are they related at all?

The paradoxical pleasure of watching A Good Place is that neither the characters nor the viewer are able to make sense of all these strange circumstances. Huber never intended her debut to be conceptual, but rather as a film that speaks more to the senses and is less concerned with the narrative and content. It was important to do something that doesnt communicate on a factual level. Something where people would come out of the film with a feeling that they were moved, but without being able to pinpoint the exact sentiment, says the director.

A Good Place

In the background to all the villages bizarre occurrences, some eerie radio broadcasts update on an approaching rocket launch. Programs and bulletins feed fragments of political contexts and social policies from a world that potentially exists outside the community, a world seemingly in turmoil.

Drawing on the overarching anxiety that comes with groundbreaking change, Huber explores the conflicting nature of technology and progress. The film confronts the partisans of change and the chronic skeptics, delivering a choral of unresolved contradictions on what the future should be. Progress can sometimes be reactionary, underlines Huber, so as to say that there exists a human stubbornness to obsess over advancement and not change direction even upon the realization of an impending doom.

Huber jokes that the over-presence of radio in the film may have come out of her own preference for the medium in terms of staying informed. She listens to a lot of radio for the news. Explaining this preference and briefly touching on the films relationship with catastrophic images, the director says, Images can have such a great influence. There are so many violent and crazy things in the world and Im sometimes afraid of images.

As a counterpart to technology, in A Good Place theres, of course, nature. Images of gloomy forests further emphasize the uncanniness of the environment that Margarita and Gute inhabit. Huber suggests that, nowadays, especially in Germany, where shes based, there seems to be a tendency to want to return to nature. Yet, she says, I didnt want to romanticize nature, opting for a rather direct approach to landscapes, where they are simply inhabited spaces, and where beautiful forests can equally feel inhospitable.

Scenery can be a character itself, adds the director, emphasizing in her approach a kind of affinity to still lives and idle moments. I like still lives and the moments in-between, because they have a richness to them. You see an image and thats exactly all that is happening. Theres no need for too much interpretation. These images are also essential in creating the rhythm of the film. It was important that we had these moments of pause and I didnt want to go from one action to another, remarks Huber on the necessity of a more atmospheric cadence for the story.

Hubers debut feature  and, actually, one important first directorial venture into fiction filmmaking after mainly working in animation with award-winning shorts such as The Natural Death of a Mouse and Tangram  is ultimately atypical for the current German film landscape.

A Good Place is as indie as an independent film can be. Making use of a modest budget (at least as German films go), Hubers film also saw her working with a very small team and serving also as a writer, editor and producer. Through her Cologne-based production company Acker Film, Huber demonstrates well-established craftsmanship in various levels of filmmaking that certainly didnt go unnoticed by Locarnos Filmmakers of the Present jury.

Katharina Huber

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Since the May kickoff of the Foo Fighters first tour since the March 22 death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, the band has performed a mid-set covers medley. The songs have varied (and mostly have leaned on new drummer Josh Freeses previous bands), and recently, the Foos unexpectedly weaved in Michael Bubles Havent Met You Yet.

Last night (Aug. 12) at San Franciscos Outside Lands, a festival at which attendees have come to expect the unexpected, rumbled along, the Foos brought up Buble himself to join them on vocals on his 2009 single.

More from Spin:

Watch fan-shot footage of tue collaboration below.

MICHAEL BUBLE AND FOO FIGHTERS???? pic.twitter.com/SR2GPPaIQe  jae ceo of mista (@lesbianmista) August 13, 2023

Michael Buble just popped up in the middle of Foo Fighters set because why not? #OutsideLands pic.twitter.com/8GTZOxnFep  Patrick with Traffic (@useless_weirdo) August 13, 2023

WHY DID MICHAEL BUBLE JUST PULL UP TO THE FOO FIGHTERS SHOW?!?! pic.twitter.com/HFm2c3nNY3  kyra  (@uhhkyra) August 13, 2023

In the past, the Foos have jammed with Brian May, David Lee Roth, Deadmau5, and even Rick Astley. However, bringing up Buble may be the most surprising special guest performance yet.

See the full setlist below:

All My Life

The Pretender

No Son of Mine (with Enter Sandman and Paranoid riffs)

Rescued

Walk

Learn to Fly

Times Like These

Breakout

Sabotage / Enter Sandman / Whip It / March of the Pigs / Havent Met You Yet (with Michael Buble)

My Hero

This Is a Call

The Sky Is a Neighborhood

Shame Shame (with Violet Grohl)

Show Me How (with Violet Grohl)

The Teacher (with Violet Grohl)

Best of You

Aurora (Dedicated to Taylor Hawkins)

Everlong

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
A criminal probe into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia has been ongoing for over two and a half years.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis seated a special grand jury last year to make recommendations concerning criminal prosecutions. A new grand jury seated in July is soon expected to weigh possible election-related charges against Trump.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks at the 56th annual Silver Elephant Gala in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 5, 2023. (Artie Walker Jr./AP)

Willis recently signaled that an indictment could be imminent. As the DA appears to be nearing the end of her investigation, here's a look at the key players in the Georgia election probe beyond Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

PHOTO: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference in Atlanta, Dec. 14, 2020. (John Bazemore/AP)

Raffensperger certified the state's election results -- and then recertified them after Trump's team requested a recount -- confirming that President Joe Biden won the state. In a now-infamous phone call, Trump asked Raffensperger to "find" enough votes to win Georgia during an hourlong call on Jan. 2, 2021, which was obtained by ABC News. Raffensperger testified before the special grand jury last year.

MORE: Timeline: Criminal probe into Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia election results

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis

PHOTO: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis poses for a portrait, April 19, 2023, in Atlanta. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

Willis launched the criminal probe in February 2021, a month after Trump's call to Raffensperger, according to a letter to state officials obtained by ABC News.

MORE: Who is Fani Willis? The Georgia district attorney who could soon indict Trump

"This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election's administration," Willis wrote in the letter.

Trump's legal team has unsuccessfully sought to remove her from the case and quash the special grand jury report.

Story continues

Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney

PHOTO: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney instructs potential jurors during proceedings to seat a special purpose grand jury on, May 2, 2022, in Atlanta. (Ben Gray/AP Photo)

McBurney has been assigned to the DA's case. Among his decisions, he ordered in February that portions of the special grand jury's report be released, while the majority will remain sealed.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp

PHOTO: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp delivers the State of the State address at the state Capitol, Jan. 25, 2023 in Atlanta. (Alex Slitz/AP)

Along with Raffensperger, Kemp certified the results of the election in Georgia. Willis notified Kemp in her February 2021 letter that her office had launched an investigation into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He testified before the special grand jury last year.

MORE: DA probing efforts to overturn Georgia election results likely to present case to grand jury next week: Sources

Mark Meadows

PHOTO: Former Rep. Mark Meadows speaks during a forum on House and GOP Conference rules for the 118th Congress, at the FreedomWorks office in Washington, Nov. 14, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Imag)

Meadows, the White House chief of staff at the time, was heard speaking on the Raffensperger call. He was ordered by a judge last year to speak before the special grand jury.

Rudy Giuliani

PHOTO: Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump exits U.S. District Court after attending a hearing in a defamation suit related to the 2020 election results in Washington, U.S., May 19, 2023. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

Trump's one-time personal attorney was informed last year that he is considered a "target" of the Fulton County district attorney's probe, according to sources familiar with the matter.

He testified before the special grand jury last year.

John Eastman

PHOTO: John Eastman, former lawyer to Donald Trump, speaks to members of the media as he leaves the State Bar Court of California in Los Angeles, California, June 20, 2023. (David Swanson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former Trump election lawyer John Eastman also testified before the special grand jury last year, during which he pleaded the Fifth, his attorneys said at the time. They advised him to "assert attorney client privilege and the constitutional right to remain silent where appropriate," they said in a statement.

16 'fake electors'

Sixteen "fake electors" who allegedly participated in a scheme to overturn the state's election results were notified that they were considered targets in the criminal investigation, prosecutors revealed in court documents last year.

McBurney disqualified Willis from investigating one of the 16 -- Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones -- because she held a fundraiser for his political opponent last year.

In May, eight of the "fake electors" accepted immunity in the probe, according to their lawyer.

Key players in state probe over Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia election results originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Bastrop County Sheriff's Office released photos of two of the three victims: Denise Martinez (left) and Vigil-Benitez (right). It is unclear if the dog in the photo was the dog that died during the incident.

A devastating accident involving a runaway hunting dog and an uncovered cistern containing water and hydrogen sulfide gas resulted in the deaths of three hog hunters from Florida on August 9, the Associated Press reports.

The incident occurred just outside of Austin, Texas, in a cornfield off County Road 461. Four hog huntersthree from Florida and one localwere preparing for a night hunt. But their dog, described as a bloodhound, escaped the vehicle as they were getting ready. The group tracked the dog's location using a GPS collar and eventually found it had fallen into an open water reservoir in the cornfield. The hole was about four feet wide. One of the hunters tried to rescue the dog by jumping into the cistern, which was full of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. Two other hunters removed some clothing before jumping in to rescue both the man and the dog. The three Florida huntersDelvys Garcia, 37; Denise Martinez, 26; and Noel Vigil-Benitez, 45died in the incident, as did the dog.

The surface of the water was about six feet below the top of the cistern, making escape impossible without assistance from above. The noxious fumes from the hydrogen sulfide gas are believed to have overpowered the victims while simultaneously making the water less dense and therefore harder to float in, USA Today reports. Hydrogen sulfide gas is common in wells and septic tanks. The hole contained carcasses of other animals that had previously fallen in.

The fourth hunter, who was hosting the hunt at the time and remains unnamed, reported the incident to local authorities at 1 a.m. Six dive teams turned down requests for assistance, reluctant to enter the gaseous cistern to attempt recovery. Eventually, authorities drained the water and ventilated the gas before flying a drone into the tank to investigate the integrity of the walls. Once the hole was free of water and toxic fumes, a deputy entered the hole three separate times to extract the bodies of the three hunters and the dog. The hunters' bodies were then transported to the Travis County medical examiner's office for autopsies.

Read Next: California Fishermen Save Two Teenagers from Drowning in Monterey Bay

Investigation into the timeline of the incident is ongoing. The authorities did not mention any suspicion of foul play. Family members organized GoFundMe accounts for Martinez, Vigil-Benitez, and Garcia, the latter of who leaves behind a wife and two kids, according to the GoFundMe page.

"It's a sad day whenever it ends like it did [Wednesday]," Bastrop County Sheriff Maurice Cook said in a news briefing on August 10. "Can you imagine? You have loved ones and they come to Texas to hunt and then it ends like this, which was a sad tragedy that just happened."
Note: Some disturbing and graphic content ahead.

1. The fact that the "breast ripper," a medieval torture device with claw-like spikes that was used exactly as the name implies, actually existed. Apparently, it was used on women who were "accused of adultery, abortion, and other 'crimes.'"

2. On June 10, 1990, a British Airways flight captain was "partially ejected" (i.e. sucked out) from an aircraft after an improperly installed windscreen panel separated from its screen.

Note: The image above is from a reenactment and NOT actual footage of the incident (although the image circulates every once in a while online falsely saying it's the real photo). Wonder / Via youtube.com

According to interviews with the crew at the time, the situation was so chaotic and intense that the cockpit door was ripped off its hinges. One of the flight attendants even grabbed the captain's ankles "before he disappeared out the window" after he had been "sucked out of his seatbelt," ultimately saving the captain's life.

(Again, this is more footage from the dramatic reenactment.) Wonder / Via youtube.com

3. This video of a person going down a waterslide that was unexpectedly FLOODED, which is a whole lotta NOOOOPE!

Watch the full video here:

4. Earlier this year, a "black-market" illegal medical lab "complete with bioengineered mice, infectious agents, nearly 30 refrigerators and freezers some of which were non-operational, incubators, and more" was discovered in Reedley, California (just outside of Fresno).

According to Your Central Valley , many local officials described the site as shocking and disturbing and nothing like anything they'd seen in their 25+-year-long careers.

Some of the most shocking things found were a room housing 1,000 white lab mice (200 of which were already dead, the rest having to be euthanized), 800 different chemicals on site, many biohazards like human blood, and infectious viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents including E. Coli, malaria, and even COVID.

5. A 12-year-old boy in Israel suffered a very rare internal decapitation accident after he was hit by a car while riding his bike. Surgeons then had to perform the life-saving procedure of reattaching his head.

Note: The image above is from another internal decapitation accident. Inside Edition / Via youtube.com

According to NBC 15 News , "After the accident, Suleiman [Hassan] was airlifted to the medical centers trauma unit, where doctors determined the ligaments holding the posterior base of his skull were severed from the top vertebrae of his spine. The condition is commonly known as internal or orthopedic decapitation."

Utah778 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

6. In 2016, an 18-year-old, Tyler Turner, and the instructor he was jumping in tandem with died in a skydiving accident after their parachutes didn't open

CBS Sacramento / Via youtube.com

Horrifyingly, this was not the first time a parachute failed to deploy during a jump with this company  Skydive Lodi Parachute Center. Just two years after Turner's death, a 62-year-old, Nina Lowry Mason, also died after her parachute didn't open.

CBS Sacramento / Via youtube.com

According to ABC 10, the facility's owner, Bill Dause, said "he doesn't keep track of the total number of deaths, but he believes up to 18 people have died [there] since the year 2000."

CBS Sacramento / Via youtube.com

7. A few years ago, a man in Arizona, whose mother died after suffering from Alzheimer's, donated her body to a facility that he was led to believe would use it for medical research. However, he later discovered that her body was sold to the US military for roughly $6,000 and then blown up in a "blast test" without consent.

WATE 6 / Via youtube.com

Shockingly, her body was just one of 20 dead bodies that were actually sold off to the US Army for these blast experiments without the consent of the deceased or next of kin.

WATE 6 / Via youtube.com

The company that sold the bodies, Biological Resource Center (BRC), is no longer in business. However, Reuters reported that for "over a decade, they were able to sell more than 20,000 parts from about 5,000 human bodies."

WATE 6 / Via youtube.com

8. In July, a man, Javonnta Murphy, was found inside a barrel at a popular beach in Malibu, California.

KTLA 5 / Via youtube.com

In a strange twist, according to TMZ , authorities are currently investigating a possible connection between rapper Pop Smoke's murder in 2020 and Murphy, whose brother, Jaquan Murphy, was charged with attempted murder for Pop Smoke's death.

Pop Smoke pictured above. Suzanne Cordeiro / AFP via Getty Images

9. A 24-year-old construction worker in Texas was accused of being on drugs but was actually dying of heatstroke while working in Texas back in June 2022. The man, Gabriel Infante, ended up dying in a hospital from severe heatstroke and had a recorded internal temperature of 109.8F.

Arpad Benedek / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Guardian reported, "According to [a] lawsuit, Infante began exhibiting heatstroke symptoms including confusion, altered mental state, dizziness, and loss of consciousness. His friend and co-worker Joshua Espinoza began pouring cold water over him, trying to cool him down. A foreman insisted Espinoza call the police, claiming Infantes bizarre behavior was due to drugs, and the foreman pushed for a drug test when emergency medical services arrived."

Praewblackwhile / Getty Images/iStockphoto

10. The existence of the puss caterpillar , which, according to this Reddit user below, "will fuck your world up." They explained, "I grazed it twice while climbing on a float. NBD at first, but an hour later, I was hyperventilating on the bedroom floor. The pain was excruciating. Dear husband took me to the ER, and morphine did nothing."

"Im better now, but neither morphine nor hydrocodone (I took double what they RXd) touched the pain those first 24 hours. And the hospital hardly knew what to do with me. I had never heard of nor seen this bug before, and Im sure I would have flicked it off had I seen it. Dont do that because the hair is venomous and gets stuck in your skin. At least it leaves a cool scar."

Totally-avg

11. This person on Reddit who found what looks to be human bones in a wall. They explained, "If it helps, it wasnt a wall in a house but in the cement foundation/walls of a building that closes my backyard on the far side (if that makes sense). That wall is crumbling, and glass shards, nails, whatever have fallen out of itand then I pulled these bones out one day."

Lazybunny_

12. A 200-foot asteroid, roughly the size of an airplane, "just missed Earth" only a few weeks ago, and it wasn't even DETECTED until two days after the fact because it was "hidden by the sun's glare."

Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images

If an asteroid that size would have hit Earth, to give you some reference, it's believed it would've left a 738-foot crater, "vaporized" about 235 people (in a major city like New York), and created a 328-foot-tall tsunami.

Independent Picture Service / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

13. As a reminder to think twice before visiting Death Valley in the summer  i.e. one of the hottest places on earth  a man, Steve Curry, died there just a few weeks ago. In fact, below is a photo of Curry hiking in Death Valley the morning he died.

Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

According to KTLA, 71-year-old Curry collapsed outside of a restroom at Golden Canyon where the temperatures had hit 121F.

Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The reason photos of Curry exist from the day he died is because, ironically, he had been interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about the hot temperatures in the area that day. Curry declined offers of assistance and was "determined to finish what he set out to do," which was hike Death Valley.

Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

14. A 2-year-old boy in Nevada died from a brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri, after visiting Ash Springs, a natural hot spring just north of Las Vegas.

8 News Now / Via youtube.com

According to NBC News , "Naegleria fowleri  a microscopic single-celled living ameba that occurs naturally in the environment  lives in soil and warm freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and springs, and can infect people by entering the body through the nose and traveling to the brain," the state officials said.

Kateryna Kon / Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF

15. On Oct. 29, 2013, there was a lethal wind turbine accident in the Netherlands where two mechanics  one 19 and the other 21 years old  were trapped and then died because of a fire that broke out on the turbine.

According to reports, "One fell to his death and was found on the ground underneath the turbine, the other died from his burns and was found inside the charred remains of the turbine."

16. Finally, this awful X-ray from a person's friend who apparently "accidentally shot himself in the leg."

Previously:

Terrifying Things I Learned  July 2023

Terrifying Things I Learned  June 2023

Terrifying Things I Learned  May 2023

Terrifying Things I Learned  April 2023
The health care system is notorious for harboring many instances of racial bias and unfair treatment towards Black people and POC communities, and one nurse wanted to shed light on the subject through one experience of hers as a health care professional.

A doctor misdiagnosed a Black patient as mentally ill for patting her weave.

Nurse and TikToker Nika Marie Noel (@nikaxnoel) posted a video of her experience witnessing a non-Black doctor wrongfully diagnosing a Black patient as mentally ill because she patted her weave, an intricate type of hair extension that allows for human or artificial hair strands to be sewn near the scalp of ones natural hair.

Pairing her video with the Law and Order opening theme song, Noel captioned her video with, Reason #212 why we have a need for black doctors/nurses to assess black patients or at least be a walking resource. The doctor said the [patient] was hitting her head with the palm of her hand, so she must be hearing voices.

RELATED: Why Black People Who Need Mental Health Care Aren't Getting The Treatment They Deserve

This girl was patting her weave, she added.

People in the comments were disappointed by the doctors presumptuous remark and relayed their own experiences.

In response to a persons reply that read, Also, like why is their first thought Shes hearing voices and not Shes messing with her hair or. yknow. just asking her what shes doing, Nika commented, Some people have been sheltered and dont have experience with other cultures, and care less to study people and different cultures.

Another user wrote, I had to help detangle a pts hair because the other staff just washed it and left her 4C hair as is. It was soo dreaded and tangled, so much fallout.

One mother in the comments shared an experience her son had with a healthcare professional. This is so real! my sons therapist asked if he had a tick due to him hitting himself during the session lol I was like he just got his hair braided, she wrote.

RELATED: OB-GYN Explains Why Pregnancy May Now Be A Death Sentence In The U.S.

Nurse stands outside in green scrubs and explains the time a doctor misdiagnosed a Black patient as mentally ill when she was patting her weave.

Photo: TikTok / @nikaxnoel

Research has shown that people of color are more likely to face difficulties in receiving quality healthcare.

It is a known fact that implicit bias is prevalent within the world of healthcare, and if this wasnt already apparent in the past, the rise of the coronavirus certainly amplified these disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.

RELATED: Why I Refuse To Keep Paying The Unacceptable Cost Of Being A Black Woman In America Today

One study revealed that Black patients were less likely to receive quality pain treatment as opposed to white patients; in lieu of being referred to a pain specialist, Black patients were more likely to be assessed for substance abuse. Another recent study shared that Black women are more than twice as likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women.

In short, implicit bias stems from the unconscious beliefs and attitudes that have been retained at an early age and formed over time, which directly (and harmfully) influence ones perceptions and decisions about other people, places, and things.

Along these lines, implicit bias can be particularly dangerous in healthcare spaces where marginalized groups are prone to misdiagnosis, disparities in treatment, communication barriers, inequitable pain management, and so on.

For this reason, it is crucial for facilities to proactively counteract such risks by implementing cultural competence training and inclusive policies that can help improve the quality of treatment and fairness for all patients.

RELATED: The Reality Of Racism In The Mental Health Industry  Insights From A Black Psychologist

Xiomara Demarchi is a New York writer and frequent contributor for YourTangos news and entertainment team. Keep up to date with them on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on YourTango
Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Foxtons Group plc (LON:FOXT), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

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 Foxtons Group

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Foxtons Group

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Chairman Nigel Sutherland Rich for UK107k worth of shares, at about UK0.43 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK0.39 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price.

While Foxtons Group insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. They paid about UK0.37 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!

Foxtons Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership Of Foxtons Group

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Based on our data, Foxtons Group insiders have about 0.9% of the stock, worth approximately UK1.1m. We prefer to see high levels of insider ownership.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Foxtons Group Insiders?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. While we have no worries about the insider transactions, we'd be more comfortable if they owned more Foxtons Group stock. 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Foxtons Group and we suggest you have a look.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.


"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



It is hard to believe that Chip and Joanna Gaines have been married for 20 years, and that also means it's hard to believe that their brand, Magnolia, is 20 years old too! Of course, this is cause for massive celebration, and Chip and Joanna are letting us all in on the fun. The Fixer Upper stars just announced the dates for the 8th annual Silobration at the Magnolia Silos in Waco, Texas. Joanna took to Instagram to post a video announcement for the weekend long event. "Save the Date: Oct. 19-21. We're throwing a big party at the Silos to celebrate 20 years of @magnolia  We hope to see you there! #silobration2023," she wrote.

At this year's Silobration, Chip and Joanna will take the stage to discuss the past 20 years of their life building a family and a business together followed by a performance from JOHNNYSWIM. Aside from special appearances from the Gaines family, attendees can enjoy a weekend of shopping (including from the Magnolia line), food and fun.

Fans can't wait to be up close and personal with the Gaines's in their own stomping grounds. They left comments like: "How fun!! On my bucket list for sure!," and "Oh my goodness how amazing!!!!!!!"

Joanna's casual style never fails to impress, and this casual T-shirt, jeans, and Birkenstocks combination is no exception. Shop the look below!

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On a rainy day, I find out about the kind of middle-of-nowhere adventure that I live for. Three parts of Ecuadors Inca Trail happening on three separate weekends. One involves camping in the wild, another features a waterfall. My heart skips a beat.

Already I know this landscape: the shark-tooth rows of Andean ridge line, the revitalizing mountain air, llamas chilling in open spaces. Here at 11,500, feet along the worlds longest mountain range, adventures are unpredictable. Anything from hot sunshine, to pouring rain, to chunks of hail pelting from the sky are par for the course. Add the reconnection with a past civilizationthe Incaswho ruled here during the 15th and 16th centuries, and this sounds like a great adventure. Im in.

This will be no ordinary Inca Trail trek. Weve all heard of the infamous routes that retrace steps of ancient civilizations in South America: Perus route to Machu Picchu and Colombias Lost City being two such examples. There, hordes of tourists lace up their boots and hit the trail. Here in Ecuador though, well see a quieter side of the Inca Trail along sections of nearly forgotten Incan territory. Sure, these trails wont have grandiose ancient ruins, but they will have miles of untouched spaces where the only things to interrupt your thoughts are whispering Andean breezes. This is the Inca Trail that most will never see. And since so many favor Colombia or Peru over Ecuador, these segments dont even bother to compete for international attention. Theyre just as they are: rugged, wild, and unedited.

With an adventurous heart, I set out.

Ona, March 12

The water is so cold it feels like tiny needles pricking the surface of my skin. Right now Im reminded that the Andes are a place of extremesextreme inclines, bone-chilling winds, and water that runs unforgivingly cold. But to be someone who loves the outdoors means I either embrace what Ecuadors mountains throw at me, or short myself of an experience. So I swim. The river runs white as it collides against the rocks at its bottom.

This is Onaa scenic place in the south of Ecuador. The Incas once walked along this very spot and, today, were retracing their steps. The grand finale is a waterfall that well hit by lunch.

The Inca Trail as a North American like me knows it, is a little deceptive. For starters, its name implies that it was created by and for the Incas. But as Miguel Wladimir Galarza Ordonez who has a PhD in archaeology here in Ecuador tells me, thats not the case. The Incas didnt build this road which has been made world-famous by the likes of Machu Picchu. In reality, it was the civilizations that came before them (like the Canaris in Ecuador) who really blazed this trail. The Incas (or more accurately, their slaves) merely maintained and extended it. Second of all, theres another name for it which the world isnt familiar with: Qhapaq Nan, which loosely translates from Quechua (an Indigenous Andean language) as great trail of the high Andes.

A waterfall along the Inca trail near Ona. Photo Courtesy of Sinead Mulhern

Some of Ecuadors most important sections of the trail are located around Ona. Where Im walking now was an exclusive part of the Qhapaq Nan where only royals and messengers (called chasquis) were permitted. Back in the day, an important message would have triggered a network on chasquis to kick it into high gear bounding from the coast up through the Andes in a relay-style race passing crucial news from one runner to the next. For these highland messengers, the piercing sound of a whistle would have been your cue. The Incas found out about Spanish invasion this way. When ships docked, word spread through these mountains.

That life-or-death urgency might be hard to relate to if you hike in Ona today. With trickling water as its soundtrack, its incredibly peaceful. We reach the waterfall and its terrifying, magical, and beautiful all at once. Gallons of water are sent soaring over the edge. Our trekking guide asks me what I think and all I can say is that its wonderful.

Truthfully, Im mesmerized and a little stuck for words.

Carachula, March 26

Its dark and the Andean sky is splattered with constellations. These cliffs where Im standing, extraordinary and dramatic, were carved eons ago by glaciers. Theyre like giant boulders that reach towards the sky. Tonight, I feel a magical energy here.

Carachula. La ciudad de las piedras. City of stone. This is an archaeological site overlooking a valley near the town of Santa Isabel. To get here, we survived a car breakdown, a subtropical storm, and then a thick fog that smothered the landscape as we maneuvered the car around corkscrew roads up to 12,000 feet. We warmed our bones with canelazo, a hot drink made from spices and sugar cane alcohol. Classic Ecuador.

Now Im here watching the speckled sky. We spot constellations, a shooting star, and tip-toe along a ledge for a better view. Finally, its time to head down to camp. I layer up in my warmest hiking attire and woolen knits. Im about to crawl into my tent when I notice the glow of a pair of eyes at the edge of the woods. A fox. We lock each other into a staring contest for a few moments before it scampers away.

A stream along the Inca trail near Carachula. Photo Courtesy of Sinead Mulhern

The night gives way to dawn and after coffee, we set off to explore. When I talk to Galarza Ordonez later, he explains the main uses of the Inca Trail. Theres the primary trail, a main artery used to transport products around Ecuador and down to Peru. Then, theres the secondary trail where the messengers and royals walked. Carachula is the latter and is an important spot as it connected major hubs like Cuenca, the southern city of Loja, and Piura on Perus northern coast.

Thats matter-of-fact compared to the legends I hear about Carachula. As the story goes, theres both a giant condor shaped out of stone that keeps watch on the whole valley and a teetering boulder which can be shifted only by the power of a single person. Today were going to the condor. Its a route that weaves across wildflower fields, along mountain streams, through the bouncy floor of a pine forest, and up a steep incline towards the condor.

The woman Im hiking with is tired. None of us slept well and this mountain is so steeply sloped its like its trying to block us from the top. Im tired too. We decide to take a break and sit in the tall grasses while we share snacks. This mountain range has a tendency to try to defeat hikers. But that wont be us today. We continue to climb and soon, the fog thins enough for us to see it. The condor.

A trail marker on the Inca trail near Carachula. A photograph of a trail marker the Inca trail near Carachula.

In a final push, we make it to the base of this oddly-shaped rock. It really does look like a condorEcuadors national bird pictured on its flag. This place, with its heavy mists and strange craggy stone has a majestic feel to it. It could be the setting of a fantasy movie.

The five of us relax here for a little while, sharing cookies, snapping photos, and playing with a drone. The Inca Trail urges you to reconnect with a past civilization but here, Im focused on those who are from Ecuador and live here today. That they have the generosity to bring me along, answer my questions, and share these stories isnt lost on me. And I dont take it for granted. As they pose, play and appreciate this part of their country, Im glad this part of the Inca Trail is mostly empty of international tourists. It exists mainly for those who have always been here.

Llaviucu, May 26

Im on a peak overlooking Laguna Mamamag and the sun has turned the lake into a vast sparkling surface at the base of the mountains. Its waves ripple lazily while glimmering in the afternoon light. Its a sight so pretty it draws a gasp out of me. It occurs to me that my hiking buddy, Jess, and I are likely the only people on Earth to observe this beauty today. This is a remote trail in the middle of Cajas National Parka rugged part of the Ecuadorian Andes which is equal parts stunning and intimidating. Itll be miles and about five hours until we spot another soul.

We stop for a moment on the top of this mountain and slather ourselves with sunscreen. Ive fallen in love with this route. Its wild, serene, and offers a great sense of solitude. This is just here for anyone who can make their way from the nearby city of Cuencaor Tumipamba, as the Incas would have known itwith a $2.50 bus ticket. This is so accessible and we have it all to ourselves. No crowds. No pricey tour fees. I say this earlier as the valley opens up and we spot jagged mountains in the background. Silvery clouds sit at their peaks.

The view of Llaviucu Lake along the Inca trail. Photo Courtesy of Sinead Mulhern

From where we are now, the trail takes us down. This is a section of boulders, deep mud, gnarled roots, and a forest choked by vines. I feel like goblins would live here. My sense of gratitude wanes. Now, I curse this part of the trail all the while wondering how tough existence would have been during Incan times. Jess and I wonder about the Incas and their life. We hear about their stories in broad strokes: this ancient highway of theirs, lost cities like Machu Picchu (or, in Ecuador, Ingapirca), their impressive architectural skills, and their eventual demise to the Spanish.

In between muddy steps, Jess offers a glimpse into daily lives of runners of the Inca Trail who could be summoned by royalty to bring saltwater fish fresh from the ocean. After all, this part of the road did connect the highlands with the coast, passing through a town which was a commercial center here in Ecuador back in the day. The gulf of Guayaquil was where the Incas collected spondylus shells for rain and fertility rituals. It was also where products were shipped to Spain. (Today, Guayaquils still a port city and one of the most important not only to Ecuador, but along the eastern Pacific.) I imagine Incan runners as I sink into a shin-deep mud puddle. Ancient Uber Eats, I think with a scoff. All this for a fish.

A flower meadow along the Inca trail near Llaviucu Lake. Photo Courtesy of Sinead Mulhern

When we finish this part of the Inca Trail, dusk has taken over. Its time to go. We return to Cuenca exhausted but not too beat for pizza. Were feeding our battered bodies when we notice were getting A Look from a local family. Maybe its the muddy hiking attire or the giant map were poring over. They stare with confusion.

Its as if they dont recognize whats in their own backyard and the memories these mountains would share if only they could talk.

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Yesterday, King Charles announced further military appointments for working members of the royal family, chosen to continue to reflect the close relationship between the Armed Forces and the Royal Family in His Majestys reign, a statement from Buckingham Palace released yesterday said. Among the appointments? By order of the King, Prince William is now in charge of Prince Harrys former military unit, Us Weekly reports. This means William can now add the honorifics of Colonel-in-Chief, The Army Air Corps, Colonel-in-Chief, The Mercian Regiment, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, R.A.F. Valley, to his list of growing titles as heir apparent, the outlet writes. William is a veteran of the British military, Buckingham Palace noted, with extensive service in the Royal Air Force in particular; he served as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot from 2010 to 2013.

Prince William in military uniform

But now, as Us Weekly points out, Williams new role as Colonel-in-Chief to the Army Air Corps in particulara role previously held by the King himselfnow places him in charge of Harrys old Army unit. Harry went on multiple tours of Afghanistan during his time in the British military, in which he served as a Forward Air Controller and then as an Apache Pilot in the Army, Us Weekly reports.

When he stepped back as a working member of the royal family in 2020, Harry was stripped of his three military titles: Captain General of the Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant of Royal Air Force Honington, and Commodore-in-Chief, Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command. Since then, whether or not Harry would be allowed to wear his military uniform has been up for continual debate, even though he served in the military for a decade.

Prince William and Prince Harry in military uniform

Royal expert Christopher Andersen said that, in the midst of the ongoing family feud (we dont have to tell you which one), the King and William have grown closer than ever. Theyve been insulted by members of their own family, Andersen said. "Its been quite the ordeal for them, and I think that they kind of circled the wagon, so to speak. And theyve come out of that with a stronger bond. Similarly, Harry and wife Meghan Markle have put on their own united front: As far as theyre concerned, its Harry and Meghan against the world, a source told Us Weekly.

As Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps, The Daily Mail reports, William will represent the Armys airborne wing, including Harrys former unit, 662 Squadron. Its a role that Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said Harry himself could have been in line for had he not left life as a working royal. Little said it was quite feasible that this prestigious appointment would have gone Harrys way had he stayed in the Firm. Had Harry still been around, he might well have had more appointments going his way, he said.

King Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry

The Mirror reports that Harry might have hoped to one day take the role after spending three-and-a-half years in the Armys airborne wing. But he has been stripped of all his honorary military appointments after quitting royal duty.

Kate Middleton serving as Colonel of the Irish Guards

By the way, William isnt the only one who has new military appointmentsthe Princess of Wales was also bestowed with new titles of her own, and she is now the Commodore-in-Chief, Fleet Air Arm, Colonel-in-Chief, 1st Queens Dragoon Guards, and Royal Honorary Air Commodore, R.A.F. Coningsby. Catherine has family connections to the RAF, as her paternal grandfather served as a fighter pilot during the Second World War and flew with the late Duke of Edinburgh [Prince Philip] in the 1960s, The Daily Mail reports. Captain Peter Middletonwho the outlet reports, in an incredible twist, was Philips co-pilot on flights across South America during a royal tourpassed away just days before William and Catherine announced their engagement back in 2010.

Other royal family members, including Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, and the King himself, also received new military appointments from this latest announcement.
King Charles has sent a message of condolence to President Biden following the horrific wildfires in Hawaii. In a note released by Buckingham Palace, the King sent his "deepest possible sympathy" to those affected and said he and wife Camilla's thoughts were with those assisting them.

The message reads:

My wife and I were utterly horrified to hear of the catastrophic wildfires currently burning in Maui, Hawaii. We can only begin to imagine the scale of the devastation engulfing the island, and the heartrending anguish of those whose livelihoods have been so disastrously affected.

However inadequate it may be, we both wanted to send our deepest possible sympathy to the families of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and our prayers remain with all those whose loved ones are missing and whose homes have been destroyed.

As the recovery effort continues, my special thoughts are with the extraordinarily brave emergency responders and Maui residents who are providing their support and assistance.

CHARLES R.

The King met with President Biden at Windsor Castle in June, when the red carpet was rolled out for the President with a military guard of honour. As Prince Charles, he visited Hawaii in 1985 with Princess Diana on a stopover between Australia and Washington. Reports at the time shared how Charles bodysurfed at Sandy Beach, Honolulu.

The current wildfires have affected the island of Maui, with more than 90 people confirmed dead.

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As someone who loves to travel, I understand the importance of finding the right place to stay. It's essential to feel safe and close to resources, but finding a place with a view is an added bonus. My favorite thing a vacation home can have, though--is a four-legged co-host!

If I ever visit Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, I'll be sure to stay at @ohlala_rio_vacation_rental. Not only does this apartment check all the boxes, but it comes with a Great Dane, too! Ohlala is one happy host--her wiggles give it away!

Isn't she adorable? As mesmerized as I am by the gorgeous views from this Airbnb, I know I'd be spending more time looking at Ohlala and her adorable booty wiggles. They're just irresistible!

It's so much fun to see the commenters gush over the happy Great Dane, too. Viewer @danegoodllc wrote, "we are obsessed! Pure joy." Joy is the perfect word to describe this pooch's dancing. She's just so happy that her tail can't contain it! And, honestly, neither can I.

I'll happily admit to watching Ohlala's video on repeat, but I'm a bit less thrilled to admit how jealous I am of the guests who get to stay with her. They get breathtaking views of Rio de Janeiro, tons of space to relax, and a pup to play with!

Great Danes are incredibly social dogs, so it's easy to see why Ohlala is so eager to meet her new friends. These gentle giants need a lot of quality time with their owners and other dogs, and this is a great way to meet that need. I bet Ohlala's list of friends never ends, and I sure hope to be added to the list one day!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos.

Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.

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Netflix's Painkiller is the latest drama series to explore the impact of the opioid crisis in the United States, following Dopesick on Hulu. Based on the book Pain Killer by Barry Meier and the New Yorker article 'The Family That Built an Empire of Pain,' it focuses specifically on the Sacklers, the real-life dynasty behind Pardue Pharma, the company that was largely responsible for a rise in doctors prescribing the highly addictive OxyContin.

The show tackles the crisis from multiple angles, following a wide-ranging ensemble cast of characters, including Uzo Aduba as attorney Edie Flowers, whose attempts to build a case against the Sackler family and Pardue Pharma form the narrative backbone of the series.

One storyline involves Shannon Schaeffer, a college graduate played by West Duchovny who takes a sales representative job at Pardue and is initially excited by the prospect of making good money and starting a high-powered career.

"I think a lot of people are going to see themselves in her," said Duchovny. "A theme for her is [the desire] for success and trying to do good and grappling with the pressures of money and how that changes you."

Shannon's role within the company is to encourage doctors to prescribe higher doses of OxyContin to patients while downplaying the risk of addiction, in order to secure higher payouts from insurance companies. At the beginning, she is enthusiastic about the work, but over the six episodes of Painkiller, Shannon grapples with the morality of the harm she has caused.

"I think [Shannon is] not only drawn to Purdue because of the money, but because she thinks that she can help people and do good," Duchovny explained.

After taking OxyContin herself for the first time and walking into a swimming pool, Shannon comes to the realization that she needs to get out of Pardue and make amends, and her storyline ends with her aiding the U.S. Attorney's office in their investigation.

Netflix

Was Shannon Schaeffer a real person?

Yes and no. Each episode of the show opens with the disclaimer that "certain characters, names, incidents, locations, and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes," and while certain figures in Painkiller are transparently based on real people, such as Matthew Broderick's Richard Sackler, others are composite characters inspired by multiple individuals.

Shannon Schaeffer is one such character, who was written into the show to illustrate the methods Pardue used to increase sales of OxyContin, and to put a human face on Pardue's profit-driven motivations. Her story plays out very closely to real life: Pardue Pharma sales reps were highly incentivized, and those who successfully convinced doctors to prescribe higher milligram doses of OxyContin received bonuses sometimes outweighing their yearly salary. Shannon specifically may not have ever existed, but plenty of people like her did.

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Shark sightings on the East Coast have been on the rise while Americans flock to beaches in hopes of cooling off.

Rockaway Beach in New York was shut down Tuesday, Aug. 8, after a woman was hospitalized following a rare shark attack, Fox News Digital reported. She was transferred to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition, but her health status has been upgraded to serious/non-life threatening.

In Massachusetts, there were multiple shark sightings recently at Cape Cod, which prompted officials to close Marconi Beach to swimming.

SHARK ATTACK IN SUMMER: HERE'S WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO STABILIZE A VICTIM IN REAL TIME

Here are 12 number-based facts on sharks including the population, size and more.

Sharks are considered to be a long-bodied marine fish with a cartilaginous skeleton and a prominent dorsal fin.

400+  There are more than 400 known species of shark in seas around the world, according to Shark Research Institute.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

1 billion  Marine experts estimate that the total shark population is around one billion, according to A-Z Animals, an online animal encyclopedia.

"This means there's a shark for every seven or eight humans," the encyclopedia noted in July 2022. "They can be found in every ocean in the world and just about every oceanic habitat, including the open ocean, deep sea, coral reefs, shallows and beneath Arctic ice."

SHARK ATTACK IN SUMMER: HERE'S WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO STABILIZE A VICTIM IN REAL TIME

61.7 feet  Whale sharks are the largest living shark species. On average, whale sharks reach 46 feet in length, according to the National Museum of Natural History. Some can even grow up to 60 feet.

Whale sharks can be found in warm coastal waters around the world.

The worlds largest whale shark on record measured 61.7 feet, according to a 2018 study from Nova Southeastern Universitys Guy Harvey Research Institute  a university in Florida  and the Maldives Whale Shark Research Program.

6 inches  Dwarf lantern sharks are the smallest living shark species with an average size of six inches, according to the National Museum of Natural History.

The museum said the species is "smaller than a human hand" and has "only been observed a few times" in the northern part of South America at depths between 928 and 1,440 feet.

GREAT WHITE SHARKS HAVE SURPRISING DIET WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG, RESEARCHERS FIND

4,095 pounds  Great white sharks have one of the strongest bites in the world. A 2008 experiment led by Australian paleontologist Stephen Wroe found that a 7,328-pound great white shark could exert about 4,095 pounds of force from its powerful jaws, according to a study published in the Journal of Zoology.

Great white sharks can be found in almost all coastal and offshore waters around the world.

5  Most shark species have five rows of teeth, according to Delta Dental of Washington, a dental insurance provider.

In a Shark Week blog post, Delta Dental of Washington said some shark species "can have as many as 3,000 teeth at once" and "lose up to 100 per day."

72  On average, there are 72 unprovoked shark attacks around the world, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. More than half of those attacks  51%  happen to surfers and board sport participants.

WORLD'S OLDEST SHARK VICTIM ON RECORD GETS DECODED BY SCIENTISTS

Other victims have been attacked while swimming or wading (39%), body surfing or horsing around (6%) and snorkeling (4%).

Warning sign for great white shark biting incidents, at Newcomb Hollow Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

57  In 2022, there were "57 unprovoked shark attacks on humans worldwide," according to a report published by Statista in March 2023. Five of those shark attacks were fatal, the data company wrote.

1 in 3.7 million  The chance of being killed by a shark is one in 3.7 million, according to National Geographic.

5-YEAR-OLD SEEMINGLY FINDS ANCIENT MEGALODON TOOTH WHILE VACATIONING IN SOUTH CAROLINA

100 million  Researchers estimate that 100 million sharks are killed each year around the world, according to American Oceans  an organization dedicated to coastal restoration, protection and preservation. This is due in large part to major fishing countries using "destructive fishing practices," according to greenpeace.org, which cited an article from nature.com, a British weekly scientific journal.

There are hundreds of known shark species.

450 million  Sharks have existed for 450 million years, according to The Natural History Museum, London.

The museum said the finned animal appears in fossil records before the existence of trees and sharks have survived five mass extinctions.

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98 feet  The since extinct megalodon is believed to be the largest shark species in world history. A 1909 jaw reconstruction put together by American paleontologist Bashford Dean estimated that megalodons could grow to be 98 feet long, according to Fossil Era, a fossil specimen provider.

In recent years, scientists have downgraded Deans estimate to 68.6 feet. Full skeletons have yet to be found, but megalodon teeth are discovered around the world often.

Megalodons reportedly became extinct 2.6 million years ago during the end of the Pliocene era, according to The Natural History Museum, London.
It raises a debate about how detailed an ingredient list should be.

Tara Higgins Hill/Getty Images

There has been some recent alarm over an ingredient in Baskin-Robbins' popular Rocky Road ice cream. The flavor, which consists of a rich chocolate ice cream stuffed with roasted almonds and mini marshmallows, lists gelatin as an ingredient in the marshmallows. This has rankled fans, including a Nevada-based man named Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism.

In a statement, Zed said, "It was shocking for Hindus to learn that popular Rocky Road ice cream, which they had been eating for years, contained beef; beef was not explicitly mentioned under the ingredients listed on the packages/boxes." This, Zed suggested, was a serious and offensive oversight on the company's part.

Beef may not have been listed, but gelatin always has been. Gelatin is generally known to be an animal product, and Baskin-Robbins confirmed this in a response to Zed, saying it comes from both a "porcine and beef source."

The Food and Drug Administration explains that gelatin comes from "the partial hydrolysis of collagen derived from hides, connective tissue, and/or bones of cattle and swine." Gelatin has been described by the American Chemical Society as "probably the most important part of the marshmallow, because it serves as the scaffolding that gives the marshmallow its stretchy, gooey texture." It is difficult to make marshmallows without gelatin, although Ben & Jerry's uses a seaweed-derived thickener called carrageenan in some of its ice creams.

But Zed does not think that listing gelatin goes far enough. He said, "It was hard to comprehend that why Baskin-Robbins, 'worlds largest chain of ice cream specialty shops, with more than 7,600 retail shops in nearly 40 global markets', did not mention explicitly under the ingredients on the package/box the source of gelatin used in that product."

Online commenters have mixed responses. Some challenge Zed's stance, pointing out that committed vegetarians or vegans will familiarize themselves with the many ingredients that contain animal products in order to ensure they don't violate their personal eating rules. They argue that it's the individual's responsibility to inform themselves. Others say it is entirely fair and logical to want clearer labeling to avoid misunderstandings like this.

It also makes one wonder about how detailed an ingredient list should be. Should the origins of everything be disclosed? If gelatin is expected to be listed as coming from a beef or porcine source, should the cream, almonds, and cocoa also have their origins revealed? It opens a metaphorical can of worms as to how deep a producer should go to satisfy a customers curiosityand at what point the producer can assume a curious customer will do their own research.

Regardless of where you fall in the debate, it may come as a surprise to many ice cream lovers that gelatin exists in their favorite flavor, and in marshmallows overall. Many other foods then come under scrutinysmores! Rice Krispies treats! Hot chocolate topped with melting marshmallows! Often we are unaware of the ingredients that make certain foods possible, and we would all do well to educate ourselves about what goes into the things we love and eat so as not to be unpleasantly surprised.
The horrendous unforeseen downside of the First Amendment: Its abuse has spawned a vicious and relentless propaganda network that has cut off the oxygen of truth to about 40 of these United States. There are vast areas of our country where you can literally not pull in anything but FOX and frothing AM Rush Limbaugh wannabes.

Roger Ailes' Nixonian fantasy lives on as a flesh-and-blood monster personified by the still undead Rupert Murdoch, the Australian oligarch responsible for injecting our national dialogue with medicinal grade poison. His minions in Congress are drunk on it. Listen to the deranged ravings coming out of the House "Freedom" Caucus. (Such an Orwellian travesty of that once glorious word!)

On and on those lunatics blather about UFOs and Hunter's maleficent laptop. I'm agog.

Enough with such puerile diversions. Listen up, Trumpers. The line is drawn. If you still support this wretched little traitor in the face of all his naked treason, then you are the opposite of patriots. You are, in fact, un-American. You are quislings, deceivers, anarchists, and for all intents and purposes you are modern-day secessionists. I'm sick of being told I must use honeyed tones to somehow "persuade" you, to tolerate you, to "understand" you. I understand you thoroughly. And I have just named you.

More in opinion: The First Amendment won't protect Trump from the consequences of lying

You brazenly label all those who won't play your fantasy games as The Enemy. So be it. I'll wear that label proudly. Did you think you could perpetually thump your Bibles and wave your AR-15s in our faces and expect endless kumbayas from the vast majority of Americans who loathe such behavior?

I know a cult when I see one. The latest polls tell me that 22% of you would vote for Trump even if he followed through on his "joke" about shooting someone dead on Fifth Avenue. How does that make you any different from the Nazi Brownshirts rampaging through the streets of Germany in the '30s, ruthlessly enforcing their Fuhrer? Don't like such comparisons? Change your behavior!

I watched thousands of you clamber up the face of our Capitol. You went marauding through those historic chambers calling out for the blood of Nancy Pelosi. You had a freaking gallows set up and ready to go for Vice President Pence. He and his family had to run for their lives! Thank god hundreds of you are now in prison for that disgusting, shameful day of infamy.

The story goes that the only reason your Glorious Leader Trump wasn't there assaulting the Citadel with you is because he was unable to wrest the steering wheel away from his Secret Service driver. Oh, how I wish he'd let him go! Imagine all the additional charges Jack Smith could have added to his latest indictment.

Truthfully, though, Pee-Wee Herman is more likely to have led that charge than Trump. President Bone Spurs himself storming the barricades? Please. He sat in the White House for hours, drinking Cokes and watching TV, while Capitol Police were fighting for their lives against his assiduously-summoned thugs.

The jig is up, MAGAts. We see you and we see through you. Jack Smith will not let your deranged tyrant wannabe destroy our Democracy. Trump's Party Line choristers in Congress can squeal like stuck pigs about "witch-hunts" and "weaponized" this and that. What Smith is weaponizing is called the Rule of Law  that and the Constitution all you phony patriots profess to love so much.

So wrap yourselves in your prettiest Trump flags, you sad little groupies. It's Comeuppance Time.

Dennis J. Reardon served as a Specialist 5th Class in the U.S. Army from 1968-1970. He resides in Bloomington.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Column: Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump will save our democracy
Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was shot and killed by an unidentified gunman Wednesday in the countrys capital of Quito, the countrys current president confirmed.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso confirmed Villavicencios death in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Known for speaking out against corruption, Villavicencio, 59, was the candidate for the Build Ecuador Movement and was one of eight presidential candidates in an election slated for Aug. 20. According to reports from multiple outlets, Villavicencio was at a campaign rally when he was killed.

A suspect in Villavicencios killing eventually died from injuries sustained during an exchange of gunfire, the attorney generals office in Ecuador said in a post on X. The state attorney generals office said the suspect was arrested and taken to a hospital in Quito before succumbing to injuries.

According to the attorney generals office, nine other people were injured in the attack, including a candidate for the National Assembly and two police officers.

Villavicencios campaign adviser told The Associated Press the candidate had reported previous death threats to the authorities.

The shooting comes amid a rise in violence across Ecuador. Lasso suggested organized crime was to blame for the assassination, writing, Organized crime has come a long way, but the full weight of the law is going to fall on them.

Lasso said the Security Cabinet will meet in Carondelet, the government palace in Quito. Lasso said he asked top leaders, including the presidents of the countrys National Electoral Council and National Court of Justice, as well as the states attorney general, to attend the meeting.

Lasso dismissed the National Assembly of Ecuador in May using a 2008 constitutional provision that allowed the president to dissolve the legislature during times of political crisis under the condition new elections are held for both lawmakers and the president.

Lawmakers challenged Lassos decision claiming he dissolved the legislature to avoid his impeachment over alleged crimes against state security and corruption. Ecuadors Constitutional Court rejected these challenges, allowing the elections to move forward.

The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.

The Associated Press contributed.

Updated at 10:26 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A U.S. lawmaker has accused the Federal Reserve of quietly working on a central bank digital currency (CBDC)  which he likens to building the financial equivalent of the Death Star.

For the uninitiated, the Death Star is a moon-shaped space station and superweapon featured in the Star Wars franchise.

While a CBDC would not share the Death Stars ability to annihilate planets with a super laser, Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio believes it would create similar authoritarian powers for the nations central bank to corrupt  [coerce] and control Americans through their money.

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In an outburst on X (formerly Twitter), Davidson called on Congress to swiftly ban, then criminalize any effort to design, build, develop, test or establish a CBDC.

Money should not be programmable by a central authority, he wrote. Money should be a stable store of value and an efficient means of exchange, not a tool for surveillance, coercion, and control. Sound money facilitates permission-less, peer-to-peer transactions.

A digital dollar

A CBDC would essentially be a government-issued and -backed digital dollar that would be widely available to the general public.

Interest in CBDCs has grown alongside a wave of technological advances in private-sector financial products  including digital wallets, mobile payment apps, and new digital assets such as cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.

The Fed believes a CBDC could have many potential benefits, including: giving U.S. citizens a convenient, electronic form of central bank money, while also supporting faster, cheaper payments and expanding consumer access to the financial system.

Story continues

But along with those benefits, others argue a CBDC poses issues of autonomy and control. It could essentially create a direct line from the central bank to individual people, meaning that the federal government could have the ability to track every transaction going into and coming out of peoples accounts. A CBDC could also be programmable with built-in rules, meaning that the government could impose restrictions on the use of the money.

That being said, the Fed does address those privacy concerns on its site, stating that any CBDC would need to strike an appropriate balance between safeguarding the privacy rights of consumers and affording the transparency necessary to deter criminal activity. And the central bank indicated that any potential CBDC should be intermediated, meaning that accounts or digital wallets would be offered and managed through the private sector using their existing privacy and identity-management frameworks.

That the Fed is seriously considering the pros and cons of issuing digital cash to U.S. citizens should come as no surprise, as the move was encouraged by President Joe Biden back in March 2022 in an executive order.

Read more: Here's how much money the average middle-class American household makes  how do you stack up?

Whats got Davidson riled up

A statement on the Fed website says the agency has made no decision on issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) and would only proceed with issuing a CBDC with an authorizing law.

However, it appears the bank is moving ahead with some planning as Davidsons social media tirade included a preview of a job posting on Indeed for a Senior Crypto Architect - CBDC position with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

The job description said the Fed seeks a technologist to perform central bank digital currency (CBDC) research and development and to ensure the Federal Reserve is well-positioned to design, develop, and implement technology to support a CBDC as may be required by the Board of Governors.

But Davidson believes this level of investment  and the Feds quest to build a team on the leading edge of technology research into central bank digital currency, according to the job posting  is a sign of whats to come and hes adamant that a CBDC wouldnt be in the best interests of U.S. citizens.

A crusade against CBDCs

Many critics of CBDCs share the same concerns about privacy, a lack of anonymity, increased surveillance, patchy monetary policies and the potential elimination of cash.

Speaking at a recent World Economic Forum event held in China, economist Eswar Prasad discussed the programmability of CBDCs.

You could have [] a potentially better  or some people might say a darker world  where the government decides that units of central bank money can be used to purchase some things, but not other things that it deems less desirable like say ammunition, or drugs, or pornography, he said. And that is very powerful in terms of the use of a CBDC, and I think also extremely dangerous to central banks.

Davidson described CBDCs on X as an Orwellian style payment system that has no place in our government  and hes not the only dissenting voice in Congress.

In March, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas introduced a bil that would prohibit the Fed from developing a direct-to-consumer CBDC and ensure that big government doesnt attempt to centralize or control cryptocurrency.

The bills co-sponsor Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said: The American people ought to be able to spend their money how they choose without the possibility that every transaction could be tracked by the government. Policy this impactful should be made by Congress, not government bureaucrats, and our bill would ensure that no one is snooping on the finances of hardworking Americans.

Several states, like Florida and North Carolina, have already passed laws to ban the introduction of digital dollars or to prevent their issuance within their jurisdiction.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Jason Momoa warned tourists not to visit Maui. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images, Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images.

Hawaii native Jason Momoa warned tourists against visiting Maui on Instagram Friday.

Since Tuesday, the Hawaiian island has been beset by wildfires, which have killed dozens of people.

"Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed," Momoa wrote.

Jason Momoa, a Hawaii native and actor, is warning people against visiting Maui as wildfires devastate the Hawaiian island.

Fires began spreading Tuesday evening and primarily affected the historic coastal town of Lahaina, The New York Times reported. According to officials, by late Fri, the death toll had risen to 80 people, and hundreds remain unaccounted for.

Amid the fires  now considered more deadly than Hawaii's 1960 tsunami  Momoa, a Honolulu native, took to Instagram to urge tourists to avoid Maui for the time being.

"Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now," Momoa wrote. "DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI."

"Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply," his post continued. "Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need."

The post, a video created by environmental nonprofit organization Aina Momona, urged people with plans to visit the island to cancel their trips. The nonprofit warned against booking a hotel, saying that the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) is working with the Hawaii Hotel Alliance to house displaced residents.

In a press release on Thursday, the AHLA said that Maui's hotels are at capacity. Hotels in West Maui, the release stated, "will be unable to host guests until basic infrastructure can be repaired or replaced." AHLA's local partners are working to find hotels on Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Kauai that have occupancy for people who evacuated Maui, according to the release.

Momoa has also posted resources and explainers to social media since the fires began. Other celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey, have been spotted helping amid the fires.

Earlier this week, the BBC showed Winfrey  a part-time resident of Maui, according to People  handing out supplies on the island.

Read the original article on Insider
Maui fire deadliest natural disaster in state's history

Maui county officials reported 12 additional deaths on Friday bringing the count to 67.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stated in its press release that 85% of the Lahaina fire was contained, the Pulehu/Kihei fire is 80% contained and the Upcountry Maui fire is only 50% contained.

FEMA confirmed firefighters are still "battling flare-ups in all three fires."

With residents now allowed back into Lahaina to check on their homes and asses damage, that number is expected to keep rising.

MORE: Maui wildfires live updates: Deadliest natural disaster since Hawaii's statehood

According to a statement from Maui county officials earlier Friday, residents who could show "proof of residency and visitors with proof of hotel reservations will have access." A curfew remains in place from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., as West Maui remains without power or water.

The latest death toll marks this the deadliest natural disaster in the state's history. Previously, the deadliest natural disaster in the state occurred in 1960, when a tsunami killed 61 people.

Attorney General Anne Lopez announced Friday that her department will be "conducting a comprehensive review of critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during, and after the wildfires on Maui."

Noting the ongoing relief effort, Lopez's statement continued, "Now is the time to begin this process of understanding."

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said the devastating damage the fires continue to cause on the island have made Maui look like "a war zone."

"The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off," Bissen told ABC News' Eva Pilgrim in an interview Friday on "Good Morning America."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency for Hawaii due to the wildfires.

Maui fire deadliest natural disaster in state's history originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Jason Momoa told tourists their presence was not needed on Maui

Jason Momoa has warned tourists not to travel to Maui as the island struggles to recover from devastating wildfires.

The native Hawaiian and Aquaman actor wrote on Instagram: "Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now.

"Do not travel," he said. "Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply."

More than 90 people are confirmed dead in fires that destroyed towns including historic Lahaina.

Momoa also shared a video in which he said that the Hawaiian community "needs time to heal, grieve and restore".

"That means the less visitors on the island taking up critical resources that have become extremely limited the better," he said.

The 44-year-old's comments came as residents of Maui said that they were appalled by the sight of tourists swimming at the beach while residents were still counting the dead.

"The same waters that our people just died in three days ago are the same waters the very next day these visitors - tourists - were swimming in," one local told the BBC.

"That says a lot about where their heart and mind is through all of this, and where our heart and mind is now."

She said no Hawaiian would be "swimming, snorkelling, surfing" in such tragic circumstances.

"Nobody is having fun in tragedy and continuing their lives as if nothing happened," she said.

"There is two Hawaiis now. The Hawaii we're living in and the Hawaii they're living in."

Local officials have requested people on non-essential trips to leave, and asked others to cancel their plans to travel to Maui.

However, the loss of tourism would cause a significant shock to Hawaii's economy - it was the largest single source of private capital in 2019, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, with 10.4 million visitors spending a total of $18bn (14bn). Maui took a third of that money, it said.

The Maui Economic Development Board meanwhile says the significance of tourism is even greater, estimating that it directly or indirectly accounts for around 80% of all income generated on the island.

The fires, which started on Tuesday, were fuelled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane. They are now largely under control, although efforts to fully extinguish them are continuing on parts on the island.

They were the deadliest wildfires the US has seen since the 2018 Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people.
Billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez will donate $100 million to help rebuild Maui after the island was devastated by wildfires this week, Sanchez announced on Instagram.

Jeff and I are heartbroken by whats happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated, Sanchez said in a Friday Instagram post.

The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen  even after much of the attention has subsided. Jeff and I are creating a Maui Fund and are dedicated $100 million to help Maui get back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves.

Wildfires ravaged western Maui this week, completely destroying the popular tourist town of Lahaina and killing at least 80 people. Abnormally strong winds moved the fire quickly, trapping people in the town and forcing some into the ocean to escape the flames.

The disaster has also attracted the attention of other celebrities. Oprah Winfrey, a Maui resident, purchased aid for evacuees at shelters across the island earlier this week.

Local officials have compared the destruction to a war zone.

The closest thing I can compare it to is perhaps a war zone or maybe a bomb went off. It was cars in the street, doors open, you know, melted to the ground. Most structures no longer exist, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. For blocks and blocks of this.

Im familiar with what it looked like growing up here on Maui, especially with my mom working at one of the restaurants there  for 17 years. And so it doesnt resemble anything that it looked like when I was growing up, Bissen added.

President Biden made a natural disaster declaration for Hawaii on Friday, freeing up all federal assets, including Navy and Coast Guard forces, to assist Maui and Hawaii, he said.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said Friday that her office would conduct a comprehensive review of the critical decision-making and standing policies before, during and after the fires.

The Department of the Attorney General shares the grief felt by all in Hawaii, and our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragedy, Lopez said in a statement.

My Department is committed to understanding the decisions that were made before and during the wildfires and to sharing with the public the results of this review, she added. As we continue to support all aspects of the ongoing relief effort, now is the time to begin this process of understanding, she added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NEWARK, N.J.  Sheila Oliver's place in history might have been much different before she read Charles Dickens and John Steinbeck.

She had originally planned to be an archaeologist, thinking it would be fun to travel to places like Greece, Egypt and Rome and dig up the past. But, as she said in a past video interview played at her funeral Saturday, she then read Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" and Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," two classic novels exploring themes of class, hardship and renewal.

And growing up in Newark during the race riots of 1967, Oliver witnessed the Civil Rights movement and, she said, "I began to have a heightened consciousness" about being Black in America.

Oliver's journey away from digging up history to making it then began.

Over four hours on Saturday at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Oliver's hometown, hundreds of mourners bid their final farewell to New Jersey's first Black woman to hold statewide office and, before that, first Black female speaker of the Assembly.

Her funeral capped a three-day tribute to Oliver that began Thursday with her body lying in state at the Capitol building in Trenton and again at the Essex County courthouse on Friday.

Oliver died earlier this month at age 71, one day after being hospitalized for undisclosed reasons. She had been serving as acting governor at the time because Gov. Phil Murphy was on an overseas vacation, but she transferred those duties to Senate President Nick Scutari until Murphy returned. Murphy and the Oliver family have not publicly disclosed her cause of death.



On Saturday, the majestic French Gothic cathedral in Newark  North America's fifth largest  filled with mourners that included her family; the legendary performer Dionne Warwick; members of New Jersey's congressional delegation and the state Legislature; four former governors; and her predecessor, the state's first lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno. Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy.

Murphy, who wore a large button with Oliver's image on it, recalled in a speech how days of fires during the riots  known as the Newark Rebellion  "lit a fire in Sheilas heart" as a teenager. It inspired her to become a "champion" of her community, he said.

"And in the decades since, Sheila rolled up her sleeves  again and again  and dedicated herself to extinguishing the embers of inequality, injustice and indigence," Murphy said.

Oliver's political career began in the 1990s with the school board in East Orange, the town outside Newark she lived in until her death. She then rose to become elected an Essex County freeholder and then a member of the state Assembly.

Oliver also worked for Essex County, whose executive, Joe DiVincenzo, said during a speech he plans to rename the county's family assistance and benefits building after her and commission a bust of Oliver to be displayed at the county courthouse. Oliver already had a school in East Orange named after her, and Murphy said he intends to commission an official portrait of her (and Guadagno) to hang in the Statehouse along with those of the state's past governors.

In 2010, Oliver became speaker, the first Black woman in the country to lead a legislative chamber.

Oliver held enormous influence in that position, determining what legislation made it to a vote and how the state spent taxpayer money. She was one of the state's most powerful officials alongside two white men  Governor Chris Christie and Senate President Steve Sweeney.

Multiple speakers said Oliver felt duty-bound to advocate for the interests of her community, which was mostly people of color, disadvantaged and, as Murphy said, "the forgotten families of our state."



That advocacy included fighting for same-sex marriage and raising the hourly minimum wage as speaker even if those efforts failed, and it continued as lieutenant governor by championing affordable housing, investing in schools and combating gun violence, Murphy said. She was described by speakers as a calm "warrior" who led with compassion and didn't posture for political gain, and who always remembered why she went into public service.

"She never forgot and she never let the folks in the room forget why she was in the room," Sharpton said. "She came not for a season, she came for a reason, and thats the reason were here."

In one of the lighter moments of the funeral, Warwick, a native of East Orange, recalled that she nicknamed Oliver "my hat lady" for how well she wore one, and that Oliver "loved to laugh  and she loved a good piece of gossip, too." Warwick called Oliver a "dear friend" she considered family, and said when she heard Oliver had died, she could hardly breathe.

"We're all going to miss her because we're very selfish. But that's OK," Warwick said.

"God said you're going to grieve, you're going to cry, you're going moan and do all the things that affect you now. But then all of a sudden all of those wonderful, laughing memories are going to flood your hearts, and all that moaning, groaning, crying and grieving will fly out the window. Only the good, warm, loving memories will you continue to have, as I will. God rest, God bless you, Sheila Y. Oliver."
The arrival and establishment of humans in the Americas was a key step in humanity's trek across the planet, but exactly when this milestone was achieved remains hotly contested. According to the evidence we have now, when did the first humans arrive in North America?

Based on stone artifacts dating to about 13,000 years ago , archaeologists for most of the 20th century suggested that the prehistoric Clovis culture was the first to migrate to the Americas. However, the site of Monte Verde in southern Chile, first discovered in 1975 , was found to be about 14,200 years old. If people made it that far down in South America by that point  either after their ancestors crossed over the Bering Land Bridge that once connected Asia and North America, or traveling in watercraft along Pacific coasts  then earlier sites must exist in North America, Michael Waters , a geoarchaeologist at Texas A&M University, told Live Science.

Starting in 2009, archaeologists began excavating deposits at the Cooper's Ferry site in Idaho. Radiocarbon dating of human projectile points in these deposits revealed that people found their way inland into North America by about 16,000 years ago, Waters noted. Cooper's Ferry may be the oldest strong evidence of human settlement of the continent yet, and unpublished research from 2023 describes slightly older evidence; stone tools next to animal teeth dated to 18,000 years ago in Oregon . However, scientists recently found controversial signs of even older sites in North America.

In 2020, archaeologists digging in Chiquihuite Cave in the Astillero Mountains of central Mexico unearthed about 1,900 stone artifacts. Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of the objects suggested that humans might have occupied the area 31,000 to 33,000 years ago .

Later, in 2021, scientists tested 60 human footprints embedded in an ancient lake bed in what is now White Sands National Park in south central New Mexico. By using carbon-dating methods on seeds found in sediments within the prints, they suggested that people occupied the New World between about 21,000 and 23,000 years ago.

However, there are problems with the claims made at both the Chiquihuite and White Sands sites, Matthew Des Lauriers , an archaeologist at California State University, San Bernardino, told Live Science.

When it comes to Chiquihuite, even the scientists who excavated the site noted that others might argue that the oldest stone objects discovered there are not of human origin but are merely "geofacts," or normal rocks that look artificial. A 2021 study from an independent group indeed made that argument .

As for White Sands, the footprints are clearly human, Waters noted. But he noted that ancient plant samples used to date the footprints may seem older than their true age.

"The footprints have real problems with the dating," Des Lauriers said. Waters estimated the prints may actually be only about 15,000 years old.

A number of claims based on stone artifacts discovered in Brazil suggested that humans may have reached sites there, such as Pedra Furada, about 35,000 years ago, Waters noted. However, a 2022 study revealed that these artifacts may actually have been created by capuchin monkeys as they used rocks to break open nuts, he added.

Related mysteries

What is the oldest-known archaeological site in the world?

What was the longest-lasting civilization?

How did ancient people store food before refrigeration?

But other evidence is emerging of early human occupation in South America. A 2023 study found 27,000-year-old sloth bones crafted by humans into pendants from Brazil .

New ideas often come and go about the people of the Americas. For instance, "a few years back, it was suggested that people came from western Europe to the Americas, the ' Solutrean hypothesis ,'" Waters said. However, " recent genetic work on Solutrean human remains shows that they are not at all related in any way to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Thus, this hypothesis can be discarded."

All in all, "the public needs to know that archaeology is a process," Waters said. "Science follows a course  publication of new data, vetting of that data, more testing, and acceptance or rejection of ideas. This is a slow and careful process."
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shakes hands with fairgoers after taking part in a

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shakes hands with fairgoers after taking part in a "Fair Side Chat" with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday in Des Moines.

DES MOINES, Iowa  The message taunted Ron DeSantis from the sky: Be Likable, Ron!

It circled overhead as DeSantis chatted on the patio of a barbecue joint with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), and later as he toured the Iowa State Fair with his family. It was everywhere.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a mixed day at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. Sure, he rode bumper cars, flipped a pork burger on a grill and handed out hard-boiled eggs on a stick  all the things candidates are supposed to do at the fair, one of the cornerstones of the presidential nominating calendar.

But he was also relentlessly trolled by former President Donald Trump, the dominating force in the GOP primary whose mere presence at this event overshadowed DeSantis and everyone else hoping for a breakout. DeSantis day at the fair will probably be remembered most for the heckling from across the political spectrum, from liberal protesters who rang cowbells during his first public appearance to Trump supporters who followed him chanting, We love Trump!

The scene ultimately reinforced the idea that Trumps nomination for president in 2024 is all but inevitable  even as Trump flouted some of the fairs most sacred traditions, skipping any opportunity to take questions from Iowans and merely glancing at a pork chop rather than deigning to flip one.

Trumps biggest flex was dropping into the fair practically unannounced, swooping in with a gaggle of Secret Service agents and taking over the Steer N Stein for a smaller-scale campaign event with Florida House members who had endorsed him over DeSantis, another not-so-subtle dig at DeSantis.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, opening for Trump at the burger bar, teased that burgers can be cooked rare or well-done, but the most done you can be is Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis didnt return the shot, but some of his supporters did. I wouldnt piss on Donald Trump if he was on fire! said Matt Wells, gazing at the Be Likable, Ron! banner flying overhead. He could be burning to death, I would find a bathroom five miles away.

Wells, a local GOP officer from Washington County, Iowa, claimed to be one of the first Republicans in Iowa to get behind the Florida governor instead of Trump.

Hes ruthlessly competent, which I love, he said. He also doesnt let degenerates bother him. The more people protest him, the more he takes that as a challenge.

Neither Trump nor DeSantis participated in the Des Moines Registers Political Soapbox, a tradition that gives candidates a platform to speak directly to Iowa voters along the fairs grand concourse. Trump also declined to sit down with Reynolds for a Fair Side Chat, arguing earlier that Iowas GOP governor is getting too cozy with DeSantis.

I think it would serve him well to do that. But thats not my role, Jeff Kaufmann, chair of the Iowa Republican Party, told HuffPost last week. Kaufmann and many other GOP chairs have stayed neutral in the race, until voters have a chance to weigh in.

There have been no clear breakout moments thus far. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy rapped to Eminems Lose Yourself, a surprise moment recorded and shared online. Former Vice President Mike Pence leaned into the events of Jan. 6, 2021. Neither of the candidates said anything that would generate headlines enraging Trump.

I was always loyal to President Donald Trump, until the day came that my oath to the Constitution required me to do otherwise, Pence said, during his chat with Reynolds. But Ill always be proud of the record of the Trump-Pence administration.

I want to respect the most successful president of this century. I also want to learn from where you left off, Ramaswamy said during his Fair Side Chat.

Theres other great people running this primary by the way, I love them all, he added. Theyre my colleagues, not my competitors. Were all colleagues in the national revival. So Im not gonna bash any of the great people.
WASHINGTON  Georgia prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump for his efforts to overturn his loss in the Peach State have new evidence connecting Trumps allies with a 2021 voting system breach, according to multiple reports.

The prosecutors have text messages and emails that directly tie Trumps allies to the voting system breach, suggesting the breach was a direct top-down push from Trump's campaign in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, CNN reported. The evidence contradicts the possibility the breach was conducted by local supporters of the former president, unaffiliated with top officials.

Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together! read one text message on Jan. 1, 2021, obtained by CNN, appearing to reference former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trumps former personal attorney. Most immediately, we were just granted access  by written invitation!  to Coffee Countys systems. Yay!

The written invitation originated from Misty Hampton, a former Coffee County elections official. Hampton falsely claimed that the countys voting machines could swap ballots in favor of another candidate, according to the Guardian.

That invitation was then circulated by Katherine Friess, an attorney who worked with Trumps circle, which included Giuliani. The invitation also was sent to members of Sullivan Strickler, a firm Trumps team employed to attempt to find evidence of voter fraud in Georgia, according to the reports.

Death threats, extremists ... and worry: Why Trump's looming Georgia indictment is different

Former President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters before boarding his plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Aug. 3, 2023, in Arlington, Va.

As Trump and his team scrambled to back up their claims of election fraud, Coffee County was singled out in draft executive orders presented to Trump in mid-December aimed at seizing voting machines, according to CNN.

Another local election official, Cathy Latham, also appeared to help unauthorized Trump allies access the voting systems, according to the Guardian.

Latham, one of Georgias fake electors in another Trump attempt to overturn the election, was seen in surveillance video to have data experts from Sullivan Strickler in the Coffee County election office. Those experts made copies of the election systems, according to the Guardian.

Giulianis attorney, Robert Costello, dismissed the notion he could have been involved in the scheme, telling CNN Rudy Giuliani had nothing to do with this.

USA TODAY has reached out to lawyers representing Trump. The Fulton County District Attorney's office in Georgia declined to comment.

Trump, who already faces three indictments, including a federal indictment over alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election, could face a fourth indictment in the coming days. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is set to begin presenting her case before a Georgia grand jury investigating the former president this week.

The Georgia case would zero in on Trumps specific efforts to overturn his loss in the state in 2020. A key center point in the investigation is likely a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which he appeared to threaten him with a criminal charge and asking him to find 11,780 votes.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis poses for a portrait April 19, 2023, in Atlanta.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prosecutors link Donald Trump to 2021 Georgia voting breach: reports
It would be easy to view Fridays police raid on a rural Kansas newsroom as another sign Russian President Vladimir Putins plan for world domination is not the only threat to our democracy. It appears to violate the Privacy Protection Act, which explicitly protects materials journalists collect in the course of their work from fishing expeditions by authorities.

But lets look at the bright side.

In some ways, local officials vendetta against Marion County Record owner and publisher Eric Meyer highlights the importance of local news coverage and the grit and dedication it takes keep it going against heavy economic odds.

After decades working at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, followed by a couple more on the journalism faculty at the University of Illinois, the silver-haired newsman could be enjoying retirement. Instead, he returned to the same newspaper where his dad once worked.

Meyer and his newsroom represent one of the green shoots sprouting in a nation of expanding news deserts, where they are the watchdogs of communities too small or too remote to attract the attention of big metropolitan dailies or TV stations. They do stories that make a difference to those communities. Todays Marion County Record webpage features stories about an alarming rise in property tax delinquencies, the arrest of an accused child pornographer and a heartwarming feature about a 10-year-old guitarist who regularly jams with a centenarian at a local senior center.

Apparently this sort of work isnt appreciated by Magistrate Judge Laura Viar, who OKd the raid on the Marion County Record and Meyers home  where, according to the Record, the zealous local constabulary confiscated the router that ran his 98-year-old mothers Alexa speaker. The Record reported that Joan Meyer collapsed and died at her home Saturday afternoon.

Happily, others feel differently. Two journalism trade outlets, Nieman Reports and Editor & Publisher have recently reported a promising trend: veteran news reporters and editors coming out of retirement to report on local news. Meyer was ahead of this curve when, in 1998, he purchased the Record, which serves a community of some 12,000 souls.

This kind of altruism can have an enormous impact. Democracys muscles atrophy when there arent reporters around to keep them in shape. Case in point: Missouri School of Journalism professor Fred Anklam, who helped start Mississippi Today after retiring from USA Today, tells a story of getting a call from a cub reporter dispatched to cover a state commission hearing. The young journalist said staffers insisted the meeting was private. Anklam had to school both the rookie  and policymakers  that, in fact, public business must be open to the public.

According to the Kansas Reflector, the chain of events that led to the police raid on the Marion County Record began with a local restaurant owner kicking the newspapers reporters out of a meeting with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner. The rest reads like an all-too typical saga of a local good ol boys (and gals) network trying to keep pesky folks from questioning how we do things in these here parts.

Thats why local journalists who put principle above personal popularity are important. Its why theres a bipartisan congressional effort to provide tax credits for local news providers. Its why Eric Meyer should sue. Were betting it will be a win for democracy.

Kathy Kiely is the Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism. She is joined in this op-ed by fellow Knight Chairs Stephen Wolgast of the University of Kansas, Damon Kiesow of the Missouri School of Journalism and John Affleck of Penn State University.
A police department in Central California received a call on Monday afternoon about an elderly man stranded in his electric wheelchair in front of the Auto Zone auto parts store, according to the local chief.

"On arrival, it was determined that the chairs battery needed a charge," Atwater Police Chief Michael Salvador wrote in a Facebook post.

And that's where the Ford F-150 Lightning enters the picture.

The police chief titled the news release: "New Electric Pickups Save The Day."

The police in Atwater, which is about 160 miles east of San Francisco and named for a wheat farmer, have two all-electric pickup trucks because of a grant provided to the city by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. The region is known for high rates of asthma and other ailments related to air quality.

"These vehicles, assigned to the Code Enforcement Unit, are equipped with the ability to transfer power from the vehicles battery drive chain, using a feature called pro power onboard, to other battery operated or electric devices," the Facebook post said. "This capability was used in this case to assist the stranded person by charging the electric wheelchair enough to make it operational once he was delivered to his residence."

The Facebook update received 204 thumbs up and heart emojis.

Larry Farren posted on that Atwater Police Facebook page, "Great service and good rescue."

The Atwater Police Department, in Merced County, California, used its Ford F-150 Lightning to assist a man in a wheelchair whose battery had died on Monday, August 7, 2023.

Salvador said in a statement, With temperatures over 100 degrees, it was important to get this wheelchair operational and get the stranded person out of the heat. These new vehicles have provided the department with a host of new capabilities that have yet to be fully explored."

The chief wrote, "These trucks are the first in what the department hopes is a transformation of our fleet to alternative fuel vehicles that lower emissions, fuel, and maintenance costs."

For subscribers | Kingsford charcoal company began with Henry Ford in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Story continues

'Really cool'

On Thursday, Salvador told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, that he writes the news releases himself and he's just really proud of how his team handled assisting a man in need.

"It was really, really cool," he said. "I mean, we're glad we were able to help this guy out. We charged up his wheelchair and then drove the man home. It was so hot," Salvador said. "We (just) took possession of two brand spankin' new Ford F-150 Lightning special service vehicles from Ford. We ordered them last year, used an air pollution reduction incentive grant for public agencies to help offset the cost. Then we waited a year for these pickup trucks."

A code enforcement driver called the chief and ask permission to "try something" unorthodox in response to the call for help. He wanted to use the electric pickup truck with electrical power outlets on board to charge the chair.

"I think these vehicles are going to hit a really big sweet spot for us," Salvador said. "My city is six square miles. We purchased these vehicles for animal control and code enforcement. Now that we've had them for a week, I'll probably end up asking my council to get another grant to buy two more for administration and animal control, and expand that fleet for dog catcher trucks. That just makes sense."

Code enforcement is getting three days of driving on a full Lightning charge, he said. "For us, the Lightning really fits."

For subscribers | Race to electric: Nissan's U.S. strategy depends on southeast growth

New uses for police

Meanwhile, Ford learned of the Atwater police post from the Free Press on Thursday.

"The ability to off-board energy from the Lighting completely changes how many ways the truck can help in daily life," Marty Gunsberg, Ford spokesman for the F-150 Lightning, told the Free Press. "We're very happy to see an F-150 Lightning assist another electric vehicle."

Mike Levine, Ford North America product communications manager, added, "Were happy to see the police charging something else besides criminal behavior."

Ford is a top supplier of pickup trucks for police use, including the Lightning. The company designs vehicles to provide additional safety for law enforcement officers. The all-electric Ford pickup has been used to power homes during outages in Texas and Ford has been tapped by PG&E to provide electricity during natural disasters in California.

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford F-150 Lightning saves the day for man stranded in wheelchair
Beneath the turquoise waters of Lake Ohrid, the "Pearl of the Balkans," scientists have uncovered what may be one of Europe's earliest sedentary communities, and are trying to solve the mystery of why it sheltered behind a fortress of defensive spikes.

A stretch of the Albanian shore of the lake once hosted a settlement of stilt houses some 8,000 years ago, archaeologists believe, making it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date.

Radiocarbon dating from the site puts it at between 6000 and 5800 BC.

"It is several hundred years older than previously known lake-dwelling sites in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions," said Albert Hafner, a professor of archaeology from Switzerland's University of Bern.

This aerial photograph taken on July 27, 2023, shows a diver searching for archaeological material in Lake Ohrid, southeastern Albania. Archaeologists say the the Palafitte settlement of Lin dates back to 5800 - 6000 years BC. / Credit: ADNAN BECI/AFP via Getty Images

"To our knowledge, it is the oldest in Europe," he told AFP.

The most ancient other such villages were discovered in the Italian Alps and date to around 5000 BC, said the expert in European Neolithic lake dwellings.

Hafner and his team of Swiss and Albanian archaeologists have spent the past four years carrying out excavations at Lin on the Albanian side of Lake Ohrid, which straddles the mountainous border of North Macedonia and Albania.

Last month, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama touted the discovery in a Facebook post, hailing its "undisputed historical and archaeological value."

Swiss Ambassador Ruth Huber visited the excavations in July because she "wanted to be informed personally and on the spot about the research," Hafner's team said in a statement.

The settlement is believed to have been home to between 200 and 500 people, with houses built on stilts above the lake's surface or in areas regularly flooded by rising waters.

And it is slowly revealing some astonishing secrets.

During a recent dive, archaeologists uncovered evidence suggesting the settlement was fortified with thousands of spiked planks used as defensive barricades.

"To protect themselves in this way, they had to cut down a forest," said Hafner.

But why did the villagers need to build such extensive fortifications to defend themselves? Archaeologists are still searching for an answer to the elusive question.

Researchers estimate that roughly 100,000 spikes were driven into the bottom of the lake off Lin, with Hafner calling the discovery "a real treasure trove for research."

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world and has been around for more than a million years. The underwater excavations have proven to be challenging.

"We are dealing with a lot of riparian vegetation here," research diver Marie-Claire Ries told SRF News. "You have to fight your way through dense reed beds to get to the dive site."

This aerial photograph taken on July 27, 2023, shows divers searching for archaeological material in Lake Ohrid, southeastern Albania. / Credit: ADNAN BECI/AFP via Getty Images

Assisted by professional divers, archaeologists have been picking through the bottom of the lake often uncovering fossilised fragments of wood and prized pieces of oak.

Analysis of the tree rings helps the team reconstruct the daily life of the area's inhabitants  providing "valuable insights into the climatic and environmental conditions" from the period, said Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi.

"Oak is like a Swiss watch, very precise, like a calendar," said Hafner.

"In order to understand the structure of this prehistoric site without damaging it, we are conducting very meticulous research, moving very slowly and very carefully," added Anastasi, who heads the team of Albanian researchers.

The lush vegetation at the site makes the work painstaking slow at times.

"Building their village on stilts was a complex task, very complicated, very difficult, and it's important to understand why these people made this choice," said Anastasi.

For the time being, scientists say it is possible to assume that the village relied on agriculture and domesticated livestock for food.

"We found various seeds, plants and the bones of wild and domesticated animals," said Ilir Gjepali, an Albanian archaeology professor working at the site.

But it will take another two decades for site to be fully explored and studied and for final conclusions to be drawn.

According to Anastasi, each excavation trip yields valuable information, enabling the team to piece together a picture of life along Lake Ohrid's shores thousands of years ago, from the architecture of the dwellings to the structure of their community.

"These are key prehistoric sites that are of interest not only to the region but to the whole of southwest Europe," said Hafner.

Last month, the team of scientists presented some of their findings at a conference in Greece.

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Computers, cell phones and other work and personal materials of journalists in a small Kansas town have been seized by local police, the newspaper reported.

Marion police and Marion County sheriff's deputies served the warrants Friday morning on the Marion County Record office, the Record reported. Law enforcement seized the file serve and other equipment necessary for publishing the weekly newspaper.

A call to the newspaper offices wasn't immediately returned Saturday afternoon.

"Our first priority is to be able to publish next week," publisher Eric Meyer said in a story on the newspaper's website, "but we also want to make sure no other news organization is ever exposed to the Gestapo tactics we witnessed today. We will be seeking the maximum sanctions possible under law."

The newspaper threatened to file a federal lawsuit.

The Marion County Record reported that its newspaper offices, the home of its publisher and the vice mayor's home were subjected to searches and seizures by local police and sheriff's deputies.

Officials at the Marion Police Department said in Facebook post that it is an ongoing criminal investigation and thus cannot provide details.

"I believe when the rest of the story is available to the public, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated," the department post read.

The Record reported that the warrants alleged identity theft and unlawful computer acts had been committed involving a local restaurant owner. The newspaper reported that it was provided with information, which had been obtained from a public website, but decided not to publish it.

Meyer, a retired journalism professor of journalism at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been the longtime editor and publisher of the Marion County Record, Hillsboro Star-Journal and Peabody Gazette-Bulletin. He and his mother, Joan Meyer, are co-owners of Hoch Publishing. His late father, Bill Meyer, was the longtime journalist in Marion and is in the Kansas Press Association Hall of Fame.

Joan Meyer's home was also subjected to a police search, as was the home of vice mayor Ruth Herbel, the newspaper reported.

"An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public's right to know," said Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association. "The proper procedure would have been to use subpoena power to obtain the records  not an unannounced search on a news outlet. This sets a terrible precedent, and we stand with the Marion County Record to help however we can."

Police in their statement did acknowledge federal law that protects journalist from most searches and seizures, but police also pointed to an exception for "when there is reason to believe the journalist is taking part in the underlying wrongdoing."

"The Marion Kansas Police Department believes it is the fundamental duty of the police is to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of all members of the public," the Facebook post read. "This commitment must remain steadfast and unbiased, unaffected by political or media influences, in order to uphold the principles of justice, equal protection, and the rule of law for everyone in the community. The victim asks that we do all the law allows to ensure justice is served. The Marion Kansas Police Department will nothing less."

Reporter Jason Alatidd previously worked at the Marion County Record for about four months in 2017.

He 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 police search homes, offices of Marion County Record newspaper
Strictly Come Dancing couple Molly Rainford and Tyler West have shared a series of loved-up snaps from their holiday to Jamaica.

The couple, who met on the dancing show and confirmed their relationship earlier this year, are currently on vacation together in the Caribbean island.

Tyler shared a series of photos to his Instagram from the holiday, showing the pair as they enjoyed rum tasting and a trip to the waterfalls.

"Exploring Ocho," he wrote, before explaining what they were up to in each photo.

"This place mannn @visitjamaica," he added, tagging the Jamaican tourist board alongside the images.

Related: Strictly's Tyler West pays tribute to girlfriend Molly Rainford on EastEnders role

"Fav couple on the gram right now," commented I'm a Celebrity star Jordan Banjo's wife Naomi, while It Takes Two host Fleur East added: "Looks LIT."

"Love you two together, always happy, always laughing. Happy in love," a fan added.

Despite being paired up with Carlos Gu and Dianne Buswell respectively, the pair were inseparable while filming the show.

Molly, who recently joined the cast of EastEnders as Anna Knight, opened up on her relationship with radio DJ Tyler, revealing that romance blossomed while the pair were on the show's live tour.

"I suppose it developed towards the end of the tour because we'd spent so much time together and we were really good friends," she told Fabulous magazine.

John Phillips

Related: Strictly's Tyler West calls show curse a "blessing" amid new relationship

Going on to reveal that it was Tyler who made the first move, she added: "He was like, 'Do you think when we get back, we could go on a date?' and I was like, 'Yeah, alright!' I was totally up for it.

"Everyone on Strictly was so excited for us. They kind of wanted it to happen [all the way through the show] and we were like, 'No, we are trying to be professional'."

Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Interested in talking about Strictly Come Dancing? Visit our dedicated sub-forum

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Sgt. Jake Lancaster of the Yakima Police Department speaks during the monthly meeting of the Yakima Domestic Violence Coalition at OIC of Yakima. The meetings are open to the public and take place from 10 a.m. to noon on the second Tuesday of every month.
An attendee at Planned Parenthood's Bans Off Our Bodies rally for abortion rights holds a sign reading "Idaho the women as property state" outside of the Idaho Statehouse in downtown Boise on May 14, 2022.
Today

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Gusty winds during the evening. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tomorrow

Mainly sunny. High 93F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Tom Fisher, 55, of Canton Township, recalled the heyday of Republic Steel's Canton plant and expressed concern for the furloughed employees after its owner announced it was indefinitely idling steel production there.

CANTON  Truck driver Tom Fisher last transported a load of steel from the Republic Steel plant on Eighth Street NE more than three years ago.

The 55-year-old Canton Township man said over a period of many years, the quantity of steel he hauled out of state to customers like auto part makers and other Republic Steel facilities dwindled.

On Thursday, before he went to visit friends at the City Limits bar across Eighth Street NE from the plant, he read on his Facebook news feed that Republic Steel's owner Grupo Simec was indefinitely halting steelmaking operations at its plants in Canton and Lackawanna, New York, and furloughing about 500 workers.

Idling of plant production caught many off guard. United Steelworkers Local 1200, which represents about 185 workers at the Canton steel mill, and the city reported receiving no notice of the shutdown.

"It's just a shame. I feel bad for the people that work there. They dedicated their life. ... Some of them guys have been there 40, 50 years," Fisher said as he looked across the street at the plant as the warning horn of a passing train sounded.

"I remember years ago you used to see the smokestacks over there. Everybody was working. The furnace was all running. Now you look over there and it's like, it's like a freaking ghost town. You used to see people out here. Cars, I mean cars. People parked out here that worked here. There was nowhere to park around here."

The owner of Republic Steel's Canton location on Eighth Street NE announced it was indefinitely suspending production of steel at the plant.

Fisher wondered what was going to happen to the furloughed employees.

"What are they going to do? They've been there for decades," he said. "At the end of it, they're not going to have anything. I mean (the owners are) going to take the money. They're gone."

The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is planning a job fair to connect the steelworkers with other manufacturing opportunities in the area.

While Grupo Simec's statement said the steel plant in Canton would be idled indefinitely, Fisher believed this is the end of steel production there.

Story continues

"I don't think it's ever going to come back. That place has been going downhill (in terms of steel production) for years and years and years," he said. "Less people working there. In the '70s and '80s, that place had 5,000 employees at one time. Somewhere between 3,500 and 5,000 people. ... All these places are going out of business because of import steel. Import stuff from foreign countries."

The owner of Republic Steel's Canton location on Eighth Street NE announced it was indefinitely suspending production of steel at the plant.

Republic Steel neighbor: 'That's horrible. That's unbelievable.'

Dennis Mastin, 62, who lives a few blocks from the plant on Henrietta Avenue NE, said the plant's operations have never directly affected him and He doesn't know any of the employees.

But when told about the job losses, Mastin said, "That's horrible. That's unbelievable. So 500 people are going to lose their job. ... So where are they going to go? When you have kids. When you have grandkids. You have your life. You probably have a mortgage. You have a car payment."

One of Mastin's neighbors, a woman who declined to give her name, said she was glad the plant was closing because she was concerned the steelmaking operation was impacting the area's air quality.

She pointed to stains on the walls of her home over her garage and expressed her suspicion that emissions from the plant had caused the mess.

"All this lead and stuff," she said. "It could be something on our house or could be something in our lungs."

The Canton plant has been the subject of environmental concerns from area residents and ongoing Ohio and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enforcement. Republic Steel has operated under a court order since July 2021 related to the amount of lead released into the air and has been in recent settlement discussions with the state.

In June, the Canton Health Department hosted a community meeting to discuss how a $302,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant would fund air quality monitoring around the plant.

What's next for Republic Steel workers and property?

Ray Hexamer, CEO of the Stark Economic Development Board, expressed concern for local Republic Steel employees.

"We announced 1,000 jobs yesterday (at the new Amazon facility in Canton)," he said. "And then you have a company go out thats been here a long time. Our biggest immediate concern is the employees there, our neighbors, are looking for jobs now and to take care of their families. The good news is we have a network through OhioMeansJobs and Strengthening Stark and plenty of jobs open in Stark County that hopefully they can reach out and we can get them connected to the thousands of jobs that are open in Stark County. And then work on trying to see how we can repurpose that facility to attract someone else there."

Hexamer said grants are available to fund renovations of old manufacturing facilities so they can be used by other companies. He said many companies desire a work site that's connected to large amounts of electrical power, water and sewage connections.

He pointed to how Steve DiPietro and his brother Dave DiPietro bought the former Republic Steel property at 411 Oberlin Ave. SW around 2004 and eventually converted it into the Massillon Energy and Technology Park, attracting several employers.

As any building that closes like this it takes a while to sort out what will happen with the property. The need in Stark County for buildings and sites is large," Hexamer said.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Residents express sadness at Republic Steel idling Canton plant
Today

Windy with thunderstorms likely. Some may be locally heavy, especially during the morning hours. High 87F. Winds SE at 25 to 40 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.

Tonight

Cloudy and windy this evening, becoming partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 75F. SSE winds at 25 to 35 mph, decreasing to 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 50 mph.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny. High 92F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
The first direct flight from Belarus, Belarusian Airline Belavia, finally arrived in India. On the social media account, X (formerly known as Twitter), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, on Saturday, shared a video showing a flight arriving in India and the Belarusian Ambassador to India, Andrei Rzheussky, along with the staff untie the ribbon. "First direct flight from #Belarus arrived in #India," it said in a tweet.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Rzheussky confirmed that the first-ever direct flight between Minsk, the capital of Belarus and Delhi, India would start on August 12. While speaking to ANI, Ambassador said that a lot of efforts were made to launch a regular flight service between Belarus and India and that the service will commence on August 12.

Also read: Air India Rebranding: How Tata-Owned Airline Can Change The Future Of Indian Aviation Industry?



"It was not the easy way. For the last couple of years, we did our routine job just to fulfil this project into life. And now I am proudly announcing that at the end of this week (on Saturday) the first ever scheduled flight from Minsk to India will take place," he said.

The Belarus Ambassador also stated that only a couple of flights were operated before this regular flight service. He also highlighted the importance of this flight service in terms of business and tourism.

The flight schedule that begins on August 11 (local time) starts from a weekly flight with the departure from Minsk on Fridays. In return, the flight will depart from Delhi on Saturdays.

Earlier, Belarusian Airline Belavia released a press release where its Director General Igor Cherginets said: We know that passengers have been looking forward to the opening of this flight. Our specialists have been working hard for a long time to fulfil the travellers wishes. I can firmly say that this is one of the most interesting destinations in the route network of the airline. We have solved the problem of those, who have long dreamed to dive into the Indian flavour and experience the culture of another country, but were not ready to set out on a long journey with layovers.

Now, to travel to India all you have to do is buy one ticket, take a good mood and get on the plane, and we will take you to new emotions. We also expect that the launch of flights between Minsk and Delhi will foster the development of cooperation between Belarus and India Cherginets said as per a release.

Belarus citizens need to have a visa to travel to India. The visa can be obtained online: an electronic visa is issued for a period of 30 days, a year or five years. More information on how to get a visa and the required documents can be found on the website of the Embassy of India in Minsk.
New Delhi: Meta head Mark Zuckerebergs new response on Threads over the expected fight with Elon Musk raised a mix of amusement and skepticism. He stated that while he was willing to engage in the challenge, but Elont wasnt serious and its time to move on.

He said he offered a real date and Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon wont confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead, he added.

Concluding his post, Musk said if Elon ever got serious about a real date and official event, he knew how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. He was going to focus on competing with people who took the sport seriously.



He said Musk's playful demeanor and subsequent requests for practice rounds in his backyard rather than a real fight venue raised eyebrows. The CEO of Facebook then emphasized the need for seriousness in the endeavor, expressing his focus on competing with individuals who genuinely approach the sport with dedication.

Amidst the volley of words, Zuckerberg subtly advocated for a reliable platform that could genuinely raise funds for charity. His remarks underscored the importance of utilizing an established channel to ensure that the intended charitable goals are effectively met.

The saga began with Musk's bold proposal for a charity fight between the two high-profile entrepreneurs. Musk envisioned the event being live-streamed on his platform, X, with the proceeds earmarked for a charitable cause, particularly benefiting veterans. Musk's challenge came with a catch  he called for Zuckerberg to confirm his acceptance of the challenge.

While the world watches with anticipation, awaiting to see if this virtual duel indeed translates into a physical match for a noble cause, one thing is evident  Musk and Zuckerberg's playful challenge exemplifies the convergence of technology, influence, and philanthropy in the modern era.

As the dialogue unfolds, observers are left pondering the authenticity of the challenge and its potential impact on both their images and philanthropic efforts. Musk's commitment to raising funds for veterans' charity is evident, yet the playfulness of the exchange leaves room for interpretation. The lighthearted verbal sparring serves as a reminder of the influence and reach these tech leaders possess, even in realms beyond their core industries.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government over the killing of former Lok Sabha member Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody in Prayagraj on April 15, observing "someone is complicit". It has also sought a status report from the state government on 183 "police encounters" that have taken place since 2017.

According to the state police, 183 people have been killed in numerous police encounters since the Yogi Adityanath government assumed office in March 2017. Yogi's detractors have often claimed many of them were staged.

A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar directed the UP government on Friday to file an affidavit within six weeks giving the details of these encounters, the status of the investigation, the charge sheets filed, and the status of the trial.



"There were 5 to 10 people guarding him (Atiq). How can someone just come and shoot? How does this happen? Someone is complicit," the bench observed.

It also issued notice to the UP government on a plea by Aisha Noori, sister of gangster-politician Ahmed, seeking direction for a comprehensive probe into the killing of her brothers.

The top court, however, rejected the request of PIL petitioner Vishal Tiwari for institution of an independent judicial commission of enquiry to go into the police encounters and the role of the men in uniform in these, saying the state government has already formed such a commission.

The apex court had earlier agreed to hear the pleas, including the one filed by Aisha Noori, seeking the constitution of a commission of enquiry chaired by a retired apex court judge into the "extra-judicial" killing of her brothers.

Ahmed (60) and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college for examination on April 15. The entire shooting was captured live on national television.

In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Uttar Pradesh government said the state is "leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a thorough, impartial and timely investigation" into the deaths of Ahmed and Ashraf.

It said the status report contained in the affidavit deals with enquiry into the April 15 incident, steps taken in relation to the deaths of Mohd Asad Khan, son of Ahmed, and Mohd Ghulam on April 13, and also the measures initiated to implement the recommendations of the Justice B S Chauhan Commission.

Former apex court judge Justice Chauhan headed the commission that probed the encounter killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in 2020.

Dubey and his men had ambushed and killed eight policemen at his native Bikru village in Kanpur district in July 2020. He was arrested in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh and was being brought back in Uttar Pradesh police's custody when he allegedly tried to escape and was shot dead. Doubts were raised about the genuineness of the police encounter.

The status report gave the details about the steps taken to implement the recommendations of the Justice Chauhan commission, which had concluded that the police version of the deaths of Dubey and his associates in retaliatory firing incidents in the days following his encounter killing could not be doubted.

It said there has been an overhaul of manpower reform and a total of 10,877 posts at various levels have been created in the police department from April 11, 2021 till date.

"Further, action on requisitioning of 1,12,177 posts of various cadres is also under progress," it said.

The status report said the police department has also undergone a modernisation, following purchase of prison vans, drones, postmortem kits and various other vehicles.

It said the number of forensic science laboratories has increased from eight to 12 with new facilities having been established in Kannauj, Aligarh, Gonda and Bareilly. The process of setting up FSLs in six more cities --Basti, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Banda, Ayodhya and Saharanpur -- is also underway.

While hearing Tiwari's plea on April 28, the top court had questioned the Uttar Pradesh government why Ahmed and Ashraf, a former MLA, were paraded before media while being taken to a hospital for a medical checkup in police custody.

The counsel appearing for Uttar Pradesh had told the court the state has constituted a three-member commission of inquiry to probe the incident.

A special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh Police is also investigating the case, the counsel had said.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a stinging attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during his first visit to Kerala's Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored. Addressing a meeting organised by the Congress-led UDF alliance in Wayanad's Kalpetta, Rahul said the BJP can disqualify him 50 times, but his relationship with Wayanad will never change. He also spoke about his bond with Wayanad, saying, "Now, I have come to my family."

"Now, I want to ask you - suppose somebody tries to separate members of our family, suppose somebody tries to separate two brothers from each other, suppose somebody tries to separate a father from his daughter, do you think the relationship between the father and daughter will become weaker or stronger? If somebody tries to separate a family, the family becomes stronger; if somebody tries to separate a father and a son, the relationship between the father and the son becomes stronger... The love between the father and the son becomes stronger," Rahul Gandhi said.

He alleged that the BJP does not understand what a family is.



"They don't understand that the more they try to separate you and me, the closer we will become. They think -- if we disqualify Rahul Gandhi, his relationship with Wayanad will break. No! If you disqualify Rahul Gandhi, his relationship with Wayanad will become even stronger, his love for the people of Wayanad will become even stronger, and the love that the people of Wayanad have for him will become stronger," he added.

The Congress leader was disqualified as a member of the lower house from Wayanad on March 24 as a result of his conviction and a two-year jail term awarded to him in the 'Modi surname' remark case. His membership was restored after the Supreme Court on August 4 stayed his conviction in the case.

Addressing a meeting organised by the Congress-led UDF alliance to welcome him on his first visit to Wayanad after his Lok Sabha membership was restored, Rahul also recalled his relations with Congress veteran Oommen Chandy, who died last month.

"I am here today after four months... I have come back to Wayanad as your MP. I am happy to come back, but I am also sad that I don't see Oommen Chandy ji here. He was a leader of Kerala and Kerala showed the love and respect they had for him in his funeral. We are thankful for what he did for Kerala...The honesty and transparency with which he worked, and the love and affection that always guided him," he added.

PM Modi didn't address Manipur problem in Parliament

Rahul Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of not addressing the problem of Manipur even during the debate on the violence in the northeastern state in Parliament a few days ago.

"He (Modi) spoke for 2 hrs 13 minutes. He laughed... He joked... He smiled... His cabinet laughed, joked and smiled... They had a lot of fun. The Prime Minister spoke two hours about everything... Congress, me about INDIA alliance ? but spoke two minutes about Manipur," Gandhi said.

Lashing out at Modi, the former Congress chief said the BJP and the government led by it 'murdered the idea of India' in Manipur.

"You have destroyed thousands of families. You have allowed the rape of thousands of women. You have allowed the murder of thousands of people. And as Prime Minister of the country, you are laughing?" he asked.

Escalating his offensive against the prime minister, Gandhi further said, "You spent two minutes talking about the murder of Bharat Mata. How dare you do this? How can you dismiss the idea of India?"

"What have you been doing for the last four months? Why have you not been there? Why have you not tried to stop the violence? Because you are not a nationalist. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist," he said.

There is blood everywhere in Manipur

Stepping up his attack on PM Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP, Rahul Gandhi said there is a 'complete divide' between the state of Manipur and 'there is blood everywhere; there is murder everywhere; there is rape everywhere'.

He said the idea of India represents the idea of peace among its people.

"If there is violence, if there is hatred, if there is murder, if there is rape, that is not India. If in a state, the people are killing each other, murdering each other, raping each other, that is not India. India is love and affection between its people, India is the bringing together of people", Gandhi said.

Recalling his speech in Parliament, he said that the BJP has killed the idea of India in Manipur.

"Manipur mein aapne 'Bharat Mata' ki hatya ki hai (You have murdered the idea of India in Manipur). You have destroyed thousands of families. You have allowed the rape of women. You have allowed the murder of hundreds of people. And as Prime Minister of this country, you are laughing!", the Congress MP said.

He said Modi spent only two minutes talking about the murder of 'Bharat Mata'.

"How dare you do this? How can you disrespect the idea of India? What have you been doing for the last four months? Why have you not been there? Why have you not tried to stop the violence? Because you are not a nationalist. Anybody who murders the idea of India cannot be a nationalist, anybody who murders the idea of India cannot love India," he said.
INSGaruda, August 13, 2023  In a heartening ceremony held at the Indian Naval Station Garuda (#INSGaruda) on August 11, 2023, Lieutenant Anmol Agnihotri was honored with the prestigious 'Most Spirited Trainee' award as part of the 33rd Dornier Operational Flying Training Course. The event marked the graduation of four trainee pilots as 'Fully Operational MR Pilots' after successfully completing an intensive training program.

The graduation ceremony was the culmination of rigorous training, comprising a month-long ground training phase followed by an exhaustive six months of intensive flying training at the Indian Naval Air Squadron 550 (#INAS550). The trainee pilots emerged fully qualified to handle the intricacies of the Dornier 228 aircraft for all operational missions, showcasing their mettle in the realm of aerial operations.

Among the accomplished pilots, Lieutenant Siddharth Kumar stood out, achieving the top spot in the Overall Order of Merit. His exceptional performance throughout the course earned him this prestigious accolade, reflecting his unwavering dedication and hard work.

However, it was Lieutenant Anmol Agnihotri who was celebrated for her remarkable spirit and enthusiasm during the training period. Her unyielding commitment, positive attitude, and unwavering determination in the face of challenges set her apart as the embodiment of the 'Most Spirited Trainee.' As a token of her remarkable achievement, she was presented with the #FOCINC South rolling trophy by the Fleet Commander-in-Chief South, underlining the significance of her contribution to the course.

Anmol's journey is a symphony of determination and inspiration. While pursuing her studies in electrical engineering at Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, she drew motivation from Avani Chaturvedi and numerous other aspirants who paved the path before her. Her relentless pursuit of excellence led her to conquer the Indian Navy Entrance Test (INET) in her third attempt, an accomplishment that illuminates her indomitable spirit. Anmol's mother Anita Agnihotri, who is a teacher in Imbrahim Institute says, "We feel proud that our daughter is in the defence of India, serving Alma Mater. This is a great joy for all the family members."

Beside her, stands her father, Dharmendra Kumar Agnihotri, a senior sectional engineer in Railways, beaming with pride. "This is a monumental moment for us all. Anmol's achievements showcase the limitless capabilities of daughters. Every parent should encourage their daughters to soar high and chase their dreams," he asserts. Anmol's remarkable journey serves as an enduring source of inspiration for her family and resonates deeply with her two younger siblings.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking naval officials, distinguished guests, and family members of the graduating trainees, who collectively applauded the achievements of these young aviators. The event served as a testament to the Indian Navy's commitment to nurturing and recognizing exceptional talent within its ranks.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rear Admiral Manish Pareek, commended the graduates for their unwavering dedication and professionalism throughout the training program. He highlighted the importance of their role in safeguarding the nation's maritime interests and encouraged them to continue striving for excellence as they embark on their operational duties.

The ceremony concluded on a high note, with the trainees looking ahead to their future assignments with renewed determination, armed with the skills and knowledge gained during their training. The recognition bestowed upon Lieutenant Anmol Agnihotri as the 'Most Spirited Trainee' not only serves as a personal achievement but also as an inspiration to all those aspiring to join the elite ranks of the Indian Navy's aviation wing.
New Delhi: Ahead of Independence Day celebrations, Delhi Police have beefed up security arrangements in the national capital. Delhi Police has put up stringent security arrangements and intensified patrolling and checking of vehicles. Earlier, a full dress rehearsal of different armed forces is underway at Red Fort.

On the occasion of 75 years of India's independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the people of India to participate in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement from August 13 to 15 this year. PM Modi said that the Indian flag symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity and urged the people to upload their photographs with the Tiranga on the Har Ghar Tiranga website.

PM Modi tweeted, "The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further national progress."



Meanwhile, around 1,800 special guests from all over India will be attending the Independence Day Flag hoisting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. As India completes 75 years of Independence this year, sarpanches from vibrant villages, teachers, nurses, farmers, fishermen, shram yogis who helped build the Central Vista project in New Delhi, khadi sector workers, national award-winning school teachers, border roads organisation workers and those who helped and worked for the Amrit Sarovar projects and Har Ghar Jal Yojana Projects, implemented in various parts of the country, have been invited along with their spouse to attend the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi this year, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a release on Friday.

Two beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN), from the state of Maharashtra, will witness the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. Fifty (50) beneficiaries of the scheme, along with their families, are among around 1,800 persons who have been invited to listen to PM Modis address.
Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lashed out at the opposition and more specifically at TMC's record of violent local body polls, prompting an equally fiery response from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee castigating the ruling party for lack of action on Manipur. Speaking virtually at a function organised by his party, at Kolaghat, a fishing town 70 km from Kolkata, Modi accused opposition parties of "running away" from the Lok Sabha during a debate on the no-confidence motion and said his government has countered the "negativity being spread" by them across the country.

The Prime Minister also attacked the TMC which worsted his party in panchayat polls held recently, terming it a "Khooni Khela (bloody game)" where victory was secured by the use of "terror and threats" to intimidate the opposition.

"Recently, panchayat elections were held in Bengal. The entire country saw TMC's khooni khel (bloody game). Violence has been used as a means to threaten the opposition. The TMC looted votes. But despite this, the love of the people of Bengal has led to the victory of BJP candidates," he said.



PM Modi also claimed that those who act as "champions of democracy and question EVM" had "undermined" the democratic process in Bengal.

"The TMC did everything to ensure that the BJP candidate can't file nomination. They threatened not only BJP workers but also the voters," the PM alleged.

The prime minister who addressed his party workers at BJP's Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal also accused the opposition of "not being serious" about the discussion on Manipur as "it would have hurt them the most".

"Only two days back, we had defeated the opposition's no-confidence motion in Parliament. We had also defeated the negativity being spread by them. The whole country has seen the opposition running away from the House. Unfortunately, they betrayed the people of Manipur," he said.

The no-confidence motion against the Modi government was defeated through a voice vote in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after opposition MPs staged a walkout.

He said an opportunity to find solutions through debates in Parliament could not be utilised as the opposition parties "prioritised their politics over people's welfare".

"Had there been a discussion on such a sensitive subject, the people of Manipur would have felt relieved. Some solutions would have emerged to address that issue.

"But the opposition parties did not want to discuss it as they knew that the truth of Manipur would sting them the most," PM Modi said at the BJP event.

Eastern India has the potential to be the growth engine of our country. Addressing the Kshetriya Panchayati Raj Parishad in West Bengal. https://t.co/TDxkF6X4AH  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 12, 2023

Reacting sharply to the PM's speech, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in a recorded message to the media asked him to 'behave' instead of maligning Bengal.

"The Prime Minister and the BJP should not talk about West Bengal. He did not take action against his own corrupt party leaders and those involved in character assassination, atrocities on women, atrocities on wrestlers and atrocities in Manipur.

"The BJP killed 15-16 people during rural polls in Bengal. You must behave properly instead of giving indulgence to such people," the TMC supremo said.

In an apparent reference to the PM's claims, Banerjee retorted the Centre has "not taken any action against those involved in unleashing atrocities in Manipur".

Notably, more than 160 people lost their lives, and several hundred were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur in the first week of May.

News reports have since then poured in of gang rapes and ethnic cleansing with whole villages and urban localities being burnt down.

Banerjee also said that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi can't speak on corruption" as his government was facing allegations of graft "in PM Care funds, Rafale deal and demonetisation".

PM @narendramodi is busy vilifying Bengal, but let's not overlook the turmoil he has wrecked nationwide.

-Smt. @MamataOfficial



Under @BJP4india's rule, injustices against the poor have surged:

Blocking 1.15 lakh crores meant for Bengals people

Turning a blind eye to pic.twitter.com/HlTi3PZ10K  All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) August 12, 2023

She was apparently referring to Modi's comments made earlier in the day while addressing the G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meet here, where he said India has a strict zero-tolerance policy against corruption.

Later, in another audio statement, Banerjee said just like Mahatma Gandhi's call for the Quit India movement against British rule, in the present times, the slogan of 'BJP Quit India' is reverberating across the nation.

"We want the BJP to be ousted. We are not asking their leaders to leave the country; they should be out of power. BJP quit India. INDIA (opposition bloc) will defeat the saffron party," she said.
iamnoonmai / iStock.com

According to a White House Fact Sheet released June 30, No President has fought harder for student debt relief than President Biden, and hes not done yet.

Student Loan Forgiveness Backfires: The $35,000 Debt Problem Plaguing Borrowers as Payments Resume

Student Loan Forgiveness: 10 Expenses To Cut From Your Budget When Payments Resume

While that may be true, the presidents hard work has been met with opposition at every turn. Bidens latest actions to provide debt relief and support for student loan borrowers were announced after the Supreme Court stymied the presidents efforts to provide relief to around 37 million borrowers.

CNBC reported that the ruling in favor of the GOP-led lawsuits filed against Bidens sweeping student loan forgiveness program will result in the largest number of borrowers on record ever to enter repayment simultaneously, according to a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) spokesperson.

As a result, more borrowers than ever before will need help to pay their bills when repayments resume. The latest support effort from Biden and the Department of Education aims to protect the most vulnerable borrowers by providing a temporary on-ramp that will allow many borrowers to skip repaying their loans without serious consequences for a year.

The Department (of Education) is instituting a 12-month on-ramp to repayment, running from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, so that financially vulnerable borrowers who miss monthly payments during this period are not considered delinquent, reported to credit bureaus, placed in default, or referred to debt collection agencies, read the Fact Sheet.

According to a July survey from U.S. News and World Report, 46% of borrowers need more financial preparation to restart their federal student loan payments in October. Additionally, 30% are still determining when their payments will resume and 48% need to see the amount of their fees.

The on-ramp initiative may ease borrowers financial pain, but it is temporary aid. Although the damaging consequences of missing your loan payments will be waived until September 30, 2024, interest will continue accumulating during the on-ramp period.

Story continues

A one-year grace period on loan repayment will benefit the financially sensitive. Still, the Biden-Harris administration has provided another option for vulnerable borrowers in the form of a new income-driven repayment (IDR) program which replaces the Revised Pay as You Earn (REPAYE) IDR plan  the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.

Borrowers will start saving money under the new plan, which will cut monthly payments to $0 for millions of borrowers making $32,800 or less individually (the cutoff is $67,500 for a borrower in a family of four), said Education Secretary Miguel Cardona in multiple emails to borrowers last month, per Forbes. The new plan will save all other borrowers at least $1,000 per year in payments, he said.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Theres Some Good News If You Expect To Struggle When Student Loan Payments Resume
Mumbai: Honey Trehan's feature 'Punjab 95', based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, has been removed from the world premiere line-up of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that begins next month.

Starring Diljit Dosanjh as Kalra, the film was scheduled to premiere in the Gala Presentations section on September 11, but TIFF's website does not mention the biographical drama in its line-up any more. UK-based publication Screen quoted a TIFF spokesperson as saying that "Punjab 65" is no longer part of the programme.

While the festival has not issued any official statement regarding the decision, Trehan declined to comment when contacted by PTI. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala's banner RSVP Movies, the film also stars Arjun Rampal and 'Kohraa' actor Suvinder Vicky.



Khalra investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab during a 10-year period from 1984 to 1994. In 1995, Khalra apparently disappeared and four police officers were arrested for his alleged kidnap and murder in 2005. The Punjab and Haryana High Court extended the seven-year jail term of the four policemen to life imprisonment in 2007.

'Punjab 95' marks the second feature film by Trehan after the 2020 Netflix movie 'Raat Akeli Hai'. The filmmaker was previously at TIFF in 2016 as a producer on 'A Death In The Gunj'. TIFF is scheduled to take place September 7 to 17.
Breastfeeding for six months or more appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems developing in mothers for at least three years after delivery, a new study has found. The surprising cardio-metabolic benefit for maternal health is particularly important for women who experienced a complicated pregnancy, which can increase their chance of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life.

The study, published in the International Breastfeeding Journal, showed that women who breastfed a baby for at least six months experienced lower blood pressure and body-weight recovery (or BMI) for up to three years after the birth of their baby.

According to Professor Claire Roberts, who leads the Pregnancy Health and Beyond research group at Flinders University, the study was positive for women with pregnancy complications, as they recorded lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol measures at three years postpartum.



Also read: Conjunctivitis Eye Care Tips: Expert Shares Risks, Types And Prevention

"That means that breastfeeding improves womens cardio metabolic risk factors, which is good news for new mothers who might be at risk of developing future cardiovascular and metabolic diseases," Roberts added.

Pregnancy complications are associated with later cardiovascular disease risk and their children are also at risk of impaired metabolic health earlier in life.

Along with neurological and other health benefits for babies, the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for up to six months, and breastfeeding over 12 months to promote a significant reduction in both chronic hypertension and diabetes in women.

The study conducted the follow-up of 280 women and their children between 2018 and 2021.

"We found that women who breastfeed for at least six months had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), lower blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and lower central blood pressure than those who did not," said Dr Maleesa Pathirana from University of Adelaide.

"We found that if women with at least one major pregnancy complication -- like preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes -- breastfeed for at least six months, they had significantly lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol profile and lower insulin compared to those who did not breastfeed for at least six months.

"These findings indicate an overall improvement in cardiovascular health," Dr Pathirana said. The researchers recommended further investigations in a larger sample size of women who breastfeed compared to those who choose not to breastfeed.

They also recommended more interventions that support breastfeeding in disadvantaged or low socioeconomic areas, particularly for women with pregnancy complications to reduce their lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you have been trying actively to get pregnant, by having unprotected intercourse regularly, for more than one year and failed to do so you should consider fertility testing. Women above 35yrs or older should consider fertility testing after six months of trying to get pregnant.

In an exclusive interview with Zee News Digital, Dr Rashmi Sharma Director, HOD IVF Dept- Origyn IVF Fertility and Chief Gynaecologist shares the fertility tests for every couple planning to get pregnant.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, infertility affects men and women equally, so it is necessary to test both partners.



Dr Reema says, "The first step for fertility health evaluation is finding a fertility doctor and getting the routine fertility tests."

List of Fertility Tests For Men and Women

Once you visit your doctor, they will ask you following tests to evaluate both partners:

1. Medical history

Medical histories, including any chronic illnesses or surgeries.

- History of use of any long-term medication, caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.  If there is any risk of exposure to chemicals, toxins, or radiation in the home or at work.

- Your sexual habits, including how often you have sex, any history of sexual problems or sexually transmitted diseases.

- Your doctor will also want to know about the detailed gynecologic history of the partner

- History of previous pregnancies if there were any?

- About the frequency and regularity of your periods over the last year  About any changes in blood flow or the appearance of large blood clots

- History of what methods of birth control you've used

- Whether you've previously seen a doctor for fertility issues and what treatments you received;

Carry all fertility-related medical documents, X-rays, and sonograms with you if you have previously seen a doctor regarding fertility issues.

2. Blood test

The next step will be to get blood tests done to evaluate the basic hormonal profile.

Some blood tests should be done at a specific time during a womans menstrual cycle. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and LH( luteinising hormones) and estradiol levels are done on cycle day two or three (three days after a womans period starts).

Other possible blood tests for hormones include anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) to check for ovarian reserve. AMH can be done anytime during a womans menstrual cycle. Thyroid and prolactin levels are also essential hormones and should be checked. The male hormonal profile is only done if the semen analysis comes out to be abnormal.

3. Pelvic examination

An initial pelvic examination is done to rule out any active vaginal infection that may contribute to infertility

4. Pelvic Ultrasound

An ultrasound is a non-invasive method of examining a woman's reproductive system that aids in the identification of anatomical issues such as uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts. Antral follicle count which is important to comment on a woman's ovarian reserve is also evaluated during ultrasound examination

5. Semen analysis

After roughly 3-5 days of abstinence, your doctor will advise the male partner to undergo an intensive semen analysis to determine the quantity, shape, and motility of the sperm.

Other Tests and Procedures for Female Patients

Hysterosalpinogram: The HSG is done to help diagnose fallopian tube blockages and defects of the uterus.

Hysteroscopy: If a problem is found in the HSG, your doctor might order a hysteroscopy. In this procedure, a thin telescope-like instrument is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. It helps in the visualization of the uterus.

Laparoscopy: Your doctor can decide to perform a laparoscopy after the aforementioned tests have been completed. In this, the abdomen is examined with a laparoscope to check for endometriosis, scarring, and other problems. Compared to an HSG, this treatment is a little more invasive and necessitates general anaesthetic.

Additional Fertility Tests for Men

Genetic testing: Genetic testing may be done to determine whether there's a genetic defect causing infertility. Y chromosome deletion or karyotyping may be advised

Testicular biopsy: A testicular biopsy may be done in certain cases to find anomalies causing infertility or for procuring sperm for assisted reproductive methods like IVF.

Imaging: Image tests such as a brain MRI, transrectal or scrotal ultrasound, or a test of the vas deferens (vasography) may be carried out under specific circumstances.

Not all couples undergo all these tests. Your doctor will guide you through those that are most appropriate for your situation. After the testing is done, about 70% of couples will have some idea why they're having trouble getting pregnant.

In some cases even after all the tests the cause for infertility is not evident and such cases are known as unexplained infertility. This account for almost 25-30% of all infertility cases. Couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility also require and benefit from fertility treatments.
Step into the world of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, where opulence and romance intertwine, as we unveil the behind-the-scenes splendor of the film's grand residences. The movie featured the lives of Rani Chatterjee (Alia Bhatt) and Rocky Randhawa (Ranveer Singh), set against the backdrop of two stunning Delhi homes. However, an exciting revelation comes courtesy of Curly Tales, as they offer an exclusive tour of Rocky's lavish mansion - a real-life architectural masterpiece nestled in the heart of Noida.

A Regal Tour of Randhawa Paradise

Curly Tales takes us on a mesmerizing visual journey through the corridors and chambers of Randhawa Paradise, which served as Rocky Randhawa's residence in the film. This maximalist abode boasts sprawling lawns, towering glass doors, and a lavish main building, all exuding an air of luxury and grandeur. Surprisingly, this extravagant mansion isn't located in Delhi, but rather in the environs of Noida.



A Palatial Vision Brought to Life

Within the walls of Randhawa Paradise, every corner reflects the flamboyant persona of Rocky's family. Lavish interiors adorned with artifacts and artworks complement the impeccably manicured lawns, where extravagant floral displays add a touch of natural beauty. Skylights illuminate palatial rooms with wooden flooring, creating a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The architectural marvel, characterized by expansive glass windows, invites nature indoors, while a central-plan fountain stands as a captivating centerpiece, surrounded by water features and verandas that amplify the property's grandeur.

An Elite Address in Noida

Situated in Sector 1 of Noida Extension, Greater Noida, Randhawa Paradise finds its place within the esteemed Gaur Mulberry Mansions - a luxury residential project by the Gaur Group of Developers. This exclusive enclave, priced between 19-29 crore, exemplifies opulent living at its finest.

Karan Johar's Cinematic Vision

Karan Johar, the creative mastermind behind Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, sheds light on the film's architectural narrative. While ostentatious homes aren't uncommon in Delhi, Karan acknowledges that the cinematic portrayal of the Chatterjee house, where Alia Bhatt's character resides, transcends reality. He emphasizes the film's artistic approach in elevating and exaggerating visual experiences.

A Tale of Love and Grandeur

Marking Karan Johar's directorial comeback after seven years, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani captures the enchanting love story of Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt amidst a clash between their disparate family backgrounds. Shabana Azmi, Dharmendra, and Jaya Bachchan portray their endearing grandparents, adding depth to the narrative. Released on July 28th, this cinematic masterpiece invites audiences to revel in the blend of romance and spectacle that defines Bollywood.
New Delhi: Infosys Foundation Chairman Sudha Murty, music maestro Shankar Mahadevan, economist Sanjeev Sanyal, and 16 others are part of a new committee constituted by the NCERT to revise textbooks according to the new curriculum, officials said. The 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) will be headed by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) chancellor MC Pant and develop textbooks for classes 3 to 12.

The committee is mandated to prepare the textbooks, and other teaching learning materials, which will, in turn, be published and used by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), as per the terms of reference, a senior official said.

"The NSTC will be assisted by Curricular Area Groups (CAGs) in the development of the teaching-learning material for each curricular area. These groups will include appropriate experts for the said subject, and will be formed by the chairperson and the co-Chairperson of NSTC, with the assistance of NCERT," the official said.



The committee will work to align the curriculum with the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) developed by the K Kasturirangan-led steering committee as a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

While the final NCF-SE has already been submitted to the Union ministry of education, it is yet to be released in the public domain. The draft of the framework was released in April.

The committee is co-chaired by Manjul Bhargav, a professor of mathematics at Princeton University. Its other members include mathematician Sujatha Ramdorai, badminton player U Vimal Kumar, chairperson of Centre for Policy Studies MD Srinivas, and chairperson of Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti Chamu Krishna Shastry.

The dropping of several topics and portions from NCERT textbooks in May triggered a controversy, with the opposition blaming the BJP-led Centre for "whitewashing with vengeance".

At the heart of the controversy was the fact that while the changes made as part of a rationalisation exercise were notified, some of the controversial deletions were not mentioned. This led to allegations about a bid to delete these portions surreptitiously.

Although the NCERT acknowledged that the omissions in the textbooks may have been unintentional, they declined to reverse the deletions.

The NCERT said the removals were made based on the recommendations provided by experts.
New Delhi: Nick Jonas spoke about a particularly difficult moment during his wedding with Priyanka Chopra back in 2018. He recalled how the ceremony, which was performed the traditional Indian way, was unfamiliar to him and thus a bit of a cultural shock.

"There's this one moment in Indian weddings where the bride and groom are lifted on the shoulders of their family members and there's sort of a game that's played where this garland is put on each other," Nick said, talking to People magazine, as reported by Aceshowbiz.

"They try to be the first to put the garland on the other," Nick continued. "And it's surprisingly difficult, especially when you have someone as competitive as me and Pri. But whoever is the one to put it on first, that side of the family is the more dominant."



While it was a bit awkward for him due to his unfamiliarity with Indian weddings, it did not stop him from going ahead with the marriage. He went on to say that he loved the ceremony as it was both something different and beautiful.

Nick described the ceremony, as a "great way for the families to all connect. It's really for the family members to feel pride and that's just a funny game. But it's really heartwarming and a great way for the families to all connect."

Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra, who had previously described Nick as "a wise man beyond his years," went on to praise the pop star for helping her in overcoming her own insecurities due to their age difference and different backgrounds.

The Hollywood-Bollywood star told British Vogue magazine: "He's a wise man beyond his years ... I get affirmations from him all the time, to remind me of my value when I forget or when I get insecure. He just sees through the fog for me. He sees the best in people."

Both Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra have enjoyed a spree of great success since their marriage, gaining a lot of attention and being called one of the best celebrity couples on social media.
New Delhi: The iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature helped save a family in Maui (an island in Hawaii, US) that was caught in a wildfire spreading across the region. Michael Miraflor, a user on X (formerly Twitter) said that five people related to his brother's girlfriend were caught in a vehicle in Maui after the wildfires surrounded them.

There was no cell service available at their location, so they used Emergency SOS to communicate with first responders. (Also Read: Love & Profits: Turn Your Passion For Pairing Hearts Into Earnings And Earn Upto Rs 50,000 Per Wedding)

"My brother's girlfriend's cousin and his family were caught in their vehicle in Maui while the wildfires suddenly erupted around them. No cell service, so Apple Emergency SOS was the only way they could get in contact with first responders. Literally saved their lives," he wrote. (Also Read: Unlock Your Future With OpenAI: Lucrative Opportunities Offer Chances To Earn Up To Rs 3.7 Crore Annually)



Miraflor also shared a screenshot of the entire Emergency SOS text chain, showing the local fire department and dispatchers in action. The family was found at the Outlets of Maui, a shopping mall in Lahaina near the fires.

In the text thread, the family's current location was transmitted to the dispatcher, and they were able to communicate that they are surrounded by fire with no visibility and no way out due to blocked roads.

Firefighters were able to reach the family and safely evacuate them within 30 minutes because of the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature. Last month, the Emergency SOS via satellite feature on the iPhone helped to save two tourists who got lost in the mountains of Italy.

During an outing in the Apennine Mountains, the hikers got lost in an area without a cellphone signal, reports AppleInsider. Luckily, they had an iPhone 14 which provided them the option to call for help via a satellite text message.

They were then rescued by the local fire department.
New Delhi: Google is reportedly planning to introduce a new feature for Android that will allow users to link their various Android devices together, similar to Apple's Continuity feature. According to Android expert Mishaal Rahman, the feature could allow Android devices that are signed into the same Google account to communicate with each other.

"You may soon be able to 'link your [Android] devices' signed into the same Google account together. This will enable 'call switching', which lets you switch between devices for calls, as well as 'Internet sharing'," Rahman posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. (Also Read: Love & Profits: Turn Your Passion For Pairing Hearts Into Earnings And Earn Upto Rs 50,000 Per Wedding)

It could enable features including "Call Switching", which allows users to switch between connected devices during calls, and "Internet Sharing", which could allow users to quickly set up a personal hotspot across the connected devices, as per Android Authority. (Also Read: 7 Leadership Qualities Of Ratan Tata That Defined His Legacy)



Rahman claimed that the new "Link Your Devices" menu will appear under Settings > Google > Devices & Sharing once the feature officially rolls out.

Apple has a similar feature called "iPhone Mobile Calls" that lets users make and receive calls from other Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID, as long as they're on the same network as the user's iPhone.

Meanwhile, Google has announced that it is rolling out a new feature that allows users to highlight or emphasise key content while they present in Google Slides.

"With the new pen tool, you can circle, underline, draw connections or make quick notes directly on your presentation," the company said in a Workspace Updates blogpost.

Whether in a board meeting or a brainstorming session, annotations can help make users' presentations more engaging, interactive and impactful. The users can also erase annotations by using the eraser tool in the bottom left viewer menu.
New Delhi: According to a report by Analytics India Magazine, OpenAI, the AI company run by Sam Altman, may be on the verge of a financial disaster. The corporation could file for bankruptcy by the end of 2024, according to the article.

According to the study, running only one of OpenAI's AI services, ChatGPT costs the company nearly $700,000 (about Rs. 5.80 crore) per day. Currently, Mr. Altman's OpenAI is depleting its financial resources. Despite efforts to monetize GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, the business is currently unable to make enough money to break even. (Also Read: Unlock Your Future With OpenAI: Lucrative Opportunities Offer Chances To Earn Up To Rs 3.7 Crore Annually)

After its November 2022 launch, ChatGPT rose to the position of app with the highest rate of growth in history. However, following a record-breaking surge of users in the beginning, the business has noticed a slow fall in user engagement in subsequent months. (Also Read: Gautam Adani's Superb Luxury Car Collection Makes Heads Turn)



According to data from SimilarWeb, ChatGPT's user base continued to decline at the end of July. According to data from SimilarWeb, the number of users fell by 12 percent in July 2023 compared to June, from 1.7 billion to 1.5 billion.

The company's APIs also contribute to the issue. According to the article, some businesses who had previously prohibited staff from using ChatGPT have started gaining access to OpenAI's APIs, allowing them to develop custom AI chatbots for a variety of workflows.

The issue is highlighted in the report from Analytics India Magazine. There are a number of open-source LLM models that may be freely used and modified without running afoul of any licencing restrictions, according to the article. They can therefore be adequately tailored and adjusted to any unique use case scenarios that a business may have.

The article gave the example of Microsoft and Meta's Llama 2 allowing users to use the model for business purposes. So why wouldn't people choose an easily customizable Llama 2 instead of what OpenAI offers, which is a premium, proprietary, and restricted version? Comparing it to GPT, it might also be argued to be much superior in some use scenarios. That has already taken place.

According to the report, OpenAI is not yet lucrative. Since it began creating ChatGPT, its losses have risen to $540 million as of May. OpenAI may now be kept afloat by Microsoft's $10 billion investment in the company.

On the other side, the study added that OpenAI forecasted annual income of $200 million in 2023 and intends to reach $1 billion in 2024, which appears to be a long shot given the rising losses.
New Delhi: Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has released a bug-fix update to address an issue with the widget of the app on Android beta. According to WABetaInfo, after installing the previous update of WhatsApp beta for Android, many users reported about the widget of the app.

Particularly, the widget was not loading and was not showing the list of the new incoming messages. To avoid having to open the app every time, many users rely on the WhatsApp widget. Therefore, this bug was not very pleasant. (Also Read: Gautam Adani's Superb Luxury Car Collection Makes Heads Turn)

Closing and restarting the call again did not fix the problem. (Also Read: Love & Profits: Turn Your Passion For Pairing Hearts Into Earnings And Earn Upto Rs 50,000 Per Wedding)



"We can finally confirm that the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.17.13 version is a bug-fix update that addresses the mentioned issue, so you can finally start using the widget of the app without experiencing this bug," the report said.

Earlier this month, the messaging platform released a bug-fix update to address an issue with the call quality on Android beta. Many users observed that the update had been installed automatically due to the Google Play Store's auto-download settings.

Last month, the platform released another bug-fix update to address a sorting chats issue on Android beta.

Due to the issue, when a new message was received, the platform doesn't refresh the chat list and the conversation with the most recent message doesn't rise to the top of the conversation list.

Also, the messaging platform had faced a global outage, including in India, due to "connectivity issues" which lasted for about 20 minutes. On the outage monitor website DownDetector, reports of the users peaked at over 41,000.

In June, the Meta-owned platform faced a global outage that lasted for about two hours.
(1:30) - How Did Warren Buffett Get Started In Investing?

(7:10) - How Has Berkshire Hathaways Investing Changed Over The Years?

(12:20) - Breaking Down Warren Buffetts Current Portfolio Holdings

(19:30) - Creating Your Own Mini Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio: What Stocks Should You Consider?

(23:40) - First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF: AIRR

(28:50) - Episode Roundup: FAST,MTZ, URI, MOAT, VOO, IVV, SPLG, QUS

Podcast@Zacks.com

In this episode of ETF Spotlight, I speak with Tracey Ryniec, Zacks Senior Equity Strategist, about investing like Warren Buffett, one of the greatest and most respected investors of all time.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) reported excellent earnings last week, sending its class A shares to an all-time high. The stock is up more than 25,000 times since Buffett took control of the company in 1965, according to Barron's.

Most investors would like to emulate Buffett's investing style in their portfolios, which is not easy, but we can certainly learn from his strategies. In the past, Buffett invested in undervalued companies with great potential, which he called "cigar butts." However, his thinking later evolved to "it's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price."

The Oracle of Omaha avoided investing in tech companies earlier in his career but changed his stance later. Apple AAPL, which is now Berkshire's largest stock investment, was praised by Buffett as "a better business than any we own."

The SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF QUS seeks to invest in high-quality firms with durable balance sheets and stable cash flows, trading at reasonable valuations.

The legendary investor likes companies with "economic moats," that allow a company to outperform others in the same industry over time. The VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF MOAT invests in attractively priced companies with sustainable competitive advantages.

Story continues

Buffett has long recommended that most investors should stick with low-cost index funds. The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF IVV and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO charge just 0.03% each, but SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF SPLG's new fee of 0.02% makes it the cheapest in the space.

Fastenal FAST, MasTec MTZ and United Rentals URI are among Berkshire-like companies that investors may want to consider.

Tune in to the podcast to learn more.

Make sure to be on the lookout for the next edition of the ETF Spotlight and remember to subscribe! If you have any comments or questions, please email podcast@zacks.com.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Fastenal Company (FAST) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report

United Rentals, Inc. (URI) : Free Stock Analysis Report

MasTec, Inc. (MTZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO): ETF Research Reports

VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT): ETF Research Reports

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV): ETF Research Reports

SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS): ETF Research Reports

SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG): ETF Research Reports

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research
Key Insights

First Resources' estimated fair value is S$2.42 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

First Resources is estimated to be 36% undervalued based on current share price of S$1.54

The US$1.68 analyst price target for EB5 is 31% less than our estimate of fair value

Does the August share price for First Resources Limited (SGX:EB5) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

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. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for First Resources

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 start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

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10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$164.1m US$194.6m US$161.4m US$143.1m US$132.6m US$126.5m US$123.2m US$121.7m US$121.4m US$121.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x3 Analyst x2 Est @ -17.06% Est @ -11.34% Est @ -7.35% Est @ -4.55% Est @ -2.59% Est @ -1.22% Est @ -0.26% Est @ 0.41% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 6.0% US$155 US$173 US$136 US$113 US$99.1 US$89.3 US$82.1 US$76.5 US$72.0 US$68.2

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$1.1b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.0%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$122m (1 + 2.0%)  (6.0% 2.0%) = US$3.1b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$3.1b ( 1 + 6.0%)10= US$1.7b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$2.8b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of S$1.5, the company appears quite undervalued at a 36% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at First Resources as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for First Resources

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average.

Opportunity

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years.

Moving On:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/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 sitting below the intrinsic value? For First Resources, we've compiled three additional factors you should consider:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for First Resources (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does EB5'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 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.
Issuer Direct Corporation (AMEX:ISDR) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript August 10, 2023

Issuer Direct Corporation beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $0.53, expectations were $0.42.

Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by, and welcome to the Issuer Direct Corporation's Second Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call. My name is David Tadros. Host of Issuer Direct Hello, My Name Is, an employee-driven gets to know each other series, whereby we feature a new employee each week or something extremely cool happening at our company. Me doing this today is our way of ensuring our shareholders get to know all of us as well. Each quarter, we will feature one of our very own here at the company to introduce our executives and read the safe harbor language on each call. It's my pleasure to introduce the company's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Balbirnie; and its Chief Financial Officer, Tim Pitoniak.

Before I turn the call over to Mr. Brian Balbirnie, I'd like to read you the company's abbreviated safe harbor statement. I'd like to remind you that the statements made in this conference call concerning future revenues, results from operations, financial positions, markets, economic conditions, product releases, partnerships and other statements that may be construed as a prediction of future performance or events are forward-looking statements, which may involve known and unknown risks uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Non-GAAP results will also be discussed on the call. The company believes the presentation of non-GAAP information provides useful supplementary data concerning the company's ongoing operations and is provided for informational purposes only.

With that said, Mr. Balbirnie.

Brian Balbirnie: Greetings, everyone, and thank you, David, for today's introduction. Super cool for you to be doing this today and for all of your hard work on the Hello, My Name is series. I know when we first started talking about doing this podcast, it was employees first, but we do have plans to expand it and our brand to include customers and partners at some point. So keep up the good work sir. We are pleased to everyone join us today to discuss our second quarter results. Our press release, which is accessible in our newsroom has just been released and provides the key takeaways on our performance for the quarter and first half of 2023. We are pleased with the second quarter results. Total revenue was up 67% year-over-year to $9.7 million, driven by both our business lines, something Tim will discuss shortly.

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We also delivered solid performance on earnings for the quarter, something we spoke about in our last call and earlier in the year. EBITDA increased 7% year-over-year and 21% for the prior quarter. Customers subscribing to our products also grew over 5% for the quarter, and the average price per release in our core news business also increased. These results were a direct effort of our entire team's ability to deliver on our operating plan and strategy for 2023. We recognize that we still have work to do here. Customer growth is still our #1 focus of our entire organization, and we're building up a strong quarter to deliver what will be continued success in the back half of the year. As always, there is a lot more to talk about. So I will turn the call over to Tim to cover the second quarter results.

Tim?

Timothy Pitoniak: Thank you, Brian. And good afternoon, everyone. As Brian mentioned, we were able to reach a new record high for quarterly revenue and generate increased cash flow and EBITDA over the prior year. I will now highlight some of the results we achieved during the quarter. Total revenue for the second quarter of 2023 was $9.7 million, an increase of 66% compared to $5.8 million for the same period of 2022. For the 6 months ending June 30, 2023, total revenue was $18.3 million, an increase of 65% from $11.1 million for the first half of 2022. The increase for both periods was primarily driven by our Communications business, increasing $2.2 million or 61% and $5.4 million or 77% and for the 3 and 6 months ending June 30, 2023, respectively.

Communication revenue represents 62% and 68% of total revenue during the 3- and 6-month period ending June 30, 2023, compared to 64% for the same period of 2022. The increase in revenue was driven by the acquisition of Newswire, for which all revenue is included in the communication revenue. For the first half of 2023, we also generated increased revenue from our ACCESSWIRE business, which increased 10% compared to the same period of the prior year, primarily due to an increase in average price per release. The increase for the 3 and 6 months ending period June 30, 2023, was partially offset by a decrease in revenue from our webcasting and events business. Compliance revenue increased 76% or $1.6 million and 43% or $1.7 million during the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023 compared to the same period of 2022.

This increase was primarily related to an increase in revenue from our print and proxy fulfillment services business due to a few significant transactions which occurred during the period as well as an increase in revenue from our transfer agent services due to an increase in corporate actions and directed during the period. Switching over to gross margins. Our overall gross margin percentage was 76% and 77% for the second quarter and first half of 2023, respectively, compared to 77% for the same periods of 2022. Gross margins from our communications business were 76% and 77% for the 3 and 6 months ending June 30, 2023, compared to 80% and 79% in the same period of 2022. The decrease in gross margin percentages for the period is primarily due to an increase in distribution costs as we continue to expand our global footprint.

Moving to operating income. We posted operating income of $1.7 million for Q2 of 2023 compared to $1.1 million in Q2 of 2022. Operating income was $2.3 million for the first half of 2023. And compared to $1.8 million during the first half of 2022. The increase in operating income is primarily due to an increase in revenue, partially offset by an increase in cost of revenue and operating expenses. I will not discuss the items impacting the change in operating expenses. General and administrative costs increased 45% and 42% during the second quarter and first half of 2023, respectively. The increase is primarily driven by additional expenses associated with cost to operate the newswire business, onetime transaction integration costs, employee-related expenses and stock compensation expense.

The increase for the first half of 2023 was partially offset by a reduction in recruiting fees. Moving on to sales and marketing. Sales and marketing costs increased 49% for the second quarter and 68% for the first half of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022. This is due to the addition of the Newswire sales team. Finally, product development. Product development costs increased 149% and 167% during the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods of 2022. This increase is directly attributed to additional cost to operate the Newswire business as well as the hiring of our new Chief Technology Officer. It is important to note that during the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023, we capitalized $167,000 in costs related to building our new artificial intelligent writer that you know as AImee as well as upgrading our media database product.

Operating expenses were also impacted by an increase in amortization expense attributed to intangible assets acquired in the Newswire acquisition. On a GAAP basis, during Q2 of 2023, we generated net income of $1.4 million or $0.36 per diluted share compared to $841,000 or $0.22 per diluted share during Q2 of 2022. Net income for the first half of 2023 was $1.2 million or $0.32 per diluted share compared to $1.4 million or $0.36 per diluted share during the first half of 2022. Net income for the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023, and was impacted by operating expense items discussed previously as well as additional interest expense associated with the Newswire acquisition. These increases were partially offset by income resulting from the change in the fair value of our interest rate swap and interest income.

Additionally, the 6 months ended June 30, 2023, was impacted by a payment to extinguish our note payable resulting from the Newswire transaction. Looking to some non-GAAP metrics. EBITDA for Q2 of 2023 was $2.9 million or 30% of revenue compared to $1.3 million or 23% of revenue in Q2 of 2022. For the first half of 2023, EBITDA was $3.6 million, or 20% of revenue compared to $2.2 million or 19% of revenue during the first half of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 of 2023 was $3 million, or 31% of revenue compared to $1.5 million or 26% of revenue for the same period of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the first half of 2023 was $4.9 million or 27% of revenue compared to $2.6 million or 24% of revenue for the first half of 2022. Non-GAAP net income for Q2 of 2023 was $2 million or $0.53 per diluted share compared to $1.1 million or $0.29 per diluted share during the same period of 2022.

Non-GAAP net income for the first half of 2023 was $3.3 million or $0.87 per diluted share compared to $1.9 million or $0.50 per diluted share during the first half of 2022. The increase in our non-GAAP metrics for the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023, were driven by the positive results of the business as I discussed earlier in my remarks. Switching over to the balance sheet and cash flow statements. Our deferred revenue balance, which is revenue we expect to recognize over the next 12 months, increased to $5.7 million as of June 30, 2023, and compared to $5.4 million as of December 31, 2022. On the cash flow statement, we generated cash flow from operations of $1.7 million and $2 million for the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023, and respectively, compared to $1.1 million and $1.6 million during the same period of 2022.

Adjusted free cash flow was $1.8 million and $2.5 million for the 3 and 6 months ended June 30, 2023, respectively, compared to $1.1 million and $1.7 million for the same period of 2022. This is our 34th consecutive quarter of positive cash flow for the company. I will now hand it back to Brian, who will provide some updates on the business, new products in the pipeline and everything else we have planned for the second half of the year. Brian?

investor relations

Pixabay/Public Domain

Brian Balbirnie: Thank you, Tim. Our second quarter was another record quarter of revenues and consistent gross margins, customer growth and sustained subscribers to the most important products in our product lineup. We could not be more pleased with the progress we're making and look forward to what is shaping up to be an amazing year for Issuer Direct. As Tim and I both mentioned, revenues for the quarter were $9.7 million, up year-over-year, partially because of the Newswire acquisition and up sequentially by 13% or $1.1 million. This sequential increase was driven by our compliance business for the quarter. Conversely, our new distribution business drove just over $5 million in revenues for the quarter, up or 51% of our entire revenues.

Conversely, up $2.3 million over the prior year, while still maintaining gross margins in the product range of 80%. Our news distribution business represents 84% of our communications business and 51% of our total revenues for the quarter. Conversely, we also saw gains in our compliance business, up 76% year-over-year for the quarter. Absent of onetime projects associated with these results, our compliance business would have been in line with historical year-over-year and prior quarter results. We have messaged and continue to feel our compliance business, not the growth driver for our business, whereas communications is. For almost the last year, we have been seeing industry-wide slowdowns in news volume, something we talked about last quarter.

I would tell you that at the end of Q2, we are seeing this turnaround and continue in our collective brands and Q2 year-over-year news distribution growth was 14% and 15% sequentially over Q1 of this year. This continued success is something we should be continuing to see and we believe we will be well back on track to our double-digit growth in our news business. We could not be happier to see this growth along with the synergies and the business combinations that are showing in our results on the bottom line. Our product pipeline is maturing at a swift pace and we're looking forward to seeing several new products come to market here in the coming months. In our last quarterly call, we mentioned these products extensively to you, media database, pitching, monitoring and of course, AImee.

So I don't want to bother you today to go through all of that a little more time. But I would like to share some updates with you. AImee has been in production just for a couple of weeks, and almost 20% of our customers have used it. Pretty impressive as we have only launched into one of our product platforms to date with plans to hit our entire 10,000 customer database by year's end. To summarize, AImee is our AI writer and recommendation engine that helps our customers create, improve and control the tonality of their stories. Our next step is to continue to grow customer usage, get the necessary feedback and lastly, measure the analytics that come from AImee assisted releases to illustrate the engagement benefits. This ultimately will lead us to a paid version coming next year.

You will find AImee also sprinkled in other products coming to market in the coming months. The first will be our pitching platform, whereby our customers will be able to send campaigns to their list or our media list. Ask AImee to help improve their pitch to journalists, shareholders and other key constituents. This pitching component on our platform will be part of our new annual subscription solution here in Q4. This is a feature, we did not foresee coming in our first release and are happy to see the hard work of our development team is delivering what we believe will be a sticky component to our ecosystem. As we have said before, one of the benefits we received from the Newswire acquisition was some amazing technology, of which one component was the media database.

We have invested heavily in people and process and interfaces to move this product to the top of our R&D team's focus this year and in fact, have built an entire data curation team of 14 people that are hard at work analyzing and updating records in almost near real time now. As we all should know and expect a good pitch starts with the database of curated, accurate and up-to-date context. Our media database will be just that, with live curation support coming in early Q4. Along with monitoring, these subscribable products will help drive our ARR from our mid-8,000 range to over 12,000 and beyond. Speaking of subscriptions, we ended the quarter with 1,015 customers subscribing to our products with an average spend of $8,523 up from 966 subscribers and $71.65 in revenue.

This is a 19% revenue expansion and 5% customer growth on a year-over-year basis. We firmly believe our new products will continue to help drive these metrics in the future. We also have a good bit of headway in the market, not only by continually taking share from the incumbents, but also winning new business and of course, having a more comprehensive subscription platform will give our sales organization the ability to sell into the full TAM of the communication space. Moving along to customers. Total customers grew to 10,449 from 7,440 last year. This total includes customers from the Newswire platform acquired. This 40% year-over-year customer growth another goal that we set when we talked last year of getting our customer accounts to 10,000 and beyond.

As always, it was nice spending time with you today and discussing the results for our second quarter. We look forward to talking to you on our follow-up calls. We remain confident in the business, our teams and our product platforms, our revenue margins and customer wins as well as average revenue per subscriber growing. Our brands continue to serve us well in the market, and we look forward to sharing more updates with you next quarter. Operator, can we please begin the Q&A portion of the call.

See also 15 Best Penny Stocks To Buy Now and 11 Best Quality Dividend Stocks to Buy.

To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here.
Key Insights

Using the Dividend Discount Model, Australian Clinical Labs fair value estimate is AU$3.74

Current share price of AU$3.26 suggests Australian Clinical Labs is potentially trading close to its fair value

Our fair value estimate is 2.9% lower than Australian Clinical Labs' analyst price target of AU$3.85

Does the August share price for Australian Clinical Labs Limited (ASX:ACL) 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. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Australian Clinical Labs

What's The Estimated Valuation?

As Australian Clinical Labs operates in the healthcare sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. 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. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. 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 6.0%. Relative to the current share price of AU$3.3, the company appears about fair value at a 13% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

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Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

= AU$0.1 / (6.0%  2.0%)

= AU$3.7

dcf

The 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. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Australian Clinical Labs as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Australian Clinical Labs

Strength

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Opportunity

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by earnings.

Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years.

Moving On:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess 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?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Australian Clinical Labs, there are three pertinent elements you should further research:

Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Australian Clinical Labs (at least 1 which shouldn't be ignored) , and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does ACL'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 ASX 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.
Photo: The Canadian Press One occupant of a plane located in a lake east of Edmonton is dead, while a second was airlifted to hospital with what police describe as serious injuries. The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

One person is dead and another was taken to hospital with what police describe as serious injuries after a plane crashed into a lake east of Edmonton.

RCMP say they were contacted late Friday by the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Canadian Forces Base Trenton to help find an overdue aircraft which was believed to have crashed into Beaverhill Lake, near the community of Tofield.

Police say the plane was located just after midnight on Saturday morning about 200 meters off shore in the northwest portion of the lake.

Both occupants were extricated from the cockpit.

Police say one occupant of the plane was dead and the other was flown by helicopter to an Edmonton hospital.

The Transportation Safety Board says it is deploying a team of investigators to Beaverhill Lake to assess the crash.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has selected Larry Snelling, the Chicago Police Departments chief of the bureau of counterterrorism and a longtime instructor at the training academy, to serve as the next permanent superintendent.

A South Side native who joined the department in 1992, Snelling, 54, is considered to be CPDs preeminent expert on firearms and use-of-force tactics. His ascent to the top position will require approval by the full City Council.

Chief Snelling is a proven leader who has the experience and the respect of his peers to help ensure the safety and well-being of city residents, and address the complex challenges we all face related to community safety, Johnson said in a news release Sunday.

A news conference introducing Snelling as the choice for the citys next top cop is expected late Monday morning.

It is a tremendous honor to answer the call to serve my hometown and the people of Chicago as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. It is also a tremendous responsibility, and one that I do not take lightly, Snelling said in a statement.

While I am humbled by this moment, I stand ready to lead and uphold Mayor Johnsons three Cs of competence, compassion and collaboration, and keep that vision at the forefront in addressing safety on every street, every block and in every neighborhood, he added.

Snelling was chosen over two other finalists, CPD Chief of Constitutional Policing and Reform Angel Novalez, and Shon Barnes, the chief of police in Madison, Wisconsin.

Anthony Driver Jr., the president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the body that submitted the three finalists to Johnson last month, issued a statement Sunday.

Chief Snellings remarkable career and long tenure with the Chicago Police Department make him an exceptional choice for the role of Superintendent, Driver said. His proven leadership as chief of the bureau that focuses on criminal networks and narcotics, his dedication to cultivating robust community relations, and his fervent commitment to elevating professional standards within the Department set him apart as a proven leader.

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His selection to become the 64th leader of Chicago Police Department caps off a rapid rise through the ranks for Snelling, who, less than five years ago, was just a sergeant.

Snelling will helm the countrys second-largest police department as swaths of the city, particularly disadvantaged communities of color, continue to be plagued with high levels of gun violence. Fatal and nonfatal shootings are down in recent years, but still outpace pre-pandemic totals.

Meanwhile, as CPD continues to struggle in its efforts to comply with a federal consent decree, a recent survey found that a growing share of residents harbor deep distrust of the citys police officers and public perception of the department continues to worsen amid low officer morale and skyrocketing overtime costs.

Snelling has spent more than half of his career as an instructor at CPDs training academy.

He has twice been honored with the departments Life Saving Award, has received four department commendations, 57 honorable mentions and 13 physical fitness emblems of recognition, according to his city employee personnel file. Snelling received a bachelors degree in Adult Education and Leadership from DePaul University in 2014.

His 18 years at the police academy made him CPDs foremost authority on use-of-force, the use of firearms and report writing. According to his resume, Snelling is certified to teach courses on active shooter scenarios, the use of Tasers, firearms and batons, as well as personal fitness. Aside from teaching police procedures, hes also a certified CrossFit instructor.

As a result of his expertise, Snelling has been called to testify as an expert witness in more than two dozen civil and criminal cases involving police officers.

Among those cases was the 2018 criminal trial of three CPD officers who were accused of conspiring to cover up the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald four years earlier. Those three officers were ultimately acquitted in a bench trial.

Snelling also testified in the police board proceedings of four officers who faced administrative charges also stemming from the 2014 McDonald shooting on the Southwest Side. All four were eventually fired.

While on the witness stand, Snelling was asked why McDonald, who was armed with a knife, should not have been considered an armed assailant. According to Illinois Appellate Court records, Snelling said:

A subject becomes an assailant when that subject commits an act of furtherance other than just being armed. Police officers come in contact with people who are armed all the time, he said, If there was a movement in furtherance toward the officer that you could actually see in the video, then it would rise to the level of deadly force, but I cant see it in the video.

A sergeant as recently as 2019, Snellings ascent through the ranks has been quick. Hes gained admirers along the way, too.

You have to have a police superintendent thats willing to work with these community organizations and give them the power that they deserve, Darryl Smith, the president of the Englewood Political Task Force, said during the CCPSAs April 19 forum at St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham. You can not police from a book. You have to talk to the people that are out here every day, dealing with this every day, and my choice is Chief Larry Snelling.

Smith was just one of dozens of city residents who urged the CCPSA to nominate candidates with longstanding ties to the CPD and the city.

Pending his approval by the full City Council, Snelling will replace former CPD superintendent David Brown, who was tapped for the job by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in April 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its infancy. Browns tenure as head of the CPD was marked by a spike in violent crime, several incidents of civil unrest and looting, and low officer morale. Brown, who was previously the chief of police in Dallas, his hometown, announced his resignation as CPD superintendent in March after Lightfoot failed to qualify for the mayoral runoff election.

After Johnson was sworn in as mayor last April, he selected Fred Waller, CPDs former chief of patrol, to serve as interim superintendent during the search for Browns permanent replacement.

Records from the citys Department of Human Resources show that Snelling joined CPD in 1992 after working as a waiter at a restaurant in Hyde Park. For the first two years of his career he was a patrol officer in the Englewood and Morgan Park districts on the South Side. From 1994 to 1998, he was back in Englewood, this time as a tactical and gang team officer.

CPD records show that Snelling was the subject of two sustained misconduct complaints in the mid-1990s. He was suspended for a total of seven days in those two cases, according to CPD internal affairs records.

Snellings first sustained complaint came in 1994.

Around 7 a.m. on May 12, 1994, Snelling and another officer were assigned to take two male arrestees from the Englewood District station to the Chicago Lawn District station a few miles west. During the ride, one of the men tried to strike up a conversation with Snelling and his partner but he was rebuffed, according to CPD internal affairs records.

The passenger officer, with badge #9919, now known as Larry Snelling, became angry with him and asked him Do you take me as a joke (expletive) ; do you think you know everything? CPD investigators wrote of the allegations.

The officer who was driving then pulled the van over, and he and Snelling got out and opened the side door, records show. It was then that Snelling allegedly struck the man, who was arrested for domestic battery, in the face.

Records show Snelling denied that he hit the man or called him an expletive.

Snelling was implicated in a far more serious disciplinary case a year later when he allegedly pointed his gun at another driver  also an off-duty police officer  who was traveling through Englewood. And though he again denied wrongdoing, Snelling was eventually found to have violated CPD rules that prohibit unlawful use or display of a weapon and engaging in any unjustified verbal or physical altercation with any person while on or off duty.

Snelling admitted to investigators that he was driving his Jeep on Garfield when he had a traffic altercation. Snelling said he called the driver of the Cadillac an idiot after the driver nearly struck his Jeep. And though he had his gun in his waistband, Snelling denied that he pointed it at anyone. He also said that he didnt refer to the driver with a racist term or call him an expletive.

Internal affairs investigators said Snellings explanation didnt hold water, and the two allegations against him were sustained, CPD records show.

Snelling took a leave of absence from the department from 1998 to 2000 when he was a regional security director for AT&T. Upon his return to the department in 2001, he was once again assigned to the training academy where he was a physical skills instructor until 2010.

In August of that year Snelling was promoted to sergeant. The promotion came by way of the CPDs much-maligned merit system, which was launched in the mid-1990s as a way to bolster racial and gender diversity among the police departments supervisors.

A merit promotion is awarded to an officer after they are nominated by a member of the CPDs command staff and approved by the departments merit board. Though noble in intent, the merit promotions system has been long seen as a way to reward political cronyism within CPDs ranks.

The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the department in the wake of the release of the McDonald shooting video in 2015. In their summary report, federal investigators said: Many of the officers we spoke with, minority and non-minority alike, told us they feel merit promotions are not truly based on merit, but rather the clout you hold in the department or who you know.

Snellings two merit nominators  retired CPD deputy chief Matthew Tobias and retired Lt. Daniel Godsel  did not respond to interview requests.

After he was promoted to sergeant in 2010, Snelling was once again assigned to the Morgan Park District, but records show he was there for only a year. In 2011, he was back at the CPD training academy where he remained until May 2019 when he received another merit promotion to the rank of lieutenant. He then returned to the Englewood District.

In February 2020, eight months after he was promoted to lieutenant, Snelling was promoted to commander of the Englewood District. The following summer, as cities across the country were gripped by civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, a police shooting in the Englewood District left the neighborhood on edge.

On Aug. 9, 2020, someone called 911 to report a male with a gun was near a park at 57th and Racine. Officers assigned to the CPDs Community Safety Team responded to the call, and upon arrival they saw 20-year-old Latrell Allen. Allen ran off, but officers caught up with him in a nearby alley. Allen allegedly fired several shots at officers, who returned fire and shot Allen in the shoulder. Allen was charged with attempted murder and a Cook County jury found him guilty earlier this summer.

After the shooting, former police superintendent David Brown said that misinformation about the circumstances of the shooting led to a round of looting throughout the citys downtown area. Police reform advocates planned to protest the shooting outside the Englewood District station on 63rd Street, but they were met by longtime neighborhood residents who chastised them for making their plans without first informing members of the Englewood community.

Four months after the shooting, in December 2020, Snelling was promoted to Deputy Chief of Area 2, which covers the four CPD patrol districts on the citys Far South Side. Snelling was named the Chief of CPDs Bureau of Counterterrorism  which oversees narcotics and gang investigations, as well as SWAT team operations  in October 2022 after his predecessor, Ernest Cato III, abruptly retired from the department.
London Stock Exchange Group plc (LON:LSEG) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 3 days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is an important date to be aware of as any purchase of the stock made on or after this date might mean a late settlement that doesn't show on the record date. In other words, investors can purchase London Stock Exchange Group's shares before the 17th of August in order to be eligible for the dividend, which will be paid on the 20th of September.

The company's next dividend payment will be UK0.36 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed UK1.11 to shareholders. Last year's total dividend payments show that London Stock Exchange Group has a trailing yield of 1.3% on the current share price of 82.7. If you buy this business for its dividend, you should have an idea of whether London Stock Exchange Group's dividend is reliable and sustainable. As a result, readers should always check whether London Stock Exchange Group has been able to grow its dividends, or if the dividend might be cut.

Check out our latest analysis for London Stock Exchange Group

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. Last year, London Stock Exchange Group paid out 92% of its income as dividends, which is above a level that we're comfortable with, especially if the company needs to reinvest in its business.

When the dividend payout ratio is high, as it is in this case, the dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut in the future.

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. That's why it's not ideal to see London Stock Exchange Group's earnings per share have been shrinking at 4.6% a year over the previous five years.

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The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. London Stock Exchange Group has delivered an average of 14% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. That's intriguing, but the combination of growing dividends despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out a larger percentage of profits. London Stock Exchange Group is already paying out a high percentage of its income, so without earnings growth, we're doubtful of whether this dividend will grow much in the future.

To Sum It Up

Should investors buy London Stock Exchange Group for the upcoming dividend? Earnings per share are in decline and London Stock Exchange Group is paying out what we feel is an uncomfortably high percentage of its profit as dividends. It's not that we hate the business, but we feel that these characeristics are not desirable for investors seeking a reliable dividend stock to own for the long term. London Stock Exchange Group doesn't appear to have a lot going for it, and we're not inclined to take a risk on owning it for the dividend.

Although, if you're still interested in London Stock Exchange Group and want to know more, you'll find it very useful to know what risks this stock faces. To help with this, we've discovered 2 warning signs for London Stock Exchange Group 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.
It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Phoenix Mecano (VTX:PMN), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Phoenix Mecano

How Fast Is Phoenix Mecano Growing?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Recognition must be given to the that Phoenix Mecano has grown EPS by 41% per year, over the last three years. Growth that fast may well be fleeting, but it should be more than enough to pique the interest of the wary stock pickers.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. While Phoenix Mecano may have maintained EBIT margins over the last year, revenue has fallen. Suffice it to say that is not a great sign of growth.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Phoenix Mecano.

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Are Phoenix Mecano Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So those who are interested in Phoenix Mecano will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. In fact, they own 37% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. Shareholders and speculators should be reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at 127m at the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!

Does Phoenix Mecano Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Phoenix Mecano's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. This level of EPS growth does wonders for attracting investment, and the large insider investment in the company is just the cherry on top. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. Based on the sum of its parts, we definitely think its worth watching Phoenix Mecano very closely. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Phoenix Mecano that you should be aware of.

Although Phoenix Mecano certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
(Bloomberg) -- Oils rally sputtered amid a slump in summertime liquidity, leaving the commodity at the mercy of volatile, broader markets.

Most Read from Bloomberg

While signs of tightening physical supplies had in recent weeks pushed crude futures to the longest streak of gains in a year, West Texas Intermediate on Monday see-sawed in tandem with Wall Street on fresh concerns about Chinas economy. Open interest in US crude is hovering near the lowest levels this year as investors travel during the summer.

Crude prices are softer as the dollar rallies and concerns percolate with Chinas property sector, which will be a drag on global growth conditions, said Ed Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda. The market is a little illiquid here, which means if the bond market sell-off intensifies, we could see significant dollar strength that weighs on crude prices, he added.

Also dampening sentiment was the expectation that progress in Iran-US relations would lead to higher oil exports from the Middle Eastern country.

Physical markets have been strong thanks to OPEC+ supply curbs and demand holding up better than expected, helping oil to rise by about 25% since its lows in June. The prompt spread in US crude, a reflection of supply and demand at the delivery point for benchmark futures at Cushing, Oklahoma, is near the strongest levels since November.

A snapshot of conditions in China will come on Tuesday with industrial-production figures, including for the refining industry. The country, the worlds largest crude buyer, has been opening new plants, buoying import demand.

To get Bloombergs Energy Daily newsletter direct into your inbox, click here.

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--With assistance from Yongchang Chin, Alex Longley and Chunzi Xu.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers So we wouldn't blame long term Vesuvius plc (LON:VSVS) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 29% over a half decade.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

See our latest analysis for Vesuvius

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, Vesuvius actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 22% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.

Because of the sharp contrast between the EPS growth rate and the share price growth, we're inclined to look to other metrics to understand the changing market sentiment around the stock.

The steady dividend doesn't really explain why the share price is down. It's not immediately clear to us why the stock price is down but further research might provide some answers.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

Vesuvius is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. Given we have quite a good number of analyst forecasts, it might be well worth checking out this free chart depicting consensus estimates.

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What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Vesuvius, it has a TSR of -14% 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!

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Vesuvius shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 28% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. That certainly beats the loss of about 3% per year over the last half decade. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Vesuvius (1 doesn't sit too well with us) that you should be aware of.

Of course Vesuvius 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 British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk no longer laughs at BYD. The Chinese electric-vehicle maker is handily beating Tesla in China, the worlds largest auto market, and its expanding internationally. Now BYD is calling upon other Chinese automakers to go global and demolish the old legends of the industry.

One of those legends is Ford Motor, whose executive chairman, Bill Ford Jr., believes that U.S. automakers are not quite yet ready to compete against Chinese rivals on electric vehicles, to which the world is turning. As he told Fareed Zakaria in June, They developed very quickly, and theyve developed them in large scale, and now they are exporting.

Musk actually laughed about the quality of BYDs cars in a 2011 interview that recently resurfaced. But "that was many years ago, he explained in a tweet. Their cars are highly competitive these days.

'The time has come for Chinese brands'

Charlie Munger, Warren Buffetts right-hand man, led the decision for Berkshire Hathaway to invest in BYD. Earlier this year he said, I have never helped do anything at Berkshire that was as good as BYD, adding, BYD is so much ahead of Tesla in China. Its almost ridiculous.

This week, BYD chairman Wang ChuanfuMunger described him as a combination of Thomas Edison and Jack Welchcalled upon Chinese rivals to make China a global powerhouse in cars, Reuters reported.

"I believe the time has come for Chinese brands," he said at a BYD event marking a production milestone, with the logos of 12 Chinese carmakers on an image behind him. "It's an emotional need for the 1.4 billion Chinese people to see a Chinese brand becoming global."

BYD also shared a video on the history of Chinas auto manufacturers, including EV makers Nio, Xpeng, and Li Auto. Our stories are different from each other but share the same direction, states the narrator, ending with a call to demolish the old legends and achieve new world-class brands.

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'Proud for Chinas auto industry'

Nio CEO William Li responded on Weibo, "I feel proud for Chinas auto industry! We should learn from BYD's success." Others industry figures shared similar sentiments.

But Great Wall Motor's CTO Wang Yuanli reminded the carmakers that theyre all competing against one another. And a similar reminder came last month, when a Chinese industry group representing 16 automakers retracted a pledge to avoid abnormal pricing, just two days after it was made. The group cited Chinas antitrust law.

In response to the BYD videowhich went viral in Chinasome rivals warned it could increase regulatory risks for Chinese automakers in Europe and elsewhere. In the U.S., protectionist policies have so far kept Chinese cars from flooding the market, but Europe has been less interventionist, which is why spotting a BYD car is more likely in Germany than in Ohio.

Either way, the shift to electric vehicles favors Chinas automakers, given their strength in batteries and clean energy technology. As Ford said in June of the U.S. market, They are not here, but they will come here, we think at some point, and we need to be ready.

We see the Chinese as the main competitor, not GM or Toyota, said Ford CEO Jim Farley at a finance event in May, looking ahead to an EV future. The Chinese are going to be the powerhouse.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating PNE (ETR:PNE3), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

What Is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. To calculate this metric for PNE, this is the formula:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.0073 = 5.9m  (939m - 132m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, PNE has an ROCE of 0.7%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Electrical industry average of 14%.

Check out our latest analysis for PNE

roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for PNE compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering PNE here for free.

So How Is PNE's ROCE Trending?

In terms of PNE's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 7.8% over the last five years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

The Bottom Line

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by PNE's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Yet to long term shareholders the stock has gifted them an incredible 452% return in the last five years, so the market appears to be rosy about its future. Ultimately, if the underlying trends persist, we wouldn't hold our breath on it being a multi-bagger going forward.

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PNE does have some risks though, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for PNE that you might be interested in.

If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive 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.
James De Young was manager of the Home Furnace Company from 1918 to 1929.

Home Furnace Company was Hollands "other" furnace company, the tortoise compared to the hare. The tortoise won. James De Young and the Beckers were the reason.

James De Young was born in 1860. In 1877, he became plant supervisor at Black Jakes Van Putten Butter Tub Factory at Fourth Street and River Avenue.

In 1891, he joined the Wolverine Electric Light Company. But when, in 1893, 71 percent of the voting public approved the formation of the Board of Public Works to oversee the water commission and a new electricity commission, De Young became the board's first superintendent.

In 1896, De Young ran for mayor of Holland as a Democrat and defeated Republican Gerrit Diekema. From 1898 to 1910, De Young again served as the BPWs superintendent.

Then De Young left for Owosso, where he led another public works organization and served as mayor. Next, he moved to River Rouge. Fortunately, he returned to Holland.

Steve VanderVeen

From 1918 to 1929, De Young was plant manager at the struggling Home Furnace Company. Nick Yonker, a native of the Netherlands, had founded the Home Furnace Company in 1916 to make and sell cast iron furnaces. His factory was at Sixth Street and Fairbanks, where the BPWs natural gas plant is today.

One of Home Furnaces customers was the U.S. Army, which needed to heat barracks during World War I. Yet, by 1918, the year WWI ended, Home Furnace was insolvent  even though it had three patents on furnaces for small bungalows and large buildings.

One reason was that Home Furnace had strong competition: John Kolla and August Landwehrs Holland Furnace Company, the hare in our story. In contrast to Home Furnace, Holland Furnace had sales of $500,000 (about $10 million in present-day dollars).

As manager of Home Furnace Company, De Young cut spending, changed operating processes, and created effective national advertising campaigns. He served on the board of Holland BPW. Between 1923 and 1935, the BPW returned $1 million in excess revenue to the city, plus $184,000 to help fund Holland Hospital.

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In 1938, the BPW announced it would build a coal-fired power plant on the swamp on the west side of Pine Avenue, a project of which 45 percent was funded by Franklin Roosevelts Works Progress Administration. It was De Youngs final project. Workers completed construction of the plant in 1940, the year James De Young died. BPW named the plant in his honor.

It came down Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, with crowds of people watching at Kollen Park and Dunton Park.

Meanwhile, Conrad Becker was born in 1831. He was a miller in the Netherlands and then in Holland, Michigan. His son, Christian Becker, born in 1886, learned bookkeeping at the Gregmans Holland Business School, which also taught him English, spelling, shorthand, and to sign his name C.E. Becker, even though he didn't have a middle name.

C.E. worked at Veneklasen Brick and Klein Lumber before becoming Holland Furnace Companys first bookkeeper in 1906. In 1909, his son, Clarence Becker, was born.

When James De Young retired as manager of the Home Furnace Company in 1929, John De Vries took his place. In 1935, after resigning from the Holland Furnace Company, C. E. Becker became manager of the Home Furnace Company.

His son, who had graduated from Hope College and Harvard Business School, joined him there as president. By 1937, using fuel oil and natural gas as power sources, Home Furnace bested Holland Furnace in the air conditioning business, and built a new facility at Seventh Street and Fairbanks Avenue.

Christian Becker (right) and Ben Timmer in the office of the Holland Furnace Company, courtesy of the Holland Museum.

In 1956, while Holland Furnace was battling lawsuits over its unethical sales practices, Home Furnace had incorporated metal stamping technology into its furnace manufacturing and replaced its company-owned direct selling system with independent wholesalers. By 1960, Home Furnace had exclusive rights to an oil-fired heat pump called the miller gun just in time for the booming mobile home manufacturing industry.

In 1966, the Beckers sold the successful Home Furnace to Lear Siegler, Inc. By that time, the Holland Furnace Company was out of business, and its leader had spent six months in jail.

Christian Becker died in 1967. Clarence died in 1996.

Information from this story comes from Robert Swierengas "Holland, Michigan," Donald Van Reken and Randall VandeWaters "The Holland Furnace Company," Donald Van Rekens Oral History Interview of Clarence Becker in 1976, and my interview with Hermina Becker Buys in 2005.

 Community Columnist Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. Contact him through start-upacademeinc.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland History: James De Young and the Beckers
Theres a project in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, that started in 2004. After two decades of lawsuits, they just broke ground, Artem Tepler, an L.A.-based real estate developer, told Fortune, because it is so hard to do a big project in L.A.

The citys supply, or lack thereof, is pushing local house prices up. New construction is heavily restricted, but people still want to live in Los Angeles, its as simple as that. So with an average home value of $901,291, and a median household income of $69,778, its a drive until you qualify market, as Tepler put it, whos also the cofounder and managing partner of Schon Tepler.

You almost have to be a statistical anomaly to own a house anywhere in prime Los Angeles, Tepler said. You have to kind of drive far away and buy a home for like $600,000 to $700,000. Theres no starter homes under $700,000 and $800,000.

In New Jersey, where Tepler is from, he says $700,000 buys you a 4,000 square-foot home thats basically a mansion. Its not a far-fetched statement, as the average home value in New Jersey is $451,559, although there are areas like Ridgewood, where that number is much higher. In Teplers view, L.A.s housing problem comes down to an inability to build. Thats largely because of zoning, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the states 10-year liability defect on new construction, Tepler said.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Los Angeles was downzoned, as measures passed that cut floor-to-area ratios, limiting development, particularly for multifamily housing. As for the California Environmental Quality Act, some suggest its being used to block housing. Earlier this year, the University of California Berkeleys plan to build student housing was blocked by a state appellate court. The court cited the states Environmental Quality Act and ruled that students could potentially have an environmental impact. The ruling garnered a response from none other than California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said: Our CEQA process is clearly broken when a few wealthy Berkeley homeowners can block desperately needed student housingCalifornia cannot afford to be held hostage by NIMBYs. Additionally, Californias construction defect law allows homeowners to file a claim against builders, if their building standards are violated, for up to 10 years (although there are some caveats.)

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Thats the reason why we dont go bigger herewe dont want to get caught up in lawsuits, Tepler saidand its crippling the citys supply and pushing home prices, which are already detached from local incomes, further up.

So the further you drive from, lets say, Downtown Los Angeles, the cheaper housing gets. That can mean driving all the way to Riverside County (where the average home value is $568,515), until housing gets cheaper and more affordable, and commuting to work, Tepler said. Thats why he says youve got to be a statistical anomaly, in terms of how much money you make, to afford to buy a home in parts of Los Angeles, like Studio City thats average home value is $1,490,859or have family money. If its not a successful business owner or an executive at a big company, the buyer has family money for the down payment, Tepler said.

Average people cant live in the city, Tepler said. And its not an issue that developers cant provide the housing because if the developers were let loose they would build bigger condos, two and three bedroom condos, go higher up, build six, seven story buildings. But L.A. has been downzoned to the point where there was an anti-growth sentiment.

Look no further than Stan Oklobdzija and his partner, Sarah Boyd, a couple making around $225,000 annually that said the thought of ever owning a home in Los Angeles is hilarious. As a professor of public policy, whose research tends to focus on housing policy, Oklobdzijas reasoning wasnt far-off from Teplers. Oklobdzija previously told Fortune its the refusal to build thats creating a housing crisis, one by choice, and he and his partner have left Los Angeles.

It doesnt have to be like that, Tepler said. Its just this artificially created problem because weve been too downzoned. You need to upzone and make everything by-right, [and] reform CEQAAnd then let developers build.

When Tepler says by-right, hes referring to a zoning code, which is considered to be by-right if the approval process is streamlined to comply with zoning requirements, without undergoing a discretionary review process. Tepler also mentioned measure ULA, dubbed the mansion tax, which he said is going to destroy new supply, if it doesnt get repealed. As Fortunes previously reported, L.A.s high-end realtors and brokers were almost apocalyptic when referring to the tax and its implications on the citys real estate market. Clearly, Tepler shared the same sentiment.

Every major developer, institutional developer is basically shelving their projectsThey dont want to touch L.A. now, Tepler said, adding later that despite it being well-meaning, the measure will make the citys housing crisis worse because almost no one wants to build.

Its the restrictions on zoning, on permitting, on development and construction of new housing thats created a manufactured crisis, Tepler said, adding that he says the housing crisis is manufactured because its just policy, in his view.

Weve run out of land. When you run out of land, the way to solve it is to go vertical, to go up, Tepler said. You don't have to make this into Manhattan, but you should make it into six, seven story buildings but L.A. is still zoned for a lot of single family homes. It needs to get upzoned for the population.

It so happens that a lot of voters are homeowners, so politicians that want those votes are less inclined to upzone and allow for greater density housing, Tepler suggested. Cue NIMBY-ism, which economics writer Noah Smith, previously argued worsens already restricted developing and permitting rules in the country.

Everyone wants it, they just don't want it in their own backyard, Tepler said. So everyone wants housing for the homeless, they just dont want it near them. Everyone wants more apartments, they just dont want it near them. And no politician wants to upset their constituency.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- vivo, the global leading technology company for smart phone technology, has unveiled the new V29, its latest flagship-level studio portrait addition to its captivating V series. Equipped with the innovative Aura Light and Smart Color Temperature Adjustment feature, new aesthetic design and powerful performance, V29 is the smartphone for users looking to capture and celebrate every moment of their exciting lives. V29 revolutionizes the smartphone experience with a comprehensive range of advanced features and groundbreaking innovations meticulously crafted to elevate user experience and seamlessly address everyday challenges faced by consumers.

vivo V29 Global Launch_Peak Blue

"vivo is constantly striving to develop leading technology such as the studio-level portrait in its smartphones to improve portrait photography and overall user experience. The new V29, with upgraded Aura Light Portrait feature and fascinating chic design, empower users to express themselves in daily social life as well as to discover and celebrate every special moment," said Daniel Goetz, Product Manager at vivo. "Looking to the future, our commitment remains firm  to relentlessly push boundaries in smartphone innovation, ensuring our users continue to enjoy superior experiences."

Step into the Spotlight with Studio-Level Portraits

The innovative Aura Light with new Smart Color Temperature Adjustment boasts an upgraded design in the form of a larger light ring size (15.6 mm in diameter). This empowers the rear camera with more impressive low-light and night photography capabilities, adding a flattering radiance to photo subjects anywhere, anytime. In addition, upgraded features of the front camera, such as the 50 MP AF Group Selfie and Super Group Video, ensure that every smile is perfectly immortalized within the frame.

Your Go-to Lighting Designer

With the Aura Light feature, V29 continues to push boundaries in the pursuit of excellence, while prioritizing the needs of users at the same time. Recognizing the vital role of light in capturing stunning images, the rear camera of V29 is equipped with the largest Aura Light in vivo's history. The oversized Aura Light has a remarkable capacity to create a three-dimensional lighting effect, and ensures even light from every angle, eliminating facial shadows and dark areas. With a light-emitting area nine times larger than a standard flash, the Aura Light provides gentle and non-dazzling light akin to that of a professional studio. This exquisite lighting delicately accentuates the skin tone while artfully concealing imperfections, unveiling one's natural beauty. Additionally, the 36% of increase in brightness as compared to its predecessor allows vivo V29 to capture shots with vivid clarity, bringing them to life with more focus and power.

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V29 goes beyond enhancing visual appeal with its all-encompassing Aura Light. It also introduces the integration of Smart Color Temperature Adjustment, which enables the device to adapt to diverse environments with varying color temperatures. From dynamic nightclubs to vibrant neon-lit streets or cozy bars, V29 effortlessly adapts its color temperature to intelligently align with the environment, providing users with the expertise of a personal light designer. With just a single tap on V29, subjects in dimly lit environments are gently illuminated, allowing their unique characteristics to shine through. The result is bright, clear portraits with a captivating atmosphere that enriches every shot.

vivo V29 Global Launch_Aura Light Portrait

Capture Every Smile with Splendor



Experience the next level of group selfies with the enhanced 50 MP HD Camera of V29. With an expanded field of view and precise autofocus capabilities, it liberates photos from the constraints of traditional selfies, capturing more smiles effortlessly and without distortions. From group photos to videos, V29 allows users to unleash their creativity and create enchanting memories that radiate with brilliance and authenticity.

Unlock the Beauty of the Night

When it comes to exceptional night image quality, V29 is powered by an advanced 50 MP OIS Ultra-Sensing Camera. Elevating the photography experience, it extends exposure, enhances light intake, and ensures the capture of remarkably stable images. Superior image quality and truly satisfactory results can be expected, even in low-light conditions. With V29, users can relish the privilege of studio-level photography integrated seamlessly into a smartphone, all without the weight of a hefty price tag.

Additionally, V29 has the Supermoon Mode which helps stargazers capture the brilliance of night sky. To enhance the sky watching experience, the Astro Mode is a delightful addition that allows users to capture the beautiful Milky Way.

But that's not all. For videography enthusiasts, V29 raises the bar with its advanced technology. The Ultra Stable Video feature, supported by both OIS and EIS, ensures steadier and clearer shots of various scenes. By conducting up to 1,000 stabilization computations and 10,000 stabilization movements per second, it effectively mitigates undesirable motion blur to capture images with clarity and precision. No more worries about low light, camera noise, or shaky footage. Get ready to create captivating vlogs with cinematic magic and brilliance.

One-Stop Vlog-Maker for Everyday Shots

V29 is expertly crafted to empower users in their quest for vlogging excellence and social media content creation. The Vlog Movie Creator offers a one-stop video creation experience with various built-in templates and a professional editing assistant, eliminating the need for separate editing apps.

Redefine Sophistication with Timeless Style

The colors[1] of V29 are soft and delicate. The Peak Blue is inspired by the concept of the mighty grandeur atop mountains, and its color theme is a metaphor for the spirit of climbing to the top and constantly pursuing a life with better quality. It features the Innovative 3D Magnetic Particle technique, thanks to which 15 million micron-sized magnetic particles of varying sizes and orientations result in distinct refraction paths, to create vastly different cascading gradations of light and shadow effects. The phone is adorned with delicate shimmers carefully aligned in the form of a majestic mountain range with two layers overlapping each other. As you tilt the phone, a remarkable transformation unfolds. The mountain-like silhouette shifts and sways, as if responding to the rhythm of your touch, infusing the experience with an interactive element that enchants the senses.

The color purple is often associated with fashion, royalty, imagination and passion. Inspired from the Milky Way and twinkling stars, the Starry Purple edition transcends the ordinary. The Innovative 3D Magnetic Particle technique allows the creation of a glittering purple galaxy like no other, while the play of light on the back panel ensures that it is always shimmering like the night sky with the Milky Way and twinkling stars. Hence, the back cover looks translucent yet three-dimensional, all at the same time. Moreover, with purple emerging as one of the most captivating colors of the year, the Starry Purple aligns seamlessly with prevailing fashion trends, making it a stylish addition to every fashionista's wardrobe.

Another luxurious and elegant color is Velvet Red. As a symbol of luxury, the Velvet Red is reminiscent of aristocratic silk which is only reserved for those who pursue the best quality. Furthermore, V29 Velvet Red is made by unique Color Changing Fluorite AG Glass and nano-scale photoetching technique. With its color-changing effect under UV light, V29 Velvet Red delivers a soft touch and unique premium quality under the transition of light and shadow.

The Noble Black is also associated with excellence and elegance. Thanks to the nano-scale photoetching technique, it provides durability and stain resistance with etched shimmers.

The Clearest Display in the History of V Series

V29 series features a 120 Hz 1.5K AMOLED display and a 6.78 3D curved screen, delivering stunning visuals to users. With an impressive resolution of 1.5K and a super-high pixel density of 452 PPI, every detail comes to life with astonishing precision. Users will be immersed in a captivating visual experience as V29 showcases 1.07 billion colors and a DCI-P3 cinema-grade color gamut. In addition, V29 prioritizes eye health and has received triple SGS professional-grade eye protection certifications, underscoring our commitment to visual well-being.

Delivering Unparalleled Performance

V29 is designed to provide a smooth and powerful user experience. It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G mobile platform, ensuring excellent performance and seamless 5G connectivity. With its Memory Booster (12 GB RAM + 8 GB Extended RAM[2]), the device offers ample storage and strong support for the operating system. V29 also includes an Ultra Large VC Bionic Cooling System, which enables the device to unleash optimal performance in various scenarios, delivering an immersive experience  whether during intense gaming sessions or captivating cinematic experiences. Additionally, the updated 80W FlashCharge[3] and 4600 mAh (TYP) Battery allow for fast and safe charging, allowing the phone to be charged from 1% to 50% in just 18 minutes[4] and guaranteeing reliable and long-lasting use.

Besides, V29 sets a high standard for remarkable durability with its IP68[5] rating, ensuring exceptional protection against dust and water[6]. V29 provides water resistance and dust resistance under normal use. In over 60 controlled laboratory reliability tests, V29 demonstrates exceptional performance, allowing it to accompany users through rain or shine, ensuring a long-lasting, worry-free user experience.

Overall, with its impressive specifications and features, V29 provides a convincing and rational choice for users seeking a high-performance smartphone.

Pricing and Availability

Starting today, the highly anticipated V29 will be available in more than 39 markets, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Turkey, Mexico and the selected European markets. The availability, pricing, and specifications of each model may vary depending on local market conditions and consumer preferences.

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 and Xi'an, 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 400 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

[1] The availability of product colors may vary by region.

[2] 8 GB extended RAM is realized by software.

[3] V29 series is equipped with a vivo standard charger, and supports up to 80W FlashCharge. The actual charging power is dynamically adjusted as the scene changes, and subject to actual use.

[4] Charging data is based on vivo laboratory environmental tests. Actual charging speed is subject to actual usage and may vary depending on environmental and other factors.

[5] IP rating may differ by region.

[6] V29 is not a professional waterproof mobile phone, but it is splash-, water- and dust-resistant under normal use. The resistance to splash, water and dust is not permanent and may be reduced due to daily wear and tear. Do not charge the mobile phone when it is wet. Damage due to liquid ingress is not covered by the warranty.

SOURCE vivo
Photo: Castanet (via Brendan Kergin)

Police are searching for a suspect after a man was shot in the face while at a bus stop in Surrey this weekend.

The incident happened just after noon on Saturday, Aug. 12 at a bus stop in the Fleetwood area of the Metro Vancouver municipality around the 8900-block of 152 Street.

"The victim was at a bus stop when he had bumped into an unknown man on a bike," states the Surrey RCMP in a press release. "There was an exchange between the two, and the suspect then shot at the victim, hitting him in the face."

Luckily the victim's injuries were non-life threatening and he was immediately taken to hospital.

The suspect is described as a Caucasian male between 20 and 30 years old. He has a medium build, dirty blonde hair and a light beard, according to police.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a dark hoody and dark board shorts. According to police, he was carrying "a man purse and holding a blue bag with empty cans."

Anyone with information on the incident can call Surrey RCMP at 1-604-599-0502.
(Bloomberg) -- One of Chinas best-performing bond fund managers boosted holdings of local government financing vehicles after a key economic policy meeting last month fueled optimism in the debt-laden sector.

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We took a heavy position in LGFV bonds after the Politburo meeting, said Zhang Yi, investment director of the asset management department at Guolian Securities Co., referring to the gathering in July of the Communist Partys 24-member top decision-making body. She said there were positive policy signals from the meeting, with a pro-growth tone regarding support for local government debt and the property sector.

Combined two-year performance of the public fixed income funds under her command ranks in the top 7% of their category, according to local fund-data provider Shanghai Tiantian Fund Distribution Co.

Zhangs investment call comes at a time when there have been growing concerns about the $9 trillion debt market for LGFVs, which were created to finance projects like roads, airports and power infrastructure. Investors across Asia earmarked Chinas ballooning levels of municipal borrowing as the regions number one financial risk in a recent survey. The entities rarely generate enough returns to cover their obligations, and many local authorities are facing cash-flow problems due to the countrys years-long real estate crisis.

Bloomberg News reported Friday that China will allow provincial-level governments to raise about 1 trillion yuan ($139 billion) via bond sales to repay debt of LGFVs and other off-balance sheet issuers, a step toward addressing one of the biggest threats to the nations economy and financial stability.

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Zhang has specialized in Chinese bond investments for nearly two decades, including three years as a manager for the nations Social Security Fund.

Each fixed-income fund at Guolian Securities asset management arm recently increased their LGFV positions by 20% to 40%, she said. The division had more than 100 billion yuan of entrusted funds at the end of 2022.

Until there is a default on LGFVs public debt, we will maintain a high-position portfolio in LGFV bonds, according to Zhang. Its difficult to imagine that LGFVs are in trouble on a large scale, she said, adding that sector bonds are currently cost-effective because of their yield and most being safe from default.

The LGFV market has posted gains this year despite the pockets of worries. Spreads have narrowed for medium-term yuan bonds versus government bond yields, Bloomberg-compiled data show. LGFV dollar notes have returned 4.66% for 2023, according to an iBoxx gauge.

For selecting LGFV bonds, Zhangs strategy entails conducting in-depth research on a provincial basis and then choosing a few locales to prioritize investments. She focuses on whether a provincial government can clearly know the debt situation of its governing counties  including maturity size, fundraising methods and the effectiveness and execution of provincial debt-resolution plans.

Most of the ones we bought have AA+ ratings, which have already avoided most of the tail risks, Zhang said.

While no LGFV has missed payment on a public bond, repayment risks recently came under renewed scrutiny after Chinas state pension fund advised asset managers handling its money to sell notes including those issued by riskier LGFVs. There have been cases of last-minute bond repayments while LGFV commercial-paper delinquencies have been on the rise as Chinas economy slows.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- United States Steel Corp. began a formal review of strategic alternatives after receiving multiple unsolicited proposals, an indication that a years-long transition may finally be paying off.

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Proposals ranged from the acquisition of certain production assets to offers for the whole company, Chief Executive Officer David B. Burritt said Sunday in a statement. US Steel hired Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs as financial advisers for the review.

The attention comes as US Steel, one of the most iconic American steelmakers, has been undergoing a massive transition in its manufacturing processes. Its deploying furnaces to remelt scrap into steel, rather than creating metal from iron ore as it did for more than a century. Burritt took the helm of the then-struggling metal producer in 2017, when some investors feared it was on the path to bankruptcy.

The board is taking a measured approach to considering these proposals, including seeking more information in order to evaluate proposals that are preliminary and subject to ongoing due diligence and review, Burritt said in the statement.

US Steel traces its roots back to 1901 when J. Pierpont Morgan merged a collection of assets with Andrew Carnegies Carnegie Steel Co. It became Americas first $1 billion company, and in its first year of operation, the company made roughly two-thirds of the steel produced in the US.

The recent bet on so-called mini mills, a departure from its traditional business, has turned fruitful. In late 2020, the Pittsburgh-based company agreed to acquire the remaining stake in Big River Steel, an electric arc furnace in Arkansas known for making quality steel that can go in automobiles and other high-margin consumer products.

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High Premium

Some industry watchers quietly derided US Steel at the time for paying too high a premium for the mill, but eventually it was seen as a necessary step for the long-term viability of the company. Shares have doubled since the end of 2019.

In 2000, US Steel was the largest American steelmaker, but earnings were volatile over the last decade, with one of the worst stretches in its history coming with combined losses topping $1.8 billion in 2013 and 2015.

Now, though, after falling to the No. 3 or No. 4 largest domestic producer, Burritt has taken the momentum of Big River and leaned into the electric-arc furnace business, expecting to pour an additional $3 billion into the operation by 2024 to double capacity. Meanwhile, the investment has also allowed US Steel to save billions in maintenance capex on older traditional mills.

The steelmaker hasnt set a deadline for the review to be completed, and the process may not result in the company pursuing a transaction or any other strategic outcome, according to the statement.

The announcement also comes as producers of the heavy metal across the globe are under pressure to reduce their carbon emissions footprint. Steelmaking accounts for 6% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 8% of energy-related emissions, according to researchers at Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy.

Steelmakers see the electric arc furnaces that US Steel is embracing and that Nucor Corp., the largest US producer, revolutionized as a further avenue to lowering emissions. Melting scrap metal in an electric arc furnace requires less energy than making new steel from ore and carving out traditional blast furnaces in favor of EAFs instantly reduces a companys carbon emissions.

US Steel shares have slid 9.3% this year and closed at $22.72 apiece Friday, giving the company a market value of $5.07 billion.

Domestic steel prices are up 8.3% this year amid resilient demand for the metal used in everything from washing machines to skyscrapers and automobiles. US steelmakers continue to tout strong order books and good demand across most end-use sectors.

Still, the outlook for the industry remains uncertain as investors worry that consumption could slow going into the end of the year if growth in the worlds largest economy slows due to rising borrowing costs.

(Updates with details on decarbonization in the steel industry)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
If you're not sure where to start when looking for the next multi-bagger, there are a few key trends you should keep an eye out for. Firstly, we'll want to see a proven return on capital employed (ROCE) that is increasing, and secondly, an expanding base of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. However, after investigating United States Cellular (NYSE:USM), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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 States Cellular is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.0043 = US$42m  (US$11b - US$1.0b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

So, United States Cellular has an ROCE of 0.4%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Wireless Telecom industry average of 13%.

View our latest analysis for United States Cellular

roce

In the above chart we have measured United States Cellular's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

What Does the ROCE Trend For United States Cellular Tell Us?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at United States Cellular, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 1.8% over the last five years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

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Our Take On United States Cellular's ROCE

To conclude, we've found that United States Cellular is reinvesting in the business, but returns have been falling. And in the last five years, the stock has given away 11% so the market doesn't look too hopeful on these trends strengthening any time soon. On the whole, we aren't too inspired by the underlying trends and we think there may be better chances of finding a multi-bagger elsewhere.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing United States Cellular, we've discovered 3 warning signs that you should be aware of.

For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. We'll use ROE to examine Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), by way of a worked example.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

Check out our latest analysis for Verizon Communications

How Is ROE Calculated?

Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations)  Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Verizon Communications is:

22% = US$22b  US$97b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

The 'return' is the yearly profit. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.22.

Does Verizon Communications Have A Good ROE?

Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. As you can see in the graphic below, Verizon Communications has a higher ROE than the average (11%) in the Telecom industry.

roe

That's what we like to see. However, bear in mind that a high ROE doesnt necessarily indicate efficient profit generation. Especially when a firm uses high levels of debt to finance its debt which may boost its ROE but the high leverage puts the company at risk.

How Does Debt Impact Return On Equity?

Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from issuing shares, retained earnings, or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

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Combining Verizon Communications' Debt And Its 22% Return On Equity

Verizon Communications clearly uses a high amount of debt to boost returns, as it has a debt to equity ratio of 1.63. There's no doubt the ROE is impressive, but it's worth keeping in mind that the metric could have been lower if the company were to reduce its debt. Debt increases risk and reduces options for the company in the future, so you generally want to see some good returns from using it.

Summary

Return on equity is useful for comparing the quality of different businesses. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt.

But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of forecasts for the company.

But note: Verizon Communications may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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.
Among the few personal items Richard DaSilva brought home with him from prison is a handkerchief on which hes written the names of family members and friends who have died in the 17 years hes been incarcerated.

Since 2020, when the Virginia General Assembly approved a law increasing the number of credits inmates serving time for certain felonies can earn for good behavior  a law DaSilva understood would apply to him  that list grew to include two grandparents, an aunt and his best friends parents.

Last month, the Virginia Supreme Court determined the state Department of Corrections had been misinterpreting the law and keeping eligible inmates behind bars beyond their new good time release dates.

DaSilva was one of the inmates affected by this decision. On Friday, July 14  seven days after the Supreme Court decision but about a year after he was first told hed be going home  two lieutenants drove him from Greensville Correctional Center to Spotsylvania.

The next day, he woke up at 5:30 a.m.  not for count, but to drink coffee in his mothers kitchen.

Its nice to wake up and share a coffee with my mom, he said.

I tap-danced for them all the way

When the law, HB 5148, passed, DaSilva, now 40, was in Greensville Correctional Center serving a 20-year sentence on a charge of attempted capital murder. He was 23 at the time of the offense, which occurred in 2006.

The new law allows inmates serving time for certain felony offenses to earn up to 15 days off their sentences for every 30 days of good behavior and participation in assigned programs.

Previously, eligible incarcerated individuals could earn a maximum of 4.5 days for every 30 served.

HB 5148 was enacted in November of 2020 with a delayed effective date of July 1, 2022, to give Virginia Department of Corrections staff time to calculate new release dates for eligible inmates.

VDOC had a 60-day window to release prisoners whose new release dates came before July 1, 2022.

DaSilva said he was told by prison officials in March 2022 that he was eligible for the program and that he would be released that year.

He had been earning good time for 10 years. Prior to HB 5148, he had a calculated release date of Nov. 4, 2024.

He had a job at the Greensville commissary and completed numerous education programs while in VDOC facilities, including a custodial maintenance course and the behavioral programs Thinking for a Change and Preventing Relapse by Educating for Parole Success.

I tap-danced for them all the way, DaSilva said.

When HB 5148 passed, he made a note of the date. He also packed his bag.

I told myself, One day Im going to grab this and leave, he said. Ive been living out a trash bag for years.

His mom, Tammy DaSilva, spoke with Richards counselor at Greensville in May, July and August of last year, and each time she said she was assured Richard was eligible for the expanded earned sentence credit.

In July 2022, the District 21 Probation and Parole office contacted her to verify that DaSilva had a home plan in place.

She told them, yes, she had fixed up the basement of her Spotsylvania home for Richard to live in and purchased a red truck for him to drive to his job at the familys construction company.

She postponed a scheduled surgery so that shed be able to help her son reenter society.

In prison, Richard DaSilva fixated on the half-full tube of toothpaste he was currently using, which he stored in a plastic coffee mug on which hed marked off every year hed been incarcerated.

I told myself, This is the last tube of toothpaste Ill use in here, he said.

But as the months of 2022 ticked by, his calculated release date stayed unchanged  Nov. 4, 2024.

The toothpaste in the tube ran out.

That was extremely traumatic, he said.

Conflicting opinions

Richard DaSilva is among an unknown number of prisoners whose early release was delayed due to what the state Supreme Court determined last month was an unlawful interpretation of HB 5148.

After the bill was passed, the VDOC sought an opinion from then-Attorney General Mark Herring. Herring provided an opinion in December 2021 that found the law permits inmates convicted of attempted murder, like DaSilva, to earn the expanded sentence credits.

But when Attorney General Jason Miyares took office in January 2022, the VDOC sought a second opinion from him. In his April 2022 opinion, Miyares interpreted the law as excluding someone convicted of an attempted or inchoate crime from eligibility in the program.

In October, the ACLU of Virginia sued the VDOC over this interpretation, specifically on behalf of Steven Prease, a military veteran who was convicted in 2013 of two counts of attempted aggravated murder.

Prease, initially sentenced to 14 years in prison, was scheduled for early release last year, but after Miyares issued his opinion, the VDOC determined that he was not eligible and pushed his release back to 2024.

The Supreme Court of Virginia heard Preases case and issued a ruling on July 6, in which it agreed with Herring and ordered the VDOC to release Prease.

(Virginia Code section) 53.1-202.3(A) enumerates a number of specific offenses that are also ineligible for expanded earned sentence credits. Notably, attempted aggravated murder is not one of those enumerated offenses. Thus, it would appear that there is no basis in the governing statutes for denying Prease expanded earned sentence credits on his attempted aggravated murder convictions, justice Cleo Powell wrote in his opinion.

A week after the decision, on Thursday, July 13, DaSilvas counselor asked to see him in her office after he finished work at the commissary.

She kind of sits back in her chair smiling, DaSilva recalled. She asks me if my home plan is still the same.

DaSilva told her it was  it had been the same for a year  and he went back to his pod. Hed trained himself not to get his hopes up.

The next day, Friday, July 14, he called his mom to tell her about the conversation.

She goes, Youve been slated for immediate release, DaSilva said. I said, Whats immediate? Then I told her I was going to work and hung up. Everyone I talked to was so hopeful, but I didnt believe it.

After work that day, DaSilva went back to his cell to get ready for afternoon count. There, he was met by the Greensville reentry coordinator with paperwork for him to sign.

He still didnt believe he was actually being released and told the staff member so.

She said, This paperwork has a date on it. I snatched it from her, he said. Im looking at the date, but Im not really seeing it. The date is everything. Ive never seen a date before.

The date was July 14, 2023  that day.

Everyone deserves a second chance

At home in Spotsylvania a few weeks after his release, DaSilva is still getting used to lots of things, like air conditioning  Greensville was always clammy, he said  and people making direct eye contact with him.

If someone in prison makes eye contact with you, somethings about to happen, he said.

His family knows that if hes in a social situation and he says the word keys, it means hes getting overwhelmed and needs to leave right away.

Hes met with his probation officer and is working on getting an ID so he can get his drivers license.

In the closet of DaSilvas room are a shelf of Boston Red Sox hats that he collected in his early 20s, before he went to prison; the denim shirt and jeans he was wearing when he came home from prison; and stacks of folders that contain the six books he wrote while in prison.

One of them, Life in the Blues, is about how to survive behind bars.

VDOC wont estimate how many incarcerated individuals were affected by its misapplication of HB 5148.

The department is currently analyzing the impact the (Prease) ruling will have on VADOC operations and sentences for additional affected inmates. There will be no further comment at this time, department spokesman Kyle Gibson wrote in an email to The Free LanceStar.

Geri Greenspan, an attorney with the ACLU of Virginia, said it is the organizations opinion that VDOC is on notice now of the Supreme Courts decision and has to apply that immediately.

Otherwise, they are violating peoples rights by continuing to incarcerate them, she said.

The ACLUs argument in the Prease case, she said, was that VDOC (chose) to interpret the law in accordance with their policy preferences and not in accordance with what the General Assembly actually passed.

The Virginia Supreme Court has long been clear that you have to apply the law as it is written ... whether you like it or not, Greenspan said.

She added that in passing HB 5148, the General Assembly made a commitment to recognizing that people deserve second chances.

Thats a value that the ACLU of Virginia believes in  everybody deserves a second chance and when you have folks who have done their time and made changes and are no longer, if they were ever, a threat to public safety, there is no need to continue to keep them locked up, she said.
John Fielder, Colorado's preeminent nature photographer, has died at the age of 73.

His daughter, Kay Fielder, confirmed his death to multiple media outlets. She said he died on Friday after a struggle with pancreatic cancer.

Gov. Jared Polis released a statement mourning the photographer.

John Fielder's lifetime of Colorado photography can now be viewed online

I am saddened by the loss of John Fielder, who captured Colorados iconic beauty during his 50 years as a nature photographer. His unique talent and work allowed him to showcase our state to millions across the world and he will be dearly missed,.

My condolences to his family and friends. I hope that we can all follow his example to appreciate and preserve our outdoor lands.

Fielder may best known for his "Colorado 1870-2000" photograph book series that he made in partnership with History Colorado. In that series, Fielder matched photos taken by William Henry Jackson more than a century earlier.

In January, Fielder donated his Colorado photography to History Colorado. The museum will be home for a collection of more than 7,000 photos distilled from 200,000 he made since 1973, and which are now available to the public for personal and commercial use.

Just last month  on July 22  the History Colorado Center in downtown Denver unveiled a new exhibit called REVEALED: John Fielders Favorite Place.

Visitors are invited to virtually explore a location that few have ever experienced, according to a news release, a location that Fielder feels is the most sublime in all of Colorado.

The location is Sunlight Basin deep in western Colorados Weminuche Wilderness. Fielder has long spoken fondly of the wilderness, considered the states most remote reaches.

Choosing a favorite place, Fielder said in July, was merely a function of evoking what he calls his geologic psychology.

He explained that with his favorite sensations of nature above treeline: the sounds of cascading water, the steely taste of snowmelt, the cold sensation on the fingertips of water just off the snow, the smell of the alpine, tundra flowers wafting across my face.

On his website, Fielder said he first visited Colorado at the age of 14 during a school field trip from North Carolina:

In all my life, I have not forgotten my first sight of the Rockies rising up before me over the plains. I was simply smitten by this wall of snow-capped peaks above a treeless plain. And the word C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O, it was the most poetic name for a place I had ever heard. I realized at that moment that someone or something had guided me to this place, and that I belonged here for the rest of my life.

Colorado's most famous nature photographer donates life work to public domain

His awards included the Sierra Club's Ansel Adams Award in 1993 and the Aldo Leopold Foundation's Achievement Award in 2011. He was the first individual to be awarded the latter award.

Fielder leaves behind two daughters Ashley and Katy, and six grandchildren. John lost his wife Gigi to Alzheimers disease in 2005 and their son J.T. in 2006.

Fielder requested donations be made to Sierra Club, Conservation Colorado, Colorado Open Lands and Save the Colorado.

The family will conduct a private memorial service at a later date.
When Coloradans first voted to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2012, they confidently envisioned child protection through robust regulation. Since then, industry growth has skyrocketed, THC potency has dramatically strengthened, consumption methods have multiplied  and a fresh state audit disclosed serious lapses in regulatory enforcement.

Under Colorado law, retail liquor and tobacco establishments must undergo two compliance checks per year. Theres no such requirement for pot shops  making it possible for them to fall through the cracks. And thats exactly what happened.

The audit uncovered a disturbing patchwork of oversight  replete with alarming enforcement disparities and risks to children. The state Marijuana Enforcement Division failed to inspect 32% of flagged retail pot shops during their respective months, and 13% evaded inspection altogether. Among 629 stores slated for underage checks, 12% were not inspected. Disciplinary actions for violations were wildly inconsistent.

The audits sobering reality resonates with past concerns over the lax marijuana enforcement landscape. In April 2022, I spotlighted the disturbing inconsistencies in compliance checks for underage marijuana sales. After the Polis administration resumed in-person inspections in Feb. 2021, only 80 out of some 1,000 shops were inspected  a 32% drop from 2020. Meanwhile, liquor retail checks rebounded to just shy of 2019 levels, and tobacco compliance checks jumped to 151% of 2019 levels.

Lets be real: While marijuana regulators continue to claim they adapted monitoring methods due to the pandemic, if alcohol and tobacco regulators can restore compliance checks to pre-pandemic levels, why not the marijuana enforcers?

Were definitely concerned, said Alton Dillard, spokesperson for the youth advocacy group One Chance to Grow Up. Our mission is the protection of youth, which entails keeping their developing brains away from these products, especially todays high-octane products.

The rapid rise of THC-infused products, often resembling kid-friendly items (such as gummies or crayons) is deeply troubling. Scientific data is clear on the harmful effects on kids.

Substantial research has shown how these products can exacerbate mental health among our youth, Democratic Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, a pediatrician, wrote in an op-ed last year.

Heres the thing: In 2022, a crucial bill (SB22-149) could have solved this problem. SB22-149 aimed to require two compliance checks, similar to tobacco and liquor, and robust reporting for regulators. Astonishingly, it failed.

Wanda James  a legal marijuana pioneer who made her industry experience a cornerstone of her successful CU Regent campaign last year  was the bills most prominent opponent. In 2019, her Simply Pure Dispensary was cited for an underage compliance violation despite a then-97% industry compliance rate.

James managed to avoid consequences by promising to follow the law through an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance  a rare arrangement  while escaping the usual $500 minimum fine.

Its perplexing how an industry veteran had to pledge to obey the law. More mystifying is Jamess presence on Denver Mayor Mike Johnstons transition team  specifically the committee that advises on oversight of licensed industries, including marijuana. A majority of that committees membership came from or represents the pot industry.

In a July interview with Westword, James reiterated her commitment to advocating for marijuana businesses and expanding recreational retail opportunities, especially home delivery  a flagrantly self-interested agenda. This begs the question: why were industry insiders like Wanda James, with vested interests in marijuanas success, prominently featured on the transition committee?

Responding to several emailed questions, Johnstons office emphasized that none of the Excise and License committee members are serving in the administration. The mayors transition committee tapped a wide range of individuals who have worked in a wide variety of industries, but their views are separate from the mayors and their participation in the transition committee should not be viewed as an endorsement from Mayor Johnston, added press secretary Jordan Fuja.

The mayors office cited encouraging data from the latest Healthy Kids Colorado Survey indicating a 35% drop in students reporting marijuana consumption  a trend the mayor and licensing department are committed to continuing.

Yet the good news about declining youth cannabis consumption is tempered by the significant pandemic-era changes in youth social activities and greater parental supervision, according to the surveys authors. Moreover, youth consumption methods have shifted. Between 2015 to 2021, consumption by smoking dropped by 12%, while dabbing rose by 21.4%, vaping by 17.3% and edibles by 8.8%.

The data clearly confirms the urgency. Regulators must close compliance gaps. Legislators should enhance product packaging regulations and mandate compliance checks. Johnstons commitment to the citys High Costs youth education campaign about high concentrate marijuana products, launching soon on various platforms used by kids, is also a positive step.

One Chance to Grow Up stresses the need for proactivity, but Dillard expressed a wait-and-see stance for the Johnston administration given it is less than a month old. We were able to let our concerns be known during the transition process, he told me. Our goal is to make sure the new administration helps to continue to keep concerns about youth consumption and marijuana away from youth on the forefrontWe dont want kids to get caught up in the backwash of any rollbacks of regulatory actions or safety.

As the state audit lays the groundwork for action  we hope  and Johnstons new administration settles in, vigilance is key. While his marijuana policy is yet to take shape, the mayors early assurances offer promise. But in this haze, watchfulness must remain paramount.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and host of The Jimmy Sengenberger Show Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on News/Talk 710 KNUS. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on Twitter (X) @SengCenter.
Strong commitment to justice

Im writing in response to your July 31 editorial, Restore justice to Denver DAs office. Let me assure your readers that, contrary to your headlines suggestion, the commitment to justice (for all) has never been stronger in the Denver District Attorneys office. The attorneys in my office are in court every day arguing for appropriate bonds, handling motions and trying cases. Last year alone,

we filed more than 12-thousand criminal cases  obtaining convictions in the vast majority of them  and we are on pace to file even more cases this year.

It has been well-documented that crime increased significantly in major cities across the United States during the Covid pandemic. Denver, unfortunately, was no exception. The reasons for the increase are still not exactly clear  and may never be  but it seems plain to many, if not most, criminologists that the primary factors were the unprecedented social and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.

The idea, as stated in your editorial, that my approach to crime-fighting has somehow contributed to the increase in crime is simply not supported by the evidence. (Its worth noting that at least one major national study  by the Brennan Center for Justice  showed that, during the pandemic, crime increased in major U.S. cities regardless of the political affiliation or policies of a citys leaders.)

I should also point out that many major crime categories in Denver (including murder, robbery, sexual assault, stolen cars, theft from motor vehicles and public disorder) are now showing declines compared to this time last year.

Overall violent crime and property crime are both down, as well. We still have a ways to go to get to the relatively low crime levels of my first three years in office, but I have no doubt that we will, in fact, get there  and sooner rather than later.

My goals have remained the same since the first day I took office: to make Denver a safer city, to seek justice for crime victims and their families, and to make our criminal justice system as equitable as possible for everyone involved. Backed by my offices incredibly dedicated prosecutors, investigators and support staff, and partnering with the community and the Denver Police Department, I will continue working to achieve those goals during my remaining time in office.

Beth McCann, District Attorney

Denver

Continuing deterioration

Watching the new Denver Mayor manipulate his first homeless camp clean up looks like more lipstick on a pig. Nothing new here. The recent article in the Gazette mentions the cost per person for the homeless. The number is a staggering $44,000.00. Taxpayers of Colorado are paying for that each and every day. With a little fact-finding research, I was able to see how much money is spent on each public-school student in Colorado. Some interesting facts, pretty much $7,500.00 to $25,000.00 statewide. Low side of course is in El Paso County, high of course in Pitkin County (Aspen).

In the same daily publication of the Gazette is a lengthy article describing how the politics in Colorado have changed from a conservative state to liberal progressive state. Its very interesting how there can be a direct correlation to the change in politics and the deteriorating way of life in Colorado.

Denver and Aurora have been affected the worst by the shift in Politics. As a lifelong native I cant seem to find any redeeming value from the new regime. All I see is higher cost of living, no accountability, more crime, more serious crime, more car thefts, more fentanyl deaths, more automobile deaths, and higher taxes and less services. DPS Schools are horrible, and the Aurora Schools are worse. they are just babysitting the kids and enriching the unions. With all the homeless giveaways the homeless population will continue to grow. It appears that this situation will continue to deteriorate.

When are the voters in Denver, Aurora and the front range going to make a change and demand accountability? Seems to me its at breaking point. You think it cant get worse however unless there is a change it will get much worse.

Trig Travis

Denver

Address credit card fees

Policymakers in Washington are currently pushing legislation that would inject competition into the credit card marketsomething that is sorely needed. Currently, Visa and Mastercard  along with the big banks  are leveraging their considerable market share to hold Colorado merchants hostage.

Every time a customer swipes, inserts, or taps a credit card, businesses are on the hook to pay whats called a swipe fee. And as a business operator, I can tell you firsthand that these charges add up quickly. Nationally, nearly $130 billion was collected in swipe fees in 2022a 20 percent jump compared to the year before.

The Credit Card Competition Act will help address the skyrocketing swipe fees by injecting competition into the credit card market. When merchants have more options on how to process customer transactions, the credit card companies will be forced to competean environment that will drive down prices, which some have estimated could translate to $15 billion in savings annually.

I urge Colorados elected leaders in Washington to support the bill.

Rich Spresser

Denver
Tucked along a row of sleepy Broomfield industrial buildings is a lab where the war on the West Nile virus is fought with tweezers and high-powered microscopes.

At the Vector Disease Control International Lab, millions of flash-frozen mosquitoes are meticulously counted by jeans-clad Gen-Z biologists who have grown to love them.

My parents are confused by what I do. They were migrants who have migrant jobs, said Yailenne Rodriguez, 19, who is paid $19 per hour to identify West Nile virus-carrying bugs. They call me and say What is it you do again?

Every day, a fresh batch of mosquitoes is hauled in Coleman coolers gathered from elaborate traps along Colorados Front Range to the VDCI Lab, where they are counted and categorized.

Petri dishes piled with dusty mosquitoes are marked with a typewritten tab identifying where they were bug-napped: Fort Morgans Riverside Cemetery, Wildwood School in Aspen and Rollin D. Barnard Equestrian Park, a bucolic horse ranch nestled by a running stream off Orchard Road in Greenwood Village.

The West Nile trackers, most of them recruited through a biology program at Metro State University Denver, tediously separate the species of mosquito that carries the West Nile virus, Culex, from the ones that dont, Aedes. Each spindly mosquito is lifted with the tiny tongs as if theyre flakes of gold.

After the Culex are counted, theyre sent, frozen but alive by the thousands, to a different lab to be tested for West Nile virus  an illness that can cause fever, fatigue and, in rare instances, hospitalization and even death. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment uses these numbers to track the prevalence of West Nile in the Culex and pinpoint where the arm-biters are showing up.

This year, during which Colorado saw one of its wettest spring and summer months on record, entomologists and public health officials have been holding their breath as the West Nile numbers steadily creep upward. The states first human death by the virus came in Weld County last week. Ten counties have reported human cases: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Delta, Denver, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo and Weld.

They come out with the heat, VDCI Lab manager Anna Wanek said, whose mousepad is a photo of crawling insects. We are the sentinel for when infections start occurring, she smiled and added, were also saving the ecosystem a little bit.

No cure

There is no cure for the West Nile virus, which first appeared in Colorado in 2002.

West Nile is especially hard on horses. A horse was euthanized in Weld County last month after contracting the first case of equine West Nile virus that has been reported in Colorado so far this year.

The latest data showed that Larimer County had the most infections with eight, Weld County had the second-most with seven, followed by Denver and Arapahoe with three. Five more counties had two cases each.

The number of people hospitalized with West Nile stood at 19, nearly double the amount recorded last week.

Eric Aakko, Weld County division director and public spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Health and Enviroment, said its a mistake to consider Weld County as the epicenter for West Nile because this is the first death. There are two months to go before the flying pests succumb to the initial frost.

Public health departments offer cities and counties the option of mosquito control by putting a bacterial larvicide in water bodies that gives the insects a fatal ulcer. Ninety percent of mosquito eradication is done that way, but another method, a permethrin spray, has been more controversial.

Last month, despite warnings that traps were netting 500 times more mosquitoes than usual, Berthoud town trustees voted not to spray for mosquitoes this season over concerns about potential impacts on the areas biodiversity and pollinators. Other residents didnt like the idea of the government telling them how to manage their properties.

Its an attitude that irritates Weissman, who told The Denver Gazette that people still conjure up a mental image from the 1950s, when scores of smiling children bicycled behind the fog of DDT-spraying trucks.

Permethrin is not DDT, and it is sprayed overnight. It dissipates by morning. Sunlight and water break it down, said Weissman.

Dozens of Colorado cities do not spray for mosquitoes, including Denver, Boulder, Castle Rock, Lakewood, Monument and Centennial. Made from a chrysanthemum plant, permethrin is lethal to ants, flies, moths, fleas as well as mosquitoes, but is also toxic to pollinators.

In Weld County, mosquito spraying is performed in almost every city, including Greeley, Firestone, Hudson, LaSalle, Frederick, Windsor and Dacono.

Welds rural 4,000 square miles are checkered by irrigation trenches, which makes the region north of Denver the ideal breeding ground ... the perfect combination of moisture and heat, Aakko said.

From a public health perspective, [West Nile] is endemic to Colorado, said Aakko. West Nile is here to stay, which is concerning. Be cautious, enjoy nature, but you dont want get bit by mosquitoes.

Culex army

Biologists say that the 2023 West Nile season is on track to equal 2022, when there more than 206 cases, 22 of them fatal. 2003 hit the all-time Colorado mosquito motherlode when the state was in West Nile crisis. That year saw nearly 3,000 cases, 146 hospitalizations and 66 deaths.

The Culex lay their eggs in standing water, which could be as small as a backyard flowerpot or as large as a fresh-water lake.

They adore overwatered lawns and the smell of carbon dioxide and sweat, which means that joggers and bicyclists are prime candidates for infection.

Once eggs are laid, they have been known to take only two days to hatch.

This year in Colorado, mosquitoes first started showing up in May, but those were the Aedes variety, which lay their eggs on water surfaces and do not carry West Nile.

Two months later on July 4, swarms of Culex burst on the scene for the first time, just as Coloradans were itching to grill and exercise outside after all the rain.

Mantas Sabuliasuskas, 28, a front-line Metro State mosquito counter, confirmed that over the past month, Culex has multiplied.

Were seeing almost nothing but the Culex Tarsalas, he confirmed, his microscope keyed on a hugely magnified mosquito. To identify the Culex under magnification, he uses a cheat sheet with photos and a description of the insect which has white marks on its legs and a white ring around its mouth.

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Its almost impossible for a layperson to distinguish a Culex from other species with the naked eye, but these biologists can, and they do it by looking at the insects backside.

The Culex has a round butt and lots of others have pointy butts, said Liz Lynch, who runs the VDCI office along with her aging pit bull, Belle.

Mosquito respect

There are 3,578 breeds of mosquitoes in the world and Colorado is home to 54 of those, six of which can carry West Nile virus and transmit it to humans.

But wait: There may be more.

As climate change evolves, so does the ecosystem, and as temperatures climb, scientists at VDCI are noticing a new type of mosquito making its home in the Rocky Mountains. The breed was witnessed this week by one of the biologists who broke from her microscope with the news of her discovery and a high five.

I found a Solicitans! Sydney Schmelzer yelled.

The Solicitans is a genus that usually only breeds in saltwater.

No one knows for sure why they are showing up in a land-locked state.

Like the Solicitans, Culex are also evolving.

They are developing an immunity to certain insecticides, and for the first time, some are surviving Colorados freezing winters. Theyre living for weeks longer than they used to.

The good news for mosquito-haters is that they die in the sunlight like vampires, said Michael Doc Weissman, VDCIs chief entomologist. They like shade and blood.

The Culex, which has three genuses including the Tarsalas, is one of the only mosquito breeds in Colorado that carries West Nile virus and, according to MSU Denver professor Bob Mosquito Man Hancock, is showing up stronger than ever before.

Most traps in years past were Aedes-dominant. But this year, there has been an unprecedented switch toward a Culex-dominant. Further, the Culex positive pool data is robust, Hancock said.

Though Colorado has 54 different breeds of mosquito, Culex is the primary West Nile carrier, which then transfers to humans by the bite of a breeding female. So far this year, 23 Coloradans have been infected and one person, a 53-year-old unidentified Weld County man, was hospitalized and died.

Eighty percent of people who are infected with West Nile are asymptomatic. Around 20% may experience West Nile fever, which feels like a crummy flu, according to Weissman.

Less than 1% actually die of the illness.

You do not want to be that 1%, warned Rose Gallegos, whose father, Jesse, lost his five-year battle with West Nile virus in 2013 at age 75.

Gallegos nightmare started with two bites to his foot while he was relaxing on his porch swing in Denvers Ruby Hill near the South Platte River. Annoyed, he treated it with hydrogen peroxide and let it go. Two weeks later, he was in St. Josephs hospital on life support.

We walked into his hospital room and my dad was swelled up like a balloon. It was as if someone blew him up, said Gallegos. The father of six was in the ICU for a year, his lungs collapsed, he was paralyzed, and eventually went blind.

My dad was a big man, Gallegos said of Jesse, who was well-known for his gregarious nature, the owner of Big J Auto Service Center. Before he died, I promised him Id be an advocate for West Nile prevention. As persistent as the mosquito that transferred the infection that killed her dad, she is known for bugging her friends to wear insect repellent and to get rid of standing water around their homes.

I tell them, you may not want to be the individual who became my dad.

Mosquitoes suck you in

During West Nile virus season, the annoying mosquito can be frightening. But if youre a biologist whose responsibility is helping keep track of them, they are a curiosity.

Ill never look at them the same, Liz Lynch said. If a mosquito lands on her arm, she tolerates it, staring at its markings to determine which genus it is before she swats it away.

Mosquitoes will always be around, Lynch said. But we cant get back the lives of the people who have died.

VDCI Lab is a biologists dream. In terrariums and aquariums is a menagerie collected by Wanek, who grew up relocating prairie dogs. There is Stanley the water turtle, Der the salamander, Morgan the frog and Ivan the jumping spider.

Wanek does not name her mosquitoes, but she admits to feeling a certain comfort in a world of uncomfortable creatures. Said the bug scientist: Mosquitoes suck you in.

More West Nile facts

 Theres a WNV vaccine for horses, but not for humans.

 Only female mosquitoes bite for their needed blood meal. The protein supplies the nutrition they need to get them through the egg-laying process.

 Mosquitoes are attracted to smell, so heavy breathers who emit CO2 are more likely to be bitten by them. Also attractive to mosquitos are flowery perfumes (they smell like the nectar they crave) and sweat.

 West Nile virus was first isolated in a woman in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937. Sixty-five years later, the virus first appeared in Colorado (2002).

 Mosquitoes do not have the ability to distinguish between human blood types and thus are NOT attracted to particular blood types.
(Reuters) - The president of CBS News, Neeraj Khemlani, stepped down on Sunday after two years on the job, the New York Times reported.

Khemlani will stay at CBS in a different role, the Times reported, citing an email he sent to staff members.

The paper said CBS had not yet named a replacement for Khemlani, who shared duties with Wendy McMahon.

Lask week, CBS announced that its 24/7 streaming news service CBSN, will soon be available on CBS All Access, the network's digital subscription video on-demand and streaming service.

That move came after CBS News announced a partnership with BBC News to share content and resources across the globe.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; editing by Diane Craft)
Eleanor Jarman tells Capt. Willard Malone of the Austin police station of the holdup and killing of an elderly shopkeeper as she gazes at the arsenal found in her flat at 6323 Drexel Avenue in Chicago in 1933. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

In 1993, Doug Jarman made a last-ditch effort to find a grandmother whose last known whereabouts were a prison she fled in 1940. Harrison Fords movie The Fugitive made stories like hers a hot topic that year. So Jarman showed John OBrien, the Tribunes ace crime reporter, a letter hed recently received:

I am still alive, it read. They never caught me. This is your notorious grandmother, The Blond Tigress. I am in my 90s now and having some medical problems.

The letter was sent to Doug Jarmans former business address, which an impostor might be unlikely to know. That was one factor that made OBrien confident in writing about the letter. In that and subsequent stories, he included details about Eleanor Jarman beyond those in the mental picture her grandson drew from family lore.

Eleanor Jarman, the "blonde tiger woman" who got 199 years for her part in a murder, is known as one of the most successful prison escapees. Here, Jarman listens to testimony during her murder trial on Aug. 29, 1933. Editors note: this historic print has some hand painting on it. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Eleanor Jarman was serving a 199-year sentence as an accomplice to a murder her lover committed.

Doug Jarmans father, LeRoy, said he had dug a 4-by-12-foot tunnel beneath his garage. LeRoy Jarman had hoped his mother would one day show up at his Sioux City home, once shed shook the cops and prison officials who surely would be looking for her, and he needed a way to hide her.

Dad had a plan to bring her to the house, Doug Jarman told O Brien. He would pick her up in a car, drive into the garage, and walk her inside (the house) through the tunnel.

But she never surfaced, nor did the authorities ever find her. Instead, Eleanor Jarman went into the annals of criminology as one of the most successful prison escapees, measured by the length of time she evaded recapture. Shes not likely to be displaced from that list. When she died is unknown.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1901, her parents were German immigrants who named their 10th child Ella Marie Berendt. So many mouths to feed made theirs an impoverished household. Dropping out of school, Eleanor, as she came to be known, worked irregularly as a waitress since 12 years of age, according to prison officials.

In 1920, she married Michael Roy Jarman. They had two children, LeRoy and LaVerne, and moved to Chicago in 1923. Drinking heavily, her husband stopped supporting Eleanor and the boys. She got her own apartment at 4300 W. Madison Street, and George Dale, a factory worker became her live-in lover.

Eleanor Jarman, accused in the slaying of Gustav Hoeh, loses her battle to delay her murder trial in August 1933. Jarman is shown with her attorney, A.J. Schultze, seated, and Bailiff Fasno, at the Criminal Court. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Dale  aka George Kennedy, as well as other aliases  wanted to make more money for less effort. Jarman was supplementing her meager earnings as a laundress and waitress with relief allottments, the Tribune later reported.

So with Leo Minneci, a punch-drunk boxer, they formed a robbery crew. Minneci drove the getaway car, Jarman stood lookout, and Kennedy/Dale was the gunsel. He waved a pistol in the victims face, often the proprietor of a store. The money in a cash register was grabbed with an in-and-out maneuver, and the crew gone before witnesses got a good look.

Beginning in January 1933, the Tribune ran a series of stories about what could have been the Kennedy/Minneci/Jarman crew under headlines like: A girl assisted a two-gun bandit in the robbery at the fruit store at 1614 Devon Ave. last night.

The crimes were soon attributed to a Blonde Tigress, a headline-grabbing nickname based on her hair color and testimony from witnesses saying she was much more than just a lookout.

If the proprietor made any show of resistance, Jarman would administer a merciless beating with her blackjack, The Tribunes longtime police reporter Patricia Leeds wrote in The Blonde Tigress! a 1951 retrospective. On her record, she is still the most dangerous woman alive.

Eleanor Jarman, the "blonde tigress," at the Austin police station after being arrested Aug. 9, 1933, at a flat on Drexel Avenue in Chicago. Jarman and her accomplices are wanted for the killing of an elderly merchant, Gustav Hoeh. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Jarman always denied she was the Tiger Woman. However, twenty-three recent victims of northwest side robberies identified her and two male companions yesterday as bandits who specialize in daylight holdups, the Tribune reported Aug. 11, 1933.

Chicago was experiencing a crime wave that put enormous pressure on cops and the states attorney of Cook County. The Blonde Tigress gave them an opportunity to show they werent soft on crime.

During a robbery of a haberdashery at 5948 W. Division St., George Dale shot and killed the owner, 70-year-old Gustav Hoeh. A witness scribbled down the license plate number of Minnecis car, and the trio was apprehended.

Witnesses testified yesterday that although Jarman didnt fire the fatal shot she helped Dale beat Hoeh when he attempted to prevent their escape after the robbery of his store, the Tribune reported of the trial followed.

Behind bars, Jarman played the mother card. From her cell in the Austin Police Station she moaned: Oh what will become of my poor little boys? Who will take care of them now? the Tribune reported.

All were speedily convicted. Minneci and Jarman went to prison. Dale got a death sentence. The day before his execution, he wrote a love letter to Jarman.

At the trial, Eleanor Jarman stands next to co-defendants, Leo Minneci, center, and George Dale in 1933. Editors note: this historic print has some hand painting on it. (Chicago Tribune)

Jarman remained a model prisoner until 1940, when she climbed over the fence of the Dwight, Illinois, penitentiary.

As for her motive, one theory is that she received a letter that her sons had run away or were planning to do so, compelling her to escape to check on her sons in Sioux City. Finding them to be OK, she went underground.

After that, Dorothy Berendt was one of a handful who told Doug Jarman theyd seen his grandmother. The wife of Eleanors brother, she, her husband, and Dougs father met the Blonde Tigress at the Sioux City bus station, then drove to a nearby lake to talk. At one point, a police car drove by, Dorothy Berendt told OBrien.

Contemplating a term of 199 years in prison, Eleanor Jarman looks out the window of the county jail on Aug. 31, 1933. She would not be eligible for parole for 66 years. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

Relax, Eleanor Jarman said, they stopped looking for me years ago, Berendt recalled.

Her son, Dougs father, tried to talk her into returning to Illinois to straighten things out. But his mother refused, saying: I have a lot of friends where Im at. They know the story.

The rendezvous ended with the Blonde Tigress returning to the bus station alone. I dont think she wanted us to know what bus she was taking or where it was going, Berendt told OBrien.

By 1993, Doug Jarman had surmised that his grandmother feared being returned to prison. He hired an attorney to seek a pardon he hoped would bring her out of hiding.

The attorneys petition turned on a clever argument. In all the years since she climbed over a reformatory fence, Eleanor Jarman hadnt been arrested. So she must have rehabilitated herself. A pardon wasnt forthcoming.

After Doug Jarman died , true crime author Silvia Pettem took up his quest. She compiled an exhaustive list of women who could have been the long-sought fugitive. In The Search of the Blonde Tigress, Pettem narrowed her list down to Marie Millman, a waitress who was buried in Denver.

Jarman had a similar sounding alias and once was a waitress in Denver. Waitresses are paid in cash, an attractive proposition for someone on the run who would be leery of leaving a paper trail.

Pettems conclusion is based on numerous assumptions that violate a classic Yiddish maxim: If my grandmother had wheels, shed be a baby carriage. English translation; Skepticism is advisable when encountering something almost too good to be true.

So even now, what became of the Blonde Tigress remains a mystery for many. But perhaps Pettems research can steer another literary detective toward a more definitive conclusion on what happened to Doug Jarmans grandmother.

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.
By Felix Onuah and Sali Samb

ABUJA/CONAKRY (Reuters) -Coup leaders in Niger are open to diplomacy to resolve a standoff with West Africa's regional bloc, a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars said on Sunday after meeting the junta in Niamey.

Their visit comes as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) explores its options to restore civilian rule in Niger, including potential military intervention, following the July 26 ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum - the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years.

In a sign the bloc is still pushing for a peaceful resolution, ECOWAS chairman and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved Saturday's mission to Niamey by the delegation of Islamic scholars, who had vowed to promote dialogue.

The group's meeting with junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani lasted several hours, said Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, who led the delegation.

"He said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter," Lau said in a statement on Sunday.

Tiani reportedly emphasised the historic ties between Niger and Nigeria, saying the countries "were not only neighbours but brothers and sisters who should resolve issues amicably".

There was no immediate comment from the junta on the meeting, but Tiani's reported comments are one of few recent signs he is open to negotiation.

The coup leaders' previous rebuffs of diplomatic efforts by ECOWAS, the United States and others had raised the spectre of further conflict in the impoverished Sahel region of West Africa, which is already dealing with a deadly Islamist insurgency.

With diplomacy faltering last week, ECOWAS activated a standby military force it said would be deployed as a last resort if talks failed.

For now, the bloc is pursuing efforts for further negotiations. On Saturday, the bloc's parliament said it would ask Tinubu, who holds the bloc's revolving chairmanship, to get his permission to go to Niger, its spokesperson said.

SHORING UP SUPPORT

Any military intervention by the bloc could further strain regional ties as juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have voiced support for Niger's new military authorities.

On Saturday, Tiani sent a delegation, led by his defence chief General Moussa Salaou Barmou, to the Guinean capital Conakry to thank leaders there for their support - a sign of the junta's desire to affirm alliances as it stands up to regional and other powers.

"We are pan-African. When our people have problems, we are always present, and we will always be there," Guinea's interim president, Mamady Doumbouya, said at the meeting, according to a video shared late on Saturday night by the presidency.

In the footage, Doumbouya - who led a coup in Guinea in September 2021 - did not say whether Conakry's support for the Niger junta would include military backing if ECOWAS decided to use military force. Mali and Burkina Faso have already said they would help defend Niger.

At stake is not just the fate of Niger - a major uranium producer and Western ally in the fight against the Islamists - but also the influence of rival global powers with strategic interests in the region.

U.S., French, German and Italian troops are stationed in Niger, in a region where local affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State have killed thousands and displaced millions.

Meanwhile, Russian influence has grown as insecurity increases, democracy erodes, and leaders seek new partners to restore order.

Western powers fear Russia's clout could increase if the junta in Niger follows Mali and Burkina Faso, which ejected the troops of former colonial power France after coups in those countries.

(Writing by Edward McAllister and Alessandra PrenticeEditing by Hugh Lawson and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's presidential candidates promised improvements in security during a debate late on Sunday, days after their fellow hopeful Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated leaving a campaign event.

The killing of the 59-year-old in the closing days of the campaign has sent shockwaves through the South American country of 18 million people, where violent crime stoked by transnational gangs has risen sharply in recent years.

Villavicencio, an ex-lawmaker and investigative journalist with a record of exposing corruption, repeatedly said he was not afraid of the gangs despite receiving threats.

An empty podium stood in Villavicencio's place as several candidates promised an iron fist against crime during the tumultuous debate, which moderators initially struggled to control.

Luisa Gonzalez, who has led polling with about 30% of the vote, pledged a return to policies implemented by her mentor, former President Rafael Correa, who left office in 2017 and was later convicted of corruption.

"We'll return security on the streets, so they don't kill us, with a firm hand against crime," Gonzalez said. "We are going to retake control of this country."

Law and order candidate Jan Topic said he would redirect $1.2 billion in earnings from police fines to a "zero tolerance" plan for security.

"We'll retake control of the 36 prisons and the northern and southern borders so that drug trafficking and illegal arms never come to our streets, equip and train our forces of order and integrate all the sources of intelligence," Topic said.

Pro-market candidate Otto Sonnenholzner also promised a tough response on crime.

"We'll back public forces, when a criminal raises a firearm against a citizen they will know they will get the bullet that they deserve," Sonnenholzner said.

Indigenous candidate Yaku Perez, who said he is the only candidate with an advanced law degree, promised social improvements and better criminology data to inform policy.

"We're going to give conclusive answers to common crime and to organized crime," Perez said.

FBI JOINS INVESTIGATION

Earlier on Sunday, leaders of the Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced they would now opt for Christian Zurita to replace Villavicencio as the party's candidate, reversing their decision from Saturday to elevate the party's vice presidential nominee.

Zurita is also a journalist who in the past collaborated with Villavicencio.

Though he officially registered his candidacy for the Aug. 20 vote on Sunday, he still must be approved by the national electoral authorities and could not participate in Sunday's debate.

"We're going to try to emulate his abilities and we're going to try to emulate his name," Zurita said at a press conference, referring to Villavicencio, while wearing a bullet-proof vest.

He emphasized he will not negotiate with "any mafia."

While ballots for the election had already been printed prior to Villavicencio's assassination, votes for him will automatically transfer to the party's replacement.

As the final days of campaign wind down, the search for answers into the slain candidate got an outside boost.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata told reporters earlier in the day that a team from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had met with police leaders and would in the "next few hours" meet with prosecutors from the attorney general's office who are leading the investigation into Villavicencio's slaying.

Outgoing President Guillermo Lasso asked for FBI help in the case on Thursday, the day after Villavicencio was shot multiple times as he stepped into a car.

Six Colombian nationals have been charged with the murder and remain in custody while one other suspect died after an exchange of gunfire shortly after the murder.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates)
By Tim Reid

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis were holding competing events in the early nominating state of Iowa on Saturday, at a time when the former president overwhelmingly dominates opinion polls and the Florida governor is scrambling to reset his troubled campaign.

DeSantis, who has had two staff shake-ups in the past three weeks and is sinking in the polls, had long planned to attend the Iowa State Fair, a political must for aspiring presidential candidates in the state that kicks off the Republican nominating contest in January.

Trump's late announcement on Tuesday that he was also going to attend the event on the same day as DeSantis amounted to a political gate-crashing of an appearance the Florida governor hopes will kick-start his stalled campaign.

DeSantis is making a high-risk bet that he can halt Trump's march to the Republican presidential nomination by winning Iowa.

Asked about his governing style on Saturday, DeSantis said he cared more about protecting voters than his own fortunes.

"So we'll do what's right. We'll take the consequences and let the chips fall where they may," he said in an interview with Iowa's Republican Governor Kim Reynolds at the fair.

At the start of the interview, Reynolds reproached a group of protesters who were blowing whistles.

Later on, a large crowd cheered Trump as he arrived at the fair. He later made a speech inside a fairground bar, where he boasted about his current lead. "We're way up in the polls," Trump said.

Iowa holds the first of the state-by-state Republican nominating contests on Jan. 15. DeSantis hopes that a win in the Midwestern state will give him valuable momentum against Trump before primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Trump's appearance at the fair could steal the limelight from the governor and dominate the headlines. It is held in the state capital Des Moines and runs from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20. Last year, it attracted more than 1 million visitors.

Trump's appearance will also complicate efforts for the rest of the Republican field. Apart from Trump and DeSantis, nine other candidates will be attending the fair between Aug. 11 and Aug. 18, but all are languishing in single digits, over 40 points behind Trump according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely Republican voters.

According to that Aug. 3 poll, Trump also leads DeSantis by 34 points, 47% to 13%.

Most of Trump's rivals had agreed to be interviewed individually by Reynolds between Aug. 11 and Aug. 18. Trump turned down her invitation, angered by her public neutrality in the primary race and her appearance with DeSantis at several of his Iowa events.

(Additional reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Former Vice President Mike Pence said he believes the appointment of David Weiss to special counsel in the investigation into Hunter Biden is "appropriate."

Pence said in an interview with Chuck Todd on NBC News's Meet the Press that the pattern of the Justice Department "during our four years in the White House and since" has undermined the public's confidence in "equal treatment under the law."

UP FOR DEBATE: WHERE TRUMP, DESANTIS, AND REST OF REPUBLICAN 2024 FIELD STAND ON KEY ISSUES

"While I welcome the appointment of a special counsel  which is, of course, appropriate and is a minimum where the attorney general has a potential conflict of interest  I'm also comforted that Congress is going to continue to do its work," Pence said. "I'm confident that House Republicans are going to continue to bring forward the facts in this case."

Pence said that the American people have a right to know whether or not President Joe Biden's family benefited financially from foreign companies, the centerpiece of the GOP's investigation into the "alleged criminal scheme" on behalf of the Bidens.

"I am hopeful that special counsel Weiss will do his job without fear or favor, but I have confidence that Jim Jordan, congressman Comer, and others will continue to do their job for the American people," Pence added.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and other Republican leaders have claimed that Hunter Biden used his father as "the brand" to gain millions of dollars from foreign oligarchs.

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Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss, who is the United States Attorney for Delaware and was appointed during the Trump administration, to special counsel on Friday. The appointment came after the original plea deal between Hunter Biden and DOJ prosecutors fell apart  a situation that is now under investigation by the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means Committees.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said Weiss's appointment "creates more problems than answers," while Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) said it is a "forceful sign" that no changes have been made in the Justice Department.

Original Location: David Weiss special counsel appointment to Hunter Biden investigation 'appropriate': Mike Pence

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President Joe Biden's executive order to rein in investments into Chinese development of artificial intelligence, military-grade semiconductors, and quantum computers is part of a grander effort to freeze the Eastern superpower's ability to develop the technology required to defeat the United States military.

"There's a real and direct national security aspect to the development of this technology," Jeremy Mark, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told the Washington Examiner.

UP FOR DEBATE: WHERE TRUMP, DESANTIS, AND REST OF REPUBLICAN 2024 FIELD STAND ON KEY ISSUES

Here's what to know about the "triple threat" of technologies.

Advanced semiconductors

Advanced semiconductors, or chips, which are the necessary components required for most new technologies, are the most important of the three restricted industries because "everything else flows out of advanced semiconductors," Mark said. If a tech manufacturer wants to make a phone, computer, or even a car, it needs certain chips to work and process data. But in order to have chips, one must be able to make them.

The United States leads in terms of the tools required to design semiconductors, but it lacks the necessary facilities to build the chips. This has forced American companies to rely on manufacturers such as the Taiwan-based TSMC to produce nearly all of their chips. The Biden administration is attempting to remediate this problem through the CHIPS Act, legislation passed in August 2022 that provides tens of billions of dollars to chip manufacturers such as Intel to build semiconductor manufacturing plants, or "fabs," in the United States.

Chinese tech companies are also attempting to build chip factories to reduce reliance on builders such as TSMC. But the efforts have been blunted by sanctions implemented by the Commerce Department in October 2022, which placed several leading Chinese tech manufacturers on the "unverified" list. This list blocks Chinese companies from purchasing high-level chips made in the U.S. or by its allies. It also restricts Chinese chipmakers such as SMIC and Yangtze Memories from acquiring the equipment required to manufacture the highest-grade chips available on the market.

"The production of the most advanced chips is confined to a tiny, tiny group of companies in the semiconductor supply chain," Mark added. "And then the producers of the chips themselves are just profoundly difficult and too expensive to put together. If you cut off access to this technology, it makes the task for China of keeping up with the West keeping up with the U.S. just much, much more difficult."

Artificial intelligence

These chip restrictions would limit China's ability to continue the development of AI-powered equipment, which the People's Liberation Army has placed as a central tool in its military arsenal. AI, when properly used, could expediently process information related to military intelligence, run cyberattack campaigns against enemies, and operate drones without a human pilot.

The country's leader, Xi Jinping, emphasized China's commitment to "intelligent warfare," notably in his 2022 report to the 20th Party Congress. China's State Council also promised in 2017 to make China the leading AI power by 2030 and has taken several significant steps toward getting ahead of the U.S. The country produces the most top AI scientists, according to Stanford's AI Index Report. China's research is also more widespread since Chinese AI researchers are producing 27.5% of all academic journal entries worldwide, compared to the U.S.'s 12%.

The PLA is currently seeking advances in advanced AI-powered drones as part of a broader military buildup, according to the state-operated People's Liberation Army Daily. Chinese officials also claim that a China-operated AI-powered drone outsmarted a human-operated UAV, revealing the country's confidence in the technology.

Quantum technology

Quantum computing is another area in which China and the U.S. are rushing to gain a technological advantage. A quantum computer uses the laws of quantum mechanics, a field of physics related to how microscopic objects can exist as waves and particles, to perform computative equations far faster than existing computers. This speed would give a computer dramatically improved capabilities, such as the ability to process information quicker or to decode a message that standard processors cannot cryptographically.

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The sheer strength of quantum computing power has made it a priority for military researchers to control. The Pentagon requested more than $75 million in April to accelerate its research. China committed more than $13.5 billion in public funds to quantum technology research in 2022.

"We're making a lot of progress," Paul Stimers, executive director of the Quantum Industry Coalition, told the Washington Examiner. "And our international competitors are investing heavily. It's important to take the technology seriously from a national security perspective, as well as from an economic perspective."

While researchers have warned about the strength of quantum computing, many of its applications remain theoretical for the time being. These applications include the ability to crack existing encryption algorithms, construct unbreakable encrypted communication networks, and build sensors that are stronger than any others in the world. China claims to have had some success in quantum development, including the creation of an algorithm that can break through public key encryption and decode messages faster than the average computer. This software's existence hasn't been confirmed, however.

What Biden's order would do

The order on Wednesday gave the Treasury Department the power to restrict all new investments into China-owned semiconductor, quantum, or AI-focused companies. It will also likely require U.S. investors to disclose any previous transactions they may have had with Chinese businesses involved in the three industries. The rules for what the criteria are about the quantum, semiconductor or AI-focused companies haven't been defined since Treasury is scheduled to undergo a 45-day period of public comment on the newly proposed order.

The Treasury guidelines will go beyond existing Commerce restrictions by going directly after the ability to invest in the Chinese companies. If a company were named by the Commerce Department as being "unverified," then it would not be able to purchase or sell regulated products such as advanced semiconductors. If a company is named by the Treasury Department, then investors in the U.S. will not be allowed to send them money or invest in them in the future.

Will it work?

It isn't clear if Biden's order will effectively rein in China's ability to innovate with AI, quantum technology, or semiconductors. The advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, which Biden released as part of his request for public comment on the new rules, currently lacks definitions for what AI, quantum technology, and semiconductors include. It is also the first time that the U.S. government has attempted to impose broad investment rules on U.S. firms overseas, which leaves some uncertainties about how the order's rules will be received.

The order is a "strategic first step" toward ensuring U.S. investments are not used to advance Chinese military developments, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

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Republicans were more critical. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul alleged that the executive order's focus is too narrowly focused. Sen. Marco Rubio argues that the order "fails to include industries China's government deems critical."

Past export controls may offer some clues to the order's viability. Biden's sanctions against select Chinese companies left several unable to expand as intended due to a lack of chip-making tools. Chinese companies such as Yangtze reported a drop in their bottom line, which forced them to lay off workers and slash their orders by half. SMIC, China's largest chipmaker, said it expects to "struggle" to make cutting-edge semiconductors if it continues to be cut off from the required tools.

Original Location: Here's why Biden is targeting AI, semiconductors, and quantum computers in China

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Stargazers can witness falling stars blazing across the night sky this weekend as part of the Perseid meteor shower that hits its peak on Saturday and Sunday night.

The annual shower begins in late July and continues through mid-August, but its most visible activities are expected to occur on Aug. 12 and 13. Viewers that watch the shower under clear and dark skies can expect to see up to 100 meteors every hour traveling at a speed of 37 miles-per-second.

WONDERFUL OR WORRISOME? WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT NEW WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS

"This is one of the three most active in meteor showers  meaning producing the most visible meteors," NASA ambassador Tony Rice told the Washington Post. "You might see some meteors that last a couple of seconds. There will be fewer of them, but they're going to be more spectacular."

FILE - In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower at the Guadarrama mountains, near Madrid, in the early hours of Aug. 12, 2016. The best viewing for the annual shower visible around the world will be from Saturday night, Aug. 12, 2023, local time, into early Sunday morning, when viewers might be able to spot a meteor per minute. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File) Francisco Seco/AP FILE - In this long exposure photo, a streak appears in the sky during the annual Perseid meteor shower at the Guadarrama mountains, near Madrid, in the early hours of Aug. 12, 2016. The best viewing for the annual shower visible around the world will be from Saturday night, Aug. 12, 2023, local time, into early Sunday morning, when viewers might be able to spot a meteor per minute. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File) Francisco Seco/AP

This weekend's show can be viewed globally, but the northern hemisphere will have the best view. The best time for viewing the shower will be at 3 a.m. just a few hours before sunrise. They can also be seen as early as 10 p.m., according to NASA. The meteors will be in the northeastern part of the sky by the constellation Perseus. The shower is named after the constellation, but the constellation just serves as a directional cue.

The other two prolific meteor showers are the Geminids and the Quadrantids, which peak in December and January. Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a debris field left behind by a passing comet or asteroid. All three meteor showers are consistent each year because the Earth encounters those debris fields at the same place in its orbit each year.

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The shooting stars, which are the same as meteors, are the bits of debris of that was left by the comet. The "shooting stars" are roughly the size of a puffed grain of rice that glow with the friction of entering the Earth's atmosphere.

Some tips in order to most effectively see the meteors include making sure that the place of viewing is the darkest spot possible, remaining outside for at least 15 minutes to allow time for everyone's eyes to adjust to the darkness, and leaving electronics inside of a house or vehicle, as to not hamper night vision.

Original Location: How to watch the annual Perseid meteor shower on Saturday and Sunday night

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Former Vice President Mike Pence defended his commitment to sign the loyalty pledge to debate his fellow Republican 2024 presidential hopefuls.

Pence spent the better part of the segment on Meet the Press criticizing his former boss Donald Trump.

UP FOR DEBATE: WHERE TRUMP, DESANTIS, AND REST OF REPUBLICAN 2024 FIELD STAND ON KEY ISSUES

The former president has denied the allegations Pence launched in his book about pressuring his then-vice president to overturn the 2020 election. At the time, Pence explained in an interview with Chuck Todd on Sunday, the lawyers Trump had chosen to counsel him would only say "what his itching ears longed to hear." Todd asked Pence how he could sign the loyalty pledge, potentially pledging to support Trump should he be the Republican nominee, despite all of his criticisms of the former president.

"Well, Chuck, what I've said is I'm happy to meet the criteria for the upcoming Republican presidential debates. I'm incredibly proud that more than 40,000 Americans in just nine weeks have supported our campaign and made it possible for us to qualify for the debate stage," Pence said. "In fact, Chuck, I think I'll qualify for the second debate before we get to the first one because more Americans are seeing that my consistent conservative record, my years as vice president, my years as governor here in Indiana, my years as a house conservative leader for 12 years are really just what the nation needs."

Todd pressed Pence, asking him if he considered himself to be a MAGA Republican. Pence skirted the question, saying he was "proud" of the work he accomplished under the Trump-Pence administration. The NBC host tried asking the former vice president a second time.

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"Look, I'm a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. I've always said that. People who know me, those are my values, those are my ideals, Pence said. "I really believe that the agenda that I've always been about, that I'm looking forward to taking to that debate stage, is the agenda that will bring this country all the way back."

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While Pence has committed to sign the pledge, he has yet to officially do so. The Washington Examiner reached out to the Pence campaign for comment.

Pence is facing off against former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former governor to New Jersey Chris Christie, former Texas representative Will Hurd, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, political commentator Larry Elder, businessman Perry Johnson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the race to win the GOP presidential nomination. DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Burgum, Haley, and Scott have signed the loyalty pledge.

Original Location: Mike Pence says loyalty pledge is about the debate more than Trump

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A Florida Congressman has introduced impeachment articles against President Joe Biden, coming as the first member of his Republican party colleagues to jump-start the process.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) presented the articles as a number of other congressional committees continue building more inclusive cases to remove Biden as the country's head of state.

HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATION: THREE THINGS TO WATCH AS SPECIAL COUNSEL TAKES OVER INQUIRY

He filed articles of impeachment against Biden, which charge the president with complicity in his son Hunter Biden's alleged crimes, who he is accusing of helping to shield him from prosecution.

In a statement, Steube said, "it's long past time to impeach Joe Biden." He went on to add, "he has undermined the integrity of his office, brought disrepute on the Presidency, betrayed his trust as President, and acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice at the expense of America's citizens." In Steube's four articles of impeachment, he accuses President Biden of high crimes and misdemeanors.

The same day as his introduction of the articles, Steube brought forward legislation requiring the head of the Secret Service to file reports about illegal use of controlled substances in the White House. This follows the Secret Service's completion of its inquiry into cocaine being discovered at the White House in July  without identifying a person of interest. Steube named the legislation the, "Helping Understand Narcotics Traces at the Executive Residence (HUNTER) Act."

He alleges the president abused his powers by accepting bribes, committing Hobbs Act extortion, and honest services fraud, stemming from his time in office. The claims stem from Biden's alleged involvement with his family's business dealings, including business dealings involving Hunter, as well as the president's brother, James Biden. This, as part of an effort, according to Steubes, to provide access to the ear of the then-Vice President Biden from 2009 until 2017, as part of a plan exchanging "payments and business opportunities from foreign and domestic business partners."

In a memo released by House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky, on Wednesday, he claims that foreign payments to the Biden family totaled more than $20 million. However, Democrats say there is zero evidence proving the president accepted any payments, or behaved in misconduct.

The second article accuses President Biden of obstructing justice, and refers to IRS whistleblower testimony to Congress stating, "members of the Biden campaign improperly colluded with Justice Department officials to improperly interfere with investigations into tax crimes alleged to have been committed by Hunter Biden."

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"The evidence continues to mount by the day  the Biden Crime Family has personally profited off Joe's government positions through bribery, threats, and fraud. Joe Biden must not be allowed to continue to sit in the White House, selling out our country," Steube said in a statement.

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The Justice Department, as well as special counsel David Weiss, the U.S. attorney appointed to oversee the Hunter Biden inquiry, have denied any impeding by the Biden administration into Weiss' investigation.

The third and fourth articles allege Biden committed "fraud," and paid for Hunter's illegal drug and other illicit activities.

Original Location: Rep. Greg Steube introduces impeachment articles against President Joe Biden

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Candy company Mars has issued a new pride package for Skittles that has appeared to have angered some enough to boycott it.

The packages, meant to pay homage to the LGBT community, were designed to be mostly black and white rather than its iconic red. However the cartoon characters and scenes are in full color, along with sayings such as "pride."

SOCIAL SECURITY UPDATE: DIRECT PAYMENT WORTH $914 IN 19 DAYS

"Be generous with your love," and "Black trans lives matter." This is the fourth year that the candy has teamed up with Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation for a limited edition design. As a result, many took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their outrage.

X user Chad Prather wrote, "YesThere is a DRAG QUEEN on a skittles package. Unless they are trying to get your kids to turn into LGBTQ/BLM activistswhat's the point of this?'' he added, "They're coming after your children."

"Shouldn't be feeding them to our kids anyways. Skittles meet bud light!" another user Isable Jones posted, referring to the boycott of Bud Light over its ad campaign involving transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

"It's engagement farming," another user said. "Plus if conservative parents are giving their kids skittles regularly enough that a boycott would work, that's a big problem. For the parent."

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"Good. Any and all products which support values we don't support should be boycotted," user Ander Wilson wrote, disagreeing. "There is ZERO reason not to do this."

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Mars is facing a proposed class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California over "heightened levels" of titanium dioxide in Skittles. The toxin was used by Mars at one point to color the hard candy.

California lawmakers began considering a law this year that would ban the sale of Skittles and other candies over additives linked to cancer and organ damage, namely its Red 3 dye.

Original Location: Skittle stirs controversy online with pride package

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Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) have dueling appearances this weekend at Iowa's state fair, an important stop for any presidential campaign.

But although the pair are the top two contenders in the 2024 Republican primary, their greatest challenge in Iowa remains the expectations game, with Trump being the race's undeniable front-runner and DeSantis contending with criticism regarding his bid.

INFLATION COMPLICATES BIDEN'S PATH BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Between trying to devour a pork chop while retaining their dignity to remarking with awe at the sight of a butter cow sculpture, the Iowa State Fair is a carousel of activity that is less about networking with party activists and more about the candidates making personal appeals to likely caucusgoers, according to University of Iowa politics professor Timothy Hagle.

"These activities give candidates the chance to show how they relate to individual voters and can result in good media coverage of them having a good time interacting with people on the campaign trail," Hagle told the Washington Examiner.

Drake University professor Dennis Goldford underscored the importance of retail politics to Iowa's caucus process, which typically only involves about 20% of either party's eligible registrants, trending toward activists who are more willing to take part for hours on a winter Monday night.

"You have to talk to people face to face in groups of one or two or three or four, and the state fair allows candidates to do that much more efficiently than trying to drive across the state," he said.

But the 11-day annual event in Des Moines, this year from Aug. 10-20, can also create problems for candidates, particularly if they are confronted by a member of the public, protesters, or representatives from other campaigns, as former Vice President Mike Pence discovered this week. "Why did you commit treason on Jan. 6?" one Democrat asked him at the fair. "How is life treating you since Tucker Carlson ruined your career?" an aide to former 2022 Republican Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake shouted.

"It's a bit like debates where it's rare for someone to really 'win' a political debate but possible for someone to 'lose' one," Hagle said.

Regardless, DeSantis is participating in both Gov. Kim Reynolds's (R-IA) "Fair-Side Chat" and the Des Moines Register's "Political Soapbox" series, in addition to sitting down for interviews with a range of local and national media outlets.

"A candidate may do well with questions, answering them thoroughly and thoughtfully, but it's often the one mistake that gets all the attention," Hagle added. "The example that comes to mind here is when Rick Perry was asked the three federal agencies he wanted to eliminate and he blanked on the third. As he said, 'Oops.'"

Another instance was when then-former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney told an Iowan in 2015, "Corporations are people, my friend."

Despite the risks, candidates cannot avoid the fair because "Iowans like candidates to earn their vote," per Hagle.

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"That's likely one reason that Trump, who hasn't signed up for either the soapbox or chat, will still be attending the fair," he said. "He didn't run a traditional caucus campaign in 2015-2016 and isn't this cycle either, but even though he seems to be well ahead in the polls, he can't just skip the event entirely."

For Goldford, Iowa's caucuses are not over until the state's delegates are allocated after Jan. 15. Simultaneously, Trump's "remarkable" polling advantage means the contest is his to lose, while DeSantis has been "remarkably wooden and unappealing on the stump," he said.

"Every candidate has the same opponent, and that opponent's name is 'expected,' that you do better than 'expected' or worse than 'expected,'" Goldford continued. "Trump is not the incumbent president, but in a sense, he's the incumbent party leader for an awful lot of Republicans. So the caucus will be a referendum on their incumbent favorite candidate. Do they stay with him? Or is it time to move on?"

DeSantis's campaign has defended the governor's interpersonal skills, citing his recent bus tours of Iowa, endorsements from the likes of popular radio host Steve Deace, and polling. DeSantis is outperforming his national polling average of 15% in Iowa, with 17% support, RealClearPolitics finds. Trump's national average is 54%, but his Iowa average is 10 percentage points lower at 44%.

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"Ron DeSantis will be visiting the Iowa state fair with a contingent of Iowa supporters," DeSantis campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo said. "Trump, meanwhile, is having to import his support from out of state."

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is behind Trump and DeSantis in Iowa with 10%, followed by biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with 5%, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley with 4%, Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with 3%, and Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) with 2%.

Original Location: Trump and DeSantis battle expectations at the Iowa State Fair

Washington Examiner Videos
Chicago police are warning Northwest and North Side residents to be cautious after eight armed robberies in the West Ridge, Jefferson Park, Portage Park and Albany Park neighborhoods occurred within two hours early Sunday.

The alert comes after a string of armed robberies across the city. NBC News reported the Chicago Police Department is investigating at least 62 incidents in Chicago since June.

According to police, in each of the robberies a group of three to six men in a stolen vehicle would approach the victims, and get out of their car with firearms, including rifles. They would then rob the victims of their personal belongings, forcing some of them to provide the passwords to their cellphones.

The suspects, who police said were between the ages of 17 and 25, were wearing dark-colored clothing and black ski masks. The robberies took place between 4:19 a.m. and 6:05 a.m. Sunday.

The first happened in the 700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, followed by a robbery in the 2100 block of West Farwell Avenue. Some 10 minutes later, another robbery rook place in the 7000 block of North Ridge Boulevard.

Another robbery occurred at the same time in the 5000 block of North Northwest Highway. Shortly after 5:30 a.m., another robbery occurred in the 3500 block of West Lawrence Avenue.

Three more robberies happened in the span of 15 minutes in the 5100 block of North Elston Avenue, the 5100 block of West Foster Avenue and the 4100 block of North Cicero Avenue.

adperez@chicagotribune.com
Former President Donald Trump took verbal shots at Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) as he departed the Hawkeye state after making an appearance at the Iowa State Fair.

Trump aired his grievances about the governor in light of her decision against endorsing any single candidate in their party currently vying for the Republican National Convention's 2024 presidential nomination.

KIM REYNOLDS FLEXES HER MUSCLE AT IOWA STATE FAIR WITH INTERVIEWS AND ENDORSEMENT SILENCE

Speaking from the tarmac after taking the stage on Saturday at the annual fair, Trump stated, referencing Reynolds, "I got her elected. I endorsed her, I came and did a rally when she was very far behind."

He furthered, "I like her very much, and I was very happy to do a rally, we did the rally and she ended up going up, I actually did a couple of rallies for her, and she ended up winning the election instead of losing the election. I like her very much, that's why I came to do rallies for her."

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Trump also touted what described as his administration's other successes, claiming, "the fact is we had a great four years. What we did in four years was build the greatest economy in the world  [inaudible] actually twice, because it was interrupted, unfortunately, by a gift from China, COVID, and it should've never happened."

On the matter of his overseeing of the military, the former president highlighted his handling of the armed forces, saying, "we rebuilt our military ... we got out of all the wars, we beat ISIS, we defeated ISIS, we took out the worst terrorists in all the world, we did more than just about any president has done."

Original Location: Trump slams GOP Iowa Gov. Reynolds following appearance at annual fair

Washington Examiner Videos
At the turn of the 20th century, land that was once prime for cattle grazing, forestry, mining, and farming became far less abundant. America was thus forced to confront how best to utilize its natural resources, resulting in two primary schools of thought.

The first, championed by John Muir, was that America should engage in preservation by preventing all human development to keep lands in their natural state. The second, championed by Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, was to engage in conservation.

Conservation encourages the maintenance of working land  that is, land that is managed not only for its longevity and health, but also for its ability to be productive to humans. Now, the Biden administration is doing everything it can to destroy this delicate balance by systematically removing every acre of working land that they can. Historically, preservationists have been pleased with national parks, wilderness areas, and national monuments while conservationists have relied on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land for their needs. If the current administration has its way, this balance will not last for long.

In my home state of Colorado, the BLM has proposed removing 1.6 million acres of federal land from oil and gas leasing and is designating tens of thousands more acres as Areas of Environmental Critical Concern, that will no longer be available for use. This rule would kill thousands of jobs, obliterate an entire industry, and spike energy prices for Americans across the country. Unfortunately, this draconian decision is not unprecedented for this administration. In May, the Department of Interior (DOI) released a proposed rule that would allow conservation groups to lease federal land managed by BLM, effectively preventing all industry from accessing it. This rule stands in stark contrast to BLMs multiple-use policy. In August, the Biden administration announced it would lock up a staggering 1.1 million acres in Arizona to be a national monument, and In June, the administration withdrew 336,404 acres of federal mineral estate surrounding the Chaco Canyon National Historic Park.

This has all occurred on top of the administrations refusal to issue almost any off or onshore leases.

The administration has done all of this for two reasons. The first is supposedly to protect the sage grouse, which is an endangered bird that lives on the western plains. The second, and more underhanded reason, is obliterate the fossil fuel industry in America. Every environmental and energy policy that the administration has put in place is to fulfill President Joseph Bidens promise to end fossil fuels in America. This includes banning gas stoves, removing helium from the critical minerals list, stopping all oil and gas lease sales, and now removing working land from energy development. The Biden administration is actively doing everything it can to prevent fossil fuels from providing reliable, affordable energy to millions of Americans.

This is wrong for America as no other energy generation source can come close to competing with fossil fuels. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, wind and solar energy receive 14 times more government subsidies than fossil fuels every year ($7.5 billion in 2022) yet produce only roughly 11% of our nations electricity. Electricity itself only makes up about 38% of our nations total energy consumption. Despite this monumental government overreach, energy derived from fossil fuels has only fallen from 86% in 2000 to 84% today.

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Wind and solar energy cannot be dispatched reliably, as renewable technologies can only produce energy when the sun is shining, or the wind is blowing. These technologies have a dismal up time of roughly 25% compared to fossil fuels which have a roughly 75% up time. The war against fossil fuels has done nothing to curb Americans demand for affordable, dispatchable, and reliable energy.

Oil and gas production has existed hand in hand with responsible environmental stewardship. Colorados elk herd is the largest in the nation and has increased from 40,000 elk in the early 1900s to 300,000 today. Colorados mule deer population has grown by 40,000 since 2018, and Colorados population of antelope have grown from 5,000 in the 1940s to 85,000 today. The Biden administration claims to protect the sage grouse through this drastic action, but this species has experienced a 24% increase in its Colorado population since 2019. Not only has gas production not impeded the restoration of these species, but they have flourished in a shared environment. Colorado is the fourth largest producer of oil and eighth largest natural gas producer in the country. This supply is crucial in keeping energy prices down for all Americans and must continue while we restore our natural areas.

If one were serious about mitigating impacts to wildlife, they would look closely at how we use our land acreage. The United States lost over 24 million acres of natural areas and 11 million acres of farmland since 2001 due to urban development, which has hurt endangered species far more than oil and gas production. According to the DOI, in 2018 U.S. oil and gas hit a record production high while utilizing the smallest amount of surface acreage disturbance in our nations history by utilizing horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. In contrast, BLM recently announced a whopping 1,000-acre solar farm in the De Tilla Gulch region of Colorado, which takes up far more critical habitat than oil and natural gas while producing less electricity. This is an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars and is not appropriate stewardship of our nations wild areas.

The reality is clear: oil and gas production does not hinder wildlife restoration, but irresponsible land use does. By locking up 1.6 million acres from mineral production in Colorado, the Biden administration will reduce the supply of energy which will increase prices for Americans everywhere.

We have seen this happen under the Biden administration for the last three years, and the time has come to reimplement realistic and responsible policies.

Rep. Doug Lamborn has served as the U.S. representative for Colorados 5th congressional district since 2007.
Worrying about diversity

With reference to the article on page A1 detailing the Air Force working toward diversity in the officer ranks, in all my 21 years of service, regardless the nation, conflict or battleground, I never once looked around me to check the diversity of the organization. All I cared about was could these people do their assigned task with honor and courage, and if need be could they shoot straight.

H. A. Wilson

Colorado Springs

Low-income housing

Those who describe the 250 apartment home development proposed for a vacant lot in Pine Creek as a low-income project are misinformed. Rather, the Royal Pines Apartments project in Pine Creek seeks to create affordable housing for working families. These families are not subsisting on welfare. These are working families who struggle to pay the high rents that persist in Colorado Springs. It is basic capitalism  supply is short, demand is high. That drives apartment rents through the roof.

Constructing attainable/affordable housing projects like the one proposed will provide working families with housing at more sustainable rates (often calculated at 30% of monthly income). This isnt a low-income tenement. This is a project that seeks to increase the supply of quality housing for working families on Colorado Springs north side. We should support family oriented housing that is attainable and affordable on a long vacant plot along Powers that is already zoned for multifamily residential.

Its the right thing to do.

Doug Hunt

Colorado Springs

Chance to send a clear message

With energy concerns at the forefront of many Americans minds, President Joe Biden is heading to Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, as discussed in Biden goes west to talk about his administrations efforts to combat climate change (July 31).

This trip comes after a series of mixed messages from the administration about energy and climate priorities.

Unfortunately, the administration has a long and confusing record of asking for more supply while limiting new oil and natural gas leases and permits.

This trend continued late last month when the Department of the Interior chose to raise rates to produce oil and natural gas within days of Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm asking for more supply from American energy companies.

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That same week, the White House held a methane summit to discuss how to lower methane emissions without inviting American oil or natural gas producers. These companies have spent decades working to limit emissions from energy production and are willing partners in climate action. But their expertise cant be used if they arent at the table.

Hopefully, the president will correct this trend and take clear steps to support Americas energy future. He could start with a commitment to getting comprehensive permitting reform through Congress this year, which would not only help oil and natural gas projects, but also wind, solar, electrical grid and other American infrastructure development.

Biden could also commit to releasing a robust five-year offshore leasing plan and revising EPAs proposed tailpipe emissions rule with consideration of the potential impacts on American energy production.

Bidens trip west is a chance to send a clear message in support of American energy. I hope he takes it.

Kait Schwartz

Denver

Too many waiting on the sidelines

Based on local and national news and the general moral decay of Colorado and the nation, two quotes come to mind. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing (Edmund Burke) and When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan (Proverbs 29:2).

We have wicked men ruling our nation and our state, and we are reaping the consequences of putting them in power. Killing the unborn on demand, higher taxes, out of control debt, destroying energy generation and jobs, glorification of the LGBTQ+ agenda, worshiping climate change over the needs of the poor, opening the border to asylum seekers and criminals alike, weakening laws or outright ignoring crime, the list of destructive laws and actions seems endless.

Granted, there are little flashes of light, of goodness here and there, such as the 303 Creative judgment for conscience sake, greater community support to local food banks and shelters, churches helping their neighbors. But the forces of evil, the people who love sin, demand it be celebrated and hate those who speak out against it, seem to be swelling to overflowing to drown out the forces for good, those who speak out against this wickedness.

How do we rein in this evil and allow good things to flourish again? We must continue speaking out against the evil. We must protest wicked laws or lack of law. We must write letters and make phone calls to our city councils, state representatives and Congress letting them know that they are destroying this once great state and nation and they will suffer along with the rest of us if it falls.

Too many of us are sitting on the sidelines hoping and praying that these bad things wont continue, yet doing nothing to help bring the message of the outcome if they do. We need boldness and courage in the face of this evil that befalls us. Speak up! Speak out! Run for office! Stand on the street corner! Good will ultimately triumph over evil, but not without a severe purge of the bad and those who claim to be good.

Psalm 37:14 sums up the state of moral decay succinctly: The wicked have drawn the sword and have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. We are at war, both morally and spiritually. Which side will you be on?

Joseph Ford

Colorado Springs
Rocky Ford cantaloupe, Palisade peaches and Pueblo chiles  among the most acclaimed Colorado-grown crops  will be available to consumers later than usual this summer, according to numerous farmers throughout the state.

Unseasonal weather in May and June brought unprecedented amounts of rainfall and chilly temperatures in parts of Colorado, prompting delays in planting of the states popular summer crops and slower growth patterns.

Agriculture is the second-largest industry in the state, contributing over $40 billion toward the economy annually through crops, feed, livestock and more, according to the Colorado Farm Bureau.

The industry has faced numerous challenges in recent years, having to navigate rising costs brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the pressures of drought on the states already tight water supply  and now the record-setting rain seen in parts of the state .

Eric Hanagan, owner and operator of Hanagan Farms in Swink, said hes confident his familys ability to produce a quality crop, no matter the circumstances. Located just southeast of Pueblo, the farm has grown a variety of crops throughout its 100-plus years in operation  including but not limited to chili peppers, watermelon, tomatoes, zucchini, cantaloupe and cucumbers.

Hanagan said the cooler temperatures have slowed the growth of the farms produce production, delaying the harvest by at least three weeks, and hindering the quality slightly.

For our vegetable crops it will be delayed a bit, Hanagan said. Im still very confident that as farmers in the Arkansas Valley, we always do our best and will produce a good quality crop.

Were going to have more than enough to go around.

Hanagan said the above-average amount of rain along with bouts of hail have hindered crops, noting that plants do best with hot dry days during the farming season, given the mountains received enough snow to fuel irrigation efforts throughout the spring and summer.

We always want no rain and an adequate water supply, Hanagan said, as odd as they may sound. I love a great winter with a huge snowpack in the mountains for the water to come down when I want it, where I want it.

The Pueblo area had above-average rain in April and June with normal May conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

Five miles west of Hanagan Farms, Hirakata Farms, famous for its Rocky Ford cantaloupe, is facing similar challenges.

Were probably 10 days late because of the cooler weather conditions, said Michael Hirakata, farm operator and owner.

Additionally, Hirakata said the unseasonal rainfall also brought an increase in weeds around the property and ground saturation levels, further contributing to the delay in harvest.

Hirakata said hes expecting a first harvest around July 17.

Were hoping for hot, dry days down here, and rain upstream from us to keep water in our canal through late July and early August to prolong the harvest, Hirakata said, If it gets cold early in the fall and freezes, itll put a stop to it (the harvest). Were hoping for a late fall and late frost to keep the harvest coming into the fall.

Palisade peach farmers over on the Western Slope havent escaped the struggles posed by this years unseasonal weather, either.

They (the peaches) are definitely behind, they look good, said Zach Quintana, of Urban Orchard Family Farm in Palisade.

Quintana mainly devotes his efforts to selling produce at farmers markets throughout the state.

With all the rain, they (the peaches) werent sizing, and the colors werent turning in the way they usually do, Quintana said, Theyre catching up now because of the heat.

The Urban Orchard grows over a dozen varieties of Palisade peaches, harvesting at different times throughout the summer. Although the farm has begun its harvest of some of its peach varieties, Quintana said the crop remains 10-15 days behind its normal schedule.

Based on what were seeing, its looking like a good crop this year. You dont really know until most of the varieties get to full size, Quintana said. The colder weather shouldnt affect the amount produced, it just slows the harvest.

Quintana said that although his familys peaches are available at numerous Colorado farmers markets  including Saturdays at Bancroft Park in Old Colorado City  peach fans probably wont be able to get their fix at grocery stores until August.

Meanwhile, Colorados corn crop  much of it Olate sweet corn  is 84% sprouted and out of the ground. At this time in 2022, 94% of the crop was out of the ground, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Per the USDAs weekly crop report released on June 21, the department rated 78% of the corn crop to be in good to excellent condition.
When Top Gun blew up theaters in 1986, Scott Kartvedt was there.

Not just once, but at least 10 times with his fellow high school buddies, who dressed up in jeans, leather jackets and aviator glasses to imitate the famous on-screen characters  rivals Maverick and Iceman, played by Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer  the bad boys of Top Gun, more officially known as the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program.

That movie changed Kartvedts life. About five years after seeing it, the 23-year-old abandoned his accounting job, called a Navy recruiter and got a pilot slot. The Colorado Springs resident, whose call sign is Intake, went on to become a Naval fighter pilot and, in a full- circle moment, played Tom Cruises stunt double in last years blockbuster hit Top Gun: Maverick.

Im still an adrenaline junkie, Kartvedt said. There was something about the movie (Top Gun), the extreme performance. I grew up riding motorcycles in the desert and jet skis and ski boats and it was the ultimate of power and adrenaline.

Kartvedt spent two weeks in Northern California filming his 8-minute fight scene. Its the one where Maverick and Gooses son, Rooster, find themselves in enemy territory and steal an enemy F-14 Tomcat to escape, harking back to the plane Maverick flew in the first film. The duo then fight off an attacker in an Su-57 before making their way back to a U.S. aircraft carrier.

Me and another stunt pilot flew that final fight scene, Kartvedt said. It gives the illusion of four to five planes in flight, in the way it was filmed. Theyd show us a storyboard with 2D shots of what they wanted, and we had to figure out how to get them that shot.

While Kartvedt didnt meet Cruise or any of the other A- list actors during his time on set, the famous actor did rehire him for a movie set for release next summer. Kartvedt cant say what the movie is, though he spent last fall working alongside Cruise as a safety supervisor.

It was surreal for the Naval pilot to meet the man who inspired his career.

Heres somebody who had a significant impact on your life and my familys life, Kartvedt said.

To have him say youre responsible for keeping me safe, thats a daunting task. He was exceptionally professional and very receptive. Hes willing to listen and if he respects you, he will take on board what you have to say.

Details "Full Throttle: From the Blue Angels to Hollywood Stunt Pilot" by Scott Kartvedt; High Performance Climb (206 pages; $29.99)

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Cruise also was supportive of Kartfedts two sons, who followed their father into the Navy and are flying F/A-18s and T-45s.

When my youngest son selected jets I sent him a quick note, he said, and when we wrapped on that other movie, I sent a note to say what an incredible experience it was. The impact he and his movies have on people, it was a heartfelt note of gratitude.

Filming a hit movie is only one of many impressive items on Kartvedts resume, which inspired his new memoir, Full Throttle: From the Blue Angels to Hollywood Stunt Pilot. It was released last month and is available online at Amazon.com and scottkartvedt.com.

He wrote it, he says, because he recognizes hes lived a singular life and had many experiences most of us wont, including three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan that equal more than 90 combat missions and 500 combat hours. Hes commanded combat units, received a Bronze Star, established the Navys first stealth fighter squadron, and flew with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, a flight demonstration squadron.

His book eulogizes the three things that helped propel him through life.

It started with Maverick in 1986 and being willing to pursue a dream, say yes to opportunities, learn from mistakes and ask for help, he said. It continues to this day. If I can do it, then I truly believe anybody can. An individual just limits themselves to what is possible.

These days, Kartvedt is a professional pilot and flight instructor for United Airlines. He does airshows with the Patriot Jet Team, the only civilian jet demonstration team in the country, and serves as president of the Blue Angels Foundation, a nonprofit made up of former members of the Blue Angels. Part of the proceeds from his book sales will go to the organization.

Even though he no longer spends his days neutralizing enemy forces on the ground during combat, flying will never lose its sparkle. People often ask him if its boring flying for an airline after piloting jets. His answer? Nope.

When youre flying into a blizzard and there are 180 people relying on you and your capability and professionalism, he said, and youve got a 30-knot crosswind and 2 inches of snow on the runway, that requires the same level of intensity and professionalism as landing on the back of an aircraft carrier. Its the intensity of leaving the earth and bringing the plane safely back to earth.

Contact the writer: 636-0270
NEW MEXICO

Compensation for wildfire victims passes $14 million

ALBUQUERQUE  More victims of a devastating wildfire sparked last year by the U.S. Forest Service in northern New Mexico are getting compensated, with payouts to landowners totaling more than $14 million by the week of Aug. 7, federal emergency managers said.

Congress set aside nearly $4 billion at the end of last year to pay claims resulting from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire. Officials have acknowledged that the recovery process would be long and challenging, but many residents and some lawmakers have been frustrated with the pace.

Angela Gladwell, the director of the claims office, said more than 1,600 notices of loss have been filed so far and that her office has around $50 million worth of claims that are currently being processed. She estimated her office would be operational for the next five to six years to ensure that "everyone gets every penny that they are due."

200 insurance companies sue Xcel over Marshall fire damages

The claims office also recently began working with the National Flood Insurance Program so that eligible claimants can receive five years of flood insurance protection, with premiums paid by the claims office. One of the big concerns for residents has been post-fire flooding.

Numerous missteps by forest managers resulted in prescribed fires erupting last spring into what became the largest wildfire in New Mexico's recorded history. The blaze forced the evacuation of thousands of residents from villages throughout the Sangre de Cristo mountain range as it burned through more than 530 square miles of the Rocky Mountain foothills.

The fire destroyed homes and livelihoods  and forced the Forest Service to review its prescribed fire polices before resuming operations last fall.

MONTANA

Poor track conditions caused fatal 2021 derailment: report

HELENA  Poor track conditions that should have been flagged by a freight railroad company's inspectors caused the derailment of an Amtrak train in Montana that killed three people and injured 49 others in 2021, federal investigators said on July 27 in a final report.

The severity of the injuries were made worse by the Amtrak train's lack of seatbelts and windows that weren't strong enough to keep passengers from being ejected when the train derailed, the National Transportation Safety Board found.

Amtrak's Empire Builder derailed Sept. 25, 2021, in northern Montana while it was en route from Chicago to Seattle and Portland, Oregon, with 165 people on board, including its crew. It was traveling on tracks owned by BNSF Railway.

Six people were ejected from the train's observation car, which has larger windows and was one of three cars that ended up on its side. One person who had been riding in the observation car died, as did two people who were in the vestibule between the observation car and the car behind it, the NTSB said.

Caraveo seeks answers on Commerce City train derailment

Investigators found that a train inspector's workload likely prevented him from doing a timely walking inspection of the area before the derailment.

The inspector had noticed problems with the joints on the tracks during a riding inspection two days before the derailment, but he and a manager didn't stop to check out the joints. BNSF had also ordered trains to go no faster than 50 mph in that area seven times in the two months before the derailment  a period in which it was replacing railroad ties.

BNSF railroad spokesperson Lena Kent defended the company's inspection record and touted its use of advanced technology that alerts personnel to dangerous track conditions.

Investigators also found that if a locomotive equipped with an automated vehicle-track interaction monitoring system had traveled over the area, it might have detected the deteriorating track conditions and BNSF would have had an opportunity to make repairs, or at least issue a warning to train crews to travel slowly through the area. The NTSB is recommending that all trains be equipped with that technology.

Rare otter attack injures three floating on inner tubes

BILLINGS  A rare attack by a river otter in southern Montana injured three women floating on inner tubes and inflicted wounds serious enough that one victim had to be airlifted to a hospital, authorities said on Aug. 3.

The attack happened near the town of Cardwell on a remote stretch of the Jefferson River, a tributary of the Missouri River that's popular with anglers and recreational floaters.

At least one otter swam up to the adult women at about 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 2 and attacked them, said Morgan Jacobsen with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. The women were able to get to shore, where one of them called 911, he said.

Jared Polis vetoes wolf reintroduction bill in Colorado

One woman's wounds, on her face and arms, were so severe that the helicopter was used to fly her out, Jefferson County Undersheriff James Everett said. The others had injuries to their arms.

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Northern river otters are members of the weasel family and can reach up to 20 pounds  as heavy as a small dog  and up to 47 inches long. They primarily eat fish.

"If folks are attacked by an otter, our recommended response is to fight back, get away and get out of the water," Jacobsen said.

IDAHO

Jury convicts 5 for conspiring to riot at Pride event

COEUR DALENE  Five members of the white nationalist hate group Patriot Front were convicted on July 20 of misdemeanor charges of conspiracy to riot at a Pride event.

A Kootenai County jury found Forrest Rankin, Devin Center, Derek Smith, James Julius Johnson and Robert Whitted guilty after about an hour of deliberation, news outlets reported.

A total of 31 Patriot Front members, including one identified as its founder, were arrested June 11, 2022, after someone reported seeing people loading into a U-Haul van like "a little army" at a hotel parking lot in Coeur d'Alene, police have said.

'His decision to murder, maim and destroy...is unforgivable': Club Q victims and families give statements

Police found riot gear, a smoke grenade, shin guards and shields inside the van after pulling it over near where the North Idaho Pride Alliance was holding a Pride in the Park event, Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White has said.

Documents found with the group reportedly outlined a plan to form a column outside City Park and proceed inward, "until barriers to approach are met.

Those arrested came from at least 11 states, including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wyoming, Virginia and Arkansas.

Rioting is generally a misdemeanor in Idaho. Conspiracy to riot is punishable by up to one year in jail, as well as a $5,000 fine and up to two years of probation.

ARIZONA

Woman injured in bison attack says 'yes' to marriage proposal

PHOENIX  An Arizona woman who suffered fractured vertebrae and collapsed lungs after being gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park has said "yes" to her boyfriend's hospital proposal.

Chris Whitehill said he planned to propose to Amber Harris during their vacation in the park, but after spending just one night there, an encounter with a bison upended those plans.

The couple from the Phoenix area had walked to a lodge for some coffee on July 17 and decided to walk through a field to Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming, Harris posted on Facebook the next day.

Bear encounters increase year to year in Colorado, according to state agency

They noticed two bison and watched one "drop and roll in the dirt, like a dog would," she wrote. "He got up on his feet and started walking, then running toward us."

The bison "struck her head-on and she was airborne," Whitehill told KPNX-TV in Phoenix, adding, She landed pretty hard on her back."

Harris, 47, was airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho, where she was recovering from seven fractured vertebrae, collapsed lungs and bruising.

That night, Whitehill "got down on one knee beside my hospital bed, Harris wrote in a Facebook post that included a photo of the ring on her finger. "Without any hesitation I said yes!"

The bison attack was the first in Yellowstone in just over a year, park officials said.

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Our Denver editor, Luige Del Puerto, was telling me a story the other day about an ecologist in South Africa who had a problem on his hands. A band of adolescent male elephants in Pilanesberg National Park had started attacking rhinos in the park. More than 50 badly mutilated rhino carcasses were eventually discovered, and the ecologist, Gus Van Dyk, needed to find way to make the attacks stop.

He identified the probable cause as a lack of adult male bull elephants in the herd. The park had been seeded with elephants from other national parks, but the big bulls were much more difficult to transport, so all the elephants in Pilanesberg were between 15 and 18 years old. Eight-foot-tall, 6-ton teenagers, in other words.

Van Dyk got six large bulls introduced to the herd from Kruger National Park, according to a BBC Earth Podcast report, and literally within hours, the teen elephant thugs were under control. No more rhinos have been killed since by rampaging youngsters.

The story was used in an academic paper recently as an example of the importance of a stable society and a father figure to provide boundaries and accountability for teen males. The young males that were getting into these elephant gangs had no template of good social behavior and were at the mercy of their rampaging hormones, which was putting them at as much risk as those around them, the study found.

We heard a very similar thing from seven experts convened for a Denver Gazette/9News town hall last week to talk about Denvers raging epidemic of teen violence.

All the programs, research, volunteers, therapy, addiction services, law enforcement efforts and wrangling over tougher laws boil down to one thing, the experts agreed.

A caring, trusted adult consistently in a young persons life, from cradle to grave" is crucial in steering a child away from a violent path, said Jonathan McMillan, director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Education. "Having that person who a young person can go to to learn from, who they can confide in.

Its hard to legislate being concerned and involved in someone elses life, McMillan said.

McMillan knows of what he speaks.

At age 25, he was incarcerated by the state of Colorado.

Part of what drove him to prison, he said, was this normalization of this narrative that because I was a young Black man in the late '80s, early '90s that I was more likely to go to prison than college, more likely to drop out of high school, more likely to die before the age of 25. And that created a vacuum that sucked all of the hope out of me and I would say hundreds of thousands of young Black men like me at that time.

But McMillan changed his own narrative, redirecting it to help others in the same boat he was once in. And I celebrated my 50th birthday this year, he told us all last Tuesday.

He is concerned that normalization of the violent deaths of 12- to 18-year-olds suddenly seems to be happening again this spring and summer. A fusillade of violent crimes involving teenagers and children, both as perpetrators and victims, prompted us editors and reporters at The Denver Gazette a few months ago to launch a series of stories called  Kids in the Crossfire.

We wanted to explore why gunfire with young people pulling the trigger has become so constant that, at times, it has seemed omnipresent in parts of the city.

That narrative hasnt gone away, McMillan remarked. And that hopelessness leads to recklessness. So when we have gang members whether they're OGs or the Tiny Dancers, Young Dancers, they dont care about criminal consequences, they are just looking to get the most out of what they think is going to be a short life anyway.

Whats going to best redirect that behavior?

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Guess what Im going to say? Its a caring, trusted adult, McMillan repeated. It doesnt have to be a parent. It doesnt have to be a mentor. It actually can be law enforcement. Oftentimes, law enforcement people are the consistent adults in those lives so they need to know how to connect with young people and build those bridges to services and bridges to safety and bridges to justice.

Were talking cops with mental health training, emotional intelligence training, not just guns.

That town hall Tuesday transcended just talk. It ended up being a clarion call to arms for our communities, the kind of arms that wrap around the shoulders of at-risk kids who could use someone to believe in them.

These are very complicated problems. These are not law enforcement problems. They are not social services problems. They are community problems, and it takes all of these different agencies and institutions working together in partnership, said Sarah Goodrum, a research professor with the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder.

And it starts with us.

Goodrum suggested that everybody should learn and practice "skills for being a good upstander."

"It really does take people like us, seeing someone going down the wrong path, a pathway toward violence, and ask, What is going on here? Practice those skills with your friends, with your children, so when the time comes, you know what to say, and you know what to do, she said.

I was stuck by how solvable all the folks who dedicate their lives to at-risk youths believe this surge in violence is. Solvable, but the solution requires something from everyone.

McMillan said during his time as director of gun violence prevention, he came to want every single person in the city to really recognize that they play a role in making sure that we all are safe, and happy, healthy and hopeful. And that may just be asking a colleague, Steve, are you Ok? It may be, You need someone to talk to? And then following up on that. It also means our government leaders have to make sure there is a framework that supports the support other people are offering.

We all ought to be cognitive of the fact that not every young person is going to be in a gang, or not every gang member is going to pick up a firearm, and not every kid who picks up a firearm is actually going to be a shooter, so when we start to break down the reality of the situation of how very few youth are the ones that are at the highest risk and maybe have the highest need for services, it becomes a much more manageable issue, where each of us in the room, literally, if each of us in the room really wanted to reach out to one of those gang members or one of those young people who are most at risk of picking up a firearm, we would probably have more than enough people in this room right now for the city and county of Denver and probably Aurora.

So consider this column a Help Wanted ad for Caring, Trusted Adults. Social media and the pandemic have sapped our sense of community and voluntary civic engagement around the country  what Alexis de Tocqueville called the science of association that he saw as our country's greatest strength. What I heard Tuesday was a loud plea for its return.

Is there anyone in your orbit, locally, within reach with the aid of your cellphone, that could use a parental arm around their shoulder, someone you believe in, someone you want to believe in? Pick one. Make a difference.

Do you have those precious parenting skills that are so in demand by our at-risk kids but maybe you no longer employ regularly every day because you now have an empty nest? Or do you live in a retirement home and have some time on your hands? Or just looking for some extra meaning in your life?

Parenting is zone defense. When one parent is out of commission, the rest of us parents need to step up. Together, we need to be the Distant Early Warning Line that lets the many organizations that are doing really good work on teen violence know who needs extra help. We need to be the program for the kids all the other programs dont reach.

Especially us male parents. We need not underestimate how important our presence is, how vital our particular parenting skills are  even if we dont see our caring reciprocated, even if mom gets all the hugs and attention. Those kids need male role models to set limits, set examples, hold them accountable, calm the herd. Just like those bull elephants.

We are all of us, after all, involved in the family of man.
Tourists hoping to take a reflective selfie at The Bean in Millennium Park may soon have to opt for a picture at another mirror instead.

Access to the iconic downtown sculpture, officially called Cloud Gate, will be limited for months starting Tuesday as construction begins around it, according to the citys Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Grainger Plaza, the space surrounding The Bean, will undergo construction set to continue through the spring of 2024, the departments website said.

[ Bean envy? New York City gets smaller version of iconic Chicago sculpture ]

During this time, public access and views of Cloud Gate will be limited, the department wrote.

The necessary maintenance project will include repairs, accessibility upgrades and paver replacements, the statement said.

Since the sculpture designed by artist Anish Kapoor was first unveiled in 2004, it has quickly become as essential destination for tourists visiting Chicago and symbol of the city.

[ Does The Bean look like a butt? A cheeky new Hallmark holiday card makes it seem so. ]

The glassy, stainless steel artwork attracts 20 million visitors to Millennium Park each year, a DCASE spokesperson told the Tribune in February. It is the No. 1 attraction in the Midwest and No. 7 in the United States, the spokesperson added.

The construction will to enhance the nearly 20-year-old Parks appearance, visitor experience, and position as the #1 attraction in the Midwest, the department said.
The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce is planning a nine-day adventure to Ireland in March.

The itinerary includes the Cliffs of Moher, one of Irelands favorite visitor experiences and tourist attractions, according to the chamber's news release.

The cost is $3,599 per person, but those who book by Aug. 31 will save $100. The trip isn't limited to just members of the chamber.

Stops include Dublin, Limerick and Killarney.

Tour sites will feature the Muckrose House, St. Patricks Cathedral, Wicklow National Park, Adare Village, Blarney Castle, Trinity College and the Book of Kells, according to the chamber.

The price of the trip that begins March 13 includes round-trip airfare, seven nights in four-star hotels, 10 meals, sightseeing, taxes/fees, transfers, admissions, baggage handling and a professional tour manager.

To lean more, visit https://bit.ly/2024ChamberTripIreland or contact Christy Harper at Christy@dpchamber.org.
While the death toll from Hawaiian wildfires climbs, grief-stricken officials there have hit on a pair of common themes as they try to process the disaster: We never saw this coming and climate change is here.

North Carolina may be thousands of miles away, with a drastically different geography than the Pacific islands, but leaders here could one day find themselves offering similar perspectives in a state where more than 2 million homes are considered vulnerable to potential wildfires spreading from natural areas.

Roughly 52,000 North Carolina acres  the most of any U.S. state  fall within what is known as the wildland urban interface. That represents more than one-third of North Carolinas land mass.

The WUI encompasses areas where communities meet or intermingle with undeveloped land where vegetation can act as fuel for wildfires.

In North Carolina, booming population growth has fueled suburban sprawl as new residential communities are carved out of forests and farmland. That puts packed-in houses and clusters of apartment buildings at increased risk of being in the path of flames moving through nearby trees, brush or grassland.

Roughly half of Forsyth County is within the WUI, primarily in the western and northern portions. About two-thirds of Guilford County is included in the WUI in areas north, east and south of Greensboro

With rising temperatures tied to climate change drying out natural fuel faster  including during so-called flash droughts  the prospects for fires to start and spread to homes, businesses and schools in those areas increases.

Wildfire season in the Triad has lengthened more over the past half-century than in any other area in the eastern United States, according to a recent analysis of national weather data.

The average number of days at Piedmont Triad Airport when weather conditions are optimal for sparking and spreading outdoor fires has increased by the equivalent of nearly two weeks since 1973, Climate Central, a research and communications organization based in Princeton, New Jersey, found in a report released in May.

The study used data from 476 weather stations to assess trends in 245 areas spanning all 48 contiguous U.S. states from 1973 to 2022.

The Triads 13-day annual increase in so-called fire weather days was three more than the next-closest Eastern areas: the Central Coastal Plain of North Carolina, as well as regions in New York, New Jersey and Louisiana.

In 2022, the Triad had 19 days when the right combination of relatively warm temperatures, low humidity and high winds created optimal conditions for wildfires, Climate Central found.

Those same conditions fueled this weeks fires in Maui.

I think its something we all should be thinking about, regardless of where we live, Kaitlyn Trudeau, senior research associate for climate science at Climate Central, said of the growing risks posed by human-caused warming. If you look at this summer alone, a time characterized by unprecedented wildfires, catastrophic flooding and record-breaking heat, its clear climate change is here and we need to start expecting the unexpected, preparing for conditions weve never experienced.

As a changing climate continues to create extreme conditions, precedent will continue to become less of a predictor of whats to come.

Its my opinion that well start to see severe fire impacts in many places where it hasnt been an issue before, said Robert Scheller, a professor of landscape ecology at N.C. State University who researches climate adaption in forestry.

A 2020 research study co-authored by Scheller suggested the potential for wildfires in western North Carolina could increase by as much as 500% over the next 80 years as a result of climate change.

The fire risk for the states residents is expanding along with the population because there is little control over where people go, he added.

About 83% of North Carolinas land is privately owned, so there is not the kind of expansive legal land-use network that some states  largely in the West, where wide swaths are government owned  use to protect communities, farmland and tourist amenities from fire.

The South is famous for its lack of land planning, said Scheller.

And while 2.1 million North Carolina homes are in the wildland urban interface, North Carolinians have relatively little experience with wildfires, he noted.

The combination of WUI and a fire naive population could potentially cause major loss of human life in the eastern U.S., similar to what weve seen now in Hawaii and previously in California, Scheller said. People dont understand how quickly fire can spread. They dont know their evacuation routes  if they exist. (And) fire managers dont have all the necessary firefighting resources in position to deal with unusually hot and fast fires.

As fires grow in frequency and intensity, adjectives like unusual will grow increasingly subjective, just as they are with extreme weather.

And the longer we delay meaningful action to address climate change, Climate Centrals Trudeau said, the more common these we never saw this coming events will become.
The biblical message, The truth shall set you free, may be central to Christian theology but, as experienced by Iowa meteorologist Chris Gloninger, it can have the opposite effect in todays politically charged, conspiracy-theory-driven reality.

This sweltering summer  July was the hottest in human history  gave testimony to the truth of global warming.

So, Gloninger began to incorporate climate change truth into his Des Moines TV weather report. Rather than appreciation, he received angry emails and a death threat.

Ultimately, he resigned and ended an 18-year broadcast journalism career.

For Gloninger, the truth didnt set him free. It cost him his job.

Intimidating a TV reporter over including climate change information in his weather forecast is an example of a broader trend of anger, retribution and occasional violence from people who dont want to hear the truth.

Former Wyoming U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney bravely spoke truth to vindictive power when, during the January 6 Select Committee hearings, she called out her fellow Republicans for defending the indefensible. As a result, she was censured by the Republican National Committee, stripped of her House committee assignments and lost the Wyoming primary. That she was a staunch conservative and a previously rising star in the Republican congressional hierarchy was of no consequence. The truth didnt set her free; it took away her ability to serve as an elected representative.

Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr.s irresponsible anti-vaxxing statements illustrate a different dimension of truth and freedom: those who believe his lies sacrifice the freedom to protect themselves. People who are seduced by the aura of the Kennedy name or believe absurd fabrications such as the COVID-19 vaccine containing microchips used for tracking or surveillance are at physical risk. The truth that will set them free and keep them healthy is blocked by an inability to distinguish fantasy from reality.

As we march toward the 2024 election, the truth has not liberated the more than 60% of Republicans who still claim to believe the last one was rigged. When confronted with clear evidence that Biden won, they sink deeper into their shared fantasy. Truth has not set them free; it has made them unthinking pawns in service of the ambitions of a manipulative narcissist.

As demonstrated by the attack on our Capital, one reaction to the collision of truth with culturally conditioned false beliefs was violence. Equally alarming were threats and intimidation of election workers. The experience of Georgias Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss is an example. Falsely accused of ballot rigging  now officially judged innocent  their honest and truthful election administration not only failed to set them free, it deeply affected their lives. In Freemans words, There is nowhere I feel safe. I have lost my name and I have lost my reputation. All because a group of people starting with Number 45 and his ally Rudy Giuliani decided to scapegoat me and my daughter.

So, how can we use truth to keep ourselves free and help others while living in a culture where social media, propaganda-oriented news outlets and political frauds collude to demean honesty and thwart reality? The answer involves having the courage to reject irrational analysis, the discipline to engage in critical thinking, and belief in the validity of the scientific method.

Critical thinking consists of objectively analyzing information and ideas, questioning assumptions, considering evidence, identifying biases and making reason-based judgments. We need to practice it ourselves and model it for others, particularly our children. Helping students develop critical thinking skills is not central to our public educational system. And what little such instruction exists is under severe threat by state legislatures and school boards that mandate off-limits subjects and repress the open exploration of ideas.

The scientific method leads to objective, testable conclusions that stand in opposition to the fraudulent, self-serving subjectivity described by former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway as alternative facts.

Critical thinking and the scientific method pulled Western civilization out of the superstitions, myths and harmful fabrications of the dark ages. We sorely need to harness their power to pull us together now.
Country superstar Jason Aldean, who grew up in Macon, Ga., got into hot water recently with the video for his song Try That in a Small Town. It featured images of Black Lives Matter protests and Aldean wearing a pricey leather jacket, growling during a nighttime video shoot, Try that in a small town, see how far ya make it down the road.

The video sparked a national debate so loud that Sunny Hostin of The View spoke up to say that Aldeans hometown of Macon is one of the most racist places in this country.

Her father had also grown up in Macon when there were not one, but two, Confederate monuments in the middle of town. But he also grew up there before Macon elected its first Black mayor, Jack Ellis, and before the current mayor of the city of 160,000 (its not actually a town) took over in 2021.

I met Mayor Lester Miller during my first road trip series two years ago and was surprised that, like Atlanta, the biggest issue that Macon struggled with then was its spiking murder rate.

Miller grew up in Bibb County, too, so poor he remembers counting out change with his mom at the end of the week to pay the family bills. Now as the mayor, he has tried to lead an apolitical city in a scorching hot political climate, with crime being the most pressing issue when he walked in the door.

Instead of taking a conservative approach to the crisis by simply hiring more police officers or a liberal approach of focusing on poverty and the root causes of the violence, Miller and the Macon-Bibb commission were planning to try all those things  hiring more officers, tearing down abandoned properties, greenlighting no-cost mental health services, getting fresh food to poor neighborhoods. The ideas were innovative and deliberately apolitical. And I really wondered whether any of it could work.

Ive been back to Macon three times since then, including a trip to see leaders raise the flag of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over City Hall to recognize the tribe that lived in Middle Georgia for centuries before being driven off the land by the Trail of Tears. The Muscogee (Creek) flag now flies alongside the American flag above the city every day.

More recently, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has covered the citys decision to relocate its Confederate monuments to a cemetery, as well as the thousands-strong response to antisemitic demonstrators at a local synagogue.

All of that is to say that neither Aldeans video, nor Sunny Hostins memories of Macon, rang true with the Macon Ive seen lately. But the controversy made me wonder whether all of those ideas that Miller wanted to try two years ago ever happened. And if they did, did they make a difference?

The first answer is yes, the ideas the mayor talked about in 2021 are happening, many made possible by more than $18 million in one-time federal COVID-19 relief money that the city commission earmarked for targeting crime rates.

Miller wanted it to be sheriff-led and community-led, and it has been, with 235 new sheriffs deputies hired in Bibb County and dozens of local organizations getting $1.6 million microgrants to improve education, summer youth programs, food deserts or problems theyve identified in their own neighborhoods.

The clearest success so far has been the Blight Fight program, with bulldozers tearing down more than 500 abandoned or burned-out structures that had been identified as havens for crime.

Local news cameras have come out to document them, and the city streams them live on its Facebook page. An additional $7.5 million has gone to a fund to fill in the areas with affordable housing.

Its probably the most renowned success in the county so far, Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark said.

The city has also started using its building codes to sue landlords of run-down apartment buildings or close or modify vice marts, convenience stores that were the sites of hundreds of gunshots monitored by city technology.

You close those early or shut down the vice marts and crime is going down 80% in those areas, Miller said.

Among the community grants that the city funded are programs for at-risk kids that range from mentorships to summer programs to drum circles, job training and yoga classes. In those areas that we targeted, were seeing a decrease in crime, Miller said. Were also seeing a decrease in referrals in the principals office, and schools are seeing better attendance.

But the COVID-19 money that made all those grants possible is a one-time infusion, and Macons challenges, like those of all communities, are systemic and even generational. So, a focus of the grant process has been teaching applicants how to apply for additional grants through a foundation or company in the future.

The whole goal is sustainability because they cant stay with the government forever, Miller said. But now we have foundations and other private individuals stepping in.

The results in Macon are real. Murders are down 40% since last years record number, and violent crime is down 57% this summer compared with the summer of 2022.

Although theyre getting somewhere, Miller and the city commission know that none of the problems  homelessness, blight, poverty and crime  have gone away. But theyve improved for now and hopefully for the long term.

One thing they arent trying in Macon  in fact its the only subject Miller avoids  is partisan politics.

When I ask him whether hes a Democrat or Republican, he says, Ask me in five years.

Im not solving abortion or gun control right here, he said. We all have our own convictions, but weve got to realize what is within our control.

Clark, the mayor pro tem, echoed that sentiment.

Macon had to suffer for a very long time from this gridlock and this division that fell along ideological lines, he said. And weve very intentionally tried to hold together.  Its not easy, and I do find it to be increasingly unique.

And what about Jason Aldean, Sonny Hostin and the rest of the mess?

The mayor called Hostins statement stupid and said Aldean left Macon in the rearview mirror a long time ago.

If Hostin or Aldean does get back to Macon soon, theyll see theres a lot theyre trying in that not-at-all small town. And much of it is working.
People watch Jarius King, 38, compete in a cypher battle during the Battle 4 The Eagle hip-hop festival in Logan Square on Aug. 13, 2023, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

In 2010, Auristela Nunez traveled with a friend, a boombox and a Gang Starr CD to breakdance at the Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square, nicknamed the Eagle.

We were playing it on repeat, and we were breaking and people were like Hi, are you going to be here next week, and I was like I guess, Nunez, 47, of Hampshire, said.

Nunez, who goes by Lady Champ, said she then started going to the monument to dance every Sunday, the same spot she used to visit when she skipped classes in high school. More and more people showed up each week, she said. She eventually found a DJ willing to play music and said they set a date in August to appreciate hip-hop and counteract the bad reputation the genre was getting in the media.

People watch Wayne Cauthen, 34, compete in a cypher battle during the Battle 4 The Eagle hip-hop festival in Logan Square on Aug. 13, 2023, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

On Sunday, dozens of hip-hop lovers competed in breakdancing and graffiti painting at this years Battle 4 The Eagle. Renegades of Funk, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Chicago hip-hop culture, celebrated 50 years of hip-hop at the event, which included free food, music and art. Kids warmed up before dancing in the square in front of a cheering crowd. Colorful graffiti posters also decorated the park.

Im happy, honored that we can celebrate hip-hop every year without any fights, any problems, any arguments, Nunez said. All ages, all races, all genders, everybody is accepted.

The start of hip-hop dates back to DJ Kool Hercs inventive performance at a back-to-school party at a Bronx apartment building on Aug. 11, 1973. This weekend, people across the country celebrated the genre, now one of the most dominant in music.

While Chicago might be known for its style of urban blues and for inventing house music, hip-hop also has rich ties to the city. In fact, the first hip-hop record was produced in Chicago in 1980. Some of the most influential rappers from Common to Kanye West to Lil Durk also got their start in Chicago.

[ False shooting report shuts down Lil Durks show at United Center late Saturday ]

Julio Calderon, who goes by DJ Illanoiz, knew Lady Champ from high school and offered to help out in the early days of the battle. Because Chicago is in the middle of the country, he said, its experienced influences from the East Coast, West Coast and the South.

Im lucky to be a part of it; its my life, Calderon said.

Ibrahim Sabbi, 24, competes in a cypher battle during the Battle 4 The Eagle hip-hop festival in Logan Square. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Well give it to New York, but Chicago had a big part. Because we were a big city, a lot of people went to New York to learn and a lot of stuff got brought back here, said AJ Garcia, the social media manager for Renegades of Funk.

Garcia said Battle 4 The Eagle celebrates all four elements of hip-hop  DJing, rapping, graffiti painting and breakdancing. Competition winners get cash prizes along with a trophy. While hip-hop might have been seen as a fad at first, Garcia said its clear the genre is here to stay, and it can help bring the community together.

Logan Square has its own history associated with hip-hop, Garcia said. Hip-hop artists and community members have met up and battled at the Eagle since the 1970s, viewing it as a safe spot from gang violence.

Co-founders BboyB and Breaker Ray gave out the eagle trophy for the first time in 2004 after Breaker Ray saw an eagle trinket in a store. The duo decided to host a battle in the park they frequented as kids.

At that time we didnt have the floor or anything, Garcia said. It was just a bunch of kids.

Sasha Vulovic competes in a cypher battle during the Battle 4 The Eagle hip-hop festival in Logan Square on Aug. 13, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Garcia said the event has grown significantly since it was just a few people and a boombox. People from other states and even other countries come to battle at Logan Square. Garcia said because of gentrification, many people who grew up in Logan Square cant afford to live there anymore, so Battle 4 The Eagle helps keep the culture alive.

Its the biggest secret that no one knows that people do know, Garcia said. Everybody in the community knows about us, but outside they dont.

I can show my kids that this is what I used to do back in the day, he added.

Marla Isaacs, 41, of Skokie, listened to music while watching kids dance from a lawn chair at the event. She said shes loved hip-hop for her whole life, and on its 50th anniversary shes happy its getting the recognition it deserves.

Theyre doing a great job  Im loving it, Im loving it, she said. I love the graffiti wall, its a wonderful day.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Science still has not provided an answer to that question. In a typical DMT experience, a user may experience lots of rapidly fluctuating emotions, Thayer said, including love, fear, joy, anxiety and euphoria. There can be a "dissolving of the sense of self," and, of course, hallucinations involving self-transforming machine elves.

"The hallucinations vary widely, but usually involve geometric patterns, vivid colors and contact with 'entities,'" Thayer says. "People describe these entities as distinct, autonomous beings that typically present with some kind of message."

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There's no clear-cut description for what the DMT entities actually look like, but they're called "machine elves" or "clockwork elves" because McKenna described them that way. He called them 'self-transforming elf machines,' which is where the now-famous term 'DMT machine elves' comes from.

By using the term "machine elves," Terence McKenna's tales created terminology that has been widely adopted by those who have tripped in his footsteps and described these visuals in the same way that he did.

" " Ayahuasca, also known as "hoasca," "iage," "santo-daime," "daime" and "vegetal," can be used as a tea made from the combination of several plants, in particular the "psychotria viridis" vine. It is often used to create visionary experiences in ritual or religious contexts. Helder Faria/Getty Images

"These entities take on many forms," says Thayer, "including animals, insects, angels, demons, family members, jesters, aliens, lights, spirits, fairies and amorphous beings."

It may seem like it would be scary or one might not be emotionally prepared to encounter these entities on a DMT trip, and Thayer says it's not uncommon for human beings to experience fear, but "the most common emotions people experience are joy, love and trust."

What's especially unusual about the DMT machine elves is the fact that lots of people report seeing the same kinds of incidents and visions in which these beings occurred.

"There is no clear scientific explanation for it," says Thayer, but one theory is that this is simply what the conscious mind experiences in the presence of DMT.

Spiritualists posit that DMT opens the mind to new dimensions of reality, granting us access to the beings that exist there. Encounters with DMT entities are very similar to those reported by people who have had near-death and alien abduction experiences.
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.

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CHICAGO  Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Saturday approved a measure that would allow firearm retailers or manufacturers to be sued for marketing guns to people under 18 and promoting other improper marketing ploys geared toward the sale of weapons.

The bill was signed a day after Pritzker and his Democratic allies in the Illinois General Assembly scored a close victory when the state Supreme Court, in a 4-3 decision, voted to uphold the states ban on certain high-powered guns and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Pritzker and other elected officials discussed the gun marketing liability law in Chicago at McCormick Place during a conference for the national gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the event on Friday.

You know, we hold opioid manufacturers accountable. We hold vaping companies accountable. We hold predatory lenders accountable. Gun manufacturers shouldnt get to hide from the law and now they wont be able to, Pritzker said at the conference on Saturday.

Dubbed the Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, the new law allows firearms businesses to not only be sued if they advertise to people under 18, but also if the businesses fail to take steps to prevent illegal sales, such as straw purchasing, sell guns to someone who is not allowed to own one or sell them to someone who the businesses believe could be a danger to themselves or someone else.

The law also allows civil action against the firearms businesses if theyre found to have marketed guns for unlawful paramilitary or private militia-related activities.

In the legislature, the measure passed 71-40 in the House and 34-22 in the Senate.

Before the measures passage in May, Senate Republican Leader John Curran, of Downers Grove, raised concerns about the vagueness and the lack of notice and guidance that the measure gives firearms businesses when they try to comply with such a law by implementing certain safeguards.

We already heavily regulate those who sell and transact weapons in this state. What this proposal before us does, it really just sets a whole myriad of additional liabilities for gun dealers, and quite frankly theres parts of it that would be impossible for them to follow, Curran said during a Senate floor debate. He also said he thinks the measure could be challenged in the courts.

Before the bill passed, at least one of its other opponents argued it violates federal law, which provides protections for firearms manufacturers against civil liabilities. During the Illinois Senate floor debate, Senate President Don Harmon sought to assure others in the chamber that the bill does not conflict with federal law.

I want to emphasize why were doing this. One of the key components of this is to prevent marketing to children, said Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park.

He also referenced what he said was an image of an ad of a young child holding a high-powered gun.

This is how people are marketing guns to our children, Harmon said. I dont think the (states) Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act should allow that unchecked.

In determining whether firearm advertising campaigns are geared toward minors, the law says that could mean promotions that use caricatures that reasonably appear to be minors or cartoon characters, offer brand name merchandise for minors such as clothing, toys, or stuffed animals, or products in sizes, colors, or designs that are specifically designed to be used by, or appeal to, minors.

According to Attorney General Kwame Raouls office, which pushed for the legislation, the measure specifically excludes communications or promotional materials for lawful firearms safety programs such as hunting activities or sport shooting events.
FSB Region 16 2023 Teacher Externship

First State Bank was fortunate to participate in the 2023 Teacher Externship Program by hosting one of our very own Spearman High School teachers, Roger Morton. Roger is in his 5th year at Spearman High, teaching Principles of Business, Accounting I & II and Financial Math.



The Panhandle Externship Program is an excellent opportunity for educators and employers to work together to enrich and strengthen teaching and prepare students for the workforce. Externships offer a unique professional development opportunity connecting the classroom to the workplace. Teachers spend time in the workplace to learn about trends, skill requirements, and opportunities in industries related to their teaching and to bring relevance to student learning. During his time with FSB, Roger shadowed and interviewed the Lending & Credit Department, Bookkeeping, New Accounts, HR, the Bank President, and the CEO.



Employers who host externs also benefit by informing educators about their expectations of employees in various occupations. Employers can also pave roads to become guest speakers and mentors, host field trips, and job shadows, or offer internships for students.



Workforce Solutions had 50 spots to fill, securing 48 teachers and 36 employers for the 2023 summer. Out of the 48 teachers participating, they had 25 rural teachers. Spearman had the most teachers(4) from the rural school district!



FSB proudly recognizes this valuable experience and opportunity. We thoroughly enjoyed having Roger join our FSB team!



Member FDIC




In the U.S. News and World Reports 2023 rankings of the best hospitals, released earlier this month, Atrium Health Cabarrus achieved high marks both regionally and statewide.

It was ranked as the No. 3 hospital in the Charlotte metropolitan area and the No. 12 hospital across North Carolina.

This is especially impressive given there are 27 hospitals in the region, according to the report, and 136 throughout the state.

Atrium Cabarrus, which has more than 4,300 employees, making it the largest employer in Cabarrus County, has consistently ranked among the top five, often in the top three, of best hospitals in the Charlotte area over the years, said Asha Rodriguez, Atrium Health Cabarrus vice president and facility executive for Cabarrus.

The only hospitals ranked higher in the area were Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center  both much larger facilities.

What we want people in Cabarrus County to understand is they have a best-in-class institution right here in their back yard, Rodriguez told the Independent Tribune, noting the hospital takes a lot of patients across the Greater Charlotte region and provides a lot of support to some of our smaller facilities who dont have some of the complex services we provide.

U.S. News found Atrium Cabarrus to be rated as highly performing in nine adult procedures and conditions including colon cancer surgery, maternity care and heart attack and heart failure.

The hospital, which is the third largest Atrium facility in the state, has the fifth-largest oncology program in North Carolina.

Were definitely punching above our weight class, Rodriguez told the Independent Tribune.

Once thought of as a small community hospital, Atriums growth  it opened its heart and cardiovascular tower in 2019  has mirrored the explosive growth in the county in recent years.

The hospital has 457 licensed beds, but has a waiver from the state to add another 10% and will expand to 500 beds within a few years.

Rodriguez referred to Atrium Cabarrus as a beacon for people who are in need across the entire footprint, and noted it is a great alternative for people who do not want to go to Charlotte for high-quality medical care.

The hospital also has a rich history, having celebrated its 85th anniversary last year.

Concord having this hospital for the past 85 years is pretty incredible because its a really large, highly competent hospital with really good physicians, said Chief Medical Officer Dan Hagler.

As the hospital has expanded, it has worked to hire employees from the county. This includes students enrolled in the Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute, an early college high school that began last year in partnership with Cabarrus County Schools and Cabarrus College of Health Sciences.

The number of early college students attending school at the hospital will double this year to 120, Rodriguez said.

Summer interns from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have also spent time at the hospital.

Pipeline building is hard, Rodriguez said. Were not going to be able to just find talent, were going to have to grow our own. I think Cabarrus County is a great place for us to inspire young people.
ARTHUR  Glen Conlin, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Conlin, living six miles southeast of Arthur, drowned while swimming in the lake at Wyman Park on Sunday morning at eleven o'clock. It is believed that the young man became exhausted while trying to swim to the diving board from where he entered the water. He was not an expert swimmer. There were only a few other boys in the water at the time and none of them could swim well enough to save the young man. The drowning occurred while members of the congregation of the Sullivan Catholic church were gathering for their annual basket dinner. Many were coming for the day's outing from all over Moultrie county as well as quite a large delegation from the Mattoon Catholic Church. Following the dinner served about one o'clock, all dispersed, no picnic being held because of the death.

GREENUP  A nine-year-old Greenup girl was shot in the leg and then involved in a car wreck Sunday. Sherry Lou Kemper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Kemper, was listed in "Satisfactory" condition today in Burnham City Hospital, Champaign. The girl was shot by her brother who was using his father's shotgun to kill a chicken. A spokesman for the Cumberland county sheriff's office told the Journal Gazette: "The girl was playing around behind the barn. The chicken hopped on a bale of hay and the shot missed the chicken, went through the barn and hit the girl in the leg. When her mother put her in the car to take her to the hospital, she had an accident at the Illinois 130 and Union Road intersection about five miles north of Greenup," the spokesman said.

MATTOON  Some details remain to be worked out, but the city's yard waste collection program this fall likely will resemble the way the program operated at the end of last year. This means residents are to have a dropoff site where they can take leaves, brush and grass clippings. And the street department likely will pick up at curbside leaves put in paper bags that can be shredded. Commissioner Lois Vonderheide said she's working on securing a site of about 10 acres near the city, meaning the dropoff facility could be moved from behind the street department office. But she said the street department would need to staff the facility and provide equipment and labor to assist with the program...MATTOON  A day at the beach in Siesta Key, Fla. in 1997 has resulted in an ongoing friendship between two families from two countries. John and Mindy Merkle, along with their two daughters, Carrie, 12, and Braidy, 10, of Lombard, and Alex and Carolyn Dawson and daughter Anna, 10, of North Yorkshire, England, spent the past week in central Illinois as the two families reunited for the fourth time since meeting in the spring of 1997. "We decided to show them (the Dawson family) central Illinois with the Amish communities, we took them fishing and shopping and have plans to take them horseback riding," said Mrs. Merkle. The Englanders said lifestyle and scenery here are the two major differences noted. "They shop a lot. They eat a lot. And the weather is hot here," said Mrs. Dawson. "There is a lot of open space here. it is very enclosed in England. To go to a shopping mall in England it is very crowded where here it is very pleasant, we can just stroll around," she said.
Serabi Medinas family is currently raising money online to pay for her funeral.

Youve probably read or heard about how the nine-year-old girl was allegedly deliberately shot in the head and murdered by a neighbor in Chicagos Portage Park neighborhood earlier this month.

But the fundraising shouldnt be necessary.

Last year, House Bill 2985 created the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Act. The measure unanimously passed both legislative chambers and was signed into law on May 10, 2022.

The law was named after Mychal Moultry, a four-year-old boy murdered in 2021. My son will be remembered, Mychals mom told a reporter last year.

The law allows the Illinois Department of Human Services to pay up to $10,000 per murdered child funeral and burial starting July 1 of this year, but that spending was subject to appropriation. That legalese means the services can only be paid for if the program is specifically added to the states budget law with a dollar amount attached to it. And, as so often happens with legislation like this, the money was not properly inserted into the final bill, which means families like Serabis might not see a dime  although there is hope that a solution will be found.

The problem with the system is that the buck doesnt seem to really stop anywhere. The original Senate sponsor retired. The governor signed the bill at a Peoria event, but his budget office and the Department of Human Services didnt include it in the spending plan Gov. Pritzker proposed in February. The legislative staffs also apparently dont track bills to make sure programs are funded.

It looks like the program slipped through the cracks because, according to the governors office, the bills House original sponsor apparently made an honest mistake and mistook an appropriation for another burial program to be a funding source for the child burial legislation.

Rep. Camille Lilly is the original House sponsor of the murdered child funeral bill and also chairs the House Health & Human Services Appropriations Committee. She claimed first through a spokesperson and then in a phone conversation with my associate Isabel Miller that the law had been funded last year and, when no money was spent, $5 million was re-appropriated this year.

Trouble is, the law didnt fully take effect until July 1, 2023, so it wouldnt have been funded during the 2022 budget process.

More importantly, according to the governors office, the $5 million appropriations line Rep. Lilly pointed to is for an existing burial program for adults within three different Public Aid Code articles identified in the bills language, but not for the childrens program, which is in a different article of the code.

The Department of Human Services is, committed to implementing this law and is planning to utilize some of this appropriation to cover the childrens program, explained Jordan Abudayyeh at the governors office. But the department will have to draft and implement rules to accomplish this because theres no clear appropriation for the child program.

The rules, Abudayyeh said, will be retroactive so funeral/burial expenses up to $10,000 may be covered related to tragedies that occurred between July 2022 and July 2024.

Hopefully, this will all be fixed. But, as I mentioned above, this is all too common in Springfield. Legislators and advocates regularly pass bills that require government spending and then dont adequately engage during the budget-making process (which is not what appears to have happened here).

The Department of Human Services was required by last years law to have new administrative rules in place by this July 1, but since the funding wasnt in the budget, DHS put it on the back burner. That shouldnt have happened.

Staffs in both the legislative and executive branches are already stretched thin. The Houses appropriations staff is trying to form a union and their director recently announced his pending resignation. Theres lots of flux everywhere. Even so, somebody smarter than me needs to come up with a solution to this.

Separately, Rep. Lilly also pointed out to Isabel that the state still has trouble convincing funeral homes to conduct the services and then wait for reimbursement because of the states long history of extremely slow payments. State reimbursements flow a whole lot faster now, but its hard to live down a bad reputation.

In the meantime, if you would like to help Serabi Medinas family pay for her funeral and burial, go here: www.gofundme.com/f/serabi-medina
Achievers

Mark Owens, president and CEO of Greater Winston-Salem, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for ACCE, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, an Alexandria, Va.-based association of more than 9,000 professionals who work for and with more than 1,600 chambers of commerce.

Members of ACCEs board of directors represent more than 50 organizations, including many of the worlds largest and most influential regional chambers of commerce.

* * * *

The Board of Trustees of Old Salem has elected the following new members:

Peggy Carter and Jesse Keever, both of Winston-Salem; Christopher DuVall of Petersburg, Va.; Juliana Falk of Charleston, S.C.; Torren Gatson of Greensboro; W. Ted Gossett of Washington, D.C.; Tommy Hines of Morgantown, Ky.; Bradley Parris of Snow Hill, NC; and Frederick Vaughan of Winston-Salem.

The following board members were re-elected to additional terms: Dr. Eugene Adcock, Will Joyner and David Wharton, all of Winston-Salem; Cheryl Black of Wilmington, Del., and Christopher Caracci of Williamsburg, Va.

Board members elected as officers are Wharton, elected chairman of the board; Caracci, vice chairman; William Mariner of Ocean City, MD as treasurer, and Hayes Wauford of Winston-Salem as secretary.

James Boswell, of Williamsburg, Va., was elected as an ex-officio member representing the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts Advisory Board. Others elected to ex-officio positions are Karl Kapp from the Wachovia Historical Society; Summer McGee, president of Salem Academy and College; Johnnie Pearson, representing the Salem Congregation; and Doug Williams of Winston-Salem, representing the Old Salem Residents Association.

* * * *

RH CPAs, a North Carolina-based accounting, tax and advisory firm with offices in Lexington, Greensboro and Charlotte and Karachi, Pakistan, has been awarded Captive Reviews Top Audit & Accounting Services 2023 title for the second year in a row. RH was one of 24 companies honored at the awards ceremony on Aug. 7 in Lake Champlain, Vt.

RH CPAs was selected as the winner in the top audit & accounting services category based on a strict criteria and judging process. Captive Reviews team of independent, external judges considered each submitting firms qualifications in the following categories: Delivering clients a quick and efficient service in their tax reporting and audit requirements; case studies where the firm has understood and responded well to a specific set of requirements; and numbers demonstrating growth in the audit and accountancy firm.

Announcements

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Piedmont Triad has announced the addition of a new Hospitality Cart at the Novant Health Waughtown Pediatric Clinic, 648 E. Monmouth St. in Winston-Salem. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to introduce the cart from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 14. The clinic provides routine medical care and advanced care for children from birth to age 21.

The Cart at Waughtown Pediatrics will be the seventh hospitality cart provided in the community by RMHCPT since 2019. The carts serve as extensions of the hospitality provided at the House and Family Rooms to meet families where they are in the medical facility serving them, providing physical comforts and emotional support to promote the well-being of the whole family.

Community members can support the program by donating much-needed items for the carts and including the Ronald McDonald House Charities Piedmont Triad in their charitable giving. A wish list for the carts and more information about the House and Family Room programs can be found at www.rmhcpt.org.

* * * *

Winston-Salem Writers and Bookmarks will present readings by four authors at 7 p.m. Aug. 16 at the monthly From the Page Author Showcase, formerly 4 on 4th, at Bookmarks, 634 W. Fourth St. #110 in Winston-Salem. The event is free to attend; no registration is required.

Augusts theme is Learning and Growing. The event will feature authors Britney Dent reading Parenting Redefined: Finding the Confidence to Parent Your Teen; Christopher Laney, Flying Colors; John McLaughlin, from Lifeline to a Soul; and Joanna Monahan, Something Better.

The readings will be followed by book signings by the authors.

Authors of newly published books who would like to promote their books at From the Page Author Showcase events should use the following link to be considered for the readings at the Bookmarks store: www.bookmarksnc.org/forauthors_4on4th.

Awards

Dr. Meredith Adams, associate professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, was recently awarded the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addition Long-term Directors Trailblazer Award.

This award recognizes HEAL-funded researchers in the early to middle stages of their careers who are applying an innovative approach or creativity in their research or are expanding research into addressing the pain and opioid crisis in new directions.

The NIH is the nations medical research agency and includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.

* * * *

Dr. William Huang, professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, was recently awarded the American Academy of Dermatologys Professionalism Award.

This award recognizes a medical professional or organization that has exemplified the highest standards of professionalism and medical ethics over their career. Huang was selected for his ongoing dedication to modeling and teaching professionalism to medical students, residents and professional colleagues.

The AAD was founded in 1938 and is the largest, and most representative, of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 20,500 physicians worldwide, the AAD is committed to advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails.

* * * *

Three Atrium Health hospitals are among 10, nationwide, being recognized with the 2023 Sustainability Champion Award, presented by the American Society for Health Care Engineering, which is part of the American Hospital Association. Atrium Health Lincoln, Atrium Health Mercy and Atrium Health Union will be honored at the organizations annual conference in San Antonio this month. As part of a program called Energy to Care, the award recognizes hospitals that demonstrate strong leadership in becoming more sustainable facilities, using saved resources to support patient care.

These three hospitals, as well as nine other Atrium Health hospitals, are among 31 hospitals that will receive the ASHEs Sustained Performance Award. Those include Atrium Health Cabarrus, Atrium Health Cleveland, Atrium Health Kings Mountain, Atrium Health Pineville and Atrium Health Stanly in the areas in and around Charlotte; Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Wilkes Medical Center in northwest North Carolina; and Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center and Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center, in Georgia.

Grants

Dr. Carlos Ferrario, professor emeritus of general surgery and founder of the Hypertension and Vascular Research Center at Wake Forest University School of Medicine was recently awarded a grant from Argo Biopharmaceuticals to perform research and study novel therapy for treating primary essential hypertension.

Ferrario will receive nearly $107,000 in funding to support his research as he will test the efficacy of silencing the expression of a gene that is the source for the synthesis of angiotensin II, a hormone that contributes to developing high blood pressure by constricting the blood vessels and stimulating the kidneys to retain salt. Ferrarios project will generate the preclinical research to advance therapeutic documentation needed to market this approach for the treatment of cardiovascular and renal diseases.

Argo Biopharma is a developer of drugs using RNAi technology.

* * * *

Duke Energy has awarded $1 million in grants to support community assistance programs across North Carolina.

Locally, Crisis Control Ministry in Winston-Salem received $80,000.

On the Move

United Way of Forsyth County has named Stephen J. Sills as chief impact officer. Sills previously was a research scientist for the Office of Research and Engagement at UNCG and a senior vice president at the Research, Policy & Impact Center at the National Institute of Minority Economic Development in Durham.
As email goes, one that landed recently stood out simply because of its subject line.

New Research Shows Effectiveness of Gunshot Technology in Winston-Salem

Two years ago, the city rolled out ShotSpotter, an acoustic gunfire detection system that officials hoped would give them a high-tech weapon to help get a grip on gun violence.

Killings were nearing all-time highs; 44 were reported in 2021 and another 33 in 2022  27 of those resulted from gunfire.

From August 2021 through the end of 2022, 6,071 reports about gunfire somewhere in the city were phoned in to 911  in police parlance, calls for service for discharging firearms.

Worse, some neighborhoods have become inured to gunfire.

We were not getting 911 calls 80 percent of the time (in some patrol sectors) for shots fired, said Capt. Amy Gauldin of the Winston-Salem Police Department, who helped implement the system.

A well-documented history of having difficulty recruiting and retaining officers didnt help, either. Fewer cops to deal with increasing gun violence sounds like trouble.

Something needed to be done.

Checking the dataCity officials rolled out ShotSpotter in August 2021.

The idea was that sensors placed in a dense, 3-square mile area north and east of downtown would quickly pinpoint the location of gunfire.

City officials promoted the idea that the technology could help police work more efficiently by determining if detected noises actually were gunshots and, if so, cut down on the number of officers  and the amount of time  spent trying to find the source.

A quicker response to a specific location could save lives.

But would it work?

The initial $700,000 cost to install and operate ShotSpotter for three years would be covered by grants.

But as anyone in government can tell you, getting a grant to cover initial expenses for a program (or employees) is easy. Paying for it after the grant runs out can be a challenge.

So it seemed suspect last week when an email was circulated touting the effectiveness of the system and making claims that seemed too good to be true.

A 24 percent decrease in assaults  police response time cut by 5 minutes  it saves the city money

So yeah, having the companys president singing of his own product felt like a concerted sales push for renewal.

Except that it wasnt.

Police wanted some preliminary information about how well  or if  ShotSpotter was working. So the brass shared data collected from the first 18 months of using the program with researchers at the Center for Crime Science and Violence Prevention at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

Wed worked with this researcher before and felt comfortable with their work, Gauldin said.

Ah, science ... Trust but verify.

Im sure (ShotSpotter) is happy with the data but they werent aware we were doing this, Gauldin said.

Indeed, claims that sounded as if they had been ginned up by a company that stood to gain financially resulted from number crunching and analysis.

Researchers looked at nearly 2,000 gunfire alerts picked up by the system.

Among the most eye-catching findings:

The response to ShotSpotter alerts is 5 minutes quicker than 911 calls by residents;

Evidence  shell casings  that can be used by prosecutors was recovered 37.1 percent of the time;

Aggravated assaults were down 24 percent in the area covered by the program;

But those are just numbers.

Life-saving possibilitiesIn presentations to the City Council, police brass cited one particular incident in which patrol officers quickly found a man whod been shot.

Without ShotSpotter confirmation of his location, it could have taken much longer to get to him.

The man didnt have a cell phone, said Gauldin, meaning that method of locating him wouldnt work. The officer was able to apply a tourniquet. ER doctors said later that it was reasonable to think that without a tourniquet, he might not have survived.

Still, there are lingering privacy and civil-liberties concerns about ShotSpotters, which is used in some 130 U.S. cities, and its potential to be used as a surveillance tool.

Weve seen, from other cities, that ShotSpotter itself is deployed overwhelmingly in communities of color, which are already disproportionately bearing the brunt of police presence, said Dustin Chicurel-Bayard, the communications director for the ACLU of North Carolina in 2021.

The counter argument, of course, is that the city selected the areas to be covered by the program based on the sheer volume of reports about gunfire rather than demographic considerations.

And within the analysis came the disturbing confirmation that in the covered area, 78.9 percent of the confirmed gunfire alerts had no corresponding 911 call.

Its a small sample size but weve seen that consistently, Gauldin said.

Meaning that in some neighborhoods, residents were so accustomed to hearing gunshots that they didnt bother reporting it, they feared retribution or didnt trust police.

Whatever the explanation, thats a hell of a commentary about gun violence in the community.

Much work remains on an intractable problem and a decision about whether to spend $230,000-$350,000 (the companys estimates) annually to keep ShotSpotter is a long way out.

We want to be able to make an informed decision at the 3-year mark, Gauldin said. I dont have the authority to make that decision, though.

But if she did?

Technology is expensive but if it was a member of my family ... how do you put a price on a life? she said.
As William Patrick Pat Pate prepares to become the next city manager, the Ministers Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity and the local chapter of the NAACP will meet Monday with Mayor Allen Joines to discuss the process that went into his selection.

The noon meeting, which is closed to the public, will be held at Union Baptist Church, the Ministers Conference said Saturday in a news release.

After the meeting, the groups and Joines will hold a news conference at the church to share details on a collective path forward concerning how our city government, our community leaders, clergy and citizens can continue to work together to create and maintain transparency, diversity, equity and inclusivity," according to the release.

Joines said Saturday that he is looking forward to having a positive conversation with members of the Ministers Conference and the NAACP to talk about the process."

There might be some questions that I cannot delve into, Joines said. I will be as transparent as possible and share as much information that I can within the law.

Pate will start in early November. Last week, the City Council voted 5-3 to approve his contract. Pate, who is the city manager in Manassas, Va., said that under his agreement with that city, he has given 90 days' notice for his departure.

A controversy arose in mid-July when three of the city's eight council members backed Assistant City Manager Patrice Toney for the job. Toney was one of three finalists for the position, and had she been hired, would have become the city's first Black female city manager. Pate and the other finalist, Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe, are white men.

In the days following the City Councils July 14 decision to hire Pate, the Winston-Salem chapter of the NAACP and the Ministers Conference, whose members are mostly from the city's Black community, objected to the decision. Both groups questioned whether the hiring process had been fair and unbiased, and the NAACP charged that the city had treated Toney's quest for the job with "blatant inconsideration."

The Ministers' Conference initially wanted, but was denied, a meeting with Joines and the City Council over the matter. City Attorney Angela Carmon said that too many confidential personnel issues were involved to have that kind of discussion.

But now the two organizations will get to speak with elected officials after all.

We are prayful that as we prepare for our pending meeting, the outcome will represent unity, civility, and transparency," the Ministers Conference said.
Deputy Chief Larry Snelling, center, talks with officers before a prayer service in memory of Officer Ella French outside the 22nd District on Aug. 11, 2021, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Mayor Brandon Johnson has selected Larry Snelling, the Chicago Police Departments chief of the bureau of counterterrorism and a longtime instructor at the training academy, to serve as the next permanent superintendent.

A South Side native who joined the department in 1992, Snelling, 54, is considered to be CPDs preeminent expert on firearms and use-of-force tactics. His ascent to the top position will require approval by the full City Council.

Chief Snelling is a proven leader who has the experience and the respect of his peers to help ensure the safety and well-being of city residents, and address the complex challenges we all face related to community safety, Johnson said in a news release Sunday.

A news conference introducing Snelling as the choice for the citys next top cop is expected late Monday morning.

It is a tremendous honor to answer the call to serve my hometown and the people of Chicago as superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. It is also a tremendous responsibility, and one that I do not take lightly, Snelling said in a statement.

While I am humbled by this moment, I stand ready to lead and uphold Mayor Johnsons three Cs of competence, compassion and collaboration, and keep that vision at the forefront in addressing safety on every street, every block and in every neighborhood, he added.

Snelling was chosen over two other finalists, CPD Chief of Constitutional Policing and Reform Angel Novalez, and Shon Barnes, the chief of police in Madison, Wisconsin.

Anthony Driver Jr., the president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, the body that submitted the three finalists to Johnson last month, issued a statement Sunday.

Chief Snellings remarkable career and long tenure with the Chicago Police Department make him an exceptional choice for the role of Superintendent, Driver said. His proven leadership as chief of the bureau that focuses on criminal networks and narcotics, his dedication to cultivating robust community relations, and his fervent commitment to elevating professional standards within the Department set him apart as a proven leader.

His selection to become the 64th leader of Chicago Police Department caps off a rapid rise through the ranks for Snelling, who, less than five years ago, was just a sergeant.

Snelling will helm the countrys second-largest police department as swaths of the city, particularly disadvantaged communities of color, continue to be plagued with high levels of gun violence. Fatal and nonfatal shootings are down in recent years, but still outpace pre-pandemic totals.

Meanwhile, as CPD continues to struggle in its efforts to comply with a federal consent decree, a recent survey found that a growing share of residents harbor deep distrust of the citys police officers and public perception of the department continues to worsen amid low officer morale and skyrocketing overtime costs.

Snelling has spent more than half of his career as an instructor at CPDs training academy.

Chicago police Sgt. Larry Snelling talks about dash-cam video during a trial at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on Nov. 28, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

He has twice been honored with the departments Life Saving Award, has received four department commendations, 57 honorable mentions and 13 physical fitness emblems of recognition, according to his city employee personnel file. Snelling received a bachelors degree in Adult Education and Leadership from DePaul University in 2014.

His 18 years at the police academy made him CPDs foremost authority on use-of-force, the use of firearms and report writing. According to his resume, Snelling is certified to teach courses on active shooter scenarios, the use of Tasers, firearms and batons, as well as personal fitness. Aside from teaching police procedures, hes also a certified CrossFit instructor.

As a result of his expertise, Snelling has been called to testify as an expert witness in more than two dozen civil and criminal cases involving police officers.

Among those cases was the 2018 criminal trial of three CPD officers who were accused of conspiring to cover up the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald four years earlier. Those three officers were ultimately acquitted in a bench trial.

Snelling also testified in the police board proceedings of four officers who faced administrative charges also stemming from the 2014 McDonald shooting on the Southwest Side. All four were eventually fired.

While on the witness stand, Snelling was asked why McDonald, who was armed with a knife, should not have been considered an armed assailant. According to Illinois Appellate Court records, Snelling said:

A subject becomes an assailant when that subject commits an act of furtherance other than just being armed. Police officers come in contact with people who are armed all the time, he said, If there was a movement in furtherance toward the officer that you could actually see in the video, then it would rise to the level of deadly force, but I cant see it in the video.

A sergeant as recently as 2019, Snellings ascent through the ranks has been quick. Hes gained admirers along the way, too.

You have to have a police superintendent thats willing to work with these community organizations and give them the power that they deserve, Darryl Smith, the president of the Englewood Political Task Force, said during the CCPSAs April 19 forum at St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham. You can not police from a book. You have to talk to the people that are out here every day, dealing with this every day, and my choice is Chief Larry Snelling.

Smith was just one of dozens of city residents who urged the CCPSA to nominate candidates with longstanding ties to the CPD and the city.

Chief of the Bureau of Counterterrorism, Larry Snelling, left, talks with police supervisors after an incident on March 1, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Pending his approval by the full City Council, Snelling will replace former CPD superintendent David Brown, who was tapped for the job by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in April 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was still in its infancy. Browns tenure as head of the CPD was marked by a spike in violent crime, several incidents of civil unrest and looting, and low officer morale. Brown, who was previously the chief of police in Dallas, his hometown, announced his resignation as CPD superintendent in March after Lightfoot failed to qualify for the mayoral runoff election.

After Johnson was sworn in as mayor last April, he selected Fred Waller, CPDs former chief of patrol, to serve as interim superintendent during the search for Browns permanent replacement.

Records from the citys Department of Human Resources show that Snelling joined CPD in 1992 after working as a waiter at a restaurant in Hyde Park. For the first two years of his career he was a patrol officer in the Englewood and Morgan Park districts on the South Side. From 1994 to 1998, he was back in Englewood, this time as a tactical and gang team officer.

CPD records show that Snelling was the subject of two sustained misconduct complaints in the mid-1990s. He was suspended for a total of seven days in those two cases, according to CPD internal affairs records.

Snellings first sustained complaint came in 1994.

Around 7 a.m. on May 12, 1994, Snelling and another officer were assigned to take two male arrestees from the Englewood District station to the Chicago Lawn District station a few miles west. During the ride, one of the men tried to strike up a conversation with Snelling and his partner but he was rebuffed, according to CPD internal affairs records.

The passenger officer, with badge #9919, now known as Larry Snelling, became angry with him and asked him Do you take me as a joke (expletive) ; do you think you know everything? CPD investigators wrote of the allegations.

The officer who was driving then pulled the van over, and he and Snelling got out and opened the side door, records show. It was then that Snelling allegedly struck the man, who was arrested for domestic battery, in the face.

Records show Snelling denied that he hit the man or called him an expletive.

Snelling was implicated in a far more serious disciplinary case a year later when he allegedly pointed his gun at another driver  also an off-duty police officer  who was traveling through Englewood. And though he again denied wrongdoing, Snelling was eventually found to have violated CPD rules that prohibit unlawful use or display of a weapon and engaging in any unjustified verbal or physical altercation with any person while on or off duty.

Snelling admitted to investigators that he was driving his Jeep on Garfield when he had a traffic altercation. Snelling said he called the driver of the Cadillac an idiot after the driver nearly struck his Jeep. And though he had his gun in his waistband, Snelling denied that he pointed it at anyone. He also said that he didnt refer to the driver with a racist term or call him an expletive.

Internal affairs investigators said Snellings explanation didnt hold water, and the two allegations against him were sustained, CPD records show.

Snelling took a leave of absence from the department from 1998 to 2000 when he was a regional security director for AT&T. Upon his return to the department in 2001, he was once again assigned to the training academy where he was a physical skills instructor until 2010.

In August of that year Snelling was promoted to sergeant. The promotion came by way of the CPDs much-maligned merit system, which was launched in the mid-1990s as a way to bolster racial and gender diversity among the police departments supervisors.

A merit promotion is awarded to an officer after they are nominated by a member of the CPDs command staff and approved by the departments merit board. Though noble in intent, the merit promotions system has been long seen as a way to reward political cronyism within CPDs ranks.

The U.S. Department of Justice investigated the department in the wake of the release of the McDonald shooting video in 2015. In their summary report, federal investigators said: Many of the officers we spoke with, minority and non-minority alike, told us they feel merit promotions are not truly based on merit, but rather the clout you hold in the department or who you know.

Snellings two merit nominators  retired CPD deputy chief Matthew Tobias and retired Lt. Daniel Godsel  did not respond to interview requests.

After he was promoted to sergeant in 2010, Snelling was once again assigned to the Morgan Park District, but records show he was there for only a year. In 2011, he was back at the CPD training academy where he remained until May 2019 when he received another merit promotion to the rank of lieutenant. He then returned to the Englewood District.

In February 2020, eight months after he was promoted to lieutenant, Snelling was promoted to commander of the Englewood District. The following summer, as cities across the country were gripped by civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, a police shooting in the Englewood District left the neighborhood on edge.

On Aug. 9, 2020, someone called 911 to report a male with a gun was near a park at 57th and Racine. Officers assigned to the CPDs Community Safety Team responded to the call, and upon arrival they saw 20-year-old Latrell Allen. Allen ran off, but officers caught up with him in a nearby alley. Allen allegedly fired several shots at officers, who returned fire and shot Allen in the shoulder. Allen was charged with attempted murder and a Cook County jury found him guilty earlier this summer.

After the shooting, former police superintendent David Brown said that misinformation about the circumstances of the shooting led to a round of looting throughout the citys downtown area. Police reform advocates planned to protest the shooting outside the Englewood District station on 63rd Street, but they were met by longtime neighborhood residents who chastised them for making their plans without first informing members of the Englewood community.

Four months after the shooting, in December 2020, Snelling was promoted to Deputy Chief of Area 2, which covers the four CPD patrol districts on the citys Far South Side. Snelling was named the Chief of CPDs Bureau of Counterterrorism  which oversees narcotics and gang investigations, as well as SWAT team operations  in October 2022 after his predecessor, Ernest Cato III, abruptly retired from the department.
My teacher's brick

My teacher had a brick.

Last year, when I was in 10th grade, I heard the crazy rumor that my Spanish teacher had a brick. Jokingly, I thought it might be to silence the class clown, but my teacher was too nice for that.

I will never forget the day I found out the truth about that brick. You see my teacher had that brick to save my life. She had it in case an active shooter burst into our classroom. Her plan was to throw that brick through the window and give us a chance to run. She was willing to die while we escaped and got to live our own lives.

This did not sit right with me, and it should not sit right with you. The question is: What can we do to improve school safety? I feel that North Carolina should have a red-flag law. Such a law temporarily takes a gun away from someone who may hurt him or herself or others.

Our teachers deserve more than bricks.

Wesley Lean

Colfax

The Kennedys

Froma Harrop's syndicated article about the Kennedys ("The Kennedy story was never that hot," Aug. 11) demonstrates an ignorance in understanding the power of stories.

We tell stories to promote the good of our short time on this Earth. Those of us who were inspired by the Kennedys to ask not what we can do for ourselves but what we can do for others will always be thankful for their love for this country.

Yes, they have had their faults and Bobby Jr. may not be playing with a full deck, but to dig up dirt about "storied Kennedys" is unkind and shows a remarkable ignorance about human beings who build rather than insult and destroy.

Henry McCarthy

Winston-Salem

Pay now. Or later.

A recent letter from a founder of Read Write Spell ("How to help," Aug. 6) concerned third graders who cannot read at grade level. These 60% won't be at grade level in the ninth grade also and probably won't graduate and will be spending time in jail (an estimated 85%).

Who is paying for this incarceration (about $50,000 year per jailed person)? You and I. Would it not be prudent to spend money now to pay for the training?

Raising teacher pay $5 per week will not attract more to enter this noble occupation.

Please advocate for more funding by our legislature, city and county and respond to the author's invitation to help tutor.

It's a pay-now-or-pay-later issue. Please help.

Woody Clinard

Winston-Salem

The real danger

In an Aug. 10 Readers Forum letter entitled Nation in decline, the author blames Joe Biden for the decline. If indeed we are in decline, it started because of the authoritarian personality of the former president. Had criminal defendant Donald Trump been successful in his illegal attempt to remain in power, this country would no longer be a democracy. Because of the courts voting against Trumps accusations of 2020 election fraud, and Mike Pence having the courage to disobey Trump and count the electoral votes, Trump might have remained in power and our democracy would be over.

But the danger is not over. Criminal defendant Trump is the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination for president in 2024.

Trump continues to exhibit his dictatorial tendencies in various ways. He denies the legitimacy of Bidens presidency. He has vowed to persecute and prosecute his political enemies. He calls the free press the enemy of the people. He is prone to spread lies to hold on to power. He unmercifully degrades political opponents.

I can go on, but allow me close by quoting prominent conservative Republicans. Chris Christie told the Financial Times, that Trump wants to be Putin in America. In a TV ad, Liz Cheney says, Donald Trump is a risk America can never take again.

On "CNN This Morning," former Federal Appeals Court Judge Michael Luttig was asked if Trump is still a clear and present danger to American democracy. Luttig answered, More so today than he was last summer.

Rudy Diamond

Lewisville

If he won ...

Here is how Donald Trump can prove beyond doubt that he believes he won the 2000 election: He can disqualify himself for the coming election by citing the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution: No person can be elected to the office of President more than twice.

If he really thinks he was elected in 2000, then he cannot try to be elected three times.

Roger Bullard

Winston-Salem
Lincoln's Center for People hosted a celebration Saturday of 20 years of community service with its first-ever People's Parking Lot Party, a music festival and fundraiser.

Started out of a house on Holdrege Street in 2003, the center's founder Beatty Brasch named it the Center for People in Need. The goal was to meet the needs of people in Lincoln who struggled with food insecurity.

On Saturday, the center has transformed to its current state: a massive building located at 3901 N. 27th St., expanding upon Brasch's sole goal of feeding families in Lincoln and adding in diaper distribution and educational programs such as English Language Learning for new Americans and job training and development opportunities. The center is also looking to expand to food education as well, with information about nutrition and meal planning for those who come to the center.

"The Center for People has not only changed its name to embrace the entirety of what it offers, but it has also freshened its brand," said Center for People Director of Fund Development Belinda Acosta in an email.

To celebrate the center's growth over the past two decades, staff and volunteers turned the building's parking lot into a food-truck-lined mini music festival with local artists Jurana, Jack Hotel, 23rd Vibration and A Ferocious Jungle Cat taking to the stage.

Between sets, board and staff members sang their praises of volunteers and other members of the team that had taken part in organizing not only Saturday's event, but past distribution events and day-to-day activities.

"I think most milestone events are cause for reflection," said Acosta in an email. "For someone like me, who's been at the Center for People for a little over a year, it's a time to reflect and appreciate what has been accomplished and what's possible."

Opposite the stage, acclaimed muralist David Manzanares led a community mural activity. Attendees painted their part of Manzanares' mural that will be hung in the Center for People once finished.

"It's always beautiful to work with community because you can always connect with somebody," said Manzanares, who began painting murals in Mexico before moving to Nebraska.

Manzanares has experience working with groups of people adding color to the murals he's outlined and said he hasn't worked with the center before but volunteered because he knows the people. This, Acosta said, was the goal of the party.

"We're in a stage where either you know or you don't know the center," Acosta said. "So we really want to build that recognition, and obviously people that do know who we are just remind them that we are still here doing good work."

Funds raised throughout the night are set to be used to support the general operating costs and food distribution program. With help from the food bank, the center has been able to distribute over 200,000 pounds of food per month.

Top Journal Star photos for August 2023
BUCHAREST, Romania  After receiving distressed text messages from a young man worried about the conditions his friend was living in at a social care home in central Romania, Georgiana Pascu arranged an impromptu visit to inspect the facility.

In the beginning, we were quite sure there is nothing there, said Pascu, program manager at the Center for Legal Resources, a rights group. She said that a day earlier, state authorities had carried out an inspection of the care home for older and disabled people, and no issues had been flagged.

But what she and her colleagues uncovered at the care home in the village of Bardesti, she said, was outrageous  inhuman.

There was a very young woman who looked malnourished, she didnt move, she didnt speak at all  she was lying on the basement floor, she told The Associated Press. There was another young woman, she was crying and asking for water.

The nongovernmental organization discovered six residents in late July living in the Little House of Mins cluttered, dingy basement surrounded by construction materials in addition to 23 people living on the floors above. Four residents with severe disabilities were lying on mattresses soiled with feces, urine, and blood, with flies on them, they said, who couldnt defend themselves and couldn't ask for help.

The team of three from the Center for Legal Resources immediately called the emergency services, and police and ambulance crews arrived, but even they called for backup, Pascu said. Hours later, a resident directed Pascu to what she describes as a small secluded room  with just a bed inside where two residents lived with no artificial or natural light.

The NGOs findings triggered a judicial investigation and follow similar discoveries in other private institutions. So far, two Cabinet members were forced to resign over what Romanian media have dubbed the horror homes scandal.

The discovery is just the latest in a string of disturbing revelations that have made front-page news in the local media, spotlighting the impact corruption can have on the socially vulnerable in Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007.

One of the main conditions of Romanias accession to the EU was that it crack down on endemic corruption, but it remains one of the blocs most corrupt members, according to Transparency International.

In early July, police raids at three separate care homes in Ilfov County near Bucharest also uncovered widespread abuse and neglect of older and disabled people. Images emerged of residents tied to beds in filthy rooms, some exhibiting signs of physical abuse and appearing rake-thin.

In those cases, Romanias anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said that two organized criminal gangs accused of human trafficking and other charges were formed in 2020 to exploit people with disabilities or in vulnerable situations. Prosecutors said residents were subjected to unpaid labor via acts of coercion as well as physical violence, and weren't given enough food.

Prosecutors launched a criminal investigation and said there are more than 20 suspects in the case.

DIICOT detained three people after the findings at the Little House of Min, which it alleges formed a criminal gang in 2020 to commit the crime of human trafficking, and that residents were subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment through acts of physical and mental aggression.

Residents were being exploited under the guise of an association that withheld their state benefits payments or sums sent to them by friends and relatives, prosecutors said. Instead of the money going toward the residents care, it was mainly used for the benefit of the members of the group.

Two local officials were fired over the findings and the authorities shuttered the home.

The AP contacted the young man who had raised concerns to Pascu about the Little House of Min, but he wasnt authorized to talk because hes considered a victim in the legal case.

Doru Constantin, a spokesperson from Mures County social services, confirmed to the AP that the Little House of Min was checked by inspectors a day before the NGOs discovery, but said they didnt find anything because they didn't have access to the basement of the building.

I cant believe even now something like this could happen in our county, he added.

President Klaus Iohannis has called the revelations a national disgrace and said measures must be taken to cut evil from the roots.

One of the Ilfov care home bosses, DIICOT alleges, was squandering residents money on prostitutes, drugs and parties. He is also being investigated for abuse of office by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate, which is also investigating two social inspectors for corruption who carried out favorable checks on his home in May.

Family Minister Gabriela Firea, who is reported to have close ties to that care home boss, was forced to resign amid the sprawling scandal, as was Labor Minister Marius Budai. They both denied knowledge of care homes woes.

Alin Mituta, a Romanian legislator at the European Parliament, asked the European Commission in July if it planned to investigate Romanias abusive care homes issue, which he said directly violated the blocs Charter of Fundamental Rights. The responsible Romanian authorities, Mituta said, were made aware of these issues  but no action was taken.

European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said in a statement sent to the AP on Wednesday that the Commission is deeply concerned by this case as there is no place for mistreatment of vulnerable people in the EU, adding it can't comment on ongoing investigations.

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu expressed gratitude last week to the NGOs that exposed abuses in the welfare system."

It is obvious that the Romanian state needs help, he said. We need to close this chapter of abuse.

The history of how roads are built, and what future construction may look like The history of how roads are built, and what future construction may look like Past: The foundation of the road systems Present: An enormous investment in resources Future: Toward more innovative infrastructure
MERRITT RESERVOIR  Last September, the International Dark-Sky Association confirmed what veterans of the Nebraska Star Party have known for 30 years: On a clear night, the Sandhills boast some of the darkest skies on Earth.

Thanks to a joint effort between two Nebraska state agencies, the 729-acre Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area  spilling like a broken vessel across the heart of Cherry County  is now the first certified International Dark Sky Park in the state.

The Milky Way is so bright here it casts shadows on the ground! said Brenda Culbertson, a solar system ambassador with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, at last months 30th annual Nebraska Star Party. Her husband Mike, a farmer and mechanical engineer, tinkered with his telescope beside her. Here the stars are in your face, not up in the sky. It feels like you're on a different planet.

The International Dark-Sky Association called Merritts certification a major first step in conserving Nebraskas nightscape and an opportunity to highlight it as an astrotourism destination. And judging by this years Nebraska Star Party turnout  the third highest on record, with 382 registered stargazers  the results may already be speaking for themselves.

Despite thunderstorms, soaring temperatures and haze from Canadian wildfires, vehicles from Nebraska to New York and Michigan to Massachusetts skirted the parks weather-cracked roads all week, waiting for that one clear night beneath the stars.

This is amazing! said Dave Knisely, Nebraska Star Party board member and field school coordinator. I'm looking at a galaxy  a huge galaxy  from one end to the other, right now, with just the naked eye.

Beneath the excitement of ring nebulas and globular clusters, however, whispers circulated throughout the event that mere bureaucracy prevented Merritt Reservoir and the surrounding wildlife management area, both managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, from achieving the highest classification: not that of a Dark Sky Park, but a full-fledged Dark Sky Sanctuary.

Though reluctant to comment on what she called local politics, former association director of conservation Ashley Wilson agreed.

From my point of view, IDA would have easily accepted that site as a sanctuary, she said. But it appeared that the people in charge of the wildlife management area were just done. They just wanted to observe from the outside, and not really be part of the application process.

Had the 8,900-acre wildlife management area chosen to participate, the larger Merritt area would have joined fewer than 20 other certified dark-sky sanctuaries in the world.

***

Sandhills natives have long cherished the clarity of their night skies. But the success of the Nebraska Star Party over three decades has confirmed just how rare that celestial theater has become in the 21st century, as artificial light pollution continues to draw the curtain.

Today, the Milky Way itself  inspiring humankind since the birth of our species  is no longer visible to roughly one-third of the planet, research shows, including 80% of Americans. In fact, between 2011-2022, Earths average night sky has grown brighter by 9.6% each year.

Nobody has worse skies than I do, said Dan Higgins, president and founder of AstroWorld TV, a YouTube channel devoted to astrophotography. He traveled to this years Nebraska Star Party from his home on Long Island. If you take a look at the light pollution map for New York, its pure white. Theres no comparison here. These are the darkest skies Ive ever seen.

According to Nebraska Star Party officials, the skies over Merritt are a true Class 1 on the Bortle scale, a ranking system adopted by amateur astronomers to assess a given locations stargazing potential. Other Bortle Class 1 sites include Big Bend National Park in Texas, Denali National Park in Alaska and more.

Nebraska Star Party founder Tom Miller couldnt quantify it when he first invited friends and family to Merritt in the summer of 1993, still testing the waters for a star party, he said. But he could sense the potential right away.

It was cloudy when we first got here. We pulled up to the Snake River campground and got out, and it was so dark you couldn't see your hands in front of your face. When the clouds finally lifted, he knew already, the stars would explode.

Sipping a cold Leinenkugels, Miller narrated the Big Bang of the Nebraska Star Party from a lawn chair on Dob Row, a small cul-de-sac in the observation field where attendees have long gathered with their canon-sized Dobsonian reflecting telescopes, optimized for deep-sky observation.

Its his fault! Everything here is his fault! yelled his friend Dragan Nikin, popping out from a trailer he purchased to haul his 600-pound, 11-foot telescope. Thats why Im broke.

They blame me for their aperture fever, Miller said.

Born and raised in Lincoln, Miller started working for his familys seed business fresh out of high school in 1975, overseeing a plant in Hereford, Texas. He married and started a family, all while his grind at Miller Seed Company shifted into higher gear. On the verge of burnout in the early 80s, he built a small observatory in his backyard and cruised the cosmos. It was something to utilize the only free hours he could find; something to shift his perspective.

You just realize how small you are. You get out here, and you see the Milky Way, how it runs from horizon to horizon. Were part of just one galaxy, and there are billions of galaxies in this universe, he said, shaking his head in disbelief. Wow, you know?

Soon he joined the astronomy club in nearby Amarillo. He went to the Texas Star Party near Fort Davis. It was pitch black, he said, until the clouds lifted and the stars exploded. He went the next year, too. And again after that  six years straight. When he moved back to Lincoln in 1991, he joined the Prairie Astronomy Club and convinced four other members to go back to Fort Davis with him.

When they left the desert, they started brainstorming what a star party might look like back home. Miller kept researching. The club kept debating. And in the summer of 1993, by invite only, they soft launched their very own Nebraska Star Party at Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area, where the light-pollution maps fade to black; where the lake provides daytime recreation for the families in tow; where the campgrounds provide cheap, if simple accommodations; and where  on a year so wet as this  the hills virtually hum with wildflowers.

I tell people Nebraska takes and it gives, said Ken Plecki, who towed his 28-foot travel trailer from Willow Springs, Illinois, to this years event. He first attended in 2005, and no sooner had he unpacked his tent than a thunderstorm blew it away. He slept the next two nights in his car, but the skies were the best hed ever seen.

I had a scope. I didn't even look through it. I just sat here and looked at the sky because the center of the Milky Way was casting a shadow, he said, quieter now, as if it were happening all over again. At that moment, I kind of felt like I wasn't looking at the galaxy anymore. I was a part of it.

***

The Nebraska Star Party had long been discussing the potential for dark-sky certification at Merritt. But the spark plug that finally kicked things into high gear, said public outreach coordinator John Johnson, was the Nebraska Tourism Commissions new adventure travel specialist.

Originally from Georgia, Jenna Bartja had just spent the past five years working at Grand Canyon National Park, then pursuing its own accreditation from the International Dark-Sky Association (now DarkSky International), a recognized authority on light pollution.

When Bartja arrived in Nebraska in the fall of 2018, she said, I already had this sense of dark skies as a natural resource worth protecting, and the potential for it to attract more tourism.

She honed in first on the sparsely populated Sandhills, and then, with the enthusiastic support of the Nebraska Star Party  the Merritt area in particular: The 729-acre state recreation area, and the roughly 8,900 acres of wildlife management area surrounding it.

Bartja approached the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission a year later, delivering her compiled dark-sky readings, which far exceeded the criteria for an International Dark Sky Park. She also delivered a full inventory of the lights that would need replaced or retrofitted to meet International Dark-Sky Association requirements.

We weren't really familiar with the program, so it took some time to understand the commitment there, said Bob Hanover, Game and Parks assistant parks division administrator. But the commission soon agreed to begin the process, impressed by what he called layers of value in preserving Merritts night skies.

Astrotourism is something that we know a lot of people are interested in, he said. But the other side is that we know preserving dark skies has a value to the environment, to wildlife, even to recreational activities.

After Bartja submitted the official International Dark Sky Park application in spring 2021, however, the campaign began to wobble.

Citing exceptional night sky quality and a historic dearth of public programming at Merritt, the International Dark-Sky Association suggested they apply for sanctuary status, instead, denoting a more remote, hands-off experience and even darker skies. Shortly after doing so, however, the associations new program manager exposed a fundamental misunderstanding between the submitting parties.

Unlike Bartja, the commission had never considered the surrounding wildlife management area part of the application.

Barring its inclusion, the association recommended they revert back to their original application for a park. The commission agreed, though why exactly it chose to omit the larger area remains unclear.

It wouldn't have impacted anything, Bartja said, adding that the Merritt Reservoir Wildlife Management Area currently has no lights. But I kind of understood there was something else going on here that they're not sharing with me.

Deputy director Jim Swenson dismissed the notion, claiming it was more a matter of crowd control. Given the uncertainties of a new dark-sky designation, he said, the commission hoped to confine any new influx of visitors to an area more easily serviced, and to safeguard the larger habitat area for hunters, anglers, bird watchers, so on and so forth.

He clarified, however, that stargazing and other activities like camping, though not necessarily promoted in wildlife management areas, arent technically prohibited, either.

The International Dark-Sky Association ultimately declared the recreation area at Merritt Reservoir an International Dark Sky Park last September, the first in Nebraska, and the 200th IDA site worldwide. Though happy to celebrate the win, Bartja and Johnson said they havent yet abandoned hope for one day achieving sanctuary status.

The true cherry on top would have been the opportunity to say not only is it the first in Nebraska, but it's of the highest tier that this organization offers  one of only 15 in the world, Bartja said. That is a very elite circle.

***

The Nebraska Star Partys 30th anniversary started not with a bang, but a whisper. Like sanctuary status itself, the stars peaked briefly through the clouds before vanishing in the storm. Night after night, more of the same. A few stars. More clouds. Another storm.

And then, just as the Cherry County locals began trickling in for the public viewing on Friday night, the haze lifted, the clouds drifted and the so-called Great Rift, visible to the naked eye, cleaved the Milky Way in two. Meteors blazed through crystalline constellations. Veterans lobbied amateurs to peer through reflecting telescopes big enough to swallow a kayak. And many simply craned their necks to the sky.

I don't have to use a telescope, said Knisely, the star party board member, and that alone is enough to get you out here.

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.

50 images of the universe from the Hubble Space Telescope 50 images of the universe from the Hubble Space Telescope The Pillars of Creation (1995) The Eagle Nebula in Infrared (2015) Prelude to a Cosmic Explosion (1995) The Giant Next Door (2015) The King of Planets (2017) Jupiter's Auroras (2016) Galaxies in Collision (2010) It's Full of Galaxies (1996) Echoes from an Explosion (2010) The First Image of Another Star (1996) Seeing With Gravity's Telescope (2018) Five Moons for Tiny Pluto (2012) A Dying Star and an Hourglass (1996) The Horsehead Nebula in Infrared (2013) A Jet from a Black Hole (2010) The Colorful Crab (2020) A Flickering Cosmic Candle (2013) Saturn's Rings and Hexagon (2019) Northern and Southern Lights, Saturn Style (2010) A Supernova in the Galactic Outskirts (1999) A Galactic Whirlpool (2005) A Ring of Bright Matter (2013) Gonggong and Xiangliu What's Deeper than Deep? Ultra Deep (2004) The Invisible Made Visible (2009) Neptune's Dark Spot (2019) Gravity Makes You See Quadruple (2020) The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (2014) A Stellar Shockwave (2002) A Cosmic Penguin (2013) Snapshots of Infant Star Systems (2006) Ancient Stellar Jewels (2015) The Tarantula Nebula in Infrared (2014) An Inbound Comet (2017) Our Next-Nearest Galactic Neighbor (2019) A Galactic Rose (2011) A Cap of Clouds (2019) When the Same Supernova Happens More Than Once (2015) Blowing Stellar Bubbles (2016) A Supernova on the Face of a Spiral Galaxy (2018) The Red Rectangle Nebula (2004) A Moon for Makemake (2016) Yeeting a Star From the Galaxy The Sombrero Galaxy (2003) A Dusty Red Planet (2018) A Deceptive Grouping (2009) The Beauty of a Dying Star (2004) A Breathtakingly Distant Galaxy (2016) A Most Peculiar Star (2004) Hubble's Legacy (2019) 50 images of the universe from the Hubble Space Telescope
The clash between supporters and opponents of a petition drive to repeal Nebraskas newly signed law that offers tax credits for donations to scholarship funds for private and faith-based schools was inevitable.

It didnt take long for Keep Kids First, the advocacy group in favor of the new law, to accuse Support Our Schools, the organization leading the petition drive, of intentionally deceiving voters about the laws intent in order to get them to sign, or for Support Our Schools to counter with accusations of intimidation and harassment.

That public clash was triggered by incidents of a since-dismissed petition circulator who gave erroneous information to a voter outside an Omaha store and opponents blocking potential signees outside a Cornhusker State Games event. The conflicts can best be seen as continuing evidence of the controversy that has surrounded LB753 since it was introduced in the Legislature.

Dubbed the Opportunity Scholarships Act, the law offers a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for individuals and entities who donate to scholarship funds intended to help students attend private and parochial schools. Individuals and businesses could not receive more than $100,000 in annual credits, while estates and trusts would be capped at $1 million per year.

Those credits are essentially providing public money  money that otherwise would have been taxed  for private and parochial schools, triggering opposition from teachers unions, school board leaders, education policy organizations and advocates of individuals with disabilities, who say the policy harms students, families and schools in multiple ways.

So those organizations launched the petition drive, just a week after Gov. Jim Pillen signed the law, and now have to gather just more than 60,000 signatures, at least 5% of Nebraskas registered voters, by Aug. 30.

Enter Keep Kids First, a group led by a half-dozen state senators who supported the bill, which is urging voters to decline to sign and have churned up enough concern to prompt Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen to release information on how to remove signatures from the petition.

Few in Lancaster County, or anywhere in the state, have had their signatures removed from the petitions, demonstrating that voters know what they are signing, either supporting the petitions goal or wanting it to be on the ballot.

And it appears enough of those voters in enough counties will put their names on the petition so that the repeal will be on the 2024 ballot.

That is how it should be. The unprecedented organized decline-to-sign effort at the state level was, put simply, aimed at stopping the oft-used function of petitions as Nebraskas second house of the Legislature, allowing the public to vote on controversial measures or issues on which the Legislature refuses to act.

If the Opportunity Scholarships Act is, indeed, the will of the people, putting it to a vote of the people is the best way to settle it. Why wouldn't both sides want that?
UNION GROVE  Racine County drainage officials are reaffirming a $1 million assessment for flood control, setting the stage for a possible court battle with the Village of Union Grove.

Union Grove leaders will have 120 days to either agree to pay for Root River improvements, or challenge the assessment in court.

Village President Steve Wicklund has signaled a willingness to file a lawsuit, saying he questions the constitutionality of charging Union Grove taxpayers for flood-control work being done outside the village.

However, state regulators reviewed the matter at Union Groves request and ruled that the Racine County Board of Drainage Commissioners was within its rights on the assessment.

The outcome of the dispute could affect flood-control efforts throughout Wisconsin.

The west branch of the Root River flows north from Union Grove into Yorkville and Raymond. Union Grove discharges wastewater into the river and contributes storm water runoff.

Under state laws dating to the early 1900s, the county drainage board collects funding from municipalities to maintain such waterways and to prevent flooding.

Union Grove has supported Root River efforts in the past with relatively small financial contributions.

But the county agency now is seeking $3.2 million for a significant cleanup, with Union Grove and Yorkville each paying $1.16 million and Raymond paying about $800,000.

Union Grove in March appealed to the Wisconsin State Drainage Engineer to contest the assessment, noting that the Root River maintenance work would be performed entirely in Yorkville and Raymond.

Drainage board commissioners met Tuesday to consider the issue further and voted unanimously to affirm its action seeking $1 million from Union Grove.

Mark Hinkston, attorney for the county board, said the state ruled that the assessment was proper, so the commissioners found no reason to change their position.

The board heard nothing that would make them believe that they should modify their order, Hinkston said.

Once the Union Grove Village Board receives notice of the drainage boards decision, officials will have 120 days to decide whether to continue the dispute in Racine County Circuit Court.

Village Trustee Amy Ruffalo said she wants to discuss the issue further with her colleagues before deciding whether to support going to court.

It absolutely will be a tough decision, she said.

Wicklund said village officials committed to fighting the assessment but the matter likely will be discussed by the Village Board again.

We are going to move forward with a lawsuit, he said. Weve got this kind of mapped out.

Wicklund said he has no estimate what a court fight with the county drainage board will cost.

Other Village Board members could not be reached for comment.

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BURLINGTON  Relaxed restrictions on liquor-license deals between communities are moving forward in the state legislature with support from Wisconsins powerful tavern lobby.

Burlington city officials requested a change in state law after running out of liquor licenses and then finding that no immediate neighbor was willing to sell any surplus licenses.

A bill introduced by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos would allow cities to purchase unused liquor licenses from any municipality in their county rather than just from neighboring ones.

The bill is part of a larger omnibus measure addressing several proposed changes related to liquor licenses and alcohol merchants that was approved 90-4 by the Assembly on June 21.

The omnibus bill is scheduled for a hearing Aug. 17 before the Senate Committee on Universities and Revenue, chaired by State Sen. Rob Hutton, R-Brookfield.

Burlington Mayor Jeannie Hefty said having more liquor licenses would allow Burlington to attract new restaurants and perhaps hotels that sell alcoholic beverages.

I dont know how quickly this would happen, she said.

Vos, a Republican who represents Burlington, said he is encouraged by the broad support for the bill and agreed that making it easier for cities to acquire more liquor licenses would open the door to new business.

It will help spur entrepreneurship and economic development in our community, he said.

Gov. Tony Evers has not indicated whether he would sign the measure into law.

State law currently limits liquor licenses based on a communitys population: one license for every 500 people. The most coveted is the Class B license, which allows for on-site consumption of all beverages  beer, wine and hard liquor.

Burlington has 26 such licenses, all of which are currently spoken for.

Municipalities can purchase unused licenses only from municipalities that are directly adjacent. For Burlington, that means Rochester, Spring Prairie, Lyons and the Town of Burlington.

With a new tavern proposed near Browns Lake, city officials have been frustrated in their efforts to purchase another license. None of their immediate neighbors are selling.

If the state relaxed the rules on deal-making, Burlington would be free to buy licenses from Racine, Mount Pleasant, Waterford and anywhere else in Racine County.

The price tag starts at $10,000, and there is no limit to how much a municipality can charge  a cost typically passed along to the prospective new tavern operator or other license applicant.

Not all in favor

The Wisconsin Tavern League has thrown its support behind the Vos proposal, while others in the tavern community are voicing reservations.

Scott Stenger, government affairs director for the league, said the 5,000-member lobbying group accepts Burlingtons idea as a way of resolving longstanding issues created by Wisconsins population-based limits on liquor licenses.

Whenever a city like Burlington runs short of licenses, Stenger said, it seems another debate unfolds about repealing the states license limits or making other changes that would increase competition for existing taverns and other license holders.

The proposal to relax the rules for city-to-city deals would not hurt current merchants, he said, because the total number of licenses within a county would remain the same.

We think this is a statewide solution to an issue thats been around for years, Stenger said. Wed like to get this behind us.

The head of the Racine County Tavern League is less enthusiastic.

Kelly Vecitis, president of the county organization and owner of Kellys Bleachers II in Wind Lake, said he is leery of increased competition for existing business owners in individual communities like Burlington.

Bar owners already are under pressure because of a growing number of microbreweries, brewpubs, wineries and other liquor merchants, Vecitis said.

He cited Burlingtons decision to deny its final Class B license for the tavern near Browns Lake and to instead grant the license to a microbrewery.

If a city wants to exceed its liquor license limit by purchasing extra licenses, Vecitis said, those city officials should first take steps to ensure there is local support for the move, based on what type of business would be coming to town.

That becomes a great concern with whos applying for these licenses, he said. The scenario really matters.

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1. Yes. As long as the basic ordinance is still intact, its smart to adjust to the local market.

2. Yes. If part of the ordinance isnt workable, it doesnt make sense to force the issue.

3. No. City staff worked hard on those design standards; its not fair to scrap them now.

4. No. Developers and builders shouldnt get to set their own rules. Keep the standards intact.

5. Unsure. Its best if the city and developers work together, but the city has the last word.

Vote

View Results
Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to House Speaker Michael Madigan, arrives at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Aug. 9, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

In his heyday, Tim Mapes, diminutive but domineering, was feared in Springfield.

He threatened staffers jobs and screamed orders on the House floor in his capacity as powerhouse Democrat Michael Madigans trusted lieutenant.

Formal investigations all but called Mapes conduct dictatorial. But youd never guess that by looking at Mapes last week, sitting meekly and respectfully between his two lawyers in the solemn setting of a federal courtroom.

He is a little balder, a little grayer these days. His demeanor at the defense table is painstakingly placid.

But federal charges accuse him of doing in the grand jury what he did without penalty for decades in Springfield: shielding the boss, Madigan of Chicago.

I always try to protect him, I mean, thats my goal. Its like in marriage, Mapes once said, according to prosecutors in their opening statement.

Madigan is now facing sweeping racketeering charges. And last week, Mapes  Madigans former chief of staff, House clerk and executive director of the state Democratic Party  went to trial on charges that he tried to thwart that investigation.

Prosecutors accuse Mapes of lying about his knowledge of the political activities of Madigan and ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, both before and after Madigan ousted Mapes in a June 2018 #MeToo scandal amid accusations Mapes disputed.

During the trials first week, Mapes attorneys contended he honestly could not recall answers to certain questions when he appeared before federal grand jurors on March 31, 2021. They complain he was hamstrung because prosecutors didnt offer to show records or other evidence that could refresh his memory.

The Mapes case represents a relatively small piece of the broad public corruption investigation federal prosecutors have brought against Madigan, who was ousted from his speakership and left the House in 2021.

Even so, the matter comes with high political and symbolic stakes. The government already bagged a big win this year with the convictions of the ComEd Four, a group that included McClain as well as the former CEO of ComEd and two other lobbyists.

Mapes, 68, of Springfield, could go to prison if convicted. He faces counts of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice. The latter charge calls for up to 20 years in federal prison, while lying to a grand jury carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.

[ Former top Michael Madigan aide on trial: What you need to know  and whats next for Tim Mapes ]

Perjury can be tricky to prove. Prosecutors must convince jurors that Mapes intentionally lied about his knowledge of Madigans relationship with McClain. But a conviction would give more momentum to federal prosecutors, who have their eye on next years Madigan-McClain racketeering trial.

No audio of Mapes testimony has been played yet for jurors. Neither has audio of Mapes talking to McClain, whose cellphone was wiretapped by federal agents for months. That audio, along with a fuller picture of Mapes grand jury transcript, is expected to be introduced as early as this week.

Prosecutors have put on witnesses to demonstrate that Madigan, Mapes and McClain worked extraordinarily closely  an attempt to convince jurors it would be completely implausible for Mapes not to know what the other two men were doing.

Just as they did in the earlier ComEd Four case, prosecutors at the Mapes trial turned last week to incumbent Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, to explain how Springfield works  this time with particular emphasis on how Mapes, Madigan and McClain formed a trio with incomparable influence over the Illinois House Democratic caucus.

In all, there are seven questions prosecutors charge Mapes fudged on to protect Madigan. Generally, they allege Mapes lied when he testified that McClain didnt tell Mapes about his discussions with Madigan or pass along any insight about what Madigan told McClain to do.

Some of the questions Mapes was asked were open-ended. For example, he was asked what hed heard from other people about McClain performing activities for Madigan between 2017 and 2019.

I dont recall that  that I would have been part of any of that dialogue, Mapes told the 2021 grand jury. I dont know why I would be.

Mapes attorneys maintained the prosecutors cherry-picked from more than 650 questions at the grand jury, a frightening setting where Mapes told the truth but did not want to guess or make assumptions.

State Rep. Bob Rita departs after testifying in the trial of Tim Mapes on Aug. 10, 2023. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

While on the witness stand, Rita, a veteran of 20-plus years in Springfield, went old school as he explained how closely Mapes, McClain and Madigan worked together.

Using his fingers to draw a triangle in the air, Rita told jurors Madigan sat at the top of a small organizational chart. McClain and Mapes held down the corners along each side, Rita explained.

Rita even described how the three lined up along one wall of the speakers Capitol suite, with Mapes in a corner office overseeing the front lawn and Madigan in a spacious room only footsteps from the House floor.

Despite being a lobbyist, McClain often would set up shop in a conference room in between the Mapes and Madigan offices, Rita said.

Rita also regaled the federal courtroom with stories about McClains exploits as a behind-the-scenes player despite his role as a contract lobbyist for ComEd and other major companies with special interests in Springfield.

In 2013, for example, Rita explained how Madigan privately told Rita he would be in charge of the high-profile legislation to expand gambling in Illinois, a task that eventually led to Chicago getting the greenlight to build a land-based mega-casino. As soon as Madigan finished assigning the bills sponsorship to Rita, the speaker opened the door to his Capitol office and McClain materialized on the spot.

The speaker, who said he had a conflict of interest on the gambling bill, then told Rita that McClain would provide guidance.

Three years later, as Rita oversaw a major utility package backed by ComEd, he suddenly learned of a last-minute amendment in a committee, a proposal he was inclined to turn down because he knew nothing about its impact on the overall bill.

But Rita told jurors his opposition to the amendment evaporated when McClain talked to me when the hearing was going on and assured him that the amendment would be OK.

Mike McClain wouldnt give me advice that would be adverse to what the speaker would want, Rita said.

Ritas remark under oath provided jurors with a glimpse of how lawmakers viewed the Madigan-McClain alliance and the speakers potential wide influence over a bills outcome even when he did not cast a vote in favor or against a proposal.

In fact, Madigan was recorded as not voting on the final roll call when the overall utility bill passed.

In the Mapes trial, Rita did not deliver the dramatic line that he gave months earlier in the ComEd Four trial, where he testified that Madigan ruled the House through fear and intimidation.

But Rita did give jurors a moment almost as memorable, when he told how Mapes underscored his well-known gatekeeper role in the House by posting a sign near his desk that borrowed a line from the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, a line that visitors recalled vividly:

Nobody gets in to see the wizard. Not nobody, not no how.

Who in the analogy did you understand the wizard to be? asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz.

Madigan, Rita answered.

Witness Tom Cullen, left, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse with his attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin, on Aug. 9, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

More political intrigue came from witness Tom Cullen, a former Madigan staffer once in charge of running the speakers government-based issues development team and playing a major political role in Madigan retaking control of the House in the mid-1990s after Republicans won the majority for a single, two-year term, the only interruption in the speakers nationwide record of 36 years in charge of a legislative chamber.

Like Rita, Cullen told jurors he received a nontarget letter from the federal government, an assurance that prosecutors were not seeking to charge them.

[ Former top Michael Madigan aide on trial: What you need to know  and whats next for Tim Mapes ]

Cullen emerged in the governments probe of Madigan and AT&T Illinois.

The Tribune first revealed that Cullen and his lobbying firm allegedly were involved as an intermediary in a scheme by the telephone giant to funnel thousands of dollars from the company to former Chicago Rep. Eddie Acevedo, once a member of Madigans House Democratic leadership team who was starting up his own lobbying business.

The company allegedly hoped sending money through an intermediary would help gain the speakers assistance in passing telephone legislation he previously blocked.

The former president of AT&T Illinois, Paul La Schiazza, faces conspiracy and bribery charges arising from the case and has pleaded not guilty.

Acevedo has since served a brief stint in prison on an unrelated tax case.

AT&T entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorneys office related the companys efforts to influence Madigan. In exchange for admitting guilt, cooperating and paying a $23 million fine, a bribery-related charge eventually will be dropped.

Similarly, ComEd paid a $200 million fine in its own deferred prosecution agreement, in which it admitted orchestrating a yearslong bribery scheme involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Madigan. A bribery charge against the company was dismissed last month, part of the agreement for its cooperation.

So far in the Mapes trial, his lawyers have indicated they will present a series of counterarguments for the jury to buttress the position that the defendant was scrupulously honest.

In cross-examining Brendan OLeary, formerly the FBIs public corruption point man in Chicago, the defense lawyers tried to make out McClain as unreliable, previewing a likely argument that, even though Mapes heard McClain say he had assignments from Madigan, Mapes couldnt be certain that was true when responding to grand jury questions.

Defense attorney Andrew Porter showed OLeary transcripts of wiretapped conversations in which McClain made wild claims. Porter said, according to transcripts, McClain speculated that then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, Madigans Republican nemesis, might pay up to $100,000 in exchange for a report that made Madigan look bad.

And over and over, Porter sought to distance Mapes from the rest of the people tangled up in the feds Springfield corruption allegations. Mapes was not charged in the ComEd Four case, nor was he included in the racketeering indictment alongside Madigan and McClain, Porter noted during his cross-examination of OLeary.

Obtaining a perjury conviction relies on convincing jurors that someone deliberately lied. And Diane MacArthur, another prosecutor handling the Mapes trial, has experience in winning high-profile perjury cases.

Two decades ago, MacArthur successfully prosecuted a man who lied to grand jurors about slipping a handcuff key to a federal detainee who then killed two officers in an attempt to escape the courthouse. He received a whopping 20-year prison sentence.

When MacArthur delivered her opening statement in the Mapes trial last week, she gave jurors a simple but direct message:

Truth matters.

rlong@chicagotribune.com

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
New Kenosha Area Business Alliance President Nicole Ryf is excited for Kenoshas future.

She recently sat down with the Kenosha News to talk of her background, returning to Wisconsin and plans for the organization going forward.

Ryf grew up in in the Greater Milwaukee area, attending college at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. She would work in Wisconsin for several years with UW-Extension in Ozaukee County and in Evansville as a community development director.

Later, she moved with her husband to Austin, Texas, making her way up through the governors office over six years, ultimately running economic development. After Texas came Norfolk, Virginia, where she was recruited by a regional development group just as the pandemic started.

It was an interesting time, Ryf said.

Through her various positions, shes traveled around the globe and worked with some of the largest companies in the world. She would ultimately return to Wisconsin to work in an economic development group in Waukesha, where she had planned to stay until she received the call from KABA.

The position was her dream job, she said. Even in Texas, Ryf said KABA had been on her radar.

Its an organization that has been very strategic in how its grown and how its engaged in economic development, Ryf said. We have over $52 million here in assets between a real estate portfolio and then loan programs that were able to deploy for businesses.

She highlighted the organizations relationship with the county and its high impact fund, what she described as a deal-closing fund, a tool that Ryf said helps attract businesses and prove the countys commitment.

KABAs role

Ryf said KABA works with mid- to large-scale companies, helping attract new businesses and expand existing ones. She noted Uline, which she said KABA helped bring to Kenosha County in the early 2000s, has since expanded its footprint drastically.

There was plenty of work for KABA in Kenosha, Ryf said.

The level of growth here is unprecedented, Ryf said. Thats not slowing down too much at this point. We have 5 million square feet under construction right now across the county and another 16 million planned, all industrial development.

KABA also works to foster the Kenosha area workforce, partnering with employers and schools to provide resources to train existing employees and create a pipeline of new talent.

There area also KABAs loan and finance programs, providing financial support to businesses for projects, and its member engagement programs, hosting events for leadership development.

Future plans

Previous KABA President Todd Battle had held the position since 2004. Ryf said she hopes to build off his success in industrial development while also looking into other development areas Kenosha needs, such as housing and childcare.

She plans to initiate a strategic planning process. She said the analysis, last held in 2009, will help KABA determine what initiatives it should advance in the future.

Were not going to be the organization that deals with every single challenge, Ryf said. Were focused on whats going to help our business community, whats going to help people here have better access to jobs and attract people to want to work with our employers.

She expected the process to begin in the next few months.

For now, Ryf said her focus has been working to understand Kenosha before she begins making any major changes.

Im really just trying to understand the community, Ryf said. Im spending a lot of these first couple months meeting with board members, with business leaders, nonprofits, and municipal leaders.

Downtown Kenosha

Earlier this year, Mayor John Antaramian unveiled an extensive development plan for Downtown Kenosha, including new business spaces, a hotel and residential areas.

Ryf said KABA was in support of such developments

Its important to our business community and to people living in Kenosha County that Downtown continues to thrive and grow, Ryf said. Well do everything we can to support it, and I think our business community is interested in that too.

As Kenosha continues to grow, Ryf said KABA is working in the community as well as in economic development, such as with the upcoming Lakeview Technical Academy in the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood and the Uptown Lofts on 22nd Avenue.

Thats really exciting, Ryf said. Getting more into some of the community development side of things, I see a lot of opportunity for that.
When students head off to classes, often they are asked why to chose to attend their selected college or university.

For Jenn Staton, a Wisconsin student regent and Army veteran who is attending the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the answer simple: The people, the programs, and the academic opportunities, but most of all, UW-Parksides emphasis on creating your own path at your own pace.

(The faculty) really helped me grow as a student and I dont think they realize how important that was in my life, because I had zero confidence [before], Staton said. They really care about student success, so I know Im exactly where I need to be.

Staton joined the Army straight out of high school in 2007 at just 19 years old. She served as a combat medic in Iraq and Afghanistan, taking on a variety of roles from line medic and EMT to covering in the dental office and pharmacy. Staton learned valuable and lifelong experiences during her time in the army but after 8 years, she wanted to do something more.

UW-Parkside wasnt Statons first stop after the Army. After returning to Wisconsin, she began attending Gateway Technical College to become a physical therapy technician; but as soon as she built up the educational confidence to pursue graduate school as a physician assistant, she discovered Parksides pre-PA program.

With the help of the Wisconsin GI Bill and scholarship opportunities, Jenn was able to take the leap from Gateway to UW-Parkside.

Things have just been falling into place, Staton said. And then when I got this regency, its like, what else can I do to make Parkside look great?

As she completes her first year on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, a governing board that directs policies for the states 13 universities, Staton reflects on how these opportunities have given her a chance to find her path in life.

Statons primary responsibilities on the Board of Regents include serving on the student discipline and student appeals committee. Jenn says she is very passionate when it comes to student issues and demonstrates that passion in committee meetings.

I advocate for the students, she said. I give a perspective when theres a conversation, even if its devils advocate, because you really need to understand that these are real lives happening and these are peoples futures that could be impacted.

As Staton heads into her second year on the Board of Regents, she wants to focus on student issues related to the Affirmative Action ruling from the Supreme Court. As a Hispanic student, Staton wants to advocate for the community and be a part of those important conversations, especially because of Parksides status as a Hispanic-Serving Institute.

Her work does not stop there. When she is not busy with school or board member duties, she can be found helping out other students at the Veterans Affairs office with their educational benefits or Wisconsins GI Bills.

Statons path to success was not a short or easy one, but she remains positive with everything that has been thrown at her. She proves getting your degree is not one straight path, but rather a very complicated path filled with twists and turns and with opportunities where youd least expect.

Although the path is unknown, UW-Parkside will be there to support students every step of the way. Parksides going to change my life so Im forever fortunate to be a Parkside Ranger, Staton said.
Chesa Boudin prepares to concede at his recall party on June 7, 2022, in San Francisco. He was ousted as district attorney. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle)

Its a basic civil right to live in a safe community. To achieve safe communities, we need responsible prosecutors.

A prosecutors job is to pursue justice, which requires enforcing the laws in a fair and just manner. Good prosecutors understand that their responsibility is to follow the law, protect the rights of victims, respect the constitutional rights of all citizens and engage with communities affected by violence. So-called progressive prosecutors are not progressive in the traditional sense. They are politically driven and have served only to degrade the quality of the criminal justice system in communities throughout the United States.

With Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx at the helm, Black Chicagoans are being slain more than their white counterparts. In 2021, Chicago recorded 797 homicides, and in 2022, there were 695, both more than any other city in the United States, with Black residents comprising nearly 80% of those killed.

In his book Criminal (In)Justice: What the Push for Decarceration and Depolicing Gets Wrong and Who It Hurts Most, Rafael Mangual, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, notes that while Black people constitute 13.4% of the population, they made up more than 53% of the nations homicide victims in 2020. The policies of so-called reform prosecutors disproportionately hurt African Americans  the very people they proclaim they want to protect.

In his article The Progressive Prosecutor Project: How and why the nations crimebusters are becoming criminal enablers, former federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy alerts the reader to a new and uniquely destructive actor on the 21st-century scene: the progressive prosecutor. These prosecutors refuse to prosecute entire categories of crimes. Their policies  not seeking bail or pretrial detention and declining to prosecute crimes  do not promote public safety.

[ Cully Stimson and Zack Smith: Kim Foxxs pro-criminal policies are to blame for Chicagos rising violence ]

Take former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. When Troy McAlister faced a life sentence due to his long, violent criminal record, Boudin cut a deal with him to put him back on the streets. Once released, McAlister predictably committed a series of crimes, leading to five separate arrests. Boudin refused to charge him each time. Finally, on New Years Eve 2020, McAlister allegedly stole a car and ran over two women crossing the road, killing them both.

Their deaths were tragically preventable, and they died on Boudins watch. Boudin placed his personal agenda and political beliefs above his duty as a prosecutor. Unfortunately, there are more like him across the country, and we must counter this dangerous movement.

The American Center for Law & Public Safety stands for course correction. We are a national organization of current and former U.S. attorneys, local prosecutors, sheriffs, police officers and others committed to preserving the rule of law and protecting the public. We are bipartisan because we elevate the rule of law and public safety in our common mission to educate the public and support prosecutors who pursue justice.

We understand the importance in the fair and impartial administration of justice and have five principles that help guide our support of good prosecutors across the country. These principles are: prioritization of public safety, respect for the rule of law, support of victims rights, collaboration with law enforcement and support of post-sentence reentry.

Progress has been made. In San Francisco, voters removed Boudin in a recall election in June 2022. In Chicago, Foxx announced she will not run for reelection next year. In St. Louis, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner stepped down in June. While it is positive when bad prosecutors leave office, they never should have been there in the first place. We must ensure that these prosecutors are not replaced with more of the same. We need responsible prosecutors in every jurisdiction in this country.

This is not a partisan issue. Millions of Americans in communities across the country need us to get this right. Their lives depend on it.

John Milhiser is a former U.S. attorney and states attorney in Illinois, Billy Williams is a former U.S. attorney and senior deputy district attorney in Oregon, Nancy Parr is a former commonwealths attorney for Chesapeake, Virginia, and Timothy Shea is a former acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. attorney in D.C.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 13, 2023

The Kettle Will Continue To Boil until the Fire Is Put Out

Aug. 12, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)As the smoke is beginning to clear, and accounts are being taken, it is universally being recognized throughout the world that Ukraines counteroffensive has failed, and failed badly. Despite tens of billions of dollars in the most advanced weaponry, and all the other assistance given by the countries of NATO, it still has not been enough to even break Russias massive defensive lines in eastern Ukraine, let alone retake previously held territories.

To anyone following these developments outside of the carefully managed NATO-land bubble, this comes as no surprise. But to others who have been counting on an impending collapse of Russia, it is certainly bitter news, and it is likely to set off more opposition from within the U.S. Congress to further funding to Ukraine. Desperate stories are now being spun to maintain the semblance that Ukraine has the situation under control, as can be seen from recent comments by Ukrainian ministers about the breakthrough of the Aug. 5-6 Saudi Arabian peace conference in Jeddaha story which is far from the truth. Expect these frantic attempts to grow over the coming days and weeks.

In this light, consider the news that the six Ukrainian pilots being trained to fly F-16s will not be combat-ready until the summer of 2024, despite the fact that these planes were supposed to be a game-changer. Every major escalation of this sort over the last year and a half has failed to alter the reality of this wara war which has killed hundreds of thousands of troops and all for nothing! Reports now coming in indicate that Russia has even begun to go on the offensive again in the wake of Ukraines counteroffensive.

Other hotspots around the world have also been showing signs of peaceful resolution, despite the efforts at destabilization by Western nations as part of their proxy war against Russia and China. In the case of Niger, worries about an impending military intervention from neighboring ECOWAS countries came down a notch this weekend following the suspension of the ECOWAS military planning meeting. It is widely recognized that if a war breaks out in Niger it would quickly spiral into a continent-wide conflict, something almost no one in the region wants. Then in Eastern Europe, Belarusian President Lukashenko has asked his Prime Minister to reach out to Poland for talks, and expressed his desire to fix relations with their neighbor. Poland has recently been increasing tensions and rhetoric with Belarus, including the decision to deploy 10,000 troops to their shared border.

Nothing has been resolved at a fundamental level, however, and the increased desperation is sure to look for new areas to inflame. One such area is likely to be the Black Sea, an extremely sensitive and vital region for Russiaand Western geopoliticians know this well. Two successful drone attacks have taken place on Russian ships there over the last week, an oil tanker and a warship, in addition to a continuous barrage of unsuccessful drone strikes by air.

It is also anticipated that Germany will announce its decision to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine. These are long-range (500 km) missiles that would give Ukraine the capability to strike deep into Russian territory, further embroiling NATO into the conflict with Russia. In addition, it would give Ukraine increased ability to strike Russian ships in the Black Sea. Russias ambassador to Germany responded by saying that if Germany goes ahead with this, it will be crossing one of Russias red lines.

The question is: When is the last red line crossed? And what kind of madmen are willing to play this game?

Peace negotiations could begin tomorrow if sane leadership emerged within Western countries. The continued attempts to ignore this reality and further push Ukraine into a bloodbath with their Russian neighbors is a clear indication of the moral bankruptcy of Western policy. More and more of the world is seeing that clearly.

Voices of sanity are needed now more than ever to speak out and demand a new policy of peace, before the next mistake or miscommunication lands the world in a hot war between nuclear superpowers. Join the International Peace Coalition and Humanity For Peace to build such a global movement for peace and security for all nations, and dont let the current window of opportunity be lost.
VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents.

Today we are talking about William McKinley. He took office in 1897 and was re-elected in 1900. He led the United States into the 20th century.

One way to think of McKinley is as a transition president. In the 1800s, lawmakers were mostly concerned with how the country was growing in North America.

But during McKinleys government, the U.S. looked beyond its borders. Congress declared war on Spain, the first time the U.S. had fought a European power since the War of 1812 against Britain.

The U.S. also took control of overseas territories, annexed Hawaii, and tried to regulate the worlds trade with China.

Some historians say President McKinley himself wanted the U.S. to increase its international influence. Others argue that he was just answering the countrys mood at the time.

Either way, his presidency is often defined by the countrys rise as an imperial power.

Early life

McKinley was the sixth president to come from the state of Ohio. He was the seventh of eight children. Historians describe his childhood as loving and fun.

His father owned a small iron factory. His mother raised her children to be honest and polite.

McKinley was a hard-working student. He briefly attended Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, but he did not have the money to finish his education there.

A few years after leaving that school, he volunteered for the Army on the side of the Union in the Civil War. He served under a man who would later become president himself, Rutherford B. Hayes. The two stayed close throughout their lives.

After the war ended, McKinley studied law, became involved in Republican Party politics, married, and had two daughters.

His wife, Ida, was an energetic, well-educated young woman from a wealthy family. For a while, she had worked in her fathers bank.

But Ida McKinleys health began to suffer. She was struck by seizures. Then her mother died. A few months later, her younger daughter died while still an infant. Ida McKinley clung to her older daughter, but the little girl soon developed a fever disease, and she died, too.

William and Ida McKinley were never the same. Ida McKinley remained sick her entire life. She spent most of her hours in a small rocking chair sewing.

William McKinley paid great attention to her. He organized his schedule to spend time near her, even as his political success grew.

In time, McKinley served in Congress and as the governor of Ohio. He was known as a likable person and a skilled politician.

His Republican Party nominated him on the first ballot at their convention. A few months later, voters elected McKinley into office in a landslide. He became the countrys 25th president.

Presidency

When McKinley took office, the U.S. was just coming out of a severe economic depression.

His government quickly approved a high protective tariff to help struggling workers. In general, his administration also permitted the growth of big business.

But most of McKinleys attention as president was devoted to foreign policy. The main issue was Cuba.

At that time, Spain controlled the island. Cubans revolted, and Spanish forces used violence and detainments to crush the rebellion.

In the U.S., many Americans denounced the events in Cuba. They wanted McKinley and his government to intervene.

At first, President McKinley was unwilling. He tried to use diplomacy. He even ordered a U.S. ship into Spanish waters near Havana to show his continued support of Spain.

But the ship, called the Maine, exploded. Americans believed the Spanish were responsible. Relations between the two countries worsened fast. Spain declared war. The U.S. Congress answered in kind.

For 100 days, U.S. and Spanish forces fought in Cuba and other areas under Spanish control.

The war quickly turned in the Americans favor. When the Spanish-American War ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1898, the U.S. took control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines from Spain. Cuba was made independent; however, the U.S. continued to occupy the island for several more years.

Not everyone approved of the actions of McKinleys government. Even some members of Congress warned against the U.S. becoming an imperial power.

But a majority of voters approved of McKinley as a victorious commander-in-chief. They also noted that the U.S. economy was getting stronger. In 1900, McKinley won re-election.

Assassination

As it turned out, McKinleys second term in office was short.

In September, only six months after his swearing-in, the president was receiving visitors at a fair in the city of Buffalo, New York.

One of the visitors in line was a 28-year-old man named Leon Czolgosz. His family was from Poland, but he lived in the city of Detroit, Michigan. He had worked in a factory, but at the time was unemployed. He supported the idea of anarchy  no government at all.

When McKinley reached to shake the young mans hand, Czolgosz shot the president twice in the stomach.

Although injured, McKinley spoke to his guards. He told them not to hurt the shooter. And, he expressed concern about how his wife would feel when she learned he had been shot.

Quickly, McKinley was taken to a hospital. Doctors predicted that he would survive. And, for a few days, McKinley seemed to improve.

But the wound became infected, and eight days after the attack McKinley died.

The presidents murderer did not say he was sorry for his act. He defended it, saying McKinley was an enemy of working people.

Within a few weeks of the shooting, Czolgosz was tried, found guilty, and executed.

Legacy

Both the nation and the world mourned when McKinley died. He had been one of the countrys most popular presidents in many years.

He left behind the beginning of what some called an American empire. He also marked a change in the U.S. presidency.

When he first took office in the 19th century, most presidents acted primarily as administrators.

But President McKinley began to act in ways that are more like a modern president. He prepared remarks to give to the media. He traveled across the country speaking to voters. He used the power of his office to direct the armed forces.

McKinley laid the groundwork, but he did not completely change the presidency. He left that to the even more famous man who followed him into the White House.

After McKinleys death, his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, took office and truly brought the country into modern times.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

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Quiz - America's Presidents: William McKinley Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story





transition - n. a change from one state or condition to another

annex - v. to add an area to a country : to take control of a place

mood - n. an attitude or feeling shared by many people

imperial - adj. of or relating to an empire or an emperor

clung - v. tried very hard to keep something that you are in danger of losing

landslide - n. election in which the winner gets a much greater number of votes than the loser

in kind - adj. in a way that is equal or very similar to what someone else has done to or for you

anarchy - n. a situation in which the people in a country are not controlled by rules or laws

empire - n. a group of countries or regions that are controlled by one ruler or one government
People listen as the names of children killed by gun violence are memorialized during the St. Sabina Catholic Church's Call for Peace Rally and March on June 17, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

One hundred and thirty years ago, when the Worlds Columbian Exposition brought millions of people to our hometown and its famed White City, a group of interfaith leaders took advantage of the unique opportunity to unite religious leaders from across the globe.

Thus was born, here on Chicagos shores of Lake Michigan, the Parliament of the Worlds Religions, an interfaith institution that has not only continued to gather but also will be arriving Monday to unite thousands of religious leaders once again on our citys South Side.

The reason for this gathering is aspirational and summarized in the parliaments mission: to cultivate harmony among the worlds religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

A just, peaceful and sustainable world doesnt simply call itself into being. In fact, the opposite seems to be the case: Human behavior, lacking safeguards of communal thinking and concern for others, brought us directly into this season of unprecedented climate calamity, world-spanning warfare, audacious autocrats and a heightened awareness of the deep, structural injustices of our society.

Religion, consisting of communities of shared faith and commitment, is perhaps the most powerful antidote to the problems that plague our world today. But even we, as faith leaders, are fully aware that sometimes religion can contribute more to the problem than it can to the solution. And we are fully aware that this is but one of the reasons that more people than ever are turning away from organized religion.

Jake Meador recently argued in The Atlantic that the 21st century American exodus from religion is, counterintuitively, due to the fact that mosques, synagogues and churches do not ask enough of their members. A vibrant, life-giving church requires more, not less, time and energy from its members., Meador argues, adding, It asks people to prioritize one another over our career, to prioritize prayer and time reading scripture over accomplishment.

While we agree in principle that the role of religious institutions should be to create a sense of urgency and action in its community, we are shocked that all the requirements Meador refers to are about individualism: prayer, study, individuated church communities. It is sad to hear a call for churches to revitalize their purpose by serving only their own buildings and those who sit inside it on a regular basis.

Yet, despite an unprecedented urgency in our civic affairs, Meadors findings do not surprise us. After three years of struggling to adapt to COVID-19, many faith communities have made the decision  consciously or otherwise  to turn inward. We know of too many Chicago faith institutions limiting and defunding their social ministry; weve heard of too many houses of worship that have chosen to focus on tithing and paying members rather than the wider world outside.

Meanwhile, America eviscerates the rights of women, the LGBTQ+ community and people of color while deifying the false idols of gun ownership and rapacious capitalism. Still, for traditions rooted in hope and redemption, we hear too many religious leaders saying, Now isnt the time to be political.

This is why we are speaking Monday at the Parliament of World Religions about what we perceive as todays most fundamental failure of faith: the seeming unwillingness of most faith leaders to speak up for matters of justice and peace.

Christianity speaks of the importance of works over faith; Judaism is far more doing the deeds we are commanded to do than ascribing to any theology. The prophets our traditions share were unafraid to speak truth to power in their attempt to unite the religious community to build a just world. This is the work the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called building the beloved community. We believe it is the moral responsibility of the faith community to speak truth and be the conscience of the world. Thus it is necessary for the 21st century faith leader to take up the prophetic call, to regain our prophetic voice.

But voices  and speaking  only matter if people listen and are moved. The beloved community doesnt build itself, especially in an age of individualism. That is why we will be focusing our session at the Parliament of World Religions on the strategy and tactics of building the beloved community: creating disciples, building bridges and mobilizing faith communities to work for justice.

We will share with our colleagues the best practices for lighting a prophetic fire in a community and for withstanding the burns religious leaders often feel when they eschew the path of a comfortable pulpit for a public presence speaking divine truths. We will explore how we in Chicago have united across lines of race, class and faith to help our city move closer to peace and equity. And we will talk about fortifying ourselves for these challenges it will take us a lifetime, or more, to conquer.

When the White City stood, the Parliament of the Worlds Religions was launched to promote cooperation among faith leaders so they might build a world redeemed. Today, generations later, as the parliament convenes again in Chicago, we hope we can do our part to help all who attend to achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

Chicago faith leaders Rabbi Seth Limmer and the Revs. Otis Moss III, Ciera Bates-Chamberlain and Michael Pfleger joined the Tribunes opinion section last summer for a series of columns on potential solutions to Chicagos chronic gun violence problem. The column continues on an occasional basis.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
States are reporting that teachers are leaving their jobs in growing numbers.

In some cases, retirement is highest among teachers from minority groups. One reason is stress from burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another reason, teachers say, is low pay. And another reason teachers give is what they call the introduction of politics in the classroom. But the stress can be worse in schools serving poor communities that have a lot of minority teachers.

Rhonda Hicks is leaving her teaching job in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She said she loved teaching and loved her students. As a Black woman, she took pride in being a role model for minority children.

But growing demands from administrators over what and how to teach made it harder for her to work. When she retires, she will join a disproportionate number of Black and Hispanic teachers in her state who are quitting.

I enjoy actually teaching, that part Ive always enjoyed, said 59-year-old Hicks. But its the higher-ups: Do it this way or dont do it at all. That, she said, was stressful.

Philadelphia has one of the highest percentages of Blacks in any major U.S. city. But the number of Black teachers has been falling. Twenty years ago, about one-third of teachers were Black. Last fall, that percentage fell to below 23 percent.

The Associated Press reports that about 80 percent of American public school teachers are white. White students, however, are not a majority in public schools. Having teachers who are the race of their students is important, researchers say. The idea is that teachers can provide students with role models who share their culture and life experience.

Retirements could affect recent efforts to bring more Black and Hispanic teachers into public schools. New, inexperienced teachers are more likely to quit. Researchers say minority teachers often are affected disproportionately by layoffs.

Ed Fuller is an education professor at Pennsylvania State University. In a report, he wrote that Black teachers in Pennsylvania were over two times more likely to leave their jobs than white teachers after the 2021-22 school year. The numbers for Hispanic teachers were similar.

Theyre in more precarious teaching positions, meaning youre in a position with less resources and worse working conditions, so youre more likely to quit no matter who you are, Fuller said.

States are reporting different rates of retirement for minority teachers. But Travis Bristol said minority retirement rates have been higher than rates for whites for 20 years. Bristol is an education professor at the University of California-Berkeley. He blamed federal policies from around 20 years ago that began leading to the closure of schools where students repeatedly had low test scores.

In poor schools with large populations of Black and Hispanic children, teachers say they have more responsibilities. They also say they have fewer resources and more children who are troubled by poverty and violence.

Chantle Simpson is a 36-year-old teacher in Texas who quit teaching after 11 years this spring.

She said other minority teachers are leaving because of growing expectations from administrators.

They believe we can handle more, Simpson said. So, we get fitted with the children who are more challenging or have more requirements. Its crazy.

That leaves teachers who deal with difficult children less time for the rest of their students who behave better, Simpson said.

Im Caty Weaver.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Quiz - More US Minority Teachers Are Quitting Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

stress n. a state of mental tension

burnout  n. when a person becomes physically and emotionally tired from doing a difficult job for a long time

role model  n. a person who children look up to and who they try to imitate

disproportionate  adj. showing a difference that is not in proportion to another set of numbers which causes people to wonder what the cause of the imbalance is

layoff  n. when workers employment is ended for reasons beyond their control

professor n. a teacher of high rank at a college or university

precarious  adj. not safe, strong or sure

challenging  adj. difficult
Antarcticas minimum summer ice cover, which last year dropped below 2 million square kilometers for the first time since satellite monitoring began in 1978, fell further to a new low in February.

The scientists findings appeared in the publication Frontiers in Environmental Science.

Anna Hogg of the University of Leeds in Britain was one of the study's co-writers. When speaking about the melting icebergs and shelves, she said "It's going to take decades if not centuries for these things to recover. There's no quick fix to replacing this ice."

She told a group of reporters, "It will certainly take a long time, even if it's possible."

This year's sea ice minimum is 20 percent lower than the average over the last 40 years. The sea ice loss represents an area nearly 10 times that of New Zealand, said Tim Naish of the Antarctic Research Center at New Zealand's Victoria University of Wellington. Naish was not part of the study.

Naish added that in some cases we are getting close to important large changes that could lead to serious consequences for future generations.

The warming of Earth's surface driven by the burning of fossil fuels has made Antarctica more likely to suffer from extreme events. And the effect is almost "certain" to get worse, the study said.

Climate change will "lead to increases in the size and frequency" of heatwaves, ice shelf collapses and declines in sea ice, it said.

The study drew on recent evidence from scientific studies of the Antarctic Ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere and biosphere.

The exact effects of climate change on Antarctica and the surrounding ocean have been uncertain. Scientists have had problems measuring how much the Earths warming is affecting the thickness of Antarctic ice.

But from events such as the fast decline in sea ice, it is "scientifically reasonable" to assume that extreme events are going to become worse as temperatures rise worldwide, said Martin Siegert of the University of Exeter, another study co-writer.

Last year, an "atmospheric river" coming from Australia pushed heat and moisture into Antarctica. The result was temperatures up to 38.5 Celsius above normal, the largest variance from the norm the world has ever experienced.

Siegert described the temperature increase as "absolutely astonishing. Siegert added that if the event had happened during the Antarctic summer, instead of winter, it would have caused melting on the surface of the East Antarctic ice sheet, which has so far been saved from melting.

Siegert used the term fragile, meaning easily broken or damaged, to describe Antarctica.

"Antarctica is fragile as an environment, but extreme events test that fragility," he said. "What we're deeply concerned about is the increase in intensity and frequency of extreme events and the . influences that they have in other areas."

Im John Russell.

David Stanway reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

monitor -- v. to watch or observe for a special purpose over a period of time

shelf -- n. a flat area of rock, sand, etc., especially underwater

decade  n. a period of 10 years

consequence -- n. something that happens as a result of an action

fossil fuel -- n. a fuel (such as coal or oil) that is formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

certain  adj. used to say that something will definitely happen

frequency  n. the number of times that something happens during a particular period

variance  n. an amount of difference or change
When you think of therapy, you probably think of, well... sound. But the real MVP here is the frequency.

Sound therapy is the use of specific instruments to create resonance and frequencies which balance the body, mind, and spirit. Using a variety of musical instruments and tools, these vibrations touch us at a cellular level to reset the bodys systems. While deep relaxation is the most significant benefit, sound therapy has been shown to alleviate symptoms caused by many disorders. It can help lower stress, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and risk of heart conditions. Sound therapy is a gentle, non-invasive alternative to add to your wellness options as it is both activating and relaxing.

Tara Niles will lead a brief sound therapy session at the Wilson Public Library in Cozad Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. The program is free and open to the public, although participants will be required to sign a waiver.

Niles, who owns The Alternative, grew up in Eustis, graduating in 2006. She has an associate degree in travel and tourism and is a U.S. Air Force veteran.

During the latter part of her active-duty commitment, Niles suffered a back injury that ultimately required surgery. Not keen on going under the knife, she researched alternative options. After visiting an acupuncturist and noticing less pain, Tara realized there was much more to health than exercising, prescriptions and operations.

Upon exiting the Air Force, she enrolled at Ashford University, studying complementary and alternative health. Tara graduated in 2016, offering consultations to close friends and family. She has studied multiple fields of holistic health and is a certified Sound Healing practitioner. Niles began working with The Well Haus in 2022 and is currently renovating her own space in Cozad. She is looking forward to bringing new health and wellness modalities to the area.

Wilson Public Library is located at 910 Meridian Ave. in Cozad.
Sydney Sweeney says the controversy that erupted over the birthday party she threw for her mum's 60th was full of "misinterpretations".

The 26-year-old 'Euphoria' actress ended up being slammed online over the bash for her mother Lisa Mudd as photos of the celebration showed guests in what appeared to be Blue Lives Matter garb and MAGA-styled red caps later revealed to read 'Make Sixty Great Again'.

Sydney told Variety, in an interview conducted before the Hollywood actor's strike: "There were so many misinterpretations.

"The people in the pictures weren't even my family.

"The people who brought the things that people were upset about were actually my mom's friends from LA who have kids that are walking outside in the Pride parade, and they thought it would be funny to wear because they were coming to Idaho."

She also revealed her dad Steven Sweeney wasn't at the gathering.

Sydney told the magazine she has to constantly think about what she says in interviews so it isn't taken out of context.

She added: "When we have a two-hour conversation and there's six quotes in it, it's so hard to have the context behind what we're speaking about, and how we're saying it to each other."

Sydney also revealed she tries to get her uncle to stop talking about news around her, adding: "I'll see my uncle comment on things and I'm like, 'You gotta stop.'

"But it's so hard, because I grew up in a small town, and they don't get the business of it all."

Sydney also told Variety she feels a "responsibility" to show her parents their sacrifices for her career were "worth it".

The actress was supported throughout her acting dreams and endless auditions by her mum and dad, who divorced and filed for bankruptcy as she was chasing her career ambitions.

She said: "My parents sacrificed so much to support my dream, and they lost so much during it. I just felt a responsibility to show them that it was worth it."

When asked if the sacrifices her parents made contribute to their family crises, she replied: "I'll never know. I think as a kid, as the eldest, I feel a responsibility.

"They'll say no, or they'll say yes, depending on what fight it is.
LEGISLATURE BALANCE OF POWER

Gov. Tony Evers found himself in familiar territory earlier this month, issuing his first 10 vetoes of the legislative session.

Only this time, instead of putting the legislation to bed, as a veto has done for decades in Wisconsin, the governor's pen triggered a "veto watch" among Democratic lawmakers.

"Our caucus has determined protecting Gov. Evers' veto to be a top priority," Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, told Wisconsin Watch, adding that Democratic lawmakers are "remaining extremely vigilant and will do so throughout the session to ensure that we are able to uphold (the governor's) vetoes and prevent Wisconsin from moving backwards."

But why do Democrats need to be on alert when Republicans control fewer than 66 seats in the Assembly  the two thirds supermajority needed to override a veto?

The answer: The Wisconsin Constitution says that to successfully override a veto, lawmakers only need support from two-thirds of members who are present on a given day  not two-thirds of all Assembly members. So if just three Democratic lawmakers were absent on a given day, Assembly Republicans could have a two-thirds majority and would be able to undo Evers' vetoes.

It's been a record 38 years since the Legislature has overridden a veto, a failure that "in recent decades has made the governor's veto power practically invincible," according to a January 2023 memo on the veto override process from the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

How vetoes work

When lawmakers send a bill to the governor for a final signature, the governor has six days, excluding Sunday, to veto it or it becomes law. Once the governor vetoes a bill, it first returns to the chamber where it originated. In the Assembly, Republicans control 64 of 99 seats. In the state Senate, they control 22 of 33 seats. The Assembly can vote on a veto override for the same bill multiple times during a session, whereas the Senate may only vote for one on the same bill once, according to the LRB.

Evers has vetoed bills passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature at a record-breaking clip in recent years. During the 202122 legislative session, he struck down 126 bills sent to his desk, or 32% of all bills sent to his desk, the most by any governor in a single session in Wisconsin history. Other governors have vetoed on average 3.7% of bills they receive, the LRB reported.

Four of the bills Evers vetoed last week would have made changes to Wisconsin's unemployment insurance system. Another would have prevented state agencies and local governments from restricting the sale of gas-powered vehicles.

But with such slim margins this session, the governor's veto doesn't feel invincible to Democrats, and lawmakers are planning accordingly in an attempt to avoid being caught off guard by a surprise vote scheduled by their Republican colleagues.

When could a veto override take place?

Veto votes may take place at any time during a regularly scheduled floor session. Those periods include Sept. 12-15, Sept. 1821, Oct. 10-13, Oct. 16-19, Nov. 7-10, Nov. 13-16 and in 2024 on Jan. 16-19, Jan. 22-25, Feb. 13-16, Feb. 1922, March 12-14 and April 11, 16-18.

Next year on May 14 and 15 any vetoes that have not been overridden are automatically placed on the calendar for what is known as a "veto review floor period."

"All of our members have made this commitment to be in Madison for every scheduled session day," Neubauer said.

And now that there are vetoes available to be scheduled for an override vote, the Democratic leader said all 35 of her caucus members will also be in Madison on all skeletal session days  procedural sessions usually involving only a few members that are required to maintain established floor schedules on session days when the full body doesn't actually meet.

Evers is also conscious that his veto authority is protected by the slimmest of margins.

"After the last election I met with all the legislators on the Democratic side and said, 'You can't be sick this year.' And so far that's worked out," the governor told Wisconsin Watch earlier this summer in Oshkosh.

Both Evers and Neubauer said they have not discussed with Republicans an informal deal to avoid a surprise override vote.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, through a spokesperson, didn't respond to a question about whether he would schedule an override vote if Democratic lawmakers were absent and Republicans had a two-thirds majority on a given day. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, through a spokesperson, didn't respond to a question about whether he would support an override effort that had been approved by Assembly Republicans using procedural tactics.

Why would a veto override matter?

Neubauer cautioned that a snap override attempt could harm the Legislature as an institution.

"People ... have an understanding of the ways in which the rules have been changed in the Legislature  through the gerrymander and otherwise  to further consolidate Republicans' power," she said. "And I don't think that an unscheduled veto override attempt would reflect well on our democracy and on the institution."

She continued, "That being said, we just have to be as prepared as possible."

Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, echoed Neubauer, likening a surprise override vote to other recent Republican "over stretches," including lame duck legislation in 2018 that sought to weaken Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, Republicans' decision to gerrymander the state's voting maps to insulate their majorities and the attempt to submit fake presidential electors to Congress after the 2020 election.

"These types of parlor tricks are not true governing," Agard told Wisconsin Watch. "They aren't in the best interest of our state."

Could courts play a role in veto rules?

A Republican veto override would leave little recourse for Democrats.

Even with liberals taking control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week, Democrats could face a tough path to reversing any potential surprise overrides via the courts.

Aside from what's in the constitution, the Legislature sets the rules for override process. There are no statutes governing the process, and the Legislature can change or enforce the rules however it wants, according to the LRB memo.

The state Supreme Court stated in 1983 that "if the Legislature fails to follow self-adopted procedural rules in enacting legislation, and such rules are not mandated by the constitution, courts will not intervene to declare the legislation invalid."

The LRB concluded in its memo that the courts have no role in overseeing the veto override process.

"The veto override process is an internal, procedural matter created and governed by the Legislature alone. The Legislature adopts rules that regulate the process, and courts may not adjudicate the application or interpretation of the rules," LRB director Rick Champagne wrote. "The veto override process is in every way a self-determined legislative process."

Neubauer said Democrats are prepared to prevent it from getting that far.

"Our caucus is very clear that this is one of our top priorities for this session," she said. "... And people will make real sacrifices  time with their family, vacation, time in their districts  in order to make sure that we are doing everything in our power to protect the veto."

Wisconsin Watch reporter Jacob Resneck contributed to this report.

The nonprofit Wisconsin Watch (www.WisconsinWatch.org) collaborates with WPR, PBs Wisconsin, other news media and the university of Wisconsin-Madison school of Journalism and Mass communication. all works created, published, posted or disseminated by Wisconsin Watch do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of UW-Madison or any of its affiliates.

"The veto override process is an internal, procedural matter created and governed by the Legislature alone."

Rick Champagne, legislative reference Bureau director
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes will not serve as Chicagos next top cop, bringing to an end weeks of uncertainty over whether Madisons chief of only 2 years would depart to lead law enforcement in the countrys third-largest city.

Chicago police counterterrorism head Larry Snelling has been selected for the job, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Sunday.

Barnes, Snelling and Angel Novalez  another current Chicago police official  were narrowed down from a list of five semi-finalists in mid-July.

If Barnes had left Madison, the city would have had to find its fourth police chief in a decade.

"Every day, I feel blessed to work for the Madison Police Department," Barnes said in a statement late Sunday. "These feelings never changed, even as I applied for the superintendent position in Chicago."

"My life's work has been about public safety and building relationships in the cities I serve," the chief said. "The idea of getting to do this for the second largest police department in the country was a dream. As a dad, I had to take the same advice I give my kids - follow your dreams."

As Madisons police chief, Barnes has touted reductions in auto thefts and gunfire incidents in the city as well as new efforts to improve the departments community policing initiatives. Earlier this month, the City Council finally approved a long-debated body camera pilot program from the department, an aim of Barnes since the early months of his tenure.

Despite his aspirations to lead Chicago police, Barnes had previously told the newspaper Isthmus that he planned to stay in Madison for the long haul.

Barnes continues to have ties to Chicago, where he helmed the citys Civilian Office of Police Accountability for a year before taking the role of chief in Madison. Barnes wife continues to serve as dean of the College of Science and Health at DePaul University.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Chief Barnes.
I love to show off the Madison area.

The city shines in the summer, with a dizzying number of free concerts, festivals and recreation opportunities. A friend visited last week and marveled at how much Madison felt like a resort town, with boaters, cyclists and hammock enthusiasts wherever he turned.

In 48 hours, we hit more than a dozen events and sites, including my first visit to Dane Dances, arguably one of the most diverse, joyous events all year. The Dane County Farmers Market never disappoints. We also kayaked on Lake Monona, relaxed on the Union Terrace and listened to live music in Paoli.

The Wisconsin State Journal has been covering some of Madisons biggest events this summer, from the CrossFit Games to Art Fair on the Square. You might see a story previewing the event, or live coverage as visitors descend on the Alliant Energy Center.

For many events, we provide coverage through photo packages and videos. Our photographers have a remarkable ability to capture the feel of any event, so these packages are often the best way to convey the festive atmosphere of an event.

And if you get a chance, make sure to check out Gayle Worlands list of top things to do each Friday morning on Madison.com and in the newspaper. Its a curated list to help you plan your weekend and not miss a thing.

Today, I want to answer a few questions that readers have asked in the last couple weeks.

Cooks Exchange

Many of you have missed Catherine Murray, who offers recipes through her Cooks Exchange column. Ive heard from readers who said they appreciate her homespun take on food.

Good news: After a brief pause, Cooks Exchange will return to the Wednesday Taste section on September 6. Were excited to see what new recipes she will have for us.

I appreciate the feedback on her column, and I know Catherine does too.

Why no coverage?

Several readers wondered why we did not write about the Nazi group that disrupted a drag show in Watertown.

There were two reasons. First, we want to focus most of our work on Madison and surrounding communities, and Watertown is out of our coverage area. So we did not attend the drag show as we were covering local events.

We also did not want to give a group spreading hateful messages the attention that it wants, but does not deserve. There is a balance between letting readers know what happened and giving oxygen to a movement of intolerance. We have covered the debate over drag shows and many peaceful protests on a variety of issues. But we did not want to draw attention to a group brandishing swastikas and spreading hateful messages and did not see value in printing photos of the protest in the paper.

Double take

You might have also noticed this week that we printed the same content, including Ask Amy, on two separate pages in the features section of Wednesdays paper. In a rush to make our print deadline, the team inadvertently placed the wrong content on one of the pages. Im not going to make excuses for this, except to say that we work hard to make the best product every day of the year, but were not perfect. So please accept my apology and know well work to do better.

Thank you for taking time out of your summer fun to read the State Journals coverage, and keep the feedback coming.
Thirty-six million dollars could pay for 450 teachers in Wisconsin.

It could fix more than 700,000 potholes.

Or it could help 12,000 struggling families stay in their apartments or homes, avoiding eviction.

And thats just the potential impact of the $36 million in tax revenue Wisconsin could collect every year from its residents now buying cannabis in Illinois. If marijuana were legalized here  as it has been in some form in every state surrounding Wisconsin  the tax collections would easily top $100 million, according to the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Minnesota, for example, which legalized recreational marijuana Aug. 1, expects to receive $110 million in annual tax revenue by 2027. Thats enough money to employ and train some 5,000 young people in the Wisconsin Conservation Corps, building trails, managing wildlife habitats and completing carpentry projects.

More important than tax receipts, legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin would recognize reality: Cannabis has gone mainstream. Most Americans now live in states where it is legal, and it hasnt caused lots of problems.

Half of Wisconsin adults 21 or older live within a 75-minute drive to a recreational dispensary, according to the independent Wisconsin Policy Forum. And that was before Minnesota became the latest Midwestern state to allow it. Michigan and Illinois granted adults the freedom to use marijuana in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Iowa, the only other state that borders Wisconsin, allows medical marijuana with a prescription.

Madison area residents can drive just 45 minute down Interstate 39 to a dispensary in South Beloit, Illinois. Bringing the substance back across the border is technically a crime. Yet more than a dozen cities including Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Stevens Point and Superior have decriminalized small amounts.

Legalizing it across Wisconsin will make our state more fair for everyone by standardizing access and rules. It also will prevent excessive drug charges applied to people stopped for traffic violations or other minor offenses. Marijuana-related arrests and charges disproportionately affect people of color, which makes it harder to find and keep jobs.

Just as adults are allowed the freedom to drink alcohol responsibly, so should they be able to consume cannabis, which is arguably less dangerous if not beneficial for some.

167 million reasons to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin STATE JOURNAL VIEW: The state is losing a windfall of revenue -- $167M a year -- by sending residents to the border to buy cannabis

Consider that doctors in Wisconsin can prescribe highly addictive opioids, which are killing 1,400 people a year in Wisconsin, according to the state Department of Health Services. Yet state Republican lawmakers wont allow medical patients suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis and other terrible diseases to use marijuana as a mild and less risky alternative for controlling pain and nausea. GOP opposition to medical marijuana is weakening, yet it remains unjustified and inhumane.

Allowing adults to purchase small amounts of cannabis at legal dispensaries for pleasure will help ensure the substance is safe and regulated for users. Unlike street drugs, which can be laced with unexpected substances such as deadly fentanyl, cannabis from dispensaries must be grown according to government health standards.

Marijuana shouldnt be sold to teenagers because it can harm their developing brains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nor should it be sold in bright colors as gummies, which have been mistaken for candy by children.

Yet moderate use by adults is relatively safe. And some of the substantial revenue from legalized marijuana in Wisconsin could be used to address any existing or unforeseen problems.

Under reasonable proposals by Democrats including Gov. Tony Evers, only adults 21 years and older could purchase recreational marijuana in Wisconsin. State residents could possess no more than 2 ounces and six plants for personal use, with tighter restrictions on nonresidents. Motorists would be forbidden from driving while high.

Tribal governments in Minnesota appear well positioned to be the first sellers of legal cannabis there. Private companies will eventually join the market. Wisconsin should draft a licensing system to ensure a fair and open market for a diversity of entrepreneurs.

More than two-thirds of respondents to a statewide Marquette University poll last year favored legal marijuana for recreational use, while fewer than a quarter were opposed.

GOP lawmakers should listen to their constituents, legalize small amounts of the drug and put the tax receipts to work here in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin State Journal editorial board The views expressed in the editorials are shaped by the board, independent of news coverage decisions elsewhere in the newspaper. STAFF MEMBERS KELLY LECKER, Executive editor SCOTT MILFRED, Editorial page editor PHIL HANDS, Editorial cartoonist COMMUNITY MEMBERS JAMES L. HOWARD JENNY PRICE
Rush University System for Health has annouced a new outpatient center in Hinsdale will be open by 2024. (Rush/HANDOUT)

Rush University System for Health, an academic medical center based in the Illinois Medical District west of the Chicago Loop, announced it will be opening a new outpatient center in Hinsdale by early 2024.

The center, RUSH Hinsdale, will open at 32 E. 1st Street, one block south of the Hinsdale Metra BNSF line stop, and the site of former office space.

The 9,900-square-foot center will hold 17 patient exam rooms and provide primary and specialty care, according to a news release from RUSH.

In opening the Hinsdale center, RUSH continues to increase services and access to patients across the Chicago area, Paul Casey, chief medical officer and senior vice president at RUSH University Medical Center, said in a statement. RUSH is expanding and enhancing patient access not only through our more than 30 outpatient locations, but also digitally, with several virtual care options.

RUSH operates out of more than 350 locations across Illinois and northwest Indiana, including 15 outpatient facilities around Chicago and the western suburbs of Aurora, Oak Park, Oak Brook and Yorkville, with plans to open more in the future.

RUSH is expanding outpatient care in locations convenient to our patients, including bringing more primary care physicians close to home and enhancing access to the specialists our patients need, Casey said.

According to Casey, Hinsdale was chosen due to its proximity to other RUSH outpatient facilities. RUSH Oak Brook, which is less than four miles away, is home to more than 20 clinical specialties as well as X-rays, MRI, CT, ultrasound, bone density testing and laboratory services, he said. RUSH also is expanding cancer care for west suburban patients with a 55,000-square-foot comprehensive cancer center in Lisle, expected to open in late 2024.

Earlier this week the Rush University Medical Center, alongside Northwestern Memorial Hospital, was ranked among the top 22 hospitals in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The U.S. News & World Report, a media company known for its consumer and analytics reporting, has received criticism recently over its yearly rating systems of hospitals and universities throughout the US.

Rush is pleased to be among this years top 22 hospitals in the country, but theres still room for improvement within hospital rating systems, including U.S. News, Dr. Brian Stein, chief quality officer at Rush, told the Chicago Tribune earlier this month.

I think theres still a lot of work to do at the national level on measuring quality, and I think thats across all of the rating and rankings systems, Stein said.
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT

In the four short days after securing a majority on the state's highest court, the Wisconsin Supreme Court's four liberal justices ousted the court's director, made sweeping changes to court rules and operating procedures, and curbed the power of the court's conservative chief justice.

The court's conservatives responded with scathing rebuke.

There's no consensus among legal experts on whether the actions taken by the liberal justices were constitutional, and many of the points of contention haven't been tested in court.

But the first actions of the new majority  which is expected rule on several high-profile cases ranging from abortion rights to the state's legislative maps  further underscore ongoing partisan discord on the state's highest court.

What's more, the manner in which those actions were taken, as well as the conservative justices' critical response, could have a chilling effect on justices' relationships and the court's public image, according to some legal experts and officials.

"The Wisconsin Supreme Court is kind of the most glaring example of how state supreme courts are becoming more politicized and more partisan," said Michael Kang, a law professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, who studies judicial elections across the country.

"The election process is becoming more partisan and putting more pressure, I think, on the justices," Kang said. "Anecdotally, you hear about things becoming more strained at a personal level on different supreme courts."

Kang said the increasing politicization and partisanship at the state court level will "affect the way that people view courts, the way they view judges, the way they view any sort of lawmaking institution that gets infected with this kind of pervasive partisanship."

After liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz was sworn in on Aug. 1, giving the court a liberal majority for the first time in more than a decade, the liberals voted to fire the previous state court system director, who was known to be conservative. On Aug. 4, the liberals held a meeting to overhaul the Wisconsin Supreme Court's rules and internal operating procedures to curtail the chief justice's power and reopen administrative meetings to the public, among other measures.

Conservative Chief Justice Annette Ziegler called the Aug. 4 meeting illegitimate and secret and said she feared for the court's future. Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley said the liberal justices didn't respect the Constitution.

"We cannot be taken seriously if the court embraces a rules-for-thee but-not-for-me mentality," Ziegler told the Wisconsin State Journal. "The people of Wisconsin are expected to follow the law and follow the procedures the law provides. If the people believe that justices themselves don't adhere to the constitution and longstanding practices of the court, we will likely lose a lot of trust as a court."

Liberal Justice Rebecca Dallet defended the changes as efforts to make the court more "inclusive, timely and responsive" and called on her conservative colleagues to stop litigating court matters in public.

Ziegler said the court's seven justices are expected to discuss the recent changes on Sept. 7.

Liberals Protasiewicz and Justice Jill Karofsky declined to comment for this report. Fellow liberal justices Dallet and Ann Walsh Bradley did not respond to requests for comment. Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn also declined to comment, noting he may weigh in on the matter in the coming weeks.

Familiar terrain

Division among the justices isn't new to the court. In 2011, the liberal Bradley accused then-Justice David Prosser of putting his hands on her neck. Five years later, a GOP-authored constitutional amendment changing the chief justice election process allowed the conservative court majority to oust Shirley Abrahamson from the position. In response, she filed a federal lawsuit, which she ultimately dropped.

A conservative majority of the court in 2012 moved public meetings about court business behind closed doors, an action the new liberal majority reversed last week.

Earlier this year, Hagedorn and Bradley, both conservatives, sparred in dueling statements after Hagedorn sided with liberals to deny the state Supreme Court's acceptance of a case concerning student gender issues. Hagedorn, who has served as a swing vote at times, accused Bradley of "knivesout bluster" that doesn't serve the law after she said colleagues who voted to deny the order should resign if they couldn't work "in defense of people's liberty."

Many of the liberal justices' changes were made to the court's internal operating procedures, which were adopted in 1984 after reorganization efforts in which the court explored various procedures "that seemed to best serve the objectives of collegiality and efficiency," according to the document.

The procedures are not rules and can be changed by a majority vote without notice and as circumstances require, according to the document.

Ryan Owens, a UW-Madison political science professor, said the liberal justices' actions are harming the court's reputation.

"Disregarding procedure, purging state employees without notice and making blatantly political decisions is an institution-destroying cocktail that, for the public, will taste like ipecac syrup  and have the same effect," said Owens, who briefly ran for attorney general as a Republican.

"No doubt, these actions will cripple the court's reputation," he said. "At a time when people are worried about threats to democracy and attacks on our institutions, the public is likely to see these justices' efforts as yet another such attack and a further race to the bottom in public discourse."

Janine Geske, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, said the onus was on the chief justice to bring the court together.

"As a leader, when you've got this kind of thing going on, you need to get everybody to the table and talk about it," Geske said. "Then they can disagree and issue orders and do what ever they do on a regular basis, but they need to be talking to each other and not to the media."

Liberal actions

After Protasiewicz joined the court, the newfound liberal majority almost immediately voted to fire state court system director Randy Koschnick, formerly a conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate.

In his place, the liberal bloc appointed, on an interim basis, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Audrey Skwierawski, who took a leave of absence from her job as judge.

Ziegler and GOP leaders have said appointing a judge as interim director was unconstitutional.

The Wisconsin Constitution provides that judges and justices cannot "hold any other office of public trust, except a judicial office," during their elected term.

But the Constitution doesn't define the terms "office of public trust" and "judicial office," and there is no case law interpreting how those terms are used, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

On Aug. 4, the liberals held a meeting to overhaul court's rules and internal operating procedures, actions that conservative justices said were illegitimate, partially because the meeting was held outside the court's traditional business year from September to June and without the consent of all seven justices. Dallet said the chief justice was asked twice, once in May and again in June, to schedule a conference in August to discuss the proposed changes, but the request was declined.

The Constitution notes that any four justices constitute a quorum to conduct the court's business.

But the conservative Bradley said that when she informed her fellow justices she would not be able to attend the Aug. 4 meeting, the new majority "abandoned another longstanding tradition of the court, which is to respect each other's schedules and calendars."

"Regardless, these justices do not seem interested in discussing their proposed new rules and procedures; their adoption was a foregone conclusion from their conception," she added.

Among the changes, liberals voted to create a three-justice committee to take charge of administrative decisions, a task that was formerly Ziegler's responsibility. The committee they authorized would include Ziegler and two justices chosen by the court's liberal majority.

The Wisconsin Constitution states the court's chief justice "shall be the administrative head of the judicial system and shall exercise this administrative authority pursuant to procedures adopted by the supreme court."

The chief justice's constitutional authority as the court's judicial head is untested in court, according to the LRB.

LRB Director Rick Champagne said the state Supreme Court "can and has made changes to its internal operating procedures and to Supreme Court rules through a majority vote of the Court's justices."

"However, based on the information available, the specific procedures utilized by the new majority to act with respect to the proposed rule modifications appear to be a shift from the Court's ordinary practices," Champagne said.

New deadlines

In addition, the court's liberal majority voted to impose deadlines for justices to weigh in on orders allowing lawsuits to be filed directly with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, rather than with a lower court.

The change could dramatically speed up rulings on lawsuits filed directly with the state Supreme Court, such as a lawsuit filed earlier this month by liberal groups seeking to redraw the state's legislative maps before the 2024 election.

The court also is expected to have final say on other liberal-backed lawsuits, including a challenge to the state's abortion ban and efforts to overturn the court's 2022 decision banning the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.

The provision to hold the court's administrative meetings in public, which hasn't been the practice in more than a decade, will allow the public to tune in as the justices discuss rule changes, such as when they should recuse themselves from cases or whether guns should be allowed in the courtroom.

The liberal justices also announced plans to launch a bipartisan task force to study the issue of recusal and present recommendations.

Ultimately, any legal challenges that allege state law or constitutional violations would have to be filed in state courts. Such a lawsuit could work its way up to the same Supreme Court majority that initially made the changes.

Ziegler said she's opposed to any legal action on the matter.

"I remain an eternal optimist," she added. "I hope that we will be able to work things out and get back to conducting the business of the court."

Bradley offered a sterner tone.

"If the new majority continues to operate in this manner, I will continue to alert the public of the new majority's misdeeds going forward," she said.

"The Wisconsin Supreme Court is kind of the most glaring example of how state supreme courts are becoming more politicized and more partisan."

Michael Kang, a law professor at the northwestern university Pritzker school of law, who studies judicial elections across the country
KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation Thursday of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages in the eastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces reportedly are making an effort to punch through the front line.

The local military administration in Kharkiv's Kupiansk district said residents must comply with the evacuation order or sign a document saying they would stay at their own risk. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the previous day that "the intensity of combat and enemy shelling is high" in the area.

The city of Kupiansk and the territories around it were under Russian occupation until September 2022, when Ukrainian forces conducted a rapid offensive operation that dislodged the Kremlin's forces from nearly the entire Kharkiv region.

The Biden administration on Thursday asked Congress to provide over $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year. The package includes $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home.
Car makers in the Philippines are asking the government for a similar, if not the same set of incentives under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program.

Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp. is pushing for an extension of the CARS program.

The CARS program should not be a one-time program. We hope to be able to continue and enhance this program. In fact, we are asking for a CARS 2, said Mitsubishi first vice president of legal and government affairs Imelda Abadilla-Brown.

She said the company would be very grateful if the government would allow the extension of the CARS program for another five years to sustain jobs with the continued production of the Mirage, MMPCs registered model in the program.

The car company, one of the two registered participants in the CARS program whose implementation was upended by the three-year COVID-19 pandemic, expressed optimism on hitting its 100,000th unit production within the year.

Under the program, fiscal incentives would be released upon the production of the 100,001th unit.

The cars program is something that the industry needs. Its a very good program. Its very beneficial to the society and generates jobs. With the support, well be able to sustain the case of the program. So its not just like about getting the volume, but continue supporting our local suppliers. The cars program should not be a one-time program, she said.

MMPC invested almost P5 billion for car parts machineries crucial to support its participation in the CARS program.

MMPC said it was having a hard hitting the required volume of 200,000 units required by the incentives program, especially when the pandemic struck and industries, including car companies, temporarily halted operations.

Abadilla-Brown said MMPC was willing to locally produce another model in the Philippines but it would require support from the government, thus the clamor for CARS 2.

We have aspirations. We want to add to the model lineup. We need support from government to make it happen. It all depends on the extent of support that government will be able to provide, Abadilla-Brown said.

MMPC is producing about 20,000 unit of the Mirage in 2023. It continues to locally assemble the Mitsubishi L-300 and export a little volume to the ASEAN.

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Palawan, a breathtaking gem in the Philippines, caught the attention of Ali Nabil, a renowned Egyptian-Arab artist celebrated for his rendition of Port Saeeds official city anthem. Hailing from Dubai, hes also the creative force behind a captivating music video produced for Emirates National Day.

Egyptian-Arab artist Ali Nabil

Alis love affair with music traces back to the age of 8, and his fervor for travel fuels his ambition to compose evocative melodies inspired by each country he explores. Drawn by the tales of Palawans splendor, he selected Coron as the backdrop for his latest project, a music video featuring the soul-stirring Omry Leek. Notably, Ali proudly claims the title of the first Egyptian to film a music video on this enchanting Philippine beach.

His aspiration to gather a global fanbase, particularly in the Philippines, stems from his deep admiration for the captivating shores of Coron, Palawan.

Coron, Palawan remains to be one of the most visited tourist spots in the Philippines

Both the song and music video, bear Alis signature, with the creative collaboration extending to a skilled Philippine crew led by JJ Maghirang of Team Velvet. The poignant lyrics, crafted by poet Mohamed Abdel Rahman, find resonance through the distribution efforts of Monty, another artist of Arab origin.

A harmonious fusion of Arab and Filipino artistry, this music video is poised to captivate international audiences via social media platforms and the Mazzika Arabic cable channel, broadcasting its melodious magic across the Middle East.

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At first, I thought this was the setting of that 1998 TV drama series, Dawsons Creek, but I later learned that the show had nothing to do with this city in British Columbia.

Dawson Creek is an industrial city in the northeastern part of the province, very near the border of Alberta. The city was named after a creek that runs through the entire community. The creek, in turn, was named after George Dawson, a geologist, and surveyor who performed many explorations in western North America.

With a population of only close to 15,000, the city offers stunning nature vistas and has many opportunities in earning an academic degree or achieving success in an industry. Through the years, the citys job vacancies have continued to increase and real estate has remained accessible to middle-income earners. I guess this is why my eldest son and his family decided to relocate here.

A statue of George Dawson at Mile 0, pointing towards Alaska

For someone like me who is located on the opposite side of the Pacific, after landing in Vancouver, I still have to take a propeller aircraft to Fort St. John, and then drive for an hour to reach Dawson Creek. However, I didnt find the length of travel to be a problem because my only granddaughter, my little princess, holds court in this little city, and I wanted to celebrate my birthday with her.

Naturally, the insatiable tourist that I am prompted my son to take me around the city the day after I arrived. Everywhere I looked, I saw wide open spaces with roads that stretch straight for miles, as far as my eyes could see.

The citys most popular tourist spot is MILE 0 of the Alaska Highway. This 2237-kilometer highway was constructed during World War II to connect the continental USA to its 49th state, Alaska, via Canada, and such freeway starts right in the center of Dawson Creek.

Our next destination was Bear Mountain, 15 kilometers southwest of the city because it offers a breathtaking view of the flatlands in the surrounding areas and has a Wind Park with 36 gigantic windmills, the same as what we have in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

The worldwide shift to renewable energy has led to the development of this Peace Energy Cooperative. I learned that these windmills supply energy to the nearby provinces of Canada and even as far as Chicago.

The Wind Park at Bear Mountain with windmills similar to those in Ilocos Norte (photo from Tourism Dawson Creeks Facebook Page)

What I found impressive was how orderly and clean the city is. The drivers are very disciplined and everybody is very friendly. Vehicular traffic even in the downtown area, is sparse, you can probably even drive with your eyes closed.

Another thing that impressed me is how the city government looks after the physical well-being of its residents. While driving around, my son showed me the outdoor fitness park that anybody may avail of for free. They have all kinds of exercise machines and even weightlifting paraphernalia for those who choose to sculpt a muscular physique. Of course, I was also surprised to see that cannabis is now sold openly in the mall, however, I heard that there are so many restrictions for its purchase.

But the highlight of my first day in Dawson Creek took place in the evening. I never expected to see something that has been on my bucket list for the longest time. After dinner, my son excitedly told me to go with him outside the house, bring my phone camera and take a picture of what was in the skies  Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. While looking at it, I almost froze, not only because it was cold, but the thought of finally coming face to face with what I have been longing for gave me goosebumps all over.

It took me quite some time to recover my senses and start clicking away with my camera. The nice thing about it was that every section of the evening skies had its own set of these heavenly lights. The most common was the greenish cloud. There was also one that was bluish. I was waiting for the reddish cloud to appear but the evening spectacle ended without it showing itself to us.

Mile 0, right in the center of Dawson Creek, is where the Alaska Highway starts

Nevertheless, it was a great experience. I always thought I had to travel to Iceland, a Scandinavian country, or Alaska to see it. But this little city of Dawson Creek gave me a great birthday giftcertainly an experience for the books!

So, the next time somebody asks me, Where on earth is Dawson Creek? I can easily reply, Its where my favorite two lovely ladies await me  my little princess (my only granddaughter) and AuroraBorealis, the Northern Lights.

YOUR MONDAY CHUCKLE:

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit on a boat and drink beer all day.

For feedback, Im at [email protected]

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At least 14 people have been killed in an attack on a village in southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo near the Angolan border, authorities said on Saturday.

Kwango provincial government spokesman Adelard Nkisi said the victims in Ipongi were killed by bullets and machete blows.

A religious leader in the village, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the toll and said the attack on Friday followed the recent arrest of militiamen, who sent another team to free four members of their group.

Symphorien Kwengo, a civil society leader in Kwango province, blamed the armed Mobondo movement, formed in neighbouring Mai-Ndombe province last year.

Measures were being taken to try to bring the situation under control, the provincial spokesman said.

Conflict broke out in Mai-Ndombe province in June 2022 over a land dispute between the Teke people and groups not originally from the area.

The fighting spread to the neighbouring provinces of Kwango, Kwilu and Kinshasa.

The United Nations estimates more than 3,000 people have been killed in the conflict between June 2022 and July 2023.

The DRCs government puts the death toll at 180, a figure unchanged since October 2022.

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Sen. Francis Escudero on Sunday said additional penalties should be imposed on any elected or appointed public official who will defy or refuse to follow an executory legal suspension or removal order.

The additional penalty, Escudero said, should include temporary or permanent disqualification to run or hold any position or office in the government.

Escudero issued the statement following the Senate public order committee investigation on the refusal of Bonifacio, Occidental Mayor Samson Dumanjug to follow his suspension order.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan suspended Dumanjug and his wife Vice Mayor Evelyn Dumanjug due to corruption charges. Police reportedly violently evicted Dumanjug from his office.

If the mayor only followed the suspension order, Escudero said there will be no untoward incident.

In insisting that the Miranda Rights was not read to him, Escudero said Dumanjug seems to admit that he committed a crime.

The senator further said the local police should not neglect their duties in implementing the laws and the legal suspension order.

He stressed any chaotic situation could have been avoided if only policemen of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental followed the right protocol.

Escudero said there is no need to ask for the approval of PNP chief Benjamin Acorda in enforcing the suspension order since the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) also recognized the suspension of Dumanjug.

Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said that to avoid tension and violence, the mayor should have heeded the order instead of holding on to his post.

However, he also admitted that a duly elected official cannot be blamed if he believes theres a legal basis to fight for his right, duties, and responsibilities.

In the Senate hearing, Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal said they coordinated with the DILG to ensure the orderly implementation of the suspension order

He said the DILG director in the province used diplomatic ways in dealing with Dumanjugs camp, but nothing happened.

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A P1-million grand prize is at stake in the 2023 Sentro Artistas nationwide art contest.

The theme for this years art contest is Hindi Umuurong sa Pagtulong which is the mission of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

PCSO shares Sentro Artista Art hubs advocacy in promoting Filipino values and talents. In this project, visual artists are motivated to bring out the best in themselves and the exhibit that is part of this event will give artists from different regions a platform to break through the art scene.

We are not only here to take care of the welfare and the wellbeing of the Filipino people, but we have to take care also the soul of the country because it makes you a better citizen, a better person, and it makes you more humane to see the beauty of life, PCSO general manager Mel Robles said.

Robles also clarified during the upcoming events news conference last week at the Sentro Artista art hub in Arton Strip that no government money will be used in the contest as everything comes from private sectors.

This is purely a private initiative and no public funds will be used here that is why were very happy since there are many people who invest in arts, he added. And I dont think they see this as a losing proposition  either way they win.

Jay Ruiz, a media practitioner and co-founder of Sentro ArtistaJay Ruiz, announced that there is one category which is figurative style. The medium must be oil or acrylic on museum wrapped canvas that measures four feet high by three feet wide with a thickness of two inches, portrait orientation.

Sentro Artista would like to express our gratitude to the PCSO headed by GM Mel Robles for collaborating with us in uplifting the Filipino visual artists, Ruiz said.

No participation fee is required but interested participants must fill out the registration form that will be accessible from August 15-30 thru Sentro Artista Philippines facebook page. There will be an online submission of entries for the pre-screening. Deadline for this is September 29. All shortlisted entries must be delivered to Greenhills Mall on October 22 -23 from 10am to 5pm by the participants. Shortlisted candidates will be notified via email.

Aside from the one million peso grand prize, Sentro Artista will also award P250,000 for the second place winner, while third place will get P175,000. There will be nine winners of P75,000 cash prize for the honorable mentions.

Sentro Artista is located in Quezon City with co-founders Joseph and Doc G Lumbad, Marjorie Ruiz, and Quezon City first district R. Juan Carlos Arjo Atayde. This endeavor is backed by Dakilang Lungsod ng San Juan, Ortigas Commercial Corporation/ Greenhills Mall, SGD Coffee, CNN Philippines and Philippine Star.

All participants must register online to get a participant number starting August 15 to 30. This years category is figurative and artworks must be original work following the theme.

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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday rally behind the governments plan to grant amnesty to communist rebel holdouts in a bid to ultimately resolve the long-standing communist insurgency movement in the country.

In a text message to Manila Standard, AFP spokesman, Colonel Medel Aguilar said they support the amnesty program that was being finalized by the Marcos administration designed to unify Filipinos.

We support it. It will unify us, strengthen us. It is the road to peace. Aguilars text message stated.

The proposed amnesty was rejected earlier by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) stating that revolutionaries are not motivated by selfish desires and personal gain.

The Communist Party of the Philippines and the New Peoples Army will firmly reject Marcoss treacherous offer of amnesty and surrender, CPP spokesman Marco Valbuena said in a statement.

The revolutionary cause for genuine national freedom and social justice is far greater than any Marcos offer of amnesty. Revolutionaries are motivated not by the selfish desire for some personal gain, rather by the selfless devotion to serve and struggle with the people. he added.

Valbuena also said Marcos was seriously mistaken to think that the NPA would line up to gain a few individual concessions in exchange for giving up the much bigger peoples cause which they have committed themselves to.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Saturday said this landmark move on the governments efforts on peace and development was in the works following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s announcement on the peace process in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In a landmark move toward reconciliation and reintegration, the Philippine government shall soon establish a new amnesty package that would allow members of non-State armed groups to relinquish their arms and return to society, Bersamin, in a speech during the observance of the International Humanitarian Law Day, said.

In the speech delivered by Undersecretary Severo Catura, Bersamin said the program would provide a dignified pathway for the former combatants to rebuild their lives, become productive, and contribute to societys progress.

More importantly, this initiative shall be a bold step toward ending the vicious cycle of violence and fostering a culture of forgiveness and unity that promotes national healing, he said in the speech.

Bersamin also said the administrations move to institutionalize a program to encourage the rebels to return to the fold of the law shows its adherence to international humanitarian laws (IHL), which promotes peace and sustainable development.

The Philippines embraces IHL as a cornerstone for human rights advocacy in the midst of such challenging circumstances, he said.

In its adherence to IHL, the State acknowledges its duty to protect civilian populations and non-combatants from harm at all times, and to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need. This commitment lays the groundwork for a safer environment where human rights are respected, and innocent lives are safeguarded, Bersamin added.

He gave assurance that the Marcos administration would continue to observe genuine consultations and listen to affected communities to know their needs and sentiments.

These consultations empower local voices and promote socio-economic development in marginalized communities, acting as deterrents against the allure of extremist ideologies, Bersamin said.

The AFP has said lack of support pushes the 54-year-old communist insurgency to become a dying movement.

We have achieved significant breakthrough in our campaign to end local communist armed conflict. With reduced capability and loss of peoples support, the CPP could hardly initiate a tactical offensive to threaten the peace, Medel Aguilar said.

Far from achieving its political objective, the CPP cadres are hanging on its last breath for the economic benefits afforded by the partys resources generated locally and abroad, he added.

He added that attrition in the CPP leadership and other members of its ranks have made it difficult for its leadership to convene the national congress and install a new set of executive committee members.

Never before had the party experienced this difficulty in consolidating what remains of its members. Benito Tiamzon is nowhere to be found to make critical decisions for the party. His reported death is feared by the 54-year-old party to cause further demoralization and disintegration within the organization, Aguilar said.

CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison died at the age of 83 in the Netherlands, 12 days before the CPP celebrated its 54th anniversary on Dec. 26.

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Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday vowed to help the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) address its problem of system losses, which could have a huge impact on the governments water conservation, affordable water, and food security efforts.

LWUA Chairman Ronnie Ong met with Romualdez earlier this month to seek his assistance in reducing, if not totally eliminating, the almost 30 percent annual water system loss of the water districts under the agencys jurisdiction.

Although startled by the figure, Romualdez was optimistic that the problem can be solved through the rehabilitation of water supply systems and capacity-building.

The solution to these water service interruptions could be right under our noses. Patching up these water systems losses means more water for all at a time when El Nino remains a very serious threat to our daily convenience and food production, Romualdez said.

He said the ongoing deliberations on the 2024 budget were a perfect opportunity to explore solutions, including the rehabilitation of water supply systems and modernizing LWUA, Romualdez said.

In their meeting, Ong informed Romualdez that the water districtswhich serve areas outside Metro Manilayield an average non-revenue water (NRW) rate of 29.34 percent.

Ong said this translates to an annual water loss of around 488 million cubic meters, a quantity surpassing half the capacity of Angat Dam, which is the water lifeline for Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Romualdez recalled that President Marcos emphasized efforts to attain water security amid an impending El Nino event in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 24.

The Chief Executive has also issued Memorandum Circular No. 22 in June, compelling government offices to enforce national water conservation measures.

Ong said the NRW problem has a capital-intensive infrastructure component to address physical losses.

He also said that water districts have inadequate budgets to digitalize or build their capacity to address the commercial or virtual water loss component due to meter inaccuracies, illegal connections, and billing errors.

Romualdez and Ong agreed that addressing NRW is the low-lying fruit or the first domino among all solutions in ensuring water security.

Ong emphasized that NRW is a pervasive issue or one that has been going on for decades simply because the water districts do not have the budget to install new pipes with better quality and ensure speedy maintenance and repairs as water systems deteriorate over time or are damaged during typhoons and road projects.

We must address this now A reduced NRW will actually mean more affordable water, Ong said, because production costs would be lower and supply interruptions would become less frequent.

LWUA says there are at least 244 water districts with NRW rates exceeding 21 percent, including at least 20 water districts that have NRW rates ranging from 48 percent to 71 percent.

Solving the NRW will have an impact on food security as well, since reduced water system losses would mean that we wont have to spread our water resources too thinly to the detriment of farmers, livestock, and other food producing industries, Romualdez said.

LWUA is a government agency with technical expertise and a lending function on water supply projects, as well as regulatory power over 532 water districts in cities and provinces outside of Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte on Sunday said Congress could help address such the matter by empowering local government units to compel commercial, institutional and residential-estate developers to install rainwater retention facilities within their projects.

He filed a bill to authorize LGUs to make the installation of rainwater retention facilities in all new commercial, institutional and residential infrastructure projects in Metro Manila and other major cities a prerequisite for the issuance of construction permits to property developers.

For ongoing commercial, residential and institutional projects whose approved designs have no rainwater retention facilities, Villafuertes proposal has a provision requiring the developers of these construction projects to build them within three years if and when this becomes law, or face penalties for every year of non-compliance.

The primary goal of this proposed LGU requirement before property developers can start building their projects is to preserve, restore or mimic the natural hydrology of the soil, House Bill 5640 reads.

Rainwater is a free, abundant and regular natural resource that the Philippines is fortunate to receive year in and out. It is high time that we make use of it for the general advantage of our people, it added.

These would-be rainwater retention facilities shall capture the rainwater, purify the same, and store it for non-potable uses, thereby effectively reducing the amount of rainwater that submerges Metro Manila roads during the rainy season as well as partially feeding the demand for water in the cities, Villafuerte said.

The government must also invest in small water-impounding facilities and pumps to help communities retain rainwater for their water needs, he said.

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Friendly Neighborhood Historian Lecture at Naper Settlement

Naper Settlement will offer its Friendly Neighborhood Historian lecture this month with a focus on weather disasters.

The presentation, It Came From the Skies, will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at the settlement, 523 S. Webster St., in Naperville.

Participants will learn about weather disasters and what they tell us about life in northern Illinois, settlement officials said.

Tickets are $10 per person and participants should register at www.napersettlement.org.

Park District Offers Draft of Master Plan

The Naperville Park District will be taking resident feedback on its draft version of its 2023 master plan through Aug. 18. The master plan is used to guide the district over the next five to 10 years.

Residents can check out the draft plan at https://online.flippingbook.com/view/186737075/.

Comments and questions can then be sent to city planner Aileen McEldowney at amceldowney@napervilleparks.org. Resident feedback will be taken into consideration as Park District staff prepares the plans final version, Park District officials said.

The park board will then vote on the plan at a future meeting.

According to the Park District, the 2023 master plan update is based on its mission, vision and core values as well as community surveys, demographic studies and national standards for parks and recreation facilities.

Naperville residents who attended a public open house or submitted comments via email this past spring had that feedback taken into consideration when the 2023 plan was drafted.

Will County purchasing new election equipment

Will County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry has signed contracts to buy new election equipment to modernize the countys voting system. The clerks office announced it is working with Governmental Business Systems, a Lisle-based provider of Hart InterCivic election equipment, and Tenex Software Solutions.

The clerks office is buying InterCivics Verity line for tabulating paper ballots, reporting election results and supporting post-election audits. The equipment includes devices to assist voters with disabilities.

Hart InterCivic, a Texas-based company, provides tabulation equipment and software across the country, according to a news release from the clerks. Governmental Business Systems will provide local support services.

The Hart InterCivic tabulators function with paper ballots that document and record a voters intent for secure and verifiable elections, the clerks office said. The tabulators use digital scanners to read the paper ballots. All tabulators are isolated and operate independently with no wireless communications capabilities to prevent potential exploitation by hackers, the news release said.

Tenex Software Solutions, a Florida-based company, will provide new pollbooks, a new voter registration system and a new elections management system and provide the clerks office with the greatest efficiency, the news release states. The new pollbooks will streamline and simplify the process of checking in voters for election judges, according to the clerks office.

The new equipment replaces outdated tabulators and voting devices and had been approved by the county board.

North Central College partners with Inside Out Club DuPage

The North Central College School of Graduate and Professional Studies has expanded its partnership with Naperville-based Inside Out Club DuPage, a nonprofit organization that helps children practice good character and leadership skills such as empathy, acceptance, perseverance and kindness.

The partnership extends the resources of the colleges Cultures of Character Initiatives into elementary and middle school programs offered by Inside Out Club DuPage.

This partnership represents the colleges deep commitment to supporting our home community, Abiodun Goke-Pariola, provost and vice president for academic affairs, stated in a news release. North Central faculty, staff and students have provided guidance and expertise to Inside Out Club DuPage for several years, and the addition of this partnership brings new character resources and contacts that will expand and enhance their and our outreach.

The Inside Out Club works to build a community that values good character, which requires having like-minded partners working together, its founder and executive director Marion Ruthig said in a statement.

The partnership with North Central Colleges Character Initiatives opens additional avenues to engage teachers and future leaders in education with the clubs programs, Ruthig said.
A delegation from Chinese company Huayou, a major player in the manufacturing of battery components for electric vehicles (EV), has visited lately Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region ahead of its gigafactory project planned by the Chinese firm in the region.

According to the local investment center, the Chinese company will invest $ 20 billion over seven years in this large-scale industrial project to be completed in 2030.

The project is expected to create more than 13,000 jobs and enable Huayou to diversify its global supply chains and meet 30% of the demand of the Moroccan, European and American markets.

Thanks to their modern infrastructures, incentives granted to investors, the stability, visibility and huge untapped resources, the Moroccan Saharan region is attracting a growing interest of foreign investors looking for growth opportunities.

Few weeks ago, UK Oblin group had announced plans to invest $100 billion in green energy projects to be carried out in the Saharan cities of Laayoune and Dakhla.

According to Oblins CEO Brannan Tempest, the $100 bln investment will be used for the construction of a market-leading solar panel manufacturing plant, solar farm, and wind farm.

The companys plans include the option to expand further with large-scale renewable energy generation that would be used for the manufacturing of Green Hydrogen and Green Liquid Ammonia. These projects will create several job opportunities in the Saharan region, living in peace and stability, key factors of attracting investors.
PETALUMA, Calif.  One camper, from Oakland, California, has a white Jewish mother and a father who is Black and Muslim. Another was adopted in Uganda by a white Jewish woman; they now live in Montana.

Like many of the young people who shared challenges and adventures with them this summer, they grew up often feeling like outliers  and then found a near-magical comfort zone at Camp Bechol Lashon in the rolling hills of Californias Marin County. Its founders say it's the only sleepaway summer camp specifically serving Jewish children of color, creating a safe space for candid conversations on race and identity.

Isaac Harrison, the 10-year-old from Oakland, went to a traditional Jewish summer camp last year and said he was bullied by some campers for being Black.

There were no kids of color there, he said, Some kids kept saying that you cant be both Black and Jewish. They said that you cant be two things. They were just being really mean, but here no ones mean like that.

Isaacs mother, Jennifer Harrison, was relieved to find Camp Bechol Lashon.

If camp this summer didnt work out, we were going to be done with Jewish camps, she said.

Over the past 14 years the camp has offered children like Isaac a haven where they dont have to explain their identity or downplay a part of who they are. It functions as an extended family for campers who are often the only Jewish child of color in their hometown or treated more as a curiosity than a full-fledged member of Jewish or Black communities.

If its just Black people and you say that youre Jewish, they just dont get it," says Baileigh Davis, 11, of Houston, who is the third generation of Black Jews in her family.

The U.S. Jewish population remains overwhelmingly homogenous in its racial makeup, with 92% of adults identifying as white, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey. But there are signs the nations Jews are becoming more diverse, especially among younger generations. Compared to 8% of all Jewish adults, 15% of those ages 18 to 29 identified with a nonwhite category.

At the camp, each morning begins with a lesson on global Jewry. For example, theres Pirate Day, when campers learn about Jews who were expelled to the Caribbean during the Spanish inquisition and found livelihoods as pirates.

Some of the campers have Jamaican heritage, including Josiah Spencer, 15, grandson of the Bechol Lashon organizations founder, Diane Tobin, and son of Sarah Weinberg, the camp director.

Its like a family and having been here makes people more comfortable when theyre not here, said Josiah, who attends a Jewish day school in San Francisco.

When the camp opens, each child gets a booklet called Passport to Peoplehood, with questions about their nationality, ethnicity and favorite foods. Asked if another language besides English is spoken at home, hands shot up  answers included Spanish, Zulu, Swahili and Bulgarian.

Although most campers this summer were from Northern California, other home states included Texas, Montana and New Jersey; one came from South Africa.

We were looking for a place where (Isaac) could celebrate both of his identities, said Rashad Harrison, Isaacs father. There are very few African American spaces where Judaism is embraced.

At the end of one busy day, campers gathered in the art room, surrounded by projects like the mezuzahs and menorahs they had made at camp. That night's game was Jewpardy, with questions reflecting the diversity of Jews, including Black Jewish musicians such as Drake.

After evening smores, in the flickering light of a campfire, 8-year-old Abey Levine belted out a rendition of, When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars. Cheering campers hoisted him atop their shoulders.

We searched all over the country for Jewish camps that had diversity, says their mother, Vanessa Levine.

It feels like we are all together  we are different but the same at the same time, said camper Okech Odola, 13, who lives in New Jersey. Odolas father is Ethiopian, and at camp, a half dozen campers who were adoptees from Ethiopia met for the first time.

Its important to me to stay in contact with my Ethiopian culture, said Ruby Beerman, 14, of Marin County. Its been really good to meet other people that have similar stories.

When I was younger, I felt so alienated and so alone. I get told every day that youre different, you dont belong here, because Im part of so many different minorities, she said. And here is kind of a place where everybody belongs to a lot of those minorities.  Not everybody is the same here, but were all different together.

My grandmother is well known in the San Francisco Jewish community. My grandfather is Black and so is my dad," Sheftel-Gomes said. Thats part of why camp is so important, to give me the language to identify what I was experiencing without knowing why.

Bechol Lashon, which means in every language in Hebrew, views its mission as honoring the global nature of the Jewish people.

There are Jews in Africa, Jews in Iraq, Jewish people in China and India, said Weinberg. Its only in the U.S., where a majority of Jewish people are of Eastern European descent, that Jewish equaled white.

Many of the campers identify as mixed race. Aesa Masliyah, 16, of Oakland, represents multiple heritages; his grandparents were Iraqi, Israeli, Ashkenazi, Jamaican and Dominican.

Shortly before sunset the group gathered around a pole with words of peace written in multiple languages including Hebrew, English, and Spanish. Campers embraced as the Havdalah candle was lit, hugging their new friends tight. Most planned on returning next summer.

For Isaac Harrison and his family, the camp offers a new hope for the future.

You send your baby somewhere and hope. And the fact that here there was so much representation, it means everything, said Jennifer Harrison, mother of the child who was once told he couldnt be two things. Now he can go through life knowing how much of his experience, and the way he is, and who he is, is also out there."

Summer camp for Jewish children of color a place where everybody belongs
NEW YORK  As he gears up for reelection, President Joe Biden is already facing questions about his ability to convince voters that the economy is performing well. There's skepticism about the 80-year-old president's ability to manage a second term.

On Friday, Biden faced a fresh setback when Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to probe his son Hunter.

Biden's challenges pale in comparison with his predecessor, Donald Trump, who is facing three criminal indictments, with additional charges expected soon. Still, the appointment of the special counsel was a reminder of the vulnerabilities facing Biden as he wages another election campaign in a deeply uncertain political climate.

There was little immediate sign that Garland's decision meaningfully changed Biden's standing within his party. If anything, it underscored the unprecedented nature of the next election. Rather than a battle of ideas waged on the traditional campaign trail, the next push for the presidency may be shaped by sudden legal twists in courtrooms from Washington to Delaware and Florida.

"Prior to Trump, this would be a big deal," New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley said of Friday's announcement. "Now, I don't think it means anything. Trump has made everyone so numb to this stuff."

Referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, Buckley added, "Because of how dismissive MAGA America is to the very real crimes of Trump and his family, it has numbed the minds of swing voters and Democratic voters or activists who would normally be fully engaged and outraged."

Polling showed that Democratic voters were not excited about Biden's reelection even before Garland's announcement.

Just 47% of Democrats wanted Biden to run again in 2024, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in April. Democrats' enthusiasm for Biden's presidential campaign consistently trailed behind Republicans' enthusiasm for Trump: 55% of Republicans said they wanted Trump to run again in the AP-NORC poll. Biden's approval rating in polling by Gallup stood at 41% on average over the last three months. Only Jimmy Carter notched a lower average rating in Gallup's polling at this point in his presidency, while ratings for Trump were about the same at 43%.

Garland announced Friday that he named David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Delaware, as the special counsel in the Hunter Biden investigation. It comes as plea deal talks involving tax and gun charges in the case Weiss already was probing hit an impasse.

The appointment of a special counsel ensures that Trump will not stand alone as the only presidential candidate grappling with the fallout of a serious criminal investigation in the midst of the 2024 campaign season.

There is no evidence that President Biden himself committed any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Trump is charged in a plot to undermine democracy for his actions leading up to his supporters' Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

He also faces separate charges for refusing to turn over classified documents after leaving the White House and financial crimes in New York related to a hush-money case involving a porn star. Georgia prosecutors are investigating whether Trump broke state laws by interfering in the 2020 election.

Still, Republicans were hopeful that the new special counsel may ultimately shift attention away from Trump's baggage while bolstering conservative calls to impeach the Democratic president, a proposal that divided the GOP on Capitol Hill, which long sought evidence linking Hunter Biden's alleged wrongdoings to his father.

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, obtained thousands of pages of financial records from members of the Biden family through subpoenas to the Treasury Department and financial institutions as part of a congressional probe. He released a statement Friday accusing Garland of "trying to stonewall congressional oversight."

Comer vowed "to follow the Biden family's money trail."

Trump, the overwhelming front-runner in the crowded Republican presidential nomination fight, used the opportunity to put his likely general election opponent on the defensive, referring to the "Biden crime family" and the "Biden cartel."

"If this special counsel is truly independent  even though he failed to bring proper charges after a four year investigation and he appears to be trying to move the case to a more Democrat-friendly venue  he will quickly conclude that Joe Biden, his troubled son Hunter, and their enablers, including the media, which colluded with the 51 intelligence officials who knowingly misled the public about Hunter's laptop, should face the required consequences," the Trump campaign said.

Back in New Hampshire, Buckley acknowledged that voters are not excited about Biden's reelection.

"But they're really not excited about Trump," he said. "There's a seriousness around this election. People can say they're not excited (about Biden). They can say, 'Oh, he shouldn't run again.' But the reality is that he's the only alternative to Trump."

Meanwhile, it's unclear how closely key voters are paying attention.

Democratic strategist Bill Burton suggested the GOP's focus on the president's son would backfire.

"From a political standpoint, I think Republicans are stupid to spend so much time talking about the president's son," he said. "People are going to be voting on the economy. They're going to be voting on who's tougher on social media companies and national security."
California stands for "equality and acceptance."

In Minnesota, "the march of hate and bigotry stops" at its borders.

And New York intends to serve as a "beacon of hope" and a "safe haven for trans youth and their families."

As Republican-led states have moved to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ people, some Democratic statehouses have rushed to legislate  and message  in the opposite direction, often with enthusiastic endorsements from their governors.

In response to the 20 states that have banned gender-affirming care such as reversible puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors, more than a dozen states have enacted what have become known as "safe haven" or "shield" laws. Such laws generally prevent state officials from aiding the enforcement of gender-affirming care bans passed in other states, some of which have criminalized providing gender-affirming care, even in other states.

Trans rights activists have praised the new safe haven laws as a necessary step to counter national trends, while also pushing lawmakers to expand  not just protect  transgender rights. But the new laws, they say, can only do so much if they aren't well-implemented and -funded, or if they aren't designed to help the community's most vulnerable members.

"I think it's always good that we're seeking to increase protection," said Terra Russell-Slavin, chief impact officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. But, she added, "sometimes it feels more message-driven."

Minnesota, which passed its shield law in April, borders three states  Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota  that have banned gender-affirming care for minors as well as transgender youth participation in sports. North Dakota and Iowa are among nine states that have restricted transgender minors from accessing bathrooms that correspond to their gender identity.

But in neighboring Wisconsin, efforts to restrict transgender rights have been blocked by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Evers vetoed a provision in the state budget last month that would have blocked Medicaid coverage of gender reassignment surgery and puberty blockers for transgender youth. He previously vetoed a bill to bar trans girls from participating on sport teams that align with their gender identity, and vowed to block a similar bill introduced last month.

Minnesota state Sen. Erin Maye Quade, who wrote the state's trans refuge bill, said it was focused on making sure that transgender residents aren't excluded from the protections that cisgender people have. State Rep. Leigh Finke, Minnesota's first transgender member of the Legislature, wrote the version of the bill passed in the House.

"We wanted to be really explicit that the trans refuge bill is not just about making sure that people know that they're welcome here and beloved here, but it's protecting them, and their parents, and their providers, from being prosecuted and jailed for providing or accessing healthcare," Quade said.

For transgender youths and their families, the messaging around shield laws has a strong appeal. R., a 16-year-old trans boy who lives in northwestern Wisconsin, said he was sitting in his living room with his mother, T., this spring when she showed him an Instagram post announcing Minnesota's safe haven law. (T. asked that she and her son be identified only by their first initials out of concern for their safety.)

"When I found out, it made me feel very safe and accepted, since I live so close," R. said. "I was like, 'Oh, that's nice.' ... I took a minute to process it, and then I was like, 'Oh wait, that's really nice.'"

While gender-affirming care for minors is legal in Wisconsin, R. has been receiving treatment at a clinic in Minnesota. Even if there were a closer clinic, T. said she wouldn't feel comfortable having her son treated in Wisconsin because the political and legal climate could deteriorate.

She pointed to recent events in Tennessee, where Vanderbilt University Medical Center turned over the files of transgender patients to the state after the attorney general launched an investigation into the hospital for alleged medical billing fraud, the Tennessean newspaper reported in June. Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Lee signed the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors in March.

"I don't want to put my young person in a place where they're at risk of that potentially being an outcome for them as well," T. said. "That's why I feel a lot safer and more comfortable bringing them to Minnesota for care, especially now, given the sanctuary status that (state has) created."

More than 86% of transgender and nonbinary people ages 13 through 24 said their mental health had been harmed by debates in state legislatures over laws to limit their rights, and 45% said they had experienced cyberbullying, according to a fall 2022 survey conducted by Morning Consult for the Trevor Project, which runs a 24/7 crisis hotline for young LGBTQ+ people.

California's shield law, introduced last year by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), prevents law enforcement from cooperating with other states seeking to enforce gender-affirming care bans on treatment received in California. It also prevents California officials from complying with related out-of-state subpoenas.

"Our priority has been to make clear that as other states demonize and criminalize trans people and try to erase them, to make clear that in California we're going the opposite direction and we're embracing our trans people," Wiener told The Times.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) introduced a bill this session to strengthen the safe-haven law. If passed, it would increase legal protections for healthcare workers providing abortions, contraceptives and gender-affirming care to out-of-state residents.

The challenge facing lawmakers and advocates in many blue states is to strike a balance between maintaining existing rights and continuing legislative efforts to improve the physical, emotional and economic well-being of transgender and gender-nonconforming people. That's an even greater challenge for a state such as California, where progressive social policies come hand in hand with high rents and economic inequality.

"On the policy level, California is definitely one of the better states for legal protection," said Logan Casey, a senior researcher at the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ+ think tank that tracks national policies. "But one of the things that we know ... is that there's often a big gap between legal equality, or the actual policies on the books, and lived equality, or what people's day-to-day experiences look like."

In 2020, California legislators passed a bill establishing the Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Intersex (or TGI) Wellness and Equity Fund, aimed at providing grant money to organizations that serve TGI clients to help them improve healthcare access for their communities. The legislation defines healthcare broadly to include mental healthcare, therapeutic care, substance-abuse treatment and access to housing.

In 2021, the state allocated $13 million to the program, including $10.3 million for grants. The California Department of Public Health opened applications for the first round of grants  $2.5 million for gender-affirming care clinics  in June.

"It's brand-new," Russell-Slavin said. "Realistically, it takes a while for the funds you get allocated at the state to actually reach the community."

The effort to enact the TGI Wellness and Equity Fund was advanced by a coalition of groups led by the TransLatin@ Coalition, an organization that advocates for transgender, gender-nonconforming and intersex Latino immigrants. Alexandra Magallon, the TransLatin@ Coalition's manager of programs and services, said the push for the fund grew out of the difficulties some transgender people  particularly those who are low-income, survive on sex work or don't have access to computers or the internet  faced in trying to get COVID-19 pandemic benefits.

The goal, she said, was to make sure that "when things like this happen again, that we are structurally able to make sure that our community doesn't continue to die."

In Washington state, Democratic lawmakers have passed bills to shield patients who seek abortions or gender-affirming care from subpoenas and warrants issued out of other states; to increase access to district courts for name changes; and to prevent health insurance plans from denying coverage for gender-affirming care.

But when legislatures move quickly in response to national trends, it's harder to get input from key stakeholders about their priorities, said Jaelynn Scott, executive director of the Lavender Rights Project, a Seattle-based organization that advocates for Black trans people.

Scott praised lawmakers in her state for passing some of the most progressive laws in the country, but said the Legislature had been more "reactive" than "strategic."

"The reason why we have this perspective at our organization  which is a Black, trans-led organization  is that (for) Black trans people, this is not a new emergency for us," Scott said. "These bills aren't really opening up access to the most vulnerable of our communities who need the care the most."

The state's shield law, for example, protects people who have traveled to seek care in Washington from states that have criminalized gender-affirming care or abortion. What the bill doesn't address is how to pay for it.

"What does that do for someone who doesn't have stable housing, who certainly can't afford a plane (ticket) to come to Washington state for health care, and who never had access to gender-affirming care in the first place?" Scott said. "It's not written for our communities."

Beyond shield laws, advocacy groups continue to push for legislation that would make it easier for transgender and gender nonconforming people to change their names and gender markers on government forms; to improve access to and the quality of healthcare that LGBTQ+ people receive through data collection and training for healthcare workers; and for policies that address economic disparities.

In Maine, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill this year that will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to access gender hormone therapy despite parental objections if they've received counseling and can show they would be harmed by not being treated. Mills also signed legislation aimed at changing state forms and gathering better medical data on LGBTQ+ patients.

Quinn Gormley, co-executive director of MaineTransNet, which lobbied for several transgender rights bills passed this session, said advocates in her state were focused on how Maine could be a model of what's possible.

"Our thinking before we got to session was, it's important that we play defense, and we beat back against all the anti-trans bills  and we had a couple dozen here, all defeated," she said. "But we didn't want just playing defense to be the only thing that we did."

Under one law, the state is conducting a review of all government forms to determine whether they need a gender field and, if so, whether to add a third, nonbinary option. Another law makes it easier for transgender people who transition after getting married to get new marriage certificates issued.

In Minnesota, lawmakers and advocates are looking into ways to plan for people moving into the state. Quade said the Legislature may consider appropriating funding for people who relocate there.

Hannah Edwards, executive director of the support group Transforming Families Minnesota, said advocacy organizations are teaming up to start collecting data to get a better sense of how many families are moving to the state. The goal is to gather enough information to show policymakers there is a need for more resources.

Transforming Families and other Minnesota-based groups have received emails from out-of-state families interested in the state's efforts to serve as a safe haven. Out-of-state families have also started to join their Facebook groups and participate in their virtual peer support groups. Edwards said her team hopes to open more offices closer to its borders with states that are restricting transgender rights.

"It's going to become increasingly important to not only support with the resources," she said, "but also support those parents who are looking for connection when their state is hostile."
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia received the EU Ambassador

Azerbaijani units fired from fire arms towards the Armenian combat outposts in the vicinity of Verin Shorzha

Ararat Mirzoyan will participate in a strategic conference in Slovenia

Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire on Armenian positions in Akhpradzor section. Armenian Defense Ministry

Greek authorities have rescued about 60 migrants traveling by boat from Turkey to Aegean islands

Iran will launch a locally manufactured Tolou-3 satellite into orbit by the second half of March

Azerbaijani Defense Ministry tries to justify its regular fire to disrupt wheat harvesting. Artsakh Defense Army

The Azerbaijanis once again targeted the 'Syunik' civil airport. Gor Tsarukyan

Artsakh State Minister: Azerbaijani Armed Forces hold at gunpoint the only wheat field in Sarushen community

Azerbaijan refuses to allow the body of the Artsakh girl to be taken to her homeland. MFA

Armenia PM is informed about plans to invest another $15M in Agarak Copper-Molybdenum Combine

Azerbaijan does not allow body of young woman who died in tragic Armenia road accident to be sent back to Karabakh

Azerbaijan plans to try abducted Karabakh resident Vagif Khachatryan

Dollar, euro drop in Armenia

Armenia deputy PM, Poland envoy confer about regional developments

Central Electoral Commission registers electoral lists of political forces to run in Yerevan municipal elections

Karabakh MoD: Azerbaijan statement, video footage are utter falsehood

Ambassador Kvien emphasizes US support for Armenia sovereignty, security (PHOTOS)

Karabakh MFA: We expect UN Security Council member countries to demonstrate consistency, principled stance

Armenia ex-FM: Perhaps international community keeps open possibility of changing today's negotiation agenda

Armenia MoD: Azerbaijan disseminates another disinformation

London Coptic Church leader, UK Armenian Apostolic Church primate discuss crisis in Karabakh

11 medical patients from Karabakh are transferred to Armenia through Red Cross

MFA official: China is closely following of North-South international corridor current operation

Armenia battalion deputy commander is charged with causing soldier to commit suicide

Armenia MFA: It is evident that Azerbaijan continues distorting international community appeals

Armenia FM stresses to UN deputy secretary general urgency of reopening Lachin corridor

US ambassador to Armenia visiting Jermuk town (PHOTOS)

Artsakh President meets with group of militia fighters

Karabakh President receives Free Motherland-UCA Faction MPs

Presidential advisor: Azerbaijan cut fiber optic internet cable, disrupting Karabakh's stable internet connection

Azerbaijan fires on tractor working in Karabakh village field

Ardshinbank recognized as Retail Bank of the Year in Armenia by Asian Banking & Finance magazine

Azerbaijan fires in direction of Armenias Kapan city airport

EU Special Representative for South Caucasus meets with some other European officials, in Yerevan cafe

Newspaper: What to expect after UN Security Council emergency meeting on Lachin corridor issue?

France cities, regions want to deliver humanitarian aid to besieged Karabakh

China interested in development of relations with Armenia

Ambassador to Armenia on Zangezur corridor: Chinese initiative has nothing to do with it

Armenia MoD: Azerbaijan fired in direction of Yeraskh village

Mher Grigoryan, Toivo Klaar discuss humanitarian crisis in Karabakh

Fan Yong: China is concerned about situation around Lachin corridor

Armenia FM to Romania colleague: Karabakh crisis resolution requires international community to take clear steps

Dollar gains, euro loses value in Armenia

Ocampo: Armenians should not be side victims of Ukrainian conflict

Chaarat Gold announces selling Kapan mine in Armenia for $54.5M

Azerbaijan again fires at combine harvester working in Karabakh village field

Armenia ambassador-at-large: Azerbaijan is blaming Karabakh children for eating cookies on their birthdays

Demonstration in support of Karabakh held outside Israel MFA (VIDEO)

Pashinyan: Next week we will start Yerevan-Kapan regular flights

Armenia PM heads from Yerevan to Kapan by plane, tests new airline

Arman Tatoyan: Azerbaijan is preparing new fascist disaster for Armenia

Kirby: We continue to stay engaged diplomatically to encourage peaceful resolution between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Karabakh presidential advisor: UN Security Council recorded that we are starving, but what does that change?

Karabakh MoD: Azerbaijan defense ministry statement is completely false, disinformation

Azerbaijan MFA tries to distort content of UN Security Council meeting on Lachin corridor issue

Armenia ombudsperson sends letter to Azerbaijan counterpart 1 month ago, not received reply yet

MoD: Azerbaijan fires at combine harvester working in Karabakh village field

Armenia government petitions to European Court regarding soldier captured by Azerbaijan

Armenia statements about Karabakh blockade are groundless, Bayramov tells Klaar

Armenia PM: Azerbaijan is subjecting Armenians of Karabakh to genocide through starvation

Armenia ombudsperson: Azerbaijan statement that Vagif Khachatryan committed crime as part of armed group is not true

Azerbaijanis attack Armenian family outside UN headquarters in New York

Karabakh MoD: Azerbaijan violated ceasefire

Armenia MoD: Azerbaijan disseminated another disinformation

EU representative at UN: Dialogue between Karabakh Armenians and Baku should be encouraged

Azerbaijan representative speaks at UN Security Council, accuses Armenia

US representative at UN: We call for direct talks between Baku authorities and Karabakh representatives

Speech of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia at the UN Security Council urgent meeting

Russia representative at UN: We proposed parallel opening of Aghdam and Lachin corridors

Armenia MFA spox: As there is meeting at UNSC, Azerbaijan opened fire on border several times in past 3 days

President: People of Karabakh are anxiously anticipating todays special session of UN Security Council

N Koreas Kim, Russias Putin exchange letters

55 dead from clashes in Libya's capital

Armenia MoD: Azerbaijan fired at Armenian positions

Alen Simonyan, Valentina Matviyenko discuss details of humanitarian disaster in Karabakh

Photo of Armenia reservist detained by Azerbaijan appears in Azerbaijani domain of social media

OSCE Chairman-in-Office reiterates his call, asks Personal Representative Andrzej Kasprzyk to visit Lachin area

Armenia ranks 3rd in most visits to Georgia

Azerbaijan MoD announces name of captured Armenia serviceman

Azerbaijan MFA makes accusations against Armenia

Azerbaijan holds tour for foreign diplomats to familiarize them with Aghdam road being proposed to Karabakh

Group of Turkey intellectuals appeal to world regarding humanitarian disaster in Karabakh

Azerbaijan soldiers approach Armenian reservist, apprehend him: Armenia MoD releases video footage

France FM expresses concern about Azerbaijan shooting during patrol of EU monitors in Armenia

Concerned citizens staging protest in front of UN office in Armenia

Armenia FM heads for New York

MoD: Theory of Armenia reservist ending up on Azerbaijan side is being investigated

Azerbaijan announces capture of Armenia soldier

Azerbaijan praises advantages of Aghdam road to Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan MoD tries to misinform foreign embassies military attaches

Armenians prevented Ataturk statue installation in Prague, Turkish ambassador says

Armenia MoD: Reservist deserts combat position

Azerbaijan fires at grain-harvesting combine in Karabakh (PHOTOS)

Armenia to host Eurasian Intergovernmental Council special meeting

Armenians continue demonstrations outside Los Angeles consulates of UN Security Council member countries

US State Department: We urge Azerbaijan government to restore free transit through Lachin corridor

Azerbaijan accuses France of efforts to aggravate the tension in South Caucasus

Senators Menendez, Padilla send letter to US representative at UN regarding situation in Karabakh

Karabakh residents block Russian military base entrance, peacekeepers reopen it
In besieged Artsakh, sons and daughters of our nation are facing imminent danger of starvation, His Holiness Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I said in his speech on August 12, after a liturgy.

One of the messages of the Catholicos was addressed to the international community.

Just like during the massacres of Armenians organized in 1915, we must ask today: Where is the international community? Azerbaijan continues to violate the terms of the agreement it signed and will even freely enter the [sovereign] territory of the Republic of Armenia: Where is the international community? The UN, the European Council, international legal structures will demand the lifting of the blockade of Artsakh, but Azerbaijan is deaf, ignoring the basic principles of international law. Armenia and Artsakh will pay the price of Azerbaijan's impunity. Sending bread and tea to Artsakh will not help battle the created anxiety. Ensure the security, recognize the right to self-determination. Beyond humanitarian efforts, it is imperative to ensure the security of Artsakh by recognizing the right to self-determination. Therefore, we expect the great powers to take practical steps, first of all forcing Azerbaijan to end the blockade of Artsakh, and then, through political negotiations, the international community will recognize the self-determination of Artsakh under international patronage.

The people of Artsakh expressed their collective will through the referendum, recognizing the just demand for salvation, which has a legal basis and is consistent with historical realities and international law. [] We are convinced that the only way to prevent the impending tragedy is the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh by the international community, for the principle of secession for the sake of salvation, he said.










We have been warning the international community that the alarming situation in [Artsakh] Nagorno-Karabakh is close to turning into humanitarian catastrophe for some months now. The closure of this vital lifeline by Azerbaijan has been instigating conditions of a man-made humanitarian catastrophe. Today is exactly eight months that thousands of besieged families in Nagorno-Karabakh have been suffering from critical shortages of essential goods including food, fuel and medical supplies, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations Mher Margaryan said in an interview on the BBC radio's Newshour program, adding that it is up to the Security Council to uphold its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and taking appropriate measures to prevent mass atrocities from happening in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued provisional measure in February and then one again reaffirmed in July, according to which Azerbaijan shall take all measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the [Berdzor] Lachin Corridor, which Azerbaijan is not implementing to this day. The Secretary General of the United Nations made three statements: one in December, the other one in February, and the most recent one on the 3rd of August, calling for the unconditional implementation of ICJ's ruling and reaffirming the binding nature of it. Many international organizations called upon Azerbaijan to implement the court order. We have appealed also to the Security Council a month ago, asking it specifically to undertake urgent and effective measures in response to Azerbaijans violation of international humanitarian law and to ensure the implementation of legally binding orders of ICJ. Nothing happened so far. Even the International Red Cross is denied access to the territory. Many reputable scholars and experts on genocide have been writing, making statements about the clear genocidal intent of Azerbaijan in relation to the population of Nagorno-Karabakh. The international community has an obligation to prevent such crime.

The Security Council has various actions in their toolbox. Most appropriate would be a resolution to mandate the humanitarian assistance office of United Nations (OCHA) to have an assessment mission to Nagorno-Karabakh and to deliver the humanitarian assistance that the population is in need of, as well as to implement the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice by opening the Lachin Corridor. The humanitarian convoy is stranded on the border for two weeks now.

The situation is not about the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. The people are suffering, there's no food, there's shortages of medicine, there is an acute need for the international community to intervene, to prevent mass atrocities from happening now.
Russia fires 'warning shots' at cargo vessel

The vessel was said to be heading for the Ukrainian port of Izmail. File image: Shutterstock

A Russian warship on Sunday fired warning shots at a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea as it made its way northwards, the first time Russia has fired on merchant shipping beyond Ukraine since exiting a landmark UN-brokered grain deal last month.



Russia in July halted participation in the Black Sea grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural produce via the Black Sea and Moscow cautioned that it deemed all ships heading to Ukrainian waters to be potentially carrying weapons.



Russia said in a statement that its Vasily Bykov patrol ship had fired automatic weapons on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after the ship's captain failed to respond to a request to halt for an inspection.



Russia said the vessel was making its way towards the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Refinitiv shipping data showed the ship was currently near the coast of Bulgaria and heading towards the Romanian port of Sulina.



"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the Russian defence ministry said.



The Russian military boarded the vessel with the help of a Ka-29 helicopter, the ministry said.



"After the inspection group completed its work on board, the Sukru Okan continued on its way to the port of Izmail," the defence ministry said.



A Turkish defence ministry official said he had heard an incident had taken place involving a ship heading for Romania, and that Ankara was looking into it.



Reuters could not immediately reach the vessel or its owners for comment. Ukraine did not immediately comment on the incident. (Reuters)
Tamil Nadu Police has arrested one person in connection to an incident in which a 17-year-old boy from the Scheduled Class community and his sister were allegedly attacked by his schoolmates in Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district. According to the police, seven people have been arrested so far in the case. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin condemned the incident and said that this shows how deeply caste poison has permeated even among young students. The incident in Nanguneri is shocking. This shows how deeply caste poison has permeated even among young students, Stalin posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). The chief minister said that the School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh has announced he will bear the medical and educational expenses of the students who were attacked. Those involved in the crime have been arrested. The law will do its duty properly, Stalin posted. It is intolerable to continue with such hate and difference without recognizing our fellow man as our equal, he said. The chief minister also urged the teaching community to inculcate social harmony and values among students and said that no success can be achieved by those who have a hateful mind. No success can be achieved by those who have a hateful mind. We are all one-mother people by spoken language! Younger society should realize that there should be no hatred and prejudice among us, Stalin said. Tamil Nadu Police on Friday apprehended six minor boys in the incident where a 17-year-old boy studying in class 12 in Valliyoor and his 14-year-old younger sister was allegedly attacked by with sickles by a group of class 12 boys from the same school. The police officials said that the victim's sister was also injured in the attack. Those apprehended include three boys studying in classes 11 and Class 12 at the victims school in Valliyoor, while the other three are their friends. The victim boy had previously complained to his school management against three of the boys alleging harassment. The polices handling of the crime, meanwhile, sparked outrage among the victims relatives and local community members. They blocked the road, during which a 60-year-old relative fainted and subsequently died of cardiac arrest, further escalating tensions. Police have registered a case under the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and section of attempted murder. (ANI)
Ahead of Independence Day celebrations, Delhi Police have beefed up security arrangements in the national capital. Delhi Police has put up stringent security arrangements and intensified patrolling and checking of vehicles. Earlier, a full dress rehearsal of different armed forces is underway at Red Fort. On the occasion of 75 years of India's independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the people of India to participate in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement from August 13 to 15 this year. PM Modi said that the Indian flag symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity and urged the people to upload their photographs with the Tiranga on the Har Ghar Tiranga website. PM Modi tweeted, "The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further national progress." Meanwhile, around 1,800 special guests from all over India will be attending the Independence Day Flag hoisting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. As India completes 75 years of Independence this year, sarpanches from vibrant villages, teachers, nurses, farmers, fishermen, shram yogis who helped build the Central Vista project in New Delhi, khadi sector workers, national award-winning school teachers, border roads organisation workers and those who helped and worked for the Amrit Sarovar projects and Har Ghar Jal Yojana Projects, implemented in various parts of the country, have been invited along with their spouse to attend the Independence Day celebrations in New Delhi this year, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a release on Friday. Two beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN), from the state of Maharashtra, will witness the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. Fifty (50) beneficiaries of the scheme, along with their families, are among around 1,800 persons who have been invited to listen to PM Modis address. (ANI)
Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi on Sunday flagged off the 'Tiranga Rally' in the national capital stating that Independence Day is around the corner and people are full of energy and enthusiasm about the celebration. "Independence Day is around the corner and people are full of energy and enthusiastic about the celebration and as the PM has said that 'Amrit Kaal' is starting and during this period we have to take the nation to the heights of success. This will only happen when we all will work together in this direction full of energy," Minister of State for External Affairs, Lekhi told ANI. A fervour of patriotism and nationalism was witnessed during the massive Tiranga Rally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the people of India to participate in the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' movement from August 13 to 15 this year. PM Modi said that the Indian flag symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity and urged the people to upload their photographs with the Tiranga on the Har Ghar Tiranga website. PM Modi tweeted, "The Tiranga symbolises the spirit of freedom and national unity. Every Indian has an emotional connect with the Tricolour and it inspires us to work harder to further national progress." Meanwhile, around 1,800 special guests from all over India will be attending the Independence Day Flag hoisting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. Two beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Scheme (PM-KISAN), from the state of Maharashtra, will witness the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. Fifty (50) beneficiaries of the scheme, along with their families, are among around 1,800 persons who have been invited to listen to PM Modis address. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to West Bengal,reached Dakshineswar Kali Temple in Kolkata on Sunday. After offering prayers at the temple, Nadda said that he prayed to the goddess and seeks strength and blessing from him and his party members so that they can remain dedicated to the service of Maa Bharati". In the visuals, Nadda was seen receiving a warm welcome from the party workers present at the venue ahead of Naddas arrival and later he was seen offering prayers with full rituals inside the temple. "I prayed to 'Maa' to grant my people and party the power, energy and strength so that under the leadership of PM Modi we remain dedicated to the service of 'Maa Bharati and make India a developed nation not just Physical dimension but also in the spiritual world, said Nadda while interacting with media after offering prayers at the temple. Earlier on Saturday Nadda held a meeting with the party's state core committee. Ahead of that he met panchayat election-winning candidates and congratulated them for their achievement in the West Bengal panchayat polls amid adverse conditions. The BJP national president also expressed his grief for the victims who lost their life during the panchayat polls. JP Nadda launched a blistering attack on the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee for the poll violence during Vidhan Sabha polls earlier and the recently concluded Panchayat poll elections. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday flagged off the 'Tiranga Yatra' and said that no one can stop us from living for the country. "It's been 75 years of Independence, we cannot die for the country since it has already gained independence, but no one can stop us from living for the country," Union Home Minister Amit Shah as he flags off the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' Campaign in Ahmedabad. He further remembered Independence Day of 2022 and said that there was no house that didn't hoist a tricolour. "There was no house that didn't hoist a tricolour on August 15, 2022. When a tricolour is hoisted at every house, then the entire nation will be Tirangamay," Shah said. He further said that during 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', PM Modi tried to instil a feeling of patriotism in the entire nation. "On 15 August 2023, 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' concludes but along with this, PM Modi has said that from 15 August 2023 to 15 August 2047, we will celebrate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal'...From 75 years of Independence to 100 years we will live to make India great in every sector..." he said. Earlier, Shah on Sunday flagged off the 'Tiranga Yatra' in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. A fervour of patriotism and nationalism was witnessed during the massive Tiranga Rally. Moreover, Shah also participated in the Credai mass tree plantation program organized by the Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers. Amit Shah is on a two-day visit to the state where he inaugurated the key infrastructure projects along the Indo-Pakistan border in Gujarat's Kachchh on Saturday. Shah also inspected the Harami Nala Creek in Kachchh, Gujarat, and also the Border Security Force (BSF) border observation post (BOPs). (ANI)
According to sources, the minister was near Krishnagiri on Saturday when he fell ill. He was later rushed to Krishnagiri Hospital and from there he was referred to Narayana Health Hospital in Bengaluru.

As per an official statement issued by the hospital, the minister is in stable condition.

"Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was brought to Narayana Health City with complaints of upper abdominal pain," the hospital authorities said.

"He is under evaluation and is being managed conservatively with Fluids, pain killers. He is otherwise in a stable clinical condition," they said.(ANI)
Congress President Mallikarjun Khrage on Sunday took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that they have a habit of twisting the work done by Congress to their advantage and mislead people of the country. Kharge, while addressing a public rally in Chhattisgarhs Janjgir-Champa district said that it was only Congress that put everything in place in the country. Explaining further, Kharge said that BJP only gives reference to the 1962 China war, but forgets that it was Indira Gandhi who divided Pakistan into two parts though they (BJP) are not able to hunt a bird. They always talk about 1962, but forget that Indira Gandhi divided Pakistan into two parts and now Bangladesh practices democratic governance. It was Congress' rule, in which 100000 people of the neighbouring country were arrested and later released. We fought with Pakistan and liberate Bangladesh This is our (Congress) power. You (BJP) cannot even hunt a bird or a rat, Kharge said. Kharge was speaking during the party's 'Bharose Ka Sammelan' event in Janjgir-Champa. This is the second visit of Kharge to the Congress-ruled state after assuming charge as the AICC chief last October. Kharge was felicitated by Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. The visit is seen as a launch of Congress' campaign for the Chhattisgarh assembly polls, due later this year. Further, sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge said that the PM made fun of former PM Jawaharlal Nehru instead of speaking on violence-hit Manipur. Modi Ji didn't answer (on Manipur) what Rahul Gandhi or leaders of the INDIA alliance asked him. Instead, he made fun of Nehru ji and Congress leaders. Modi ji keeps saying that he has done everything. Did power, schools etc come to Chhattisgarh after Modi came to power? Modi & Shah studied in government schools established by us. Or did they study in London or Oxford?.. And they ask us what did the Congress party do in the last 70 years? We had only put everything in place, Kharge added. He further said that the PM should join a drama company instead of sitting in Parliament. They (BJP) compare him (Modi) with Nehruji. He even didn't contest the elections and became chief minister of Gujarat. When he was elected as the PM of the country, he bowed down to the stairs of the Parliament. He does drama and is so dramatic that I think he should go to the drama company, Khrage said. Kharge was speaking in the Janjgir-Champa district from where the Congress, despite a landslide victory, could win only two of the six seats in the 2018 assembly elections. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written a letter to Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, asking the Centre to re-evaluate the current parameters for declaring drought declaration by the state governments, the Chief Minister's Office posted the letter on X, formerly Twitter. The Karnataka CM, in the letter to the central government, said the state has in recent years witnessed unprecedented challenges and adverse weather conditions, mainly driven by climate change. The increasing frequency and intensity of droughts have had severe consequences, including crop failures, water scarcity, and socio-economic hardships for rural communities. In the current South West Monsoon season, Karnataka, he said, has recorded 34 per cent lower rainfall. Owing to strict parameters for declaration of drought, farmers were unable to get any government support such as input subsidy, even though the late arrival of monsoon has impacted planting, he contended. Despite drought-like conditions in several Taluks we have not been able to meet the existing parameters for declaring drought, which is leaving our farmers without critical support such as input subsidy required in the event of failure to commence sowing operations /mid-season crop failure after sowing due to weak rains apart from other drought management/mitigation measures as set out in the Manual, he said in the letter. The Manual for Drought Management-2016 was updated in 2020 for the declaration of drought by the State governments. The current one-size-fits-all approach to drought declaration is not capturing the nuances and variations in different regions, he wrote in the letter, asserting it was important to develop region-specific criteria that consider local ecological factors, water availability, and agricultural practices. Further, in his letter, he argued that it was understandable that the norms for drought declaration were established to ensure accurate assessments and appropriate allocation of resources, noting that it was essential to recognize that each State and the regions within the State have their unique challenges and requirements. The current situation demands a more flexible approach to the existing norms, taking into account the long-term implications of prolonged water scarcity on agriculture and the livelihoods of our farmers. Therefore, I request your kind intervention to review the current parameters for declaring a drought and consider amending the drought declaration parameters, the letter read. (ANI)
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday hit back at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's claim on shortages of doctors and health staff at various branches of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospitals across the country saying that the "intentions" of the Narendra Modi government are "pure" and "clear". In a series of messages on X, formerly Twitter, Mandaviya wrote, "Respected Mr Kharge, Our intentions are pure, and our intentions are clear..!!" Launching an attack on the Congress, Mandaviya said that while only one AIIMS was opened during the 50 years of Congress rule, six were opened during the time of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and 15 were opened in the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I hope you will understand the reality. An AIIMS opened during the 50 years of Congress rule. 6 AIIMS were opened in the time of Vajpayee ji and 15 new AIIMS are being opened in the time of Modi ji," the Health Minister added. Mandaviya said that phase-wise recruitment is being done at the premier health institutes in the country according to the requirement of AIIMS. "It is expected that you will also try to understand that according to the requirement of AIIMS, phase-wise recruitment is being done from time to time when new departments are opened," he wrote in another message on X. "Modi ji has distributed more than 5 lakh appointment letters to the youth of the country under the Rojgar Mela," he added. The Health Minister also stressed that those appointments were given on the "basis of merit", without any "nepotism". Mandaviya also asked the Congress chief to inform the citizens about the steps taken by the Congress-led UPA government in the past in the field of health. "That too only on the basis of merit. Without any acquaintance and nepotism! I would also hope that you inform the citizens of the country, if there has been any achievement in the health sector during the UPA period, then you will also inform the country about that!" Mandaviya wrote in another tweet. Highlighting the failure of the UPA regime, Mandaviya said that the opposition is putting in efforts to "mislead" the country. He assured that recruitment will be done in the newly opened AIIMS and the government is welcome to suggestions. "The country is understanding very well the failure of the UPA era and the way efforts are being made to mislead the country at present. Modi government has opened new AIIMS and we will also do the recruitment, you just keep watching and giving suggestions," he wrote on X. Earlier in the day, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge shared a media report of the shortages of doctors and health staff at AIIMS across the country and accused the Narendra Modi government of peddling 'lies', 'loots' and 'jumlas' (scams). "Loot and jumlas made the country unhealthy, Only lies are memorized in every word of Modi ji! Claimed to have made many AIIMS, the truth is that our AIIMS is facing a severe shortage of doctors and staff," read Mallikarjun Kharge's message on X. "Mr. Modi, from apathy in the Corona pandemic, to scams in Ayushman Bharat your government has made the country's health system sick. The people have woken up. Your deceit has been recognized. The time has come for your government to bid farewell!" Kharge added. Earlier on Saturday, in a scathing attack against Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav over the AIIMS Darbhanga row, Mansukh Mandaviya asked him to provide a proper place for construction adding that the Modi government does not do politics in development but does politics of development. Dear Tejashwi ji, the Modi government does not do politics in development but does politics of development. Our intention is clear. The permission for AIIMS Darbhanga was given by the Modi government on 19 September 2020 and the first land was given by the Bihar government on 3 November 2021. After this, you came to the government and changed this place on 30 April 2023 while doing politics. The expert committee inspected the land to check the land according to the rules, he shared in a tweet. (ANI)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday lashed out at the BJP over an FIR filed against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra inBhopal and Indore, saying the complaint won't "hide the truth". The FIR was filed against the Congress general secretary and fellow party leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, over a post on X, formerly Twitter, to which she tagged a purported letter alleging corruption by the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the Chhattisgarh CM said, "They (BJP govt) can't hide the truth by filing an FIR (against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra)." "When (government) contractors, themselves, are writing (to the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court) to say that 50 per cent commission is being charged on their payments, what more evidence is required? The FIR won't hide the truth," Baghel told ANI. Sharing a news clip containing a purported letter, Priyanka posted on X earlier, "The union of contractors in Madhya Pradesh has written to the Chief Justice of the High Court complaining that their pending payments are released only on the payment of 50 per cent commission. The corrupt BJP government in Karnataka used to collect 40 per cent commission (from government contractors). Now, in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has gone a step ahead and broken its ownrecord of corruption. The people of Karnataka ousted the 40 per cent-commission government. Now, the people of Madhya Pradesh will oust the BJP's 50 per cent-commission government," she added in her post. An FIR was filed against Priyanka Gandhi, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath and former Union minister Arun Yadav for sharing the news clip with the purported letter from their official social media handles. The FIR was registered on the complaint lodged by some BJP leaders. According to a post on the official X handle of Indore's Commissioner of Police (CP) on Saturday late night, the convener of the BJP's local legal cell, Nimesh Pathak, lodged a complaint that a 'fake' letter was being circulated claiming that government contractors were being charged "50 per cent commission". A case under IPC sections 420 and 469 was registered on the complaint at Indore'sSanyogitaganj police station. (ANI)
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that in order to achieve success, it is imperative to keep pace with the ever-evolving landscape of technology and the times, adding that failing to stay updated with modern technological advancements poses the risk of falling behind in the competitive arena. "To achieve success, one must keep pace with the times and technology. If you don't keep up with modern technology, you run the risk of losing the competition. Today's era is to advance by adopting time-friendly technology", said the Chief Minister. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the warehouse built by private sector Shree Associates at Motiram Adda, Chief Minister said that this warehouse is inspired by the Uttar Pradesh Warehousing and Logistics Policy 2022, said the statement. He also added that the warehouse has been built on 1.23 lakh sq/ft of land at the cost of Rs 30 crore and that the MoU for the warehouse was signed at the Global Investors Summit held in February 2023, it added. The Chief Minister also stated that the warehouse is expected to provide employment to 1,000 people. CM Yogi further said that earlier warehouses were being built by the Food Corporation of India, Central Warehousing Corporation and Cooperative. But, due to the technology being outdated, the damage was more, said the official statement. If we do not change according to time and technology, we will be left behind in the race to reach the destination, he added. CM Yogi said that as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government formulated a Warehousing and Logistics Policy, incorporating contemporary technology. "Big investors were invited to invest while subsidies were announced for warehousing and logistics, resulting in the setting up of a huge warehouse at Motiram Adda. Being the largest warehouse in eastern Uttar Pradesh, it will generate large-scale employment opportunities for the youth," the CM pointed out. The official statement also said that the CM also congratulated the warehouse operators. As per the statement, CM Yogi said that due to the encouraging policies of the state government for every sector, UP received investment proposals for 75 districts worth Rs 36 lakh crore in UPGIS 2023. The MoUs signed in the Global Investors Summit will be implemented fast in the state to create employment and accelerate development of the state", he added. Chief Minister said that this warehouse has been rented out to reputed company Asian Paints at the monthly rent of Rs 22 lakh and that Asian Paints is making Gorakhpur its centre to supply products to Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal, increasing possibilities of employment, said the statement. The statement said that the Chief Minister rewarded the meritorious girl students of Yashoda Devi Sarojmati Girls Inter College, Motiram Adda by giving them certificates and gifts. Director of Warehouse Brijesh Mani Tripathi welcomed the Chief Minister and said that the state government had encouraged the construction of this warehouse, which had been completed in nine months after meeting all the standards, it added. The inauguration ceremony was also addressed by Vipin Singh, MLA, Gorakhpur Rural. Prominent among those present at the event were Khajni MLA Shriram Chauhan, Sahjanwa MLA Pradeep Shukla, MLC Dr Dharmendra Singh, BJP Metropolitan President Rajesh Gupta and Asian Paints General Manager Mukesh Kumar, said the official statement. (ANI)
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that the residents of Uttar Pradesh stranded in different parts of the world will be brought back to the state, said an official statement. The Chief Minister gave this assurance while listening to plight of some women from Deoria and Kushinagar whose relatives are stranded in Thailand, Oman and some other countries during the Janata Darshan held in front of Mahant Digvijaynath Smriti Bhavan of Gorakhnath Temple complex. When the women pleaded for the Chief Minister's intervention to bring their relatives home, the CM said, Don't worry. People of Uttar Pradesh who are stranded in foreign countries will be brought back. He also directed the officials to contact the concerned embassies and make necessary arrangements for their return. The Chief Minister heard the grievances and problems of around 200 people at the Janata Darshan. CM Yogi reached out to each person and heard their problems patiently. The CM referred everyone's prayer letters to the concerned authorities, instructing them for quick and satisfactory disposal of each problem faced by the residents. CM Yogi also assured people that the government was determined to solve the problems of every person. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also directed officials to deal sensitively with people who are facing problems. CM Yogi also instructed officials to take strict legal action against those encroaching on other's properties and oppressing the weak. "Ensure that no goons, mafia, or criminals occupy land illegally. In criminal cases, the accused should be arrested by registering an FIR", the CM said. To those seeking financial aid for the treatment of serious diseases, CM Yogi said that no one's treatment will be hampered due to lack of money, assuring them to provide full help. He forwarded their applications to the concerned officials and directed them to complete the cost estimation process fast and make it available to the government as soon as possible so that the required funds could be released as soon as possible, the official release stated.(ANI)
A study found that the most crucial workouts for asthmatics wanting to improve their lung function were yoga and breathing exercises paired with cardiovascular training. The research, which was published today in the Annals of Medicine journal, highlights how important it is to incorporate the proper kind of fitness training into asthma care plans. The findings, in the opinion of the study's primary author Shuangtao Xing, an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Education at Henan Normal University, demonstrate the potency of specific exercise training regimens in enhancing lung function in those adults. Breathing training combined with aerobic training, and yoga training, appear to be particularly advantageous offering potential avenues for effective treatment approaches, he stated.Larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are now needed to more accurately estimate the benefits of exercise training for individuals withasthma. Around 339 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, a chronic lung disease that manifests as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and tightness in the chest. Exercise was once thought to precipitate or exacerbate acute asthma attacks, making it a possible risk factor for those who have the condition. Recent research, however, has shown that exercise training can really improve adult patients' respiratory function and exercise capability. Comparing the efficacy of various rehabilitation programmes, however, has proven to be difficult due to discrepancies in the precise exercise treatments in the RCTs that have already been conducted. The current study compares the effects of several types of exercise training on lung function in persons with asthma in order to solve this issue by simultaneously comparing data from multiple treatments in a single analysis using a network meta-analysis. In total, 28 RCTs including 2,155 asthmatics were included in the study, which looked at how breathing exercises, aerobic exercises, relaxation exercises, yoga exercises, and breathing exercises mixed with aerobic exercises affected lung function.Furthermore, the researchers applied a statistical technique to rank the effects of different exercise treatments against each other. Relaxation training showed the most significant effect on improving FEV1 levels, breathing combined with aerobic exercise had the most significant effect on improving FVC levels, and yoga training had the most significant effect on improving PEF levels."These findings should provide valuable insight for healthcare professionals prescribing exercise training for the management of adult asthma patients. \However, it is essential to consider individual factors, such as family history, duration of the condition, and environmental influences, when designing exercise rehabilitation programs. Tailoring interventions to individual physical and mental health conditions, with careful consideration of exercise intensity, frequency and duration, is important for optimizing treatment outcomes, said Shuangtao Xing. (ANI)
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) is unhappy over the appointment of Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar as caretaker Prime Minister (PM), ARY News reported. As per ARY News, PPP senior leader Khurshid Shah said that it would have been better if someone else was appointed as caretaker PM. He said that the name was picked from the Senate. Khurshid Shah said they were unaware that Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar will be appointed as caretaker Prime Minister. PPP had finalized five names which included Saleem Abbas, Jalil Abbas, Muhammad Malik and Afzal Khan from KP, he added. According to the ARY News, the PPP leader said that as a caretaker prime minister, Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar should ensure a transparent election. Pakistan's President Arif Alvi approved the appointment of Anwarul Haque Kakar as Caretaker Prime Minister for the country. On the social media account, X (formerly known as Twitter), the President's Office said that under Article 224 A of Pakistan's constitution, Alvi appointed Anwarul Haque Kakar as caretaker PM."President Dr Arif Alvi has approved the appointment of Anwarul Haque Kakar as Caretaker Prime Minister The President approved the appointment under Article 224 A of the Constitution," the office said in a tweet. Earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz met and concluded their last round of talks and decided to make Senator Kakar as caretaker PM. Balochistan lawmaker, Kakar was elected to the Senate in 2018 and has also served as the spokesperson of the provincial government prior to his election to the upper house, as per Geo News. The lawmaker was selected as the 8th interim head of the government, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said Saturday. Kakar and his party had good ties with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during its government and he was among the people who former prime minister Imran Khan consulted on the matters of Balochistan. (ANI)
In a landmark move in the direction of education system and the civil service, Bhutan has transformed the way Bhutanese people work or perceive the country, Bhutan Live reported. The move is aimed at creating a better future for the countrys youth and has presented the country with both opportunities and challenges. The country currently has close to 200 thousand young people aged 15-24 years. These youths are growing at a time when the country is undergoing major reforms across almost all sectors. Some of the youths said that they are growing up in an uncertain time as the country sees her youth leaving for better opportunities abroad. They said it is disheartening to see this happen at a time when the country is working for a better tomorrow for her youths, as per Bhutan Live. Some also added that this is posing a huge challenge for the transformations. Such an exodus has created quite a few issues in the country. Firstly be that there has been a shortage of labour. Before I would see a shortage of jobs, but now we see lots of jobs being created, Bhutan Live quoted a student named Kuendhen Rigzin Nima as saying. Most of the people are moving out of the country to places such as Australia. It is a common thing now, another student Tashi Lhamo said. When many changes are happening in our country, I can see that many youths are getting discouraged and leaving the country instead of staying back, a graduate named Thinley Jamtsho said. However, as per Bhutan Lice, even in these uncertain times, there lies hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, among the countrys young people. Some of the youth said that they are aware of the transformations happening in the country adding that it is an indication of a change in the education sector as well as in the job market. Some of them said that they are hopeful of better opportunities to come due to the changes. Obviously I can see the transformation taking place in our country. Since it is the vision of His Majesty, I have a firm belief that it will have a great impact on our country, said Thinley Jamtsho. I do believe that the transformation thats happening in the country is an indication of our country moving towards developmental advancements, Kuendhen Rigzin Nima, said I think our country is heading in the right direction with the changes in the education reform. I feel like in the future our education quality will improve with growth and progress, Bhutan Live quoted Sonam Lekzin, a student as saying. The two Royal Kashos on Education Reform and Civil Service Reform were granted on 17 December 2020 during the 113thNational Day. The Royal Kasho on the Civil Service Reform decrees that a Civil Service Reform Council be established to recommend to the Royal Government the directions for fundamentally restructuring the civil service. This is to ensure that it has a renewed vision for the twenty-first century. The Royal Kasho on Education Reform decrees that a time-bound Council for Education Reform be established to prepare a visionary and workable roadmap for the twenty-first century to support the Royal Government of Bhutan. It is a known fact that the transformations will take some years to achieve the expected outcome. In the meantime, all that these youths can anticipate is that Bhutan will become a prosperous nation and that they will be offered better opportunities within the country without having to seek elsewhere in the world, Bhutan Live reported. (ANI)
Andrea Gonzalez Nader, the running mate of Fernando Villavicencio who was shot dead on Wednesday will now run for President in the upcoming polls, CNN reported citing the Construye Movement party. Gonzlez Nder, who was Villavicencio's running mate, was "the person chosen by Fernando Villavicencio and by the Construye Movement to replace the President in his absence," the party said in a statement. It said that in the next few hours the name of the vice-presidential candidate will also be announced and that he will come "from among the most trusted people and who have shared the struggles of our comrade Fernando Villavicencio, CNN reported. Ecuador's early elections will be held on August 20. Villavicencio, a former journalist who had been outspoken about the link between organized crime and government officials, was gunned down outside a high school in the capital, Quito, on Wednesday, while he was speaking to young supporters. The attack came just days before voting begins in an election that has been dominated by concerns over drug-related violence, the New York Times reported. In the scuffle that followed, one suspect was killed and nine other people were shot, officials said. Six suspects were also arrested in connection with the assassination, who were identified as Colombian nationals. Villavicencio, 59, was polling near the middle of an eight-person race. He was among the most vocal candidates on the issue of crime and state corruption. This comes less than a month after the mayor of Manta, a port city, was fatally shot during a public appearance, the New York Times reported. Ecuador, on South Americas western edge, witnessed an extraordinary transformation between 2005 and 2015 as millions of people rose out of poverty, riding the wave of an oil boom whose profits were poured into education, health care and other social programs. But more recently, the country has been dominated by an increasingly powerful narco-trafficking industry. Foreign drug mafias have joined forces with local prison and street gangs, unleashing a wave of violence, unlike anything in the countrys recent history. Homicide rates are at record levels, the New York Times reported. (ANI)
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday demanded to conduct the next general elections within 90 days, reported Dawn. During the meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI), PPP supported the approval of the Digital Census, due to which it is almost impossible for the Election Commission to hold elections on time. They demanded that a fresh delimitation process under the new census should be completed within 60 days so that the elections could be held within the 90-day time frame. Senator Nisar Khuhro, PPP Sindh President, said, "If the digital census can be completed within a month, why cant fresh delimitation be held within 60 days." During a press conference at Peoples Secretariat, PPP Provincial Secretary General Senator Waqar Mehdi said, "Theres no reason to delay the polls and the PPP is very clear about this. The polls must be held within 90 days. He said that it was the primary job of the caretaker set-up and the Election Commission of Pakistan and they hope that they would do their constitutional duty, according to Dawn. Moreover, Senator Khuhro added that the anti-PPP forces never succeeded in defeating the party through ballot and democratic process. The PPP rule in the province has strengthened democracy and provincial autonomy which has only weakened these anti-democratic forces, he said. This demand by PPP came a day after Balochistan Awami Party Senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar was named as Pakistan's interim Prime Minister. Kakar's appointment as Pakistan caretaker PM came after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Raja Riaz concluded their consultations, according to Dawn. The announcement regarding Pakistan's caretaker PM was made three days after the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9. The Pakistan National Assembly was dissolved three days before its mandated period, following which elections are to be held within 90 days, according to Dawn. However, a delay in the elections has become almost certain as the results of the 2023 digital census have been given approval as a fresh limitation, which might take months. (ANI)
The Chinese Consulate General in Karachi issued a safety warning on Sunday following the targeted attack on a Chinese convoy in Balochistan, The Global Times reported. A convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan on Sunday, the Global Times has learned. "The Chinese Consulate General in Karachi, Pakistan issued a safety warning on Sunday following an incident in which a Chinese convoy of engineers was attacked near the Gwadar police station," The Global Times posted on X. The attack occurred near the Gwadar police station in Balochistan when the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers was passing the police station and an IED blast took place. Global Times on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter shared a video and informed about the incident. The van which was part of the convoy was shot at creating cracks in the glass. As per the Global Times, the Chinese consulate has also asked to strictly control large-scale gathering activities due to the severe security situation. According to local media reports, some people got injured, and routes toward the Gwadar Port were shut amid security concerns. Several injured people have been brought to hospitals in Gwadar after an attack on Chinese engineers. Further details of the incident are awaited.Last week, at least seven people, including a chairman of a Union Council (UC), were killed in a landmine blast targeting a vehicle in Balochistans Panjgur district. "Miscreants had planted a remote explosive device to target a vehicle carrying Balgatar UC Chairman Ishtiaq Yaqoob and others who were returning from a wedding ceremony," the Dawn quoted Amjad Somro, deputy commissioner of Panjgur, as saying. With the increase in terrorism incidents in the country, the Punjab Home Department has directed the Chinese nationals living in the province or working with private companies to hire private security companies of 'A' category for their security, the Dawn reported. The home department and police held a meeting in the month of February this year to review the security of the Chinese nationals working on government and private projects in the province. In 2014, the Punjab government had established the Special Protection Unit (SPU) as a dedicated unit for the security of foreigners working at different projects of national importance. As many as 3,336 security constables, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former army personnel in the rank of senior security constable to chief security officer and seven former army officers in the rank of additional director & deputy director were recruited in the SPU, the Dawn reported. Keeping in view the job requirement, the personnel were imparted six months rigorous training at four police training schools by the professional trainers. Presently, 3,829 officers and personnel of the SPU along with 2,552 attached personnel from districts are providing security to 7,567 Chinese working at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province. They are also providing security to the Chinese residing at 70 residences and 24 camps in the province, the Dawn reported. With renewed attention after the horrific Karachi university incident which took the lives of several Chinese nationals, the Pakistani government has decided to bear the security costs of non-CPEC projects as well, media reports said citing sources.(ANI)
Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar on Sunday called for the need to reform Americas immigration system, saying there were issues because of which tech companies were finding it difficult recruiting askilled workforce. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Shri Thanedar said, We have issues around our immigration system. America's immigration system needs reform. A lot of tech companies are losing out on hiring a skilled workforce that they need to take our economy forward and create morejobs in America. The Congressman also voiced agreement with the demand for increasing H1B visas and expediting the process of clearing green card applications, saying that people waiting anywhere between 10 and 15 years to get their hands on the coveted green cards have to go through "very stressful situations". He added, We are often asked if are taking any steps to fix the broken immigration system, increase H1B visas and green cards, as well as ensure quicker access to green cards." He added, Some people have been waiting 10-15 years to get their green cards. This has resulted in a stressful situation for many engineers and those skilled in technical jobs. They are vital forthe American economy. Speaking on the delegation from the US Congress, which is currently in India and will attend the Independence Day function in the national capital on Tuesday, August 15, the Congressman from Michigans 13th Congressional district said, This idea of a Congressional delegation to India started when Modi-ji came to America. I had a chance to escort him to the joint session of the Congress where he gave a great speech. The members of Congress really liked his speech and want to work on improving our relationship with India as we see a lot of threats from China. We see threats from Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well. Currently, there is so much instability across the globe as well in the Indo-Pacific area and a strong relationship with India is the need of the hour. This is why the Congressional delegation is here in India. Also, Modiji had specifically invited us to come to Delhi to attend the celebration of the 75th anniversary of India's independence. So we are here at the invitation of the Prime Minister of India. Detailing their scheduled plans of the Congressional delegation during the ongoing visit, Shri Thanedar said, We will also be meeting the President (Droupadi Murmu). We will also hold meetings with cabinet members and talk about collaboration in defence, innovation and technology, and automotive technology that would benefit my home state of Michigan and my home district of Detroit. So there's a lot that we intend to do during this visit, but it's primarily to foster and grow, relationship between these two great democracies. He also brought up India and the US underlining their commitment to taking the bilateral ties, across diverse spheres, forward during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent maiden State visit to the country, and especially at the State dinner hosted in his honour byPresident Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. President Biden and his wife Jill Biden hosted a State dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi. They laid the foundation for a very strong friendship between our two nations through their personal interactions. Going forward, this strong bond or friendship will be the basis for a much stronger relationship between the two countries. There is a lot more that we could do together," the Congressman told ANI. During his State visit, Prime Minister Modi announced that Indian professionals could nowrenew their work visas without travelling to the US. "New American consulates are being opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. H1B visas could now be renewed in India itself," PM Modi said in his address to theIndian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington DC. The decision, PM Modi said, is in line with the initiative to boost and harness people-to-people contact between the two countries which the two leaders stressed during their bilateral meeting in Washington DC. The US authorities announced the introduction of 'in-country' renewable H-1B visas as part of the people-to-people initiative to smoothen the process of H-1B visa renewal for several Indians working in the US. While India will open a new consulate in Seattle this year, similar embassies are also in the works in two more American cities. "Together, we are not just forming policies and agreements but we are shaping lives, dreams and destinies," PM Modi said earlier after his one-on-one meeting with President Biden. The two leaders affirmed that the movement of professional and skilled workers, students, investors and business travellers between the countries contributes immensely to enhancing bilateral economic and technological partnerships. While acknowledging the important steps taken to augment the processing of visa applications, the two leaders noted in the joint statement, "the pressing need to further expedite this process. The leaders also directed officials to identify additional mechanisms to facilitate travel for business, tourism, and professional and technical exchanges between the two countries". (ANI)
The Chinese embassy "strongly" condemned the terror attack on the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers in Balochistan and warned Pakistan to take effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again. China further demanded a thorough investigation into the attack and severely punish theperpetrators. "The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan strongly condemns this terrorist act.The Embassy and the Consulate General in Karachi launched emergency response immediately, requesting the Pakistani authorities toconduct a thorough investigation on the attack, severely punish theperpetrators, take practical and effective measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again," the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said in a press release. The Chinese Embassy also informed its citizens in Pakistan tobe vigilantand take preventive measures against security risks, and to ensure the safety of their lives and property. "Given thecurrent security situation, the Chinese Embassyreminds Chinese citizens in Pakistan tobe vigilantand take preventive measures against security risks, to ensure the safety of their lives and property," the Chinese embassy informed its citizens via a press statement. The press release further said that the incident caused no casualties on the Chinese side, and the relevant personnel have been properly placedin safety. "China will continue to work with the Pakistani side, to jointly counter the threats of terrorism and earnestly protect the safety of Chinese personnel, institutions and projects in Pakistan," the press release said. A convoy of Chinese engineers was attacked in Gwadar in Pakistan's Balochistan on Sunday. The attack occurred near the Gwadar police station in Balochistan when the convoy carrying 23 Chinese engineers was passing the police station and an IED blast took place. Global Times on its social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter shared a video and informed about the incident. The van which was part of the convoy was shot at creating cracks in the glass. With the increase in terrorism incidents in the country, the Punjab Home Department has directed the Chinese nationals living in the province or working with private companies to hire private security companies of 'A' category for their security, the Dawn reported. The home department and police held a meeting in the month of February this year to review the security of the Chinese nationals working on government and private projects in the province. In 2014, the Punjab government established the Special Protection Unit (SPU) as a dedicated unit for the security of foreigners working on different projects of national importance. As many as 3,336 security constables, 187 drivers, 20 wireless operators, 244 former army personnel in the rank of senior security constable to the chief security officer and seven former army officers in the rank of additional director & deputy director were recruited in the SPU, the Dawn reported. Keeping in view the job requirement, the personnel were imparted six months of rigorous training at four police training schools by professional trainers. Presently, 3,829 officers and personnel of the SPU along with 2,552 attached personnel from districts are providing security to 7,567 Chinese working at four CPEC and 27 non-CPEC projects in the province. They are also providing security to the Chinese residing at 70 residences and 24 camps in the province, the Dawn reported. With renewed attention after the horrific Karachi university incident which took the lives of several Chinese nationals, the Pakistani government has decided to bear the security costs of non-CPEC projects as well, media reports said citing sources. (ANI)
Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar informed on Sunday that the American Congressional delegation will attend the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort after Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited them. In an exclusive interview with ANI, a US Congressman said, Modiji had specifically invited us to come to Delhi to attend the celebration, the anniversary of India's freedom, and India's independence. So we are here on the invitation of the prime minister of India. Disclosing their schedule, he said that the delegation will also meet Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Union cabinet ministers to discuss collaborations in the defence and technological sectors. He added, We'll be meeting with cabinet members and talk about collaboration in defence, innovation, and technology, including automotive technology that would benefit my home state of Michigan and my home district of the city of Detroit. While mentioning the bilateral tensions all across the globe, he marked the India-US friendship as a very significant relationship. He further said, We see the threat from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Currently, there is so much instability across the globe and also instability in the Indo-Pacific area, and a strong relationship is so important with India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the Independence Day celebrations from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on August 15. Around 1,800 people from different walks of life and all across the country have been invited as special guests to the main celebratory event in the national capital. PM Modi will hoist the national flag and deliver his customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic monument. The Independence Day celebrations this year will mark the end of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, which were launched by PM Modi from Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on March 12, 2021, and will usher in the Amrit Kaal, which will end with the completion of 100 years of independence in 2047. Prime Minister Modi has already outlined his government's goal of making India a developed country by the end of the 'Amrit Kaal', in 2047. (ANI)
An explosion in a residential suburb outside Pittsburgh on Saturday morning left six people dead  including a father and son  and injured several others.

The explosion and large fire in Plum, Pennsylvania, a suburb northeast of Pittsburgh, marked at least the third time in 15 years a home has exploded in the borough. It destroyed three houses and damaged at least a dozen more, authorities said.

First responders who rushed to Plum Saturday found people trapped under debris and took three people to a hospital. The remains of five victims  four adults and one child  were also found at the scene.

Another person died Wednesday morning at a local hospital, the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner said.

The deceased have been identified as Plum Borough residents Casey Clontz, 38 and his 12-year-old son Keegan; Heather Oravitz, 51; Kevin Sebunia, 55; Michael Thomas, 57; and Paul Oravitz, 56, according to Allegheny County officials. CNN affiliate WTAE confirmed Casey Clontz is Keegans father.

The incident appeared to begin when one house exploded, engulfing two neighboring homes in flames as well, according to the county. Multiple other homes were damaged with windows blown out.

Crews from 18 fire departments converged on the scene to put out the flames and sift through the rubble.

The aftermath of an explosion in Plum, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. - WTAE

Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the explosion. Investigators are aware the homeowners of the exploded house were having issues with the water tank in their basement and are looking into that as a potential cause, along with any and all other possibilities, Allegheny County said in an update Monday.

I heard this boom. It was so loud that it woke me up. I thought it was thunder from the storms last night, neighbor Alexis Typanski told CNN affiliate WTAE. My water bottle fell on me instantaneously. I was shaking. It scared me so bad.

By 4:30 p.m Saturday, the area was still considered an active scene and first responders were expected to remain there for hours, according to the county.

Gas was turned off in the area while emergency crews worked at the scene, authorities said at a news conference, adding multiple representatives from different gas companies were at the scene.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army are assisting residents impacted by the explosion, the county said.

Father and 12-year-old son killed in blast

A family statement provided to WTAE described Casey Clontz as someone who always made people laugh.

The statement adds Caseys biggest love was his family.

Keegan is described as 100% his mommas boy in the statement. He loved spending time with friends, playing football and was described in the statement as the perfect teammate.

He always supported his teams and just loved being a part of the game and everyones lives who were involved.

The statement adds that Keegan loved his sister, especially when he was able to give her a hard time as only a brother can.

Keegan and Casey were their most happy when they were spending time at the lake with their lake family & friends, reads the statement. They swam, did boating and loved cruising around in their golf cart. Keegan and Casey will be missed by so many and will continue to be loved by so many including their family, friends and community.

Officials have not yet released the names of the victims. Amie Downs, the Communications Director for Allegheny County, told CNN that identifying the victims may involve dental records and DNA.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro offered his condolences for the victims and their families in a post on X, formally known as Twitter, on Sunday. Lori and I are praying for family, friends, and neighbors who lost someone in Plum yesterday, and were grateful for the first responders who ran towards danger to save lives, he wrote.

The five Pennsylvanians who passed and their families are in our thoughts today, the governor went on. May their memories be a blessing.

Authorities are investigating the explosion

Saturdays explosion marks at least the third time in 15 years that a home has exploded in the borough. Another house explosion was reported in Plum in April of last year, according to Amie Downs, the communications director for Allegheny County. The cause of that explosion is still under investigation, Downs told CNN.

And in March 2008, a man was killed and a 4-year-old girl was injured in a home explosion in the borough, according to an NTSB pipeline accident brief. Two other homes were destroyed in that explosion and 11 were damaged, according to the brief.

The probable cause of the explosion was excavation damage to a natural gas distribution pipeline from a sewer line replacement in 2003 that stripped the pipes protective coating and made the pipe susceptible to corrosion and failure, the NTSB determined in its report published eight months after the incident.

Gas systems were operating as designed at the time of the explosion on Saturday, said Michael Huwar, the president of the gas service Peoples Natural Gas. Still, gas service was shut off to a number of homes in the neighborhood as a precaution.

A company spokesperson told CNN on Sunday its crews continue to work and coordinate with the Allegheny County Fire Marshal, which is leading the investigation.

Ring doorbell video obtained by CNN affiliate WTAE appears to show one of the homes exploding in a ball of fire, shooting up a thick plume of smoke and scattering debris in the area.

The aftermath of the blast and blaze can be seen in aerial footage of the neighborhood, which shows three structures completely burned to the ground, surrounded by heavy debris covering surrounding lawns and homes. Several cars near the scorched area could also be seen charred black and smoking.

CNNs Celina Tebor, Artemis Moshtaghian and Zenebou Sylla, Sabrina Souza, and Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.

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Two people are dead after a small plane crashed into a lake in North Carolina Sunday, authorities said.

Multiple agencies from Alexander, Caldwell and Catawba counties responded to the crash after the plane hit a power line, which caused several thousand power outages, and crashed into Lake Hickory in Hickory, North Carolina, around 11:30 a.m., a City Of Hickory spokesperson told USA TODAY.

The names of the victims were not immediately released.

The small plane was a Scoda Aeronautica Super Petrel that departed from Hickory Regional Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement to USA TODAY, adding that the information is preliminary and subject to change.

The airport is about 45 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The crash caused over 18,000 outages, but power was fully restored around 1:30 p.m., local station WCNC reported.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. USA TODAY has reached out to the NTSB for more information.

Latest small airplane crash in U.S.

The crash in North Carolina is the latest small plane crash this month.

On Wednesday, two people died after a plane crashed in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Officials have determined the plane's pilot, Jason Tucker, 45, and passenger Nicolas Blace, age 44, are likely to have died in the crash.

On August 7, a small plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean along Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Just two days earlier, a single-engine Piper PA-18 crashed into the ocean off a New Hampshire beach.

Contributing: Kate Perez and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lake Hickory plane crash: 2 dead after crash in North Carolina
This aerial photo taken on Aug. 10, 2023 shows the construction site of a medium-and-low speed maglev line in Qingyuan City, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

China's fixed asset investment in railways hit 371.3 billion yuan (about 51.9 billion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2023, representing a 7 percent increase compared to the same period last year, data from the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. showed.

The company revealed that in the previous month, the completion of renovation projects on some railways has both eased travel for passengers and boosted transport capacity and efficiency, particularly in the country's western region.

For instance, the upgrade project for the Xining-Golmud section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway allowed 160 km/h bullet trains to operate, easing passengers' travel to Golmud and Delingha, hot travel spots in Qinghai Province in northwest China.

An upgrade project at the Lanzhou-Xining section of the Lanzhou-Urumqi High-speed Railway allowed the operation of 250 km/h trains, cutting travel time between Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Provine, and Xining, capital of the neighboring Qinghai Province, to as short as 59 minutes.

The company said that construction work on multiple new railway projects has been progressing smoothly since the start of this year, and some key projects achieved milestones in the construction process.

In July, the nation's railways recorded 406 million passenger trips. During the month, 10,169 trains were operating daily, up 14.2 percent compared to the same period in 2019, according to the company.
An entire family was destroyed as Russia continues to target Ukraines civilians

An entire family, including a newborn and preteen child, were the latest seven civilians to be killed in Russias relentless shelling of Kherson Oblast, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said on Telegram on Aug. 13.

A married couple were in the hospital just 23 days ago to give birth to their daughter. All three were killed in Russias shelling of the village of Shyroka Balka on the morning of Aug. 13. The couples 12-year-old son was taken to the hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries.

Another civilian man was killed in the Russian attack on Shyroka Balka.

Read also: Mandatory evacuation of kids announced in Kupyansk area, says Kharkiv governor

Two men, aged 57 and 71, were killed in a separate Russian attack on the village of Stanislav. A woman suffered minor injuries in the multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) attack, the Kherson Regional Military Administration said.

Two people were injured when the Russians shelled a store in the village of Komyshany in a different attack.

A woman suffered minor shrapnel wounds after at least five houses came under enemy fire in the village of Zolota Balka in yet another Russian attack.

Sensitive content warning: the following pictures may be traumatizing for some audiences.

Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office

Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office

Kherson Regional Military Administration

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Two people were injured in the village of Komyshany, where a store was damaged by Russian shelling.

Read also: Russian invaders terrorize Kherson overnight, striking same civilian apartment three times, killing one

A woman suffered minor shrapnel wounds in the village of Zolota Balka, where at least five houses came under enemy fire.

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
BROCKTON  Local and State Police arrested nearly three dozen people, issued five criminal summonses and seized seven dirt bikes and scooters in a sweep that authorities dubbed "Operation Hot August Nights."

Shots were fired in the parking lot of an upscale Bridgewater apartment complex. Police Chief Christopher Demonte said, "It's a rare event, of shooting incidences in Bridgewater.

A 19-year-old was shot near Brockton Housing Authority complex.

Signature Healthcare had hoped to reopen Brockton Hospital fully by the end of the year. Hospital leaders now say key services like inpatient care and the emergency department won't reopen until 2024.

Last month, the History Channel aired a one-hour episode on the Bridgewater Triangle, Didn't catch the episode? Here's what you missed, how to still watch it  plus an interview we did with a Raynham man featured in the show

In case you missed it, here are five stories of the top stories from the past week throughout the Brockton area.

Police arrest 35 in 'Operation Hot August Nights' in Brockton

Local and State Police arrested nearly three dozen people, issued five criminal summonses and seized seven dirt bikes and scooters in a sweep that authorities dubbed "Operation Hot August Nights." "The Brockton Police Department and Massachusetts State Police last night conducted 'Operation Hot August Nights,' a zero-tolerance mission to interdict offenders responsible for violent crimes and narcotics dealing, as well as those negatively impacting quality of life for Brockton residents," State Police spokesperson David Procopio said in a written statement.

:35 arrested: Police arrest 35 in 'Operation Hot August Nights' in Brockton

The Massachusetts State Police Air Wing helicopter assisted in tracking down a suspect who fled from police during "Operation Hot August Nights" in Brockton on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023.

Brockton police cruisers seen parked outside the Commercial Street station in a December 2012 photo. (Enterprise file photo)

Reopening of Brockton Hospital delayed in wake of fire. Why and what's reopening when

Signature Healthcare had hoped to reopen Brockton Hospital fully by the end of the year. But citing supply chain problems, hospital leaders now say key services like inpatient care and the emergency department won't reopen until 2024. In an interview on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, Signature's director of facilities and engineering, Brian Backoff, said estimates change daily for when the first day of full service will take place.

Reopening of Brockton Hospital delayed: Reopening of Brockton Hospital delayed in wake of fire. Why and what's reopening when

Exclusive tour of Brockton Hospital:: Exclusive first tour of Brockton Hospital since devastating fire  What we saw and learned

See where the fire started: See the room where the Brockton Hospital fire started

The outside of Brockton Hospital looks much the same while major repairs go on inside on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. The hospital has been shuttered since a 10-alarm fire on Feb. 7, 2023.

Here's exactly where History Channel filmed 'Bridgewater Triangle' and more answers

Last month, the History Channel aired a one-hour episode on the Bridgewater Triangle, a 200-square-mile area within Southeastern Massachusetts that is a hotspot for reports of paranormal activity. Here's where they filmed, what you missed and how you can still catch that episode.

Here's were History Channel filmed:: Here's exactly where History Channel filmed 'Bridgewater Triangle' and more answers

History Channel heads to Bridgewater: History Channel heads to Bridgewater Triangle to investigate 'Native American curse'

This multiple exposure photograph of Taunton Daily Gazette staff reporter Susannah Sudborough was taken inside King Philip's Cave in Norton, said to be a Bridgewater Triangle hot spot, on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020.

Taunton man Med-Flighted after Raynham rollover crash with entrapment

A 33-year-old Taunton man was flown to Rhode Island Hospital following a single-vehicle rollover crash in Raynham Tuesday night, Raynham Fire Chief Bryan Lacivita said. First responders found the man trapped inside a Honda Civic that had flipped on its side in a wooded area near 205 Judson St. in Raynham. Firefighters immediately went to work with hydraulic rescue tools to extricate the injured man, but due to the vehicle position and the amount of damage, a second engine was requested to assist, Lacivita said.

Man Med-Flighted after Ryanham crash: : Taunton man Med-Flighted after Raynham rollover crash with entrapment

The wooded area across from 205 Judson St., in Raynham

'Gross violation': Middleboro student loses 'two genders' T-shirt case. Why it's not over

A judge may have ruled against a Middleboro middle schooler who says he has a First Amendment right to wear a "There are only two genders" T-shirt to school  but it's not over. The United States District Court of Massachusetts ruled on June 16 against Liam Morrison's request for a preliminary injunction that would have forbidden the school from banning his T-shirt while the case is pending. Then in July both sides agreed to ask the court to convert that preliminary ruling into a final judgment against Morrison  thus paving the way for an appeal to a higher court.

'Gross violation': 'Gross violation': Middleboro student loses 'two genders' T-shirt case. Why it's not over

Should Middleboro have sent home student Should Middleboro have sent student home for 'there are only two genders' T-shirt?

Free speech or hate speech: Free speech or hate speech: Middleboro student sent home for second time may sue school

Seventh grader Liam Morrison, 12, wore a shirt reading "there are censored genders" to school on May 5, 2023. Staff at Nichols Middle School in Middleboro sent him home for the shirt's original message.

Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton-area top 5 stories
The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has reported that, as of the morning of 13 August, 500 children have been officially confirmed to have been killed in Ukraine during Russia's armed aggression.

Source: Ukrainian PGO

Details: Over 1597 children have been affected in Ukraine as a result of the Russian full-scale armed aggression.

Besides the 500 children killed, 1097 more were injured.

The PGO says the majority of children were affected in the following oblasts: Donetsk  485, Kharkiv  298, Kyiv  129, Kherson  118, Zaporizhzhia  99, Mykolaiv  97, Dnipropetrovsk  94, Chernihiv  71, and Luhansk  67.

However, the PGO emphasises that these figures are not definitive, as the number may differ after the liberation and examination of the Ukrainian territories captured by Russia.

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 Florida dog groomer who posed as a veterinarian has been arrested after performing a cesarean section on a Chihuahua who later died of multiple complications from the surgery, police say.

Osvaldo Sanchez, 61, was arrested Friday and charged with animal abuse and practicing veterinary medicine without a license, according to a news release from the Collier County Sheriffs Office.

Sugar, a 6-year-old Chihuahua, was having difficulty delivering her puppies in May when her owners contacted Sanchez, who had previously introduced himself as a veterinarian to the couple, the sheriffs office said.

Sanchez visited the home on May 18 to evaluate Sugar and performed a C-section and spay procedure on the 6-pound dog in his mobile office. During the surgery he removed a stillborn puppy and charged Sugars owners $600 for the procedure, the sheriffs office said.

After the surgery, Sugar got an infection and became ill. She stayed at a licensed veterinary clinic for a week in dire shape, the sheriffs office said.

Osvaldo Sanchez, 61, allegedly used thread or twine to close the dog's wounds. - Collier County Sheriff's Office

On May 25, Sugar went into 24-hour emergency pet care. Doctors found during an ultrasound that the C-section incision was closed with string or thread and not with the standard suture material, which detectives said could have led to her infection.

Sugar returned to the veterinary clinic the same day and died later that night from multiple complications from the surgery, the sheriffs office said.

Pets lives are at risk if unlicensed individuals perform surgery, prescribe medication and claim to provide needed care, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. Such individuals who believe they can operate outside the law will be arrested and held accountable  our dedicated detectives will see to it.

Sanchez was not a licensed veterinarian, but he was a licensed pet groomer, according to detectives.

C-sections are not uncommon surgeries for dogs and if a qualified vet performed the procedure, Sugar likely would have survived, a veterinarian at the emergency pet hospital told detectives.

CNN has reached out to the Collier County court clerk for information regarding Sanchezs legal representation.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
By Tim Reid

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis flipped pork chops in front of the cameras at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, a plane appeared in the broiling blue sky.

It was Donald Trump's Boeing 757 private jet. It circled the fairgrounds, and thousands in the crowd looked up and went wild, cheering for the Republican former president.

An hour later, Trump arrived in a motorcade from nearby Des Moines airport to a rock-star reception, stealing DeSantis' thunder and reducing his nearest rival for the Republican presidential nomination to a bit-part player at one of the biggest political events on the U.S. political calendar.

It was a moment that epitomized the state of the 2024 Republican presidential nominating race: Trump is far ahead in national polling, eclipsing Florida's governor and the rest of the field, who have so far been at a loss over how to narrow that gap.

The Iowa State Fair is a political must for aspiring presidential candidates in the Midwestern state that kicks off the Republican nominating contest in January. But with Trump leading DeSantis by 34 percentage points among likely Republican primary voters in an Aug. 3 Reuters/Ipsos poll, and the rest of the field languishing in single digits, the fair this year had the air of a coronation rather than a beauty pageant.

Despite Trump's legal problems - he has been indicted three times this year and could be indicted a fourth time in Georgia this week - he holds one of the biggest primary polling leads in U.S. electoral history. No candidate in modern history has had such a big lead in a contested primary and gone on to lose the nomination.

Meanwhile, DeSantis has had two staff shake-ups in the past three weeks and has been sinking in the polls as he desperately tries to recalibrate his campaign.

As Trump walked from the pork chop tent to the Steer N' Stein bar to make a speech, flocked by supporters chanting, "We love you Trump!," a reporter asked him about DeSantis.

"He's doing very, very poorly in the polls. He really should leave the race," Trump said.

Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist who opposes Trump's nomination, has been holding focus groups with Republican voters all year. During the last two she held, in the past two weeks, not a single person even mentioned DeSantis.

When asked directly about the Florida governor at the recent focus groups, one voter called him "sneaky." Another dismissed him as just "another regular politician." A third said he was part of the "deep state," a term often used by conspiracy theorists to refer to people in government they believe are working clandestinely to manipulate national policy.

"DeSantis is in a death spiral," Longwell said.

Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for DeSantis, told Reuters the Republican contest was between Trump and DeSantis, who "is the only candidate in the race who can beat Joe Biden and implement the agenda we need to reverse this country's decline and revive its future."

NARROWING TRUMP'S LEAD

As for the rest of the Republican field, Longwell said, it's hard to see how any of them might catch Trump.

There is a narrow path for somebody to beat the former president, "but they have to generate excitement and come first or second in Iowa to make it a two-person race and persuade people they are more electable," she said.

At the state fair, that uphill struggle to catch up to Trump was on display amid the 90-degree Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) heat, pork chops on a stick, deep-fried, cream-filled Twinkies; foot-long corn dogs; and a staple of the event: a life-size cow sculpted out of butter.

In a dozen voter interviews, Reuters found that most liked DeSantis - but not enough to back him over Trump.

"I like what DeSantis has done in Florida, but I want Trump, a businessman, running the country, I want Trump to get a second term. He was great for our economy; he'll cut down the size of government. DeSantis can run next time around," said George Knuckey, 67.

Asked about DeSantis, Carla Wilkinson, 68, said: "Hell no. He's OK in Florida, but I don't think he's presidential material. I'm Trump all the way."

On Saturday, tech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and DeSantis all appeared for interviews with Iowa's Republican governor, Kim Reynolds.

They were greeted by about 200 people politely and warmly, although DeSantis had to speak over a half dozen women's rights protesters blowing whistles and under a plane flying a banner that declared: "Be Likeable, Ron!"

The Florida governor has a reputation for being a wooden campaigner.

When Trump arrived, with Secret Service agents and sniffer dogs everywhere, his crowds were huge, with about 2,000 people waiting to see him.

Chris Jackson, a public opinion researcher at polling firm Ipsos, which conducts polls for Reuters and other media organizations, said at present the primary resembles a "coronation" for Trump.

But Jackson cautioned that can still change, especially as Trump's legal problems mount. Primary voters could still worry about Trump's electability in a general election, Jackson said, "and wake up and maybe think the emperor has no clothes."

(Reporting by Tim Reid in Des Moines, Iowa; editing by Ross Colvin and Jonathan Oatis)
HOUSTON (AP)  Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani will skip his next scheduled pitching start Wednesday at Texas after telling manager Phil Nevin he was feeling some arm fatigue.

Nevin said Sunday that Ohtani is not injured and will return to the rotation during a series at home against the Reds that begins Aug. 21.

Ive told you guys many times he knows his body better than anybody, Nevin said. I trust him when he talks about it. Hes assured me theres no pain, theres no injury. Hes got some regular arm fatigue that some go through at times. I trust him when he tells me this and hell be ready for his next time out.

Nevin said Ohtani told him Saturday that he needed to take a start off. The right-hander will not take any time off as the team's designated hitter.

He feels good at the plate, Nevin said. He feels healthy swinging at bat. Its just the (throwing) right now, hes got some normal arm fatigue that happens at times.

Ohtani is 10-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 22 starts this season. He is hitting .305 with an American League-leading 40 homers and 83 RBIs.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Ukraine's defence forces killed another 560 Russian invaders and destroyed tens of units of equipment on 12 August.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces from 24 February 2022 to 13 August 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses  ed.]:

approximately 253,850 (+560) military personnel

4,298 (+3) tanks

8,335 (+11) armoured combat vehicles

5,072 (+19) artillery systems

713 (+0) multiple-launch rocket systems

477 (+5) air defence systems

315 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft

313 (+0) helicopters

4,204 (+3) tactical UAVs

1,379 (+0) cruise missiles

18 (+0) ships/boats

7,543 (+20) vehicles and tankers

760 (+1) special vehicles and other equipment

The General Staff emphasises that the number for total Russian losses of cruise missiles has been updated to take account of the latest search and reconnaissance activities.

The data is being confirmed.

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!
Coloradans can expect to see more ads targeting Rep. Lauren Boebert in the next few months.

It's been just over a year since President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law, which compensates veterans experiencing adverse health effects from burn pits.

Boebert, as well as many other Republicans in Congress, voted against that bill.

On the first anniversary of the signing of the PACT Act, political group Rocky Mountain Values launched a new ad campaign targeting Boebert and hosted a roundtable with six Pueblo veterans.

A group of military veterans speak with Sol Sandoval during a Rocky Mountain Values rountable discussion on the one year anniversary of the PACT Act being signed into law.

What is Rocky Mountain Values?

Rocky Mountain Values is a liberal-leaning dark money group registered as a nonprofit. They are not required to disclose their donors but reported receiving over $2.8 million in 2020.

The organization previously targeted former Colorado Republican Sen. Corey Gardner in 2020. Rocky Mountain Values announced earlier this year it would be working in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District and launched its first ad campaign in June in Pueblo.

They just released a new campaign featuring another Pueblo veteran attacking Boebert's voting record.

Political nonprofits are forbidden from explicitly advocating on behalf of or against candidates but are allowed to direct voters to contact their representatives and talk about policy.

Boeberts Democratic challenger in November 2022, Adam Frisch, narrowly lost his race for Congress after many pundits thought Boebert would sail to a decisive victory in the district that leans Republican.

Rocky Mountain Values sign

What the PACT Act did

The PACT Act funds benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances from burning waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as exposure to other harmful chemicals during other wars. It also funds research into how they were affected.

Veterans will have an easier time collecting benefits from exposure to burn pits. The Associated Press reported that before the bills passage, over 70% of disability benefits for burn pit exposure were denied because of insufficient evidence.

Democratic politicians from Biden to U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet tweeted statements about the anniversary of the bills signage Thursday.

Why Lauren Boebert voted against the PACT Act

Boebert joined 173 other Republicans in voting against the PACT Act in March 2022.

She told Grand Junction TV station KKCO in a statement that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was politicizing the bill by bringing forward another bill instead of similar one that had unanimously passed the Senate on a voice vote.

The PACT Act was passed with a final vote of 86-11 in the U.S. Senate, with all 11 dissenting votes coming from Republicans.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert speaking at the Freedom Fest hosted by the Pueblo County Republican Party at the state fairgrounds on July 8, 2023.

Boeberts campaign manager, Drew Sexton, told the Chieftain in an email that the PACT Act was not well-written and that Boebert had concerns that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was not ready for the new claims. He added that the rollout has been disastrous because the website has crashed, the deadline needed to be extended and the claims backlog has grown.

Veterans are able to file with the VA to receive backdated benefits to when the bill was signed. The VA announced an extension from the deadline of Aug. 9 to Aug. 14 because some people received a website error message from the high volume of claims, Military Times reported.

The people who received error messages still have their claims logged in the system, though. Veterans can apply for payouts from the PACT Act at any time, but will only be eligible for benefits after their future date of filing.

Whats in the ads from the group

The latest round of ads features George Autobee, a Pueblo-area veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, discussing Boeberts voting record on veterans' health care issues.

We have a responsibility to make sure these veterans are taken care of when they return from war, Autobee says in the ad. Lauren Boebert has voted against veterans health care many times and shes left them behind.

Marine veteran George Autobee speaks about his service during a Rocky Mountain Values rountable discussion on the one year anniversary of the PACT Act being signed into law, legislation that U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert, opposed.

Autobee helped launch an anti-Boebert PAC, Rural Colorado United, in 2020. He has contributed to mostly Democratic candidates in recent years, state campaign finance records show, but also gave $250 to Republican state Senate candidate Stephen Varela in 2022. (Autobee and Varela worked together on Rural Colorado United. Varela was registered as a Democrat at the time.)

Sexton targeted Autobees previous political work and referred to him as a longtime liberal extremist in a statement about the new ad he shared with the Chieftain.

George and progressive, dark-money groups can keep shoveling money into attacking Congresswoman Boebert, but 3rd District voters know better when it comes to her strong record of supporting our veterans, Sexton said. He added that Boebert has recently voted for four bills for veterans that were signed into law and sponsored six amendments that amount to $13 million in support for veterans.

Rep. Boebert is continuing to fight to ensure our veterans receive the care they earned, Sexton said.

This newest campaign featuring Autobee is costing $350,000, Rocky Mountain Values spokesperson Amber Miller told the Chieftain. The campaign includes TV ads in the Grand Junction, Colorado Springs and Denver markets.

The first ad blitz that launched in June featured Pueblo veteran Jerry Solano. The themes of those ads focused on Boeberts positions on Social Security and Medicare.

Solano, who was also present at the Thursday roundtable, told the Chieftain that people in Pueblo have been recognizing him from the ad and hes heard not one negative thing about them.

What the veterans said about Boebert

At the roundtable moderated by Sol Sandoval, a current member of the Pueblo District 60 school board who ran in the Democratic primary for the 3rd District in 2022, six Pueblo veterans talked about their time in the military and their grievances with Boebert.

Most of the participants were from the Vietnam era. They said that Boebert uses veterans as political props and does not do enough legislating for them.

One of Boeberts amendments to the latest National Defense Authorization Act bans book purchases in military schools that include pornographic materials and are espousing gender ideology.

I enlisted and volunteered to defend democracy, not fascism, said Chris Sutton, an Afghanistan-era Air Force veteran. Book banning and book burning and all that  those are steps towards fascism. I'm not okay with it.

Military veteran Chris Sutton speaks during a Rocky Mountain Values rountable discussion on the one year anniversary of the PACT Act being signed into law, legislation that U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert, opposed.

The NDAA often passes with bipartisan support but was opposed by most Democrats because of the added stipulations from Republican representatives.

Boebert also included the Pueblo Jobs Act as an amendment in the NDAA, which passed the House with a unanimous voice vote. That bill seeks to keep approximately 1,000 jobs in the Pueblo area as the Pueblo Chemical Depot shuts down.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Liberal PAC launches new ads targeting Lauren Boebert over voting record
Our Kansas City Star Opinion team launched a survey last month, asking readers to let us know what topics interest you in these pages, and to encourage you to contribute your own letters and guest columns. Im happy to say that we received a good number of well-thought out responses and suggestions.

Why do we care what you think? Smart media understands that we dont exist in a vacuum. We are here to serve our readers by providing information to help make sense of a complicated world.

Here are your top 10 coverage suggestions in no particular order:

1. Public policy (education, housing transit, the environment)

2. Social and criminal justice reform

3. Abuse of power

4. Health care access

5. Gun rights

6. Tax assessments

7. Crime

8. Success stories of local business and K-12 schools

9. Local sports

10. More balanced political coverage

All these areas of coverage are important and needed, especially a look into criminal justice. One reader writes: As I see it, our only hope is in more informed juries, adding that The Star needs to write about miscarriages of justice as they are happening. People need to understand that we are all at risk. All of us are at risk of going to prison even though were innocent.

Justice for abuse, racial injustice, student loans

Readers, Im happy to report that our writers and editors are providing what you asked for. Lets take a look at how stories weve published in the last month align with your interests:

Melinda Henneberger talked about reform in her chilling tale of a woman who was abused at a massage business and fought to get justice.

Toriano Porter brought a different perspective on crime stories, including one about a Black man killed in Kansas City as his white assailant hurled the n-word.

I wrote about education, discussing the overturn of affirmative action in higher ed and on the student loan debacle.

And the editorial board tackled several of these issues, bringing a fresh look at areas of police and crime, public policy stories, even sports.

And yes, we have written about politics  a lot  but only you can determine whether you think its balanced coverage.

Voices from community members

I cant leave you out, with your well-written and thought-provoking guest commentaries and letters. Here are just a few:

Freelance commentator Joel Mathis handled health care access in his column on Kansas kids losing health care over a paperwork problem.

Retired General Services Administration Heartland Region deputy director Bond Faulwell wrote about telling Sens. Josh Hawley, Eric Schmitt and Roger Marshall to fess up about Donald Trump.

Jackson County Executive Frank White got a lot of traction defending property tax hikes.

Notice how many of the topics you want were covered in your own writing? I want to create more opportunities for you to share your voice. For now, you have two ways:

To send letters: Visit KansasCity.com/letters to submit your letter to the editor of 200 words or fewer. You may also mail your submission to Letters to the Editor, The Kansas City Star, 4741 Central St. #600, Kansas City, MO 64112. Include your address and phone number for verification only.

Guest Columns: The Star welcomes exclusive essays of up to 600 words. Email the essay and a photo of the author to oped@kcstar.com. All submissions are edited before publication.

Are we done yet? Absolutely not. Will we continue to listen to you? Affirmative. We vow to be first, reflect on critical issues and discuss the topics you care about.

By the way, its not too late to take our online survey asking what issues are most important to you. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to share your thoughts.

Form not displaying? Try using this direct link.
An emergency responder died after suffering injuries from the Aug. 7 Russian missile attack on Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, bringing the death toll up to 10 people, the State Emergency Service reported on Aug. 13.

Colonel Vitalii Kints, the head of the 9th State Fire and Rescue Squad, died in hospital overnight on Aug. 13, according to the report.

Russian forces struck Pokrovsk with two missiles on Aug. 7, claiming to target a command post" of Ukraine's Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group.

On Aug. 8, the military spokesperson Serhii Cherevatyi dismissed the Russian claim, saying it's already the "third or fourth time" Russia is said to have destroyed this command post.

Russian forces hit downtown Pokrovsk at 7:15 p.m. and 7:52 p.m. on Aug. 7, damaging 12 high-rise buildings, a hotel, a local prosecutor's office building, a Pension Fund building, a pharmacy, two shops, and two cafes.

The double tap attack also injured 82 people, including two children, policemen, and rescuers.

Since the beginning of the all-out war, 78 Ukrainian first responders were killed, and 280 were injured in Russian attacks while doing their job, the State Emergency Service's spokesman Oleksandr Khorunzhyi said on Aug. 8.

Pokrovsk is located some 40 kilometers from the front line, close to the administrative border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
This aerial photo taken on July 22, 2023 shows an automated container wharf of the Beibu Gulf Port in Qinzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

China's foreign trade is expected to maintain steady growth despite a challenging external environment, as the country continues to strengthen endogenous impetus and expand multilateral economic and trade relations, experts have said.

China's imports and exports expanded 0.4 percent year on year to total 23.55 trillion yuan (about 3.29 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2023, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Since the second quarter, the country's monthly trade scale has remained above 3.4 trillion yuan.

In July alone, China's foreign trade totaled 3.46 trillion yuan, up 25.7 percent from July 2019 and 4.5 percent above the 2020-2022 July average.

The latest data was in line with expectations, and China's foreign trade maintained stable operations, GAC spokesperson Lyu Daliang said.

The fundamentals for long-term growth have not changed, Lyu added.

Analysts have said that the fundamentals for long-term foreign trade growth also remain unchanged, citing the country's growing export competitiveness and more diversified market and product structures as its development advantages.

Zhang Jun, chief economist at China Galaxy Securities Co., Ltd., said Chinese export products have climbed up the global value chain after continuous industrial upgrading.

China's general trade, which involves long industrial chains and high added values, rose 2.1 percent to 15.41 trillion yuan in the first seven months of the year. It accounted for 65.4 percent of the country's total foreign trade value, up 1.1 percentage points from a year earlier.

The total export value of China's three major tech-intensive green products -- solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles -- soared 61.6 percent year on year in the first half of 2023. Together, the three products contributed 1.8 percentage points to the country's overall export growth during the period, customs data shows.

China has been cultivating its economic and trade relations with Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership member countries, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and countries along the Belt and Road, providing Chinese companies with more opportunities to explore foreign markets, said Xu Yingming, an analyst at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

In the January-July period, ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner. China's trade with ASEAN members rose 2.8 percent year on year.

In the first seven months, China's trade with countries along the Belt and Road amounted to 8.06 trillion yuan, jumping 7.4 percent year on year and accounting for 34.2 percent of the country's total trade value.

Looking at the second half of the year, Ministry of Commerce official Li Xingqian said the situation is extremely grim, citing weak global demand for production, consumption and investment, and "decoupling" or "de-risking" moves from some countries.

However, China will take further steps to help companies secure orders and expand their markets, including hosting trade expos, increasing numbers of international flights and facilitating visas for foreign businesspeople, Li said.

The country has already seen increasing confidence in foreign trade companies. Some 75 percent of the over 3,100 foreign trade companies surveyed by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said they were confident about their third-quarter development.
An American Airlines passenger gained overnight infamy for her viral "not real" rant in July.

Police video obtained by the New York Post offers a glimpse into what happened after she deboarded.

In the bodycam footage, she's seen saying the flight "is not going to make it" to its destination.

Police bodycam footage obtained by the New York Post offers a glimpse into what happened after an American Airlines passenger  known for the viral "not real" video  was removed from the flight.

The woman, who's since been identified as Texas marketing executive Tiffany Gomas, is seen in the original TikTok video yelling and pointing toward the back of the plane.

"I'm getting the fuck off, and there's a reason why I'm getting the fuck off," she said. "But I am telling you right now, that motherfucker back there is not real."

'Do not let that flight leave'

The newly released footage shows Gomas standing in the boarding area with police and employees. Gomas is seen staring at the plane scheduled to depart from Dallas to Orlando on July 2. She repeatedly states that the flight won't arrive in Orlando, a claim she began while on the plane.

"I don't care if I never fly with y'all every again," Gomas says in the footage. "I just want to know what happens to this flight here."

A police officer repeatedly tells Gomas she'll need to leave, otherwise, she'll be "under arrest for public trespass" in the footage. Gomas, however, remains adamant about keeping the flight grounded.

"Do not let that flight leave. I'm being dead serious. Do not let that flight leave," she says as they attempt to escort her away from the terminal. "That flight is not going to make it to Orlando. It's not going to."

As she's walking through the terminal ahead of the officers, Gomas asks if she can leave instead of being escorted.

"Y'all need to escort me outreally," Gomas said. "Until you see this flight fucking blow up."

Gomas and the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside regular working hours.

New York Post (@nypost) August 13, 2023

Gomas reportedly snuck back through security

After being escorted out of the boarding area, according to police documents viewed by Fox Business, Gomas repeatedly attempted to sneak back through security  and succeeded once.

"At 1845 hours, Communications advised GOMAS had gone through the TSA Checkpoint at A12 and had made her way to the secured side of the terminal," according to the documents, per Fox Business News. "An Americans Airlines manager  informed us that even though GOMAS' ticket had been revoked, and she was denied boarding, TSA's system still recognized her ticket as valid."

The New York Post reported the entire incident was sparked by an altercation between Gomas and the relatives she was traveling with, when Gomas reportedly accused them of stealing her AirPods.

The New York Post reported that Gomas was given a criminal-trespass notice for disrupting the flight but wasn't taken into police custody.

Gomas said being identified has had an immediate impact

After being identified by the Post as the woman in the video, Gomas told the Daily Mail the fallout has been "frightening."

"My life has been blown up. It's frightening. Things go viral and everything changes," Gomas told the outlet.

Gomas is a Dallas-based marketing exec who owns Uppercut Marketing, the Daily Mail reported. She told the outlet people had staked out her house and gone through her mail, but she didn't specify who was doing so. She also said that she's consulting a lawyer.

Read the original article on Insider
Book bans are growing in South Florida schools. Youve probably read some of these books

Ignited by political culture wars and enabled by new state laws, school book challenges and book bans have grown in Florida.

For the first time this year, the Florida Department of Education required the states public school districts to submit a list of challenged books to the department by June 30. The department said it would publish the lists by Aug. 30 to increase transparency with students families.

The Miami Herald, through public records requests, obtained the list of books that were objected to in Miami-Dade and Broward public schools. The challenged books are about Cuba, racial justice and Black history, coming of age and characters representing LGBTQ communities, among other topics. One of the books was the inaugural poem, The Hill We Climb, by Amanda Gorman. Many of the books are award winners.

Miami Dade Public Schools received six challenges in the 2022-23 school year, up from zero last year. The school district rejected two challenges, and removed three books from elementary school libraries, restricting them to students in middle school. One challenged book is pending review once the committee reconvenes when the school year starts, said school district spokeswoman Jackie Calzadilla.

The Broward school district received 12 challenges in the 2022-23 school year, up from one last year. The challenges resulted in three books being banned for all students and nine books restricted to specific grade levels.

Here are the challenged books in each of the two districts in the 2022-23 school year, along with the objections and how the districts handled the challenges.

READ MORE: Classrooms have become political battlegrounds in Florida. Will it intensify this year?

Miami-Dade Schools

Book challenges rejected by district

Countries in the News: Cuba by Kieran Walsh

What its about: A book about Cuba, its land, people, schools, sports, food, holidays, and future.

Why was it challenged: Indoctrination. Cuba is a communist country because Castros art [sic] the dictators.

What did the district do: Rejected the challenge

Reasoning behind districts action: The school determined that information presented in this book was balanced and age appropriate in its wording and presentation.

Cuban Kids by George Ancona

What its about: A photo study of Cuban culture and history that compares and contrasts American and Cuban children.

Why was it challenged: Indoctrination

What did the district do: Rejected the challenge

Reasoning behind districts action: The school determined that this book is a photographic essay documenting the authors visit to Cuba. The narrative contained in the book is neutral. The book also contains direct quotes from the photographers subjects. The content was determined appropriate for middle school students.

Books that were restricted

The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez

What its about: A rhyming book about Black history that uses letters to introduce topics like S for Science and Soul, G for Great Migration and X for Malcolm X.

Why was it challenged: Critical Race Theory and gender ideology

What did the district do: Moved it to the middle school section of the library.

Reasoning behind districts action: Determined the vocabulary used and subject matter presented was more appropriate for middle school students.

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

What its about: Poem that addresses challenges in U.S. history and how the country can move forward. Gorman recited the poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2021.

Why was it challenged: Is not educational and have [sic] hate messages.

What did the district do: Moved it to the middle school section of the library.

Reasoning behind districts action: The school determined the book has educational value because of its historical significance. The vocabulary used in the poem was determined to be of value for middle school students.

Love to Langston by Tony Medina

What its about: The book includes 14 poems about the life of Langston Hughes, an American poet who wrote about Black American life.

Why was it challenged: Critical Race Theory

What did the district do: Moved it to the middle school section of the library.

Reasoning behind districts action: The content and subject matter of poems in this collection were determined to be better suited for middle school readers.

Broward County Schools

Books banned for all grades

Its Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris

What its about: Book about growing up, with topics like sex and puberty.

Why was it challenged: Explicit images.

What did the district do: Removed the book from all grades.

Reasoning behind districts action: Officials deemed it violated state statute.

Lets Talk About It: The Teens Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan

What its about: Book covers topics like consent, kinks and fantasy, abusive relationships and sexually transmitted diseases.

Why was it challenged: Explicit images.

What did the district do: Removed the book from all grades.

Reasoning behind districts action: Officials deemed it violated state statute.

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss

What its about: A book about same-sex marriage, that features Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grandpa Mike Pence, the former vice president of the U.S.

Why was it challenged: The book addresses gender identity content.

What did the district do: Removed the book from all grades.

Reasoning behind districts action: Gender identity content.

Books that were restricted

George by Alex Gino*

What its about: The book tells the story of a transgender girl named Melissa, born George, who wants to play Charlotte in her school plays interpretation of Charlottes Web.

Why was it challenged: Not suitable material or conduct for minors per existing statutes.

What did the district do: Limited to fifth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Gender identity content.

*The book has been republished as Melissa

It Feels Good to be Yourself by Theresa Thorn

What its about: A picture book that introduces the concept of gender identity.

Why was it challenged: Not suitable material or conduct for minors per existing statutes.

What did the district do: Limited to fifth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Gender identity content.

Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff

What its about: The story of how a sixth-grader learns her dad is trans.

Why was it challenged: Not suitable material or conduct for minors per existing statutes.

What did the district do: Limited to eighth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Gender identity content.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

What its about: The story of an 11-year-old Black girl in the U.S. who prays for her eyes to turn blue, so that she will be beautiful and how that becomes a tragedy.

Why was it challenged: Describing the rape of a child.

What did the district do: Limited to ninth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Its content.

This Day in June by Gayle Pitman

What its about: Pride month and how to celebrate it.

Why was it challenged: Her teaching and writing focuses on gender and sexual orientation, and she has worked extensively with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender(LGBT) community.

What did the district do: Limited to ninth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Its content.

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan

What its about: Tells the story of a group of students who end up involved in the death of their teacher.

Why was it challenged: A group of high school students plans to scare their tough English teacher, but their attempt brings on a fatal heart attack.

What did the district do: Limited to ninth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Its content.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

What its about: Tells the story of an unlikely friendship during war in Afghanistan.

Why was it challenged: Inappropriate content.

What did the district do: Limited to ninth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Its content.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

What its about: A 13-year-old girl from Nepal whose family sells her into prostitution.

Why was it challenged: A thirteen-year-old girl from Nepal, is sold into prostitution.

What did the district do: Limited to ninth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Its content.

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

What its about: The story of Mike Munoz, a young adult Chicano who faced hardship as a boy and is going through a phase of self-discovery.

Why was it challenged: Inappropriate content.

What did the district do: Limited to ninth grade and higher.

Reasoning behind districts action: Its content.
Living in Las Vegas, I feel spoiled by the many culinary choices on and off the city's 4-mile-long strip. David Morris

I paid over $3,000 for dinner for nine at e by Jose Andres inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

The upscale meal felt like a great deal and had multiple fancy courses that we loved.

It felt like more of a show and experience than just a meal, and I'm glad I tried it.

For my 39th birthday, I knew I wanted to have an intimate, exclusive, and fun dinner.

Since I live in Las Vegas, there were tons of great options but I eventually chose to dine at e by Jose Andres inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The restaurant's been open for over a decade but it's still difficult to get reservations.

The dining room only has nine seats and does two "showings" each night Tuesday through Saturday  plus spots must be reserved three months out. After inquiring via email, I was able to reserve all of the seats for my birthday party before the booking window opened.

I secured an 8:30 p.m. Saturday reservation for $3,350 and sent invites to eight of my closest friends.

We were advised to arrive early on the day of the reservation.

We felt special heading to our dinner reservation. David Morris

After checking in, we were led to a reserved table in front of Jaleo, Andres' more public-facing Spanish restaurant. Our private dining room was adjacent to the space.

We were greeted by e's sommelier as we arrived. They asked us whether we would like still or sparkling water, and offered to get us a cocktail from the bar while we waited for our "showtime."

We were also asked to select one of three beverage pairings. Most of us selected the entry-level $150 pairing, which featured seven different Spanish wines. There were also $300 and $600 pairings available.

Soon, we were led into e, which felt like a center for culinary alchemy.

We met a number of staff members. David Morris

Once inside the culinary theater, we took our bar-top seats and watched as a curtain was pulled back to reveal a show kitchen.

Here, we were introduced to five chefs who would interact with us throughout the meal as they prepared some of the most avant-garde cuisine I've had in the US.

Executive chef Eric Suniga told us to expect about 20 to 25 courses and encouraged us to ask questions.

A dish called Branches of the Desert was waiting for us at our seats.

Our first dish had an avant-garde Marcona almond centerpiece David Morris

Chef Eric told us that Andres is not a fan of the term molecular gastronomy so I will describe this dish and those that came after it as culinary-whimsy-meets-science-lab.

Our first dish, a type of edible centerpiece, had "branches" made of cuquillo-olive rice crackers spotted with a confit of piquillo-pepper puree and spring vegetable blossoms.

Each tree also had a Marcona almond with a shell made from mannitol sugar. Each almond was injected with a roasted almond-oil espuma (a type of foam).

Everyone in our group knew this meal would be special after experiencing our first two welcoming "bites."

Morning Dew is an edible cocktail. David Morris

The first dish was followed by (technically paired with) an edible cocktail called Morning Dew. It was created using a white cava sangria and a spherification technique.

The spheres had a liquid center dotted with melon and mint and were presented on a bed of hoja santa, a savory herb common in many Mexican cuisines.

We were told to consume these spheres in one bite and they exploded in our mouths.

The next round of dishes was playful and took riffs on rocks, pizza, and PB&J sandwiches.

The chefs also interacted with us as they executed these dishes David Morris

Next up was a "stone" made of Manchego cheese coated with rendered jamon iberico fat (a type of cured pork leg popular in Spain) and drizzled with rosemary oil.

This was followed by a slice of "pizza" with a base of crispy Idiazabal cheese topped with ingredients like dehydrated tomato, basil, and grated summer truffle.

The final riff on a classic was a PB&J sandwich of sorts called Wonder Bread. The "bread" was an apple meringue with torched edges. Between the "bread" was a whipped foie-gras torchon (a delicacy typically made using duck or goose liver that's been molded before being cooked), strawberries, and summer truffle with a few dollops of truffle oil for good measure.

Round three showcased caviar.

This course featured oysters and caviar. David Morris

I thought the next round showcased caviar in a more fanciful way with a "tortillita" and Jose's Taco.

The "tortillita" consisted of a briny Rappahannock oyster, crema, and caviar. Jose's Taco was simply a slice of jamon iberico de bellota and a mound of Royal Osetra caviar.

Next, we moved on to more substantial fare and some of my favorite courses of the evening.

The chefs meticulously constructed El Vermut, one of my favorite dishes of the night David Morris

I had no idea what the chefs were making for the next dish, El Vermut. I was even more confused when they set a mussel concoction in front of me  but it ended up being one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten.

I had to ask Chef Eric to explain this dish several times but it basically consisted of marinated mussels, liquid olives, dried mandarin segments, vermouth, and other ingredients.

Everyone in my group was thoroughly impressed by the time we reached our next dish.

I noticed e is all about the details when it comes to plating. David Morris

The next course was called Platija, which consisted of fluke (a type of flounder) seasoned with dehydrated squid ink, almond, basil, salsa tinta (a squid-ink sauce), and pearls of parsley and roasted garlic.

Next was an off-menu crab dish, my favorite of the night.

This off-menu crab dish was the culinary highlight of my night. David Morris

I didn't take adequate notes of the ingredients in this dish because I wasn't paying the best attention while the chefs were making it  my friends and I had become engrossed in conversation.

Still, this crab-centric dish was exceptional. It tasted like the sea in the best way.

The steak was the main event.

The meal featured one of the best cuts of beef I've ever had. David Morris

Next came a 60-day dry-aged American Wagyu ribeye with liquid gnocchi, forest mushrooms, and truffles.

Steak is not something I would necessarily order in a fine-dining restaurant, but this one rivals some of the best steak I've had in Vegas.

My friends, however, thought the next course was the night's standout.

The foie-gras empanada we got was unique. David Morris

Leave it to Andres to serve up an empanada of cotton candy filled with liver and corn nuts. This dish definitely rocked and got us all talking.

One of my friends said it was one of the best things he's ever had.

Right before dessert, we got a cheese course that looked like art.

The cheese course was gorgeous. David Morris

Chef Eric said this course, dubbed Saint Jordi, is inspired by what some might describe as Spain's version of Valentine's Day

The dish looked like a rose with the "petals" constructed from raspberry water and dusted with freeze-dried raspberry powder. The stem was a meringue of mint garnished with lemon balm and served with Rey Silo Blanco, a soft cow's milk cheese.

The first of many desserts resembled a cake.

Our first dessert was carefully set. David Morris

Our first dessert was a riff on a traditional menjar blanc, a type of custard dessert.

The chefs had molded a light and airy almond milk and set it in the form of cake. It was plated atop an elderflower toffee and garnished with Maldon sea salt, cherries, elderflowers, and a light spritz of St. Germaine (elderflower liqueur).

The second sweet course looked like a snowflake and our final was a campy take on digging for gold.

Our second dessert was a Catalan espuma and our final dessert seemed like an ultimate Ferrero Rocher candy David Morris

Next, we had a thin wafer cookie dusted with freeze-dried yogurt powder in the shape of a snowflake. It was served on a bowl of Catalan espuma (foam flavored like a classic citrus-infused flan but with an airy and light texture) and preserved lemon and covered with yogurt "snow."

The final formal dessert resembled an elevated Ferrero Rocher candy.

Jose's rendition of the classic candy was roasted-hazelnut milk chocolate with a golden shell. It was served buried in chocolate "soil" and came with a golden shovel.

Everyone at the table loved this gold treat and thought it was better than any birthday cake would've been.

We were served even more bites as the evening wrapped up.

More bites were served after dessert. David Morris

Later in the night, we each got three chocolate tablets (saffron and milk chocolate, raspberry and vanilla, dark chocolate and sea salt), a piece of white chocolate "air" dusted with violet powder, an arbequina olive-oil gummy, and other treats.

And, after drinking many tasty wine pairings throughout the night, we concluded our evening with a traditional gin and tonic.

Overall, the meal was worth the price.

All of the food we tried at e was incredible. David Morris

Vegas can be an expensive city and the price tag for my meal seems more reasonable if you look at various options for a night out like this.

For example, tickets to an upscale nightclub can easily run a few hundred dollars a person, and bottle service for nine people would start at least at what I spent for this dinner.

Although our food was incredible, this meal was more of an experience and up-close show in one. Front-row seats to special shows in Vegas, like Adele at Caesars Palace or U2 at the MSG Sphere at The Venetian Resort, can easily run over $1,000 per person.

No matter how you break it down, I think this special night out with friends was absolutely worth the price.

Read the original article on Insider
A woman told officers arresting a man accused of creating a disturbance in a Dennys that hed earlier sexually assaulted her son in the restroom, California police reported.

Officers were called to the Santa Ana restaurant at noon Friday, Aug. 11, for reports that a customer refused to pay and fell asleep in a booth, police said in a news release.

As officers investigated, a woman reported that her son just told her that the man sexually assaulted him in the restroom, police said.

Police arrested the man on sexual assault charges and his bail was set at $1 million, the release said. They believe there may be other victims.

Investigators ask that anyone with information contact detective Anthony Pacheco at 714-245-8352 or apacheco@santa-ana.org. Anonymous tips can be left at 1-855-847-6227.

If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.

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Former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairwoman Donna Brazile said Sunday that the GOP might not be a mainstream party again.

Brazile made the remark during an appearance on ABCs This Week, when co-anchor Jonathan Karl asked programs Powerhouse Roundtable panel about former President Trumps impact at the Iowa State Fair this weekend.

Yes. You know, Donald Trump took on the Republican establishment in 2016. And I dont think the establishment  and maybe you know better since you understand the Republican establishment  they havent been able to really get their sea legs back, Brazile told Karl. I dont know if the Republican Party will ever be a, quote-unquote, a mainstream party again like it was before, when you understood conservatism, conservative values.

Brazile, who is now an ABC News contributor, also said that the former president is running his reelection campaign on a platform of retribution, noting Trumps ongoing legal issues.

But now you have an indicted defendant out on bail who is leading the party, who is basically running on a platform of retribution, and that is going to define not just the presidential race, but I think all of the down-ballot races as well, Brazile added.

This comes as Trump was the main star attraction at the Iowa State Fair, though the GOP front-runner is facing a slew of legal battles and federal investigations against him.

Trump was recently indicted by a Washington, D.C., grand jury on four charges stemming from his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to President Biden.

Special counsel Jack Smiths 45-page indictment accuses Trump of trying to conduct a campaign to block the transfer of power. Smith alleged Trump was the director of a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and played a central role in an attempt to block the certification of votes on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump is also expected to be indicted in Georgia for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state; Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to present her case against Trump to a grand jury early this week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Lewis Pugh, shortly before completing his 330-mile swim along the English Channel in 2018. Gareth Fuller/PA Images via Getty Images

British endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh began his month-long swim down the Hudson River.

He is doing his 315-mile swim unassisted, with just a Speedo, goggles, and swim cap.

He risks injuries from the elements and pests, as well as water polluted by chemicals and sewage.

A British long-distance swimmer is making the 315-mile trek down New York's Hudson River.

Lewis Pugh is embarking on the first unassisted swim of the river to raise awareness for the "health of rivers and the importance of restoring these precious waterways," he told CNN earlier this month.

"I've been looking for a river for many, many years which could tell the story about all rivers," 53-year-old Pugh told The New York Times. "And always, every single time, it comes back to the Hudson."

An experienced distance swimmer from Plymouth, England, he previously swam the 325-mile English Channel, the Times reported.

For this swim, he told the Times he'll be unassisted, working only with a Speedo, goggles, and a cap  no gloves or fins to propel him along faster. Another man, Christopher Swain, swam the length of the Hudson in 2004, though he wore a wetsuit, according to the Times.

"Your swim can be over on Day 1," Pugh told the Times, noting that he could come into contact with toxic chemicals, "human sewage," rodents, snakes, and other dangerous pests.

The river has been the subject of a decades-long recovery effort after it was used as a pollution and sewage dumping ground, but some areas of the river remain contaminated and generally unsafe for swimmers, according to the Albany Times Union.

"It shows how a river can be misused and then cared for and turn around its fate," Pugh told The New York Times. "And so it gives hope to people who live on the Ganges, the people who live on the Yangtze, the Nile, the Seine or here in England on the River Thames. That your river can be saved."

Pugh plans to finish his swim in lower Manhattan on September 13, and he hopes that with increased awareness and commitments to sustainability, someday all rivers will be "drinkable, fishable and swimmable," the Times reported.

Read the original article on Insider
In the beginning, his epic effort seemed promising.

Bryan Huffman hoped to freestyle across Lake Michigan, starting his quest early Saturday morning in Wisconsin. Just one hour in, a glowing report from his team came back, saying that the doctor "looks great, only about 29 more hours!!"

About three hours later, an email update said: "Wowzah!!" It noted Huffman had been swimming for as long as it takes on average "to finish a marathon" and that he got boosts from a bottle filled with a water-nutrients mix that his crew would toss him.

At 12 hours, another report: "The guy is swimming like a champ!"

Bryan Huffman, of Holland, starts his 30-hour freestyle swim across Lake Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, from Wisconsin.

But the online, real-time tracking also showed he  or the boat accompanying him  appeared to be getting turned around. For a stretch, he headed north, when he should have been going east. And then, the dot identifying his location suddenly started moving faster and straighter.

By about 1 a.m. Sunday, the tracking showed he had reached Ludington well ahead of schedule.

Did he make it?

"Due to a mechanical failure on our support boat, Bryan was not able to complete the swim successfully," a Facebook message posted soon afterward said. "We are all safe, but very disappointed. All of us are grateful for your support."

Bryan's BIG Lake Swim | Due to a mechanical failure on our support boat, Bryan was not able to complete the swim successfully

Huffman is the second swimmer from Michigan this month to attempt to make it across the Great Lake. The first, Jim Dreyer  who successfully crossed 25 years ago  was thwarted after about 10 miles by bad weather. Both men had spent months preparing.

Dreyer commented on the Huffman post, urging him to try again: "So sorry to hear this. I feel your pain. A battle may be lost but the war is never over until YOU say so. Glad everyone is safe and Bryan will swim another day! Yes, a valiant effort for all in this first chapter!"

Huffman, who is nearly 50, made it a little further than Dreyer, and was swimming without a wetsuit.

Huffman explained to the Free Press in more detail later that a ruptured hydraulic line caused the support boat to lose steering. He also started getting cold, was dehydrated and ran up against a lake current that slowed him down. In 13 hours, he said, he had gone only about 12 miles.

"With the currents, cold from waiting, and limping boat, I decided it was time to stop," he added, noting that he was exhausted and needed some intravenous fluids, but unbowed. "Thanks for following the journey. I will be swimming the 28 mile 20 Bridges swim in New York September 28."

More: 7 athletes who swam across Lake Michigan: From Ted Erikson to Elizabeth Fry

Swimming across Lake Michigan is no easy feat. Until 1961, when Ted Erikson, then-33, did it, some thought the Great Lake was "invincible." To cross it, it was said back then, would take "a rare degree of cooperation from nature." Before Huffman started, he acknowledged as much.

The ophthalmologist said he was attempting to cross the Great Lake, in part, to raise money to give kids swim lessons at the Holland Aquatic Center, where he is a member. But he also wanted to try it, he added, for the same reason people attempt most challenges, to see if he could.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bryan Huffman's effort to swim across Lake Michigan halted
A Nevada health agency found bed bugs in seven hotels on the Las Vegas Strip.

Tropicana Las Vegas, which had bed bugs in February, said it immediately isolates rooms after a complaint of bed bugs.

Hotels are vulnerable to bed bug infestation because of their high turn over in occupancy.

Over the past year and a half, health inspectors have found bedbugs in seven resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, according to a Southern Nevada Health District Complaint obtained by local news outlet KLAS.

Circus Circus, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Palazzo, Tropicana, MGM Grand, and Sahara were on the list.

None of the seven hotels named in the complaint responded to Insider's request for comment on Sunday. All of the resorts except two also declined "repeated requests for comment" from KLAS.

MGM Resorts, which was found to have bed bugs in January 2022, told the outlet in a statement that it has "comprehensive procedures in place to address and resolve any issue that may arise."

Bed bugs were found in one room in the MGM Grand and the room was "treated," according to KLAS.

Inspectors found bed bugs inside Tropicana Las Vegas in February. The hotel told KLAS in a statement that bed bugs are "highly unlikely." Still, when the hotel gets a complaint about bed bugs, it will "immediately isolate the affected room and its surrounding areas," the resort said.

Hotels are particularly vulnerable to bed bug infestations because of their high occupancy turnover, according to The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

People typically bring bed bugs into hotels unknowingly through luggage, clothing, blankets or pillows that are infested, according to the agency.

"There is little that can be done to prevent guests from bringing in bed bugs," the agency says. "No hotel is immune to a bed bug infestation."

According to the report, the best way to get rid of bed bugs is to "clean, disinfect, and eliminate their hiding places."

Because bed bugs can live for several months with no food or water, the agency says exterminators typically recommend the use or pesticides to get rid of them.

The Southern Nevada Health District did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Sunday.

Read the original article on Insider
In 1998, then-Gov. Pete Wilson signed a bill requiring that every child born in the state be evaluated for hearing loss. No governor since then, including Gavin Newsom, has been willing to go the next step and require insurers to cover the only available cure: a set of hearing aids.

Newsom may soon get a second chance. A bill mandating insurance coverage is sailing through the Legislature with unanimous support. One big reason for the support is the general understanding among legislators that a state-run program initiated by the Newsom administration to provide these life-changing devices does not appear to be working effectively.

Signing virtually the same bill that he could have four years ago would be an admission by the governor that he had made a mistake. But such an admission would be the human  and humane  thing to do.

Opinion

If he doesnt cut his political losses, Newsom faces a small army of impacted parents who arent going away. And California would remain one of only 18 states that consider a childs hearing loss as purely optional for insurance to cover.

This has been a battle that has played out over many years, said Nick Janes, a 37-year-old Rocklin resident whose six-year-old son, Jake, has faced severe hearing loss since birth. To us, it is inconceivable that this wouldnt be a covered benefit.

Janes wife, Christina, has seared into her memory the moment when a hospital physician described how her newborn son would grow up with a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, which renders any hushed sound inaudible.

Twice as likely suicide, half as likely for college, remembers Christina Janes, a former evening anchor at Sacramentos CBS affiliate, KOVR, where she worked for nine years. Nick Janes worked at the station as well as a reporter. Thats what the doctors told you, she said.

The Janes have the financial means to afford hearing aids for their son. Jake is doing great and starting first grade this month, Christina said. But as the couple has become part of a tight-knit community of parents with the same challenge, they hear of others facing tough financial choices between paying the bills or letting their child hear.

Six-year-old Jake Janes, who has lived with impaired hearing since birth, plays at his Rocklin home in July. His parents are lobbying to make hearing aids covered by medical providers for all California children.

In our clinic, we see hard-working families who simply cannot afford hearing aids for their child, and we see the speech and language delays that happen when children who need hearing aids cant get them, states Dr. Dylan Chan, director of the Childrens Communication Center at the University of California, San Francisco. These preventable consequences are not only devastating for the child and family; they are costly to society. Without timely intervention, one child born deaf or hard-of-hearing costs taxpayers up to one million dollars in special education and loss of productivity.

Ironically decades have passed and Sacramento hasnt mandated hearing aids for children precisely because of the costs.

Assembly Bill 598 in 2019, a twin of the current effort, was opposed by the California Association of Health Plans out of concern that premiums would go up. In the scheme of California, the amount of money here is modest. Only 1,000 or so children are born in California every year with hearing loss. Annual costs were estimated at $13.6 million.

AB 598 was co-authored by Assemblyman Richard Bloom and Senator Ben Allen, both Democrats from Santa Monica, who were trying to succeed where five previous attempts over the years had failed. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had vetoed similar bills three times - in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Two other attempts never made it out of the committee process.

But with parents like the Janes packing committee rooms, AB 598 made it out of the Legislature without a single no vote.

Jake Janes, 6, looks out the window at his home on July 28 as he wears his hearing aid.

But the bill never made it to the governor.

Bloom and Allen killed their own creation; they let AB 598 die (the proper legislative term) by withdrawing the bill from the fact-checking process known as engrossing, the final step before legislation is enrolled and sent to a governor.

Why? They knew that the governor was going to veto AB 598.

Essentially it all came down to administration concerns about costs, Allen said in a recent interview.

Bloom, now a judge in Los Angeles County Superior Court, did not reply to a request for comment advanced to him by a court clerk.

For the legislators, life moved on. But for parent Michelle Marciniak, I was incredibly disappointed. Marciniak leads the activist group Let California Kids Hear. This is a developmental emergency.

Newsom to his credit thought at the time that he had a different, better solution. Rather than insurers paying for the hearing aids from patient premiums, taxpayers would through a new state program he would advance in the following years budget.

True to his word, next year the state Department of Health Care Services would establish the new Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program (HACCP). Families of four making $180,000 or less could qualify for $1,500 to help purchase hearing aids (half the benefit of AB 598).

To seek the subsidy, parents would have to find a participating provider.

This is where the governors idea has fallen short so far. In California, a lot of the medical sector simply avoids dealing with the bureaucracy of state-run programs, a decades-long reality that goes way beyond the issue of hearing aids for children.

There werent many providers that wanted to take it because of the historically low reimbursement rates and the red tape, Marciniak said.

According to the California Department of Health Care Services, HAACP has received 458 applications from July 1, 2021, through August 2, 2023 and has enrolled a total of 255 children into the program. Advocates estimate this is about 7 percent of the eligible population.

As with any new program launch, engagement and onboarding processes for both providers and targeted populations tend to be slow with ramp up until familiarity is gained with the program on all fronts, said health department spokesman Anthony Cava. The department acknowledges the challenges HACCP faced in the first year of its implementation and understands there are ongoing concerns from the consumer advocate community on program enrollment and provider access.

To the programs credit, its online applications portal has options for at least 19 different languages. This may not be for a lack of government trying. It may be that a government-run approach is simply less effective than telling the private insurance sector to cover the device.

Allen voted for SB 635 earlier this year (under new authorship, Caroline Menjivar, D-Van Nuys and Anthony Portantino, D-Burbank) along with all 39 other senators. Apparently (the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program) has been underutilized, he said.

The health insurance industry is no longer opposed to the legislation. Instead, it is officially concerned about the same cost issue. At the moment, no organization opposes the bill.

SB 635s last real hurdle is in the cost committee, Assembly Appropriations. Its chair is Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, and he voted for AB 598 back in 2019.

Will the bill reach Newsom? And what would he do?

I have developed some skepticism over the years, said Marciniak. And for good reason.

This would be a revealing moment for the governor. He could sign the legislation and admit that his government-run alternative proved to be both more expensive and less effective than private-sector insurance coverage. Or he could rehash the same cost rationale, kill SB 635 just like its predecessors and hope that his state-run program reaches more children.

Meanwhile, every day a child cant hear is precious developmental time that is lost.
Representatives of 1,300 businesses in 40 countries will gather in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region next week for the fourth China-Eurasia Commodity and Trade Expo, organizers of the event said on Saturday.

The expo aims to deepen cooperation between Asia and Europe, and will be held in Xinjiang's regional capital of Urumqi from Aug. 17 to 21, said Zhu Hexiang, an official of the Xinjiang International Expo Bureau, at a press conference.

On the sidelines of the expo will be trade talks, forums and workshops on regional economic cooperation, she said.

"This year's expo will focus on trade promotion and we will host a record 33 trade talks, panel discussions and workshops to promote trade, investment and industrial cooperation," Zhu said.

The event will also feature a seminar on the development of industries and commerce along the Silk Road, said Liu Bin, an official of the Xinjiang Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Guests from the five Central Asian countries and about 300 Chinese and international businesspeople will participate in the seminar, which will highlight the role of private businesses and provide a platform to expand Xinjiang's cooperation with other Chinese regions and neighboring countries, Liu said.

Over 1,300 businesses have confirmed their participation in the expo, including 25 of the world's top 500 companies. A total of 40 countries and regions and seven international organizations will send representatives, Zhu said.

Previous expos were held in 2015, 2017 and 2021, drawing over 3,700 businesses from 46 countries and regions.
Researchers identified a new pack of endangered gray wolves in Tulare County, California, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday. The new pack was found in Central California's Tulare County  about 200 miles from the nearest pack in Northern California.

After receiving reports of wolf sightings in Sequoia National Forest, researchers collected various samples, including hair and scat to be analyzed using genetic testing, the agency said. DNA confirmed that all samples were from gray wolves.

Researchers identified a new pack of gray endangered wolves in Tulare County, California. / Credit: Michelle Harris/California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Gray wolves were once native to California, but had all but disappeared by the 1920s, wildlife officials said. The new pack consists of at least five wolves that have not previously been seen in the state. Most wolf packs have four to nine members.

About two million gray wolves once roamed North America, until a federal extermination program decimated the population, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Sequoia National Forest researchers collected various samples including hair and scat to be analyzed using genetic testing. / Credit: Courtesy Samantha Winiecki-Love

The center estimates there are about 6,000 wolves are left in the U.S. In October 2020, the Trump administration stripped gray wolves of protections under the Endangered Species Act.

After being delisted, hunters in Wisconsin killed 218 wolves in February of 2021. In January of 2022, 20 gray wolves were killed by hunters when they roamed outside of Yellowstone National Park.

However, in February of 2022, a federal judge ruled that gray wolves should be re-added to the Endangered Species Act, about 16 months after they had been removed from the list.

 Alexandra Larkin contributed to this report.

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An empty courtroom at Ventura County Superior Court in 2021. Victims of an insurance agent who stole funds from their annuity funds have been left with little recourse after the man killed himself the day he was to appear in court for sentencing.

More than six years after a Camarillo insurance agent began raiding their investments and other assets, three victims who lost close to $1.8 million have no guarantee they will recover their money.

Insurance agent Steven Gordon was charged with stealing more than $1.1 million from a widowed mother of two from the Palm Springs area and about $660,000 from a divorced couple now living in Europe, according to a court document filed by Ventura County prosecutors.

The thefts came from annuity funds, life insurance policies, credit cards, checks and college funds, the criminal complaint against Gordon shows.

The three customers shared $185,343 that the state seized from Gordons resources to partially compensate them, but he died by his own hand late last year before full restitution could be ordered. It appears unlikely they would get the rest even if the 68-year-old man had lived and finished his prison term based on his age, health and financial holdings. Nor does the state Department of Insurance have a fund set aside for victims of fraud by insurance agents to recoup their losses.

The state insurance department said theft is the most common crime committed by licensed insurance agents and firms, but rare.

"With more than 400,000 licensees of the department and the enormous number of insurance transactions that take place each day, it is a very small number," the agency said in a statement. "Our department investigates, statewide, dozens of such allegations each year and works with local law enforcement when they prove to be founded."

But they can be hidden for years, based on what happened in the Gordon case.

The state Department of Insurance only became aware of the suspected fraud in 2020 or possibly 2019 after receiving a complaint from EquiTrust Life Insurance Co., which held annuity accounts for the three victims. Gordon withdrew the funds from the annuities as early as 2016, the Ventura County District Attorney's Office said in its criminal complaint against Gordon.

Officials at the state insurance department said they launched the investigation five weeks after hearing of the suspected fraudulent activity from EquiTrust. They blamed Gordon's deceptions for the years-long period in which he committed the transgressions without their knowledge. He falsified many documents to customers, masking his crimes for several years and making it unlikely the insurer or the victims could have detected them, the state agency said.

That squares with the experience of Kellie Tyndall, who advocates for seniors subjected to financial scams in her position at the district attorneys office. The perpetrators include bankers, family members and call centers across the world as well as a handful she has seen by insurance agents in the last five years, she said.

A lot of these cases arent even reported because of the shame and guilt the victim has, she said. Probably one in 100 are reported.

Access blocked

The state reported in 2021 that Gordon concealed his crimes by stealing the identities of his victims and changing the mailing addresses of the accounts to his home address.

Officials said he changed the email addresses associated with his victims accounts to an email address that he created, preventing them from receiving account statements showing evidence of the withdrawals he was making. Gordon would then mail the victims falsified account statements that omitted the withdrawals, officials said.

The state Department of Insurance shared the findings of its investigation with the DA's office, which charged Gordon with 21 felony counts of grand theft, forgery, unauthorized use of victims' identification and fraudulent use of credit cards. Gordon pleaded guilty to eight counts of grand theft and one for forgery in November, while the other 12 counts were dismissed in a plea agreement.

He also agreed to an eight-year prison term. Less than three hours before he was supposed to appear for sentencing on Dec. 28, he died by suicide, saying in a note that he was "too messed up" from a 2020 motorcycle accident to go to jail.

He had sustained a traumatic brain injury and some paralysis to his right side in the motorcycle accident, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office report on the suicide. He also wrote in what he called his "dying declaration" that he did not steal or take money.

Senior Deputy DA Howard Wise said the plea agreement reflected the amount of prison time he thought was just and that the deal did not lower the restitution.

The fraud prosecutor said he bases his recommendations on the amount that was taken, the likelihood of getting the money returned and how long it would take if the matter went to trial. In this matter, the victims were "very motivated" to get the $185,000, and wanted it to happen sooner rather than later, he said.

The DA's office and the state insurance department looked for other assets that could be used to pay restitution to the victims, but didn't find any, he said.

Lawsuits follow

Although the criminal case has ended, civil litigation over the losses is still in play. The couple who lost money, Stephanie Tortelli and Sebastien Tortelli, have filed two lawsuits.

They sued Gordon's estate, his widow and the John Hancock Life Insurance Co. to recover their losses from Gordon's $5 million life insurance policy. But perhaps the bigger legal question lies in their breach of contract and negligence lawsuit against EquiTrust. The suit alleges that the Iowa life insurance company facilitated Gordon's actions by failing to question the annuity withdrawals and prevent the fraudulent activity.

The company declined to answer questions on why the losses were not caught earlier and whether it had changed policies as a result.

EquiTrust has denied liability for the Tortelli losses, citing an Iowa law that requires knowledge of unlawful activity.

Chief Legal Officer Paul Miller said the company does not comment on pending litigation, declining comment on specific questions. He said the company is confident in its legal position in the matter and that protections for policy holders are of utmost importance.

The Tortellis invested all their retirement money with EquiTrust, starting with $600,000 in 2012 when they were living in California, Stephanie Tortelli said. It was after the couple moved to Europe in 2016 that large chunks of money were withdrawn about every month and sometimes every week, she said in an email.

Gordon sent the couple fake financial statements while EquiTrust failed to communicate with them by either phone or mail, she said. Nor did the company question the suspect withdrawals, Stephanie Tortelli said.

She said all their accounts totaling about $1 million were emptied. The couple was married at the time of the thefts but is now divorced.

"I'm broke since I lost everything in the whole process," she said.

Officials in the state insurance department said they continuously advocate for improvements in the law to protect the public, but have not adopted any new policies tied directly to Gordons thefts because he violated existing laws.

Stefan Sacks, the Los Angeles attorney who represented Gordon, declined comment.

The state revoked the insurance licenses of both Steven and his wife Amy Gordon in 2021 after notifying them of accusations related to unauthorized withdrawals from annuity contracts held by the victims and a fourth person. The Gordons ultimately decided not to contest the charges, according to a state document.

Amy Gordon was not charged with any crimes by the DA's Office.

Randy Vickrey, the former police officer who investigated the claims against Gordon for the state Department of Insurance, said thefts may not be discovered unless a complaint is filed. He advises the public to never trust their insurance agents 100%, and said customers should communicate directly with their insurance companies to ensure their money is safe.

"If your agent is corrupt, you are susceptible," he said.

If you're feeling despondent, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for both English and Spanish speakers, can be reached by calling 988 and can be found on the web at https://988lifeline.org.

Kathleen Wilson covers crime, courts and local government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at kathleen.wilson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0271.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Annuities theft by Camarillo agent leaves victims with losses
Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has said that Ukraine cannot confirm the statement of the Russian Defence Ministry about the inspection of the Sukru Okan vessel in the Black Sea and the opening of warning fire, but the very fact of such speculations is a gross violation of international law by Russia.

Source: Kubrakov on Facebook

Quote: "Ukraine cannot confirm the accuracy of the information provided [by Russia  ed.]. However, the very fact of speculation around this vessel for the purpose of intimidating and obstructing the movement of merchant ships is a gross violation of international law by Russia."

Details: The minister stressed that such actions of the Russian Federation are a disregard for the principles of freedom of navigation enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, as well as a violation of the norms of the International Convention for the protection of human life at sea, 1974, the depositary of which is the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

"This act is a blatant violation of the rights of the Black Sea states to free navigation and the rights of foreign vessels to peaceful passage through the territorial sea of coastal countries," Kubrakov said.

He noted that now the bulk carrier is moving in the direction of Sulina (Romania).

"We call on the IMO [International Maritime Organization  ed.] and partners to respond harshly to Russia's actions and make every effort to end the terror in the Black Sea and take measures against the Russian Federation as an IMO member country," the minister added.

Kubrakov emphasised that in order to avoid provocations, Ukraine recommends the captains of vessels heading to/from Ukrainian seaports to move vessels as close as possible to the coast of the northwestern part of the Black Sea, through the territorial waters of the Republic of Turkiye, the Republic of Romania and the Republic of Bulgaria.

Background:

The Russian Defence Ministry said that in the small hours of 13 August, a Russian ship reportedly opened "warning" fire on the Sukru Okan, a bulk carrier which was heading for the port of Izmail in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, under the flag of Palau, then an inspection of the ship was allegedly conducted. The incident took place in the Black Sea.

However, InformNapalm, an international intelligence community, says that the Russians have lied that the inspection of the Sukru Okan cargo ship in the Black Sea was successful, and that warning shots were fired.

Natalia Humeniuk, head of the joint press centre of the Southern Defence Forces of Ukraine, stressed that the Russian Defence Ministrys statement about the alleged inspection of the Sukru Okan vessel in the Black Sea was not officially confirmed by anyone else.

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In 1993, Doug Jarman made a last-ditch effort to find a grandmother whose last known whereabouts were a prison she fled in 1940. Harrison Fords movie The Fugitive made stories like hers a hot topic that year. So Jarman showed John OBrien, the Tribunes ace crime reporter, a letter hed recently received:

I am still alive, it read. They never caught me. This is your notorious grandmother, The Blond Tigress. I am in my 90s now and having some medical problems.

The letter was sent to Doug Jarmans former business address, which an impostor might be unlikely to know. That was one factor that made OBrien confident in writing about the letter. In that and subsequent stories, he included details about Eleanor Jarman beyond those in the mental picture her grandson drew from family lore.

Eleanor Jarman was serving a 199-year sentence as an accomplice to a murder her lover committed.

Doug Jarmans father, LeRoy, said he had dug a 4-by-12-foot tunnel beneath his garage. LeRoy Jarman had hoped his mother would one day show up at his Sioux City home, once shed shook the cops and prison officials who surely would be looking for her, and he needed a way to hide her.

Dad had a plan to bring her to the house, Doug Jarman told O Brien. He would pick her up in a car, drive into the garage, and walk her inside (the house) through the tunnel.

But she never surfaced, nor did the authorities ever find her. Instead, Eleanor Jarman went into the annals of criminology as one of the most successful prison escapees, measured by the length of time she evaded recapture. Shes not likely to be displaced from that list. When she died is unknown.

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1901, her parents were German immigrants who named their 10th child Ella Marie Berendt. So many mouths to feed made theirs an impoverished household. Dropping out of school, Eleanor, as she came to be known, worked irregularly as a waitress since 12 years of age, according to prison officials.

In 1920, she married Michael Roy Jarman. They had two children, LeRoy and LaVerne, and moved to Chicago in 1923. Drinking heavily, her husband stopped supporting Eleanor and the boys. She got her own apartment at 4300 W. Madison Street, and George Dale, a factory worker became her live-in lover.

Dale  aka George Kennedy, as well as other aliases  wanted to make more money for less effort. Jarman was supplementing her meager earnings as a laundress and waitress with relief allottments, the Tribune later reported.

So with Leo Minneci, a punch-drunk boxer, they formed a robbery crew. Minneci drove the getaway car, Jarman stood lookout, and Kennedy/Dale was the gunsel. He waved a pistol in the victims face, often the proprietor of a store. The money in a cash register was grabbed with an in-and-out maneuver, and the crew gone before witnesses got a good look.

Beginning in January 1933, the Tribune ran a series of stories about what could have been the Kennedy/Minneci/Jarman crew under headlines like: A girl assisted a two-gun bandit in the robbery at the fruit store at 1614 Devon Ave. last night.

The crimes were soon attributed to a Blonde Tigress, a headline-grabbing nickname based on her hair color and testimony from witnesses saying she was much more than just a lookout.

If the proprietor made any show of resistance, Jarman would administer a merciless beating with her blackjack, The Tribunes longtime police reporter Patricia Leeds wrote in The Blonde Tigress! a 1951 retrospective. On her record, she is still the most dangerous woman alive.

Jarman always denied she was the Tiger Woman. However, twenty-three recent victims of northwest side robberies identified her and two male companions yesterday as bandits who specialize in daylight holdups, the Tribune reported Aug. 11, 1933.

Chicago was experiencing a crime wave that put enormous pressure on cops and the states attorney of Cook County. The Blonde Tigress gave them an opportunity to show they werent soft on crime.

During a robbery of a haberdashery at 5948 W. Division St., George Dale shot and killed the owner, 70-year-old Gustav Hoeh. A witness scribbled down the license plate number of Minnecis car, and the trio was apprehended.

Witnesses testified yesterday that although Jarman didnt fire the fatal shot she helped Dale beat Hoeh when he attempted to prevent their escape after the robbery of his store, the Tribune reported of the trial followed.

Behind bars, Jarman played the mother card. From her cell in the Austin Police Station she moaned: Oh what will become of my poor little boys? Who will take care of them now? the Tribune reported.

All were speedily convicted. Minneci and Jarman went to prison. Dale got a death sentence. The day before his execution, he wrote a love letter to Jarman.

Jarman remained a model prisoner until 1940, when she climbed over the fence of the Dwight, Illinois, penitentiary.

As for her motive, one theory is that she received a letter that her sons had run away or were planning to do so, compelling her to escape to check on her sons in Sioux City. Finding them to be OK, she went underground.

After that, Dorothy Berendt was one of a handful who told Doug Jarman theyd seen his grandmother. The wife of Eleanors brother, she, her husband, and Dougs father met the Blonde Tigress at the Sioux City bus station, then drove to a nearby lake to talk. At one point, a police car drove by, Dorothy Berendt told OBrien.

Relax, Eleanor Jarman said, they stopped looking for me years ago, Berendt recalled.

Her son, Dougs father, tried to talk her into returning to Illinois to straighten things out. But his mother refused, saying: I have a lot of friends where Im at. They know the story.

The rendezvous ended with the Blonde Tigress returning to the bus station alone. I dont think she wanted us to know what bus she was taking or where it was going, Berendt told OBrien.

By 1993, Doug Jarman had surmised that his grandmother feared being returned to prison. He hired an attorney to seek a pardon he hoped would bring her out of hiding.

The attorneys petition turned on a clever argument. In all the years since she climbed over a reformatory fence, Eleanor Jarman hadnt been arrested. So she must have rehabilitated herself. A pardon wasnt forthcoming.

After Doug Jarman died , true crime author Silvia Pettem took up his quest. She compiled an exhaustive list of women who could have been the long-sought fugitive. In The Search of the Blonde Tigress, Pettem narrowed her list down to Marie Millman, a waitress who was buried in Denver.

Jarman had a similar sounding alias and once was a waitress in Denver. Waitresses are paid in cash, an attractive proposition for someone on the run who would be leery of leaving a paper trail.

Pettems conclusion is based on numerous assumptions that violate a classic Yiddish maxim: If my grandmother had wheels, shed be a baby carriage. English translation; Skepticism is advisable when encountering something almost too good to be true.

So even now, what became of the Blonde Tigress remains a mystery for many. But perhaps Pettems research can steer another literary detective toward a more definitive conclusion on what happened to Doug Jarmans grandmother.

Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Ron Grossman and Marianne Mather at rgrossman@chicagotribune.com and mmather@chicagotribune.com.
Vitalii Kints, Chief of the 9th State Fire and Rescue Detachment (SFRD) of the Main Directorate (MD) of Ukraines State Emergency Service (SES) and Colonel of the Civil Protection Service, injured during the response to the Russian attack on the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast on 7 August, has died in hospital.

Source: Vitalii passed away on the night of 12-13 August, as reported by the 9th SFRD of the MD of the SES of Ukraine in Donetsk Oblast.

Details: Serving with the Pokrovsk fire garrison, Vitalii was engaged in rescuing civilians affected by the Russian bombardment on 7 August.

He was severely injured during the subsequent Russian strike.

VITALII KINTS

PHOTO: 9 SFRD OF THE MD OF THE SES IN DONETSK OBLAST

The fire department chief was taken to the I. I. Mechnikov Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Clinical Hospital in the city of Dnipro.

"The emergency rescuers' family will always remember Vitalii as a courageous and humane leader, a true professional of his craft who devoted a significant part of his life to the service," the SES added.

Read also: Memories of couple from Kyiv killed in Russian attack on 24 June

In a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia, Veronika Bakhal, spokeswoman for the State Emergency Service in Donetsk Oblast, said Vitalii was cheerful and sociable.

"He was a trustworthy person, a specialist, a professional in his craft, as he had spent many years working in the rescue service. He was a cheerful and sociable person, the life of the party," the spokeswoman added.

Vitalii Kints

Photo: Oleksii Mikhrin, Head of the MD of the SES in Donetsk Oblast

Denys Shylenko, a co-founder of the Toloka Initiative Centre, said he had been working with Vitalii for several years.

The two worked together on social projects. During one of their meetings, Denys recalls that Vitalii suggested initiatives to improve safety and ideas for developing the 9th SFRD and separate units.

"He was the only chief who joined the projects and attended every meeting. He cared about his subordinates. And in the first days of the Russian invasion, Vitalii requested help to procure washing machines so that the emergency workers could wash their clothes after their missions. At that time, everyone lived in the units," Denys told Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia.

Background: Internally displaced persons from Bakhmut were killed in Odesa due to the Russian bombardment on the night of 10 June.

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, center, speaks to media after he cast his ballot during the election at a polling station in Seberang Perai, Penang state, Malaysia Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Voting began Saturday in crucial state elections in Malaysia, where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's multi-coalition government is seeking to strengthen its hold against a strong Islamic opposition. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  After a checkered victory in Saturday's state elections that saw strong gains by the Malay-Islamist opposition, analysts say Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim faces a daunting task in uniting an increasingly polarized nation and strengthening his nascent unity government.

Anwar's multi-coalition unity government and the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc, that includes the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, retained control of three states each, as widely expected. While the PN bloc, led by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, failed to alter the status quo, it did make major inroads in the government-controlled states and nearly swept all the seats on its own turf on the back of continous support from the ethnic Malay majority.

PN took 60% of the 245 state assembly seats contested, relying on the contention that Anwar and his multiethnic coalition would not protect Malays and Islam. Still, analysts said Sunday that what mattered was that Anwar had successfully kept control of the three richer and more developed states despite a strong opposition campaign.

In power for only eight months, Anwar has not yet won public confidence amid a rising cost of living and a slowing economy. Although his government has a two-thirds majority in Parliament, he was seeking to shore up support among Malay voters. While his Pakatan Harapan alliance generally held on to its political base, his ally in the government, the United Malays National Organization, suffered another routing after losing the majority of the Malay seats it contested.

Anwar survived the election. There will still be a constant momentum to pressure UMNO but he has passed this particular hurdle. He hasnt jumped very high over it but at least he passed through, said Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert with the University of Nottingham in Malaysia.

Still, the country is very polarized. The use of identity politics is tearing at the countrys social fabrics. If this continues, what you will see is a potential for instability.

Deputy Trade Minister Liew Chin Tong said the 3:3 result in the state elections has put an end to any talks of a midway change of government. He said PN is handicapped as it mobilized Malay anger but failed to win the support of the large Chinese and Indian minorities.

Many Malays, who account for two-thirds of Malaysia's 33 million people, view Anwar as too liberal. They fear their Islamic identity and economic privileges under a decades-old affirmative action program could be chipped away.

Before Anwar, Malaysia had had three prime ministers since 2018 as lawmakers shifted allegiance for political gains.

Anwar, 76, told a news conference late Saturday that his federal government remains stable and strong, and urged all sides to accept the peoples decision. He said all parties should close ranks and work together for peace and economic development.

But the opposition framed its gains as a protest vote against Anwar's unity government. Muhyiddin said it was a clear sign that UMNO has become irrelevant to the Malays. He said the people wanted change and that Anwar and his deputy, UMNO leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, should resign.

UMNO once led a coalition that had ruled Malaysia since the country's independence from Britain in 1957, but it was defeated in the 2018 general election amid anger over government corruption. It was again routed last year, winning only 26 parliamentary seats.

UMNO and Zahid's support was key to Anwar becoming prime minister after November's general election led to a hung Parliament. UMNO leader Zahid is, however, battling 47 graft charges and his appointment as one of Anwar's two deputies has stained Anwar's anti-corruption platform.

UMNO's poor performance in Saturday's polls will be tricky for Anwar. There are already renewed calls in UMNO for Zahid to step down, but Zahid said in a statement that the mandate won on Saturday will be the basis for the allies in the unity government to work harder to maintain their rule until the 2027 general elections.

Analysts said Anwar also has to move forward with reforms to elevate the economy, restructure his Cabinet and improve efforts to counter the opposition's religious narrative. Peninsula Malaysia is now split, with much of the northern and northeast areas dominated by the Malay-Islamist opposition while Anwar's government controls the urbane and richer central and southern zone.

If Anwar panders to the conservative and religious forces, he will lose his own core ... namely the progressive and more liberal Malaysians. He will have to gingerly balance the pull factor from both sides," said Oh Ei Sun, from Singapores Institute of International Affairs.
By Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard

BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) -China on Sunday condemned a brief U.S. visit by Taiwan Vice President William Lai, saying he was a separatist and "troublemaker through and through," and Beijing would take strong steps to protect its sovereignty, drawing a rebuke from Taipei.

Lai, front-runner to be Taiwan's next president at elections in January, arrived in New York late on Saturday for what was officially billed as a transit stopover on his way to Paraguay for the inauguration of its president.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly denounced Lai's trip, which includes another stopover in San Francisco on Wednesday on his way home.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but is its most important international backer and arms supplier and is required by U.S. law to provide the island with means to defend itself.

Washington walks a fine line in allowing such stopovers by Taiwanese officials, telegraphing support for Taiwan without unduly angering China, which views them as provocative moves toward independence.

China's foreign ministry in a statement issued shortly after Lai landed in New York said it opposed any form of visit by "Taiwan independence separatists" to the United States.

"Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," the ministry said.

Taiwan is the "core of China's core interests" and facts have shown again and again that the reason for the rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait is Taiwan trying to "rely on the United States to seek independence," it said.

"China is closely following developments and will take resolute and vigorous measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it said.

Taiwan's China-policymaking Mainland Affairs Council said China was the real troublemaker, pointing to its standoff this month with the Philippines in the South China Sea and continued military harassment of Taiwan, among other actions.

"Our government firmly defends national sovereignty and security, guards the lines of defence of democracy and freedom, and will never back down, let alone capitulate," the council said in a statement.

China especially dislikes Lai, who has previously described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence," though he has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that he is not seeking to change the status quo and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

MILITARY DRILLS EXPECTED

Lai, greeted by supporters waving flags as he arrived at his New York hotel, posted on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was "looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York."

Laura Rosenberger, chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a U.S. government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan, on X said she would meet Lai in San Francisco.

China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using Lai's U.S. stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of next year's election and make them "fear war," Taiwanese officials say.

The Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army, which is responsible for the area around Taiwan, on Sunday posted on its WeChat account a short video of fighter jets practicing dog fights at an undisclosed location.

It said its forces had recently been engaged in "high-intensity flight training."

Lai's stopovers come as Beijing and Washington are trying to improve relations.

That includes a possible U.S. visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which could pave the way for a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping this year.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Yimou Lee in Taipei and Jeenah Moon in New York; Editing by William Mallard and Jamie Freed)
Taiwan's Vice President William Lai is transiting through the United States on a sensitive trip condemned by Chinese officials (Sam Yeh)

China on Sunday vowed "resolute and forceful measures" over a weekend trip by Taiwan Vice President William Lai to the United States.

Lai -- the front runner in Taiwan's presidential elections next year -- is officially making only transit stops in the United States en route to and from Paraguay, where he will attend the inauguration of president-elect Santiago Pena.

Taiwan is claimed by China, which has vowed to take the democratic island one day -- by force, if necessary -- and ramped up political and military pressure against it.

"China is closely following the development of the situation and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," an unnamed spokesperson for the foreign ministry said in a statement published online.

Lai has been far more outspoken about independence than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, to whom Beijing is already hostile as she refuses to accept its view that Taiwan is a part of China.

The Harvard-educated doctor turned politician has previously described himself as a "pragmatic Taiwan independence worker", and reiterated this week when speaking with a local television channel that Taiwan was "not part of the People's Republic of China (PRC)".

"The Republic of China and PRC are not subordinate to each other," he said, using Taiwan's official name.

On landing in New York on Sunday, Lai said on Twitter, now rebranded as X: "Happy to arrive at the Big Apple, icon of liberty, democracy and opportunities," adding that he was greeted at the airport by representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the United States's de facto embassy for the island.

"Looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York," he wrote.

He was greeted at his hotel by a crowd of supporters waving US and Taiwan flags, according to a video posted by Taiwan's Presidential Office.

There were also people waving a green-and-white flag, commonly used by supporters of the island's independence.

Lai is expected to continue to Paraguay, then stop in San Francisco on his way back.

He indicated in a tweet Sunday he would meet AIT chair Laura Rosenberger during his San Francisco stopover next week.

- Airspace incursions -

In the week leading up to Lai's departure, incursions by the Chinese military around Taiwan's waters and airspace -- which have been happening near-daily in the past year -- were larger than usual.

On Wednesday, the defence ministry said 33 Chinese warplanes and six vessels had been detected around the island in a 24-hour window.

"China is firmly opposed to any form of official exchanges between the US and Taiwan, is resolutely opposed to separatists seeking 'Taiwan independence' entering the US under any name and for any reason, and firmly opposed to any form of official contact between the US government and the Taiwanese side," China's foreign ministry spokesperson said.

"China expresses strong dissatisfaction with and strongly condemns the US insistence on arranging William Lai's 'transit' to the US," the spokesperson added, labelling Lai a "downright troublemaker".

ehl-je/dhc/leg
In this photo provided by Kok Ky/Cambodia's Government Cabinet, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, right, shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, during a meeting in Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. (Kok Ky/Cambodia's Government Cabinet via AP)

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  China's foreign minister visited Cambodia over the weekend to reaffirm his country's commitment to the southeast Asian country after its incumbent prime minister handed off the job to his son following a one-sided election last month, officials said.

Wang Yi is the first foreign leader to visit Cambodia, days after Hun Sens announcement that his 45-year-old son and the countrys army chief, Hun Manet, is replacing him.

A video of the meeting was posted on Hun Sen's Telegram channel on Sunday.

Eang Sophalleth, Hun Sen's spokesman, told reporters after the meeting that Wang Yi expressed China's willingness to cooperate with the newly-appointed prime minister.

Cambodia's foreign ministry later released a statement citing Wang Yi as expressing Chinas support for "the Kingdom's emerging government leadership."

Hun Sen, the longest-serving government head in Asia, and his party sealed a landslide victory in the country's general election after barring the main opposition group the Candlelight Party from contesting the polls on a technicality. Western nations and rights groups criticized the election saying it was neither "free" nor "fair.

Wang Yi met with both Hun Sen, his newly appointed son as well as Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn. He praised the election saying it was free and fair, with more than 80% of Cambodians participating in the presence of several dozens of foreign observers.

On August 7, King Norodom Sihamoni formally appointed Hun Manet as the new premier. He will take office on Aug. 22 when the new National Assembly adopts the new cabinet.

Hun Manet won his first seat in Parliament in the election, and the handover from his father is part of a larger, generational shift: Many younger lawmakers mostly educated in the West  are expected to take up ministerial positions, including Hun Sens youngest son and others related to older party members.

Cambodia is a key Chinese diplomatic partner, helping dampen criticism of Beijing within the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, several of whose members are engaged in territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

In return, China has gained an outsized role in Cambodian politics and the economy, as seen in the numerous Chinese-funded projects, hotels and casinos dotting the landscape. Chinas state banks have also financed airports, roads and other infrastructure built with Chinese loans. More than 40% of Cambodias $10 billion in foreign debt is owed to China.

In June last year, China and Cambodia broke ground on a naval port expansion project that has raised concerns from the U.S. and others that it could give Beijing a strategically important military outpost on the Gulf of Thailand.

Hun Sen in 2019 reportedly granted China the right to set up a military base at the Ream Naval Base. He has long denied that, saying Cambodias Constitution prohibits foreign military facilities.

The aging leader, who turned 71 last Saturday, said that stepping down as prime minister is not the end yet and he would serve in other positions at least until 2033, which would bring him to a half-century in office. He is expected to retain a large amount of control as president of his Cambodian Peoples Party and as the Senate president.

-

Sara Aboubakr contributed to this report from Cairo.
GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie said Sunday that Republicans made a mistake in 2016 by not targeting former President Trump during his first bid for the White House, and instead went after one another.

ABCs Jonathan Karl on This Week played a clip of Christie taking a shot at Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) during a 2016 GOP primary debate in which Christie famously went after the Florida Republican. Karl asked Christie whether the former New Jersey governor regretted not taking a swing at Trump instead of Rubio.

Christie responded that all of the GOP candidates made that mistake in not going after Trump.

I wish that I had taken swings at both of them, Jon, looking back on it, he said. I think we all made a mistake in 2016  myself, Marco, Jeb Bush, John Kasich  in not going after Donald Trump.

Trumps candidacy at the time had been underestimated before he ultimately won the GOP nomination, much to the surprise of longtime political watchers.

I think we all were under the illusion that somehow what was obvious to us at the moment, that there were better candidates on the stage than him, would be obvious to the public, he said. It wasnt, and I think it should inform everybodys approach to the race this time. It certainly is informing mine.

GOP presidential hopefuls will take the stage in Milwaukee on Aug. 23 for the first Republican debate of the 2024 primary. To qualify for the first debate, GOP candidates need to meet certain polling and donor requirements, as well as sign a Republican National Committee pledge saying they will support the eventual Republican nominee.

Christie, who said that he has not been presented with the GOP pledge, said he expects Trump to sign it, despite the former president saying he may not show up to the debate.

As of Sunday, eight GOP presidential candidates have qualified for the first debate: former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Christie, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
You are here: Business

Seven intelligent connected buses hit the road in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for a test run this week, paving the way for their official launch later in August.

The test run is being held in Chongqing's Western Science City, where a demonstration zone of intelligent connected vehicles (ICV) is taking shape.

"Unlike conventional unmanned vehicles, these autonomous commuting buses are an integral part of the cloud-controlled infrastructure and applications of the demonstration zone," said Chang Xueyang, vice general manager of Western China Internet of Vehicle (Chongqing) Co., Ltd.

The operation of these buses is backed by a technological solution that integrates the vehicles, the road, and the cloud platform, performs real-time analysis of traffic flow, and minimizes waiting time at traffic lights, Chang said.

He compared the cloud technology to a "driving instructor" that gives real-time advice to the vehicles in the demonstration zone, facilitating faster, safer, and more efficient implementation of autonomous driving.

In addition to buses, dump trucks and five other types of vehicles will join the ICV demonstration zone, said Chang.




Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said Sunday he has yet to sign the party's loyalty pledge because no one has given it to him.

"I haven't been presented with the pledge yet," the former New Jersey governor said on ABC's "This Week," adding he thought the Republican National Committee was still verifying that he had enough donors to qualify for the event. But in answering the question Sunday, Christie did not say whether he would sign the pledge when he received it.

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said candidates who wish to take part in the first debate Aug. 23 in Milwaukee must sign a pledge to support the party's eventual presidential nominee in the general election. This has caused issues, as some Republicans including Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, have expressed reluctance about supporting former President Donald Trump should he be the party's nominee.

Speaking to host Jonathan Karl, Christie said, "I'm sure I'll be presented with the pledge at some point in the next week."



Trump has yet to commit to taking part in the debate, and last week he said he wouldn't sign such a pledge in an interview in which he criticized rivals Christie, Hutchinson and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by name. I wouldnt sign the pledge, Trump said on Newsmax. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldnt have?

Christie said he was not surprised that Trump has neither committed to the debate or the pledge yet. "He plays misdirection all the time," he said.

Trump has been indicted three times in recent months and is expected to be indicted in Georgia as soon as this week. Karl asked Christie if he thought the pledge should include "a little caveat" that if the nominee is a convicted felon, the vow wouldn't apply any more.

"Who knows? Maybe it will, Jon. We'll see how it develops over the next week or so," he said.



Eight candidates have qualified for the Aug. 23 debate based on the RNC's polling and donor requirements: Trump, Christie, DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-.S.C), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Hutchinson has not, nor has Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

Another candidate who hasn't qualified, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, on Sunday expressed reluctance to sign a pledge that would demand he support the eventual nominee.

"I'm not going to lie to get access to a microphone," he said on CNN's "State of the Union.
Civil rights and voting rights groups have sued Tennessee over the state's congressional map.

The suit alleges the map dilutes minority voting strength and that it's "unconstitutional."

The GOP-drawn map led to the elimination of a heavily blue district in one of the state's Democratic centers.

A group of civil rights and voting rights organizations last Wednesday filed a lawsuit against Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee and several top election officials over the state's congressional and state Senate maps, arguing that the boundaries are unconstitutional and violate the rights of minority voters.

The suit alleges that the maps, drawn by the Republican-controlled legislature, sought to dilute the voting strength of Black citizens with lines around Memphis and Nashville, the state's biggest and most diverse population centers.

The groups have requested the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee to stop the "calling, holding, supervising, or certifying any further election in the challenged districts" in their current configurations.

With the filing in place, Tennessee joins states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, where lawsuits are challenging lines drawn after the 2020 census. The resolutions of the cases could play a significant role in which party controls Congress after the 2024 elections, as the GOP currently has a slim 222-212 House majority.

Debby Gould, the president of the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, said in a statement that the existing maps drown out of the voices of minority communities in the state.

"The maps approved by the Tennessee legislature intentionally erode the voices of communities of color in Tennessee," she said. "Tennesseans want their counties and their cities kept whole, but mapmakers ignored their interests, creating unfair districts that split communities and dilute their power. Tennessee district maps must preserve the ability for voters to express their shared interests and elect the political representation of their choice."

The League of Women Voters of Tennessee is a plaintiff in the suit, along with the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP, The Equity Alliance, Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute, the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee, and five citizens.

At the heart of the matter is the creation of three Republican-leaning congressional districts that include parts of Democratic-heavy Davidson County but which all elected GOP members of Congress. Each district  the 5th, 6th, and 7th Congressional Districts  contains a swath of suburban, exurban, and rural communities which overpowered the vote in Davidson County.

The plaintiffs in the suit criticize the three aforementioned districts as "unconstitutional racial gerrymanders."

The GOP redistricting map eliminated the Democratic-leaning congressional district of veteran lawmaker Jim Cooper, who chose not to run for reelection in any of the conservative districts that the legislature created last year.

As a result, there is now only one Democratic House member representing Tennessee: Steve Cohen of Memphis.

The suit also challenges the new state Senate map, which divides Shelby County, the region that includes Memphis.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Clayton County Medical Examiners Office is calling for an investigation into the doctors and nurses involved in the alleged decapitation of a baby during childbirth.

Earlier this week, attorneys for Jessica Ross filed a lawsuit against Southern Regional Medical Center that alleged her baby was decapitated while she was giving birth last month.

The lawsuit alleges that after 10 hours of labor, the baby got stuck and that the familys doctor, Dr. Tracey St. Julian, continued for hours to try to pull the baby out.

According to the lawsuit, doctors pulled on the babys head and neck so hard and manipulated them so hard, that the bones in the babys skull, head and neck were broken.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Hours later, the lawsuit claims that doctors performed a C-section and found the baby decapitated. Instead of telling the couple, the lawsuit says doctors tried to cover up what happened by telling them they didnt have the right to a free autopsy, encouraging cremation and concealing what happened when they asked to see the child.

Brian Byars, the director of the Clayton County Medical Examiners Office, confirmed to Channel 2 Action News on Friday that they have requested the Georgia Composite Medical Board conduct an investigation into three doctors roles in the incident.

The Georgia Composite Medical Board said in a statement they are aware of an incident involving Dr. St. Julian, but that all complaints with them are confidential, so they cannot comment.

Byars also said they are in the process of asking for the Georgia Secretary of State Office Board of Nursing to investigate the nursing staffs involvement as well.

TRENDING STORIES:

On Thursday, officials with Southern Regional Medical Center issued a statement saying that this unfortunate infant death occurred in utero prior to the delivery and decapitation, and said that the doctor who delivered the baby, Tracy St. Julian, is not and never has been an employee of the hospital.

The hospital voluntarily reported the death to the Clayton County Medical Examiners office and is cooperating with all investigations, officials with the hospital said.

The medical examiners office says in a statement that they were not aware of the circumstances surrounding the babys death until they were notified by Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home.

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First-time US presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has higher poll numbers than most of his more experienced rivals (Sergio FLORES)

He calls climate activism a "religious cult," but White House hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy is enjoying a moment in the sun as his provocative rhetoric heats up the US Republican primary contest.

And while some candidates are beginning to aim their fire at former president Donald Trump, the 38-year-old Ramaswamy has moved toward the front of the chasing pack by placing himself firmly in the frontrunner's slipstream.

"I think I'm best positioned to advance our America First agenda, take it even further than Trump did, but also unite the country in the process," the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur recently told public broadcaster PBS.

Ramaswamy trails Trump by a seemingly unbridgeable gap, but he has spent millions of his own money in his bid to be best placed should the presumptive nominee fall by the wayside amid his growing tangle of legal problems.

And the first-time candidate, a father of two young children, has been rewarded with higher poll numbers than most of his more experienced rivals.

- 'Cultural cancer' -

A political novice by any measure, Ramaswamy started his campaign with no national profile but has shocked primary watchers by rising to third in the Republican primary field, five months ahead of the first vote in Iowa.

He is even snapping at the heels of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is lagging around 40 points behind Trump but until recently looked relatively secure in the runner-up spot.

On the ground, Ramaswamy has styled his politics on the agendas of the two men he hopes to usurp, making his stand against the "woke" ideology of the American left his signature policy issue.

"We are in the middle of a national identity crisis," he says darkly, accusing the country's elites of metastasizing a "cultural cancer" -- particularly when it comes to LGBTQ issues.

His message has found an appreciative audience, and his book, "Woke, Inc.," in which he develops this thesis, is currently near the top of the New York Times list of bestselling nonfiction.

- Burning coal -

In an increasingly crowded field -- 17 candidates have declared so far -- Ramaswamy has been able to grab attention and headlines with a policy program that might be dismissed as too radical were his polling numbers lower.

The vegetarian pianist wants to raise the voting age to 25 and lay off 90 percent of the staff at the US central bank and the Department of Justice.

And his ready-made solution for reviving growth in the United States? Burning coal "unapologetically."

Still, he faces a steep uphill fight.

"Like all the other candidates, Ramaswamy's only chance is if Trump collapses," political scientist Kyle Kondik told AFP.

It is not unusual for Republican presidential candidates to pull their punches when it comes to Trump, who has always managed to retain the loyalty of at least a third of the party regardless of the prevailing political winds.

But Ramaswamy has bumped the deference up a level, turning up at the courthouses in Miami and the capital Washington where Trump was appearing with pledges to pardon the 77-year-old ex-president and demands that his rivals follow suit.

"We fought a revolution in this country, in 1776, for a simple idea that we the people determine how we select our leaders and have a government that is accountable to its people, rather than the other way around," he said in a video filmed this month outside Washington's federal court complex.

Trump, who is more accustomed to trampling his opponents underfoot, was quick to notice and showed his appreciation.

"He's doing well," the Republican billionaire said recently of his young rival.

- Libertarian rap -

Born in working-class Ohio, Ramaswamy is the son of Hindu immigrants from India.

Educated in Catholic schools, he studied biology at the prestigious Harvard University, where he honed his rhetorical skills in debates and by performing libertarian rap music as his alter ego, "Da Vek."

"If you think that debater-extraordinaire Vivek G. Ramaswamy '07 is intense, you obviously haven't met 'Da Vek,'" his university newspaper enthused in a humorous profile.

Showing that he's lost none of his skills, the energetic candidate appears in a recent video on social media rapping at an event in Iowa to the Eminem song "Lose Yourself."

After a spell at Yale, Ramaswamy founded the biotech company Roivant, amassing a personal fortune of over $600 million, according to Forbes magazine.

He left the company's board of directors in February to devote time to his campaign, which is largely self-financed.

"This isn't just a political campaign," he has said. "This is a cultural movement to build a new American Dream for the next generation."

cjc/ft/bbk
null Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

Educators are still trying to figure out what to do about OpenAI's ChatGPT.

While some professors have embraced it as a tool, others are finding ways to fight its use.

Some are opting for written exams and personal essays to cut down on cheating.

The growing number of students using the AI program ChatGPT as a shortcut in their coursework has led some college professors to reconsider their lesson plans for the upcoming fall semester.

OpenAI's ChatGPT is advancing every day. The chatbot achieved the highest score on an AP Biology exam and passed a freshman year at Harvard with a 3.34 GPA.

Since its launch, teachers, administrators, and students have questioned AI's role in education. While some schools chose to outright ban the use of ChatGPT, others are exploring ways it can be a tool for learning.

As summer break comes to a close, some college professors are now searching for ways to fight the use of generative AI, making their exams "ChatGPT-proof," according to a story from Fortune and the Associated Press.

"Asking students questions like, 'Tell me in three sentences what is the Krebs cycle in chemistry?' That's not going to work anymore, because ChatGPT will spit out a perfectly fine answer to that question," Bill Hart-Davidson, an associate dean at Michigan State University's College of Arts and Letters, told Fortune.

Concerned professors told Insider they plan to go back to handwritten assignments and oral exams to avoid the use of generative AI.

"I'm planning on going medieval on the students and going all the way back to oral exams," Christopher Bartel, a philosophy professor at Appalachian State University, told Insider in January. "They can AI generate text all day long in their notes if they want, but if they have to be able to speak it, that's a different thing."

A Canadian writing professor told Fox News that he plans to make assignments more personalized in an effort to cut down the use of ChatGPT on essays.

The changes to school assignments come as teachers grapple with how to best integrate AI tools into their classrooms. While some professors require their students to use ChatGPT to generate project ideas , some schools have outright banned the usage of AI to avoid cases of academic dishonesty.

ChatGPT usage dropped almost 10% from May to June, and some techies believe it's because most students went on summer break. If students are the main users of the program, experts think it could mean trouble for OpenAI.

"If it's school kids, that's a real yellow-red flag on the size of the prize," the internet analyst Mark Shmulik told Insider. "This idea that if the ChatGPT drop-off is due to students on summer break, that implies a narrower audience and fewer use cases."

Despite the controversy, some teachers are using AI chatbots themselves to streamline their workflow. Shannon Ahern, a high-school math and science teacher in Dublin, previously told Insider she used ChatGPT Plus to write lesson plans , generate exercise worksheets, and come up with quiz questions, which she said saved her hours of time.

As far as cheating goes, some teachers don't see that changing  with or without AI.

"I worried that my students would use it to cheat and plagiarize," Ahern said. "But then I remembered that students have always been cheating  whether that's copying a classmate's homework or getting a sibling to write an essay  and I don't think ChatGPT will change that."

Read the original article on Business Insider
People from all walks of Fort Worth life gathered Saturday to bless the former Ku Klux Klan building from its past horrors into a new age of healing.

The nonprofit organization Transform 1012 N. Main St. held a blessing ceremony for the transformation of the KKK building into the Fred Rouse Center for Arts and Community Healing, with a goal of bringing the community together. More than 50 people attended.

Carlos Gonzalez-Jaime, executive director of Transform 1012, says the project is about bringing people of any mindset, background, religion or race together. The ceremony was intended to bring blessings to guide the development of a center that will serve the community.

The idea of preserving the shell of the building is to remember that something awful happened here but that we can do something to make a better world not only a better city, a better Fort Worth, or a better state of Texas, but a better country in a better world, Gonzalez-Jaime said. So the idea is learning from the past, so thats why we decided to keep the building and then have experiences that help us heal and look for a better future.

The building is part of a project by Transform 1012 to develop the former meeting hall for Fort Worths KKK branch at 1012 N. Main St. into a center for community healing. The building is named after Fred Rouse, a Black man who was lynched in Fort Worth in 1921.

The ceremony included a blessing circle for spiritual leaders of all religions and spiritual beliefs to come together to give their grace and guidance. This included religious leaders from Christianity, Catholicism, Greek Orthodox, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.

The center will be a cultural hub that will include the SOL Ballet Folklorico, a youth dance and leadership training program, and DNAWORKS, an arts and service nonprofit organization.

The building at 1012 North Main St. in Fort Worth was originally completed in 1924 as a Ku Klux Klan building. It was later sold, passing through many different owners and has been acquired by an organization that plans to transform the building into a center for healing. Amanda McCoy/amccoy@star-telegram.com

The building will also include exhibition galleries about the history of the building and the history of race relations in the city. There will be visiting artists to produce exhibitions on social justice and reparative justice, workshops on leadership for underrepresented communities, and a tool library for artists to buy and rent for their projects.

One of the attendees for the ceremony was the grandson of Fred Rouse, Fred Rouse III, who was thankful to see so many people honoring his grandfathers legacy.

My grandfather had the ultimate sacrifice, because he was murdered by the very same people to occupy this building. They occupied this building for hatred, they brought fear to the community, Rouse III said. So were honoring my grandfather ... And like I said, he made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and if it wasnt for his sacrifice, none of us would be right here today.

Rouse III is also the president of the Tarrant County Coalition for Peace and Justice, which will be create a Fred Rouse memorial site and marker. This will be with the help of the Equal Justice Initiatives Community Remembrance Project, which works with communities to memorialize documented victims of racial violence and to foster meaningful dialogue about race and justice.

Construction of the memorial site will start in February, and the projected start of the construction for the healing center will be in the middle of 2024, with the opening in to happen late 2025.
Fitch Ratings just downgraded the U.S. government's credit rating due in part to Congress's erosion in governance. Indeed, year after year, we see the same political theater unfold: last-minute deals, deficits and, all too often, the passage of gigantic omnibus spending bills without proper scrutiny, along with repeated debt-ceiling fights and threats of shutdown.

But these are just symptoms of a budget-making process that remains in desperate need of reform. With legislators chronically delinquent about following their own rules, the change may need to be as much cultural as procedural. No matter how good the rules are, they're useless if politicians ignore them. And in a world where politicians are rarely told no when it comes to creating or expanding programs, most simply refuse to have their hands tied or behave as responsible stewards of your dollars.

Rules are useless unless politicians use them

Veronique de Rugy

Adding insult to injury, the budget process has become a winner-takes-all competition, leaving the minority party with little-to-no voice in budgetary outcomes. Under these conditions, battles over the debt ceiling, continuing resolution votes and threats of shutdowns are the only ways for the voiceless to state their demands.

Bad processes lead to bad outcomes. The lack of oversight and the general absence of a long-term vision is creating inefficiency, waste and red ink as far as the eye can see. Without real reform, no one can stop it. So, let's have some real reform.

What we need is a comprehensive budget process under which programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are no longer permitted to grow without meaningful oversight. Combined with other mandatory, more-or-less automatic spending items, they make up more than 70% of the budget. Thus, they must be included in the regular budget process and subjected to regular review. Only then will our elected representatives be forced to stop ignoring the side of the budget that requires their attention the most.

Entitlement program spending is unsustainable

This would also help deal with the fact that entitlement spending is, as every serious observer knows, unsustainable. Unless reformed, these programs will drain wealth not only from the government but from the economy. Ensuring their sustainability must be part of any serious budget process reform.

Enter a "BRAC"-style fiscal commission, an idea promoted by the Cato Institute's Romina Boccia. This commission would be staffed with independent experts appointed by the president. It would be "tasked with a clear and attainable objective, such as stabilizing the growth in the debt at no more than the GDP of the country, and empowered with fast-track authority, such that its recommendations become self-executing upon presidential approval, without Congress having to affirmatively vote on their enactment," Boccia explains.

I'm uneasy about delegating the president power to appoint "experts." Unfortunately, Congress has proven they will never seriously address the problem unless forced to. The idea is not unprecedented. Congress has already delegated a lot of its legislative power to administrative agencies and the executive branch. It's also how the political class dealt with the closures of military facilities after the Cold War  another set of hard choices they refused to make on their own.

What's more, Congress would retain some veto power. If they disapprove of the proposal, the House and Senate can reject it through a joint resolution within a specified period. Whether it's the best solution to address our fiscal problems remains to be seen, but it's worth considering.

Congress needs to pass a real timely budget

There are many more budget-reform ideas out there. I'll leave you with one more. For years now, Congress has failed to pass a budget, and in turn brought the country to the brink of a government shutdown by fighting over the need for a continuing resolution  a temporary measure that extends previous funding levels for a few months.

Making continuing appropriations automatic in case of a lapse could remove the threat of shutdowns. As explained in one senator's proposal, if appropriations work isn't done, "implement an automatic continuing resolution (CR), on rolling 14-day periods, based on the most current spending levels enacted in the previous fiscal year." Further, to avoid over-relying on CRs, "all Members of Congress must stay in Washington, D.C., and work until the spending bills are completed."

The road to reform is never easy. Entrenched interests and complexity, combined with congressional spinelessness, are a daunting challenge. But the stakes are too high to shy away. It's time to completely rethink the way we approach the federal budget, grounding our efforts in the principles of transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility.

Veronique de Rugy is the George Gibbs Chair in Political Economy and a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Veronique de Rugy: Congress has allowed U.S. credit to slide again
If you had a Delta flight canceled early in the Covid-19 pandemic, you may finally get a refund.

That's due to a recent class-action lawsuit, which Delta has agreed to settle.

Insider breaks down how to determine if you qualify and how to get a refund if you do.

Anyone who had plans to fly at the start of 2020 will remember the travel nightmare that began that March when the spread of Covid-19 left a barrage of canceled and disrupted flights.

Now, certain Delta Air Lines passengers whose flights were canceled during the first year of the pandemic might be eligible for compensation, thanks to a class-action lawsuit (Dusko v. Delta Air Lines) the company agreed to settle. A court has yet to decide but has granted preliminary approval of the settlement, per a website dedicated to the class action.

According to the website, Delta "breached its contracts of carriage with ticketholders" by refusing refunds for flights canceled during the pandemic, instead providing credits for future travel. According to the website, Delta has denied all allegations and agreed to settle to avoid further litigation.



A representative for Delta did not respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside regular working hours.

Are you eligible for a refund?

To be eligible, you must be a US citizen who received credit  not cash  for a non-refundable Delta flight canceled between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021.

You must have requested a refund but not received one and have unused or partial unused credit as of January 13, 2023.

Delta employees, their family members, judges involved with the case, and their family members, are not eligible.

What can you get from the settlement?

Passengers who meet the above criteria can request either a cash refund or credit for each eligible ticket. The cash refund equals the ticket's original amount.

The credit refund will equal the amount of unused credit plus 7% interest. The credit will be valid for one year from the time it's issued, according to the website.

How to request a refund if you're eligible:

If you qualify, you must complete a claim form online. Alternatively, some people may have already received an email notifying them of their eligibility  those individuals can find a link to the claim form in the email.

Qualifying passengers can also fill out a physical claim form and mail it in. Claim forms must be filed by September 15, 2023.

According to the site, the court is set to hold a hearing on October 5 to determine whether to approve the settlement. Refunds won't be issued until any appeals are resolved, and the site suggests that passengers "please be patient."

Read the original article on Insider
Joe Biden continues to face prominent calls to step aside from voices in his own party, as the 80-year-old president vows that he will win reelection in 2024.

In a normal election year, any incumbent president would coast to victory in their partys nominating contests, and next year is likely to be no exception. But Mr Biden is facing more criticism than most as many Democrats openly fret whether the oldest-ever president to be sworn into office will be able to be an effective standard-bearer for his party next year.

One of those Democrats sounding the alarm bells is Rep Dean Phillips, a congressman from Minnesota who has been the only elected member of his party in the House or Senate to openly call for Mr Biden to face a serious primary challenge. As of now, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is not planning to host debates for the 2024 primary season, meaning that the president will never face any of his challengers onstage.

Mr Phillips pointed out, in a Sunday interview with Chuck Todd on NBCs Meet the Press, that while Mr Biden is generally leading nationally against opponents like Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, he trails those same candidates or ties them statistically in some polling of key swing states, such as Arizona and Michigan.

The majority of Americans, he said, want Mr Biden to pass the torch and let other Democrats have a real competition for the 2024 primary  even as he attempted to back away from the idea that he himself would mount a bid. The congressman suggested that the candidate to take on Republicans next year should be a governor from the midwest or the Rust Belt, nodding as Mr Todd named Michigans Gretchen Whitmer and his own home states Tim Walz. He also named JB Pritzker, governor of Illinois.

Some people have asked me that I not use their names, because of this institutional fear that it might impact you down the road, he noted. [But] this is the time to meet the moment.

WATCH: @chucktodd presses @RepDeanPhillips on who he would like to see primary Pres. Biden.



Phillips: "I would like to see a moderate governor", and suggests Govs. Shapiro (Pa.) or Pritzker (Ill.).



He adds, "some people have asked that I not use their names." pic.twitter.com/0YMKIgvCHK  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 13, 2023

The mention of Mr Pritzker as a potential candidate by Mr Phillips is significant, given that the governor has been spotted in early primary states and is viewed by many Democrats and political analysts alike as a politician with both national aspirations and the credibility to mount a real bid. The billionaire governor has won many fans in the party with his record in the state and has the financial means to bankroll a national bid, which would put him at an immediate advantage over possible rivals.

One figure that Mr Phillips is notably not putting his support behind is Senator Joe Manchin, the conservative West Virginia Democrat who is rumoured to be considering exiting the Democratic Party entirely, following the footsteps (or coattails) of Sen Kyrsten Sinema. Mr Manchin is also known to be considering launching an independent bid for the presidency should he make the jump to leave the party, and would likely do so with the backing of No Labels, a group of rabblerousing centrists that have been threatening to support a third-party challenger for months.

Mr Bidens polling woes in key swing states have worried some Democrats who see a repeat of 2016 on the horizon; for months, Hillary Clinton led Donald Trump in national polling only to be undone in key swing states where her campaign had spent little to no effort to be competitive.

Numerous surveys of the 2024 field have indicated that a slight majority of Democrats want Mr Biden to step aside and open up the field for younger competitors. But those same polls also indicate that he holds a massive lead over the only Democrats who have announced bids so far, author Marianne Williamson and Robert F Kennedy, known for his activism against medical authorities.
WASHINGTON  Democratic lawmakers took aim at their Republican colleagues on Sunday over GOP attacks against the Department of Justices appointment of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden and their lack of criticism of former President Donald Trump as he faces three indictments.

If Hunter Biden has committed crimes, he should be charged with them. Im a Democrat saying that, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., said on CNNs State of the Union. You dont hear any currently elected Republicans saying that if Donald Trump committed crimes, he should be charged with them and held accountable.

Most Republican lawmakers have denounced Trumps various criminal cases, accusing the Department of Justice and prosecutors of political favoritism in favor of Democrats.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said on X, formerly Twitter, that Trumps latest indictment over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election is DOJs attempt to distract from the news and attack the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, President Trump. There isn't evidence that federal or state officials handling cases against Trump have sought to target his reelection bid.

But the Justice Departments appointment of U.S. attorney David Weiss, who has investigated Hunter Biden for the past five years, to a special counsel role is the latest example of what Republicans say is a two-tiered justice system.

Related: Hunter Biden drama assured to hang over Joe Biden's 2024 campaign with special counsel

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference about fellow New York Congressman Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., on Capitol Hill July 17, 2023 in Washington, DC.

This move by Attorney General Garland is part of the Justice Departments efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee said in a statement. The Biden Justice Department is trying to stonewall congressional oversight as we have presented evidence to the American people about the Biden familys corruption.

Republican lawmakers have yet to offer substantial evidence that President Joe Biden benefited from his sons business dealings.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said the Hunter Biden investigation has been a bumpy process. But he called for lawmakers to allow the justice system to run its course, while also pointing out Weiss was appointed by Trump.

Raskin said he thought it was clear Hunter Biden did a lot of really unlawful and wrong things.

Republican lawmakers, Raskin said, are not saying that about Donald Trump. Any time Donald Trump actually gets indicted, after a grand jury has already determined that theres probable cause, they attack the prosecutors, they attack the judges, they attack the system. For them, Donald Trump could never be guilty of anything.

Washington, DC, USA. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., testifies during the first hearing of the newly formed Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on February 9, 2023 in Washington.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dems knock GOP response to Donald Trump cases amid Hunter Biden drama
Its commonly known that younger voters lean more liberal, which is a major part of why Democrats make stronger appeals to get young people to the polls when compared with Republicans. But one large group of younger voters currently tilts in the opposite direction18-year-old white males.

Twelfth-grade boys are nearly twice as likely to identify as conservative versus identifying as liberal, according to a survey by Monitoring the Future.

This is a big deal. In the latter term of the George W. Bush presidency and into the early days of Barack Obamas time in the White House, liberal boys outnumbered conservatives. Those days might be long gone.

Anti-Woke GOP Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Can Thank Affirmative Action for His Success

Conversely, more young women continue to identify as liberal. Teen girls have doubled their support for Democrats in the decade between 2012 and 2022.

It makes sense, considering that decade-long period included the first female presidential nominee of a major party in Hillary Clinton, the MeToo movement, greater numbers of women entering college and the workforce, and the increased abortion restrictions (and bans) that resulted from the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

But why are 18 year-old boys leaning more conservative, and what about the age of Trump appeals to them? Part of the answer is an embrace of toxic masculinity.

Since his first presidential campaign in 2016, Donald Trump has leaned into his act of abrasive machismo. He won the presidency even after Access Hollywood tape, released shortly before the 2016 election, showed a pre-politics Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women. He regularly used social media to attack women for their looks or weight. And his brutish bullying not only shook his Republican primary contenders but also anyone in his own party who dared to challenge his leadership once he was in office.

Fox News Goes Cold on MAGA Youth Org TPUSA

Trump himself also made efforts of direct outreach to teens and young adults particularly through organizations like Turning Point USA, a right-leaning political group of young conservatives who are on board with the MAGA positions regarding anti-immigration rhetoric, Black Lives Matter slanders, and full-on bigoted assaults on LGBTQ rights. But TPUSA has also gone out of its way to promote protecting masculinity as one of its core values, with posts and videos such as, Men Have A Duty To Be Masculine, and attacks on the supposed feminization of American culture. They also attack the Democratic Party as weak for supporting policy reforms to expand womens rights and advocate for equal pay, combating climate change, and ensuring LGBT populations arent victimized or discriminated against.

This isnt political posturing, these are core modern day conservative values. And young men are the target audience. White male conservatism has fought tooth and nail against equity, diversityand has dived head first into grievance politics and culture wars.

Though the Fox News juggernautand lesser-watched conservative counterparts like The Blaze, Newsmax, and OANare predominately viewed by an older generation of white male conservatives, their talking points are regurgitated on new media thats more likely to be seen by younger people.

Podcasters like Joe Rogan, mens rights activist Andrew Tate, and other right-wing influencers on Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube have caught fire among white teens particularly aspiring for the things these brands proximate to masculinity: the accumulation of wealth, women as sex objects or baby-making housemaids, and unabashed bullying of those you dont agree with.

How Bronze Age Pervert Seduced Right-Wing Thought Leaders

Popular right-wing thinkers like Bronze Age Pervert (BAP) reject principles of equality and democracy, are openly misogynistic, and subtly inject racism into the promotion of male pursuits like body-building. BAP is particularly popular among young white males and even gained support from some Trump staffers.

White votersparticularly older menhave long been the bread and butter for conservatives. In last years midterms seven in 10 voted for Republicans, according to exit polls and AP VoteCast. Democrats have largely ceded ground on courting older white men seeking, instead focusing on Black voters, women, young people, and other more diverse groups.

But Democrats should not accept the trend of young white males identifying as more conservative. With thin margins of victory in races from the presidency to city councils, even slight changes in voter attitudes are worth a second look. Democrats need to find a message to these voters that the toxic masculinity of Trump and the MAGA movement is not the way forward for this country, and that they are not victims of modernity.

Democrats cannot simply hope that as the older Fox News-viewing population dies off that their politics will go with them. The newfound growth in conservative identification among young white males shows that the battle for justice, equality, and a sustainable future is far from over.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A man from the home care agency calls on a Monday morning. The caregivers are complaining. Its too hard to transport Sara, to move her from the bed to the wheelchair and onto the stairlift. You need a lift or some other assistive device.

A rush of sadness settles into my body. The end has arrived. Sara is leaving on Friday, I say, Can we hold out till then?

Oh, he says, and pauses, Im so sorry to hear this.

My partner, Sara Flint Greenberg, was nearing the end of her nine-month journey through amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease, and she would take her life on Friday.

There is nothing more we could do. Her body has been ravaged by this devastating disease and she has been crystal clear, from the beginning, that she would leave when she can no longer take care of herself.

There are steps to the end of this journey.

Read more: Nicholas Goldberg: He killed himself. She helped him. It should have been easier

Later that Monday morning, Sara speaks with a doctor, answering some required questions. Does she have less than six months to live? Is she mentally capable of making the decision to end her life? Can she self-administer the medication? Luckily, the session is short. Sara spends much of her day on a machine which helps her to breathe. Too much talking leaves her gasping.

On Wednesday morning Sara speaks with a second doctor who agrees that she qualifies to receive medications that assist in dying under the requirements of the California End of Life Option Act. The medication that will allow Sara to leave will be ready on Friday.

On Wednesday afternoon we celebrate our wedding. Sara and I marry in the late November light of our living room. I am not strongly attached to marriage, but as the day of Saras passing drew closer, I felt an overwhelming need to express the beauty of our love in ceremony.

The temporary chuppah is held over our heads by Saras sons Aaron and Jacob, our friend Audrey and a caregiver. We have found an independent rabbi to marry us because I am not Jewish. The rabbi is adorable in her Converse sneakers, covered with stars, as she takes us through this bittersweet ceremony. The ceremony is short because Sara is exhausted. It is her last gift to us, her family.

On Friday morning, our friend Margaret arrives from New York, kisses Sara on the cheek and tells her she loves her. It is all anyone can do. Audrey is in the kitchen. She has been with us for days, helping us through.

Later in the morning, a rabbi from our synagogue arrives to help us say goodbye to Sara. Margaret and Audrey go downstairs to wait. They sit, mostly silent and sometimes hold hands. The room feels heavy. They can hear Sara breathing above them, but they know she will not be there for long. It is one of the most reverent acts of love: to witness in silence the death of another.

At noon, Sara takes a pill to prevent nausea and vomiting when she takes the medication that will end her life. I sit beside her on the couch, Aaron is at her feet and Jacob is across from her. The rabbi is just beyond our circle as he begins to guide us through our final words. Everything is said on the edge of tears. We listen closely to hear our soft voices.

Sara regrets, deeply, that she will never see her grandchildren. She will not see her sons grow further into their lives or settle down with partners and start families. She gathers her breath and questions them closely because this is her last chance. She wants to know what their futures looks like because she will not be there.

There are apologies because anything left to be said has to be said. Death demands it. We make promises because who would say no? Sara would do anything for her sons and I promise to do the same. We celebrate Saras bravery. She left a longtime marriage, late in life, and jumped into love with me. And the bravery she shows today in making this choice.

The rabbi asks Sara where we can find her after shes gone. Walking in these hills, she says, of the land surrounding our home where she once walked every day. She is now struggling to breathe and is silent. We are left with silence and the presence of love. We will carry this love everywhere we go.

Read more: Nicholas Goldberg: Should our aid-in-dying laws be expanded, or are we moving too far too fast?

It is almost an hour after Sara took the anti-nausea pill. She must take the medication now or wait for another day. The hospice nurse has not yet arrived. We call our hospice provider. They tell us to mix the medication with apple juice and give Sara sorbet because the taste can burn her throat. Sara reaches for the medication with both hands. She is ready to leave.

As the medication moves through her body, she prays in Hebrew: HaShem Sheli, HaShem Sheli, yaazor li (My God, my God, help me). She recites the Shema, a centerpiece of prayer services in Judaism. As she draws closer to leaving, her last words are Thank you, thank you, a beautiful sentiment and a sign, I hope, that she is at peace.

Sara slides slowly down the couch, her cheek resting against the back of my hand. I feel life in her body, but after half an hour I am not sure. The hospice nurse has arrived. I ask him if she has passed. No, she is still here. Another half hour and I ask again. He checks her pulse. She has left.

My beautiful Sara is gone.

Nina Rota is a writer in Hollywood. She is currently working on a memoir, Walls Crumble Before Me. Her wife, Sara, died in 2022.

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.
Divers in Taiwans Ruifang district encountered a creature that many believe is a terrible omen: a giant oarfish, the New York Post reports.

What happened?

In July, video footage appeared online from diving instructor Wang Cheng-Ru. It showed a silvery, mirror-like oarfish, estimated to be about 6.5 feet long, hanging vertically in the water. Although the fish appeared to be alive, it didnt react when several scuba divers approached it, and one even touched the incredible creature.

According to National Geographic, oarfish can reach up to 56 feet long, making this a small specimen. They usually live hundreds or thousands of feet down in the ocean and almost never appear near the surface. For this reason, most oarfish that people see are dead  and even then, theyre rare.

Why does an oarfish sighting matter?

As the New York Post explains, there is a common folk belief that spotting an oarfish is a bad omen. The fish are said to swim up to the surface just before a major earthquake.

However, Hiroyuki Motomura, a professor of ichthyology at Kagoshima University, told the New York Post that this is not actually the case. There is no scientific evidence of a connection, so I dont think people need to worry, Motomura said. I believe these fish tend to rise to the surface when their physical condition is poor, rising on water currents, which is why they are so often dead when they are found.

In this case, the oarfish sported holes in its body from what Wang believed to be a cookie-cutter shark attack. It must have been dying, so it swam into shallower waters, he told Jam Press.

While it may not be a sign of things to come, this sighting was a rare chance to see this incredible and haunting creature in nature while it was still alive.

What can you do to help oarfish?

Currently, scientists dont know much about the oarfish population or how they behave in the wild. As Oceana points out, their deep-sea habitat makes them hard to study  which also makes it uncertain how factors like pollution and rising temperatures affect them.

However, human activity has a dramaticimpact on the rest of the ocean, and its hard to imagine that oarfish are completely unaffected. Donating to marine conservation, minimizing the amount of plastic you use, and switching from gas to electric to reduce air pollution are all solid ways the average person can help protect the ocean.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Lets prevent fentanyl deaths

There were 49 confirmed, drug-related deaths in Beaufort County in 2021, the latest numbers available. Of these 49 deaths, 35, or 71% involved the powerful opioid drug fentanyl in some form.

Our local group Crosscurrents, whose goal is to be an example of productive public discourse on difficult public issues, chose to tackle the drug abuse problem to determine whether bipartisan agreement could be reached on recommendations for action in our county.

Given the high levels of overdose deaths being recorded, a consensus emerged that preventing overdose deaths, with particular focus on fentanyl-related deaths, should be the single most important goal.

The group agreed on the following recommendations:

1. Make Narcan (Naxalone) and fentanyl test strips more widely and easily available in the community.

2. Support local programming and information sharing to de-stigmatize drug use and encourage abusers to use community resources.

3. Educate first responders, educators and others likely to interact with users in crisis.

4. Investigate and recommend age-appropriate programs in schools for students and educators to raise awareness of signs of abuse as well as early prevention.

5. Research and recommend mental health resources for prevention, information and counseling.

6. Research supply side laws and penalties and support stiffer penalties.

For further information about how you can join the Crosscurrents initiative to help expand civil public dialogue among persons with diverse views, contact rogbernier@gmail.com.

Roger Bernier, Okatie

Know your audience

U.S. Rep. Nancy Maces joke fell flat at a recent prayer breakfast hosted by the S.C. Republican Party. In an attempt to appear relevant and relatable, she decided it was appropriate to share her and her fiances morning bedroom antics.

This was not only bizarre, but concerning. Firstly, her cheap and crass shot at a joke did not serve its purpose, bringing silence, not laughter, as even she admitted it was TMI (too much information).

No one is interested in what she and her fiance are doing prior to any meeting, much less a prayer breakfast.

If she doesnt know her audience at a prayer breakfast, where will she know her audience?

This was Rep. Mace disrespecting and dishonoring her audience, which we know included faithful church leaders, pastors and lay workers.

She has shown us more than once who she is and it is time to start believing her.

More than her joke fell flat. She did.

Jackie Morfesis, Charleston

Preserve Social Security

On Monday, Social Security marks its 88th anniversary.

As a 75-year-old retiree, I want to ensure it remains a benefit for our citizens. I certainly appreciate the benefits I gained from 45 years of employment.

Social Security, created in 1935 after the 2929 stock crash and Great Depression, is based on the concept that individuals contribute to a central fund managed by the government. This fund is used to provide income to individuals when they retire and can no longer work.

Social Security also provides benefits when people become disabled or are survivors of a deceased worker.

Current workers and their employers pay into Social Security through payroll deductions. The payroll deduction is part of the FICA tax.

According to AARP data, nearly 40% of South Carolinians ages 65 and older would be living in poverty were it not for Social Security.

That data also indicates that 21% of individuals 65 and older live in families that rely on this program for at least 90% of their income.

We should all honor and appreciate this significant American program.

Frances Ashe-Goins, Columbia

Man with no country?

I have the perfect solution for the complications surrounding the possible incarceration of former President Donald Trump.

Years ago, I recall reading the Edward Everett Hale short story The Man Without a Country, originally published in 1863.

It is the story of an American military officer whose traitorous conduct and hatred of the United States prompted a unique and poignant solution. Rather than sentencing him to prison, he was sentenced to live aboard U.S. Navy ships at sea for the rest of his life.

Year after year, he was to be passed from ship to ship, forever remaining at sea. The ships crews were forbidden to discuss anything about the United States with him nor was he permitted to read newspapers or books about the United States.

Only after continuous years of isolation at sea did he come to realize what America really meant, and the grievous error of his ways.

Such would be an appropriate punishment for Donald John Trump and his criminal confederates.

Henry Druckerman, Bluffton
This story originally aired on Nov. 12, 2022.

In February 1987, Terry Wood came home from a night of bowling to discover his wife, Roxanne, dead on the kitchen floor in their home in Niles, Michigan. Detectives say Roxanne Wood had been sexually assaulted and her throat slashed. DNA was preserved from the crime scene, but given technological limitations of the time, there wasn't enough evidence to charge any suspects. The case went cold. Then, 34 years later, investigative genetic genealogist Gabriella Vargas got to work on what had been deemed unsolvable by many because of the scant amount of DNA that was left.

"I believed that this case was extremely solvable," Vargas told "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant. "I believed that I could solve it."

FEBRUARY 19, 1987

Brad Woods remembers February 20, 1987, like it was yesterday. He was just 14 years old.

Brad Woods: I was getting ready for school.  And I can remember my mom pounding on the bathroom door, saying to hurry up, she needed to talk to me.

Hours earlier, Brad's 30-year-old sister Roxanne, known as "Rock", had been nearby in her Niles, Michigan, home alone, when she was viciously attacked  her throat slashed.

Brad Woods: When I came out, you know, she had told me that  she had gotten a call that  Rock had been killed.

Devastated, Roxanne's family couldn't imagine why anyone would want to harm her.

Janet Wood: She always made people think you're her best friend.  She just loved everyone.

Janet Wood: She was tall, statuesque. She dressed to the nines. That was very important to her. She was very classy.

Roxanne Wood, nicknamed

Janet Wood could not help but admire her older sister. Their parents were divorced, and Roxanne had taken on a maternal role with her siblings.

Brad Woods: With divorced parents, a lot of times, you feel like you're being shuffled between, you know, house to house.  And the one thing that was always stable for me was  was Rock.

Janet Wood: She was being mom to you.

Brad Woods: Yeah.  Rock. You know, she was always there.

Peter Van Sant: She was your rock.

Brad Woods: She was. She was (laughs).

Roxanne's last name would eventually change from Woods to Wood after meeting future husband, Terry Wood, shortly after she graduated from high school.

Janet Wood: She was working at his father's company.  Terry was still in high school.  On the wrestling team.  And in he walks. And he's in his wrestling shorts and whatever.  (laughs) She said, "The nicest looking legs she ever saw." And  and she was just smitten by him right away.

Roxanne and Terry married in 1982.

Janet Wood: She said it was the happiest day of her life.

Six years later, Janet would change her name from Woods to Wood as well, when she married Terry's brother, Rob. Both brothers wound up working for the family business. For Roxanne and Terry, it proved to be a bit too much togetherness.

Janet Wood: They got dressed in the morning together, and they rode to work together, (laughs) and they came home for lunch together, and then they went back to work together.

Roxanne's solution? Taking a job in nearby South Bend, Indiana. A little time apart seemed to help the marriage.

Janet Wood: Very, very content, happy, looking forward to starting a family.

Terry and Roxanne Wood / Credit: Janet Wood

February 19, 1987, started out as a typical Thursday evening for the couple. They met for dinner at a restaurant in downtown Niles after work and then went to a local bowling alley, arriving in separate cars.

Det. Sgt. John Moore: From the report, you could tell when Roxanne entered that bowling alley, all eyes were on her.

Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant John Moore.

Det. Sgt. John Moore: There wasn't a whole lotta ladies there because this was the men's bowling league, so she drew some attention.

As midnight approached, Roxanne was ready to call it a night, but Terry wanted to stay.

Janet Wood: There's witnesses where Terry and she said goodnight to each other hugged, kissed, "Love you. Drive Safe."

After Roxanne headed home, Terry stayed behind and bowled another game. He then headed home and arrived home about 45 minutes after his wife. Terry entered the house through the garage and once inside, he came upon a horrific sight.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: She was laying on the floor. She had her nightgown on. He said there was a lot of blood.

According to Detective First Lieutenant Chuck Christensen, Terry said he rushed over to Roxanne.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: He got behind her, according to him, and  and picked her head up. And held her  held her head in

Peter Van Sant: To see if 

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: his hands for

Peter Van Sant:  she was alive?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: To see if she was alive, yes.

Finding no signs of life, Terry grabbed the phone and called the local police station.

TERRY WOOD (police call audio): She is dead, she has been cut.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Terry noticed that  her panties were down around her knee/ankle area  her nightgown was pulled up.

DISPATCHER: Now listen to me, OK?

At times, Terry seemed to get belligerent with the person trying to help him.

DISPATCHER: I'm going to get some information from you and I'm going to get a car started, OK? TERRY WOOD: No, get 50 f****** cars started, g*******now! DISPATCHER: They are started. TERRY WOOD: No, they're not. Now, g*******. Now!

The dispatcher kept Terry on the phone.

DISPATCHER: Don't scream into the phone because the phone distorts, and I can't understand you that well, OK? TERRY WOOD: You mean so you can get a recording on it. DISPATCHER: No, I'm trying to get some information from you, OK? TERRY WOOD: Yeah, right.

Terry's aggressive demeanor on the phone quickly became a red flag according to investigators.

Peter Van Sant: Is that suspicious behavior to you?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: It's a bit suspicious.  Typically, they're in  shock, distraught. But not normally do you hear that anger component in there, to the level that it is in this one.

Detective Sergeant Jason Bailey says a seed of suspicion grew even more once police arrived at the home.

Det. Sgt. Jason Bailey: He definitely had fits of rage. I know at one point he was screamingthat he wanted a supervisor, a sergeant there.

Peter Van Sant: Is he making himself a suspect by this kind of behavior?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Everybody reacts differently. But based on this abnormal reaction, I believe he was making himself a suspect.

First responders eventually had no choice but to subdue Terry by placing him in the back of a patrol car. And when they drove him down to the police post for routine questioning, Terry quickly asked for an attorney, which investigators say set off more alarm bells.

Janet Wood: The detective at that time told him within five to ten minutes  "You did this, and I will not rest until I put you away forever."

Peter Van Sant: An investigator said that to Terry?

Janet Wood: To Terry.  "I believe you're the killer and I will not rest until you're behind bars."

IN SEARCH OF ANSWERS

As investigators began piecing together clues in Roxanne Wood's rape and murder, the emerging picture offered up just one suspect: her husband, Terry.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: There was no sign of any forced entry.

Peter Van Sant: Did that raise eyebrows?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Absolutely.

But Terry told police they'd been having problems with the lock on the back door, claiming it didn't work. Investigators, however, remained suspicious.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: We have a sheath, up here, of a filet knife, located near the body.

An open drawer in the Wood home kitchen where a filet knife, thought to be the murder weapon, was kept. / Credit: Michigan Department of State Police

That filet knife, presumed to be the murder weapon, had been taken from a kitchen drawer. It was never found.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: That would be odd  that a killer would come to a house without a weapon.

Terry told police that he'd slipped in Roxanne's blood as he lifted her head to check on her. But there were no blood smears indicating he'd actually done that. Investigators thought they'd discovered a potential motive when they looked into Roxanne and Terry's past.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: We did uncover an extramarital affair by both parties.

Peter Van Sant: By both parties?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Yep.

Peter Van Sant: And, so, when you have a murder like this, and you learn there was some infidelity, are you wondering, "Could jealousy have been a motive?"

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Absolutely.

Janet Wood: I remember the detective saying  "It was rage.  Only someone close to her would have this kind of rage." I never bought that.

Janet firmly believed in Terry's innocence.

Janet Wood: I just knew him too well.  So that just didn't fit with what I knew.  Terry wasn't a rageful guy. He may have a sharp tongue (laughs), occasionally, but never a violent person.

Despite strongly suspecting Terry, prosecutors didn't believe there was enough evidence to charge him. After just a few months, the case went cold, leaving a cloud of suspicion hanging over Terry. He declined "48 Hours"' request for an interview.

Det. Sgt. Jason Bailey: I'd heard stories that at times he'd walk into  walk into a place and somebody would call him "Slash."

DNA was preserved from the crime scene, but given technological limitations of the time, there wasn't enough evidence to charge any suspects. / Credit: Michigan Department of State Police

DNA was left at the crime scene. A sample was preserved but given the limitations on technology back in 1987, not much could be done with it. Still, Roxanne's family never gave up.

Janet Wood: I didn't lose hope ever.  I mean, this guy just didn't do this and then lead a clean, pristine life, the rest of his life.

DNA technology evolved, and the sample was eventually able to be uploaded to CODIS, the national criminal DNA database in 1999. But no match was returned. As disappointing as that was, everyone was hopeful that the DNA would at least clear Terry when it was tested against his. The result? It wasn't Terry's DNA.

Peter Van Sant: So, did that eliminate Terry as a person of interest, as a suspect in this case?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: No.

Peter Van Sant: Why not? It's not his semen.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Just because you find semen in somebody doesn't necessarily mean that that person is the one that killed them.

After that, the case offered no new leads until 2020.

After more than three decades of compiling thousands of reports, police were drowning in paperwork. That's when a professor and an innovative group of students at Western Michigan University figured out a way to speed up the investigation.

Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten: The real-world experience I think is priceless.

Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten teaches a criminal justice studies program. For years, she's been talking to Detective Christensen about how her students might help on a cold case.

Dr. Ashlyn Kuersten: What a great partnership that would be if we could ever make something like that happen.

Investigators enlisted a group of students from Western Michigan University, including Samantha Rogers and McKenzie Stommen, to digitize approximately 3,500 pages of reports, notes and information about the Roxanne Wood case into a searchable database.

So, the professor and the detective came up with a plan. Dr. Kuersten's students would process around 3,500 pages of documents accumulated since the day Roxanne was murdered into a single, digitized database. Samantha Rogers was one of several students who worked on the case.

Samantha Rogers: The officers are able to search by name  and see if they've already been interviewed. If they needed a follow-up. They can search locations.  Things that they wouldn't be able to do just flippin' through thousands of pages.

McKenzie Stommen says the decades-old files were a solemn reminder of how long some victims wait for justice.

McKenzie Stommen: It gave  a sense of gravity to what we were doing that these cases have gone unsolved for that long.

Around the same time the students began crunching data, Christensen decided it was time for a Hail Mary pass. Colleen Fitzpatrick is the president and founder of Identifinders International, a company that specializes in genetic genealogy.

Colleen Fitzpatrick: It's been used in forensic cases to help identify  unidentified remains and violent offenders for violent crimes.

Christensen hired her genealogy company to examine the tiny amount of DNA preserved from Roxanne's case.

Colleen Fitzpatrick: We found out there was, what I would call, a gnat's eyebrow of DNA left, about 3% of what we normally use.  That was the lowest amount of DNA we've ever had to work with, to solve a case.

Identifinders spent about 10 months working with the data the sample produced but came up empty.

Colleen Fitzpatrick: It really did feel impossible, it really did.

Then one day in April 2021, Fitzpatrick happened to be chatting with investigative genetic genealogist Gabriella Vargas who worked as a consultant for Identifinders.

Gabriella Vargas: And I said, "Well, why don't you let me look at it?  I concluded that  I did not stand with the others.  I believed that this case was extremely solvable. And I believed that I could solve it.

So, Vargas got to work. Incredibly, she was able to generate a genetic profile from the killer's trace DNA.

Gabriella Vargas: It  tells me where does  their ancestral origins come from. Are they Eastern European? Are they Mediterranean? Are they African American?

Peter Van Sant: And what was the race of this person?

Gabriella Vargas: Caucasian.

Vargas then turned to an online DNA service. When consumers use DNA sites like 23andMe and Ancestry.com, they can take their results and upload them to a broader database called GEDmatch in the hope of finding more relatives.

Gabriella Vargas: They can choose to opt into law enforcement matching. If they do that, I can see if they are a match to my suspect.

Vargas was able to use GEDmatch and the genetic profile she developed to start to build the family tree of Roxanne's killer.

Peter Van Sant: How far back did you go in time?

Gabriella Vargas (showing family tree to Van Sant): One side of the tree  the ancestor was 1823. On the other side, the top ancestor was 1797.  Essentially what we're looking for amongst these matches are where they connect to each other.  And it led me to a union couple.

A union couple is where two sides of the family tree meet.

Gabrielle Vargas: This couple was born around 1920. Based on that, we can presume that they would have kids around 1940, maybe 1950.  It would have to be one of their children.

The couple she found had three sons. She let the detectives know. They did background checks and eliminated two of the three brothers as possibilities. They were down to the last brother.

Det. Sgt. John Moore: He's been involved in a lotta different things, a lotta 

Peter Van Sant: Violent things?

Det. Sgt. John Moore: Horrible  violent things, sexual deviant things. You name it, he's probably been involved in it.

Peter Van Sant: And you connect the DNA with someone who has a history of violent behavior  you got yourself a suspect.

Det. Sgt. John Moore: Absolutely.

DNA LEADS TO SUSPECT WITH A VIOLENT PAST

After 34 years and one last chance at solving the case with a speck of DNA too small to see with the human eye, Detective Chuck Christensen's daring bet paid off big.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: And to know that we had come to this point was simply amazing.

Michigan State Police now believed they had finally tracked down Roxanne Wood's killer.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: We were confident now we were going to solve this and make an arrest.

Peter Van Sant: You could now pinpoint who that individual was that had committed these awful crimes. And who is that person?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: That individual is Patrick Gilham.

Patrick Gilham  a man who was living just a few miles from where he allegedly raped and murdered Roxanne Wood.

And it turns out, he had a troubled past.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Had been a drinker.

Peter Van Sant: Was he into drugs?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: He's into drugs. Just an individual that was ... lost in life and a bad individual  based on his background.

When detectives dug into Gilham's criminal history, they found a connection to another disturbing case eight years before Roxanne's attack.

Maureen Farag was attacked by Patrick Gilham in her Gary, Indiana, home in 1979 -- eight years before Roxanne Wood's attack. / Credit: Robert Farag

Robert Farag: My wife, Maureen, was attacked by Patrick Gilham in 1979.

Robert and Maureen Farag and their two young daughters lived in Gary, Indiana, back in September 1979.

Robert Farag: We were just kind of blossoming into adulthood with the kids, with our lifestyle, with our jobs.

Robert was economic director for the city, and Maureen was an art teacher at the local middle school.

Peter Van Sant: What is it about Maureen that you fell in love with?

Robert Farag: Wow. I can't say one thing only.  She was very attractive, which just caught my eye.  She was so nice. People gravitated to her because of her warm personality.

One night, while making his way home from a business trip, Robert called Maureen with a favor.

Robert Farag: I said, "Maureen I don't have my keys to the house, could you leave the side door open."

At around 11 p.m., Robert turned onto his street. He'll never forget what he saw.

Robert Farag: When I pull upI see the police cars.

Robert quickly found Maureen, who calmly told him she was in bed when she was startled awake by a noise downstairs.

Robert Farag: Maureen sees this guy going through her purse.  He got scared, whatever and chased her. Maureen started going upstairs. And he grabbed her at the bottom of the stairs and got on top of her. And he tried his best to molest her. He wasn't successful.

Maureen told Robert the man then took her purse and fled. Throughout the attack, Maureen had stayed quiet. She didn't want to awaken her two girls.

Peter Van Sant: That takes an incredible amount of courage.  She was willing to sacrifice herself there, if need be, to protect her 1 and 3-year-old daughters.

Robert Farag: Yes. Maureen had a lot more than courage. She had strength.

About a week later, Gilham was pulled over in Gary for a traffic violation. A police officer noticed credit cards on the seat next to him. They were Maureen's.

Robert Farag: The police officer called me and said, "We picked the guy up. We're bringing him in to the station."

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: When he was interviewed by police, he said, "All I remember is going into the house. And I blacked out and woke up with my pants around my ankles."

Patrick Gilham was charged with burglary and unlawful deviate conduct. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in Indiana State Prison.

Peter Van Sant: How did you go on with life from that point?

Robert Farag: We forgot about it.  We changed our house. We changed our neighborhood.  She never told anybody because she felt that was a private issue.

Patrick Gilham was charged with burglary and unlawful deviate conduct. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 years in Indiana State Prison -- but only served seven years of his sentence before being released.

Patrick Gilham served just seven years of his 14-year sentence. About four months after his release, police believe Gilham assaulted Roxanne Wood.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Criminals learn as they go. And I believe he learned from that first crime he did that, "I better not leave this witness alive because I will be in prison for a long, long time."

Maureen Farag died in 2018 from cancer not knowing anything about the Roxanne Wood case. Now, armed their DNA evidence, investigators were ready to move in on Patrick Gilham.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: At this point, we decide to get a surreptitious sample to compare to the profile that we had from Roxanne Wood from the scene. And we do this through our undercover surveillance team.

Ryan Codde: I'm Ryan Codde. And I am a trooper with the Michigan State Police.

Peter Van Sant: And you do some undercover work from time to time?

Ryan Codde: I do. I'm assigned with a fugitive recovery team for the Fifth District.

In May 2021, Codde and his team surveilled Gilham in South Bend for days on end and picked up a crucial clue that would aid them in collecting his DNA.

Ryan Codde: We noticed that he was a smoker.

In May 2021, undercover investigators surveilled Patrick Gilham in South Bend for days on end and picked up a crucial clue that would aid them in collecting his DNA: he was a smoker. / Credit: Michigan Department of State Police

Peter Van Sant: And why does that help you?

Ryan Codde: Just in the simple fact that uh, you know, when you're smoking, it's a great source of DNA. You have your lips directly on the butt of the cigarette. And your saliva gets in the cigarette.

Hot on Gilham's tail, the team witnessed their target flick a cigarette butt outside his truck window while driving.

Peter Van Sant: Oh boy, you're rubbing your hands, you're going, "This is gonna be that final piece of the puzzle," that you had talked about, right?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Yes. Yes.

Det. Sgt. John Moore: But there's a twist. We sent that up to the lab right away. A couple days later the lab director calls me, and he said, "It's not a match."

A CRUCIAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE

Det. Sgt. John Moore: DNA is DNA. If  it's not a match, it's not a match.

Detective Moore says investigators were shocked when the lab called to say the DNA sample from Patrick Gilham's cigarette butt did not match Roxanne's killer.

Det. Sgt. John Moore: We were scratchin' our heads.  I called the trooper that grabbed that cigarette butt, and I said, "Is there any way at all that you lost sight  when it flipped outta his finger?" And he said, " a car drove by right then."

It was possible the cigarette butt tested was not Gilham's.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: The only thing logically that we can do is go back and get another one.

So undercover Trooper Ryan Codde headed back to work, once again tailing Gilham.

Trooper Ryan Codde: He pulled into this laundromat  which we saw as a window of opportunity that he would most likely be coming out to take a smoke break.

This time, Codde was determined not to lose sight of Gilham's discarded cigarette butt for even a moment. And instead of tailing him in a car, Codde followed Gilham on foot.

Trooper Ryan Codde: I'm not a smoker.  And there was a gas station right over on the corner that I saw. And I  I was like, "Well, you know, I need to go over and get a pack of cigarettes  and  sit on the  the curb next to the laundromat."

Trooper Ryan Codde: He came and took a seat  probably about six to eight feet away from me. And we had a smoke together (laughs).

Peter Van Sant: So how did you strike up a conversation with him?

Trooper Ryan Codde: I just tried to say hi to him  made some small conversation.  He liked the Red Wings.

It wasn't long before Gilham finished his cigarette and went back inside.

Trooper Ryan Codde: I  saw him throw his cigarette  which was right  right in about this area. And  so it was a great situation because the cigarette was by itself.

Trooper Ryan Codde: So, I pull out  a glove and go over, and I picked the cigarette up with my hand.

Peter Van Sant: Was it still  was it still smokin'

Trooper Ryan Codde: Oh, it was  it was still warm. Yes, it was (laughs). So I wrapped it up inside that glove, I stuck it in my pocket, and  and headed out.

Investigators held their breath until the results from Gilham's cigarette butt came back. It was a perfect match to the DNA left at the 1987 crime scene.

Det Lt. Chuck Christensen: I was ecstatic. I was very, very happy.

But investigators were not yet ready to make an arrest, opting to bring Gilham in for an interview in July 2021.

DET. SGT. JASON BAILEY: You're not in trouble. You're here voluntarily.

Detective Bailey says they told Gilham they needed to question him about an old case.

Det. Sgt. Jason Bailey: "Do you know anybody by the name of Roxanne?" He explains to us, "I know two Roxannes." And he says, "One's a stripper, one's a drug addict."

Gilham was shown a picture of Roxanne Wood.

DET. SGT. JASON BAILEY: That girl look familiar? You ever met her before? PATRICK GILHAM: Nope. Never met her. DET. SGT. JASON BAILEY: That's a newer picture. Here's an older picture.

Then Gilham was shown a second photo of Roxanne.

PATRICK GILHAM: Nope. DET. SGT. JASON BAILEY: Never seen her? Never met her? Don't know who she is? PATRICK GILHAM: (shakes his head no)

Det. Sgt. Jason Bailey: And I said, "Well, we're here to talk to you about her. This woman's been assaulted."

Patrick Gilham reacts after being shown photos of Roxanne Wood during questioning. / Credit: Michigan Department of State Police

PATRICK GILHAM: This is too much for me man. (Waves his hands in the air, taps hands on table.)

Det. Sgt. Jason Bailey: You could see his body just tense up, and  almost to the point of hyperventilation, hands started shaking, threw his hands, you know, back in the air.  I've never had a reaction outta somebody  like that in 23 years of doing this.

Peter Van Sant: Does he continue talking?

PATRICK GILHAM: I gotta talk to my lawyer.

Det. Sgt. Jason Bailey: At that time, he requested to speak to his attorney.

PATRICK GILHAM: I gotta talk to my lawyer, man.

Patrick Gilham was arrested at his South Bend, Indiana, home in February 2022, just days shy of the 35th anniversary of Roxanne Wood's murder. / Credit: Michigan Department of State Police

In February 2022, just days shy of the 35th anniversary of Roxanne's murder, Patrick Gilham was arrested at his South Bend, Indiana, home.

Roxanne's brother, Brad Woods.

Brad Woods: It didn't seem real. It was nothing like I had ever played in my mind of how I would be when they came to the door to say, "We've got him."

Detective Christensen then met face to face with the man who had lived for decades with cruel rumors and doubt: Terry Wood.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: I sat him down and explained  he was no longer a person of interest, and we knew he had nothing to do with it.

Terry and Roxanne Wood / Credit: Janet Wood

Peter Van Sant: How did he react?

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: He was very emotional. He started crying, of course  was bewildered, and in shock.

As a 35-year-old burden was lifted off Terry, the hammer was about to fall for Gilham.

DETECTIVE: You're under arrest, OK?

Investigators questioned him for five-and-a-half hours at a police station in South Bend, with Gilham only asking for an attorney at the very end. At times, he spoke in circles.

PATRICK GILHAM: I can't believe I did it  if I did it. But you're saying I did so.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: When pressed on it, he just kept saying  "You guys are telling me I did this. And if I did this, I'm a monster."

PATRICK GILHAM: I'm a monster, man. If I did that, that's a monster. That's a monster, man.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: "Only a monster would do this."

DET. SGT. JASON BAILEY: Let me ask you this. How do you think your DNA was found with her? PATRICK GILHAM: I have no clue. DET. SGT. JASON BAILEY: How do you think? PATRICK GILHAM: I have no clue man!

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: He said that several times during the interview when he was confronted with the case facts. And he kept saying, "I don't remember."

PATRICK GILHAM: I don't remember man, I told you.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: "I don't remember doing that."

But Janet Wood says Gilham's reaction when he was questioned seven months prior proved he was lying now.

Janet Wood: He visibly reacted.  shook like a leaf, leaned back in his chair, pounding his chest.

PATRICK GILHAM: I gotta talk to my lawyer.

Janet Wood: "I think I need a lawyer."  You tell me he doesn't remember what he did.

Gilham was charged with Roxanne Wood's murder. But had a golden opportunity to apprehend him decades earlier slipped through investigators' fingers?

DAY OF RECKONING

In the summer of 1987, just months after Roxanne Wood was murdered in her home, her alleged killer crossed paths with yet another woman. It was a hot night in South Bend when Rose Caparell went outside to her front lawn.

Rose Caparell: I was standing down there watering and all of a sudden, I hear this loud car coming down the street.

Rose, standing alone, says she noticed a blue El Camino, driven by a stranger, getting closer.

Rose Caparell: I looked, and he had a taillight out on the car.  about three, four minutes later I hear the same car coming back down this street.

Peter Van Sant: Now, it had a bad muffler, right?

Rose Caparell: Oh, the muffler was loud.  I just got a feeling that somethin' just wasn't right.  And by the time I got halfway to my front door, a man came around the corner of the house. He had a stocking cap on, and he had a full beard. All you could basically see was his eyes.  I just turned and ran, screamin' down the street.

Peter Van Sant: Have you ever run faster in your life than that moment?

Rose Caparell: No. And I'm not a runner. And I ran.

Rose says she ran to a neighbor's house and called local police, but the assailant had escaped.

Peter Van Sant: What do you believe would've happened if that man had caught up to you?

Rose Caparell: My thought was he was gonna rape me.

In the summer of 1987, just months after Roxanne Wood was murdered in her home, her alleged killer crossed paths with Rose Caparell in South Bend, Indiana.

A few days later, while Rose and her family were driving to dinner, her daughter Tina says she spotted that same blue El Camino with a burned-out taillight in a parking lot.

Tina Caparell: My mom says right away, "That's the car."

Stunned, Rose and Tina say they went to call the police leaving Rose's husband, Stan, a retired Marine, waiting for the car's owner.

Tina Caparell: I came back  to my dad holding a gun at the attacker sitting on the ground.

Tina says her father demanded the man hand over his driver's license. They say the name on that license: Patrick Gilham.

Tina Caparell: We had never heard the name before.

Rose says the police never arrived, so Stan lowered his gun and let Gilham leave. She says she later reported the incident at the South Bend Police Station.

Rose Caparell: We didn't pursue it 'cause we figured they would be doin' somethin' with it.

No arrest was ever made. Decades later when Caparell saw the report of Gilham being arrested for Roxanne Wood's murder, she and Tina decided to tell their story to the Michigan police.

Peter Van Sant: Imagine if the police had come. They might have solved Roxanne Wood's case just a few months after it had occurred.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Possible. Yes.

Peter Van Sant: An opportunity lost.

Det. Lt. Chuck Christensen: Yeah. Yeah. It could have went that way.

But in April 2022, Gilham's day of reckoning finally came.

Rose Caparell: When he walked in, I openly said, "Piece of s***."  I didn't realize I was saying it as loudly as I did.

In a Michigan courtroom, he faced some of people whose lives he had viciously altered.

Janet Wood: He made eye contact with me. He sat down and he looked up. And he stared right in my face.

Even though Gilham had insisted to investigators that he didn't remember murdering Roxanne, he later pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. And now everyone waited for his sentence to be handed down.

Brad Woods: It was almost like being face-to-face with the devil. I remember being shaky, and nervous, and I just couldn't believe I'm sitting this close to the person that did this.

Brad and Janet finally got the chance to address the man who killed their sister all those years ago.

JANET WOOD (at sentencing): Patrick Gilham is the very definition of a nightmare women fear our whole lives 

Janet Wood addresses Patrick Gilham at his sentencing. Gilham, wearing headsets, appeared confused, as though he'd seen a ghost, when looking at Janet. / Credit: CBS News

According to Brad Woods, Gilham appeared confused, as though he'd seen a ghost, when looking at Janet. He wore headphones in order to hear.

Brad Woods: Janet does look a lot like Rock  he was probably in shock, seeing her sitting there.

JANET WOOD (at sentencing): His actions gave all of us a life sentence, while he got to live his as a free man.  And we are here today to see him finally pay something for what he's done which is likely the rest of his life in a cage like the violent animal that he is. BRAD WOODS (at sentencing): It seems like people like him find Jesus in prison, but don't bother looking because the devil will be the only one greeting you.

When it was his turn to speak, Gilham offered an apology and a prayer.

PATRICK GILHAM: I can't believe I did what I did. And I pray for them every night. I am so sorry. I just hope that sometime in the future, with God's help, that they can start to forgive me.

The judge sentenced Gilham, who was 67 at the time, to a minimum of 23 years in prison. Sitting in court, Terry Wood, now vindicated, watched as his wife's real killer was led away. Robert Farag witnessed Terry's pain firsthand.

Robert Farag: I shook his hand. He was, you know, shaking, crying. I felt more empathy for him than I could for any other person I've met.

Terry was cleared and his wife's killer found thanks, in large part, to advances in technology. Genetic genealogist Gabriella Vargas, who solved a decades-long cold case in just four days, says she's eager to do it again.

Peter Van Sant: As a result of your work, more and more law enforcement agencies will be coming to you, more and more families hoping that you can do your miracle work and solve their cold cases. That's quite a burden for you, isn't it?

Gabriella Vargas: Oh, absolutely not. It's an honor. It's an honor to be able to work these cases to bring justice to these victims and closure to these families. And I will never stop.

As the Wood family finally found some peace, their rock will always be with them giving them the strength to move forward. Janet remembers a dream she had about her sister.

Janet Wood: We were in downtown Niles.  She came up and grabbed me. She goes, "Janet." And I was like, "Rock, oh my God." And we're walkin' and walkin' and walkin' and just laughin'.

Sisters Janet Wood, left, and Roxanne Wood. / Credit: Janet Wood

Janet Wood: And all of a sudden, I look up and it's dead silent. And we're at the gates of the cemetery. And I said  um, I said, "Oh." I said, "Do you have to go back?" And she goes, "Yes." She goes, "But it's fine." She goes, "I'm good. I'm really good." (Claps her hands) That was it.

Patrick Gilham will be eligible for release in 2040 with good behavior.

He will be 86 years old.

Produced by Susan Mallie and Jennifer Terker. Stephen McCain is the development producer. Lauren Turner Dunn and Emily Wichick are the field producers. Ken Blum and Mike Baluzy are the editors. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Judy Tygard is the executive producer.

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Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I was often warned by adults to be careful of ticks if I ever played outside. Like so many other children, the main tick-related boogeyman that I was taught to fear was the dreaded Lyme disease. Readily identifiable by the angry red bullseye rash it often leaves on patients, Lyme disease can also cause severe headaches, fever, shooting pains, muscle and joint aches, facial palsy, which is drooping of one or both sides of the face, and nerve pain.

Lyme is also a disease for which  if you're a dog  there is a vaccine. Humans, however, are not so lucky, which raises provocative questions about why we don't have a cure for a disease that, according to some estimates, infects nearly half a million Americans each year. Yet COVID-19 vaccines were developed in less than a year from the virus first came to international attention.

Furthermore, the problem seems to be getting worse, as many experts agree that human-caused changes to the environment are likely to make ticks a big problem for humanity going forward. As such, it would seem necessary to at least explore the possibility of a human vaccine for Lyme disease. So what gives?

"There was previously a vaccine for humans. In fact, one of the vaccines for dogs is very similar to the prior human vaccine," Dr. Linden T. Hu, a professor of immunology at Tufts Medical School, told Salon by email. Unfortunately, the human vaccine, which was called LYMERix, suffered from low sales due to the need for three doses and a yearly booster. It was eventually withdrawn from the market due to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) described as "insufficient consumer demand."

Even if LYMERix had stayed widely available, however, Hu noted that the vaccine also suffered from "imperfect efficacy of protection and a concern that was raised over the possibility of the vaccine causing an autoimmune arthritis (which later proved to be unfounded.)"

Lyme disease expert Dr. Tania T. Dempsey wrote to Salon that the history of that vaccine and its difficulties has been widely discussed in medical literature, if for no other reason than in the two decades since the vaccine's withdrawal "it has become apparent that Lyme disease cases are on the rise and there is an urgent need for a human vaccine."

Dempsey outlined the three types of products being considered, including a Lyme vaccine called VLA15, which is now in phase 3 trials and "uses a similar method to the previous vaccine by targeting the outer surface protein A (OspA) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease."

Another, known as "Lyme PrEP," is a "pre-exposure prophylaxis," which means it offers protection before encountering the virus. It's similar to a medication used for treating the HIV virus. Lyme PrEP is only at a very early stage of clinical testing. known as phase 1, but if it worked would be a monoclonal antibody that could be given to a person as a shot that kills the bacteria in a tick's gut before the human is infected.

Finally, there is the 19ISP mRNA vaccine, also in an early stage of development, which makes it impossible for a tick to attach to a human by helping the immune system recognize a tick's saliva and also causes enough sensation that the person is likely to notice being bit. Ticks are specially evolved to be extremely stealthy, so their victims may not notice being bit for days.

All three of these present different strategies for defending against Lyme, but many questions still exist about this enigmatic disease.

"There is still much to be learned about Lyme disease," Dempsey pointed out. "It is a complex bacterial infection with different stages of effects on the human body and we are still learning about all the possible complications that can ensue."

Indeed, Lyme disease may be an illness that a patient must reckon with for their entire life, developing chronic symptoms in what is known as Chronic Lyme Disease or Post-Treatment Lyme Disease syndrome.

"This is an area of controversy but recent research supports the presence of persister forms of Borrelia burgdorferi resistant to standard antibiotic treatment," Dempsey explained. "There is currently an active search for new drugs or repurposing of old ones for targeting chronic, persister infection."

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter The Vulgar Scientist.

Hu, while reiterating that the Pfizer human vaccine is in Phase 3 and is similar to the previously approved vaccine, added that for the new vaccine to succeed it "requires fewer doses and protects for longer than one year. Vaccines that prevent against other diseases that can be co-transmitted with Lyme disease would also be useful."

One might also add that it needs to be capable of rapid mass production, analogous to what the United States pulled off during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts already anticipate that as climate change worsens, ticks are going to expand their range  and tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease will become more prevalent.

"Over the last 20 to 30 years, tick populations around the world have been expanding their geographic range, and the warming of the planet is prolonging tick season in many places causing an increase in the prevalence of tick-borne disease like Lyme disease," Wendy Adams, research grant director at the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, told Salon by email. Indeed, there are practical consequences to how this expansion in the ticks' range will impact the spread of the diseases that they so often carry.

"Since humans and dogs are not important to the lifecycle of the causative organism for Lyme, vaccines will not affect the increase in geographic range we are seeing and the risks that people face year after year," Hu explained. "To affect those, we would need to control the infection in the ticks, mice and birds that carry the disease in the wild."

Until that happens, humans need to follow best practices if they are bitten by a tick to protect themselves from any diseases that the insects may carry. Adams elaborated on what the Bay Area Lyme Foundations recommends once someone can confirm they have been bitten by a tick. First and foremost: Get tested.

"That way, you will know the potential pathogens that could have been transmitted, depending on the length of time the tick was attached," Adams explained. "This is important because some pathogens are not treated by antibiotics, and they would require a different drug regimen. It's important to note that ticks can be so tiny that they are missed, and sometimes the tick you see is not the one that infected you."

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about arthropods
An officer stands guard at the site of a mass stabbing attack in a shopping centre south of Seoul

A knife darting out in a packed subway car. An assailant, chasing shoppers, stabbing wildly in the street.

These nightmares have played out in the minds of many South Koreans following a mass stabbing attack last week - the country's second in as many weeks.

On 21 July, a man attacked commuters in the capital, killing one person and stabbing three more at a subway station. He later told police he lived a miserable life and "wanted to make others miserable too".

Then, on 3 August, 14 people were injured in Seongnam, south-east of Seoul, when a man rammed his car into pedestrians near a subway stop, and then ran into a department store, where he stabbed nine people. One woman died later from her injuries.

The second attacker, Choi Won-jong, 22, was a delivery driver and high-school dropout who had been diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. Police said he had googled news about the first attack before his own rampage.

"What's happening in South Korea these days?" cried citizens online afterwards - dazed by back-to-back stabbings in a nation known otherwise for low rates of violent crime.

"Our country used to be one of the safest in the world but recently I can't say that any more," one commented on YouTube.

'Mudjima' crimes

In South Korea, they are known as "Don't Ask Why" or Mudjima crimes - inexplicable acts of violence targeting strangers, driven by no personal link to victims or obvious motive.

Choi Won-jong is facing murder and attempted murder charges for the stabbing rampage in Seongnam, south-east of Seoul

While they've been called Mudjima by the public for years, it was only in 2022 that South Korean police officially designated such crimes as a distinct category: "Abnormal Motive Crimes".

With specific definitions and a task force set up to combat them, the move appeared to show authorities finally taking the crimes seriously. In the first half of this year, police recorded 18 Mudjima acts.

While overall data shows no rise in violent crime - South Korea last year in fact recorded its lowest rates in a decade - the recent stabbings have driven the perception that Mudjima acts are more common, and society more dangerous.

It has even led to some commentators making comparisons with the US, with online remarks: "It's the American mentality that's going viral in South Korea" and "OMG South Korea has become the USA of Asia".

Experts reiterate, however, that South Korea remains a very safe country. "Murder and other violent crime rates are very low compared to other countries, and they have been steadily declining in the last 10 years," said Prof Hyojong Song, a criminology expert at Korea University in Seoul.

South Korea's homicide rate - down to 1.3 murders per 100,000 people - is half the average of OECD nations, and less than a fifth of America's murder rate. And there are strict gun controls.

Many online said the crude comparisons to the US mask what authorities need to do locally: "They need to take a look at South Korea's own social issues that have led to this," one user wrote.

While the details surrounding the perpetrators are still sketchy, the little revealed so far has already fuelled public anger.

"These days there are jobless losers who are taking their ills out on everybody else," one user wrote on Tiktok, in a vein of commentary which has become common online.

A woman walks past a blood stain on the footpath outside the store where the Seongnam stabbing attack took place

Another, on Youtube, argued that "in the past, only psychopaths would do something like this, but now we are living in a world where ordinary people are becoming murderers. People don't have hope, the sense of panic is high and sense of happiness is low."

Experts have pointed to underlying social pressures in South Korean society - from unstable job prospects and housing, to a continued stigma around mental health and a lack of support services. Police said Choi had not received adequate treatment.

"Fundamentally, I think we need to have some emotional and instrumental social support systems or policies that can help those who are disconnected from society, with no social bond," Prof Song told the BBC.

Copycat threats

What drove greater anxiety among the public after last week's stabbing was the wave of threats that popped up, vowing copycat attacks.

Online posts stated specific timings and locations, and some even named the gender of the victims they wanted to kill. One person vowed to "kill as many people as possible."

Although many dismissed them as the work of juveniles and attention seekers, they succeeded in unnerving people.

On social media, users posted warnings for the weekend of 4-6 August: "Please avoid these areas in South Korea" was one TikTok video which drew more than 300,000 views across Asia.

"Go ahead and screenshot this- here's a list of public stabbings on the weekend," the host, a North American expat in Seoul, says in the video. Several subway stations were named as attack spots - as well nightlife areas, an amusement park and a women's university stop.

"Be careful, be mindful of surroundings and stay safe out there," they say.

In response, police mounted a "special enforcement" operation for the weekend, dispatching thousands more officers to public sites. They were told to stop and search "suspicious-looking" people- at least one person was arrested after he was seen carrying knives in public.

Armed police patrol a Seoul shopping centre the weekend after a mass stabbing

Authorities also moved in on the online threats, tracing people across the country through internet service addresses and tip-offs.

Following the weekend operation, police identified nearly 200 threats and arrested about 60 people - 34 of whom were teenagers, several aged 14 or under and not liable for prosecution.

One 17-year-old boy was detained for making a stabbing threat at a train station in Wonju, then reporting it to police as a tip-off.

In another case, a 14-year-old was arrested outside the subway station he had listed as a target. He had told police he had no murderous intent, but was "bored, and posted it as a joke".

As more and more days pass without incident, some of the immediate public tension is fading.

However, fear remains on the edge of people's minds. More people are carrying protective weapons, like mace sprays. And on subway platforms and in other crowded areas, more are staying vigilant and wary of those around them.

Last Saturday, exuberant fans on a night train returning from a BTS member's concert sparked a near stampede, when their excited shrieks were mistaken for terror. Passengers who ran away said later they felt like they'd been in a zombie film.

A web service set up to map online threats drew more than 50,000 views in its first days of operation last week, local media reported. The service is still recording new threats each day.

On Wednesday, Korean media also reported police had identified the poster of an online threat within eight minutes of it going out. The "acts of terror" have fuelled political discussion around cracking down on crime.

Lawmakers in the past week have promised harsher criminal punishments for mass stabbings, lowering the age of criminal responsibility and amending laws to justify heavy-handed police action. On Monday, the country's justice minister said the use of force by police should be considered self-defence.

An editorial this week in the Korean Herald summed up many people's feelings: "It is deeply shocking to witness such violent crimes committed in a country known for a relatively high level of public safety.

"A thorough investigation to identify the specific motives of the horrifying crimes should be carried out. At the same time, police must take steps to prevent copycat crimes."
FILE - The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays output from ChatGPT, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Boston. White House officials concerned about AI chatbots' potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday, Aug. 13, at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas. Some 3,500 competitors have tapped on laptops seeking to expose vulnerabilities in eight leading large-language models representative of technologys next big thing. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

BOSTON (AP)  White House officials concerned by AI chatbots' potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas.

Some 2,200 competitors tapped on laptops seeking to expose flaws in eight leading large-language models representative of technology's next big thing. But don't expect quick results from this first-ever independent "red-teaming of multiple models.

Findings won't be made public until about February. And even then, fixing flaws in these digital constructs  whose inner workings are neither wholly trustworthy nor fully fathomed even by their creators  will take time and millions of dollars.

Current AI models are simply too unwieldy, brittle and malleable, academic and corporate research shows. Security was an afterthought in their training as data scientists amassed breathtakingly complex collections of images and text. They are prone to racial and cultural biases, and easily manipulated.

Its tempting to pretend we can sprinkle some magic security dust on these systems after they are built, patch them into submission, or bolt special security apparatus on the side, said Gary McGraw, a cybsersecurity veteran and co-founder of the Berryville Institute of Machine Learning. DefCon competitors are more likely to walk away finding new, hard problems, said Bruce Schneier, a Harvard public-interest technologist. This is computer security 30 years ago. Were just breaking stuff left and right."

Michael Sellitto of Anthropic, which provided one of the AI testing models, acknowledged in a press briefing that understanding their capabilities and safety issues "is sort of an open area of scientific inquiry."

Conventional software uses well-defined code to issue explicit, step-by-step instructions. OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard and other language models are different. Trained largely by ingesting  and classifying  billions of datapoints in internet crawls, they are perpetual works-in-progress, an unsettling prospect given their transformative potential for humanity.

After publicly releasing chatbots last fall, the generative AI industry has had to repeatedly plug security holes exposed by researchers and tinkerers.

Tom Bonner of the AI security firm HiddenLayer, a speaker at this year's DefCon, tricked a Google system into labeling a piece of malware harmless merely by inserting a line that said this is safe to use.

There are no good guardrails, he said.

Another researcher had ChatGPT create phishing emails and a recipe to violently eliminate humanity, a violation of its ethics code.

A team including Carnegie Mellon researchers found leading chatbots vulnerable to automated attacks that also produce harmful content. It is possible that the very nature of deep learning models makes such threats inevitable, they wrote.

It's not as if alarms weren't sounded.

In its 2021 final report, the U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence said attacks on commercial AI systems were already happening and with rare exceptions, the idea of protecting AI systems has been an afterthought in engineering and fielding AI systems, with inadequate investment in research and development.

Serious hacks, regularly reported just a few years ago, are now barely disclosed. Too much is at stake and, in the absence of regulation, people can sweep things under the rug at the moment and theyre doing so, said Bonner.

Attacks trick the artificial intelligence logic in ways that may not even be clear to their creators. And chatbots are especially vulnerable because we interact with them directly in plain language. That interaction can alter them in unexpected ways.

Researchers have found that poisoning a small collection of images or text in the vast sea of data used to train AI systems can wreak havoc  and be easily overlooked.

A study co-authored by Florian Tramer of the Swiss University ETH Zurich determined that corrupting just 0.01% of a model was enough to spoil it  and cost as little as $60. The researchers waited for a handful of websites used in web crawls for two models to expire. Then they bought the domains and posted bad data on them.

Hyrum Anderson and Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, who red-teamed AI while colleagues at Microsoft, call the state of AI security for text- and image-based models pitiable in their new book Not with a Bug but with a Sticker. One example they cite in live presentations: The AI-powered digital assistant Alexa is hoodwinked into interpreting a Beethoven concerto clip as a command to order 100 frozen pizzas.

Surveying more than 80 organizations, the authors found the vast majority had no response plan for a data-poisoning attack or dataset theft. The bulk of the industry "would not even know it happened, they wrote.

Andrew W. Moore, a former Google executive and Carnegie Mellon dean, says he dealt with attacks on Google search software more than a decade ago. And between late 2017 and early 2018, spammers gamed Gmails AI-powered detection service four times.

The big AI players say security and safety are top priorities and made voluntary commitments to the White House last month to submit their models  largely "black boxes' whose contents are closely held  to outside scrutiny.

But there is worry the companies won't do enough.

Tramer expects search engines and social media platforms to be gamed for financial gain and disinformation by exploiting AI system weaknesses. A savvy job applicant might, for example, figure out how to convince a system they are the only correct candidate.

Ross Anderson, a Cambridge University computer scientist, worries AI bots will erode privacy as people engage them to interact with hospitals, banks and employers and malicious actors leverage them to coax financial, employment or health data out of supposedly closed systems.

AI language models can also pollute themselves by retraining themselves from junk data, research shows.

Another concern is company secrets being ingested and spit out by AI systems. After a Korean business news outlet reported on such an incident at Samsung, corporations including Verizon and JPMorgan barred most employees from using ChatGPT at work.

While the major AI players have security staff, many smaller competitors likely won't, meaning poorly secured plug-ins and digital agents could multiply. Startups are expected to launch hundreds of offerings built on licensed pre-trained models in coming months.

Dont be surprised, researchers say, if one runs away with your address book.
WEST YARMOUTH  A week ago, on Sunday afternoon, Ilio Perez, 46, had his room at the condo-motel Yarmouth Resort packed up.

His clothes were folded. Seven paperback books centered on Latin American history were packed into a cardboard box that once held rice snacks. And more importantly, his window-washing gear was ready to go.

Those are the most precious things because with that I can work, said Perez, who washes windows for a living along with making food deliveries.

Perez had stayed at the 337-square-foot Room 249 in the 343 Main St., or Route 28, motel for about a month, paying $300 in cash each week. But around July 31, he found a note written in marker slid under his door explaining the rates would soon increase to $700 per week.

Perez estimates he makes that much $700 per week  in income.

The new rate is beyond his budget, he said.

"I don't understand why they raised it so much," said Perez. "I even cleaned the windows from the outside."

Ilio Perez holds the letter he received telling him the rent for his room at Yarmouth Resort in West Yarmouth was increasing from $300 to $700 a week. Perez, who has been living at the Main Street motel for about a month, shown in the photo a week ago, is going to crash in makeshift accommodations on Nantucket.

Without a contractual agreement in place, hotels and motels can raise rates without much notice.

Affordable and attainable housing for people with various income levels and needs is key to a vibrant, healthy, and resilient region, according to the Cape Cod Commission. The Cape "is facing a significant challenge in providing affordable and attainable housing for current and future Cape Cod residents." The challenge affects not only those trying to find housing but also the Cape's economy, when employers try to find employees locally, according to the commission.

Perez is originally from the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. as a teenager. He's lived on Cape Cod and the Islands for about eight years on and off.

Ricky Johnson, 60, has lived at the motel for the past three months, but plans to leave as soon as he can secure a new place. He said he believes most people living there received the rate increase and has heard 25 people have already moved out.

"It's not worth that. We ain't got no kitchens or none of that like the other hotel amenities up and down the street," said Johnson, who works as a DoorDash delivery driver.

Ownership of Yarmouth Resort

Built in 1986, Yarmouth Resort contains 137 rooms. On Dec. 16, 2022, Yarmouth-based Maclynn sold 117 of those units for $7,368,000 to three Massachusetts limited liability companies: Ayushi, LLC, of Lexington; Meshkav Yarmouth, LLC, of Quincy; and Cape Hotels 20Ten, LLC, of Dedham.

Dilip Patel, Ashok Patel and Navin Patel are named as managers at Ayushi. Tapan Patel, Jigar Patel and Bhavya Patel are managers at Cape Hotels 20Ten, while Nilesh Patel is manager of Meshkav Yarmouth.

More: Confused about 'affordable' housing on Cape Cod? Here's a primer.

Ashok Patel initially responded to an email from the Times requesting a phone call, but did not respond to subsequent messages. Attempts to reach other owners at those companies, primarily by email or phone and three visits to the property, were also unsuccessful.

Yarmouth Resort is at 343 Main St., or Route 28, in West Yarmouth. Tenant Ilio Perez had been living at the motel for about a month, but is leaving as of early August after his $300 weekly rent was boosted to $700.

On July 14 of this year, 343 Yarmouth Realty, LLC, bought 11 more units from various owners, according to deeds filed with Barnstable County Registry of Deeds. Ashok Patel, Jigar Patel and Nilesh Patel are also managers at 343 Yarmouth Realty, according to the Secretary of State's website.

Dilip Patel and Ashok Patel are president and vice president of Jamsan Hotel Management, a Lexington company that manages the Aiden by Best Western @ Cape Point, in West Yarmouth, and the Dan'l Webster Inn and Spa in Sandwich, among other hotels in New England, according to the company's website.

Efforts to speak with Yarmouth Resort general manager Debbie Robbins by phone and text were unsuccessful.

Rent hike scares a tenant

Building Commissioner Mark Grylls said Yarmouth Resort holds a motel license and operates as a "motel with condominium ownership." He said he's not sure how many people live in motels in Yarmouth and estimated the town contains 3,400-plus hotel rooms.

Town Planner Kathy Williams did not respond to a phone call or email.

The rent hike is hard to swallow for some, though.

"Everyone's shocked, everybody's mad, everyone's scared," said Johnson, who said he makes up to $400 per week. "There's no place on the Cape."

Johnson said the motel seems to be popular with seasonal workers. Some people are "roped in" and intend to pay the increase "even though they don't have the money."

"I feel for the foreign people. They came here to work, now they can't," said Johnson. "What are they going to do, sleep in their car?"

What is a 'condotel'?

Yarmouth Resort transitioned into a condominium form of ownership in 2005, when the Yarmouth Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a petition by Miracle LLC, the motel's then-owner.

At that time, the zoning board imposed several conditions on the preliminary approval meant to preserve its motel use and prevent long-term residencies, including that the rental of a unit may not be arranged directly by the owner and must be done through the motel management company.

An explainer from Yarmouth Resort around 2006 defines a "condotel" as "a hassle-free vacation home that can generate income to offset costs."

"By allowing management to rent out the unit when you are not using it you can receive a portion of the revenue," reads the "Frequently Asked Questions" document.

Ilio Perez has been living at the Yarmouth Resort on Route 28 for about a month. He moved out this week after his rent went up from $300 a week to $700. He plans to head to Nantucket where he'll live in makeshift accommodations.

Owners at a condo motel are allowed to use the unit and amenities year-round. Housekeeping, maintenance, and inspections are all handled by a professional management team, reads the explainer. It differs from a timeshare, where an owner has a small percentage of the entire property with a right to use it for a short period.

'No way around it'

When he learned about the rent hike, Perez reached out to some local housing resources and was told to scour Craigslist for options. But that search was a dead end.

"I'm looking for a room, not an apartment," said Perez. "They don't want to give me a room, because I'm a male. They're looking for a female. So there's no way around it.

He soon plans to catch a ferry to Nantucket where he can sleep at an office. He used to work there and was given a key and permission to stay there during emergencies.

"In the night, it's closed and I can crash there," said Perez. "It has a little kitchen and a bathroom. Pretty much all for myself but it's not really a livable place like an apartment."

He already has a job lined up making food deliveries when he gets to Nantucket. He's uncertain if he can afford to bring his car aboard the ferry.

Perez originally thought he would have to leave Monday, the day after speaking with a Times reporter at his unit, but was allowed to stay another week while still paying the $300 weekly rate after a storm disrupted his plans.

Following the rules

"I don't really want to go to Nantucket, but it seems like the only option I have left," he said in a follow-up text message to the Times.

Perez said he made sure to follow all rules while he stayed at Yarmouth Resort, saying he was told "not to party or not to make a mess."

"I didn't make a mess, I didn't make parties. I was just working all the time," he said.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Yarmouth Resort operates as a motel with condominium ownership
Police have arrested a Dorchester man in connection with a stabbing that sent one person to the hospital.

Chau Minh Duong, 54, is charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery, Boston Police said in a statement.

Police arrested Duong after officers responded to the area of 108 Bloomfield St. for a report of a person stabbed at about 11:03 p.m. Friday.

When officers arrived, they found a victim suffering from a stab wound. The victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Officers were given a description of the suspect and the suspects vehicle, and then searched for the vehicle.

Police located the suspects vehicle in the area of 112 Monsignor Lydon Way, and they located Duong.

Duong is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.

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Boston Red Sox's Adam Duvall celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

BOSTON (AP)  Adam Duvall had four RBIs that included a three-run homer, Justin Turner added a solo shot and the Boston Red Sox won their series against the Detroit Tigers with a 6-3 victory on Sunday.

Trevor Story went 4 for 4 with three doubles and two stolen bases for Boston, Connor Wong had an RBI triple and Duvall added a run-scoring single.

It feels good knowing with that wall at 310, that its going to go, said Duvall of his drive over the Green Monster. I feel like I've been seeing the ball pretty good lately, and, as a hitter, that's one of the hardest things to do.

Boston went 5-5 on a season-high 10-game homestand and wore their City Connect uniforms of bright yellow and power blue for the seventh straight game. The Red Sox improved to 11-2 in their alternate uniforms this season and 26-6 since they were introduced in 2021.

Boston scored six runs over five innings against former Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6) and took two of three from the Tigers, winning for the fifth time in seven games.

Akil Baddoo hit a solo homer over the Green Monster for the Tigers, their fifth solo drive over Fenway Parks left-field wall in two days. Miguel Cabrera got a nice hand before his final at-bat and tipped his helmet.

Awesome, a smiling Cabrera said of the ovation. That'll be in my memory my whole life. I really appreciate the fans in Boston doing that. It was pretty awesome. I didn't expect that. They love baseball here. They love sports here in Boston.

The 12-time All-Star and 2012 Triple Crown winner, Cabrera announced last fall this will be his last season.

These people get it, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. It was one of the cool moments at this historic ballpark.

Coming off the injured list, Garrett Whitlock (5-3) allowed an unearned run in two hitless innings and Kenley Jansen worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.

A member of the Red Sox for six years, including the World Series champs in 2018, Rodriguez went 64-39 with Boston before signing a $77 million, five-year deal with the Tigers following the 2021 season.

I tried to be on the corners as much as I can, but I made some mistakes and I paid for it, he said.

Duvall hit a 403-foot shot completely out of Fenway to make it 6-2 in the fifth inning after Story reached on a double when Baddoo lost his fly to left in the sun and Masataka Yoshida singled.

He's been swinging the bat better, Cora said of Duvall. He made some adjustments this week.

Turners 401-foot drive pushed Boston ahead 2-1 in the third. Duvall added his RBI single in the inning after Story singled and stole second and third.

HIGHLIGHT PLAYS

Detroit made nice back-to-back defensive plays in the fourth. Second baseman Zach McKinstry dove to his right to snap Triston Casas grounder before getting up and throwing to first. Then, Rodriguez came off the mound, barehanded Wongs bunt and got him on a close play at first.

Boston third baseman Luis Urias made a backward falling tag on Riley Greene, trying to stretch a double in the eighth.

CLOSE IT OUT

Boston improved to an MLB-best 48-3 when leading after six innings.

ROUGH ONE AGAIN

In Rodriguezs only other career start against his former team, he gave up seven runs, two earned, in 3 2/3 innings on April 13 last year.

TRAINERS ROOM

Tigers: Shortstop Javier Baez went on the bereavement list as planned after he was scratched due to right knee soreness Saturday. Isan Diaz was recalled from Triple-A Toledo to take his roster spot.

Red Sox: Story returned to lineup after getting Saturday off, his first after playing four straight games in his return from offseason elbow surgery.  Cora said right-hander Tanner Houck would start Wednesday for either Triple-A Worcester or Double-A Portland. Houck has been out since mid-June after a facial fracture caused by a line drive off the bat of the Yankees Kyle Higashioka.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Alex Faedo (2-4, 5.80 ERA) starts Tuesday in the opener of two-game series at Minnesota. RHP Bailey Ober (6-6, 3.40) is slated to go for the Twins.

Red Sox: A bullpen game is likely Tuesday in the start of a three-game series at Washington. RHP Josiah Gray (7-9, 3.69) is in line for the Nationals.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio marks a disturbing moment for the region and democracy, his successor and former running mate Andrea Gonzalez Nader has told CNN in an exclusive interview.

You never have enough time to process something so shocking and so sobering as the assassination of a presidential candidate (on) such a level of violence and so soon  so close to the presidential elections, Nader told CNNs Rafael Romo in an interview in the capital Quito on Saturday.

This is a disturbing moment for the whole region and for the worlds democracy, she said.

Nader was named as the new presidential candidate for Villavicencios Movimiento Construye political party following his death during a campaign rally on Wednesday as violence and crime escalates in the South American country.

She was seen wearing a bulletproof vest at a candidacy acceptance ceremony in the capital on Friday.

Nader was chosen by Fernando Villavicencio and the Movimiento Construye as the designated successor to step in as president in the event of his absence, the party said in a statement published online on Saturday.

Andrea Gonzalez seen at a conference wearing a bulletproof vest, on August 10, 2023. - Karen Toro/Reuters

Villavicencio, 59, an anti-corruption campaigner and lawmaker, was outspoken about violence caused by drug trafficking in Ecuador. His campaign had promised a crackdown on crime and corruption that gripped the country in recent years.

His killing came 10 days before the first round of the presidential elections, scheduled to take place on August 20.

His widow Veronica Sarauz expressed disagreement with Naders appointment in the wake of her husbands passing and blamed the state for his murder, demanding answers as to why it happened.

The state was in charge of Fernandos security. The state is directly responsible for the murder of my husband. They did not protect him as they should have protected him, Sarauz told a news conference on Saturday.

The 59-year-old was laid to rest in a private ceremony at the Monteolivo cemetery in northern Quito on Friday.

The state still has to give many answers about everything that happened. His personal guards did not do their job, she said.

Fernando Villavicencio speaks during a campaign rally in Quito. - Karen Toro/Reuters

Villavicencios assassination prompted an outpouring of condemnation from inside Ecuador and around the world.

The suspected shooter died in police custody following an exchange of fire with security personnel, authorities said.

Six others  all Colombian nationals  have also been arrested in connection with the killing, believed to be members of organized criminal groups.

Precautions

While authorities have not yet announced any confirmed links between gangs to Villavicencios assassination, the Ecuadorian Army Command announced the dispatch and deployment of 4,000 personnel  2,000 military members and 2,000 police officers  to the Zonal 8 Detention Center in Guayas province to establish control over weapons, ammunition and explosives within the prison.

A high profile prisoner Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, more popularly known by his alias Fito and jailed after being convicted of drug trafficking  is currently incarcerated in the prison, sparking concerns by the authorities.

Villavicencio  also a former journalist  had said in a televised interview on July 31 that he had been threatened by Macias and warned against continuing with his campaign against gang violence for the leadership.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced Saturday that Macias and other dangerous prisoners would be relocated to the La Roca maximum security prison after drugs, weapons, ammunition and explosives were found.

Images released by the armed forces on Saturday showed Macias being restrained and searched inside the facility. Macias as well as his gang members have not yet publicly commented on the assassination.

With previous reporting from CNNs Gerardo Lemos, Ana Canizares and Chris Lau

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Two handcuffed men with shirts over their heads are moved into tanks by Ecuador police

Thousands of Ecuadorian soldiers and police have been involved in a dawn operation to move a notorious gang leader to a maximum security jail.

Jose Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito" is accused of sending death threats to Ecuador's murdered presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio.

The anti-corruption campaigner was shot three times in the head leaving a campaign rally on Wednesday.

Before his murder Mr Villavicencio said he had been threatened by Fito.

"If I continue... mentioning Los Choneros [the gang], they are going to break me," he said.

His death has shocked a nation that has largely escaped the decades of drug-gang violence, cartel wars and corruption that has blighted many of its neighbours. Crime has however shot up in recent years, fuelled by the growth of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.

On Sunday, his Construye party announced Christian Zurita, another journalist, would replace Mr Villavicencio as its presidential candidate.

This was a reversal from Saturday when the slain politician's running mate, Andrea Gonzalez, had been named.

Mr Villavicencio's widow Veronica Sarauz said she held the state responsible for her husband's death that she was unhappy Ms Gonzalez had been named as her husband's replacement.

Ecuador's security forces shared photos of the raid on social media

Mr Villavicencio's campaign focused on corruption and drugs. He was one of the only candidates to allege links between organised crime and Ecuadorian government officials.

The day before his assassination, he complained to the Public Prosecutor's Office about alleged irregularities in oil contracts negotiated during former president Rafael Correa's administration which had cost the country US $9bn (7 bn).

Six Colombians have been arrested in connection with the murder, while a seventh was killed in a shootout. The authorities have not said who hired and paid the hitmen.

Gang leader Fito had been held in Prison 8 in Guayaquil since 2011, and videos shared by security forces showed him handcuffed in his underwear as security forces moved him to another facility.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso said Fito had been moved to La Roca, a 150-person maximum security prison that is part of the same complex.
This article was originally published in El Paso Matters.

After returning to school following the COVID-19 pandemic, students across El Paso have been caught vaping THC  the psychoactive component in marijuana that causes a high  in bathrooms, hallways and even in class.

Some of these kids are just being blatant about using vapes, Socorro Independent School District Police Chief George Johnson said.

This led to a dramatic rise in minors, some as young as 10, facing felony charges for possession of THC concentrates.

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In the third of a four-part series on juvenile THC vaping, El Paso Matters explores how school districts are dealing with a growing number of disciplinary cases while figuring out how to stop students from vaping.

Many have installed special sensors that detect vaping and notify school staff; had drug-sniffing police dogs make searches; given presentations on the consequences of vaping THC, and implemented new measures on how to deal with those who have been caught.

Any student who possesses, uses, or is under the influence of marijuana on school property must be removed from class and placed in a disciplinary alternative education program or juvenile justice alternative education program, which often requires expulsion from their current school, according to the Texas Education Code. The code also states administrators must consider certain factors, like disability and disciplinary history, before sending a student to alternative school.

In June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill meant to give schools more control over which students get sent to these schools, which is typically meant for students who commit violent crimes and pose a danger to their peers. House Bill 114 goes into effect in September.

With this vague guidance from the state, policies and disciplinary methods can sometimes vary from school to school within the same district.

Some have begun taking a restorative approach that aims to educate students on vaping THC while allowing the legal system to dole out punishment.

If we remove students from the classroom for a suspension or expulsion, it has a negative impact on their education, a negative impact on likelihood young people will graduate or how likely they are to attend college, said Jeffrey Willett, the national vice president of integrated strategies for the American Heart Association during a presentation on vaping with El Paso school administrators in June.

The presentation was hosted by the Paso Del Norte Foundation as part of its Smoke-Free Paso Del Norte campaign.

The rise of THC vaping cases caused at least one local alternative school to become overwhelmed with students during the 2022-23 school year.

Ive worked at Cesar Chavez (Academy) and oh my god, theres a lot of kids, said El Paso Police Officer Andres Rodriguez during a presentation with the El Paso Advocates for Prevention Coalition in July.

Theyll all be coming down to Cesar Chavez because they get caught with a vape, Rodriguez said about the alternative school in the Ysleta Independent School District.

KEYS Academy, an alternative school in the Socorro Independent School District, has reached capacity multiple times during the school year. Some faculty members said that most of the current students are THC-related placements. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)

Very few are coming in here for fighting or any of the other issues that they may be having. So the vast majority of our students here are for THC versus before where you had a decent mix of various reasons why they might be coming in, Ivan Martinez, a social studies teacher at Keys Academy, added.

Keys Academy, an alternative school with SISD, has been struggling with an overflow of students, with classes reaching capacity multiple times during the school year, emails obtained by El Paso Matters show.

We are currently at capacity with KEYS placements, and we are asking that middle schools keep their current placements at eight students so we can accommodate all pending schools recommendations, stated an email sent to SISD administrators in February from KEYS Academy Assistant Principal Daniel Delgado.

Records show that both EPISD and SISD saw an increase in alternative education placements during this last school year. EPISDs alternative school placements rose about 14% to about 1,700 during the 2022-23 school year over the previous year. SISDs alternative school placements rose by 15% to 820 during that same time frame. These numbers include placement for all disciplinary offenses, not just those related to THC.

Martinez said he has also noticed that placing students at Keys Academy hasnt been very successful in getting kids to stop vaping THC.

The majority of the sentiment I hear from the students is that they want to be smarter about trying to hide it or just not bringing it to school, but probably still use at home, Martinez said. Now there are a few that do say it was a mistake and are just going to stay away from that and stay clean, but its not the majority.

Though school districts are required to track disciplinary violations and report them to the Texas Education Agency, administrators say it is still difficult to get a full scope of just how many students are getting caught vaping THC.

School districts can report a disciplinary incident involving THC vaping devices as either a standard controlled substance violation, which can include regular marijuana, or as a felony controlled substance violation that can include other controlled substances like cocaine or meth.

Still, disciplinary reports show that the number of drug-related violations has been on the rise since students returned to school from the pandemic, and administrators say it is mostly related to THC.

During the 2022-23 school year, the El Paso Independent School District reported 655 combined drug violations, SISD reported 568 and YISD reported 584. During the previous school year, EPISD reported roughly 400 of these cases, SISD reported 340 and the Ysleta Independent School District reported 490.

Records obtained by El Paso Matters show that about 880  or 60%  THC vaping-related arrests that were reported to the El Paso Juvenile Probation Department between April 2019 and April 2023 were conducted by school resource officers.

However, the number that took place in schools is likely higher since local law enforcement will assist school districts without their own police force. About 37% of these arrests were conducted by SISD police and over 21% were done by EPISD Police.

YISD, the third largest district in the county, does not have its own police force and works with the El Paso Police Department in cases when students are caught vaping THC. The department made roughly 26% of these arrests in the same period, including those that took place outside of YISD.

Still, this does not include arrests for students who were 17 or older and were charged as adults.

Johnson noted that one of the reasons so many charges come from SISD is because of its heightened police presence on its campuses.

I believe the issue is nationwide, I dont think its isolated just to us, but here in El Paso we have the largest school-based law enforcement agency locally, Johnson said.

The Socorro Independent School Districts police force, which has about 70 officers who patrol 53 schools, made about 380 THC-related arrests in the period from April 2019 to April 2023. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)

Though EPISD and SISD have a similar population, with 50,000 and 48,000 students respectively, Johnson said SISD had more officers on staff and fewer schools for them to patrol. According to EPISDs website, the district has 42 police officers who are tasked with monitoring the districts roughly 80 schools. Johnson said SISD has about 70 officers on staff with only 53 schools to patrol.

A restorative approach

While expulsion to alternative schools is one of the most common consequences for students caught vaping THC in Texas, research shows that it can have negative long-term consequences.

One statewide study found that students involved in a school disciplinary system were more likely to be held back a grade and drop out of school.

Another study also found that suspending and expelling students have lower college enrollment rates, lower graduation rates and are more likely to get involved in the criminal justice system in the future.

A number of health organizations, including the American Heart Association, are now advocating for schools to take a restorative approach that provides alternatives to exclusionary discipline by keeping kids in class and attempting to address the root cause of students vaping.

Willett, of the AHA, said this may include treating mental health issues.

A study conducted by the AHA in 2020 found that students who vape THC, nicotine or both reported significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts than their peers who dont vape.

We dont know the relationship in terms of causality, but we do know that many young people are using vaping products, both nicotine and cannabis, because they likely falsely perceive that it provides relief for anxiety and depression, Willett said.

Disciplinary measures that do not address some of those underlying issues may exacerbate them, Willett added.

In response to a growing number of students vaping, some schools began changing the way they deal with disciplinary cases.

During the 2022-23 school year, YISD implemented a new program for students who were caught vaping, either nicotine or THC, for the first time meant to keep them out of an alternative school setting.

We started to see this uptick last year, so we went with the proactive approach and we established a vaping first offender program, Department of Student Services Director Diana Yadira Mooy said. The legal side still takes its course if its THC, but here in our district, our approach is more to emphasize the importance of educating the students on the potential health risk and consequences of THC.

YISD is also the only of El Pasos three largest school districts to see a decline in alternative school placements. During the 2021-22 school year, the district had 706 students sent to alternative school. That number dropped to 645 in the 2022-23 school year.

As part of the program, students are required to complete a curriculum where they learn about the health consequences of vaping and marijuana use. Mooy said they have students talk to a counselor who checks for underlying issues such as addiction, anxiety or depression, and help refer them to treatment.

The students parents are also required to attend a meeting where they learn about the health and legal consequences of vaping THC.

Part of the parent meeting is not only to inform them of the heavy consequences, but also addressing the root cause and providing that support to hopefully reduce those incidents in the future, Mooy said.

Mooy said that over 550 students who were caught vaping either THC or nicotine had taken part in the program during its first year.

One school in SISD, Pebble Hills High School, also implemented a vaping first-offender program with some questionable methods.

During the nine-week program, students caught vaping are allowed to attend their regular classes and required to wear a uniform  something their peers dont have to do.

The goal of the program is to reduce the number of students attending alternative schools and continue with their regular instruction, said Andrea Cruz, assistant superintendent of administrative services at SISD.

The program allows students to continue with their classes and minimizes the learning and credit loss, Cruz said.

Cruz said the program is currently under review, and it is likely other schools in the district may implement something similar.

This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Washington  The family of Emad Shargi, who has been imprisoned in Iran for more than five years, is holding their breath as highly sensitive negotiations to bring home five Americans held in Iran play out.

"My family and I are just on pins and needles," his sister Neda Sharghi told "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "We're incredibly nervous about what happens next."

Sharghi said she was able to speak with her brother on a video call after his release to house arrest.

"I was able to look into his eyes," she said. "I'm happy to say that he's survived. He's alive, and we're so hopeful that we can have him at home in our arms, hopefully soon."

Transcript: Neda Sharghi on "Face the Nation"

Four Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran were recently moved from Evin Prison and placed under house arrest as part of a deal negotiated by the Biden administration to eventually secure their freedom. A fifth American who was already under house arrest is also part of the agreement.

Neda Sharghi on

Their release from prison was the first step in a politically charged agreement that would bring the five Americans home in exchange for the Iranian regime gaining access to $6 billion of dollars in blocked funds.

Shargi, an American citizen who was born in Iran and left as a child, was detained in 2018 and eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted in absentia on unsubstantiated espionage charges. The U.S. government considers him to be wrongfully detained.

News of the deal came was met with criticism from Republicans, who characterized the agreement as the Biden administration rewarding Iran's hostage taking by paying a ransom. The White House has pushed back on that notion, saying Iran will only be able to use funds from a pre-existing account for humanitarian purposes.

Sharghi said now is not the time for such a debate.

"I have seen families struggle and suffer. I know the devastation that families go through as they're trying to bring their loved ones home," she said. "We can have discussions about how to prevent this from happening in the future. But we don't do that on the backs of innocent Americans. We need to bring them home. And then we can have discussions about how we can prevent this in the future."

Rep. Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the Biden administration should "work diligently" to bring these Americans home but "the terms of the deal are absolutely important."

"They appear to be careening toward a deal that would be informal, not subject to congressional oversight, because we wouldn't know all the terms," he said, expressing concern that stipulations about Iran's nuclear program could be included. "What we're concerned about is, we don't want a secret deal with Iran."

Transcript: Rep. Mike Turner on "Face the Nation"

Turner also said Congress should consider banning travel to Iran.

Sharghi said it's a discussion lawmakers should have after detainees are home.

"I don't want to prevent people from doing that. But the reality is we need to sit down together both sides of the aisle and come up with ways that we can prevent this from happening again," she said. "Those discussions about prevention and deterrence can and should happen after they're home."

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The German company Rheinmetall will hand over the Luna NG unmanned aerial reconnaissance system to the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the end of 2023.

Source: Bild am Sonntag

Details: The Luna NG consists of a ground control station with several drones, a launch catapult and military trucks, the newspaper writes.

It is noted that NG stands for the "new generation" of the Luna drone, as other models of drones have already been delivered to Ukraine from the warehouses of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces.

The publication writes that Luna NG is a newly developed state-of-the-art UAV that surpasses previous models in all important operational characteristics. The drone can not only be used as a reconnaissance system but is also capable of providing an LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network, intercepting or jamming communications.

The Rheinmetall group website reports that the ultra-light Luna NG provides a flight time of more than 12 hours and a data transmission range of more than 100 km. The drone provides for spatial coverage of more than 30,000 square kilometres.

The UAVs can be launched from almost anywhere using a rope hoist catapult. The landing of the drone is carried out autonomously with the help of differential GPS in the network, or using a parachute.

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Hot dog! is a joyous exclamation, at least until it refers to your actual dog who may, in fact, be dangerously hot.

As our planet overheats, extreme weather events like heat waves are happening worldwide. Record temperatures are leaving humans and animals alike struggling to adapt.

Unless we stop the human-caused overheating of our planet, it will only get hotter, so knowing how to manage the heat safely will become increasingly important to protect your pets.

What can you do to keep your dog safe in extreme heat?

Hot or not, your pet still needs to go to the bathroom and get exercise, and there are steps you can take to make sure they  and you  stay safe.

If its dangerously hot, only take them out early in the morning or later in the evening when its coolest. You should avoid walking them during the middle part of the day when temperatures are highest and limit walks to 10-15 minutes.

Remember that if youre struggling to be comfortable, so is your pet. Further, they dont have the protection from the elements that we do and can burn their paws on hot pavement.

Consider booties for them and always check the pavement before allowing them to walk on it. Sarah Carotenuto, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, told The Washington Post that if you cant leave your hand on the pavement for five seconds without feeling too hot, then its too hot for your dogs paws.

You should also be sure to bring plenty of water, even on a short walk, and possibly even use a spray bottle on them and help with heat evaporation.

One of the most important things you can do is learn the signs of heat exhaustion in dogs.

Lauree Simmons, the founder and president of Big Dog Ranch, a no-kill rescue shelter, told Time that early signs include redness around the eyes, darkening of the gums and tongue, and excessive salivating or panting.

Lastly, be sure to help dogs cool down once back inside by giving them lots of water  ice cubes can also be great  and wetting them down to help the heat evaporate from their bodies faster.

Why is this important?

Not only can extreme heat cause your dog to overheat and burn their paws, but not mitigating its effects can lead to death.

Tracey Miller, director of field operations for the Arizona Humane Society in Phoenix, told Time that while it used to be rare for a pet to die from heat, from May 1 to July 12 this year, her team had already seen seven instances of it.

People think its OK to still take their dog for a walk in the middle of the day, and it really isnt, Miiller told Time.

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For 11 hours a day, five days a week, Efrocina Martinez, 48, and her daughter Maria Santiago, 16, pick husks of corn under the scorching summer sun west of Caldwell in Wilder. They work full-time at $15 an hour with a group of 40 other farmworkers. They travel to different squares in the Wilder area, tending to the corn, hops and other crops.

Idaho farmworkers for the past two months have been working at least five days a week, often 12 hours a day, in heat that often hit triple digits. They endure long hours, are exposed to the elements and have little to no government protection. The Boise area saw an average of 92.7 degrees in the month of July.

Last summer, during record-breaking temperatures in Boise, Martinez nearly fainted while working in Wilder, she said. But when her manager brought her a drink, I started to feel better and went straight back to work.

We become strong and we deal with it, Martinez told the Idaho Statesman. We fall down, and we keep getting up.

In the past year, California and neighboring states in the West  Oregon and Washington  have passed laws to protect farmworkers from the heat as the summers face more extreme temperatures. The three states have different trigger temperatures for implementing mandated rest schedules, with Californias activating at 95 degrees and both Washington and Oregon rules activating at 90 degrees.

But in Idaho, no such state laws exist.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act provides recommendations on how to manage heat and signs of heat illness. U.S. employers are required to follow standards for field sanitation set by OSHA. Those standards mandate the provision of toilets, potable drinking water and hand-washing facilities for workers.

The only rules in place for Idaho workers are the minimum set by the federal government, and the federal government currently does not have heat protection standards for workers, said Elizabeth Strater, a spokesperson for United Farm Workers, a national advocacy group.

A farmworker filling his bottle with water while working in Wilder Daniel Ramirez

Idaho lawmakers currently have no plans for bills that would protect farmworkers from heat, said Sen. Jim Guthrie, a six-term McCammon Republican. He said he believes that its the individuals responsibility to protect themselves.

I think we all want to see everybody be as safe as they can be. But theres also a level of, how much regulation is too much regulation? Guthrie told the Statesman. If you take 15 minutes for every hour, thats a 25% increase in somebodys wages or a 25% loss in productivity for the business owner.

Immigrants need protection, Idaho farmworkers say

Martinez has been working in agriculture for the past 25 years. Santiago, who was born in the U.S., said that her earliest memories were working in these fields began when she was around 4 or 5 years old.

We didnt really have babysitters or any of that, Santiago told the Statesman.

Two farmworkers walking down the lane of corn, taking off the tops of the plants to encourage growth Daniel Ramirez

Martinez, who immigrated from Mexico and became a permanent resident of the U.S., emphasized the need to protect all individuals, regardless of their immigration status of the worker in the United States. But farmworkers cant wait for these laws to change, she added, and they need the money.

Santiago said farmworkers dont get the appreciation they deserve, nor do they get the protections that they need.

I feel like the state of Idaho is not really on their side, Santiago told the Statesman. It can get really hot here, and we really havent seen any changes.

Nonprofits help essential workers

The Idaho Organization of Resource Council has been raising money for their heat and smoke relief fund to purchase supplies for farmworkers, including cold water, Gatorade, sunscreen, and other items that can help alleviate the effects of heat. Irene Ruiz, executive director for the IORC, said the fundraiser began to help the farmworker community in 2021, when a worker died in Oregon because of the heat.

Maria Mendoza, 46, who supervises Martinez and Santiagos group, has been working as a farmworker in the Wilder area for the past 18 years. Mendoza frequently provides a 5-gallon water jug for workers to access drinking water and a cooler filled with ice to keep their water bottles cold.

Libertad Sanchez, 46, Mendozas assistant, told the Statesman they care for each other when working in the fields. She said Mendoza ensures that workers always have cold water or bottles of water with them.

Libertad Sanchez, 46, keeping track of where the workers are and guiding other workers of lanes that need worked on. Daniel Ramirez

Looking ahead, even if temperatures get hotter, Mendoza said she would still work in these fields.

We do love our work, as it gives us a sense of freedom, Mendoza said. We are outside, and we get to work with each other.
ROME  Ukraines counteroffensive began two months ago, but in many ways its forces have been preparing for it for years by learning how to fight like NATO militaries, with a mix of infantry, artillery, armored vehicles and air power.

But the Biden administration waited more than a year before letting NATO countries send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. By the time pilots are trained on the advanced aircraft, it will be too late for them to assist and protect ground forces slogging through this phase of fighting.

All of which has raised a question: Without significant air power  a pillar of the warfare tactics that the West has urged Ukraine to adopt  can the counteroffensive prevail?

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The answer appears to be yes, as current and former officials in Ukraine, the United States and Europe, as well as Western defense analysts, said in interviews last week as the counteroffensive ground on, with volleys of artillery fire and drone strikes but no major breakthroughs.

But it is likely to be far more difficult without the jets.

It will have to happen without the F-16, said Philip M. Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general and former NATO commander, but I believe they can.

A former F-16 pilot, Breedlove said there was great benefit for Ukraines forces to learn and deploy the so-called combined arms tactics that are the backbone of modern ground warfare, given that they are going to be applicable in many different phases of what you do, no matter what.

Nevertheless, he added, If you expect Ukraine to fight like we fight, then they have to have the tools that we have, and we have not given them those tools.

Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the top Ukrainian commander, has made the same point with considerable frustration.

Some experts said the dearth of air power had put Ukraine at a disadvantage this summer against Russian attack helicopters that have picked off Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles. At least some of the helicopters are equipped with anti-tank missiles that are shot either too far or too low to be intercepted by Ukraines air defenses, according to Britains Defense Ministry.

Col. Markus Reisner, who oversees force development at Austrias main military training academy, said that with more warplanes, Ukraine could better defend its ground troops from those attacks.

This is what it is actually intended for, said Reisner, a trained intelligence officer. Military logic tells you, you have to have air superiority to conduct successful land operations.

He added: Some American generals, they say, Well, its not what the Ukrainians need at the moment. I think this is a political statement, its not a military logical statement.

Neither Ukraine nor Russia  despite its seemingly overwhelming advantage  has managed to achieve air superiority since the war began in February 2022.

Back then, Russia had 10 times as many fighter aircraft as Ukraine  772 to 69  including some that were far more technologically advanced, according to the Global Firepower Index, which ranks conventional war-making capabilities. Yet in the 18 months since, both sides have relied on artillery, drones and long-range missiles to attack.

That is because both Ukraine, with Patriot missiles, among other weapons, and Russia with its S-400 air defense systems, have formidable air defenses that have largely deterred each other from launching airstrikes near or behind the front lines with piloted warplanes.

For the most part, Ukrainian pilots currently flying their Soviet-era MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets take care not to get too close to their targets or to stay in the air for too long, to avoid becoming targets themselves. They get as close as they dare and then fire missiles, including long-range missiles recently provided by Britain and France, at fuel and ammunition depots and other military targets before darting away.

In view of those limitations, a Biden administration official said in an interview last week that it was unclear whether Ukraines forces would be able to provide support to ground troops even if they had the F-16s. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an issue that has become a sore point to the Ukrainians.

After Ukraine suffered heavy losses early in the counteroffensive by trying to follow the combined-arms approach, some commanders decided to abandon the effort and return to the tactics they know best  firing artillery and missiles to degrade Russias fighting capability in a war of attrition.

That was not a complete surprise to military experts, who said the problems went well beyond the absence of air power. Retired Col. Steve Boylan, a trained U.S. Army aviator and a former spokesperson for the Armys Combined Arms Center in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, said it had taken years for U.S. forces to learn how to do it effectively  and not in the middle of a fight.

As its name suggests, the modern fighting method combines infantry troops, armored tanks, artillery ground fire and air power in an effort to dominate all the domains of ground warfare. Boylan said the tactics were developed as a better way to fight after the bloody trench warfare of World War I, but it was not until the 1990-91 Persian Gulf war that U.S. troops fought in the combined arms units as they are deployed today.

Fighting without one of the elements  like air power, in Ukraines case  may force units to adjust, but I would suspect that they would take our instruction, training and tactics as a baseline and modify it to what works best for them, Boylan said.

Yet for all that air power can bring to a battle, he said, until you get troops on the ground, and actually take it, you dont own it. And you cant hold it.

As it is, Breedlove said, Ukraines military is already one of the best-equipped and most battle-tested in Europe. Last week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine said that plans for obtaining Western warplanes were moving forward, adding, I have no doubt that F-16s will be in our skies.

But that will require a lengthy training period, beginning for many with language lessons. U.S. officials have said that Ukraine has identified only eight combat pilots  less than a single squadron  who speak English well enough to start at least a year of training. About 20 others are being sent to Britain this month to learn English.

Sending just a handful of F-16s into battle would not make much difference in the war, said Douglas Barrie, a military aerospace expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Its got to be adequate, its got to be up to the task, he said.

If Ukraine had multiple properly trained and equipped squadrons of F-16s, Barrie said, would it have helped in the counteroffensive? Its a theoretical question, but the theoretical answer is yes.

He said that Ukraines forces were never going to be in a position to launch a Western-style combined-arms offensive without air power.

Then again, he added, If they hadnt had any of this training, would we now be trying to figure out how to get the Russians out of Kyiv?

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Lil Durks concert at United Center was shut down Saturday evening after inaccurate reports of shots fired near the area.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department said officers responded to a call of shots fired. It was later determined that the reports were non bona fide, though the department has released no additional details.

Videos on social media showed concertgoers hurrying down stairs and toward the exits as armed police officers scanned the arena.

We are working closely with authorities to investigate all incidents from last evening at the WGCI Summer Jam show, read a statement from the United Center. It became apparent for all involved that ending the show early was in everyones best interest as the safety of our guests and employees is a priority. We are thankful that initial incident reports were false and that guests exited the facility safely.

Lil Durk was born Durk Derrick Banks in Chicago. The Saturday concert, his second one this weekend at United Center, concluded the lineup of the WGCI Summer Jam show.
As students return to school for a new academic year, far-right extremists and conservative media outlets are targeting LGBTQ+ organizations that support the healthy development of children. After the It Gets Better Project awarded grant money to more than 50 high schools in the United States and Canada to uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students in schools, some on the right have warned that the organization is grooming kids.

With the help of It Gets Better, middle and high schools nationwide received over $600,000 in June for projects that empower and uplift LGBTQ+ students. This program awards projects mainly run by kids, and it funds everything from Pride events to GSAs to inclusive language seminars to gender-inclusive closets.

The It Gets Better Project has approved $10,000 grants for 56 U.S. and 15 Canadian public and charter schools to fund LGBTQ+ initiatives throughout 2023, according to the organizations website.

The far-right outfit Daily Caller took issue with the group promoting gender ideology. The publication attacked It Gets Better on Sunday in an article titled LGBTQ Activist Org Awards Thousands To Schools Across the Country to Promote Gender Ideology.

The conservative website listed some of the schools awarded funds in the piece.

The group is funding programs and curricula that are inappropriate for children and certainly inappropriate for classrooms in public schools, Erika Sanzi, director of operations at Parents Defending Education, complained to Daily Caller.

Despite its claim in its title that it's about parents or defending freedom, Parents Defending Education is a far-right group that opposes diversity, equity, and inclusion measures and complains about LGBTQ+ indoctrination in schools. Critics say it serves right-wing interests that seek to destroy public education.

It Gets Better Project senior director of communications and public relations Ross von Metzke explained the purpose behind the grant program.

The goal is really quite simple to get money in the hands of LGBTQ+ students or allied students and teachers who really want to create projects that uplift and empower LGBTQ+ students, von Metzke said.

He noted that in the wake of hateful rhetoric and legislation around the nation, the group hopes to provide some hope for young people who may feel times are dark. There are almost 500 bills across the country introduced this legislative session in various states that target LGBTQ+ rights, especially the rights of transgender youth. Local school boards have also targeted books in school libraries that have LGBTQ+ themes.

If these grant projects can put a little power back in the hands of these students to create meaningful projects and change at the local level at their school, thats what were really here to support.

In the past two years, It Gets Better has supported everything from restoring LGBTQ+ books in libraries to schools hosting their first Pride festivals. Some schools have built gender-affirming closets, and some have crafted videos and presentation series to improve teachers knowledge of LGBTQ+ issues so they can serve queer students more effectively, he said.

A wide variety of projects are supported to make life easier and happier for queer students at a time that can be filled with wide-ranging emotions.

Grant applications are accepted from schools with a staff advisor and student leadership seeking to promote inclusivity and diversity projects. An extensive written application is required, and a panel evaluates and reviews applications.

Von Metzke also explained that these initiatives improve their mental and physical health, and set them up for long-term success.

Asked to respond to criticism by far-right extremists who have said that It Gets Better is an organization of groomers, von Metzke noted that for him, it is more productive to focus on reaching out to parents and individuals who may lack information, rather than engaging with narrow-minded groups.

I think that there is a group of people in this country  its not as big as we think, Its just very loud  that is a little bit beyond being reached, he said, referring to far-right groups like Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education that are targeting LGBTQ+ topics in schools.

I think we [need to] focus our energy on communicating with people who maybe havent made an informed decision, but just need to understand that having a happy and fulfilled child is much more important than any of this fringe language theyre being fed, he said. I think thats where our focus needs to be.
One farmer on Reddit claims to cut food waste in his area by turning discarded produce into animal feed.

Posts and videos are popping up online recently to shine a light on the incredible amounts of food wasted by restaurants and grocery stores. Some businesses have made thrifty and eco-friendly moves, such as offering produce at a discount when its close to its sell-by date.

Now, thanks to a new law in California governing food waste, more businesses are looking for responsible ways to dispose of old produce, and this Reddit user has an answer that benefits everyone.

The user, a farmer from California, posted a video showing off a trailer packed to the brim with food. Oranges, artichokes, eggplants, and celery are shown piled together, some in boxes strapped down with cords. Is anyone else doing this to feed their animals? read the caption.

In a comment, the Redditor explained more. This is from a produce distribution warehouse, they said.

According to the Redditor, the unwanted food used to go to the dump, but when California passed SB 1383, businesses became required to find a way to recycle their food waste. Under this law, businesses are required to either subscribe to the local jurisdictions collection service, arrange their own composting, or utilize another collection activity or program.

Feeding the waste to livestock qualifies under this law, and the Redditor said its been a huge benefit to their farm. I have not had to buy feed in two years, they said. They were more than happy to cover my gas costs if I take a trailer twice a week.

The discarded food goes to cows, goats, sheep, and pigs. We produce beef and cheeses, very small boutique operation, the original poster said. Not only does this save the business money, it also cuts down on the amount of energy spent growing and shipping food and animal feed, reducing pollution.

A commenter offered tips to other farmers interested in taking advantage of this resource.

Every urban area has at least one wholesale produce vendor, usually somewhere near the city core, that caters largely to the restaurant and small grocery trade. These folks often have damaged or leftover product that they cant sell through their normal channels and will end up throwing away; theyre the folks to talk to.

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the Colombian Prosecutors accused Manuel Ranoque of "abusing his stepdaughter" Lesly since she was 10 years old (Raul ARBOLEDA)

The father of two of the four Indigenous children who survived for 40 days in the Amazon has been charged with sexually abusing his stepdaughter, Colombian prosecutors announced.

The siblings were the only survivors after their plane crashed in the jungle in May, killing all three adults onboard, including their mother.

During judicial proceedings on Saturday, the Colombian Prosecutor's Office accused Manuel Ranoque of "abusing his stepdaughter" Lesly since she was 10 years old.

Lesly, now 13, was credited with keeping her siblings alive during their five-week ordeal using her deep knowledge of the jungle and its many dangers -- including snakes, predatory animals and armed criminal groups.

The children, members of the Huitoto Indigenous group, managed to subsist on a package of cassava flour they found on the plane and wild fruits.

Ranoque, who was arrested Friday and denies the charges, is to remain in custody, prosecutors said.

He participated in the massive search operation to track down Lesly, nine-year-old Soleiny, five-year-old Tien Noriel, and Cristin, who is one.

After the children were miraculously discovered about five kilometers (three miles) from the crash site, a custody battle ensued between their maternal grandparents and Ranoque, who is the biological father of the two younger siblings.

The children spent a month recovering in hospital and were then placed in the custody of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute, which detected the possible sexual abuse and informed prosecutors.

William Castro, the governor of the Indigenous village where the family lived, told a local television station at the end of June that "there were indications" that Ranoque had abused Lesly.

bur-lb/leg
Hikers follow a trail along Rainbow Falls in Devils Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Mountain. The falls are fed by the middle fork of the San Joaquin River, which is running strong after last winter's record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

Although a state of emergency remains in effect throughout much of the Eastern Sierra Nevada  a region where epic snowpack had threatened to unleash catastrophic flooding on small valley towns  local officials and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are finally breathing a collective sigh of relief: The worst days of the "Big Melt" are over, they say.

As rivers gorged with snowmelt begin to recede, and egrets glide over catch basins brimming with runoff, officials say that an aggressive and collaborative response  as well as a cooler-than-anticipated spring  helped them avoid massive community flooding and damage to the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the city's century-old water lifeline.

While an armada of heavy equipment remains at the ready to shore up flooding infrastructure and clear debris, forecasters expect the regions waterways to return to normal by next month.

Fortunately, much of the region experienced a long cool spring and cooler-than-expected beginning of summer, said aqueduct manager Adam Perez.

Pat Jaeger, a local fishing guide, holds a rainbow trout he caught recently at Hot Creek Ranch near Mammoth Lakes. (Louis Sahagun/Los Angeles Times)

Overall, the flow of snowmelt streaming down the Sierra has been manageable, and has triggered only minor damage, he said.

The sense of relief is palpable among residents who vividly recall the intense flooding meted out by a series of atmospheric rivers last winter. The storms temporarily severed the aqueduct, wreaked havoc among valley communities and deposited immense quantities of snow in the jagged Sierra.

Just a few months ago, the threat of massive flooding was coming at us like a freight train, said Pat Jaeger as he fished for trout at Hot Creek Ranch in Mammoth Lakes recently. But look at this place now  big water, great fishing, spectacular scenery.

Squeezed between the jagged peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the less lofty White Mountains, the Owens Valley is dotted with towns such as Olancha, Lone Pine, Big Pine and Bishop. Their rustic charm inspires a sense among motorists traveling north along U.S. 395 that they are heading back in time.

An angler casts a line into Convict Lake in the Sierra Nevada recently. Lakes and streams throughout the mountain range have been replenished by snowmelt from last winter's heavy storms. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

But the reality is this landscape of ancient lava flows, alfalfa fields, rust-streaked hills and cattle ranches is not immune to the effects of global warming and whiplash transitions from periods of intense dryness to flash flooding.

Climate change is real, said Anselmo Collins, senior assistant general manager of water systems at the DWP. We now have to routinely prepare for the worst meteorological conditions imaginable in the course of a single year: severe drought and flooding.

Now, even as communities throughout the state brace for another potentially wet winter brought on by El Nino, DWP crews continue to clean up after flooding incidents. Those projects include the removal of an estimated 300,000 cubic yards of debris and silt deposited on spreading grounds by floodwaters diverted from rivers, canals and reservoirs.

The last vestiges of snow cling to the Sierra Nevada near Mono Lake. After years of prolonged drought, lakes and streams in the Eastern Sierra have been replenished by voluminous snowmelt. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

DWP crews in waders were also rescuing thousands of trout, carp, bass, bullfrogs, red-eared slider turtles, crayfish and other aquatic species stranded on the mud flats of rapidly evaporating catch basins.

These creatures were inadvertently swept away by storm flows in emergency diversion systems, said Frosty Mathieu, a construction and maintenance supervisor at the DWP, as he strode along a stretch of Bishop Creek swollen with snowmelt. Under state law, were required to re-release them into the creeks and reservoirs they came from.

As the cleanup draws to a close, Inyo County and the DWP are planning to help sponsor an after the flood party in September in Bishop.

The celebration will mark a rare moment of camaraderie between valley residents and the DWP, and speak to the magnitude of the trials and anxiety they suffered in common this year.

Anglers on Lake Mary in the Mammoth Lakes basin. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles Aqueduct is hard to spot amid the sage, but its effects are evident at dry Owens Lake, which was drained to slake Los Angeles thirst, and in scattered marshlands that have reverted to brush. A sympathetic newspaper once referred to the beast that stole the water as the "aqua duck." It was bombed several times during the 1920s.

But the threat of catastrophic flooding bolstered a sense of community that Inyo County Emergency Services Manager Maekala Torres described as a great collaboration.

It began in January, when Perez, sounded an alarm: There were worrisome similarities between the wet and powerful storms clamping down on the mountains and archival reports and photographs of damage due to storms that pushed rainfall and snow levels in the region to historic levels in 1969.

Rainbow trout swim in a pond at the Mt. Whitney Fish Hatchery near Independence. The pond is fed by Sierra Nevada snowmelt. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

I give credit to Perez, who called me one day in January to say we should prepare for a significant storm event," recalled Nate Greenberg, Inyo Countys county administrative officer. Suddenly, we were concerned about being cut off from Southern California.

The warning triggered a detente in historic water wars that have boiled in Owens Valley since the early 1900s, when Los Angeles city agents posed as ranchers and farmers to buy land and water rights in the valley. Their goal was to build an aqueduct that would help transform Los Angeles into a metropolis.

Los Angeles, Inyo County, Mono County, Caltrans, Cal Fire, Southern California Edison, federal land managers, law enforcement agencies, hospital officials, Native American tribes and avalanche experts began preparing for a worst-case scenario: rivers rising to flood levels as warm spring rains stripped the snowpack off the mountains.

Frosty Mathiew, a construction and maintenance supervisor at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, conducts a routine survey of conditions at one of several catch basins brimming with runoff from nearby mountains. (Louis Sahagun/Los Angeles Times)

Conversations on the table focused on a lot of pressing questions, Greenberg recalled. Were helicopters available to transport critical patients to hospitals and bring in medical supplies? Do we have enough fuel and food on hand to sustain isolated communities for several days, or longer, if highways and mountain passes were closed?

Crews with shovels and chain saws cleared culverts and roads. The DWP reinforced ditches and stream banks with rocks and boulders, and used bulldozers to build up new berms to protect the lattice of plumbing and acres of gravel beds it built as part of its $2-billion dust-control project on dry Owens Lake.

Relations havent always been good in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, Collins said. But when faced with a winter like no other, everybody stepped up to the plate.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Senate Democrats got a scare last week when Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) was briefly admitted to the hospital after a fall at her home, underscoring the slim margins the party has when they return to Washington after Labor Day with an ambitious agenda on deck.

Feinsteins office said she was admitted and released from the hospital within a couple of hours and that the visit was precautionary. Still, it comes after the 90-year-old Senate stalwart has fended off questions about whether she should remain in office since a lengthy absence earlier this year for a bout of shingles.

And it comes as Democrats prepare for a key stretch next month headlined by a push to fund the government and  more acutely for Feinstein given her committee work  the Senate Judiciary Committees work to advance more judicial nominations and pass a Supreme Court ethics package.

I think shes been a great colleague for a long time, and I think shes been very brave about coming in and continuing to work, particularly on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), a panel member, told reporters on Friday.

Whitehouse noted her work has kept up with everybody knowing full well her being sidelined on the panel for whatever reason gives Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) the prerogative to withhold the partys majority on Judiciary.

And the notion that he wouldnt do that is fantastical, Whitehouse added.

Perhaps the most pressing upcoming concern is that Democrats will need every vote they can get  including Feinsteins  to pass spending bills to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told reporters this week he expects lawmakers will need to pass a continuing resolution to keep the governments lights on while they hammer out appropriations bills in the coming months for fiscal 2024. That will require Democrats to appeal to Republicans to secure the requisite 60 votes, even with every Democrat present.

Attendance is always going to be important, one Senate Democratic aide said, adding that Feinstein is not alone in missing votes for significant stretches. She needs to be here, but so does everyone else.

Feinstein has been under the microscope for months since her return to Washington in early May. She has needed the use of a wheelchair to get around the Capitol complex since then and has at moments appeared confused, in one case delivering a speech instead of casting a vote during a Senate Appropriations Committee markup. (A spokesperson chalked it up to a chaotic stretch of the meeting.)

However, after keeping a lighter schedule in the weeks immediately after returning to work, she has been reliable for the party. Feinstein hasnt missed a vote since June 1 and has been walking on her own around the office and at home, according to her office.

Part of that stretch included a vote to advance a bill aimed at boosting ethics requirements for Supreme Court justices shortly before the August recess, which will be top of mind for Democrats next month.

That push got some weight behind it on Thursday, when ProPublica reported Justice Clarence Thomas accepted more vacations and gifts from billionaire benefactors than had been reported previously. According to the investigative outlet, the longest-tenured justice on the Court received at least 38 vacations, 26 flights aboard private jets, eight flights by helicopter, a dozen VIP passes to sporting events and hospitality at luxury resorts.

The latest ProPublica revelation of unreported lavish gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas makes it clear: these are not merely ethical lapses. This is a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in a statement.

The proposal by Durbin and Whitehouse would require justices to adopt a new code of conduct and create a transparent process for individuals to submit ethics complaints against justices, among other things.

While the bill will not receive the requisite 60 votes to pass, Democrats will want the strongest possible showing to tout as they head into an election year.

Whitehouse said a vote during the September session is under discussion but added he doesnt have a firm commitment on that end from leadership.

I feel very good about where we are, but I dont have a commitment with a date, Whitehouse said.

Republicans have defended Thomas and Alito consistently amid the string of reports of gifts received by the pair.

Feinstein is also needed in Washington for Democrats to advance judicial nominations, a topic that became a loud one during her absence earlier this year as the party was unable to move forward on several partisan nominees before the Judiciary Committee.

The best thing for Feinstein to do for herself is to step back  the best thing she can do for the country is to keep voting for President Bidens judges, Christine Pelosi, the daughter of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in response to a political writer this week following Feinsteins fall.

Its HER choice, said Pelosi, whose mother has been a staunch ally of the former San Francisco mayor. Dianne Feinstein and all Democratic Senators know the stakes.  I respect her agency, her choice, and the judges shes elevating.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Two Maui residents look through the ashes of their family home after the wildfires this week. PATRICK T. FALLON/Getty Images

FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said the scenes from Hawaii are like an "apocalyptic movie."

Appearing on CBS, Criswell was asked if she agreed with an estimate that "hundreds" have died.

Criswell said she has no reason to "second guess" sources on the ground.

The head of the federal government's disaster response effort indicated Sunday that the death toll from the devastating wildfires on Maui this week is likely to rise significantly in the coming days, saying she has no reason to doubt estimates that "hundreds" may have perished.

As of Sunday morning, at least 93 people had been confirmed dead in this week's natural disaster, which effectively wiped out the city of Lahaina. Speaking with CBS's "Face the Nation," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said that only 3% of the areas affected by the fires had been searched for potential survivors  and the bodies of victims  due to the fact that many buildings are potentially dangerous to enter. In some cases, the ground is still too hot for search-and-rescue dogs to traverse.

"It's absolutely heartbreaking to just see an entire community that is no longer there," Criswell said, describing the scene on the Hawaiian island as like "an apocalyptic movie."

The number of confirmed dead is also likely to spike, Criswell noted, saying she has no reason to "second guess" estimates from people on the ground that hundreds have died.

Criswell's comments come amid criticism of the state and federal handling of what looks to be the worst wildfire in modern US history.

"This is the largest natural disaster we've ever experienced," Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said Saturday. "It's going to also be a natural disaster that's going to take an incredible amount of time to recover from."

President Joe Biden declared a "major disaster" on Thursday and some 150 FEMA personnel are currently in Hawaii to assist with relief efforts, including providing food and shelter. But some have criticized the pace of the response, particularly at the state level.

On Friday, the head of the Hawaii's emergency response service said that none of Maui's early-warning sirens went off as they were supposed to, although some residents did receive text messages warning them of the blaze.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

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An exchange of fire has occurred between the Kadyrovites and representatives of the local so-called commandant's office in the occupied settlement of Urzuf near Mariupol, with casualties among the Russians and civilian population [Kadyrovites are pro-Russian Chechen forces led by Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader  ed.].

Source: Mariupol City Council in Telegram

Quote: "A firefight took place yesterday [11 August] in temporarily occupied Urzuf near Mariupol with the participation of the Kadyrovites and the Urzuf commandant's office."

Details: The mayor's office said that at least 4 Russians were killed in the firefight, and there are also dead and wounded among the civilian population.

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!
Boston firefighters were called to a battle a fire at a Hyde Park salvage yard Saturday.

Thousands of feet of hose were needed to douse the fire that cropped up at the Grant Salvage yard, the Boston Fire Department says.

Multiple trucks and ladder pipes were needed to keep the flames under control.

Companies continue to attack the fire at the scrap plant in Hyde Park deploying multiple deck guns and ladder pipes to surround and extinguish the flames. pic.twitter.com/NkSj9qpdty  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) August 12, 2023

Companies are making headway getting fire under control. The pile has copious amounts of water playing out from all sides. We can now see one of the first due engines that was visually lost in the smoke. pic.twitter.com/Ohnkvy4mXu  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) August 12, 2023

Shortly after 4:00 p.m., Boston Fire tweeted they were making progress on the fire.

Companies are making headway getting fire under control. The pile has copious amounts of water playing out from all sides. We can now see one of the first due engines that was visually lost in the smoke. pic.twitter.com/Ohnkvy4mXu  Boston Fire Dept. (@BostonFire) August 12, 2023

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
As the leader of the Republican Party in Florida welcomed an exodus of perverted supporters of sexual education in K-12 schools, a new study showed three out of five parents surveyed in the state have considered leaving since the passage of the dont say gay Parental Rights in Education Act.

The study, entitled Perspectives of Florida Parents on HB1557, the Parental Rights in Education Act and authored by Abbie E. Goldberg, was published by the Williams Institute, an LGBTQ+ research center at the University of California Los Angeles Law School. The study found 40 percent of those interviewed considered leaving the state following the passage of the bill, including 53 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of independents. Democrats currently account for 33.3 percent of registered voters in the state versus 37.1 percent for Republicans. Independents account for six percent of registered voters with smaller party affiliations accounting for the remainder of the registered voters in 2023.

Overall, the majority of those interviewed supported the language of the bill. The chairman of the Florida Republican Party Christian Ziegler used the survey to slander those who dont support the dont say gay law and considered leaving the state.

Over 60 percent of voters support the actual language in the law, including 55 percent of Democrats, Ziegler told the Washington Examiner. With that said, if a Democrat voter is passionate and perverted enough to support the sexualization of kids during school in grades as early as kindergarten, then I would agree that Florida is probably not the best fit for them.

The survey found that an overwhelming 89 percent of Republicans supported the law, compared to 47 percent of Independents and only 29 percent of Democrats.

Those who disagreed with the Act emphasized their belief that children needed to learn about gender and sexuality and all types of people, the survey found. They also voiced concern about a push towards fascism within their state and government overreach.

The study was authored by Abbie E. Goldberg, a professor in the Department of Psychology and director of Womens & Gender Studies at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

It is important to understand the diverse viewpoints Florida parents have around the states Dont Say Gay law, Goldberg said in a statement. These parents live in the same neighborhoods and send their children to the same schools. They have the power to work across differences to build strong communities that support the well-being of all children.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the controversial HB1557 into law on March 28, 2022, and the law took effect on July 1 last year. The law and more recent extensions prohibits the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in Florida public schools through graduation in grade 12.

The study was limited to adults recruited for the study who were currently living in Florida with at least one child under the age of 18 at the time of the survey which took place March 22-24, 2023. The survey used the responses from 105 individuals and had more cis women than cis men (61 to 44 respectively) and more Democrats than Republicans (45 to 26). Eight parents surveyed said they had at least one LGBTQ+ child including two with trans or nonbinary children.
A 33-year-old Pennsylvania woman is dead after being struck by a piece of debris during a tractor pull event at a county fair, according to police.

The incident happened at about 8:30 p.m. Aug. 11, at the Union County West End Fair, in Laurelton, according to a Pennsylvania State Police report.

An equipment malfunction launched a piece of a tractors engine toward spectators, and the woman was hit in the neck, the report said.

It was discovered an exhaust wheel within a turbo housing of the tractor became dislodged and ejected from its manifold, according to the report. The exhaust wheel then ejected from the metal covering of the tractor, before a piece of the wheel struck the victim.

First responders conducted life-saving efforts at the scene, the report said.

The woman was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, PennLive.com reported.

Dennis Boop, president of the county fair, called the death a freak accident, the outlet reported.

There is no evidence of foul play or criminal activity, the police report said, adding that the Union County Coroners Office is helping with the investigation.

Laurelton is roughly 180 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Car flies into the second floor of home and is left dangling, Pennsylvania photos show

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70-year-old with blade hidden in cane fatally stabs man fighting her son, officials say

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Police shootings

The number of publicized police officer shootings should alarm the public for a whole different reason. Maybe the public should consider what our cops deal with every day, who they have to face. As a former elected official in a small, almost well-known, rural town, I learned a lot about the realities of policing and law enforcement since I was the lucky council member who supervised our cop, along with the mayor.

The quick intense lesson I learned was that law enforcement, the cops, from the Fish and Game guys right up to the state officers, do not deal with or encounter polite, cooperative, nice, gentle, smiling, friendly individuals, as a rule.

They deal with those characters that the rest of us dont want to or cannot handle  do not know what to do with  on a daily basis.

Maybe the news should advertise, prioritize the identities, backgrounds, possible criminal records, drug choices, nasty abusive or violent habits, maybe even the bad guys high school transcripts, provide society with all the background of those who disrupt and threaten all of us. Society should sincerely, enthusiastically thank and support law enforcement; otherwise, where could we all be?

Frank Juiliano, Boise

Grizzlies

Montana and Washington States have commendably implemented mandatory bear identification courses to help reduce accidental grizzly mortality. However, it is disheartening that Idaho lags behind in bear identification education. The lack of respect exhibited by Idaho Fish and Game Commissioners and politicians towards grizzlies by not making bear id courses mandatory led to a tragic incident last June, where a Selkirk Grizzly was lost due to mistaken identity.

With each preventable grizzly death, the need for mandatory identification classes for all bear hunters in Idaho intensifies. It is high time for Idaho to prioritize the implementation of bear ID education. The lack of mandatory bear identification courses underscores the importance of denying Idahos lawsuit to delist grizzlies, as IDFG should never be entrusted to manage these majestic creatures without federal oversight.

The Inland Empire Task Force, out of Priest River, requests that the state withdraw its lawsuit, implement a mandatory bear identification class for bear hunters, and cease attempts to hinder grizzly bear recovery. Let us protect our wildlife and preserve our natural heritage by ensuring a safer coexistence between humans and bears. Idaho must take the responsible path forward and not try to monkey wrench grizzly recovery.

Paul Sieracki, Priest River

Trump indictment

In response to the indictment of former President Trump, several of his defenders including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, have repeated the trope that grand juries, especially in Washington, D.C., would indict a ham sandwich.

Having served on a D.C. grand jury, I can attest this claim is false. As an attorney and member of the D.C. bar, I was called in the 1990s to serve with some 20-plus citizens of the District of Columbia. We met for eight hours a day for an entire month hearing felony cases brought by U.S. Attorneys for D.C. The jury members were active participants in the process where we questioned the evidence presented, and in several instances, we voted by majority not to indict.

The continued attacks on juries and judges by Donald Trump and his supporters are dangerous and pose a continuing threat to our democracy. They represent yet one more reason why he should never be re-elected to office.

Garry V. Wenske, Boise

Health care

Americans may think that health care professionals dont care about the cost of care. I recently read an article from Kaiser Health News claiming that anyone in this group that does care about medical expenses or medical debt are the exception in the system. In my experience as a medical first responder, I know the opposite is true.

Most people who work within the health care industry have seen the impact high medical costs can have on patients and families. We know that patients cannot go on getting treated in a health care system that will crush them financially.

Health care professionals are the first ones to tell you that the system needs to change  and billing reform can drastically change the immediate financial impact felt by patients. An example of current legislation attempting to address this is the SITE Act, introduced in the Senate this session. This bill, along with other fair billing reforms, would fix problems in the system and lower costs for patients.

We want to see our patients get healthy and stay healthy. Congress should be passing legislation like the SITE Act to make this feasible.

Gretchen Manning, Mesa, Idaho

Tuberville

Remove U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, from the Armed Services Committee! What he is doing by blocking the promotions of our military leaders is unconscionable and downright dangerous. Not to mention it is disrupting the lives of hundreds of our hard-working military families that have been left in limbo for months, by pressing his personal ridiculous unshared views on the American people. Who does he think he is?

It is time for our Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo to step up and put a stop to this immediately. I hope the good people of Alabama remember his shenanigans and boot him out of office next election, for crying out loud why would you want someone like him representing you in the Senate? Tell him he should join the protesters at a Planned Parenthood clinic if he feels that strongly about it, and leave the rest of our American military families alone.

Steve Bullock, Meridian

Dams

To breach or not to breach that is the question. This is the most important decision that our region will face in the very near future. Everyone needs to educate themselves regarding proven methods that preserve and increase our anadromous fish populations and at the same time preserve and maintain the Columbia/Snake River System.

Learn more about these methods by attending The Pacific Northwest Fish Symposium on

Aug. 17, at Walla Walla Community College, 1470 Bridge St., Clarkston, Washington, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information and to register please visit https://cfpfd.org.

Darla Grimm, Lewiston
A company linked to former MP Serhiy Pashinsky, who is suspected of corruption, has become Ukraines largest private arms supplier since the beginning of the war, a New York Times investigation says.

Source: The New York Times

Quote: "In the early weeks of the war in Ukraine, with the invading Russian Army bearing down on Kyiv, the Ukrainian government needed weapons, and quickly. So its Ministry of Defense made a desperate and unlikely phone call.

On the other end of the line was Serhiy Pashinsky, a chain-smoking former lawmaker who had overseen military spending for years. Now, he was living in virtual political exile at his country estate, sidelined by President Volodymyr Zelensky and his promise to root out corruption.

But Mr Pashinsky had ties to the arms business and, perhaps as important, he knew how to operate in a scrum, undaunted by red tape. In government, that had made him the source of scandal. During wartime, it made him invaluable.

He answered the call."

Details: The newspaper reports that sales by Pashinsky's Ukrainian Armoured Technology company totalled over US$350 million last year, compared to US$2.8 million the year before the war.

The company is engaged in the resale of weapons.

The investigation was published at a time when the Biden administration is requesting additional funding for Ukraine.

The journalists say that because of the need to keep combat areas supplied with weapons, the authorities "have resurrected figures from Ukraines rough-and-tumble past and undone, at least temporarily, years of anticorruption policies".

According to one official, European and US officials are reluctant to discuss Mr Pashinsky for fear of playing into the Russian narrative that the Ukrainian government is hopelessly corrupt and should be replaced.

Privately, they say the emergence of figures like Mr Pashinsky is one of the reasons why the US and UK governments buy ammunition for Ukraine rather than just transferring money.

According to the NYT, Pashinsky is now under investigation again, and law enforcement officers are looking into his companies.

Meanwhile, the former MP himself denies having any interest in the arms business.

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!
Russell Moore, former president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, is concerned about the future of Christianity in the US. Kate Patterson for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Russell Moore was a top official at the nation's largest Protestant denomination.

Now editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, Moore tells NPR that Christianity is in "crisis."

Evangelicals are asking pastors if teachings from Jesus are "liberal talking points," Moore said.

A former top official at the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation's largest Protestant denomination, believes Christianity in America is in "crisis" after seeing how politics influence evangelicalism's teachings.

Russell Moore, the former president of SBC's policy arm, recently shared his concerns with NPR about the future of Christianity in the US and how tribalism and politics are bleeding into the religion.

He said "multiple pastors" have told him the "same story" about being approached and questioned after their preachings on the Sermon on the Mount, one of the more popular teachings from the Gospel of Matthew that, among other lessons, teaches people to "turn the other cheek."

Moore told NPR that pastors are being asked, "Where did you get those liberal talking points?"

"And what was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, 'I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ,' the response would not be, 'I apologize,'" Moore told NPR. "The response would be, 'Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak.' And when we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are seen as subversive to us, then we're in a crisis."

Moore said the problem partly stems from how "almost every part of American life is tribalized and factionalized," including the church.

He believes the solution cannot occur at a "movement level" or through a "war for the soul of evangelicalism" but rather at a "small and local" level.

Moore, now the editor in chief of Christianity Today, has previously criticized Donald Trump as a presidential candidate and the Southern Baptist Convention's response to a bombshell report that revealed how the denomination ignored sexual abuse allegations for decades.

An SBC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent during the weekend.

Read the original article on Insider
Four Ukrainians, including two children, are dead after a Poland-registered minivan drove off a bridge in Austria, Polands RMF FW reported.

The deadly accident happened on A5 highway near Gaweinstal in the direction of Vienna at about 7 am on Aug. 12.

Read also: Casualties in Russian missile strike on Kryvyi Rih's exceeds 80, including seven children

The vehicle drove through the railing of a bridge, rolled over, and came to rest on a road beneath the highway, Austrian media reported with pictures.

Five rescue trucks, three ambulances, and a helicopter from the nearby town of Gaweinstal came to the scene.

The driver, who survived the incident, admitted that he fell asleep for a few seconds.

FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

FF NEURUPPERSDORF/ERNST RINDHAUSER

Two adults and two children  a three-year old and a seven-month-old  were killed in the incident. The children's grandmother and grandfather were killed in the accident, firefighters said.

Four other passengers, including a child, suffered minor injuries in the crash.

No Polish citizens were in the minibus which had a Polish license plate, Polish deputy foreign minister, Pawe Jabonski, told PAP news. There were only Ukrainians onboard, he added.

The Ukrainian family had residence permit in Poland, Austrian news outlet Salzburg24 reported.

The Polish side immediately informed Kyiv about the tragic accident. Austrian police are also in contact with Ukraine.

Read also: Top Emergency Service official arrested over interior ministry helicopter crash

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the deadly crash.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Kroger world headquarters as seen from the top of the Great American Tower in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019.

There has been growing speculation about whether the Federal Trade Commission will seek to challenge the $24.6 billion merger that Cincinnati-based Kroger and Idaho-based Albertsons announced in October 2022. The combined company would be the third-largest food and grocery retailer, behind Walmart and Amazon. Based on the draft merger guidelines the FTC recently announced jointly with the U.S. Justice Department, as well as recent comments from FTC Chair Lina Khan, those reading the tea leaves expect the agency will move to block the merger, even if the companies offer to spin off stores to competing chains.

As we highlight in a recently published issue brief, we expect the FTC will face an uphill battle in court. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen has indicated the company is "committed to litigate" if the agency attempts to block the merger. And given that the agency has already lost several notable battles in recent months  most recently involving Microsofts acquisition of Activision  both the law and economic reality may not be on the regulators side.

For decades, the FTC has clung to a narrow definition of supermarkets that only includes stores in which consumers can buy nearly all of their weekly food and grocery needs in a single trip. This definition includes traditional food and grocery retailers, such as Kroger and Albertsons, as well supercenters with a grocery section, such as some Walmart and Target stores. But critically, the FTCs definition excludes warehouse clubs like Costco. It also excludes e-commerce services such as Amazon.

Kroger CEO William Rodney McMullen speaks during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights hearing on the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery store merger, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Todays consumers, however, are not one-stop shoppers. Most consumers shop more than once a week, and they "trip hop" across a wide range of retail formats. As a result, over time, competition from supercenters and club stores have taken a large bite out of supermarkets share of food and grocery spending.

Since the FTC adopted its current market definition, online shopping and home delivery have also grown from niche services that served only 10,000 households nationwide a quarter century ago to a situation where one in eight consumers say they purchase their groceries mostly or exclusively online. Any attempt to block the merger based on the mistaken assumption that supercenters, club stores and online shopping do not exert pressure on traditional supermarkets Kroger and Albertsons will  and should  face a stiff challenge in court.

Some opponents of the merger have raised the specter of potential market power in labor markets that would reduce employee wages. These concerns are overblown and will be nearly impossible to demonstrate if the merger were to be litigated. The market for labor in the retail sector is highly competitive, with workers having a wide range of alternative employment options. More importantly, both Kroger and Albertsons are highly unionized. Through their collective-bargaining agreements, these unions exert their own market power.

Albertsons employee Shelly Elmquist gathers shopping carts at the Albertsons parking lot located at the Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix on March 7, 2023.

Historically, the FTC has allowed most supermarket mergers to proceed with divestitures  that is, the sale of some locations in markets where the combined firm would have very large market share. For example, Price Chopper and Tops sold off 12 of their stores when they merged, the merger of Ahold and Delhaize saw 81 stores sold off; and Albertsons own merger with Safeway included the divestiture of 168 stores.

Despite this long history of divestitures serving as an appropriate and adequate remedy in supermarket mergers, some point to the failed Albertsons/Safeway divestitures to Haggen Food & Pharmacy in the Pacific Northwest as evidence that spinoffs are no longer an appropriate remedy. But Haggen was a small regional chain with only 14 stores, mostly in Oregon, and it went heavily into debt to buy the divested stores. Those are issues that should have been addressed when the FTC and the merging parties negotiated the consent order.

Any divestitures associated with the Kroger/Albertsons merger should learn from the Haggen experience rather than view it as a justification to reject reasonable divestiture options.

A map of Kroger and Albersons stores

Depending how the court rules in any challenge of the Kroger deal, the market definition for future supermarket mergers may be substantially revised. Moreover, if the FTC attempts to litigate based on labor-market concerns, the agency runs the risk of a humiliating loss that could stymie future attempts to expand the role of labor concerns in competition enforcement and policy.

The FTC should allow the merger to go through, take a win on some store spinoffs, and save the uphill fighting for battles they can win.

Eric Fruits is a native of Montgomery, Ohio, and a senior fellow with the International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE). Geoffrey Manne is ICLEs president.

Eric Fruits

Geoffrey Manne

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FTC should allow Kroger-Albertsons merger to go through | Opinion
Billy Rohling stands outside a MedWise Urgent Care clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he came with his partner, who was having breathing problems. They arent busy at all, he said. MedWise was started in 2020 by QuikTrip, a gas station and convenience store chain.

TULSA, Okla.  When Lou Ellen Horwitz first learned that a gas station company was going to open a chain of urgent care clinics, she was skeptical.

As CEO of the Urgent Care Association, Horwitz knows the industry is booming. Its market size has doubled in 10 years, as patients, particularly younger ones, are drawn to the convenience of the same-day appointments and extended hours offered by the walk-in clinics.

Urgent care is harder than it looks, Horwitz recalled thinking when the Tulsa-based gas station and convenience store company QuikTrip announced an urgent care venture called MedWise in late 2020. And that's a whole different ballgame than selling Funyuns.

But Horwitz said the more she thought about it, the more she saw an overlap between the business models of QuikTrip and of successful urgent care clinics: setting up in easy-to-find locations, catering to walk-ins, and accepting multiple payment methods, for example. QuikTrip opening health clinics might just make sense, she thought, provided they could deliver quality medical care.

In fact, QuikTrip had been providing primary care services to its own employees for years, through third parties and eventually at its own clinics. Five years ago, longtime QuikTripper Brice Habeck was tasked with leading a team to figure out how the company could offer such medical services to the general public, too. His team quickly realized that urgent care had a lot in common with their retail spaces.

Its about access. Its about convenience, said Habeck, who started his career as a clerk at a QT, as the stores are often branded, and is now the executive director of MedWise.

MedWise has opened 12 clinics so far, all in the Tulsa area, and now belongs to Horwitzs trade group. The company is owned by QuikTrip, but the two businesses dont share buildings or a name. As much as people love the gas station, Habeck said, company leaders didnt want patients to think the person checking their vitals had just wiped down a gas pump.

QuikTrip is not the first company to see potential in the urgent care industry. Private equity firms have been investing in urgent cares consumer-friendly niche for over a decade. And nearly half of urgent cares are affiliated with hospital systems  which often see urgent care as a front door for bringing in new patients while also taking some burden off their busy emergency rooms.

Other retailers have also seen opportunities in expanding into patient care. Walmart, Target, CVS, and Walgreens have all opened what are called retail clinics in recent years, often in their existing stores and often partnering with local health systems to provide the actual medical care. Generally, the scope of services available at urgent care centers, such as MedWise clinics, is more robust than whats offered at those retail clinics, according to Horwitz.

But urgent care and retail clinics may not be a panacea for rising health care costs. A study co-authored by Harvard Medical School health policy professor Ateev Mehrotra shows urgent care clinics reduce less serious visits to the emergency room, yet 37 urgent care visits are needed to prevent a single trip to the ER, increasing total health care spending with all those trips.

The MedWise Urgent Care at the corner of Admiral Place and Sheridan Road in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the chains 12 locations in the Tulsa area. MedWise is owned by QuikTrip, a Tulsa-based gas station and convenience store chain.

And ongoing research by Vanderbilt University assistant professor Kevin Griffith suggests that newly constructed urgent care or retail clinics can decrease wait times at nearby private and public sector health centers initially. Eventually, however, the increased access provided by the new clinics increases demand as well, he is finding, and wait times creep back up.

Its kind of like the build it and they will come of health care, said Griffith, adding that even though the clinics may not decrease wait times long-term or reduce costs, they are getting patients seen. There is a huge problem with unmet care in the United States. And so ostensibly, these clinics are making a dent into that problem as well.

The experience of some retail clinics is a cautionary tale for companies like MedWise, according to Mehrotra: Disrupting the health care industry is easier said than done, even for businesses with a successful track record of good customer service in a low-margin business such as gas stations.

Generally people have been happy with the convenience, Mehrotra said, but the clinics have not been very profitable, prompting many closures over the years.

Gas stations are accustomed to competing over customers by offering something special. QuikTrip, for example, was recently ranked ninth on a list of best gas station brands in America that noted QTs beloved made-to-order food, such as breakfast tacos. Habeck said he thinks patients today are open to a more transactional approach in health care as well.

That doesnt mean offering roller-grill hot dogs and taquitos in urgent care waiting rooms, although Habeck joked that MedWise might have tried that if it hadnt launched during the pandemic. Rather, he said, the chain is banking on winning customer loyalty by offering patients consistent service without necessarily offering a consistent clinician.

And, Habeck said, even though MedWise and QTs are not in the same buildings, the parent companys experience finding prominent locations for gas stations is useful for placing urgent cares as well.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Billy Rohling and Amy Shaver stood waiting for their ride home in the mostly empty parking lot of a MedWise at the same exit as a QT off Interstate Highway 244 in Tulsa. Rohling, 56, remembers when this corner of Admiral Place and Sheridan Road was a shopping center with tenants like J.C. Penney Co. and a five-and-dime called TG&Y.

The MedWise Urgent Care at the corner of Admiral Place and Sheridan Road in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the chains 12 locations in the Tulsa area. MedWise is owned by QuikTrip, a Tulsa-based gas station and convenience store chain.

Those stores are long gone now, though. The couple came to MedWise because Shaver, 37, was having breathing problems. It was her second time visiting the clinic.

They arent busy at all, Rohling said. It took 15 minutes to get an EKG.

Indeed, MedWises patient visits have slowed since the unexpected windfall volume that came as a result of opening during the pandemic, Habeck said. At one point, MedWise clinics administered curbside covid-19 tests to hundreds of patients a day, many of whom paid cash. The momentum from all those visits helped propel the clinics through abnormally low flu seasons in 2020 and 2021  typically urgent cares bread and butter.

But Habeck said MedWise is still on track to expand. Four more locations are slated to open in northeastern Oklahoma this year, and the future should bring even more MedWise locations in QuikTrips 17-state, 1,000-location footprint, in places such as Kansas City, Missouri, and Wichita, Kansas.

State health care rules, public insurance payment rates, and existing health system locations will all factor into where the new clinics are located, Habeck said, although expansion out of state is probably a couple of years away.

Horwitz said scaling up in the industry requires a degree of standardization  everything from clinic layouts to staffing levels, and even where various supplies are stored  that can be hard to attain. But she said its a trend, with more urgent care chains having a triple-digit number of locations than ever before.

Nobody's at 1,000, but some are closing in on it, Horwitz said.

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 at KFF  an independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: QuikTrip gas station company opens MedWise urgent care clinics
Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis will meet with the grand jury investigating former President Donald Trumps attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election early this week. File Photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE

Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Another indictment of former President Donald Trump appeared imminent as two witnesses confirmed over the weekend they have been summoned to appear before a Georgia grand jury.

Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter George Chidi each indicated they will give testimony early this week to the panel assembled by Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis to investigate Trump's attempts to overturn President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory in Georgia.

Willis is expected on Monday to lay out her case against Trump for the grand jury to weigh a decision on a potential indictment, the Journal-Constitution reported. The decision would bring the two-year long investigation to a new stage and likely start a new chapter in the ever-growing legal battles for the former president.

Willis' presentation is expected to last about two days.

Should he be hit with state charges in Georgia, it would be Trump's fourth indictment in recent months. He is already facing federal criminal charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith for 2020 election interference and his possession of classified documents, as well as state charges in New York over alleged hush money payments to adult firm star Stormy Daniels.

Former President Donald Trump may soon face yet another indictment as the Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to meet with the grand jury investigating his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election early this week. Photo by Peter Foley/UPI

Duncan, a former supporter of Trump who has been critical of the former president since his attempts to undermine the results of the 2020 election, confirmed his upcoming testimony on Tuesday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"I look forward to answering their questions around the 2020 election," Duncan said. "Republicans should never let honesty be mistaken for weakness."

Chidi also confirmed in an X post on that he will give testimony on Tuesday. He witnessed a meeting at the Georgia State Capitol in 2020 where Trump's fake electors signed Electoral College documents that claimed Trump won the election, WXIA-TV reported.

Trump allegedly sent so-called fake electors to multiple states to challenge the results of the election. Several of them have reached plea agreements to avoid state charges. Nine fraudulent electors were arraigned in Michigan on Thursday.

Trump also began planting seeds of doubt in the results of the election before election day in 2020, warning that a Biden win would signal that mail-in and early voting was used fraudulently.

At the center of the case in Fulton County is a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In the conversation, Trump pressured Raffensperger to "find" the votes he needed to overtake Biden in the election.

Former attorney Rudy Giuliani and several more members of Trump's inner circle were also allegedly involved in pressuring state officials.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen throws against the San Diego Padres during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

PHOENIX (AP)  Paul Sewald earned his first save with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night and then a few moments later, earned a hearty laugh from manager Torey Lovullo.

I told you we were going to win another game this year," Sewald said sarcastically, according to Lovullo.

A little gallows humor was in order Saturday night after the Diamondbacks finally snapped a nine-game losing streak by beating the San Diego Padres 3-0. Christian Walker hit a two-run homer and Zac Gallen threw six strong innings to lead Arizona to its first victory since July 31.

The D-backs hope the victory can get them trending in the right direction of the playoff hunt after an extended freefall. Arizona is three games back for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

Every day is its own thing at this point, Walker said. Taking each inning, each at-bat, each day as its own thing. Trying to win each moment. But yeah, just trying to keep the positivity going. Hopefully its all good from here.

The Padres lost for the fifth time in six games. The high-priced team fell to 56-61 for the season.

Gallen (12-5) delivered an excellent outing, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out eight. It ended a rough stretch for Arizonas ace  the team had lost five straight games with the right-hander on the mound before Saturday.

It's no secret that's it's been a tough go for us the last 1 1/2 weeks  really the last month, Gallen said. I think everyone was just pressing. It was good to finally break through.

Padres manager Bob Melvin was disappointed his offense made some quick outs in the middle innings that allowed Gallen to keep his pitch count down and complete six innings.

We didn't do enough to push the envelope and make them work a little harder, the manager said.

Tommy Pham had two doubles, including one in the first inning that scored Corbin Carroll for a 1-0 lead. Walker extended the lead to 3-0 in the third with his 24th homer, a two-run, opposite field shot that cleared the right-field fence.

Walker finished with three hits. Sewald earned his first save since coming to the desert in a trade deadline deal with the Seattle Mariners.

Rich Hill (7-12) lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his second start with the Padres after being acquired from the Pirates on Aug. 1. The 43-year-old gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four.

San Diego finished with just five hits, including three by Manny Machado.

We just didn't get too many good swings, period, Melvin said. Manny had some good swings, but other than that, we had a few baserunners early, but couldn't do much with them.

25TH ANNIVERSARY

The Diamondbacks celebrated their 25th season as a franchise Saturday. They played their first season  along with fellow expansion team Tampa Bay  in 1998.

Arizona were the fastest expansion team to win a World Series, winning in their fourth season in 2001. The D-backs have won the NL West five times in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2011 and last made the playoffs as a wild card in 2017.

Dozens of former players came back for a pregame ceremony on the field, including Luis Gonzalez and Randy Johnson, who will be inducted into the team's newly established Hall of Fame in 2024.

MAKING MOVES

Arizona called up third baseman Buddy Kennedy to the active roster and sent Emmanuel Rivera to Triple-A Reno.

Kennedy was hitless in three at-bats on Saturday, but made a handful of nice defensive plays that helped keep the Padres off the scoreboard.

It was a great day for Buddy, Lovullo said. He helped us win a baseball game today.

UP NEXT

The teams finish the three-game series Sunday. RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-6, 7.16 ERA) was set to start for Arizona against RHP Seth Lugo (4-6, 4.19 ERA).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office states that around 8:00 p.m. Saturday night, officers responded to 2200 Emerson Street because of calls about a person shot.

An adult male in his twenties had been shot in the leg and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A short time later another man, this victim was said to be in his forties, transported himself to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the leg.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

JSOs initial investigation determined there was a gathering at 2300 Gattis Lane when an unidentified suspect began shooting, striking five vehicles and the two victims.

There is no suspect description currently.

Robbery and Violent Crimes Detectives are on the scene, and it is an ongoing investigation.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Sheriffs office at 904-630-0500 or go online to JSOCRIMETIPS@JAXSHERIFF.ORG or call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 866-845-TIPS.

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The Russian military has unsuccessfully attempted to regain lost positions in the Bakhmut, Shakhtarske and Zaporizhzhia directions during the day, Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces reported on Aug. 13.

In total, 24 engagements with Russian troops took place on the front line during the day.

In addition, Russia launched 2 missile strikes and 24 airstrikes and carried out about 40 attacks with multiple rocket launchers, the General Staff said.

At the same time, Ukraine's air defense hit 10 Russian manpower concentration areas and carried out 4 airstrikes against Russian anti-aircraft missile systems, according to the General Staff.

During the day, Russia shelled more than 95 Ukrainian settlements, mainly in Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporishshia oblasts, the General Staff said.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Child killed in Russian Kinzhal attack aimed at airfield in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast





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Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling said Sunday former President Trump is making himself a martyr and a victim as he fights against three indictments and a possible fourth expected to come in Georgia.

Its [the indictments] driving him ahead because hes becoming, make himself a victim, Sterling said on ABCs This Week on Sunday. Hes making himself a martyr and a lot of the American people are going behind him because they do  [they] thought some of these things are a little bit of a stretch.

Trump is widely expected to be indicted in Georgia for efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. Sterling serves as the chief operating officer in the states Office of Secretary of State.

I mean, this has been giving oxygen to his campaign, Sterling told This Week co-anchor Jonathan Karl. This is raising tons of money, and a lot of that money  I think it was pointed out earlier  is being used to pay for his lawyers and not for actual campaign.

Trump has been consistently leading in national polls ahead all of his GOP primary opponents.

Sterling said he does not know exactly what will be included in the case in Fulton County but said the one thing we can do is what weve been doing in our office, and [Georgia Secretary of State] Brad Raffensperger and I over three-and-a-half-years and since he got elected  tell the truth, do our jobs, follow the law, follow the constitution. Thats all our role is in this situation.

One of things that weve learned in public reporting on this is [Trump] requested thered be two independent audits and verifications by outside groups and both  hes paid $600,000 and both of them said there was no fraud, Sterling said. You lost the state. Weve been saying this over and over again. We counted the ballots three times. He lost the state and he continues to say he didnt lose it.

Sterling said Trumps denial that he lost the election is creating a lot of tension and a lot of chaos.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to begin presenting her case early this week, with two witnesses in the case saying Saturday that they were asked to appear before the grand jury Tuesday. The indictment would mark Trumps fourth criminal indictment of 2023, following his most recent federal indictment from the Department of Justice over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his role on Jan. 6.

When asked if the state could see violence as a result of Williss potential indictment, Sterling said his biggest concern is where you get professionals who run elections around this country, is somebody will be motivated by some of these kind of languages at some point and do something stupid.

Its not going to mean organized things, he continued. Its not going to be a bunch of conspirators together. Its going to be one probably mentally unstable individual whos going to be radicalized through this process. And thats my biggest concern through this.

Updated at 6:02 pm.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ga. prosecutors have found emails and texts linking members of Trump's legal team to a key voting breach, per CNN.

The breach in question occurred in Coffee County, a rural GOP-heavy jurisdiction in southeastern Georgia.

Investigators are looking into the roles that Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell may have played in the breach, per CNN.

The Atlanta-area prosecutorial team probing efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia have obtained text messages and emails linking individuals on former President Donald Trump's legal team to a 2021 voting system breach in Republican-heavy Coffee County, according to CNN.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis might seek more than a dozen indictments later this month, as she is reportedly eyeing a sweeping multi-state case that involves conspiracy and racketeering charges. And some of the individuals linked to the breach in Coffee County might also be charged in the larger criminal investigation.

According to individuals who spoke with CNN, investigators in Georgia have amassed evidence that the breach in Coffee County was driven by Trump's legal team so his allies could examine sensitive voting software.

Such evidence would largely put to rest the notion that the breach in Coffee County  which Trump won with nearly 70% of the vote over now-President Joe Biden  was led by local Trump allies in the rural southeastern Georgia jurisdiction. Instead, it would show that the breach was linked to the former president's inner circle.

Allies of Trump sought to examine the voting software in Coffee County in their efforts to find data that could corroborate the then-president's debunked claims that he was the true victor in Georgia.

Biden won Georgia by nearly 12,000 votes out of nearly 5 million ballots cast, performing strongly in Fulton County  which includes Atlanta  and the capital city's populous suburbs. But after the 2020 election, Trump pushed Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the results, to no avail, with the pressure campaign resulting in an hourlong phone conversation in January 2021 where the then-president asked Raffensperger to "find" the necessary votes in order to win the state.

Trump's phone call with Raffensperger and the push to create an alternate slate of presidential electors have both been key parts of the criminal investigation conducted by Willis, but the breach in Coffee County became an increasingly prominent aspect of the Fulton County investigation almost a year ago, according to CNN.

The text messages and court documents revealed that Trump attorneys had their eyes on Coffee County before January 6, 2021, as they feverishly tried to produce any evidence of mass voter fraud, which the then-president contended had led to his defeat in the longtime Republican stronghold.

In 2022, an ex-Trump official told the House January 6 select panel that efforts to examine voting software in Georgia had been brought up in a December 2020 meeting at the White House where the then-president was present.

Just days before pro-Trump allies accessed the Coffee County voting systems, a local elections official suspected of aiding in the breach issued a "written invitation" to the then-president's lawyers, per text messages obtained by CNN.

Per the CNN report, Georgia investigators have probed the participants of the breach, which included Misty Hampton, the Coffee County official who appeared to have written that invitation.

The investigators have also looked into what role Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell played in the breach, according to CNN.

Powell was once a member of Trump's legal team. Giuliani, who was formerly Trump's personal attorney, played a critical role in promoting the then-president's debunked theories of election fraud in a multitude of swing states after the November 2020 election.

In text messages obtained by CNN, Giuliani was often called "the Mayor" by an individual employed at the firm SullivanStrickler, which Powell had brought on to investigate the Coffee County voting systems.

"Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together!" the employee wrote in a January 1, 2021, group chat. "Most immediately, we were just granted access  by written invitation!  to Coffee County's systems. Yay!"

A representative of Willis' office did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will supply its new Luna NG unmanned reconnaissance system by the end of the year, Germanys Bild said on Aug. 12, citing its own sources.

The Luna NG is a next-generation unmanned aircraft for real-time airborne surveillance, detection, and tracking. Its flight time is over 12 hours and its data link range exceeds 100 km.

Read also: Germany may provide Ukraine with modified Taurus missiles  media reports

The system includes a compact ground station with several drones and a rope hoist catapult for launching. The size of the Luna NG allows it to fit in the standard cabin of a helicopter, for example, or in a small vehicle.

Read also: Ukrainian-made Sirko reconnaissance drones aim to replace Mavic quadrocopters at front

The new generation reconnaissance system is in many ways superior to the previous one, Bild reported. The drones are used not only for tactical reconnaissance, but also to deploy LTE networks to intercept or jam communications.

'NG' in the name stands for "new generation" of the Luna drone. Ukraine is already using older models, supplied by Germany.

Reconnaissance drones play a crucial role in real-time frontline actions.

Rheinmetall also purchased 50 Leopard 1 tanks from Belgium in order to donate them to Ukraine after repairs and re-equipment.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
In his heyday, Tim Mapes, diminutive but domineering, was feared in Springfield.

He threatened staffers jobs and screamed orders on the House floor in his capacity as powerhouse Democrat Michael Madigans trusted lieutenant.

Formal investigations all but called Mapes conduct dictatorial. But youd never guess that by looking at Mapes last week, sitting meekly and respectfully between his two lawyers in the solemn setting of a federal courtroom.

He is a little balder, a little grayer these days. His demeanor at the defense table is painstakingly placid.

But federal charges accuse him of doing in the grand jury what he did without penalty for decades in Springfield: shielding the boss, Madigan of Chicago.

I always try to protect him, I mean, thats my goal. Its like in marriage, Mapes once said, according to prosecutors in their opening statement.

Madigan is now facing sweeping racketeering charges. And last week, Mapes  Madigans former chief of staff, House clerk and executive director of the state Democratic Party  went to trial on charges that he tried to thwart that investigation.

Prosecutors accuse Mapes of lying about his knowledge of the political activities of Madigan and ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain, both before and after Madigan ousted Mapes in a June 2018 #MeToo scandal amid accusations Mapes disputed.

During the trials first week, Mapes attorneys contended he honestly could not recall answers to certain questions when he appeared before federal grand jurors on March 31, 2021. They complain he was hamstrung because prosecutors didnt offer to show records or other evidence that could refresh his memory.

The Mapes case represents a relatively small piece of the broad public corruption investigation federal prosecutors have brought against Madigan, who was ousted from his speakership and left the House in 2021.

Even so, the matter comes with high political and symbolic stakes. The government already bagged a big win this year with the convictions of the ComEd Four, a group that included McClain as well as the former CEO of ComEd and two other lobbyists.

Mapes, 68, of Springfield, could go to prison if convicted. He faces counts of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice. The latter charge calls for up to 20 years in federal prison, while lying to a grand jury carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.

Perjury can be tricky to prove. Prosecutors must convince jurors that Mapes intentionally lied about his knowledge of Madigans relationship with McClain. But a conviction would give more momentum to federal prosecutors, who have their eye on next years Madigan-McClain racketeering trial.

No audio of Mapes testimony has been played yet for jurors. Neither has audio of Mapes talking to McClain, whose cellphone was wiretapped by federal agents for months. That audio, along with a fuller picture of Mapes grand jury transcript, is expected to be introduced as early as this week.

Prosecutors have put on witnesses to demonstrate that Madigan, Mapes and McClain worked extraordinarily closely  an attempt to convince jurors it would be completely implausible for Mapes not to know what the other two men were doing.

Just as they did in the earlier ComEd Four case, prosecutors at the Mapes trial turned last week to incumbent Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, to explain how Springfield works  this time with particular emphasis on how Mapes, Madigan and McClain formed a trio with incomparable influence over the Illinois House Democratic caucus.

In all, there are seven questions prosecutors charge Mapes fudged on to protect Madigan. Generally, they allege Mapes lied when he testified that McClain didnt tell Mapes about his discussions with Madigan or pass along any insight about what Madigan told McClain to do.

Some of the questions Mapes was asked were open-ended. For example, he was asked what hed heard from other people about McClain performing activities for Madigan between 2017 and 2019.

I dont recall that  that I would have been part of any of that dialogue, Mapes told the 2021 grand jury. I dont know why I would be.

Mapes attorneys maintained the prosecutors cherry-picked from more than 650 questions at the grand jury, a frightening setting where Mapes told the truth but did not want to guess or make assumptions.

While on the witness stand, Rita, a veteran of 20-plus years in Springfield, went old school as he explained how closely Mapes, McClain and Madigan worked together.

Using his fingers to draw a triangle in the air, Rita told jurors Madigan sat at the top of a small organizational chart. McClain and Mapes held down the corners along each side, Rita explained.

Rita even described how the three lined up along one wall of the speakers Capitol suite, with Mapes in a corner office overseeing the front lawn and Madigan in a spacious room only footsteps from the House floor.

Despite being a lobbyist, McClain often would set up shop in a conference room in between the Mapes and Madigan offices, Rita said.

Rita also regaled the federal courtroom with stories about McClains exploits as a behind-the-scenes player despite his role as a contract lobbyist for ComEd and other major companies with special interests in Springfield.

In 2013, for example, Rita explained how Madigan privately told Rita he would be in charge of the high-profile legislation to expand gambling in Illinois, a task that eventually led to Chicago getting the greenlight to build a land-based mega-casino. As soon as Madigan finished assigning the bills sponsorship to Rita, the speaker opened the door to his Capitol office and McClain materialized on the spot.

The speaker, who said he had a conflict of interest on the gambling bill, then told Rita that McClain would provide guidance.

Three years later, as Rita oversaw a major utility package backed by ComEd, he suddenly learned of a last-minute amendment in a committee, a proposal he was inclined to turn down because he knew nothing about its impact on the overall bill.

But Rita told jurors his opposition to the amendment evaporated when McClain talked to me when the hearing was going on and assured him that the amendment would be OK.

Mike McClain wouldnt give me advice that would be adverse to what the speaker would want, Rita said.

Ritas remark under oath provided jurors with a glimpse of how lawmakers viewed the Madigan-McClain alliance and the speakers potential wide influence over a bills outcome even when he did not cast a vote in favor or against a proposal.

In fact, Madigan was recorded as not voting on the final roll call when the overall utility bill passed.

In the Mapes trial, Rita did not deliver the dramatic line that he gave months earlier in the ComEd Four trial, where he testified that Madigan ruled the House through fear and intimidation.

But Rita did give jurors a moment almost as memorable, when he told how Mapes underscored his well-known gatekeeper role in the House by posting a sign near his desk that borrowed a line from the classic movie The Wizard of Oz, a line that visitors recalled vividly:

Nobody gets in to see the wizard. Not nobody, not no how.

Who in the analogy did you understand the wizard to be? asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz.

Madigan, Rita answered.

More political intrigue came from witness Tom Cullen, a former Madigan staffer once in charge of running the speakers government-based issues development team and playing a major political role in Madigan retaking control of the House in the mid-1990s after Republicans won the majority for a single, two-year term, the only interruption in the speakers nationwide record of 36 years in charge of a legislative chamber.

Like Rita, Cullen told jurors he received a nontarget letter from the federal government, an assurance that prosecutors were not seeking to charge them.

Cullen emerged in the governments probe of Madigan and AT&T Illinois.

The Tribune first revealed that Cullen and his lobbying firm allegedly were involved as an intermediary in a scheme by the telephone giant to funnel thousands of dollars from the company to former Chicago Rep. Eddie Acevedo, once a member of Madigans House Democratic leadership team who was starting up his own lobbying business.

The company allegedly hoped sending money through an intermediary would help gain the speakers assistance in passing telephone legislation he previously blocked.

The former president of AT&T Illinois, Paul La Schiazza, faces conspiracy and bribery charges arising from the case and has pleaded not guilty.

Acevedo has since served a brief stint in prison on an unrelated tax case.

AT&T entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorneys office related the companys efforts to influence Madigan. In exchange for admitting guilt, cooperating and paying a $23 million fine, a bribery-related charge eventually will be dropped.

Similarly, ComEd paid a $200 million fine in its own deferred prosecution agreement, in which it admitted orchestrating a yearslong bribery scheme involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Madigan. A bribery charge against the company was dismissed last month, part of the agreement for its cooperation.

So far in the Mapes trial, his lawyers have indicated they will present a series of counterarguments for the jury to buttress the position that the defendant was scrupulously honest.

In cross-examining Brendan OLeary, formerly the FBIs public corruption point man in Chicago, the defense lawyers tried to make out McClain as unreliable, previewing a likely argument that, even though Mapes heard McClain say he had assignments from Madigan, Mapes couldnt be certain that was true when responding to grand jury questions.

Defense attorney Andrew Porter showed OLeary transcripts of wiretapped conversations in which McClain made wild claims. Porter said, according to transcripts, McClain speculated that then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, Madigans Republican nemesis, might pay up to $100,000 in exchange for a report that made Madigan look bad.

And over and over, Porter sought to distance Mapes from the rest of the people tangled up in the feds Springfield corruption allegations. Mapes was not charged in the ComEd Four case, nor was he included in the racketeering indictment alongside Madigan and McClain, Porter noted during his cross-examination of OLeary.

Obtaining a perjury conviction relies on convincing jurors that someone deliberately lied. And Diane MacArthur, another prosecutor handling the Mapes trial, has experience in winning high-profile perjury cases.

Two decades ago, MacArthur successfully prosecuted a man who lied to grand jurors about slipping a handcuff key to a federal detainee who then killed two officers in an attempt to escape the courthouse. He received a whopping 20-year prison sentence.

When MacArthur delivered her opening statement in the Mapes trial last week, she gave jurors a simple but direct message:

Truth matters.

rlong@chicagotribune.com

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
Two and a half years after launching an investigation into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has signaled that charges could be coming against former President Donald Trump and others.

Willis is likely to present her case to the grand jury this week so the panel can weigh potential charges, sources familiar with the matter have told ABC News.

If Trump is indicted in the probe, it would mark the fourth indictment of the former president, who already faces federal charges in the special counsel's Jan. 6 and classified documents probes, as well as the Manhattan district attorney's hush money case. Prior to Trump, no former or current president had ever been indicted.

MORE: Timeline: Criminal probe into Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia election results

Last month, Willis empaneled a grand jury that could ultimately decide whether to approve charges in the case. In January, a previous special grand jury seated by Willis to probe allegations of election misconduct issued its final report, which found "by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election."

That grand jury, which was only empowered to make recommendations concerning criminal prosecutions, sat for approximately eight months and heard testimony from around 75 witnesses. The publicly released portion of their report revealed no details about any recommendations, beyond recommending that prosecutors seek indictments against witnesses who they believed may have lied during their testimony.

Ambassador Norman Eisen (ret.), a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institute who served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2020, previously told ABC News that "the mountain of evidence" that has been made public regarding the efforts to overturn the election in Georgia "points strongly toward a forecast that the report recommends Donald Trump and his conspirators for prosecution."

"Like the weather forecast or rain, there's no guarantee," Eisen said, "but when you look outside your window and the rain clouds are dark ... that's where we are with all of these facts."

Possible charges could include solicitations of election fraud, other forms of fraud, conspiracy, and possibly racketeering, Eisen said.

"The allegations are very serious. If indicted and convicted, people are facing prison sentences," Willis said of the investigation in an interview with The Washington Post last year.

'Find 11,780 votes'

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis officially launched the probe in February 2021, sparked in part by the now-infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in which Trump pleaded with Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes," the exact number Trump needed to win Georgia.

Trump has repeatedly defended his call to Raffensperger, calling it "perfect."

The special grand jury was seated in May 2022, after Willis wrote that the panel was needed because "a significant number of witnesses and prospective witnesses have refused to cooperate with the investigation absent a subpoena requiring their testimony."

Since then, those who have been subpoenaed for testimony include some of Trump's closest allies and supporters, including attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, who unsuccessfully fought his subpoena up to the United State Supreme Court.

PHOTO: FILE - U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.R. 3151, the Taxpayer First Act, during a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., July 1, 2019. (Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

Graham argued, among other things, that he was acting "within [his] official legislative responsibilities" as a senator and chairman of the Judiciary Committee when he allegedly made calls to Georgia officials following the 2020 election.

During calls to Raffensperger and others, Graham allegedly asked about "reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump," the judge wrote in a filing in the case.

Willis also sought testimony from a number of Georgia's highest elected officials, including Raffensperger, Gov. Brian Kemp and Rep. Jody Hice.

Targets of the probe

A number of individuals have also been informed that they are considered "targets" of the probe, including Giuliani. In the wake of the election, Giuliani appeared at a series of legislative hearings around the country -- including Georgia -- where he urged state legislators to reject the results of the election.

Responding to the notification of his status as a target of the probe, Giuliani said, "I appeared in Georgia as attorney for Donald J. Trump. So I'm going to be prosecuted for what I did as an attorney?"

Sixteen people identified as so-called "fake electors" in the state were also notified last summer that they were considered targets in the ongoing criminal investigation, prosecutors revealed in court documents.

The 16, who allegedly participated in a scheme to overturn the state's election results, received letters "alerting that person both that [their] testimony was required by the special purpose grand jury and that [they were a] target of the investigation" said the filing from prosecutors, who were investigating the "creation of a document that identified [them] as being among the 'duly elected and qualified Electors for president and Vice President of the United States of America from the State of Georgia,' and the submission of that document to the National Archives."

MORE: Georgia prosecutor barred from investigating 1 of 16 alleged 'fake electors'

The House committee probing the Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol described the "fake electors" plan, which appeared to have multiple iterations, as being set up by the Trump campaign in multiple swing states in which they sought to assemble "groups of individuals in key battleground states and got them to call themselves electors, created phony certificates associated with these fake electors and then transmitted these certificates to Washington, and to the Congress, to be counted during the joint session of Congress on January 6th," according to the filing.

This past May, eight of the so called "fake electors" accepted immunity in the probe, according to their lawyer.

"After reviewing the actual, written offers of immunity, each of those eight electors accepted their immunity offer," a filing by the attorney, Kimberly Debrow, said.

Setbacks for Willis

Willis suffered a setback last year when she unsuccessfully fought to have Pierson and her law partner disqualified from representing those 11, alleging that it was a "conflict of interest."

Fulton County Judge Robert McBurney largely denied the request, only removing one of the electors as Pierson's client, but keeping the rest.

Earlier, McBurney disqualified Willis from investigating one of the 16 alleged fake electors, Georgia state Sen. Burt Jones, after Willis held a fundraiser for Jones' political opponent in the race for lieutenant governor. The judge called it "harmful" to the investigation and said the "optics are horrid."

MORE: Supreme Court rejects Sen. Lindsey Graham's bid to avoid testifying in Georgia election probe

"An investigation of this significance, garnering the public attention it necessarily does and touching so many political nerves in our society, cannot be bordered by legitimate doubts about the District Attorney's motives," McBurney wrote.

Editor's Note: This story was originally published in January 2023 and has been updated.

As Trump faces potential 4th indictment, what to know about Georgia election case originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, right, speaks during a "Fair-Side Chat" with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, left, at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 12, 2023. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis has had a tough few days as he's ramped up his 2024 campaign throughout Iowa.

DeSantis has been met by a series of protests as he looks to gain momentum in the Hawkeye State.

Gov. Kim Reynolds asked protesters to be "Iowa nice" as DeSantis spoke at the Iowa State Fair.

Iowa is known for its genteel Midwestern sensibilities, which has been on wide display as presidential candidates past and present have traversed the state in hopes of gaining momentum to win the nominations of their respective parties.

But for Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who's struggling to dethrone former President Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary, the reception that he's received in recent days has been less than ideal.

On Friday, DeSantis was heckled at an early day campaign stop in Iowa, where protesters told him to "go back to Florida" with the jingling of cowbells drowning out his speech. He was also called "Ron DeFascist" and "pudding fingers," a reference to an article written by The Daily Beast's Jake Lahut and Zachary Petrizzo where the governor was said by two sources to have eaten a chocolate pudding dessert with three of his fingers. (DeSantis said he didn't recall such an incident.)

And during DeSantis' Saturday morning interview with Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds  who has remained neutral in the GOP primary but has been friendly with the Florida governor and his wife, Casey  he was once again heckled while speaking at the iconic Iowa State Fair.

Reynolds, who DeSantis has mentioned as a potential vice presidential running mate, urged the protesters to be respectful of the Florida governor, who remains mired in second place in most major surveys of the GOP contest.

"Hey, you know what, you know what? We're in Iowa," she told the protesters. "And in Iowa, we're Iowa nice. So, let's give everybody the opportunity to hear our candidates."

After the disruption, DeSantis slammed the protesters as "radical leftists," according to NBC News.

"Well, look, I think when the left comes out that's a sign of strength because like, they know that we will beat Biden and they know we will be able to turn this country around and they do not want that," he later told reporters.

Heather Ryan, who was a participant in the anti-DeSantis protest on Friday, told NBC News that she was "tired of being nice."

"We're Iowa nice by nature. That's what we're known for. But I'm tired of being nice," she said. "I'm tired of getting trampled on for our rights ... people like Ron DeSantis ... I mean, women's rights are, like, so unimportant to him that I almost don't even have to say that he's taking them away because you already know that."

Read the original article on Business Insider
On the campaign trail in 2018 and when he first took office the following year, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee pitched the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives as a self-funded, independent entity to help mobilize faith groups and find solutions to problems government couldnt as easily address.

This office will leverage the nonprofit community and help us unleash the potential of all Tennesseans to get involved to not only make lives better for their fellow citizens but to reduce the responsibilities and ultimately the size of government, Lee said in his first State of the State address in 2019.

But this year, for the first time, the office is receiving direct taxpayer support: $1.2 million in recurring state funding.

The governor sought the funds this year "to strengthen the Office's mission" of working with nonprofits to "help meet the greatest challenges facing our state, including reducing recidivism and ensuring that every child has a safe, loving home," Lee spokesperson Jade Byers said.

Gov. Bill Lee holds a second news conference in a week on the state's efforts to revamp how it funds education on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 at the Tennessee state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn.

The money will go to hiring five new core staff members and six community liaisons. In the past, the office has operated with six staff members supported by private funding, according to annual reports.

Outside of the plans to hire new staff, few details are available on the office's specific spending plans. The governors office, for instance, has no budget records detailing how the office will spend the money. Oversight is left to a nonprofit board.

By state law, the Tennessee Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives is run by an appointee of the governor, who works in tandem with a separate nonprofit entity governed by a board of directors.

This spring, lawmakers reversed a previous requirement that the nonprofit be entirely self-funded, despite criticism from Democrats that Tennessees Constitution precludes preference to any religious establishment or mode of worship.

Executive Director Lance Villio, whom Lee appointed to lead the office in September, said his goal is to act as connective tissue between state government and nonprofits and faith groups across the state.

Its like, how do we make it really easy for people that are doing really great work to continue doing great work? Villio said.

Faith office oversight

Villio told The Tennessean that the board of directors has direct  and final  oversight on how the $1.2 million allocation is spent.

The all-volunteer board is appointed by Lee and includes close allies of the governor. Those include Lee's former chief counsel Lang Wiseman; Ginger Eley, wife of deputy governor Butch Eley; Libby Phillips, owner of TDOT contractor Big Al Mowing; Barry and Iris Ray of Cleveland, Tennessee; and Memphis businessman and philanthropist Tyrone Burroughs, founder of the Burroughs Foundation. Until last year, Lee's former campaign treasurer Fred Decosimo also served on the board.

The governor's office included the $1.2 million funding request in its fiscal 2023 budget. But as of this month, the governors office did not have a copy of the faith-based office's budget for the current fiscal year, a list of organizations the office has worked with, or any email records with Villio and administration staff discussing the offices budget request. The Tennessean requested copies of those documents and a public record request coordinator said the governors team had no such records.

The office is required to provide an annual report of its activities to the governor, and speakers of the House of Representatives and Senate. Villio provided copies of all existing reports to The Tennessean.

But it is unclear if those were filed with the governor and legislative leaders. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally's office told The Tennessean that it did not have copies of the reports. Neither Lee's office nor the office of House Speaker Cameron Sexton responded by Friday afternoon on whether they had copies of the annual reports.

For now, Villio and his assistant are the offices only employees.

While the office requested state funding to support new staff positions this year, it previously supported a staff of six with funding from private donors. Those employees are no longer with the office. The office still receives significant funding from donors, whom Villio declined to disclose.

According to the nonprofit's latest available tax filings, it raised $441,500 in private contributions in 2021. Of that, nearly all went to employee salaries, including for the executive director and four other nonprofit employees. The nonprofit is subject to audit by the State Comptroller but not the state's public records or open meeting requirements.

The lions share of the $1.2 million appropriation will go to hiring more state staff. Villio said he is currently working to hire a deputy director. By June 2024, he hopes to grow the staff to 12 people, including a director of community development, a director of initiatives, a communications director, and six regional liaisons. No job postings for the other positions have yet been advertised.

Website redirects to Malaysian lottery

As the office begins to spend through its first-ever allocation of tax dollars, elements of its operations appear to have fallen by the wayside. While still in existence, none of the offices social media accounts have been active since December 2022, or in one case, 2021.

The URL for the Offices website, linked on its social media accounts and email signatures, has been broken since April. Villio said theyre working on a redesign. As of Aug. 11, the website URL redirects to a Malaysian lottery website.

Thats an unfortunate part of managing all this with a small team right now, Villio said.

Villio is budgeted to take home a salary of $165,000 per year (about $26,000 less than his predecessor), in addition to a $1,000 monthly car allowance, which he said he uses for rental cars for travel around the state. His assistant makes $4,000 per month. The money is allocated from the nonprofit.

The nonprofit has offices in Chattanooga, according to tax filings. The state office is located on the 22nd floor of the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, a state-owned building that houses several state agencies. Villios budget lists an expense of $457 per employee for office rental totaling $2,292 in rent for the month of July  and projected to rise to $6,876 per month by next June.

Also budgeted is a $450 per employee monthly phone tab. The phone bill is projected to rise to $5,400 per month by next June for 12 employees.

What does the office do?

Under its previous director, Dave Worland, the office facilitated an initiative to encourage Tennesseans to pray for state leaders, which about 900 people signed up for, according to the office's 2021 annual report, the latest available.

It also drafted guidance for houses of worship to continue operating during the coronavirus pandemic, and hosted calls to help victims of natural disasters navigate applications for state and federal assistance.

The office also collaborated to create a portal to map nonprofits and houses of worship across the state and facilitate connections, and started a podcast to feature nonprofit leaders. The podcast does not appear to have been updated since 2021. The office also launched a "TN Hope Line" to offer connection and encouragement for older adults. The phone number has been disconnected.

Right now, Villio is working on an initiative called TN Fosters Hope to help identify and connect nonprofits working in the continuum of care around foster children to fill in gaps in service at the Department of Childrens Services. DCS is also working on similar initiatives.

Certainly they have different groups that they work with. I think the unique thing about our office is that we work with DCS, but we also work with a lot of other departments, Villio told The Tennessean. We kind of play that connective tissue, making sure the department really knows and understands what's out there, and then to making sure that these groups know, hey, we might have a gap in care here.

Primarily, Villios job at the moment largely centers on meeting with nonprofits around the state. Villio has met with 84 different organizations since coming on in September, the majority of whom are community nonprofits or Christian charities.

Anybody that reaches out, I mean, I've always met with them, Villio said. It's like a rabbit hole, right? Like, you start digging and you realize, like, oh my gosh, there's so much like amazing work that's already being done.

The Tennessean also requested a list of organizations and faith groups the office has worked with since its creation. At first, the governors office responded that no such records exist. Later, Villio shared a list on state letterhead to The Tennessean.

The list includes the 84 groups Villio has met with since taking office. The majority are anti-trafficking, family services and disabilities nonprofits, or houses of worship, primarily Christian.

Villio has met with three non-Christian faith groups: the BAPS Temple in Nashville, the American Muslim Advisory Council, and the Islamic Center of Nashville.

Villio has also met with the Tennessee Resettlement Agency to gain a better understanding of refugee resettlement in Tennessee. No agenda or initiative is planned with that organization.

When asked whether in those meetings he is representing an ask from the government, or making an ask of the agency, Villio says its a little bit of both.

Reach reporter Vivian Jones at vjones@tennessean.com or on X and Threads @Vivian_E_Jones.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives received $1.2M
An 84-year-old grandmother suffered serious injuries this week after she was allegedly attacked on a bus in Los Angeles.

Security footage of the alleged assault showed the woman fly out of the bus landing on her back and hitting her head on the sidewalk after she was either shoved or kicked.

The suspect can be seen attempting to run away while the victim lies on the sidewalk unconscious, but good Samaritans grabbed her until police arrived, FOX 11 reported.

Witnesses told the new station that the attack was unprovoked, and the suspect spit on the woman after pushing her out the door.

ATLANTA POPEYES WORKERS VIOLENTLY ATTACKED WOMAN ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT ORDER: LAWSUIT

Security footage caught the moment the 84-year-old slammed against the concrete after an alleged attack on a bus.

"This lady was just kind of pushed out of the bus," witness Jonathan told the station of the Tuesday incident in South Los Angeles' University Park. "She just smacked right into the concrete."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

COUPLE SPEAKS OUT FOLLOWING VIOLENT ATTACK IN CHICAGO

He added that a man walking by while she was on the concrete pretended to help her but actually tried to "swipe her pocketbook, but luckily there was two younger locals that jumped off the bus and took the purse back from him."

While some witnesses said the woman was shoved, one said she was kicked.

"The assailant was holding onto the rails on top of the bus and full force kicked the woman off the bus," he said. "So not only did she hit the floor she was kicked violently."

Police arrested the unidentified suspect, FOX 11 reported. Her charges are pending.

"It's sickening," a family member of the victim told the station. "This action was very malicious and intentional and there's nothing right about this act.

Her family says she only remembers parts of the incident and is in a lot of pain

Jonathan added, "These days its crazy. You just don't know where you're going to be safe anymore."
Greece has become the 14th country to join the G7 declaration on "security guarantees" for Ukraine, the head of the Presidents Office Andriy Yermak announced on Twitter on Aug. 12.

He thanked the people and government of Greece, which became the 14th country to join the G7 Vilnius Declaration in support of Ukraine.

"The number of states that are ready to participate in ensuring Ukraine's ability to defend itself and prevent the recurrence of aggression is increasing," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys chief-of-staff said.

Read also: Negotiations on Ukrainian peace formula begin in Saudi Arabia

Yermak added that Ukraine continues to work with partners and announced "more good news ahead."

Read also: European Union cannot offer Ukraine security guarantees  Brussels

During the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 12, the G7 leaders announced that they had agreed on a declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President's Office stated that the declaration is a general framework document, and the next step should be a system of bilateral agreements between Ukraine and individual guarantor states.

On Aug. 3, Ukraine began negotiations with the United States on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees. On Aug. 11, Kyiv began bilateral talks with the United Kingdom on security guarantees.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
In this photo provided by Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, medics carry a wounded man into an ambulance after an attack at the Shah Cheragh shrine in the southern city of Shiraz, Iran, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. A gunman opened fire Sunday night at a prominent shrine in southern Iran, wounding at least four people, authorities said. Information on the attack at Shah Cheragh remained unclear immediately after the shooting, with state media and semiofficial news agencies offering differing details. (Reza Ghaderi, IRNA via AP)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  A gunman opened fire Sunday night at a prominent shrine in southern Iran, killing one person and wounding eight others in an attack that followed another assault there months earlier, authorities said.

Officials offered no immediate motive for the attack in the city of Shiraz at Shah Cheragh, which draws Shiite pilgrims to its domed mosque and the tomb of a prominent member of the faith from its earliest days.

However, Iran has faced attacks in the past from the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group, who view Shiites as heretics. Iran also faces lingering unrest and economic turmoil amid tensions with the West.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ismail Qezelsofla, a deputy governor for security in the country's Fars province, as offering the casualty toll.

Fars province Gov. Mohammad Hadi Imanieh told Iranian state television that a single gunman carried out the attack and later was detained by security forces. He did not offer any motive for the attack in his brief comments.

Footage after the attack showed security forces surround one entrance to the then-deserted courtyard of Shah Cheragh at sunset. Ambulances later took away the wounded as security forces and government officials reached the shrine.

Shah Cheragh is one of Irans top five Shiite shrines. It draws pilgrims to Shiraz, which is some 675 kilometers (420 miles) south of Iran's capital, Tehran.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack Sunday night comes after an October 2022 attack on the same shrine killed 13 people and wounded dozens of others. The Islamic State group claimed the assault, which Iran said had been carried out by a man from Tajikistan, who later died in a hospital after succumbing to injuries he suffered while being detained by security forces.

Iran has backed Syria's embattled Bashar Assad during his country's civil war. It also fought Islamic State fighters both there and in Iraq.

The worst assault from Islamic State militants in Iran came in a June 2017 attack that killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50 in Tehran as its gunmen stormed parliament and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis mausoleum. Khomeini led the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Western-backed shah to become Irans first supreme leader until his death in 1989.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Vice President Kamala Harris appeared to take a swing at GOP lawmakers for making it harder to vote during a Saturday interview with Al Sharpton.

I recognize that when people make the effort to register to vote, to fill out that ballot, to go to the polls and vote, it is an effort that we should appreciate and be thankful for when they make it, Harris said in the interview on MSNBC. Im worried about it because I also know that there has been a lot of effort and laws that have been passed to try and make it more difficult for people to vote.

In the years following the 2020 election, Republican lawmakers have passed several pieces of legislation to tighten up voting requirements. In 2021, a law that passed in Georgia received large amounts of scrutiny for its content, including new barriers when it comes to the absentee-ballot request period and prohibitions on providing food and drink to voters in line to cast their ballot.

In the United States of America we went through all these fights, the March on Washington all that, Harris said And these so-called leaders who are so bold as to unapologetically propose and pass laws to make it more difficult for the American people to vote. The gall?

The election reform laws include implementing measures like shortening the time period during which a voter can request a mail-in ballot, limiting the number or availability of mail ballot drop boxes and removing inactive voters from the rolls, among other things. A large number of these laws are aimed at increasing in-person voting after mail-in voting spiked during the 2020 election as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hawaii Rep. Jill Tokuda (D) said Sunday the states warning sirens likely did not go off as the Maui wildfire tore through parts of the island last week, marking the deadliest wildfire in modern United States history.

We know everybody whos ever lived in Hawaii knows the warning sirens, Tokuda told CBSs Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation. It goes off once a month at the beginning of the month at 12 noon, and it blares. And if it doesnt, it gets fixed, because this is our first line of defense. Unfortunately, in this situation, sadly, tragically in this situation, those sirens likely did not go off.

Tokuda said while there were some warning signals on cell phones, some areas had no cell coverage or electricity to receive such signals.

The reality is, with those warning signs, it tells all of us to turn on the television or look at our phones or turn on the radio, Tokuda said. The reality is was how fast this burn was.

If you turned on your phone, you turned on a radio, if you even could, she continued. Remember, things were out at that particular point, you would not know what the crisis was. You might think its a tsunami, by the way, which is our first instinct, you would run towards land, which in this case, would be towards fire.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez announced Friday she has opened a probe into the response to the wildfires in Maui and that her department would conduct a compressive review of the critical decision-making and standing policies before, during and after the fires.

In an update Saturday, Maui County officials said the wildfire has killed 93 people, surpassing the total killed in the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California that left 85 people dead. Only two victims have been identified, officials said.

Maui County officials said crews are still working to put out flare-ups in the Lahaina and Upcountry Maui fires. As of Friday, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimated the fire in Lahaina burned 2,170 acres and left at least 2,207 structures damaged or destroyed. In Upcountry Maui, which is in the south Mauis Kihei area, in the mountainous inland communities, three structures on Olinda and 16 structures in Kula were destroyed, Maui County officials said.

Tokuda said she walked through the streets of Lahaina on Saturday, calling the scene heartbreaking. She said they are not at a point where they can establish a timeframe for when residents could return to their homes.

It was shocking, surreal, Tokuda said. Weve heard all these words, but to actually walk those streets and to still see fires smoldering in the distance, to see cars literally melted into puddles that have hardened over the road, Xs on buildings and cars to say that it has been searched for signs of causalities or even life.

The PDC and FEMA estimated around $5.52 billion in damages, according to the agencies damage assessment map Saturday.

Brennan asked Tokuda how to make the case in Washington that Hawaii needs to be a priority in FEMAs disaster relief funding.

This is a national disaster we are facing, Tokuda said. And one thing we have to remember, too, was this is rural America. Rural America is getting hit by these types of climate change chaoses, every single day is disaster. Rural America, which is what Hawaii is, faces a crisis of also being able to get those first responders and support as fast as they need to be able to respond in these situations.

Last week, President Biden asked Congress for a $40 billion package, which includes $12 billion to replenish U.S. federal disaster funds at home.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In the wake of the deadly wildfires that engulfed a historic Maui town, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said she would not make any excuses for the policies that led officials to fail to activate sirens that would have warned residents of the flames that whipped across Lahaina.

I'm not going to make any excuses for this tragedy, but the Attorney General has launched a review of what happened with those sirens and some of the other actions that were taken. So that is happening, Hirono said during an interview on CNNs State of the Union, on Sunday.

There will be time enough I would say for those kinds of reviews and investigations to occur.

Attorney General Anne Lopez of Hawaii announced she would be launching a review of critical decision-making and standing policies leading up to, during, and after the wildfires on Maui, in the wake of the devastating fires that have so far left at least 93 dead.

Even if the sirens had gone off, those in the path of the flames may not have had enough information to make it to safety, Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii) said Sunday.

"With those warning signs, it tells all of use to turn on the television, or look at our phones or turn on the radio. The reality is how fast this burn was ... if you turned on your phone, you turned on a radio if you even could  things were out at that particular point  you would not know what the crisis was," Tokuda said during an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"You might think it was a tsunami, you would run toward land, which in this case would be toward fire."

The immediate focus, Hirono emphasized Sunday, should be on rescue and recovery.

We're going to need to provide a lot of support. That is why I'm asking for and I expect to receive bipartisan support for additional funds that will enable us to recover, Hirono said.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for the state, making additional federal funding available to those impacted by the disaster.

President Biden called me directly to pledge his support because we know that recovery will be long and the resources will be necessary. I have also heard from my senate colleagues, Chuck Schumer and others, pledging their support, Hirono said. Recovery will take a lot of resources. And the focus right now is truly on the recovery.
LAHAINA, Hawaii  Marina Sanchez and Dustin Akiona drove through dizzying, winding roads overlooking the ocean, desperate to find a way into Lahaina with the hundreds of dollars worth of supplies they had gathered for their neighbors water, gas, flashlights, batteries, baby food, diapers. A law enforcement roadblock was making it difficult for people to get into the historic neighborhood that had been nearly leveled days earlier by what has become the deadliest wildfire in recent U.S. history, killing at least 96 people and destroying nearly 2,000 residential buildings.

Sanchez, 28, leaned out the window of the Toyota Tacoma, phone in hand, trying to get enough cell service to post an Instagram story asking for volunteers for help to complete another supply drop.

I cant believe theyre making it so hard to go and help people, Akiona, 31, said Saturday as they inched closer to the checkpoint.

Sanchez told Akiona they would find a way to get to Lahaina with the supplies.

"Even if I have to swim," she said.

Five days after the fires began in Maui, residents said it has been difficult to get food, fuel and other resources to those in the worst-hit areas, including the hundreds of people who lost their homes. Law enforcement road closures and slow communication from a government that many accuse of failing to adequately warn them about the fires has prompted residents to create their own aid systems as neighbors turn to one another for shelter and other necessities.

Neighbors provide food, protection

Residents leaned on one another, too, days before as the fires swept through their neighborhoods.

Archie Kalepa wasn't home when the fires began, but his neighbors, including Shaun "Buge" Saribay, 42, knew that if his house caught fire, the others in the tightly packed cul-de-sac next to the Lahaina Civic and Recreation Center probably would burn. They joined firefighters on the front lines to protect his home, using water from a spigot on his property as bright orange flames and dark black smoke ripped through different parts of Lahaina.

Saribay wasn't sure he would live to see the next day. "With the survival mode in my head, I said, 'If I don't make it, if I don't make it, I'm going to hide this phone where I think they can find it, where it's not going to get touched, it's not going to get burned," he said. "And if they do, my kids can, my family can watch this video on how me just saying how much I love them."

The flames burned down Kalepa's garden shed behind his house, but the neighbors were able to save the main home on the land.

"They held it right to the bitter end, right here," said Kalepa, 60.

Shaun Buge Saribay looks over the burned buildings and homes of Lahaina. Saribay lost several homes and a business after a wildfire fueled by winds from Hurricane Dora and dry vegetation destroyed much of the town.

On Saturday, just steps away from the fresh pile of rubble, ash and burned-out cars, volunteers set out stacks of drinks, food, medical supplies, pet food and toilet paper outside Kalepa's house. Trucks rolled into the makeshift rescue center throughout the day, dropping off necessities like gas and water.

Kalepa, a former lifeguard better known as Uncle Archie, said the cul-de-sac has become "a starting point to the rebuilding of our communities."

"Right now, this is not my home," he said, sporting a neon vest and a Walkie Talkie strapped to his chest, directing dozens of volunteers. "This is our community's home."

Archie Kalepa, 60, looks out at the charred remains of the garden shed in his backyard. The wildfire on Aug. 8, came within feet of his home. Kalepa has since turned his home into a supply hub for the Lahaina community.

'I'm just doing everything that I can for everybody'

Sanchez and Akiona gathered supplies after visiting Lahaina on Friday, going house to house and asking people what they needed. Residents and reporters who visited Lahaina last week discovered the treasured town, home to cultural and religious sites that date back centuries, had turned into an ashen wasteland.

"It's heartbreaking. It's hard to come here and see how many people have been displaced, lost their homes," Sanchez said. "I'm just doing everything that I can for everybody."

Police were restricting access into West Maui because toxic particles from still-smoldering areas could harm people. Meanwhile, an unsafe-water advisory was in place in the Lahaina and Upper Kula areas, where some running water had been restored, Maui County said.

Dustin Akiona, 31, and Marina Sanchez, 28, gather supplies needed for community members in Lahaina on Aug. 12, 2023. Dozens of people are still missing and thousands were displaced after a wind-driven wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina on Aug. 8. Crews are continuing to search for missing people.

As they moved slowly toward the roadblock, Sanchez got a call from a woman they had met the night before who said she has 15 condos in Kihei that people in need could use at no cost. Sanchez told her to post it on Instagram and promised to also share it with her followers.

"Unfortunately, our government sites are not fast enough in getting communication," Sanchez said. "And the one thing that's good about Hawaii and our community is that we will, we are always on top of it with helping people and sharing information and letting everybody know, you know, uncle so-and-so auntie over here, she needs this."

When they finally reached the checkpoint, an officer told them they couldn't get in without an ID showing a Lahaina address. That meant the supplies couldn't get in, either.

"It's just ridiculous," Sanchez said. "I know there's protocol, but the protocol is sometimes prohibiting people from getting what they need."

Akiona pulled over while Sanchez called anyone she could think of who might have an ID with a Lahaina address. Unsuccessful, they drove back the way they came, desperately asking other drivers in line if they could take one of their passengers to get through the checkpoint. After several failed attempts, Aaron Panlasigui, 35, hopped in their truck. He knew Uncle Archie, too, he said. Panlasigui flashed his ID, and the officer let them, and their supplies, in. Everyone in the car breathed a sigh of relief.

'People who live here are stuck here'

Kalepa's friend Na'alehu Anthony, 48, arrived with a Starlink terminal, allowing people to use the internet via satellite system to contact their families. Usually, traveling to Maui was relatively simple for Anthony, but because of the road closures, getting where he needed to go had turned into an odyssey, as it had for many.

"I got in the car, I got on a plane, I got on a 4-by-4, I got on a boat, I got on an ATV, I got to here," he said.

He said a "distribution problem" had caused resources to pile up in places like Oahu. That prompted the community in Lahaina to self-organize, turning Kalepa's home into "ground zero for access to resources," he said.

Anthony said many roads and beaches have closed, "so people who live here are stuck here, and they need resources coming through."

Burned houses and buildings are seen in Lahaina. Thousands were displaced after a wildfire fueled by winds from Hurricane Dora and dry vegetation destroyed much of the town. The death toll from the fire makes it the deadliest wildfire of the past U.S. century.

Saribay is one of those people. He said all of his family members, including his three children, made it out safely to another part of the island. But he lost his ID in the fire and doesn't want to leave Lahaina if he can't get back in.

"I mean, no one's going to run around looking for their ID when their life is in danger," he said.

Saribay said he lost three of his own properties, a home that had been in his family for generations as well as a tattoo shop he helped run on Front Street. He worries that many of his neighbors will sell their land, which would drastically change their community, but he hopes that won't happen.

"All I can say is this is gnarly," he said. "Does it break my heart? Heck yeah, but I don't know. I just feel that this is going to make the community stronger if the community can stick it out."

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Claire Thornton, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hawaii wildfires: Maui survivors struggle to get food, fuel
When the Empire Mall opened in September 1975, there were two anchor stores: Younkers at the west end, and Herbergers near the middle of the structure. JCPenney was under construction on the east side, expected to open in the spring. Up to that point, Herbergers had not been a presence in Sioux Falls, but there were other locations in Watertown, Aberdeen and Mitchell.

Herbergers department store started in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, opening its first store on Aug. 14, 1927. It was called Herberger-Hart Co., named for George Robert Bob Herbert and his partner, Charles W. Hart. The store specialized in clothing, but also carried household items and dry goods such as yarn, thread, cloth and the like. Business took off, especially in their Downstairs Store, where the best bargains could be found. Here was the place to find close-out items, marked low to make way for new items. Herberger-Hart Co. quickly became a popular place to shop in Saint Cloud.

In 1932, Herberger and Hart parted ways in business, but remained friends outside of that arena. Charles opened his own store in Wadena, Minnesota, and Bob began calling the Herberger-Hart Co. store Herbergers. The old and new names would be used interchangeably until 1934, when the old name was permanently phased out.

On Dec. 31, 1941, fire broke out in the store at about 6:15 p.m. Bob and six staff members were about to go home when they noticed the smoke. They were able to grab their accounting ledgers on the way out. After hours of difficult, cold work by firefighters, the fire was contained, but the building was lost.

More: How Dairy Queen expanded into Sioux Falls and the rest of South Dakota: Looking back

Within a couple of days, Herbergers found a temporary space to move into. In three months, half of the store was able to be opened, and two months after that, the remainder was ready. This took some doing, as the US had just entered World War II, and resources were immediately scarce. There were, however, provisions for businesses that had experienced this kind of setback.

Herbergers second location opened in 1943 in Watertown. That same year, Bob decided that any stock in the company would be sold only to Herbergers employees. He wanted to share the benefits with those who helped to make the store a success. By 1972, Bob had sold all of his stock to the employees, making them the sole owners of Herbergers.

The above image of manager Wayne Swoboda in 1978. Credit should be to Greetings From Sioux Falls.

In 1945, Herbergers third location was opened in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. This was the year the business adopted the rose logo that would represent the stores for years to come.

By the time Herbergers opened in the Empire Mall, there were 12 other locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota. Aberdeens location opened in 1969, and Mitchells in 1974. In the next three years, eight more locations would open.

Herbergers continued to carry the same kind of wares as when the first store opened, updated for styles and tastes, of course. The Empire location, managed by Wayne Swoboda, occupied 50,000 square feet. It was smaller than Younkers 106,000 feet and JCPenneys 140,000, but still a respectable space in the areas hottest new mall.

Mens, womens and childrens clothing were all well-represented with top name brands, and the womens department was an area of special focus. Swoboda called the infants and childrens departments terrific grandma bait.A section called Music City stocked records, tapes, stereos, and other electronic equipment, including Sony televisions. Though the new Empire location didnt have a bargain basement, the Budget Shop at Herbergers filled that need.

In 1977, Herbergers celebrated its 50th anniversary. By then, there were 16 locations in the Midwest. Two locations had been added in Montana, and one in Wyoming was expected in 1978. Rapid Citys Rushmore Mall welcomed Herbergers in September, 1978. This store would remain until 2018, but Sioux Falls location was not as successful.

More: How the Olson brothers changed the dapper scene of Sioux Falls: Looking back

On Sept. 3, 1980, it was announced that Herbergers in the Empire would close in early 1981. By that point, management duties had been taken over by Bill Leingang, as Swoboda had taken over management of the Rice Lake, Wisconsin store. Leingang expressed some frustration over the retail market in Sioux Falls.

Very simply, Sioux Falls is over-retailed to the point that its hurting retailers, he said. The big growth really has never quit since 75. Its been one thing after another and enoughs enough.

When the Empire Mall opened, Herbergers had only Younkers as competition, and JCPenney the following year. In 1978, the Empire Mall was expanded to include Daytons.

Herbergers nation-wide became part of the Bon-Ton store chain by 2005, after various mergers and sales, which had started in 1997. Bon-Ton, which was also the parent company of Younkers, announced the closing of all 267 of its various stores on April 17, 2018. As of this writing, the Herbergers website says that it is coming back soon, suggesting an upcoming web presence. This has been going on since BrandX bought the Herbergers brand in 2021.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Herberger's closed because Sioux Falls was 'over-retailed': Looking back
Perseid fireball photographed during the peak of the 2017 Perseid meteor shower in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Frankie Lucena/Getty Images

Viewers of Saturday's Perseid meteor shower could see up to 100 "fireballs" per hour at its peak.

Fireballs are different from other meteors  they're brighter, rarer, and can audibly "boom."

To best see them, try to escape city lights and let your eyes adapt to the night sky for half an hour.

For meteor-shower enthusiasts, the chance to spot a fireball streak across the night sky is a real treat.

That's because fireballs are just what they sound like  exceptionally brilliant meteors. And of those meteors, the brighter they are, the rarer they are, according to the American Meteor Society .

Luckily for meteor enthusiasts of all ages, the popular Perseid meteor shower , which is set to peak in the early-morning hours of August 13, could feature up to 100 fireballs an hour, Insider previously reported . The AMS has said the phenomenon is rare.

"If you're going to watch any meteor shower this year  because it's going to be the most comfortable and there are going to be lots of fireballs  that's the one to see," Bill Cooke, the lead of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, told Insider's Marianne Guenot .

Fireballs are usually a product of large meteoroids that enter Earth's atmosphere . According to NASA, these objects are still not sizable enough to stay intact as they burn up on their descent to Earth, but scientists can sometimes still retrieve meteorites from them.

To be considered a fireball , a meteor  a streak of light caused by a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere  needs to reach magnitude -4, which means it appears brighter than Venus in the night sky, according to the AMS .

The magnitude scale in astronomy categorizes how bright stars appear to humans on Earth, according to EarthSky.org, a site that publishes daily updates on astronomical events on Earth and in our solar system. Lower magnitudes are assigned to brighter celestial bodies.

The light of a fireball can also appear as bright colors, viewers have reported, from reds and blues to yellows and greens  though other burning elements and debris surrounding it can obscure the exact colors of the burning meteoroid itself, according to the AMS.

Vivid fireballs can also produce sounds such as "hissing static, to sizzling, to popping sounds," the AMS said. Even brighter ones can produce a sonic boom.

According to NASA , there are also more intense meteors, referred to as bolides and superbolides, that result from meteoroids or asteroids exploding in the atmosphere.

According to previous reporting from Insider, you have the best chance of seeing the shower in the pre-dawn hours.

This year will be especially good for viewers, Cooke told Insider, because the moon will be at the end of its crescent phase, meaning there will be less light to obstruct viewing in the sky.

Viewers should be sure to give their eyes time  NBC recommends about 20 to 30 minutes  to adjust so you can see the shower most easily.

There are many places to escape the city lights and give yourself a better chance of viewing a fireball  Insider has a list of the darkest places in all 50 US states to watch the stars.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Just sing

Regarding Concert review: Jason Aldean goes off on his critics  and the crowd in Charlotte goes wild, (Aug. 11):

The audience greeting Jason Aldeans diatribe with cheers really ignores a lot of history.

Aldean believes people are trying to snuff his First Amendment rights? So do his followers. Do you think that same audience had the same feelings when the Dixie Chicks voiced an opinion?

Yes, artists use their platform as a megaphone at times, and all of us should know that we either agree or disagree because of a specific narrative that resonates with us.

At the end of the day, most of us just want our favorite musician to sing. Leave politics alone. Dont take it personal when your message could be taken as offensive to others.

Jim Fortner, Charlotte

Dan Bishop

Dan Bishop is an honest, hardworking and true conservative. Ned Barnetts Aug. 9 Opinion column was deplorable.

Bishop went to Washington to try and drain the swamp. He joined the Freedom Caucus and took hard votes trying to stop Washingtons runaway spending and abuses.

If elected North Carolina Attorney General, he would be fair and straight up, but take no nonsense. You punch this guy and youre going to get punched right back. Buckle up, buttercups.

Jim Cherry, Charlotte

Bishops support

Seeing that Dan Bishop has received the endorsements of Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz tells me all I need to know about what kind of attorney general for North Carolina he would be.

Tip Nicholson, Statesville

GOP and abortion

Regarding After Ohio vote, will GOP get the hint on abortion?, (Aug. 10 Opinion): I hope you get lots of letters from conservatives like me who wish our Republican legislators would give more consideration to living women than to right to life.

Phil Clutts. Harrisburg

CMS referendum

The $2.5 billion school bond referendum approved by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is ludicrous and outlandish. What were these elected representatives thinking? These folks need to take a hard look at the impact that statewide universal private school vouchers will have on public school enrollment. We are about to see a mass exodus from public schools to private schools and charter school alternatives.

Ed Carlson, Charlotte

Tricia Cotham

State Rep. Tricia Cotham has taken a lot of heat for betraying her constituents by switching parties and renouncing her previous support for abortion and LGBTQ rights. As an elected official she should gracefully accept this criticism and learn from it. But like so many Republicans, from Donald Trump on down, Cotham seems to feel she should be immune from questioning and criticism. She appears to be offended that some constituents disagree with her political decisions. She believes she deserves praise for her political choices and shouldnt be held to account for previous stances. Cotham wants to have her cake and eat it too. Voters in her district do not agree.

Michael A. Clark, Charlotte

Wells Fargo

Regarding Wells Fargo Has a New Fake-Account Scandal, (Aug. 4):

Wells Fargo is at it again. Fake accounts. If I took a credit card application out of a mailbox and applied using the name on the application, I would be sent to jail for identity theft and fraud charges. Yet it seems no one at Wells has suffered any real consequences other than paying fines. When will the government take more serious action against Wells executives?

Bill Lane, Polkville

Supreme Court

Regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ethics bill... Why do we need an ethics law for the U.S. Supreme Court? Isnt ethics a major job requirement for all judges?

Lower court judges have been kicked out for ethical offenses, so why should U.S. Supreme Court justices be any different.

Maybe we should expel them all and start over  and remind the new justices that they are commanded to leave their personal, political and religious feelings at the door of the chambers and judge the cases by existing law.

Rick Wingate, Mooresville
Babies dont cry in church anymore.

Its not because they have renounced the devil.

Its because they arent in church.

That worries the Rev. Edward B. Alston as he retires after 29 years in the pulpit at Hilton Head Islands historic Queen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Most churches are experiencing the same situation, he says about a number of tectonic changes rocking the way faith is practiced in America, if it is practiced at all.

Pastors are facing aging congregations, and young families that pop in and out rather than let the church give them an anchor in life, he said.

Churches are caught in a swirl of social change sweeping the globe, and thats been hard on both the shepherd and the flock in churches like Alstons that dont want to use the pulpit to bash individuals.

I dont love the sin, but I love the sinner, said Alston, who is Hilton Heads senior pastor. I love unconditionally.

Then the coronavirus pandemic turned church life upside down in 2020, closing in-person services for months at Queen Chapel AME, and then showing parishioners how nice it is to sit at home and worship via Zoom.

We are now gradually, gradually seeing in-person attendance picking up again, Alston said.

He doesnt cry about the pandemics impact.

Its a fact of life, he said.

And despite all the change, Alston knows that Queen Chapel has survived the roiling facts of life for 158 years. It is the second oldest of the six Black churches that, come hell or high water, have survived as the islands oldest institutions.

Alston also knows that the Black church has been as sturdy for American society as the anvil that, with the cross, forms the AME denominations logo.

And as he packs to leave, he well knows the crucial role of the Black pastor, proclaimed by W.E.B. DuBois in 1903 as the most unique personality developed by the Negro on American soil.

Beaufort County native

Alstons career will be celebrated at a banquet this Saturday at Campbell Chapel AME Church in Bluffton.

A resolution from Mayor Alan Perry cites Saturday, Aug. 19, as the Town of Hilton Head Islands observance and recognition of the many contributions of the Rev. Edward B. Alston and thank him for his exemplary service to our community.

His retirement in September is mandatory as he turns 75.

Church was central in Alstons family of five boys as he was reared in the Dale community in northern Beaufort County.

He brought to his call to ministry degrees from the segregated Robert Smalls High School in Beaufort and Allen University in Columbia. He served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam, and retired from the Army Reserves as a master sergeant after 23 years. He has worked as a civilian contract administrator at the VA hospital in Charleston, and at the two Marine Corps installations in Beaufort.

He was a church lay leader, but his family had mixed feelings when he announced his call to ministry. His wife, Thelma, promised to stick by him.

She has, the pastor says. She has.

After three years leading his home church, Mt. Pisgah AME in Seabrook, he was assigned to Queen Chapel in October 1994.

He said they dated for 6 1/2 years as he and the congregation got to know and fully trust each other.

He has learned you cant talk to any two persons exactly the same. Everyone is different. You learn how to work with and try to bring all these people together for a common goal. Its not an easy task.

Call it providence that he has yet to hit a deer in his countless commutes from his home in the Gillisonville area of Jasper County. But he always answered the call, presiding over an unknown number of funerals and weddings, and baptizing five generations in a single family.

Through a number of initiatives  after-school tutoring, classes for expectant mothers, hosting the Sandalwood Community Food Pantry, wellness seminars  the church has tried to nurture physical, emotional and spiritual lives community-wide. That is the historical role of the Black church, the Black pastor and the AME church.

But it was a sagging roof that led to Alstons greatest legacy.

Hilton Head legacy

Alston recalls coming to the church on Beach City Road on a Saturday night to find a government sticker on the doorway warning that you would enter the building at your own risk.

The sanctuary built in 1954, to replace one built in 1892, had to be renovated or replaced. The congregation had been working with architect Doug Corkern, who showed them many options and recommended building a new sanctuary from the ground up without destroying the old one.

Alston was new to the church. He said the congregation unanimously approved the plan but had no money. But with pledges and fundraisers, including dinner theater performances organized by Scott Gibbs of Beaufort, the $1.1 million, 300-seat sanctuary was dedicated in July 2002, and the mortgage will be burned in late 2024 or early 2025, Alston said.

Queen Chapel has nurtured three members into the ministry during Alstons tenure: Vanessa Johnson, pastor at St. Stephen AME in

Hardeeville, local elder Latrice Campbell, and itinerate elder the Rev. Dr. Nannette Pierson.

The church has been a rock for native island families to include Grants, Burkes, Singletons, Campbells and Aikens as well as long-term islanders like the Wilborns.

He nods in full agreement at the words of the late Rosa Simmons, who worshiped at First African Baptist Church founded in 1862.

She once told the newspaper that the islands six Black churches are the greatest heritage of the islands Black residents.

The foreparents started these churches, and we just want to keep them going, she said.

Theyre the only thing we have that we can say, This is ours and no one can take it from us. 

Alston now leaves to future generations the unknown facts of life that will challenge them with these words: We need to hear more babies crying.

David Lauderdale may be reached at LauderdaleColumn@gmail.com.
The Scene

This week in New York and around the United States hip-hop stars and fans celebrated the genres fiftieth anniversary with a series of events. It culminated in a major day-long live show featuring performances by the whos who of Americas last true original artform.

But of course, hip-hop has moved far from 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx to become a cultural force around the world. Nowhere has that been more obvious than in the youthful, fast-growing cities of Africa in recent decades.

Know More

The first breakout commercial hits of American hip-hop, like Sugar Hill Gangs Rappers Delight and Grandmaster Flashs The Message, made their way to the airwaves in African cities like Lagos and Nairobi in the early 1980s.

For a while hip-hop, or rap as it was more commonly known, was something of a niche genre, says Obi Asika, founder of Storm Records, one of Nigerias early dedicated hip-hop record labels. But by the late nineties it had become a favorite on radio and up-and-coming music TV channels like Trace TV and MTV Base.

Sasha P/FMF

Yinkas view

Many of the pioneering artists and promoters of African hip-hop in the early days recognized rhythmic oral traditions of their own cultures. Back then there was very much a desire to reproduce a sound which might match up with their American brethren, but that very quickly gave way to homegrown dance-friendly beats that reflected the urban experience where these young artists were coming from.

In Ghana, Reggie Rockstone pioneered a sound he called hiplife which was a blend of hip-hop and Ghanas traditional highlife. He went on to have a string of local hits. Its why hes never felt hip-hop was something from somewhere else, noting a deep connection. Hip-hop is African and so as an African I feel very connected to all that is hip-hop, Rockstone told Semafor Africa.

Its a feeling thats widespread among African hip-hop artists. As an African hip-hop artist, I feel a certain responsibility to honor my heritage and to represent my roots through my lyrics and style, says Nigerian rapper Sasha P, who is fondly called the first lady of African hip-hop. Hip-hop allows me to embrace and celebrate my African identity while also connecting with people around the world who share similar experiences.

David Niviere/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters

In Kenya, hip-hop gave young local artists the confidence and energy to create some of todays biggest artists and personalities, says Buddha Blaze, a veteran hip-hop promoter and producer in Nairobi. At the start Kenyans would only listen to American hip-hop but that changed fast when artists like Kalamashaka (K-Shaka) came on the scene rapping in Kiswahili and Sheng (a blend of Kiswahili and English). This became a whole movement with more and more artists rhyming in more recognizable languages.

Its important to make a distinction between hip-hop music and the wider culture. It is the culture that has traveled farthest around the world and that is especially clear with the way popular culture in Africas cities has adopted everything from the fashion to the attitude, even as a multitude of music styles have evolved from absorbing American hip-hop.

Afrobeats is what happened when we fully domesticated hip-hop, says Asika, who last year produced a 10-part docu-series on Afrobeats called Journey of the Beats. That domesticated sound is now one of the worlds biggest genres with artists like Burna Boy and Wizkid selling out stadiums and arenas around the world.

South African hip-hop star Nasty C says the future of the culture in Africa remains strong. I think hip-hop in Africa is headed somewhere really promising, weve gone from samples and 808 drum machines to really embracing our music and developing our own sound.
Riu Dolc Brass, a Spanish quintet from Palma de Mallorca, will return to Pueblo on Friday, Aug. 18, as part of its second Colorado tour.

Like last year's Pueblo visit, the brass quintet will host a masterclass for Pueblo County High School students from 7 a.m. to noon at the high school before traveling to Brues Alehouse for a 7:30 p.m. concert. General admission to Riu Dolc Brass' concert at Brues Alehouse is $15. Tickets may be purchased on the Brues Alehouse website at bruesalehouse.com/live-music-events.

Taylor Townsend, Felipe Arroyo, Jose Fernando, Diego Riudavets and Carlos Navarro of Riu Dolc Brass stand outside of Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.

Riu Dolc Brass also plans to host a masterclass for South High School students on Aug. 19, from 8 a.m. to noon.

CSU Pueblo staff member presents at higher education conference in Denver

Associate Provost Helen Capriolio of Colorado State University Pueblo was among five presenters at the largest gathering of higher education policy leaders in the state.

The Higher Education Policy Conference was held in Denver Aug. 9-10 in Denver. Capriolio was joined by four co-presenters  Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) Director Angie Paccione, CDHE Transitions and Degree Initiatives Director Peter Fritz, Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie and Higher Learning Commission Vice President of Accreditation Relations Tom Bordenkircher.

Capriolio and her fellow presenters spoke about Colorado Re-Engaged (CORE)  an initiative allowing associates degrees to be awarded at four-year institutions to students with 70 credit hours.

New Chavez Huerta president among two leaders selected for statewide fellowship

Christian De La Oliva

Christian De La Oliva, President and CEO of Pueblo's Chavez Huerta K-12 Preparatory Academy, is one of two education leaders to be selected for the statewide Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship.

The Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship is a fellowship of education leaders from underrepresented communities. It is funded by the Boettcher Foundation. To be chosen for the Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship, an education leader must first be chosen for the Rural Superintendent Academy a professional development program facilitated by the Colorado Education Initiative for rural education leaders.

This year's Rural Superintendent cohort includes 15 individuals. However, only two of those individuals, De La Oliva and Margarita Tovar of Summit School District, were chosen for the Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship.

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

More Pueblo education news: Pueblo school districts outline needs in meeting with state education board members

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Spanish brass quintet returns to Pueblo and other education news
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that if Hunter Biden committed crimes, he should face appropriate charges and underscored his faith in the Department of Justice and its independence.

If Hunter Biden has committed crimes, he should be charged with them, Goldman said in an interview on CNNs State of the Union.

Im a Democrat saying that, Goldman continued. You dont hear any currently elected Republican saying that if Donald Trump committed crimes, he should be charged with them and held accountable. And thats a critical distinction that the public needs to understand.

Goldman would not say whether he agrees with Attorney General Merrick Garlands assessment that it was in the public interest to appoint David Weiss as special counsel overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation.

I defer to the attorney generals determination on this, Goldman said.

Goldman stressed that the fact that Weiss was appointed special counsel when he made the request shows the independent nature of the Justice Department.

This is just another reflection of the true independence of this Department of Justice. A Trump-appointed U.S. attorney is investigating the presidents son. That is pretty remarkable. And you dont hear from the other side a respect for the fact that Joe Biden has stayed out of this investigation, he said.

Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel after a plea agreement fell apart in Hunter Bidens case on charges related to gun possession and failure to pay income taxes.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who has floated a presidential primary contest against President Biden, said Sunday people want to turn the page on the incumbent president when it comes to 2024.

People want to turn the page, Phillips told NBC Meet The Press moderator Chuck Todd. I think thats fair to say. As a Democrat, I adore Joe Biden. He saved this country. He can cement his legacy. My real call to action right now is not about me. The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch.

When asked if he does not want Biden to run for reelection, Phillips said he believes a majority of people want to move on.

Im representing what I believe to be the majority of the country that wants to turn the page, tired of the meanness and fearmongering of Donald Trump, Phillips said. Wed like to see Joe Biden, a wonderful and remarkable man, pass the torch, cement this extraordinary legacy.

Phillips, who has not definitively said if he will run against Biden, said he would like to a see a moderate governor, hopefully from the heartland, from one of the four states that Democrats will need, enter the Democratic presidential primary race.

Todd asked if Phillips had Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) or Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) in mind, to which Phillips said he thinks they would be great, also suggesting Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D).

Joe Biden right now is down 7 points in the four swing states [that] will decide the next election, Phillips said. He has historically low approval numbers, Chuck. About 55 percent of Democrats would like to see an alternative.

Phillips pushed back on the suggestion his sentiment on Bidens reelection has something to do with the presidents age. When asked, he said, No, this is how the people feel.

Phillips, while maintaining that he does not think the president is corrupt, also pointed to the investigation into his son, Hunter Biden, and how that will impact his image.

This is the important part, its the image. Its what news will do. We know what era we live in  in partisanship. It is the attachment to the president.

While not promising a White House bid himself, Phillips said he will encourage other Democrats to run against the president.

Todd asked Phillips if he had spoken with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has stoked speculation of a third-party bid with No Labels, a centrist group that plans to push a unity ticket in the 2024 election. Last week, Manchin said he is thinking seriously about leaving the Democratic Party and declaring himself an independent.

I want anybody who wants to run  Joe Manchin, Cornel West, any of the governors, Phillips said, without specifying if he had spoken with Manchin directly.

Thats why we have primaries, because that doesnt undermine the likelihood of returning, in this case, a Democrat to the White House, Phillips continued. So that is the key. Enter the primary, my friends. Everybody who is on the bench, meet the moment. Dont wait five years. We need you now.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Five people, including a child, are dead, after a house exploded in Pennsylvania Saturday morning destroying three structures and damaging several other houses, authorities said.

Around 10:20 a.m., Allegheny County officials received 911 calls reporting a house explosion in Plum, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, with multiple injuries and several houses on fire, Allegheny County officials said in a statement provided by the Plum Police Department.

First responders said there were people trapped under debris, two houses on fire, multiple houses damaged and it appeared as if one house had exploded, authorities said.

There are three structures destroyed and at least a dozen more damaged in some way, authorities said.

Three people were taken to area hospitals, including one who was in critical condition and two who were treated and released. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office will provide additional information about the deceased victims, authorities said.

At least 18 fire departments helped put out the fires using water tanks provided by Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

This is certainly a sad, sad day and a sad time, for not just the folks in Plum but all the folks in the community and in this region, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said, The Associated Press reported.

Police and emergency services search the wreckage of the three houses that exploded near Rustic Ridge Drive and Brookside Drive in Plum, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023.

Two firefighters stand on the debris around the smoldering wreckage of the the three houses that exploded near Rustic Ridge Drive and Brookside Drive in Plum, Pa., on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023.

It looks like a war zone, neighbor says

Plum police, county law enforcement and the county fire marshals office are investigating the cause of the explosion, AP reported.

George Emanuele, who lives three houses down from the home that exploded, said he and a neighbor went to the home after the explosion and dragged a man laying in the backyard away from the scene, he told the Tribune-Review.

Rafal Kolankowski, who lives a few houses away, said the explosion broke the windows in his house and knocked him and his wife to the ground, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Its just tragic, I mean, it looks like a war zone  it looks like a bomb hit our neighborhood and its just unfortunate, Kolankowski said. I was just with some of the neighbors yesterday, right, and now this happens.

DEVELOPING INTO THE EVENING: For an update later tonight, sign up for the Evening Briefing.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pennsylvania house explosion: 5 dead in Plum; Video shows damage
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio.) said Sunday that Congress should consider implementing a travel ban on Iran.

During an appearance on CBSs Face The Nation, Turner, who is the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told moderator Margaret Brennan that he would support a broader diplomatic deal and negotiations between the U.S. and Iran that would eventually freeze progress in Irans nuclear program.

In 2018, then-President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the nuclear deal Iran reached with the P5+1 and European Union in 2015.

But the terms of the deal are absolutely important, because you know, last time we had an insufficient inspection regime, we had terms that were critical that expired, Turner told Brennan.

In this instance, they appear to be careening toward a deal that would be informal, not subject to congressional oversight, because we wouldnt know all the terms, Turner added, noting that lawmakers dont want a secret deal with Iran.

When Brennan asked if Congress should implement a travel ban to Iran, Turner replied that it should be under consideration.

I think its, its  it should be certainly considered, Turner said. I think the  I know youre going to have coming up, one of the family members of one of the detainees, and I think her message is incredibly important; people should not be going to Iran.

The Biden administration reached a tentative agreement with Iran last week that would see the release of five detained Americans and an unknown number of Iran prisoners in the U.S.

When asked about the tentative agreement, Turner said that lawmakers want the administration to work diligently to bring American home  Americans home, whether Iran or Russia or elsewhere, and our hearts certainly go out to them.

But in this instance, the administration is signaling that this is part of a broader deal concerning Irans enrichment program, and if that becomes a secret deal, then thats obviously a great concern to Congress, Turner said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hudson Police are urging local residents to remain vigilant after two homes were burglarized in town over the past two days, following a pattern of burglaries in other Massachusetts communities targeting households of South Asian descent.

In both cases, the homes were unoccupied, the burglars entered the homes through the second floor and the residents were of Indian descent, police said.

Currently, there is no connection between the residents, other than they are both of Indian descent, police said in a Facebook post on Sunday. Residential break-ins are infrequent for Hudson, but regionally there is an increase exhibiting similar patterns. Specifically, evidence suggests that entry was gained through a 2nd floor window at both homes. This is consistent with an on-going residential break-in investigation, where often the victims are of South Asian and/or Indian descent.

Similar incidents have been reported recently in several communities, including Weston, Sudbury, Lincoln, Wellesley and Carlisle.

Local police believe the burglaries may be part of a nationwide theft ring specifically targeting households of South Asian descent.

Police are asking anyone in town who may have seen suspicious activity in the area to call Hudson detectives at 978-562-7122.

Police also offered the following tips to keep your household safe, especially during the summer vacation months:

- If youre going away, make your home look like it is occupied.

- Have interior lights on timers as if you were home.

- Install motion lights.

- If you have an alarm system, use it. We have seen residents with an alarm system installed, paying the monthly but do not turn it on, police said.

- Lock all windows/doors, even second floor windows. Criminals have been known to gain access through a second story window knowing they are typically not alarmed. Do not leave a ladder accessible to gain access to the second floor.

- Lock your garage door.

- Arrange for someone to pick up your mail/newspaper or suspend delivery until you return.

- If you will be travelling, do not post your plans on social media. Ensure other family members do not do so either.

- Have trusted neighbors keep an eye on your home.

Understandably, these circumstances can cause fear and anxiety within our community, hence it is as a community we watch over one another, police said in their post on Sunday. Please contact the police department any time you observe suspicious and/or unusual activity.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Hunter Bidens attorney Abbe Lowell on Sunday blamed right-wing media for what he says were false allegations against his client, noting that all accusations have been investigated over a five-year period and only two charges were brought forth by federal prosecutors.

CBSs Margaret Brennan asked Lowell on Face the Nation whether Biden was investigated within the scope of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)  a World War II-era law intended to keep attempts at foreign influence transparent. Lowell acknowledged that an investigation of Biden failing to register as a foreign agent while conducting foreign business could have been within the scope of the five-year investigation.

But you asked me whether or not that has been part of the investigation, he said. And after five years and what we know happened in the grand jury, of course, that had to be part of what the prosecutor has already looked at, as well as every other false allegation made by the right-wing media and others, whether its corruption, or FARA or money laundering.

That was part of what this prosecutors office had to have been looking over for five years, he added.

He reiterated that the five-year investigation only resulted in two misdemeanor charges, noting that the prosecutors likely looked into more allegations.

I can assure you that five years concluded that the only two charges that made sense were two misdemeanors for failing to file [taxes] like millions of Americans do, and a diverted gun charge for the 11 days that Hunter possessed a gun, he said.

Bidens plea deal involving tax and gun charges was put on hold last month after the judge presiding over the case questioned the parameters around the deal announced in June. He was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay income taxes as part of the deal, but instead pleaded not guilty after the deal was put on hold in order for both sides to hash out another deal.

Republicans have repeatedly called for investigations into Bidens business dealings and previously labeled the plea agreement as a sweetheart deal. Attorney General Merrick Garland elevated U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss to special counsel last week, a move that many Republicans have also criticized.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hunter Bidens attorney said he is confident that his client will not face additional charges brought by the special counsel appointed to his case.

Im confident that if this prosecutor does what has been done for the last five years, look at the facts, the evidence and the law, then the only conclusion can be what the conclusion was on July 26, attorney Abbe Lowell said Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation.

He said that there is no new evidence to be found, pointing out that some of the transactions investigated are years old. He said that the only charges he expects are the two misdemeanors Biden pleaded not guilty to last month.

I dont know the possibility exists after this kind of painstaking investigation for them to be, Oh, my gosh, theres a new piece of evidence which changes,' Lowell added. The only thing that will change is the scrutiny on some of the charges  for example, the gun charge.

Bidens plea deal involving tax and gun charges was put on hold last month after the judge presiding over the case questioned the parameters around the deal, which had been announced in June. The presidents son was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay income taxes as part of the deal, but instead pleaded not guilty.

The agreement also would have required Biden to enter a pretrial diversion program on a gun charge, which would allow him to avoid a formal charge if he followed certain conditions.

Attorney General Merrick Garland last week appointed David Weiss, the Delaware federal prosecutor who has led the investigation into the presidents son, as a special counsel overseeing the investigation.

This comes as House Republicans have launched probes into the presidents son, largely aiming to draw a connection between President Biden and his sons business dealings. Lowell also said Sunday that any connection tying President Biden to his sons foreign business dealings doesnt exist.

Updated at 3:36 p.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hunter Bidens attorney suggested Sunday that it was political pressure, not new evidence, that torpedoed the presidents sons plea deal last month.

The son of President Joe Biden was set to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and enter a diversion agreement related to a felony gun charge last month. But the agreement hit a roadblock during the federal court hearing, and the judge in Delaware ultimately declined to approve the deal .

Bidens attorney, Abbe Lowell, said Sunday that there were three possibilities for what went wrong.

One, they wrote something and weren't clear what they meant; two, they knew what they meant and misstated it to counsel; or, third, they changed their view as they were standing in court in Delaware, Lowell said of the prosecutors during an interview on CBS Face the Nation.

One of the possibilities is the prosecutor stood up and decided for lots of reasons that might be apparent to the viewer, they didn't like what people were saying about the deal they approved, Lowell added later.

Investigations into the business dealings and personal conduct of Hunter Biden have lasted five years. On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland granted special counsel status to David Weiss, the federal prosecutor who has overseen the probe.

After years of scrutiny, Lowell said Sunday that he does not believe new evidence against his client will emerge  and suggested that if Weiss findings do change, it will not be because of facts but because of political pressure from the right.

I'm confident that if this prosecutor has done what has been done for the last five years, then the only conclusion can be what the conclusion was on July 26th, Lowell said. There's no new evidence to be found.

People should keep in mind," Lowell said, "that while Mr. Weiss' title changed last week, he's the same person he's been for the last five years. He's a Republican U.S. attorney appointed by a Republican president and attorney general who had career prosecutors working this case for five years looking at every transaction that Hunter was involved in.  if anything changes from his conclusion, which was two tax misdemeanors and a diverted gun charge, the question should be asked, what infected the process that was not the facts in the law?
Babcock Ranch is a place unlike anything else youll find in Florida.

The planned community, with a population of around 5,000 people, is located on Floridas southwestern coast, where Hurricane Ian made landfall last September.

Ian was nearly a Category 5 storm when it devastated homes and shut down power in Fort Myers, a town just 20 miles from Babcock Ranch. Yet, as CBS News reported, Babcock Ranchs homes were able to keep the lights on while sustaining little to no damage.

Babcock Ranch, which welcomed its first residents just four years ago, has dubbed itself the worlds first solar-powered town. Now, its also being called Floridas hurricane-proof town. Perhaps those two nicknames are deeply connected.

The community derives 100% of its energy from solar power, which allowed residents to keep their lights on  even as nearby grids lost power for days. As CBS reported, Babcock Ranch was even able to send leftover energy to a nearby storm shelter, making it one of the regions only shelters to maintain power.

Babcock Ranchs solar panels were specifically made to withstand storms. They were previously put to the test during Hurricane Irma  which was a Category 4 storm when it hit Florida in 2017  during which only two of the communitys 343,000 panels were damaged.

The homes themselves were also designed for resilience. Each of the communitys structures can reportedly endure winds of up to 145 miles per hour, and there are built-in natural waterways to help with drainage. The community was also built 30 feet above sea level and 17.5 miles away from the nearest coast, which gives it a major leg-up during floods and storm surges.

When storms take aim at southwest Florida and evacuation orders are issued, residents of Babcock Ranch are at a distinct advantage, Lisa Hall, a Babcock Ranch representative, told CBS News. Storm safety and resiliency has been factored into every element of design and engineering of the town.

Thats why, remarkably, Ian did little besides tear the shingles from a few roofs. Newsweek reported that the recovery process took just one day to complete.

Babcock Ranch is not the only development connecting sustainability with hurricane preparedness. In Puerto Rico, a pair of prototype homes gained mainstream news coverage after Hurricane Fiona, as they managed to easily survive a storm that knocked out the rest of the islands power.

Like the homes in Babcock Ranch, those houses use solar energy to avoid reliance on a central power grid. They also feature storm-proof building materials and a filtration system that collects rainwater for drinking.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
 Flash

A Chinese cultural tourism promotion activity was held in the western U.S. city of Los Angeles on Friday, aimed at promoting bilateral tourism and cultural exchanges.

The event was held during "Nihao China!," a 2023 Yellow River-themed tourism overseas promotions season, USA special, featuring a photo exhibition and presentation of the glamorous Yellow River culture.

During the event, Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun underscored the significance of exchanges and cooperation in the areas of tourism as an integral part of China-U.S. economic and trade relations and a great opportunity for deeper understanding between the two peoples.

Adam Burke, head of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, said tourism is "the bridge that builds up the people-to-people exchanges."

"When you think about the shared experiences, it's the people-to-people exchanges that brought our cultures so close together," he said.

"You probably all know the quote by the noted American writer Mark Twain who said Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. It's only through people-to-people exchanges, through dialogue, that we understand we have far more in common than anything that may divide us."

China on Thursday announced the resumption of group tours to dozens of more overseas destinations, including Japan, Britain, the United States and Australia.

This year's Yellow River edition was rolled out as part of an effort to promote cultural exchanges between the provinces and regions along the Yellow River and countries across the world and to boost tourism.

Around 200 business leaders, tourism industry executives, and government officials from both countries attended the event.
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers a speech covering his campaign platform and promises on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, at Iowa River Power Restaurant in Iowa City, Iowa. | Geoff Stellfox, The Gazette via Associated Press

It seemed everything that could have gone wrong for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday did.

His trip to the Iowa State Fair, a rite of passage for presidential hopefuls, was already on shaky standing after a group of protesters disrupted his first Iowa event Friday. He opted out of the Des Moines Register Soapbox, a state fair mainstay where candidates get 20 minutes for a stump speech, and instead showed up for a public interview with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The fair-side chat was set to be redemption  a one-on-one with a longtime ally, where he could spend half an hour, in friendly territory, making a direct case to Iowans.

Before he ever took the stage, though, a banner with a sarcastic message (Be likeable, Ron!) circled overhead, a shot at his alleged coldness. Then a group of pro-abortion protesters began blowing ear-piercing whistles and banging cowbells, causing a skirmish in the crowd and forcing Reynolds to pause the event and ask them to play nice. Minutes after the protesters were dragged out by state troopers, DeSantis audio cut out.

The governor has spent the past two days coddling and cozying up to every Iowa voter and state legislator possible. The return on investment? Being drowned out by his biggest adversaries: progressives and Trump loyalists.

Related

Many candidates with early momentum have seen their campaigns take blows in Iowa. Mitt Romneys infamous corporations are people line, delivered on the Soapbox in 2011, labeled him as out-of-touch.

In 2007, Fred Thompson made a similar gaffe  by wearing loafers that were too fancy to the fair. In 2003, John Kerry ordered a smoothie instead of the customary corn dog. And in a twist of Iowan fate, DeSantis tried to hit all the right notes  yet could never seem to get enough people to listen.

The scenario could not be more ideal for former President Donald Trump, nor more disappointing for DeSantis. The former president maintains a massive lead on the Florida governor in national polls  DeSantis, his closest challenger, trails by nearly 40 percentage points. In Iowa, it is closer, but still huge: a poll from last week shows Trump ahead by 26 points.

DeSantis saw the deficit firsthand Saturday, where Trumps 90-minute visit to the state drew more fanfare than DeSantis two days.

On Saturday afternoon, while DeSantis joined Reynolds and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst at a grill to flip pork chops, Trump supporters surrounded the venue and chanted, We love Trump! Moments later, Trumps plane flew overhead, seeming to taunt DeSantis as fairgoers craned to get a look. Onboard were a dozen Florida U.S. House members whove backed the former president over the governor. All the while, the Be likeable, Ron! banner continued its rotations, reportedly bankrolled by the Trump campaign.

Trumps visit to the state fair lasted about an hour  long enough to arrive to the overflowing Steer N Stein bar, deliver a short speech, wave at onlookers, and follow a security detail out. But the crowd outside of the bar, craning for a glimpse of Trump as he entered or exited, was at least three times the size of the crowd at DeSantis fair-side chat with Gov. Reynolds. Onlookers sat on shoulders or climbed nearby buildings to get a view  including several individuals in DeSantis shirts or carrying DeSantis memorabilia.

Meanwhile, DeSantis walked through the fair for the better part of Saturday, surrounded by about a dozen men carrying DeSantis signs, who identified themselves as employees of DeSantis political action committee, Never Back Down.

Even the crowd at DeSantis morning event, protesters aside, was not entirely convinced by the governor. When his audio cut out, amid an awkward stir among the standing-room-only crowd near the back, a woman near the front took it upon herself to be the impromtu messenger.

He said, The American Dream is slipping away, and we need to fight for it! she yelled, turning to the crowd behind her, hands cupped to her mouth. The woman  who introduced herself to me as Malette from Marshalltown  isnt convinced by DeSantis.

We were coming (to the fair) because we knew Trump was going to be here. I did not realize DeSantis was going to be here, she said. I would probably vote for Trump.

The fact that a significant portion of DeSantis audience couldnt hear his speech before the audio cut didnt help, either. Reynolds hadnt even asked the first question when a group of six protesters began blowing whistles and ringing cowbells, causing Reynolds to stop the event and ask all attendees to be Iowa nice.

Well stop until you do, she said.

But she didnt stop, and neither did the protesters, who yelled obscenities and flashed profane gestures amid their ringing. DeSantis and Reynolds carried on, but the back portion of the audience couldnt hear much over the noise from the protesters, who identified themselves as the same group that disrupted DeSantis Friday event.

I came out here to disrupt his event because hes not welcome here in Iowa, said Derek Torstenson of Minnesota, 27, one of the demonstrators. He needs to go back to Florida to do his job, for once. Torstenson wore a shirt that said Be Gay, Fund Abortion on the front; on the back, Queer & Trans Liberation is Reproductive Justice.

I felt bad that people decided to turn around from DeSantis to watch the protesters, said Allyson Beckham, an undecided voter from Arizona. Protesters are going to come and go. Its our right, free speech, its wonderful. But were here to actually listen.

An Iowa State Patrol officer approached them, then retreated. After returning with several other officers, a shoving match broke out, and two of the female demonstrators ended up on the ground. Several of the protesters left willingly, and two were dragged out, screaming and whistling as they were being pulled.

Do not whistle anymore, or youre going to be under arrest! a man, not in a police uniform, said as he helped the officers escort the demonstrators out.

By the time the officers left and the crowd returned its attention to DeSantis, he was wrapping up a story about visiting Iowa with his son. He stops and he says, Daddy, is this heaven? DeSantis said. I said, No, son, its Iowa. The audience let out a half-hearted cheer.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a fundraising event for U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, Aug. 6, 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. | Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press
Palestinians, Israel differ on significance of new Saudi envoy FILE PHOTO: Jerusalem day in Jerusalem

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel ruled out on Sunday any eventual physical mission in Jerusalem for the first Saudi envoy to the Palestinians, even as they cast his appointment as endorsement of their goal of a state that would include part of the city as its capital.

Saudi Ambassador to Jordan Nayef Al-Sudairi on Saturday expanded his credentials to include non-resident envoy to the Palestinians. A social media post by his embassy said "consul-general in Jerusalem" was also now among Al-Sudairi's duties.

The move came after Washington said there had been some progress in its efforts to mediate a forging of formal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia - which had previously ruled out such a pact until Palestinian statehood goals are addressed.

Signalling that they felt sidelined by the stepped-up indirect talks, the Palestinians voiced hope earlier this month that Riyadh would hear their concerns and coordinate with them.

They sounded more upbeat after Al-Sudairi's appointment.

"What does it mean to also say (he is) 'consul-general in Jerusalem'? It means a continuation of the positions of Saudi Arabia," Palestinian Ambassador to Riyadh Bassam Al-Agha said.

Interviewed on Voice of Palestine radio, Al-Agha further interpreted the appointment as a "rejection" of the U.S. recognition in 2017 of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The Palestinians want a state in territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as their capital. U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel on achieving that stalled more than a decade ago.

Among the hurdles have been Israeli settlement of occupied land and feuding between Western-backed Palestinian authorities and armed Hamas Islamists who spurn coexistence with Israel.

Another sticking point is Jerusalem, which Israel deems its indivisible capital - a status not widely recognised abroad. Israeli authorities bar Palestinian diplomacy in the city.

Al-Sudairi presented his credentials to the Palestinian mission in Amman, indicating the Jordanian capital would remain his base.

"This (Al-Sudairi) could be a delegate who will meet with representatives in the Palestinian Authority," Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.

"Will there be an official physically sitting in Jerusalem? This we will not allow."

Israel's hard-right government has played down any prospect of it giving significant ground to the Palestinians as part of the potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.

"What is behind this development (Al-Sudairi's appointment) is that, against the backdrop of progress in the U.S. talks with Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Saudis want to relay a message to the Palestinians that they have not forgotten them," Cohen said.

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-MughrabiWriting by Dan WilliamsEditing by Bernadette Baum and Frances Kerry)
ROME (AP)  Italy celebrated the return Friday of 266 antiquities from the United States, including Etruscan vases and ancient Roman coins and mosaics worth tens of millions of euros (dollars), that were looted and sold to U.S. museums and private collectors.

The returned items include artifacts recently seized in New York from a storage unit belonging to British antiquities dealer Robin Symes, officials said. In addition, the haul that arrived in Rome included 65 objects that had been offered by a collector to Houstons Menil Collection, but were declined.

The art unit of Italys Carabinieri paramilitary police said the owner of the collection spontaneously gave back the items after investigators determined they had come from clandestine excavations of archaeological sites, according to a carabinieri statement.

While the carabinieri said the works had been part of the Menil Collection, the museum said they never were. The museum said a collector approached the museum in 2022 about making a gift of the artifacts, but the museum curator directed the collector to the Italian culture minister, who alerted the museum that Italy was claiming the objects.

The Menil Collection declined these works from the collector and they have never been part of the museums collection, spokesperson Tommy Napier said in a statement late Friday to The Associated Press.

Italy has been on a decades-long campaign to hunt down antiquities that were looted by tombaroli, or tomb raiders, and then sold to private collectors and museums in the U.S. and beyond. The looting operations involved art dealers who sold the items directly or via auctions.

Some of the items were handed over to Italian authorities Tuesday at the offices of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg. Braggs office said they included an Apulian krater, or vase, dating from 335 B.C. that was seized in July from a private collection in New York.

The vase had been photographed and included in the famous Polaroid archive of dealer Giacomo Medici, who passed it onto Symes, who then laundered the piece through Sothebys London, Braggs office alleged.

Other items included two Etruscan tile paintings from Cerveteri, a frequently-looted necropolis site northwest of Rome, that date back to 440 B.C.

According to Braggs office, the tiles were looted in the 1980s and ended up with Symes, who sold them to noted New York collectors Shelby White and Leon Levy in 1992 for $1.6 million. The couple returned the tiles to Symes before 1999 after questions about their illicit origins were raised by multiple scholars, the statement said.

The objects remained in Symes New York storage unit until they were seized in March, the statement said.

The Italian police art squad said the value of all 266 pieces, on the open market, would come to tens of millions of euros. The Symes items are in addition to 750 pieces that were in the possession of Symes London company, Symes Ltd, which is being liquidated, and Italy put on display May 31.

Symes Italy-based lawyers did not immediately respond to an email late Friday seeking comment on the new returns.

In May, before Italy reclaimed the initial trove of 750 objects, Symes lawyers, Antonella Anselmo and Giuliano Lemme, said the return was the result of an agreement between the British dealer and the Italian Culture Ministry following years of complex negotiations and legal proceedings.

Under the agreement, hundreds of archaeological finds of great cultural value, which are assumed to have been illegally exported, will return to Italy, where they will be destined for public use, the lawyers said in a May 11 statement.

The deal also allowed Symes to use proceeds from the sale of some items to satisfy creditors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Jackson City Council approved a $3.1 million contract to replace a fire station on Tuesday. The news follows a recent press conference by Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba where he unveiled four new fire trucks for the department.

Firefighters within the Jackson Fire Department are requesting a vote of "no confidence" against Fire Chief Willie Owens and his command staff, according to fire Capt. RaSean Thomas and fire Lt. Michael Linzy who spoke to the Clarion Ledger in a telephone interview Friday afternoon.

The call for a "no confidence" vote comes after Owens presented his budget proposal, which failed to include pay raises for the firefighters, to the Jackson City Council on Wednesday.

Thomas and Linzy said the vote of no confidence could happen "as early as next week."

"A chief that leads a department of this size who doesn't see fit for his men to be paid properly? Then he's unfit for leadership," Linzy said.

Pay raises for the JFD has been a controversial issue since the Aug. 1 city council meeting, where Thomas, speaking on behalf of the over 50 firefighters who packed the chambers, demanded a "significant" raise for the department. Firefighters have also been calling out of work in protest, starting on Monday when 59 firefighters did not show up for their shifts. Thomas and Linzy said they have been told that call-outs will continue until something is done regarding raises.

Thomas shared the proposed new salaries that he and other firefighters want to see with the Clarion Ledger. The proposal calls for the starting pay for firefighters to be between $45,000-$47,000 annually; between $55,000-$57,0000 for fire lieutenants; $65,000-$67,000 for fire captains; and $70,000 for district fire chiefs. It also calls for an annual 2-3% cost of living increase.

"What that's going to do is never put the Jackson Fire Department behind again and keep us competitive with surrounding departments," Thomas said.

Thomas and Linzy are the president and vice president of JFD's Local 87 Union. They emphasized that calls for raises weren't orchestrated by the union, but by all the firefighters within the Jackson Fire Department.

"It's not a union movement, it's a Jackson firefighter movement," Thomas said.

Elections: Here is a rundown of Tuesday's primaries in Madison, Rankin counties. See who won

Owens' stands firm on lack of raises in budget proposal

During Wednesday's budget hearing, council members pressed Owens about the lack of including raises for the firefighters in his proposal, but Owens was firm in his response that the department does not have enough money to grant pay raises.

"No, we don't have anything in our budget that could give a raise. We really don't," Owens told the council. "There's nothing in this budget where we could give any type of raise. It wouldn't amount to anything. We don't have any positions to give up because we're short already. So, we need all the positions."

Currently, the fire department has 65 vacancies. Ward 6 Councilman and Council President Aaron Banks asked the chief if cutting those positions was an option, therefore freeing up money to provide for the raises. Owens said no, the positions cannot be cut because the fire department has to have a certain amount of firefighters on staff or the city's fire insurance rating will increase. Owens also told the council he was confident that the fire department will be able to fill those positions.

But Thomas and Linzy disagreed and expressed frustration over Owens' refusal to cut positions. They also said the fire department hasn't been fully staffed in over 20 years.

"Those positions he's talking about getting filled by next summer have not been filled in over 20 years. Not one of them. We've been short for the past 10 years tremendously and this past year we've been totally short. So I don't know what he's talking about filling positions," Thomas said. "I'm going to tell you what they're filling them with now that the citizens need to know: uncertified firefighters who have no desire to be a fireman. That's what you got on the firetrucks in Jackson, firefighters who are not even certified."

Thomas and Linzy also expressed frustration with Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, who they say hasn't been advocating enough for raises for the department. They said the mayor advocated more for Richard Disposal's workers when the city was dealing with the trash crisis in April than he has for the firefighters.

"Those people do not work for the city. That's a private business," Linzy said. "He fought for those people to get a raise, but has yet to raise that type of attention for his own employees.  but when it comes to taking care of us, we have to resort to these measures. And it's embarrassing and it's a shame and it's a reflection of the city's leadership."

Water leak investigation: How much did one water leak behind city hall cost Jackson? Clarion Ledger has answers

During his Monday press conference, Lumumba did say his administration believes the firefighters are deserving of a raise, but asked for patience while the city tries to find money in the budget.

Owens and Lumumba could not be reached for comment for this story.

How do JFD's salaries compare to other municipalities?

According to job postings on the city's website, a firefighter one or a trainee, which means they have not graduated from the fire academy, has a starting salary between $12.52-$14.86 per hour. That is $25,000-$30,000 annually.

A firefighter two, which is someone who has graduated from the fire academy and is certified, makes just over $32,500 annually, according to the city's website.

That is less than a firefighter could make in other cities such as Biloxi, Ridgeland and Southaven. In Biloxi, a firefighter 1 has a starting salary of just over $38,100 and a firefighter 2 has a starting salary of $44,586, according to documents provided by Thomas. In Ridgeland, the starting salary is $40,600.

It's even higher in Southhaven, where a firefighter 2 has an annual salary of just under $52,000. That is close to $8,000 more than a fire lieutenant, which is a higher ranking, makes in Jackson. According to an open records request submitted by the Clarion Ledger, a majority of fire lieutenants in JFD earn $44,054 annually.

Thomas collected salaries from other municipalities to use as evidence that JFD does not provide competitive pay, which leads to a lot of firefighters quitting and looking for work in those places. Thomas said JFD's pay is $10,000-$15,000 less per ranking than other fire departments in the area.

Owens also admitted that during Wednesday's budget hearing. Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley asked Owens if the fire department's pay is competitive with other municipalities:

"No," Owens said. "I don't know the exact figures, but I do know from what I've heard it's maybe $10,000-to-$15,000 off."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson firefighters plan "no confidence" vote for fire chief
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Karwai Tang/Getty Images

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are pledging $100 million to help Maui recover from wildfires.

Sanchez announced the creation of the fund in an Instagram post.

Bezos purchased a property in La Perouse Bay, Maui, in 2021.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancee Lauren Sanchez have pledged to create a $100 million fund to help the island recover from catastrophic wildfires.

Sanchez, an American media personality, announced the creation of the Maui Fund in a recent Instagram post, saying that she was "heartbroken by what's happening."

The money will be used to "help get Maui back on its feet now and over the coming years as the continuing needs reveal themselves," she wrote.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green described the fires as the "largest natural disaster" that Hawaii had ever faced, per the AP. The report says that the destruction and losses caused by the fire will cost around $6 billion.

In 2021, Jeff Bezos bought a 14-acre property in La Perouse Bay, on the south coast of Maui.

The home cost the couple an estimated $78 million and broke records for being the most expensive property ever sold on the Hawaiian island, according to Architectural Digest.

The secluded island is popular with other tech billionaires and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Peter Thiel. Winfrey has been volunteering in Maui, handing out supplies at the war memorial stadium, the BBC reported.



Bezos has an estimated net worth of $163 billion, per Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. He pledged in November to give away most of his fortune.

That same month, the billionaire said he would give Dolly Parton $100 million to donate to a charity of her choice after she won his Courage and Civility award.



He also gave organizations that fight homelessness 40 grants worth $123 million in November, per Fortune.

Read the original article on Insider
Joe Biden will be patting himself on the back after agreeing a prisoner swap with Iran last week. True: it will mean giving an evil regime $6 billion (4.75 billion), but these are oil revenues sequestered under sanction laws. So the President can claim that his deal wont cost the US taxpayer a cent. No doubt he is already looking forward to the warm glow of friendly media as he welcomes the hostages home. Perhaps he hopes to boost his popularity in the race for the White House. But the reality is that Bidens murky prisoner swap will only damage American prestige, encourage the Iranians to take more Western hostages, and help fund the regimes nuclear ambitions.

The terms of the deal are understood to include moving $6 billion from South Korea to Qatar. Iran will be given access to the cash for humanitarian purposes  though policing this will be problematic. The deal is also likely to include the repatriation of a number of Iranians held in the US for breaching sanctions. Only then will US hostages be released.

This is not, of course, the Wests first such Faustian pact with Iran  nor will it be the last. Last year, Boris Johnson handed over nearly 400 million in frozen assets in exchange for two British hostages, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori. The hunger strike campaign by Nazanins husband, Richard Ratcliffe, won over British public opinion, forcing the then prime minister to overrule Foreign Office reluctance to countenance such ransom demands.

The Biden administration was reportedly nettled by Downing Streets decision to agree a separate deal, having hoped to include the British pair in a comprehensive package to revive the moribund Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA. Now, however, the State Department accepts that its hopes of resurrecting the 2015 deal are dead and is settling for a prisoner swap.

One downside of Bidens deal is that it lends credibility at a crucial moment to one of the most dangerous rogue states in the world, enabling Iran to extend its malign influence. Russias invasion of Ukraine has provided a showcase for Iranian drones, a mainstay of Putins assaults on cities. By defying UN sanctions on Russia with impunity, Tehran has inserted itself into yet another conflict with the West.

It is also building a new arms industry and reviving Ayatollah Khomeinis dream of a global insurgency against the Great Satan. In the Persian Gulf, Irans navy is preying on commercial tankers, threatening global maritime traffic. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has long been in the vanguard of such piracy.

Ubiquitous in Syria, Yemen and throughout the Middle East, the IRGC is also infiltrating Western countries. Here the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, last week described the IRGC as the most serious present threat to British national security. Having evaded proscription as a terrorist organisation, its tentacles reach deep into the UK. MI5 has foiled some 15 plots by the IRGC to assassinate or kidnap Iranians living in Britain.

Inside Iran, meanwhile, the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has ordered Ebrahim Raisi, his hardline President, to crush all opposition. As the Iranian Revolutions hanging judge, Raisi became notorious for his death sentences. Now the Butcher of Tehran is cracking down again on a wave of protests against the harsh chastity and hijab law.

By carving out a pivotal role between Russia and the West, Iran has elevated itself from a pariah to a regional power. Once it has nuclear weapons, it will be a global one. And by bribing Iran to release hostages for electoral gain, Joe Biden risks signalling weakness, not only to the Middle East, but to Americas foes everywhere.

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.
Fairway Police Chief J.P. Thurlo remembered fallen Officer Jonah Oswald as a loving and super smart member of the small suburban department as he spoke to a crowd gathered Saturday night in Harmon Park.

Jonahs heart radiated. And it radiated through his badge, Thurlo said.

He went on to praise the bravery of Oswald, who was fatally shot last Sunday when a police chase turned into a shootout at a Johnson County convenience store. The death of the four-year veteran reverberated far beyond city of about 4,000 residents, attracting hundreds to a parade and candlelight vigil honoring Oswald and his family.

Thurlo repeatedly referenced the very small community of Fairway where, he said, the residents and police force see themselves as one. The city had never had an officer killed on duty before Oswald.

We really all love each other, he said, standing in front of doors that had been removed from a patrol vehicle Oswald had been in about a month ago when it was struck by a suspect following a chase. That suspect had rammed into Oswalds vehicle three times.

Also on display was the vehicle that Oswald had been in a week ago.

That incident stuck in the minds of those who had gathered in Harmon Park, many of whom appeared emotional despite not knowing Oswald or being from Fairway.

Law enforcement and first responders, as well as community members, gathered Saturday night at Harmon Park in Prairie Village for a candlelight vigil in honor of fallen Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald.

Katie Sammon said for family and friends of people in law enforcement, Oswalds death is a stark reminder of the sacrifices that come with a police career.

Its a calling ... And so when you make that commitment you have to just honor and love them anyway that you can, she said, standing next to her husband of 20 years, a North Kansas City police officer.

Her two young children sat by her feet. They had come from the parade, which began near Shamrock Towers at 9300 Metcalf Ave. around 7:30 p.m., and watched the stream of police vehicles that ended up at Harmon Park in Prairie Village about an hour later.

Sammon said the children understood the event was commemorating an officer who had taken risks like those presented to their own father, who also drove a patrol car in the parade. They had witnessed similar events after a North Kansas City officer, Daniel Vasquez, was killed in a shooting last year.

They know the risks, but they outweigh the rewards, she said, looking around at the large crowd of people bowing their heads and holding candles above their heads.

It never surprises me but it always touches me to see how many people come out for these things to support each other.

Its emotional

Miranda Lawson, 32, struggled to hold back tears watching the procession of police and emergency vehicles with her young, curly-haired brood. She looked out at the sea of red and blue lights, clutching a picnic blanket, stunned by the number of people in mourning.

Its emotional, she said, wiping her eyes. Really puts the job in perspective.

The five-year veteran of the University of Kansas Medical Center Police said that while she has taken part in other parades for fallen officers, Oswalds hit close to home.

Fairways really close to KU. We have buildings out there that we patrol as well. Theyre close neighbors, which makes it hard, she said.

Miranda and Zachary Lawson said they were touched by the number of people attending Saturdays parade for Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald. Really puts the job in perspective, Miranda Lawson said while standing with family.

Her children were still learning about the sacrifices that come with a career in law enforcement when Oswald was killed.

She and her husband Zachary Lawson had purchased childrens books for their kids explaining the work of police officers and firefighters.

Her young son sought to understand what the parade was meant to be celebrating. She said it was not the first police funeral he had attended.

He had asked me what was that all for, Lawson said.

After explaining that an officer had been shot and killed, she said her son appeared shocked. He wondered: Who would do that?

Then I started to cry... I said there are bad people out there.

While Lawson said she loves her job and finds it rewarding, Oswalds death has prompted many difficult conversations about the dangers of her work with fellow officers and family.

Its all mixed feelings, Zachary Lawson said. Its just a part of daily dinner table talk.

The fatal shooting

Oswald, a 29-year-old husband and father of two young children, previously worked with the Buckner Police Department, where officers remembered him for his lighthearted and optimistic personality.

He joined the Fairway police as part of a small hand-selected group, according to Thurlo. The department has fewer than 10 officers.

Thurlo said Oswald would often stroll by his office and playfully request more tasks to keep him busy. If he had seen the Saturday parade, Thurlo said, Oswald would have thought it was very cool and made jokes about the people who had arrived holding their signs upside down.

If anything happened wed want Jonah to show up, said Kenneth Johnson, a friend and member of the Fairway police.

Last Sunday morning, Oswald was among the officers responding to a situation that began with a stolen vehicle report with two suspects, a man and woman. Lenexa police chased the stolen SUV, whose driver allegedly rammed a patrol vehicle, until the suspects bailed out and ran into the Mission QuikTrip at 4700 Lamar Ave.

A parade of first responder vehicles left from 93rd Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park on Saturday night in honor of fallen Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald. The vehicles drove through Overland Park, Mission, Fairway and Prairie Village. The procession ended at Harmon Park in Prairie Village, where a candlelight vigil took place.

Authorities have said Oswald was critically wounded during an exchange of gunfire and died in the hospital Monday. Killed at the scene was one suspect in the auto theft, identified by police as 40-year-old Shannon Wayne Marshall, of Ashland City, Tennessee.

The other suspect, 32-year-old Andrea Rene Cothran of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, was ordered held on a $1 million bond in the Johnson County jail last week. Prosecutors charged her with four felonies, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer.

People walk toward the Westside Family Church where a visitation took place for fallen Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, in Lenexa, Kan.

As of Saturday, Cothran faced no criminal charges in Oswalds death. District Attorney Steve Howe said his office was evaluating the circumstances to determine whether additional charges should be brought.

The Stars Bill Lukitsch contributed to this report.
A Southern California judge accused of shooting and killing his wife texted his office moments later to say he wouldnt be in for work, officials said.

I just lost it, read the text from Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson in a court filing from prosecutors, according to The Associated Press. I just shot my wife. I wont be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. Im so sorry.

Ferguson, 72, faces charges including murder in the Aug. 3 death of his wife at their Anaheim home, ABC News reported.

This is a tragedy for the entire Ferguson family. It was an accident and nothing more, Paul Meyer, Fergusons attorney, told McClatchy News in a statement.

Prosecutors said Ferguson shot Sheryl Ferguson, 65, in the chest at their home following an argument at a restaurant, KTTV reported.

Prosecutors said Ferguson made a hand gesture resembling a gun, according to the TV station, and she replied something to the effect of, why dont you point a real gun at me?

Prosecutors said police found 47 weapons, including rifles, shotguns and handguns, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition at Fergusons home, CNN reported.

He has been a judge since 2015, according to the network. Ferguson is free on $1 million bail.

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Tanya McLean, executive director of Leaders of Kenosha, said she and members of other groups want to know why police officers are not being respectful to community members in Kenosha, Wis., Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. Representatives from several local organizations met with the media to decry actions of local police officers who they said brutalized and detained the wrong person at a restaurant after a nearby hit-and-run car crash. Kenosha police have launched an internal investigation after a video posted to social media appears to show an officer punching a Black man the officer mistakenly thought was involved in a hit-and-run crash. (Joe States/The Kenosha News via AP)

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP)  Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, have launched an internal investigation after a video posted to social media appears to show an officer punching a Black man the officer mistakenly believed was involved in a hit-and-run crash.

The incident is another blemish for the southeastern Wisconsin city, which endured days of protests three years ago after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, during a domestic disturbance. A white Illinois teenager named Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people during a night of unrest, killing two of them, an incident that became a flashpoint in the national debate over guns, vigilantism and racial injustice.

The hit-and-run crash happened on July 20, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported this week. Police said that witnesses told them they saw two Black men and a Black woman flee toward an Applebee's restaurant. One witness said the woman was carrying a child, according to police.

An Applebee's employee told officers that some suspicious people who may have been involved in the crash were in the restaurant and directed officers to two people, including a Black man holding a baby.

The officers tried to take the baby from the man and arrest him. The man yelled that he hadn't done anything wrong and officers should let him go. The video shows that after the officers removed the baby from his arms, they threw him to the ground and an officer began punching him as he ordered the man to put his hands behind his back.

Officers then discovered the people responsible for the crash in the restaurants bathroom.

Police said the man who was punched wasn't responsible for the crash but tried to leave in defiance of officers' orders and resisted them.

Lt. Joseph Nosalik, a spokesperson for the Kenosha Police Department, didn't immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press inquiring about the race of the officer who appeared to punch the man.

Kenosha found itself embroiled in a days-long protest in August 2020 after Officer Rusten Sheskey, who is white, shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, during a domestic disturbance. Rittenhouse, who was 17 at the time, fatally shot two men and wounded another, saying he had been attacked and fired in self-defense. A jury acquitted him of homicide and endangerment charges in November 2021.

Leaders of Kenosha, a nonprofit that describes itself online as advocating for transformative and restorative justice, held a news conference Wednesday to call for charging the officers involved in the Applebee's incident.

It just doesn't seem that anyone was a voice of reason that had a uniform on, said Tanya McLean, executive director of Leaders of Kenosha.

She said officers acted out of fear, just as Sheskey did.

We dont want to stand here and have these conversations about people being harmed when theyre simply having a meal with their family, she said.
Tourists visit the Ulanhada volcano cluster in Qahar Right Wing Rear Banner of Ulanqab, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 6, 2023. The Ulanhada volcano cluster has special geological landscapes such as volcanoes and lava landform. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Kentucky native Charlie Owen's business, town, home and almost all of his possessions burned to the ground in Lahaina wildfire last week.

Still, he said he's more fortunate than most.

Owen and his family are safe. They have relatives to stay with and support them as they rebuild their lives.

But for many families that isn't an option, after the small town on Maui's western coast, was destroyed by unprecedented wildfires last week.

Now the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaiian history, more than 80 people have died. Efforts to contain multiple fires on Maui are ongoing, but as of Friday afternoon, the Lahaina fire was 85 percent contained.

Owen, a chef, first moved to Hawaii 25 years ago where he met his wife Jen. The pair would move back to Louisville, where they lived before returning to Hawaii 10 years ago, moving to Lahaina.

The couple purchased Bakery Lahaina  which was started in 1979  from its original owners three years ago.

Charlie Owen said the bakery was leveled, burnt down to the metal scrap of the building. He said there's a "glimmer of a chance" it could come back, but would have to be relocated.

"Bakery Lahaina could be back, but it will not be rebuilt," he said.

More than 2,207 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Lahaina fire, according to the Pacific Disaster Center and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Before the fire, there was an estimated 4,191 housing units in Lahaina. PDC and FEMA said 86 percent of buildings exposed to the fire were residential.

Owen's sisters are managing a GoFundMe to raise money for the bakery's nine staff members, after the fire destroyed everything they own. So far, they've raised over $12,000 of their $35,000 fundraising goal.

The fundraising, Own said, is going "unbelievably well."

"Our team is highly skilled and passionate, but bakery work is hourly wage employment and most of them have no savings," a paragraph on the GoFundMe reads. "Many have been left without the fundamental necessities for life, including, but not limited to food, water, and shelter."

Related: Death toll is climbing: How to help victims in the Maui wildfires in Hawaii

Owen said it took almost two days to contact all of the bakery's employees, but he has heard from all of them. One employee and a family member fled into the ocean to escape the fire. Another employee and his wife escaped on foot, with only the clothes on their backs. Three lost their homes.

"Everyone lost something," Owen said.

Donations will be distributed between bakery employees and their families. The surplus will be used to help feed the Lahaina community.

Owen said it's common for multiple families on the island to live in one home. Most people work multiple jobs to make ends meet in the tourism-driven economy. Now, those jobs are gone, destroyed along with the buildings that housed them.

"Really the GoFundMe is set up to take care of our employees, who are in the situation I just described," Owen said.

Many of Lahaina's historic buildings, some that date to the 19th century, have burned. The town's 150-year-old banyan tree, one of the largest in the world, was scorched, but remains standing.

"We all fear how the town will change after this," Owen said. "I have no doubt that the charm will most likely be forever lost, and the bigger part is, there will be people and families who have to leave after generations."

Damage from the fire will likely exacerbate Hawaii's housing crisis, driving prices up and forcing Native Hawaiian families to leave. Housing prices have sharply risen in the past two decades, forcing many families to relocate to the mainland. Now, more Native Hawaiians live in the continental United States than in Hawaii.

Owen said it's too soon for his family to decide if they'll stay. He doesn't want to contribute to the housing competitiveness driving Native Hawaiians out of the community.

"Without Hawaiians, how can Lahaina be the same?" Owen said.

Reach reporter Kate Marijolovic at kmarijolovic@gannett.com or on Twitter @kmarijolovic.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: The Lahaina Bakery destroyed in Maui wildfire
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, on Sunday defended the tentative U.S. deal to free Americans from Iran and referred to it as not a bounty.

The U.S. is attempting to bring home five detained Americans in Iran through a deal involving the release of $6 billion. The deal would see $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets transferred from banks in South Korea to Qatar. Some critics of the deal argue it is putting a bounty on Americans heads, which Smith said was a misunderstanding.

That is a fundamental misunderstanding of what this money is, Smith said in an interview with Shannon Bream on Fox News Sunday. Okay, its not a bounty because were not paying the money. Its Irans money that was sitting in South Korea, so its not a bounty.

Smith responded to former Secretary of States Mike Pompeo who criticized the possible exchange deal with Iran. Bream played a clip of Pompeo, who argued the U.S. denied Iran money in the past while the Biden administration is upending, that standard.

Under Secretary Pompeo, these other countries, Im aware of Italy and India  there were a few others that I hadnt found  money was transferred from them, Smith said. Same situation where Iran had sold stuff to these countries, sanctions kicked in, money hadnt been paid under Secretary Pompeo. That money was transferred from those countries to Iran. No strings attached. So it is not a bounty and is factually incorrect.

White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said last week thedeal is not done, as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran remain ongoing.

There would be a rigorous process of due diligence and standards applied with input from the U.S. Treasury Department, Kirby told reporters in a briefing call on the matter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Floridas new school voucher expansion that Gov. DeSantis signed into law in March made private school vouchers of about $8,000 a year available to all K-12 students regardless of family income.

With income caps and other restrictions lifted ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, more parents than ever before are applying for taxpayer-funded education savings accounts to use for private school tuition, transportation, and other related costs including books, testing and registration fees. The exact use of the funds depends on the scholarship parents choose to apply to.

The Miami Herald heard from about two dozen parents who applied for the scholarships, many of whom lauded the program for helping them afford alternative educational options for their children. Others, however, criticized the vouchers for rerouting money away from public schools. And not all private schools are accepting the vouchers.

Joe Sharp, the CFO of Jewish Leadership Academy near Miami Shores, a Jewish middle and upper school that opens this year, said participating in the expanded voucher program was a no-brainer.

JLA will enroll any student who is accepted into the school, regardless of a familys financial needs. The vouchers, along with a need-based tuition fee schedule ranging from $4,000 to $44,000 per year, will help make this a reality. The school is still getting approved to accept the vouchers  a year-long process that requires schools to submit health and safety code inspections, frequent site visits by the state and administering annual tests. But Sharp says its all worth it.

Its not so much because of the financial benefits to school, but I know how much it means to the parents. It lifts such a weight off their shoulders, Sharp said.

Moshe Matz, a father of 11 children, five of whom are school-aged, said for many Orthodox Jewish families, religious schools are often viewed as their only option, as they adhere to Kosher meals, observe Jewish holidays and foster a Jewish culture.

In the Orthodox Jewish community, youre going to find that its not a choice between going to public school or going to a Jewish private school; its just a matter of choosing which Jewish private school is best suited for our children, he said. This is a really vital program.

But some parents feel conflicted about taking advantage of the vouchers, especially if they can afford private schools without them.

I see how every dollar counts, so in my mind I know that this will ultimately be taking away from the public schools, said one Fort Lauderdale parent who asked not to use her name, but is using the scholarship to help send her daughter to a private school for the first time. I think that it is absolutely absurd to not have an income cap on the people that you are giving this money to. I certainly dont need it.

Other parents wholeheartedly agree.

It seems not to be on a level playing field, in my opinion, said Ronald Roberts, 79, a new Florida resident, father and avid supporter of public schools. I think any schools that are religious schools should not be receiving public money. A church or a religion wants to have a school, that should be up to them to pay the money.

READ MORE: Classrooms have become political battlegrounds in Florida. Will it intensify this year?

Heres what to know about private school vouchers and other state scholarships:

What does the new voucher law do?

House Bill 1, signed into law on March 27, essentially expands the available school choice scholarship options to Florida families looking for a non-public school.

Under the new law, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, established in 2019 to provide more options to families with limited financial resources, no longer has any financial and enrollment restrictions. Families can use the funds to enroll students in an approved private school.

HB 1 also expands the enrollment cap for scholarships for students with disabilities to about 40,000 students for the 2023-24 school year, according to the state department of education website.

Alternatively, K-12 students who are enrolled in a public school that is different from the school they were assigned can receive a $750 scholarship to help cover the cost of transportation if the school district does not provide transportation to the school.

Can anyone apply?

Yes. A parent of a student can apply and receive a state scholarship as long as the student is a Florida resident and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12.

The state will give top priority to families at or below 185% of the federal poverty level or students who are in the foster care system, then to families with household income levels between 185% and 400% of the poverty level, according to a fact sheet from the Department of Education.

For a family of four, that translates to a household income of $55,500 to $120,000 a year.

READ MORE: Is lunch free? Wheres the bus? Your guide to the new school year in Miami and Broward

What other scholarship options are available?

Theres been some confusion over which scholarships parents can and should be applying for, according to several parents who spoke to the Miami Herald.

The Family Empowerment Scholarship has two options:

1. Family Empowerment Scholarship for Educational Options

This is the newly expanded option that offers education savings accounts of around $8,000 a year  last year the average award amount was $7,700  for any K-12 student to attend a participating private school. Families have to apply annually through one of the approved scholarship funding organizations  either A.A.A. Scholarship Foundation or Step Up for Students.This is the option that also offers families a $750 scholarship for transportation to a public school different from the school that the student was assigned.

2. Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities

This option offers families of students with disabilities a choice of either enrolling their child in another public school, or receiving funds in an education savings account to use for things like private school tuition, online learning programs, private tutoring, community college costs, or approved customized learning devices. Generally, there are more options for what parents can use these funds for, including a home-school program.

Families should also apply through A.A.A. or Step Up annually. Students must be at least 3 years of age, have a Individualized Education Plan or a diagnosis of a disability from a licensed physician or psychologist. The average scholarship last year was about $9,700.

Florida Tax Credit Scholarships

This scholarship, created in 2001, was originally for children of families who have limited financial resources. The new law eliminates financial eligibility restrictions, but still prioritizes awards to low-income students.

Florida offers six scholarship programs, in total, that fall under the school choice umbrella, including the Hope scholarship for students who have been the subject of bullying and the New Worlds reading scholarship for students who have a substantial reading deficiency. Find more information about K-12 state scholarships here.

What about homeschooling?

Traditional home education options are only available to students who receive the unique abilities scholarship.

However, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship will include a home-school option for up to 20,000 students this year, referred to as a personalized education program (PEP). Families should indicate their interest in the new option when completing their application.

Is every private school participating?

No. Private schools are not required to participate in K-12 state scholarships. In fact, several private schools in Miami-Dade and Broward have already informed parents that they are not accepting any state vouchers. Private schools must request to participate in the Family Empowerment Scholarship and have to be approved by the Department of Education.

Its important to check with your childs school first to see if they accept state scholarships before applying. To find out about your childs private school, check the schools website or call the financial aid director. You can also use the portal listed on Step Up scholarship website to search individual schools for their scholarship availability.

Some private schools that are not accepting any state vouchers include: Ransom Everglades School, Gulliver Preparatory School, Carrollton School Of The Sacred Heart, Miami Country Day School, Palmer Trinity School, St. Stephens Episcopal Day School, St. Philips Episcopal School, St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, American Heritage School and Westminster Christian School.

Many private schools offer financial aid without the states help.

To maintain our independence, Gulliver Prep does not accept any state or federal funds, financial assistance or scholarship programs, a spokesperson for the school said in a statement. We provide over $10 million annually in need-based financial aid, tuition remission, and merit scholarships funded by our operating budget and donations.

How do I apply?

Parents can apply through one of the scholarship funding organizations that will administer the program, Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation  but AAA has stopped accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year. The Step Up program is still accepting new applications here.

Different scholarships have different requirements, but most require parents to submit their most recent pay stub as proof of income, proof of residency, any additional sources of income, and identification for primary and secondary parents such as a drivers license or passport.

The Step Up website has an application checklist for parents here.

Whats the deadline to apply?

Step Up For Students is still accepting applications for the new school year, but its possible that at some point they may exceed program capacity, according to its website.

The annual number of available scholarships is determined by the amount of available funding. In the event that program capacity is met, a wait list will be instituted. We strongly encourage you to submit your application immediately. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. 

You can check the status of your application by calling 877-735-7837, emailing info@stepupforstudents.org or following the instructions detailed here.

READ MORE: Book bans are growing in South Florida schools. Youve probably read some of these books

Can you lose the scholarship?

Yes. Some actions may lead to the loss of a scholarship including:

 Misrepresenting or withholding information on the scholarship application.

 Enrolling in a private school that is not eligible to participate.

 Failure to regularly attend the private school.

 Failure of the parent to approve quarterly scholarship payments.

 Failure of the student to take a required nationally norm-referenced test or the statewide assessment.

 Moving out of the state of Florida

 Returning to a public school or utilizing another statewide scholarship.

What will be the impact on public schools?

Superintendent of Miami-Dade Schools Jose Dotres said hes trying to stay positive about the expanded voucher program: Hes choosing to view it as a challenge for the nations third-largest school district, which like many other districts across the country, has been losing students due to the pandemic and other issues.

We have to create schools that are successful in attracting parents and retaining students. That is our greatest focus as we move forward in this new landscape where we have parents that can opt to leave us, he said. I believe one of the things that we have to focus on is the student experience, how students feel at school and what their day looks like.

Broward Superintendent Peter Licata thinks of the voucher program expansion in terms of food. Up until now, Florida public schools had received eight slices of the pie, and now theyll receive seven, he said.

This is going to be tough on us, he said, shaking his head during an early July interview with the Herald.

Still, he agreed with Dotres that its time to innovate. That may include repurposing some schools if theyre under-enrolled and finding new ways to hire teachers, perhaps providing them with public housing, he said.

How do we attract teachers to come here so that when we say we have the best programs and the best teachers, kids will come here? We got to make sure our programs match what the industry is requesting, what the labor force is needing, he said.
Kylian Mbappe has been reinstated into the Paris Saint-Germain first-team after being frozen out of the squad during its preseason tour of Japan, amid his ongoing transfer saga.

The Frenchman watched from the stands as his team drew 0-0 against Lorient in its first league game of the season Saturday.

The 24-year-old has been training separately from the first team while his standoff with the club rumbles on.

Following very constructive, positive talks between PSG and Kylian Mbappe before the game vs Lorient, the player has been reinstated into the first team training squad this morning, PSG said in a statement on Sunday.

Despite publicly declaring he wanted to stay in Paris for the upcoming 2023/24 season, Mbappe was said to be unhappy in the French capital and, according to multiple reports in June, he informed PSG that he would not be extending his contract earlier this year.

In July, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that the club would not let the superstar leave for free and, as a result, PSG issued Mbappe with an ultimatum; sign a new contract or be sold.

Mbappe watched PSG's league opener against Lorient from the stands on Saturday. - Christophe Saidi/FEP/Icon Sport/Getty Images

Mbappe then spurned a meeting and contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal, after it was reportedly ready to smash the world record transfer fee and pay $332 million (300 million) for the French striker.

The proposed deal would reportedly have included a staggering $775 million salary packet.

Mbappe has also continued to be heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid. He was on the verge of signing for the Spanish giant last year before rejecting a move in favor of a contract extension at PSG.

Its not yet clear whether Mbappe will sign a new deal at the club. CNN reached out to PSG for comment but did not receive a response.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
If telling a balanced story about Latino contributions to the United States is a difficult task, then doing it in a single building in Washington amid disagreement in Congress over how to tell that history may be downright arduous.

Thats what the leadership of the fledgling National Museum of the American Latino is learning as they attempt to secure funding and political support for the nations newest Smithsonian institution, which is still years from breaking ground.

The museum, led by Founding Director Jorge Zamanillo, the former CEO of HistoryMiami, received bipartisan criticism this summer over its first effort at a public display. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, including Miamis Mario Diaz-Balart, were so incensed by the exhibit that they pushed legislation forward to pull the museums funding.

But following a meeting late last month that eased tensions, the museums leaders say they are learning from the friction, incorporating feedback into their programming and working to create a venue that represents and receives support from all Hispanic Americans.

For the first time, were going to have a museum, a national museum that represents all Latino communities across the U.S., Zamanillo, a Miami Senior High alum, told the Miami Herald. And I think at the end of the day, most people will see that as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to support us.

RELATED CONTENT: Smithsonian hires HistoryMiami director to lead new Latino museum in Washington, D.C.

The museum, approved by a bipartisan vote of Congress in 2020, is barely in its infancy.

There is not yet a specific site for its home, which must be built along or near the National Mall. For the museums first effort, theyve opened an exhibit inside the National Museum of American History called Presente!: A Latino History of the United States.

The exhibition, housed in a 4,500-square-foot gallery, was the product of years of planning and touched on 500 years of history, including colonial legacies and wars of expansion, according to a museum spokesperson and materials on its website. Interactive displays featured personal stories from Latinos about their own contributions to the country.

But about a year after it opened last summer, Republicans began to openly protest. Following visits, they said the exposition provided a one-sided picture of Latinos as victims and glossed over important and complex aspects of history.

Diaz-Balart, a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, described the exhibition as patronizing and quasi-racist during a subcommittee hearing last month in which lawmakers voted to block federal funding of the museum and the exhibit. He said hed been trying to get the Smithsonians attention since December, and canceling the museums funding was the only way to force the issue.

Diaz-Balart, who is Cuban-American, protested the inclusion of a military deserter and was frustrated by a small display on Cuban balseros that in one text attributed flight from the communist, authoritarian island to economic reasons. He also objected to, he said, the inclusion of information about U.S.-backed dictatorships but not the leftist regimes largely responsible for the ongoing migration crisis.

Text included in this display of a raft used by Cuban balseros to reach the U.S. in 1992 at the Presente!: A Latino History of the United States gallery in Washington was among the subjects of criticism from Republicans.

While the frustration regarding the exhibit was bipartisan  U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, agreed that it was offensive  the debate over the depictions underscored an ongoing tug-of-war over how to tell the story of Latinos in the U.S., the struggle between left and right in the Americas and the United States own history of intervention in the western hemisphere.

We are all going to be offended in one way or another by something that comes out of this museum because we are so different in so many ways, said California Congresswoman Norma Torres, a Democrat who was born in Guatemala. But we cant throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The Presente!: A Latino History of the United States gallery in Washington includes information about U.S. intervention in Latin America, including the governments support for brutal authoritarian regimes.

Moving Forward

Republicans have since dialed back their pressure. Following a meeting late last month with Smithsonian leadership, Diaz Balart announced that changes were underway and that funding would not be blocked.

What we did is we cut the funding, and immediately [the Smithsonian] responded, and then we had a very positive meeting, and now are moving forward, Diaz-Balart said in a subsequent interview. I wish I didnt have to do that in order to get their attention, but thats what it takes sometimes with big federal bureaucracies.

Even with the dust-up in Congress apparently settled, public condemnations of the museums works could be a financial problem, with the Smithsonian required to find half its funding for the new institution from outside the federal government. But the museums leaders say theyre continuing the work of creating programming, securing financing and building community support.

Museum trustee Alberto Ibarguen, the outgoing head of the Knight Foundation and former publisher of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald, said the job is difficult, involving a complex set of communities.

All of us have a Hispanic background. Not everybody looks at the world in the same way, he said. And there are going to continue to be honest differences of opinion.

Zamanillo said he takes responsibility for presenting a fair and balanced story moving forward in everything that we do at the museum. He said part of his job will be to build and maintain political support from both Democrats and Republicans.

I got hired here a little over a year ago. I was tasked to build a museum, to raise funds and develop that program for what you will see in any museum and it opens in 10 or 12 years. So I need to build that relationship with Congressman Diaz-Balart and others, and on both sides of the floor to make sure that they can trust me, he said. They can trust me to make sure that that task that Ive been assigned to is carried out in a fair way.

Estuardo Rodriguez, president of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, created as part of the years-long effort to win authorization for the museum, said the job will not be easy.

Rodriguez, who has been working for over 19 years to make the museum a reality, said that he has heard from people across the country who also have worries that their particular perspective of Latino history will be overlooked.

Theres always going to be a specific view of history thats going to contrast against those who actually lived it in more modern history, said Rodriguez. That is the challenge for the Smithsonian. The curators need to be given: one, the benefit of the doubt, and two, the talent to do the work that is necessary to ensure that they present the most inclusive narrative possible that brings everyone together in celebration.

McClatchyDC staff writer Gillian Brassil contributed to this report.
Wisconsin state Rep. Jimmy Anderson poses, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Madison, Wis., outside of a condominium complex that is disconnected from the rest of his legislative district. A lawsuit contends that such disconnected sections of land violate the state constitution and that the current districts should be redrawn before the 2024 election. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

MADISON, Wis. (AP)  If Wisconsin state Rep. Jimmy Anderson wants to visit residents in some of the northern neighborhoods he represents, he first must leave his own district  twice.

From his Fitchburg home in suburban Madison, Anderson must exit his 47th Assembly District, pass through the 77th District, reenter the 47th District, then head north through the 48th District to finally reach a cluster of homes assigned like a remote outpost to his district.

Unusual? Yes. Inconvenient? Yes.

Unconstitutional? Perhaps.

Though the Wisconsin Constitution requires legislative districts to consist of contiguous territory, many nonetheless contain sections of land that are not actually connected. The resulting map looks a bit like Swiss cheese, where some districts are dotted with small neighborhood holes assigned to different representatives.

Wisconsin's nationally peculiar practice of detached districts is cited as one of several alleged violations in a recent lawsuit seeking to strike down current Assembly and Senate districts and replace them before the 2024 election.

Like similar cases in states ranging from North Carolina to Utah, the Wisconsin lawsuit also alleges partisan gerrymandering is illegal under the state constitution's guarantee of equal protection and free speech.

Though such claims have had mixed results nationally, Democrats hope the Wisconsin Supreme Court's new liberal majority will deliver a resounding rejection of gerrymandering that has given Republicans a lopsided legislative majority.

But the challenge to noncontiguous districts could provide judges a way to decide the case without ever addressing whether partisan gerrymandering is illegal.

It could be that this gives the court a completely neutral basis for deciding the maps are no good, said Kenneth R. Mayer, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor.

Wisconsin's Assembly districts rank among the most tilted nationally, with Republicans routinely winning far more seats than would be expected based on their average share of the vote, according to an Associated Press analysis. In other states, such as Nevada, Democrats have reaped a disproportionate advantage from redistricting.

Most states are guided by at least four traditional principles for reshaping state legislative districts after each decennial census. Those include districts being nearly equal in population, compact and contiguous and following the boundaries of cities and counties. Contiguous generally is understood to mean all parts of a district are connected, with some logical exceptions for islands.

In some states, mapmakers have gotten creative by using narrow strips of roads or rivers to connect otherwise distinct parts of a district. But few have gone so far as Wisconsin in treating contiguous as a loose synonym for nearby.

Wisconsin's detached districts are profoundly weird," said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Marymount University Law School in Los Angeles who created the All About Redistricting website.

Anderson's legislative district, for example, includes more than a dozen remote territories scattered around the Madison area that are disconnected from the district's main portion in Fitchburg, McFarland and Monona. That makes door-to-door canvassing particularly challenging for Anderson, who uses a wheelchair that must be repeatedly loaded and unloaded from a van.

The situation also is confusing for his remote constituents whose neighbors are represented by someone else, Anderson said.

It just doesnt serve the people that live in those little bubbles to not have the same kind of community cohesion and interests being represented," he said.

Gabrielle Young, 46, lives in one of the land islands Anderson represents. But until she was contacted by lawyers filing the redistricting lawsuit, Young said she had no idea Anderson had to travel through another district to campaign in her neighborhood. Young agreed to serve as a plaintiff in the lawsuit alleging the disconnected districts violate the state constitution.

I could have gone the rest of my life living here not realizing it was happening, but that doesnt make it OK, she said. Its ridiculous.

Among other things, the lawsuit cites an 1892 case in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court stated districts cannot be made up of two or more pieces of detached territory. Yet the practice proliferated over time, with 55 of the 99 Assembly districts and 21 of the 33 Senate districts now composed of disconnected portions, according to the lawsuit.

Clearly, at some point, things sort of went awry, said Mark Gaber, senior director of redistricting at Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.-based group that helped bring the lawsuit.

"It seems pretty clear to me that you have to enforce the words as they are written, Gaber added.

That has not always been the case.

In 1992, a federal judicial panel considering a Wisconsin redistricting lawsuit essentially endorsed detached legislative districts. Wisconsin's Democratic-led Legislature and Republican governor had failed to agree on new districts following the 1990 census. The court was left to pick among various plans submitted by the parties. Republican plans proposed districts with literal contiguity, but the judges opted for a Democratic approach that did not.

The federal judges said legislative districts containing disconnected islands of land were similar to towns that had been legally permitted to annex noncontiguous areas.

Since the distance between town and island is slight, we do not think the failure of the legislative plan to achieve literal contiguity a serious demerit, the judges wrote in 1992.

The political roles are reversed 30 years later. Republicans, who now control the Legislature, proposed Assembly and Senate maps with disconnected districts that the Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted last year. Democrats, who control the governor's office, are backing the legal challenge.

"The districts are constitutional because they are legally contiguous, Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement to The Associated Press alluding to prior court rulings. He declined further comment.

Though contiguity requirements have a long national history in redistricting, they have not always been explicitly defined, thus leaving room for interpretation, said Micah Altman, a research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose specialties include redistricting.

Criteria such as contiguous and compact districts must be balanced with other principles, such as distributing the population equally and not splitting municipalities and counties among districts, he said.

Turning one knob on the system makes you have to turn down the other knob at least a bit," Altman said.

In the case of Anderson's district, the disconnected sections likely have not made much difference in the partisan composition of his voters. Anderson is a Democrat, and so are the majority of Madison-area voters.

But redistricting experts say there still is potential for politicians to rig the map to their favor by drawing remote sections of districts.

When you allow mapmakers to draw districts that are noncontiguous, you give them even more flexibility to perpetrate abuse," Levitt said.

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.
Armored vehicles enter the Deprivation of Liberty Center of the Zone 8 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. Military personnel entered the facility to transfer Adolfo Macias, alias Fito considered the head of Los Choneros, an organized crime group. Slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio had accused Macias of having threatened him. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (AP)  Authorities moved the leader of one of Ecuadors most powerful gangs into a maximum-security prison Saturday, three days after the assassination of a presidential candidate who had denounced threats from the feared criminal.

President Guillermo Lasso said the relocation of Los Choneros leader Adolfo Macias, alias Fito, was meant for the safety of citizens and detainees.

The gang boss was moved out of a jail with lighter security into a maximum-security prison in the same large complex of detention facilities in the port city of Guayaquil.

Ecuador will recover peace and security, Lasso tweeted. If violent reactions arise, we will act with full force.

About 4,000 soldiers and police officers raided the jail where Macias was being held Saturday and seized weapons, ammunition and explosives. Corrections officials released images of the raid showing several prisoners, including Macias, who is serving a 34-year sentence for drug trafficking, organized crime and homicide.

Ecuadors transformation into a major drug trafficking hub and the ensuing three-year surge of violence reached a new level with Wednesdays assassination of Fernando Villavicencio during a campaign rally in Quito, the capital. The candidate, who was not a front-runner, was known for speaking up against drug cartels.

Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killing. An Ecuadorian judge on Friday ordered preventive detention for six Colombian men described by authorities as being suspected of involvement in the slaying.

Villavicencio, 59, was one of eight registered candidates for the Aug. 20 presidential election. He had accused Los Choneros and Macias, whom he linked to Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, of threatening him and his campaign team days before the assassination.

Villavicencio believed popular support would keep him safe.

Youre my bulletproof vest. I dont need one. Youre a brave people and Im as brave as you are, he said at a public meeting in the city of Chone, the heart of Los Choneros territory. Bring on the drug lords. Bring on the hitmen.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata on Thursday described the assassination as a political crime of a terrorist nature aimed at sabotaging the election.

The snap election was called after Lasso, a conservative former banker, dissolved the National Assembly by decree in May, acting to avoid being impeached over allegations that he failed to intervene to end a faulty contract between the state-owned oil transport company and a private tanker company. Lasso isn't running in the election.
Ohios state land leasing program is underway, working through the comment and nomination process for the responsible development of our essential natural resources. During this process, we must address the misinformation surrounding it and shed light on the benefits this program offers to Ohio.

One important acknowledgment those spreading the misinformation tend to forget is Ohioans overwhelmingly support natural gas and oil development. A 2022 survey found that 70% of Ohioans support natural gas and oil development in Ohio, furthermore 82% of respondents said the natural gas and oil industry is essential to their everyday lives.

This support has been earned by the industry, which for decades has invested in the region. Economically, this industry generated $55.5 billion for Ohio in 2021, these funds go to schools, roads, outdoor recreation, and community wellness. Leasing state land will only continue to encourage this private investment creating high-paying jobs that power our state.

Refusing to harness our essential natural resources would be a mistake. Let's embrace the facts and ensure progress for our state.

Bruce Tague, executive director of Ohio Natural Energy Institute

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Letter: Ohioans overwhelmingly support natural gas and oil development
Texas lets bad builders slide

Reading about customers being ripped off while trying to build a barndominium brought back anxiety and anger remembering when we built our home in the mid-1990s. (July 30, 1A, Paradise lost; For these barndominium buyers, the dream of country living at a good price has turned into a nightmare)

I was part of a group called Sick of Bad Builders that tried to get the state to license homebuilders. After all, you need a license to cut hair in Texas, but to build a house, all you need is a pickup. We picketed the courthouse during our contractors bankruptcy hearing and were covered on TV, but nothing changed. It wasnt even the builders first bankruptcy.

There must be consequences for these contractors. Building a home should not ruin you financially because of fraud and misrepresentation.

- Alison Dolezal, Mansfield

Cyclists, joggers are no problem

Wildflowers in the spring, speckled fawns in late summer, the occasional majesty of wild turkeys or flash of a roadrunner: The joys of experiencing a bit of nature within reach of the city will disappear if the Army Corps of Engineers closes Benbrook Lakes South Holiday Park to cyclists, joggers and walkers. (July 24, 1A, Road at Benbrook Lake to close to cyclists, joggers)

The corps contends that there were 388 incidents in May and June, but when pressed for details  what kind of incidents, when and the outcomes  nothing is forthcoming. Without information, its hard to offer reasonable alternatives, such as educational campaigns, signage, bike lanes or limited closures on busy weekends.

Overnight camping numbers dont match the regulars who visit the park time and again. In terms of impact, cyclists and joggers leave little behind. Day users from Tarrant, Parker, Hood and Dallas counties deserve better from the Corps of Engineers.

- Janelle Montgomery and Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth

Keep blocking Rio Grande crossing

The buoy barrier and razor wire along the Rio Grande should remain. (July 25, 1A, Biden administration sues Texas gov. over buoy barrier) They hurt no one who is smart enough not to try to cross the river.

Throughout history, children have been used as pawns, and we have to stay the course and protect our borders, as unpleasant as this is. We cant protect our citizens if we cater to the needs of those arriving illegally.

- Charles Lamb, Grand Prairie

The perils of letting computers do it

Artificial intelligence has the potential to dumb down society to the point where humans wont have to do their own thinking. Take autocorrect on your smartphone. I saw a birthday card that wished the recipient a Hairy Butt Day followed by the caption, I hate autocorrect.

It wont be funny if AI makes it easier to scam us.

- William Beck, Springtown

Gun charges just dont make sense

Decarlos Jordan was recently arrested for hiding a gun used in the accidental shooting of TreyShawn Eunes. (July 28, 1A, Man accused of hiding gun in accidental shooting case) Tampering with evidence is a third-degree felony and can result in two to 10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.

But whats so bizarre is that if hed just handed over the gun, hed have been charged only with a Class C misdemeanor for child endangerment and fined up to $500.

Maybe if the penalties were reversed and any Texan leaving a loaded gun or assault rifle within reach of a curious child, a suicidal adolescent or an angry teen were sent to prison instead of just paying a measly fine, we would finally reduce gun violence.

- Sharon Austry, Fort Worth
News that a Chinese coast guard ship fired water cannon on a smaller Philippine counterpart in a disputed area of the South China Sea should be worrying enough, given the region is widely seen as a potential flashpoint for global conflict.

But look more closely at video footage of the incident and tucked away in the details is something arguably even more striking: some of the most compelling evidence yet, according to analysts, of the links between the Chinese military and an alleged maritime militia sometimes referred to as Beijings little blue men.

Footage supplied by the Philippines of last weekends incident shows multiple Chinese vessels blocking its ship from supplying a remote military outpost on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Most of the Chinese ships involved are marked China Coast Guard, but among the flotilla are also at least two blue-hulled vessels that resemble fishing boats.

Western marine security experts  along with the Philippines and the United States  believe those boats belong to a Beijing-controlled maritime militia that experts say is hundreds of vessels strong and acts as an unofficial  and officially deniable  force that China uses to push its territorial claims both in the South China Sea and beyond.

The vessels are part of the same force, they say, that swarmed Whitsun Reef, another Philippine-claimed feature in the Spratlys, with up to 220 vessels in 2021.

In this particular operation, we can actually conclude that this Chinese fishing vessel is not just a fishing vessel but a Chinese maritime militia taking orders from the Chinese coast guard to support their operations in blocking our resupply, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said at a briefing last week.

The latest incident came as the Philippines tried to resupply a contingent of marines it keeps on Second Thomas Shoal  a feature of the Spratly Islands that has long been disputed between the two countries.

The remote shoal lies more than 620 miles from mainland Chinas southernmost shore and some 120 miles from the Philippine island of Palawan.

The Philippines grounded a World War II-era warship, the Sierra Madre, on the shoal in 1999 to assert its claim to sovereignty and now keeps its marines stationed on it, but the vessels isolation and aging condition make it a relatively easy target to harass.

After the confrontation last weekend, China claimed the Philippines had violated its sovereignty by grounding the ship on the shoal.

The Philippine side has repeatedly promised to tow away the grounded warship, but 24 years have passed, and the Philippines has not only failed to tow away the warship but also attempted to repair and strengthen it on a large scale to achieve permanent occupation of the Renai Reef, a China Coast Guard statement said, using the Chinese name for the shoal.

The action it took last weekend was professional and restrained, which is beyond reproach, it said.

Chinese authorities did not respond to a CNN request for further comment on the issue.

The shoal is just one of many disputed features in the South China Sea, where Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also all have competing sovereignty claims. However, Chinas claims are by far the most expansive; it insists almost all of the 1.3 million square miles of the sea are its sovereign territory, despite a 2016 ruling by an international tribunal in the Hague denying those claims.

Over the last two decades China has occupied a number of reefs and atolls across the South China Sea, building up military installations, including runways and ports.

Western experts warn that the alleged militia  with hundreds of boats allegedly funded and controlled by the Peoples Liberation Army  is a force to be reckoned with. As the Whitsun incident showed, they say, it could be used to swiftly surround any disputed reef or island, acting either alone or in concert with the coast guard or the PLA Navy.

While the latest video is not the first time suspected militia vessels have been caught on camera, many experts believe it is one of the most compelling illustrations yet of how the Chinese military and the militia interact. That symbiotic relationship became even clearer in 2021 when the China Coast Guard came under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Central Military Commission effectively making it part of Beijings military.

Theres no way they (China) can pull that operation off without it being pre-planned and there being real-time communication between the two, said Lyle Morris, a senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institutes Center for China Analysis and a former US defense official.

Gray zone tactic

China, for its part, doesnt acknowledge the existence of any such maritime militia. In the past, when questioned, it has referred to the ships as a so-called maritime militia.

But Western experts say this deniability is part of the point.

Ray Powell, director of SeaLight at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University, said the militia helped China operate in the gray zone, by carrying out actions just below what might be considered acts of war but that achieve the same result  Beijing gaining territory or control without firing a shot.

Both Powell and Morris say what China is trying to do around the Second Thomas Shoal is essentially a blockade, a naval maneuver preventing free access to it.

The Chinese vessels physically blockaded the supply ship. Its hard to deny that there is an actual blockade going on, Powell said.

An official blockade by the PLA Navy would be an act of war, the analysts point out. But by using the militia instead  keeping things in the gray zone  China keeps the operation below the level of a confrontation that might require a response under the US-Philippines mutual defense treaty, the analysts say.

Was this an own goal by China?

But Morris says evidence like the video released by the Philippine Coast Guard helps arguments in Washington, Manila and other foreign capitals that the maritime militia should be treated as a legal combatant.

If (the US) can prove they are under the command of the China Coast Guard, which is under the command of the Central Military Commission, Washington can make the claim that this is an act that could trigger the mutual defense treaty, Morris said.

That could possibly lead to the US Navy or US Coast Guard playing a role in escorting future resupplies of the Philippine marines on Second Thomas Shoal.

However, Powell points out that neither Washington nor Manila may have the stomach for the increased tension that would likely result from a US presence in these operations.

A blockade is an act of war. That term is so pregnant with implications that people in official positions are going to continue to be very circumspect about using it, he said.

The grounded Philippine navy ship Sierra Madre, which Manila uses to stake its territorial claims at Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea, as pictured on April 23, 2023. - Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

Chinas waiting game

Analysts say they dont see any appetite in Beijing for actual combat over Second Thomas Shoal, but they also say China can afford to play a waiting game.

Lionel Fatton, an international relations professor at Webster University in Switzerland, says the shoal is a good spot for China to practice gray zone tactics and demonstrate their capability of causing trouble in anticipation of greater US involvement in the area.

Washington is getting access to more military facilities in the Philippines, including on Balabac in Palawan province, not far from the shoal.

Meanwhile, as Powell points out, the condition of the Sierra Madre means it is the Philippines that is under pressure time-wise.

The Madre is a former US Navy tank landing ship built more than 70 years ago and slowly corroding away. Keeping it habitable isnt easy.

Indeed, doing so just got a little harder as the supply boat China prevented from reaching it last weekend had been carrying materials intended to shore it up.

The Sierra Madre is visibly rusting away, it is becoming structurally unsound. At some point it will begin to breakup and otherwise become uninhabitable, Powell said.

At which point Chinas strategy works because all they have to do then is sort of rescue the poor Philippine sailors off the shoal because theyre the only people around.

And (then they will) control the shoal, Powell said.

Unless something changes, that is what will happen. Its just a matter of when it will happen.

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 Flash

Photo released by County of Maui on Aug. 10, 2023 shows houses destroyed in a devastating wildfire on Maui Island, Hawaii, the United States. (County of Maui photos/Xinhua)

The death toll from wildfires sweeping the U.S. state of Hawaii's Maui Island has risen to 89, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said Saturday.

The latest update has made the wildfire the deadliest in more than a century in modern U.S. history, surpassing the Camp Fire that erupted on Nov. 8, 2018 in California and killed at least 85 people.

Green warned at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that the number would continue to rise as "hard work is going on." He added that the government has secured 1,500 rooms for displaced families.

Deadly wildfires have nearly completely destroyed the historic town of Lahaina, a popular tourist spot and once the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said at the news conference that canines had searched only 3 percent of impacted areas.

More than 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed and 2,170 acres (around 8.78 square kilometers) have burned as a result of the Lahaina Fire, according to the assessment of the Pacific Disaster Center, an applied research center managed by the University of Hawaii, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The assessment showed that the estimated cost to rebuild could reach 5.52 billion U.S. dollars.

Maui County said that firefighters continue working to extinguish flare-ups and contain fires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a major disaster declaration for Hawaii in the wake of the devastating hurricane-driven wildfires.




By trial witness accounts, Lori Vallow Daybell was a good mom for most of her life. The Idaho resident, now 50, once worked as a hairstylist in Arizona, before moving to Rexburg, and was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

But in 2018, around the time she met her latest husband, Chad Daybell, family members and friends said her traditional beliefs started growing toward extremism. Five years later, Vallow Daybell was convicted of the first-degree murders of two of her children, 7-year-old JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan. Shes now serving three life sentences.

Chad Daybell, who authored several books about the end of times, believed that he received personal revelations from God that told him certain people  including the children and his first wife, Tammy Daybell  were possessed by dark spirits and would need to be cast out, according to witness testimony during Vallow Daybells trial. Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood said the Daybells used their beliefs to commit murder.

The only reason religion matters is because its the tool they used to manipulate others, Wood said during the prosecutions closing arguments in May.

But experts say its more complicated than that.

Lindsay Park, who identifies as a Mormon feminist and is the executive director for Sunstone Education Foundation, a magazine that focuses on Latter-day Saints politics and culture, said shed categorize the Daybells as Mormon fundamentalists  a term typically associated with polygamist beliefs. Though they didnt practice polygamy, the Daybells took the fundamental tenets of the church and rewrote them, taking ideas to the extreme, Park told the Idaho Statesman.

Its Mormon fanfic, said Park, who was raised within the church. Thats what theyre doing.

Daybells found roots in Mormonism

The Latter-day Saints church teaches its members that Jesus Christ will return to Earth. Joseph Smith, the founder and first president of the LDS church, had a failed prophecy that the end of all Nations was coming in the 1800s because of the tensions between northern and southern states over slavery, according to the churchs website. Again, in the 1970s toward the end of the civil rights movement, Park said, Latter-day Saints believed that the world was coming to an end.

The Daybells held beliefs the world would end in July 2020, and that they would lead a group of 144,000 people who the Book of Revelation in the Bible said would be saved during the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, according to witness testimony. Park said now church members are taught to prepare for an emergency, not that the streets will run red with blood and Christ is coming.

The political anxieties of the country really play out in these groups, Park said about the end-of-time beliefs. It really ramps up in the prepper community.

Historian Benjamin Park, an associate professor who studies religion at Sam Houston State University in Texas, said there are mentions of the 144,000 within the Bible, but the belief and many extreme apocalyptic ideas of Mormonism subsided over time.

Benjamin Park, who was also raised within the church, added that most Latter-day Saints pride themselves on being the most literal interpreters of the Bible. In reality, he said, most members of the church  just like most Christians  read the Bible selectively.

So those passages like the Book of Revelation, like the 144,000, are sitting there ripe for exploration, Benjamin Park told the Statesman. But most Mormons dont draw from that. You wont find that passage in most Mormon curriculum.

Most Latter-day Saints wouldnt consider the Daybells beliefs mainstream, Benjamin Park said, but he added that claims that their beliefs arent connected to the church misunderstands how religion operates.

Those people found roots in Mormonism. They believe that they are restoring the true ideas of Mormonism, Benjamin Park said about the Daybells. And until we recognize the cultural connections between these things  which requires introspection, which requires looking at how these peaceful, mostly graceful filed theologies can breed extremists in some instances  then were just gonna be facing the same episodes again and again.

He added that he believes the church needs to have a more direct confrontation with extremism. Instead, the church is encouraging members to draw literal interpretations from scripture, which could pave the way for the radical beliefs that the Daybells had, he told the Statesman.

The Church of Jesus Christ declined to comment for this story.

Scripture in Book of Mormon justifies violence, expert says

Lindsay Park pointed to a story taught to Latter-day Saints since birth. In the Book of Mormon, God and angels asked the prophet Nephi to kill Laban, the keeper of sacred records, because God wanted to obtain the records that would eventually become scriptures within the Book of Mormon. Nephi cut off Labans head, and Park said the story teaches readers that the ends justify the means.

This scripture has justified more violence in Mormon history of fundamentalist sects than any other, Lindsay Park said.

Text messages obtained by authorities showed Vallow Daybell believed she would be like Nephi. Just days before her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, was killed, Vallow Daybell texted her brother  who shot and killed Charles Vallow  that everything was coming to a head that week, and that theyd be like Nephi.

Vallow Daybells brother, Alex Cox, died in December 2019 of natural causes. Prosecutors have since charged Vallow Daybell with conspiring to murder Charles Vallow in Arizona.

This isnt the first time that the story of Nephi has been connected to a homicide. In 1984, two brothers  who were once Latter-day Saints  murdered their sister-in-law Brenda Lafferty and her 1-year-old daughter, in American Fork, Utah, which is about 30 minutes from Salt Lake City. The brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, said they used the story of Nephi to justify the murders after Ron Lafferty received a revelation from God to keep Brenda Lafferty and her daughter from obstructing Gods work, The Deseret News reported.

That incident was retold in the 2003 novel Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer and 2022 Hulu series of the same title.

Its been used in 100 other violent ways, Lindsay Park said. Its just this idea that Gods will is more important than the individual.

Vallow Daybell says she was in contact with Jesus Christ

Vallow Daybell during her July sentencing  in the first public statement since her arrest  said she has a different perspective of life because she visited heaven after temporarily dying in the hospital when she gave birth to Tylee in 2002. She added that she now accesses heaven and the spirit world.

I have had many communications from people now living in heaven, including my children, Vallow Daybell said just before she was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences. Since then, Ive had many communications with Jesus Christ, the savior of this world and our heavenly parents.

Latter-day Saints believe they have a direct connection with God, who can provide revelations about their personal lives, Lindsay Park said. Park called the concept beautiful but noted it conflicts with the churchs hierarchical structure. Members of the faith also receive revelations from the churchs Prophet Russell Nelson, which should be prioritized over personal revelations, she added.

Individuals can have revelations for their lives, but at the end of the day, the priesthood has the final say, Park said.

Park said the church has modernized its teachings and stripped away some exciting concepts, which caused a certain faction of active members to become bored with the church and seek a sort of spiritual euphoria outside of the traditional church.

She noted that she wasnt excusing Vallow Daybells crimes, but that Vallow Daybell craved a spiritual leader, which made her susceptible to Chad Daybells beliefs.

LDS women dont have same power as men

Most of the Latter-day Saints who are converting to more fringe beliefs like Mormon fundamentalism are surprisingly women, Lindsay Park said.

Park pointed to the patriarchal and hierarchical structure of the church, which she said rewards leaders with more power, respect and status in their communities but doesnt provide women with those avenues to lead.

Your power comes through the status of the men in your life, Lindsay Park said, through your partner, through your husband.

Several former friends and Latter-day Saints in the jury trial testified against Vallow Daybell and spoke about castings they performed to try to cast out dark spirits from specific people  like Charles Vallow.

Vallow Daybells former friend Melanie Gibb said that if individuals were properly cast out, theyd die. And another former friend Zulema Pastenes said a dark spirit could be kept out by binding or burning the body. JJs body was found bound with duct tape, while Tylees body was found in pieces and her flesh was charred, according to law enforcement.

When asked why women like Pastenes and Gibb were able to believe the fringe ideas preached by the Daybells, Park said that from birth LDS women are taught to cede their power and authority over to men.

Mormon boys are taught from birth that they get to be a god someday, Park said. And that is kind of a dangerous thing to just give every man by right of birth.
(Bloomberg) -- Malaysias ruling coalition held on to three of six states contested in provincial elections Saturday, providing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with breathing space nine months into his mandate.

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The polls resulted in an even split between parties in Anwars unity government and his rival, the pro-Malay Perikatan Nasional, with each bloc winning the three states they controlled before the vote, the Election Commission said early Sunday. This was in line with predictions by pollsters Merdeka Center and Ilham Centre.

For the unity government, I would like to give my assurance that it remains strong and firm after these elections, Anwar said at a press conference late Saturday, flanked by his allies. We will continue to work hard and serve, in line with our aspirations to develop the country and economic policy that we announced recently.

The state elections marked Anwars biggest popularity test since he assumed power last November with the support of rivals-turned-allies Barisan Nasional and regional blocs. While it has no direct impact on parliaments composition, any setback in Saturdays polls risked prompting Barisan Nasional to reassess its ties with Anwar, keeping in motion the revolving door of prime ministers the nation has seen since 2018.

After two weeks of campaigning that saw Anwar appearing in up to three political rallies a night, the ruling coalition retained its super-majority in the nations top exporting areas of Penang and Negeri Sembilan on the Southwest coast. The bloc also won Selangor, the countrys most industrialized state, but failed to defend its two-thirds control of Selangor due to inroads made by the conservative Perikatan Nasional alliance.

Perikatan Nasional won most, if not all, of the seats in the Malay-majority states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, prompting its chairman and former premier, Muhyiddin Yassin, to declare that the result was a sign that the people want change.

The gains made by Perikatan Nasional at the expense of Barisan Nasional and its lynchpin the United Malays National Organisation indicate the federal governments internal woes may not be entirely over.

Anwars Future as Malaysian PM Hinges on Winning Local Polls

The result is an extension of what took place in the last general election, and shows a certain rejection of Barisan Nasional and UMNO, said Khoo Ying Hooi, associate professor at the Department of International and Strategic Studies, University Malaya. This would put a lot of pressure on the partnership between Anwars parties and BN, but having said that, I believe this unity government will still stick together as they are working partners at the federal level, she said.

Anwars government must now work on bridging the political divide, resolving structural economic issues, and being responsive to the immediate needs of the people, according to Amir Fareed Abdul Rahim, director of strategy at political risk consultancy KRA Group. Success in turning around the economy will improve its standing, he said.

Malaysias economic growth is set to moderate to between 4% and 5% in 2023, as it feels the effects of a global slowdown. Anwars government has proposed a slew of policies to resolve longstanding issues such as stagnant wages, and blanket subsidies that were weighing on federal coffers.

The political noise will continue, but the unity government must keep focused on governing to stem a potential erosion to its political authority. It has won some breathing space although political and policy challenges still loom, and must make full use of this opportunity, said Amir.

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One man was killed in an apparent hit-and-run incident Saturday in Sacramento Countys Florin neighborhood, authorities said.

Around 9:45 p.m., units with the California Highway Patrol South Sacramento office responded to multiple calls of a pedestrian in the roadway on westbound Florin Road, west of Stockton Boulevard, according to CHP spokesman Officer Mark Leavitt.

The Sacramento County Coroners Office identified the man Sunday as Ivan Bruyako, 37, of Sacramento.

Leavitt said Sunday that the CHP believes he was a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.

Fire personnel took Bruyako to the hospital with major injuries and he died there, officials said.

The two left-turn lanes of eastbound Florin Road turning onto northbound Stockton Boulevard were closed for about one hour, officials said.

Leavitt said there are no witnesses and no physical evidence pointing to a suspect or suspect vehicle. Follow-up is still to be done in an active investigation of the incident, he said.
A man is facing charges after he allegedly stabbed a teenager in Union City Saturday.

Union City police were called to reports of a stabbing in the 100 block of East Main Street, according to a spokesperson for Union City police.

When officers arrived they learned a 17-year-old male was stabbed.

The teenager was taken to the hospital before officers arrived on the scene, police said.

>> Trotwood man arrested in Texas after K9 locates 25.8 pounds of cocaine during traffic stop

After an investigation police identified Narcifo Cervantes as a suspect.

Cervantes was arrested in Randolph County, Indiana.

He was booked into the Randolph County Jail where he will face extradition back to Ohio.

Cervantes is expected to face felonious assault charges, a police spokesperson said.

We are working to learn the condition of the teenager stabbed and the charges Cervantes faces in Ohio.

We will update this story as new information becomes available.




An attacker was arrested for slashing another mans throat near a park in Manhattans Chinatown early Sunday, cops said Sunday.

Huang Yu Feng, 49, was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the deadly stabbing, according to police.

Feng attacked the victim on Bayard St. near Columbus Park around 3:30 a.m., police said.

Medics rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, but he couldnt be saved.

The victim wasnt carrying ID and police were working to determine his identity.

The slaying is the third this year in the NYPDs 5th Precinct, which saw four homicides in all of 2022. Major crimes are up by nearly 10% in the precinct so far this year compared with the same period last year  an increase driven by a sharp rise in robberies.

Overall, homicides have dropped by 12% in the city so far in 2023, with 242 as of Aug. 6 compared with 275 in the same time frame in 2022.
SAN DIEGO  A Marine at Californias Camp Pendleton has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who was found in a base barracks, the military announced Friday.

Military prosecutors charged the Marine with sexual assault of a minor and with violating liberty restriction from an earlier, unrelated case. After a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 17, authorities will decide whether he will face a court-martial, said a statement from Capt. Charles Palmer with the 1st Marine Logistics Group.

The Marines identity and other details of the case, such as when and how he met the teenager and how she got onto the base, werent immediately released.

The girl had been missing for more than two weeks when military police located her inside a barracks on June 28 at the base 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of San Diego.

Her grandmother has said the girl ran away in early June. Other relatives have speculated that she was sold by a sex trafficker.

She has been returned to her grandmother in suburban Spring Valley, the San Diego County Sheriffs Department said.

All visitors are stopped at the entrance to the sprawling base by Marines and required to show authorization to enter the base. Marines are allowed to bring a visitor on base and into the barracks until a certain hour, which varies according to each building.
Each week, Marion Technical College shares MarionMade! stories of our many wonderful people, places, products and programs in the greater Marion community. To read more positive stories of Marion, or to share some of your own, visit us at marionmade.org or on social media.

Tucked in between Hayes Glass and the Metro office at 117 N. Greenwood St., a new independent bookstore offers thousands of new and used books for readers of all ages. Crystal and Justin Bessler offer a range of genres at the Birch Tree Bookery.

We both have always loved to read! Crystal said. Many of our friends were driving to Columbus for discount used books. We wanted to fill in a gap that was missing in Marion to keep money in the community.

Crystal Murrell grew up in Marion and graduated from Ridgedale in 2000. She went to Indiana Wesleyan University to earn a bachelor of science in social work. There she met Justin Bessler, a Hoosier studying creative writing and computer graphics. They married and started a family, which grew to six children. They just celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary.

Crystal Bessler, owner of Birch Tree Bookery, stands with her husband Justin behind a library cart full of used books. The couple opened the bookstore in May and have started to bring together a community of booklovers in the area.

About the Besslers

Justin earned a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Ashland University. He wrote a collection of poetry and memoir essays for his masters thesis.

I was officially married to a bona fide writer and unashamed book nerd! Crystal said.

He also earned a masters of Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, where he was ordained as a Baptist minister.

They returned to Marion in 2009 and live in Nevada, Ohio. Crystal homeschools their children, though one son is currently studying interactive media at Tri-Rivers Career Center.

We want our children to become life-long learners and book lovers, said Crystal.

Birch Tree Bookery, Marions only independent bookstore, is home to new and used books of all kinds for all readers. It is located at 117 N. Greenwood St. Suite 13 in Marion, between the Metro office and Hayes Glass.

About the Bookery

The shelves offer an eclectic collection including romance, science fiction, fantasy, self-help, nonfiction, mysteries, young adult fiction, biographies, theology and Westerns. The Bookery offers discounts for all educators.

It doesnt have to be a book for the classroom. Teachers need to relax, too! They can pick up a thriller and receive a discount, Crystal said.

The couple also handed out free books to students taking summer classes at George Washington Elementary.

Childrens books are our largest collection, Crystal said. Its so important to promote a love of reading.

We hope that people find us so we have to keep restocking the shelves, Justin said.

Readers can order new books online at BirchTreeBookery.com. They are a part of Bookshop.org, a public benefit corporation that serves independent bookstores while offering 10% off the publishers price.

Were not going to take a trip to space based on how well we do with our independent bookstore, except in our minds as we read books, Justin said. It supports our family, and we spend it locally.

Birch Tree Bookery boasts many options for Marion area shoppers: a wide selection of used books, a curated stack of new books, gifts, novelties, board games, jewelry and candy. Soon, the Bookery will offer events to showcase authors and build community.

Connecting with the community

In the three months they have been open, they have enjoyed talking to hundreds of customers.

We have a great library here in Marion. We look forward to helping to promote a love of reading and building a community around books, Justin said.

Some people love to buy a pile of books so they always have the next book ready to start, Crystal said.

We want to give books a good home, Justin said. The more readers we can supply with books, the more conversations we can start around the books, the stronger the community becomes.

In addition to bestsellers, the store offers puzzles, board games and Crystals handmade jewelry.

The community has been very kind, Crystal said. We receive book donations nearly every week.

This woman-owned business is looking for opportunities to collaborate with other small businesses.

Theres great support from other local business owners. All of that helps the community, Crystal said. We want Marion to rise and thrive!

For more information, customers can stop by the store on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The book store can be reached at 740-262-3312. They can be followed on Facebook.com/BirchTreeBookery.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Birch Tree Bookery new and used books offers something for all ages
A settlement announced earlier this week calls for Isaiah Wartman, manager of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's 2020 campaign for Congress, to pay restitution in the amount of $25,000 for misappropriating funds donated to the victims of February's East Palestine train derailment.

According to The Guardian, Wartman and his business partner Luke Mahoney benefited from the fraudulent Ohio Clean Fund, which raised $149,000 in funds that were expected to go to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley  giving only $10,000 and pocketing the rest. Per the outlet's reporting, " [they] must each pay $22,000 in restitution as well as $3,000 in investigative costs and fees as part of a settlement with the Ohio attorney general's office, which prosecuted the case. Meanwhile, the settlement calls for a co-founder of the fake charity, Michael Peppel, to pay a $25,000 civil penalty and be banned from starting, running or soliciting for any charitable organization in the state."

"I have said from the beginning that we will continue to fight for the people of East Palestine, which is exactly what we did here," Ohio's attorney general, Dave Yost said in a statement. "These scammers preyed on generous donors to try to line their own pockets, but ultimately were stopped and shut down."
A Maryland man stole an ambulance and left a trail of hit-and-runs on Saturday after he caused numerous crashes in a stolen vehicle earlier that afternoon.

Virginia State Police said Darell T. Caldwell, 30, was driving a stolen truck when he caused a two-vehicle crash on the eastbound lanes of I-66 and fled the scene. Just one minute after they responded to the first crash, police responded to a separate multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of I-395 in Arlington County caused by the same stolen truck.

The state police said that Caldwell fled the second crash site on foot.

Just minutes later, the Virginia State Police said they received reports of a third crash caused by Caldwell, who was now driving a separate truck. An Arlington County Fire Department ambulance  on its way to responding to the I-395 crash  stopped to tend to the drivers of the third crash, but police said Caldwell stole the ambulance and drove away in it once the medics got out.

Police said they engaged in a pursuit after Caldwell refused to stop the ambulance. Once the ambulance came to a stop in the road and an officer got out of the patrol car, Caldwell put the ambulance in reverse, slamming the patrol car before fleeing the scene again.

Caldwell was eventually taken into custody after he entered Washington D.C. and struck a parked vehicle at 14th Street NW and D Street NW.

During the pursuit of the ambulance, Caldwell struck multiple vehicles. Virginia State Police said they have accounted for and are investigating 13 hit-and-run crashes committed by the stolen ambulance and urged the public to report any other incidents.

There have been no reports of serious injuries due to the numerous hit-and-runs, police said. The police update also noted that Caldwell has been charged with local and federal charges, but state charges are pending.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A fire broke out at an industrial warehouse in Ramenskoye, Russia, a town around 50 kilometers southeast of Moscow, Russian media and Telegram channels claimed on Aug. 13.

Photos and videos shared on social media appeared to showed a massive column of smoke over the site.

Russian media claimed that the fire broke out at a warehouse belonging to a local fertilizer producer and was caused by negligence.

The fire comes after a series of regular drone attacks on Moscow and its suburbs, as well as other Russian cities. It's not yet clear whether this fire could have been caused by an attack.

Ukrainian authorities haven't commented on the incident.

Kyiv hasn't been directly claiming responsibility for any attacks against Russia, although top officials have publicly welcomed them, saying that "the war is coming home to Russia."

Drone attacks against Moscow have intensified over recent weeks. Two drone strikes on the same target, the high-rise Moscow City business complex where several Russian ministries are housed, caused damage on July 30 and Aug. 1. Russia blamed the Ukrainian military for the strikes.

Air defense allegedly intercepted an attack drone over Moscow on Aug. 11, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said. The drone debris fell in the area of the Karamyshevskaya embankment in western Moscow, according to Sobyanin. There were allegedly "no casualties and serious damages."

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the aircraft had been neutralized by electronic warfare and crashed in a forest. The Russian Defense Ministry alleged that Ukraine had attempted to strike an unnamed facility in Moscow.

The Kyiv Independent is unable to verify any of those claims. Russian officials have been known to share disinformation.

Read also: From Moscow to Novorossiysk: The list of attacks on Russian soil

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By Jorge Garcia and Mike Blake

KAHULUI, Hawaii (Reuters) -The death toll from the Maui wildfires reached 96 on Sunday as relatives of the missing frantically searched for signs their loved ones may still be alive, while survivors grappled with the scale of the disaster and sought solace at church services.

Days after the inferno destroyed much of the historic resort town of Lahaina on Tuesday and Wednesday, crews of firefighters were still battling flare-ups, and cadaver dogs were sifting through the town's charred ruins in search of victims.

The death toll made the blaze Hawaii's worst natural disaster, surpassing a tsunami that killed 61 people in 1960, a year after Hawaii became a U.S. state.

It was also the largest number of deaths from a U.S. wildfire since 1918, when 453 people died in the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to data from the National Fire Protection Association.

Many of the survivors took to Sunday church services, including Akanesi Vaa, 38, who said her family got stuck in traffic while trying to escape the flames.

Vaa, her husband and her children aged 15, 13 and 9 fled on foot and jumped a fence to safety. Along the way, an elderly woman pleading for help handed her a baby to care for. The woman and her husband also made it over the fence.

"I think a lot of us needed to hear today's message," Vaa said after attending church at King's Cathedral in Kahului.

"All these ashes are going to turn into beauty. I know Lahaina will come back ten times stronger."

Scott Landis, pastor at Keawal'i Church, a United Church of Christ congregation in Makena, said an unusually large crowd of 100 showed, nearly double what he would have expected on a typical Sunday in August.

"They were really listening. You could tell people were here, looking for a word of hope," Landis said.

Among them were people with family and friends unaccounted for, and "fearing the worst" he added.

People sifted through a crowd-sourced online database listing thousands of names of individuals who had been found, as well as of those who remained unaccounted for.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned at a press conference on Saturday the death toll would continue to climb as more victims were discovered. Dogs trained to detect bodies have covered only 3% of the search area, Maui County Police Chief John Pelletier said.

Family and friends mobilized on social media, asking for help in locating missing loved ones.

"Still searching for my in-laws," Heather Baylosis wrote in a Saturday Instagram post. "People are being found alive and severely disoriented due to what they have gone through. We are holding out hope!"

Megan Sweeting wrote on her Facebook page, "MISSING: My Dad, Michael Misaka, has been missing since the Lahaina Fires started. If there is any information out there regarding my dad please let me know. I just need to know he is safe."

Hundreds remained missing, though a precise count was unclear.

Hawaii Governor Green vowed to investigate the response to the blaze and the emergency notification systems after some residents questioned whether more could have been done to warn them.

Some witnesses said they had little warning, describing their terror as the blaze destroyed the town around them in what seemed like minutes. Others dove into the Pacific Ocean to escape.

Sirens stationed around the island, intended to warn of impending natural disasters, never sounded, and widespread power and cellular outages hampered other forms of alerts.

"We'll know soon whether or not they did enough to get those sirens going," Green told MSNBC.

The cost to rebuild Lahaina was estimated at $5.5 billion, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), with more than 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 2,100 acres (850 hectares) burned.

(Reporting by Jorge Garcia and Sandra Stojanovic in Kahului, Hawaii, and Mike Blake in Makena, Hawaii; Additional reporting by Maria Caspani, Stephen Culp in New York and Anirudh Saligrama in Bengaluru; Writing by Maria Caspani and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Chris Reese, Lincoln Feast and Bernadette Baum)
The Maui wildfire death toll has risen to 89 people, officials said Saturday. Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources/Handout via Reuters

New research may help wildfire prevention in the future.

Engineers developed a platform that uses AI to scan hundreds of video feeds for signs of fire.

The technology has already successfully identified a fire in California.

The Maui wildfires became the deadliest in modern US history this weekend as the death toll hit 93 people, county officials reported early Sunday morning.

As crews work to contain and extinguish the fires, new technology out of California may one day be able to assist them in stopping these disasters before they start.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have created a platform called ALERTCalifornia, which feeds video from 1,038 cameras across the region to an AI system that can detect smoke and other fire indicators in real time.

While this technology is still being tested and improved upon, engineers say the technology could one day help identify wildfires before they become disastrous anywhere in the world.

"Its 100% applicable throughout anywhere in the world, especially now that we're experiencing a lot larger and more frequent fire regimes and with climate change," Suzann Leininger, a research data specialist at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told the Times of San Diego.

These cameras are just two of the hundreds that ALERTCalifornia uses to monitor fire conditions. ALERTCalifornia/UC San Diego

The system is especially useful at night when few people are around to spot the smoke and call 911. The system, first activated in July, has already detected one fire  as a result, the system alerted fire crews who then extinguished it in under 45 minutes, Reuters reported.

The data gathered by ALERTCalifornia is also available to private companies and researchers, Neal Driscoll, the principal investigator of ALERTCalifornia, told the Times of San Diego.

Read the original article on Insider
Kyiv authorities did not issue any permits for the demolition of a 200-year-old house in the Podil district a few days ago and are preparing an appeal to law enforcement, Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on social media on Aug. 13.

Klitschko promises to ban any actions with buildings that are more than 100 years old.

Klitschko called the demolition of the historic building at 13-B Yaroslavska Street an "atrocious act."

"The city authorities did not give any permits or approvals," the mayor assures.

He initiated the termination of the lease agreement at 13-B Yaroslavska Street by Kyiv City Council, "because the private owner, contrary to all norms and common sense, decided that he could desecrate the historical heritage of our city under the cover of a letter from the Ministry of Culture."

Read also: Ukrainian Trident symbol installed on Motherland monument in Kyiv

City authorities have asked law enforcement to check the legality of the owners actions, Klitschko said.

The mayor promised that Kyiv City Council would ban reconstruction and other actions with buildings in the capital that are more than 100 years old, regardless of whether the building is listed in the register of monuments or not.

Klitschko noted that in January 2023, the Verkhovna Rada lifted the ban on urban planning, architectural or landscape transformations and construction, reclamation, road, and earthworks without the permission of the relevant cultural heritage protection authority i. This includes protected archaeological areas, the protection zones of monuments, historical areas of settlements, and other sites included in the List of Historical Settlements of Ukraine.

The mayor added: "Kyiv demands that the Verkhovna Rada finally adopt  the draft law 0895 (of 2019), which will allow local authorities to forcibly buy back from irresponsible private owners, returning to the community the architectural monuments (and) ancient buildings that the owners do not properly maintain, leading to their destruction. And then shopping malls and high-rise buildings appear in place of the monuments."

Demolition of a 200-year-old house in Podil: What happened

Around 5 a.m. on Aug. 10, a 200-year-old manor house at 13-B Yaroslavska Street in Kyivs Podil district was completely demolished. The building was erected after a major fire in Podil in 1811 and was a unique example of nineteenth-century residential wooden construction in Kyiv.

The demolition began immediately after the air raid alert ended, said NACP public council head Kateryna Butko.

Local residents called the police. Representatives of the Department of Public Works also arrived and said that the builders had no permits for the dismantling.

The builders justified the work with a "reconstruction" permit issued by Deputy Minister of Culture Kateryna Chuyeva. In her comments, Chuyeva said that the approval was indeed issued in March 2023, but she "doubts that it provided for the demolition of the building." The building itself did not have a protected status.

According to the documents, a four-story "club house" is planned to be built on the site, commissioned by Serhiy Boyarchukov of the law firm Alekseev, Boyarchukov, and Partners. This is evidenced by a letter published by activist Dmytro Perov, as well as information from open sources.

Boyarchukov confirmed his involvement in the demolition of the house and explained why he believes his actions were legal.

Boyarchukov's longtime partner is Serhiy Alekseev, the former head of the Kirovohrad regional organization of Vitali Klitschko's UDAR party and now a European Solidarity MP. Alekseev is also the honorary president of the official Klitschko brothers' fan club.

Boyarchukov's company was also featured in a 2021 investigation by Slidstvo.info into the appropriation of a century-old building in the center of Kyiv by companies close to the Klitschko brothers. According to the journalists, the old building, which Boyarchukov had been renting for a long time, was eventually turned into the kitchen of the Klitschko brothers' 11 Mirrors hotel.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Rheinmetall, Germany's automotive and arms manufacturer, will deliver a Luna New Generation drone system to Ukraine by the end of 2023, Bild am Sonntag reported on Aug. 12, citing company sources.

The package will consist of a ground control station with several drones, a launch catapult and military trucks, according to Bild. The drone system could be used as a reconnaissance system, provide an LTE network and intercept or jam communications.

Drones are integrated into every phase of fighting on both sides - Russian and Ukrainian, with extensive fleets, air defenses and jamming systems.

A report from the U.K.-based Conflict Armament Research published in early August, indicated that Russia has started making copies of attack drones obtained from Iran in the previous year and has been using them against Ukraine. Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones have been one of Russias most effective weapons.

Rheinmetall was identified as the previously unknown buyer who recently purchased 50 Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine from the Belgian company OIP Land Systems, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Aug. 8.

The company purchased the tanks which will be refitted in Germany as part of its future exports of armored vehicles to Kyiv.

Read also: Russia says it intercepted drone over border Belgorod Oblast





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A Turkish BBN Airlines charter flight briefly entered Ukrainian airspace, which is a no-fly zone, on its way from Oslo, Norway, to Antalya, Turkey, on July 25, a Norwegian NRK reported on Aug. 12.

Ukraine closed its airspace shortly after Russia unleashed its full-scale invasion in late February of last year.

The Airbus A320 entered Ukraine's airspace in the country's westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast and exited into Romanian airspace via neighboring Chernivtsi Oblast, according to FlightRadar tracker.

The aircraft can carry up to 180 passengers on board.

"We understand the concerns raised by the incident and guarantee that we are actively taking action to prevent similar incidents from occurring," BBN Airlines told NRK.

An incoming storm along the original flight path prompted the crew to consider an alternate route, according to the report.

European Severe Weather Database confirmed the storm.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Through open source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 30,003 Russian soldiers who had been killed in the past 17 months of the full-scale war. The media organizations carry out a name-by-name count of the dead.

Since the media's latest update on July 28, a total of 1,351 names have been added to the list of casualties. The journalists specify that the actual figures are likely considerably higher since the information they have verified so far comes from public sources, including obituaries, posts by relatives, news in regional media and reports by local authorities.

Mediazona highlights in their latest report a slightly higher than usual growth in causalties among Russian artillery and rocket launcher troops. OSINT-researchers who are monitoring Ukraines counteroffensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast have also noted these troops suffer huge losses.

Since the last July update, the journalists also learned about the deaths of four Russian officers of Lieutenant Colonel rank and higher, bringing the total tally of high-ranking officers to 284.

Mediazona also adds that at least 176 military pilots are known to have been killed. "The loss of pilots is particularly painful for the army," reads the report. "...It takes 78 years to train one first-class pilot, and costs about $3.4 million. The loss of each pilot also means the loss of expensive equipment."

Read also: Report: Russia replicates Iranian drones, using them to attack Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
LANSING, Mich. (AP)  A white police officer handcuffed a Black child outside his Michigan home in an unfortunate case of wrong place, wrong time, the Lansing Police Department said Friday.

The department posted the explanation on Facebook after cellphone video circulated on social media showing the officer leading the boy  whose hands are cuffed behind his back  through the parking lot of an apartment complex on Thursday. The officer had been searching for a suspect in a string of car thefts when he spotted the child.

The boy was identified as 12-year-old Tashawn Bernard during a Friday news conference held by his family and their lawyers. Tashawn was taking trash out to the Dumpster when he was approached by an officer that had his gun unholstered and was holding it in front of him, according to a lawyer representing the family.

About three minutes into the video of the incident, an officer removed the handcuffs and spoke with Tashawn for about 30 seconds. Tashawn was then allowed to join his father on the sidewalk.

Michael Bernard, Tashawns father, said he could sense something was wrong when his son was taking longer than usual to bring out the trash. When he went outside, he said, his son had cuffs on and police were standing around him.

The Bernard familys lawyers, Ayanna and Rico Neal, said Tashawn is traumatized so much that he doesnt not want to go outside anymore.

Officials wanted to provide some background information on this unfortunate misunderstanding, police said Friday.

A witness had described the suspects outfit before a person who matched the description ran from an officer into an apartment complex, police said. Another officer saw the child in a very similar outfit, stopped him and released him when the officer realized he was not the suspect, police said.

Lawyers for the Bernard family say they have not received any additional details from police other than what was shared on social media. The family is exploring all legal options, including the possibility of filing a lawsuit, lawyers said.

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, police have launched an internal investigation after another video posted to social media appears to show one of their officers on July 20 punching a Black man the officer mistakenly thought was involved in a hit-and-run crash.

Police said witnesses told them two men and a woman carrying a child fled toward an Applebees restaurant. A restaurant employee directed officers toward a man holding a baby. Police then discovered the people responsible for the crash hiding in the restaurants bathroom.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Four survivors were spotted in a small steel boat - 41 others died when the initial vessel used to transport the migrants sank

In grainy photographs shot from a plane circling overhead, four people adrift in a small, metal boat in an expanse of the Mediterranean Sea wave their arms in distress.

It later emerges that the group - a 13-year-old boy, two men and a woman - are the only survivors of a shipwreck that they say killed the other 41 people they were travelling with.

The four survived by floating with inner tubes and lifejackets until they found another empty boat, likely from a previous migrant crossing, and clambered in. They spent several days drifting before being rescued.

A day after news of the tragedy emerged, migrants in the Tunisian city of Sfax prepared to make the same crossing.

One man, who had fled fighting in Sudan's western region of Darfur, told BBC Arabic that he planned to seek asylum in Tunisia, but was ready to board a boat if this didn't work. "I just survived a war, I have nothing to lose," he said. Another, from Kenya, dreamed of a better life for his family in Europe.

If they go ahead with the journeys, the two men will join thousands of others who have risked their lives this year on what has been dubbed the world's most dangerous migration route.

Experts told the BBC that badly designed and overcrowded boats, stormy weather, and gaps in international efforts were all factors in the danger - and one search-and-rescue NGO described the central Mediterranean as a "cemetery".

Surge in deaths

If it feels like you are seeing more reports of shipwrecks this year in the central Mediterranean, then both crossings and deaths do appear to be on the rise.

People making the journey set sail from the shores of North Africa, usually for Italy.

European border agency Frontex says the central Mediterranean is the "most active route" into the European Union, and that reported crossings are at their highest since 2017.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recorded more than 1,800 migrant deaths in the central Mediterranean so far this year, compared to 1,400 for the whole of 2022.

number of migrants who died at sea since 2014

Among the migrant shipwrecks this year was an overcrowded fishing vessel off the coast of Greece, which killed hundreds in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the Mediterranean in recent years.

The IOM says there is strong evidence that many shipwrecks are "invisible": unrecorded boats disappearing with no survivors, meaning the real death toll is likely to be much higher.

Why people make the dangerous journey

Those embarking on the perilous voyage come from around the world and have various reasons for wanting to reach Europe, from fleeing war or torture, to searching for jobs.

After being rescued from an overcrowded rubber raft this summer, one 16-year-old boy from the Gambia told the BBC he left home three years ago to "hustle hard and help my family".

He was aware of how dangerous the journey was, having lost an 18-year-old friend to the crossing, but he said this did not deter him - his friend had "lost his life for his family and his society and his nation".

This year, Tunisia has overtaken Libya as the main point of departure - amid a wave of racism against black Africans.

map showing migrant routes from Tunisia and Libya to Italy

Some say the Libya crossing remains more dangerous, both for geographical and political reasons.

"In terms of fatalities, I think that the opening up of the Eastern Libya route (from territories controlled by Wagner-supported militias) is having a bigger impact," said Nando Sigona, a professor at the University of Birmingham, and a migration expert.

"It is much longer and it also brings boats at the border between Italian and Greek national waters - two governments currently not too keen to be seen as providing rescue operations to migrants at sea," he said, citing the Greek shipwreck in June by way of example.

Unseaworthy boats

Migrants are typically travelling on overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, with limited flotation devices should they capsize.

Types of boats include rubber rafts and fishing vessels - on the Tunisian route, metal boats are common.

Experts say metal boats are even more likely to capsize in stormy seas

Frontex spokesperson Chris Borowski described them as "coffins in water".

"Combine this with the fact that usually there are dozens of these launched at one time with 40 or more people on board and you have a recipe for disaster," he said.

Mr Borowski said that "greedy people smugglers" used metal boats to offer "discount" crossings as they competed for migrants' business.

Unpredictable storms

Crossings are seasonal, with more attempts in the summer. But weather can be unpredictable and successful journeys can take days.

"If storms occur - or the seas are rough - which may become more frequent with climate change, there is a much greater risk to life," IOM spokesperson Ryan Schroeder said.

"Sometimes not even bad weather deters smugglers from sending people out to sea," he added, pointing to the boats that recently capsized near the island of Lampedusa, which were launched despite rough seas.

And Mr Borowski says poor weather makes spotting boats in distress even more difficult.

"Imagine searching for a Vauxhall Corsa from the air in an area the size of the UK. Now try looking for a dozen or more in the open sea," he said.

"This is the daunting challenge in the central Med. This, combined with an unforgiving sea - especially when the weather turns bad - as we have seen in recent days."

EU 'willingly created a cemetery'

While Frontex offers "general oversight and technical support", Prof Sigona says national governments mostly govern search and rescue (SAR) operations in the central Mediterranean.

The IOM's Mr Schroeder said SAR efforts are no longer as "proactive, comprehensive or adequately resourced" as they were during the big Mare Nostrum rescue operation led by Italy in 2013-2014.

Under the current system, Mr Schroeder said the IOM was concerned that "SAR gaps, alleged delays in rescue, and reported lack of response to distress calls may be contributing to tragedies on this route".

NGOs operating rescue vessels on the central Mediterranean were more critical. The route has become increasingly deadly "because of a reckless policy of deterrence and neglect that European states have been pursuing for years", Wasil Schauseil, communications co-ordinator at SOS Humanity, claims.

German NGO Sea-Watch said the EU had "willingly created a cemetery".

It said there was a lack of SAR co-ordination and that "illegal pullbacks" were being conducted by the Libyan coastguard, which the EU has equipped and trained. In addition, last month, the EU signed a $118m (90m) deal with Tunisia to try to reduce "irregular" migration.

A European Commission spokesperson defended working with the North African countries, saying the "still too high number of casualties" in the Mediterranean meant it was "important to continue strengthening the capacity of the Libyan coastal authorities to carry out effective search and rescue operations, in line with international standards".

NGOs have also criticised a new law in Italy requiring their rescue vessels to head to often distant ports after an operation, rather than continuing to patrol for more boats in distress. They say this reduces their time in areas where shipwrecks are more common.

Italy says the aim is to spread arrivals across the country.

Critics of rescue NGOs say their presence encourages migrants to embark on the potentially fatal journey - the NGOs reject this.

Hunt for solutions

Frontex's Mr Borowski acknowledged that "we can, and indeed, we must, do better" at stopping "tragedies at sea", calling for "shared solutions". IOM spokesperson Mr Schroeder said all efforts should "focus on saving lives and addressing the reasons that people are compelled to risk their lives".

The IOM and other UN agencies have called for co-ordinated European search-and-rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, and for safer legal pathways for migration and asylum to prevent deaths at sea.

The European Commission spokesperson said its efforts to enhance SAR co-ordination between its members were "extensive". It was working to deter smugglers and develop safe ways for people to come to the EU that would break "the business model of the smugglers and the traffickers", the spokesperson said.

Shipwrecks, like the one this summer off the coast of Greece, are "yet another call to action" that highlighted "the urgency to intensify our work".

Additional reporting by Bassam Bounenni, BBC Arabic
Pope Francis regularly urges better treatment of those who flee their homes for a better life elsewhere (MIGUEL RIOPA)

The number of migrants dying in the Mediterranean is an "open wound" for humanity, Pope Francis said Sunday after a week marked by a string of deadly shipwrecks.

At his weekly Angelus prayer, the 86-year-old pontiff offered his prayers for the 41 people reported missing on Wednesday by four survivors brought to safety on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

He recalled "with pain and shame" UN figures showing more than 2,000 migrants have lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea since the start of the year.

"It is an open wound in our humanity," he told pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square.

"I offer encouragement to the politicians and diplomats who are seeking to heal it, in a spirit of solidarity and brotherhood."

He also hailed "the commitment of all those who work to prevent shipwrecks and rescue sailors".

Francis -- who regularly urges better treatment of those who flee their homes for a better life elsewhere -- had this week already warned against becoming "indifferent" to the deaths.

A spokesman for the UN migration agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said Saturday that "at least 2,060" migrants had lost their lives in the Mediterranean since January 1.

Of those, more than 1,800 died in the Central Mediterranean, the route from North Africa to Italy and Malta, he said -- more than twice as many as in the same period last year.

In the latest incident, two Tunisians including a baby died when their boat sank Saturday shortly after leaving the shores of the North African country, the coastguard said.

On Monday judicial officials reported the deaths of 11 migrants in a shipwreck off Sfax, with dozens more missing.

The eastern Tunisian port city located about 130 kilometres (80 miles) from Lampedusa has emerged as a key migrant launchpad.

Meanwhile at least 30 migrants were reported missing on Sunday following two shipwrecks off Lampedusa, following days of bad weather.

ar/rox
More migrants are waiting to risk the dangerous Channel crossing from France to England (Sameer Al-DOUMY)

"Crossing the Channel, it's playing with our lives," Hajji Mahmud acknowledged.

But despite the dangers, the Afghan migrant remained determined to attempt the crossing, even after the deaths of at least six of his countrymen early Saturday when their vessel sank.

In the makeshift camp at Loon-Plage on the north coast of France, some 15 tents were scattered behind an embankment near a pile of burning rubbish.

Mahmud lives there with a group of other Afghans, some of them very young, and hoping for a better life in Britain.

"If we had a good life in Afghanistan, a good government, a good education system...," he said.

He entered the European Union through Croatia. What he would like, he says, is for the French and English police to help him cross the Channel without having to risk his life.

But he knows he won't get that.

"We'll suffer until we manage to cross," he said.

The French and English coastguard said two people were still missing late Saturday after this latest disaster, when the boat carrying more than 60 people capsized.

Many of those on board -- most of the around 60 people rescued -- were Afghans, like him, plus a few Sudanese people with them. A few of those on board were minors.

- 'We will try again' -

For France's State Secretary for the Sea Herve Berville, it was "a terrible human tragedy", adding to what is already a grim toll.

Five migrants died at sea and four went missing while trying to cross to Britain from France last year.

In November 2021, 27 migrants died when a boat capsized in the Channel.

But many migrants are still willing to risk the crossing. According to the authorities on the north coast of France, there are currently around a thousand people waiting to take their chance.

Bilal and Basir are two of them, camped out on an old canape installed under a tarpaulin sheet.

If their families knew about the latest sinking, they would never let them attempt the crossing, they said.

They had in fact meant to try to get across the previous night but they had missed the boat, they said. Nevertheless, they insisted they will try again.

"My sister, my uncle, are in England," said Basir, aged 22.

"My dream is to learn because we know English and we (would) like to learn in their universities, or college," said 20-year-old Bilal.

But 36-year-old Kurdish Iraqi exile Abu Mohamed admitted he was having second thoughts about risking the journey.

"If I see that it's very risky, I'm going to try to stay in France," he told AFP.

- 'There will be other tragedies' -

Some 30 kilometres away, at the French channel port of Calais, two 16-year-old Sudanese were among the survivors.

"In France, it's complicated for us," said one of them.

"There's racism, nobody wants us, we sleep in the street and nobody cares, we can't work."

They will keep trying to make the crossing to England, they told AFP, hopeful of reaching there safely and studying computing.

Saturday's deaths were "a predictable and avoidable drama", says Pierre Roques who works at the L'Auberge des Migrants ("Migrants Inn") -- an alliance of associations offering migrants support.

"The United Kingdom is moving towards completely extreme solutions to stop the crossing, which will have no effect apart from increasingly endangering people," he added.

He cited Britain's controversial plans to outlaw asylum claims by all arrivals via the Channel -- transferring them instead to third countries, such as Rwanda -- or the plan to house some migrants on barges off the coast, also fiercely by rights groups.

For the people he was working with, these policies add to their worries, but will not stop them risking the crossing.

"There will be other tragedies," said Regis Holy, captain of a lifeboat that brought five of the survivors back to Calais.

The migrants who had given everything to get this far, would keep risking everything to make the crossing.

"It will never stop," he warned.

The groups working with the migrants have repeatedly denounced the policy of the local authorities to regularly force the migrants from their makeshift camps, to keep them moving.

Jean-Claude Lenoir, who runs one such group, Salam, said 12 vans of riot police had dismantled at least four camps around Calais on Saturday.

Given what had happened, he argued, they might have spared them that -- especially since in his opinion those operations were pointless.

"The migrants go back to their places as soon as the police have left," he noted.

bj/jj/rox
This July 24, 2023, handout image from the British Columbia Wildfire Service shows an aerial view of the Horsethief Creek wildfire as Canada has faced a record-breaking wildfire season (Handout)

Canada's military deployed to far north Sunday in the fight against hundreds of out-of-control wildfires as residents of several remote communities fled the advancing blazes.

The province of British Columbia, on the country's Pacific Coast, meanwhile, braced for a heat wave expected to further fuel fires burning there.

"We stand with the people of the Northwest Territories as they deal with serious wildfires," Defense Minister Bill Blair said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"In response to a request for assistance, the @CanadianForces will help with firefighting efforts, air transportation, and planning, coordination and logistics," he said.

The size of the deployment was not announced, but the Canadian military has sent hundreds of troops to four other provinces in recent months to help battle wildfires alongside nearly 11,000 firefighters -- including 5,000 brought in from abroad.

This season, megafires have spread across the country with remarkable intensity, forcing 168,000 Canadians to flee their homes and scorching 13.5 million hectares -- almost twice the area of the last record of 7.3 million hectares, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

Four people have died so far in this year's wildfires.

The blazes have also emitted an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide -- more than a billion tonnes -- which is roughly the same amount that would be produced in a year by 217 million cars, or approximately the annual emissions of Japan.

Over the weekend, several communities in the Northwest Territories were ordered to evacuate, including 2,500 residents of Fort Smith, as 233 wildfires raged over 2.1 million hectares of the boreal forest.

Environment Canada, meanwhile, warned that temperatures in Vancouver and other parts of British Columbia -- where 390 wildfires are burning -- would soar through Wednesday.

Temperatures, however, are not expected to top a record high set in June 2021, when the mercury in Lytton hit 49.6 degrees Celsius (121.3 Fahrenheit) before the village was ravaged days later by a fire that killed at least two residents.

"A strong ridge of high pressure will bring rising temperatures to the South Coast (region of British Columbia)," the agency said in an advisory.

"Well above seasonal daytime temperatures combined with elevated overnight temperatures will mean little relief from the heat."

Cultus Lake, east of Vancouver, was Canada's hotspot on Sunday, at 31.1 degrees Celsius. Parts of British Columbia are forecast to rise to 40 Celsius this week.

amc/caw
Its that time of year again! The SUVs and U-Hauls are packed, Target shelves are cleared and parents everywhere are preparing for teary-eyed goodbyes: college kids are going back to school.

But while much of the process has stayed the same, Gen Z has a new way of getting ready. Many incoming college students are turning to content creators on social media for advice on everything from living with a roommate to not failing their classes.

College orientations provide students with logistics and essential information, but YouTubers fill in the gaps by documenting their own experiences at schools across the country. Collectively, these influencers have amassed millions of views as teens and young adults get a glimpse into their daily lives.

Theyre not just giving you packing lists, theyre shedding light on all aspects of the college process and experience that might not otherwise be available.

College influencers: Lexi Vee (left), Mia Aston (top center), Audrey Atienza (bottom center), Lexi Poole (top right), Jae Ahn (bottom right)

What are college influencers?

College-related content composes of a popular genre on social media platforms, particularly YouTube. The video-sharing platform has over 800,000 videos tagged with #college and thousands more tagged with #dorm, #backtoschool and #movein.

Nearly all influencers are current college students vlogging common college experiences, such as moving into a dorm or starting the first day of classes, or advising their followers on what to buy for their dorms (in videos known as hauls), what to wear to go out or how to handle academic stress.

Mia Aston, a rising junior at New York University, loved watching college videos on YouTube while she was in high school. She always dreamed of going to NYU and wanted to get an idea of what day-to-day life at the school looked like.

I remember the ones that stuck out the most were the ones where people were showing move-in days and dorm tours or kind of weeks in their lives, she said. Those give me a good idea of what the living situation looks like and what how I might set up my room or what I would bring or kind of what study and social culture looks like at NYU.

While there were many videos online, she said she quickly blew through the available content, motivating her to post regularly now that shes a student.

Aston plans out videos ahead of time, deciding what days to film and roughly what she wants to cover. Shell set up her camera, for instance, on the day she moves into her dorm or on a night out with her friends, then edit and post the video later, in between studying and classes.

Audrey Atienza is a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin. She likes using YouTube for creating college-related content due to the longer video formats (as compared to TikTok, which caps videos at 10 minutes).

I can really sit and talk to the camera and explain things way longer, she said. That's why a lot of people go to YouTube because they're looking for in-depth explanations [about] what to expect from college.

What drives them to make content?

Some content creators amass thousands, if not millions of followers through college-related videos. However, thats not always the motivator to begin making content.

Jae Ahn is a rising senior at Brown University. Hes been creating YouTube videos for the past two years.

Passionate about videography, he started the channel to document his life and describes it as a digital diary that anyone can look at.

It really started as like a memento of wanting to kind of relive like my college life after I graduate or want to have kids and show them, Oh, this is like what my life was like, he said.

Lexi Poole recently graduated from Lehigh University and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Shes transitioned from making college content to a series she calls the Postgrad Diaries to help other recent grads navigate their futures.

She remembers firsthand how scary the transition to college can be and said she hopes she can serve, not just as an entertainer, but as a relatable figure to her followers.

It's the first time that they're far away from home or off on their own and that can just be stressful and anxiety-inducing and daunting in itself, she said. To be able to see that part of your life through someone else's lens, whether it's the summer before you go, whether you're in middle school or whether you're in college and struggling and just want somebody to relate to, I think that's very helpful.

Poole said by her junior year, first-year students would approach and say her vlogging inspired them to apply to Lehigh University. Some told her Im here because of you!

I still pinch myself every day, she said.

Providing transparency, authenticity and advice

Universities typically provide an array of resources for potential and admitted students, including tours and admission sessions. But current students are uniquely positioned to share their full and honest experiences about their college experience.

Lexi Vee attends an HBCU in Alabama and shes been making content long before starting college. She describes her content as realistic which she said her audience appreciates.

I've definitely been trying to discover who I really am so I think that's also something my audience might be going through, she said.

Ahn said its important to him to be open about stress and mental health-related issues on his channel.

Especially for incoming college students, theres extra pressure to fit a specific mold of a happy and active college student. Hes found comfort in sharing his struggles online and appreciated building connections among his followers over the good and the bad.

College isn't always sunshine and rainbows, there's really tough parts to it, he said. So shedding light on that and people connecting to it, and knowing that those emotions are real and valid, I think is my definition of success.

Poole talked about being vulnerable to her followers, particularly about her experiences with racism at Lehigh, a predominately white institution.

I thought it could add value to the platform for me to share my experience as a Black woman, this small PWI (predominantly white institution), she said.  I definitely wanted to be able to provide nuance and just be transparent about my experiences, whether they were good or bad.

The more honest she became on her channel, the more direct messages and comments she received from her viewers, saying they were able to connect or shared similar experiences.

Poole said its often easier for content creators to simply focus on the positive. She values depth and knows her followers do as well.

Being vulnerable and opening up can give you time to process and also it can help somebody across the world or across the nation realize that they're not alone, which is something that I really valued, she said.

Advice for incoming freshmen

Explore as much as you can. College is the last time when you have the absolute freedom and liberty to pursue whatever studies that you want and there's a beauty to that, that you can't find anywhere else. Jae Ahn, senior at Brown University

Say yes to everything and ask people to do things, because everyone's on the same boat. You're all getting into college and you don't know anyone. Audrey Atienza, senior at University of Texas at Austin

Don't treat college as a fleeting moment. Don't overwhelm yourself with the fact that it's just four years. Four years can be really short for some people. Four years can be very long for some people. I found myself feeling overwhelmed towards the end of my senior year with wanting to fit a bunch of the college experiences in that I felt like I didn't get, but there is no cookie cutter college experience. Your College Experience is your own, and you don't have to fit that into somebody else's mold or perception of what it is. Lexi Poole, recent graduate of Lehigh University

I would say pace yourself and don't give up, because I think when I first started college, I don't think I paced myself very right. I definitely jumped all in and then realized, okay, this might be a little too much to handle so that I took a step back and kind of took a lighter load for the second semester. And now I'm just learning to pace myself and to go with my own time, because everybody's different and not everybody's going to finish school in the same amount of time. And I think that's okay. Lexi Vee, junior at an HBCU in Alabama

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College YouTube influencers Lexi Poole, Audrey Atienza share advice
The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. is the nation's treasure house, where visitors to the capitol can see the original Star-Spangled Banner, Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz," Abraham Lincoln's stovepipe hat and Julia Child's kitchen.

For two weeks this summer, they could also see quilts made by Martha Alsup and JoEtta Gleason of Arcola.

The Missouri natives were chosen by the Smithsonian as representatives of the traditional culture of the Ozarks for this year's folklife festival, an annual two-week event held on the National Mall in Washington. The folk culture of the Ozarks  its music, crafts, history and people  was a focus of this year's festival.

Seth Gebel, owner of Backyard Trail Builds, constructs a 100-foot wooden mountain bike feature on the National Mall for the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

For the duration, Alsup and Gleason spent their days in the shadow of the Washington Monument, alongside basket weavers, moonshiners, makers of fishing gigs and other Ozarks craftsmen. Alsup and Gleason and the other artisans demonstrated their skills for thousands of festival-goers.

Concerts of traditional Ozark music, of the kind commonly heard at Greenfield's Fox Hunters' Picnic in the 1960s, were also a daily feature of the festival, with Springfield groups like the Creek Rocks and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils also performing.

Alsup and Gleason belong to the Arcola Quilt Club, which has existed at least since the 1930s. Quilts made by its members were on display beneath the awning of "the Quilting Corner" on the festival grounds.

"We had to decide what to bring," Gleason said during an interview at the festival. "We've got lots of quilts. But we wanted to show lots of variety and give all the aspects of quilting."

Chance encounter leads to nation's capitol

In an email written from Arcola after she got home, Gleason described her experiences in Washington:

"I think maybe the highlight of the festival was seeing the quilts all hung up. We had worked hard deciding which ones to bring that would give the greatest amount of exposure to quilting, since we couldn't bring everything."Meeting with the visitors was fun for me  feeling the awe that some of them had in seeing the quilts. There were a lot of hard questions  like how long does it take to make a quilt. That is so relative to the pattern.

"Each day we would get there around 9:30 a.m. in the morning. We would uncover the quilt we were quilting, set up our examples and the interns would hang the quilts.

"At 11 a.m., the festival would open and lots of people would come by to see us. We would invite them to try hand quilting and many of them did. So many said, 'My mom or my grandma quilted.' They wanted to explain to their children about it and maybe let them try quilting. I was surprised at the number of twentysomethings that were interested in learning about quilting."One regular and agreeable part of the Arcolans' daily routine was the presence of a 20-year-old college student, Margo, who asked in an interview after the festival that her last name not be used. She was a godsend when the two Dade Countians came down with COVID-19 halfway through the festival.

Gleason continued:

"One of the festival volunteers came by on the first day and we showed her how to quilt. Margo came by every day to quilt with us. We got to where we would say, 'Margo, do you want to show them how to quilt?' She was very good at it. When Martha and I both became sick, they let her come and help every day. The interns were a lot of fun and so helpful. The people running the festival felt like good friends by the time we left. I will always remember them with fond thoughts.

"When I got sick, I felt the trip was ruined. The trip had been such a blessing and honor for me. We had planned for months, and many people were praying for me. Even though I didn't understand the outcome, I referred to [the Scripture] which says, 'All things work together for good for those that love the Lord.' I had to believe that God had a reason. It is an experience I will never forget, and I am grateful to Kaitlynn McConnell for giving us the opportunity."

Gleason was referring to the daughter of Greenfield native James Sydney McConnell. Reporting by Kaitlyn McConnell was the means by which organizers of the festival found the Arcola Quilt Club.

"Kaitlyn wanted to do a story on quilting for her 'Ozarks Alive' website," Gleason said. "She went to Rader's in Lockwood. Janice Theurer was running the store that day. Kaitlyn asked if she knew a quilter. Another customer in the store, Angie Myers, said she had seen some of our quilts in a display at the Opera House in Greenfield before the pandemic. Kaitlyn got my phone number from Angie and called me to ask if she could visit our club and do astory."That chance contact in Lockwood resulted in the selection of the two members of the Arcola Quilting Club for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. They met people from all over the world while they were there. And some folks from home, including a former United States senator.

"Roy Blunt came by," Gleason said. "I told him we are from Arcola, which is a 'poke and plumb town.' If you poke your head out the window, you're plumb out of town."

From left to right, Dave Schulz of GORC Gravity, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt and Seth Gebel of Backyard Trail Builds at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. in July 2023.

A centennial quilt long in the making

On July Fourth, at a festival venue called "The Front Porch," Martha Alsup was a participant in a panel discussion on quilting and weaving traditions in the Ozarks. The panel also included Ozarkers originally from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. A large community of Marshallese live and work in Springdale, Arkansas. The panel discussion was led by Deb Bailey of Columbia, who works for the Missouri Folk Arts program.Alsup began the discussion by describing how she became a quilter.

"I started sewing and quilting when I was eight, and I've been doing it ever since," she said.

Alsup is following a family tradition.

"My mother [Vesteleen Landtrip Robison] was still piecing quilts by hand till she died at 99," Alsup said.

A quilt she chose to take to Washington  one with a special connection to her mother  was prominently displayed at the festival's Quilting Corner and was featured as the number one photo on the festival blog's "Top Ten Photos" for July Fourth.

Alsup's "hobo quilt" began to take shape in the nation's bicentennial year.

"I gave the pattern and material to my mother when I was pregnant with my son in 1976," Alsup said. "The hobo has clothes in his bag to run away from home. Mom made the blocks where the hobo is. I sewed the white pieces to the printed material.

"It's totally my work, mine and my mother's. She'd be amazed that it's down here [on the National Mall]."

Aaron Holsapple demonstrates how to make a white oak basket at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. on Thursday, June 29, 2023.

Raising a family of four children with her late husband Amos Alsup delayed the completion of the hobo quilt until 2021.

"It took me awhile, but I finally got it done," she said.

When she finished the quilt she gave it to her son Clint, of Fair Grove  the same son she was expecting when the making of the quilt began in 1976.

More: White oak from Ozarks travels 1,000 miles to National Mall for Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Sharing knowledge and passing on traditions

During the festival discussion, Deb Bailey of the Missouri Folk Arts program spoke of JoEtta Gleason's fidelity to traditional methods.

"JoEtta designs her own quilts and still hand-blocks them. She's a diehard blocker. It's kind of rare today."

At another panel discussion on the festival's "Front Porch" on July 7, Louise Sheridan from Ripley County was a participant. Sheridan was the third Ozarker chosen for the Quilting Corner. She said that while quilts have always been ornamental, their purpose was mainly utilitarian in the past.

"Quilts were made out of necessity, for warmth. My great-grandparents made quilts out of old wool coats. They were so heavy I couldn't pick them up."

In the days of uninsulated houses, "quilts were put over the windows and doors in the winter," Sheridan said.

Another participant in the festival, Pat Finley Johnson of Pocahontas, Arkansas, was invited to Washington because of her knowledge of "Ozark foodways." She is also a quilter and contributed to the panel discussion with some practical information.

"Never wash a quilt in a washing machine," she said. "Put your quilts on the lawn and let the sun wash them."

Sheridan said that a shared interest in quilting can lead to new friendships.

"Quilting brings people together. If you're new to a community, you ask where's a quilt guild and you immediately have 25 new friends."

Gleason said that Cindy Brodie, a new Arcola resident and transplant from California, recently joined the Arcola Quilting Club for just that reason.

"She wanted to meet some people. And she's really gotten into quilting."

More: Missouri mountain bikers craft, ride first mountain bike feature on National Mall

Gleason said that new members are always welcome. The Arcola club meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 9 a.m. Meetings are held at the community building in Arcola.

The Arcola quilters already have one new disciple: Margo, the college student and festival volunteer who helped at the Quilting Corner.

Asked if she would take up quilting herself, Margo answered without hesitation.

"Absolutely. Not at Martha and JoEtta's level  but I've already been to fabric stores. JoEtta had a pouch where she keeps her thimble and thread and needles. I turned it inside out to see how the seams were done. I'm going to make a little bag like hers.

"I had no experience of quilting. The first morning of the Festival JoEtta and Martha taught me the stitch.

"They answered all my questions. They were very patient with me, and always had time for me. I really appreciate that."

Tom Peters, dean of library services at MSU, speaks at the 2021 announcement that the Ozarks would be featured in the 2023 folklife festival.

Tom Peters is the dean of the library at Missouri State University and was a lead curator for this year's events in Washington. In response to an enquiry just before the festival began, he wrote, "We have a team of quilters here from Arcola. Dade County is well-represented at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival."

And to that, all of Dade County's people can proudly say  AMEN.

Kirk Kramer writes from Cottage City, Maryland, by way of Greenfield, Missouri and Miami, Oklahoma. He is the great-grandson of another Arcola quilter, Elizabeth Killingsworth Hargis, and keeps warm on winter nights beneath a quilt she made.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: How Dade County quilters won converts in the nation's capitol
Rounds of severe thunderstorms will potentially bring large hail, damaging winds and the threat of tornadoes to the Central U.S. beginning on Sunday.

The biggest threat for severe weather on Sunday will be from southeast Kansas through southern Missouri into far northern Arkansas.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches have been issued for several parts of the country through the evening.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued an Enhanced Risk, a Level 3 out of 5 risk zone, for cities including Springfield and Joplin, Missouri and Rogers, Arkansas.

A Slight Risk, or Level 2 out of 5 risk zone, is in place for Kansas City, Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kansas City will start out the day with storms firing off in the distance, pushing in along Interstate 70.

US SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING MAP

A Flood Watch is in effect through Sunday night for southwest Missouri, including Springfield and Lebanon.

Rounds of rain will create the potential for flooding, with isolated areas receiving up to 3 inches through Tuesday morning.

Flash flood threat forecast.

The greatest potential for tornadoes will be in southern Missouri and southeast Kansas on Sunday, where wind gusts as high as 60 mph could cause damage.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Cities inside the Enhanced risk area could receive large hail up to 3 inches. The FOX Forecast Center is tracking a very likely hail threat in Wichita, Tulsa and St. Louis.

Sunday hail threat forecast for Central U.S.

Into the workweek, an area of low pressure will move over Illinois shifting the severe weather threat into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. As the system marches south, severe storms will fire up ahead of a cold front throughout Monday.

Once again, damaging wind gusts will be the primary threat, but the possibility of a tornado or two cannot be ruled out.

Multi-day severe storm threat forecast.

Further east, the FOX Forecast Center is tracking heavy rain across the already water-logged Interstate 95 corridor with some potentially embedded severe thunderstorms.

The severe weather potential continues Tuesday for the mid-Atlantic and Carolinas.
The writer's twins. Traci Friedman

I'm the mother of twins, and I've found college has been a very difficult era.

One of my twins got accepted to her dream school early decision, while the other didn't.

It was especially hard to send off two children to college at the same time.

In 2001, I was in the middle of my pediatric residency when I met my husband before work for my routine pregnancy ultrasound. But the ultrasound changed from routine to life-changing when we saw two heartbeats. I was pregnant with twins  a boy and a girl.

A million thoughts and fears went through my head. My immediate concerns were focused on getting through a high-risk pregnancy. We marked each week on a calendar and celebrated the babies' development as the delivery date approached. Everyone seemed to have their own advice as we were going to become first-time parents to two babies at once. It often included: "Start saving for college now." College? I couldn't even imagine getting through to the end of the pregnancy.

But now that my kids are in college, I wish I had prepared for this much sooner.

In August 2002, our healthy twins were finally born, and everything became different

After their birth, the next year became a blur of sleepless nights, diapers, and feedings.

With twins, everything always seemed logistically more difficult. Each milestone was exponentially more complicated when it had to be done with two children at once. Toilet training, learning to tie shoelaces, and teaching them to ride a bike all took more time and physical stamina than it would have with just one child.

I thought their childhood years would be the hardest, but I was wrong.

When my kids started applying to colleges, I realized I was entering one of the most difficult phases of parenting twins

By fall 2019, it felt like we were rounding the final lap as our twins started their senior year of high school. However, the next hurdle was the college-application process, and it wasn't easy.

At times, it was difficult to support each of them through the application process. It was tedious trying to keep college-tour appointments, application deadlines, and application materials organized. When I helped them with their essays and applications, it was sometimes hard to read each with a fresh set of eyes.

It became especially difficult for me when my twins decided to not discuss the application process with each other so they wouldn't get competitive. I felt like the middle person, watching both my children apply for the same dream school. It was hard to know how much to discuss with them about each other.

Unfortunately, one of my twins got into their first-choice school and the other did not

We had the unexpected experience of one getting into her first choice through early decision, and the other did not. It was a difficult day in the house, and I had to figure out how to balance the two. Days apart, we celebrated for one and supported the disappointed party.

Since one got in with early decision, she knew where she was going in November, and the other had to keep applying. In the spring, the other twin got into a great school, which happened to be Tulane University  where my other twin was accepted. They decided to go to the same university but enroll in different schools.

As the pandemic was in full swing, we spent our unexpected free time reviewing packing lists and planning dorm rooms. In the fall, their school opened for in-person learning, and we traveled across the country from Connecticut twice to unpack their dorms. I held back the tears as we said our goodbyes.

With both of them gone, reality set in for me

While I wasn't yet an empty nester  I have two other children  the emotional difficulty of adjusting to life at home with two kids away at college was harder than expected. The house was exponentially quieter.

Everyone talks about the college goodbye and leaving your "baby" behind. Going through that twice in one week magnified all my emotions. Even though our twins were fraternal and different genders, they had never been separated. This was the first time they would not be on the same schedule and in the same buildings for classes.

All this took a toll on me. I worried about how they would handle the separation, even though they were used to being independent.

As the college years have gone on, things have gotten easier

As we are embarking on senior year, we've adjusted to our quieter home, and our twins have developed more of their own relationship outside my husband and me. It's given them a chance to develop as individuals. They have each taken on more responsibility for the logistics that were difficult in the earlier years. Thankfully, the emotional stressors have lessened.

Ultimately, I've learned there is no finish line when parenting, and I'm looking forward to the next phase.

Read the original article on Insider
As House and Senate Republicans hash out a state budget, with passage destined for sometime after Sept. 1, the faith of an ambitious new nonprofit is at stake.

Formed in 2020, NCInnovation aspires to help UNC System researchers turn their academic work into revenue-generating businesses. The group is backed by several North Carolina university chancellors and some of the states most prominent companies  including Truist Bank, Duke Energy and Bank of America.

Proponents point to studies that show North Carolinas innovation output lags behind its robust research and development.

But the idea  particularly its scale  has been controversial.

In May, the GOP-led Senate proposed giving NCInnovation $1.425 billion to establish a self-sustaining endowment from which it would award grants to academic entrepreneurs. The figure marked much of the states current revenue surplus. According to the state office of budget and management, it was the largest single spending item ever designated for a nonstate entity in North Carolina.

In contrast, the budgets proposed by Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican-controlled House each offered the nonprofit $50 million. With a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers, Republicans hold the cards on NCInnovation.

How much taxpayer money should the organization receive  if it should receive any at all?

The News & Observer spoke to two stakeholders who hold firm but opposing answers.

Thom Ruhe is president and CEO of NC IDEA, a private foundation that awards grants to early-stage startups across the state.

Donald Bryson is the CEO of the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Raleigh.

The below conversations, conducted separately, have been edited for clarity.

Thom Ruhe, NC IDEA

Whats your overall stance on the NC Innovation proposal?

Im well versed on what NC innovation is attempting to do. I met with the team multiple times. Im a fan. I think its a big, bold move to advance technology-based economic development, and its on par with what other states are doing.

Some have criticized the price tag of the Senates funding proposal, especially for a new nonprofit. What would you say to them?

This is not some big, largesse scheme that some of the detractors might try to characterize it.

I think a part of the story on this NC Innovation controversy, if you want to call it that, is that there are other states in the country that are making as big, if not bigger moves, and North Carolina doing this is a way to stay competitive. This is so we dont backslide and lose ground.

Whats going to happen over the coming years, youre going to just see a bigger and bigger gap between the states that are investing in their entrepreneurial innovation.

What do you think would be the right amount for an endowment?

Is $1.4 (billion) the right number? Im not smart enough to know the answer to that question. But I know if you really want to do it right, you need a really big number which lets you take a long view. If you have confidence that youre going to have funding five years out, then you can make a five-year plan. Thats the benefit of funding it that way.

Thom Ruhe, president and CEO, NC IDEA

Your organization gives grants to North Carolina startups. Do you see a need for a similar, and much larger, organization like NCInnovation?

Theres so much untapped potential. Every fall and every spring, we do a grant cycle. We get hundreds of applications. And well make six-ish $50,000 grants and 15 micro grants of $10,000 each.

(NC IDEA ranks applicants using qualitative metrics.) After the six companies that get funded  the difference for the ones that are number seven or eight on our list is negligible. If we had more money, we could deploy two to three times what we deploy every cycle. We just dont have the money (Ruhe said NC IDEAs endowment is currently around $50 million.)

So, I see NC innovation filling one glaring gap.

What do you say to the argument that the state government should stay out of the venture capital field?

When were recruiting like a big company, a big name like VinFast or Apple, we dont bat an eye at state largess. We just need to pivot our thinking to feel the same when it comes to supporting nascent things which are organically homegrown (North Carolina has 16 public universities and 58 community colleges).

We throw this money at a company thats not even here, but we ignore men and women who have spent 10 years toiling away in obscurity, quietly building out a great company that creates very important jobs in smaller communities, and they get nothing.

Some argue any public money promoting private entrepreneurship is wrong.

Thats the John Locke argument: The government shouldnt be betting on winners and losers. Let me answer with what I can directly speak to and thats our own data. And thats the beauty about an organization thats been around since 05.

We put $10 million into (startups) directly. We put another $10 million in the ecosystem. $20 million thats created over 4,400 jobs. Our cost per job rate is a fraction of what we throw at companies trying to entice them to move here.

North Carolinas top Republican leaders, Senate leader Phil Berger, left, and House Speaker Tim Moore.

But a non-insignificant amount of the funding will go to companies that fail.

We look at it as portfolio theory. Yes, some are going to go out of business. Some will kind of march along, not going out of business but not blowing up. And then some are going to go big. And in the aggregate, the advantage will outweigh the costs.

But this notion that we shouldnt be making bets, I totally disagree. If you dont think investing in yourself is a good idea, then you should probably ask why youre doing what youre doing.

That is really what the NC Innovation effort is. Its an investment in ourselves and if we really believe that we have a world class innovation system, and world class entrepreneurship ecosystem, then I think its one of the best investments we can make.

Donald Bryson, John Locke Foundation

What do you think of the NC Innovation proposal?

I think the idea of NCInnovation is a good idea. I dont think it being taxpayer-funded is a good idea. But I think if somebody wants to set up a private nonprofit to do what theyre wanting to do, that goal is absolutely laudable. I just dont think taxpayers should have to be part of it.

And the $1.4 billion price tag?

I think the $1.4 billion price tag is probably the elephant in the room. And thats just a lot of money. It wasnt vetted through any particular committee. It was just sort of dropped in the budget. And being a public policy organization that focuses on all the state budgets, we obviously have a lot of questions and we went digging and didnt find very many answers.

The State of North Carolina is very cash heavy right now, and weve been very fortunate for a lot of reasons to be that way, and somebody is trying to take advantage of that fiscal situation. And I think thats unfortunate.

Donald Bryson, president and CEO of the John Locke Foundation.

Do you think NCInnovation should get any public money?

In terms of taxpayer dollars, when it comes to NCInnovation, I would argue and have argued that taxpayers have already invested.

Taxpayers are already involved in that process. They pay for the universities; they pay for the laboratories; they probably pay for the scholarships for people who invented the stuff. Taxpayers are already on the hook and involved in this process. Why do we also have to fund as taxpayers the venture capitalist side of the business as well and then see no return?

But wouldnt there be a return when the companies NCInnovation funds create jobs?

I mean, it would be (a return) very indirectly.

Its just not the place for state government to pick the winners and losers in the economy.

Theres just no way they can have enough knowledge or anybody can have enough knowledge to know whats coming next in the economy. And its just inappropriate if were supposed to treat all taxpayers equally for the government to say, Were going to take money from these taxpayers and transfer it to the taxpayers over here.

(While Ruhe and other NCInnovation supporters tout the promise of similar entrepreneurial programs in states like Ohio, Massachusetts and Texas, the John Locke Foundation contends these initiatives have fallen short of their goals. Bryson pointed to a June op-ed by the conservative think tank The Buckeye Institute that warned North Carolina about following a model like Ohio Third Frontier.)

NCInnovation supporters cited studies that show North Carolina ranks near the middle of pack nationally in terms of innovation. Doesnt this show a need to develop more of the R&D we create on campuses?

Well, about a month ago, North Carolina repeated as the best state in business for the CNBC rankings. Well, in those rankings, North Carolina is number six in innovation and technology and also number six in access to capital. Also, number one overall best state for business. So, who are we chasing exactly?

Yes, we have a surplus. We also have a shortfall in the state health plan. So instead of making up things to fund, why dont we fund the liabilities we currently have? Or if we dont actually need the money, instead of making things up to fund, why dont we send some of it back to taxpayers who actually earned the money?

Open Source

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The primary election is more than six months away  but the five candidates battling for three seats on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors have collectively raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support their campaigns.

In District 5, Supervisor Debbie Arnold wont run for re-election in March 2024. She will represent her constituents until her term ends in January 2025.

This leaves room for newcomers to fight for the seat  and two well-known Atascadero officials, Mayor Heather Moreno and Mayor Pro-Temp Susan Funk, are running to replace Arnold on the board.

In Districts 1 and 3, incumbent supervisors John Peschong and Dawn Ortiz-Legg are running unchallenged to keep their seats.

Heres an early look at how many donations each candidate has raised ahead of the March 5, 2024, presidential primary election.

Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno, left, and Councilmember Susan Funk are running for the District 5 San Luis Obispo County supervisor seat now held by Debbie Arnold. Courtesy photos

How much have District 5 supervisor candidates raised?

So far, Moreno out-raised her opponent in the District 5 race.

From Jan. 1 to June 30, Morenos campaign raised $142,768.29, while Funk raised a total of $92,816.35, according to campaign finance documents.

I am humbled to have received support from such a broad and diverse group of supporters, Moreno said in a news release.

Though Moreno collected more funding, Funk received a higher number of donations.

During the same reporting period, Funk garnered 264 individual monetary donations, while Moreno received 125, according to campaign finance documents.

This is a grassroots campaign, and Im proud to have the support of so many people throughout San Luis Obispo County, Funk said in a news release.

Cayucos resident Peggy Lance Little is Morenos largest donor so far, giving her campaign $11,198.30.

Jamie Jones, owner of Atascadero land use consulting company Kirk Consulting, donated the second largest amount of $6,000.

A total of 10 donors are tied for third place  each giving $5,500 from Jan. 1 to June 30, according to campaign finance documents.

Those donors were San Luis Obispo business Covelop Inc.; the Jordan Cunningham for Lieutenant Governor campaign; Atascadero resident and PG&E administrator Thomas Jones; Sextant Wines owner Craig Stoller; Robin L. Rossi Living Trust; Shandon business Wittstrom Hay Sales; West Virgina-based business Troy Group Inc.; Arroyo Grande business Papich Construction Company Inc.; Colin Weyrick, owner of Templeton-based Weyrick Lumber Company; and Andy Brown, the owner of Andrew Brown General Engineering Inc. in Paso Robles.

San Luis Obispo County Supervisors Debbie Arnold is not running for re-election in 2024. David Middlecamp/dmiddlecamp@thetribunenews.com

A handful of local political figures also donated to Morenos campaign.

The campaign received $2,500 from the Santa Ynez Band of Mission Indians, $760 from Arnold, $500 from Arnolds past campaign and $250 from Morro Bay Mayor Carla Wixom.

So far, Morenos campaign has spent $12,361.78, according to campaign finance documents.

Her largest expenditure was about $2,390 to eFundraising Connections in Sacramento.

Meanwhile, Funks top donor was her previous campaign  Funk for City Council, according to campaign finance documents. The campaign gave $5,942.53 to Funk.

Three donors were tied for second place, each donating $5,500 to Funk. Those donors were Nipomo resident Carla Haynie; Topeka, Kansas resident Dorothy Funk, and the IBEW political action committee Education Fund, based in Washington, D.C.

The Atascadero Democratic Club donated $4,000, Funks third largest donation.

Like Moreno, Funk championed support from Central Coast politicians.

Supervisor Bruce Gibsons 2022 campaign donated $1,000, while Supervisor Jimmy Pauldings 2022 campaign contributed $500.

San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica A. Stewart contributed $100, and San Luis Obispo City Council members Andy Pease and Jan Marx gave $500 and $600, respectively.

Finally, San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party chair Tom Fulks donated $200 to Funks campaign, and California State Assembly member Dawn Addis gave $500.

Funks campaign has spent a total of $12,036.09 so far, according to campaign finance documents.

Her largest expenditure was $2,319.69 to Croad Vineyards, where her campaign held a fundraiser, followed by $956.46 to Mitchell Publishing and Mailers.

Erik Gorham often serves as spokesman for the SLO County Republican Party. Hes announced that he will run for District 1 supervisor in 224. Laura Dickinson/ldickinson@thetribunenews.com

Santa Margarita resident Erik Gorham filed candidacy for the District 5 race, but told The Tribune on Aug. 4 that he withdrew from the election.

Gorham raised only $6,500 from Jan. 1 to June 30, according to campaign finance documents.

His top donation was $5,500 from Templeton resident and retired orthopedic surgeon Bruce Jones. Gorham helped manage Jones 2022 campaign for District 2 supervisor.

The remaining $1,000 was donated by Atascadero resident Cheryl Burbach, according to campaign finance documents.

Dawn Ortiz-Legg is running to keep her seat representing District 3 on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. Courtesy of Dawn Ortiz-Legg

Top donors in District 3 board race

So far, Ortiz-Legg is running unopposed to keep her District 3 seat on the board.

From Jan. 1 to June 30, Ortiz-Leggs campaign raised $9,500, according to campaign finance documents. Her top donation was $7,500 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Washington D.C.

She spent a total of $3,285.45, and her largest payment was $900 to C&I Consulting in Santa Barbara.

From July 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2022, Ortiz-Legg raised $12,100 for the 2024 race.

Her largest donations were $5,000 from Greengate in SLO and $4,900 from Tank Farm Office Park in San Luis Obispo, campaign finance documents said.

Ortiz-Legg spent $11,611.55, with a largest expenditure of $6,479.98 to C&I Consulting in Santa Barbara.

John Peschong is running to keep his District 1 seat on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors.

District 1 candidate raised more than $30,000

Like Ortiz-Legg, Peschong is running unchallenged to keep his seat representing District 1 on the board.

From Jan. 1 to June 30, Peschongs campaign raised $32,598, according to campaign finance documents.

Colin Weyrick is Peschongs top donor  contributing $5,500 so far.

Peschongs second largest donation was $3,000 from Los Angeles resident Anthony Riboli, a winemaker at at Riboli Family Wines.

Peschong has spent $16,165.55 on the campaign trail so far, according to campaign finance documents.

His largest expenditure was $3,758 to Encompass Direct Marketing Group in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
It's a chilly evening in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, the erstwhile seat of the Nawabs of Awadh.

We are in the courtyard of Lebua Lucknow, Saraca Estate, a 1930s estate-turned-boutique-hotel, seated around a table groaning with excess. There are flatbreads sprinkled with poppy seeds or brushed with saffron, smoky kebabs and Lucknowi biryani - a delicately flavoured dish of rice and meat cooked in sealed pots.

But the highlight of the evening, Chef Mohsin Qureshi tells us, is a dessert "you have never had before".

What he served up next seems familiar at first.

Delicate grains of saffron-hued rice, strewn with cashews, raisins, almonds, makhana (fox nuts) and crumbs of khoya (dried milk solids), and topped with flecks of varq (silver leaf).

The scent of saffron and spices mingles with the nutty notes of cashews and almonds fried in fragrant ghee. The dish is strewn with shreds of deeply seasoned yet subtly sweetened meat.

"This is mutanjan," Mr Qureshi beams. "There was a time when the dish was a must on a connoisseur's table on Bakrid," he says.

Mutanjan is now hard to find - but it's worth finding if one can, as it defies boxes and is anything but ordinary.

The word mutanjan comes from the Perso-Arabic word Mutajjan which means to be 'fried in a pan'. It is popularly believed that mutanjan is a dish of Middle Eastern descent. However, the genre of dishes called mutajjan in medieval Arab cookery has little in common with the sugar-laced rice-and-meat dish of the Indian subcontinent.

For instance, one variety is spinach fried in sesame oil and finished with garlic, cumin, dry coriander and cinnamon, while another is a dish of boiled eggs that are first fried whole and rolled in a mix of spices and salt. On the other hand, the 16th Century Persian dish called mutanjan, considered a favourite of the Safavid Shah Abbas the Great, was a braised meat stew.

In the book Qadeem Lukhn'ow Ki Akhiri Bahar, author Mirza Jafar Husain writes about 13 gifts that he believes old Lucknow bestowed on the world. Among these he named the delicate mutanjan.

The 16th-Century Persian dish called mutanjan, considered a favourite of the Safavid Shah Abbas the Great, was a braised meat stew

Historians have also documented how food served for dinner or sent out to people from the Nawab's house always featured mutanjan, among other delicacies.

But the dish perhaps came into the Nawab's household from the Mughal Badshah's royal kitchen.

Abu'l Fazl, the grand vizier of the 16th Century Mughal emperor Akbar, mentions mutanjan in his writings, among dishes served at the royal table.

Historian Salma Husain, the author of book The Mughal Feast, a "transcreation" of the 17th Century Mughal manuscript Nuskha-e-Shahjahani (Shahjahan's Recipes), points out that it too features a recipe for mutanjan pulao from the royal kitchen of the Mughal emperor.

Earlier still, the 14th Century Arab chronicler Shihabuddin-Al Umari who described India under Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq in his book, mentioned mutanjan among dishes sold in the bazaars of India - an egalitarian street bite enjoyed by the masses, rather than a sophisticated delicacy reserved for royalty.

The mutanjan might have evolved from other dishes in the Arabic or Persian repertoire that combines sugar, rice and meat. Al-Warraq's 10th Century book, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchen, features a dish of rice cooked in milk along with subtly spiced chicken and finished with honey. The Indian mutanjan pulao is also evocative of the Persian Morasa Polow or jewelled rice that packs in shreds of chicken breast along with barberries, pistachio, raisins and orange peel.

There's no meat in the version of mutanjan that's popular in Pakistan now

Like most things in the Indian subcontinent, there is no linear narrative around the mutanjan or its origins. The dish is not only proof of the fluidity of cultural exchange but also the complex ways in which food travels and evolves. It is clear, however, that the subcontinental mutanjan pulao, albeit interlaced with numerous strands of foreign and indigenous influence, evolved over time to acquire a distinct identity in the form of a pulao.

And there's no one way to make mutanjan or mutanjan pulao. Take for instance, the mutanjan from the princely state of Rampur in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Author Tarana Hussain Khan in her book Deg to Dastarkhwan describes it as a dish of sweet and savoury rice studded with sweet gulab jamun and meatballs. "The recipe calls for sugar four times the weight of rice," she writes. Khan believes that the mutanjan was imported into Rampur's royal kitchens via Awadhi cooks who were specially employed for this. But Rampur's royal kitchen added its own insignia to the dish by replacing bite-sized chunks of meat with meatballs.

For Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, mutanjan is a special dish, layered with cultural memories and emotions. "In some parts of the country, particularly in the Saharanpur area of Uttar Pradesh, it was once customary to send along a massive handi of mutanjan when a new bride left her parents' home for her husband's," says Husain. "A sweet and salty dish, with a hint of tang from a twist of lime, perhaps represented the mixed emotions that such an occasion evokes," she adds.

Across the border, in neighbouring Pakistan too, "mutanjan is never a casual dessert affair - I have only seen it served at weddings, religious festivals (urs, milad) or as part of langar. It's certainly considered a special dish", says Pakistani food blogger Fatima Nasim. But there's no meat in the Pakistani mutanjan, at least not in the version that's popular nowadays.

Instead, it's a multicoloured spectacle - a carnival on a plate. A bed of pristine white grains of syrup-soaked rice is offset by a bright pop of colours from a mix of dyed rice and comes studded with dried fruits and nuts, tutti frutti, glazed cherries and chamcham - sugary orbs of cottage cheese, in pastel hues - and crescent slivers of toasted coconut. Some versions are even finished with slices of boiled egg.

It is not easy to find a good mutanjan today. The dish is often confused with zarda (sweet, yellow rice) and other sweetened rice dishes. Luckily, a few people still make the dish. Husain, on the other hand, recommends placing an order at the Babu Shahi Bawarchi's Bhatiyarkhana near the Old Fort in Delhi, where one Hafiz Miyan turns out fragrant pots of luscious mutanjan on request.

BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features.

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Know your audience

U.S. Rep. Nancy Maces joke fell flat at a recent prayer breakfast hosted by the S.C. Republican Party. In an attempt to appear relevant and relatable, she decided it was appropriate to share her and her fiances morning bedroom antics.

This was not only bizarre, but concerning. Firstly, her cheap and crass shot at a joke did not serve its purpose, bringing silence, not laughter, as even she admitted it was TMI (too much information).

No one is interested in what she and her fiance are doing prior to any meeting, much less a prayer breakfast.

If she doesnt know her audience at a prayer breakfast, where will she know her audience?

This was Rep. Mace disrespecting and dishonoring her audience, which we know included faithful Christians, church leaders, pastors and lay workers.

She has shown us more than once who she is and it is time to start believing her.

More than her joke fell flat. She did.

Jackie Morfesis, Charleston

Teacher deserves support

I was heartened to see the strong community support for Mary Wood, the exemplary teacher who had previously been criticized for assigning thought-provoking essays on the topic of racism to students in her Advanced Placement English class at Chapin High School.

Addressing the topic of racism made some students, or more likely their parents, uncomfortable. Extremists would prohibit our high school students from engaging in any serious examination of racial issues.

Developing leaders who can solve the problems that our state faces will require that students acknowledge our societal shortcomings and learn from all our shared history.

It is shameful that some of our leaders lack the courage to acknowledge that exploitation of our less fortunate citizens  both black and white  is an important part of South Carolinas economic history.

Our collective future depends on the success of the public schools, and our schools are under attack by supporters of privatization.

Educators deserve the respect that community members demonstrated by speaking on behalf of this teacher and in support of academic freedom.

Janelle Rivers, Columbia

Preserve Social Security

On Monday, Social Security marks its 88th anniversary.

As a 75-year-old retiree, I want to ensure it remains a benefit for our citizens. I certainly appreciate the benefits I gained from 45 years of employment.

Social Security, created in 1935 after the 2929 stock crash and Great Depression, is based on the concept that individuals contribute to a central fund managed by the government. This fund is used to provide income to individuals when they retire and can no longer work.

Social Security also provides benefits when people become disabled or are survivors of a deceased worker.

Current workers and their employers pay into Social Security through payroll deductions. The payroll deduction is part of the FICA tax.

According to AARP data, nearly 40% of South Carolinians ages 65 and older would be living in poverty were it not for Social Security.

That data also indicates that 21% of individuals 65 and older live in families that rely on this program for at least 90% of their income.

We should all honor and appreciate this significant American program.

Frances Ashe-Goins, Columbia

Scott, not Haley

Here is a scenario that could happen for those of you who want to see a Republican president. If I were Donald Trump, I would pick Tim Scott for my vice president.

Scott is smart, has no enemies and is an honest man.

As much as I want to see Trump wearing orange, I also recognize that this country needs an honest man who can bring most of Congress and the Senate together. Tim Scott is that man.

In other words, my scenario has Trump going to prison and Scott taking over. It would be the best thing to happen to our country in years.

Biden, a nice guy, is too old. We need a young progressive leader and Tim Scott is that man.

As far as Nikki Haley goes, she changes like the wind. Example: She critiqued Trump for the Jan. 6 riots in 2021, but has also called for giving him a break. She needs to drop out.

Pat Clark, Columbia
This past week, the four-person crew of NASAs Artemis II mission got their first chance to visit Kennedy Space Center where, as early as next year, the Orion spacecraft that will be their home for a 10-day test flight to the moon and back is being prepared.

"We made it to Kennedy. This is awesome," NASA astronaut and Artemis II mission Commander Reid Wiseman told journalists during a news conference. "We're fired up. It's a great day when you walk around the corner at the Neil Armstrong Operations Checkout Facility, and there's a spacecraft that you're going to ride in."

Artemis II crew members, shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, stand in front of their Orion crew module on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist.

Agency officials also provided updates on everything Artemis, from the crew's training, work being done at KSC, and the build status of flight hardware for NASA's massive 320-foot Space Launch System rocket. And while officials were optimistic about the timeline for Artemis II, thrown into question was the future of the lunar-focused program, particularly Artemis III, and the key goal of returning American astronauts to the surface of the moon in 2025.

NASA's plans for the Artemis III mission depend on SpaceX's Starship human landing system. SpaceX's first, and only, launch of Starship in April resulted in a catastrophic loss of the rocket and its Super Heavy booster.

Jim Free, NASA associate administrator of Exploration Systems Development, said the agency is working with SpaceX and "trying to understand their schedule some more."

While the company said it is working toward another Starship flight test sometime before the end of this year, whether or not that is feasible will ultimately be determined by the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA sign-off is needed due to the ongoing investigation after the first test flight exploded.

If SpaceX isn't ready for the Artemis III launch date set for the end of 2025, "(NASA) may end up flying a different mission, if that's the case," Free said, stirring in some uncertainty about what's in store for Artemis beyond next year.

More delays for Boeing's Starliner: Plagued spacecraft to remain grounded until next year

Artemis II: Crew mission and recovery training

Since the crew of Artemis II was announced in April, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and the Canadian Space Agency's Jeremy Hansen have traveled across the country to witness the progress being made with their mission which is slated to launch toward the end of next year.

"It kind of started with a bit of a media blitz, but then we got down to work," said Wiseman. "We've been studying spacecraft systems at the Johnson Space Center."

After hitting the books and the classroom last month to begin training in simulators to familiarize themselves with the flight profile and different phases and milestones of their mission, the crew headed out to California to visit Naval Base San Diego and meet the Orion recovery team.

"We were out in San Diego working with our beloved United States Navy, and the rescue and recovery forces working alongside NASA," Wiseman said.

NASA's Orion spacecraft floats in the Pacific Ocean after splashdown from its first flight test in Earth orbit in 2014. NASA, the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin coordinate efforts to recover Orion and secure the spacecraft in the well deck of the USS Anchorage.

Once Orion brings the Artemis II crew home for a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean, joint NASA and Department of Defense teams will help the astronauts out of the capsule and then load it into the hull of an awaiting recovery vessel.

While the crew didn't participate in the first full-scale recovery test, they are expected to head back early next year to participate in a practice run.

"Throughout their training flow, the crew also will refine their understanding of water survival and emergency exit operations, practice medical and exercise device use, and learn how to use Orions other day-to-day life support systems, including for food preparation," the agency said in a release.

Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings

Upgrades at Kennedy Space Center for crewed missions

Back at KSC, teams are upgrading ground systems that are crucial to successfully launching the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. All NASA Artemis missions liftoff from Launch Pad 39B.

The elevators on the 380-foot Mobile Launcher were replaced after sustaining damage during last year's uncrewed Artemis I launch. An emergency egress life safety system was also added to the launcher  a requirement for crewed launches that wasn't necessary for last year's Artemis I mission. It will enable the astronauts and close-out crew personnel to evacuate away from the Orion capsule and the SLS rocket during the countdown in the event of an emergency.

The crew of Artemis II and NASA administrators hold a press conference August 8, 2023 after getting a close-up look at the Orion capsule that will take them around the Moon and back. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

At pad 39B, crews have completed the construction of an additional hydrogen sphere that will hold 1.4 million gallons of liquid hydrogen which will be used for loading propellant into the SLS's core stage.

When the SLS's 212-foot-tall core stage ships to KSC from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana, teams will begin stacking operations atop the launcher inside KSC's massive Vehicle Assembly Building.

That process is expected to begin sometime this November.

What's ahead for the Artemis program?

If the Artemis II mission goes off without a hitch, NASA's plan to launch Artemis III about a year later, in December 2025, could still be in jeopardy.

For that mission, up to four astronauts will travel to lunar orbit in an Orion capsule. The rest hinges on SpaceX's success with its Starship program. NASA intends to transfer the Artemis III crew from Orion to a SpaceX Starship, which will then be used as a sort of moon elevator to deliver them to the lunar surface.

The astronauts for that mission haven't yet been chosen, but NASA has said it will include the first woman and the first person of color to land on the lunar surface. But it's not clear how the selection might change if the agency chooses a different Artemis III mission objective that doesn't involve a moon landing.

Pressure is on SpaceX.

"They need to launch multiple times, not just for us, but for them," said Free. "We really want to see them find the success in their launches."

Getting Starship ready isn't the only step toward a lunar landing, NASA also needs the lunar exploration spacesuits to be ready on time. Those suits are being developed by another Artemis program commercial partner, Houston-based Axiom Space, which was announced in March.

"We really are trying to get in the details of that schedule because when we come up with a date, December of 2025, or whatever that date might be, we want to have confidence for our teams, that we all have a realistic path to get there," Free said.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Jamie Groh at JGroh@floridatoday.com and follow her on Twitter at @AlteredJamie.

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA's Artemis II on track but questions over moon landing mission remain
WASHINGTON  In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.

Regional Tribal Environmental Health Summits Scheduled

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in partnership with the National Indian Health Board are hosting a series of Regional Tribal Environmental Health Summits this summer. Each summit will include discussions on climate change, emergency preparedness, water safety, land revitalizations, and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as the new CDC Tribal Public Health Data tool. The next summits will take place in Billings, Montana, on August 17-18, and Green Bay, Wisconsin on August 22-23.

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Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program Funds Announced

The U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration have announced the second Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP).

This new phase, known as TBCP2, is designed to offer eligible Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entities the chance to access funding. The allocated amount for TBCP2 is approximately $980 million, intended for the expansion of Internet infrastructure, the establishment of affordability programs, enhancement of telehealth services, facilitation of distance learning initiatives, and advancement of digital inclusion efforts. These endeavors collectively aim to bridge the digital divide within Indian Country.

Aligned with this secondary NOFO and as a part of the Tribal Consultation process, the NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) will provide Technical Assistance to applicants throughout the six-month application window, culminating on January 23, 2024.

This support is intended to aid applicants in navigating the application process effectively.

HHS Awards $2.5 Million to Help Decrease Food Insecurities in Native Communities

The funding will be used to improve health outcomes through greater food security under the IHS Produce Prescription Pilot Program. Five awards were issued to the Laguna Healthcare Corporation, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Navajo Health Foundation  Sage Memorial Hospital, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, and Rocky Boy Health Center to implement these programs in their communities.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra recognized that "[f]ood is medicine and nutrition is health," in the press release on the awardees, "Programs like this feed directly into our Administration's goal of building healthier communities at the local level."

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
A July 5 US Department of Defense image of an Iranian naval vessel approaching a tanker in the Gulf (Handout)

Western naval forces operating in the Gulf have warned ships sailing in the strategic Strait of Hormuz against approaching Iranian waters to avoid the risk of seizure.

The warnings issued on Saturday and Sunday follow a week that saw the United States boost its military presence in the region, and an agreement between Washington and Tehran that has raised hopes of reducing tensions between the adversaries.

"Vessels are being advised to transit as far away from Iranian territorial waters as possible" to minimise the risk of seizure, US Fifth Fleet spokesperson Commander Tim Hawkins told AFP.

The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC), led by Washington, is "notifying regional mariners of appropriate precautions to minimise the risk of seizure based on current regional tensions, which we seek to de-escalate," he added.

The alliance, established in 2019, comprises 11 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Its mission, according to its website, is to "provide reassurance to merchant shipping in the Middle East region".

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said late Saturday in a statement that it had been "made aware of an increased threat within the vicinity of Strait Of Hormuz", through which one-third of the world's oil transported by sea passes.

It advised all vessels to "exercise caution and report suspicious activity to UKMTO".

In a statement released on Saturday afternoon, maritime security company Ambrey said that they have been warned by Greek and US authorities, as well as others, "of an attack on a merchant vessel... in the Strait of Hormuz in the next 12 to 72 hours".

"Previously, after a similar warning was issued, a merchant vessel was seized by Iranian authorities under a false pretext," it added.

There has been no reaction so far from Iran to the warnings.

- 'Avoid any escalation' -

This comes days after the United States and Iran reached an agreement to release five American prisoners in exchange for the release of Iranian funds frozen for humanitarian purposes.

The deal followed exhaustive diplomacy between US President Joe Biden's administration and Iran's clerical leadership, while separate attempts to revive a landmark 2015 nuclear deal had collapsed.

"Amid the current effort to build good will, the US wants to avoid any escalation at all cost," said Middle East expert Andreas Krieg of King's College London.

"Probing Iran" or giving its forces "a pretext to seize vessels will necessitate a US response with great potential for escalation", he told AFP.

"Iran has shown quite a lot of resolve recently to safeguard their territorial integrity including its waters."

On Monday, more than 3,000 American sailors arrived in the Middle East as part of a plan to enhance their military presence there, with Washington stating that it aims to deter Iran from seizing ships and oil tankers.

In recent years, Washington and Tehran have been in a war of words over a series of incidents in the Gulf, including mysterious attacks on ships, the downing of a drone and oil tankers being seized.

In July, the US Navy announced that Iran's Revolutionary Guards had detained a commercial ship "suspected of being involved in smuggling activities" in international waters in the Gulf, a day after accusing the Iranian navy of attempting to seize two commercial oil tankers off the coast of Oman.

Earlier this year Iran seized two oil tankers within a week in Gulf waters.

Iran's armed forces chief of staff, Mohammad Bagheri, said in May that Tehran "and the countries south of the Persian Gulf are capable of cooperating to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman".

ho-am/ami/srm
The FAA and NTSB will investigate a near miss between a Southwest Airlines flight and a private Cessna jet that occurred Friday. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

A near miss between a Southwest Airlines flight and a private jet has kickstarted two investigations.

A Cessna jet was cleared to land on the same runway where a Southwest plane was taking off.

Near misses at airports have spiked in the last year, causing panic among authorities and lawmakers.

A near miss where a Southwest Airlines flight and a private jet came within 100 feet of one another on a San Diego runway has sparked investigations by two US authorities.

A Cessna corporate jet was cleared to land on the same runway that Southwest Airlines flight 2493 had been cleared to taxi to and wait on for permission to take off, according to a preliminary review by the Federal Aviation Authority. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed to Insider that it would also investigate.

The incident occurred on Friday at San Diego International Airport at 12 p.m. local time. The pilot captaining the Cessna jet aborted the landing after receiving an alert from the plane's surface-surveillance system, the FAA told Insider. The Cessna jet passed over Southwest's Boeing 737 with about 100 feet to spare, Reuters reported, citing a source briefed on the matter.

The FAA and Southwest Airlines didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal working hours.

A collection of incidents this year has panicked authorities and led to renewed pleas to airlines and air-traffic controllers to increase vigilance to avoid collisions on or near runways.

An FAA spokesperson told Insider in May the rate of "runway incursions" peaked from late 2022 into this year.

At an FAA safety summit in March, Pete Buttigieg , the Secretary of Transportation, said there had been an "uptick in serious close calls" at airports. The reasons for this uptick are unclear and could range from overworked cabin crew to sub-par air-traffic-control capabilities.

A week after Buttigieg's comments, the FAA told its employees it was taking steps to improve air-traffic-control operations in a bid to reduce near misses, according to an email seen by Reuters .

The close call between the Southwest flight and the Cessna jet adds to six other near-miss incidents currently under investigation by the FAA and the NTSB.

In February, a charter jet nearly collided with a JetBlue flight when the charter plane's pilot took off from Boston's Logan International Airport without clearance. The pilot told the NTSB he was unwell and had a stuffed nose.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Nearly 100 cats and dogs are currently receiving care after they were rescued from a northwest Georgia home.

The Atlanta Humane Society said the animals were living in deplorable conditions and needed to be removed from the home.

The Humane Society said the animals were stacked in crates and living in their own feces, they are covered in ringworm, lice, and fleas.

The organization said their Animal Protection Unit has been working quickly to relocate the animals to a safe, undisclosed location to receive care.

The Atlanta Humane Society said if you donate to the organization to help out these animals, your donation will be matched.

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Editors note: This article was first published in the Nebraska Examiner.

LINCOLN  Nebraskans are paying to send their public servants to the U.S. border with Mexico for the second time in two months. This time, the state is using federal COVID-19 recovery funds, money some lawmakers say should be spent in the state.

Gov. Jim Pillen, fresh off sending 10 Nebraska state troopers to Texas for law enforcement along the border, announced last week that he would also deploy more than 60 Nebraska Army National Guard members to the Lone Star State for border work.

Pillen, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and other Republican governors who answered Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts call for help agreed not to bill Texas, a rare step for any state requesting aid through the multi-state disaster-response system.

Who foots the bill?

Instead, Nebraska taxpayers will pay for the two border trips out of different fiscal pockets.

The Nebraska State Patrols July trip will cost state taxpayers at least $128,000 from the Patrols general fund budget, early state estimates show. Nebraska sent drone pilots for two weeks as an eye in the sky, watching movement near the border.

The Guards August trip to monitor sections of the border could cost up to about $2 million, the Guard said. The state will cover a month of costs and then refill the Guards coffers with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Pillens office said.

Nebraska and other states are taking advantage of flexibility Congress provided in using federal recovery funds set aside to stabilize state and local governments in the wake of COVID-19. The state received $1.04 billion in these State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

Iowa is covering its costs using pandemic funds, too. Texas covered $1 billion in new border security spending by shifting state funds allocated to public health and safety agencies and backfilling with federal dollars, the Texas Tribune reported.

A U.S. Treasury Department spokeswoman said this week she believes that states spending federal relief funds this way are using a section of the law allowing the funds to cover a loss of revenue that typically pays for a regular function of state government.

Shell games

State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, a Democrat who ran against Pillen for governor in 2022 and advocates for putting the state governments fiscal house in order, called on State Auditor Mike Foley to dig into how pandemic relief funds are being used.

She worries about the state playing shell games with the funds for a political purpose.

I think of all the small businesses and workforce shortages and all the things we could spend this money on, Blood said. Why would we tap these resources to help another state when we have all these people we could help in Nebraska?

State Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, a Republican who chairs the Legislatures Appropriations Committee and a frequent defender of the Pillen administration, said using federal funds to cover a federal responsibility should not be controversial.

The states total ARPA funding was more than $1 billion, Clements said. Two million out of that total is a very small number. Im glad to see federal dollars being used to support a federal problem.  I think it was a good choice of funding.

Pillens reasons

Pillen visited Texas with other Republican governors in May and has described both deployments as needed. He, like Abbott, argues the federal government has not done enough to secure the border from unauthorized crossings by migrants.

Immigrants wait overnight next to the U.S.-Mexico border fence to seek asylum in the United States on January 7, 2023, as viewed from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Pillen, in a statement, said he supports using federal funds for this purpose, saying we must do everything we can to protect them, especially from fentanyl and other dangerous drugs smuggled into this country by drug traffickers.

Nebraskans deployed to the border have described the situation as a serious humanitarian crisis with real impacts on people, neighborhoods, businesses and criminal justice. Pillen has said every state deals with the impacts of an unsecured border.

Risks to some Nebraskans

Nebraskans of Latino heritage have described the negative personal impacts of the increased political focus on illegal border crossings and immigration, including discrimination and threats, no matter how long theyve lived here.

Some say the state is taking a risk by embracing Abbott while he is under scrutiny for placing barriers in the middle of the Rio Grande River that have ensnared migrants, risking lives. Recent stories highlighted a barrier with saw blades between floats.

Rebecca Gonzales, a Lincoln advocate for Nebraska Latinos, expressed disappointment in Pillen using pandemic dollars along the border. She considers the effort a political ploy and an ineffective drop in the bucket when the federal government already spends more than $17.5 billion on customs and border enforcement.

I dont think thats what that money was meant for, Gonzales said of the pandemic relief funds. Id like to see that money go to mental health, helping our kids who suffered so much during that time, getting them back on track.

Gonzales said she and a family member recently returned from a trip to the border and said she did not see a situation that matched the fever pitch of what Nebraska politicians have described.

Rhetoric and reality

Nebraska may be home to more than 60,000 undocumented workers, based on academic estimates of the state-by-state impact. Immigrant and refugee labor contribute more than 8% of the states economic output, an OpenSky Policy Institute study indicated.

Pillen has hardened his immigration rhetoric since 2022, when he faced criticism during the contested Republican primary for governor about his Columbus-based hog operation and whether he properly screened his employees for legal status. He has said he did.

Illegal border crossings, after being high for months, dropped in June to their lowest level since February 2021, with 99,545 law enforcement encounters, according to federal statistics. They increased again in July by 30%, to 130,000.

GOP governors have not sent border help to California, Arizona or New Mexico under the Biden administration. Those states Democratic governors have not requested help from other states.

Republican Gov. Abbott of Texas has requested help more often since President Joe Biden took office. The Defense Department deployed about 1,500 troops for a 90-day deployment to the border in May, The Hill reported.

Aaron Sanderford has tackled various news roles in his 20-plus year career. He has reported on politics, crime, courts, government and business for the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal-Star.
With all the drama of the Pentecostal preacher that he is, Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa can work a crowd.

He will now put that charisma to the test in the general election on 23 August when he will once again face President Emmerson Mnangagwa after losing to him in a disputed poll in 2018.

Mr Chamisa will run for the presidency under the banner of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the party he formed last year after he was thrown out of what used to be the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

It came after a vicious power-struggle broke out in the party following the death of its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mr Chamisa was accused by his MDC rivals of staging a coup to wrest control of the party, and as the battle became increasingly vicious he was evicted from the party's headquarters, and lost a court battle where his claim to the leadership of the party was challenged.

It marked a low point for Mr Chamisa, but he made a comeback with the formation of the CCC. The string of victories it notched up in parliamentary by-elections was heralded by his supporters as a yellow revolution - a reference to the party colours.

On the campaign trail he has sounded optimistic about his prospects, despite saying that the political field is tilted against the CCC, with little access to state media, and an electoral commission he says is staffed by ruling party supporters.

However, President Mnangagwa has said the elections will be free and fair.

'A formidable opposition'

The 45-year-old's campaign has focused on his relative youth, with supporters chanting the Shona language slogan "ngaapinde hake mukomana" meaning "let the boy in".

But it remains to be seen if he can defeat 80-year-old Mr Mnangagwa, known as the "crocodile", who has been in politics longer than Mr Chamisa has been alive.

Still hugely popular among urban and youth voters, Mr Chamisa is credited with transitioning into his own brand of opposition politics in the last two years and creating an identity divorced from the man he regards as his mentor, Mr Tsvangirai.

"Creating a formidable opposition in a short period of time has been his greatest victory," says political scientist Alexander Rusero,

Like the late Mr Tsvangirai, being the face of the opposition has made him a target. Mr Chamisa says 63 meetings have either been banned by police or disrupted - potentially a preview of the upcoming elections.

Mr Chamisa suffered a fractured skull when beaten up in a crackdown on the opposition in 2007

Moreover, members of his party have been arrested and convicted in what Mr Chamisa describes as fabricated charges aimed at weakening the CCC.

He says he has faced threats to his life, which have made him extremely cautious and mistrustful - including escaping an alleged assassination attempt in 2022 when his convoy came under attack during by-election campaigns. He also suffered a cracked skull during a clampdown on the opposition in 2007.

He has previously told the BBC that he rarely eats at public events, for fear of getting poisoned.

'Strategic ambiguity'

An ordained church pastor who graduated from Living Waters Theological Seminary in 2016 and a practising lawyer, Mr Chamisa's social media timeline is filled with political commentary and biblical references in almost equal measure.

His almost Baptist-like charisma has served him well on the campaign stage, but some say it has come at the expense of substantive policy and a coherent political game-plan.

The CCC follows what Mr Chamisa calls "strategic ambiguity". It has not held an elective congress, and has not unveiled its party structures or constitution. It prefers to call itself a broad-based citizens' movement, rather than a political party.

"Our [by-election] wins shows that it is organised and is not a one-man band," according to CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere.

But some of his former supporters, among them social media influencers, are increasingly frustrated.

Mr Rusero believes that Mr Chamisa appears to be intimidated by the ruling party, opting to confront them on "social media, with bible verses and misplaced optimism", instead of in real life.

He thinks the opposition candidate has missed opportunities to wage a robust campaign in the face of allegations of rampant government corruption and public discontent at the spiralling cost of living. President Mnangagwa has previously promised a zero tolerance approach to graft.

In 2018, in his characteristic way, Mr Chamisa told the BBC that he was a young man trying to bring about alternative politics on the African continent and that he wanted to replace strong men with strong institutions.

It was a reference to the personality cult that had developed around former President Robert Mugabe, a common phenomenon in Zimbabwean politics.

He too has not been a stranger to controversy. During the last presidential campaign, he boasted he had met Rwandan President Paul Kagame and been central in crafting a digital strategy that had been key to Rwanda's economic success.

However, Mr Kagame rebuffed this, tweeting that he had no clue who Mr Chamisa was and had never even had a discussion with him.

He has also been labelled as sexist after telling voters he would marry off his then-18-year-old sister to President Mnangagwa if his rival only won 5% of the vote in the 2018 election.

He later said it was just "political banter that I used to illustrate that even if I promised to give him my most prized possession, he would still not be able to defeat us in a free and fair election".

In the 23 August poll, Mr Chamisa is hoping to emulate the victory of long-time Zambian underdog Hakainde Hichilem, who lost every presidential election since 2006, until he finally won in 2021.

But it is unclear whether Mr Chamisa has enough resources and support to win, especially when the playing field is tilted in favour of Mr Mnangagwa, whose Zanu-PF party has maintained a tight grip on power since independence in 1980.

However, he remains the hope for millions of Zimbabweans who believe that it is time for younger people to lead the nation.

Read more about politics in Zimbabwe:
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that the commission responsible for investigating attorneys' wrongdoing has mishandled its cases against lawyers facing criminal charges related to their alleged efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election. And now, she said, she worries it will open the door to election chaos next year.

The Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission reviews allegations of professional misconduct against attorneys. It files formal complaints against lawyers with the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board, which can take a range of actions against attorneys such as suspension or disbarment.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, left, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson clap during Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's State of the State address on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.

Two Michigan lawyers facing criminal charges for their involvement in the alleged schemes targeting the 2020 election have so far not faced any disciplinary action.

Nessel said that the legal profession is an outlier in allowing licensed attorneys to continue practicing even when they're bound over for trial. She said she sees a disciplinary process that fails to hold attorneys accountable and undermines the legal profession.

"It's appalling that the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission refuses to move forward with disciplinary hearings against attorneys accused of election-related crimes," Nessel wrote in a recent social media post. Nessel said it's problematic to allow indicted attorneys to continue practicing law while their criminal cases remain pending. "The fact that they're not suspended during the interim is mind-boggling," Nessel told the Free Press.

Michael Goetz, the Grievance Administrator for the commission, said that it is "improper" for Nessel "to criticize another state agency without having all the facts." But he didn't want to elaborate on his frustrations. "I'm not here to bash her, I'm here to do a job," he told the Free Press. "That's the only comment I want to make on that."

Michael Goetz serves as the Grievance Administrator for the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission.

Nessel publicly blasted the Attorney Grievance Commission after an Attorney Discipline Board panel agreed to the commission's request to temporarily suspend its proceedings against Mayra Rodriguez, a Republican charged by Nessel's office for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 election by signing a fake certificate pledging Michigan's Electoral College votes to former President Donald Trump.

Goetz said that it's not uncommon to temporarily suspend the disciplinary process if a lawyer accused of misconduct also faces criminal charges because they might assert their Fifth Amendment right to self-incrimination. "That takes a whole witness out of the bailiwick, if you will, to be able to ask questions, cross-examine, test the veracity of what they're saying," he said. If there's a criminal conviction, Goetz said that the commission can "proceed by way of a judgment of conviction," which he said can help streamline the process.

In addition to Rodriguez, the Attorney Grievance Commission filed complaints alleging professional misconduct against a group of nine attorneys involved in a federal lawsuit that sought to overturn Michigan's 2020 election. But the commission voluntarily dismissed their complaints against two of the lawyers: Stefanie Lambert Junttila and Emily Newman. Asked to explain the basis for the dismissals, the Attorney Grievance Commission's Deputy Administrator Kimberly Uhuru cited a federal appeals court panel ruling reversing sanctions imposed on the pair by a lower court. A special prosecutor later announced criminal charges against Lambert brought by a grand jury stemming from an alleged scheme she help orchestrate to seize voting machines in the wake of the 2020 election.

Stefanie Lambert, an attorney who has represented 2020 election deniers across the country, is accused of illegally accessing Michigan voting equipment.

Nessel also criticized the Attorney Grievance Commission's decision to voluntarily dismiss charges of professional misconduct leveled against some of the lawyers involved in the 2020 election lawsuit. She noted the different standards that must be reached to determine whether someone has engaged in professional misconduct, actions a court deems sanctionable and criminal activity. A lawyer should still face potential disciplinary action even if they didnt commit a crime or a court decided not to impose sanctions, she said.

Consider police officers, Nessel said: "Just because you werent convicted of a crime, doesnt mean you didnt commit an offense thats egregious enough that you dont deserve to carry a gun and badge," she said. "And I would say the same thing of attorneys."

But Nessel said lawyers are out of step with other licensed professionals, from dentists to masseuses, who are regularly suspended amid ongoing investigations into their professional conduct, especially if they face serious criminal allegations. Instead, Nessel said, she observes an attorney discipline process that allows lawyers to keep filing cases and representing clients unless they are convicted.

Nessel doesn't want to wait for criminal convictions to see attorneys disciplined with another presidential election around the corner. "Without the lawyers, none of this effort to undermine the 2020 presidential election occurs," she said. And they could have the chance to do it again soon if allowed, she said.

Asked how another presidential election on the horizon might impact efforts to discipline lawyers accused of meddling in the last one, Goetz dismissed the idea that the political cycle has any bearing on the discipline process or its timing.

"We're not going to speculate what could happen in the future," he said. The commission is focused on the facts it has on hand now, he added.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Nessel criticizes Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission
A new country song titled Rich Men North of Richmond is taking the right-wing spotlight away from Jason Aldeans controversial Try That in a Small Town.

The song  released by Oliver Anthony, a little-known artist from Farmville, Virginia  has garnered nearly 5 million views on YouTube in just three days, as well as praise from Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

This is the anthem of the forgotten Americans who truly support this nation and unfortunately the world with their hard-earned tax dollars and incredibly hard work, Greene wrote in a tweet Friday.

The title of the song seemingly refers to politicians in Washington, D.C., who Anthony claims want to suck Americans dry and have total control.

With lyrics that tout some of the most common right-wing talking points, its no surprise that the song is drumming up support from Republicans.

Cause your dollar aint s--t and its taxed to no end, cause the rich men north of Richmond, Anthony sings in the video.

God, if youre 5-foot-3 and youre 300 pounds, taxes ought not to pay for your bags of Fudge Rounds, Anthony continues, appearing to slam the welfare system.

In just three days, the song quite literally supplanted Aldeans Small Town, when it jumped to No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart, Billboard reports. And the comments on YouTube have been rolling in.

This is not a song. Its an anthem for 80+ million Americans who have been smeared, ignored, mocked, slandered, and robbed by their own government, wrote one listener.

Its exactly how all of us are feeling! said another. God bless the hard-working, middle-class Americans, and God bless this great country!

In another video posted to YouTube, Anthony claimed to be pretty dead center down the aisle on politics, but then elaborated on the issue of human trafficking, which has often been found at the center of many right-wing conspiracy theories.

I cant begin to conceptualize what has to happen to someone in order for them to think thats OK, he said. I think I drew the line on being quiet when I started to see that becoming normalized and Ill leave that at that.
At dawn on a Wednesday, Sacramento police began the first of their raids, responding to citizen complaints that the homeless situation was out of control in the city.

Officers and county parks officials targeted 85 encampments, driving dozens of campers from their makeshift homes along the American River Parkway.

When the raids were over, the citys police chief made clear that officials were done ignoring laws against camping in the area.

If we want to legalize people sleeping there, lets change the law, the chief said, but dont ask us not to enforce the law.

The chiefs name was Jack Kearns, and the date was April 26, 1989.

Now, more than 34 years later, Sacramento still finds itself grappling with a seemingly intractable homeless crisis.

It has embroiled the city in lawsuits and bitter infighting among elected leaders over how to deal with sidewalks and alleys taken over by tents, shopping carts and homeless people trying to survive the summer heat.

And it has driven a wedge between city leaders and Sacramento Countys new district attorney, who has said for weeks that he has had enough of the citys failure to act.

The latest salvo from D.A. Thien Ho came Wednesday, with Ho accusing the city of failing to enforce its year-old ordinance against tent camps blocking sidewalks.

In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, Ho said he had evidence from the city that police are not enforcing the ordinance at all, despite a unanimous City Council vote last August to prohibit homeless camps from blocking sidewalks.

Theres not a single prosecution, Ho said in an interview Wednesday. Heres a question that I have: Is there a concerted effort by the mayor and by City Hall to stop law enforcement from enforcing the law?

Thats what Im going to ask. And thats what I think the public deserves an answer to. Because why pass an ordinance if youre not gonna enforce it?

Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho said theres not a single prosecution since the Sacramento City Council passed an ordinance against tents blocking sidewalks while speaking during an interview in his office Wednesday about the 30-day notice he sent Monday to Mayor Darrell Steinberg with a list of demands for the city. Paul Kitagaki Jr./pkitagaki@sacbee.com

Ho said he learned of the citys lack of enforcement in a Monday night email he received from City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood, who was responding to a letter the D.A. sent earlier Monday demanding more action on homeless enforcement within the next 30 days.

In her email, which Ho released to The Sacramento Bee, Alcala Wood wrote that she was trying to schedule a meeting with Ho to avoid politics and focus instead on solving the problem.

She added that she wanted to work with Ho to improve how the Sacramento Police Department enforces violations of city ordinances by homeless camps.

I read the email, and my jaw literally dropped

SPD is simply not issuing citations for unlawful camping, unlawful storage, sidewalk obstructions or any Sacramento city code sections related to the homeless encampments, she wrote. Our data indicates no citations have been referred to our office for prosecution with the exception of a single general release citation.

For that reason partnering with your office to support SPD in becoming more comfortable in issuing citations is a good approach because as you know  we cant prosecute cases if no cases are sent to us.

Ho said he was at home when the email arrived.

I looked at my phone, I read the email, and my jaw literally dropped, he said. I had suspected that there was inconsistent enforcement.

I didnt realize that there was non-existent enforcement at all. And that just raised a whole host of questions after I picked up my jaw from the ground. Is there a concerted effort by the mayor in City Hall to stop the police from enforcing the law?

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinbergs chief of staff, Mary Lynne Vellinga, adamantly denied that notion.

The mayor did not direct the Police Department not to enforce the sidewalk ordinance, she said. When they initially passed the sidewalk ordinance the entire City Council made it clear that they preferred that the city seek voluntary compliance and cite for a violation only as a last resort, particularly as unhoused people often lack the capacity to pay fines.

Last Tuesday, the council and Mayor Steinberg voted in favor of a more rapid enforcement approach in which police were specifically directed to enforce the citys ordinances, and the council authorized the city manager to use overtime to enable them to respond to the many demands around the city.

Tim Swanson, a spokesman for City Manager Howard Chan, also said the city had been able to clear sidewalks thousands of times without having to issue citations.

Over the past year, the city has been enforcing its sidewalk ordinance, responding to more than 4,500 calls for service regarding blocked sidewalks and building entrances, Swanson wrote in an email. This work has been conducted in accordance with the city council directive to avoid fining or booking people in jail who are cited and to prioritize outreach.

Swanson noted that those calls for service included two periods during which a federal judge had ordered the city to halt enforcement against homeless camps.

Through the ongoing work of the Department of Community Response, Code Enforcement and the Sacramento Police Department, the city largely has been able to achieve voluntary compliance when addressing these violations without issuing citations, he added. The city also has conducted large-scale cleanup activities, most recently at 28th and C streets and on Roseville Road, without needing to issue any citations.

City embroiled in lawsuits over sidewalk access

The ordinance to prohibit homeless camps from blocking sidewalks was passed last August to applause from the audience at City Hall, and took effect last September.

Within months, however, disabled Sacramento residents sued the city and county in federal court, claiming officials had failed to keep sidewalks clear and that they are unable to navigate sections of the city because homeless camps are blocking access.

The plaintiffs have asked for an injunction requiring the city to promptly eliminate tent encampments obstructions of public sidewalks, while the city and county have asked for the suit to be dismissed.

At a hearing Thursday before Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller the judge signaled that she would not dismiss the case.

In a July filing in that lawsuit, the city acknowledged the existence of its sidewalk ordinance but contended officials can decide for themselves whether to enforce it.

Given that the city already has an ordinance specifically directed to sidewalk obstructions, plaintiffs are actually seeking to have the court order enforcement of this ordinance, Senior Deputy City Attorney Grace Pak wrote in a filing seeking dismissal of the suit. Like many city ordinances, it is solely within the citys legislative discretion to determine when and what amount of finite city resources to allocate in the enforcement of its ordinances.

Ho contends that if the city had been enforcing the ordinance it could have given some homeless individuals more chances to interact with police and seek assistance.

It would definitely make a difference, he said. We wouldnt be in the situation that we are now, if the city were to actually engage in compliance and enforcement.

These laws were passed for a reason to encourage people to accept services, to get people into certain areas where theyre not affecting the public safety of the rest of the community and themselves. And yet the city has done absolutely nothing under this administration.

Ho has lauded Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper for actually doing enforcement involving homeless camps, and on Thursday Coopers office released figures showing that between Jan. 1 and July 31 the sheriffs homeless outreach team had contacted 926 individuals and written 602 citations.

The sheriff said its teams activities resulted in 221 misdemeanor arrests and 103 felony arrests during that period.

Contempt motion possible in court battle over sweeps

A separate lawsuit by the Sacramento Homeless Union resulted in U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley barring Sacramento officials from clearing any homeless camps for 14 days because of concerns over hot weather affecting the health of individuals living in such camps.

But the city violated that order within days by clearing camps at City Hall on Friday and Monday. A city spokesman said Tuesday that move was done by mistake and that the city respects the order.

A lawyer for the homeless union responded by asking Nunley for an order to show cause why the city should not be held in contempt for violating the restraining order.

As a result of the citys misconduct, the number of campers at City Hall has dramatically shrunken and the union, in its efforts to inform the displaced campers of their rights under the order, has learned that many are now scared to return, attorney Anthony Price wrote. Instead of being (under) the substantial protection of the shade provided at City Hall Plaza, they are in the hot sun, at the increased risk of harm that the Injunction was intended to prevent.

If the city will not or cannot insure compliance at the building that houses its entire administration  City Hall  how can the court and the plaintiffs be assured that it is insuring obedience anywhere else in Sacramento?

Price asked Nunley to levy a $2,500 fine against the city as well as further orders from the court to insure compliance and consequences for any further violations.

Alicia Peterson, 55, watches as contract workers for the city of Sacramento discard the belongings of neighboring campers during a homeless sweep on C Street in Sacramento on July 19. Renee C. Byer/rbyer@sacbee.com

The flurry of legal action and competing claims between Ho and city officials comes as Sacramento faces extreme pressure to deal with the estimated 9,300 homeless people living in the county. An estimated 75% of the 6,664 who are unsheltered are within the city limits.

Thursday afternoon, campers could be found throughout Sacramentos downtown and midtown neighborhoods.

Some camped beneath the highway in the Alhambra Triangle, while dozens more were living near City Hall and the Sacramento Superior Courthouse.

Just a few days ago, there was a gentleman on the corner of H and Ninth streets masturbating, Ho said.

In that area on Thursday were at least 30 tents or tarps. A man lay face up sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk. Multiple dogs tied to a fire hydrant barked at pedestrians.

People wearing state worker badges waited for the bus next to a man sleeping on a mattress next to the bus stop.

Ho has been demanding a series of actions, including more enforcement, a ban on daytime camping, additional shelter space and more city employees tasked with responding to homeless issues.

He also has threatened to file a lawsuit or criminal charges against city officials if more enforcement is not put in place, and the 30-day deadline he issued Monday likely will mark when he decides whether to do so.

Ive given a timeline to the city, but the fact of the matter is theyve had so many years to do these things and now were finding out that for the last year, the last two years, they have not enforced any of these ordinances that they pass, Ho said. Enough is enough.

Look, these are difficult times. I dont relish the possibility of suing another governmental entity to compel them to do the job that theyre supposed to do. But the fact of the matter is enough is enough

Ho last month commissioned a survey of area residents about issues they have had with homeless camps and lack of enforcement in the city and has received more than 2,000 responses as of Wednesday, Ho said.

We definitely have responses about people unable to use the sidewalk, kids having to walk into the street, into traffic on their way to school to avoid the tents, to avoid feces and urine, Ho said. We definitely have examples of that. ...

And we have to remember that the voices for victims need to be heard. I mean, I have an example of a woman who had her window broken so many times she had to put Styrofoam up because she got tired of replacing them every day. Shed come home from work, she would have to call her fiance to come out and escort her.

And she found feces and urine constantly on her driveway. She had a gun pointed at her head by an unhoused individual. Shes seen a rape happen in the middle of the street. Shes been diagnosed with PTSD and had to move out of her house and is sleeping on her sisters couch.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, alongside City Councilwomen Mai Vang, left, and Caity Maple, holds a July proposal to partner with District Attorney Thien Ho at a news conference on Tuesday, responding to a letter sent by Ho threatening to file charges against city officials if they dont comply with a list of demands on the homeless issue. Renee C. Byer/rbyer@sacbee.com

Rift widens between DA Ho, Mayor Steinberg

Steinberg responded to Hos letter by calling a news conference Tuesday to accuse the D.A. of engaging in politics rather than working with the city to address homeless issues.

I just decided Im not going to continue to have my city being threatened by someone whos not doing his part, Steinberg said. The D.A.s politicizing of this issue should be worrisome to the entire community.

Ho dismissed that criticism, saying, Im not the person that held a press conference on the steps of City Hall yesterday.

He also said speculation that he is criticizing Steinberg because both men may face off in a campaign for state attorney general in the future is false, that he is focused on serving in the post he stepped into as D.A. in January.

And he noted that since Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Steinberg as the homeless czar to seek solutions to the problem stateside, Sacramentos crisis has expanded.

The irony has not escaped me that Darrell Steinberg was appointed as the homeless czar and that under his watch the homeless population in Sacramento County has increased by over 250%, Ho said.

The Bees Grace Scullion and Theresa Clift contributed to this story.
The supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine will not lead to escalation

The supply of Taurus missiles to Ukraine will not lead to escalation between NATO and Russia, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba assured the German government in an interview with Bild on Aug. 12.

"Ukraine needs Taurus missiles to save more lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians and to speed up the liberation of the territories and put an end to the war more quickly," Kuleba said.

Berlin's fears that the missiles will be used to attack targets beyond Ukrainian territory are groundless, the minister said.

"First, other partners have already delivered missiles with similar range. Second, no previous German decision to supply Ukraine with a new type of weapon has led to an escalation. On the contrary, German weapons have already saved many Ukrainian lives," he said.

Ukraine will not assault another country as it aims to protect its own land, Kuleba emphasized.

"We don't need a foreign state and we use missiles within our own borders exclusively in order to liberate what is rightfully ours according to the UN Charter and international legislation," he concluded.

Germany's ruling party greenlighted the supply of modified long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, according to media reports on Aug. 10.

Two prominent members of Germanys Social Democratic Party, headed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, advocate for Berlin to transfer over Taurus missiles to Ukraine, reported German newspaper Der Spiegel on Aug. 6.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, however, reiterated on Aug. 3 that Germany would not send Taurus missiles to Ukraine, referring to the U.S. unwillingness to provide Kyiv with ATACMS missiles.

On July 26, the head of the Bundestag Committee on Defense Policy and a member of the Free Democratic Party, Marcus Faber, announced the need to provide the Defense Forces of Ukraine with Taurus long-range missiles.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Vilma Reed, 63, her daughter Amanda Hernandez, 45, and grandson Natanael Hernandez, 18, stand next to their car in a shelter parking lot in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, on August 12, 2023 (Paula RAMON)

The first Vilma Reed knew there was a fire bearing down on Lahaina was when she saw it a few yards (meters) from her house.

Like many of those who fled the fast-moving blaze that killed at least 80 people on the Hawaiian island of Maui, she got no official warning and no order to evacuate.

"You know when we found that there was a fire? When it was across the street from us," the 63-year-old told AFP in an evacuation center parking lot.

"The mountain behind us caught on fire and nobody told us jack."

Reed herded her daughter, grandson and two pet cats into the car and careered out of town.

"I raced a line of fire to get my family out," she said.

The cause of the terrifying inferno was still under investigation Saturday, but experts say that whatever sparked it, a collision of circumstances meant that it spread very quickly.

These include the unchecked growth of flammable non-native plants, the volcanic topography that creates drying down-slope winds, an unusually parched winter, and a churning hurricane hundreds of miles (kilometers) to the southwest.

But in a state not unused to natural disasters -- Hawaii has earthquakes, active volcanoes, a history of tsunamis and is regularly hit by powerful tropical storms -- the lack of warning from authorities has puzzled and angered many.

"We underestimated the lethality, the quickness of fire," Hawaii congresswoman Jill Tokuda told CNN.

"It's not like hurricane force winds are unknown to Hawaii, or dry brush, or red flag conditions. We saw this before in (Hurricane) Lane. We did not learn our lesson from Lane (in 2018) -- that brush fires could erupt as a result of churning hurricane winds below us to the south," Tokuda said.

The fire knocked out power and residents of Lahaina told reporters that they had no cell service -- a common channel that authorities use when they want to alert residents to danger.

The same electricity blackout would certainly have limited residents' ability to watch television or listen to the radio -- two other channels where official warnings are issued.

But the more robust outdoor warning sirens that are intended to alert islanders to danger did not sound, the Hawaii Emergency Services Administration (HI-EMA) said Friday.

"Neither Maui nor HI-EMA activated warning sirens on Maui during the wildfire incident," the organization said, according to NBC News.

Hawaii's governor, Josh Green, said it was "too early for me to tell" whether the absence of sirens was a technical failure or a deliberate decision by operators.

On Friday, the state's attorney general, Anne Lopez, said she was launching a probe into the timeline of the blaze, including "critical decision-making" at the time the flames were spreading.

- 'Big sirens' -

For Kamuela Kawaakoa, it felt like the town was left to fend for itself as disaster struck.

"There were no emergency alerts. No warning systems went off -- nothing, so some people didn't even know about the fire till it was too late," the 34-year old told AFP.

Kawaakoa, who is now living in a pop-up tent and surviving on the kindness of strangers, said even without cell service and power, there should have been a way to tell people what was happening.

"You can still call 911 without any cell service, you should still be able to get emergency alerts on your phone," he said.

"And then we have these big sirens on poles... I'm sure they have a way of making it work even without power.

"You know, they gotta be prepared for that kind of stuff."

Kawaakoa, who worked in the now-razed Captain Jack's restaurant on Lahaina's touristy Front Street, said victims were pointing to downed power lines as a possible source of ignition for the blaze.

Why, he wants to know, were they not shut off?

"I feel like there was more that could have been done to save a lot of people that died in this fire," he said.

pr-hg/acb
Ukrainian partisans have set a Russian military base in occupied Mariupol on fire, Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the exiled mayor of Mariupol, reported on Aug. 13.

Russia has lost at least 10 troops, three trucks, and five cars, he said in another Telegram post.

Andriushchenko didn't whether Russian soldiers were killed or wounded.

The pictures published on Telegram channels showed pillars of smoke behind the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, in the area where Russian forces reportedly have a base.

Mariupol, a port city on the Sea of Azov, had a population of half a million before the war and was home to the Azovstal steel plant.

Russia has occupied Mariupol since May 2022, following a brutal three-month siege that damaged most of the civilian infrastructure of Mariupol.

Read also: A glance into Khersons underground resistance during Russian occupation

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A long solar prominence erupting off the surface, taken by the Solar Dynamic Observatory on August 31, 2012. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Most solar storms are pretty harmless, but every so often, the sun can send hugely powerful storms.

These are strong enough to cause widespread power blackouts and bring down satellites.

We are more likely than usual to be hit by a super-strong storm in the coming years, scientists say

The sun is always fizzing and popping and this constantly sends solar energy toward the Earth. But sometimes it's more serious.

On an average day, its vast solar energy is deflected without causing much damage. But every so often, the sun sends a storm so powerful it can tear open the Earth's magnetic fields.

If such a storm hit tomorrow, it would cause technological chaos that could "cripple economies and endanger the safety and livelihoods of people worldwide," per NASA.

Luckily, these storms are very rare. But our sun is getting restless ahead of a 20-year peak of activity, meaning there's more chance one could come to Earth in coming years, experts told Insider.

And we've never been more vulnerable.

A big storm is more likely in the coming years

Three different solar events can all send high-speed particles that mess with the Earth's magnetic fields: solar flares, coronal holes, or coronal mass ejections (CMEs)  huge explosions on the sun.

If these crash into the Earth with enough violence, they can peel back the Earth's ionized layer which protects us against the worst of space weather. This can open the door for more charged particles to pour through.

"We're talking a one-in-a-hundred-year event," Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, told Insider.

This type of strong geomagnetic storm can happen at any time. But it becomes more likely during a peak of solar activity, which happens about every 11 years when the sun's magnetic field lines get more tangled and twisted.

That tension increases the chance the sun will create more sunspots, more CMEs, more solar flares, and more coronal holes. All of this gives more opportunity for a once-a-century event to arise.

The coronal hole came into view as the sun rotated. These holes can spew incredibly fast solar winds, and these are likely to reach Earth. NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory

"The much stronger events don't happen every cycle," Daniel Verscharen, an associate professor of space and climate physics at University College London, told Insider.

"But during a maximum of a strong cycle like the one that is coming, it's more likely to get some of those events that cause power outages here on Earth," he said.

We've never been more vulnerable to a powerful storm

The most powerful geomagnetic storms on record date back to before the internet and the massive satellite fleets that we see today. The more infrastructure we rely on, the more vulnerable we are to its failure.

The Carrington Event of 1859 is widely considered to be the most powerful solar storm ever recorded. But because there was very little infrastructure to mess up, it caused fairly little damage.

Still, it was dramatic: telegraph operators got electic shocks from their equipment, and fires broke out at telegraph stations as currents generated by the storm coursed through the wires.

A huge solar flare like this one anticipated the 1989 solar storm. Solar & Heliospheric Observatory/NASA via Getty Images

Another notable storm happened in 1989. Though this storm was less powerful, it was more disruptive by that point, we'd started relying more on power grids and global communications.

The surge of power caused a widespread blackout in Quebec that lasted 12 hours and knocked out short-wave radio. Canadians worried that the Soviet Union was jamming radio signals into Russia, a misunderstanding that could have been dangerous in the Cold War.

These events, thankfully, did not escalate further. But it could mean that we've been lulled into a false sense of security. Since the 90s, our reliance on communications, satellites, power grids, and other crucial infrastructure has increased exponentially.

Should such a storm happen today, the world could expect to see widespread power blackouts, satellites crashing out of orbit, and crucial communication networks being cut, per NASA.

Why scientists are concerned about the next solar peak

The sun's activity is currently growing, and scientists are particularly concerned about the ongoing solar cycle.

This cycle is expected to be relatively moderate  but it is already more active than the previous cycle. That means the sun could become more active than it has been in the past two decades.

Another factor, per Verscharen, the space professor, is that the sun's magnetic fields are also pointing southwards. This which means the charged particles the sun is sending are more likely to carry a magnetic charge that's opposed to the Earth's magnetic field, he said.

This can give the particles more chance to break through the Earth's defenses.

A photo montage shows the sun four years ago compared to now. NOAA/Insider

It is still entirely possible that a once-a-century storm skips this solar cycle. But that doesn't mean we'd be safe from harm.

"Every solar cycle, we're more and more technologically reliant. What an average cycle would've caused in terms of space weather impacts 20 years ago is a lot less than what an average cycle might cause in terms of space weather impact now," said Owens, the other professor.

A storm wouldn't have to be a Carrington-level event to have widespread consequences, both the experts said.

The current solar cycle is already causing havoc. Powerful solar flares have caused radio blackouts that can be disruptive to long-haul flights going over the poles.

Elon Musk's SpaceX also lost 40 Starlink satellites as a solar storm caused the atmosphere to expand, increasing the drag for the satellites and causing them to burn up before they were even used.

All of these types of effects can have "major financial impacts," said Verscharen.

Scientists are racing against the clock

The current cycle is expected to peak around 2025. But won't be out of the woods by then, because geomagnetic storms are more likely to happen as solar is coming down from a peak, Verscharen said.

Till then, countries in higher latitudes like the US, Canada, Sweden, and the UK should be particularly wary  the higher the country's latitude, the more vulnerable it is to solar weather, said Verscharen.

Still, there are ways to mitigate the worst of the storms. With enough warning, operators can put in place measures to protect infrastructure from the worst effect of solar storms. They can switch off power grids strategically, re-route planes, or move satellites, for instance.

Scientists like Verscharen and Owens are now racing to understand what makes solar events more powerful, so that they can improve our advanced warning systems.

The European Space Agency is also looking to launch the Vigil satellite, which is due to go behind the sun to spot potentially dangerous sunspots and coronal holes days before they roll into view of Earth.

"With a combination of better prediction, better understanding of space weather, and paying more attention by especially the private sector that is now growing into the space, those things should be avoidable," said Verscharen.

Read the original article on Business Insider
One person was taken to the hospital for treatment after Boston first responders were called to a reported drowning near South Station Saturday.

Officers responded to the area of 25 Dorchester Avenue, between South Station and the Fort Point Channel.

Harbor Patrol Officers helped Boston Fire with the two victims struggling in the water. Firefighters called one victim, while a passerby in another boat assisted officers by pulling the second victim from the water.

One of the victims was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other victim was treated on scene and declined further medical evaluation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Many biomedical researchers and physicians hail personalized medicine as a radical, new approach to healthcare. In contrast to the traditional, one-size-fits-all model that treats all patients as if theyre identical, advocates describe personalized medicine as using genetic differences between people to deliver the right treatment, to the right patient, at the right time. And rather than just managing symptoms, personalized medicine proponents emphasize how it leverages insights from genetic research to intervene on the biological causes of disease.

The most exciting and ambitious promise of personalized medicine, though, is what it can do to address unjust racial health inequities. African Americans, for example, have frighteningly high rates of cardiovascular disease as well as infant and maternal mortality. Latino Americans more often suffer from obesity and asthma. Indigenous communities in the United States bear an increased burden of diabetes and chronic liver disease.

For champions of personalized medicine, gathering genomic information from communities of color is said to be an essential step toward combating the health crises. And, indeed, geneticists have been working hard to make inroads, recruiting people of color to participate in research and contribute their diverse DNA to the fight against health inequality.

Read more: Op-Ed: How should we do research on human nature?

It would be natural to applaud this well-meaning effort at making the world a more equitable place. Reflecting on an episode from the history of biomedical research, however, should leave us profoundly worried. Genetic endeavors undertaken with even the best of intentions can miss their mark and, in the process, distract from the actual causes of health disparities, with harmful consequences.

In 1963, federal scientists descended on the Gila River Indian Community outside Phoenix and found something truly shocking. The Akimel Oodham who lived there had Type 2 diabetes at 10 times the rate of the national average at that time. Diabetes results from excess glucose building up in the body, which then wreaks havoc  heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage. The epidemic was devastating the Indigenous community.

The scientists, intrigued by the severity of the problem and genuinely interested in helping, set up a clinic in the region. The community members were recruited to participate in a study designed to uncover the cause of the medical scourge and pave the way for biomedical interventions.

Much of that research was organized around the search for a thrifty genotype. Geneticists at the time thought that diabetes had a natural biological explanation. Humans in the distant past had a feast-or-famine relationship to food; hunter-gatherers might kill a giant ground sloth one day only to then go without a meal for quite some time. In response to this caloric environment, the story went, our ancient ancestors became genetically equipped with a metabolic ability to absorb and store energy for long periods. Diabetes was the result of this thrifty genotype being deposited in modern society where food was abundant.

Indigenous communities across the globe were known to have some of the highest rates of diabetes; the Akimel Oodham were just the most extreme example. Geneticists thought the thrifty genotype could explain both diabetes generally and the health disparities associated with it. If some group had a particularly high rate of diabetes, then that must be because they had a particular form of the thrifty genotype. The researchers thus embarked on an effort to save the Akimel Oodham by finding their genetic predisposition to diabetes.

In the decades that followed, all that attention to what was going on inside the bodies of the Indigenous community proved scientifically valuable. The basic endocrinology of diabetes, the relationship between diabetes and obesity, the progression from diabetes to kidney failure  these insights and many others relied on data that the Gila River Indian Community members provided.

The Akimel Oodham, however, benefited little. Thats because the source of the epidemic wasnt inside their bodies. It was all around them.

Akimel Oodham means River People. For centuries, they lived off the Gila River that runs through the parched Sonoran Desert, using it to irrigate fertile farmland. They grew beans, squash and cotton.

In 1859, after the Mexican-American War and the Gadsden Purchase, the United States took control of the area and established a reservation along the Gila River. Soon after, white ranchers and farmers up river began diverting water, leaving little for the Akimel Oodham. A horrific famine took hold for 40 years.

The federal government eventually intervened, providing the Indigenous community with surplus commodity foods. That solved the threat of starvation, but it introduced a new threat. The supplies consisted of things like lard, refined sugar, white flour and canned meats. Fresh produce wasnt included until the 1990s. A health survey of the Akimel Oodham at the beginning of the 20th century revealed a single case of diabetes among their people. By the 1960s, almost half the adults had it. The problem wasnt with the way that their bodies metabolized food; the problem was with the food that their bodies were made to metabolize.

Read more: Op-Ed: Solve the insulin pricing problem by getting government into the business

By the 21st century, the Gila River Indian Community became frustrated with the results of their decades-long commitment. The scientists were publishing hundreds of papers about the biology of diabetes, but the disease continued to devastate. The community collectively decided to end active participation in the study, shifting their attention and resources toward research that was focused on prevention and public health.

Sixty years after federal scientists first discovered the diabetes epidemic afflicting the Akimel Oodham, that episode offers a powerful lesson for personalized medicine ambitions of the present. Geneticists today dont talk about a thrifty genotype anymore. That pseudoscientific idea has been expunged from scientific discourse. But the thought that there must be some simple, biological explanation for complex, social problems remains at the heart of personalized medicine.

That inclination distracts from the actual causes of health disparities. It reinforces the idea that health disparities arent something that we need to collectively fix in society; rather, theyre something that people of color need to fix in their genomes. It violates the trust of those who put their faith in a science that promised to help them. And, ultimately, it exacerbates the problem it was intended to resolve.

James Tabery is a professor of philosophy and a member of the Center for Health Ethics, Arts, & Humanities at the University of Utah. This essay was adapted from his forthcoming book Tyranny of the Gene: Personalized Medicine and Its Threat to Public Health.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Bourne Rail Trails carbon cost

The conversation surrounding the extension of the Bourne Rail Trail has become unproductive, suggestive of the false idea that rails and bikes cannot coexist.

Those who support the removal of the railroad tracks from North Falmouth to the Cape Cod Canal have frequently termed the corridor as a lightly used rail, suggesting that the operation of trains could not possibly lend any benefit to the community. This is egregiously false.

Should the corridor be converted into pavement, all rail traffic leaving Joint Base Cape Cod would be displaced onto roads, an unacceptable alternative which would only increase congestion and local carbon emissions. The math is simple. A single train originating at Joint Base Cape Cod, carrying anywhere from 10 to 15 cars, could carry the equivalent of 67 truckloads, all of which would be displaced onto local roads. With multiple trains running every week, the factor becomes significant when considered annually.

Lets be clear: We are not debating the merits of running infrequent, novelty train rides on a grass-infested, overgrown railroad line. We are talking about the removal of an actively used, recently upgraded corridor, one that carries several freight trains per week. This is critical infrastructure providing a public service  that being the shipping of heavy and cumbersome debris by rail. There is simply no viable or sustainable alternative. Any carbon emissions offset by the presence of a trail may be nullified by the thousands of annual truckloads added to compensate for the loss of efficient rail service.

Rail has always been the most efficient and environmentally sustainable means of moving cargo  and the Sierra Club agrees. Clint Richmond, co-chair of the Massachusetts Sierra Clubs transportation committee, was recently quoted in saying that rail could play an even bigger role in the future.

Its a great opportunity to bring passenger rail to the Cape, serving Falmouth, the second-largest community on the Cape, the gateway to the Islands, and relieve congestion and have a low-carbon form of transportation.

Active, locally owned railroad lines have important work to do  just the same as any other piece of community infrastructure. Removing them creates an unsustainable vacuum in the transportation system, one that will be filled by increased carbon emissions and truck highway miles. As important and necessary as a bike connection might be, an alternative must be found it cannot come at such a high carbon price. The rails have very important work to do.

Ben Converse, East Sandwich

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Railroads help reduce carbon footprints, relieve road congestion
Ukraine has seen some successes in warfare along the Dnipro River. The Command of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Facebook

A "mechanized" Russian counterattack may threaten Ukraine's advanced position, a think tank said.

The Institute for the Study of War said it was unclear if Russia had the necessary reserves.

Ukraine's special forces recently broke Russian defensive lines in a raid across the Dnipro River.

Russia's overstretched forces may lack the mechanized reserves to successfully thwart a Ukrainian bridgehead across the Dnipro River, a report by the Institute for the Study of War says.

The US think tank said that "an effective Russian mechanized counterattack could threaten" Ukraine's advanced position but that it was "unclear if Russian forces possess the mechanized reserves necessary to do so."

In a thread on X, the think tank broke down the latest situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, noting that "Russian mil bloggers acknowledged that Ukrainian forces are maintaining a presence on the east (left) bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson Oblast."

But the think tank said it did not believe Ukraine had yet established a bridgehead. A bridgehead across the waterway from the recaptured city of Kherson on the southern section of the 750-mile front line would put Ukrainian forces in a position to contemplate an advance toward Russian-occupied Crimea  and split the Russian invasion force in two.

A sign warning of mines by the Dnipro River in Kherson, Ukraine. REUTERS/Nacho Doce

It also said that "continuing Russian claims that Ukrainian forces maintain a presence on the east bank of the Dnipro River suggest that Russian forces are concerned that they have established semi-lasting positions across the river."

The Institute said it was keeping a "conservative assessment" of the movements in the Kherson oblast, and it was waiting for "visual confirmation of an enduring Ukrainian presence on the east bank" of the region.

Ukraine has been enjoying some success of late in warfare along the river, with its special forces breaking through Russian defensive lines and capturing or killing some enemy soldiers in a raid across the Dnipro River, as Insider previously reported.

But Michael Clarke, a defense expert and a professor at King's College London, told Sky News that the raid seemed to be "more of a distraction than anything else."

"The biggest breach they've made is south of Zaporizhzhia. They've got another one in Bakhmut, and another at Velyka Novosilka further south  so they've got at least four breaches," Clarke said.

"They are going to try to go through one or more rather quickly," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Petro Andriushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, has said that the partisans destroyed the Russian base in the city.

Source: Andriushchenko on Telegram

Details: The official reports that the partisans burned down the Russian base on the afternoon of 13 August.

He released a photo of the fire but did not provide any additional information.

Note: Overnight on 13 August, two storage points of Russian military ammunition were destroyed in occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast.

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!
Ecuador candidates talk tough on crime after assassination FILE PHOTO: Ecuadorean presidential candidate Villavicencio killed at campaign event, in Quito

By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's presidential candidates promised improvements in security during a debate late on Sunday, days after their fellow hopeful Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated leaving a campaign event.

The killing of the 59-year-old in the closing days of the campaign has sent shockwaves through the South American country of 18 million people, where violent crime stoked by transnational gangs has risen sharply in recent years.

Villavicencio, an ex-lawmaker and investigative journalist with a record of exposing corruption, repeatedly said he was not afraid of the gangs despite receiving threats.

An empty podium stood in Villavicencio's place as several candidates promised an iron fist against crime during the tumultuous debate, which moderators initially struggled to control.

Luisa Gonzalez, who has led polling with about 30% of the vote, pledged a return to policies implemented by her mentor, former President Rafael Correa, who left office in 2017 and was later convicted of corruption.

"We'll return security on the streets, so they don't kill us, with a firm hand against crime," Gonzalez said. "We are going to retake control of this country."

Law and order candidate Jan Topic said he would redirect $1.2 billion in earnings from police fines to a "zero tolerance" plan for security.

"We'll retake control of the 36 prisons and the northern and southern borders so that drug trafficking and illegal arms never come to our streets, equip and train our forces of order and integrate all the sources of intelligence," Topic said.

Pro-market candidate Otto Sonnenholzner also promised a tough response on crime.

"We'll back public forces, when a criminal raises a firearm against a citizen they will know they will get the bullet that they deserve," Sonnenholzner said.

Indigenous candidate Yaku Perez, who said he is the only candidate with an advanced law degree, promised social improvements and better criminology data to inform policy.

"We're going to give conclusive answers to common crime and to organized crime," Perez said.

FBI JOINS INVESTIGATION

Earlier on Sunday, leaders of the Build party, or Construye in Spanish, announced they would now opt for Christian Zurita to replace Villavicencio as the party's candidate, reversing their decision from Saturday to elevate the party's vice presidential nominee.

Zurita is also a journalist who in the past collaborated with Villavicencio.

Though he officially registered his candidacy for the Aug. 20 vote on Sunday, he still must be approved by the national electoral authorities and could not participate in Sunday's debate.

"We're going to try to emulate his abilities and we're going to try to emulate his name," Zurita said at a press conference, referring to Villavicencio, while wearing a bullet-proof vest.

He emphasized he will not negotiate with "any mafia."

While ballots for the election had already been printed prior to Villavicencio's assassination, votes for him will automatically transfer to the party's replacement.

As the final days of campaign wind down, the search for answers into the slain candidate got an outside boost.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata told reporters earlier in the day that a team from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had met with police leaders and would in the "next few hours" meet with prosecutors from the attorney general's office who are leading the investigation into Villavicencio's slaying.

Outgoing President Guillermo Lasso asked for FBI help in the case on Thursday, the day after Villavicencio was shot multiple times as he stepped into a car.

Six Colombian nationals have been charged with the murder and remain in custody while one other suspect died after an exchange of gunfire shortly after the murder.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by David Alire Garcia and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates)
Journalist Christian Zurita (C) will take the place of slain presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio (MARTIN BERNETTI)

The party of Ecuador's slain presidential candidate on Sunday tapped a reporter to take his place on the ballot as several contenders to lead the South American nation in a vote later this month showed up for a national debate wearing bulletproof vests.

Journalist Christian Zurita will take the place of the assassinated Fernando Villavicencio in the August 20 elections, the Movimiento Construye political party announced.

Villavicencio, a 59-year-old journalist himself and known for his anti-corruption crusades, was gunned down as he left a campaign rally in the capital Quito on Wednesday night.

The naming of Zurita as the party's candidate is a reversal from Saturday, when Construye had said Villavicencio's running mate, Andrea Gonzalez, would take the spot.

But party officials worried that Gonzalez's candidacy might be thrown out by election authorities, since she was already registered as the vice presidential candidate for the vote.

Villavicencio had been polling at second place before his shock assassination.

President Guillermo Lasso has blamed the murder on organized crime.

In a sign of the apprehension now pervading the campaign, Zurita and another candidate, Daniel Noboa, both appeared Sunday evening at a television studio wearing bulletproof vests ahead of a national debate. Security was heavy.

Zurita and Gonzalez, however, said they were barred from taking part in the debate.

An election official told journalists that Zurita's documentation had been submitted only minutes before the debate, which meant that he was not officially a candidate at the time of the event.

"Without Fernando there is no debate," said Zurita, 53, near the location where the other seven candidates were presenting their ideas.

On the television broadcast, the chair reserved for Villavicencio was empty.

- 'Infinity of crimes' -

Six Colombians have so far been arrested and another killed in the police investigation into the assassination.

At a news conference Sunday, Police Commander General Fausto Salinas said those apprehended for the murder had long prior criminal records, having committed an "infinity of crimes" related to weapons and drug trafficking, kidnapping and theft.

Interior Minister Juan Zapata said investigators were continuing to look into who might have ordered the killing of Villavicencio.

Imprisoned gang leader Jose Adolfo "Fito" Macias had allegedly threatened Villavicencio before he was slain.

Macias was transferred to a maximum security prison via a massive military and police operation on Saturday, but no specific gang has been officially blamed in the assassination.

Villavicencio's widow, Veronica Sarauz, blamed the state for her husband's death, accusing police of not adequately protecting him.

"This is a state crime because he was under the custody of the state through the police," she said during a news conference on Saturday.

She also blamed supporters of ex-president Rafael Correa, who was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in prison after Villavicencio had investigated him for corruption.

The day before his assassination, Villavicencio had filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office, alleging irregularities in oil contracts negotiated during Correa's administration, estimating a loss to the country of around $9 billion.

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Ever since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, analysts picking apart Vladimir Putins motives and messaging about the war have looked to religion for some of the answers. Putins nationalist vision paints Russia as a defender of traditional Christian values against a liberal, secular West.

Putins Russia, however, is only the latest in a centurieslong lineup of nations using religion to bolster their political ambitions. As a Jesuit priest and scholar of Catholicism, Ive seen in my research on nationalism and religion how patriotic loyalties and religious faith easily borrow one anothers language, symbols and emotions.

Western Christianity, including Catholicism, has often been enlisted to stir up patriotic fervor in support of nationalism. Historically, one typical aspect of the Catholic approach is linking devotion to the Virgin Mary with the interests of the state and military.

The birth of a belief

An Egyptian papyrus fragment from the fourth century is the first clear evidence of Christians praying to the Virgin Mary. The brief prayer, which seeks Marys protection in times of trouble, is written in the first person plural  using language like our and we  which suggests a belief that Mary would respond to groups of people as well as individuals.

That conviction appeared to grow in the following centuries. After the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in A.D. 312, the new faith developed a close relationship with his empire, including a belief that Mary looked with particular favor on the capital city of Constantinople.

A 10th-century Byzantine mosaic of Constantine the Great offering Constantinople to the Virgin Mary, at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Photo by PHAS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Political and religious leaders asked the Virgin for victory in battle and shelter from plagues. In A.D. 626, Constantinople was besieged by a Persian navy. Christians believed that their prayers to the Virgin destroyed the invading fleet, saving the city and its inhabitants. The Akathist hymn, which has been prayed in both the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches ever since, gives Mary the military title Champion General in thanks for that victory.

In the Catholic West, military successes such as European victories over the Ottoman Empire were attributed to Marys intervention. Her blessing has been sought on imperialist endeavors, including Spains conquest of the Americas.

Even today, Mary holds the title of general in the armies of Argentina and Chile, where she is considered a national patroness. The same association between Marian devotion and patriotism can be found in many Latin American countries.

National symbol

Off the battlefield, many Catholic cultures have historically felt they had a special relationship with Mary. In 1638, King Louis XIII formally dedicated France to the Virgin Mary. Popular belief interpreted the subsequent birth of the future Louis XIV as Marys miraculous reward, after 23 years of waiting for a male heir.

About two decades later, Polish King Jan II Kazimierz consecrated his country to Mary amid a war. Both acts reflected church and political leaders beliefs that their countries had a sacred mission and divine approval for their political ambitions.

When these kinds of beliefs become widespread in a society, many scholars would label them religious nationalism  though there is a long-standing debate about when affection for ones country becomes nationalism. There is widespread consensus, though, that religion is one of the most common elements of nationalism, and many nationalist projects have invoked Marys blessing.

Polish territory, for example, was divided between Russia, Prussia and Austria for more than a century. But Polish Catholics continued to address Mary as Queen of Poland. Her title asserted the existence of the Polish people as a nation. And it implied that efforts to reestablish Poland as a sovereign country had a heavenly helper.

Similarly, in the 19th century, both Queen Victoria and the Virgin Mary were referred to in different contexts as Queen of Ireland, expressing two rival visions of Ireland: part of the Protestant United Kingdom, or a separate and essentially Catholic country.

Many different movements have used the figure of the Virgin to support their agendas. In colonial Mexico, the figure of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one title for Mary, was originally interpreted as being a champion of the criollos, native-born inhabitants of Spanish descent. During the 1810-21 War of Mexican Independence, la Guadalupana figured on the banners of the independista forces. The Spanish army, meanwhile, adopted the Virgin of Los Remedios, another title for Mary, as their own patroness. She would later be invoked in support of Indigenous people and mestizos, people with both Indigenous and Spanish ancestry.

Mary is invoked not only by nationalist causes. Sometimes she is inspiration for countercultural or protest movements, from the pro-life cause to Latina feminists. Labor leader Cesar Chavez placed the image of Guadalupe on banners as his organization marched for farmworkers rights.

Marys future

All these uses draw on the ancient belief in Marys power to intervene in times of trouble. However, ideological, political and especially military ambitions and religious sentiment are a volatile mix. As the current war in Ukraine shows, allegiance to ones nation, especially when it claims Christian inspiration, can inspire both imperialist expansionism and heroic resistance to it.

This makes a better understanding of religious nationalism urgently important, especially for the church. Twentieth- and 21st-century popes have condemned aggressive nationalism but have not defined it clearly.

In cultures that are largely secularized, appeals for Marys protection or claims that she has a special relationship with any one nation are now likely to seem archaic, outlandish or sectarian. But what I know of both Marian devotion and national identity has convinced me that ancient patterns often survive and reassert themselves in new times and places.

Even where the practice of Catholicism is in decline, Marys cultural significance remains strong. And religion continues to be a regular element of many nationalist agendas.

My guess is that we have not seen the last of the warrior Virgin.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Dorian Llywelyn, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

Read more:



Dorian Llywelyn 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.
This is the new Data Science and Information Technology building, shown in the final stages of construction on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville in September 2022. With dozens of construction projects underway, the university has a tall order in meeting its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2025.

With climate change at an all-time high in our world, innovative practices are being sought worldwide in the quest for a sustainable future. While studying abroad in Europe this summer, I was introduced to biochar, a charcoal counterpart that is produced from burning biomass in an oxygen-limited environment that has the potential to transform the construction industry.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the global construction industry contributes to nearly 40% of all CO2 emissions, a problem not being addressed efficiently or adequately.

With more than 25 construction projects underway, the University of Florida is contributing to this growing percentage of carbon emissions. Being a top-tier university in the U.S., UF has a responsibility to minimize its carbon footprint while encouraging other universities and possibly the construction industry to imitate the same behavior.

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UFs Office of Sustainability has set an ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by 2025, requiring the school to move towards more innovative and sustainable practices. Realistically, well need more than two years before biochar is incorporated as an additive to traditional construction materials like cement. That shouldnt stop us, however, from starting the process of researching how we can jumpstart the implementation of biochar into our construction industry.

In Europe, biochar has not only been researched as a construction material, but it has also been used in road construction, as aggregate for asphalt and cement composites. One example is a construction project conducted in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg, where EnergieWerk ILG (an energy and biochar producer), MIGU (road construction company) and Syncraft (system supplier) all worked together to test the benefits of adding biochar as an aggregate in asphalt.

Their tests concluded that for every kilogram of biochar added, the carbon of about 3kg of CO2 is stored, instead of being released into the atmosphere  by applying biochar to their roads, they made asphalt climate-neutral and even climate-positive.

Another valuable research study was conducted reviewing how applying biochar in construction materials changed its properties and its effectiveness on carbon footprint reduction. This study concluded that the use of biochar positively affected the properties of building materials while strengthening and improving the durability of composites.

Sunshine Organics and Compost CEO and founder Mike Kelcourse holds up biochar at his company's facility in Jacksonville. The 3-year-old business, Jacksonville's first food waste composting facility, recently received a USDA grant of $4.9 million. The charcoal-like substance, made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes, has shown promise in mitigating effects of climate change when used in construction materials.

Along with these two examples, there are plenty of other European studies that prove the scalability of implementing biochar with construction materials and its potential to revolutionize the industry.

Europe has already performed a deep dive into this creative, sustainable practice and UF is well-positioned to be one of the first in the United States to recognize the potential of biochar. The UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has also started three research projects on biochar within the agriculture industry, showing that there currently exists an interest in this carbon removal process.

There are three steps UF can take to advance its research and use of biochar in construction materials:

We must first diversify the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences' research to study both biochar in agriculture and construction materials. The institute can partner with the College of Design, Construction & Planning to assemble a team of experts to focus on the benefits, challenges and practicalities associated with biochar use in construction materials. Both institutions conduct a lot of research projects, thus having the budget and manpower to tackle this project idea. Using the findings of this research, UF can develop pilot projects by incorporating biochar onto its own campus. These projects can serve as real-world case studies from which other universities and companies can learn and take inspiration. Along with policy advocacy, UF can focus on education and training. The use of biochar can be incorporated into its curriculum, thus training future engineers, architects and construction managers about this sustainable practice. Also, departments such as Construction & Planning and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences can host workshops or informational sessions for construction companies, government agencies and other universities to raise public awareness about the benefits of biochar in construction. The universitys influence can be put to good use by advocating for policies that encourage the use of biochar within the construction industry. This could include lobbying for building codes that recognize and reward the use of biochar or advocating for tax incentives or grants for construction projects that use biochar.

By spearheading research into biochar with construction materials, UF has the opportunity to break new ground on sustainable building practices, while simultaneously reaching its carbon-neutral goals. The potential benefits of biochar are too significant to ignore  its time for UF to seize this idea and contribute to a reduction of carbon emissions and to the development of a more sustainable construction industry.

Padron-Rasines

Valentina Padron-Rasines is a student majoring in Sustainability Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Charcoal-like substance has huge potential in construction industry
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday he is hopeful that the special counsel overseeing the investigations into President Joe Bidens son, Hunter, will fulfill his role appropriately.

I am hopeful that Special Counsel [David] Weiss will do his job without fear or favor, the GOP presidential hopeful said during an interview on NBCs Meet the Press.

On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland granted special counsel status to Weiss, the federal prosecutor who has been investigating the presidents son for five years, saying the move was in the public interest.

While Pence said he welcomed the decision, he also applauded House Republicans who have relentlessly called for investigations into the Biden family.

The American people have a right to know whether or not President Biden's family benefited, or that he himself benefited when he was serving in the job that I had as vice president of the United States in a financial way from foreign nationals, Pence said, adding that he has confidence that Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who chairs the Judiciary Committee, and James Comer (R-Ky.), who chairs the Oversight Committee, will continue to do their job for the American people.

Both Republicans have been dogged in probing Hunter Bidens business dealings, searching for an incriminating link to Joe Biden. Democrats say there remains no evidence the president himself benefited from his son's actions.

On Sunday, Pence also criticized the Justice Department, promising, if elected, to clean house on the whole top floor and appoint leaders who will apply the rule of law in this country equally to every American.

Other Republicans have come out more forcefully against Garlands decision, claiming that Weiss, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2017, has attempted to help cover up corruption by President Biden and members of his family.

This appointment is camouflage and it's cover-up, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said during an interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures.

I think it's disgraceful. David Weiss was a U.S. Attorney hand-picked to lead this investigation who spent the last five years covering it up, Cruz told host Maria Bartiromo.
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday he doesnt recall if he was told by White House officials at the time of a false elector scheme to overturn certain 2020 election results prior to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

When asked by NBC Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd why he asked the Senate parliamentarian whether there were any other electors to consider during the process of Congress certifying the 2020 election, Pence responded that he did so due to reports in the press.

I did ask the parliamentarian very directly, Chuck. I asked her because I was hearing rumors. I was reading in the newspaper that there were alternate electors. I just  I asked her point-blank, Pence said.

Was anybody in the White House telling you this? Todd asked.

I asked her if there were any other electors from any state, and she said there was not  I dont recall that, I just remember hearing it in the public. And I wanted a definitive answer whether or not the parliamentarian had received any additional electoral votes. She had not. So as you know, I  we actually changed the language as those Electoral College votes were recorded, Pence responded.

Pence said his conversation with the Senate parliamentarian occurred Jan. 3, three days before the Capitol riot. The former vice president said he heard rumors and read of possible alternate electors in the press but does not recall anybody in the White House who told him of false elector schemes.

I have no right to overturn the election. The constitution is quite clear. As vice president, my job was to preside over a joint session of Congress, where the Constitution says the Electoral College votes shall be opened and shall be counted, and I know by Gods grace I did my duty that day.

Earlier this month, Trump was indicted for his attempt to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election. In its 45-page indictment, the Department of Justice alleges Trump led a campaign of dishonesty, fraud and conceit to obstruct a bedrock function of a democracy.

The indictment includes numerous details of Pences conversations with Trump leading up to Jan. 6, when Pence, in his role as vice president, oversaw Congresss official Electoral College count that solidified President Bidens win over Trump.

Pence also said he stood by Trumps comments that the former vice president is too honest.

Its part of dialogue that happened between the president and me and that was related, I think, to a bogus of a lawsuit that was brought to try and force my hand, to have a federal judge say that I had the right to throw out votes, Pence said. Look, theres almost no idea more un-American than the idea that any one person could choose which votes to count for president of the United States.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday he is hopeful that the special counsel appointed to investigate Hunter Bidens business dealings will proceed without fear or favor.

NBCs Chuck Todd asked Pence on Meet the Press whether he approved of Attorney General Merrick Garlands decision to elevate David Weiss  the Delaware federal prosecutor who has led the investigation into Biden  to special counsel status. The GOP 2024 presidential candidate said he welcomed the decision, noting that he is also comforted that Congress will continue to investigate.

The American people have a right to know whether or not President Bidens family benefited, or that he himself benefited, when he was serving in the job that I had as vice president of the United States in a financial way from foreign nationals, Pence said.

These are facts the American people have a right to get to the bottom of, he added. I am hopeful that Special Counsel Weiss will do his job without fear or favor, but I have confidence that [Ohio GOP Rep.] Jim Jordan, Congressman [James] Comer, and others will continue to do their job for the American people.

House Republicans have launched congressional probes into Bidens business dealings with an aim to connect President Biden to foreign influence while he served as vice president. However, the federal charges against his son stem only from tax and gun charges, which he pleaded not guilty to last month, after a plea agreement deal was put on hold.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Editors note: On Aug. 15, Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau released the following statement to Military Times: The District of Columbia Air National Guard is not involved in the Army-directed restructuring of the District of Columbia National Guard. There are no plans to transfer any elements of the District of Columbia Air National Guard to the Maryland National Guard.

The Pentagon is developing plans to restructure the National Guard in Washington, D.C., in a move to address problems highlighted by the chaotic response to the Jan. 6 riot and safety breaches during the 2020 protests over the murder of George Floyd, The Associated Press has learned.

The changes under discussion would transfer the District of Columbias aviation units, which came under sharp criticism during the protests when a helicopter flew dangerously low over a crowd. In exchange, the district would get more military police, which is often the citys most significant need, as it grapples with crowd control and large public events.

Several current and former officials familiar with the talks spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They said no final decisions have been made.

FILE - A member of the District of Columbia National Guard looks out from a vehicle driving on West Executive Avenue at the White House, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington, as demonstrators protest over the death of George Floyd nearby. (Patrick Semansky/AP, File)

A key sticking point is who would be in control of the D.C. Guard  a politically divisive question that gets to the heart of what has been an ongoing, turbulent issue. Across the country, governors control their National Guard units and can make decisions on deploying them to local disasters and other needs. But D.C. is not a state, so the president is in charge but gives that authority to the defense secretary, who generally delegates it to the Army secretary.

According to officials, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is weighing two options: maintaining the current system or handing control to U.S. Northern Command, which is in charge of homeland defense.

Senior officials have argued in favor of Northern Command, which would take control out of the hands of political appointees in Washington who may be at odds with the D.C. government, and giving it to nonpartisan military commanders who already oversee homeland defense. Others, however, believe the decision-making should remain at the Pentagon, mirroring the civilian control that governors have on their troops.

The overall goal, officials said, is not to decrease the size of the districts Guard, but reform it and ensure it has the units, equipment and training to do the missions it routinely faces. The proposal to shift the aviation forces is largely an Army decision. It would move the D.C. Air Guard wing and its aircraft to the Maryland Guard, and the Army aviation unit, with its helicopters, to Virginias Guard.

An Army official added that a review of the D.C. Guard examined its ability to provide rapid response, mission command and coordination with other forces when needed over the past four years. The review, which led to the recommendations, involved the District Guard and Army leaders.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers office did not respond to a request for comment Friday on the proposed changes.

But Bowser and other local officials have long claimed that the mayors office should have sole authority to deploy the local guard, arguing that the D.C. mayor has the responsibilities of any governor without the extra authorities or tools.

When faced with a potential security event, the mayor of D.C. has to go to the Pentagon  usually the Army secretary  to request National Guard assistance. That was true during the violent protests in the city over the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in 2020, and later as an angry mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to overturn the election of Joe Biden as president.

As the Jan. 6 riot was unfolding, city leaders were making frantic calls to Army leaders, asking them to send Guard troops to the Capitol where police and security were being overrun. City leaders complained heatedly about delays in the response as the Pentagon considered Bowsers National Guard request. City police ended up reinforcing the Capitol Police.

Army leaders, in response, said the district was demanding help but not providing the details and information necessary to determine what forces were needed and how they would be used.

Army officials were concerned about taking the Guard troops who were arrayed around the city doing traffic duty and sending them into a riot, because they were not prepared and didnt have appropriate gear. And they criticized the city for repeatedly insisting it would not need security help when asked by federal authorities in the days leading up to Jan. 6.

The swirling confusion spurred congressional hearings and accusations that political considerations influenced the Trump administrations response to the unrest in the Democratic-majority city. Defense officials rejected those charges, and blamed the city.

Within the Pentagon, however, there are broader concerns that D.C. is too quick to seek National Guard troops to augment law enforcement shortfalls in the city that should be handled by police. In recent days, a city council member suggested the D.C. Guard might be needed to help battle spiking local crime.

The restructuring is an effort to smooth out the process and avoid communications problems if another crisis erupts.

An Army investigation in April 2021 sharply criticized the D.C. Guard, saying troops lacked clear guidance and didnt fully understand how to use helicopters appropriately during the civil unrest in June 2020.

The probe was triggered by widespread objections, including from Congress, after one of the D.C. Guard helicopters hovered low enough over protesters near the Capitol One Arena to create a deafening noise and spray protesters with rotor wash. There were also concerns that the Guard used a medivac helicopter  with medical markings  to make such a show of force against the crowds gathered to protest Floyds death.

The report found that the use of medical helicopters was appropriate because it was an emergency, but the episode raised worries among defense leaders about the need for improved planning, training and oversight of the D.C. Guards use of aviation and calls for a stricter approval process.

Associated Press writer Ashraf Khalil contributed to this report.
A pickup driver died in the hospital early Sunday morning, hours after the truck crashed into a tree, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said.

The victim was 61-year-old Aiken resident Billy D. Graham, Aiken County Coroner Darryl Ables said.

The single-vehicle collision happened Saturday night in Aiken County, according to Lance Cpl. Lena Butler of the Highway Patrol.

At about 8:50 p.m., the 1998 Ford F-150 Graham was driving ran off the right side of Chime Bell Church Road and hit a tree before crashing into a ditch, Butler said.

Graham was taken to a hospital in Augusta and died there at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Ables.

There was no word if Graham was wearing a seat belt.

Butler said Graham was the only person in the pickup, and no other injuries were reported.

Information about why the pickup veered off the road was not available, but the crash continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol and the coroners office. Toxicology analysis is pending, Ables said.

Through Thursday, 612 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 24 people have died in Aiken County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 29 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
Officers from the Pleasant Hill Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation were continuing their investigation of an incident in which a man was shot and killed by Pleasant Hill police Saturday afternoon.

Jean Loegering was sitting near a rear window in her gray chair Saturday afternoon, busy sewing her granddaughter's 8-foot-long table runner when she heard what she thought were fireworks.

From where she sat, Loegering could see a man she estimated to be 20 to 30 years old. He was naked except for an ammunition belt.

In his hands was an automatic rifle.

She watched him jump the fence into her neighbor's backyard and fire at the home. She also watched him smoking a cigarette, saw a gas canister and thought he was going to light the house on fire.

Her husband, Steve Loegering, was one of several neighbors who called police, and they arrived within minutes.

The view from Jean Loegering's window.

Pleasant Hill police, along with officers from other metro police agencies, responded at about 1 p.m. to the 400 block of Pleasant Circle, where they found an armed man firing a weapon. A Pleasant Hill officer shot the man and took him into custody, according to a release from Pleasant Hill police.

The man, later pronounced dead, was identified in a news release Sunday evening as Bradley Robert Van Heeswyk, 25, of Des Moines.

"The police had to tear down the fence after to get in there," Jean Loegering said. "They came in our yard this way and on the other side. There were a lot of police here. They just kept coming."

One officer fired his weapon, the Sunday evening news release said. He was identified as Pleasant Hill officer Steven Burroughs, who is on paid administrative leave, following standard department policy.

Jean Loegering estimated seeing about 50 officers on the scene from several jurisdictions, including Altoona and Pleasant Hill. After the man was shot by police, she saw him on a gurney with an IV and observed first responders tend to him for quite some time.

Van Heeswyk died after being transported to MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, police have said.

Police said in an email Saturday evening that the subject killed two family dogs just before the incident with officers.

The 400 block of Pleasant Circle in Pleasant Hill is blocked off Saturday evening as an investigation continues into an incident resulting in a Pleasant Hill police officer shooting and killing a man earlier in the day.

The Loegerings have lived in their home for over 20 years. They and other neighbors said nothing like this has happened in the area before. It's typical for children to be outside playing in the cul-de-sac, one neighbor said.

"It was an experience I'll never forget," Steven Loegering said.

Pleasant Hill police said that there is no ongoing threat to the public and that no one else was injured during the incident, which is being investigated by Pleasant Hill police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter@NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Witnesses: Man shot by Pleasant Hill police was naked, fired at home
The Plum Borough School District is taking action to support its community after a devastating explosion Saturday killed six people, including a child.

PHOTOS: House leveled in explosion in Plum Borough; several other homes damaged

On behalf of the entire school district, I want to express my deepest sympathies and offer support to our school community affected by this tragedy, said Superintendent Rick Walsh in a statement.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> LATEST UPDATES: 6 people dead, including child, after massive explosion in Plum

Walsh said the district will open its doors to students, staff and the community for support services.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure the emotional well-being of our students and families as we navigate this unimaginable tragedy, Walsh said.

The district is making its crisis intervention team available on Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Plum Senior High School Library.

Walsh also encourages parents to utilize grief resources and other handouts the district has on its Parents Resources webpage.

On 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Plum Boro Music Boosters will host a Marching Band Preview & Kona Ice Fundraiser.

The event will be held at the entrance to the football stadium at Plum Senior High School. One-hundred percent of Kona Ice sales will benefit the families affected in Rustic Ridge. Donation jars will also be available.

The Plum High School Boys Soccer Team is also hosting a fundraiser. All profits from the sale of Plum porch boards will be donated to Rustic Ridge families.

More information can be found on their Facebook page.

A GoFundMe accounts have been set up for victims: Victims of Plum Home Explosion.

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Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized a possible Biden administration prisoner exchange deal with Iran during a Sunday interview with John Catsimatidis.

Its really dangerous, Pompeo said on The Cats Roundtable on WABC 770 AM. Its dangerous for the Gulf nations, its dangerous forIsrael.

The U.S. is attempting to bring home five jailed Americans in Iran via a deal that involves the release of $6 billion in oil revenue for the purchase of critical life goods. On Friday, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said the deal is not done, and negotiations between the two countries are ongoing.

There would be a rigorous process of due diligence and standards applied with input from the U.S. Treasury Department, Kirby told reporters in a briefing call on the matter.

US offers caution on Iran prisoner release: This deal is not done

Pompeo said the price tag of the exchange will only encourage more hostage-taking, claiming the payment will build their economy.

You now have a situation where we have told the Iranians, For every American you take, the Biden administration will provide you with $1 billion, Pompeo said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
MILAN (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday urged politicians to address the "open wound" of migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, saying he had been praying for the 41 people who died in a shipwreck earlier this month.

"With both pain and shame we must declare that, since the start of the year, already almost 2,000 men, women and children have died in that sea while attempting to reach Europe," Francis said after the weekly Angelus prayer.

"I encourage the political and diplomatic forces who are trying to heal this wound in a spirit of solidarity and brotherhood, as well as the efforts of those who work to prevent shiprwrecks and rescue migrants."

Deadly disasters are frequents as migrants try to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. More than 22,000 people have died or gone missing in its waters since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Port officials on the Italian island of Sicily recovered one body on Sunday after a boat carrying 13 migrants capsized on Saturday night off the nearby island of Marettimo, ANSA news agency reported. Another person was also presumed to have died.

On Saturday, six people died after a migrant boat trying to cross the Channel from France to Britain capsized early on Saturday, and another two people were possibly missing, French authorities said.

The pope also called for prayers for Ukraine and for the victims of the wildfires in Maui in Hawaii. The death toll from those fires reached 93 on Saturday, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Frances Kerry)
The challenge of tackling our planets overheating has received its fair share of attention from celebrities, business owners, and activists. But one figure has had some particularly strong words to share.

In a message to visitors at St. Peters Square this summer, Pope Francis said, according to Reuters, I renew my appeal to world leaders to do something more concrete to limit polluting emissions.

He also noted, [The emissions are] an urgent challenge, it cannot be postponed, it concerns everyone. Let us protect our common home.

His statement came in the wake of heat waves across the planet, as well as flooding in countries such as South Korea. Soon afterward, scientists determined that July 2023 would be the hottest month in recorded history. The global mean temperature for the month of July has hovered around 61 degrees Fahrenheit in the past. This year, the average mean temperature has soared by 2 degrees.

This isnt the first time Pope Francis has been critical of dirty energy sources like oil and gas. He has made environmental protection a key component of his tenure as pope, claiming in a 2015 Laudato Si (Praised Be) letter that the planet was beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth, per Reuters.

I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet, the Pope wrote at the time. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.

Pope Francis has nested his climate-forward perspectives in the idea that individuals should protect Gods creation from environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change.

The Pope has been highly critical of world governments efforts to achieve this mission. In a message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation prepared in May 2023, the Pope called for an end to the senseless war against creation.

He also drew a direct link between dirty energy and global climate change.

According to the commitments undertaken in the Paris Agreement to restrain global warming, it is absurd to permit the continued exploration and expansion of fossil fuel infrastructures, the Pope shared in his message, Reuters reported.

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A raid on the small-town Kansas newspaper and the home of its publisher has been widely derided by press freedom advocates. (Marion Police Department)

The entire five-member police department of a small town in Kansas raided the office of a local newspaper and the home of its publisher, seizing computers, cell phones and other reporting materials and effectively shutting down publication.

The weekly newspapers 98-year-old co-owner  apparently overwhelmed by the incident  collapsed and died the following day, according to the Marion County Record.

Publisher Eric Meyer said the Marion Police Departments raid on 11 August took everything we have.

The incident is likely to cast a chilling effect on the newspapers abilities to publish and for members of the public to speak with its reporters, he told the Kansas Reflector.

Based on the reporting so far, the police raid of the Marion County Record on Friday appears to have violated federal law, the First Amendment, and basic human decency, according to a statement from Seth Stern, director of advocacy for Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves, he added.

The raid followed a series of stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting with Republican US Rep Jake LaTurner. A source had contacted the newspaper about the restaurant owners drunken driving record, and reporters sought to verify the information through government records. Mr Meyer ultimately decided against publishing anything.

But the restaurant owner, KarI Newell, falsely claimed during a city council meeting that the newspaper had illegally obtained sensitive documents about her, which prompted the newspaper to publish a story that set the record straight.

The newspaper was also actively investigating Gideon Cody, Marions chief of police, following allegations that he had retired from a previous job to avoid punishment over accusations of sexual misconduct.

The Independent has requested comment from Mr Cody and Marion police.

A warrant for the raid  performed by the entire police department and sheriffs deputies  was signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar.

The two-page warrant stated that officers were allowed to seize phones, software, items that contained passwords, and all correspondence and documents pertaining to Kari Newell.

Chief Cody also reportedly dislocated one reporters finger after snatching her phone from her hand during the raid.

Officers also reportedly photographed personal financial statements and seized personal items  including a smart speaker used by the papers 98-year-old co-owner Joan Meyer to ask for assistance.

These are Hitler tactics and something has to be done, Ms Meyer said.

The following day, the Marion County Record reported that she was stressed beyond her limits and overwhelmed by hours of shock and grief following the raid of the newspapers office and her home.

Joan Meyer, otherwise in good health for her age, collapsed Saturday afternoon and died at her home, the newspaper reported. She had not been able to eat after police showed up at the door of her home Friday with a search warrant in hand. Neither was she able to sleep Friday night.

Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said that the incident is unprecedented in the state.

An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the publics right to know, she said in a statement. This cannot be allowed to stand.

The Radio Television Digital News Association also is demanding an explanation from police.

Free expression advocacy organisation PEN America said such egregious attempts to interfere with news reporting cannot go unchecked in a democracy, and that the seizure of the newspapers equipment almost certainly violates federal law & puts the papers ability to publish the news in jeopardy.

In The Records own reporting of the incident, Mr Meyer condemned what he called police Gestapo tactics used to crush dissent.

We will be seeking the maximum sanctions possible under law, he added.

The Record is expected to file a federal lawsuit.

The Press Freedom Tracker has recorded at least 55 incidents targeting journalists First Amendment-protected activities within the last year.

Earlier this year, officials in Oklahoma were caught on tape fantasizing about killing journalists. Two journalists in North Carolina were recently found guilty of trespassing for reporting on the evictions of homeless people during a law enforcement sweep in Asheville.

The latest incident in Kansas appears to be the latest example of American law enforcement officers treating the press in a manner previously associated with authoritarian regimes, Mr Stern said.

The anti-press rhetoric thats become so pervasive in this country has become more than just talk and is creating a dangerous environment for journalists trying to do their jobs, he added.
Many Americans who serve as caregivers are consumed by the immense cost of tending to ailing or aging family members.

And as the baby boomer generation ages, more Americans are in for a rude awakening as to just how expensive caring for older adults has become.

The price of nursing home care increased by an average of 2.4 percent each year between 2012 and 2019, for a cumulative increase of 20.7 percent, according to data from the health research group Altarum Institute.

That stems from multiple sources, including personnel costs and the price of adhering to facility regulations, said Terry Fulmer, president of the John A. Hartford Foundation, a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of older adults.

But the cost of care has primarily shot up due to increased demand in adult day cares, assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

Jean Spera, 67, has been a full-time caretaker for her husband, John, since 2011, when his health started to rapidly deteriorate without any clear cause.

For years, she managed to take care of John in their Holliston, Mass., home without any outside help, even as he became more fragile and confused.

But everything changed when John had a seizure in the middle of their kitchen. After a three-day hospital stay, Johns doctors recommended that he go to a rehab center housed in a nursing home.

I was overwhelmed, I wasnt able to bring him home because I didnt know how I was physically going to take care of someone who was twice my size and on our limited income, said Spera.

Shortly after John became sick, Spera quit her job at a nursing home to take care of him. Eventually, she picked up part-time work to help cover some smaller costs like groceries. She had to dip into the couples $235,000 retirement savings to make ends meet.

But those funds went quickly after she stopped working full-time. It took us 15 years to save that, and it was gone in six, she said.

Spera brought John home after five months in rehab, mainly for financial reasons.

Luckily, the couples primary and supplemental health insurance, MassHealth and Tufts Health Plan, covered some of Johns stay, but not all of it. And paying out of pocket for more time in the rehab center was not something they could afford.

I would have had to sell my home and go live in a box somewhere, she said.

In the end, the pair was slapped with a $10,000 bill for Johns five-month stay.

The median cost to stay in a private room in a nursing home in the U.S. is $9,034 a month, according to 2021 data from life insurance company Genworth Financial.

That same year the median cost to stay in a semi-private room in a nursing home was $7,908 a month and the price to stay in an assisted living facility was $4,500 per month, according to the company.

But, of course, those prices vary by state.

In Massachusetts, for example, the median cost of a private nursing home is $15,208 per month, while a semi-private nursing home is $14,265 per month and $8,462 per month to stay in an assisted living facility, according to the AARP long-term care cost calculator.

There were roughly 1.3 million people living in a nursing home in 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another 251,000 people were enrolled in an adult day care program in 2018, and 918,700 people lived in a residential community that year as well, according to a 2022 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.

One 2021 analysis found that 83 percent of households with a retiree need some level of care, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Of those households, 22 percent will need minimal levels of care like help with groceries, cooking and finances. Another 38 percent will have moderate needs, and 24 percent will have severe care needs  or around-the-clock care for several years, according to a brief from the center.

Even for the quarter of adults who require round-the-clock care, half of those care hours are provided by family members, a spokesperson for the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College clarified.

And many baby boomers do not have enough retirement savings to cover the cost of living in good health, let alone in poor.

More than two-fifths of baby boomers dont have any retirement savings, according to a survey of 2020 Census data.

Without savings, most retired adults will need to rely solely on income they receive through Social Security because Medicare, the federal health insurance policy for adults 65 and older, does not cover nursing home or assisted living facility stays.

The average retired worker receives a monthly Social Security check of $1,782 per month upon retirement at age 65, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

To prepare for the high cost of care, Angie Chen from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College recommends that working-age adults of means set aside a portion of their retirement savings for long-term care costs.

But since most Americans cant even save enough money to enjoy the same standard of living in retirement as they did during their working years, asking people to set aside hundreds of thousands of dollars for their potential long-term care is not really reasonable, Chen said.

Instead, she said, there should be more programs available to cover the cost of nursing home or assisted living expenses. One state that has already implemented a program to address this is Washington.

Under the Washington Cares payroll tax, which took effect this summer, qualifying residents can receive up to $36,500 to help cover the cost of long-term care services and support.

But while that legislation is a big help for older Americans who need some care, it wont provide enough financial support for those that need years worth of around-the-clock care, Chen said.

Chen added that some older adults could turn to Medicaid as a last resort, but that also isnt really a viable option.

We dont really have a great solution, Chen said.

To help the nations growing aging population, more services and support should be offered to family caregivers like those outlined in 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, which the John A. Hartford Foundation helped craft, according to Fulmer.

This story was updated on Aug. 14 at 2:42 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin still has value to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Prigozhin himself has plans for Wagner activities in Africa, a position on which his position contrasts with that of the Kremlin.

Source: CNN referring to expert sources and its own analysis

Details: CNN recalls that just a few weeks after the failed rebellion, Prigozhin appeared on the sidelines of the recent Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, where he shook hands with a high-ranking official from the Central African Republic.

According to the media outlet, Prigozhin's freedom contrasts with the imprisonment of opposition leaders Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny on lesser charges than attempted coup.

Experts believe that the Wagner Group leader is still valuable to Putin, the media outlet writes.

Candace Rondeaux, director of Future Frontlines, an open-source intelligence service at the New America think tank, said that "Prigozhin's stock with the Kremlin has clearly taken a hit, but since Putin lost even more stock after the mutiny it seems he believes some utility remains in keeping Prigozhin around."

According to Rondeaux, Prigozhin's business acumen and ability to hide commercial profits through an opaque network of shell companies and offshore transactions is an asset to Putin's Russia, which has been hit by widespread Western economic sanctions.

"At this point, Prigozhins networks of shell companies are the best insurance Putin has to keep Russias war economy," she said.

"But its not likely to stay that way forever  eventually something has got to give. And there is a good chance once it does well see more spectacular events closer to the border between Poland and Belarus," the expert added.

CNN also notes that Prigozhin has plans for the African area, where Wagner Group has already conducted a number of operations.

Speaking after the Wagner militants moved to Belarus, Prigozhin suggested that he would continue to focus on Africa.

"To ensure that there are no secrets and behind-the-scenes conversations, I am informing you that the Wagner Group continues its activities in Africa, as well as at the training centers in Belarus," Prigozhin said.

Prigozhin's forces are already involved in activities in Sudan, where Wagner supplies rebels fighting against the Sudanese army, and are also active in the Central African Republic and Libya.

It may also be active in Niger, following the recent military coup. In a recent Telegram message, Prigozhin hinted that Wagner might be ready to offer its services there.

"What happened in Niger has been brewing for years. The former colonisers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check. In order to keep them in check, the former colonisers are filling these countries with terrorists and various bandit formations. Thus creating a colossal security crisis," the Wager Group leader said.

"The population suffers. And this is the (the reason for the) love for PMC Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner. Because a thousand soldiers of PMC Wagner are able to establish order and destroy terrorists, preventing them from harming the peaceful population of states," Prigozhin said.

CNN notes that Prigozhin's position was at odds with that of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which called for the "speedy release" of Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum by the military.

"By defying Putin and evading punishment, Prigozhin seems to have built and sustained a competing center of gravity to the Kremlin," the newspaper writes.

In her recent analysis, Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre, noted that Prigozhin has effectively destroyed the "power vertical"  Putin's long standing top-down system of rule.

"Putins much-hyped power vertical has disappeared. Instead of a strong hand, there are dozens of mini-Prigozhins, and while they may be more predictable than the Wagner leader, they are no less dangerous. All of them know full well that a post-Putin Russia is already here  even as Putin remains in charge  and that its time to take up arms and prepare for a battle for power," CNN quoted Stanovaya as saying.

Background: The Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) is trying to save money on salaries for its mercenaries because of financial pressure, UK Defence Intelligence reports. "If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," the intelligence review suggests.

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A female prison officer spent 380 hours on the phone with a prisoner during a six-month affair.

Katie Loxton, 27, was a serving prison custody officer at HMP Oakwood, in Staffordshire, when she first came into contact with 32-year-old Adam Higgs.

Higgs made a total of 3,451 calls to Loxton and spoke with her for more than 380 hours, costing him 798 between July 7 2021 and Jan 13 2022.

Loxton, of Sandwell, West Mids, has now been jailed for 12 months for misconduct in a public office.

Pair bypassed security

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that she would spend a large portion of her time on the block where Higgs was housed, raising the suspicions of a number of officers.

Further checks then revealed that the pair had bypassed the prisons security system and were communicating through a fake contact on Higgss telephone in his cell.

He managed to hide a mobile phone which he used to communicate with Loxton through social media and the pair would often perform sexual acts to each other over via the device, the court was told.

Officers arrested Loxton and searched her home on Jan 27 last year, where they found three handwritten letters from Higgs inside.

Higgs, of Grantham, Lincs, was interviewed about the findings in prison in March 2022 and the pair later admitted their offences in court.

As well as misconduct in a public office, Loxton also admitted transmitting or causing the transmission of an image/sound by electronic means from within a prison.

Higgs was handed an eight-month sentence for possessing inside a prison a device capable of transmitting or receiving images, sounds or information by electronic communications.

He also admitted transmitting or causing the transmission of an image/sound by electronic means from within a prison without authority.

Dc Adam McHugh, of Staffordshire Police, said: Loxton and Higgs were able to manipulate the security measures of the prison telephony system to hide their relationship from officers and inmates.

We are committed to upholding the values and conduct the public expect of public office workers.

Im happy that Loxton recognised her conduct had fallen short of the expected standard.

Prison officer affairs

It is the latest case after the number of prison officers caught having affairs hit a record high, with 36 warders sacked over relationships in the past three years.

A total of 31 female prison officers and five male warders have been sacked for misconduct since 2019  nearly double the 19 female staff dismissed over the previous four years, according to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures released under Freedom of Information laws.

They included one prison officer who had an inmates baby, another who had her lovers cell number tattooed on her inner thigh, and the governor of Onley prison in Northamptonshire who was jailed for intimate communications with an inmate.

It follows concerns raised by inspectors and unions that high staff turnover has resulted in increasing numbers of young new recruits being placed in front-line roles.

Over the past five years, the number of female prison staff has risen by 27 per cent to 15,000 and now accounts for 42 per cent of all staff.

In 2019, prison officer Ayshea Gunn, 27, a criminology and psychology graduate, was jailed for 12 months after falling in love and having a sexual relationship with a dangerous 29-year-old inmate, Khuram Razaq.

The pair made more than 1,000 phone calls to each other when he was inside HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, where he was serving 12 years for conspiracy to rob. They used phones to stream lewd live footage of themselves.

Ayshea Gunn took a picture of herself kissing Khuram Razaq while she was supposed to be on duty - Merseyside Police

Since the prison in north Wales opened six years ago, pioneering a more liberal approach and rebranding cells as rooms, 18 women  including full-time officers and contract staff  have been sacked or resigned after their affairs were exposed.

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A small private plane got stuck in the mud of a remote San Luis Obispo County lake on Saturday afternoon after the aircraft had to make a sudden landing in the Carrizo Plain.

According to emergency response app Pulsepoint, an aircraft emergency was reported around 2:18 p.m. in the vicinity of Soda Lake Road.

A small aircraft reportedly landed about 200 yards into Soda Lake and became stuck in the mud of the lakebed, according to emergency scanner traffic. A small fire was also reported.

It was unclear why the private plane had to initiate a landing in that area, a San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office watch commander told The Tribune.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Cal Fire and Sheriffs Office personnel were all initially called out to the scene, though the Sheriffs Office units were canceled before they arrived, the watch commander said.

When reached for comment, a Cal Fire spokesperson said the incident was a code two aircraft emergency, meaning it was non-emergency, but crews were responding to the scene to check on those involved.

Emergency scanner traffic indicated two parties on board the plane may have sustained minor injuries, but when reached for comment, Cal Fire and SLO County Sheriffs Office representatives said they did not have any information on injuries.

As of 4 p.m., the scene had been cleared, the SLO County Sheriffs Office said.

A request for comment from Fish and Wildlife on the incident was not immediately returned Saturday evening.
After Russian dictator Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he swiftly eliminated the liberal anti-war opposition.

But Putin now faces a threat from the other side  pro-war hawks who criticize Russia's political and military leadership for mishandling the war effort.

As Russia's war against Ukraine faces one setback after another, the pro-war camp is more and more dissatisfied with Putin. And after going seemingly too far, they now face a similar fate to the liberal opposition that they despise  repression.

In late June, Putin faced a rebellion by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had harshly criticized Russia's military leadership. Prigozhin, having thousands of armed men behind him, reached a deal with the Kremlin, allowing Wagner mercenaries to relocate to Belarus.

Prigozhin was among the best-known hardliners, with his Wanger mercenaries actively taking part in Russia's war against Ukraine.

The brief and unsuccessful mutiny has seemingly caused a rift between the Kremlin and the vocal pro-war camp.

Prigozhin's exit left convicted war criminal Igor Girkin as the most prominent opponent of Putin in the pro-war opposition. Despite opposing Prigozhin's rebellion, Girkin was arrested in July. Other pro-war imperialists critical of Putin have also faced criminal cases and arrests.

The pro-war opposition may trigger new rebellions or instability if Russian troops perform poorly on the battlefield, Russian political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin told the Kyiv Independent.

"If there are no successes or if there are defeats (on the Ukrainian front), this opposition from the 'ultra-patriots' will increase," he said.

Read also: Russia after Wagner revolt: Will Putin stay afloat or face more turmoil?

Waves of repression

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the repressions against the liberal opposition reached an all-time high.

Dozens of people have been jailed for criticizing the war against Ukraine.

In December 2022, liberal politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced to 8.5 years in jail on charges of spreading fake information about the Russian army.

In April 2023, another liberal politician, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in jail on charges of high treason and libel against the Russian army  one of the longest sentences handed down to a political prisoner.

On Aug. 4, a Russian court also sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny to 19 years in a maximum security prison on extremism charges for creating the Anti-Corruption Foundation, a peaceful civic watchdog.

Navalny had been serving a 2.5-year prison sentence since 2021 and a separate 9-year sentence on fraud charges since 2022. According to the Russian independent publication Verstka, the latest verdict means he will be in jail until the late 2040s.

All these cases have been recognized as politically motivated by international human rights organizations and governments.

Until recently, the situation with the pro-war opposition has been different.

Before 2014, the Kremlin cracked down and purged the left-wing and right-wing hardliners. Putin was afraid of ultra-radical nationalists and the far left more than of liberals, Russian political philosopher Sergei Sazonov told the Kyiv Independent.

"They purged the 'patriotic' opposition, and that's why (those who remained) supported the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of the Donbas in 2014," he said.

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After years of purges, the radical left and right mostly supported Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and their goals were aligned with those of the Kremlin.

There had been no major crackdown on the pro-war opposition during the invasion before Girkin's arrest.

But as Russia failed to achieve a quick victory over Ukraine and demonstrated numerous blunders during the invasion, the pro-war camp became more critical.

Oreshkin told the Kyiv Independent, "it's clear to Putin now that the threat comes not from pro-European opposition but from the ultra-patriotic camp."

"As soon as Putin disappoints people with meager military results, they start criticizing him," Oreshkin said in a July 26 interview with Novaya Gazeta Europe, an independent Russian publication. "The worse Putin's affairs are, the more his team is concerned with (cracking down on opponents)."

He also said that the window for allowed criticism is getting smaller by the day.

"Earlier, one was banned from using obscene words against the president," Oreshkin said. "Now, it's not enough. One is supposed to praise him and say that he's a strategic genius."

Russian political analyst Georgy Satarov said that "the regime tends to persecute anything that stands out," regardless of whether Putin's opponents are pro-war or anti-war.

He argued that Prigozhin's June 23-24 rebellion had contributed to the crackdown.

"Prigozhin's march was an important factor," he told the Kyiv Independent. "It demonstrated the regime's instability and triggered seismic changes."

Political blogger and journalist Michael Nacke also linked the crackdown on the pro-war opposition to the Wagner rebellion.

"It has become obvious to Vladimir Putin that criticism leads to mutinies," he said on his blog on July 10.

Read also: Even after sanctions, Russian economy can pay for war

Girkin case

The main target of the July crackdown is Girkin, also known by his alias Strelkov. He played a key role in launching Russia's aggression against Ukraine in 2014 and espoused a radical militarist ideology that some characterize as fascist.

Girkin took part in the annexation of Crimea in February-March 2014 as one of Russia's proxies and later admitted that pro-Russian militants had forced members of Crimea's legislature to vote for a referendum on seceding from Ukraine.

In April 2014, a group of militants headed by Girkin seized the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast, effectively launching Russia's war in the Donbas. He said in a 2014 interview that he had pulled the trigger of the war, and it would not have begun without him.

After seizing the city, Girkin proclaimed himself the "defense minister" of Russia's proxies in Donetsk Oblast.

Girkin carried out extrajudicial executions in Sloviansk and later admitted to killing two Ukrainian civilians arrested by Russian militants.

In July 2014, Girkin's militants withdrew from Sloviansk and relocated to Donetsk, and he proclaimed himself the "commandant" of the latter city.

On July 17, 2014, Russian proxies in Donetsk Oblast used a Russian-supplied Buk surface-to-air missile to shoot down a civilian aircraft flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people on board. In November 2022, The Hague District Court convicted Girkin and his subordinates in absentia for downing the plane and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Girkin later said that he had to leave Ukraine in August 2014 because the Kremlin believed he was too independent.

In 2014-2022, Girkin lambasted Putin for negotiating with Ukraine and refusing to launch a full-scale invasion.

He temporarily suspended his criticism of Putin after the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. However, he renewed his criticism as Russia's setbacks on the front piled up.

Girkin has attacked Putin for not going far enough in his efforts to defeat and destroy Ukraine. He has called for carrying out a full-scale mobilization of conscripts and the economy, introducing martial law, and setting the destruction of the Ukrainian state as Russia's official war aim.

He also lashed out at Putin for showing weakness by letting Prigozhin go unpunished after his rebellion.

In the weeks preceding his arrest, Girkin intensified his verbal attacks on Putin.

"For 23 years, a weakling who pulled the wool over the eyes of much of the population has been at the helm of the country," he wrote on Telegram on July 18.

"The country won't survive six more years with this cowardly and incompetent person. And the only useful thing he can do before the end is to transfer power to someone truly capable and responsible. It's a pity that this won't even cross his mind."

Girkin was arrested on extremism charges on July 21, and a Moscow court authorized keeping him in custody until Sept. 18.

The formal excuse for Girkin's arrest was a post he wrote on the Telegram and Vkontakte social networks on May 25, 2022. In the post, he complained about Russian proxy fighters in Donetsk Oblast allegedly getting no pay and called for "shooting" those responsible for that.

Sazonov and Satarov believe that Girkin's arrest could have been triggered by his latest criticism of Putin.

"The situation changed in 2022  the limits of free speech were greatly restricted," Sazonov said. "(Girkin's latest verbal attack) was a straw that broke the camel's back."

Read also: Could mobilization, battlefield defeats cost Putin his regime?

'Angry Patriots'

The Kremlin has also begun to crack down on Girkin's associates from the Club of Angry Patriots  an alliance of pro-war imperialists opposed to Putin.

Pavel Gubarev, the chairman of the club, was detained on July 21 for protesting Girkin's arrest during a court hearing and was later released. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported, citing its sources, that Gubarev was being investigated by law enforcement for possible extremism.

Like Girkin, Gubarev has played a major role in Russia's war against Ukraine.

In March 2014, he proclaimed himself "the people's governor"  the leader of Russia's proxies in Donetsk Oblast. He also joined the Russian army as a volunteer fighter during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In July, the Russian authorities also opened an administrative case against another member of the Club of Angry Patriots, retired colonel Vladimir Kvachkov.

Kvachkov is a prominent nationalist and anti-Semite.

In 2005, Kvachkov was arrested on charges of organizing an assassination attempt on Putin's ally Anatoly Chubais, but he was acquitted in 2008.

In 2013, he was jailed on charges of preparing a mutiny in a way similar to Prigozhin. He was released from prison in 2019.

According to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Kvachkov was planning to seize weapons at several military units, organize a march on Moscow and stage a coup d'etat.

One of the many bizarre details of the purported rebellion plan was that he was allegedly planning to use crossbows for the coup.

Another target of the crackdown is Boris Kagarlitsky, a left-wing columnist and chief editor of the Rabkor online publication. In July, Kagarlitsky was charged with "calling for terrorism on the Internet" and arrested until Sept. 24.

Kagarlitsky's stance is different both from the Club of Angry Patriots and the liberal opposition. He supported the Russian invasion of the Donbas in 2014-2022 but opposed the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022-2023.

Read also: Russian hawks criticize regimes war effort as Putin raises stakes

Prigozhin stays afloat

The only major critic of the Kremlin in the pro-war camp who has remained unpunished is Prigozhin. Despite the rebellion, he has been going back and forth between Russia and Belarus with impunity. His Wagner mercenaries even met with Putin in July.

"Apparently, Russia's leaders just scratched their heads (after the rebellion) and continued living as usual," Sazonov said.

Part of the Wagner mercenaries have relocated to a military camp in Belarus.

Meanwhile, the Russian independent outlet Agentstvo reported on Aug. 3 that Prigozhin's companies had signed state contracts worth at least 2 billion rubles ($21 million) after the Wagner rebellion.

"(Putin) can't have Prigozhin jailed immediately because he's popular among influential military leaders," Oreshkin said. "In several months, when Prigozhin becomes irrelevant, Putin will do whatever he wants to him  poison him or send him to Africa or Siberia."

Read also: Putin lacks troops in Ukraine but fears mobilization in Russia

Purge of generals

Despite failing to punish Prigozhin and Wagner mercenaries, the Kremlin has cracked down on the generals suspected of having links to Wagner.

One of them, Sergei Surovikin, disappeared from the public eye after the rebellion, and Russian media reported in June that he had been arrested due to his alleged links to Prigozhin. However, this has not been officially confirmed, and Russian lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov claimed in July that he was having a rest.

Surovikin was the commander of Russia's invasion force in Ukraine from October 2022 through January 2023 and was later demoted to deputy commander of the force.

According to Russian media reports, Surovikin enjoyed a close relationship with Prigozhin and Wagner mercenaries. However, he called on the mercenaries to stop the rebellion shortly after it began.

The Wall Street Journal also reported on July 13, citing its sources, that the Russian authorities had detained at least 13 senior officers suspected of disloyalty. Others were suspended or fired.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the detainees included generals Andrei Yudin, Vladimir Alekseyev, and Mikhail Mizintsev.

Another general, Ivan Popov, published a video address in July, saying that he had been fired from the post of commander of Russia's 58th army.

"Ukrainian troops haven't been able to defeat us on the front, but our senior commander has struck us in the rear, leaving the army without leadership at the most difficult moment in a traitorous and evil way," he said.

Popov said he had been dismissed after he complained of urgent problems, including procurement, a lack of counter-battery fire, and numerous casualties caused by Ukrainian artillery.

"If Prigozhin hadn't thought that some of the generals might join him, he wouldn't have started the rebellion," Oreshkin said. "However, the generals chickened out in the critical situation. Putin has prevailed and kept control, but now he has to purge the generals."

Read also: A coup against Putin: Wishful thinking or a real possibility?

What's next?

Although Girkin's associates have launched a public campaign in his support, it has been low-profile and has not led to any large-scale protests.

Sazonov believes that the growing dissatisfaction among the pro-war camp and the crackdown on hawks will not have much of an impact on the stability of Putin's regime.

He described Girkin's allies as a marginal group who do not have any influence and are constantly involved in scuffles and disputes with each other.

Oreshkin also said that unlike Prigozhin, Girkin and his associates do not have any military resources at their disposal and have not been involved in anything other than verbal attacks on the Kremlin.

Disloyal generals are more dangerous because they have military resources, according to Oreshkin.

"Putin has successfully sorted out this situation so far," he told the Kyiv Independent. "Generals see that Surovikin and others have disappeared and don't want to disappear too."

Oreshkin said, however, that the discontent of the pro-war camp, including both Girkin's allies and generals, may lead to some turbulence or rebellions only if Ukraine achieves victories on the front.

Sazonov agrees that the situation on the battlefield is crucial.

"Ukraine should stop hoping for some coup in Russia," he said. "Everything will be decided on the battlefield."

Read also: Is Putin going to launch a nuclear war?











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WASHINGTON and MOGADISHU Fadumo Abdi has been hungry for months now. Shes already lost one child to starvation and she doesnt know if her surviving children will make it to the end of the year.

Having recently relocated to a camp for internally displaced persons, or IDPs, near Mogadishu after fleeing the drought-and war-ravaged areas of south-central Somalia, Fadumo has lost almost everything. She came to the capital hoping to find steady work, to figure out a way to ensure her children have a future.

When we arrived here, there were no services or support, Fadumo, a slender woman draped in a dark green hijab and brown dress, tells Rolling Stone during a visit to her camp. The only help we got was from fellow IDPs, who gave us sticks and sheets to assemble a makeshift tent. But that was all.

Getting access to food and water for my children is out of the question, she adds.

Veteran aid workers say hundreds of thousands of people are already looking death in the eyes, with 48 million facing an acute food crisis across East Africa this year.

Perched on a wooden stool in that tent, Fadumo has little time to worry about current events elsewhere in the world. She has her hands full trying to keep her two sons  eight-year-old Imran and seven-year-old Ahmed, who sit beside her on a torn mat that covers only a portion of the dirt floor  alive. Its already been more than a day since their last meager meal, often just a few scraps of food shared by her neighbors in the camp. In any case, shes never been outside of Somalia.

Fadumo doesnt know that Russia recently pulled out of a key humanitarian agreement to allow grain and other foodstuffs to trickle out of Ukrainian ports. She doesnt know that the resulting reduction in food shipments, volatility in commodity markets and rising prices for wheat mean even less humanitarian aid for millions of refugees around the globe.

An IDP camp outside of Mogadishu, Somalia.

More than 80 percent of food imports in Somalia and East Africa were already coming from Ukraine and Russia even before the war, Shashwat Saraf, the regional emergency director for East Africa at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), tells Rolling Stone by phone from Nairobi. Over the past year, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya are coming out of one of the worst drought periods in years. The dependence on food imports has only increased since the war in Ukraine started.

But the amount of food aid being delivered has been decreasing.

Fadumo and people like her  from Sudan, to Yemen, to Afghanistan, to Haiti  are caught in the crossfire of the invasion launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin, their lives endangered by it as surely as any resident of Bakhmut or Zaporizhzhia.

Fadumo and her children may die in Somalia, casualties of the war in Ukraine.

At the beginning of the war, Russia seized three of Ukraines five biggest ports  Mariupol, Yuzhny and Berdyansk  and attempted to seize the other two: Odesa and Chornomorsk, only miles apart on Ukraines southwestern Black Sea coast. That attempt failed, and port facilities in Odesa oblast, or province, remain in Ukrainian hands. But with the beleaguered Russian Black Sea Fleet essentially unchallenged in open water, the only safe passage through the blockade for commercial vessels has been with Russian cooperation.

Ukraine was the worlds third-largest exporter of corn and fifth-largest exporter of wheat in 2021, according to data from the USDAs Foreign Agricultural Service, which monitors global food trade. Since the invasion, the countrys total agricultural exports have plummeted 65 percent, with some exports  like planting seeds and dairy  collapsing entirely.

But Ukrainian farmers are still working. Harvests continue to roll in: agriculture accounted for 41 percent of Ukraines exports before the war, and employs 14 percent of the countrys workforce. Millions of tons of Ukrainian grain have accumulated in silos around the Black Sea.

Enter Turkey, which controls access to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, and whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has shrewdly sought to position his NATO-allied country as the go-to honest broker between Moscow and Kyiv.

Amid dire warnings about the humanitarian impact of the loss of Ukraines food exports on global markets, a flurry of diplomacy coordinated by Turkey and backed by the United Nations resulted in an agreement last July known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed third-party ships to load food and fertilizer in three Ukrainian ports  Yuzhny, Odesa and Chornomorsk  and deliver it overseas.

The first vessel to sail under the deal  the World Food Program-chartered Brave Commander  headed for the Horn of Africa from Yuzhny in mid-August, loaded with Ukrainian grain seized by Russia. As wheat is the primary crop used for humanitarian aid, it carried 23,000 tons of it to Ethiopia. Further vessels followed, from both Ukrainian- and Russian-controlled ports. By the time Russia pulled out of the deal, approximately 32.8 million tons of food, including corn, wheat and sunflower oil, had been shipped out of Ukraines Black Sea ports over one year.

The food shipments  57 percent of which went to developing countries, and included 725,000 tons purchased by the WFP for emergency aid in countries like Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen  helped reverse spiking global food prices, which dropped 23 percent from their peak in March 2022, according to the UN.

Now, the grain in Ukrainian facilities is no longer being loaded onto ships, and commercial vessels are largely avoiding Ukrainian ports. After withdrawing from the Initiative, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a statement saying any ship sailing to a Ukrainian port would be regarded as a combatant carrying weapons. Ukraines Ministry of Defense followed with a statement in kind, saying any ship traveling to a Russian or Russian-controlled port in the Black Sea would be subject to attack.

Although few commercial shipping companies are willing to risk their crews and their ships navigating a blockade without security guarantees, on July 30th three merchant vessels appeared to do just that. The Israeli, Greek and Turkish-Georgian registered vessels sailed to the Danube port of Izmail, on Ukraines border with Romania, with their automatic identification systems announcing their registration and destination. The Russians did not stop them.

In the days following the suspension of the grain deal, Russia began carrying out a systematic series of strikes against agricultural infrastructure across Ukraine, targeting grain silos and freight facilities with advanced cruise missiles and drones.

Odesa was the particular target of wrath, with a succession of nightly attacks damaging and destroying hundreds of buildings across the city and port.

It started the first night after the end of the grain agreement, says Julia Gorodetskaya, a writer who currently lives in Odesa, having relocated from New York City shortly before the invasion last year. It was quite quiet here for some time. After that there were four nights of hell.

The Russian strategy is the long-term degradation of Ukrainian agricultural production. Using waves of drones and long-range ballistic and cruise missiles to saturate Ukrainian air defenses, the Russian military has destroyed processing plants, grain silos, shipping facilities, and transport nodes.

Our farmers work at their own risk these days  they have to farm in minefields, and for what? Julia asks. For nothing. Because those bastards are sending those missiles to destroy it all.

After the suspension of the Grain Initiative on July 18th, EU officials were quick to reassure Ukraine that they will be able to make up for the lost shipping capacity out of Black Sea ports with alternate routes, overland through Poland to Baltic ports, or via rail and Danube riverboat to Black Sea ports in Romania and Bulgaria, or Aegean ports in Montenegro and Croatia.

But Ukraines existing shipping routes and infrastructure cant be replaced easily. It takes 1,500 tractor-trailers to carry the cargo equivalent of a single supramax freighter ship. Adding an extra 1,000 miles of overland transhipment per ton of wheat increases inefficiency and drives up costs, and theres nothing to stop Russia from targeting the alternative routes where trucks, trains or riverboats load grain in Ukraine.

Grain is loaded aboard a cargo ship at the Azov Sea Port, Rostov region, on July 22, 2023. Russian grain exports are booming because of the war.

In fact, it already has, striking grain shipment facilities in the town of Reni, on the border with Romania, on July 23rd. After the blockade runners made their way into Izmail, that port was subjected to a wave of air attacks, which targeted grain silos. The Ukrainian defense ministry said 40,000 tons of grain were destroyed.

The thousands of tons of grains that were damaged would have been enough to feed approximately 66 million people for a day, said Denise Brown, the UNs humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, after a visit to the site of the attack.

One of Moscows key demands to keep the grain deal going was to reconnect its largest agricultural bank, Rosselkhozbank, to the SWIFT international financial transaction network, from which it is banned under current sanctions. Russia needs hard cash to prop up its economy and continue the war in Ukraine, and food exports to a hungry world are a ready source of funding.

In fact, Russian grain exports are booming. Russian wheat exports are forecast to hit a record 45 million tons in 2022-2023, up 36 percent from the prior year, according to a report from international trade researchers at the USDA.

In the wake of the deals suspension, wheat and corn futures spiked around the world  meaning food prices will increase, which also means more cash in Russias pockets.

Thats the other really cynical part of this. Russia could have 47.5 million tons of wheat to export this year, says Jacob Shapiro, a geopolitical analyst who specializes in global risk to supply chains and agriculture for Cognitive Investments. Maybe they just want to drive the price up to get hard currency.

The subsequent attacks on Ukrainian agricultural and port facilities also reduced the amount of food making its way out of Ukraine, further driving up prices. Again, this means more cash for Russia. And the dismantling of Ukraines economy is a Russian military goal in-and-of itself. Theres no viable military solution that will open the doors to Ukraines ports. There is only diplomacy.

But negotiations are at an impasse, with Western countries refusing to lift the ban on Russian banks using SWIFT, and Moscow refusing to budge. As soon as the Russian part of the agreement is fulfilled, the Russian side will return to the implementation of this deal immediately, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Meanwhile, with Putin deaf to pleas about 48 million people on the brink of starvation in Africa from international aid groups and the United Nations, pressure can only come from key economic partners like China, whose food imports from Russia have actually increased since the war began, and which will not be pleased at having to spend more money for less imported food.

Other than peace breaking out, experts believe Turkey holds the key to unlocking Ukraines ports. How much pressure Erdogan is willing to exert  and whether Putin will listen to him  is unclear. But the Black Sea is the linchpin to Moscows maritime trade in petroleum and agricultural products with Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

This is Russias primary strategic challenge. They dont have other options for access to the open oceans, Shapiro added.

And there is one country that controls the Bosphorus.

Turkey is the wild card, Shapiro says. They have all the leverage.

In a phone call with Putin on Aug. 2nd, Erdogan reportedly told his Russian counterpart that the grain deal must be reinstated. The two leaders also agreed to meet in Turkey soon.

Meanwhile, Russia continues targeting Ukrainian food supplies. As the wave of attacks continued, Julia recorded a video of herself telling the Russians to Go fuck yourselves, instead of Odesa.

The phrase went briefly viral across Ukraine.

In September, the UN announced that famine is at the door in Somalia.

People are already dying, said Martin Griffiths, the Emergency Relief Coordinator for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement released after visiting IDP camps across Somalia.

I repeat: This is a final warning to all of us. The situation and trends resemble those seen in 2010-2011, in that crisis, Griffiths said, referring to a famine that killed more than 250,000 people, mostly children. Except now they are worse.

Over the past year, the worst regional drought in 40 years and an increasingly unstable security situation has forced hundreds of thousands of Somalis to pour into IDP camps in search of assistance, even as the war in Ukraine sapped the resources of aid groups, diverted donor dollars, and reduced the amount of essential food aid being delivered to humanitarian crises around the world.

In Somalia, Washington is central to humanitarian relief efforts.

The United States is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, with the U.S. governments total contribution of approximately US$1.7 billion since the beginning of fiscal year 2022 representing more than two-thirds of all humanitarian funding for Somalia to date, a spokesperson at the aid agency USAID tells Rolling Stone.

But efforts to provide humanitarian aid go hand-in-hand with efforts to stabilize the country. Washington has spent more than $3 billion over the past decade to provide security assistance to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), which since its creation in 2012 has been at war with the extremist group Al-Shabaab. The US has supplied the FGS with tons of small arms and ammunition, military training and advisers, intelligence and air support in an effort to defeat the group.

In 2019, at the peak of a years-long air campaign against Al-Shabaab, the US and FGS conducted at least 60 airstrikes and drone attacks against alleged militants, reportedly killing hundreds  including, in several cases, civilians.

Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab continues to control wide swathes of countryside, and has demonstrated that it still has the ability to strike, even in the heart of government-controlled territory.

There was a lot of optimism when the new government [FGS] was established, says Dr. Tricia Bacon, a counterterrorism researcher at American University, who focuses on Al-Shabaab. Now there is political infighting and corruption. The FGS clears territories held by Al-Shabaab, but cant offer governance.

By comparison, Al-Shabaab governs the territories it runs like the most effective mafia you can imagine, Bacon says.

She adds that the U.S. has no appetite for the kind of concerted nation-building that would be required to root out Al-Shabaab. The U.S. has been conducting airstrikes for years, and they  and the FGS  claim to have killed thousands of fighters. But the estimates of the groups size remain the same.

Theres such an emphasis on the military piece of it, but it just doesnt produce any real progress.

This ongoing instability has a direct impact on deliveries of aid, not only making it exceedingly dangerous for aid workers to try to reach many areas in need of assistance, but also by jacking up food prices.

Essential food items such as bread, rice and cooking oil remain unaffordable for many families and individuals affected by the drought, particularly those languishing in camps. Feeding a family of three or four on less than a dollar a day  as Fadumo is attempting  is impossible.

Taxation by al-Shabaab and other non-state actors drives up the costs of food staples, passing on the costs to consumers as goods move through the country, the USAID spokesperson says. The result of this unofficial taxation is that even in the more accessible areas of Somalia, prices increase by an estimated 30 percent, while less accessible areas may experience a 100 percent increase in the price of food and other essential goods.

Compounding this challenge is the fact that many aid programs designed at alleviating malnutrition and hunger take the form of support programs which provide cash or vouchers to families, allowing them to purchase essential items on their own.

We do quite a bit of cash-support programs, to allow families to directly purchase their own minimum expenditure basket, Saraf, the IRC emergency director, says. About 80 percent of the aid is intended to cover food costs, he says. So when food prices go up, it means we have to increase our cash assistance to each family, which means we have to reach fewer families.

Now, the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative only makes things worse.

Any fluctuation in global markets where the situation is so dire can have a very big impact, says Alyona Synenko, the regional spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, speaking from Nairobi. It makes a huge difference in Somalia, where a rise in price can be the decisive factor between having a meal and not having a meal.

Any instability will impact that person in the camp in Baidoa [home to the largest concentration of IDPs in Somalia] more than anyone else, adds Sharaf, the IRC emergency director. They have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.

Fadumo Abdi says she first fled her home in Janaale in March of 2020, after numerous airstrikes damaged infrastructure, destroyed livelihoods and took lives. Janaale had become an active conflict zone, and a target of US airstrikes against Al-Shabaab.

It was a difficult time. Many people died.

At a childrens IDP burial ground, a local aid worker douses a water offering onto the grave of a two-year-old IDP girl, Iqra, who died from complications due to malnutrition in Doolow, Somalia this year.

My husband was in Mogadishu battling an illness at the time and could no longer support us, she says. Besides, whatever support we got, it would be of no use in warding off airstrikes.

Thats when Fadumo made the decision to leave Janaale and make her way to Kurtun-Waarey, a farming town about 30 miles to the southwest, where some of her relatives had previously resettled.

Kurtun-Waarey shared many similarities with Janaale. It was also administered by Al-Shabaab, and was an agricultural town home to countless farmers and their families.

Then, last year, the drought came.

We were staying with family members in Kurtun-Waarey that had sympathy for us because of what we experienced in Janaale, Fadumo says. But once our relatives lost their crops, we could no longer be a burden.

So she had to flee for the second time in two years.

She made her way to Mogadishu with her three children  aged four, seven and eight  to try to reunite with her husband, who she says was now bedridden with his illness and wasnt able to help with the journey. This brought even more anxiety and uncertainty. After two days of trekking by foot, Fadumo and her children were able to reach the government-controlled town of Afgooye, just 15 miles west of Mogadishu.

Upon reaching Afgooye, we were able to get a ride from good samaritans that took us to a squalid IDP camp outside Mogadishu, Fadumo says.

She has been there ever since.

The outskirts of Mogadishu now host numerous IDP camps, with hundreds of thousands of people calling them home. With her husband ill and three children dependent on her, Fadumo began to look for work and pick up odd jobs on her own.

If Im lucky I get to clean clothes and sweep floors for other families, she said. Sometimes I make a dollar a day. Its not a lot, but it allows me to put something in my childrens mouths from time to time.

But Fadumo would soon learn it wasnt enough. After four months at the IDP camp, the young mother noticed her youngest child, four-year-old Yonis Abdullahi, had begun withering away from malnutrition.

He started to get sick. Then his body started thinning, and thats when his ribs became visible, she says. I knew he was dying, but theres nothing I could do about it. I couldnt afford to feed him or get him the medicine he needed.

I blame myself, Fadumo adds, as she begins sobbing.

Since Yonis died, Fadumo has fallen into a deep state of depression. She knows she is not able to get enough food for her two surviving children.

Weve been hungry since arriving last year. I dont know where our next meal will come from, or which one of my children will die next.

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A man arrested in connection with a violent attack on a woman in Bostons South End over the weekend is slated to face a judge Monday.

Amos Sykes, 35, of Quincy, is slated to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court on charges of indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over and assault and battery with injuries.

At about 9:39 p.m. Saturday, Boston officers responded to a radio call in the area of West Canton and Appleton streets for an assault and battery in progress and a possible sexual assault, police said.

Several witnesses told police they heard the sound of a person screaming and saw the suspect, later identified as Sykes, punching a woman in the head as he sat on top of her, police said.

When officers arrived on scene, they saw one of the witnesses fighting with Sykes, in an attempt to defend the victim, police said. Sykes ran away and was immediately apprehended.

The woman told police she had been walking on Columbus Avenue when the suspect grabbed her from behind, forced her onto the ground, and began punching her in the head. The suspect also allegedly tried removing the victims clothing before a witness stepped in to fight off Sykes.

An ambulance took the victim to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Boston detectives along with the Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit are investigating.

Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact District D-4 Detectives at (617) 343-5619 or The Sexual Assault Unit at (617) 343-4400.

Community members wishing to assist in this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.

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
The whole picture

See crime trend for communities in the Sacramento region, (sacbee.com, July 21)

This article skews the truth by conveniently leaving out the fact that violent crime is down significantly across almost all of California in 2023. By focusing on a small spike among a decades-long trend of lowering violent crime rates, this piece is fueling dangerous fear-based narratives.

Newly released data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, an international association of police executives, show that violent crime has declined across California in the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. The drop in violent crime so far this year is greater in California than in other parts of the U.S.

Twisting data to produce fear-based rhetoric is dangerous for our community, and helps to push public opinion toward ineffective tough-on-crime strategies that continue to fail us.

Liz Blum

Sacramento

Help is always available

988 suicide prevention hotline launches in CA, what it means, (sacbee.com, July 24, 2022)

988, the nationwide mental health crisis helpline, is one year old. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 98% of people who connect with 988 are helped by a trained crisis counselor (without involving 911).

This service is free, confidential and available 24/7, 365 days a year. It connects individuals experiencing a mental health, substance use or suicidal crisis with trained crisis counselors. Access is available through every landline, cell phone and voice-over internet device, with call/text services available in Spanish and interpretation services in over 150 languages.

If someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or thoughts of suicide, call 988 or seek help at a licensed behavioral health facility.

Tami Brooks, LCSW/MBA-

CEO, Sierra Vista Hospital

Yannis Angouras, MHA

CEO, Heritage Oaks Hospital

Lindsay Lopez, LCSW

CEO, Health Link Now

What went wrong?

Sacramento and developer Paul Petrovich complete settlement, (sacbee.com, Aug. 3)

The city agreed to pay $26 million to a developer after a state appeals court ruled in 2020 that the city denied the developer a fair hearing regarding his Crocker Village residential development. The article goes on to state that the ruling now serves as precedent for establishing thresholds for personal bias in California.

Residents might recall the eight-year legal battle which cost city taxpayers $2.3 million for the city to defend itself against a suit brought by the developer. Who at the city level was responsible for this unfair hearing and personal bias? It was the mayor and several members of the current council  including a council member who is no longer in office. Yet there was no mention of that pertinent information.

What went wrong?

Bill Motmans

Sacramento

Ultimate irony

California Sen. Feinstein seeks more control over her late husbands trust to pay medical bills, (sacbee.com, July 20)

It is a towering irony that Sen. Feinsteins opposition to universal medical care coverage with a publicly financed, single-payer health care system, would be the solution to her serious illness and hospitalization costs. Despite her enormous wealth, she now faces the onerous (unspecified) costs that terrify every ordinary individuals ability to pay, when sick, instead of having guaranteed quality and security of coverage, which is ethically due to all residents of California and the U.S.

Its time we transformed our aggressively privatized and profit-driven, class and race-distorted, alienated medical system into a comprehensive, compassionate, publicly accountable, affordable and population owned utility, including the Senator as just another one of us.

William Bronston, MD

Carmichael

Protect franchise owners

Fast food spent $4 million fighting California bill holding them accountable for employee abuse, (sacbee.com, Aug. 7)

As a local franchised restaurant owner, Im deeply troubled by Assembly Bill 1228, which is an attack on the rights of local restaurant owners.

AB 1228 will upend fast food franchising in California by forcing national fast-food corporations to exert more control over the operations of local franchised restaurants. It does this by making the corporations legally liable for local employment decisions at our restaurants and taking control away from franchisees like me. Ultimately, the bill could lead to fewer franchising opportunities altogether.

The franchise model  and fast food restaurants specifically  have a much higher percentage of minority ownership than other comparable sectors. AB 1228 will cut off this pipeline for thousands of underrepresented and immigrant families to become small business owners.

The legislature should protect local restaurant owners and reject AB 1228.

Jay Hazari

McDonalds franchisee

Sacramento

Never meant to be farmed

California must raise Shasta Dam to increase water supply, (sacbee.com, Aug. 6)

When completed in 1947, Shasta Lake flooded over 90% of the Winnemem Wintu Tribes historical village sites, resource-gathering sites and sacred sites along the McCloud, Pit and Sacramento rivers.

The enlargement of Shasta Dam would inundate the few remaining sacred places, burial sites, resource-gathering areas and villages that the Winnemem Wintu Tribe still use today. A thousands-year-old culture would be destroyed by more flooding of the McCloud River. What writer Tom Birmingham really cares about is to get even more water for Westlands Water District down in the arid San Joaquin Valley, a region with soil never meant to be farmed.

The proposed 18.5-feet rise of the dam would leave little water for fish, and much more water for diversion. It is all there in the plan.

Gary Mulcahy

Government liaison, Winnemem Wintu Tribe

No underage drinking

Can parents legally give underage kids alcohol in CA? (sacbee.com, July 25)

Regardless of whether its legal for parents in California to allow underage drinking at home, it is dangerous and unhealthy for those under 21 to consume alcohol. The brain is still developing during the teenage years, making it more vulnerable to the harmful effects of drinking. Not only are learning and memory impaired, but studies show that drinking alcohol during early teen years raises the risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life.

Given what we know about underage drinking, the focus shouldnt be whether parents who provide alcohol to their own kids are abiding by the states laws. It should be whether or not its safe for them to do so.

Leslie Kimball

Executive director, Responsibility.org
President Joe Biden poses for photos with attendees after he delivered remarks on the one-year anniversary of passage of the PACT Act, at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. He later held a fundraiser in Park City. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Editors note: President Joe Biden came to Utah Wednesday and Thursday to tout his work to help veterans and to attend a fundraiser on his behalf in Park City. Scott Howell, a former Democratic leader in the Utah Senate and former candidate for the U.S. Senate, helped coordinate the visit and attended the event in Park City. Here are his observations.

It was a wonderful opportunity to be with our friend Joe Biden. Listening to the president share anecdotes about his friends Jake Garn, Orrin Hatch and Mitt Romney, along with the Senate camaraderie they enjoyed while collaborating on policies that served all citizens, was an absolute delight.

Joe also touched upon his relationship with Gary Herbert, particularly during Herberts time as president of the National Governors Association.

He also mentioned Spencer Cox and their differing opinions on the monument issue. Interestingly, their conversation during the ride from the airport to his hotel proved to be a mutually beneficial exchange. I firmly believe the president aims to serve as a bridge builder and collaborator, seeking common ground and genuine cooperation.

Regrettably, the far-left and far-right positions constrain his ability to navigate a narrow path, making it highly challenging to navigate the middle ground between the extremes within each party.

Biden said hes had several congressional Republicans tell him they agree with some of his actions, but they cant publicly say so because it will lead to them being challenged and defeated in primary elections.

This division is really, really hurting America, the president said. The MAGA Republicans are trying to take us back to places that the majority of Republicans dont even want to go.

During his speech, he described driving throughout the country and seeing pro-Trump political flags with an expletive the president spelled out and little kids standing there. Some children, Biden said, have held up their middle fingers at him as he passed.

The presidents tone unmistakably carried a sense of sorrow regarding such behavior.

Earlier in the day he addressed the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs health center regarding the PACT Act and additional benefits provided to military veterans to address health issues arising from burn pits and toxic exposures.

He provided extensive information regarding the tragedy of burn pits and agent orange. His account of the process used to dispose of these substances was both unsettling and distressing. Fortunately, the military now has revised guidance and protocols to address such problems in the future.

While discussing his late son Beau and veterans health, Biden, whose father was an Army officer who passed away from brain cancer, took pauses to compose himself during conversation with us.

Related

Joe also addressed the topic of the Supreme Court. While he expressed opposition to court packing, he emphasized the importance of establishing an ethical and moral code of conduct for the justices.

His insights on Vladimir Putins long-term strategy to dismantle NATO were thought-provoking and somber. Joe expressed concerns that the former president might reduce funding to Ukraine, ultimately aligning with Putins goal of undermining NATO.

The event was at a residence in Park City, and it is nothing short of breathtaking. POTUS, looking around the home while he was speaking, made this observation: The best way to make sure that families are able to live in places like this, and  the wealthy to do very well, is if the middle class does well and the poor have a way up, Biden said, after saying hes never been a big fan of trickle-down economics.

After listening to Joe and having a close-up interaction, any worries about his mental acuity were dispelled. Both my wife, Linda, and I noticed that although hes 80 years old, Joe remains mentally sharp. While he displayed a spry demeanor, his age was apparent, as is natural.

Joes words were inspiring. His hope and faith came through loud and clear.

Reflecting on the past few days, the adrenaline rush has subsided, and the reality has set in, leaving us quite drained, but very hopeful for the future of America. I stand by my support for Joe, if Trump becomes the nominee.

As Joe left the premises, ascending the stairs toward the door, he unexpectedly paused and turned back to the crowd. He shared an intimate memory, saying, Whenever I left our house, my father would tell me, Joey, keep the faith, and my grandmother would always counter, No, no, Joey, spread the faith.

With those words, he bid us all, God bless you all, and stepped out the door. This powerful conclusion marked the end of a remarkable adventure.
A sumo wrestler crosses the street as others buy drinks following a training session, near the Arashio-beya sumo stable in Tokyo (RICHARD A. BROOKS)

Their interest piqued during Covid lockdowns and by a new Netflix drama, a fresh rush of foreign tourists are flocking to Japan for a look inside the insular world of sumo.

Japan's national sport -- hundreds of years old and steeped in tradition -- has long been a source of fascination outside the country, but those in the industry say interest has spiked in recent years, with some making the most of the new attention.

At a recent lunchtime "performance", two imposing sumo practitioners strutted their stuff in a Tokyo restaurant full of cheering tourists.

Afterwards, the spectators took selfies with the hulking athletes and donned padded sumo costumes and wigs to try their hand at the ancient art in a bout against retired professionals.

"The kids had a blast. I had a blast getting up there and fighting with them," said Kiernan Riley, 42, from Arizona.

"They put on a good show. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip."

Tickets for the thrice-weekly event, which includes commentary in English and a slap-up meal, go for 11,000 yen ($76) each and were sold out for the following six weeks.

One of the stars is former top professional wrestler Takayuki Sakuma, aka Jokoryu, who stands six foot two inches (1.87 metres) tall and weighed 170 kilos (375 pounds) at his peak.

"When you're a professional, your life depends on sumo," the now-retired 35-year-old told AFP. "And it's not to be taken lightly."

"But to entertain people we add humour. The most important thing is to make people appreciate sumo as culture."

- Netflix effect -

Former amateur sumo wrestler John Gunning, who competed for his native Ireland and commentates -- in English -- on Japanese television, said there has been a "huge increase" in the sport's popularity abroad over the last five to 10 years.

But that popularity grew even more during Covid, when people stuck in lockdown explored new interests.

And the release this year of "Sanctuary", a new Netflix series set in the world of sumo, also helped to introduce the sport to a new audience.

"I'm seeing a lot of people saying that that was their first exposure to sumo," Gunning told AFP.

The Japan Sumo Association last year also launched an English-language YouTube channel, "Sumo Prime Time", whose videos rack up tens of thousands of views.

Ken Miller, 68, shows groups of American tourists the area of Ryogoku, a mecca for the sport, including the Kokugikan arena.

Each one pays several hundred dollars for the experience, and he says he is booked up for the next year.

Three times a year, in January, May and September, Kokugikan hosts the top stars of sumo in national tournaments in front of more than 10,000 cheering fans.

"I try to explain to them (the tourists) that sumo is not just a sport, it's part of the culture. And it's very much connected to Buddhism, Shinto," Miller told AFP.

"It's a way of life."

- 'Stables' swamped -

Tourists have long been able to visit the hallowed interior of a "heya", one of the traditional "stables" where sumo wrestlers live and train according to strict traditions.

But because of the growth in interest, many stables have banned individual visits and only allow group tours booked through an agency, said guide Yuriko Kimura.

"When we started sumo stable training tours, it was maybe held once or twice a week, people didn't know about sumo. But then it surged around 2018-2019," she told AFP.

"I tell them that what is important is to show respect towards the stable and sumo wrestlers. If people from other countries know the dos and don'ts, they won't do something wrong."

Inside, visitors must stay seated and quiet so as not to disturb the wrestlers while they train.

One stable, Arashio in central Tokyo, has a large bay window where dozens of people gather every day to watch the training sessions.

Yuka Suzuki, 61, the wife of the former master who installed the window, said that the original aim was to chip away at the reputation of sumo being "secretive".

"But instead of locals, it's people from all over the world who have started to come," she said.

She added that she hoped that as a result, Japanese people would start to rediscover their national sport, which she said was essential for its survival.

"Young wrestlers came into this world (of sumo) to test themselves, but if there are fewer and fewer Japanese people who feel that way, sumo wrestling will also disappear," she said.

mac/stu/smw/cwl
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who has floated a potential primary run against President Biden, said Sunday he will encourage other Democrats to run against the incumbent president without being definitive about his own political future.

Anybody who wants to run  [Sen.] Joe Manchin, (D-W.Va.) Cornel West, any of the governors  in the primaries. Thats why we have the primaries, because that doesnt undermine the likelihood of returning, in this case, a Democrat to the White House, Phillips said in an interview with NBCs Chuck Todd on Meet The Press.

Phillips, who has brought up the possibility of himself running against Biden, said the majority of the country wants to turn the page in the upcoming election.

Im representing what I believe to be the majority of the country that wants to turn the page, tired of the meanness and fearmongering of Donald Trump, Phillips said. Wed like to see Joe Biden, a wonderful and remarkable man, pass the torch, cement this extraordinary light.

When Todd asked Phillips if he does not want Biden to run for reelection, Phillips said he believes the majority of people want to move on from Biden.

Im actively inviting, encouraging  to some degree, imploring  that people who are ready and know its probably time to do so, take the chance, Phillips said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Abandoned telephone cables are contaminating soil and waterways throughout the U.S. with toxic lead, according to an in-depth report from the Wall Street Journal.

The investigation found thousands of lead-covered cables left behind by major telecom companies have been polluting the environment for decades, posing a hidden threat to communities from coast to coast.

The worst part is that these companies knew the dangers of these toxic cables, yet didnt do anything about the potential health risk.

Whats happening?

After researchers tested hundreds of sites nationwide, environmental samples revealed lead contamination near playgrounds, schools, and major waterways. A sample from Lake Tahoe reported levels 2,533 times the EPA limit for drinking water, posing significant danger to swimmers, wildlife, and nearby communities.

In 2021, AT&T settled a lawsuit concerning 8 miles of degrading phone cable leaching lead into the lake that is split between California and Nevada, the Associated Press reported. The company agreed to remove the cable as part of the settlement but hasnt yet done so.

Why are lead cables so concerning?

According to the World Health Organization, lead is a toxin that builds up in the body, causing harmful effects with even small amounts of exposure. Lead in the body is especially damaging to the brain, liver, kidneys, and bones. Infants and children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning as the toxic metal impairs the development of the brain and nervous system, resulting in problems ranging from behavioral disorders to difficulty learning.

Despite decades of work to eliminate lead from homes and water lines, lead-coated phone cables remain mostly unaddressed.

Jack Caravanos, an NYU environmental public-health professor, explained to the Wall Street Journal, as reported by Futurism, We never knew about it so we never acted on it, unlike lead in paint and pipes.

Following the report, telecom giants like AT&T and Verizon responded with little action. Contradicting public statements, internal messages from AT&T showed the company recognized the potential danger for workers exposed to the lead cables but remained reluctant to remove the deteriorating phone lines.

Whats being done about the toxic cables?

In the wake of the report, environmental groups are calling on the government to further investigate the potential danger to people and the environment if these cables are not removed. The abandoned cables are a stark reminder of the need for better ways to safely dispose of or recycle outdated technology while holding companies accountable for putting the health of our communities at risk.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
A report from a weapons research group indicates that Russia has started making copies of attack drones obtained from Iran in the previous year and has been using them against Ukraine.

The researchers from the Conflict Armament Research (CAR) inspected the wreckage of two attack drones that were used in combat in southeastern Ukraine. Both appeared to be Iranian Shahed-136s, but they also contained electronic modules that matched those from Russian-made surveillance drones.

Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones have been one of Russias most effective weapons. On Aug. 3, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had launched almost 2,000 Shaheds at Ukraine.

The Russian-made versions of the Shahed-136 are commonly marked as Geran-2. The research group documented over 100 components spanning more than 30 unique models across the two Geran-2 UAVs, marked with the brands of 22 different companies based in 7 countries, including Russia. Most of the components that CAR documented bore the brands of companies headquartered in China, Switzerland, and the United States.

While Iranian Shahed-136 drones marked Geran-2 have previously been recovered in Ukraine, the report suggests that Russian-made copies with the same name are now in use.

"Almost a year after the first use of Iranian-manufactured UAVs in Ukraine, evidence that the Russian Federation has begun producing its own domestic versions marks a significant evolution in the countrys UAV capabilities that will allow it to sustain its reliance on single-use UAVs," reads the report.

Recent media reports claimed that the Russian Federation sought to produce its domestic version of the Shahed UAV by early 2024. CARs findings indicate that this production may have already started.

Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 20  Tragedy of civilian life in Donbas

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
WASHINGTON  Congressional Republicans have for months repeatedly written to Attorney General Merrick Garland demanding he appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, the presidents son, over his business dealings.

Some even demanded that a specific man be named to lead the inquiry: David Weiss, the Donald Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. attorney who has long investigated the case.

But Friday, after Garland elevated Weiss to special counsel status, Republicans in Congress reacted publicly not with triumph but outrage. David Weiss cant be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden familys corruption, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

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The reaction was a notable political development, one that underscored both how Weiss, a Republican, has fallen in conservative circles and how deeply it has become ingrained in the GOP to oppose the Justice Department at every turn.

The reality is this appointment is meant to distract from and slow down our investigations, said Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chair of Ways and Means, one of three congressional committees looking into the Biden familys finances.

But in interviews, away from social media and television appearances, the reaction of many Republicans to Weiss appointment was more nuanced. Privately, some in the GOP were chalking up the development as a victory.

The party had worked for years to elevate the Hunter Biden case  which Democrats have long dismissed as a partisan obsession of the right  to a scandal equivalent to those dogging Trump, who has faced two impeachment trials, two special counsel investigations and three indictments totaling 78 felony counts against him. Those indictments include charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States and willfully retaining national defense information after he left office.

By contrast, Hunter Biden has thus far been accused of two misdemeanor crimes stemming from his failure to pay taxes on more than $1.5 million in income related to his overseas business deals, and one felony count of illegally possessing a firearm while being a drug user.

After leaving his job as a lobbyist while his father was running to become vice president more than a decade ago, Hunter Biden, a Yale-educated lawyer, and partners entered into a series of international business relationships, often with firms seeking influence and access within the United States. He was paid handsomely, even as he descended into drug addiction, and Republicans have accused him and his family of corruption. But they have not produced evidence that any of the overseas money went to Joe Biden or that the president influenced U.S. policy to benefit his sons business partners.

Even as they objected to Weiss, some Republicans said the appointment appeared to be an acknowledgment that the allegations they had made deserved a serious investigation. It promised to keep Hunter Bidens misdeeds in the news  and in the courts  for longer than Democrats would like as the 2024 presidential election heats up. And it ensured that in the minds of some voters, the names Trump and Biden would both be linked to scandal, even if Republicans have not proved any wrongdoing by the current president.

In an interview with Newsmax, a top Trump adviser, Jason Miller, appeared to echo both sentiments and foreshadowed coming attacks.

Miller said the appointment of Weiss stinks and accused the prosecutor of sitting on his hands for years. But, he added, I do want to make sure that my Republican brethren dont lose sight of the big prize here.

He described the appointment of a special counsel as a direct acknowledgment that Hunter Biden did something wrong, and he recalled Joe Biden saying in a 2020 debate with Trump that he had not done anything wrong.

Since Weiss announced a proposed plea deal in June with Hunter Biden  an agreement that would have allowed him to avoid jail time on tax and gun charges but has since fallen apart  Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized the government, accusing the Justice Department of leniency with the presidents son as they conduct their own investigations in an effort to tie his overseas business dealings to the president. House Republicans have also brought forth two IRS agents who worked on Weiss investigation and claimed there had been political interference.

One allegation made by the IRS agents was that Weiss had sought to bring charges against Hunter Biden in Washington and California but had been rebuffed by prosecutors in those jurisdictions who declined to partner with him. The order appointing Weiss to special counsel authorizes him to bring charges in any jurisdiction.

Alyssa DaCunha, a co-chair of the congressional investigations practice at the law firm WilmerHale, said she believed House Republicans investigations and their criticisms of the proposed plea deal had caught the attention of the Justice Department.

Theres a real need to make sure that whatever charging decisions are made are very, very well supported and the department can really stand behind them, DaCunha said. It seems like this will extend the life of the investigation, and so there are lots of ways in which this is going to complicate the narrative for Democrats moving forward and give the Republicans lots of leverage.

Some House Republicans close to Trump acknowledged they were pleased with the announcement of the special counsel. For Trump in particular, it provided him with the investigation he has long desired to be able to depict the Biden family as corrupt, even as Hunter Bidens alleged crimes are significantly less severe than the charges Trump is facing.

Trumps statement did not suggest that he viewed the appointment of a special counsel as a bad development, merely that it had come late, something his advisers also argued in private.

Mike Pence, the former vice president who is now running against Trump, was among the few well-known Republicans to openly praise Weiss appointment.

But other Republicans were worried the development could be used to block their investigations. Weiss had pledged to testify on Capitol Hill this fall, but those Republicans predicted he could now cite the special counsel investigation to refuse to do so.

The announcement also gives the president and Garland some political cover against Republican accusations that Trump is a victim of a two-tier system of justice, placing the investigation outside the normal workings of the Justice Department. It could also undercut Republican arguments that an impeachment inquiry of the president is necessary.

In the near term, it gives Republicans the ability to say it legitimizes what theyve been looking into, and it helps give more momentum to their different oversight activities, said Michael Ricci, a former top communications official to two Republican House speakers and a current fellow at Georgetown Universitys Institute of Politics and Public Service. But in the longer term, the White House will absolutely use this as an argument against any kind of rush into impeachment.

Several Republicans said their respect for Weiss had declined after he entered into the plea deal with Hunter Biden.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who had once called for Weiss to be made special counsel, said he no longer stands by that belief. Given the underhanded plea deal negotiated by the U.S. attorney from President Bidens home state, its clear Weiss isnt the right person for the job, Grassley said.

But Democrat-aligned groups saw something else in the Republicans about-face: disingenuousness.

House Republicans opposition to Trump appointee David Weiss appointment as special counsel is nothing more than another political stunt, said Kyle Herrig, the director of the Congressional Integrity Project, an advocacy group that defends the president from congressional investigations. After months of calling for this, their dismay makes clear that they will stop at nothing to weaponize Congress to interfere with an ongoing investigation and harm Joe Biden.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
It has been more than two decades since David Mobley snookered Naples residents out of more than $100 million and now it appears local investors have let their guard down again with recent Naples Daily News articles reporting a $35 million Ponzi scheme.

Andrew Hill

The name Ponzi comes from Charles Ponzi, an Italian swindler and con artist who in the 1920s promised 50 percent returns within 45 days while banks were paying just 5 percent. His alleged business was international stamp trading where he claimed that he could buy stamps in a cheaper country and then sell in a more expensive country, thus making a risk-free profit. In reality, it was just a good story covering a big fraud.

Ponzi schemes over time have similar characteristics. First, they offer returns that are unrealistically attractive. Second, the perpetrator has new ways of making money that usually doesnt hold up to scrutiny. Third, the client provides complete access to their money by usually investing in a fund to which the perpetrator has complete access.

Fraudsters and Ponzi schemers have been around as long as money has been in circulation. How can you as an investor sharpen your eyes and protect your money?

First, ask yourself are the returns significantly better and are they verifiable? Historically, the benchmark S&P 500 has averaged roughly 10 percent returns per year. Wall Street convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff promised 11 percent returns with very little volatility, which was unrealistic given the normal ups and downs of the stock market.

Second, is their story reasonable? Mobley claimed to trade options which usually require significant mathematics and computer skills, but he lacked a college degree. What is the background of the individual and do they have the necessary experience?

Third, and possibly most importantly, does the investment manager have access to the investors funds? Most investment advisors use a third-party custodian such as Fidelity, Charles Schwab or a trust bank to ensure transactions of the client are appropriate. Bernie Madoff was his own custodian, so it was easy for him to steal from his clients.

For investors who invest in a private fund, ask for audited financial statements of the fund with an unqualified opinion from a reputable Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm.

In addition to asking these basic questions, the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) encourages investors to check the backgrounds of people selling investments by using the SECs website Investor.gov to identify quickly whether they are registered professionals and confirm their identity.

Also, check to see if the investment professional has achieved the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification which requires a three-part examination process and members must attest to upholding a Code of Ethics.

While Ponzi fraudsters are innovative in their schemes, it appears that the basic characteristics of the crime remain similar over time. With a little research and due diligence, you can protect you and your family from the next Charles Ponzi.

Andrew Hill, CFA, is president and co-founder of Andrew Hill Investment Advisors Inc., a Registered Investment Advisory firm based in Naples.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Research can protect you from the next scammer
A vending machine in the David Adamany Undergraduate Library on the Wayne State campus in Detroit carries free Narcan nasal spray on May 31, 2022.

Here is this weeks letter to the editor of the Herald Times Reporter. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.

A response to concerns about Manitowocs Narcan vending machine

Editor's note: This week's letter is in response to an Aug. 6 letter. Part of that letter stated: "They put the vending machine across from the courthouse and will be monitoring it via cameras so they can harass people who use it. I know if I were using, I wouldnt go near it."

Dear Community Member,

Thank you for sharing your story about your substance use disorder. We value feedback from our community, especially from those with lived experience.

I wanted to address your comment about the possible location of one of our vending machines.

Some background: I am the program director for our Substance Use Prevention Coalition here in Manitowoc. I started a committee that wrote for the Narcan vending machine grants. We have two grants that will support implementing two Narcan vending machines in the county. Our committee is composed of recovery agencies, Manitowoc County Health Department and Human Services, the police department, our prevention coalition, and a few of our hospitals.

Manitowoc's Narcan vending machine: Here's what to know about the city's first life-saving Narcan vending machine

The committee chose the Econo Lodge (908 Washington St.) as a possible location because of the owners support of the recovery community.

We need a location that:

can be monitored by cameras for the safety of the host sight, machine and community members;

is temperature controlled; and

can be accessed by the public 24-7.

There are very few places we can find all three.

The machine's purpose is to decrease barriers to accessing naloxone (a drug that reverses suspected opioid overdose), and reduce stigma and the burden on distribution.

We understand some people wont use the machine because it is across the street from the courthouse, but the courthouse will not be used to monitor the machine or community members who use it.

We will also have a second location  to be determined  that, it is hoped, will allow those not comfortable using the Econo Lodge to still have access to this life-saving drug.

Our vision at Healthiest Manitowoc County is this: "Everyone living longer, better lives." We want everyone in our community to have the opportunity to achieve this, and they need to be alive for us to be able to help them.

If you meet people where they are, you can lower their barriers to getting life-saving care. I understand this will need to be an ongoing open conversation with our community, and we would love to be able to address concerns and questions!

Brittany Boyer

NEWAHEC/HMC Substance Use Prevention Coalition, Manitowoc

Our letters policy

Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to htrnews@htrnews.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc letter responds to Narcan vending machine concerns
Its been nine years since Robin Williams died, an event that prompted an outputing of love from Hollywood.

The beloved actor and comedians final days were covered in Robins Wish, a documentary exploring the neurodegenerative disorder that the actor was struggling with before he died by suicide in 2014.

In the documentary, which was released in 2020, it was revealed that Williams deteriorated while filming a Night at the Museum sequel months before his death.

Susan Schneider Williams said that her husband battled to find answers to his health issues before he died after being misdiagnosed with Parkinson's.

Despite this, he continued to work in film, and shot Shawn Levy film Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, alongside Ben Stiller, Rebel Wilson and Dan Stevens, at the height of his illness.

Unbeknownst to Williams, he was suffering from Lewy body dementia, an incurable brain disease, which was only revealed following his autopsy.

A 2018 biography on Williams, written by Dave Itzkoff, corroborates the story that Williams deterioration took hold while filming the third and final Night at the Museum film.

His makeup artist on the film, Cheri Minns, also told The New York Post in 2018 that he would end every day sobbing in my arms.

She described the experience as horrible, adding that he once said: I don't know how to be funny anymore.

In the new documentary, his widow tells filmmaker Tyler Norwood: My husband had unknowingly been battling a deadly disease. Nearly every region of his brain was under attack  he experienced himself disintegrating.

Robin Williams in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (Rex Features)

Williams starred in classic films such as Mrs Doubtfire, Good Morning Vietnam and Disneys Aladdin. He won an Oscar for his supporting role as a psychologist in Good Will Hunting.

Robins Wish is available to stream in the UK on demand and digital now  read our review here.

When life is difficult, Samaritans are here  day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

In the US, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 800 273 8255 or chat online for help.
A group of women tailed Ron DeSantis to several campaign events this past week, causing disruptions and distractions as the second-place Republican candidate seeks to pick up traction in the early caucus state.

The group, B****es Get Stuff Done, showed up to at least two of the Florida governors events where they deployed various tactics aimed at preventing him from speaking to Republican primary voters. A website for the group states that its members are progressive Democratic women who, apparently in addition to trolling Republicans, provide resources to Democratic candidates.

Among the activists from the group who participated in the demonstrations this week was the groups founder and CEO, Heather Ryan.

Chants of pudding fingers erupted at one DeSantis campaign event where Ms Ryan and another member of the group arrived with megaphones.

Bit of a skirmish at DeSantis first stop of the day in Iowa. Two protesters here are drowning out his remarks shouting pudding fingers and someone supporting him is trying to get them to stop. pic.twitter.com/xEtmd2M3c9  Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) August 11, 2023

At one point at the same event, a DeSantis supporter can be seen attempting to snatch a megaphone out of Heathers hands.

The moment the DeSantis supporter (staffer?) commits assault pic.twitter.com/MDvFKpN5cG  Michael McDonald (@ElectProject) August 11, 2023

The governor addressed the women briefly as they carried on, but according to Politico the event (a discussion with military veterans) seemed hurried along as the protesters attempted to drown him out.

People like that are whats holding this country back, Mr DeSantis said at one point, according to Politico.

At an event held at the week-long phenomenon that is the Iowa State Fair, the Florida governor found himself met by the women once more. There, he was joined by Iowas Governor Kim Reynolds onstage only to be drowned out by members of the group who blew whistles over the two Republicans as they spoke. Overhead, a chartered prop plane flew a banner urging the candidate to be likable.

DES MOINES, Iowa  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis take the stage at the Iowa State Fair and are greeted by a noisy protest. A plane flies overhead carrying a banner that says BE LIKABLE, Ron! pic.twitter.com/LvxOJSkM7T  Stephanie Murray (@stephanie_murr) August 12, 2023

Mr DeSantis has put much of his campaigns focus into the state of Iowa, where he hopes for an upset victory over Donald Trump. The former presidents campaign has been combatting that effort with mockery and derision, even though Mr Trump himself lost the Iowa caucuses in 2016 to Ted Cruz.

The Florida governor has formed a close alliance with Ms Reynolds, Iowas popular GOP executive, but in polling has continued to trail Mr Trump by significant margins even as other Republicans close in on him from lower down in the standings.
Rescuers use inflatable boats to evacuate residents of the flooded area in Ussuriysk

Russia cleans up after Typhoon Khanun floods thousands of homes Rescuers use inflatable boats to evacuate residents of the flooded area in Ussuriysk

(Reuters) - Russia sent a task force to oversee cleanup of parts of the country's Far East on Sunday after Typhoon Khanun passed through the Primorye region, the emergencies ministry in Moscow said.

Russia's TASS news agency quoted the ministry as saying the number of flooded homes stood at 4,368 while 5,654 adjoining plots and 7 apartment buildings also were flooded. It said 28 settlements remained cut off.

It said most of the affected homes were in the cities of Ussuriysk and Spassk-Dalny, and in the Oktyabrsky municipal district, in the region of Primorye, where the port of Vladivostok is the administrative center.

The ministry said in its Telegram channel that the task force would "coordinate the work to eliminate the consequences of the flood." It said its aircraft delivered humanitarian aid and Mi-8 helicopters helped transfer rescuers to the site.

It added there were no reports of casualties and that it had avoided more serious damage by sending units in early.

TASS said the flood in Ussuriysk, the second largest city in Primorye, was the worst and biggest in a decade and that it had affected between 35 and 40 percent of its territory.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Sandra Maler)
The Palauan-flagged ship Sukru Okan, allegedly stopped in the Black Sea by the Russian military

The Russian patrol ship Vasily Bykov fired warning shots on the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan cargo vessel after the captain refused to stop for an inspection, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Telegram on Aug. 13.

The incident happened in the southwestern Black Sea at about 6:40 in the morning. The ship was making its way to the Ukrainian port of Izmail in the estuary of the Danube, the ministry specified.

The Russian patrol ship allegedly wanted to inspect "transportation of banned goods."

"To forcibly stop the vessel, warning fire was opened from automatic weapons," the ministry said.

Read also: Russia faces wheat exports shipping challenges after attacking Ukraine  Reuters

A Ka-29 assault-transport helicopter supported the operation.

The Sukru Okan continued on its journey after the Russian inspection group checked the vessel.

According to the Marine Traffic system, the ship was directed to the Romanian port of Sulima and was passing the western shore of the Black Sea, as of the time of publication.

Breach of the grain deal: What is known

Russia officially terminated its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17, which had previously allowed Ukrainian grain export through the Black Sea to countries at risk of food insecurity. Russia alleged that its unilateral withdrawal from the agreement was due to Ukrainian attacks on the illegally-built Kerch Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland. On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to extend the grain deal without Russian participation, jointly with Turkey and the UN.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said he would consider restoring the grain deal on his own terms.

The Black Sea grain deal had allowed secure Ukrainian grain exports starting from August 1, 2022. However, Russia repeatedly threatened and hindered the initiative.

Russia announced on July 19 that it will consider all ships sailing to Ukrainian ports to be "military targets."

In response, Ukraine's Defense Ministry warned that it would consider all vessels heading to Russian ports in the Black Sea, as well as to ports in the temporarily occupied territories, as "carrying military cargo with all the corresponding risks."

A spokesperson for the Southern Ukraine Defense Forces, Natalia Humeniuk, said they saw indications that Russia is gearing up to blockade the Black Sea.

She also warned about possible Russian false-flag attacks against third parties' vessels in the Black Sea. The US State Department issued a similar warning.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Russian army attacked the town of Bilozirka in Kherson Oblast late on Aug. 13, damaging at least 12 residential buildings and injuring a 31-year-old woman and a man, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported.

The Russians also dropped three guided aerial bombs on the village of Odradokamyanka. As a result, several houses were destroyed.

Earlier, Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin announced that Aug. 14 would be a day of mourning in the region after the previous Russian attack in the morning of Aug. 13, in which 7 civilians were killed, including a 23-day-old newborn baby girl.

Her 12-year-old brother and both parents were also killed in the attack on the village of Shyroka Balka, as well as another 67-year-old man.

Two men were also killed and one wounded by a missile that struck the nearby village of Stanislav.

Christian priest Mykola Tachishvili and another man were killed in Stanislav, Prokudin said.

My sincere condolences to the relatives, eternal memory to the innocent victims, he wrote.

According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, 13 civilians were injured during the day as a result of shelling by Russian troops in Kherson Oblast.





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The Russian Defense Ministry reported on their Telegram channel that it had intercepted a drone attack overnight on Aug. 13.

Russia's air defense reportedly shot down the drone over the territory of Belgorod Oblast around 4 a.m. local time. There were no casualties or damage at the time of the publication.

While Russia blames the Ukrainian military for the strikes, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Russian state media also claimed on Aug. 12 that 20 Ukrainian drones had been shot down overnight in occupied Crimea. Fourteen drones were destroyed by air defense, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. Six others were "suppressed by means of electronic warfare."

Russias Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraines Luhansk, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. The region has seen periodic shelling and cross-border rocket attacks since spring 2022.

Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 20  Tragedy of civilian life in Donbas

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Russian forces shelled four communities in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 12, firing almost 50 rounds from various types of weapons, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on Telegram.

According to the post, Russia shelled the Krasnopillia, Bilopillia, Znob-Novhorodske, and Nova Sloboda communities.

Russian forces used mines to target the Bilopillia community, while the Krasnopillia, Znob-Novhorodske and Nova Sloboda communities were attacked with mortars.

No casualties have been reported following the shelling. There was no information on the damage in the region at the time of the publication.

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: Ukrainians advance 16-20 kilometers in tactically significant move

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Russian shelling killed seven civilians in Kherson Oblast on the morning of Aug. 13, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote.

Five people were killed by shelling in the village of Shyroka Balka, including a family of four: parents and their two children, a 12-year-old son and a 23-day-old new baby.

The boy died in the hospital, while the rest of the victims were killed on site.

A blurred photo of the body of a local resident killed by Russian shelling in the village of Shyroka Balka in Kherson Oblast, on the morning of Aug. 13. (Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko via Telegram)

Additionally, two men were killed and one wounded by an anti-craft missile that struck the nearby village Stanislav, according to Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak. Five buildings were reportedly damaged in the strike.

Both villages sit on the bank of the bank of the Dnipro River where it falls into the Black Sea. The villages are across the river from the Russian-held eastern bank. Russian troops regularly shell Ukrainian cities and villages on the western bank.

Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 20  Tragedy of civilian life in Donbas

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The Russian Defence Ministrys statement about the alleged inspection of the Sukru Okan vessel in the Black Sea has not been officially confirmed by anyone else.

Source: Natalia Humeniuk, head of the joint press centre of the Southern Defence Forces of Ukraine on the air of the joint national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "The message that was made today exclusively by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has not been confirmed by any other official sources. I believe that we should pay attention to this and keep in mind the peculiarities of hybrid warfare. When there are some events in which several participants are involved, there must be an official point of view from one, the second, and the third party  all those who were involved.

To date, we have only one thing  a demonstration of aggression by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. They are trying their best to denote their dominance in the Black Sea. Allegedly they are able to stop the ship, raise the aircraft, and they will not be sanctioned for this kind of stop-and-search, but today this version has not been confirmed by anyone else.

Can we trust the aggressor country? As one of their speakers says, I don't think so. We must understand that the information war continues as powerfully as the artillery fire."

Details: At the same time, Humeniuk believes that this situation is a signal for every civilian vessel in the Black Sea.

"They [the Russians  ed.] are ready to use all the capacities that they demonstrated during the exercises. It should be understood that those transport and navigation corridors that exist today should be under an international guarantee," she stressed.

Background: The Russian Defence Ministry said that in the small hours of 13 August, a Russian ship reportedly opened "warning" fire on the Sukru Okan, a bulk carrier which was heading for the port of Izmail in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, under the flag of Palau, then an inspection of the ship was allegedly conducted. The incident took place in the Black Sea.

However, InformNapalm, an international intelligence community, says that the Russians have lied that the inspection of the Sukru Okan cargo ship in the Black Sea was successful, and that warning shots were fired.

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The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation has stated that on the night of 13 August, a Ukrainian drone tried to attack Russian territory, but was allegedly shot down over Belgorod Oblast.

Source: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation on Telegram

Details: The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that around 04:00, a UAV attempted to attack objects on the Russian territory.

The Russians claim that the drone was discovered and destroyed over the territory of Belgorod Oblast.

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation assures that as a result of the drone attack, there was no destruction and no casualties.

Reminder: On the evening of 12 August, the Ministry of Defence of Russia reported an attempt by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to attack targets in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, which involved a drone.

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Over the course of 12 August, Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast five times, causing 49 explosions.

Source: the Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Facebook

Details: Russian forces launched four mortar bombs on the Krasnopillia hromada. [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a city, town or village and its adjacent territories - ed.]

Russian forces also deployed mortars to fire on the Znob-Novhorod hromada, causing 35 explosions.

The Russians also launched nine mortar bombs on the Bilopillia hromada.

Russian mortar attacks also caused an explosion in the Nova Sloboda hromada.

The Sumy Oblast Military Administration added there were no casualties and civilian infrastructure facilities were not damaged, either.

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Roman Starovoyt, governor of Russias Kursk region, claimed on Aug. 13 that shells coming from Ukraine had hit a house in the village of Volfino, injuring three people.

The injured with shrapnel wounds have been hospitalized, according to the report.

Volfino sits on the border with Ukraines Sumy Oblast, subjected to daily Russian attacks from across the border.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod region, also claimed that Russian air defense had intercepted two drones in the region on the same day. One was reported to be downed in the village of Solomino, south of Belgorod.

No casualties or damage were reported.

Meanwhile, BBC Russia reported explosions in Beglorod just after a loitering munition was spotted in the air.

Pictures published online showed a damaged residential building in Belgorod.

The Kyiv Independent couldnt independently verify the claim.

Multiple isolated drone attacks have occurred within Russian soil since Moscow unleashed its fill-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February last year.

These attacks appear to primarily focus on disrupting the infrastructure that supports the logistics of the Russian military. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for most of these attacks.

Read also: Stoltenberg about attacks on Russian soil: Ukraine has right to defend itself

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Cases of desertion have become more frequent in the ranks of the Russian Armed Forces, and the Russian occupying authorities are conducting house-to-house raids in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, looking for deserters.

Source: Ukraines General Staff report on Facebook

Quote: "Panic is on the rise among the occupiers, and the frequency of desertions is growing.

Military patrols and military personnel from the commandant's office (military police) of the Russian occupying forces are conducting house-to-house visits in the temporarily occupied settlement of Hornostaivka, Kherson Oblast, looking for deserters among their soldiers.

The command is taking such actions since the number of deserters and individuals abusing alcohol and drugs has risen significantly among the newly arrived Russian military personnel in the settlement and its surroundings."

Details: The report says the Russian troops are leaving their places of service and trying to hide in abandoned buildings.

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By Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia on Sunday switched on the scientific instruments aboard its lunar lander and scientists began processing its first data as the space craft sped towards the moon in a bid to be first to find ice on the Earth's only natural satellite.

The Russian Luna-25 mission, the first since 1976, is racing against India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander last month, to complete a soft landing on the moon's south pole where scientists believe there are pockets of water ice.

A Soyuz 2.1 rocket carrying the Luna-25 craft blasted off from the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia's Far East at 2:11 a.m. on Friday Moscow time and was boosted out of Earth's orbit an hour later.

As it hurtles towards the moon, which is 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from our planet, the scientific instruments were switched on with the first data on the flight measured, Russia's space agency said.

"The first measurement data on the flight to the Moon has been obtained, and the project's scientific team has begun processing it," Roscosmos said.

"Luna-25 continues its flight to the Earth's natural satellite - all systems of the automatic station are working properly, communication with it is stable, the energy balance is positive," it said.

Luna-25, roughly the size of a small car, will aim to operate for a year on the moon's south pole, where scientists at NASA and other space agencies in recent years have detected traces of water ice in the region's shadowed craters.

There is much riding on the Luna-25 mission for Russia: if it succeeds, Russia is likely to say it shows that the West's sanctions over the Ukraine war cannot hold Russia back.

But failure would again raise questions over Russia's space ambitions after the decades of superpower space competition with the United States during the Cold War.

U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong gained renown in 1969 for being the first person to walk on the moon, but the Soviet Union's Luna-2 mission was the first spacecraft to reach the moon's surface in 1959, and the Luna-9 mission in 1966 was the first to make a soft landing there.

After the United States won the battle to put a man on the moon, Moscow then focused on exploring Mars and since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has not sent scientific probes beyond Earth's orbit.

Russia said on Friday that it would launch further lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed mission and even a lunar base.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Ros Russell)
Seven people were killed, including a 23-day old infant, in a Russian shelling Sunday targeting Ukraines southern Kherson region.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said in a Telegram post that the artillery shelling on the village of Shyroka Balka killed a family, including a husband, wife, 12-year-old boy and 23-day-old girl and another resident. The 12-year-old son was initially recovered in critical condition but later died at the hospital, Kylmenko said.

Two others were also killed in Stanislav, a nearby village where a woman was also wounded.

This comes after Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar pushed back on claims that her countrys forces had advanced on the occupied left bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region. She said Saturday there were no reasons for excitement.

Ukraine has continued to slowly make small gains after it launched its counteroffensive in the south earlier this summer. However, Russia has been quietly launching its own offensive, which could potentially divide Ukraines forces if successful.

Local officials in Russia also reported Sunday that air defense systems shot down three drones over the Belgorod region and one over the Kursk region. Both regions border Ukraine.

Belgorod Regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said the facade of an apartment building had been damaged after an explosion in the area was also reported Sunday afternoon. He said that there were no casualties, but that 15 parked cars sustained damage.

The Associated Press contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
In the small hours of 13 August, a Russian ship opened "warning" fire on the Sukru Okan, a bulk carrier which was heading for the port of Izmail in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, under the flag of Palau. The incident took place in the Black Sea.

Source: Ministry of Defence of Russia

Details: The Russians complained that the vessel had supposedly ignored some "demands to stop for an inspection to check for prohibited cargo".

The Russians apparently fired warning shots and sent a Ka-29 combat helicopter with a group of troops on board.

The Russian troops landed on the vessel and conducted a so-called "inspection".

After that, the Sukru Okan continued on its route to Izmail.

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On 13 August, the Russians attacked Kherson Oblast once again, dropping explosives from UAVs and launching attacks on the city of Kherson. Civilians have been injured in the attack.

Source: Andrii Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine

Details: The Russians launched attacks on the city of Kherson on 13 August in the afternoon, injuring three civilians.

They also attacked Kherson Oblast with UAVs.

The Presidents Office of Ukraine specified that the drones dropped explosives on the territory of the Beryslav hospital. There is no information concerning any damage or people injured.

Background: Russian forces fired on Veletenske in Bilozerka hromada, Kherson Oblast, on the night of 12-13 August, seriously injuring a 28-year-old man (a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.).

Russian forces fired on Kherson Oblast on the morning of 13 August, killing at least five adults and a 23-days-old baby.

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Russian authorities have claimed that they shot down two drones in one day, 13 August.

Source: Russian Ministry of Defence

Details: The Russians allege that they destroyed a Ukrainian UAV, "fired on targets on the territory of the Russian Federation", in the skies over Kursk Oblast.

As usual, the Russian reports contain no mention of the destruction.

Background: A few hours earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that a Ukrainian drone had attempted to attack Russian territory but was supposedly shot down over Russias Belgorod Oblast.

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Russian occupiers have been checking public transport in search of local partisans in the captured city of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: National Resistance Center

Quote: "In temporarily occupied Melitopol and the surrounding area, the Russian occupation forces are conducting an operation to search for the local underground. This time they are using their own police officers.

The Russians called the raids a safety check of public transport. However, primarily during bus stops it is not the drivers and their documents that are checked, but the passengers. The occupiers demand that they show Russian passports. They check documents, phones and the contents of bags and pockets."

Details: The CNR reminded civilians of the need to observe security rules by notifying Ukraine's defence forces of Russian movements and deployments.

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InformNapalm, an international intelligence community, says that the Russians have lied that the inspection of the Sukru Okan cargo ship in the Black Sea was successful, and that warning shots were fired.

Source: InformNapalm

Quote: "As per the objective control data provided to InformNapalm by the sailors of one of the vessels who observed this event from a distance, the Russian Ministry of Defence lied that the inspection of the vessel was successful.

The sailors said the Sukru Okan did not comply with the demands of the Ruscists to stop the ship, but simply temporarily changed its course towards the coast, the territorial waters of Turkiye.

There were no helicopters and no warning shots. There were only Russian threats on the radio. There was a Turkish crew on board the Sukru Okan, who did not give a sh*t about the threats and did not obey. Therefore, the Ruscists reports about the successful inspection of the ship were untruthful."

Background:

The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that in the small hours of 13 August, a Russian ship opened "warning" fire on the Sukru Okan, a bulk carrier which was heading for the port of Izmail in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, under the flag of Palau.

After the carrier supposedly did not respond to the so-called demands to stop for inspection for the transportation of prohibited goods, the occupiers opened supposedly "warning" fire and also took off a Ka-29 combat helicopter with a group of soldiers.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Russian military boarded the vessel and conducted a so-called "inspection", after which the Sukru Okan continued its journey to Izmail.

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Russian forces fired on Kherson Oblast on the morning of 13 August, killing at least five adults and a 23-day-old baby.

Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the Presidents Office; Ihor Klymenko, Minister for Internal Affairs

Details: The Presidents Office added that the Russians attacked the village of Stanislav with multiple-launch missile systems, killing two men and wounding a woman.

Five private residences were destroyed and damaged.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs added that as a result of Russian artillery shelling in Shyroka Balka  a man, his wife and their daughter, who was 23 days old, as well as their 12-year-old son who was hospitalised in serious condition. The child's condition is critical.

Background: Russian forces fired on Veletenske in Bilozerka, Kherson Oblast, on the night of 12-13 August, seriously injuring a 28-year-old man.

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Russia has sent a clear signal to Turkey by attacking the Motor Sich aircraft engine manufacturer in Zaporizhzhya, which also produces engines for Turkish drone producer Baykar, Defense News said on Aug. 11. referring to several analysts and Turkish officials.

Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Zaporizhzhya a week ago, on Aug. 6. The attack caused the death of six civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zleneskyy said that the Russian air strike was aimed at Motor Sich, in particular.

With the attack, the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin sent his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan the following clear signal: Despite our friendly relations and respect for each other, your son-in-laws undertaking in Ukraine will cost him dearly," Georgian defense and security expert, Eugene Kogan, believes.

Read also: Suspected collaborator and former Motor Sich head blocked transfer of helicopter to Ukrainian intelligence, in released phone conversations

Turkish defense company Baykar is owned by the husband of Erdogan's daughter.

Any military facility in Ukraine, local or foreign, is a legitimate target, and Russia is not going to be deterred from destroying such targets, the Georgian expert added.

Motor Sich provides AI-450 engines of its own design for the Turkish-made Akinci and Kizilelma UAVs, as well as for Atak II attack helicopters produced byTurkish Aerospace Inc.

Read also: Ukraine signs three new agreements with Turkish drone-making company Baykar

The plant also negotiated the supply of one of its engines for another Turkish-made aircraft  the TAI T925 heavy utility helicopter.

Besides, LLC Avia Ventures, a Ukrainian Baykar subsidiary, was approved in 2019 to produce Akinci and TB2 drones. Later that year, Ukraine's state trading company Ukrspecexport signed an agreement with Baykar on developing and producing sensitive technologies in defense and aerospace."

Ukraine and Turkey agreed to build a helicopter repair and maintenance plant in Ankara. Motor Sich has to provide spare parts for the plant and provide engine testing capabilities within the agreement.

Read also: Baykar Makina to build drone service center in Ukraine

We take it (the Russian missile attack on Motor Sich) as a symbolic Russian warning reflecting Russias discontent over a few Turkish initiatives," a top Turkish diplomat told Defense News on the condition of anonymity.

Russia's Aug. 6 attack on the plant could be a signal for both Ukraine and Turkey, an Ankara-based analyst Ozgur Eksi suggested.

The Russian attack effectively kills co-production plans and any Turkish appetite to buy Motor Sich, said Eski.

Meanwhile, a Baykar's procurement official said that they have enough Ukrainian-made engines on hand in order to run the continuous manufacturing process, including of drones.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Families in a typically quiet Plum neighborhood are shaken after an explosion Saturday killed six, destroyed three homes and damaged several others.

PHOTOS: House leveled in explosion in Plum Borough; several other homes damaged

LATEST UPDATES: 6 people dead, including child, after massive explosion in Plum

Neighbors described the explosion as feeling like they were punched in the chest or like a mortar was over their house. One neighbor said, It shook everything.

Many said the blast scared the whole street.

I heard a boom, it was so loud it woke me up, I thought it was thunder from the storm last night... I was shaking  it scared me so bad, said neighbor Alexis Typanski.

It also sent people running outside to see what happened.

I was eating a sandwich and I heard a very loud explosion, realized I couldnt get out of my front door and the house beside me or a couple doors down was on fire, said neighbor George Emanuele.

For firefighter Chuck Carroll, responding to the call was personal because he lives in Rustic Ridge.

I was concerned because it was my neighbors. We knew where the call was from the address. You know the people. Its very emotional, he said.

Despite tragedy unfolding around them, neighbors and families were quick to bring supplies for first responders.

These men and women, they go through a lot of work to help when a catastrophe like this happens, neighbor Lorelei Shamali told Channel 11.

First responders say theyre thankful for the help.

Do you see all the water? Its amazing, said Anita MAydak Neace, with the Renton Volunteer Fire Department. The food, we did not ask for food. They brought snacks so if people go to a hotel Somebody brought Teddy bears for kids.

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LATEST UPDATE: 4 people are dead, 1 still unaccounted for after massive explosion in Plum LATEST UPDATES: Tornado touched down in Washington County, NWS confirms PHOTOS: House leveled in explosion in Plum Borough; several other homes damaged VIDEO: RAW: New video shows the moemnt a home exploded in Plum DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Deputies arrested a husband and wife after a dead body was found wrapped in plastic at their Texas home, authorities say.

On the evening of Aug. 12, deputies with the Harris County Sheriffs Office went to a home in Tomball  a suburb of Houston  to carry out a welfare check, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in an Aug. 13 news release.

The welfare check came after a family member reported 32-year-old Francisco Romero missing, the release said. The Tomball home was his last known location.

Deputies searched the property and found what appeared to be a human body, wrapped in plastic, secured with tape inside a detached building, the release said.

The couple who owns the property, 49-year-old Narciso Banos and his wife Francisca Carrizales, were placed under arrest and booked into the Harris County Jail, according to the release.

Banos was charged with murder and Carrizales is facing a charge of tampering with a human corpse, the release said.

Gonzalez did not say if the body is Romeros.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Harris County Sheriffs Office at 713-274-9100.

Tomball is roughly 30 miles northwest of downtown Houston.

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A search and rescue team from the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island rescued a climbing team on a Mt. Stuart cliff face on Thursday.

After getting reports of a climber suffering from intense chest pains on a cliff ledge 8,400 feet up Mt. Stuart, first responders suited up and arrived just before 10 p.m. The rescue team was able to find the climbing party after they had activated their emergency strobe lights.

The climbers were clinging to a small ledge next to large rock outcroppings that ran along the steep north face of the mountain. The rescue team lifted the climbers into the helicopter with a rope before taking them to Harborview Medical Center.

The Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Search and Rescue team has completed 25 missions this year which include four searches and 20 rescues.




Seattle Police are investigating after they said a man was shot while sitting in his car Saturday night.

Police said the shooting happened in the 8800 block of 14th Avenue South in South Park.

Officers said they got there just after 9:30 p.m. and found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. Police gave aid before Seattle Fire got there.

The Seattle Police Department said the 40-year-old man sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds and was taken to Harborview Medical Center.

Police said a man was fighting with a woman he knew. The man then came up and allegedly shot the 40-year-old man while he was sitting in his car in a nearby parking lot.

Both the man and woman then left in a sedan-type car.

The Gun Violence Reduction Unit is investigating. If you have any information call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.




The National Guard has been deployed to western New York after a second migrant brought there through New York City Mayor Eric Adams controversial resettlement program was arrested on sexual abuse charges.

Erie County officials said that a third party contracted by New York City to handle the migrant hotel operation might have obstructed local polices investigations into the assaults and are demanding that the Biden administration and Congress act at the federal level to properly address the crisis.

At a press conference Saturday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat, said no more asylum seekers would be sent from New York City until security measures with regard to the migrants could improve. He said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat, agreed to place National Guard members at each of the hotels that are housing asylum seekers to act as a "stabilizing presence."

Poloncarz joined Cheektowaga Chief of Police Brian Gould in calling for the immediate discontinued use of the Best Western hotel on Dingens Street to house asylum seekers.

NYC MAYOR ADAMS SAYS MIGRANT CRISIS THREATENS TO DECIMATE CITY AS HE APPEALS FOR FEDERAL HELP

A crowd of migrants is shown outside the Roosevelt Hotel on Aug. 2, 2023, as New York City officials demand federal action on the crisis.

Thats after a 27-year-old woman from Buffalo who was working at the hotel as employed by Platinum Community Care  one of the agencies providing services to the asylum seekers  walked into the Cheektowaga Police Department at approximately 4 p.m. Friday to report she had been sexually assaulted.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

After an investigation, Kindu Jeancy, a 22-year-old male asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was charged with felony first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor unlawful imprisonment, Gould said. Jeancy was expected to be arraigned Saturday in Cheektowaga Court by Justice John Wanat.

The police chief and county executive both alleged that DocGo, a third party contracted by New York City reportedly for $432 million to run migrant hotel operations, might have interfered in the Cheektowaga Police Departments investigations into the sexual assault cases.

Poloncarz said he had spoken to Hochul, Adams and New York State Department of Homeland Security Commissioner Jackie Bray about the matter.

"All agree that the alleged incident is reprehensible and the safety of our community is paramount. I demanded Mayor Adams pause all further transportation of asylum seekers to our community until such time we can resolve all security issues," Poloncarz told reporters. "He agreed and informed me they will not send any additional persons to Erie County at this time. We also discussed the need for a new and improved security plan, especially considering DocGo, the third party hired by New York City to run the hotel operations, may have interfered in the Cheektowaga polices investigation of this matter."

Mayor Eric Adams warned last week that New York City is on track to spend as much as $12 billion on managing the migrant crisis.

"Im asking that those working for the companies that are providing services understand that all crimes need to be immediately reported to the police and that any suspects are not questioned, interviewed or guided in any way prior to our police investigations," Gould added at the press conference. "Im also asking that on-site security be reviewed to ensure that security guards hired have training to deal with this special population, and that they are highly experienced."

Poloncarz said local officials were not advised of the placement of asylum seekers at the Dingens Street location until right before it occurred.

"The hotel is located in a residential neighborhood and is causing not only safety concerns to nearby residents but also quality-of-life issues," Gould added. "Im asking for funding for overtime for my police officers. We are at a historic low in patrol officers right now. Although we have a good number of officers in training right now, they are not manpower. I cannot add police presence in that neighborhood without taking it away from another neighborhood and that should not happen."

NYC MIGRANT CRISIS COULD HIT $12 BILLION; MAYOR ADAMS URGES FEDERAL EMERGENCY DECLARATION

"As we have done for years, Erie County opened its arms to try to welcome these new Americans. Unfortunately, there is no way we believe to make the program as its presently run sustainable without some significant changes. Two serious violent crimes are alleged to have occurred in the past two weeks, and they are two too many," Poloncarz said. "Our refugee agencies did their best to provide support and assistance, but our communitys trust and good faith has been betrayed."

"The town, county and New York state cannot solve what is essentially a federal issue," Poloncarz added Saturday. "The Biden administration and Congress must act on this and truly implement comprehensive immigration reform. We cannot do it on the local level. It must be done at the federal level."

Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens, New York City, opened new shelters for asylum seekers on Aug. 9, 2023. The city is trying to resettle migrants elsewhere in the state.

Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro, a Republican, issued a statement to provide insight into the first alleged migrant sex crime incident. He said a "self-purported asylum seeker that was shipped here from NYC was charged with raping a woman in front of a 3-year-old child" and that other migrants have been arrested on petit larceny charges.

"This problem is at our doorstep because the County Executive welcomed it," Todaro said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Adams and Hochul for comment Sunday.

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Hochul issued a broad statement Saturday about the "ongoing efforts to shelter and support asylum seekers" and noted that, among other topics, the governor "will deploy additional National Guard personnel to Erie County to provide logistical and operational support for shelter sites."

"Since asylum seekers first arrived in New York, we have been providing significant humanitarian aid as New York City works to meet their legal obligation to provide shelter. We will continue our efforts to provide financial support, personnel and equipment, and continued advocacy for federal assistance," Hochul said.
Pete Syme/Insider

Boeing's upcoming 777X is set to be the world's largest twin-engine aircraft when it enters the market.

The company has been conducting test flights for certification thanks to a family of four experimental planes.

Insider toured Flight Test 1 at the Paris Airshow in June to learn more about the program.

Boeing is building the world's largest two-engine airliner, but it's been a long and difficult road.

In November 2013, the American planemaker announced a brand new commercial jet  the Boeing 777X, which has been broken down into two variants including the 777-8 and the 777-9.

The company also has a freighter option  the 777-8F  that's expected to enter service with Qatar Airways in 2027.

Boeing plans to launch the passenger side first with the 777-9 entering the market in 2025. Emirates is set to be the launch customer, though the expected timeline has already been delayed from its original 2020 entry.

Challenges surrounding the 737 MAX crashes, the pandemic, and the supply chain have contributed to the slowdown.

Boeing estimates it'll have over $1 billion in abnormal production expenses. And, the manufacturer has faced backlash from airlines  particularly Emirates  for the delays.

Nevertheless, with over 350 orders for the plane, Boeing is standing by the program. It showed off its giant 777X testbed at the Paris Air Show in June  take a look.

Known as Flight Test 1, the 777-9 is one of four 777X test aircraft in Boeing's fleet.

Taylor Rains/Insider

Flight Test 1 has flown more than 1,300 hours across some 540 flights, a flight-test engineer told Insider at the airshow.

Each plane has its own purpose, focusing on a spectrum of items such as auto-land, environmental testing, low-speed performance, and extended dual-engine range operations.

Boeing builds experimental aircraft to test the limits of the jet and collect data on new technologies  particularly the 777X's folding wingtips.

Boeing 777X flying display at the Farnborough International Air Show 2022. Taylor Rains/Insider

The testbeds are essential for certification and help Boeing demonstrate to regulators the safety and reliability of its aircraft's technology and engines.

The revolutionary folding mechanism  which is a first in the industry  was introduced to solve the 777X's problem of airport space.

Taylor Rains/Insider

The twin-engine airliner will have a wingspan of 235 feet and five inches, which is longer than all previous 777 models.

The 23-foot-longer wings help generate more lift and improve efficiency by 10% compared to predecessors and competing aircraft.

When creating the 777X design, Boeing wanted to ensure the bigger airplane could still fit into the 777-designated airport ramp space.

Thiago B Trevisan/Shutterstock

Each aircraft type has specific airport requirements for everything from the width of the taxiways to the size of the gate, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The above picture shows the space difference between an Air New Zealand Boeing 777 and a Lufthansa Airbus A340.

Boeing wanted to ensure the 777X wouldn't require new infrastructure, saving airports and operators time and money.

But at the same time, the jet's total wingspan needed to be longer than old 777 models to meet efficiency goals.

Korean Airlines Boeing 777-300ER. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

A longer wingspan generates more lift, improving performance and decreasing operational costs.

At over 235 feet long, the wings stretched too wide  so Boeing added a system that folds the wingtips up when the plane is parked at the gate.

Boeing 777X parked at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

When the wingtips are retracted, the total wingspan is that of older 777 variants at about 212 feet.

A Boeing spokesperson says despite the novelty of the wingtips, they're safe thanks to redundancies built into the jet.

Pete Syme/Insider

James Hanley, a Boeing experimental test pilot, told Insider at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2022 that once the plane slows to about 50 knots, the wingtips would fold.

He added that because the folding mechanism couldn't occur until the jet reached the ground, it was a non-issue in the case of a go-around.

Plus, the wingtips are locked in flight and cannot be manipulated once airborne.

Pete Syme/Insider

The aircraft is engineered to alert the pilots that wingtips are not extended before takeoff, whether that be via an alarm or auto-throttle not working, for example.

Moreover, the wingtips are part of the pilots' pre-flight checklist  adding another layer of safety.

In addition to the wings, the test aircraft is responsible for evaluating myriad other items, such as how the jet performs with heaps of ice on the wing.

Pete Syme/Insider

It can also access things including how well it can recover from an out-of-control dive or spin, or how it performs flying through rough weather.

To conduct these tests under various conditions, engineers have special systems on board. One is a series of black water tanks that can manipulate the jet's center of gravity.

Pete Syme/Insider

The tanks located in the front and aft of the plane allow workers to transfer water back and forth to test the jet under different centers of gravity.

The typical test flight can be about three and a half hours and employees sit at workstations complete with computers and cupholders, the Boeing engineer says.

Pete Syme/Insider

Engineers and pilots work together to plan and brief the tests, assessments, and goals for each mission.

Pilots will also relay information to the engineers, such as how the systems perform and if there are any human factors concerns, meaning how people interact with the machine.

Though timing can depend on the day's plan and weather conditions.

Coasters and autographed newspaper articles related to Boeing planes onboard the 777X testbed. Pete Syme/Insider

"If the type of testing is kind of difficult on the body, we won't fly very long," the engineer said. "If it's fuel mileage testing, it's clearly going to be longer."

He told Insider engineers coupled several tests together for efficiency and there were typically 10 to 20 people on board for each mission.

Taylor Rains/Insider

But the engineer added that there would be fewer people allowed on board during higher-risk tests.

Also on board the plane were several rows of cabin seats, as well as a sign that compared the windows with the rival Airbus A350.

Pete Syme/Insider

The A350 competes with the 777X, but the 777-9 variant is bringing enhancements like bigger windows and more capacity.

The 777-9 can specifically fit up to 426 people in a two-class configuration with 10 seats across in economy. Airbus actually changed its A350 design to accommodate 10 abreast rows as a way to better compete with the 777X.

Visitors also got a rare opportunity to see the skeleton of the jet as its wiring and interior systems were exposed.

Taylor Rains/Insider

There were hundreds of feet of wire exposed, as well as insulation systems and other unique components that a typical airline passenger will likely never see.

As Boeing continues its quest to deliver the first 777X, it plans to operate proving routes in partnership with Emirates next year.

Pete Syme/Insider

The plan was reported by Leeham News and Analysis in June after speaking with Emirates representatives at the airshow.

The hope is to demonstrate the efficiencies and reliability of the plane to both regulators and the Emirates president, Tim Clark, who has been skeptical about the jet's entry date.

Pete Syme/Insider

Clark was vocal about his frustrations with Boeing over the delayed delivery of the 777X airliner, which he believed could be further pushed to 2026, Leeham News reported.

The Dubai-based airline now has 115 Boeing 777X planes on order  down from the 150-strong purchase the company finalized in 2014.

Emirates Boeing 777X rendering. Boeing

Clark canceled 35 orders in late 2019, and he has since converted 16 of the 777-8 orders to the 777-9  the former so far garnering less interest from customers.

In addition to Emirates, several other global airlines also hope to one day own the jet  though none are in the US.

Cathay Pacific 777X rendering. Boeing

While American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines are still holding off, carriers including Air India, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, and Singapore Airlines are all 777X customers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Arabs have been largely absent from mainstream rallies against the judicial overhaul, often heavy with Israeli flags which some find alienating (JACK GUEZ)

Members of Israel's Arab minority fear they will bear the brunt of the hard-right government's judicial overhaul, but have remained largely on the margins of a raging debate over the sweeping changes.

Israelis have rallied weekly since the controversial reform package was announced in January by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition, dubbed "the worst ever" by Samira Kanaan Khalaylah, 57, who lives in the northern Arab town of Majd al-Krum.

Arab or Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up around 20 percent of the population, are already "on the sidelines" of Israeli society and politics, said Khalaylah, a school secretary.

Moves by the coalition -- which includes extreme-right leaders with a history of anti-Arab rhetoric -- to restrict judicial oversight of government decisions and to weaken watchdogs "will be very bad for us", she said.

Israeli protesters have staged mass demonstrations against the government's legislative agenda they view as a threat to democracy.

But Arabs have been largely absent from these rallies, often heavy with Israeli flags which some find alienating.

They have organised their own rallies calling for equality.

The broader protest movement has been spearheaded by activists and army reservists largely unwilling to highlight messages relating to the plight of the Arab minority or of Palestinians, fearing it would harm their cause in the eyes of Israel's Jewish majority.

In the northern city of Haifa, Arab demonstrators have rallied in relatively small numbers, carrying banners against the legal overhaul and demanding rights.

Yousef Jabareen, a lawyer and former lawmaker, told AFP the proposals might hand the government "authoritarian powers" which threaten Arab citizens and their elected representatives.

With limited oversight, "the right wing will have... broader powers," said Jabareen.

- 'Settlement projects' -

The first key clause of the reform package passed through parliament on July 24, amending the "reasonableness" clause which was used by the Supreme Court to overturn government decisions deemed unconstitutional.

The court is set to hear petitions against the legal change in September.

Other proposals include handing the government a greater say in the appointment of judges and downgrading the status of legal advisers attached to ministries.

Netanyahu's government which took office late last year has been set on expanding settlements in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, both seized in the Six-Day War of 1967.

"The extreme right wants to get rid of" the few objections "presented by the Supreme Court against settlement projects", Jabareen said.

Leah Tsemel, a lawyer who has represented many Palestinians in Israeli courts, said multiple rulings have failed to protect minority rights even before the "reasonableness" amendment.

The Supreme Court has upheld the 2018 Nation State Law which enshrined Israel's primary status as a state for Jews and downgraded Arabic as an official language.

The court has also signed off on handing east Jerusalem properties to settler organisations who hold deeds proving past Jewish ownership, prompting the eviction of Palestinian residents.

Tsemel noted the court had failed to recognise Palestinians' ownership claims over properties in west Jerusalem.

The court has ruled "in favour of the state or settlement associations, and ignored the 'reasonableness' argument", she said.

- Little 'hope' lost -

Studies by leading rights groups have concluded that Israel's legal system and policies amount to apartheid, which Israel denies.

The Haifa-based Mossawa Center advocacy group has warned the judicial overhaul will only worsen "the rights violations of the Arab minority" and further the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Despite widespread reservations concerning Israel's legal system, there had been "hope in Palestinian society that the court will intervene in unreasonable government decisions", said Mossawa's director, Jafar Farah.

He said the erosion of the court's powers will "deepen institutional corruption", affecting both Arab and Jewish Israelis.

But the minority wields far less political power, with an independent Arab party only once being part of a coalition government, in 2021-22.

With parliament now in recess until October 15, Netanyahu has said the door remains open for talks with his detractors.

But after his allies pressed ahead with the July vote -- which opposition lawmakers boycotted -- protesters have vowed to stay on the streets as hopes for a compromise fade.

mab-rsc/jd/ami/mca
State Sen. John Scott, D-Richland, a state lawmaker since 1990, died Sunday at the Medical University of South Carolina hospital in Charleston.

He was 69.

Sen. John Scott, D-Richland, was announced as the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis on Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

The state Senate Democratic Caucus announced Scotts death Sunday afternoon. No cause was given, but Scott earlier this year dealt with blood clot issues.

Scott was first elected to the State House in 1990. He served nine terms as a state representative before being elected to the state Senate in 2008 for the first of four terms.

He won reelection in 2020 after running unopposed. Scott represented District 19 in northern Richland County.

Senator Scotts legacy will forever be etched in the history of South Carolina, said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg. His tireless work ethic, his willingness to bridge divides, and his unyielding commitment to the principles of justice and equality have set an example for us all.

Among the initiatives Scott pushed for was creating the education lottery in South Carolina in 2002, which helps pay for college scholarships.

There are a lot of people who owe him a debt of gratitude, said House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Richland.

Rutherford said Scott was in public service for much of his life, including working in Gov. Dick Rileys administration with Rutherfords mother, serving on Richland County Council and being a deacon at the New Ebenezer Baptist Church.

Despite Scotts small stature, Rutherford called the state senator a giant.

He was deliberate in his approach to everything, and there were very few topics that you can ask John about that he didnt have an opinion on, Rutherford said in a phone interview. There are a lot of members that get elected and only come to the State House to come to receptions. John was not one of them.

Senate President Thomas Alexander complimented Scott for his work on higher education and his advocacy for historically Black colleges and universities, workforce development and health care.

He always contributed so much and brought a voice of reason and finding solutions to the things that were before us, Alexander, an Oconee County Republican, said in an interview Sunday.

The S.C. State University graduate was the owner of J.L. Scott Realty and C&S Consulting Group, according to his legislative biography page.

In 2018, Scott ran as the lieutenant governor running mate of Marguerite Willis, who lost in the Democratic primary to James Smith.

In January 2019, Scott gave the Democratic rebuttal to Gov. Henry McMasters State of the State address, where Scott called on the governor and Republicans to join Democrats to fix the states problems in health care access and public education.

Yes, I could spend my time debating with the governor and his party and blame them for the hard times our families are facing here in South Carolina, Scott said in his remarks. But Im not interested in blaming someone for our problems. Im interested in solving them.

South Carolina Democratic Party Chairwoman Christale Spain called Scotts death a tremendous loss for the party and the state.

He used his voice in the General Assembly to fight not only for his district but for all South Carolinians, and his lifes work on issues of education, healthcare and economic development will have a lasting impact on our state, Spain said.

In the 2020 election, Scott initially backed then U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California in the presidential race. After Harris dropped out, Scott backed Tom Steyers campaign.

Scott most recently served on the state Senates Banking and Insurance; Education; Finance; Labor, Commerce and Industry; Legislative Oversight and Medical Affairs committees.

South Carolina senators John Scott and Joel Lourie hug in July after the South Carolina senate passed the second reading of a bill to remove the Confederate flag from the State House grounds.

He also was a member of the S.C. Legislative Black Caucus.

Recently Judge Joseph Strickland, who served as Richland Countys master-in-equity, accused Scott in a legal filing of having a personal animosity toward him because Scotts son, who formerly worked for Strickland, was accused of stealing from the Richland County courthouse and forced to resign in exchange of being fired.

Scott denied the allegation and called it ridiculous.

In recent years, Scott spoke out against legislation to ban transgender women from participating in womens sports, especially as the S.C. High School League said it only had a handful of requests from transgender athletes to participate.

People are all upset about something that doesnt even exist in South Carolina, Scott said during a debate.

Tributes poured in on social media for the senator including several from the Richland County Legislative Delegation.

He was a cherished colleague and friend who dedicated decades of service to our community and state, said state Rep. Beth Bernstein, a Democrat.

Former state Sen. Joel Lourie, a Richland County Democrat, said his family and Scotts family have been friends for more than 50 years.

(Scott) always stood strong on the causes he believed in and served his community and state with great honor, Lourie said.

State Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Richland, said he was devastated by Scotts unexpected death.

A giant tree has fallen. Sen. John L. Scott, Jr., was my political mentor and friend, Garvin posted on social media. Monique and I send our sincerest condolences to Mrs. Joan and the entire Scott family along with all who knew and loved our Senator.

Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement released by his office that Scott will be deeply missed. Flags will be lowered to half staff once funeral arrangements are announced.

Peggy and I extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Senator John Scott. With over 30 years of service in the General Assembly, he has had a profound impact on Richland County and all of South Carolina, McMaster said.

Rep. John Scott and Sen. Vincent Sheheen watch as the South Carolina Highway Patrol Honor Guard carries the casket of the Sen. Clementa Pinckney into the State House.
After the fire started last Tuesday, the Rusher family packed up a few belongings and left their vacation home in Lahaina, Hawaii.

They thought they would be gone only a few hours and planned to return after the wind died down and the distant fire was under control.

Without internet or phone service, they listened for updates on the car radio just a few miles away. But no one warned them that the fast-moving wildfire in West Maui could destroy their community.

There was no communication from the government, said Scott Rusher, who was used to the warning system before hurricanes. There was no communication from local or state.

The Rusher family home burned to the ground in the Lahaina fire. (Photo courtesy of Scott Rusher)

When they eventually returned to check on the house that Rusher, his wife, Stacy, and their family visited several times a year, they were told to evacuate. As they drove away from their burning neighborhood, they saw hundreds of others fleeing, some on foot wheeling suitcases behind them.

Scott and Stacy Rusher, their son and his girlfriend were able to make it out and fly back to their home in Manhattan Beach. Since their return to California, they confirmed that their Lahaina house had burned down  one of more than 2,200 structures that were destroyed in the wildfires that have killed at least 93 people, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in the last century.

Read more: Maui death toll surpasses Paradise; deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century

The Rushers are coordinating a donation drive with the Jimmy Miller Foundation to collect clothes to ship back to displaced residents in Maui. More than 100 donations have been received so far.

The family will continue to collect donations at 4435 W. 153rd St. in Lawndale from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We're going to do this for as long as there's a need for it," Scott Rusher said.

Rusher said he wished that he had taken more than just his license and credit card when leaving his Lahaina house, like his wallet with the decades-old funeral card of one of his high school friends. But he said hes grateful that his family is safe and had a home in Southern California to return to, knowing others lost everything.

We were fortunate enough," he said. "But the end result was tragic and devastating."

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.
A district judge in Texas has ordered some Southwest Airlines lawyers to undergo "religious-liberty training" with a conservative Christian legal-advocacy group. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Southwest Airlines has ordered lawyers to complete eight hours of religious-liberty training.

District Judge Brantley Starr said Alliance Defending Freedom should run the session.

Southwest said it planned to appeal the ruling to train with the conservative legal organization.

A federal judge has ordered lawyers representing Southwest Airlines to attend "religious-liberty" training sessions hosted by a conservative Christian legal group, triggering a debate among legal experts.

Judge Brantley Starr, a US district judge for the Northern District of Texas, chose Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, to provide the training, the Associated Press reported on Saturday. The conservative Christian legal-advocacy group has become known for its involvement in high-profile Supreme Court cases, its opposition to abortion and transgender rights, and its defense of business owners that refuse service to same-sex couples on religious grounds.

The legal ruling centers around the case of a Southwest flight attendant who sued the airline, claiming that she was fired for expressing her anti-abortion views. Southwest said that she had harassed a senior staff member and broken the company's social-media policy.

A jury in Dallas awarded the flight attendant $5.1 million in payouts in 2022, which Starr subsequently reduced to $800,000, the AP reported.

But this week, Starr issued a 29-page order that stated the court held Southwest Airlines in civil contempt of last year's ruling.

He said that Southwest had sent a notice to staff following the verdict that stated the airline "does not discriminate" instead of "may not discriminate." Starr, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, also pointed to a second staff notice that he said indicated Southwest believed the attendant's dismissal was justified.

"It's hard to see how Southwest could have violated the notice requirement more," he said in the court order. "Southwest's speech and actions toward employees demonstrate a chronic failure to understand the role of federal protections for religious freedom."

Starr has ordered three of the airline's lawyers to attend ADF's religious-liberty training, which he described as "particularly well-suited" for the job. He said the training should be conducted at a time decided ADF decides but that it must be completed by August 28.

Legal experts have questioned the judge's nomination of the controversial Christian nonprofit law firm to conduct the training, and Southwest is planning to appeal the order.

The AP reported that David Lopez, a law professor at Rutgers University and formerly the longest-serving general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said training with ADF could violate the religious rights of the lawyers. He added that the ADF was "a voice many people view as being very controversial and very narrow."

Douglas Laycock, who retired from his job as a law professor at the University of Virginia in May as one of the nation's leading experts on religious-liberty law, agreed. He told AP that Southwest could argue "that the ADF has extreme views on these issues and will give distorted training."

Jim Campbell, ADF chief legal counsel, said in a statement: "The judge's order calls for ADF to provide training in religious liberty law  not religious doctrine. It is baseless and intolerant to suggest that people of faith cannot provide legal instruction simply because their religious beliefs might differ from their audience's."

Southwest Airlines did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Insider
Mirna Yamileth Valladares Flores had received little to no communication from her 13-year-old daughters Norfolk middle school, and was frustrated.

Valladares, who was a teacher in her native Honduras, called the school and asked for an interpreter to translate between English and Spanish. She was told no one was available.

Valladares is one of the small but growing number of Hampton Roads residents who speak primarily Spanish. Residents and citizens who speak English less than very well, as designated by the U.S. Censuss American Community Survey, have the right to public services and to participate in civic life, but their access is often hindered by insufficient translation and interpretation services across the seven cities.

Disappointed by the lack of communication, Valladares went to the school on her day off to try to speak with the administration. She waited for three hours for someone to interpret for her  either in person, which Valladares prefers, or over the phone from an on-demand interpretation service contracted by Norfolk Public Schools. According to Valladares, no one on staff or in the district helped her that day.

Finally, Eliana Valladares was pulled out of class to interpret.

That added insult to injury for Mirna Yamileth Valladares, who didnt want her daughter deprived of school time or to be made responsible for interpreting between her mother and the school.

This is not fair, Valladares said. Shes not supposed to be translating for me. This is something so important, for her grades, and you just tell my daughter to translate for me? That is not fair.

Social media, newsletters, texts, emails and robocalls from the district are available in Spanish, said Michelle Washington, a Norfolk Public Schools spokesperson. The district did not respond to a request for comment on the specific incident Valladares described.

___

Here to stay

According to Jennifer Bickham Mendez, a sociologist at the College of William & Mary who studies the experiences of Latin American immigrants to the U.S. South, and Virginia in particular, this population is a significant segment of Hampton Roads.

Immigration from Mexico picked up speed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, partially due to international trade agreements, and Hampton Roads saw growth in the numbers of people from Mexico during this time. Immigrants from Mexico and Central America gained a foothold in northern Virginia in the 1980s and through the early 2000s, employed as domestic workers by well-off diplomats, Bickham Mendez said.

In 1998 and 2001, natural disasters in El Salvador and Honduras pushed more people to migrate to the U.S., where they gained Temporary Protected Status and enough stability to send for relatives. Familial connections and work opportunities drew more immigrants to Virginia, and they began to settle in Hampton Roads, where service and construction jobs were plentiful. Multiple generations now call Hampton Roads home.

According to an analysis of data from the American Community Survey, a yearly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that compiles detailed housing and population data, the number of Spanish speakers more than quadrupled across Hampton Roads between 2000 and 2010, with steady growth between 2010 and 2021, the most recent year for which data is available.

Virginia Beach is home to regions largest population of Spanish speakers, with about 20,000 residents who speak the language, followed by Newport News and Norfolk with about 10,000 each. Within these communities is a segment of the population with limited English proficiency.

Spanish is by far the most prevalent non-English language spoken in Hampton Roads, with Tagalog, a language spoken in the Philippines, a distant second.

This is a side of our community that is invisible, but present, and not going away, Bickham Mendez said. Theyve been here now for over 20 years. How long does it take to make these changes?

___

Resources stretched thin

The patchwork of translation and interpretation services available does not always meet the needs of people with limited English proficiency.

Valladares said she runs into many places that provide critical services to her and her family where only English is spoken, including schools, hospitals and Department of Motor Vehicle locations, to name a few. She thinks interpretation services, ideally in person, should always be available in these places.

Sometimes they do not have anyone there to help me translate or interpret, Valladares said. Sometimes they put me in front of a camera or computer. Someone is translating over the camera, but I feel its not the same. I need somebody live to be there beside me.

Bickham Mendez said experiences like Valladress are common for immigrants in the region.

In Hampton Roads, resources are stretched thin, so youre often dealing with a situation in which theres only one or two Spanish speakers at social services, or the community organization thats offering food assistance or an early childhood program, she said. Schools have few bilingual staff, and, while courts are required to provide interpreters, defense attorneys may not always have access to them.

Verliz Vartolon settled in Chesapeake after immigrating from Guatemala. When she tried to apply for social services  she declined to specify which service  they did not have an interpreter who could help. Vartolon, speaking through an interpreter, said her caseworker, who only spoke English, promised to call back but never did.

Vartolon also cited issues of communicating with clinics to set up appointments for her children and filling out paperwork associated with doctor visits.

Confusing bureaucracy can add another layer of complication to accessing public services, Bickham Mendez said.

Emi Serrano, a mother of three who lives in Norfolk, ran into difficulty attempting to navigate DMV bureaucracy. It took her three visits to accomplish her business.

Speaking through an interpreter, she said the first time she went to obtain her drivers license, she wanted to use Google Translate to ease the process but was told that wasnt allowed. The second time, Serrano went for a state ID. Again, she said she wasnt allowed to use Google Translate. The third time, she brought another person to interpret.

Paper exams at the DMV in Virginia are available in 26 languages, including Spanish, and the use of phones  and by extension Google Translate  is prohibited during a test. The Virginia Drivers Manual is available only in English and Spanish.

Options for live interpretation, however, are limited. Hard of hearing DMV clients can make an appointment with a sign language interpreter, but those who need interpretation in other languages must provide their own.

By contrast, the DMV in Washington uses a phone service to provide free on-demand interpretations in 240 languages. North Carolina residents can request appointments with American Sign Language or language interpreters.

___

Trying to participate in civic life

In addition to challenges communicating with public institutions and services, a lack of language accessibility can hinder participation in civic life.

A group of parents spoke about the lack of language services to Norfolk City Council at a public hearing April 19. The group collectively spoke about the challenge of communicating with public institutions, and the meeting served to illustrate its point.

Elise Peterson McMath, a former English as a second language teacher and organizer for the nonprofit New Virginia Majority  a political group which advocates for racial, economic and environmental justice  asked that the city provide an interpreter. Her request was denied.

According to a city spokesperson, the city doesnt always provide interpreters in part because of the low numbers of immigrants in the area. About 4,000 people who speak Spanish, or 2% of Norfolks population, who responded to the American Community Survey in 2021 speak English less than very well, meaning they checked boxes for speaking English well, not well, or not at all.

We do not have any particular high concentrations of non-English speaking households in Norfolk. Spanish speakers comprise the largest segment, but theyre still a relatively small portion of the overall population, Norfolk spokesperson Chris Jones wrote in an email. Given that, we are generally not required to provide language translation services.

Peterson McMath also requested extra time for the parents in the group to speak at the council meeting, given that they would have to use an interpreter. Community participants at council meetings are typically limited to three minutes. However, when their comments are delivered in two languages, Spanish speakers effectively have half the time.

That request also was denied, so Peterson McMath spoke rapidly in English and Spanish to interpret for the group of parents, the city council members and other meeting attendees. Requests for more time are typically granted by the mayor, Jones said.

Peterson McMath is not a professional interpreter but offers help where she can.

If you speak Spanish, people will depend on you in ways that are professionally inappropriate, because its not the same thing as being a licensed interpreter, Peterson McMath said. Even if youre 100% bilingual, there are certain aspects of being an interpreter that you have to follow to make sure you translate every single thing.

When something a person says is interpreted, its possible their words will get summarized, conveyed inaccurately or left out altogether. An inaccurate interpretation essentially silences the persons voice, Peterson McMath said. Theres also the risk of an untrustworthy interpreter deliberately misrepresenting a persons words.

If I was not a person of good moral character, I could have gone up (before council) and said, She thinks your hairline is atrocious, Peterson McMath said. Theres something to be said for having someone who has professional stakes in the matter.

The City of Norfolk does provide options for language translation in other contexts, according to Jones. The Norfolk Cares hotline, a single point of contact to request city services or find out information about the city, handles 10 to 15 calls per day from Spanish speaking customers. A language line with roughly 200 languages is available for public safety calls. The city also is looking to hire and train more bilingual staff.

Other cities in Hampton Roads also do not provide language interpretation during city meetings without prior arrangement, according to clerks offices.

___

A federal mandate

The different types and levels of interpretation services available result from Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects people from discrimination based on race, color or national origin. Under Title VI, state and local organizations that receive federal aid have a responsibility to ensure people with limited English proficiency can access their programs.

However, compliance with Title VI can take into account a number of variables, such as the number or proportion of people with limited English proficiency being served, the frequency with which non-English speaking people come into contact with the program, the importance of the program to peoples lives and the resources available to the organization.

In addition, enforcement of requirements for interpretation under Title VI is often next to nil, Bickham Mendez said. Some service providers might decide they dont have to provide interpretation services based on the population size of non-English speakers in Hampton Roads.

In my experience, schools and early childhood programs, and increasingly some social services, are more apt to understand and see that theyre not going to be able to do their jobs if theyre in denial about the proportion of Spanish speakers and non-English speakers in our area, Bickham Mendez said.

Good translations can make all the difference.

Serrano gave birth to her youngest child in May. The hospital initially used a computer and a remote interpreter on a video call to communicate. That was somewhat helpful, Serrano said, but ultimately didnt inspire a much confidence. The audio quality was poor and it was difficult to understand the interpreter.

On her second day at the hospital, an in-person interpreter was brought on. It was a vast improvement, and Serrano was able to ask questions about her health and the health of her newborn child.

___

Language isnt the only barrier

Language and cultural barriers are only one element that may limit a persons ability to access public services, Bickham Mendez said.

Questions about eligibility come into play, such as what public services a person is entitled to, depending on their residency or citizenship status. Immigrant parents are often the legal representatives of their infants and children, but it turns out babies are terrible at filling out paperwork, Bickham Mendez said.

There is also a layer of fear or uncertainty immigrants may experience when interacting with public entities. The worry of deportation or of incurring a public charge  a demerit for those working toward citizenship who need to prove they will not be dependent on the government  may prevent someone from accessing services.

In addition to language and interpretation services that help non-English speakers navigate daily life in Hampton Roads, Bickham Mendez emphasized the importance of educational opportunities for the children of immigrants.

These are citizens of the United States and our future, and the United States is becoming more and more diverse, she said. When were not providing equity in terms of educational opportunities for our students, particularly students who are bilingual or learning English, were not just hurting the future of this entire group, but of the country.

Valladares is hopeful for more opportunities for her community.

She would like to see at least one interpreter at each school, and shed also like to see English as a second language classes available in the afternoons and evenings for adults.

We are hard workers, Valladares said. We just came here to work and to be good people, nice people. We just need help and for someone to listen to us. We need support.

Thania Valle interpreted interviews for this report.

Cianna Morales, 757-957-1304, cianna.morales@virginiamedia.com
Large fire in the Moscow region of Russia

A large-scale fire broke out in the suburbs of the Russian capital on the afternoon of Aug. 13, Mash Telegram channel reports.

Puffs of thick black smoke are rising into the air from the Poligon industrial zone on Doninskoye Highway.

The fire has already spread over 2,700 square meters.

Read also: Retired SBU major general names three factors behind blasts in Russia

According to preliminary information, a fertilizer warehouse is on fire. First, plastic pallets allegedly caught fire, with the fire then spreading to wooden pallets.

The cause of the fire has not been reported.

A large-scale explosion occurred on the grounds of the Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant on Aug. 9. According to Russian media, the plant was developing a new generation Russian bomber.

Read also: Damaged plant near Moscow was developing next-generation bomber aircraft  report

Videos of shells near the explosion site were also posted online. This may indicate that the "pyrotechnics warehouse" was really a weapons arsenal.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Stevie Nicks is being defended after sharing a post about the Maui fires that was branded privileged and self-centred.

The Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, 75, posted her thoughts about the fatal disaster on Instagram, shortly after it was announced that 89 people had died.

Officials believe the wildfires, which are now the countrys worst in terms of casualties in more than 100 years, could end up being the deadliest disaster in the states history, with homes and buildings on the island of Lahaina being reduced to ashes.

On Instagram on Saturday (12 August), Nicks posted a statement she had written the night before. It read: As I am sure you have heard  the island, Maui, where I own a house I have been staying at since the 80s  and the small village, city, most magical place on earth, Lahaina, burned to the ground over the last few days.

And to make the situation worse my young niece, her husband, and their little boy had just arrived for a very needed vacation before she started up her school year (on her way to becoming a psychologist) for 10 days. They had one and a half days of fun and then  the fire started.

The power went out at 5:12am (Tuesday morning) but they had no idea why  It was still out at noon, realising that many surrounding houses had also lost power. It was a mystery. My house is 15 to 20 minutes from Lahaina  but still no one knew about the fire. We knew here in Houston, but there was no way to get Jessi (my niece) on the phone. The entire area of Lahaina and everything around it was down. But here in Houston we knew.

Nicks continued: There was no way to know that this amazing town that had survived so much for so long would burn down and disappear into the history books, leaving so much sadness, destruction, and death behind it in its wake. This island, in so many ways, defines Fleetwood Mac and me and our families. Mick and I came here in 1978, went up to Kula to look at a huge, beautiful house and stood in front of it listening to the gentle magical wind. He said to me ~ I will live and die on this island. I knew he was telling the truth. John also lived here in Maui for a long time  Christine never lived here but visited many times.

My truth was that I wanted a house here just so I could spend time in Lahaina walking the streets; visiting the art galleries  sitting on the rock wall  Most all the opals I wear on my fingers came from a store on Front Street. I hope the sweet lady who owned that store was able to grab all her opals and run. I hope she made it out.

Nicks revealed that her house and the surrounding area are still standing as the wind took a fire in a different direction.

After the singer shared the post, though, many stepped in to say that her mention of the wildfires ruining her nieces holiday came from a privileged position. However, many are now defending Nicks, arguing that the story was intended to highlight the fact that many people on the island were unaware the fires had started; many survivors have said they did not hear any sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, realising they were in danger only when they saw flames or heard explosions.

Stevie Nicks Instagram post on the Maui wildfires (Instagram)

One fan replied: I read this several times to try and find a way to make it not sound so bad but it sounds so bad. @stevienicks I love you from the bottom of my butt and I know youre just trying to spread awareness and sharing what Maui means to you and your family but this doesnt sound as compassionate as maybe you meant it to.

What a pointless privileged tone deaf and self centered post, another post read, with an additional fan stating: Wow Stevie, Im actually disappointed in your post. People lost their homes and more and youre going on about your niece not having a vacation home to relax in.

But staunch defenders have explained that the Fleetwood Mac star was merely expressing how special Lahaina is to her and her family.

She doesnt just care about her nieces vacation, shes sharing the story of how she found out and how part of her family was connected to the tragedy that destroyed homes of the indigenous that she cares deeply for, one fan wrote in response to the criticism.

Meanwhile, another post read: All of these people are ripping her apart for talking about her family and her privilege. You have no idea whether shes donated or plans to donate to rebuild the island. Or at least to help those in need. What annoys me is that one day you love a celebrity and praise them. The next thing you are ripping them apart for what?

Maui has been left devastated by the deadly wildfires (AFP via Getty Images)

Stevie is a talented writer as most know, a third post concluded, adding: I dont read this as a self-serving post at all. Its to acknowledge what has happened and is happening in Lahaina. I interpret it as though the human lives, the beauty, and the land lost in the fire are elsewhere. Away, but certainly not gone. Its very personal and is written about tragedy, loss, sorrow, remembrance, and consolation.

Aquaman star Jason Momoa has shared a post warning people not to travel to Maui for holidays, stating: Its not the place to have your vacation right now,

The wildfires started on Tuesday (8 August), with experts say was fanned by by winds from a faraway hurricane. Multiple neighbourhoods and treasured wildlife, including a 150-year-old banyan tree, have been affected.

You can find live updates about the wildfires here.
If the budget is a statement of a legislatures priorities, its troubling that North Carolina may once again exclude funding for a monument to African Americans.

State Senate leader Phil Berger supports building the monument on the grounds of the State Capitol, but he told reporters last week that the funding for the project may be left out when Republican lawmakers agree on a state budget that is now six weeks overdue.

House Speaker Tim Moore hinted at why. He noted that the North Carolina Freedom Park, a private and state-funded project that commemorates the struggles and achievements of African Americans, is about to open across from the Legislative Building. The implication is that GOP House lawmakers may think one public acknowledgment of African American history is enough.

Its not.

Freedom Park is a fine addition, but it was conceived before Republicans took control of the General Assembly and paid for by private and state funds. The proposed African American monument would stand amid other monuments on the State Capitol grounds, the symbolic center of North Carolinas history.

The monument was approved by the the Historical Commission and the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission in 2016. Gov. Roy Coopers proposed budget and the state Senates proposed budget include $3 million to design and build the monument. Its theme and image is yet to be determined.

The legislature already approved funding for the monument once. It included $2.5 million for it in the 2019 state budget. But Cooper vetoed that spending plan because he said it included excessive tax cuts and insufficient raises for teachers. Funding for the project was left out of the two-year budget passed in 2021.

Now, with a budget surplus and billions of dollars in reserve, the monuments relatively modest cost cannot justify further delay. Republicans now have an opportunity to commemorate the struggles and achievements of African Americans at a time when their party too often panders to white grievance.

The grounds of the State Capitol, an 1830s Greek Revival-style building constructed with the labor of slaves, is a particularly powerful setting for an African American monument. Three monuments to the Confederacy stood near the Capitol for many years. Those monuments were removed in June of 2020 by order of Cooper, who said their presence threatened public safety and represented white supremacy.

The governor acted after people protesting the police murder of George Floyd pulled down and dragged away sculptures of Confederate soldiers at the base of the 75-foot tall monument to the Confederate dead. The monument was dedicated in 1895 during a period when Southern states passed voting laws designed to disenfranchise Black voters.

In the next state budget, the General Assembly can respond to the negative history of the Capitols Confederate monuments by making a positive statement to the future about racial respect in 2023. Certainly, the Republican Party here and nationally would benefit by encouraging racial harmony at a time when some Republican leaders are exploiting racial divisions even as they downplay the role of racism in the nations history and its present day.

A new monument to African Americans on grounds where monuments once honored the Confederate cause would do more than acknowledge the history of African Americans. It would also draw the GOP closer to its own history as the Party of Lincoln.

In 2021, the Senates lead budget writer, Republican Sen. Brent Jackson of Autryville, told the News & Observer that the Republican-led Senate had backed off its previous support for the African American monument after the vandalizing and abrupt removal of the Confederate monuments. We just felt like this was not the time to put something back up there of any type,he said.

Now is the time. No more delays. No substitutes elsewhere. Put the monument to African Americans at the heart of North Carolinas history.
BBB logo

Check use might be declining, but check fraud is still a serious problem.

Watch out for this scam, dubbed check washing, which involves stealing checks from mailboxes and then altering them. Fortunately, you can do a few things to protect yourself and your business.

How the scam works

You send a check in the mail as payment for a service or product. A few days or weeks later, you are contacted by the company you paid. They say they never received a payment. Then, you discover the check you sent has been cashed, either for the amount for which you wrote it or for a much higher amount. What happened?

Scammers use many techniques to intercept mail, sometimes directly from your mailbox or the post offices big blue box. Scammers have even been known to sneak into post office boxes with stolen keys. Individuals can fall victim to this scam, but scammers mostly target businesses, which typically write checks for larger amounts and have a predictable schedule for paying and mailing bills.

Once scammers find an envelope containing a check, they use household chemicals to wash off the name and amount written on the check, replacing it with a name and dollar amount of their choice. Usually, they use fake identities to cash the check later on. And even if no one cashes your check, you are at a much higher risk of identity theft once it has found its way into scammers' hands.

How to avoid check-washing schemes

 Take advantage of electronic payment methods. Making and receiving payments electronically will eliminate the possibility of falling victim to check washing.

 If you must mail a check, take precautions. Drop it off at the post office using the lobby mail slot instead of leaving a check in the mailbox with the flag up. If you need to use a blue box, drop off the mail before the days last pick-up time. Dont leave unsent mail in your mailbox overnight; retrieve your delivered mail promptly, advises the United States Postal Service.

 Put a hold on your mail. If you are going out of town, have your mail held at the post office until you return. If you run a small business that is not open on weekends, consider asking the post office not to deliver mail on Saturdays.

 Improve your mailbox security. Install highly visible cameras near your mailbox and use a locked mailbox.

 Keep an eye on your checking account. Monitor your bank accounts carefully to ensure no one cashes a fraudulent check from your account. If you notice suspicious activity, notify your bank immediately.

 Use positive pay services. Many banks offer positive pay services for business checking accounts. You can pre-authorize checks for a specific amount by their check number. This will at least stop scammers from withdrawing more money than the specified amount.

 Always report check fraud. If you think your check was intercepted in the mail, let your bank know right away. Then, file a report with the Postal Inspection Service and your local police department.

For more information  Read about more ways scammers use checks to commit fraud in BBBs Fake Check Scams Study at bit.ly/FakeChecks. If you have been a victim of check fraud, you can also report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Your reports help build public awareness and reduce scammers effectiveness.

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: Tips to protect you, your business from 'check washing'
U.S. President Joe Biden. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Despite SCOTUS striking down his broad plan to cancel student-debt, Biden has attempted to target certain groups for relief.

However, conservative-backed lawsuits are challenging his attempts at every turn.

The lawsuits concern relief for borrowers on income-driven repayment and those who applied for borrower defense.

It's not an easy time for student-loan borrowers.

After three years without having to make federal student-loan payments, borrowers are less than a month away from seeing their balances start to grow again when interest begins to accrue again in September and bills come due one month later.

On top of that, borrowers are still reeling from the June Supreme Court decision that struck down President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers. While the Education Department is trying again using a different law to enact relief, it will take time  and borrowers are still set to resume payments without a reduction to their balances.

If that wasn't enough, even relief for targeted groups of borrowers is facing challenges. Two recent lawsuits were filed against the Education Department in an attempt to block student-loan forgiveness for borrowers who said they were defrauded by the schools they attended, along with borrowers who are eligible for forgiveness after making qualified payments under income-driven repayment plans.

While the legal challenges are each targeting different policies, it's leaving many impacted borrowers confused as to where relief stands, and whether they will have to continue paying off their loans despite the promise of forgiveness. Insider previously spoke to Jason Harmon, a 54-year-old student-loan borrowers who has been paying off his $47,000 balance for nearly three decades. He recently got an email from the Education Department that he qualifies to have his loans forgiven since he has paid more than required under the income-driven repayment plan  but he said he didn't have faith given the constant legal challenges with Biden's debt relief policies.

"I've had nothing but anxiety and stress from this. I'm not going to believe the government's letter, I'm going to believe the credit report," Harmon said. "And when the credit report shows that loan is no longer on there, that's when I know I'm debt-free on that loan."

He was right to be skeptical  after the lawsuit challenging the income-driven repayment relief was filed, he told Insider in an email that he's "very, very bummed this time because a tiny, small, sad part of me held out hope that the loan will finally be forgiven."

Here's where the legal challenges to Biden's student-debt relief policies stand.

The latest student-debt relief challenges

In July, the Education Department announced it would automatically cancel $39 billion in student debt for 804,000 borrowers who have completed the necessary 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments on income-driven repayment plans. The announcement was part of the department's one-time account adjustment to ensure borrowers payments are up to date, and those who completed more than the required payments would receive a refund.

However, on August 4, the New Civil Liberties Alliance  a nonprofit organization aimed at protecting constitutional freedoms  filed a lawsuit on behalf of conservative groups Cato Institute and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy to block Biden's latest reforms for borrowers on income-driven repayment plans. The groups said in their complaint that the relief was an overreach of authority. They also said that, as nonprofits, it also undermined their recruiting efforts through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers.

An Education Department spokesperson said that "this lawsuit is nothing but a desperate attempt from right wing special interests to keep hundreds of thousands of borrowers in debt, even though these borrowers have earned the forgiveness that is promised through income-driven repayment plans. We are not going to back down or give an inch when it comes to defending working families."

But just days later, a separate debt relief measure got blocked in court. On August 7, a three-judge panel consisting of Trump and Reagan appointees in the Fifth Circuit blocked the Education Department's new rules to make it easier for borrowers who say they were defrauded by the schools they attended to discharge their debt. The new rules concerned the process known as borrower defense, and they would create a more streamlined application and expand the types of school misconduct that would qualify a borrower for relief.

The lawsuit was filed by Career Colleges and Schools of Texas, a for-profit college group, who argued that the new borrower defense rule "imposes strict liability upon schools for even unintentional erroneous representations or omissions, and then irrationally presumes that every borrower in the group would not have attended the school but for the school's act or omission, whatever it is."

A department spokesperson said it "won't back down in our efforts to take on predatory colleges, provide relief to borrowers who have been cheated or had their school close, and hold institutions accountable for deceptive schemes."

While the Career Colleges lawsuit has blocked the new borrower defense rules from being implemented as the legal process is carried out, it's unclear what will happen to borrowers who have been notified of relief due to the income-driven repayment account adjustments. The department has already notified borrowers of that relief, and it expects more will qualify.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Natural disasters such as fires, floods, and hurricanes are becoming more and more common.

Common sense should tell people to stay as far away as possible from these destructive and deadly events  but that isnt whats happening. According to Bloomberg, people in America are actually moving into disaster-prone areas.

Whats happening?

Bloombergs analysis is based on a study by the real estate firm Redfin. The company identified the ZIP codes most vulnerable to flooding, wildfire, heat, drought, and hurricanes. It then looked at census data to determine how many people moved into and out of those areas.

According to Redfins findings, the number of Americans who moved into disaster-prone areas in 2021 and 2022 vastly outnumbered those who moved out of those areas.

For example, in the areas most prone to flooding, Redfin determined around 400,000 more people were moving in than moving out, a 103% increase from 2019 and 2020.

Areas vulnerable to fires had a net influx of 446,000 people (an increase of 51%), and those suffering extreme heat swelled by 629,000 people (an increase of 17%). Lee County, Florida, which was devastated by Hurricane Ian in 2022, gained 60,000 more people than it lost.

Why are people moving to unsafe areas?

According to Bloomberg, the main factor behind these decisions is money. The homes in these areas tend to be more affordable  especially in states with low land costs and relaxed building codes.

Living conditions also play a role. Daryl Fairweather, Redfins deputy chief economist, told Bloomberg, People are seeking out places with warm weather and low taxes. Those near-term concerns tend to trump any of these climate risks.

The end result is a flow of people toward the Sun Belt and particularly toward Florida, Arizona, Utah, and California  despite the risk of storms, floods, drought, and heat waves, Bloomberg reports.

Unfortunately, insurers are moving out of disaster-prone states over concerns that the worsening conditions may wipe out their profits. This leaves many homeowners without coverage or with extremely expensive policies.

The result is likely to be a greater loss of life and loss of property each time a disaster strikes in one of these areas.

What can I do to avoid this problem?

If youre moving, consider the long-term risks when choosing a destination, including whether your new home is in a flood plain, in the path of wildfires, or in a coastal area where hurricanes may make landfall.

Also, remember that the asking price of the house isnt the only financial factor. As Redfin found, Homeowners in disaster-prone areas may see their property values start to grow at a slower-than-expected pace as natural disasters intensify and insurance becomes costlier and harder to come by.

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An extensive study released by the United States Geological Survey revealed that many per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of thousands of forever chemicals, contaminate nearly half of the nations drinking water.

Whats happening?

PFAS encompass a large class of persistent chemicals that accumulate in the body over time. The source of these chemicals includes consumer goods such as cosmetics, wrappers, and clothing.

The study examined over 700 taps and kitchen faucets from homes, schools, and offices, looking for 32 common PFAS. The geographic range of this study included protected lands, residential areas that had no known reports of PFAS exposure, and known PFAS risk zones.

Millions of people have been drinking a toxic forever chemical linked to cancer all their lives and are only discovering it today, said Scott Faber, the senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, per The Washington Post.

The results of the study were as expected. Urban areas had a significantly higher risk of contamination than rural tap water, and historically polluted places like New Jersey, the Great Lakes region, and Southern California were some of the worst offenders.

Why is this important?

The study supports the concept that PFAS are becoming a persistent threat to human populations. One 2015 study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that PFAS are in the blood of more than 95% of all Americans.

Once the chemicals enter the body, they can cause health risks, including developmental delays in children, some cancers, and reproductive complications. However, more research is needed to concretely link the exposure risk to these effects, per the Environmental Protection Agency.

Whats being done about PFAS?

Based on data collected in other studies, some researchers caution against extrapolating the data to the entire country because the sample size was relatively small. More research will have to be conducted to determine the pervasiveness of PFAS exposure nationwide.

However, the data has not deterred progress in the fight to remove PFAS from manufacturing altogether. Industrial conglomerate 3M halted using PFAS in its products and agreed to pay a multibillion dollar settlement for its role in releasing the forever chemicals into waterways. Some states, like Minnesota and Maine, have also moved to block the use of the chemicals in certain products.

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Taiwans vice president Lai Ching-te defied pressure from Beijing to make a transit stop in New York City on Saturday en route to a state visit to Paraguay.

Lai, the leading presidential candidate in Taiwans upcoming election, is using the Big Apple layover to meet with members of the Taiwanese American community. On Saturday, China began conducting a three-day military exercise in the East China Sea a few hundred miles from Taiwan  a typical show of force from Beijing to express its displeasure with the islands foreign political activities  and followed up Lais arrival with strong verbal denunciation.

But Chinas reaction was relatively muted given that Chinas ambassador to the U.S., Xie Feng, told a crowd at the Aspen Security Forum last month that aborting Lais stopovers was his top priority. The U.S. does not officially recognize Taiwan diplomatically as part of its relationship with China, making these stopover travel visits a key aspect of the islands foreign relations. Accordingly, the travel often attracts the eyes of watchers in Beijing and Washington, and American protocol dictates that the reception accorded these visitors be low key.

Lai announced his arrival in New York on Saturday evening in a post on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Happy to arrive at the #BigApple, icon of liberty, democracy & opportunities, he wrote, attaching a photo alongside Bi-Khim Hsiao, who leads Taiwans unofficial embassy in the U.S., and Ingrid Larson, a managing director at Americas de facto embassy in Taiwan. Looking forward to seeing friends & attending transit programs in #NewYork.

After his plane landed, the Chinese foreign ministry released a forcefully worded statement that expressed firm opposition to Lais stop.

China deplores and strongly condemns the U.S. decision to arrange the so-called stopover for Lai Ching-te, a spokesperson said in a release. The Taiwan question is the core of the core interests of China, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

Lais New York stopover will only be about 24 hours. Lai was scheduled to leave New York City on Sunday to attend the inauguration of Paraguays new president, Santiago Pena Palacios. Paraguay is one of Taiwans 13 remaining diplomatic allies, and attending the event gives Lai  who is leading the polls in the race to succeed outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen in January  a chance to show off his foreign policy chops and connect with supporters.

Lai will get another chance to do that when he transits overnight in San Francisco on Aug. 15 on his way back to Taiwan.

In Saturday remarks before leaving Taiwan, Lai briefly mentioned making a transit stop in New York but talked broadly about engaging with different leaders.

On this trip, I will have confident exchanges with world leaders and speak with representatives from like-minded countries, Lai said. I will show the international community that Taiwan is committed to values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, is an active participant in global affairs and has made many efforts to help maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Taiwanese vice presidents arrival in South America will occur amid reports that China has paid outlets in Paraguay to spread negative reports about the visit, according to a release from Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning the action.

During a previous U.S. transit stop in January 2022, Lai held video meetings from his Los Angeles hotel with 17 U.S. lawmakers. Beijing responded by lodging a solemn representation with the U.S. government that included a demand that the Biden administration stop the erroneous acts of having official exchanges with Taiwan. Taiwans president Tsai Ing-Wen also visited the U.S. earlier this year, meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and several other members of Congress  a trip which China retaliated against by conducting three days of military exercises around the island.

Beijing should not use as a pretext any transit by Vice President Lai for brazen coercion or other provocative activities [and] should not be a pretext for interference in Taiwan's election either, a senior administration official told reporters last month.

The vice president's trip comes as American public opinion of China has soured in recent years, which some lawmakers have employed as a mandate to take aim on the other countrys global reach. Anti-China positions have altered the nations foreign policy agenda, perhaps most prominently displayed now on the campaign trail in the 2024 GOP presidential primary as a unifying feature among candidates.

Lais profile as the leading candidate to replace outgoing Tsai in the self-governing islands January 2024 elections makes him doubly problematic for Beijing. He has reinforced his pro-Taiwan independence credentials by declaring in January that Taiwan is already an independent and sovereign nation.

Lai Ching-te clings stubbornly to the separatist position for Taiwan independence, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said. He is a troublemaker through and through.

Lais pro-independence rhetoric is his [electoral] market share. He's not going to walk away from that, said Douglas Paal, former unofficial U.S. envoy to the self-governing island at the American Institute in Taiwan from 2002 to 2006.

And eyeing a possible election victory, Lai said last month that elected leaders of Taiwan should be welcomed to the White House, a prospect which would represent a drastic departure to how the U.S. and the island have maintained relations since 1979  as well as a deep offense to Beijing.

It's up to the Chinese how they want to play it, said Daniel Russel, a former senior Asia hand in the Obama administration. Every serious [Taiwan presidential] candidate in the past has come to the United States for kind of an informal base touch  there is nothing new, radical or different about this.
Editors Note: This article contains disturbing language and graphic descriptions of assault.

On the evening of January 24, three sheriffs deputies in Rankin County, Mississippi, received a group text message from another deputy on the same shift: Are yall available for a mission?

The deputy, Christian Dedmon, informed his colleagues Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke they were going to a property in Braxton, roughly 30 miles south of Jackson, to handle a complaint received by the offices chief investigator, Brett McAlpin. The details of what prosecutors say happened that night were shared in a federal charging document.

McAlpins White neighbor had told him several Black men were staying at a White womans home there and reported seeing suspicious behavior.

Dedmon warned the deputies there might be surveillance cameras on the property. If they spotted any cameras, the officers should knock on the door instead of kicking it down. But if not, he told them they had free rein to barge in without a warrant.

No bad mugshots, Dedmon added in another text. The other deputies understood what he meant: They had the green light to use excessive force on areas of a persons body that would not be captured in a mugshot, prosecutors said.

Dedmon told the others over the radio another man, off-duty Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield, would also accompany them. In four separate cars, the five men pulled into the driveway of the four-bedroom, ranch-style home. McAlpin was already in the neighborhood, watching the property from down the street, and followed behind.

In this image taken from video, Christian Dedmon walks into the federal courthouse in Jackson. - Jerome DeLoach/WLBT/AP

The deputies avoided a surveillance camera above the front door. Dedmon, Opdyke and Elward broke open the carport door and Hartfield kicked open the back door.

Entering the home without a warrant, the officers encountered two Black men: Eddie Parker and Michael Jenkins. Parker was living there to help take care of the woman who owned the property. Jenkins, his friend, was staying there temporarily.

Over the next two hours, Parker and Jenkins were subjected to grueling violence at the hands of the six White law enforcement officers, culminating in Jenkins being shot in the mouth.

The horrors the two men enduredas well as the text messages and other details in this reportwere included in the federal court document filed on July 31. The six officers were charged with a combined 13 felonies in connection with the torture and physical abuse of the two men that night, the Justice Department said in a news release. The officers, who had been fired or had resigned after the incident, pleaded guilty to all charges against them in federal court last Thursday.

Some of the officers involved even called themselves The Goon Squad because of their willingness to use excessive force and not report it, according to the federal document.

The former officers also pleaded guilty Monday to state charges. All six faced a charge of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, four with obstruction of justice in the first degree, two were charged with home invasion, and one with aggravated assault.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said, No human being should ever be subjected to the kind of torturous, traumatizing and horrific acts of violence that were carried out by these law enforcement officers.

The invasion and assault

After the officers entered the Conerly Road home that night, neither Jenkins nor Parker resisted.

The federal charging document describes how the two men were tased, handcuffed and then tased again and again.

Dedmon demanded Parker tell him where drugs were stashed in the house, and Parker said there were no drugs. Pulling out his gun, Dedmon fired a bullet into the wall of the adjoining laundry room before ordering Parker a second time to reveal the drugs. Parker, again, insisted there were no drugs.

Brett McAlpin - Forrest County Adult Detention Center/AP

The officers then hauled the two men into the living room where all six men spewed racial slurs at them and accused them of taking advantage of the White woman who owned the house. They warned them to stay out of Rankin County and go back to their side of the Pearl River, referring to neighborhoods with a higher population of Black residents. Dedmon repeatedly drive-stunned Jenkins  placing the Taser in direct contact with his body  while the two Black men were being taunted.

Meanwhile, Opdyke searched the house and kicked open a bedroom door where he found a dildo and a BB gun. Opdyke mounted the dildo on the end of the gun and brought it into the living room.

Dedmon took the dildo and slapped Jenkins and Parker in the face with it. He threatened to rape the men with the device, but stopped when he realized Jenkins had defecated on himself.

Elward then held Jenkins and Parker down on the floor of the living room while Dedmon poured milk, alcohol and chocolate syrup into their mouths. Dedmon poured cooking grease on Parkers head. Elward threw eggs at both men.

Jeffrey Middleton - Jerome DeLoach/WLBT/AP

The officers next forced them to disrobe and shower together to wash away evidence of abuse before they were brought to jail, the charging document said.

The abuse continued in a bedroom, where Opdyke, Middleton, Dedmon and McAlpin assaulted Parker with pieces of wood and a metal sword.

Dedmon, Middleton, Hartfield and Elward then began to tase the two men repeatedly to see which (Taser) was the most powerful, the document said. Elwards Taser was discharged eight times; Hartfields five; and Dedmons four.

Then, Dedmon fired into the yard.

Elward removed a bullet from his gun, forced Jenkins onto his knees and put the gun into his mouth. Elward fired the gun, which did not discharge.

He racked the slide, put the gun back in Jenkins mouth and pulled the trigger again.

The bullet lacerated Jenkins tongue, broke his jaw and went out through his neck.

The cover story

Jenkins lay bleeding on the floor as the officers convened on the back porch to devise a cover story, the federal charging document said.

The six officers would tell investigators Dedmon found bags of drugs on Jenkins outside the house, and the officers ran inside after Jenkins. They would say Elward shot him in self-defense, and Elward was the only officer in the house at the time.

The officers began to destroy the evidence. Middleton offered to plant a throw-down gun he had in his patrol car on Jenkins, the document said. Elward instead planted the BB gun that had been used earlier with the dildo  all while Jenkins was still bleeding and not receiving medical attention.

They discarded one shell casing, and Hartfield threw the mens soiled clothes into a wooded area and then stole the hard drive from the homes surveillance system before throwing it into a creek.

McAlpin and Middleton threatened to kill the four other officers if they ever told the truth about what happened that night.

Daniel Opdyke - Jerome DeLoach/WLBT/AP

Each of the six officers filed false reports to corroborate their cover story and continued to abide by the false script in interviews with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, which initially investigated the incident as an officer-involved shooting, according to a January 25 news release from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

That news release gave no hint of what the victims would later detail. At the time, local officials said the officers were at the home for drug enforcement activities.

In late June, Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey announced some of his offices deputies had been fired, although he did not confirm the number or their names. The false charges that had been filed against Jenkins and Parker were dropped at the time of the officers firing.

Justice is what it all boils down to

Parker and Jenkins laid out the details of that night in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed in mid-June, alleging six White deputies had turned off their body cameras and handcuffed, kicked, waterboarded, punched, repeatedly used Tasers on the two men, called them racial slurs and threatened to rape them.

In their repeated use of racial slurs in the course of their violent acts, (the deputies) were oppressive and hateful against their African- American victims. Defendants were motivated on the basis of race and the color of the skin of the persons they assaulted, the lawsuit states.

When emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene, Jenkins was taken to a hospital and underwent multiple surgeries. He has suffered permanent physical injuries and cognitive damage, including disfigurement and impairment, according to the civil lawsuit. Parker also sought medical attention for injuries suffered during the incident, it said.

The five Rankin County officers were under the purview of Sheriff Bailey, who is among the named defendants in the victims civil lawsuit filed in June.

Joshua Hartfield - Forrest County Adult Detention Center/AP

An attorney representing Sheriff Bailey in the victims civil lawsuit declined to comment on the case when contacted by CNN on Wednesday.

In the state case, each of the six former officers are charged with conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, according to the Mississippi Attorney Generals Office. Dedmon is charged with home invasion and Elward is charged with home invasion and aggravated assault.

CNN contacted the attorneys for each of the six men seeking comment on the state charges against them but did not receive a response from those representing McAlpin and Dedmon. Attorneys for Middleton, Elward and Hartfield declined to comment on the case.

An attorney for Opdyke said the former officer has admitted to his wrongdoing and will plead guilty to all charges against him in in Rankin County Circuit Court on August 14.

He takes responsibility for his part in the horrific harms perpetrated on Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Parker, the victims, and is prepared to face the consequences of his misconduct, reads a statement to CNN from Opdykes attorney, Jeffery Reynolds.

Bailey said during a Thursday news conference he was ashamed, and the badge of law enforcement was tarnished by the criminal acts of these few individuals.

The sheriff also said he does not plan to resign in the wake of the charges against the six officers. Bailey is not facing any charges in connection with the incident.

The only thing I am guilty of on this incident right here is trusting grown men that swore an oath to do their job correctly, he said.

During an interview with CNNs Ryan Young in June, Jenkins and Parker said they had tried to tell their story in the months leading up to the lawsuit but were often not believed.

It was hard, Parker said. Youre going up against guys whose careers are to be trustworthy  Thats something I never thought I would experience.

Jenkins, who struggles to speak because of his injuries, said hes angry at what was done to him and his friend. It hurts, he said. And Im embarrassed.

As he spoke to CNN inside the house where the incident took place, Parker said, Its hard to stand right here, knowing what happened right here.  Justice is what it all boils down to. Im just like them, you know, whether they are in uniform or not.

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Before we begin the new week in earnest, we're taking a look back at the week that was, and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers.

Top stories this past week included:

Former Bridgewater-Raynham and Florida Southern College standout E.J. Dambreville taking his basketball talents to Denmark. He recently signed with Team FOG Nstved of the Basketligaen, Denmark's top professional basketball league.

The Greater Taunton real estate report, featuring a Raynham colonial that sold for $770,000. The Lounsbury Drive home was built in 1993, and has a modern kitchen with a breakfast nook, a fireplaced den, a large theatre room, and a finished basement. Check out this property, as well as other recent top-sellers.

These were the Top 5 stories of the past week, according to Gazette readers:

Abington teacher loses art studio in Taunton garage fire but isn't losing hope

Erin Slayton, a Taunton artist and full-time Abington teacher, is rebuilding her creative vision after a garage fire engulfed a part of her studio, setting her business back.

She was looking forward to hosting small art exhibits in her garage.

Abington teacher Erin Slayton, owner and artist behind Pocket of Sunshine online art and handcrafted jewelry floral preservation business, stands in front of her garage studio at her home in Taunton on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, after it was destroyed in a fire on Friday, July 28. The fire caused a lot of damage, but a book which contained her journals and notes for future projects, survived, just getting a bit water damaged. Her writings are very important to her, since she teaches English in the 9th and 12th grades at Abington High School.

Her online art and handcrafted jewelry floral preservation business is called Pocket of Sunshine, and despite the fire, she plans to keep on making art.

'A wrench in our plans': Abington teacher loses art studio in Taunton garage fire but isn't losing hope

Curious Taunton: Did you know Taunton once had its own summer destination amusement park?

You've no doubt heard of Lincoln Park, but did you know there was another summertime destination right here in Taunton? And one that was also started by a trolley company?

Sabbatia Park began as a late-19th-and-early-20th-century venture by the Taunton Street Railway Company. They wanted to drum up some business on weekends, so they extended the trolley tracks to Lake Sabbatia, and soon enough a lakeside destination was born.

The merry-go-round at Sabbatia Park in Taunton, pictured in 1900.

The park drew thousands of visitors, looking to enjoy an afternoon or evening of open-air theater, or a turn on the merry-go-round, or even a scenic tour of the lake while enjoying a treat from the concession stand.

Curious Taunton explores the surprising history of Sabbatia Park.

Curious Taunton: Did you know Taunton once had its own summer destination amusement park?

'Regular guy who wants to fix issues': This Taunton mayoral candidate says he would serve for free

Another mayoral candidate has thrown their hat into the race.

Charles Frederick Wright, or Chuck Wright, is running for mayor of Taunton.

Wright says he's "just a regular guy who wants to fix issues," such as what he feels is insufficient transparency across city government and departments with its citizens.

Chuck Wright, standing outside his plane on the tarmac at Taunton Municipal Airport on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, is running for mayor of Taunton.

He also told the Gazette he would give his salary back to the city if elected; Gazette Reporter Daniel Schemer has the story.

'Regular guy who wants to fix issues': This Taunton mayoral candidate would serve for free

Taunton man gets up to 6 years for violent gas station robbery with struggle over knife

A 39-year-old Taunton man was sentenced to up to six years in prison for a violent armed robbery at a Weir Street gas station in which he got into a struggle with the clerk over the robber's knife, the Bristol County district attorney's office said.

The DA's office said the clerk was able to seize the knife from the robber and stabbed him multiple times  but even that didn't stop him from continuing to try to rob the Geko gas station on June 22, 2022.

Christopher Azevedo pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to a written statement from the DA's office.

Taunton man sentenced to prison: Taunton man gets up to 6 years for violent gas station robbery with struggle over knife

Here's exactly where History Channel filmed 'Bridgewater Triangle'

Last month, the History Channel aired a one-hour episode on the Bridgewater Triangle, a 200-square-mile area within Southeastern Massachusetts that is a hotspot for reports of paranormal activity.

Here's where they filmed, what you missed and how you can still catch that episode.

The 'Bridgewater Triangle': Here's exactly where History Channel filmed 'Bridgewater Triangle' and more answers

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: Taunton Gazette Top 5: Garage fire can't keep local artist down
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Sunday he thinks the appointment of special counsel David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, in the Hunter Biden investigation is camouflage and a cover-up.

This appointment is camouflage, and its cover-up. I think its disgraceful, Cruz said in an interview with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on her show Sunday Morning Futures. Listen, David Weiss was the U.S. attorney hand-picked to lead this investigation, who spent the last five years covering it up. David Weiss, who was personally selected by the two Democrat senators from Delaware, Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced last week he will be appointing Weiss as special counsel to oversee the investigation into the alleged tax and gun crimes of President Bidens son, Hunter Biden. The appointment came as a pending plea deal for the presidents son appeared to be falling apart.

The investigation [into Hunter Biden] has gone nowhere, other than to protect Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, Cruz said.

Cruz is among numerous Republicans who have criticized the appointment, pointing to claims from two IRS whistleblowers that Weiss was blocked from seeking special counsel status, which both Weiss and the Department of Justice have repeatedly denied.

They [two IRS whistleblowers] said theyd never seen an investigation like this in their time in law enforcement, Cruz said, citing the whistleblowers claims that Weiss protected the Biden family.

The result of all that is that David Weiss was either an active participant in covering up this criminality and protecting Joe Biden in engaging in obstruction of justice, Cruz said. Thats option one.  Option two, he wasnt the driver  he was just complicit.

Cruz went on to call the choice of Weiss as special counsel wildly inappropriate, saying that a special counsel should be investigating Garland for whether he lied under oath to Congress when questioned by Cruz. The Texas senator said a special counsel should also investigate uncorroborated allegations of the Biden familys corruption and bribery while Biden served as vice president.

That is bribery; its not a little gun charge on Hunter, Cruz said. It is bribery of the president of the United States, is what these allegations are. And this special counsel, he aint going to do anything to get to the bottom of that.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ted Cruz was among more than 30 senators urging US Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint Davis Weiss as special counsel to lead investigations into Hunter Biden.

That was 19 September 2022. Less than a year later, on 11 August, Mr Garland announced that Mr Weiss would receive special counsel status.

But the Republican senator from Texas is now calling the appointment of the same person he was urgently recommending a wildly inappropriate pick to lead the investigation.

This appointment is camouflage and its cover-up. I think its disgraceful, he told Fox News on 13 August.

Mr Weiss, who has served as the US Attorney for Delaware since 2018, has led federal investigations into President Joe Bidens son since 2019. Last month, Hunter Biden was reportedly prepared to enter a plea deal following charges stemming from unpaid taxes and a federal application for a firearm.

That deal appeared to fall apart, and Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to two of the charges after a federal judge questioned whether the deal would prohibit other potential prosecutions.

IRS whistleblowers speaking to Republican members of Congress who are eager to prosecute the presidents son have claimed that it was necessary that Mr Weiss be designated special counsel powers because he could not pursue prosecutions in other jurisdictions outside of Delaware, as the US attorney for that state.

Whistleblowers also testified that US Department of Justice officials had prevented Mr Weiss from seeking felony tax evasion charges in California and Washington DC.

Mr Cruz is now accusing Mr Weiss of either being an active participant in covering up criminality and obstructing justice by protecting the president, or he was just complicit.

He was so weak that he couldnt stop the partisans in main justice from turning it into a political effort to protect Joe Biden, Mr Cruz said.

But in their letter to Mr Garland last year, Mr Cruz and 32 other senators said it is important that Mr Weiss receive special counsel status to allow him to investigate an appropriate scope of potentially criminal conduct, avoid the appearance of impropriety, and provide additional assurances to the American people that the Hunter Biden is free from political influence.

Mr Cruz now accuses Mr Weiss of spending the last five years covering it up.

The senator has also been requesting information from Mr Weiss this month, sending a letter with a list of questions surrounding whistleblower testimony, none of which accuse Mr Weiss of wrongdoing.

The Independent has requested comment from his office.

His apparent about-face follows other objections from GOP officials who had also previously called for Mr Weiss to step in as special counsel.

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, another senator who signed last years letter, claimed that Mr Garland only appointed Mr Weiss because he knows Weiss will protect Hunter Biden.

In her appearance on Fox News, she called Mr Weiss a collaborator.

The sweetheart deal that he had cooked up for Hunter Biden, now theyre going to give him a sweetheart deal with a special counsel and run out the plot, she said. Merrick Garland, he owes the American people better than to do something like this.

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham  another signatory  told NewsNation that the appointment poured gasoline on a political fire. He told Fox News that he believes Mr Weiss has been compromised after a sweetheart plea deal fell apart.

And Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley  who acknowledged signing the letter during an appearance on Fox News  said that Mr Weiss has pulled punches and didnt investigate as he shouldve.
People gather at a memorial for OShae Sibley on August 04, 2023 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The 17-year-old charged in the fatal stabbing of dancer O'Shae Sibley pleaded not guilty to all charges on Friday.

Dmitriy Popov's attorney said his client will likely make a self-defense argument.

Popov is charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime, among other charges.

A teenager charged with murder as a hate crime in the fatal stabbing of dancer O'Shae Sibley pleaded not guilty on Friday and will likely argue that the killing was an act of self-defense, the teen's attorney told reporters at a news conference.

Dmitriy Popov, 17, was indicted on nine counts in total, including second-degree murder as a hate crime, second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon. He is being charged as an adult.

"Once I get all the evidence, I strongly suspect that we will be going self-defense, and that he had a reasonable grounds to reasonably believe that he had to defend himself in this situation," Popov's attorney, Mark Pollard, said Friday after Popov's arraignment.

The fatal altercation began on the evening of July 29 when Sibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer, had been vogueing to a Beyonce song with his friends while stopped for gas at a Brooklyn gas station. NYPD officials said while Sibley and his friends were dancing, a group of males confronted them and demanded they stop dancing.

"As this group began to yell at Mr. Sibley and his friends, they began to call him derogatory names and use homophobic slurs against him," Joseph Kenny, an assistant chief at the NYPD's detective bureau, said last week.

Kenny said that the group of males also used "anti-Black" language while confronting Sibley and his friends.

The altercation lasted roughly four minutes, rapidly moving from verbal to physical conflict, and ended when the perpetrator retreated from Sibley while striking him with a sharp object. Sibley was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

In response to reporters' questions on Friday, Pollard said his client regrets the incident.

"He regrets what happens, he certainly does. But that doesn't mean that he's guilty of a crime," Pollard said.

Read the original article on Insider
ISLAMABAD  When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Shukria Sediqi knew her days in safety were numbered. As a journalist who advocated for womens rights, shed visited shelters and safe houses to talk to women who had fled abusive husbands. She went with them to court when they asked for a divorce.

According to the Taliban, who bar women from most public places, jobs and education, her work was immoral.

So when the Taliban swept into her hometown of Herat in western Afghanistan in August 2021 as the U.S. was pulling out of the country, she and her family fled, eventually making their way to Pakistan.

The goal? Resettling in the U.S. via an American government program set up to help Afghans at risk under the Taliban because of their work with the U.S. government, media and aid agencies.

But two years after the U.S. left Afghanistan, Sediqi and tens of thousands of others are still waiting. While there has been some recent progress, processing U.S. visas for Afghans has moved painfully slowly.

Hundreds of Afghans wait in Albania in a prolonged US visa process

Many of the applicants who fled Afghanistan are running through savings, living in limbo in exile. They worry that the U.S., which had promised so much, has forgotten them.

What happens to my children? What happens to me? Sediqi asked. Nobody knows.

During two decades in Afghanistan after its 2001 invasion, the U.S. relied on Afghans helping the U.S. government and military. Afghan journalists went to work at a growing number of media outlets. Afghans were the backbone of aid programs providing everything from food to tutoring.

Since 2009, the U.S. has had a special immigrant visa program to help Afghans like interpreters who worked directly with the U.S. government and the military.

Then, in the waning days of the U.S. presence in the country, the Biden administration created two new programs for refugees, expanding the number of Afghans who could apply to resettle in the U.S. The visas, known as P-1 and P-2, are for aid workers, journalists or others who didnt work directly for the U.S. government but who helped promote goals like democracy and an independent media that put them at risk under the Taliban.

The American airlift in August 2021 carried more than 70,000 Afghans to safety, along with tens of thousands of Americans and citizens of other countries  plane after plane loaded with the lucky ones who managed to make their way through the massive crowds encircling Kabul airport.

Afghan refugees hold a rally to demand their U.S. visas to be processed in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (Rahmat Gul/AP, File)

But many more are still waiting. There are about 150,000 applicants to the special immigrant visa programs  not including family members. A report by the Association of Wartime Allies said at the current rate it would take 31 years to process them all.

Separately, there are 27,400 Afghans who are in the pipeline for the two refugee programs created in the waning days of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, according to the State Department. That doesnt include family members, which potentially adds tens of thousands more. But since the U.S. left Afghanistan its only admitted 6,862 Afghan refugees, mostly P-1 and P-2 visa applicants, according to State Department figures.

In June, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has relocated about 24,000 Afghans since September 2021, apparently referring to all the resettlement programs combined.

Among the refugee program applicants are about 200 Associated Press employees and their families, as well as staff of other American news organizations.

Krish OMara Vignarajah, president and CEO of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said the U.S. refugee process in general can be agonizingly slow, and waits of as long as 10 years are common. Furthermore, former U.S. President Donald Trump gutted the refugee system.

Other challenges are unique to Afghan immigrants, said Vignarajah. Many Afghans destroyed documents during the Taliban takeover because they worried about reprisals. Now they need them to prove their case.

The grim reality is that theyll likely be waiting for years on end and often in extremely precarious situations, Vignarajah said.

In a recent report, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a body created by Congress to oversee government spending in Afghanistan, faulted the various resettlement programs set up for Afghans.

Bureaucratic dysfunction and understaffing have undermined U.S. promises that these individuals would be protected in a timely manner, putting many thousands of Afghan allies at high risk, the report said.

Many applicants ended up in Pakistan  one of the few countries that allows Afghans in  only to discover the U.S. was not processing refugee applications there. That changed late last month when the State Department said it would begin limited processing of applications in Pakistan.

The State Department declined an AP request for an interview but said in a statement it is committed to processing Afghan refugee visas. In June, Blinken applauded the efforts that have gone into helping Afghans resettle in America but emphasized the work continues.

At the same time, the Biden administration has made progress in recovering from the Trump-era curtailment of the refugee system with the number of refugees and Afghans admitted into the country increasing.

Left with little information, Afghans in Pakistan compare what they hear about their cases in group chats and organize social media protests demanding swifter U.S. action.

Enayatullah Omid and his wife are among those waiting.

In 2011, Omid started a radio station in Baghlan province with the help of the U.S.-based media training nonprofit Internews and funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development. He was the stations general manager but did everything from reporting on-air to sweeping the floors at night.

When the Taliban entered Baghlan on Aug. 9, 2021, Omid said he did one last thing: He burned documents to keep the Taliban from identifying his staff. Then he and his wife fled.

They stayed at shelters arranged by a committee to protect Afghan journalists until the Taliban shut them down. Internews referred Omid to the U.S. refugee program in April 2022. Told he had to leave Afghanistan for his case to proceed, Omid and his wife went to Pakistan in July 2022.

Even in Pakistan Omid doesnt feel safe. Worried about the Talibans reach, hes moved three times. He said America has a saying: Leave no one behind.

We want them to do it. It shouldnt be only a saying for them, he said.

Santana reported from Washington. AP reporters Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington contributed.
Sixty years ago, South Bend, Indiana, offered America a preview of what was to come in the industrial heartland. The Christmas 1963 shuttering of the Studebaker automobile plant foreshadowed the coming decline of American manufacturing, and the decimation of Midwestern cities. Seven thousand people were put out of work, in a town of 130,000.

And while South Bend has recovered to some extent in the years since, the six-decade legacy of abandonment is still never far from sight. And now, South Bend's legacy of decline has become the unlikely inspiration for an award-winning debut novel by 30-year-old author Tess Gunty.

"I was born 30 years after Studebaker closed," she said. "I think that the kinds of consequences of economic decline become extremely personal. They're anchored in the beating hearts of those that you know and love."

Gunty, a South Bend native, showed Costa the neighborhood where she spent the first five years of her life: "Apparently the most formative years according to psychologists!" she laughed.

Novelist Tess Gunty, with CBS News' Robert Costa, in South Bend., Ind. / Credit: CBS News

Gunty has crafted characters on the fringes of a fictional city based on her hometown. The book is called "The Rabbit Hutch," named after the shabby apartment building that houses the story's protagonist, Blandine Watkins.

/ Credit: Knopf

When asked whether Gunty was Watkins, she replied, "No and yes. I'm Blandine insofar as I am every single character in this book. I don't think you can write without putting much of your emotional experience into every single character. I may not know what it's like to have a baby, but I know what it's like to feel fear, and I know what it's like to feel out of control."

The book follows Blandine and her roommates, young adults who've aged-out of the foster care system without having found a "forever" family.

Though she writes about orphans, Gunty's own experience was different: "I've been very lucky. I've had love from my family unconditionally all my life. When I was thinking about this town as an essentially orphaned place, it was important to get into the psychologies of characters who had been truly abandoned."

The child of academics whose creativity outstripped their incomes, from an early age Gunty developed an eye for details that speak to class and status.

Tess Gunty, author of

Costa said, "You write in a funny and scathing way about the new aristocracy in suburban America, where everyone smells like dryer sheets; they're wearing outdoor gear that's meant for climbing mountains, but they're in the Indiana suburbs."

"Well, this was something that I did personally experience," she said. "When I went to high school, we received free tuition at a Catholic high school, and so my family was able to attend this school that we probably couldn't have afforded otherwise. This was the first time that I really understood the relativity of my own economic position. You know, we might have had difficult times financially, but we always had what we needed. And that was not true for my friends, you know, in my neighborhood. They were suffering from so many more extreme forms of neglect and poverty."

Last year, "The Rabbit Hutch" won the National Book Award for fiction, making Tess Gunty the youngest recipient since legendary novelist Philip Roth back in 1960. The award put Gunty on the map at a time when literary fiction sales are in steep decline, book banning is rampant, and some declare the college English major obsolete.

But Gunty is a passionate advocate for her craft. She said, "The book is a collaboration between the reader and the writer. It's an imaginative collaboration. It's not a relationship between a consumer and a product; it is something more freely entered (and, to me, sacred) than that."

Costa asked, "Do some of your friends say being a novelist is old-fashioned?"

"Yeah, it's sometimes treated like you're a blacksmith or something. They're like, 'Wow, I didn't know you could do that anymore!'"

While Gunty knows a literary novel may be an unlikely place to tackle the economic and political issues of our times, her writing vibrates with a certain kind of ambition, both as a breakout talent, and as a voice for the people of Indiana.

"The slogan for the state is that it's the crossroads of America," she said. "And for a long time, I didn't understand what that meant. But now I think of it as a place where all the contradictions of America are very alive and they're actively fighting each other. I think it's a mistake to assume that Indiana is a monolithic place with one set of ideals and one demographic. It is a place that is vast and various and mysterious."

Read an excerpt: "The Rabbit Hutch" by Tess Gunty



For more info:

"The Rabbit Hutch" by Tess Gunty (Knopf), in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Large Print, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgtessgunty.comStudebaker National Museum, South Bend, Ind.St. Joseph County Public Library



Story produced by Ed Forgotson. Editor: George Pozderec.

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Parents and teachers snapping their fingers in support as a fellow attendee challenged the agenda proposed by Mike Miles, the Houston Independent School District superintendent, during a meeting of the districts school board, in Houston on Aug. 3, 2023. (Meridith Kohut/The New York Times)

HOUSTON  Cheryl Hensley, a librarian in Houston, was excited for the start of school. A veteran of four decades in the citys public school system, she had stocked her library at Lockhart Elementary, a mostly Black school, with $40,000 in new books and won a statewide award for her work.

Then, late last month, Hensley, 62, was told she was no longer needed: The schools library would be one of dozens turned into multipurpose computer rooms and used, in part, for discipline.

The decision to fire librarians and effectively close libraries in some of the citys poorest schools has been the most contentious yet made by a new set of Houston public school leaders who were imposed on the district and its 187,000 mostly Black and Hispanic students this year by the administration of Gov. Greg Abbott.

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The state of Texas this spring took over the Houston Independent School District, one of the nations largest school systems, and replaced its elected school board and the superintendent. The move had been years in the making, following chronic poor performance at some schools, past allegations of misconduct by school trustees and changes in state law  backed by a moderate Black Democrat from Houston  that made it easier for the state to take over school districts.

Since then, the new superintendent  a former Army Ranger, State Department diplomat and founder of a charter school network who has no official certification for the Houston job  has moved swiftly to adopt a new plan for educating the districts children, focusing on rapidly improving reading and math scores in dozens of elementary and middle schools.

The future is here, and were behind, the superintendent, Mike Miles, said at a community meeting this month, describing persistent achievement gaps between Houston students and others around the state, and between the districts Black and Hispanic students and their white classmates. It means we have to do bold things now.

State takeovers of troubled local school systems  a common occurrence around the country  have a mixed record of success, said Beth Schueler, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Education who has studied them. Those that succeeded were generally carried out in districts that were already among the nations lowest performing, she said, and on average, they have had a neutral to negative effect.

This is one of the largest takeovers weve had, she said of Houston, and could provide a pathway for others to follow, or to avoid.

As the takeover began this year, many parents and teachers in Houston, a strongly Democratic city, complained about the loss of input into their schools and worried that the ultimate goal of state Republican leaders was to undermine support for public education and drive Houston parents to charter or private schools.

But others, including parents and several of the replaced board members, said the district had not done enough to educate students in its struggling schools and urged patience with the new leadership.

The takeover started in the spring as Abbott, a Republican and charter school supporter, was crisscrossing Texas to promote the use of state money for private school vouchers. The governor said his push for parental empowerment was separate from the Houston takeover, which he has called for since at least 2019. The Texas education commissioner, Mike Morath, has said the takeover was necessary to quickly address needed changes at the poorest-performing schools, despite improvements made even before the takeover. The district last year earned a B grade from the state.

With the first day of school approaching Aug. 28, critics of the takeover have grown louder. Last Saturday, more than 200 people gathered in protest outside the districts headquarters. Houston Occupied School District, read one sign. Even prisons have libraries, read another.

It doesnt feel right, said Jessica Campos, 41, a parent at Pugh Elementary, a Spanish dual-language school slated for immediate changes. I lose sleep over this. Its a serious thing. These are our children, and were not having a say in our childrens education, and that is not OK.

The new state-run administration said it hoped to create a new education system in elementary and middle schools that feed into poor-performing high schools. The new approach includes a focus on reading and math, paying teachers more when their students score higher on standardized tests and shifting time-consuming tasks, such as making copies or grading work or writing lesson plans, from teachers to other staff members. Schools will also hire community members to teach elective courses like photography and spin classes.

Under the plan, libraries in some schools would become team rooms, which may be a bit of a misnomer, a department spokesperson acknowledged: Although some students could work in teams, those sent there for disrupting class would be expected to spend their time at individual desks, watching their classes on laptops.

Miles has said that, given limited space and resources, the decision was a trade-off and that students in schools where libraries have been converted into team rooms would still be able to borrow books before or after school.

Still, Sylvester Turner, Houstons mayor, said the effort risked creating two systems.

Hes gone too far, and hes dismantling the largest educational district in the state of Texas, Turner said of Miles during a City Council hearing last month. You cannot have a situation where you are closing libraries for some schools in certain neighborhoods, and there are other neighborhoods where there are libraries, fully equipped. What the hell are you doing?

The political tensions come at a particularly raw moment in Texas as the Republican-dominated Legislature tries to constrain Democratic-led cities on a variety of fronts, limiting local power to create city-specific ordinances, curtailing efforts at criminal justice reform and, in Austin, dispatching state troopers to patrol streets.

The takeover also coincided with a national conservative movement to change the direction of public schools, promoting candidates to run for local school boards and pressing for limits on the teaching of race and gender, and the types of books held in school libraries.

That backdrop has convinced some parents and educators in Houston that the takeover is politically motivated.

The local school board has been firmly in Democratic control. But with the takeover, its members no longer have any power, replaced by a board of managers appointed by the Texas Education Agency. In one case, a school board member was replaced by the losing candidate in the last election.

Its devastating, said that replaced member, Elizabeth Santos. They tried to defeat me and failed. Then Greg Abbott and Mike Morath put her in.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said the takeover disenfranchised voters of color who elected the former school board and has asked for a Justice Department investigation.

But several other board members who were replaced offered support for Miles and said he should be given a chance to succeed. We believe that no one chooses to sit at that dais who doesnt have the best intentions for students in their heart, four board members wrote in The Houston Chronicle.

Tish Ochoa, who serves as a parent representative on an advisory committee for the district, said she liked aspects of the new approach  including cutting staff and costs at the districts central office in order to spend more money on low-performing schools  but said the district needed to do a better job communicating and listening.

I am not pro turning libraries into discipline centers, Ochoa said. I am pro a superintendent who is honest about our problems. The bottom line is, in some of these schools, kids cant read.

The plan will first focus on 28 elementary and middle schools that feed into underperforming high schools, including Wheatley High School, whose poor scores allowed the Texas Education Agency, under state law, to take over the Houston district. More than 50 other schools have also opted into aspects of Miles plan.

Miles, who created and ran the Third Future Schools charter school network, had previously been the superintendent of schools in Dallas, where he tried some of the same approaches. David DeMatthews, a University of Texas at Austin professor in the College of Education, said the schools there did not show improvement by national measures, and teacher turnover increased sharply. More recently, Miles company has pointed to higher scores in smaller Texas school districts that partnered with Third Future Schools.

During a series of presentations to sometimes hostile parents over the summer, Miles spoke of preparing students for jobs in a world where technology is rapidly evolving. He made repeated reference to artificial intelligence.

At a predominantly Black middle school in South Houston this month, he heard from Hensley, the librarian who had just learned she was fired. She told him that her work involved computer literacy and creating community, as well as lending books. Many in the room applauded.

Everything is good, Miles said, shrugging. Everything is important, he said. Its not that I dont like libraries. Were not trying to get rid of all the libraries. We have to prioritize resources.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Alena McQuarter isnt like other teenagers.

She graduated from high school at 12 years old, made national headlines as the youngest person to intern at NASA and is the youngest Black person to get accepted to medical school.

Now, she's just a few months away from graduating from college at the age of 14.

And somehow, the native Texan and teenage prodigy had time to start the Brown STEM Girl, an organization for girls of color who want to study science, technology, engineering and math.

Ive always tried to prove that girls of color  they can do what they put their minds to," she told USA TODAY last week. "Being able to graduate at the age of 12 from high school and going into college, I just want to inspire other girls to follow their dreams.

Fourteen-year-old Alena McQuarter is graduating from Arizona State University in December. She's not done yet, though. She plans to pursue a doctorate and is just deciding what school to attend.

'In love with science'

Alena is a senior at Arizona State University and will graduate in December with a bachelor's degree in biomedical biological sciences with a minor in global health. In May, she is expected to graduate with a masters in biological sciences.

From the age of 5, 4, around there, Ive just been in love with science, she told USA TODAY. And I love the stars.

Growing up, Alena's mother took her to NASA every summer, as well as astronomy events at night.

In 2021, Alena got to intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

"It was an amazing opportunity," she said. "Being able to go to JPL and really see what they're working on when it comes to rovers and rockets and things that they're sending up to space and Mars, it was nice."

Alena initially wanted to be an engineer, but after taking an engineering class, she realized it wasnt for her. She kept looking and soon realized shed rather pursue biological sciences.

She has been admitted to the University of Alabama's Heersink School of Medicine to pursue a medical degree, but shes more interested in research, she said. She plans to apply elsewhere to pursue a doctorate and study viral immunology with a focus on infectious diseases.

Shell start applying this fall, she said.

In the future, I want to look into health care and underrepresented communities, she said. I just want to learn more and be able to develop different things to help  increase health care in underrepresented communities and advocate for people.

New York: A school's first Latino salutatorian strives to prove immigrant families are the 'backbone' of US

Proving them wrong

Alena said she works hard to inspire others in part after being discouraged by an adult in her life.

She said she was in the fifth grade when her school principal, another person of color, told her young girls of color cant get good grades or pass state tests.

It did kind of hurt because I worked hard to get the grades that I got, she said. Someone comes and tells you, You can't do this because you're too young or youre a girl of color. I really wanted to show her that I can get good grades and I can go on and do amazing things. So I'm proving that.

Accomplished teen loves teaching and singing

Alena said college life has been fun. She has participated in all sorts of programs, including one that helped her learn about the border and immigration.

She spends her free time playing sports, swimming and singing. She loves jazz and pop, she said.

She was able to take her love for music with her when she was 9 years old and living in Jordan.

My mom gave me the opportunity, she said. We went out there, and I got involved in some of the refugee camps. Being able to teach the kids living there music and reading, things like that, was really nice.

They took trips to the desert and rode camels, which was cool and scary, she laughed.

We went down to the Dead Sea, she said. It's kind of breathtaking.

Alena McQuarter (third from the right) in Ghana. The 14-year-old graduated from high school two years ago at age 12. She has also started her own foundation, Brown STEM Girl, which encourages girls of color as they pursue endeavors in STEM.

Cancer research

Tonya Webb, Alena's mentor and an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said the teen is a real inspiration.

Shes bright, bubbly and laughs a lot, said Webb, who mentored Alena during the university's annual American Cancer Society Diversity in Cancer Research summer internship, which ended this month. The program allows underrepresented students interested in biomedical careers the opportunity to learn in a lab and conduct cancer research.

She contributed to the lab, the atmosphere, Webb told USA TODAY. Everyone's in there working but she's like, What are you doing? That excitement and enthusiasm and the questions. The lab ended up treating her like their younger sibling.

She said Alena can do anything she wants in the future.

If she wants to work on a vaccine, it's great for the field, Webb said. I think that she could solve many questions that we have. ... She could (use) her life experiences and her ingenuity and problem-solving skills and help us develop creative solutions to these issues.

Alena McQuarter, a Texas student who graduated high school at age 12. She is set to graduate from Arizona State University in December 2023.

'She's Alena'

One project Alena got to work on during her internship involved ovarian cancer, considered one of the deadliest cancers for women.

She didn't know so much about it, Webb said. She read papers and presented papers, and her product was focused on using natural compounds, things that are found in herbal remedies  things that are found in licorice, green tea, ginseng.

She said it was amazing that the teenager was able to come into the field with so little experience and present her findings after just a few months.

Alenas mother, Daphne McQuarter, partly credits the hands-on internship with a lot of the opportunities her daughter is getting.

Without them providing that opportunity for her, she  wouldn't be here right now, she said.

Though the world appears to be her daughter's oyster, McQuarter said she's glad the teen has lots of time to figure out what her future will look like.

My only desire for her is that whatever she does, she's happy, she said. If you're not happy, as I always tell her, jump off the train. It's not going to be fulfilling to you if youre not happy.

She can do whatever she wants," she continued. "Shes Alena."

Teachers: To solve teacher shortages, schools turn to custodians, bus drivers and aides

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 14-year-old Texas girl, NASA intern about to graduate college
CNN reports that Georgia prosecutors have information connecting Donald Trump's allies to a January 2021 voting system breach in Coffee County.

CNN reports that Georgia prosecutors have information connecting Donald Trump's allies to a January 2021 voting system breach in Coffee County.

Prosecutors investigating the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election results in Georgia have texts and emails that connect members of former President Donald Trumps legal team to the January 2021 voting system breach in Coffee County, according to a CNN exclusive.

Texts and other evidence collected by investigators in the Georgia criminal probe indicate Trumps lawyers tried to gain access to Coffee Countys voting systems so Trumps allies could produce evidence for the unfounded theory that the election was stolen, according to CNNs sources.

Fani Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, is expected to present her case before a grand jury this week and to seek charges against roughly a dozen individuals, including those involved in the Coffee County voting systems breach.

Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together! an employee from the firm Sullivan Strickler wrote in a group chat on Jan. 1, referring to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was Trumps personal attorney. The firm was hired by Trumps legal team to examine voting systems in Coffee County.

Most immediately, we were just granted access  by written invitation!  to Coffee Countys systems. Yay! the text reads.

Video footage unearthed last year showed Cathy Latham, a GOP county official who posed as a fake elector for Trump, and two others enter Coffee Countys elections office on Jan. 7, 2021, which was the same day a voting machine was breached there.

A former Trump official testified under oath during last years hearings by the House committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, that Trump and others discussed plans to access voting systems in Georgia. At least one meeting happened in the Oval Office with Trump present, on Dec. 18, 2020, the official said.

Six days before Trumps team gained access to the voting systems, Misty Hampton, who was then a Coffee County local elections official, wrote a written invitation that was sent to Trumps lawyers, according to CNN.

Willis has been investigating whether Trump and his associates attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, where voters picked President Joe Biden by a narrow margin.

She is expected to present her case to a Georgia grand jury, which will likely weigh charges that could lead to Trumps fourth criminal indictment this year.

Read more about the messages at CNN.

Related...
The nurse from New Hampshire who was kidnapped in Haiti last month along with her daughter spoke publicly for the first time Saturday, thanking those who wished her well.

I am completely humbled by the outpouring of support and prayer for myself and my sweet baby both during and following our time in captivity. God was so very present in the fire with us and I pray that when I find the words to tell our story, that the mighty name of Jesus may be glorified and many people will come to know his love. Thank you all from the depths of my heart for your love, Alix Dorsainvil said in a statement on El Roi Haitis website.

This song, See a Victory, was my battle cry during the most difficult moments. Theres a part that says, You take what the enemy meant for evil, and you turn it for good. And that is what he is already doing and will continue to do.

Nurse from New Hampshire and daughter freed nearly two weeks after kidnapping in Haiti

Dorsainvil and her daughter were kidnapped near the faith-based non-profits Port au Prince campus on July 27 before being freed on August 10.

Alix serves as the humanitarian groups community health nurse and is married to the organizations director, Sandro Dorsainvil. Her abduction occurred the very same day the U.S. State Department warned U.S. citizens to leave Haiti due to security concerns.

It is with a heart of gratitude and immense joy that we at El Roi Haiti confirm the safe release of our staff member and friend, Alix Dorsainvil and her child who were held hostage in Port au Prince, Haiti, El Roi Haiti said in a statement Wednesday. There is still much to process and to heal from in this situation, so we are asking that no attempts be made to contact Alix or her family at this time.

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Over the past few years, discussing mental health and seeking professional help has become more destigmatized. And with that, some therapeutic terms have trickled into the lexicon, and a new mode of conversation known as therapy-speak has emerged. People are "setting boundaries," practicing "self-care" and identifying their "attachment styles" all over social media and in real life. Gaslighting has become so commonly used that it was Merriam-Webster's word of the year in 2022. But while learning to advocate for yourself is important, experts warn that some people are weaponizing these terms without understanding what they mean.

Some point to alleged text messages between actor Jonah Hill and his ex-girlfriend, surfer Sarah Brady, as an example of the misuse of therapy-speak in action and the potential harm it can cause. In the texts, Hill outlined conditions for dating him framed as "boundaries," but experts have pointed out that healthy boundaries are not supposed to be one-sided. Professionals have noted that many of these words are misunderstood and lose nuance in gaining popularity.

How did psychological jargon make its way into everyday conversation?

One reason why the "language of mental health is burgeoning" could be because "actual mental health is declining," Katy Waldman mused in The New Yorker in 2021. Since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, reports have indicated an increase in depression and anxiety, particularly among young people. The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory warning of an epidemic of loneliness in the country. More people have been seeking out help, and publicly sharing about being in therapy has become more mainstream. According to Waldman, "A growing awareness of mental illness may be prodding these numbers even higher, although our everyday lexicon still lags behind the science."

Waldman also noted that the "language of the therapist's office has long flooded popular culture." Words like "hysteria," "shell shock" and "inner child" reflect the "psychoanalytic approaches of their day," she explained. People used these older words for similar reasons as therapy-speak is used today, Dr. Sheri Jacobson, a retired psychotherapist, told Refinery 29. "What they have in common is creating a dichotomy between 'us' and 'them'  a bit of black-and-white, polarising thinking." The words become a way to label behavior unacceptable and "separate and maybe preserve the self," Jacobson added. "There are some themes there about in-group/out-group going on."

Social media has also had a hand in nudging psychological jargon into the zeitgeist, with "Instagram accounts and other social media communities sharing mantras and advice advocating for self-actualization," Rebecca Feinstein wrote for Bustle. Therapists like Nadia Addesi and TherapyJeff have built large TikTok followings by offering "tips for struggling with anxiety, self-esteem and people-pleasing."

What's the downside to using therapy-speak in interpersonal relationships?

There's a lot of good that comes from openly discussing mental health. Therapy becoming more mainstream and therapy-speak can help bring "more clarity and understanding to things that people have struggled with forever and often in isolation," psychotherapist Ester Perel told Vanity Fair. But, Perel noted, there's a "paradox." The overemphasis on '''self-care' aspect" is ultimately "making us more isolated and more alone because the focus is just on the self," she said. The focus tends to ignore the "mutuality of relationships." There's a risk that "you lose all nuance" by "trying to elevate your personal comments and personal experience." The popularization of therapy-speak puts "clinical terminology into the hands of non-clinically trained people who then weaponize it," she added. Therapy is a "highly relational, nuanced and contextual conversation" and is "very different from what you get on TikTok or IG or your friends in armchairs."

People are also using therapy-speak to self-diagnose the people in their lives, "usually as a way to circumvent your own responsibility in a conflict situation," psychotherapist Nicholas Balaisis wrote for Psychology Today. The words might "feel really insightful in the moment," but "to assume its correctness or weaponize a pseudo-assessment in a conflict" doesn't usually lead to a solution. More often, they validate one person's experience and justify their decision to disengage. The worst-case scenario can lead to "increased resistance to communication and empathy, thus further stalling relational improvement."

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Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said Saturday he doesnt trust the newly-appointed special counsel in the Department of Justices investigation into Hunter Biden.

Well, Charles, what we know for sure is that David Weiss cannot be trusted, Scott, a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, said in an interview on Fox News. Kid gloves is a treatment that Hunter Biden has received from this Department of Justice.

Scott also said Weiss appointment would affect everyday Americans trust in government because of perceived bias against Republicans by the Department of Justice. If voters elected him over President Joe Biden and kicked him out of office, current Attorney General Merrick Garland will be also out of office, he said.

Appointing David as a special counsel is like keeping the concept of a DOJ protecting Democrats while hunting Republicans, Scott said. I cant think of a more forceful sign that nothing has changed.

Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel in the investigation into President Bidens son on Friday as what appears to be a pending plea deal unwinds.

Attorney general appoints Hunter Biden special counsel

On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that in his judgment, his investigation had reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel, and he asked to be so appointed, Garland said in a Friday statement.

Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel.

Updated 8/13 at 3:50 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The most widely known tree in Washington states Olympic National Park is slowly collapsing  and thoughtless hikers may be bringing it down faster, Advnture reports.

According to Uprooted Traveler, the Tree of Life, an ancient Sitka spruce, stands near the coast of the Pacific Ocean on Kaloch Beach in Forks, Washington. A stream flowing past it to the ocean has slowly worn away the soil beneath it, so now it straddles two cliffs, its roots hanging in the open air to form the roof of a cave large enough for a person to stand in.

Advnture explains that people do stand in it, but they also climb all over it, and thats the problem. People hanging and walking on the exposed roots puts a lot of weight on the tree, which is just barely being held up by the small portion of its roots still buried in the cliffs. The tree will likely fall one day regardless, but unthinking visitors may be speeding up the process.

Thankfully for the surrounding environment, the Tree of Life is one of many Sitka spruces in the area. The most significant effect of the trees collapse will simply be that people no longer get to enjoy this incredible and inspiring sight.

However, it does shine a light on the careless ways some people interact with nature. As Sustainable Travel International points out, going off trails, disturbing soil and wildlife, leaving trash, and other harmful interactions can cause real damage to natural environments  and the damage builds up over time.

Some parks and nature preserves take steps to prevent this by marking trails, fencing off attractions, or even placing supports for trees and plants. But Lissy Andros, director of the local Forks Chamber of Commerce, told Fox Weather that it wasnt an appropriate solution in this case because it would eliminate what makes the tree special: the way it clings on despite the odds.

Were asked: Why doesnt somebody go in there and help the tree? Why dont they put braces on the tree or try and fill the tree?' Andros said. And I said, Well if those things were done, it would not really be what it is now, which is a very resilient anomaly in nature. So I think that its exactly what its supposed to be at this moment, and we need to appreciate it and enjoy it as long as we can.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cincinnati Reds' Stuart Fairchild hits into a fielder's choice against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 10th inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. Tyler Stephenson scored on the play. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

PITTSBURGH (AP)  Stuart Fairchild drove in the tying run in the eighth inning and the go-ahead run in the 10th, helping the Cincinnati Reds to overcome a two-run deficit and split a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 6-5 victory Sunday night.

Stuart does a lot of things in the field that can help you win a game and we got to see it tonight, Reds manager David Bell said.

Jared Triolo hit his first major league home run in the opener, a three-run drive as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning that lifted the Pirates to a 4-2 win. Cincinnati had lost nine of 11 before winning the nightcap.

Bryan Reynolds homered twice in the night game, raising his season total to 17. His solo drive off Ian Gibaut boosted the Pirates into a 5-3 lead in the seventh, giving him five multihomer games, including two this year. Reynolds has eight home runs in his last 20 games.

Great game for Bryan, Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. He was able to put us up 5-3. We just couldnt hold on.

Joey Votto doubled in the eighth off Thomas Hatch and scored on Henry Ramos single, and Fairchild pinch hit and had a tying double against Jose Hernandez.

Automatic runner Tyler Stephenson advanced to third on TJ Hopkins one-out single in the 10th off Osvaldo Bido (2-3). Fairchild grounded to shortstop Liover Peguero, who threw to Triolo at second for a forceout, but Fairchild beat the throw to first and avoided a double play as Stephenson scored.

Alexis Diaz (4-4) pitched a perfect ninth, and Daniel Durate got his first big league save when Endy Rodriguez hit a game-ending flyout that stranded Andrew McCutchen at third.

This team never gives up, rookie shortstop Elly De La Cruz said. Its always up until the end  up until the last moments of the game.

Pegeuro homered for the Pirates and De La Cruz hit his 10th of the year for the Reds, a 442-foot drive into the Cincinnati bullpen that gave him six in his last 19 games.

Pittsburgh overcame a 2-0 deficit in the opener. Alika Williams started the comeback with an RBI single in the fifth.

Peguero walked against Lucas Sims starting the seventh and Rodriguez walked with one out against Alex Young (4-1). Triolo, in his 116th at-bat and 128th plate appearance, drove a full-count changeup to left.

I was hoping that I hit it hard enough that it would carry a little bit, Triolo said. I didnt actually see it go over the fence. I was looking for the umpires to see their sign.

Triolos parents Tom and Lesa Triolo saw their sons first big league homer.

I think my mom was crying after the game, Triolo said. The last time I saw her cry was my debut.

Angel Perdomo (3-2) pitched a hitless seventh inning. David Bednar allowed a ninth-inning triple to Will Benson but got his 24th save in 27 chances.

Young lost for the first time with the Reds.

Mitch Keller allowed two runs  one earned  five hits and three walks in six innings with seven strikeouts. Reds starter Brandon Williamson gave up one run and two hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand had an RBI single in the fourth and Matt McLain hit a run-scoring double in the fifth.

TOSSED

Shelton, bench coach Don Kelly and pitching coach Oscar Marin were ejected by plate umpire Nic Lentz during the same at-bat for arguing ball/strike calls in the sixth inning of the second game.

Pittsburgh led 4-3 when Luke Maile walked with two outs, loading the bases. After the ejections, TJ Friedl hit an inning-ending flyout off Cody Bolton.

The coaching staff were arguing balls and strikes on multiple pitches, said crew chief and second base umpire Chad Fairchild in a pool report. They were warned to stop. When Nic looked over there, there were multiple personnel in their dugout arguing balls and strikes.

Third base coach Mike Rabelo took over as acting manager.

I think the most frustrating part is he just started running people and basically said, Youre all gone, Shelton said. The first two were warranted, probably  arguing balls and strikes. The last one, I think he just started throwing people out and he was not aware of what the situation was.

TRAINERS ROOM

Reds: RHP Ben Lively (right pectoral muscle strain) was sent to Louisville on a rehabilitation assignment. Lively, who has been on the IL since Aug. 2, is 4-7 with a 5.20 ERA.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Graham Ashcraft (6-7, 4.95 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday against visiting Cleveland and LHP Logan Allen (5-5, 3.55)

Pirates: RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-6, 6.42) starts for the New York Mets in Mondays series opener against visiting Pittsburgh.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Early on March 18, former President Donald Trump hit send on a social media post saying he would be arrested on Tuesday of next week.

Protest, he wrote on his Truth Social website. Take our nation back!

Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times

Trumps prediction was based on media reports, according to his lawyers, and his timing was off by two weeks.

Yet the statement set in motion events that profoundly altered the course of the Republican nominating contest. Donors sent checks. Fox News changed its tune. The party apparatus rushed to defend Trump. And the polls went up  and up.

These series of falling dominoes  call it the indictment effect  can be measured in ways that reveal much about the state of the Republican Party. To examine the phenomenon, The New York Times reviewed national and early state polls, interviewed Republican primary voters, examined federal campaign finance records, analyzed hundreds of party emails, scrutinized the shifts in conservative media coverage and talked to operatives inside the campaigns of Trumps rivals.

The analysis highlights Trumps dominance over the party, revealing the years of conditioning of millions of Republican voters who view Trumps legal troubles as a proxy attack on them. And it displays an upside-down reality where criminal charges act as political assets  at least for the purpose of winning the Republican nomination.

The rally around the flag is not a new phenomenon in American politics, but Donald Trump has certainly taken it to a new level, said Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster who works for Trumps super political action committee. With Trump the rally around the flag happens to be about him personally.

A Solar Eclipse-like Event

For nearly two years, Fox News and Rupert Murdochs broader empire had been weaning itself off Trump and elevating Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. As a New York Post headline celebrating his 20-point reelection win put it, DeSantis was DeFUTURE of the Republican Party.

DeSantis office closely coordinated with Fox producers to create flattering segments, according to emails obtained by The Tampa Bay Times. His achievements in Florida  especially his handling of COVID  were heralded as heroic acts of governance in the face of leftist opposition. Fox programming centered on themes and villains that DeSantis had built his brand on fighting: transgender athletes, Dr. Anthony Fauci and all things woke.

But after Trumps first indictment, the priorities of the conservative movement and its media ecosystem shifted.

Influential conservative talk radio hosts rallied behind Trump. Even commentators who liked DeSantis, such as Mark Levin, took on the indictments as a personal mission that seemed to override other priorities. Another right-wing personality, Glenn Beck, who used to warn about the dangers of Trump, went on Tucker Carlsons now-canceled show on Fox, put on a MAGA hat and declared that the America that we knew, the fundamental transformation that started in 2008, is finished.

Programming across conservative media centered on the idea that Trump was the victim of a justice system hijacked by Democrats. DeSantis fight against wokeness became passe  a matter of small stakes when set against Trumps potential incarceration.

Trumps indictments didnt just occupy a 24-hour news cycle; the cases consumed whole weeks on both mainstream and conservative media, each following a pattern. There was the week of rumors before the indictments, and then indictment day, arraignment day and the post-arraignment analysis.

Trump and his team have deliberately sought to maximize live news coverage of his criminal arraignments. They treat court appearances exactly as they would campaign events  choreographing visuals down to minute details and working with all the networks, including those Trump has pilloried as fake news, such as CNN.

The Trump team has invited reporters into its motorcade, whose black SUVs have been tracked live on television news. The campaign has briefed the networks ahead of time so that cameras can be set up at multiple locations on arraignment days to get the best shots  including along the motorcade route and as the Trump plane lands and takes off.

What did the other candidates do today? Do we know? We know where Trump was, Steven Cheung, Trumps spokesperson, said the evening of the Florida arraignment. Theres no oxygen for the other candidates.

For the most recent arraignment in Washington, the Trump team ensured a camera was stationed within the motorcade  shooting out of the windshield to give network audiences a ride-along effect as the former president was driven from the courthouse to Reagan National Airport. On arraignment days, Trump advisers were thrilled as every news screen fixed on the former president  with some aides posting photos of the wall-to-wall coverage on social media.

It quickly became apparent to DeSantis and other rivals that during the indictment fever they would be responding to the news on Trumps terms.

An adviser to one of Trumps rivals, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said Trumps legal travails had repeatedly forced his candidates campaign to reschedule policy announcements and redo its calendar, describing the indictments as a solar eclipse-like event.

Commanding the Party Apparatus

It wasnt just Trumps rivals and his acolytes on Capitol Hill who snapped to attention after his criminal charges  it was the entire official structure of the Republican Party.

Before Trump announced his 2024 candidacy, the official party committees had routinely spammed voters with Trump-centric fundraising emails. Just the mention of his name in a subject line drew attention, and they had become dependent on him to goose small-dollar donations.

But when Trump announced he was running for president on Nov. 15, top officials at the Republican National Committee knew they needed to stop pumping out the Trump emails. They wanted to avoid giving the appearance that they were playing favorites in the GOP primary and therefore risk compromising their official neutrality. An analysis of the past 10 months of fundraising emails from an online archive shows that between Trumps announcement Nov. 15 and late March the RNC sent only one email that mentioned Trump in its subject line.

But on March 29, when rumors were swirling that the former president would soon be indicted in New York City, the RNC ended its moratorium.

Over the next week alone, the RNC sent at least a dozen emails to Republican voters expressing outrage over the indictment of Trump  and channeling that anger into requests for personal data and donations. Shortly after midnight, in the early hours of April 4, the RNC emailed its list a massive digital countdown clock to President Trump arrest  displaying hours, minutes and seconds.

RNC emails included polls asking people to vote on whether Trump was innocent or guilty. And the party sent out a message from its chair, Ronna McDaniel, with the subject line Dark times for America  urging people to donate money to stand with the Republican Party at this critical moment in our nations history.

McDaniel has appeared frequently on Fox to defend the former president. So have two House leaders, Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Elise Stefanik, who have at times seemed to compete to see who can defend Trump more vigorously.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the partys campaign arm for the Senate, followed the same playbook as the RNC. And while these tactics were self-interested  online fundraisers ride whatever dominates the news cycle, and nothing sells like Trumps indictments  the messages of support from the official party apparatus also sent a clear signal. This was Trumps party. Not defending him was not an option.

An Online Gold Mine

The former president had been struggling to raise campaign cash until it became clear, in mid-March, that he would face criminal charges in New York.

That first indictment poured rocket fuel into Trumps online fundraising machine. Trump had been averaging $129,000 raised per day in 2023 until that point, according to federal records. In the next three weeks he averaged more than $778,000 per day.

Put another way: Trump had raised a little over $12 million in the first 88 days of the year. It took him just seven days after his first indictment to raise a similar amount  $13 million.

His second indictment brought diminishing financial returns, and no public records are available that cover his third. But Trumps online fundraising has been meaningfully strengthened by his criminal charges. A stunning 40% of every dollar Trump raised online in the first six months of this year was collected in the two one-week periods around his first indictments.

While Trumps aides have boasted about the indictments effects on their fundraising, they are also keenly aware that the former presidents legal problems have not been net profitable. The PAC that pays the legal bills is almost broke. The campaign account has not funded his legal expenses.

Regardless of the overall balance sheet, the sudden surge in online fundraising was a leading indicator of the Republican electorates fervor for Trump and its reflexive impulse to defend him. Trumps advisers are aware the indictments may be less helpful to him politically in a general election than in a primary. But for now, they see the criminal charges as helping him against other Republicans.

Making my Support Even Stronger

Trump gained substantial support in primary polling around his indictment in the spring  increasing about 9 percentage points in polling averages in the weeks following his announcement on Truth Social that he expected to be arrested.

The indictments are honestly making my support even stronger, said Sheri Hardy Candeni, a 51-year-old Trump supporter from California, Kentucky. Theyve weaponized our entire government against people like us. Every time he gets indicted, its driving tens of thousands more of us to the polls.

More than half of Republicans  including 77% of self-identified MAGA Republicans  said the indictments and investigations against Trump were an attack on people like them, according to a CBS News/YouGov poll taken soon after the most recent indictment. And 86% of Republicans felt the indictments were an attempt to stop Trump from campaigning.

For some Republicans, the mere fact that Democrats were investigating and charging Trump with crimes was added reason to support him. And the fact that Trumps rivals have not been indicted was a cause of suspicion.

Any time you have a pack of dogs chasing you down and youre willing to stand firm and fight, youre going to get my vote, said Mallory Butler, 39, who lives in Polk County, Florida, and supports Trump. DeSantis doesnt have a pack of dogs hunting him down, and that tells me that somebodys probably backing him, or hes in somebodys pocket at this point. And Trump doesnt have that.

DeSantis advisers have gone back and forth over how to defend Trump enough to satisfy the Republican base but not so much as to render him a supplicant. There were sharp internal debates among DeSantis senior staff about whether the governor should promise to pardon Trump if he were elected as president.

DeSantis initially refused to go that far  only saying that he would consider a pardon. But more recently he has strongly hinted that he would. And because of the intense Republican anger around Trumps first indictment, the DeSantis team fast-tracked the rollout of its policy to confront a weaponized Justice Department, according to a person close to the campaign.

DeSantis communications director, Andrew Romeo, responded that the Florida governor was the only candidate in this race who can beat Joe Biden and end the weaponization of the federal government once and for all.

And Cheung, Trumps communications director, described the indictments as a battle between good and evil. He accused DeSantis of taking the cowardly path and predicted voters would not forget his disloyalty.

Trumps rise in the polls could be tied to multiple dynamics beyond his indictments. The initial spike in support predated his first indictment, and the polling increases coincided with a spate of negative headlines and stumbles from DeSantis.

Trumps second indictment led to a much smaller polling bump, and it remains too early to estimate the polling effect of his third and most recent indictment.

For many of Trumps supporters, the details of each successive indictment have blended together into a generic attack on the former president, creating something of a background noise they are largely tuning out.

The indictments have no impact on my support for Trump, said Sean Roh, 39, who described himself as a reluctant Trump supporter from Lynnwood, Washington. In the past Id followed them in the news, but now I dont care to read the details.

Seven in 10 Republican primary voters said Republicans needed to stand behind Trump in the face of investigations, including nearly half of voters who are planning to support a candidate other than the former president, according to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, which was taken before the most recent indictment. And more than 80% of Republicans said the charges in the most recent indictment were politically motivated, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll.

The indictment cycle could begin anew as soon as this week, when Trump could face a fourth indictment in Georgia.

On the morning of his most recent arraignment, the former president joked about what it would take for him to secure victory.

I need, he said, one more indictment to ensure my election!

c.2023 The New York Times Company
While the rivalry between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis heats up, their supporters are getting into loud confrontations. As both candidates were in Iowa to attend the state fair, groups of their supporters were screaming and cursing at each other in a Des Moines bar.

Three people who were at The Copper Cup bar on Friday night told Politico that officials connected to DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down got into a verbal altercation with a supporter of the former president.

The bickering lasted several minutes, per Politico, and multiple F bombs were dropped. The incident reportedly began with comments about Trump hats worn by some of the former presidents supporters. Many of Trumps fans at the fair donned Back to Back Champ Iowa State Fair Hats, falsely implying that he won the 2020 election, when he decidedly did not.

Seeing the hats, two sources said, Never Back Down official Erin Perinne remarked on them. You know you lost, Perrine said, according to a witness.

At one point during the argument, a Trump supporter made a lewd comment to Perrine, another source told Politico. But the bickering did not escalate into physical violence.

At the state fair, protesters aggressively trolled DeSantis. Before his Saturday interview with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a plane flew over the fair with a banner that said, Be likable, Ron!  a reference to a remark Rep. Matt Gaetz made to DeSantis on a leaked tape of the governors 2018 gubernatorial debate prep. Later, as Reynolds and DeSantis were speaking on stage on Saturday, protesters yelled at DeSantis to go back to Florida, prompting Reynolds to chide the crowd to be Iowa nice.

Be Likable Ron sign flying above the Iowa State Fair ahead of DeSantis visit this morning pic.twitter.com/nX0f4xmaiL  Kim Berryman (@BerrymanKim) August 12, 2023

Liberals also protested DeSantis appearance at the fair, drowning out his remarks will loud bells and whistles, with some shouting, Go back to Florida, pudding fingers!  an allusion to a Daily Beast story that said he once ate chocolate pudding with three of his fingers rather than a spoon. As he walked through the fairgrounds and manned a grill, DeSantis was greeted with Trump supporters chants of We love Trump! and We want Trump!

An altercation ensues as a woman shouts, Go back to Florida, pudding fingers! during Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Iowa bus tour on the presidential campaign trail. pic.twitter.com/c4GgybfFCq  The Recount (@therecount) August 11, 2023

Gov. Ron DeSantis walks through a crowd chanting We love Trump and We want Trump pic.twitter.com/IBjOWcEH1i  Lalee Ibssa (@LaleeIbssa) August 12, 2023

As governor of Florida, DeSantis has transformed the state into a safe space for conservative hate. He has revamped the state education curriculum to whitewash slavery and banned AP African American studies classes. He also signed a six-week abortion ban and a bill to prevent gender affirming medical care for minors along with other anti-trans legislation. But his political success has not easily translated to outside the state. His presidential campaign has been languishing for weeks as he loses important donors and campaign staff.

Trump, meanwhile, attended the fair with nearly a dozen members of Floridas congressional delegation who are supporting him rather than DeSantis, including Gaetz.

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Former President Donald Trumps legal defense fund went live on Sunday and, of course, it contained a glaring typo in the first heading.

Support Donald Trumps Patriot Legal Defense Fund, the site proudly declared, apostrophe omission and all (or maybe the fund aims to raise cash for all the Donald Trumps out there).

But perhaps more egregious than the grammatical goof are the legal boundaries that team Trump seems to be pushing with the funds overt ties to his 2024 presidential campaign.

Trumps New Legal Fund Is a Lean, Mean Grift Machine

The fund technically may not coordinate with the campaign on fundraising, since its existence as a legal defense fund allows it to skirt the Federal Election Commissions campaign-finance rules. But clicking the Donate Now hyperlink sends users directly to Trumps 2024 campaign website, where viewers are hit up front with donation requests. The only other link on the funds page also takes you to the campaign site.

Further adding to the eyebrow-raising ethical concerns, Susie Wiles, a top campaign aide, is listed on the Patriot Legal Defense Funds incorporation documents.

Trumps three indictmentswith more potentially on the wayhave racked up some serious legal fees for the former president.

First he was charged by a New York grand jury in March for his alleged role in hush-money payments to adult-film star Stormy Daniels, then this summer he was federally indicted twiceonce for allegedly mishandling federal documents and, later, for his botched attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

A possible fourth indictment in Fulton County for his alleged election meddling in Georgia could be just around the corner, spelling even more spending for Trumps legal defense.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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DES MOINES  Hours before Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis descended on the Iowa State Fair for rare, in person, dual events, supporters for each of the leading candidates were at each others throats, including at a dive bar in the capital city.

At nearly every one of his stops on Saturday, DeSantis found himself fiercely bracketed by Trump supporters, who seemed eager to not just disrupt the Florida governor but to get a rise out of his team. Sitting down for a fair-side chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, DeSantis was drowned out by bells and whistles. As he flipped pork burgers at the pork tent, a flock of Trump supporters chanted We love Trump in his direction.

Outside the pork tent, things were even dicier. One Trump supporter could be heard trying to convince a man in a DeSantis shirt that DeSantis hadnt done enough as Florida governor to prevent pedophilia and child trafficking. The DeSantis supporter was unmoved.

The tension at the fairgrounds underscored just how vitriolic the primary season has grown between the two camps  a reflection of the sharp-elbowed approach that each candidate has made central to their public image.

Its a dynamic that has begun spilling over into non-political settings, as well.

The night before the camps squared off at the state fair, an incident took place between the two at a bar in downtown Des Moines. According to three people who were at The Copper Cup, officials with the DeSantis-allied super PAC, Never Back Down, got into a shouting match with a Trump backer not affiliated with the campaign wearing Trump garb. The exact nature of what was said is disputed, though each side agreed that it centered on the Trump hats some of the patrons were sporting.



Fair goers have been spotted wearing Trump 'Back to Back Champ' Iowa State Fair Hats, which suggest  incorrectly  that the former president won the caucus there in 2016. And according to two witnesses, it was those hats that sparked a response from Erin Perrine, one of the Never Back Down officials.

You know you lost, one witness recalled Perrine saying.

The resulting shouting match lasted several minutes. Multiple F bombs were dropped. At one point, a Trump supporter made a lewd comment to Perrine, a fourth person familiar with the events told POLITICO. No physical fight ever occurred.

Perrine declined to comment.

The bad blood spilled over into Saturday.

DeSantis supporters scoffed as a plane flew a banner overhead reading: "Be likable, Ron!" Looking up at the sky, Matt Wells, the Washington County chair for DeSantis' Iowa operation, muttered that "Trump people are degenerates."

The tension, at times, had a sharks and jets vibe underscored by the respective uniforms adopted by each side. DeSantis backers were dressed in navy blue T-shirts embroidered with the Never Back Down name of the governors allied Super PAC. Trump fans wore white "Team Trump" shirts and carried green, white and yellow signs that read: "President Donald J. Trump. Back to Back Iowa Champ."

The mud-slinging was accompanied by real politicking. The people wearing Never Back Down shirts fanned out across the crowd at the pork tent, engaging in one-on-one conversations with fair goers trying to sell them on why DeSantis was the better candidate than Trump.

While Trump supporters waited for Trump to arrive at the Steer N' Stein on Saturday, several people wielding DeSantis signs walked by the open-air bar. The room of Trump fans erupted in booing.
After two hours in the air, the plane deviated from its route and flew over the border of Zakarpattia and Chernivtsi Oblasts

A Turkish airline plane carrying citizens from Oslo to Antalya entered the closed airspace of Ukraine when the aircraft deviated from its route and flew along the border of Zakarpattya and Chernivtsi oblasts on July 25, Norwegian news outlet NRK reported.

The Turkish BBN Airlines Airbus A320-200 was flying from Oslo to Antalya when it entered Ukraines closed airspace, as recorded by the Flightradar24 website.

Read also: Chinese airlines begin avoiding Russian airspace on flights to USA

After two hours in the air, the plane deviated from the route and flew along the border of Zakarpattya and Chernivtsi oblasts in western Ukraine, before proceeding to the airspace of Romania. BBN Airlines confirmed that on July 25, their plane changed its route due to an approaching storm.

"We understand the concern that this incident causes and guarantee that we will actively take measures to prevent similar incidents," said a spokesperson for the airline.

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
Police are investigating the shooting deaths of two men whose bodies were found in different locations in East St. Louis on Saturday morning.

East St. Louis Police Chief Kendall Perry confirmed that his department and Illinois State Police are investigating the homicides, but he said few details are available since the investigation is in its early stages.

Perry said police do not know at this time whether the two shootings are related. He did say that a juvenile suspect in one or both of the slayings is in custody.

One victim, a 64-year-old, was found in the 1700 block of Ridge Avenue, Perry confirmed. The victims identity has not been released.

The other victim, Willie J. Wallace, 74, of Frank Scott Parkway East, Swansea, was found in the 700 block of North 55th Street. Wallace was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:20 p.m. Saturday, said St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr.
The Bejing-financed Gwadar port is one of the key projects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (AAMIR QURESHI)

Two separatist militants were killed Sunday when they attacked a convoy carrying Chinese workers to a Beijing-financed port project in Pakistan's Balochistan province, officials said.

A spokesman for China's consulate in Karachi said none of its nationals were killed or wounded in the attack, and urged Chinese citizens to heighten their vigilance.

Various Baloch separatist groups have claimed attacks on projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in the past, with thousands of security personnel deployed to counter threats against Beijing's interests.

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) said Sunday two of its fighters died in a "self-sacrificing" attack on a convoy going to Gwadar port in Pakistan's southwest.

"The operation has concluded with the elimination of two assailants," a senior police official told AFP, adding that three Pakistani soldiers were wounded.

China's consulate in Karachi said it had asked Pakistan to "severely punish the perpetrators and take concrete and effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects".

"A Chinese convoy from the Gwadar port project was hit by roadside bombs and gunfire on its way back to the port area from the Gwadar Airport," it said in a statement.

"No Chinese citizens were killed or injured."

The BLA, which frequently exaggerates its successes, claimed in a statement that four Chinese workers and nine Pakistani soldiers had died in the attack.

- 'No fair share' -

The CPEC project is the cornerstone of Beijing's massive Belt and Road Initiative and seeks to link China's western Xinjiang province to Gwadar port in Balochistan -- Pakistan's least populous province but rich in mineral resources.

Baloch people have long complained they do not get a fair share of the province's profits, giving rise to more than a dozen separatist groups.

Three Chinese academics and their Pakistani driver were killed when a woman suicide bomber detonated her device as they were driving into the University of Karachi's Confucius Institute in April 2022.

The BLA claimed responsibility for that attack.

A year earlier, five people were killed in an attack claimed by Pakistan's Taliban at a luxury hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in Quetta.

Also in 2021, 12 people -- including nine Chinese workers -- were killed by a blast aboard a bus carrying staff to the Dasu dam site.

Islamabad blamed that explosion on a gas leak but Beijing insisted it was a bomb attack.

Since its initiation, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng was in the Pakistani capital last month to mark the 10th anniversary of the project's start.

bur-zz-fox/leg
Warehouses with Russian ammunition exploded at night in occupied Oleshki

Two warehouses storing Russian ammunition were destroyed in the temporarily occupied town of Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, during the night of Aug. 12-13, South Operational Command spokesperson Vladyslav Nazarov reported on Telegram, adding a video of the explosion.

He added that there was also a strike on an enemy troop cluster in Oleshky.



Read also: Polina Rayko house museum flooded in occupied Oleshky, artworks destroyed

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Boston Police are investigating after officers responded to three shootings in less than an hour in the city Saturday.

At 8:41 p.m. officers responded to a call of shots fired at Harambee Park. Investigators found ballistics evidence at the scene, according to a BPD spokesperson.

10 minutes later, officers responded to the area of Savin Hill Avenue and Pleasant Street for a report of a person shot. Responding officers treated a victim for non-life-threatening injuries. Boston Police believes the shooting is connected to the initial shooting at Harambee Park.

At 9:24 p.m., BPD responded to a report of another person shot, this one in the area of Hollander Street and Crawford Street. That victim also suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Police do not know if the Hollander Street and Crawford Street shooting is connected to the other two incidents.

All shootings are under investigation.

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Four Russian occupier were also killed in the quarrel

Seven Ukrainian civilians were gunned down in a shootout between fighters of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov and commandant office soldiers of the Russian occupiers in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian settlement of Urzuf on the Azov Sea, said an advisor to the Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko, on Telegram on Aug. 13.

Two teenage girls were among the victims, as well as four men and a woman, Andriushchenko reported.

Read also: Explosions reported in Russian-occupied Berdyansk, and near Mariupol

Kadyrovites were on holidays in Urzuf, where they had a conflict with the local Russian "commandant office."

"They started to tear off insignia (from each other's military uniforms) and the shooting started," the Mariupol mayor's adviser wrote.

At least four Russian occupiers were also killed in the shoot out, it was reported earlier.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
After months of prompting, I have finally managed to help my husband form a daily sunscreen habit. Whenever I see traces of paper-white cream in his dark beard, I think, Were halfway there.

Hoping to avoid the white cast, heaviness and greasiness common in many sunscreen products available in U.S. drugstores, some Americans, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have taken matters into their own hands, opting for sunscreens manufactured abroad. In a recent interview, the congresswoman said she toggled between Biore in the summer and Beauty of Joseon in the winter  two Asian brands that employ active ingredients not approved for use in the United States.

The technology is very sophisticated, Ocasio-Cortez said. You dont feel like you have a layer of sunscreen on, and it kind of just feels like youre putting on a moisturizer in that sense, which makes it easier to use.

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While sunscreen is regulated as a cosmetic in major skin-care hubs such as South Korea, Japan and the European Union, in the United States it falls under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration. Any drug product marketed to American consumers must be approved by the FDA, and because sunscreen makes a drug claim  namely, that it can prevent sunburn, decrease the risk of skin cancer and mitigate early skin aging  the agency regulates it as an over-the-counter drug.

The last time the FDA approved new active ingredients for use in sunscreens was more than two decades ago, and at times it can feel as if the rest of the world has surpassed the United States in the development of new sunscreen formulations and protocols. Skin-care influencers on TikTok and Instagram are in a near-constant state of frenzy over exciting new products and innovations that are nowhere to be found on American shelves. Currently there are 14 sunscreen filters approved for use by the FDA. The European Union employs more than 30.

Frustrated by what seems to be a wealth of more exciting options for sun protection overseas, skin-care-conscious Americans have been quick to point the finger at the FDA for the delay in approving new active ingredients. But according to Ocasio-Cortez, the agency is not to blame for the holdup, at least not entirely.

I think the assessment here is that Americans need sunscreen, and they have sunscreen, she said. Are there other avenues that we can use in order to kind of break through this standstill? Yeah.

Congress has begun a preliminary, early process of examining what a better approval procedure might look like, she said: a way that pushes the manufacturers of sunscreen filters to do the appropriate research and development to submit drug information to the FDA for approval.

I also think its very important that we maintain a level of rigor around safety, Ocasio-Cortez said. We want to make sure this is not about advocating for the deregulation of these filters.

Many sunscreen ingredients that have appeared in foreign-made sunscreens for decades, favored by consumers for their ease of use, are still awaiting approval by the FDA. The ultraviolet-filtering compounds amiloxate, enzacamene and octyl triazone, for instance, have been stuck in the FDA regulatory pipeline since at least 2003.

In November 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Sunscreen Innovation Act into law. The legislation gave the FDA five years to approve or deny the use of new sunscreen ingredients, including several under review since 2002. In 2019, the FDA reaffirmed the safety of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in mineral sunscreens and asked manufacturers for more information on 12 other ingredients.

They said you can continue to market products and utilize these but we want to see more data, said Thomas F. Myers, executive vice president for legal and regulatory affairs at the Personal Care Products Council, a trade group representing companies that make cosmetics and personal care products. As long as the FDA continues to defer a final decision on a product, Myers said, it remains eligible for use on the market.

In 2020, the CARES Act included a change in the approval process for over-the-counter drugs.

Under the new procedure, the FDA asked for more information from manufacturers on new sunscreen filters, essentially kicking the can  or bottle  back over to them but not flat-out denying approval. The 14 chemicals moved up from 2019 to 2020 to satisfy the CARES Act are the chemicals allowed for use now.

In a statement, the FDA said it was committed to helping facilitate the marketing of sunscreen products that include additional over-the-counter sunscreen active ingredients. It continued, To do so, the FDA relies on industry to submit the data needed to make safety and effectiveness determinations for these ingredients.

Although skin cancer remains the most common type of cancer in the United States, the worrisome rates of the disease cannot be blamed on a lack of new sunscreen filters, according to Dr. Steven Q. Wang, chair of the Skin Cancer Foundations photobiology committee.

The current rate of skin cancer in the United States is a result of the past 50 years, Wang said. Even today, new diagnoses are the legacy of the lack of awareness of sun damage in the 1950s, as well as the sun tanning and tanning bed culture of the 1980s and 90s.

Sunscreen is only a part of the overall protection, said Wang, who is also a member of the Public Access to SunScreens Coalition. The other parts? Avoiding sunlight during the hours of most intense daylight, seeking out shade and wearing protective clothing.

U.S. sunscreen manufacturers, he added, have done a pretty good job with the existing UV filters to make a superior, better sunscreen to protect Americans.

Although there are many potential solutions, the onus to provide the greatest possible sun protection to Americans is on Congress, Ocasio-Cortez said, adding that there had not been much attention on the matter since Obama signed the Sunscreen Innovation Act in 2014.

It just doesnt seem that this issue has risen to a level of awareness in Congress that creates the political momentum necessary to make things a priority, Ocasio-Cortez said. What Im very excited about is that it does seem like there is a growing awareness among everyday people about this issue.

Across her various platforms, she is trying to foster that political momentum. On Thursday, the congresswoman posted an Instagram video in which she told her 1.5 million followers that U.S. sunscreens are far behind the rest of the world, adding, We deserve better here in the U.S.

Online, influencers have been more outspoken about sunscreens, developing their own rules of thumb for use and creating videos of themselves trying one brand after another to determine which takes to the skin best. New, targeted brands such as Black Girl Sunscreen populate the shelves at Target. Americans are branching out when it comes to the sunscreens they want to use.

That, I think, is also creating a certain political and popular and cultural momentum thats necessary for us to actually make changes around these things, Ocasio-Cortez said.

I dont think this is a left or right flashpoint, she added. I think this is something that all people need.

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A Russian warship reportedly intercepted and boarded a cargo ship in the Black Sea bound for the Ukrainian port of Izmail on Sunday.

The Russian Project 22160 patrol ship Vasily Bykov reportedly encountered the Palau-flagged merchant ship Sukru Okan north of Turkish waters, per the Russian Ministry of Defense. In a news release, Moscow claimed the Bykov hailed the 283-foot-long cargo ship, but the captain did not respond.

The patrol ship then fired warning shots from automatic small arms before a Ka-29 helicopter landed a Russian boarding party. Video from aboard the ship shows the Ka-29 "Helix-B" twin-rotor helicopter hovering just above the Okan's deck while a number of people believed to be the ship's crew sit detained on one of the cargo hold doors.

https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1690830644379557889 https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1690709537328664576 https://twitter.com/The_Lookout_N/status/1690662171447832576

After an inspection, the Russians left the cargo ship, per the Russian MoD. The boarding appears to be the first Russian interdiction of Ukrainian-bound shipping since Moscow abandoned the grain deal in July after a drone boat attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge. Details of the incident remain uncertain, given the Russian Ministry of Defense is the only source at this time. Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com shows the Sukru Okan left the Greek port of Chalkis on August 7.

After the Russians left, the ship turned west into Turkish territorial waters before proceeding north into Bulgarian waters along the coastline. Both before and after the boarding, Sukru Okan made multiple changes to its broadcasted destination, alternating between the small Romanian port of Sulina and Izmail in Ukrainian waters.

https://twitter.com/hdevreij/status/1690712364281176065 https://twitter.com/The_Lookout_N/status/1690724429725130752

Ukraine recently announced a humanitarian corridor for merchant ships stuck in Black Sea ports since the full-scale war began, but cautioned a Russian threat to these ships remained even if they could get underway.

Although it appears the Sukru Okan made it out of the encounter without further incident, there will no doubt be a chilling effect for other ships considering a run to Ukrainian ports. Russia previously sent an ominous warning with a sinking exercise last month after warning it would intercept Ukrainian-bound shipping.

Before we head into the latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage of the war here.

The Latest

Crimean beachgoers had a front-row seat to a reported Ukrainian attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge using modified S-200 surface-to-air missiles on Saturday. Onlookers watched as Russian forces activated smoke generators along the bridge and stopped traffic. Smoke trails from surface-to-air missile launches reached into the blue skies to intercept inbound missiles. You can read more about the S200's adaptation into a quasi ballistic missile here.

https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1690307060590583808 https://twitter.com/COUPSURE/status/1690316111395299328 https://twitter.com/COUPSURE/status/1690336514255806465

Russia claimed it intercepted all missiles and that the attacks caused no damage, though video showed areas of black smoke along the bridge. Whether this was caused by damage or the smoke generators is not clear. If Ukraine used S-200s in the attack, it would possibly be the country's first attack of its kind using surface-to-surface missiles against the bridge. Previous attacks used a large truck bomb and drone boats.

One beachgoer posted a video of SAM launches close enough to geolocate the launching battery. Occupation authorities later posted a video of the man, still shirtless off the beach, apologizing for his actions.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1690316402832400384 https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1690344941241966592 https://twitter.com/vcdgf555/status/1690402958511329282 https://twitter.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/1690407039367852032

The latest attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge led to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense posting a meme trolling the recent strikes: a Lego Kerch Bridge Repair Kit for ages 2-5.

https://twitter.com/defenceu/status/1690771068653383680?s=46\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

The Ukrainian MoD also posted a short video set to Nine Inch Nails Closer with a montage of strikes using drones of all shapes and sizes, with cuts to Sun Tzus The Art of War.

When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away.  If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him.  Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1690679596432465920

Ukrainian drones also targeted Russian forces elsewhere in occupied Crimea early Saturday morning, with a video showing at least one base targeted near Novoozerne. Occupation authorities claimed complete interception of 20 Ukrainian drones.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1690248505426620416

Russian forces reportedly took significant casualties during a Ukrainian rout of positions in the town of Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast. Immediately east of the recent battlefields of Staromaiorske, Ukrainian forces smashed into a Russian contingent in the town.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1690071483588976640 https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1690606235299790848

Russian forces made a disorganized retreat under heavy Ukrainian artillery fire, including cluster munitions from 155mm DPICM shells. Video from a Ukrainian drone shows Russian troops running through the open as bomblets and submunitions rain down.

https://twitter.com/ralee85/status/1690532379340005376?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1690647124202172416 https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1690788430505017345 https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1690662459156127744

If Ukraine has indeed taken Urozhaine, Russian positions at the regional supply hub at Staromlynivka are well within striking distance. The Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) assessed maneuvers in the Urozhaine area as tactically significant advances along the administrative border between Zaporizhia and Donetsk oblasts.

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1690499361669513218

Heavy fighting continues along the Dnipro Rivers eastern banks, where there are continued claims Ukraine established another bridgehead near the town of Kozachi Laheri. Located between the existing bridgehead near Oleshky and Nova Kakhovka, there are conflicting reports on whether the Ukrainian presence is sustainable.

https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1690701270858846208 https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1690486608191983616

Fighting in and around Olsehky remains intense, with heavy shelling and small-arms fire reported in and around the city.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1690804533339869184 https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1689182461811462144 https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1690498091839803392

Mine-clearing operations continue for Ukrainian troops advancing into Russian-held areas, with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov reporting that for every square meter of ground, troops have removed five mines.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1690780297439182848

According to the British Ministry of Defense, it is a realistic possibility Russia no longer funds the Wagner Group PMC after Junes abortive coup. The mercenary group is downsizing its operations after Moscows actions against Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed attempt to seize power.

If the Kremlin indeed closed accounts with Wagner, Belarus could potentially foot the bill, with its work in Africa also providing a flow of income. But there are serious questions about whether the Russian vassal state could afford to keep Wagner operational as its primary benefactor. For that matter, Minsk may consider Wagner a bigger liability than its worth.

https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1690598778909458433

Ukrainian border guard troops installed a new border marker on Snake Island, replacing the original marker destroyed when Russian forces took the island in the invasions opening hours.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1690463019682140161

Kyiv is now producing its own Kontakt-1 explosive reactive armor (ERA) plates for use on armored vehicles. The Cold War-era applique armor is in wide use on both sides of the war, with Ukraine having added Kontakt-1 to numerous vehicles, including some of its Leopard 2 tanks.

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1690776240481824768

Finally, we have a video of a rather peculiar traffic control situation for a Ukrainian M2A2 Bradley crew in Zaporizhia Oblast. From the commanders hatch, the crew finds themselves stuck behind a herd of cattle being led down the street.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1690459833357455360

Thats all for now. We will update this story when there is new information to report from Ukraine.

Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com
Key developments on Aug. 13:

Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast kill 7, injure 15

Official: Partisans set Russian base on fire in Mariupol

Attacks reported in Russias Kursk, Belgorod regions

Russian media: Massive fire breaks out at warehouse near Moscow



Russian attacks on southern Kherson Oblast killed at least seven people, including children, and injured 15 others, Ukrainian authorities reported on Aug. 13.

Russian shelling killed five civilians in the village of Shyroka Balka, including a family of four: a couple and their two children, a 12-year-old son, and a 23-day-old newborn, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

The boy died in the hospital, while the rest of the victims were killed at the site of the attack.

Russian anti-aircraft missile also struck the nearby village of Stanislav, killing two men, Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak reported.

Interior Minister Klymenko reported that 13 people were injured in the morning of Aug. 13 across Kherson Oblast in the city of Kherson, Berislav, Stanislav, Komyshany, Hihantske, Zolota Balka, and Novokairy.

Later that day, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported that Russian shelling of Bilozirka injured a man and a woman on the evening of Aug. 13.

Kherson and other regional settlements on the Kyiv-controlled west bank of the Dnipro River have been consistently targeted by Russian shelling since Ukrainian forces liberated the areas in November 2022.

Russian forces were pushed to the river's east bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, regularly resulting in civilian casualties.

In addition, an emergency responder died after suffering injuries from an Aug. 7 Russian missile attack on Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, bringing the death toll up to 10 people, the State Emergency Service reported on Aug. 13.

The attack injured 82 people, including children, policemen, and first responders.

Russian forces struck Pokrovsk with two missiles on Aug. 7, claiming that they were targeting a command post" of Ukraine's Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group. Ukrainian military dismissed the claim, saying that it was already the "third or fourth time" Russia is said to have destroyed this command post.

Read also: Ukrainian troops regularly cross Dnipro River, probing Russian defenses in Kherson Oblast

Attacks inside occupied Ukraine

The Ukrainian military reported destroying two ammunition depots in Russian-occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast on Aug. 13.

Spokesperson of Ukraine's Southern Command, Vladyslav Nazarov, also said a site hosting a "group" of Russian troops was also hit in Oleshky.

Oleshky is located across the Dnipro River from regional capital of Kherson.

In occupied Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian partisans set a Russian military base on fire on Aug. 13, according to Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the exiled mayor of Mariupol.

Russia lost at least 10 troops, three trucks, and five cars as a result of the fire, he said in another Telegram post. Andriushchenko didn't mention whether Russian soldiers were killed or wounded.

Pictures published on Telegram channels showed pillars of smoke in an area where Russian forces reportedly have a base.

Russia has occupied Mariupol since May 2022, following a brutal three-month siege that damaged most of the civilian infrastructure of Mariupol.

Russian forces are constantly subjected to attacks in occupied territories of Ukraine. Partisans and Ukrainian special services target logistical routes, bases, ammunition and fuel, and individual military personnel or collaborators.

Read also: Thats it, its death, guys. What we know about Russias killing of 2 Ukrainian teenagers in occupied Berdiansk

Meanwhile in Russia

A fire broke out at an industrial warehouse in Ramenskoye, some 50 kilometers southeast of Moscow, Russian media and Telegram channels reported on Aug. 13.

The footage and pictures posted online appeared to show a massive column of smoke over the site.

Russian media claimed that the fire broke out at a warehouse belonging to a local fertilizer producer and was caused by negligence.

The fire comes after a series of regular drone attacks on Moscow and its suburbs, as well as other Russian cities. It's not yet clear whether this fire could have been caused by an attack.

Ukrainian authorities haven't commented on the incident.

Drone attacks against Moscow have intensified over recent weeks. Two drone strikes on the same target, a high-rise Moscow City business complex where several Russian ministries are housed, caused damage on July 30 and Aug. 1. Russia blamed the Ukrainian military for the strikes.

Air defense allegedly intercepted loitering minition over Moscow on Aug. 11.

Meanwhile, governors of Russian regions that border Ukraine claimed two settlements were attacked.

Roman Starovoyt, governor of Russias Kursk region, claimed on Aug. 13 that shells coming from Ukraine had hit a home in the village of Volfino, injuring three people.

Volfino sits on the border with Ukraines Sumy Oblast, the target of daily Russian attacks from across the border.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod region, also claimed that Russian air defense had intercepted two drones in the area on the same day. One was reported to be downed in the village of Solomino, south of Belgorod.

BBC Russia reported explosions in Beglorod just after a loitering munition was spotted in the air. Pictures published online showed a damaged residential building in Belgorod.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the claims.

While Ukraine hasn't directly claimed responsibility for any attacks against Russia, top officials have publicly welcomed them, saying that "the war is coming home to Russia."

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraines National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) is planning to finish inspecting military enlistment offices by the end of the current quarter  that is, by the end of September.

Source: Oleksandr Novikov, Head of the NACP, on the national 24/7 newscast

Quote from Novikov: "We expect to wrap up inspections by the end of this quarter. A total of 1,935 military enlistment officers are in management positions. We are currently checking about a tenth of those officers. As you know, were already seeing the early results of those checks. Next week, we will share more results."

Details: Novikov also said that the checks have revealed that "in reality, most military enlistment staff act with integrity, as does the majority of other people who work for the state".

Novikov stressed that only some officials abuse their positions.

"Why do these abuses happen? Because if we just appoint new people instead of changing the underlying system and the rules, the outcome will always just be corruption; even if those new people have fought on the front and have seen combat, they will just get absorbed into the existing system. Thats why we have to first of all change the rules that set out how recruitment centres and border crossings operate," the NACP Head said.

Background:

During a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on 23 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered to create a commission under the leadership of the First Deputy Defence Minister, General Oleksandr Pavliuk, law enforcement officials, and the National Agency of Corruption Prevention. The commissions role is to check military enlistment officers in all regions of Ukraine, to prevent them from "discredit[ing] [Ukraine] and the memory of heroes dying at the front."

On 8 August, Ukraines State Bureau of Investigation reported that it had opened 112 proceedings against officials from regional recruitment centres since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and 15 charges had been filed in court.

Following the meeting of Ukraines National Security and Defence Council on 11 August, President Zelenskyy dismissed all military enlistment officers.

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!






Ukraine can prevail in its counteroffensive without the F-16s, and their presence would not have a decisive impact on the situation on the battlefield.

Source: The New York Times with reference to current and former officials in Ukraine, the US and Europe, as well as Western military analysts

Quote: "Would F-16s have made the difference in Ukraines counter-offensive? Most military experts doubt that they would have, and say that Kyiv can still prevail without them."

Details: As the New York Times stated, Joe Biden's administration waited more than a year before allowing NATO countries to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. By the time the pilots are trained on these aircraft, it will be too late to help and protect ground troops going through this phase of the fighting.

"All of which has raised a question: Without significant air power  a pillar of the warfare tactics that the West has urged Ukraine to adopt  can the counteroffensive prevail? The answer appears to be yes, as current and former officials in Ukraine, the United States and Europe, as well as Western defense analysts, said in interviews last week," the NYT wrote.

However, the NYT also noted that "it is likely to be far more difficult without the jets".

"It will have to happen without the F-16, but I believe they can," said Philip Breedlove, a retired United States Air Force general and former NATO commander.

However, he added then: "If you expect Ukraine to fight like we fight, then they have to have the tools that we have, and we have not given them those tools."

The NYW writes that some experts said a lack of air power had put Ukraine at a disadvantage this summer against Russian attack helicopters that had been attacking Ukrainian tanks and armoured vehicles. As the UK Ministry of Defence reported, at least some of these helicopters are equipped with anti-tank missiles that are fired either too far or too low to be intercepted by Ukrainian air defences.

Colonel Markus Reisner, who supervises armed forces development at Austria's main military academy, said that with more combat aircraft, Ukraine could better protect its ground forces from these attacks.

"Some American generals, they say, Well, its not what the Ukrainians need at the moment. I think this is a political statement, its not a military logical statement," Reisner added.

As the NYT wrote, both Ukraine and Russia have strong air defences, which largely deter both from conducting air strikes near or behind the lines of contact using manned combat aircraft. For the most part, Ukrainian pilots, who currently fly Soviet-era MiG and Sukhoy fighters, are careful not to get too close to their targets or stay in the air for too long, lest they become targets themselves.

Given these limitations, a Biden administration official said on condition of anonymity that it was unclear whether Ukrainian troops would be able to support the ground forces even if they had F-16s.

After Ukraine suffered heavy casualties at the start of the counteroffensive, trying to take a combined-arms approach, some commanders decided to abandon it and return to the tactics they know best  artillery and rocket attacks to weaken Russia's fighting capacity in a war of attrition, the NYT writes.

This did not come as a complete surprise to military experts, who believe that the problems go far beyond the lack of air power. Retired Colonel Steve Boylan, a trained US Army aviator and a former spokesman for the Armys Combined Arms Center in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, said it had taken years for American forces to learn "how to do it effectively  and not in the middle of a fight."

Sending just a handful of F-16s into battle would not make much difference in the war, said Douglas Barrie, a military aerospace expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. "Its got to be adequate, its got to be up to the task," he said.

Barrie said that if Ukraine had several properly trained and equipped F-16 squadrons, "would it have helped in the counteroffensive? Its a theoretical question, but the theoretical answer is yes."

Previously: On 11 August, The Washington Post reported that the first group of six Ukrainian pilots will complete training on US F-16 fighter jets at least next summer.

Background:

The Pentagon recently said that Biden had already agreed to allow the allies to start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

In mid-July, 11 partner countries, together with Ukraine, signed a memorandum defining the conditions for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

The training was supposed to start in August, but as per media reports, the United States has not yet approved the final training plan, as European states have not agreed on all its details.

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!
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has released a video showing the Ukrainian military using an American M777 howitzer to kill Russian invaders on the Bakhmut front.

Source: Syrskyi on Telegram

Details: Syrskyi reported that the Russians were killed near the village of Klishchiivka on the Bakhmut front.

He said that aerial reconnaissance of the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade detected a Russian combat unit, and servicemen of the Ukrainian 45th Separate Artillery Brigade eliminated it with an M777 howitzer.

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 guerrillas burnt down a military base of the Russian occupiers in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, mayoral advisor Petro Andriushchenko said on Telegram on Aug. 13.

Russian soldiers made efforts to extinguish the fire, which also caused casualties among the Russian invading troops.

"At least ten of them (Russian occupiers) were taken to hospital. Three vehicles were completely burnt. A barracks is also gone," Andriushchenko wrote.

Read also: Two teen girls among 7 Ukrainian civilians gunned down in Kadyrovite feud with Russian occupiers

The mayoral advisor also posted pictures from the scene.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ukrainian journalists identified Russian commanders allegedly involved in P-800 Onyx missile strikes on Odesa on July 19 and July 23, damaging the city's UNESCO heritage sites.

Russian Onyx, a supersonic cruise missile designed to destroy ships, was launched on Odesa from Bastion missile systems in occupied Crimea.

Telebachennia Toronto, a YouTube media outlet, reported on Aug. 13 that Russias 15th Coastal Defense Brigade is the only unit that operates the Bastion missile system, stationed in Russian-occupied Sevastopol in southwestern Crimea.

Journalists identified Oleg Scherbak as Russias 15th Coastal Defense Brigade commander and Alexander Myamlin, a Bastion unit commander, allegedly involved in the attacks.

According to the report, Alexey Vavilov, a commander of the Bastion launcher, is also allegedly involved in the attacks.

In a series of Russian attacks on Odesa following Moscows unilateral withdrawal from the UN-brokered Grain deal on July 17, Russian forces targeted critical port and grain infrastructure. They also damaged the historic center and a UNESCO-listed cathedral.

A Russian missile attack on the night of July 23 killed one civilian and injured 21 others, including four children, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper reported.

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The Ukrainian film Stepne won the award for Best Director at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, the Ukrainian State Film Agency reported on Aug. 13.

Director Maryna Vroda received the Pardo Award for Best Director for her movie Stepne. This is the director's first feature film.

In her speech, the Ukrainian director thanked the jury members and the entire international film crew. Vroda also mentioned the filmmakers who are currently at the frontline and the team members who were killed during the full-scale Russian invasion.

The film Stepne depicts a few days in the life of an elderly man who returns to his Ukrainian village of Stepne to care for his mother in her final days. It stars Oleksandr Maksyakov, alongside Nina Antonova, Oleh Prymohenov, and Radmila Shcheholeva in the main roles as the protagonist spends time with his ailing mother before she passes.

The movie was co-produced by Ukraine, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Maryna Vroda is the winner of the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for her short film Cross.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Colleton County Clerk of Court was listening in on Alex Murdaughs murder trial when she noticed her security chief quickly slip into the packed courtroom.

Prosecutors had just begun to question a forensic data analyst about information extracted from Murdaughs Chevy Suburban in the moments after his wife and sons June 2021 murder. But clerk Rebecca Becky Hill was instead intently watching her security chief as he leaned down to whisper in Judge Clifton Newmans ear.

From her seat in the middle of the courtroom, Hill did not notice any alarming reaction from Newman, which she took as a sign that the whispered news probably had to do something with his family. Then, Newman suddenly stood up to interrupt the morning session for a sudden recess.

Newman was so calm and laid back, and he quickly excused the jury without making a scene, Hill said. But then my bailiff came over to me and whispered, Becky, theres been a bomb threat.

As Hill sat up from her gallery seat to begin the evacuation process, which she and her team had practiced in preparation for what has been deemed the trial of the century in the Palmetto State, the Clerk of Court looked over at the defense table.

Alex [Murdaugh] was smiling. Everyone saw it, Hill said.

The bomb threat on Feb. 8, 2023, delayed day 13 of the trial for nearly three hours, forcing dozens of reporters, staffers, and members of the public to wait outside the courthouse and speculate about the cause of the evacuation. Among the group were Attorney General Alan Wilson and a University of South Carolina class that came to view the trial, where Murdaugh faced several charges in connection with the fatal shooting of his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and his 22-year-old son, Paul, at their family estate. The threat forced authorities to temporarily block off downtown Walterboros main street and bring in the state bomb squad.

Ultimately, it was deemed a hoax.

Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Is Popular In Prison, His Lawyer Says

It was a curious footnote in the dramatic trial, which ended with Murdaughs conviction and life sentence. But arrest reports obtained by The Daily Beast and eyewitnesses inside the courtroom that day provided a more detailed picture of the incidentone blamed on an inmate at a nearby detention center, Joey Dean Coleman, who allegedly called in the threat about a bomb in the judges chamber.

Spectators at the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse, after it was interrupted by a bomb threat on Feb. 8, 2023. Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool

Authorities insist that there is no direct link between the 32-year-old inmate and Murdaugh, but they have yet to provide any insight into what motivated Coleman to allegedly call in the threat from Ridgeland Correctional Institution on a burner phone. Especially since he is currently serving a decades-long prison sentence for kidnapping, assault, and battery in connection with a November 2018 convenience store robbery.

Currently, a felony arrest warrant has been filed against Coleman for making a bomb threat, but he will not be formally charged until he finishes his current prison sentence in 2045. Coleman was moved to a maximum security facility after the threat and charged by the South Carolina Department of Corrections for possession of a phone.

Neither Coleman nor his lawyers could be reached for comment. Murdaughs team did not respond to a request for comment.

I believe there was no other reason for the call other than to disrupt the trial and unnerve the jury, Eric Bland, who represents one of Murdaughs victims in his financial scheme and was inside the courtroom the day of the threat, told The Daily Beast. I still think someone was doing Alex a favor.

A Bomb Threat at a Murder Trial

A redacted Colleton County Sheriffs Office report states that the ominous call came into the courtroom from an unavailable number around 12:22 p.m.

Around that time, Murdaugh jurors had finished hearing damning testimony from the former lawyers longtime paralegal, who revealed that she was the one who first discovered her boss had been stealing from his familys law firm for years. The testimony was crucial because it bolstered the prosecutions argument that the discovery of his financial crimes ultimately spurred his decision to murder his son and wife.

Hes been lying to me this whole time, Annette Griswold told the jury. Hes had these funds. He lied to me.

Hill, however, said that the trial testimony wasnt the only court drama that morning. Earlier that day, she said, Murdaughs sister had caused a stir in the packed courtroom after passing a book to her brother from a member of his defense team.

The jailhouse contraband was not run past the victims advocate, who Hill said was waiting for a pause in testimony to bring up the violation. (CNN reported that the book was John Grishams The Judges List. The violation was among several that Hill, who has since written a book about the landmark trial, said resulted in the courts decision to move Murdaughs family further back in the courtroom.)

Unbeknownst to the victims advocate, however, trouble was looming in the general sessions department on the bottom level of the courthouse. Hill said that for about an hour, an unknown number had been calling the building, but staffers did not answer, in line with employee policy about unidentified calls.

The guy called for an hour at one extension. This guy kept calling, calling, calling, and they just let it call, Hill said. But then Coleman allegedly tried another extension, landing his call in front of General Sessions Court Specialist Amy Shaw, who Hill said answered the phone. (Shaw declined to comment to The Daily Beast.)

The arrest report states that Coleman was talking very quietly when he alleged there was an explosive device in the most secure area of the courthouse, already on high alert because of the Murdaugh trial. The report states Coleman repeated the threat twice before the clerk hung up the phone and informed security.

Everyone moved pretty quickly after that, Hill said, explaining that after she was informed of the threat, she and the bailiff quickly moved to open the courthouse front doors for two exit points. The good thing is that we had already planned for this before the trial. So we knew exactly what to do, and it went exactly according to plan.

From Blands vantage point three rows behind the prosecution table, the courtroom that was listening to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) forensic data analyst Brian Hudak immediately knew something was wrong because Newman called for a break during an abnormal time.

But he was extremely calm and didnt look like he wanted to alarm anyone, Bland said.

Bland added that he saw defense lawyer Jim Griffin whisper to his client about the alleged threatand that he, too, saw Murdaugh grinning in responsebefore he and his fellow court viewers were quickly escorted out of the room and onto the front lawn of the government building. Aimee Zmroczek, a criminal defense attorney representing Murdaughs co-defendant Curtis Eddie Smith, was also in the courtroom that day and explained that everyone outside the building was trying to figure out what was going on.

It was hush-hush at first, she told The Daily Beast. But then, of course, word started to get out. It was surprising to me how laid back everyone was. Usually, when there is a bomb threat at a school, they bring dogs and move people further away from the building. That didnt happen here.

Eventually, after SLED authorities confirmed there were no threats or devices located inside the courthouse, Newman brought back the jury and resumed the trial as if nothing had happened.

Alex Murdaugh is escorted back into the courtroom for his double murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse on Feb. 8, 2023. Andrew J. Whitaker/The Post And Courier via AP, Pool

They Saw Alex Murdaugh Smiling

The arrest report, however, provides details on how authorities were quickly moving to figure out the validity of the threat and who was responsible. Colleton County Sheriffs Office Detective Laura Rutland, who also testified as a witness in the Murdaugh trial, wrote in the report that analysis of the phone number that called in the threat revealed that it was pinging at the medium security Ridgeland Correctional Institution.

When three correction officers entered cell #57, the report states that they observed inmate Joey Coleman with a cell phone in his hand that he quickly hid underneath his pillow. The report states that Coleman ultimately admitted that he did own the black Motorola touch screen phone but denied making the phone call to the courthouse.

Woman Returns Memorabilia Bought at Auction to Buster Murdaugh

Further analysis of the phone, which included finding a Gmail account associated with Coleman, confirmed he owned the phone, the report states. Colemans arrest warrant adds that probable cause for the eventual charges against him includes physical evidence, technical evidence, gathered intelligence, and statements from individuals received during the course of the investigation, but details are not immediately clear.

The threat did not seem to rattle the jury. I think a part of them enjoyed the break, and when they came right in, they went back to business, Hill said, noting that weeks later, Murdaugh jurors reached a guilty verdict in less than three hours.

Alex Murdaugh listens to prosecutor Creighton Waters closing arguments in his trial for murder at the Colleton County Courthouse on March 1, 2023. Joshua Boucher/The State/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Who Is Joey Coleman?

Still, authorities have not shared information about why Coleman would allegedly commit a federal crime from behind bars.

The South Carolina native had an extensive criminal history stretching back over a decade, including a 2010 conviction for third-degree burglary, a 2011 conviction for second-degree burglary, and a 2018 conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In 2020, Coleman was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pistol-whipping a store clerk and firing multiple shots before stealing fistfuls of cash, prosecutors said.

After his latest conviction, Coleman moved around several state facilities before eventually landing at Ridgeland Correctional Institution on Jan. 24, 2023days before the rigorous jury selection began in Murdaughs trial.

During his time bouncing around facilities, Coleman faced two disciplinary sanctions on Sept. 25, 2020. Inmate records state that Coleman was found in possession of a weapon and affiliated himself with a prison gang. He was punished for both infractions with a loss of canteen privileges for 145 days, 10 days of disciplinary detention, a loss of visitation privileges for 45 days, and a loss of phone use for 100 days, inmate records show.

According to FitsNews, citing records obtained through public information requests, the transfer to Ridgeland came at Colemans request because he was facing hardship at McCormick Correctional Institution, where he had been placed for two years.

Around that time, Coleman also began sending hand-written letters from jail. In a January letter, penned the day before his transfer and viewed by The Daily Beast, Coleman wrote to the Hampton County Clerk of Court and requested a copy of a post-conviction relief form. He also asked that the judge who sentenced him in 2020 be informed that he is schizophrenic and desires an evaluation.

Ask [the judge] could i [sic] have a resentencing hearing please? Ground temporary insanity, Coleman wrote. Hard to be remorseful about something that you dont [sic] remember doing. Just saying.

Days later, on Jan. 28, Colemans mother paid him a visit, according to FitsNews. Inmate records indicate that the day before he allegedly called in the fake threat, Coleman earned work credit as a wardkeeper.

After his transfer to Broad River Secure Facility, Coleman seemingly took steps to make the best of his situation. On Feb. 27, inmate records state he completed the Employability Skills Curriculumthe first time Coleman completed a training course while incarcerated. By April, Coleman had been transferred out of lockup, and a South Carolina Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed that he is currently in a general population dorm at the facility.

But as for Colemans motivationfame, a favor, or something else entirelythose who fled from the bomb threat are still in the dark.

There is so much more to this story that we dont know. And I dont know that we will ever know, Zmroczek said. Its extremely frustrating.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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About eight months ago, scientists at a US-government-funded lab replicated the process that powers starsnuclear fusionand created more energy than they put in. Now, physicists and engineers at the same facility, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Northern Californias Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, appear to have successfully created an energy-gaining fusion experiment for the second time.

NIFs latest achievement is a step closerthe second step down a very long roadto a dream of fusion providing the world with clean, abundant energy. There is a long way to go before a fusion power plant opens in your city. But scientists are optimistic.

It indicates that the scientists at [NIF] and their collaborators understand what happened back in December well enough that they have been able to make it happen again, says John Pasley, a fusion scientist at York University in the UK who wasnt part of this experiment.

NIF declined to comment, noting that the facilitys scientists had not yet formally presented their results. Until that happens, theres a lot we wont know about the specifics of the experiment, which took place on July 30.

There are multiple ways of achieving fusion, and NIF works with one, called inertial confinement fusion (ICF). In NIFs setup, a high-powered laser beam splits into 192 smaller beams, showering a capsule that scientists call a hohlraum. Inside the hohlraums walls, this barrage spawns X-rays that crash into the capsules filling: a pellet of deuterium and tritium, super-squeezing it at temperatures and pressures more intense than the suns, initiating fusion.

The goal of all this work is to pass the break-even point and create more energy than the laser puts in: an achievement that fusion scientists call gain. In Decembers experiment, 2.05 megajoules of laser beams elicited 3.15 megajoules of fusion energy. We wont know for sure until NIF releases its data, but unnamed sources told the Financial Times that this second success created even greater gain.

[Related: Cold fusion is making a scientific comeback]

In addition, the December experiment achieved self-heating: a state where the fusion reaction powered itself, like a fire that no longer needs stoking. Many scientists think self-heating is a prerequisite to generating power in ICF. Outside scientists speculate that NIFs new experiment also achieved self-heating.

An obvious part of the scientific process is that you get the same result, says Dennis Whyte, a fusion scientist at MIT who also wasnt involved in the NIF research. Of course, thats extremely heartening.

This is no small feat. ICF experiments are notoriously delicate. Very subtle changes to the lasers angles, to the shapes of the hohlraum and the pellet, and to any one of dozens of other factors could drastically alter the output. NIF in December barely scratched the surface of fusion gain, and its clear that tiny changes were the difference between passing break-even and not.

We also repeat things, not just to see if they repeat, but also to see the sensitivities, Whyte says. Seeing the variability and the differences of those from experiment to experiment is really exciting.

Since the 1950s fusion scientists have tried to accomplish what the NIF team has done, twice, in the past year. But the long-term goal is to turn these experimental forays into clean, cheap, abundant energy for the worlds people. Converting that milestone into a power plant is another quest entirely, and it has only just begun. If creating gain in the lab is like learning to light a fire, then using it to generate electricity is like building a steam engine.

I would like to see them gradually shift some of their focus from demonstration of ignition and gain toward investigation of target designs that are closer to those which might be employed in a fusion power reactor, Pasley says.

[Related: Microsoft thinks this startup can deliver on nuclear fusion by 2028]

To build a viable power plant, NIF will need to show greater gain. The December experiment created about 1.5 times as much energy as the NIF scientists put in. Even if the July experiment created two or three times as much energy, NIF wont have come close to the gain that fusion scientists think is necessary for a viable power plant: some 100 times.

Gain of that magnitude would also make fusion a viable addition to the larger electrical grid. Its difficult to understate the importance of NIFs achievement, but the facility didnt actually generate more energy than it took from the outside world. To power the laser that created those 3.15 megajoules, the device needed 300 megajoules from Californias grid.

NIF isnt really the optimal place to complete this quest, partly because it was built to maintain the US nuclear weapons stockpile and cant focus on fusion all the time. But for now, NIF will likely keep trying, running more and more laser shots. And scientists can compare the results with simulations to understand what is happening under the surface.

What we assume is going to happen now is were going to get dozens of [runs], and were going to really learn a lot, Whyte says.
School vouchers

The writer is communications director at Public Schools First NC.

It is not surprising that N.C. private schools are seeing an enrollment boost over the past couple of years in part due to the Opportunity Scholarship voucher program. After all, starting with the 2021-23 budget, the state funded up to $500,000 per year to market the program to parents. Thats a big budget dedicated to marketing private school vouchers.

With the proposed voucher program expansion, taxpayers are being asked to fund the private and often discriminatory education for selected students. These public dollars should be going toward fully funding our public schools  community schools that serve all students and are led by elected school boards.

Using public funds to market voucher programs is a stunning misuse of taxpayer dollars, especially at a time when N.C. public schools have such an obvious need for more support.

Heather Koons, Raleigh

Public schools

The N.C. legislature continues to shift funds from the public schools to charter and private schools, many of which are religious-based schools. Forget the state constitutional mandate to provide a quality education to every student, and the demands of the Leandro case, which were ignored repeatedly.

If the states priority were to properly fund public schools, make classes smaller, hire more teachers/assistants, increase resources to public schools and incentivize teachers to go to underserved areas, they would address parents concerns about public schools and there would be far less need for other options. Educators and some N.C. Supreme Court members have pressed the legislature to do the right thing for a very long time.

Laura Stillman, Raleigh

Put country first

I once was a Republican and would like to become one again. But when the GOP reinvented itself as the Party of Trump, it became a magnet for a strange assortment of Trump-emulators, social media publicity-seekers, election-deniers and anti-government extremists, an unfortunate number of whom have been elected to public office. Our Congress has always included members too shallow to think and act beyond their own personal gratification. But Congress has also usually included a few true statesmen  men and women who put their country and fellow citizens above themselves. Surely there are such individuals on both sides of the aisle. Its time for the adults in the room  the experienced, respected centrists  to join together and solve this problem.

John Dendy, Durham

Budget delay

The N.C. General Assembly left some major budget business undone and that neglect has an impact. The legislature continues to delay Medicaid expansion that would cover many who now lack medical insurance. Consequently, quiet tragedies are happening as early warning signs are missed because medical office visits are costly. After delaying treatment, it may be too late for help to be effective. Legislators, get to work, do the right thing and expand Medicaid coverage.

Deborah Brogden, Durham

Duke rate increase

The writer is a member of Third Act NC.

As Canadian wildfires burn and send dirty air to our state, and as much of the U.S. swelters under a heat dome, Duke Energy breezes along, oblivious to the crisis it has helped create. They would hike our rates by 17% by 2026 and want a profit margin over 10%. Worst of all, they want to continue the business-as-usual model that got us here in the first place: building new methane gas plants while putting the brakes on rooftop solar.

There is a public hearing at the Durham County Courthouse at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14, with a rally at 6 p.m. This is a chance for Duke Energy customers to tell the N.C. Utilities Commission to hold Duke accountable. Lower our rates and their profits, and put the brakes on dirty, expensive energy.

Cathy Buckley, Raleigh

Presidential race





I would like to urge readers to support the proposal to elect the president by a national popular vote in all 50 states. When we vote for every other office, the candidate who gets the most votes wins. It should be the same for president.

Bill Soular, Chapel Hill
Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run, scoring teammates Cavan Biggio and Danny Jansen, in the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, in Toronto, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. (Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP)  Daulton Varsho homered and had five RBIs, Hyun Jin Ryu pitched five innings to win for the first time since returning from elbow surgery, and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Chicago Cubs 11-4 on Sunday.

Whit Merrifield had four hits, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Brandon Belt reached base four times as the Blue Jays used 14 hits to snap a three-game losing streak.

Its what this lineup is capable of, manager John Schneider said. When youre getting production at the bottom and turn it back over to the top, you see what happens.

The Cubs lost for the seventh time in 25 games. Chicago is 19-10 since the All-Star break and 8-4 in August.

Varsho hit a three-run home run off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon (7-7) in Torontos five-run second inning, then added a two-out, two-run single off righty Hayden Wesneski in the fourth.

Three-run homers are huge, and two-run singles with two outs are huge, Schneider said.

Chicagos Patrick Wisdom hit a two-run home run off right-hander Jay Jackson in the seventh, his 20th.

Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson had two hits, including a two-run double in the first. Belts fielding error at first base on Ian Happs grounder meant the runs were unearned.

The left-handed Ryu (1-1) allowed two runs, none earned, and two hits in his third start since returning Aug. 1 against Baltimore.

Pretty remarkable, Schneider said. He hasnt really missed a beat. He limits hard contact. Everything that he did before he got hurt is what hes doing in his first three starts. Just incredible, really, at his age. Its not that easy. He makes it look very easy.

Ryu walked two and struck out three for his first big league victory since a road win against the Angels on May 26, 2022. He had Tommy John surgery less than a month later.

On Sunday, Ryu retired his final six batters in order after walking former Dodgers teammate Clay Bellinger to begin the fourth.

I know the velocity is not quite back where he wants it yet but hes able to pitch, Cubs manager David Ross said of Ryu. That changeup is pretty devastating. When you give him a bit of a lead, hes a tough one to put up big runs against. We needed a mistake on their part to get those first two. He kind of cruised once he got the lead.

Genesis Cabrera pitched the sixth, Jackson went one inning, Erik Swanson worked the eighth and Nate Pearson finished.

Taillon came in 5-0 over his previous six starts and 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six career starts in Toronto but didnt fare well in his latest game north of the border. The right-hander gave up a season-high eight earned runs on eight hits in three-plus innings, leaving after three straight singles in the fourth.

Ill just regroup, reset and move on, Taillon said.

Taillon walked two and struck out two.

Just not his best, Ross said. Hes thrown well for us. I think well turn the page on this one really fast.

TRAINERS ROOM

Cubs: RHP Marcus Stroman (right hip) threw a light bullpen session Sunday and remains on track to come off the IL and start Wednesday against the White Sox, Ross said.

Blue Jays: 3B Matt Chapman was scratched because of inflammation in his right middle finger. Santiago Espinal moved from shortstop to third and Paul DeJong started at short. Schneider said he does not expecting Chapman will miss much time.  Schneider said RHP Jordan Romano (back) remains on track to return Tuesday after pitching a scoreless inning in a rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

FAMILIAR FOE

Ryu said he had fun squaring off against Bellinger, getting the slugger to fly out in the first before issuing a seven-pitch walk in the fourth.

Hes probably one of their hardest hitters right now, Ryu said through a translator. He was able to foul off some of my good pitches.

DEJONG DELIVERS

DeJong snapped an 0 for 20 streak with an RBI single in the eighth.

WHITS HITS

Merrifield leads the AL with 40 hits since the All-Star break.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 3.96 ERA) starts Tuesday when the White Sox head north to visit Wrigley Field. RHP Touki Toussaint (1-4, 4.22) starts for the White Sox.

Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-4, 3.53 ERA) starts Tuesday as Toronto hosts Philadelphia. RHP Zack Wheeler (9-5, 3.74) goes for the Phillies.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
A member of a search-and-rescue team walks with her cadaver dog near Front Street, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii, following a destructive wildfire. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Ariel Quiroz, a 42-year-old wedding painter who lives in Lahaina, Hawaii, had woken up at 5 a.m. Tuesday to no electricity and strong winds. In the afternoon, he noticed movement outside: One of his neighbors was spraying his house with water as smoke clouds billowed in the distance.

Quiroz, who lives in a condominium complex just off Front Street, thought that wetting his house might save it from the flames, and so he did the same. Even before local authorities told everyone to evacuate around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, he and his wife had documents, prized possessions and two cats ready to leave.

As they drove away from the flames, Quiroz and his wife saw bushes burning, telephone poles and trees knocked down and smoke everywhere. Noise from power lines burning exploded like popcorn, he said in an interview Saturday. The couple and their cats are staying at a friends house in Kihei, about 24 miles southeast of Lahaina.

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Although Quiroz said he believed authorities were doing everything they could to provide aid, he said the lack of communication had hampered the response. Officials have said that none of the 80 warning sirens placed around Maui were activated by the island or states emergency management agencies as the fire bore down on Lahaina.

I dont think this system of alarms was able to work because of the winds that cut electricity, he said. There is a lack of communication.

Lodging has also been tricky to navigate. Quiroz said it was almost impossible to live in Lahaina without air conditioning or fans, which he worried could reignite smoldering hot spots.

Quiroz returned to his house Friday to find that it was still standing, but the houses across the street had burned to the ground. To prepare homes for wildfires, the U.S. government recommends building and renovating with fire-resistant materials and finding an outdoor water source with a hose that can reach any area of your property.

While his home is still intact, he said the stench from the ashes and chemicals burned in the fire made it unlivable for the time being.

The community has been the best support, he said, noting that people had been sending money to his family through Venmo, the mobile payments app.

Were very blessed and lucky, he said. I even feel a bit of guilt to feel happy and grateful to be so lucky.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
The author (left) and her sister visit Disney World three times a week. Courtesy of Casey Clark.

I visit Disney World weekly and I've never seen crowds this low, especially on the weekends.

Wait times are down for attractions and waiting for the parade is no longer an hour long ordeal.

With holiday events underway, the low crowds are going to make them even more enjoyable for guests.

I've been taking trips to Walt Disney World since I was 3 years old. For most people, a trip to Disney World seems out of the question due to crazy crowd levels, high prices, and intolerable heat. However, right now, it's actually the best time to book a Disney World vacation.

I'm fully aware I'm saying this as an annual pass holder who lives five minutes away, not a guest on vacation. However, I can confidently say that with how the parks look and feel right now, there's really been no better time to visit.

I visit Disney World three to four times a week and snapped some photos of what the parks currently look like.

The wait times for rides are the lowest they've been in a while

There's generally no time in the day that rides like Peter Pan's Flight have less than an hour wait. However, as of late, this ride has been spotted with a 50 to 60-minute wait time. Before you roll your eyes, usually it's above 90 minutes, so it's a significant reduction. The same goes for Space Mountain, which generally has a 60-minute wait, but has been clocked at 30 to 40 minutes even during peak afternoon.

Courtesy of the author

There's ample walking room without people breathing down your neck, which is great for large families and groups

The last thing you want when it's super hot outside is for a person to be right in your personal space. Generally, at Disney World, this is pretty common due to crowds, but right now, there's lots of space.

I like to do what I call the "T-Test." Essentially, if I can put my hands out and walk without hitting people, then it's what I consider to be not busy.

You don't need to wait for hours to get a good spot for the parade, so you can have more time playing in the parks

During peak season, most people tend to mark their territory for the Festival of Fantasy parade an hour or two before the start time. However, since it's been so dead, you can literally show up 30 minutes before and get a good spot along the route. If I had to guess, it's probably because it's so hot outside it's not worth it to stand directly in the sun for any longer than what's actually necessary.

Magic Kingdom rides have short lines Courtesy of the author

You can partake in holiday offerings like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

I know, Halloween in August seems crazy, but that's when it starts down here in Florida. Aside from enjoying the parks during daily operations, there's the opportunity to purchase tickets to special-ticketed events like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.

At the party, kids and adults can dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes and go trick-or-treating around Magic Kingdom. Normally, these parties are packed, but I have a feeling that many dates won't be at capacity this year, making them even more worth it to go.

Courtesy of the author

There's also the chance to participate in Epcot's popular International Food and Wine Festival without excessive crowds

Epcot has festivals all year round, but Food and Wine is arguably the most loved by guests. From August until November, you can stroll around the World Showcase and try different food and beverage offerings inspired by countries from around the world.

And since the crowds have been low, the lines for the booths are essentially walk-ups so you can say goodbye to waiting in the boiling sun.

Read the original article on Insider
The Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany circa 1945. Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Volkswagen closes its Wolfsburg factory for three weeks every summer when workers go on vacation.

The automaker gives employees a send-off with an orchestra and a meal, Bloomberg reported.

Unlike in the US, it's common in European countries to take a long summer vacation.

A Volkswagen factory in Germany shuts down for a three-week summer vacation each year, kicking off the long summer break with a "chorus of trumpets, trombones and drums," Bloomberg reported.



The Wolfsburg-based plant also hands its employees a traditional German dish, currywurst  a sausage with curry sauce and fries  as they finish their last shift before the break.

Photos shared on the company's Group Culture Facebook page show "The Big Band of the Volkswagen Philharmonic Orchestra" playing music to workers as they leave the factory for the summer.

It's been a tradition for many decades and is a key part of the German automaker's culture.



"The summer holidays have begun at the Wolfsburg plant," the caption reads. "What could be better than saying goodbye to your colleagues for a well-deserved holiday with the sounds of jazz?"

About 22,000 workers at the Wolfsburg factory received a vacation between July 17 and August 4 this year, Bloomberg reported.

During that time, business in the town slows, but it puts on art exhibitions, concerts, and a music festival at the local Autostadt museum, Bloomberg reported.

It's common for workers in some European countries, such as France, Sweden, and Italy, to take a long summer vacation, sometimes for an entire month.

European out-of-offices: Im away camping for the summer. Email again in September



American out-of-offices: I have left the office for two hours to undergo kidney surgery but you can reach me on my cell anytime  Samuel Pollen (@samuel_pollen) April 30, 2021

Employees in France are federally mandated to take "main leave," and many offices and shops close for the big holidays, or " les grandes vacances ."

Swedish workers can also take up to four consecutive weeks of paid holiday in most industries during the summer.

The long European summer vacations may come as a surprise to workers in the US, where federal law doesn't guarantee time off.

Some have taken to social media to air their grievances about the differences.

Usually for Europeans, peak summer vacation season starts from mid-June, till the end of August. Those who don't go on vacation within those 3 months, go in September. People go on month long holidays  https://t.co/RmAnMWUOmC  Andriana Wanjiru Dominguez-CDMP  (@ANdaihera) August 4, 2023

American workers get an average of 11 days of paid vacation per year, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows  and that increases to 15 days after five years of service at a company.

Volkswagen didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside of normal working hours.





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Its back to the books for Volusia County students on Monday.

These students returning to the classroom marks the last of the Central Florida school districts first day of school.

But parents and students will have new policies to keep in mind for the new year.

Before students return to class, the school board asks families to review changes to the 2023-2024 code of student conduct.

Like many Central Florida school districts, Volusia Schools have updated policies based on new Florida laws.

Read: Volusia County Schools recruiting internationally to help address teacher shortage

One of those is the use of cell phones in school.

Once again, the addiction to cell phones, kids have to have them there, Volusia County School Board Member Jessie Thompson said. I think thats part of the issue.

This year, cell phones, tablets, earbuds, and smartwatches must be kept in a backpack or purse during instructional time.

Those items may only be used if allowed by a teacher for instructional purposes only.

Read: Volusia County School Board considering stricter punishments for students who use and carry vapes

Our teachers complain constantly they cant get the kids attention, Thompson said. We know that our children are suffering educationally.

To comply with the Safety in Private Spaces Act, students must use the bathrooms or locker rooms according to their biological sex at birth.

Volusia County Schools will offer a unisex bathroom option on all its campuses. This allows for only one person in a bathroom at a time.

Read: Volusia County to consider banning certain tents, trucks on beach

With all of the changes, the school board wants the code of student conduct rules to be clear from day one.

I think the biggest thing is enforcement, Anita Burnette, vice chair of the Volusia County School Board, said. Making sure we follow through on the enforcement and providing an educational opportunity for the students.

There are also changes to the dress code and vape policies.

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.
The Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) is trying to save money on salaries for its mercenaries because of financial pressure, UK Defence Intelligence reports.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence on Sunday, 13 August, as reported by European Pravda

Quote: "The Wagner Group is likely moving towards a down-sizing and reconfiguration process, largely to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure," the review said.

The UK Ministry of Defence notes that after the unsuccessful rebellion in June 2023, the Russian state has acted against other business concerns of the Wagner PMC owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. There is a real possibility that the Kremlin is no longer funding the group, intelligence officials say.

"If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," the intelligence review concludes.

However, such costs are a potentially undesirable drain on modest Belarusian resources.

Earlier: The UK Ministry of Defence believes that the Wagner Group militants arrived in Belarus mostly without their heavy equipment, and they might have handed it over to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

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!
Was there a time when homelessness wasnt such a crisis for the United States, when over a million people lived on the streets or shelter?

The problem didnt used to be so bad, worsening in the 1980s when the federal government made deep cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Since then, and as the wage-to-living expense gap has widened, more and more low-income people struggle to afford housing in our country.

Ali Rabe

Communities and states recently had a unique opportunity to tackle housing insecurity head-on for the first time in decades. During the pandemic, the federal government made unprecedented investments in housing support. Just one example of this is the $46 billion Emergency Rental Assistance Program, of which Idaho received over $300 million.

This program was the deepest investment the federal government has made in renters since the nation launched its public housing system. ERAP funds kept many people housed and gave low-income renters an opportunity to improve their financial bearings when in a temporary bind.

At the same time, governments have been able to use other COVID funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to create housing. Idaho used $50 million in ARPA funding to support the development of 1,000 units for working Idahoans who cannot afford a market-rate rental.

Now, many of these investments are timing out, and evictions are already on the rise. The federal government is calling on local and state governments to continue housing investments as theyre able.

A report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition showed that nearly half of jurisdictions in the U.S. will continue the ERAP program in some capacity, while even more will sustain investments in creating housing for working families.

So far in Idaho, the question remains as to whether more funding will be used to alleviate the strain of the immediate housing crisis, while also looking ahead to opportunities to create more affordability. The city of Boise is putting some funding towards the creation of housing, while the city of Meridian put $250,000 to keeping Meridians housed during an eviction. Other localities, including the state, have yet to step up.

The state and local governments in Idaho should take a hard look at the need for these investments, and at their budgets, to see where programming can be continued. Housing affordability  and homelessness as a result  continues to be a huge issue across the nation. However, in our state, its not too late to stay ahead of the crisis levels of homelessness. It is much more cost-effective and humane to provide affordable housing and keep people in their homes, than to try to address homelessness after the fact.

At the same time, people in Idaho must continue to take action. Many Idahoans, corporations, and foundations donate to grassroots organizations doing the work to provide rent assistance and support to our most vulnerable residents, such as Jesse Tree and CATCH in the Treasure Valley.

There is much power in private-public partnerships as well: Recently, local governments alongside institutional and individual funders helped provide $5.6 million to the Campaign to End Family Homelessness being run by these agencies.

Although we can hope and advocate for additional governmental investments to keep Idahoans housed, the private sector and individuals must continue to step up, too. Idaho is a wonderful place to live, but in order to keep it that way, we all must invest in it. Housing nonprofits will be on the frontlines of this funding fiscal cliff, and are a great place to start.

Ali Rabe is the executive director of the Jesse Tree of Idaho, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to prevent eviction and homelessness.
The Washington State Task Force-1 FEMA Ubran Search and Rescue has been deployed to help Hawaii after fires tore through Maui, said Pierce County.

A Type 3 team was sent to Maui on Thursday, consisting of 45 people from Pierce and King Counties and the City of Seattle Fire Department. A five-person K-9 human remains detection group also went.

On Sunday, Pierce County said 30 more members of the task force were sent to Hawaii.

Pierce County said the team could be deployed for up to 14 days.

The entire task force has more than 210 team members, drawn from a variety of organizations including fire departments, hospitals, law enforcement, private companies, and public works agencies, said Pierce County.

The team is trained for:

Physical search and rescue.

Providing emergency medical care for entrapped survivors.

K-9 human remains detection.

Assessing damage and needs, and providing feedback to local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal officials.

Assessing/shutting off utilities to houses and other buildings.

Evaluating hazardous materials.

Evaluating hazards of buildings needed for immediate occupancy to support disaster relief operations.

Stabilizing damaged structures, including shoring and cribbing operations on damaged buildings.

Hazardous Materials Equipment Push Packages for operations in a contaminated environment.

Search and rescue operations in a water environment.

Decontamination of personnel and canines at the base of operations.
Niger's junta supporters take part in a demonstration in front of a French army base in Niamey,

By Felix Onuah and Sali Samb

ABUJA/CONAKRY (Reuters) -Coup leaders in Niger are open to diplomacy to resolve a standoff with West Africa's regional bloc, a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars said on Sunday after meeting the junta in Niamey.

Their visit comes as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) explores its options to restore civilian rule in Niger, including potential military intervention, following the July 26 ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum - the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years.

In a sign the bloc is still pushing for a peaceful resolution, ECOWAS chairman and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu approved Saturday's mission to Niamey by the delegation of Islamic scholars, who had vowed to promote dialogue.

The group's meeting with junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani lasted several hours, said Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, who led the delegation.

"He said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter," Lau said in a statement on Sunday.

Tiani reportedly emphasised the historic ties between Niger and Nigeria, saying the countries "were not only neighbours but brothers and sisters who should resolve issues amicably".

There was no immediate comment from the junta on the meeting, but Tiani's reported comments are one of few recent signs he is open to negotiation.

The coup leaders' previous rebuffs of diplomatic efforts by ECOWAS, the United States and others had raised the spectre of further conflict in the impoverished Sahel region of West Africa, which is already dealing with a deadly Islamist insurgency.

With diplomacy faltering last week, ECOWAS activated a standby military force it said would be deployed as a last resort if talks failed.

For now, the bloc is pursuing efforts for further negotiations. On Saturday, the bloc's parliament said it would ask Tinubu, who holds the bloc's revolving chairmanship, to get his permission to go to Niger, its spokesperson said.

SHORING UP SUPPORT

Any military intervention by the bloc could further strain regional ties as juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea have voiced support for Niger's new military authorities.

On Saturday, Tiani sent a delegation, led by his defence chief General Moussa Salaou Barmou, to the Guinean capital Conakry to thank leaders there for their support - a sign of the junta's desire to affirm alliances as it stands up to regional and other powers.

"We are pan-African. When our people have problems, we are always present, and we will always be there," Guinea's interim president, Mamady Doumbouya, said at the meeting, according to a video shared late on Saturday night by the presidency.

In the footage, Doumbouya - who led a coup in Guinea in September 2021 - did not say whether Conakry's support for the Niger junta would include military backing if ECOWAS decided to use military force. Mali and Burkina Faso have already said they would help defend Niger.

At stake is not just the fate of Niger - a major uranium producer and Western ally in the fight against the Islamists - but also the influence of rival global powers with strategic interests in the region.

U.S., French, German and Italian troops are stationed in Niger, in a region where local affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State have killed thousands and displaced millions.

Meanwhile, Russian influence has grown as insecurity increases, democracy erodes, and leaders seek new partners to restore order.

Western powers fear Russia's clout could increase if the junta in Niger follows Mali and Burkina Faso, which ejected the troops of former colonial power France after coups in those countries.

(Writing by Edward McAllister and Alessandra PrenticeEditing by Hugh Lawson and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Milwaukee Brewers' Andruw Monasterio, right, celebrates at home plate with teammate Christian Yelich (22) after scoring on a Tyrone Taylor two-RBI double during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

CHICAGO (AP)  William Contreras capped a three-run seventh with the winning RBI and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 on Saturday night for their second straight comeback victory.

Yoan Moncada homered for Chicago, which lost a two-run lead in the seventh a night after watching the Brewers erase a three-run deficit.

Brandon Woodruff (2-1) allowed two runs and four hits over the first 6 1/3 innings to help Milwaukee maintain a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL Central. He struck out six and walked just his final batter.

Its a good feeling, said Woodruff, who won for the first time since early April after missing several months because of shoulder inflammation. Its been a long time.

Devin Williams, the last of three Milwaukee relievers, pitched the ninth for his 28th save in 31 chances.

Rookie Jesse Scholtens (1-5) scattered four hits over six scoreless innings but ran into trouble in the seventh, where Tyrone Taylor doubled in a pair to tie it and end the right-handers night. Contreras later singled off reliever Bryan Shaw to bring home Taylor and give the Brewers the lead for good.

When you get big hits like me and William got tonight it means a lot because Woody was working hard out there, Taylor said after Milwaukees 24th one-run victory. (The record in close games) says a lot about the back of our bullpen and especially Devin.

Scholtens struck out five and walked three in his fifth career start.

Overall, it was great pitching on both ends, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. We just came up short.

Chicago took the lead on Elvis Andrus third-inning RBI groundout, then extended it when Moncada launched his fourth home run into right-center field.

STILL WAITING

Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez had his MLB suspension for fighting with Chicagos Tim Anderson reduced from three games to two on Saturday. Ramirez knocked Anderson to the ground with a wild, well-placed punch Aug. 5 after a dustup between the two at second base. It triggered a brawl that yielded one-game suspensions for four others.

Anderson, who, like Ramirez, appealed, has yet to hear if the league will cut his six-game penalty.

TRAINERS ROOM

Brewers: RHP Julio Teheran (right hip) threw a bullpen session Saturday afternoon and is scheduled to throw two more before beginning a rehab assignment.  OF Jesse Winker (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Wisconsin on Monday.

White Sox: All-Star OF Luis Robert Jr. (sprained right pinky finger) didnt start for a second straight night.

UP NEXT

Milwaukees Freddy Peralta (8-8, 4.28 ERA) was set to face fellow right-hander Dylan Cease (5-5, 4.42) on Sunday in the series finale.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
"Hack-A-Sat" is holding its fourth annual competition at the DEF CON conference in Las Vegas.

The contest is sponsored by the US government and has a prize of $50,000.

The competition is meant to help the government build up its resources against foreign hackers.

It seems counterintuitive for the US government to cheer on hackers targeting its satellites, but that's just what's happening this weekend at Hack-A-Sat 4.

The "Hack-A-Sat," founded by the US Space Force and Air Force, is a capture-the-flag-like contest usually consisting of qualification and final events, according to its details, during which hackers use hardware that simulates breaking into a real-life satellite and gaining access to its data.

The contest was initially dreamed up in the hopes of bettering defenses against threats to cybersecurity increasingly faced by the US government  especially from potentially hostile foreign powers  by allowing the government to observe how hackers would attack and beef up its understanding of advanced hacking.

For the first time, this year's iteration of the competition will have hackers working to break into the Space Force satellite Moonlighter, a test satellite designed as a "hacking sandbox" that will allow advanced analysis of cybersecurity threats.

During the competition, hackers work frantically to break into the Moonlighter satellite to gain access to its data while fighting off the other teams from attacking their own systems, according to the contest details.

The first-place team will win $50,000, the second-place team will win $30,000, and the third-place team will take home $20,000.

According to an interview with Space Force Capt. Kevin Bernert given to Politico, the government hopes the competition will creatively involve a wide variety of people skilled in cyber networks.

"We don't want to just be a big, monolithic organization," said Bernert to Politico. "We want to get as many people smartly involved. And so the long-term impact in that is to understand that you have to bake in cybersecurity  you don't just bolt it on afterwards."

Five teams have made it to the final round, including Poland Can Into Space, last year's winning team. Winners of this year's competition will be announced on Sunday.

The Air Force, Space Force, and Bernert did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

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The body of a South Carolina woman who had been shot multiple times was found inside her vehicle Saturday, and several hours later a man was arrested on a murder charge, officials said.

Crystal Dawn Rainey, a 47-year-old Greenville resident, was found dead at about 6 a.m. in the Donalds area, the Greenwood County Coroners Office said.

The coroner called the shooting death a homicide.

Shortly after Raineys body was found, arrest warrants were issued for 40-year-old Joshua Dean Nix, the Greenwood County Sheriffs Office said. In addition to murder, Nix was wanted for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, according to the sheriffs office.

The sheriffs office said Nix was considered armed and dangerous.

At about 8:30 a.m. Sunday, the sheriffs office said Nix had been taken into custody overnight in Charleston.

Information about how deputies connected Nix to Rainey and her death, and how they tracked him down in Charleston, was not available.

There was no word on a motive for the shooting.

The death continues to be investigated by the coroners office and sheriffs office.

No bond has been set for Nix, whos being held at the Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston, jail records show.

Nix is also facing charges from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for two counts of kidnapping and assault and battery, according to jail records.

Since 2009, Nix has been convicted of multiple crimes, including assault, Charleston County court records show.
A woman is charged with aggravated assault after police say she stabbed a man who gave her a ride.

Floyd County police say at 4:30 am on Tuesday, August 8, the victim dropped off Josie Laine Barker at the location she requested in Lindale, Georgia.

The victim told police Barker got out of his car, came around to his door, opened it and stabbed him with a knife he had given her earlier in the morning.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The victim said there was no confrontation prior to being stabbed.

According to police, the blade was about eight inches long.

Barker was charged with felony aggravated assault.

Police did not provide details on the victims condition after the stabbing.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center on Sunday renewed a yellow alert for rainstorms as heavy downpours are expected to lash multiple regions of the country.

From 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. Monday, heavy downpours and rainstorms are forecast to hit regions including Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Chongqing, Hubei, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangdong, Qinghai and Xinjiang, according to the center.

Some parts of these regions are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation surpassing 60 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales.

The center has suggested that dangerous outdoor power supplies be cut in low-lying areas, outdoor operations be suspended in open areas, and people in at-risk areas or residing in at-risk buildings be relocated to safe sites.

China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. 
Shatun (his nom de guerre) is a member of the National Guard of Ukraine. He was born in Sumy Oblast. Today he takes an active part in the battles near Kreminna, where he performs many important tasks.

The National Guardsman told us his story.

Shatun currently works as an armoured personnel carrier driver and mechanic. When the full-scale war began, he was serving with the 15th Slavic Regiment, which he joined after completing his military service.

Shatun carried out defensive operations in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, transporting personnel and delivering ammunition.

Photo: National Guard of Ukraine

"It can be tough at times. Sometimes vehicles can break down at just the wrong moment. Then you need to react quickly to save yourself and the guys," Shatun says.

He also recalled the defence of Sloviansk, which is highly significant because of its strategic position. Shatun says the Russians should not have been allowed into the city. But his comrades had to retreat because they were getting to the city centre.

"We stayed in the vicinity of the city for quite a while. Time passed, and we were tasked with moving to the Kreminna front," says Shatun.

Finally, he recalled the evacuation measures in the Serebrianka Forest. He says things are extremely difficult there because the soldiers are constantly under fire.

"The enemy outnumbers us in terms of artillery. The road is under their fire control. When you go to a firing position, you can't make a mistake because, let's say, 200 metres, and the enemy is right there. They attack you before you manage to reach your position. But we're standing our ground - no one's going to run away," Shatun says.

Earlier, we told the story of a National Guardsman who survived battles near Kreminna.

Weve also written about a serviceman with the call sign Scar who participated in combat operations in the Serebrianka Forest.

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 said via his Telegram channel on Friday that he'd dismissed the heads of Ukraine's regional-military committees as investigations into corruption in Ukraine's armed-forces recruitment continue. Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo

In one poll, 77.6% of surveyed Ukrainians said Zelenskyy was responsible for government corruption.

The survey included 2,011 interviews with people from 135 settlements in Ukraine.

It came out as Zelenskyy dismissed all the heads of Ukraine's regional-military committees.

Nearly all surveyed Ukrainians  89%  in a newly released survey said corruption was the country's most serious problem after the war against Russia. The poll came out as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched an investigation into bribery related to military recruitment.

A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, in cooperation with the US Agency for International Development project "Support of Leader Organizations in Combating Corruption in Ukraine," found that: "Second only to the war, corruption is perceived as the most serious problem in Ukraine by 89% of citizens.

"Despite a notable improvement in the public perception of corruption prevalence, 94% of respondents still consider corruption to be pervasive across Ukraine."

The survey was conducted in winter and included interviews with over 13,000 people, including internally and externally displaced Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, over 75% of Ukrainians in a second survey said they believed that Zelenskyy was responsible for corruption in the country's military and government administrations, Interfax-Ukraine, a Ukrainian news agency, said.

Interfax reported that in the survey  which it said the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology carried out for the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation think tank  77.6% of surveyed Ukrainians said they believed that the president was "directly responsible" for the corruption. The report cited a statement by the think tank's executive director, Petro Burkovskyy.

"Procrastination in solving problems that undermine people's faith in victory will also hit the president himself," Burkovskyy said.

The Interfax-Ukraine report said that for the second survey, the institute carried out 2,011 interviews in July with people from 135 settlements in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy: Recruitment bribes at a time of war is 'high treason'

On Friday, Zelenskyy said he dismissed the heads of Ukraine's regional-military committees as investigations into corruption in Ukraine continued, particularly in its armed-forces recruitment.

"We are dismissing all regional military commissars," a statement on Zelenskyy's official Telegram channel said. "This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery during war is high treason."

The military officials are accused of taking cash and cryptocurrency bribes or helping people eligible to be called up to fight to flee Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a video posted on social media, BBC News reported.

Last month, Ukrainian investigators detained the former military commissioner of the Odesa region on charges of illegal enrichment, dereliction of duty, and evading military service, local reports said.

Investigators allege that he and his family bought property in Spain and luxury automobiles worth $4 million.

There are about 1,795 military commissars in Ukraine, of whom about 135 are under surveillance by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, Newsweek reported.

The commissars, Zelenskyy's Telegram message added, will be replaced by "soldiers who have been to the front or who cannot be in the trenches because they have lost their health, lost their limbs, but have retained their dignity and have no cynicism  they can be entrusted with this recruitment system."

Corruption scandals have plagued Ukraine during recent years, with then-Vice President Joe Biden saying in 2015 that it was eating the country "like a cancer."

Read the original article on Business Insider
AMHERST  Utility-scale solar facilities and adding potential zoning rules to regulate them generated heavy discussion among the Amherst County Planning Commission during an Aug. 7 work session.

Amherst County currently allows utility-scale solar projects where companies produce energy from panels and sell to electric providers Appalachian Power Company and Central Virginia Electric Cooperative. Tyler Creasy, the countys director of community development, said the commissions review of further regulations on solar pertain only to utility-scale projects and not residents who put solar panels on their homes.

The county currently allows utility-scale solar farms as a special exception use in the Agricultural Residential, A-1; three residential zoning districts  R1, R2 and R3  and industrial districts, or M-1. Creasy asked the commission if those regulations should be reduced or expanded, which generated discussion on potential changes.

Creasy said he would have to confer with the county on any further potential zoning measures before they can move forward.

The commission discussed potentially not allowing solar farms west of the U.S. 29 Business corridor unless in an M-1 district and allowing the current regulations to continue east of U.S. 29.

Commissioner Leslie Gamble said the thinking behind not having them west of U.S. 29 except in M-1 districts is to protect viewsheds.

What we took into account when we talked about east of U.S. 29 is that we know thats where the growth is coming and we have already invested in utilities in that area, Gamble said. We have to be very cautious because the Virginia 130 corridor coming in is going to be a gateway. Preferably we would like it in an industrial area rather than R-1, A-1, but we wanted to further protect the viewsheds along Tobacco Row Mountain.

Commissioners also discussed limiting solar farm operations to 10 megawatts and 100 acres in size, including areas apart from where panels would go.

As technology improves and they have better resources with these solar panels, they may not have a need for such large amount of acreage, Gamble said.

Two solar farms county officials approved zoning for in 2021 and 2022 are east of U.S. 29 on locations near the intersection of U.S. 60 East and Union Hill Road, and on Izaak Walton Road. One of the projects was five megawatts and the other does not exceed 10 megawatts  both passed with no significant public oppositions at two public hearings each.

A third solar operation in the Piney River area of Virginia 151 right at the Nelson County border proposed by Energix US, LLC seeks a 50-megawatt facility. The proposal received a recommendation of denial from the commission in March and the company decided to revise plans to scale back acreage before the zoning application could advance to the Amherst County Board of Supervisors.

The Piney River Solar Project is headed back to the commission for review and a public hearing at 7 p.m. Aug. 17. More than a handful of residents spoke against it or raised concerns with effects on views during the commissions March public hearing.

Andrew Proctor, chair of the Economic Development Authority of Amherst Countys board of directors who serves as a liaison to the commission, said the potential measure of prohibiting utility-scale solar facilities west of U.S. 29 in most cases drew good, healthy discussion.

If youre looking at west of U.S. 29, the topography is a lot steeper, Proctor said. You would have a hard time finding 100 acres that gets the appropriate sun and a lot of views get impacted. If you look at east of U.S. 29, its a lot flatter ground but it gets closer to the river.

Commissioner Michal Bryant said the only issue he has with putting them into industrial-zoned areas is they are taking up land for industrial and business-type uses that bring major revenue to the county.

Thats where we get the highest revenue for property  weve got to be careful, Bryant said. If that becomes the easy route and they buy up those areas, you wont have the industrial properties.

Bryant said from a land use perspective, industrial sites are best used for manufacturing-style operators because they are close to railroads, highways and have better access to those transportation sources. By contrast, he said solar facilities are often quiet and work better away from densely populated areas.

Gamble said solar operations have nothing to do with agriculture as far as land use, though the word farm typically is used in explaining them.

A concern Bryant mentioned in adding more regulations to restrict them is potentially opening up the county to lawsuits. Are we taking away a right that legally people should have? he asked.

Solar is its own animal, Commissioner Jim Thompson said. Its become a hot topic.

Other potential measures discussed include requiring a post-construction safety plan and third-party inspections for building, erosion and sediment control review. Commissioner Michael Martineau said he likes the idea of third-party inspections.

Thats a huge burden on staff, Martineau said.

Gamble said the county should be notified of cases where companies applying for utility-scale solar projects have been fined by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for any violations in other sites. Creasy said such a requirement could be written into the site plan requirements.

We need to know these things and not go in there blind, Gamble said.

The commission also discussed a potential cap of acreage throughout the county for utility-scale projects. Creasy said a sample calculation on a measure by the state mandating a certain percentage of clean energy by 2050 comes out to 1,397 acres in Amherst County.

The commission discussed a potential cap of 100 acres up until that 1,397-acre threshold is met  Creasy told the commission so far, the county has taken up about 60 acres. If a current site is decommissioned, that could open up more acreage to go toward that number, Commissioner Derin Foor said.

If we make it too small it wouldnt be worthwhile for the solar company, Bryant said.

Creasy noted county zoning is a living document and could be amended at any time.

Bryant suggested more buffering in the zoning ordinance for commercial solar operations and said he liked a 40-year buffer screening visibility along Virginia 151 for the Piney River project.

We want to screen this more than other uses, Bryant said. I think thats a reasonable requirement.

No measures discussed during the work session are final. Creasy said he would come back in upcoming weeks with more information on ordinance changes.

Piney River solar hearing set

Energix representatives were available at the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail at the Amherst-Nelson border on Aug. 9 to meet with anyone interested in learning more about the Piney River Solar Project. Shawn Hershberger, project developer, said the goal is to raise awareness about the revised application and answer questions as the special exception use application comes back for the public hearing process beginning Aug. 17.

Hershberger said less land is being used and a fixed-tilt system for the panels allows them to be placed closer together and maximize the sites output. Doing that, we were able to carve down the amount of acreage we have to use to hit our 50-megawatt requirement, he said.

According to Hershberger, anyone on the railway trail, driving on Virginia 151 near the site or living near it, wont see the panels because of the natural lay of the land and extensive buffering the company is pursuing.

We love this site, Hershberger said during a walk on the rail about 200 feet away from where the panels are proposed. Its uniquely positioned from this type of use. From a viewshed perspective, you cant find a more naturally hidden site than this one. We feel extremely confident about the project we laid out, especially with the changes we were able to incorporate over the last couple of months.

The panels at a maximum will be 12 feet tall, he said, and the sites features include a manmade berm that also will help screen it. Its physically impossible to see this panel from here, he said from a spot on the trial about 200 feet away.

Hershberger said the company tried to exceed the requirements in the zoning ordinance where possible.

We believe that its always a best practice to exceed what the expectations are, Hershberger said. What we believe will happen is after this is built people wont know it is there. All it will do is generate renewable, clean energy with panels made by U.S. manufacturers and be a consistent taxpayer and neighbor and member of Amherst County.
Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MONDAY TO 10 PM CDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 112 expected. Minimum overnight temperatures are forecast to remain at or above 75 degrees. * WHERE...Portions of west central Iowa and east central and northeast Nebraska. * WHEN...From noon Monday to 10 PM CDT Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1. &&
Egypts Ministry of Health signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday August 9 with French Gustave Roussy National Cancer Institute to upgrade and raise the standards of Egyptian public hospitals, Ahram Online reports.

The MoU will, according to the ministry, improve the quality and efficiency of public health facilities and enhance public-private partnerships in the sector. The French institutes contribution is expected to pump new investments into the health sector and strengthen the presence of the private sector in the Egyptian market.

In a separate deal between the three sides, Dar El Salam-Hermel Cancer Center in Cairo will transition into a branch of the French institute in Egypt. The ministry and Gustave Roussy National Cancer Institute also agreed to form a series of strategic partnerships, cooperating on capacity-building initiatives and supporting human resources working in health, sustaining Egypts initiatives in the healthcare sector, and partnering for joint clinical and scientific research.

They equally will develop a strategic partnership to train and educate health workers.
Defense Minister of the Central African Republic (CAR) Claude Rameaux Bireau is set to visit Russia next week amid talks between the two countries for Moscow to set up a military base in the African country now very close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CAR ambassador to Russia Leon Dodonu-Punagaza told the media about the visit, adding that the minister will visit the Army 2023 Forum with a delegation.

Russias capital Moscow will host from August 14 to 20 Army International Military-Technical Forum.

Organized by the Russian Defense ministry, the expo is reportedly the third large-scale event by the ministry and brings together representatives of large Russian and foreign companies of the military industrial complex, leading research and development institutes as well as project and design offices.

The event comes few weeks after the July-held Second Russia-Africa Summit.

At that Summit, CARs leader Faustin-Archange Touadera indicated that Russias assistance has allowed the central African country to gain peace and stability in recent years.

The African leader also said that his country counts on Russias assistance in combating the ongoing terrorist threat. Both CAR and Russia are currently discussing plans for Moscow to build military base in the African country.

President Putin during the Summit assured that Moscow will support the leadership of the Central African Republic in its work to strengthen the countrys defense capability and sovereignty.
The Algerian regime has openly expressed its firm opposition to any military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against the putschists who toppled elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

Algeria says it opposes any military operation in Niamey for security reasons due to the fragile and instable situation in the Sahel. But in reality, the ruling Algerian junta fears that such as military action will enhance the influence of neighboring Morocco.

According to a report by online Maghreb Intelligence magazine, ECOWAS includes many friends and allies of Morocco such as Cote dIvoire, Senegal, Benin This makes the ruling Algerian junta extremely nervous over a military action that will bring in geopolitical changes consolidating Moroccos regional power.

Algerian intelligence reports say Morocco can provide logistical support and valuable intelligence to facilitate ECOWAS military operation, sending shockwaves across the Algerian military establishment.

As the pressure is building from the US, France and the EU, the UN, African Union and ECOWAS, the military option is gaining steam, making the Algerian regime facing their worst nightmare.

Following the West African leaders meeting held Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote dIvoire said the West African bloc has approved military intervention in Niger as soon as possible to remove its military rulers following last months coup. We are determined to restore president Bazoum to his functions.

Earlier, in Abuja, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray had announced the deployment of the blocs force.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for a non-violent solution to reverse the coup, praising the determination of ECOWAS to explore all options for the peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The West African bloc is playing a key role in making clear the imperative of a return to constitutional order in Niger, and we very much support ECOWAS leadership and work on this, said Secretary Blinken.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary met in Washington with Algerian FM Ahmed Attaf to discuss bilateral relations and consult on shared efforts to de-escalate conflict and advance regional stability, including in the Sahel, according to a press release issued by the State Department.

The question now is whether the putschists back down and will the West leave the Sahel, allowing the Jihadists to take control over the sub-Saharan region.

The U.S. has 1,100 US troops at two military bases, including the massive drone base at Agades, while France has 2,500 soldiers who have re-deployed from Mali as the Nigerien army would not be able to stem the two jihadist advances. These are: from Nigerias Boko Haram in the southeast; and the Islamic State affiliated Etat islamique dans le Grand Sahara (EIGS) in the southwests three borders Liptako-Gourma region. Both could fall into the hands of Islamist extremists.

Some experts say Niger could be fragmented along north-south lines, following a rebellion by the Agades region against the countys new rulers.

Agades is Africas largest single administrative region and already enjoys a considerable degree of autonomy from Niamey which is around 1,000 kms away. Its predominantly Tuareg population, plus a few small Arab and Toubou-Teda tribes, is very supportive of President Mohamed Bazoum. Tension is always brewing between Agades and Niamey.

According to Western intelligence reports, if the Nigerien military putschists remain in power and if there is an increasing Russian presence as there has been in Mali and Burkina Faso, the scenario of civil war and Agades breakaway, like Azawad in neighboring Mali, is very likely. This means that Algeria has also to face Azawad rebels seeking their independence and lands taken during French colonial era.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images

Its been 234 years since the French Revolution, and our primary metaphor for categorizing people politically remains a reference to seating arrangements at the first National Assembly. Which is a bit odd.

Of course, the left to right spatial metaphor has some timeless virtues. On many issues, there is a clear continuum between those who demand revolutionary change to achieve equality and those who counsel counterrevolutionary measures to preserve a hierarchy. But the schema also has some obvious problems. Political conflict is not unidimensional. There are people who favor socialist economic change but oppose, say, drug legalization, and vice versa. And many civic questions divide groups that each claim to be upholding the more egalitarian (or traditionalist) position.

Another difficulty arises from the disparate ways we apply the metaphor. In some contexts, your position on the left-to-right spectrum is an index of your commitment to equality, which is to say its an expression of your core political values. In other contexts, however, it merely describes your intuitions on questions of fact, such as the likely consequences of a given economic policy or the likely efficacy of a given political strategy.

This dual usage presents a few problems. For one, it leads many to equate empirical questions with moral ones. You cannot determine precisely how much progressive change a majority of voters in a given election will be willing to abide by reflecting on your own ideological convictions. Yet many people allow such convictions to dictate their judgment on questions of fact, while others interpret pessimistic assessments of political possibility as betrayals of egalitarian (or, on the right, conservative) principles.

A minor argument among members of the Democratic Socialists of America this week illustrates this point. The organization recently elected a new national political committee, and its most revolutionary factions gained seats. This led their sympathizers to euphorically declare, we WON A LEFT-WING MAJORITY. Socialists more disposed to electoral theories of change took umbrage at this statement. After all, in anti-capitalist circles, ones position on the left-to-right spectrum is often taken as a measure of virtue. It seemed uncomradely, therefore, for the DSAs revolutionaries to describe the groups internal divisions spatially since the right and left of U.S. politics want fundamentally different things; in DSA, we share a vision for an end to capitalism; we just differ on how best to get there.

A tendency to equate moral values with empirical judgments may be especially prevalent at the far poles of United States politics. But it rears its head in more mainstream debates, too. Indeed, centrists are plenty capable of letting their ideological commitments dictate their evaluations of economic data or political reality.

In any case, the way the left-to-right metaphor can conflate normative and empirical questions is unfortunate. In some circles, it effectively forbids an unblinkered analysis of political reality while promoting animosity between factions that hold the same basic moral commitments.

One way to elucidate these points is to examine the roots of blue Americas myriad internal divides. To an extent, I think which type of progressive one is hinges on how one answers four questions: two normative, two empirical. What Ive drawn up here isnt remotely a comprehensive model of ideology in the U.S. For one thing, it focuses exclusively on the economic dimension of ideological disagreement, and even within that sphere, its pretty reductive. Still, I think these queries provide a rough outline of divisions at the left of center and an illustration of how many of our most vituperative arguments are rooted in questions of fact, about which reasonable people can disagree.

1.

This is arguably the fundamental normative question dividing the left and right, in the broadest sense of those terms, in the U.S. There are some heterodox right-wingers who prioritize a traditionalist conception of the common good over individual property rights, but most conservatives in Congress believe people have a strong moral claim to their market income, which they earn in an uncomplicated sense. In this view, the countrys economic institutions are essentially fair, an individuals earnings are a gauge of their contributions to the nations prosperity, and they therefore have a natural right to dispose of those earnings as they see fit.

That right is not wholly inviolable. The government must collect some taxes to finance public safety, the national defense, and a few other core functions. But these taxes are necessary evils that should be minimized to the furthest possible extent.

Just about everyone to the left of center (i.e., every type of progressive) rejects this moral reasoning. They observe that the correlation between activities that generate high market incomes and those that produce social value is extremely imperfect. A hedge-fund manager earns exponentially more than a great middle-school science teacher, but the formers expertise at gaining the upper hand in zero-sum financial transactions contributes much less to the general welfare than a gifted educators pedagogy. Similarly, some writers who scribble navel-gazing blog posts about the nature of ideology earn higher salaries than health aides who care for the elderly and infirm, yet society could get by just fine without columns like this one, while it would become barbarous if every nursing-home worker suddenly withdrew their services.

Separately, progressives contend that high earners are not the sole authors of their own prosperity. Their acquisition of skills is underwritten by collectively financed and maintained social institutions. The productivity of their enterprises is enhanced by public infrastructure. In many cases, their incomes are inflated by unjust labor practices or statist economic rules, such as the patent protections that juice the returns on intellectual property.

Finally, on a more philosophical level, even qualities that seem innate to individuals are attributable to forces larger than themselves. No one determines their own diligence and intelligence through sheer personal agency. A combination of genetic endowments and early-life environmental conditions goes a long way toward structuring our personalities. To the extent that mere fortune determines these differences, there is little justice in consigning the unlucky to the markets verdict on their entitlement to a high standard of living.

Not everyone left of center endorses all of these arguments. And some believe individuals perceptions of entitlement to their market income deserve some consideration. But ultimately, to be on the broad left in the U.S. is to believe the primary measure of an economic orders justice is its success in promoting the collective good, not in maximizing the liberty of the propertied.

2.

Those who agree that individual property rights must be subordinate to the general welfare can disagree about the latters definition. Indeed, there is likely a near infinity of ways to conceive of the collective good; I cant possibly provide a comprehensive account here. But to demonstrate the limitations of the left-to-right metaphor, it may be sufficient to describe three broad answers to this question.

Virtually every type of progressive sees some value in material prosperity, ecological health, and worker autonomy. But disparate factions place varying degrees of emphasis on these goods.

Cornucopians believe the general welfare is best advanced by maximizing material prosperity in relatively conventional terms. They recognize the importance of environmental sustainability and other quality-of-life concerns, but they contend that technological progress and economic growth are liberatory forces that free humans from needless toil and deprivation. And they insist humans can reconcile further technological advances and increases in consumption with ecological limits. Thus, they favor economic institutions that will maximize material plenty.

Greens, by contrast, are uninterested in maximizing consumer welfare as conventionally understood. They insist the capacity to purchase a wide variety of goods contributes less to human happiness than people tend to think. And they believe the welfare of nonhuman animals and the natural world must be given a great deal of weight in any just conception of the common good. Beyond these normative commitments, Greens believe it is empirically impossible to reconcile ecological sustainability with dramatic and sustained increases in economic growth. They therefore favor economic institutions that reduce humanitys negative impacts on the rest of the biosphere while advancing our species well-being in nonmaterialistic ways, such as through expansions in leisure time and improvements in air and water quality.

Liberationists, meanwhile, put a premium on minimizing the unfreedom and alienation of working people. They care more about eliminating exploitative labor relations than maximizing prosperity as conventionally defined. They would concede that a fully democratic economy may not produce as much as a market-oriented one but that the right to exercise autonomy over ones working life is more important than material plenty.

Obviously, there are potential overlaps between these perspectives. Some Cornucopians believe the purpose of maximizing plenty is to enable workers to live more autonomous lives without suffering reductions in living standards. Those concerned with ending class exploitation are often also committed to animal liberation. My point here is just that material plenty, environmental justice, and worker autonomy are distinct goods. And disparate factions on the broad left put different degrees of emphasis on each one.

To the extent that the left to right spectrum gets overlaid across these viewpoints, Greens and Liberationists tend to be described as more left-wing than Cornucopians since the formers values are more antithetical to those of our existing economic order. But trying to characterize these divisions with reference to points on a single continuum doesnt make much sense. To put a somewhat greater premium on maximizing living standards for the least well off than on minimizing environmental disruption does not make one less egalitarian than someone with the opposite priorities in any clear-cut sense.

3.

Even those who share a conception of the collective economic good may disagree about precisely which institutions are most likely to bring it about.

Among Cornucopians, there are Left Neoliberals who believe that loosely regulated markets combined with a strong social-welfare state will maximize prosperity. In this view, though markets and private-capital ownership are not morally sacrosanct, they happen to have beneficent practical effects. The price mechanism is an unparalleled technology for aggregating the economic desires of large groups of people. The markets inequalities channel humanitys innate desire for prosperity and status into activities that produce utility for the collective. And widely distributed capital ownership serves as a check against the threat of centralized power. The private sector is not a sufficient manager of the economy. The state must correct market failures, such as its inability to price the externalized costs of production (e.g., pollution). And the government must ensure that the least well off benefit from collective prosperity by redistributing wealth through cash transfers and social programs.

But then there are Cornucopian Socialists who believe market capitalism generates more material scarcity and social injustice than a democratically planned economy would. After all, the number of economic activities that are socially useful is far larger than the number that are profitable. Under contemporary capitalism, Americas poor are often confined to overcrowded, low-quality housing, or else to the streets, since it is not profitable to build nice, comfortable homes for people of their station. Under socialism, by contrast, the demos could choose to make housing drastically more abundant than it is under capitalism.

Social Democratic Cornucopians, meanwhile, exist somewhere between these two poles.

Its obviously coherent to describe proponents of a planned economy as more left-wing than champions of Left Neoliberalism. But at least in principle, a person who is as ideologically committed to the interests of the working class as a socialist could nevertheless arrive at the empirical conclusion that a mixed economy will advance those interests better than a planned one. Indeed, this does seem to be the overwhelming view of actual working-class people in advanced industrial economies, however flawed their understanding of political economy may be.

Similar empirical disagreements divide our other ideological groups. Among Greens, there are Ecoliberals who believe a mixed economy with extensive environmental regulations would best balance the competing imperatives of human and ecological flourishing, and there are Ecosocialists who believe only a planned economy can reconcile these two ends.

Statist Liberationists, meanwhile, believe the dual imperatives of abolishing labor exploitation and ensuring the performance of socially necessary labor can be accomplished only through a centralized authority with a monopoly on violence. Anarcho-liberationists, by contrast, believe properly liberated individuals will be sufficiently altruistic and communitarian to organize themselves economically without the aid of state institutions.

4.

Finally, even among those who agree completely about what the end goal of political economy should be, there are disagreements about how best to pursue that ideal.

So within every ideological faction listed above, there are Electoral Optimists and Electoral Pessimists. The former believe there is either (1) already a latent democratic majority for their cause or (2) a way to create such a majority through advocacy in the very near term. The latter group, by contrast, believes most Americans reject their vision and cant be persuaded to adopt it in the near term (at least, given durable facts about the nations media and civic environment).

Then there are further divisions within these groups. Some Electoral Optimists are Democratic Reformers who seek to unlock their latent majoritarian support by pressuring the Democratic Party into embracing their agenda through primary challenges, organizing, and advocacy. Others are Iconoclasts who believe they can tap into that majority by organizing an independent third party to advocate for their program in an unabashed and uncompromising fashion.

Some pessimists, meanwhile, are Harm Reducers who believe the Democratic Party should flout its own normative preferences on some subjects for the sake of ensuring the rights disempowerment. Post-electoral Pessimists, by contrast, simply disengage from partisan politics to focus on other forms of political activity that will theoretically advance their preferences more effectively, such as union organizing, consumer boycotts, shareholder activism, or violent revolution.

Anyhow, take the seven distinct ideological tendencies sketched above (Left Neoliberals, Cornucopian Socialists, Cornucopian Social Democrats, Ecoliberals, Ecosocialists, Statist Liberationists, Anarcho-liberationists), multiply them by the four distinct strategic tendencies within each one (Democratic Reformers, Iconoclasts, Harm Reducers, and Post-electoral Pessimists), and you get 28 different types of progressives.

Of course, all these names are silly and the categories somewhat arbitrary. My main aim here is just to demonstrate that our ideological orientations are determined by a combination of normative and empirical judgments. And when the left to right metaphor leads us to conflate the two, it can undermine both our intellectual honesty and our generosity.

This point is best illustrated by the way we characterize the lefts internal disagreements on that fourth question.

Generally speaking, within the most progressive ideological tendencies, we tend to say that both Democratic Reformers and Iconoclasts are more left-wing than Harm Reducers. In fact, since we are so far away from the point at which the normative disputes between, say, Democratic Socialists and socialists have political relevance, the most prominent debates within blue America often concern fundamentally empirical questions about political reality. As a result, the discourses litmus test for belonging to a given ideological group is frequently a question of fact rather than ultimate value: Is one Democratic candidate significantly more likely to win a general election than another? Would Democrats campaigning on [insert position] dramatically increase the probability of Republican victories?

Its perfectly coherent to say that someone who believes the Democratic Party should campaign on the abolition of factory farming is to the left of someone who believes the party shouldnt take a strong stance against that atrocity. But if the latter person is herself a vegan who simply believes the primary consequence of Joe Bidens calling for a drastic reduction in the supply of cheap meat would be to ensure Donald Trumps election, then this description is a bit misleading. The true measure of a persons commitment to egalitarianism cant be their degree of indifference to public opinion.

This is what makes the conflation of normative and empirical questions so ill advised. Most people generally develop their ideological commitments before they acquire informed opinions about the bounds of political possibility. Typically, you need to feel a deep investment in certain political outcomes before youll bother to parse the General Social Survey, voter file data, trends in the electoral behavior of demographic groups, etc. To the extent that your ideological identity forbids you to impartially analyze such evidence  or simply prohibits the consideration of certain factual conclusions  youre going to be at a high risk of doing something counterproductive. After all, though it is possible that the truth about the practical consequences of a given political tactic will always be convenient for your moral preferences, there is no reason to expect this to be unerringly the case.

In the 2020 election, Bernie Sanders was the candidate who best represented my political beliefs. But the most salient debate in that years Democratic primary did not concern the relative desirability of single-payer health care or a public option. Rather, it was whether the races progressive candidates would have a significantly lower chance of defeating Trump than its moderate ones would. This was the question that most concerned Democratic primary voters, whose main objective was to exile a racist demagogue from the White House.

As a pundit, I had a responsibility to provide some factually grounded insights into this question. As a progressive, it would have been incredibly difficult for me to do this if the facts had indicated that Sanders would indeed be a highly risky general-election candidate. Fortunately, the best available indicators of electability  the candidates approval ratings and standings in hypothetical general-election polls  both indicated Sanders would be competitive against Trump. There were reasons to wonder whether this would remain the case after the GOP invested billions into fomenting a new red scare. Still, there was some basis for me to say what my ideological in-group wanted to hear.

If Sanders hadnt run, however, and Elizabeth Warren had been the sole standard-bearer of the Democrats progressive wing, I would have been in a less comfortable position. Virtually all available data indicated that Warren would have been a relatively weak general-election candidate. In her Senate contests, she had consistently underperformed the partisan lean of her state. One poll in May 2019 found that only 43 percent of Massachusetts voters expressed a favorable opinion of Warren. In the New York Times polling of hypothetical general-election matchups in battleground states, Warren had the advantage over Trump only in Arizona. Biden, by contrast, bested Trump in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Florida.

Analytically, I believed it was more likely than not that Biden would give Democrats a better chance of victory than Warren in November 2020. But if it had been a two-person race between them and I had been asked to weigh in on that question, I would have had some difficulty in forthrightly saying what I thought was true. To do so would have been to mark myself as an adversary of the movement I most identified with and a defender of the Democrats right wing.

And yet, in hindsight, it seems hard to argue that it was unambiguously in the progressive movements best interests for the Democratic Party to nominate Warren instead of Biden in 2020. Ultimately, only tens of thousands of votes separated Biden from Trump in the Electoral Colleges decisive battlegrounds. Given that polling that year tended to overrepresent college-educated voters with high levels of social trust  one of Warrens core constituencies  there is reason to doubt that surveys had underestimated her electoral strength. Meanwhile, it now seems clear that progressives greatly overestimated the actual substantive distinctions between a Biden presidency and a Warren presidency in 2020. Biden did not impose the ideological limit on legislative possibility during his first two years in office; Joe Manchin did. The White Houses economic team and regulatory appointments, meanwhile, have consisted largely of Warrenites.

At the very least, with the information we now have, it is plausible that the progressive movement would have done grievous damage to its own goals had it persuaded Democratic primary voters to ignore evidence of Warrens weakness. Yet because we conflate normative questions of ideological commitment with empirical ones of political reality, it would have been very difficult for any progressive in good standing to make the case for taking that evidence seriously in 2020 had there not been an alternative left-wing standard-bearer in the race.

The left to right spectrum can provide a useful way to describe a given persons or factions degree of commitment to social equality. It can also be a useful way to describe the degree of radicalism they deem tactically prudent. But we shouldnt confuse one usage of the spatial metaphor with the other. Equating moral judgments with empirical ones renders an ideological tendency less capable of adapting intelligently to new information. And it drives needless hostility between people who share a fundamental commitment to making this world kinder to the least fortunate.
An Auburn graduate and professor have teamed up to develop a tissue growing process that could potentially revolutionize cancer research.

Yuan Tian and Elizabeth Lipke will present their process at the Alabama Launchpad finals in Auburn on Aug 17. Theyll compete for a chance to win $25,000.

Tian and Lipke co-founded the bio-medical company VivoSphere in 2022. The company is one of three local startups participating in the statewide incubator program.

Individuals with the Auburn startups Autonoma Inc and NanoPrintech Inc. will also compete in the statewide contest.

Tian and Lipke have created 3-D modeling technology that allows them to grow human tissue outside of the human body. It allows them to put cells, for instance cancer cells or induced stem cells, into the tissue and study the effects.

The process allows them to simulate a real-life environment for the cells to grow in and interact with. Its a change from the traditional 2-D space that scientists typically culture cancer cells in.

It can be used towards different applications, said Tian, a 2020 chemical engineering graduate. If we put cancer cells in there, it becomes a mini tumor we can grow inside the lab. And if we put stem cells in there, we have our patented technology to drive that towards heart muscle cells. That can be used as therapeutics in the long term.

Lipke, chemical engineering professor at Auburn University, said the process will also allow them to do drug testing on in vitro models instead of using animal models.

One of the reasons is that were not mice, Lipke said. We need to have ways that we can generate models that are much more similar to human tumors and human cancer and replicate  recapitulate  the aspects of human tumors that are driving disease progression.

The two biomedical innovators said they are interested in scalable production of the cells they create. Lipke said they are currently able to encapsulate a million cells inside of a couple of minutes. That production level will allow them to commercialize their process.

Compared to the 2-D, our 3-D is more human mimicking, Tian said. Compared to the competing technology, were also more human mimicking and also we can make a lot of them very quickly, which is also advantageous for us.

As Tian and Lipke developed VivoSphere, they won $50,000 in a launch competition though the Auburn University Intellectual Property Office. They used the prize money to build their initial prototype. The competition was part of Auburn Universitys New Venture Accelerator program.

Now Tian and Lipke have their eyes set on Alabama Launchpad. They are competing in the final round of the incubator competitions concept stage category with a $25,000 prize.

However, Tian says the competition is more than just the money. Over the past year, Alabama Launchpad has also provided them with training in finances, marketing, management and pitching ideas.

It was all great, Tian said. I was able to build some connections, and also most importantly, learn the things we dont even know we dont know. Its important. We feel like we know everything, but if we start just building the company like that, its probably going south because were missing important parts.

Tian says if they win Alabama Launchpad, theyll use the winnings and knowledge theyve gained to add more positions to their company, such as a chief commercial officer. He said that core team would continue to grow the VivoSphere.

Tian said he would like VivoSphere to help Alabama retain intellectual talent.

If we can together build a biotech ecosystem in the state of Alabama, Tian said, We can create the jobs that are suitable for people like me who are getting a biomedical engineering degrees and graduating and then they want to stay here. Now they can actually stay here and work here.

For more on Alabama Launchpad visit alabamalaunchpad.com
Chinas resumption of imports of Australian coal is upending coal trade in Asia once again, three years after a weakening of Chinese-Australian ties and the subsequent ban on Chinese purchases of coal from Australia.

Relations between the two countries deteriorated in 2020 after the Australian government called for an international inquiry into Beijings handling of the initial stages of the Covid pandemic. The call led to a retaliatory ban on Australian coal imports into one of the worlds biggest consumers of the commodity.

Early this year, China received the first shipment of Australian coal in two years as Beijing signaled it was warming up to restoring trade relations with its former major supplier of the fossil fuel.

Since then, Chinese imports of coal from Australia have soared, altering once again the trade patterns among Asias largest exporters and importers of coal.

China is relying on coal to avoid blackouts as the economy reopened after the Covid lockdowns. During the first half of this year, coal production, coal imports, and coal-fired electricity generation jumped and offset a significant decline in power output at Chinas massive hydropower capacity due to insufficient rainfall and drought.

Total Chinese coal imports surged by 67% year over year in July, and soared by 89% in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period of 2022, official data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs showed this week.

Australian coal is now flowing again to China, with arrivals at 5.45 million metric tons in July, compared to zero in December 2022, according to Kpler data reported by Clyde Russell, Asia Commodities and Energy Columnist at Reuters.

While China resumed purchases from Australia, it has reduced imports from Indonesia, which in turn has changed the coal flows to India, another major importer in Asia. India has reduced purchases from Australia and is ramping up imports from Indonesia, per Kpler estimates.

In a similar trade pattern, China has increased imports from Russia, while India has reduced Russian purchases.

Despite the second big shift in Asian coal trade in three years, prices havent spiked, suggesting the market is fairly balanced, Reuters Russell notes.

The Asian coal market is the most important market for the fuel and will be such in the future.

Driven by robust growth in coal consumption in Asia, global coal demand this year will remain at the record-high levels hit in 2022, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new report last month.

Last year, global coal demand increased by 3.3% to 8.3 billion tonsa new record-high, the agency said in its Coal Market Update.

This year, coal demand will inch up by 0.4% year-on-year, to 8.388 billion tons, due to continued growth in industrial coal use which would offset an expected small decline in coal-fired power generation, according to the IEA estimates.

Whether coal demand in 2023 grows or declines, will depend on weather conditions and on the economies of large coal consuming nations, the agency noted.

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The EU and the United States are leading the declines in coal use in the power sector, but Asia, especially China and India, more than offset these declines.

In China, the top global coal consumer, demand jumped by 5.5% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year due to very low hydro output so far this year, the IEA said. The agency sees Chinas coal demand rising by about 3.5% in 2023, with demand from the power sector up 4.5% and demand from non-power uses growing by 2%. In India, the total increase in coal demand is expected at 5% annually this year.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientists are investigating the promising hydrogen storage possibilities of the common Earth-abundant salt chemistry known as baking soda.

One of the most promising renewable energy carriers is clean hydrogen, when it is produced without fossil fuels. Its a promising idea because the most abundant element in the universe is hydrogen, found in 75 percent of all matter. Moreover, a hydrogen molecule has two paired atoms  Gemini twins that are both non-toxic and highly combustible. Hydrogens combustive potential makes it an attractive subject for energy researchers around the world.

That combustive potential and the storage issues are subject to intense research.

At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a team is investigating hydrogen as a medium for storing and releasing energy, largely by cracking its chemical bonds. Much of their work is linked to the Hydrogen Materials-Advanced Research consortium (HyMARC) at the Department of Energy (DOE).

Hydrogen storage not yet optimized

One PNNL research focus relates to optimizing hydrogen storage, a stubborn issue. To date, there is no completely safe, cost-effective, and energy-efficient way to store hydrogen at large scale.

PNNL researchers recently coauthored a paper that investigates a baking soda solution as a means of storing hydrogen. The study has already been dubbed a hot paper by the journal itself, Green Chemistry, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. That means that it has had a lot of clicks showing interest.

The hydrogen-based storage efforts at PNNL are funded by the DOEs Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The research advances the DOEs H2@Scale initiative as well as the agencys Hydrogen Shot.

The new papers two main authors are chemist and PNNL Laboratory Fellow Thomas Autrey and his colleague Oliver Gutierrez, an expert in making chemical reactions speedy and cost-effective.

You have to be a little creative, said Autrey, who is amused at how common, cheap, and mild baking soda is as a potential answer to a big problem. Not every chemical is going to be efficient at storing hydrogen. You have to work with what Mother Nature gives you.

Clean hydrogen for long-term energy needs

Autrey, Gutierrez, and others at PNNL see long-duration energy storage as the key to hydrogens future as a carrier of renewable energy.

Current battery technology is designed for several hours of storage. In a renewable energy grid, batteries can handle about 80 percent of storage needs.

But the last 20 percent will take unique approaches, said Autrey. We will want to store the excess energy to be prepared for Dunkelflaute.

Dunkelflaute is a German word describing conditions without enough solar and wind energy potential. During the dark, windless periods of Dunkelflaute, grids need a way to store energy for more than just several hours.

Seasonal storage capability like this is one of hydrogens attractions. So is the fact that hydrogen storage can happen anywhere that it is geographically agnostic, as experts say. Hydropower, for example, requires differences in elevation to store excess water to make power. Hydrogen storage requires no special conditions related to geography.

In addition, said Autrey, as scales get larger, hydrogen gets more economical. It is cheaper to buy a few additional hydrogen storage tanks than to buy a lot of batteries.

Finding the best way for hydrogen storage

Clean hydrogen has great promise as an energy source. A process called electrolysis, for instance, can split water into hydrogen and oxygen. In the best of worlds, the power for electrolysis would come from renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and geothermal.

However, there is one stubborn challenge: to produce hydrogen more cheaply.

To address that, in 2021 the DOE announced its Energy Earthshots initiative, a series of six steps to underwrite breakthroughs in clean-energy technology. Introduced first was the Hydrogen Shot, a quest to reduce the cost of hydrogen to from $5 to $1 per kilogram in a decade  an 80 percent reduction.

Beyond getting clean hydrogen production costs down, you have to figure out how to move and store it, said Autrey, which are steps that can send prices back up.

But finding the ideal medium for hydrogen storage has been elusive.

Hydrogen can be compressed into a gas, but that requires very high pressures  up to 10,000 pounds per square inch. A safe storage tank would need walls of very thick steel or expensive space-grade carbon fiber.

How about cryogenic liquid hydrogen? This is a proven storage medium but requires getting and keeping something so cold that peripheral energy costs are significant.

What seems to hold the most promise are molecules that are liquids, optimized to store and release hydrogen. Jamie Holladay, a sustainable energy expert, recently directed PNNL-led research on simpler and more efficient strategies for liquefying hydrogen.

Using such liquids as a storage medium have the advantage of keeping existing energy infrastructure in place, including pipelines, trucks, trains, and taker ships, said Gutierrez.

The bicarbonate-formate cycle

Want to bake cookies? Or store hydrogen energy? Baking soda could be the ticket. This mild, cheap sodium salt of bicarbonate is non-toxic and Earth-abundant.

Not baking soda exactly. The PNNL team is investigating the hydrogen energy storage properties of the long-studied bicarbonate-formate cycle. (Formate is a safe, mild liquid organic molecule.)

Heres how it works: Solutions of formate ions (hydrogen and carbon dioxide) in water carry hydrogen based on non-corrosive alkali metal formate. The ions react with water in the presence of a catalyst. That reaction makes hydrogen and bicarbonates the baking soda Autrey admires for its absence of environmental impacts.

With the right mild tweaks in pressure, the bicarbonate-formate cycle can be reversed. That provides an on-off switch for an aqueous solution that can alternately store or release hydrogen.

Before baking soda, the PNNL hydrogen storage team looked at ethanol as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier, the industrys blanket term for storage and transport media. In tandem, they developed a catalyst that releases the hydrogen.

Catalysts are designer additives that speed the processes used to make and break chemical bonds in an energy-efficient way.

In May 2023, for a project related to the PNNL effort, EERE granted OCOchem of Richland, Washington, $2.5 million in funding over two years to develop an electrochemical process that makes formate and formic acid from carbon dioxide. The process would bind carbon dioxide with the hydrogen located in waters iconic chemical bond, H2O.

In a partnership just starting, PNNL will develop ways to release hydrogen from the OCOchem products.

Hydrogen storage that looks like water

In the world of hydrogen storage research, the bicarbonate-formate cycle has created a buzz for quite some time. After all, it is based on materials that are abundant, non-flammable, and non-toxic.

The cycle is built on an aqueous storage solution so mild it looks like water, said Autrey. You can put out a fire with it.

But for formate-bicarbonate salts to become a viable means of storing hydrogen energy, researchers must still develop economically feasible scenarios. So far, the technology stores hydrogen at only 20 kilograms per cubic meter, compared to liquid hydrogens industry standard of 70.

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More fundamentally, said Autrey, researchers need a systems-level understanding of the required electrochemistry and catalysis. In engineering terms, to date, the idea of a workable bicarbonate-formate cycle has a low technical readiness level.

If we solve the catalysis problems, he added, we could get some real interest.

An amazing shiny thing

On the plus side, the salt solutions under consideration at PNNL release hydrogen upon reaction with water. They also operate at moderate temperatures and low pressures.

In theory, at least, as Autrey and Gutierrez describe in their 2023 paper, the bicarbonate-formate cycle represents a feasible green alternative for storing and transporting energy from hydrogen.

The baking soda idea is also at the nexus of what the 2023 paper calls several urgent scientific challenges.

Among them are how to make a hydrogen storage media from captured excess carbon dioxide. And even to use the same media to store electrons, which offers the promise of direct formate fuel cells.

In addition, the PNNL work could provide insights for catalysis in the aqueous (water) phase. For now, the PNNL team is using palladium as their candidate catalyst. Their efforts include finding ways to make the rare metal more stable, reusable, and longer-lived.

All in all, the baking soda idea is this amazing shiny thing for hydrogen storage, said Autrey. Whats exciting are the possibilities.

***

This is a really well done press release! Its quite informative even though the pro clean hydrogen bias comes strongly through.

As for combustion, technically, hydrogen ignites and burns although many would say it detonates and explodes. Hydrogen fires, clean hydrogen in particular, are not something anyone wants to be near. Atmosphere to hydrogen mixes as low as 4% hydrogen make a mighty big bang as anyone near a lead acid battery lighting off can attest. Your humble writer will Not be closer than 100 yards of one half liter of gaseous hydrogen. People seem unable to realize the danger clean hydrogen presents.

As for the storage issue the formate-bicarbonate idea has some quality legs. The main advantage is the stored hydrogen is in a greatly reduced level of danger. Whats is up for concern is the size, weight and costs to get the hydrogen into and out of the formate-bicarbonate. Then as noted, the catalyst matter and risks to operations might be assessed.

One does yet still wonder, as nature has figured out myriad ways to store huge amounts of hydrogen some hundreds of millions of years ago and natures endless exploration of ways to do everything it needs  still has one primary solution  bind up the hydrogen with carbon.

When one looks from a more wide perspective one does wonder about the sincerity of the clean hydrogen argument. The cost to benefit analysis looks quite certain that there is no clean hydrogen disruptive technology potential. But, there is a huge disruptive economic potential to exploit. The economic disruption is getting done via politics and media complicity. One day the consumers and taxpayers are going to find out just how badly they have been sacked.

By Brian Westenhaus via New Energy and Fuel

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When Sweden's new government took office, they abandoned the country's previous goal of "100% renewable" electricity in favor of a "100% fossil-free" target.

In the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak outraged environmentalists by saying his cabinet will issue hundreds of new oil and gas licenses for the North Sea if reelected.

A wave is rising across Europe and the United States, and it's a wave that should concern transition advocates, including those in government. Because that wave threatens to carry away their seats.

In the U.S., the trend that media have called a "greenlash" has mostly taken the form of conservative state governments challenging the legitimacy of ESG investment requirements.

In some cases, these governments have plainly stated that there is no legitimacy to these requirements, and they are, in fact, a form of discrimination against certain industries, chiefly oil and gas. As such, ESG investing had an issue with anti-monopoly legislation, those governments said, and made for good ground for lawsuits.

As a result of this push against ESG, many companies that were happy to wave around their ESG credentials suddenly discovered they were not really that strongly against oil and gas, as stated by BlackRock, JP Morgan, and others that Texas threatened with divestiture if they continued with their ESG push.

In Florida, state and local officials have no right to promote ESG investing, and municipalities are banned from issuing ESG bonds per a new law that Governor Ron DeSantis signed in May.

In Europe, the greenlash wave is taking the form of a rise to power of conservative parties, to replace liberal governments that focused on the transition. Sweden was the latest example. Before it, conservatives took power in Italy. In the Netherlands, the farmer's party that emerged in response to the former government's plan to essentially decimate the country's farming industry won strong support in local elections.

In Germany, meanwhile, the Green Party, which is part of the ruling coalition and, naturally, the strongest advocate for the transition, is falling out of favor with voters fast, while the conservative Alternative for Germany is gaining popularity.

According to a report by CNBC, the greenlash wave is a result of the fact that people are only now beginning to feel the costs of the transition with their wallets. The report makes sure to reference recent claims that July was the hottest on record in Europe this year and the UN's Antonio Guterres' grave statement that "The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived."

The comments below tweets citing Guterres' statement provide yet more evidence of that greenlash wave. Commentators are not buying the "global boiling" warning, it seems. Rather, they are mocking it and referencing the private jets climate change and transition leaders tend to use to get around.

As a result, according to Reuters, those climate change and transition leaders are starting to worry that their net-zero efforts could be in jeopardy. With several national elections plus a European parliament election next year, politicians are beginning to pay attention to the cost of climate change policies, the news outlet reports. It then adds that popular support for climate change policies remains strong.

This strong popular support, however, appears to be more general than pro-transition politicians would like. It seems that people don't mind net-zero policies as long as they don't affect them personally. But because net-zero policies would affect people personally, some governments, chiefly in Eastern Europe, are staging an opposition to the EU's net-zero push.

Poland is even suing the EU because of the ban on internal combustion engine vehicles that the European Parliament voted for earlier this year. Other Eastern European members are also unhappy about the ban. As Polish energy minister Anna Moskwa summed it up, "Does the EU want to make authoritarian decisions about what kind of vehicles Poles will drive?"

Eastern members are also dragging their feet on other transition policies, Brussels has complained. The reason they are dragging their feet on things like coal power plant closure, wind and solar capacity targets, and the like, is that they are aware their populations will not be happy about those policies. The opposition is spreading, according to Reuters.

It's hardly surprising that it's spreading. The cost of living has soared across Europe, and this has happened as financial commitments for the transition soar, too. It appears that people are starting to ask questions, and these are uncomfortable questions. The solution: reframing the narrative, per one executive from an Italian think tank.

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"At the moment, it looks like green parties are not doing going fantastically well. I think the challenge is going to be for those, like myself, who really believe in this agenda to reframe the issue," Nathalie Tocci, director of Istituto Affari Internazionali, told CNBC recently.

"In the case of Europe, if you have this 'greenlash' that persists  the trick is going to be that of reframing this in terms of industrial policy," she added.

Only time will tell if reframing the narrative will be enough to quench people's concerns about their higher energy bills and lower purchasing power as their governments pursue the net-zero political agenda.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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A 20-year-old man was taken to an Omaha hospital in critical condition following a shooting Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred about 3:40 p.m., according to an Omaha police spokesman. Officers responded to the area of 40th and D Streets and located Angel Mata suffering from gunshot wounds.

Mata was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center by ambulance. A 23-year-old man at the scene was taken to Omaha police headquarters for questioning.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Omaha Police Department at 402-444-5656 or anonymously contact Omaha Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP, at www.omahacrimestoppers.org or on the P3 Tips mobile app.
Crowds totaling more than 8,000 gathered under hazy skies at Lee Bird Field and at the Wild West Arena in North Platte, Nebraska, 36 years ago today as President Ronald Reagan came to town.

Reagan, the first sitting president to visit western Nebraska since Harry Truman rode through on a train in 1950, was welcomed to North Platte with many cheers and little grumbling.

Reagan, in the city to promote changes in U.S. economic policies, said in a speech at the arena that "the picture is beginning to brighten for agriculture in America's heartland."

Reagan was invited to Nebraska by Gov. Kay Orr to continue a series of speeches he had been making on the economy. Agriculture was one element of the president's speech.

"Land values have stabilized, crop prices are firming, and export markets are expanding," Reagan said.

Another several hundred people had gathered earlier at the small airport terminal at Lee Bird Field, where Reagan landed aboard Air Force One at 11:30 a.m. Still others were invited to Reagan's luncheon with state business, farm and political leaders at Nebraska sculptor Ted Long's ranch northwest of town.

Greeting the president, as he walked down the ramp that had been flown out from Offutt Air Force Base, were Orr and her husband, Bill; Rep. Virginia Smith of Chappell; North Platte Mayor Jim Kirkman; and a representative of the Lincoln County Board, who proclaimed Thursday "Ronald Reagan Day" in the county. The president also was given a belt from the County Board.

Reagan stopped in North Platte for two brief appearances before starting a long vacation on his ranch near Santa Barbara, California. He was not scheduled to return to Washington for 25 days.

Reagan's visit came a day after he told the nation that he regretted the "lies, leaks, divisions and mistakes" of the Iran-Contra political scandal. The scandal involved secret arms deals to free U.S. hostages held in Lebanon.

Reagan closed his speech with a call for support for his nomination of Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.

Reagan said the approval process for Bork was already the longest in 25 years, leaving the nine-member Supreme Court short-handed when the court's work "has increased to near break-point."

Bork's nomination was eventually defeated in the U.S. Senate.

Photos: Presidential visits to Nebraska
Ever been to New Edinburgh?

It could have been the name for South Omaha.

Only after prospective investors from Scotland backed out did it change.

Born of the stockyards and packinghouses, the Magic City was the states third largest city  behind only Omaha and Lincoln  when South Omaha became part of Omaha through annexation in 1915.

South Omahas townsite had two attractive assets. A railroad  the old Union Pacific main line  and a stream ran through it. Cattle and hogs were easily transported and their waste carried off downstream on Mud Creek  or Stink Creek, as it was derisively called by the locals  to the Missouri River.

Until 1883, most of the old settlers of the area were still on their first homesteads. East of the railroad, the land bordering on the bluffs was timberland and considered of little value.

In the 1870s, a few small packing plants sprouted along the tracks between downtown and Summit Siding (near 29th and B Streets). There also were competing small stockyards, the Union and the Omaha, that opened months apart in 1878 in the Sheelytown neighborhood.

Some saw untapped potential. Like Wyoming cattleman Alexander H. Swan, who made at least two trips to Omaha in 1882, likely at the behest of local speculators.

Swan enlisted Omahans Leverett Anderson and Cornelius Schaller to obtain land. John Kenellys 280 acres were purchased in 1883. Within four months nine more tracts, notably the Fred Drexel (25th and N Streets) and John Begley (33rd and F Streets) farms, brought the acquisitions for Swans new land syndicate to 1,875 acres, for the sum of $327,000.

Swan also formed a Union Stockyards syndicate of local money after Scottish investors bowed out  they bought his Swan Land and Cattle Company for $2.550 million instead. Swan went bust later in the decade from over-aggressiveness and winter-storm losses.

The stockyards opened in August 1884. Drexels old 10-room house was the first Livestock Exchange building. The office was in the kitchen, the vault in the pantry, the commission men and a barber shop on the second floor and a refreshment parlor in the basement.

To get there, the first road to the stockyards came off the Bellevue Road (24th Street) across a ravine.

Drexels house was replaced in early 1886 by the first Livestock Exchange Building, four stories with a high turret.

Among those who capitalized on the influx of workers were Frank Pivonka and George Canfield. Pivonka put up a two-story frame building for a restaurant and boarding house. His land included an orchard and a lake at the foot of N Street.

Canfield, who had catered to the old stockyards crowd in Sheelytown with a saloon in 1878, built Canfield House, which became the short-lived Union Stockyards Hotel before it was torn down after a year.

N Street was the first main street. Starting with the first store, Sloane and Saxe selling butchers jackets and other general merchandise, west of 25th, N Street soon was lined with saloons and store buildings. C.M. Hunt and Patrick Rowley were the first to built three-story brick blocks.

Nearby was the first U.P. depot, the 80-square-foot frame building was 200 feet south of N. It was the only way to reach Omaha other than walking to 16th and Vinton Streets to catch the horse-drawn streetcar.

South Omahas growth was thought to go toward Omaha. Rather, it went toward the south, following the tracks. No smells from the stockyards ever were to waft toward the town. How long did that last?

In 1886, residents and the syndicate disagreed on the issue of incorporating South Omaha as a village, the latter group believing their taxes would rise. On Oct. 16, 1886, the Douglas County Board approved incorporation and appointed C.M. Hunt, Frank J. Sliter, future Nebraska governor E.P. Savage, I.A. Brayton and W.G. Sloane to the first village board.

Savage was the first elected chairman and Daniel ODonnell the first village clerk. The clerks annual salary was $50, the treasurer (M.J. DeGraff) got $25, the city attorney (J.R. Grice) $100. Among the first three ordinances approved was for the regulating of malt, spiritous and vinous liquors in the village.

The saloons  there were 10 at the end of 1886  were a cash cow to the city treasury, the yearly license being $500.

At the end of 1886, South Omaha was home to 1,500 people. The year saw 118 houses built, pushing the town total to about 300.

The boom continued in 1887. By mid-summer, laborers filled 15 rooming houses or hotels, with several more under construction. The Delmonico, said to be the largest hotel, became a South Omaha fixture until the late 1900s. Two brick yards opened, accommodating the burgeoning demand. The Union Pacific replaced its depot.

South Omahas government quickly grew from a village to a city of the first class  25,000 to 40,000 inhabitants  by 1900.

A great little city had been born, wrote The World-Herald in 1910. It was booming. Everything was wide open except the soda foundations, and few Sunday schools worked over time. And as is usual with the sudden coming of greatness and wealth followed the pick lights and the dizziness of civic revelry.

But South Omaha was too sturdy a youngster to be entirely blinded by the glitter. The wild revelry of the usual boom town had no place besides ambition for South Omaha. There was to be no forgotten dot on a musty map to mark the resting place of the Magic City.

The stories of early South Omaha life abound. Look for some of those next Sunday.
Two years ago, the Pentagon charged the U.S. Strategic Command with ensuring the U.S. militarys leadership in the world of electronic warfare.

Now StratCom has offices and staff at Offutt Air Force Base to carry out the task.

Last month, StratCom Commander Gen. Anthony Cotton stood up the new Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center at a ceremony in the expansive atrium of the headquarters building.

This is a major milestone, said Brig. Gen AnnMarie Anthony, the centers director. Its something the Omaha community can really be proud of.

The centers job is to manage the militarys use of the invisible but critical realm of the electromagnetic spectrum: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays.

These waves make possible the radio, GPS, radar and Wi-Fi, the military use of which has grown exponentially in recent years  by both the United States and its adversaries.

The goal of the U.S. military is to make full use of the electromagnetic spectrum for its forces, while denying use to its foes. Its also important to make sure there is no conflict between the U.S. and its allies, or among its own forces.

Its a physical battlespace for our use. We want to dominate, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who was an electronics warfare officer during his 29-year Air Force career, told The World-Herald in 2021. You want to control it for our guys, and deny it to the enemies.

In a speech recorded for the July 26 stand-up ceremony, Bacon said the U.S. military was utterly dominant in electronic warfare when he joined the Air Force in 1985.

But Bacon said he saw that dominance fade after the Cold War ended in the 1990s.

We let electronic warfare atrophy, and we gave it too little attention, he said.

In an era of shrinking budgets, the services prioritized low-observation (stealth) technology over electronic warfare, said retired Air Force Col. Allen Geist, director of electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) programs at the University of Nebraskas National Strategic Research Institute.

We divested all these platforms. We werent training people to do it  that was really the crux of the situation, said Geist, a Top Gun graduate who served in and commanded Air Force electronics combat squadrons during his 25-year military career.

Russia and China, though, were not standing still. One example: Both countries built up a system of passive electronic sensors capable of quickly detecting any signal emitted by the U.S. side.

Our adversaries have been able to eat up our advantage, Geist said.

Bacon, a former commander of the Offutt-based 55th Wing, noted the narrowing gap even before his retirement in 2014. Elected to Congress two years later, he used his seat on the House Armed Services Committee to push for more funding for electromagnetic spectrum operations  and to assign responsibility to StratCom.

It was clear to me  and others .. . that we needed to reverse the trajectory we were on, he said.

In the 2019 defense authorization bill, Congress directed the Pentagon to develop a strategy for electromagnetic spectrum operations. In August 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin handed the job to StratCom.

This is a signal to the department, the Congress, the American people, that theres a huge emphasis on EMSO, Geist said.

Anthony, who already oversaw electromagnetic spectrum operations for StratCom, led a team that studied capabilities across the armed forces and drew up a plan for establishing the office. That plan led to last months stand-up ceremony.

Currently, Anthony has a staff of about 30 at Offutt, drawn from all the service branches and including several civilians. She said its not clear how many jobs might eventually be added.

We still dont know the size of the footprint, she said. Itll be bigger, not smaller.

Anthony said the Omaha metro is an excellent place from which to draw talent. She said local schools have excellent STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. And the presence of the Air Forces 55th Wing  focused for decades on electronic warfare  means there is a wealth of experience here.

We have electronic warfare officers actually doing the electromagnetic spectrum mission, so we end up with a lot of retirees who have the skill set were going to need, Anthony said. I hope young people will see that they can reside here in Omaha and still do really important (defense) work.

StratComs new mission already led NSRI to hire Geist shortly after his retirement as a top staff officer in the commands Capabilities and Resource Integration (J8) directorate.

He created a new electromagnetic spectrum operations office at the research institute, which is funded by StratCom.

I was hired to help push that on the R&D (research and development) side, Geist said. Were going to do that in innovative ways.

In July, NSRI announced a $430,000 grant from the Naval Surface Warfare Center to Mehmet Can Vuran, director of the Cyber-Physical Networking Lab at the University of NebraskaLincoln.

Can Vuran and two doctoral students will use it to study dynamic spectrum management, which allows wireless or remote communications to automatically adjust to changes in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Geist sees the creation of StratComs office as a sign to the American people  and to the nations adversaries  that the U.S. military is ready to regain its edge in electronic warfare.

Said Anthony: Were able to go off and running.

Photos: Offutt runway opens after 18-month reconstruction
A semitrailer truck hauling cattle overturned on a ramp between Interstate 680 and West Dodge Road on Saturday morning, leading to the deaths of 11 cattle and shutting down the ramp for about five hours.

The incident happened around 6:45 a.m. on the ramp connecting northbound I-680 to westbound West Dodge Road.

The semis trailer contained about 80 cattle, an Omaha police spokesman said. The spokesman said the Nebraska Department of Transportation closed the ramp so the remaining cattle could be safely transferred to another trailer. The ramp reopened around 11:45 a.m.

No people were injured.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023
Get ready to ride again on Interstate 29.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is just a day away from reopening Interstate 29 in Council Bluffs, where the freeway has been closed in both directions for well over a year  the northbound lanes since November 2021, and the southbound lanes since March 2022.

The closures were part of a $180 million reconstruction of the I-480/I-29/West Broadway interchange downtown, directly across the Missouri River from downtown Omaha. The new interchange smooths the link to Omaha and for the first time creates a direct access from I-29 to West Broadway, Council Bluffs main east-west thoroughfare.

Its really going to be great, establishing that direct link, said Austin Yates, a district transportation systems management and operations engineer for Iowa DOT. That previously did not exist. We never had it.

The lengthy closures removed traffic completely from northbound I-29 between Nebraska Avenue and Avenue G (Exit 54A), and southbound I-29 from North 25th Street (Exit 55) to Nebraska Avenue  all together, about two miles of freeway.

The I-29 exit ramp to Interstate 480 West also has been closed.

The total closure of a highway as part of a planned construction project is thought to be unprecedented in the 70-year history of the Interstate system. It might have been inconvenient, but Yates said it saved money and time.

It would have taken at least twice as long  three to five years, he said.

During the closures, traffic was diverted to newly built frontage just below the highway superstructure. Dynamic messaging signs warned drivers of the detour.

Even though we were saying the Interstate was closed, there was still a connection, Yates said.

Iowa DOT is nearing the end of a $1.5 billion transformation of the city's Interstate network that began in 2008. Significant changes have been made to I-29  Council Bluffs north-south spine  as well as I-80 and I-480, which intersect.

Yates said northbound I-29 will be closed at Nebraska Avenue from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight, as will the ramp from Nebraska Avenue to northbound I-29.

Similar closures are planned on southbound I-29 at 16th Street, and on the 25th Street ramp, at 10 p.m. Monday and continuing until 5 a.m. the following morning.

The northbound lanes will be fully open and available to traffic at the end of the closure on Monday morning, and the southbound lanes will be fully open Tuesday.

The reopening times could vary, depending on weather. Currently thunderstorms are expected Sunday.

Yates said the ramp from southbound I-29 to I-480 West still isnt ready to reopen, and some work will continue on the interchange into 2024. But the part of the project impacting traffic the most is now complete.

Were really grateful to our customers, that theyve hung with us through all this, he said.

Whats New

Nighttime lane closures (9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) can be expected on Interstate 80 eastbound at the I-680 interchange through the fall while workers install high-friction traffic surface to improve traction. Traffic on I-80 eastbound and I-680 northbound will be rerouted to the L-I-Center bypass ramp.

through the fall while workers install high-friction traffic surface to improve traction. Traffic on I-80 eastbound and I-680 northbound will be rerouted to the L-I-Center bypass ramp. West Maple Road between North 180th and North 177th Streets will be restricted to one lane eastbound until Sept. 25 for roadwork related to the construction of a Costco warehouse store. The right lane of northbound 180th Street from Emmet Street to just north of Evans Street also is closed as part of the same project.

will be restricted to one lane eastbound until Sept. 25 for roadwork related to the construction of a Costco warehouse store. The right lane of northbound also is closed as part of the same project. North 90th Street between West Dodge Road and Indian Hills Drive will be restricted to one lane southbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Saturday.

will be restricted to one lane southbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Saturday. Dodge Street between North 35th and North 34th Streets will be restricted eastbound for utility work until Saturday.

will be restricted eastbound for utility work until Saturday. North 132nd Street between Eagle Run Drive and Birch Drive will have various lane restrictions for street panel replacement until Aug. 25.

will have various lane restrictions for street panel replacement until Aug. 25. North 30th Street will be restricted to one lane northbound at Sorensen Parkway for utility work in the inside lane until Friday.

will be restricted to one lane for utility work in the inside lane until Friday. Cuming Street between North 15th and North 20th Streets will have various lane restrictions for ADA curb ramp construction until Wednesday.

will have various lane restrictions for ADA curb ramp construction until Wednesday. Southbound traffic will be shifted to the center lane on North 30th Street between Wirt and Binney Streets for utility work until Aug. 20.

for utility work until Aug. 20. Q Street between South 90th and South 120th Streets will have various lane restrictions for street paving until Wednesday.

will have various lane restrictions for street paving until Wednesday. Binney Street between North 48th Street and North 48th Avenue will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Wednesday.

will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Wednesday. South 138th Street between Arbor Street and Montclair Drive will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Wednesday.

will be closed to through traffic for utility work until Wednesday. Mercy Road will be restricted to one lane westbound at South 72nd Street for street repair in the outside curb lane until Aug. 20.

will be restricted to one lane westbound for street repair in the outside curb lane until Aug. 20. South 117th Street between West Center Road and Arbor Street will be closed to through traffic for street repair until Thursday.

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 Sept. 19 .

will have various lane restrictions for panel replacement until Sept. 19 Eastbound traffic on Fort Street between North 144th and North 140th Streets will be shifted to the center lane for street repair until Monday .

will be shifted to the center lane for street repair until Monday 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.

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. Blondo Street between North 117th Street and Papillion Parkway will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Nov. 10.

will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Nov. 10.

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.

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.

is closed from 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 .

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.

is closed from 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 Sept. 24.

will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work until Sept. 24. 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.

and the northbound curb lane on will be shifted to the center lane due to construction until Sept. 9. The right lane on Interstate 680 is closed from the Northeast 31st Street interchange east to the Iowa state line until Dec. 29 while workers repair a damaged expansion joint on the west end of the Mormon Bridge.

is closed until Dec. 29 while workers repair a damaged expansion joint on the 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.

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.

is closed for road construction until Aug. 28. Poppleton Avenue between Loveland Drive and Ridgewood Avenue will be closed for street improvements until Aug. 24.

will be closed for street improvements until Aug. 24. 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.

will have varying lane restrictions for street improvements connected to the Crossroads redevelopment through December. 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.

will be restricted for building construction in the outside curb lane until Nov 7. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction on North 72nd Street between Bedford Avenue and Pinkney Street until Thursday because of a water main break.

until Thursday because of a water main break. 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.

will be closed until Aug. 30 for installation of storm sewers under Omahas Clean Solutions for Omaha program. The eastbound lane of Martin Avenue between North 34th and North 30th Streets will be closed for utility work until Aug. 22.

will be closed for utility work until Aug. 22. Mary Street between North 28th Avenue and North 30th Street will be closed to through traffic for sewer repair until Wednesday.

will be closed to through traffic for sewer repair until Wednesday. The intersection of North 18th and Grace Streets will be closed for sewer work until Nov. 28.

will be closed for sewer work until Nov. 28. 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.

will be closed at various points between 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 and California Streets will be restricted southbound, and Mike Fahey Street between North 16th and North 15th Streets will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane. North 16th Street between Cuming and Mike Fahey Streets will have restrictions in the southbound curb lane.

will be restricted to northbound traffic only until March 15, 2024. In addition, will be restricted southbound, and will have eastbound traffic shifted to the center lane. will have restrictions in the southbound curb lane. Grace Street between North 16th and North 18th Streets is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Sept. 26.

is closed for CSO storm sewer upgrades until Sept. 26. Cuming Street between the North Freeway and North 25th Avenue will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the eastbound lanes until Monday.

will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the eastbound lanes until Monday. 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)

South 156th Street between Pacific Street and Wycliffe Drive/Nottingham Drive will have closures for street widening until November.

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.

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 U.S. Highway 75/Kennedy Freeway to North 14th Street, I-80 from the Iowa state line to Nebraska Highway 370, and I-680 from West Dodge Road (Exit 3) to Blair High Road (Exit 6) until the end of August while workers seal concrete median barriers.

until the end of August while workers 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.

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.

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.

will be closed for bridge reconstruction until December. Varying lane restrictions are planned on South 42nd Street between Grover and Center Streets until Monday for street milling and paving.

until Monday for street milling and paving. Varying lane restrictions are planned on Jones Street between South 19th and South 20th Streets until Monday.

until Monday. 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.

will be closed and curbside lanes will be closed on until early 2026 because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower. 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 .

will be restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work in the southbound lanes until Aug. 24 The eastbound curb lane on Douglas Street will be closed between 44th and Saddle Creek Road for construction until December.

will be closed between for construction until December. Q Street between South 61st and South 72nd Streets will be closed for street improvements until late August.

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 Friday. South 84th Street between Park Drive and Q Street will be restricted to one lane northbound as part of the same project.

will be shifted to the center lane for water-main replacement through Friday. 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 Wednesday.

will have various lane restrictions for bridge repair until Wednesday. I Street between South 108th and South 102nd Streets will be closed to through traffic for street widening until November.

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 late August as part of the same project.

near Gretna will close for construction through August as part of the Gretna Crossing Park project. also is closed until late 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.

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 through January to allow construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route.

is closed through January to allow construction of a three-lane road. Pflug Road is suggested as an alternate route. Due to wet weather, the reopening of Meridian Street from 185th to 192nd Streets and the southern stretch of 192nd Street has been postponed until late August.

has been postponed until late August. Giles Road from 188th to 192nd Streets will be closed for at least an additional week for paving.

will be closed for at least an additional week for paving. 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.

through September to allow for bridge deck repairs, and from 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 .

will have a lane closed in each direction and over the Union Pacific Railroad/BNSF Railway . 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.

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.

(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.

(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.

west of Lincoln because of bridge reconstruction and guardrail repair. Lane closures are planned on U.S. Highway 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.

while workers repair pavement and bridges. Completion is expected in fall. The left lane of eastbound U.S. 275 between Military Avenue and Morningside Road in Fremont is closed for bridge construction work.

is closed for bridge construction work. 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

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.

PhotoFiles: Interstate 80 dedication in 1961 Interstate 80 opening Interstate 80, Gretna Interstate 80, Lincoln Interstate 80 dedication Interstate 80 dedication
LINCOLN  Nebraskas congressional delegation appears poised to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to the state now that four of the five members have embraced the often-criticized practice of earmarking.

Led by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, the all-Republican delegation is on track to get more federal money for the 2024 fiscal year than the state has seen in a dozen years or more.

Fischer has lined up more than $120 million for Nebraska in her debut year on the influential Senate Appropriations Committee, which also marked the first time she has sought earmarks. The states three representatives combined for more than $82 million in House appropriations bills.

Her role has been critical in boosting the states success at getting what the Senate officially calls congressionally directed spending and the House calls community project funding.

Among her largest earmarks are $25 million for the University of Nebraska-Lincolns long-planned federal agricultural research center, $21.2 million for planning, design and construction of various buildings at Offutt Air Force Base and $12.8 million to build more four-lane miles of the Heartland Expressway in Scotts Bluff and Morrill Counties.

A recent CQ Roll Call analysis found that Nebraska achieved the fifth-largest increase in dollars per capita this year, both on the House and the Senate sides.

On the House side, the state ranked fourth-highest for earmarks per capita, up from 37th last year. The analysis attributed much of the change to the GOP taking over the majority in the House, which boosted earmarking success for Republicans generally.

On the Senate side, Nebraska ranked 16th per capita, after being one of 12 states shut out of Senate earmarks last year. Neither Nebraska senator requested earmarks during 2021 and 2022.

It remains to be seen how much will wind up in the final spending bills, but earmarks from both houses typically carry through the reconciliation process after duplicates are removed.

Heath Mello, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, celebrated the results so far.

The Greater Omaha Chamber has long held the position that when members of Congress advocate for federal funding for city and regional priorities, we gladly partner with them to organize support for this crucial work, he said, adding that Fischers spot on the Appropriations Committee offers enormous opportunities.

Her strong leadership and skilled advocacy for congressional-directed spending gives more influence to Midwestern states like Nebraska and will have a transformational impact on Omaha and communities across our state, Mello said.

But Doug Kagan, with Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, took a dim view of the designated spending.

Generally, our taxpayer group is against earmarks. Period. he said. Even if they are coming to Nebraska. Its taxpayer money.

Paul Landow, a longtime Democratic political operative from Omaha, said the value of earmarking often depends on who is doing the judging. Nebraskas last congressional representative to use earmarking extensively was former Sen. Ben Nelson, a Democrat whose two terms in the Senate ended in 2013.

Sen. Nelson faced partisan criticism for using congressional earmarks to bring money back to Nebraska, but now that the program has been reinstated, Sen. Fischer seeks earmarks without denunciation, Landow said.

If the earmarks are used to pay for worthy and needed projects, there is no harm because they would be funded sooner or later anyway, he said. But if the project is not essential, the earmark is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Fischer said she began requesting earmarks this year because of her Appropriations Committee position and because she has gained confidence that new guardrails will curb past abuses. Congress banned earmarks in 2011. They were reinstated with new restrictions in 2021.

Being a member of the committee is definitely a benefit, she said. Nebraskas at the table. Ive fought to ensure that funding comes back home to Nebraska and contributes to important work.

Former Sen. Ben Sasse opposed the practice and was one of 15 GOP senators who signed a 2021 letter vowing they would not participate in an inherently wasteful spending practice that is prone to serious abuse. In a statement at the time, he criticized the swamp politics of earmarks that feed the nations addiction to debt.

His successor, Sen. Pete Ricketts, has taken a similar position. Ricketts was appointed to the Senate in January after Sasse resigned to become president of the University of Florida system.

Washington spending is out of control. I wont be seeking earmarks until I feel government spending is under control, he said, pointing to his record of holding state spending increases to an average of 2.8% while he was governor.

In the past, congressional earmarking sometimes led to more than just extra government spending. Multiple lawmakers served prison sentences for bribery and kickbacks before earmarking was banned.

The practice was reinstated after many argued that the ban merely gave the power of the purse to party leaders and the executive branch and offered lawmakers less incentive to work across party lines.

New rules seek to prevent the past problems. Those include requirements to post requests on each members website before a vote and to identify the entity that would receive the money. For-profit entities cannot get earmarks and members have to certify that they and their families have no financial interest in projects.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023
LUANDA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- President of Angola Joao Lourenco has inspected a dam under construction by Chinese company Sinohydro, which will alleviate water scarcity in the country's southern region upon completion.

Lourenco praised the Chinese company's professionalism and operational efficiency, saying he is satisfied with the progress of the project, according to a statement from Sinohydro.

The Ndue Dam project is located about 170 km from Ondjiva, the capital of Cunene province. Once completed in 2024, the dam will provide water to meet the needs of approximately 55,000 local residents, ensure a water supply for 60,000 heads of livestock and facilitate the annual irrigation of 9,200 hectares of land.

The dam, with a capacity to hold 170 million cubic meters of water, is important for the Southern African country, said Narciso Ambrosio, general director of the National Institute of Water Resources, who visited the construction site with the president on Friday. He said it will adequately cater to the needs of local populations and livestock, and notably enhance the overall quality of life in local communities.

According to the statement, the Ndue Dam will effectively address the persistent problem of water scarcity in the region. 
An Omaha womans note to a Lancaster County deputy helped her get away from an alleged abuser during a traffic stop last week.

The traffic stop for expired license plates on a 2014 Dodge Avenger led to a 23-year-old Omaha man being charged in Lancaster County with false imprisonment and making a terroristic threats. The incident occurred about 10:50 a.m. Thursday near Northwest 48th Street and U.S. Highway 34, according to an affidavit filed in Lancaster County.

The man was also found to have an active arrest warrant out of Douglas County for third-degree domestic assault and damage to property. He remained in the Lancaster County Jail on Sunday and must pay 10% of his $75,000 bail to be released.

During the traffic stop, according to the affidavit from the arresting deputy, the driver provided his Nebraska drivers license and was attempting to find proof of insurance. The 24-year-old woman in the passenger seat handed the deputy an insurance envelope through the drivers window that the driver unsuccessfully attempted to stop.

The driver then grabbed a cell phone and crushed it with his hands. The phone was later found to belong to the woman.

The message written in red ink on the envelope, according to the deputy, said: Help me He got a gun in the back. Kidnapped me has my phone.

The driver was then removed from the vehicle due to the outstanding arrest warrant and placed in the deputys patrol cruiser. Deputies learned the woman had earlier that day placed a 911 call while in Sarpy County, but the dispatcher heard only a man and woman arguing before the line was disconnected.

The woman told deputies that she had been involved with the driver since 2019 and had been trying to break up with him for a long time. She said the man took her to a court appearance in Council Bluffs on Thursday and then refused to take her back home. He told her they were going to Lincoln to see his mother.

As the Dodge Avenger passed a patrol cruiser parked on Highway 34, the man allegedly took the womans phone and turned it off. The woman told deputies that she feared for her life because the driver told her that If they pull me over, I will shoot you and then shoot myself.

A gun was not found in the vehicle. The woman had red marks on her body that she said had been caused by her alleged abductor.
SPRINGFIELD  Last year, the Illinois State Fair welcomed more than 636,000 people during its 11-day run, blowing past its previous record attendance by more than 100,000.

Such an influx means more mouths to feed. And fair officials hope to build off that success with this years fair, which opened Thursday and runs through next Sunday.

Though the official celebration of the states robust agriculture industry, food is one of the largest draws for the annual event, with fairgoers looking for a mix of old favorites and new options.

All the staples that you have come to know and love about the Illinois State Fair  the Vose's corn dogs, the Culler's fries, they are still here, said fair manager Rebecca Clark. ... With having a great year last year, we're really starting to spread and we started adding vendors from various county fairs and local fairs, and so we're really excited to welcome them to our Illinois State Fair family.

For a third year in a row, food and drink reporter Donnette Beckett and state government reporter Brenden Moore set out to find the best fair fare. They included some traditional haunts that are must-stops for first time fairgoers. And they tried many unique items from vendors that have set up shop in Springfield for the first time.

This year, Beckett and Moore were also joined by Journal Gazette & Times-Courier reporter Rob Stroud, Herald & Review photojournalist Joey Ressler and Pantagraph intern Charlotte Calmes for the fun.

Its a tough assignment, so some teamwork was required.

Here are some of the items worth checking out at the 2023 Illinois State Fair:

Kandymellons

One of the more delightfully refreshing options encountered was Kandymellons, located on Main Street.

Vendor Thomas Brown has been cutting up seedless watermelons into cubes for Illinois fairgoers for a dozen years now. But its not just any watermelon  Brown puts a unique spin on the summertime favorite by spraying it with the customers flavoring of choice. Some options include coconut, raspberry, rum and, in classic fair form, cotton candy.

Lee's taste test team opted for peach flavoring. It was subtle, but present. The refreshing treat is a great, unique way to stay hydrated beyond just water or a lemonade  and it is reasonably priced at $5.

Brown, of Gulfport, Miss., specialized in electrical automation and robotics in school. But there came a point where he said Lord, I need something else. And his first thought, believe it or not, was flavored watermelon.

A week later, I thought 'that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of in my life,' Brown said. And 12 years later, here I am.

Teriyaki chicken-on-a-stick

Austin Lys family has operated Chans Concessions since 1984. But the 32-year-old and his sister recently branched off from their parents and are operating their own truck.

Its not only their first Illinois State Fair, but their first state fair, period. They had previously gravitated towards weekend music and street festivals, but decided to give the longer event a shot. It is safe to say there was no stand quite like theirs.

We wanted to give it a different twist when it comes to state fair food, Ly said.

They did not disappoint, offering up their signature glazed teriyaki chicken-on-a-stick ($11 a la carte), which can be served with either lo mein or veggie fried rice ($18 combo).

The secret recipe is the teriyaki sauce, Chan said. So that's what makes the chicken really good.

The rice and lo mein were praiseworthy too.

Portions are large, so this dish is best enjoyed with a friend or two. It is worth checking out for those looking for fare that is a little less traditional than corn dogs and funnel cakes.

Chans can be found directly across from the Grandstand.

Rhodes Backyard BBQ

State fair manager Rebecca Clark told Lee Enterprises last week that word of mouth continues to grow among vendors about the Illinois State Fair.

And we hope that if we're creating a great and positive experience for our food vendors, then they will spread the word and tell others, 'hey, they treat us really well at the Illinois State Fair, she said.

For an example of this in action, look no further than Rhodes Backyard BBQ, located near the swine barn on Circle Drive.

The Lukin, Texas-based operation mostly stays in the Lone Star State and a few other southern states. But they decided to venture north for the first time after hearing good things from the operators of Fried What?!, an Illinois State Fair mainstay with whom they did a rodeo in Houston.

They said come check it out  it's a good time, big crowds, said Brandon Bozeman, son-in-law of owner Lewis Rhodes.

They have been operating their truck for more than three years.

We started cooking barbecue based (in) the backyard and decided to make something of it, Bozeman said. So, we like to travel around and cook good brisket and ribeyes.

The menu is pretty self-explanatory, with featured items including brisket mac-and-cheese, a ribeye sandwich and a brisket bacon melt sandwich. There are some surprises too: chocolate-covered bacon will satisfy those looking for a mix of sweet and savory.

What sets them apart?

It's Texas brisket at its best, Bozeman said, though Rhodes insists that their signature dish is the ribeye.

You cant go wrong with either, though the ribeye is probably better for one person and the brisket mac better for groups.

Diggity Dawgs

Who doesnt want to be at the State Fair? said Misti Durbin, co-owner of Diggity Dawgs.

The food truck, often seen at Decatur events, was another first timer at the annual fair. Diggity Dawgs is also a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Bethany.

Durbin admits she enjoys fairs and festivals too. So we have to be here, she said.

The owners added a couple of different items for the fair menu, including Kool-Aid pickles, deep fried cheesecake and Scorchin Squares. And the Chicago dog is made with a poppy seed bun, so its a little bit different, Durbin said.

The Scorchin Squares, deep fried Wisconsin cheddar cheese squares dusted with jalapeno seasoning, were another easy food to share, according to the testers.

Diggity Dawgs is positioned in a prime area of the fair under the Reisch Pavillion. And were not in the blazing sun, Durbin said.

Tri Boba

Walking the Illinois State Fairgrounds can make a fairgoer thirsty. The Wisconsin-based Tri Boba beckons the parched.

Serving Boba cold teas and coffees, the food truck is stationed on Illinois Avenue across from the carnival. Boba tea drinks originated in Taiwan using a milk powdered base. Tapioca pearls are added.

Thats the signature feature of the dish, said employee Isabella Sills, who served up the drinks to customers on the first day of the fair. Its basically a dessert in a cup.

The teas containing both the chewy tapioca and the popping pearl varieties of boba were both refreshing on a hot day, so restraint was needed to keep from drinking these beverages and the semi-solid boba at the bottom of the cups too quickly.

Although this was their first visit to the Illinois State Fair, Tri Boba has traveled to other state fairs. It is so huge here, Sills said. Weve never been to a state fair this big. Its something to see.

Dippin Mervs

With a fair scheduled during the middle of August, hot weather is almost certain. Ice cream is one of the best ways to cool off. Blue Mound restaurant Dippin Mervs parked their food truck across the street from the Grandstand.

As a first-timer at the fair, the staff served up a surefire dish: ice cream nachos ($7.50). A flat waffle cone is layered with ice cream, toppings and waffle discs.

Diana Ervin was dishing up the popular treat during the first day of the fair. The food truck is also ready to serve flavored hot or cold coffees as well as Lotus Energy drinks. And we have all different kinds of ice cream, Ervin said

The ice cream Nachos were added to the menu for the first time this year, Ervin said. And Ive had about five or six of them, she said shortly after lunch.

Regarding the question of whether the ice cream nachos should be a sit down or walking food item, Ervin said, You have got to sit, I think. Sit and enjoy every bite of it.

The item was a favorite of Lees taste test team. A great treat the whole family can share.

Village of Cultures

The Village of Cultures has a one-stop-shop for a variety of foods. Foods from across the globe are featured. Cuban, Italian, Filipino and, returning to the fair, Irish cuisine are a few of the popular stops.

The taste testers took advantage of the Small Plates, Big Tastes offerings. For $3, the vendors will serve a sample of a signature dish.

One of the favorites was the Mediterranean falafel, the rounded look of a hush puppy and a similar crunchy exterior. However, its ground chickpea interior was light green in color and more flavorful.

From the Ireland food stand, the generous helping of the Irish nachos had included starchy potatoes offset by the spice of the jalapeno peppers.

Rosie Jeans Sweet Tea & Jesus

Vendor Kylee Julius of Casey brought a Rosie Jeans Sweet Tea & Jesus trailer to the Illinois State Fair for the first time last year and did well enough that she expanded to two this year. One of her converted mini-campers is on Central Avenue and the other is at the new location on Main Street near the Main Gate.

Julius, who founded Rosie Jeans seven years ago, said her five sweet tea trailers take part in several county fairs in East Central Illinois, so it made sense to follow the 4-H families who take part in those events to the State Fair.

Its good to see those 4-H kids come up here. They have earned it, Julius said of the 4-H livestock and general project show competitors. She added that they are among her regular customers at the State Fair. Its good to see familiar faces.

Rosie Jeans offers sweet and and unsweet teas plain or in a variety of flavors, at $4 for 16 ounces, $5 for 24 and $6 for 32 ounces. Julius said her newest flavor is huckleberry, which has a tart blueberry flavor. She said huckleberry was a hit as a secret option last year at the Effingham County Fair, so she added it to the menu this year.

Classics

Its the state fair. Eat many corn dogs. But if you only eat one, make sure its a Vose corn dog.

Open all summer just across from the grandstand, the family-run stand has been a staple on the state fairgrounds since 1966. Its the first fair since the passing of family patriarch and self-proclaimed Korn Dog King Bob Vose, but the first since the installation of a new, larger stand.

But no need to worry, the signature recipe for the deep fried, batter-dipped hot dog-on-a-stick remains the same. It is crisp and crunchy on the outside but soft and doughy in its inner layering. And in terms of taste palate, the savory encased meat mixes quite nicely with the sweetness of the batter.

Lees taste test team all made different condiment choices: ketchup, mustard and plain. You cannot go wrong with any combination.

More state fair staples:

Culler's French Fries, a state fair staple for more than 75 years. Best served with salt and vinegar. There are two stands on the fairgrounds.

Mini donuts served by the bucket or the bag by The Donut Family, which has four stands. The family-run vendor has been serving up yummy fried dough at Midwestern state and county fairs since 1973.

There are several great protein options at the Pork Patio, including a pork chop-on-a-stick.

There are eight vendors selling funnel cakes, including Smileys Novelties and Concessions on Grandstand Ave., which offers more than two-dozen flavor options. If youre more of an elephant ear person, Schneiders is just across from the Grandstand

When seeing the butter cow, stop by the Dairy Goodness Bar for a cold treat. This years flavor of the fair is a cookies and cream milkshake. Other products, like cones, milk and cream puffs are also available.
Retirement account owners are required to withdraw a minimum amount annually from pre-tax retirement accounts, i.e., IRAs and 401(k)s, referred to as the required minimum distribution (RMD).

The Secure Act 2.0 generally increased the required age, to begin RMDs, to 73. Beginning in 2024, owners of Roth 401(k) accounts will no longer be required to take RMDs, as is already true of Roth IRAs. Additionally, the IRS updated the life expectancy tables used to calculate RMDs, which became effective on January 1, 2022, slightly reducing RMDs at most attained ages.

IRS Publication 590-B contains the uniform lifetime table, joint life expectancy table, and single life expectancy table. Using the right table to take the correct RMD is important to avoid potentially significant penalties.

Joint life expectancy table

This table is required to be used by the owner of an IRA or 401(k) who is taking distributions during their lifetime, to calculate their RMD, when their spouse is the beneficiary for the entire year and is more than 10 years younger than the IRA owner.

Uniform lifetime table

This table is most often used by the owner of an IRA or a 401(k) who is taking distributions during their lifetime to calculate their RMD. This table is used when you are married, and your spouse is less than 10 years younger or if you are married and your spouse is not the sole beneficiary. It is also used if you are not married.

Single life expectancy table

This table is used by the beneficiary, who is not the spouse of an IRA owner, to calculate their RMD on an inherited retirement account and is never used by the owner of an IRA taking distributions during their lifetime.

Be aware, if you pass away, the employer, as a plan sponsor, is required to use the single life expectancy table to calculate distributions (RMDs) payable to your surviving spouse. The single life table creates much larger taxable RMDs to your spouse than had you implemented a rollover of your account from the employer-sponsored plan to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

The rollover to your own IRA would allow your spouse as the beneficiary to treat the account as their own, and to use the uniform lifetime table, possibly creating much smaller RMDs and less tax payable, than those required by the employer-sponsored plan.

Multiple retirement accounts

If you own multiple accounts, in some instances, you are allowed to combine RMDs from the same type of account and take a distribution from a single account. However, you are not allowed to combine withdrawals from certain different types of accounts. Seek the advice of a qualified financial advisor and tax professional regarding your unique situation.
One might think that McLean Countys aviation history began with the establishment of Bloomingtons first airport, located north of Normal, in 1927. Surprisingly, it started 10 years earlier.

With that information and an additional hundred years of aviation history to cover, it is clear there is not enough space to discuss Bloomington-Normals aviation history in one column. With that in mind, readers will have to wait for parts two, three, and maybe more, at a later date.

McLean Countys first known aviators were Army Air Corps trainees who earned their wings during World War I. Sixty-six McLean County flyers were trained during the war, including Halsey Bingham of LeRoy and Louis E. Davis and Lee C. Robinson, both of Bloomington. Unfortunately, these men lost their lives while serving as pilots.

A few of McLean Countys flyers earned their wings at Chanute, the U.S. Armys air base in Rantoul. These men trained on Curtis JN open cockpit bi-wing planes also known as Jennys.

On several occasions, the trainees flew to Bloomington, landing at Formans field, a dry, flat plot of farmland east of Bloomington and Oakland Avenue. The practice runs proved useful to the U.S. Army in promoting and recruiting new cadets.

During the war the Bloomington Association of Commerce maintained three grass landing strips on this field.

Passenger planes arrived in Bloomington after the war but not to transport travelers to cities afar. Rather they sold rides to novices.

In fall 1919 the Service Aviation Co. of Assumption, Illinois, sent pilots and planes, including Bloomington native and former U.S. Army pilot Lt. Edwin Harrison, to Forman field to drum up business by providing first-time passengers with the experience of a lifetime.

Normal resident Luella Hurst who could not resist the temptation to do so, got up the courage and paid for a flight. She noted to a Pantagraph reporter afterward that she did not experience the least bit of fear on the trip and enjoyed every minute of it.

It was a good experience for Harrison as well. He continued to work as a pilot, something he enjoyed, but like most other World War I pilots, did not have the resources to purchase his own plane.

Soon after that, air derbies and air circuses were performing at Forman field. In December 1921 airmen from Chanute flew a variety of planes to Bloomington whose expert flyers performed parachute drops and stunt formations to help recruit future aviators.

In July 1922 Maj. R.W. Schroeder, formerly of Bloomington, flew from Chicago to Forman field to visit his grandmother.

Famous for setting altitude height records, Schroeder made clear to Pantagraph reporters that if Bloomington wanted to increase air traffic, city leaders needed to provide a large hangar. He noted that he had to hire a man to guard his plane as it was parked in an open field, and supplies for fixing a small tear in the fuselage could not be found.

With these needs met, plus a first-class landing field, Schroeder believed Bloomington could easily attract flyers every week as there are plenty of them in Chicago who would make a little week-end trip down this way if they were sure of a place to keep their planes.

In September 1923 Peoria aviator W.H. Bradford arrived in Bloomington to establish a commercial aviation field in Bloomington. The Pantagraph reported that he had taken a five-year lease on Forman field with plans to establish Bloomington Airways there and add hangars, two planes and equipment for a modern field.

The following month he took newspaper reporters on a 10-town aerial tour of McLean County to promote the business. Four days later The Pantagraph published his first and only Bloomington Airways promotional ad, which offered flying instructions, taxi service to all cities and rides over the city for $5.

Apparently the demand for his services did not meet Bradfords expectations as the business did not survive into 1924.

The first locally owned airplane arrived in Bloomington in May 1924. Harvey Wurzburger purchased a Curtis JND Jenny from the U.S. government in St. Louis and flew it back to Bloomington, landing the plane in a farmers field south of the city. It was the closest he could get to his familys garage on Six Points Road.

Soon after that local aviation enthusiast Rogers Humphrey, owner of Humphreys Wholesale Grocery Co., bought a Waco biplane.

In 1925 a barn-storming troupe known as the Gates Flying Circus put on an aerobatic display from Sweeneys Pasture six miles east of Bloomington on Route 9. One of the pilots hired local auto mechanic Art Carnahan to repair his plane's engine. In exchange he took him up on his first flight  a flight that changed Carnahans trajectory in life.

Luckily for Carnahan, another pilot with the troupe, Basil Sims, was convinced by Humphrey to stay in Bloomington and provide flying lessons. Sims trained him and Carnahan went on to become a leader in Bloomington aviation history.

Through Sims more local pilots were trained and interest grew, but growth of aviation in McLean County required the involvement of people with deep pockets. Humphrey was one of those men and made concerted efforts to stimulate interest in aviation.

In July 1926, The Pantagraph announced that Forman field in Bloomington had been identified as a possible stop on a new Chicago-to- St. Louis airmail route. Bloomington Association of Commerce and other civic agencies joined to support of the idea, but a group of private citizens did the work.

The group incorporated in early July 1927, and in August Herman A. Will, Charles P. Kane, and Sims signed a lease for a 72-acre tract of land on Main Street 4 miles north of Bloomington and established it as the Bloomington Airport.

An article printed in the Pantagraph titled Airport Realized celebrated the success of the private enterprise, accomplished by young men (ages 19, 20, and 23) who have agreed to put their time, skill and money into the project. Bloomingtons Association of Commerce swept in noting that they and other civic agencies provided every encouragement.

Later that month Humphrey, Kane and Sims incorporated the Bloomington Aircraft company to manage airplanes at Bloomington Airport for both recreational and commercial purposes.

While city planners continued their discussions of a proposed municipal airport at Forman field, work to clear the field at Bloomington Airport and construction of the first hangar began. Will, owner of the property, invested $5,000, the hangar was completed in late October and six local owners rented spaces for their planes.

By that time the Bloomington Flying Club had organized. Their members, Jack Simmons, Jack Bell, Charles OMalley, Victor Neirynck and Will pooled funds and purchased a Curtis JNA-4, which was used for training flyers. Member fees paid for the instruction as well as airport costs and maintenance. The Club signed a five-year lease for use of the airport and by November had 12 members and a second plane for training.

On Nov. 27, 1927, the group published their first Pantagraph advertisement inviting all to join the club and learn to fly. Sims and Carnahan were contracted to train those who signed up for flight lessons and a percentage of their fees went toward the clubs lease. They were soon very busy, reporting at the end of their first year 21 newly trained and tested pilots.

Local plane owners had a hangar in which to store their planes. Expecting future growth, the investors were already developing plans for improvements as well as air derbies and circuses to raise money.

Bloomington had its airport and though not yet on the aviation map of Illinois, its owners and operators were headed in the right direction to grow into a successful private enterprise.

15 urban legends of McLean County
MORE STATE FAIR COVERAGE

SPRINGFIELD  A group of Livingston County 4-H youths sat under a shade tree as they lunched on fried appetizers and mini-burgers Thursday afternoon at the Illinois State Fair.

Teenagers feasting on fair food is a common site there, but what was different was that the main ingredient in their meal was copi, the new consumer food brand for invasive carp. They were eating copi nuggets, rangoon, empanadas and sliders.

"Last year, they had samples of (copi) and it was phenomenal, so we had to come back and get some more," 4-H leader Cheryl Hansen, of Flanagan, said of the copi giveaways at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' Conservation World exhibit area.

This year, IDNR has arranged for the new Flippin Fish Shack food truck from Grafton to sell a variety of copi menu items throughout the fair, which will continue through Aug. 20. The Fish Shack will be open daily during Conservation World hours, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Flippin' Fish co-owner Darla Drainer said her husband, commercial fisherman Randy Drainer, has helped supply his sister's fried fish stand for 30 years now, so they decided to put this experience to work opening a food truck of their own.

Drainer said she and her husband heard IDNR was looking for a vendor to sell copi at this year's state fair, so they answered this call. She said they are accustomed to cooking up catfish and buffalo fish, so they needed to test various invasive carp recipes in preparation for the fair.

For their copi needs, the food vendors turned to fish processed by Sorce Freshwater Co. in East Peoria and sold by Humphrey's Market in Springfield. Drainer said she was pleasantly surprised by how well this mild fish paired with many ingredients, such as being a substitute for crab in rangoon.

Drainer said Flippin' Fish, which may now offer copi at other festivals and special events, encourages those who may be skeptical about eating invasive carp to give it a try.

"It's not what they think. This is completely different," Drainer said.

IDNR launched the copi brand in June 2022, with the goal of rebranding invasive carp to combat public misconceptions and increase consumer interest. IDNR reported that Illinois processors have doubled their sales since the launch, and nationwide sales are now available online.

Copi is described as a mild, clean-tasting fish with heart-healthy omega-3s and very low levels of mercury. IDNR reported that increased consumption will help keep the fish from decimating other fish populations in the Great Lakes and restore an ecological balance to waterways downstream.

We know theres a lot of curiosity about copi, and the Illinois State Fair is a perfect time for people to find out what all the buzz is about, IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said in a press release. Anytime IDNR has offered copi during the fair, people walk away impressed by how light, delicious and versatile it is.

Photos: Illinois State Fair political days through the years 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2009 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2005 State Fair 2004 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2006 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2018 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2021 State Fair 2021 State Fair
At theaters, a popular movie these days is about the atomic bomb and how it could destroy the world.

There is worry about climate change, and its various scenarios and disastrous ramifications.

There is handwringing over two letters of the alphabet  A.I.  so much that fears of its evolution are being debated in Congress, and we may not have new TV or movies in the fall or even winter because of a writers and actors strike spawned by them.

In the meantime, I think I know what our utmost worry perhaps could be.

I wont forget at Schnucks, the highly popular grocery store with two locations in Bloomington-Normal.

As I walked in, I sensed something was awry.

There was chatter; shoppers were milling; there were hand-scrawled signs warning customers of what was occurring; and it was not because of some disaster, or mayhem, or unexpected upheaval.

It was worse.

The computers were down momentarily.

Checkers were rendered basically helpless, relying instead on what we told them things were marked.

Store managers were handing out crayons for shoppers to write down prices on the items they wanted.

Although it wasnt funny at all, it was nonetheless sort of funny.

Once upon a time, everything in a grocery store was simply marked with a price. Items were stamped by pricing gadgets with blue ink that made a ka-chink when quickly pressed down. We picked items off a shelf, put them in our cart, continued to shop, then went through a checkout where a checker punched up the prices on a click-click-click cash register, and we paid to go home.

And life was good.

Now, with amazing innovation, we fully live by computer sophisticatry, from the first punch of the computer-chip-laden alarm clock to the last click of the remote on the bedside TV.

We have, in fact, become so reliant upon computers that the only time we even think about them anymore  during a grocery store outage, or when your own laptop or iPad crashes, or the office loses its mainframe connection  is when we dont have them.

Were you around a few weekends ago when in various precincts around town one of Bloomington-Normals primary internet providers had an outage for a couple days due to an electrical issue?

Folks couldnt access their bank accounts.

Passwords were useless.

Email was down.

If theyd wanted, businesses could not send out their online billings.

Security systems were threatened.

Although not the case here, at more severe outages elsewhere, hospital records have been in danger of being lost, and elective surgeries and treatments momentarily postponed because of such outages.

At one B-N church  Bloomingtons St. Johns Lutheran Church, which recently underwent a significant updating (full disclosure: Im a member), including a gorgeous new worship center with state-of-the-art electronics  the televising of its services went down and projections of Biblical readings and words of the hymns to be projected upon a gigantic projection-like screen behind the altar were non-functional.

An internet apocalypse, humorously explained Pastor David Glesne the next weekend.

Yes, we worry about all the big things, as referenced in the opening graphs of this piece.

But thanks to amazing technology, heres our own belief: Outside of bombs, and wars, and artificial intelligence, its other, outwardly simpler things of these modern times that could instead prove disastrous for each one of us.

Forty years ago, as President Ronald Reagan geared up his so-called Star Wars missile defense system, late, great Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko scrawled a humorous piece that appeared in this newspaper (I clipped it out) and suggested, instead of rockets and missiles, Russia would instead one day just fly up a spacecraft with a gargantuan electromagnet attached and wistfully shoot its rays down toward America, demagnetizing our electronic systems and rendering our computers useless.

It was, of course, full-fledged Roykoesque fiction.

It was, wasnt it?

Going down in history is one thing, but the computers going down these days is historically quite another.

Photos: Sheep, goat, beef and dairy Costume Show during the McLean County 4-H Show.
American society continues to struggle with the question of how to fairly and compassionately deal with people addicted to drugs. Even though this is a complicated area of public policy, its reassuring to see Republicans and Democrats in Congress looking for spots of consensus that can improve outcomes for low-level, nonviolent offenders who enter the federal criminal justice system.

Under current law, a person found guilty of a federal charge of simple drug possession  meaning a small quantity for personal use, and not for dealing  can request probation if this is the persons first and only drug offense. After the person successfully completes probation, a federal judge can dismiss the case. The arrest and disposition would still show up in a public records search. However, the law does allow people younger than 21 to get the criminal record expunged.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler, and a group of Democrats and Republicans from across the country want to get rid of the age cap. Theyre co-sponsoring legislation named after a former New York district attorney, the Kenneth P. Thompson Begin Again Act, to narrowly amend federal law to remove the age limit for first-time drug offenders to expunge records.

Thats appropriate. A criminal record, even a low-level drug possession charge, can hamper peoples ability to land a job, secure an apartment or obtain public aid. Its important for offenders to accept responsibility for their actions, but having doors shut in their faces because of a single, relatively small mistake can destabilize lives and drive people away from recovery and back toward crime. First-time drug possession offenders deserve a second chance even if they arent minors or young adults.

The offense wouldnt show up in public background checks anymore. The U.S. Department of Justice retains a confidential record of the case, only for the purpose of determining whether a person would qualify for an expungement in a future proceeding.

Getting rid of the age cap for this second chance is so popular that organizations all over the ideological spectrum support it, from the NAACP to the Conservative Political Action Coalition. So do the National District Attorneys Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Americans should tread carefully when it comes to proposals to decriminalize drug use. A seemingly well-intentioned effort in Oregon to only fine people caught with small amounts of illegal drugs has backfired in Portland, where drug use has burst into the open, according to recent reporting by The New York Times. Overdose numbers are climbing while businesses and residents worry about disorder and aggression from chronic drug users.

The Kenneth P. Thompson Begin Again Act doesnt overstep. Beneficiaries would still face consequences, in the form of probation, while having barriers to their rehabilitation removed. Its a small policy change that can transform lives. We hope Congress will recognize this and act.

The Dallas Morning News

Editorial Board
President Akufo-Addo yesterday swore in the newly constituted Board for the Head of State Award Scheme (HSAS).



That was however not without a charge for them to use their positions of influence to mobilise funds for the effective operationalization of the Scheme.



As Trustees, you are to provide direction for the operationalization of the award programme, reach out to more young people with this positive programme, and maintain public confidence in the scheme was how he put it when he swore them in at a short ceremony held at the Jubilee House.



Apart from that, he said you are also responsible for the mobilisation of the needed resources and funds to sustain and grow the award scheme to attract more young Ghanaians.



Speaking about the construction of an ongoing award house in Accra, the President noted that the new board having assumed office, has a duty to make sure that the project which is the first of its kind on the continent and beyond, is completed and put to full use by the award scheme.



President Akufo-Addo however assured the Board of Trustees of his governments support, especially in the area of their finances, in order to position the award scheme to attract more young people.



You can, however, be assured that the government of your chief patron, that is, myself in case anyone does not know it, will continue to support the scheme to help create avenues that will enable our youth to explore, be Innovative and use creative ways to solving societal problems to ensure the development of this nation, were his exact words.



Commitment



On his part and on behalf iof his colleague members, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Harry Sintim Aboagye gave his word that they will work to the best of their abilities and trust God to enable them exceed the expectations of the President.



As Trustees, we are committed to this cause for the future sustenance of our country, he gave his word.



That, he said was because the awards scheme is a fantastic programme, carefully designed to empower young people, giving them the opportunity to surmount the myriad of challenges life may throw at them.



By encouraging young people to learn new skills, get physically active, volunteer within their communities, and discover a sense of adventure outside the classroom, he indicated that the awards scheme helps them to unlock their potential.



Trustees



The Board of Trustees is made up of Harry Sintim Aboagye who is the Chairman, with Gladys Amoah as the Vice Chairperson and Kwadwo Addeah-Safo, Secretary to the Board.



Other members include Daniel A. Adotey, Hajia Muniratu Lamptey, Juliet Yayra Tengeh, Ohenewaa Sakyi Bekoe, Pius Hadzide, CEO of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Peter Anum, Executive Director of HSAS, and Mrs. Gifty Sakyi Bewusu.

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.

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Consultations on Ghanas much-anticipated energy transition and investment plan took place in Accra this week, as diverse stakeholders from government, the private sector, youth and civil-society organizations offered feedback on the plan ahead of its launch.



This energy transition and investment plan is expected to serve as the governments main roadmap for achieving universal energy access and net-zero carbon emissions, as expressed under the countrys current Energy Transition Framework and Nationally Determined Contributions, while fostering economic growth and protecting jobs.



Ghana has set goals to diversify its energy portfolio, increase the role of renewables and reduce energy intensity. All of these will need to be done in parallel and the upcoming energy transition and investment plan provides a detailed view of what is needed in terms of technical assistance and investment across key sectors.



By mapping out these needs, the plan will serve as the main tool for the government to engage the international community and investors for support. The Government of Ghana is developing the plan with technical support from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).



Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo and Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, met in Accra to discuss the plan's findings and recommendations, ensuring it is backed from the highest levels of government.



Ogunbiyi also participated in an inter-ministerial committee meeting, where she briefed ministers on how the plan is designed to support the work of various ministries, including environment, transportation, industry, and others.



At additional stakeholder engagement events, the private sector, civil-society organizations, youth and other advocacy groups were given the opportunity to weigh in on what they would like to see the plan prioritize. Among the points raised was the need for equitable access to the social and economic opportunities generated by the plan, such as jobs, particularly for women and youth.



Feedback from all consultations is guiding the plans finalization, with its launch expected to happen this fall.



A similar plan was launched in Nigeria last year and a dedicated Energy Transition Office has been established to drive the plans activation, having already secured USD 3.6 billion for its underlying projects.



Supporting quotes:



Ghana is committed to a clean, equitable energy transition that harnesses the full potential of renewable sources and energy efficiency. However, ambition alone will not transform our energy systems, which is why we embarked on creating an energy transition and investment plan that details what is needed to reach our goals. I look forward to working with international partners to realize the many opportunities presented in this plan.

His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana



It was a pleasure to meet with President Akufo-Addo, government ministers, local community groups and youth this week and hear first-hand how committed they are to a just and equitable energy transition. Their commitment has translated to an ambitious energy transition and investment plan that builds a case for changes across Ghanas entire energy system. These changes present a tremendous opportunity for partners and investors from around the world to contribute to climate action and sustainable development in Ghana.

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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ISLAMABAD, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Two security personnel were injured in an attack in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Sunday, local media and officials said.

The incident happened in Gwadar district where a convoy was attacked by terrorists.

Babar Yousafzai, spokesperson of the Balochistan provincial government, told Xinhua that an operation against the terrorists was underway.

The proscribed armed group Balochistan Liberation Army has claimed responsibility for the attack. 
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, called on the members of the church to pray for his death if he consults demons in performing miracles, signs and wonders.



Adeboye said this during the RCCG Holy Ghost Service of the 71st Annual Convention at the Redemption Camp, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday.



The revered pastor said some prophets accused him of using demonic powers in leading the church, as well as preaching and prophesying to his members.



Adeboye said his attention was drawn to some publications on the internet where some so-called prophets, clerics and groups of persons made the allegation.



Addressing the congregation at the gathering, he urged the congregation to pray that he dies before sunrise if he is guilty of the allegation.



He said he initially ignored the rumours but on second thought because of others that might want to believe, he decided to speak about it.



Adeboye said, We are going to pray one more prayer. I usually dont pay attention to the sayings of some so-called prophets, especially if they are saying something about me. I just ignore them.



But, I learned that recently some people are saying Pastor Adeboye is using demonic forces, that there are some demons at Redemption Camp, that Pastor Adeboye will consult. Then, He would come and say My Daddy said.



I just felt I should not pay any attention, but they said they put these things on the internet. Then, when I was praying, I think about two or three days ago, as I was praying for the Convention naturally, then I felt the leading, that there might be some people, who might believe this thing.



He asked the congregation to pray, If there is any connection between him and forces of darkness. You are going to call on Almighty God, kill him before the sun rises so that he doesnt spoil Your Name.



So, that he doesnt lead several innocent people to hell. Then, you add to that prayer. Say Father, but if this boy (Adeboye) is using your power and your power alone, then multiply that power seven folds.





Source: vanguardngr









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs says the Minority in Parliament's threat to picket Bank of Ghana if the Governors fail to heed their call to resign within 21 days will "end nowhere".



He likened the Minority to "kindergartens" while reacting to the matter during Peace FM's Wednesday edition of "Kokrokoo" show.



The Minority caucus says they will picket the Central Bank after their 21-day ultimatum if the Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison and his deputies remain at post.



They accuse Dr. Addison of mismanaging the Bank of Ghana, causing the bank to lose over 60 billion cedis.



"We in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) saw the red flags and have consistently warned of the mismanagement of the financial sector by the Governor of the Central Bank and his team of incompetent deputies.



"Only last week, the Annual Report and Financial Statement of the Bank of Ghana was released. This report depicted the catastrophic decline of the Bank into a bottomless pit. The report revealed the following astonishing facts...Bank of Ghana recorded a staggering loss of GHS60.8 billion, which is equivalent to $6 billion...twice the amount we are to receive from our recent IMF bailout.



"This means the recklessness and mismanagement of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana has cost the nation twice what we are struggling and sacrificing to receive from the IMF amid major conditionalities," Minority Leader, Ato Forson said during an event dubbed "Moment of Truth" held by the NDC on Tuesday, August 8.



Allotey Jacobs, in response, says "I disagree with this picketing. It will end nowhere!...This is a lazy man's work".



He questioned the authority of the Minority to demand Dr. Addison and his deputies should step down.



"Do they have the power to remove the Governor of Bank of Ghana?...Do they have power to appoint and disappoint? Who appoints the Governor of Bank of Ghana?", he queried.



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Atik Mohammed says the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison and his deputies must resign with immediate effect.



The Bank of Ghana (BoG) is said to have become insolvent, running into a loss of over 60 billion cedis, equivalent to 6 billion dollars, in 2022 following a report of the bank quoted by the Minority in Parliament during their Moment of Truth engagement with the media on Tuesday.



The Bank of Ghana recorded a staggering loss of GHS60.8 billion, which is equivalent to $6 billion. This is twice the amount we are to receive from our recent IMF bailout, the Minority quoted.



They added; The bank has also recorded a negative equity of over GHS55.1 billion. What this simply means is that the Bank of Ghana is insolvent" and blamed the incumbent government stating "the once prestigious Bank of Ghana, the mother of all banks in Ghana, has been bankrupted and collapsed by this NPP economic management team led by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with the complicity of the Governor of the Central Bank.



The former PNC General Secretary, reacting to the accusations of mismanagement of the BoG, joined the Minoritys call for the Governors to vacate their post saying it greatly saddens me that a major player in Ghanas economic policy could be this reckless as far as spending is concerned.



To him, the Governors have joined the Finance Minister to engage in reckless spending and this isnt helpful and stressed if you know that what we are doing will bring these consequences and you still do it, then it means you have intentionally decided to ruin us and you dont deserve to be there. They should not just go but there should be an investigation.



I strongly share the view that the managers of our Central Bank, they have failed us, he admonished on Peace FMs Kokrokroo show.



He emphasized; If they make up their minds that they wont resign, there should be an immediate investigation into their conduct and if they are found culpable, that could be the basis for the President or whoever is appointing them to say that, look, on this basis; you cant continue to serve. But I will support the call that they should resign on their own and allow fresh legs to come.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Member of Parliament for North Tongu has alleged that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government is seriously making plans to deploy Ghanaian troops to Niger, as part of the standby force by the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) to remove the country's new military leadership.



In a post shared on Facebook on Saturday, August 13, 2023, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said that President Akufo-Addo has a plan for Ghanas contribution to ECOWAS' military intervention in Niger, that has not been approved by the Parliament of Ghana.



He added that it would be irresponsible for the president to go ahead with his plans, which would likely lead to a war in West Africa, without consulting the people's representatives.



Akufo-Addos refusal to submit his Niger Policy to Parliament for thorough scrutiny by the peoples elected representatives is most undemocratic and awfully reckless.



West African leaders who purport to be lecturing Niger on democracy must be seen leading by example at home.



Ghanas gallant soldiers must be kept far away from the looming bloodbath and escalating geopolitical confrontation which is bound to explode with far-reaching consequences for stability in an already volatile region, he wrote.



The MP also said that the government is in no position to support the Ghana Armed Forces if the president goes ahead with his plan because the country is currently bankrupt.



He added that rather than waiting for coups to happen, ECOWAS leaders must wake up and take the needed steps to address the challenges facing the citizens of the member countries.



Lets shift focus from the symptoms and start addressing the real issues of bad leadership, corruption, endemic poverty, democracy that works only for a few cronies and fat cats, massive unemployment, lack of opportunity, state-capture, constitutional manipulation, compromised judiciaries, discredited institutions, neo-colonial exploitation, and a disunited Africa.



The North Tongu legislator said that if nothing is done countries in the sub-region would continue to see military overtakes.



Niger is not the first; and it may not be the last without an honest, appropriate, introspective, causative, leadership response, he added.



Background:



The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS) ordered the deployment of a standby force to Niger.



ECOWAS leaders gave the directive to the President of the Commission at Extraordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria on August 10, 2023.



The Extraordinary Summit was convened as a sequel to the recent one held on 30th July 2023, following what ECOWAS describes as the illegal detention of President Mohamed Bazoum by the members of the Presidential Guard of the Republic of Niger on July 26, 2023.



The communique issued by the Authority reiterates its strong condemnation of the attempted coup detat and the continued illegal detention of President Mohammed Bazoam, his family, and members of his government.



Meanwhile, the military juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali have said that any forcible attempt to restore President Mohamed Bazoum in neighbouring Niger will be seen as a declaration of war on them.









The Authority of Heads of State and Governments of the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS) ordered the deployment of a standby force to Niger.



ECOWAS leaders gave the directive to the President of the Commission at Extraordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria on August 10, 2023.



The Extraordinary Summit was convened as a sequel to the recent one held on 30th July 2023, following what ECOWAS describes as the illegal detention of President Mohamed Bazoum by the members of the Presidential Guard of the Republic of Niger on July 26, 2023.



The communique issued by the Authority reiterates its strong condemnation of the attempted coup detat and the continued illegal detention of President Mohammed Bazoam, his family, and members of his government.



Meanwhile, the military juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali have said that any forcible attempt to restore President Mohamed Bazoum in neighbouring Niger will be seen as a declaration of war on them.









Source: Ghanaweb.com









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The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong has urged the delegates of the ruling New Patriotic Party of the Mpreaso constituency to vote massively for the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to become the party's flagbearer.



Addressing party delegates of the Mpreaso Constituency, Seth Acheampong stated categorically that after careful consideration and observation, he believes electing Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as their flagbearer is the best strategic decision for the NPP, even though he has good relationship with the other nine candidates, but Bawumia stands tall among them.



The former Member of Parliament for Mpreaso, who said this when the Vice President engaged the NPP delegates in his constituency during a stopover on his campaign tour of the Region explained that "Since I became the Regional Minister, I have carefully observed that among the other candidates and as the truth stand, Dr Bawumia is the best person at this moment to lead the party if the NPP wants to break the 8 political jinx".







Seth Acheampong further explained that with his political experience and understanding of the partys inner workings, Dr Bawumia's unwavering dedication to the NPP is an exceptional personality with experience in governance and politics.



He further praised the Vice President's dedication to the NPP and his impressive track record by highlighting his contributions to the governments successes and his commitment to delivering on the partys promises.



He asserts that the vice president is the only candidate who can even approach the NDC's fortresses and deny them the opportunity to hijack the NPP's status as the ruling party, adding that the Vice President, who stands out among the other candidates, is currently the party's last chance.



He has therefore called on all delegates who will vote in the flagbearer elections of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to vote for Dr Bawumia and stand resolute with him.

Source: Deiu Media Ghana Ltd









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The MP for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has responded to US Ambassador Virginia Palmer's remarks at the US-Ghana Business Summit on social media.



Virginia Palmer speaking to journalists in Accra: Lots of ethnic communities make Ghana strong, stable, and attractive for investments. I hope it stays that way with regard to the LGBTQ community. They should be managed to be made the colour of the money green or red if its Ghanaian, but if it is discrimination, then that will send a signal not to (only) LGBTQ investors and exporters but to other American companies. Then Ghana will be less welcomingso I hope it stays that welcoming



In a Facebook post in response, Sam George wrote: Dear Virginia Palmer, US Ambassador to Ghana, I have seen videos of your comments at the US-Ghana Business Summit.



You have expressed fears that investors from the US would not find Ghana attractive if we as Ghanaians uphold our values and reject the depravity of LGBTQI. I find that really surprising.



Are American investors looking to invest in a Country and with partners who have no values? I thought the basic test of a potential partner is integrity and values? Ghana as you know is very intolerant of religious extremism. Has that made American investors wary of Ghana as an intolerant investment destination?



Let me reassure you and the U.S. Embassy Ghana that Ghana remains welcoming and open to American investors as a stable, viable democracy. We welcome investors who value the principles of integrity and respect the cultural values of their partners.



I am confident it should not be a worry as our intended legislation is NOT different from American laws in states like Florida and Kentucky. I believe the US Supreme Court agrees largely with Ghana's position.



Cheers to a mutually beneficial business relationship between  and the . 

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Air-frying a 3D-printed plant-based calamari ring resulted in a quick, tasty snack. Credit: Poornima Vijayan

In the refrigerated grocery store aisle, meat alternatives greatly outnumber plant-based seafoods. But more mock seafood options are needed because of unsustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, which can deplete the supply and harm the environment.

Now, researchers present a new approach for creating desirable vegan seafood mimics that taste good, while maintaining the healthful profile of real fish. They 3D-printed an ink made from microalgae protein and mung bean protein, and their proof-of-concept calamari rings can even be air-fried for a quick, tasty snack. The researchers will present their results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

"I think it's imminent that the seafood supply could be very limited in the future," adds Poornima Vijayan, a graduate student who is presenting the work at the meeting. "We need to be prepared from an alternative protein point of view, especially here in Singapore, where over 90% of the fish is imported."

People around the world eat a lot of seafood, but the oceans are not an infinite resource. Overfishing has depleted many wild fish populations. That lack of sustainability, combined with heavy-metal and microplastic contamination, as well as ethical concerns, have pushed some consumers toward plant-based mimics. But such alternatives are still difficult for seafood lovers to find.

While some mock seafood productssuch as imitation crabmeat made from minced and reshaped pollock or other white fishare already on the market, making mimics from plants has been a challenge. It's hard to achieve the nutritional content, unique textures and mild flavors of cooked fish meat using vegetables or fungi.

"Plant-based seafood mimics are out there, but the ingredients don't usually include protein. We wanted to make protein-based products that are nutritionally equivalent to or better than real seafood and address food sustainability," says Dejian Huang, Ph.D., the principal investigator of this research.

Recently, Huang and his research group at the National University of Singapore used legume protein to develop better seafood mimics. And they replicated the flakiness and mouth feel of real fish by 3D printing a protein-based ink with a food-grade 3D printer. Depositing the edible ink layer by layer created different textures, some fatty and smooth and others fibrous and chewy, in a single product. Credit: American Chemical Society

"We printed salmon filets with protein from red lentils because of the protein's color, and we've printed shrimp," says Huang. "Now, we wanted to print something else interesting with the potential for commercializationcalamari rings."

In this work, the team tested two sustainable, high-protein plant sources: microalgae and mung beans. Some microalgae already have a "fishy" taste, which Vijayan says made them a good candidate to use in the squid-ring analog. And mung bean protein is an underutilized waste product from manufacturing starch noodles, also called cellophane or glass noodles, which are a popular ingredient in many Asian dishes.

The researchers extracted microalgae and legume proteins in the lab and combined them with plant-based oils containing omega-3 fatty acids. In the end, the nutritional profile of the high-protein vegan paste was similar to that of calamari rings from squid. Then, the paste was subjected to temperature changes, allowing it to be easily squeezed out of a 3D printer's nozzles and layered into rings. Finally, the team assessed the finished rings' taste, smell and appearance.

3D printing gave the seafood mimic structure and texture, but consumers will still want to bake, fry or saute it, just like they do with real squid, says Huang. So, in an initial cooking test, Vijayan air-fried some of the samples as they would be prepared for a snack. The researchers tried the plant-based calamari, remarking on their acceptable taste and promising texture properties.

Before conducting consumer tests, though, Vijayan wants to optimize the product. "The goal is to get the same texture and elastic properties as the calamari rings that are commercially available," she says. "I'm still seeing how the composition impacts the product's elasticity and the final sensory properties."

And while this plant-based mimic might provide a seafood fix for people with allergies to mollusks, which includes squid, Huang isn't sure whether people could be sensitive to its ingredients. "I don't think that there are many known cases of allergies to microalgae proteins or mung bean proteins. But we don't know yet because it's still a new combination," he says.

In the near future, the team plans to develop many prototypes and assess how easily they can be developed for large-scale food manufacturing. Huang expects that in the next few years these calamari-like products could be available in fine-dining restaurants or specialty outlets. "I think people will like our plant-based mimic. From a novelty perspective, it has that seafood taste but comes from only sustainable plant-based sources," concludes Vijayan.

More information: Effects of microalgae and mung bean protein combination on 3D printing of seafood analogs, ACS Fall 2023. www.acs.org/meetings/acs-meetings/fall-2023.html
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A scientist examines baby coral at our National Sea Simulator, where we research heat tolerant corals and large scale coral aquaculture. Credit: AIMS, CC BY-ND

Coral on the Great Barrier Reef has regrown strongly after the big losses of 2016 and 2017, when water temperatures were significantly above the long-term average. While this is good news, it's largely luck. The reef experienced mass bleaching in 2020 and 2022, but temperatures cooled just in time to prevent extensive coral deaths.

But the reef's luck may be about to run out. Hotter El Nino conditions are returning to the Pacific, driving warmer ocean temperatures. The past few months have seen global temperature records smashed. Already, reefs in Florida, the Caribbean and parts of the Pacific are bleaching. The looming southern summer is a significant concern.

Can anything be done? Keeping emissions under control is obviously vital. But we can also support the Great Barrier Reef's resilience by speeding up natural adaptation processes.

In our paper published today (August 10) in Science, we describe methods of accelerating the natural evolution of heat-tolerant corals, next-generation aquaculture to rear large numbers of baby corals, and collaborative decision-making with First Nations groups to place these corals onto the Great Barrier Reef at meaningful scale.

How to breed heat-tolerant coral

Corals are very different in how they tolerate heat. Some can put up with hot water for longer, whereas others bleach at lower temperatures.

Globally, bleaching thresholds have increased by 0.5 in a decade. That is, reefs are actually becoming more tolerant of heat. This is likely because more sensitive species and colonies have died off or become less abundant.

Within species, we know individual corals in warmer waters are typically more tolerant than those in cooler waters.

Understanding why some corals have better heat tolerance, and how these attributes can be passed on, means we can figure out which corals are best placed to adapt. Then we can start selectively breeding them.

Coral reefs support a huge diversity of lifeforms, from fish to shrimp to rays and sharks. But on a tiny scale, coral polyps have their own microbial ecosystems, ranging from symbiotic algae which give coral its colorand much of its food, from photosynthesisthrough to the rest of the coral microbiome.

To breed coral better able to adapt to the heat, we have to understand how their microbiome works. One group of symbiotic algae (Durusdinium) living inside coral can actually give their host the gift of increased heat tolerance, though often at the cost of reduced growth.

But if we assist the evolution of other coral-associated algae (Cladocopium), we find heat tolerance of both coral and algae improves, usually without compromising other survival traits.

This means we can inoculate the offspring of selectively bred corals with these algae to achieve greater heat tolerance. These methods have now been tested in the laboratory and should scale for mass production.

By interbreeding wild colonies of the same species of coral, we've found heat tolerance can be passed to the next generation.

An AIMS coral scientist examining young coral on a seeding device. Credit: T.Whitman/AIMS, CC BY-ND

Our researchers are developing tools to pick out these naturally more resilient individuals, during bleaching events or with rapid heat stress experiments. We are also analyzing corals' DNA to identify genetic markers.

Then we measure how heat tolerance and genetic diversity is maintained in the aquaculture facility and back in field conditions.

So while assisted evolution is still very new, our results are encouraging. There is real potential to increase coral heat tolerance to improve survival in hotter seas.

Accelerate aquaculture to achieve scale

This year's marine heat waves are breaking records. To boost our chances of preserving the Great Barrier Reef, we'll need to be able to scale up these techniques.

To date, coral restoration and adaptation has been done at relatively small scale and high cost. Coral breeding has largely been done by hand, in small laboratory aquarium facilities, which is slow and expensive.

But this is changing. At our site in Townsville, we've made advances in coral aquaculture with the potential to significantly boost production rates while cutting costs.

How do you produce heat-tolerant corals at scale? Settle selected baby corals on small tabs in modular sheets. Separate the individual tabs, each now home to a thriving baby coral, and attach them to special fist-sized structures designed to protect the babies in the ocean. This greatly increases their survival rate once on the reef.

We're trialing these technologies by depositing these structures in carefully chosen places along the reef where they can grow and, eventually, reproduce. As we scale up production, we will be able to deliver large numbers of structures without requiring divers, by using boats or robots.

These technologies mean we can increasingly automate coral rearing. At present, these techniques are available for around 50 coral species on the Great Barrier Reef.

Making sure human systems work well is also vital. To ensure heat-resistant baby coral thrive, we have to have good ecological models and decision-making processes which take economic, social, and environmental factors into account.

Success will also depend on meaningful partnerships with Traditional Owners. Combining conventional science and traditional knowledge can bring fresh insights. Marine management of Groote Eylandt in Australia's north now uses maps produced by scientists working with Anindilyakwa people to combine local knowledge, in-water surveys and satellite data.

As we move towards large-scale restoration and adaptation, Australia's First Nations rangers could provide a vital community-based workforce to deliver a new suite of management and conservation activities, especially in remote regions. Traditional Owners could also play important roles in monitoring progress.

Until recently, conservation efforts were aimed at protecting ecosystems from damage and limiting access, allowing natural systems to bounce back. But in the era of global heating, this is no longer enough. Disruptions are coming faster, challenging nature's resilience.

We have to help. Time is short and there is much to do.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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A Royal Moroccan Air Force firefighting plane douses a wildfire in Tangier.

Temperatures in Morocco have for the first time on record topped 50 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit), the North African country's meteorological service said Sunday amid a scorching heat wave.

The meteorological station in the southern coastal city of Agadir recorded on Friday the new national record of 50.4C, said the General Directorate of Meteorology.

Morocco has experienced a series of heat waves over the summer with record-breaking temperatures.

The previous highest temperature, 49.9C in the Western Sahara city of Smara, was recorded on July 13, according to the weather service.

"This heat wave is due to the influx of dry and hot air from the south, causing a significant rise in temperatures, surpassing the monthly average by five to 13 degrees," the meterological authority said in a statement.

The heat wave has caused wildfires in recent days in northern Morocco near Tangier and further east in Taza province, damaging forests but resulting in no casualties, AFP journalists reported.

July has been the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. It surpassed the previous record in July 2019 by 0.33C.

Last month in Morocco was ranked the fourth hottest July since 1961.

Weather forecasts predict a slight drop in temperatures in the coming days across the northern parts of North Africa.

 2023 AFP
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The mountain devil can cross hundreds of miles of rough alpine terrain, tear into an elk carcass frozen for weeks and fend off predators several times larger than its 40-pound frame.

And the elusive species might be coming back to Colorado.

Wolverinesalso called "mountain devils" and "skunk bears"could be the next large mammal reintroduced in Colorado after wildlife officials implement the voter-mandated reintroduction of wolves by the end of the year.

How and when wolverines could be introduced here hinges on an upcoming decision from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on whether the species should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. A decision is expected in the next few months and, depending on the way that goes, efforts to begin bringing in wolverines could begin again. Plans to reintroduce the species in Colorado have existed for more than a decade, but uncertainty around the federal listing decision kept wildlife officials from pursuing the effort.

"It was bouncing back and forth, lots of uncertainty there," said Eric Odell, species conservation program manager at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "Because of all that uncertainty, we put it all on the back burner."

It helps that the state's top leader has thrown his political weight behind the reintroduction effort.

"The governor continues to join so many Coloradans who share his enthusiasm for reintroducing the native wolverine, last spotted in 2009 in our state, to better restore ecological balance in wild Colorado areas," Gov. Jared Polis' spokesman, Conor Cahill, said in a statement. "The governor is hopeful that a successful wolverine reintroduction program will begin during his time as governor."

Despite the name, wolverines are not related to wolvesthey're weasels, not canines. They wander widely through ranges that cover up to 600 square miles and can cover 15 miles in a day. They primarily feed on carcasses but will kill rabbits, rodents andoccasionallylivestock. They measure up to 18 inches tall at the shoulder and look like a small bear crossed with a badger crossed with a skunk.

Wolverines' territory once spanned west from the Sierra Nevada in California to the Rocky Mountains. But the species was nearly exterminated from the lower 48 states by the early 1900s as large game herds decreased and ranchers and the federal government poisoned carcasses to kill off wolves, bears, coyotes and mountain lions. Wolverines, which number in the thousands in Canada and Alaska, have since reestablished populations in Washington, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Oregon, but have not come back to stay in Colorado.

Biologists estimate there are approximately 300 wolverines in the lower 48, mostly in Montana, Odell said. Colorado's high snowy mountains are the species' largest unoccupied territory and will only become more important as a warming climate shrink the snowpack the wolverines need for dens.

"There is a real role for Colorado to play in conservation here," Odell said. "Wolverines really need Colorado."

A threatened species?

Colorado wildlife officials first started considering reintroducing the wolverine during a raft trip in the 1990s, Odell said. They eventually decided to pursue lynx reintroduction instead.

But the agency returned to the idea in 2010 and completed a plan for reintroduction. Officials are taking a new look at that plan to see if it needs updates.

"We've started to dust that off and update that but it's not ready for presentation to the (Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission)," Odell said.

How the reintroduction plan is implemented depends on whether the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides to list the species as threatened. Years of litigation over whether the species needed federal protection led a judge to mandate the service make a decision by Nov. 27.

Federal officials proposed listing the species as threatened in 2013 before changing their minds in 2014, citing robust populations in Canada and Alaska.

If the species is listed as threatened, state lawmakers will have to pass a bill allowing for the reintroduction of wolverines, Odell said. State wildlife officials will also have to coordinate more with federal officials on the reintroduction process and future management of the species.

If wolverines are not listed, Colorado Parks and Wildlife can move forward and start conversations with recreation groups, timber companies and other interested parties.

"It's sort of a wait-and-see situation," Odell said.

Climate change

The most significant stressor on wolverines in the coming years will be climate change, according to an analysis by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wolverines create high-altitude dens in the snowy mountains in the winter and raise their kits there to keep them warm and protect them from predators. Wolverine mothers need deep snow that lasts long into the spring months.

That type of snow will become rare in the American West as the climate warms. Wolverines will lose an estimated 30% of their habitat in the lower 48 states in the next 30 years and 60% of their habitat here in the next 70, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Colorado's mountains are predicted to retain their snowpack better than the lower-elevation mountains of Montana, Odell said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists estimate there is enough suitable terrain in Colorado to support between 125 and 150 wolverines.

"The reliance of wolverines on snow and cold temperatures is pretty clear," he said. "They seem to do better with springtime snowpack lasting."

Natural wanderers

Colorado's last wolverine lived here between 2009 and 2012 after traveling 585 miles over a few months from the northwest corner of Wyoming to the mountains west of Breckenridge, crossing two interstates, several mountains ranges and Wyoming's vast and arid Red Desert.

M56 was the first wolverine seen in the state since 1919, but it didn't stay put. It eventually wandered out of the state and was shot and killed on a ranch in North Dakota.

Data collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows that wolverines are moving back into some of their previous territories all on their own.

That's why Colorado officials should wait for wolverines to reintroduce themselves instead of forcibly moving wolverines into the state, said Jeff Copeland, executive director of the Wolverine Foundation and a wildlife biologist who studied the species for more than 30 years.

Wolverines have moved back into all of the lower 48 states they previously occupied except Nevada, California and Colorado, Copeland said.

"Reintroduction is kind of happening on its own," Copeland said. "The fact that we can see that and watch it is very exciting to me."

Wolverines have been spotted recently in places where they hadn't been for a century. In June, a young male was spotted three times in and near Yosemite National Park in California. Utah wildlife officials have confirmed several sightings.

The species' rambling nature is what gives Copeland hope that a human-initiated reintroduction won't be necessary in Colorado.

"It's a very messy process," he said. "It's a last resort. It's not the first choice because you're going through a capture process, trying to capture these animals, transport them thousands of miles and then drop them off in completely new habitats and expecting them to live."

Because wolverines do not live near each other, taking one or two will impact the ecosystem of that area, Copeland said.

But other advocates for the species said there is risk in waiting and hoping that wolverines reestablish themselves here. Even if a breeding pair make its way down south, more will have to follow to make sure there is enough genetic diversity, said Michael Robinson, senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.

"Colorado should do it on the principle that wolverines belong in Colorado," Robinson said. "They're part of the natural ecosystem and Colorado's ecosystem can make a big difference."

No other U.S. state has attempted to reintroduce the species, Copeland said. The only reintroduction he was aware of occurred in Finland.

Copeland said wolverines may not make a resurgence in Colorado during his lifetime, but he believes they will in the near future.

"I think it's happening, I think that it's incredibly fortunate that we recognize it and can watch it," Copeland said. "Why do anything that can alter this natural process?"

Colorado wildlife officials have experience introducing other carnivorous mammals, like the lynx and black-footed ferret.

"There is real pride in restoring species to their native range," Odell said.

2023 MediaNews Group, Inc.

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DAMASCUS, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Loud explosions jolted an arms depot near the Syrian capital of Damascus in the early hours of Sunday, a war monitor reported.

The depot belongs to the Lebanese Hezbollah group and is located 20 km southwest of Damascus in a mountainous area near the Syrian-Lebanese border, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding it believed the explosions were the result of "an Israeli intelligence operation."

Neither the Syrian government nor the Israeli side has commented on the explosions so far.

Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory since the onset of the Syrian conflict, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Syrian army positions.

The Syrian conflict has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions. 
ATLANTIC CITY  A gorgeous sunny day and a cooling breeze greeted country fans Saturday afternoon on the second day of the TidalWave Music Festival.

Music lovers in their favorite big hats, cowboy boots, bikinis and swimsuits filled the beach north of Playground Pier, enjoying an ideal day in the sun.

Two stages were set up along the beach. Shortly past the general admission entrance at Kentucky Avenue was the Next From Nashville stage. The main stage was backed up against the north side of the pier.

A VIP section was set up toward the front right of the stage, but there was plenty of room on the beach for concert-goers to mill around and enjoy the atmosphere.

In the back was a vendor village featuring liquor and beer companies such as Bud Light, Skyy Vodka and Woodchuck Hard Cider. They had games from giant Jenga to cornhole to ring toss, plus several photo opportunities for fans.

Many people found spots along the surf, enjoying a beach day while listening to music. Many put their bathing suits to good use and jumped into the ocean. Atlantic City Beach Patrol lifeguards were on duty inside the venue.

This was the second year TidalWave was held in Atlantic City. This year's three-day festival featured headliners Thomas Rhett (Friday), Jason Aldean (Saturday) and Brooks & Dunn (Sunday).

Each day featured 10 acts  five per stage. Dee Jay Silver was scheduled to kick off the festivities all three days on the main stage.

Corey Kent got Saturday's music started on the main stage. With a southern rock, guitar-driven sound, Kent, from Oklahoma, marveled from the stage at the beach. He told the crowd this was his first time in Atlantic City before playing a few of this hits, mixed in with a rocking cover of the hit Beatles song "Come Together."

Frank Cairns and Sara Kingsberry, both of Philadelphia, found a nice plot of sand with friends Mike DiDonato and Anthony Miles further back from the stage. The engaged couple said they enjoyed Kent's sound, having heard his music before, and were excited to see him live.

"He was great," said Kingsberry, 32. "I've listened to a few of his songs, so we wanted to come early enough to see him."

They were excited to see Jason Aldean on Saturday and Jelly Roll on Sunday. They enjoyed Friday's headliner, Thomas Rhett, as well.

Kingsberry said the group is looking forward to listening to new music this weekend.

"There's a guy (Sunday), Dylan Marlow, who is on the Nashville stage. I know one of his songs, and I wanna hear mop won tickets through his job with Anheuser-Busch, one of the sponsors. This was their first time doing a beach concert in Atlantic City.

"I love that you have beach access for the concert," Pellecchio said as the couple set up by the water.

The pair were excited for some of the later acts Saturday like Dylan Scott, Dustin Lynch and Aldean. They had plans to check out some of the festival games that were set up toward the Kentucky Avenue side.

"I love how active it is back there," Pellecchio said.

GALLERY: Day 2 of the TidalWave Music Festival
By Sandip Soparrkar

Dr. Tushar Guhas Nrityanjali, an esteemed institute dedicated to dance and cultural preservation, recently commemorated its 60th Foundation Day with a captivating showcase. The event, held in Maharashtra, featured over 500 talented students, spanning ages five to 76, who enthralled the audience with a diverse range of dance forms, including Kathak, Bharatanatyam, creative dance, and folk dances, among others. As an eager attendee, I had the privilege of conversing with Dr Guha, reflecting on the institutes incredible journey. In an engaging interview, Dr Guha shared insights into his dance journey, which began at a tender age under the guidance of Guru Niren Sen at Bharatiya Nritya Kala Mandir in Kolkata.

He recounted his extensive training in various dance styles, from classical to folk, and his interactions with renowned figures like Pt Uday Shankar Ji and Pt Lachhu Maharaj Ji. Dr Guhas passion led him to master a wide array of dance forms, including both traditional and modern styles. The establishment of Nrityanjali, Dr Guha revealed, was a natural progression fueled by his deep-rooted passion for dance and his parents inspiring socialist values. His childhood experiences of organizing performances in his community laid the foundation for what would later become Nrityanjali.

The institute evolved over the years, starting as a childrens club and eventually blossoming into Nrityanjali, a public charitable trust, with crucial support from philanthropists like Smt. Sarala Birla and Shri Basant Kumar Birla. Reflecting on Nrityanjalis 60-year journey, Dr Guha recounted numerous highlights, including its inaugural program in 1964 and collaborations with notable artists like Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma. The institutes participation in events like Doordarshan and the IIT International History Congress contributed to its recognition.

Notable achievements encompassed productions like Reach for the Sun and Geet Ramayan, which showcased Nrityanjalis artistic prowess and commitment to meaningful storytelling. While the journey was rich with achievements, Dr Guha acknowledged the challenges he faced. These difficulties, he noted, were not setbacks but valuable learning experiences that shaped his resilience and determination. He candidly spoke of instances of rejection and non-acceptance, which, in turn, fueled his resolve to succeed. Nrityanjalis success, Dr. Guha emphasized, was built upon a foundation of overcoming adversity and continual growth. Since 1967, Nrityanjali has extended its impact by providing specialised training in Pune and the surrounding areas.

Collaborating with various groups, including nurses and women auto rickshaw drivers, they have harnessed the power of dance, music, and art workshops to generate funds for vital projects. Notably, they have successfully constructed toilets in schools at Vimannagar and supplied benches to Karnabadhir Vidyalaya in Hadapsar. Amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the institute dedicated relief efforts to support the artist community in Kumbharwada, Mundwa.

A significant facet of their endeavours has been in the educational realm, marked by a significant milestone in 1993. He had the privilege of leading multiple Teacher Training workshops at the prestigious Maharashtra State Council of Education and Training (SCERT) in Pune, an ongoing commitment that has spanned several years, says Dr Guha. From its humble beginnings as a childrens club to its current stature as a renowned institution, Nrityanjalis journey is a source of inspiration and a testament to the enduring impact of passion and perseverance. As it continues to thrive, Nrityanjalis legacy shines brightly, leaving an indelible mark on the world of dance and culture.

(The columnist is a World Book of Records holder, well-known ballroom dancer and Bollywood choreographer)
The country is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence Day. The Union ministry of home affairs has issued instructions to grant special amnesty to deserving convicts in certain categories of jails as part of the celebrations. Thus, as many as 186 prison inmates will be released from the jails in the state on August 15.

ADGP and IGP, state prisons, Amitabh Gupta and special IGP Dr Jalinder Supekar appealed to the 186 prisoners to leave the life of crime and become responsible citizens of the country and wished them good luck for the future.

On the occasion of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, special amnesty has been granted to certain categories of prisoners in state jails in three phases.

In the third phase of the amnesty, the government has directed to release the 186 prisoners from jail on Independence Day by giving special amnesty proposing to establish discipline among the prisoners and to encourage early release from prison, said the top police officers.

Thus, a total of 581 convicts have been released from jail by the Maharashtra prisons department in three phases.

Speaking to Mirror Hemant Patil, jailor, Yerwada Central Prison, said, The prisoners who were sentenced for a short life imprisonment will be released on the occasion. Most of them have been convicted in murder or attempt to murder cases.

As per the criteria, the prisoner must have crossed the age of 60. They must have spent one third part of the punishment in the jail, added Patil.

Phase-wise release of prisoners

 First phase  206 prisoners freed on August 15, 2022

 Second phase  189 prisoners released on January 26, 2023

 Third phase 186 jail inmates will be freed on August 15, 2023

 Out of the 186 prisoners, 16 are from the Yerwada Central Jail and one prisoner for the Yerwada Open Jail
I can assure you that Narendra Modi will not be the next P.M.  Prakash Ambedkar

Prakash Ambedkar, Founder of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, conducted a press conference today, taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his current government said, I dont know whose government will rule in the next term, but I can firmly say that Narendra Modi will not be the next Prime Minister of this country.

When asked about PM Modis speech in the parliament, he said, I think PM Modi was not confident while speaking in the parliament. He has lost his confidence. He just gave a speech that day just for the sake of giving it.

The press conference was conducted as RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) will celebrate Partition Day on the eve of Independence Day (August 14). But according to Prakash Ambedkar of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, it is an unnecessary initiative as we already celebrate it as a Black Day.
The last words from Breasia Terrell to her mother were typed out in a text message.

Goodnight Mom, the 10-year-old wrote when she used Henry Dinkins' cell phone to text Aishia Lankford between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on July 9, 2020.

Moments later, Lankford replied to her daughter: Goodnight. I love you Brea. Thank you.

Hours later  in the early morning of July 10, 2020  Breasia disappeared.

Dinkins' bench trial entered its second day Friday at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport. He is accused of abducting and killing Breasia and faces life in prison if Judge Henry Latham finds him guilty of first-degree kidnapping and murder.

Former Davenport police officer Dustin Garner, a member of the Special Victims Unit when Breasia was reported missing, testified Friday to collecting the text messages between the mother and daughter, as well as other messages on the cell phones used by Lankford and Dinkins.

Garner was one of five witnesses called to the stand Friday by Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham and Assistant County Attorney Liz ODonnell. The last to testify was Breasia's 11-year-old brother, identified in the courtroom as "D.L."

"Brea was gone"

Breasia's younger brother, identified as D.L., testified that he called his sister "Brea." He said they were "really close," and he covered his face with his hands after he offered the description.

He was eight years old when the two stayed the night with Dinkins, D.L.'s father.

Questioned by O'Donnell, D.L. testified that Dinkins showed up at his grandmother's house on July 9, 2020. He said he wanted Brea and his older brother, identified as C.S., to stay with him at his "dad's house." Only Breasia was allowed to go.

Dinkins took D.L. and Breasia in his black Camaro to the apartment he shared with Andrea Culberson. He played Grand Theft Auto in the living room while Breasia, Dinkins and Culberson were on the bed in the apartment's only bedroom.

D.L. testified that it "was weird," because his father left him alone. He told the court that his mother dropped clothes off for both children, including pajamas. He said Breasia tried to bring the family dog back to the apartment, but she wasn't allowed.

D.L. then testified to the next "weird thing" that happened: After both children had taken separate showers, they were each given one of Dinkins' T-shirts to wear to bed. He said the shirts were long on them, "going to about my knees."

In response to questions from O'Donnell, and just before the court adjourned for the weekend, D.L. told the court that Breasia fell asleep before him and that after he fell asleep he felt "a kick" on his leg. He testified that the two had shared a bed before and Breasia never kicked him.

He said he woke up later and "Brea was gone." He also testified that he felt that Dinkins "took her, because he was gone." He told the court Culberson was awake and looking out the window in the bedroom. That window faced the parking lot.

D.L. testified that Dinkins returned "when there was a little bit of daylight" and his father was "acting a little weird." He said Dinkins "grabbed something out of the closet and left."

D.L. then said Dinkins returned a second time, then left. He said his father returned a third time.

"He came for me," D.L. told the court.

His testimony is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

A 4XL T-shirt

Sgt. Geoffrey Peiffer, who had testified Thursday, returned to the stand during the second day of testimony Friday. Peiffer said Breasia wore a size 4XL T-shirt to bed the night before she disappeared from the apartment.

She was reported missing on the morning of July 10, 2020, and Dinkins was immediately considered a person of interest in the case. Her remains were recovered near a small pond in rural Clinton County on March 22, 2021. Dinkins was charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder in early May of 2021.

Peiffer testified that when Breasias remains were recovered, investigators found a 4XL T-shirt nearby.

That testimony came after Dinkins' attorney, Chad Frese, cross-examined Peiffer, raising the issue of an investigation of a murder in Clinton that was committed roughly 10 days after Breasia disappeared.

Frese noted a bloody childs T-shirt was found in the trunk of a car and that shirt was roughly the size of shirt worn by Breasia. Peiffer said the evidence never was considered connected to Breasias disappearance. After Frese suggested the evidence was never tested, Peiffer said the shirts from Clinton were tested, and the blood did not match Breasia's.

Frese then asked Peiffer if Breasias blood was ever found in Dinkins Impala, Camaro or mobile trailer.

Peiffer answered no.

Frese asked if any trace evidence of Breasia, including blood, hair or other fluids, was ever found in the case. The witness again answered no.

Photos: Breasia Terrells Garden at Monroe Elementary School
DES MOINES  Participating in chats with the Iowa governor, surveying cattle and hogs across the fairgrounds and rapping an Eminem song, Republican candidates fought for air Saturday as a showdown between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis largely stole the spotlight.

Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley toured the fair and spoke to voters.

Ramaswamy and Haley are well-liked by Iowa Republicans  their names come up often when potential caucus goers mention their favorite candidates. But they also are in the second-tier pack of candidates when it comes to polling on the primary campaign. Ramaswamy and Haley both typically poll in the low to mid-single digits, far behind Trump and DeSantis. Binkley does not register any support in most polls of Iowa voters.

Both Haley and Ramaswamy spoke about Trump during remarks and with reporters, and made the case that they are best situated to carry his agenda forward or take the partys leadership in a new direction.

Ramaswamy has pitched a right-wing agenda and promises to build on the legacy that Trump started. But he said he would not serve as his running mate.

Asked by a woman during his Des Moines Registers Political Soapbox appearance, Ramaswamy said he would not accept the vice presidency.

So my friend Donald Trump is arriving, and he and I share something in common. Neither of us do pretty well in a No. 2 position, Ramaswamy said, adding he expected that Trump will be my adviser.

During a news conference after his Soapbox appearance, Ramaswamy said again said that he is focused on winning the GOP nomination and not securing a cabinet position or a vice-presidential nomination.

"If I were building a political career, of course, I would do that," he said. "I'm not building a political career. I'm not a politician. I don't do well in a No. 2 position."

At his Fair-Side Chat with Gov. Kim Reynolds, Ramaswamy called his primary opponents great people and said he would not disparage them, but he said he was the only candidate who stood for radical changes to the government.

Do you want reform or do you want a revolution? he said. I stand on the side of revolution, the American Revolution.

After his interview with Reynolds, in which he said Eminems Lose Yourself was his favorite walkout song, Ramaswamy rapped a verse as the audience cheered him on. Politico reported last month Ramaswamy used to perform the song often at Harvard as his rap alter ego, Da Vek.

Between appearances with Reynolds and at the Soapbox, Haley stressed her background as an accountant and said Republicans were as much to blame for the high national debt as Democrats.

She pointed to the $2.2 trillion COVID-19 relief package, passed in 2020 under Trump and with a Republican-led Senate, which she said expanded welfare programs and increased the deficit.

I would love to tell you Biden did that to us, but Ive always spoken in hard truths, she said. Our Republicans did that to us, too.

As Haley walked through the fairgrounds with Reynolds, the Iowa governor drew more fans than the former South Carolina governor. People shouted, We love you, Kim, and stopped to take photos with the pair.

Jodi Henning, 56, of Decorah, was excited to see Reynolds and snapped a photo, but she said she did not know much about Haley. Henning said she plans to caucus next year, but has not made up her mind on a candidate.

I have not met Nikki Haley before, or heard her debate before, so thats another one on my list to listen to, Henning said. Im very interested in what she has to say. I just figure when Gov. Reynolds aligns herself with good people, Im interested in what they have to say.

Speaking to reporters after her appearance at the Soapbox, Haley said Trump needs to earn the support of Americans by joining the primary debate Aug 23. Trump has not confirmed whether he will participate.

She also made an appeal to electability, suggesting her opponents could not win a general election against President Joe Biden. Haley has taken a moderate position on issues like abortion and during her Soapbox speech stressed the need to increase the partys appeal to women and minorities.

Binkley drew a small crowd during his speech at the Soapbox, delivering a message of national unity  uniting the country with the love of God.

Binkleys campaign focuses on four policy issues: reducing the national debt, taking on big pharmaceutical companies, immigration reform and uplifting urban centers through education.

Its time for the Republican Party to transcend our party and win more voters in urban America and college students, he told reporters. Donald Trump had two opportunities. He maxed out at 46 percent of the vote in the last two general elections. We lost 46 of the Top 50 cities by population. We lost 70 percent of the young people. Its time for us to connect to college students, the Millennial generation, Gen Zers with a message that resonates with their heart and connects them to other people.
DES MOINES  Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, on a hot, sun-splashed summer Saturday at the Iowa State Fair, competed for the attention of Iowans and throngs of media.

It was a State Fair-sized manifestation of the competition between the top two candidates for the Republican nomination for president. And just as he has been in all polling on the primary campaign so far, Trump was the decisive winner on this day in Iowa five months before the nations first GOP caucus.

The crowd has been incredible. Its been incredible. Nobodys seen anything like it. Were very honored, Trump told reporters.

By significant margins, Trump leads DeSantis and the rest of the GOP field in polling on the Republican presidential primary campaign both at the national level and in Iowa. Trump leads DeSantis by 39 percentage points in Real Clear Politics rolling average of national polls, and Iowa Republicans went for Trump over DeSantis by 24 points in a recent poll from the New York Times and Siena College.

That strong support for Trump in Iowa was evident Saturday at the State Fair, where he drew massive crowds filled with some people who showed up hours in advance to see him at three stops: at the Iowa Pork Producers tent, inside the Animal Learning Center and at the Steer N Stein food pavilion.

Trumps visit short but packed

Trump spent a little more than an hour at the fair. He also greeted a couple dozen supporters and campaign volunteers at the Des Moines International Airport before departing.

During his visit, Trump got a pork chop from a food stand and waved it to the crowd, but then handed the classic Iowa State Fair food to a conservative media reporter who was covering the former presidents visit. He walked past the Iowa Pork Producers tent and spoke with people there, but did not flip pork chops on the grill as some other candidates do.

Trump did not participate in the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox, a rite of passage for most political candidates who come to the Iowa State Fair. Nor did he accept Gov. Kim Reynolds invitation to participate in her new Fair-Side Chat series of interviews with the Republican presidential candidates.

Trump has expressed frustration with Reynolds commitment to neutrality in the Republican presidential primary. Her stance follows a tradition of Iowa governors of both political parties remaining neutral in presidential primaries, acting as welcoming hosts rather than supporting a favorite.

Trump was asked by reporters why he did not appear with Reynolds at the fair. He reiterated his belief that his support for her campaign put her over the top in winning Iowas 2018 gubernatorial election.

I have a very nice relationship with her.  I like her very much, Trump said. I actually did a couple of rallies for her, and she ended up winning the election instead of losing the election. I like her very much. Thats why I came to do some rallies for her.

DeSantis criticizes Trump for avoiding Reynolds event

As he walked the fair with his family, playing carnival games and taking in the fair sights, DeSantis skewered Trump for attacking Reynolds over her pledge to stay neutral in the 2024 caucus campaign.

Donald Trumps attacks on Kim Reynolds are totally out of bounds; I couldnt disagree with it any more, DeSantis told reporters about his fellow Republican governor. Shes done really nothing but a great job, shes never done anything to him. But thats just how he operates, to attack one of the best governors in the country.

During his chat with Reynolds, DeSantis reiterated promises to be a ruthlessly effective executive, pointing to his conservative successes in Florida.

When I tell you Im going to do something, Im not just doing that to put something out for fodder in a campaign, he said. If I tell you Im going to do something, you can take it to the bank. We are going to follow through and we are going to deliver on our promises.

Amy Meyer, of Urbandale, was at the chat in a DeSantis campaign hat and shirt. She said her confidence in DeSantis ability to get things done was one reason she was supporting him over Trump.

Trump seems to talk about things and then not follow through on certain things, she said.

DeSantis greeted by protesters of all stripes

DeSantis visit was plagued by heckling from within and outside the party.

A group of liberal protesters at DeSantis fair appearance with Reynolds rang cowbells, blew whistles and occasionally shouted as the chat began.

Reynolds stopped the interview and scolded the protesters, telling them to be Iowa Nice and hear out the candidate.

Lets give everybody the opportunity to hear our candidates, Reynold said. Well stop until you do, but were all going to have an opportunity to hear from each and every candidate. Thats what weve been doing.

But the commotion continued, and Reynolds and DeSantis continued the interview over the noise. Tension surged between the protesters and DeSantis supporters, and two of the protesters were eventually kicked off the fairgrounds by troopers, but no charges were filed, Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Alex Dinkla said in an email.

The Iowa State Patrol and State Fair Police warned two individuals several times to stop their use of whistles and cowbells during an event at the fair with Governor Ron DeSantis, Dinkla said. ... After the two individuals failed to comply with the repeated warnings, they were ejected from the fair. No charges were filed for the disruption.

Derek Torstenson, one of the people in the group who was not kicked out of the event, said he came to counter DeSantis, who he described as a fascist. Torstenson is from Minneapolis, and the others protesting were from Iowa.

We need to let them know that hes not welcome here or anywhere else in America, Torstenson said.

DeSantis was also met with opponents from within his party: Hoisting his daughter on his shoulders, DeSantis flipped pork at the Iowa Pork tent thronged by media, supporters  and a handful of Trump-supporting hecklers.

Several people held Trump signs near DeSantis, and multiple times broke into chants of Trump 2024. DeSantis's supporters responded with their own chants of USA.

Trump trolls DeSantis, dismisses support

During the interview with Reynolds, a plane flew overhead sporting a banner that read, Be likeable, Ron! Later, when Trumps plane landed at the nearby airport, it flew around the area where DeSantis was tending the pork grill.

During his time at the fairgrounds, Trump waved off a reporters question about some Iowa state lawmakers support for DeSantis.

Weve gotten great support, Trump said, noting the nine members of Congress from Florida who traveled to the State Fair with him are supporting his campaign and not DeSantis.

Before he departed, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he may take a plea deal in the case involving an investigation into his effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Trump pushed back at the question and said he doesnt take plea deals and that he did nothing wrong.
Its state fair season, and we are about to witness politicians and public policymakers from both parties and all sorts of public offices attempt to convince us how much they value farmers and agriculture. Here in the Heartland, they will put on their boots and plaid shirt, eat a deep-fried Snickers and take plenty of pictures with the butter cow. They will shake lots of hands and talk about the value of the American farmer.

Dont let this annual ritual convince you that they are looking out for farmers. These politicians and public policymakers have done nothing to address a well-known flaw in a new process for applying for college financial aid that is about to systematically screw farmers and farm kids.

A once-in-a-generation redesign of the application for federal financial aid, referred to as FAFSA Simplification, has several flaws, but among the most significant is the new inclusion of farm value (as well as small businesses with fewer than 100 employees) in the calculation to determine eligibility for financial aid programs. The inclusion of farm value in the new calculation assumes that the value of land in production, and the many thousands of dollars worth of farm equipment needed to farm that land, can somehow be liquidated to help pay for a kids college education. Good luck with that.

This change has the potential to exclude thousands of farm kids from eligibility for various financial aid programs and may make college out of reach for many. While some politicians have listened to concerns, they have not taken any action. The most recent guidance issued in early August provides a lengthy and complicated explanation of this new consideration. Sadly, the legislative process does not allow enough time to address this for the coming year.

The truly unfortunate part, and the reason federal, state and local policymakers should care about this, is because the results of the FAFSA guide eligibility for federal and state financial aid programs. Iowa (The Iowa Tuition Grant) and Illinois (The MAP Grant) have generous state grants that have historically helped farm kids who will likely be excluded now.

At a time when the political divide in this country often has a rural vs. urban dimension, and the value of a college education is in question, this flaw will only perpetuate division.

More importantly, this oversight will result in fewer farm kids, rural kids and first-generation students going to college. Our country cant afford to have that happen. Whether or not you're a farmer, you must recognize that educated farmers are good for all of us. More efficient practices on farms to feed people around the globe with less harm to the environment while keeping our economy strong  all of this just may be something worth supporting.
BY NICK ROBERTSON





The famed Eiffel Tower in Paris was evacuated two times on Saturday due to bomb threats, according to French media BFM.





The towers three floors as well as the courtyard below were cleared of tourists for over two hours early Saturday afternoon while authorities assessed the validity of the threat. Police quickly evacuated the tower and initially established a security perimeter at around 12:15 p.m.





The landmark was reopened around 3:30 p.m. local time before being evacuated again at about 7:30 p.m.





This is a usual procedure in this kind of situation, which is rare nevertheless, a monument spokesperson told the French news agency.





The last bomb threat to clear the tower for that long came in September 2020, they said.





The tower has closed for the evening but reopened after the second evacuation.





The Eiffel Tower, in the heart of Paris overlooking the Seine River, is one of the worlds most popular tourist attractions. The site welcomed over 5.8 million visitors in 2022.




KHARTOUM, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Clashes have renewed between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in western Sudan's South Darfur State amid continued tribal violence in the state, according to eyewitnesses and local media.

There were conflicting reports about the deaths and injuries resulting from the military clashes and tribal violence in the state.

The RSF said in a statement on Sunday that over 43 civilians, including eight children and women, were killed in the Sudanese army's "indiscriminate" shelling on a number of neighborhoods in Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur state.

The Sudanese army has not yet commented on the accusation. But according to local media and eyewitnesses, many people had lost their lives in the escalated tribal fighting in the South Darfur state.

"Since Friday, tribal fighting has been taking place between the Salamat and Bani Halba tribes," an eyewitness from Nyala told Xinhua on Sunday.

"This morning, the conflict escalated between the two tribes, resulting in large numbers of deaths and injuries, " said the eyewitness who required anonymity, adding the exact number of the victims could not be counted due to the security situation.

Meanwhile, the independent Sudan Tribune news portal reported on its website that the tribal fighting, which has been going on for three days, has led to the killing and injuring of no less than 47 people.

The website quoted military sources as saying that the reason behind the conflict between the two tribes was that they accused each other of stealing livestock, besides the Salamat tribe's refusal to bow to RSF pressure to push the tribes to declare their absolute support for paramilitary forces in the war.

In June, the Bani Halba, one of the main Arab tribes in South Darfur state, declared its support for the RSF in its war against the Sudanese army.

Adam Abbakar Ishaq, a leading figure in Nyala's local resistance committees, said that the mobilization by the two tribes threatens a humanitarian catastrophe.

"Both tribes are mobilizing more fighters amid unprecedented security chaos and complete absence of official authorities," he told Xinhua by phone.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. 
Kathmandu, Nepal, August 5, 2023: Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting of the Nepali Congress (NC) is set to hold today as well.





The PP meeting of the Nepali Congress is taking place at the Lhotse Hall within the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneswar. The PP meeting was commenced from Friday.




The unsolved 1920s slaying of the beautiful Dot King captivated New York. But the hype around the case proved insufficient motivation to catch the killer. So what happened?

In Broadway Butterfly, a jazzy true crime historical thriller, author Sara DiVello unearths piles of evidence and presents them through witnesses, detectives and journalists in an attempt to find out what happened to the fast-living, generous and ambitious young woman whose life was suddenly and mysteriously snuffed out.

All third-person limited, the chapters go around among reporter Julia Harpman, inspector John D. Coughlin and Dots maid and confidant, Ella Bradford. They each take on their own lexicon for a personal feel of character.

Julia is obsessed with reporting and the hustle of being a pioneer newspaperwoman, and sees herself as a righteous champion of women.

Coughlin is a hardened policeman whose preconceived ideas of others are solidified, and hes constantly surprised at girls these days living and traveling alone, and at Broadway womens apparent lack of moral values.

Ella came from the South and, while she sees more opportunity and less overt racist violence and segregation in New York, is well aware of the dangers she and her family face simply by her connection with a slain white woman.

Then theres Frances Stotesbury Mitchell, a high-society woman with equally high connections getting ready to host the scandal-ridden President Warren G. Harding in Palm Beach ahead of his renomination.

For those not already familiar with the history, its not until about a third of the way through Broadway Butterfly that it becomes clear why her narrative is woven into the broader story. Then, it becomes integral.

Julia herself notes early on that people have a way of seeing themselves as a hero  a forecast of her own hubris. The Julia chapters always paint her as chasing justice, and she excuses occasional sensationalizing as necessary to keep the Dot King case on the front page, therefore making it more likely to get solved.

But time and again other characters read her words and reveal that, in practice, she isnt the champion of women that her internal narrative makes her out to be.

So many things muddy the investigation: newbies on the force who make rookie mistakes, oldies who make assumptions, bad interrogation techniques, raw deals, classism, racism, sexism and flat-out corruption.

DiVello captures it all, revelations unfolding one by one as tips roll in from sources and shady deals are made, replete with 20s slang and swanky synonyms. DiVellos passion for the true crime genre is evident in the writing and by her role as creator and host of a mystery, thriller podcast.

The end result is a fascinating murder mystery packed with history. However, its repetitiveness presents a sticking point. While it underscores characters, it undermines the pacing. The book feels unnecessarily long.

Still, Broadway Butterfly is an enjoyable read loaded with factoids we might never have been aware of otherwise.
NIAMEY, Niger  One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the country's ousted president or face military intervention, the junta has not acquiesced. No military action has been taken and the coup leaders appear to have gained the upper hand over the regional group that issued the threat, analysts say.

The West African bloc ECOWAS gave the soldiers who overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum until last Sunday to release and reinstate him or they threatened military action. On Thursday, the bloc ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional rule in Niger, with Nigeria, Benin, Senegal and Ivory Coast saying they would contribute troops.

But it's unclear when, how or if the troops will deploy. The move could take weeks or months to set into motion, and while the bloc decides what to do, the junta is gaining power, some observers say.

It looks as though the putschists have won and will stay ... The putschists are holding all the cards and have cemented their rule, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank.

ECOWAS is unlikely to intervene militarily and risk dragging Niger into civil war, he said, adding that ECOWAS and Western countries would instead likely press the junta to agree to a short transition period.

Europe and the United States will have little choice but to recognize the junta in order to continue the security cooperation in the region, Laessing said.

The July 26 coup is seen as a major blow to many Western nations, which viewed Niger as one of its last partners in the conflict-riddled Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that they could work with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The U.S. and France have more than 2,500 military personnel in the region and together with other European countries have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training Niger's forces.

There was still little clarity about what would happen days after ECOWAS announced the "standby" force deployment.

A meeting of the regions defense chiefs was postponed indefinitely. The African Union is expected to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss Nigers crisis. The group's Peace and Security Council could overrule the decision if it felt that wider peace and security on the continent were threatened by an intervention.

The delay of the defense chiefs' meeting to discuss the standby force shows that ECOWAS views the use of force as a last resort, said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

Given the likely challenges an intervention would face, (the use of force would) require a high degree of consensus and coordination not just within ECOWAS, but within the African Union and international community writ large, he said.

But those with ties to the junta say they are preparing for a fight, especially since the soldiers are unwilling to negotiate unless ECOWAS acknowledges its leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who overthrew the president, as the new ruler.

ECOWAS is demanding that (the junta) immediately release President Bazoum and restore him as head of state. Is this a joke? said Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications and says he is in direct contact with them. Whether Bazoum resigns or not, he will never be Niger's president again."

As time drags on, there is mounting concern for the safety of Bazoum, who has been under house arrest with his wife and son since the coup. Those close to him say his situation is deteriorating with no water, electricity and a lack of food. Nigers junta told a top U.S. diplomat that they would kill the deposed president if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule, two Western officials told The Associated Press.

Most Nigeriens are trying to go about their lives as the standoff continues between the coup leaders and regional countries.

For the most part, the streets in the capital, Niamey, are calm with sporadic pockets of pro-junta demonstrations. Any pro-Bazoum demonstrations are quickly silenced by security forces.

On Sunday people marched, biked and drove through downtown Niamey, chanting down with France and expressing anger at ECOWAS.

Niger is in a deplorable situation. We are very happy there was a coup d'etat. Now everyone can go into the streets without a problem ... (but) if ECOWAS allows people to attack Niger, it will cross a red line, said resident Saidou Issaka.
DICKINSON, N.D.  Maksym Bunchukov remembers hearing rockets explode in Zaporizhzhia as the war in Ukraine began.

"It was terrible," he said. He and his wife sent their adult daughter west to Lviv for safety and joined her later with their pets.

Now, about 18 months after the war broke out, Bunchukov is in North Dakota, like thousands of Ukrainians who came over a century ago.

He is one of 16 new arrivals who are part of a trade group's pilot effort through the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian program to recruit refugees and migrants during a workforce shortage. Twelve more Ukrainians are scheduled to arrive by Aug. 15 as part of the North Dakota Petroleum Council's Bakken Global Recruitment of Oilfield Workers program.

Some workers want to bring their families to North Dakota while others hope to return to Ukraine.

"I will try to invite my wife, invite my daughter, invite my cat and invite my dog," Bunchukov said a week after his arrival.

The Bakken program has humanitarian and workforce missions, said Project Manager Brent Sanford, a former lieutenant governor who watched the Bakken oil rush unfold during his time as mayor of boomtown Watford City from 2010 to 2016.

The oil boom initially was met by an "organic workforce" of western North Dakotans with experience in oil field jobs elsewhere, but as the economy reeled from the Great Recession, thousands of people flocked to the Bakken oil field from other states and even other countries to fill high-wage jobs, Sanford said.

Technological advances for combining horizontal drilling and fracking  injecting high-pressure mixtures of water, sand and chemicals into rocks  made capturing the oil locked deep underground possible.

"People came by planes, trains and automobiles, every way possible from everywhere for the opportunity for work," Council President Ron Ness said. "They were upside down on their mortgage, their life or whatever, and they could reset in North Dakota."

But the 2015 downturn, the coronavirus pandemic and other recent shocks probably led workers back to their home states, especially if moving meant returning to warmer and bigger cities, Sanford said. Workforce issues have become "very acute" in the past 10 months, Ness said.

Ness estimated there are roughly 2,500 jobs available in an oil field producing about 1.1 million barrels per day. Employers don't advertise for every individual job opening, but post once or twice for many open positions, he said.

An immigration law firm told Ness that Uniting for Ukraine would fit well for North Dakota given its Ukrainian heritage, similar climate and agrarian people, he said.

The program's sponsors, including company owners, managers and employees, agree to help Ukrainians find work, health care, schools for their children and safe and affordable housing.

About 160 Ukrainians have arrived in North Dakota, the majority in Bismarck, as part of Uniting for Ukraine, according to State Refugee Coordinator Holly Triska-Dally.

Applications from prospective sponsors from around the state have "gone up considerably" in recent months, likely due to more awareness but also Ukrainians who are "working and beginning to thrive" and filing to support their family, she said.

The two dozen or so Ukrainians might not seem like many arrivals on national or statewide scales, but they will make a significant difference for cities like Minot and Dickinson. The cities haven't traditionally been major resettlement hubs, but now "there's a strong likelihood" the workers' families will join them, adding to the economy and schools, Triska-Dally said.

Bunchukov, who had jobs in mechanics and furniture sales in Ukraine, works for road contractor Baranko Bros. Inc. He and other new arrivals have experience in Alaska's seafood industry. Others have worked on cruise ships or held different seasonal jobs. Because of those jobs, many workers already hold Social Security numbers and have studied English, Sanford said.

Dmytro Haiman, who said his English skills steered him toward the Bakken program, recalled sheltering with relatives in his grandmother's cellar as the war began and bombs fell on his hometown, Chernihiv. In the first months of the war he drove people west to safety and brought canned food, medicine and even generators to Chernihiv amid supply shortages.

He said he expected to work in water transportation and hopes to earn enough money to help his family, "to help us to rebuild our country."

The Bakken program aims to recruit 100 workers by the end of 2023, and 400 after one year. Those 400 may not all be Ukrainians. Some will drive, start in shops or build roads, pads and fences, "everything from there up to well site operations," Ness said.

The workers will start in construction and other basic jobs starting at $20 an hour and can rise quickly. They also can leave their jobs or the state while they're in the Uniting for Ukraine program, which grants "humanitarian parole" lasting two years with a goal of a longer path beyond, but that depends on the federal government, Sanford said.

Four translators help workers with forms, training and community acclimation, Sanford said. One employer has rented eight apartments for workers, while others are in extended-stay hotels until they can find apartments.

Glenn Baranko, president of the contractor building paths to drilling rigs and providing environmental services in the oil field, planned to assign jobs to five initial workers based on their skillsets.

The labor shortage led his company to hire a full-time recruiter, "but there's still a need," said Baranko, whose great-grandfather came to the area from Ukraine.

Ivan Sakivskyi, who works for Baranko, said he looks forward to opportunities for promotion, such as driving heavy equipment, and gaining new experience.

Though he doesn't plan to live long-term in the U.S., Sakivskyi said he would like to return for work after visiting loved ones in his home country.
As work to complete the Mountain Valley Pipeline ramps up this summer, one of the first tasks is to test the integrity of sections of pipe that have been exposed to the elements for years.

With construction slowed by legal battles, many unconnected segments of pipe have sat along the projects right-of-way, where sunlight can break down a coating designed to protect the steel pipe from corrosion once its buried.

If the coating is not properly reapplied, Mountain Valley opponents say, the pipe could fail, releasing high-pressurized natural gas that would spark a calamitous explosion.

MVP is a very high risk pipeline, a group of 26 organizations wrote in a June 22 letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other agencies overseeing construction of the highly divisive project.

The organizations  which range from environmental heavyweights like the Sierra Club to small community groups  say that running such a massive pipeline across steep mountain slopes raises the risk of landslides that could rupture a weakened pipe.

In a June 29 response letter to FERC, Mountain Valley outlined what it is doing to inspect the pipes, reapply the fusion bonded epoxy coating when needed, and take other steps to guarantee the safety of what it calls a vital infrastructure project.

Project opponents ignore the facts and continue to push this issue to spark fear and further their anti-fossil fuel agendas, Matthew Eggerding, deputy general counsel for Mountain Valley, wrote in the letter.

Construction has been spasmodic since it began in early 2018, as a federal appeals court repeatedly rejected Mountain Valleys government permits after environmental groups filed legal challenges.

Then, in May, Congress passed a law green-lighting the project, which it declared was in the national interest. The U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay on construction in late July, allowing heavy equipment and about 4,500 workers to return to the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.

Its been a long and challenging journey for MVP, said Thomas Karam, chairman and CEO of Equitrans Midstream Corp., the lead partner in a venture of five energy companies building the $6.6 billion pipeline.

While we dont expect the opposition to give up, we have the highest degree of confidence that we will complete this project, Karam told financial analysts during an Aug. 2 conference call.

But inspecting and reinforcing the pipe is just one of many jobs that lie ahead for Mountain Valley, which says the project will be done by years end.

About 643 crossings of streams and wetlands  roughly half of them in Southwest Virginia, which the pipeline will bisect on its way from northern West Virginia to an existing pipeline in Pittsylvania County  must be made, either by digging through or burrowing beneath the water bodies.

Construction crews will also bore under Interstate 81 near the Montgomery-Roanoke county line and the Appalachian Trail in the Jefferson National Forest, the later a complicated job expected to take at least 10 weeks.

Its absurd to even assert that, David Sligh said of Mountain Valleys stated goal of finishing work this year. Sligh is conservation director of Wild Virginia, one of the groups fighting the pipeline.

I flat-out dont think its possible, he said.

Inspecting the pipe

Along the pipelines 303-mile route, more than 270 miles of pipe have already been lowered into trenches and covered with dirt, Mountain Valley says.

All of the installed segments have met the companys internal requirements for coating thickness, which are above the manufacturers recommendation, according to the company.

Work is underway to inspect the remaining pipe sections, which have been left in outdoor storage areas or along a 125-foot-wide swath of land cleared for the pipeline, Eggerding wrote in his letter to FERC.

In 2018, when Mountain Valley was using the legal process of eminent domain to take private land needed for the pipeline, it urged a judge to grant it immediate possession so work could begin. A company executive testified that it was important to bury the pipe as soon as possible to protect its coating from the suns harmful UV rays.

The pipes that have remained above the ground since then have been rotated where practicable to limit exposure, although that is not possible for many sections that have already been bent or welded together, Eggerding wrote.

Mountain Valley says it is conducting rigorous inspections to check the 42-inch diameter pipes for any damage and to ensure the coating still meets specifications. When necessary, the pipe is sandblasted or scrubbed before the coating is reapplied.

Asked by The Roanoke Times how many times that has happened, company spokeswoman Natalie Cox did not provide a direct answer in an emailed response.

Safety is our No. 1 priority, she wrote in describing the inspection and repair process in general terms. Her email also did not answer a question about how thick the coating must be to meet company standards, saying only that it was part of a comprehensive integrity program.

Environmental groups say the pipes should be moved to an indoor setting before the coating is reapplied in order to protect nearby streams and wetlands.

MVP defies logic to suggest that airborne particles from sanding pipes white hot, and airborne chemical components of covering, will not impact field, forest and water, Roberta Bondurant wrote on behalf of Preserve Bent Mountain in a letter to FERC.

Mountain Valley considered moving the pipes off-site for treatment, but concluded it was not workable and would involve unnecessary environmental impacts, Eggerding wrote.

The company says it plans to use canopies at work sites, where feasible and appropriate for the conditions, to limit the spread of dust.

Making sure the pipe is adequately coated is just one part of the companys safety plan, Cox said. Other aspects include cathodic protection  which applies a small electric current to the buried pipe to limit corrosion  using pipe that is as thick as a deck of cards to meet federal requirements, and around-the-clock monitoring once natural gas is flowing.

More oversight promised

Coating inspectors hired by Mountain Valley and certified by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers are the first line of defense. Looking over their shoulders will be inspectors from the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

PHMSA is responsible for checking the companys procedures and documentation.

The administrations inspectors have spent 229 days in the field since Mountain Valley construction began, a spokeswoman said, and additional oversight is planned.

Earlier this month, PHMSA announced $64 million in grants to support enhanced pipeline safety operations. Most of the administrations work is contracted out to state agencies. In Virginia, the job falls to the State Corporation Commission.

A team of 11 inspectors is assigned to oversee pipe recoating and other activities at Mountain Valley sites, according to SCC spokesman Andy Farmer.

On Friday, PHMSA issued a proposed safety order that notified Mountain Valley of the need to remediate any coating deficiencies before the pipeline is placed in operation. The order aims to ensure the pipe has effective coating, and that any potential corrosion or land movement-related issues are identified and addressed to protect communities adjacent to MVP, and the environment, a notice on PHMSAs website states.

Pipeline foes say the government is still giving too much deference to a company that has repeatedly run afoul of regulations meant to protect the environment.

Ultimately, that MVP advances itself as The Tester under present circumstances, is unacceptable in a project which has proven so environmentally harmful, economically questionable, and politically and financially driven, Bondurant wrote in her letter to FERC.

State regulators in Virginia and West Virginia have cited the company with nearly 500 violations of regulations meant to control erosion and sedimentation.

Muddy runoff from construction sites has reached nearby streams and wetlands, where opponents say it threatens water quality and the habitats of endangered species.

But since work resumed earlier this summer, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has found no violations, spokeswoman Irina Calos said. Mountain Valley has said earlier that most of the problems happened during the heavy rains of 2018 and 2019.

Meanwhile, construction crews are returning to work sites that have been inactive  except for maintenance to limit erosion  since the fall of 2021.

Mountain Valley has told the U.S. Forest Service that it plans to begin boring under the Appalachian Trail in mid-September. That project entails drilling a tunnel for the pipe about 80 feet below the trail as it traverses the ridgeline of Peters Mountain north of Pearisburg.

The trail will remain open during the estimated 10 weeks it will take for the job, Forest Service spokeswoman Gwen Mason said.

Also this fall, construction crews will begin digging a passage for the pipeline to pass under Interstate 81, just north of the Ironto exit. Work is scheduled to start Aug. 21 and last until Dec. 4. The actual boring will be done over an approximately 35-day period in late October and November, according to Jason Bond, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Cox declined to give details on either project, writing in her email that there are a number of factors  including weather, crew availability, terrain, etc.  that contribute to making the construction schedule very dynamic.

Were not giving up

As workers wearing hard hats began to show up along the pipelines linear construction zone, they were soon met by protesters waving signs and shouting Stop! You need to stop!

At first, gatherings in Montgomery and Roanoke counties disbanded before police arrived. Then on Friday, two people used so-called sleeping dragons  lock-box devices into which they insert their hands  to chain themselves to excavators atop Poor Mountain.

After an eight-hour removal process, Roanoke County police charged the protesters, one from California and the other from Washington, D.C., with interfering with Mountain Valleys property rights.

In all, more than 50 people have been charged in a variety of protests along the pipelines route through Virginia: sitting in tree stands built to block construction, chaining themselves to bulldozers and walking in large groups onto work sites.

Our leaders have clearly taken a side, so its up to us to stop this thing, one unidentified supporter said in a news release from Appalachians Against Pipelines.

But in reality, the greatest threat to Mountain Valley has been men and women wearing black robes  at least until recently.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down permits that were then reissued, struck down again, reissued and challenged by environmental groups yet again.

Some have said the pipeline would be finished today were it not for the Fourth Circuit.

A contrary view might be that the pipeline would be finished today had MVP and Respondents [federal agencies that granted the permits] followed all of the necessary laws and regulations to get it done, one judge of the court wrote in a recent opinion.

Supporters of Mountain Valley, who include U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., turned to Congress for help. In a provision of a law that lifted the debt ceiling to avert a government default, agencies were ordered to issue all remaining permits while the Fourth Circuit was stripped of its jurisdiction to hear any challenges.

On Friday, the court dismissed the remaining cases, ruling that it did not have the authority to consider a larger question of whether Congress violated the separation of powers doctrine by encroaching on the works of the judicial branch.

Evan Zoldan, a professor at the University of Toledos law school and an expert on the separation of powers, has said the case could ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But by the time that happens, it could be too late to stop the pipeline.

Hoping to slow things down again, opponents are poring over a number of options. One would be to ask DEQ  which is believed to not be bound by the federal law  for a stop work order, Sligh of Wild Virginia said. In 2021, a new state law expanded the environmental agencys power to halt construction if there is a showing of substantial harm.

Were not giving up on this, Sligh said of the prospect of stopping Mountain Valley. We think thats a real possibility, and it should happen.
The hottest days on Earth succeeded each other in July. Climatologists used a combination of global satellite data and historical tree ring analysis to determine that these heat records encompass not just since when measurements began in the 1800s, but since the beginning of human civilization. During July, Iran, Algeria, and Oman all had places where temperatures reached 122F. Rome beat its previous heat record and hit 109F while Catalonia, Spain, reached 113.5F. Phoenix broke the U.S. record for highest nighttime minimum (97F) and had 31 consecutive days above 110F. Sanbao, China, hit 126F, a record both for China and for the entire world north of the 40th parallel, which is 300-plus miles north of Roanoke. Irans International Airport reported a heat index of 152F.

There will be hotter Julys in future years. Greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from fossil fuel combustion, have heated the planet by an average of 2.2F and the El Nino warming of the Pacific Ocean is releasing lots of heat into the atmosphere. NASA scientists say that Earth hasnt been this warm in 125,000 years. Climate change has altered the jet streams behavior, making it wavier and slowing it so that fronts stall in place for days or weeks, and result in flooding. Plus, the warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor. In mid-July 8 inches of rain fell in Lynchburg overnight. Rain in the northeast where 11 million people live caused a 1,000-year flood.

Virginians have experienced many days of smoky haze from Canadas wildfires. Drought there promoted an earlier fire season. More than 4,000 wildfires have scorched over 32 million acres of Canada. Nothing like this has been seen before.

Atlantic Ocean temperatures are now way above any since measurements began. Manatee Bay near Miami posted a temperature of 101F which caused massive coral bleaching and marine ecosystem disruption. Forecasters say this years hurricane season will be worse. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), an oceanwide mechanism to transfer heat from the tropics northward, is weaker than it has been in a thousand years. Researcher say it could collapse anytime between 2025 and 2095. The oxygenation of ocean water is dropping. The Global Ocean Oxygen Network found that since the 1960s, low-oxygen areas in the ocean increased by 1.7 million square miles. Oxygen in some tropical regions has dropped 40% in the last 50 years. At this rate, 70% of the oceans will be deoxygenated in 60 years.

CIA Director William Burns said in July that, the climate crisis poses the most clear and present danger. We can no longer talk about tipping points and catastrophic climate impacts in the future tense. They are here and now, imperiling our planet, our security, our economies and our people. More than 11,000 scientists have signed a declaration stating clearly and unequivocally that humans could endure untold suffering if substantial changes arent made. Clearly, our planet is facing a climate emergency.

Roanoke has been committed to making the city more sustainable since 2004. In 2021, the city council joined Local Governments for Sustainability and declared a climate emergency. City planners drafted a climate action plan that soon will be considered for adoption. Every local and state government should do likewise, especially since politics has all but disabled the federal government from doing so. Politicians, legal experts and social scientists must evaluate the effects of fossil fuel emissions on climate, health and the environment.

Ask your legislators what policies they will support (dial 888-997-5380 for Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, 917-791-2257 for your representative in the House. Contact your Virginia General Assembly representatives through virginiageneralassembly.gov). One approach is the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (energyinnovationact.org) proposed by the Citizens Climate Lobby. Revenue raised by the carbon fee would be used for a rebate to citizens. The bill also includes measures to protect U.S. competitiveness and to reduce the risk that companies will move to a different country with laxer climate laws. This bipartisan bill targets 90% emissions reductions by 2050.

The jury is still out if we have the stability of global governance to face the accumulating challenges. Uncertainties are large. We dont know now how bad it will get, and anyone who tells you one way or another is lying. The precautionary principle requires us to act. For ourselves, for our children and for people we will never meet.
This article was republished with permission from CalMatters. Read more of their coverage of California state government on CalMatters.org
Alice Patino, Mayor of the City of Santa Maria, has dedicated decades of service to Santa Maria in many ways, as the Citys first female Mayor, as a City Councilmember, as an educator, and on numerous nonprofit organization boards.
K2 is the worlds second-highest peak (AFP via Getty Images)

An investigation has been launched into the death of a Pakistani porter near the peak of the worlds most treacherous mountain.

Base camp porter Mohammed Hassan, a 27-year-old father of three, slipped and fell off a narrow trail in a particularly dangerous area of K2 known as the bottleneck.

It comes following allegations that dozens of climbers eager to reach the summit of K2, the worlds second-highest peak, had walked past the man after he was gravely injured by falling off a ledge.

Karrar Haidri, the secretary of the Pakistan Alpine Club, announced that an investigation has been launched into the death of Hassan, who died on 27 July.

The investigation is being conducted by officials in the Gilgit-Baltistan region which has jurisdiction over K2, Mr Haidri added.

It comes as two other climbers who were on K2 that day, Austrian Wilhelm Steindl and German Philip Flaemig, claim they saw people stepping over the gravely injured man instead of coming to his rescue.

The pair had aborted their climb due to difficult weather conditions, but said they reconstructed the events later by reviewing drone footage.

Mr Steindl alleged that the porter could have been saved if the other climbers had given up attempts to reach the summit.

Anwar Syed, the head of Lela Peak Expedition, the company handling Harilas expedition, said Hassan died about 150m (490ft) below the summit.

He said several people tried to help, providing oxygen and warmth, to no avail.

Mr Syed said that because of the bottlenecks dangerous conditions, it would not be possible to retrieve Hassans body and hand it to his family.

He added that his company had provided money to Hassans family and would continue to help.

Norwegian climber Kristin Harila, left, and her Nepali sherpa guide Tenjen Sherpa, right, who climbed the world's 14 tallest mountains in record time (AP)

When asked about Hassans apparent lack of equipment, Mr Syed said the expedition company pays money for porters to buy gear, and that Hassan was paid the agreed-upon amount.

Mr Flaemig alleged in an interview with the Austrian newspaper Der Standard that Hassan had no high-altitude experience.

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The German climber added: He wasnt equipped properly. He did not have experience.

He was a base camp porter and for the first time was picked to be a high-altitude porter. He wasnt qualified for this.

Mr Steindl visited Hassans family and set up a crowd-funding campaign. After three days, donations reached more than 114,000 (98,468) by Saturday.

I saw the suffering of the family, Mr Steindl said, the widow told me that her husband did all this so that his children would have a chance in life so that they could go to school.

The events overshadowed a record established by Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her guide Tenjin.

By climbing K2 that day, they became the worlds fastest climbers, scaling the worlds 14 highest mountains in 92 days.

Norwegian mountaineer details how team tried to save dying porters life after K2 fall (Sky News)

In an Instagram post on Friday, Ms Harila wrote that she felt angry at how many people have been blaming others for this tragic death and that no one was at fault.

She told Sky News that Hassan had been dangling from a rope, head down, after his fall at the bottleneck, which she described as probably the most dangerous part of K2.

After about an hour, her team was able to pull him back onto the trail, Ms Harila added.

At some point, she and another person from her team decided to continue to the top while another team member stayed with Hassan, giving him warm water and oxygen from his own mask.

Ms Harila said she decided to continue moving toward the summit because her forward-fixing team had also run into difficulties.

Asked about Hassans gear, Ms Harila said that he did not wear a down suit and he didnt have gloves, nor did he have oxygen.

We didnt see any sign of either a mask or oxygen tank, she said.

Criticising those who had shared footage of Hassans body, she wrote on social media: It is extremely insensitive, and shows no respect for those close to Hassan, and for Hassan himself. He was a person who was important to so many people and he should not just be remembered as a person who passed on K2.
French forward Elye Wahi battles with Eliot Matazo Credit: Alamy

West Ham and Fulham are reportedly interested in signing Montpellier striker Elye Wahi despite Chelsea leading the race for his signature.

The 20-year-old scored an impressive 19 goals in Ligue 1 last season, along with making six assists and is only expected to improve as he gains experience.

Both West Ham and Fulham are keen to bring in a new striker before the transfer window slams shut and Wahi could be an excellent long-term option for both teams.

As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Chelsea made a 21.4m verbal offer to Montpellier for Wahi last week.

The French club rejected this offer, but reports suggest the Blues have now responded with an improved bid.

Nevertheless, West Ham and Fulham are still considering making their own offer for Wahi. Both clubs are in need of attacking reinforcements.

With Chelsea working hard on the deal, though, they will have to move quickly if they want to sign the young striker this summer.

READ MORE: Moises Caicedo: Liverpool defeated as Chelsea contract details emerge ahead of record-breaking transfer

West Ham, Fulham want Wahi despite improved Chelsea bid

According to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, West Ham, Fulham, Eintracht Frankfurt, Chelsea and Paris-Saint Germain, all hold a concrete interest in signing Wahi.

Hawkins states that Chelsea are the most advanced club in the race, and have seen a second offer of 30m (approx. 25.9m) rejected by Montpellier.

As a result, West Ham or Fulham would have to offer more than the Blues to have any chance of signing Wahi this summer.

The Hammers struggled to find the net last season, scoring just 42 goals in the Premier League.

Michail Antonio is past his prime and Gianluca Scamacca has just joined Atalanta for 30.5m, so they need to bring in a replacement for him.

David Moyes has plenty of transfer funds at his disposal after selling Declan Rice for 105m, too, so it will be interesting to see if West Ham make a concrete offer for Wahi.

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Fulham, on the other hand, could lose their main striker and arguably best player in Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer.

The Serbia international came off the bench in the Cottagers 1-0 victory over Everton on Saturday but has been linked with a departure from Fulham for some time.

If Mitrovic is sold, Fulham may well look to bring in Wahi as a replacement for him. With that in mind, the Montpellier centre-forward is certainly a player to keep an eye on over the next couple of weeks.

READ MORE: Chelsea, Liverpool summer battle nearing conclusion as manager issues major update on PL duos latest target

The article West Ham, Fulham to hijack Chelsea move for 19-goal striker after Blues see 30m bid refused appeared first on Teamtalk.com.
CAIRO, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) welcomed the Australian government's decision to officially refer to the Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territories as "illegal," said the Cairo-based pan-Arab organization in a statement on Sunday.

The AL also appreciated Australia's announcement that it would officially reinstate the term "Occupied Palestinian Territories" when referring to East Jerusalem and other Palestinian lands occupied by Israel in 1967.

The move is considered by the AL as very important "as it sends a clear message of the necessity to respect the decisions of international legitimacy and to oblige Israel with them and the rules of international law," the AL's Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector said in the statement.

Several Arab states and organizations have also hailed the move made by Australia last week in favor of the Palestinian cause, including the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait and the Arab Parliament affiliated with the AL.

Israel seized the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Middle East war and has maintained control over these territories despite international criticism.

The Palestinians seek to establish their own independent state based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the internationally-recognized two-state solution. 
SIOUX CITY  A brisk north breeze brought a late-fall chill to hundreds of Sioux Cityans who traveled to the U.S. Naval Academy to witness the Nov. 17, 2018, commissioning of the USS Sioux City.

It did nothing to cool the warmth Sioux City felt for the first ship to bear the city's name.

A community that had poured thousands of dollars into the celebration, impressing Navy brass with its enthusiasm and support for its namesake ship, looked forward to a relationship expected to last 30 years or more for the duration of the ship's service.

USS Sioux City Commissioning Ceremony Sailors line the rail during the USS Sioux City's commissioning ceremony on Nov. 17, 2018, at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. A

The relationship will end much sooner than expected.

On Monday, the USS Sioux City will be decommissioned, mothballed after less than five years of service.

"I was both surprised and disappointed," said Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan, who worked closely with the commissioning committee that raised money for and organized the commissioning ceremony and festivities. "Surprised in that we had been assured by officials in Washington that the USS Sioux City was secure through fiscal 2024, which is over a year from now. I was disappointed because our community demonstrated an unprecedented level of support, and all involved with this ship deserved a better fate."

Source of pride

The news, which spread on Aug. 4, shocked local residents who had excitedly followed news of the ship since its naming was announced in February 2012, through its construction and January 2016 christening at a Wisconsin shipyard until it officially joined the Navy fleet on that November day in 2018 at Annapolis, Maryland.

They had helped raise a significant portion of the $800,000 needed for commissioning, plus more than $250,000 to create a legacy education fund to help USS Sioux City crew members and their families pay for educational expenses. Ship commanders and crew members who visited Sioux City received celebrity treatment, and the ship's sailors of the year were honored each fall at the Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner.

Chris McGowan Mug Chris McGowan, president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce and The Siouxland Initiative is shown with a copy of the delegate's position pap

"This community did what it always does, it stood up to say thank you to the men and women who serve in our armed forces, and I could not be prouder of the way Sioux City and Siouxland responded to and supported this ship and the crew," McGowan said.

The abrupt end to the USS Sioux City's service shouldn't dim the city's pride in the ship and its crew, said the ship's sponsor, Mary Winnefeld, whose role will end on Monday when she, along with McGowan, witnesses the decommissioning at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida, the ship's home port.

"While I wish we had more notice regarding the upcoming decommissioning of the USS Sioux City, the most important thing is that this ship and her crew served extremely well both overseas and in the Caribbean. The ship did everything our nation asked her to do, with distinction," said Winnefeld, who made her share of trips to Sioux City in the lead-up to the commissioning.

"The people of Sioux City and Iowa should be very proud of everything USS Sioux City accomplished in her short life. I certainly am," Winnefeld continued in her emailed statement. "I'm also delighted to have enjoyed such a wonderful relationship with the ship and her namesake city, from the day we laid this beautiful ship's keel through her last day of service. Sioux City has truly set the standard for the responsibility a namesake city carries in supporting a U.S. Navy ship."

No longer wanted

It obviously takes more than support from a namesake city to keep a ship among the Navy's active fleet, and the USS Sioux City was among a group of littoral combat ships, LCS for short, that had come under scrutiny.

The LCS was conceived as a small, fast ship that, thanks in part to a jet propulsion system, could maneuver in shallow, or littoral, waters closer to shore than other Navy ships. It was designed to be reconfigured quickly to take on various missions rather than serve only one specific purpose.

But the Freedom class variant to which the USS Sioux City belonged was plagued almost from the start with mechanical issues that cost millions of dollars to repair, making it a target for criticism from military experts, some of whom said the ships were a waste of money and were no longer wanted by the Navy.

In an emailed response to questions, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who spoke at the ship's commissioning at Annapolis, implied as much, saying it costs $50 million-$70 million annually to maintain the LSC fleet. According to Ernst, there was discussion that the Department of Homeland Security may want the ships for drug interdiction missions, but it now seems no one wants them.

Ernst expressed disappointment at what appears to be a waste of millions of taxpayer dollars and thousands of dollars more Siouxlanders spent supporting the ship and its crew.

"I first learned about the USS Sioux City being decommissioned in July. There is so much pride and heritage that goes with the city of Sioux City, and we dedicated all of that toward this ship," Ernst said. "To find out the Navy knew they did not want the USS Sioux City is very frustrating. I'm extremely disappointed the Navy allowed Siouxlanders to spend thousands of dollars to help fund the commissioning of their namesake ship. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I'm continuing to look for answers as to how this happened and the plan going forward for decommissioned ships and the money wasted on this program."

'Fiscal constraints'

In March 2022, a U.S. Navy budget proposal recommended the decommissioning of the USS Sioux City and several other LCS. A Navy ship inactivation schedule in August 2022 listed the ship's decommissioning for June 30. That date passed, and the ship remained, apparently through some sort of political dealing, and was expected to be in service for at least another year.

Explanations for the decommissioning of a relatively new $362 million ship short of that 2024 time line have been hard to find.

"To maintain our strategic advantage, particularly under fiscal constraints, it is important for the Navy to carefully review our force structure regularly and divest of legacy capabilities that no longer bring sufficient lethality to maximize our effectiveness in deterring and defeating potential adversaries," said a spokeswoman at Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two at Naval Station Mayport, where other LCS in addition to the USS Sioux City are based.

Retired Rear Adm. Frank Thorp, chairman of the USS Sioux City's commissioning committee, said he didn't learn of the decommissioning until informed by McGowan a week ago Friday. While he didn't know the reasons for the decision, Thorp said, he understood the Navy leadership's responsibility to use its resources wisely.

"Decisions have to be made how to best apportion resources for our nation's defense," said Thorp, who will be unable to attend the decommissioning. "The Navy needs to put our limited resources in the best place, and it's all about national security.

"We all love this ship and the crew and the connection we have with them," Thorp said. "When you're involved in the life of a ship ... it becomes like a relative, so there's that emotional connection."

Counter drug trafficking

During its service, the USS Sioux City participated in counter drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea, on one occasion in 2021 working with the U.S. Coast Guard to stop two vessels and seize approximately 1,080 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated $44 million.

Last year, the USS Sioux City was the first LCS to operate with other Navy vessels in the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf. The ship returned to Mayport from that mission in October.

USS Sioux City commissioning tour The USS Sioux City, LCS 11, is shown at berth Nov. 15, 2018, at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, two days before its commissioning

Instead of going out on new missions, the USS Sioux City, come Monday, will be designated as Out of Commission, In Reserve, the Navy spokeswoman said in emailed responses to questions. The ship's approximately 75 crew members will receive new assignments.

Once decommissioned, the spokeswoman said, the USS Sioux City will be eligible for sale to another country's military and will be docked at one of three Inactive Ships Maintenance Offices, the nearest of which is in Philadelphia. Its equipment could be removed for use on remaining LCS. Future recommissioning is unlikely.

Barring a last-minute reprieve, it appears the ship's service is over.

"Be assured that our community is exhausting every avenue to express our disappointment and dissatisfaction with this development," McGowan said. "Siouxland earned a national reputation for the lengths to which we went to build an exceptionally strong long-term bond with this ship and her crew, and we will forever be known for that."
Its been 11 years since photos of Donald Trump Jr. and his brother, Eric, wreathed with smiles in front of African wildlife theyd shot on safari, made a splash online. Since then, his fathers presidency won and lost, Trump Jr. has shot a whole hell of a lot more charismatic crittersand hes not shy about it.

Look no further than his strangely captivating magazine, Field Ethos, launched last year. Trump Jr., whos the publisher, and his staff repeatedly emphasize that they are unapologetic about killing animals. Six issues deep so far, the glossy magazine is a throwback: an emerging print publication in 2023? Paying photographers and writers to go to Alaska or Mongolia or Greece and report back, or tell a fond story about a favorite uncles rifle, or muse about why humans like hunting feral hogs? Creating a strong editorial voice, where the writers and editors become recurring characters in a gang of people youre supposed to want to join, like Sassy in its salad days? What is Field Ethos trying to do? After a taste onlineField Ethos has a social media presence, posts select articles on its website, and, naturally, sells merchI needed to know. I ordered all six issues.

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The truth is, reading Field Ethos in print made me miss magazines. The way a staff creates a collective vibe, even if it is, at times, rancid to my taste; the visual cohesion of the product; the little bits of humor that make their way into the front-of-book sections, where an anonymous writer, usually someone low on the totem pole, gets to stick a little your-mom joke in a 75-word squib, while touting the merits of a rifle that costs thousands of dollars or a flask that costs over $100. It was great fun. Whats really happening in its pages was another matter.

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There are, its worth noting, a lot of magazines about guns and hunting. The Outdoor Sportsman Group, which distributes this one, has many other titles: North American Whitetail, Bowhunter, Bowhunting, Gun Dog (the magazine of upland bird & waterfowl dogs), to name a few. But Field Ethos is for the guys who are already all in. The brand is about representing our lifestyle honestly, as COO Mike Schoby, who has a history of working for similar legacy publications, put it upon his hire. Field Ethos doesnt justify hunting solely for the sake of food, he said. It is a part of it, but we know there is much more. It is equally about the adventure, culture, camaraderie, and tradition. At our core we are about embracing toxic masculinity and rejecting the woke, P.C. culture.

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If you read enough Field Ethos, you see this message over and over again. Writers and editors will use the word conservationist to describe themselves, and speak solemnly about how hunting teaches kidsin Field Ethos articles, usually sonspatience and resilience, and keeps them away from their phones. (The desire to keep kids away from phones is, it seems to me, an issue with great untapped bipartisan appeal.) But mostly, what these guys want to talk about is fun. They are very drunk, all the time, doing dangerous and sunburnt things out there in the world. These are campfire stories, as Trump Jr. describes them in one publishers note. But for those on the outside, they can sound a bit more like tales told by a sauced guy who wont leave you alone at the bar. Then again, Field Ethosa magazine that printed an essay that approvingly described an old codger as having a ten-apology punch card from metoo.orgwill probably love the fact that I said that.

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As I tore through these magazines, alternatively delighted and horrified, I had some questions. As a nonhunter but a person with the internet, Im familiar with the general type of guy who likes to figure out new ways to piss people off online. But I had little idea what Field Ethos particular definition of unapologetic (in reference to animal-killing) is supposed to mean. What does it mean when the magazine declares that hunting has gone too woke? I asked Jan Dizard, whos written several books about hunting and American culture. Whats been going on in traditional hunting media and outdoor-life advocacy organizations, Dizard said, has been a response thats sometimes almost close to panic about the steady decline of hunting in the United States. (Hunting, as a practice, has lost ground among Americans recently, even as gun ownership has dramatically increased.)

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Dizard named changes in family structure, population movements away from rural areas, ever-increasing urban sprawl that eats up habitat, and a greater solicitude and affection for wildlife as contributing factors to that downturn in hunting participation. Legacy hunting and fishing magazines (what Dizard calls the hook-and-bullet press) have been trying to adapt by, among other things, becoming more inclusivereaching out to women, minorities, and immigrants, and rejecting the good old boy stuff, the toughness, the obsession with bullets and calibers and technical jargon.

Related From Slate What Its Like to Have a Penis Too Big for the TSA Read More

Field Ethos, while certainly worried about huntings decline, is not doing that. (See: a super-detailed article about the history of the Winchester Model 70 rifle that I emerged from bleary-eyed.) The magazine does have a few female staff and freelancers, but they tend to be classic cool girls who can hack it, succeeding in a male space without asking for what one female photographer called, in her post-article Q&A, handouts. In the mens adventure stories, the women are side notesthe paramedic who appears like a gorgeous dream, descending from the rescue helicopter; the wives who are happy to be left at home to keep the show running while the men are in the field; the kitchen gals cleaning up last nights bar mess; in one unsettling passage, the maternal TSA agent with monstrous breasts who let a cooler full of fish slide by in a writers carry-on baggage.

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Gone are the pulp magazines with the curvy damsels in distress on the covers, the Field Ethos Instagram commented on a posted image of an old Mans World cover. Theres a self-conscious historical flavor to Field Ethos, which has an actual descendant of Ernest HemingwayPatrick Hemingway Adams, a great-grandsonwriting for it. The ghost of Hemingway, and of other icons of 20th-century manliness, haunts this magazine, which is sprinkled with articles about the history of guns, law enforcement, safaris, war, and adventure writing. Authors name-check dead explorers, adventure writers, and FBI agents Ive never heard of: Frederick Selous, Frank Hamer, Jelly Bryce, Peter Capstick. I also learned that Johnny Cash once killed a bunch of condors when he drunkenly started a wildfire. Field Ethos loves that.

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Actor Cole Hauser, who plays cowboy and Dutton family enforcer Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone, is friends with this crew, and appears in one travel story. This connection clarifies something to me, as an often-conflicted devotee of that show: Field Ethos is a new Western project, with everything that entails. Its Western in the sense of being not only sometimes about the American West, but also about empire, frontier, and dominion. The latest issue contains a feature on homestead defense in Rhodesia during the Bush War, the history of which is a recent fixation of the online American right wing. Field Ethos seems to have a thing with Rhodesia. Can you explain? an anonymous questioner for the post-piece Q&A asks the author of this piece. No, I cant, she replies. But its one of those things you just go with because to know anything about the history of Rhodesia and not be more than mildly interested would be distinctly anti to what FE is about.

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Another thing Field Ethos is about is spending money. While pathologizing guns has led to better understandings of their impact on public health, writes historian Andrew McKevitt in an upcoming book, it has made them more difficult to understand as objects of consumer desire. Nothing has made me, a non-gun person, fully grasp this more than reading six issues of Field Ethos, a publication chock-full of gun-industry advertising and articles featuring expensive rifles, trucks, clothing, and accessories. I first learned the concept of a magazine being aspirational when I worked at a teen magazine, and we debated how pricey the fashion we recommended for purchase in our editorial pages should be. (The stuff the fashion editors liked was always way too rich for a teen girls wallet.) Field Ethos is betting that most readers will aspire to do as they do, and spend accordingly. I found myself overwhelmed with vicarious middle-aged budget panic while reading a piece about building out a Ram 2500 truck with extensive accessories for off-road adventuring, or seeing a casual recommendation that readers buy their wives a $700 Walther F-Series compact pistol for a birthday, because you would otherwise spend just about that much on a BS birthday dinner, flowers and a night at an overpriced hotel. And a piece by Trump Jr. recommending that every American own at least 12 types of guns had me red-facednot just at the prospect of 260 million adults with that arsenal, but at the price tag. There arent numbers in this particular listicle, but I know what this would cost. Ive been reading Field Ethos!

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In a piece about how he justifies spending such big money on hunting, Allen Bolen, a particularly thoughtful and reflective voice within this braggadocious crew, postulates that in the course of his life, the joy and challenge of bowhunting has been a key motivator for seeking monetary success. In my mind, he writes, earning money is just part of the hunt. Its a bootstraps sentiment, and a nostalgic one. Conservative media has answered the masculinity crisis in a few ways: Jordan Petersons speaking tours and bestsellers, Josh Hawleys preachy book, Andrew Tates whole thing. Field Ethos, which uses the dying format of print magazines to offer a window into a glamorous, dirty, adrenalized world, is not self-help. But its not not self-help, either.
How to Do It is Slates sex advice column. Have a question? Send it to Stoya and Rich here. Its anonymous!

Dear How to Do It,

This is a gross question, so be prepared! (Its hot for me because its gross).

Here goes: Im a 50-year-old male bi masochist. In my 20s and 30s, one of the things Id do to get off was to go to porn stores with video booths in the back. Theres often cum all over the floor in these booths, for obvious reasons, and, since one of my turn-ons is extreme humiliation, Id get naked and rub this cum all over myself, hump the floor in it, use it to jack off, and desperately want to lick it upbut refrain from doing so, out of a desire not to get a disease. Sometimes I would let guys jack off on me, but more often, it was the disgusting leavings of previous jackers-off that got me going.

I havent done this in years, but a new relationship with a domme (on the porn-booth floor I was fantasizing that a woman was making me do it) has rewired some old linesthese booths still exist, though not in their previous abundance. My question is: How dangerous is this? What diseases would I be at risk for, and how likely is contracting them in such a manner? And, just for the hell of it: licking up cum from video-booth floors is a bad idea, right?

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On the Cumming Room Floor

Dear On the Cumming Room Floor,

Well, thats new. Thanks, OTCRFId never have thought this if werent for you. Im going to circumnavigate the STI question a bit, mostly because there isnt a lot of great data about the exact threat this posesmost STIs dont tend to live very long outside of the body (if at all), and anyway, the risk of STIs is implied when you start taking other peoples fluids in your mouth (chlamydia and gonorrhea, for example can be transmitted through semen). I wouldnt advise you not to suck the dicks that shot this sperm (I have, in fact, on several occasions suggested people seek out and use glory holes), so Im viewing that concern as immaterial. Its the other stuff that makes your question novel, thus relevant.

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If we think about relatively clean shared public spaces like gym showers (at least, clean in theory and purpose), heres what were looking at in terms of potential infections: athletes foot, warts, and MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Its rare to get a staph infection in your mouth, but its certainly possible. Is it likely? I dont knowI couldnt find a study measuring the transmission rates of people who licked public showers or porn booth floors. The most relevant finding here concerns HPV, which can apparently live on surfaces for days.

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There was this interesting 2015 item regarding the risks of licking subway polesWeill Cornell Medical Colleges Dr. Chris Mason helped bring to life the PathoMap study by swabbing various public surfaces to get a sense of whats going on, molecularly. Mason told Gothamist that youd probably be fine if you licked a subway pole (though, the doctor cautioned: You wouldnt want to lick all the poles). I reached out to Mason regarding your request, but he wasnt willing to speculate in the absence of data. Sounds like an opportunity for further research to me!

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So then I turned to my favorite clean person, Jolie Kerr, a cleaning expert, CNN contributor and author of the New York Times bestselling book My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag  And Other Things You Cant Ask Martha. She also wrote the beloved advice column, Ask a Clean Person. In response to my query, she did some research and effectively punched out an AACP-worthy answer. Im reprinting it in full:

As LW suspects, licking a public floor is indeed a bad idea. (Im disappointed to have to say so, because I would love to be able to give him a God made dirt, so dirt cant hurt go-ahead to pursue his desires. Alas!) To define the potential risks involved with licking a video booth floor, wed want to know what bacteria and viruses might typically be present, and from there, consider the effects of both skin contact and ingesting them. The closest thing we have to analyzing the bacteria one would likely find on a video booth floor are studies of public bathrooms and, fortunately for us, scientists love to study public bathrooms. Would you like some literature? Sure! This study tells us a few interesting things about bathroom floors that we can apply to video booth floors. The first is what specific types of bacteria might be found, which includes some bad actors that will be familiar to most people: - E. coli - Staphylococcus - Streptococcus The study found plenty of other fun bacteria, in addition to our friends E. coli, staph and strep, which you can see in this chart called Microbial Biogeography of Public Restroom Surfaces. Another thing this study tells us is, Floor surfaces were the most diverse of all communities and contained several taxa commonly found in soils. A rough translation from Science to English is, The floor is the dirtiest place in a public bathroom. While it may defy belief, the fact is that you are more likely to pick up a nasty actor from setting a bag down on a public bathroom floor than you are from sitting on a public toilet seat. We can extrapolate from that, then, that putting your tongue in contact with a public bathroom floor, or similar, would be a very fast way to get yourself very sick.

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Do with this information what you will. Im not trying to yuck your yum, but to point out that if you do what you are thinking of doing with your tongue, you might end up yucking your own yum.

Dear How to Do It,

Over the years, Ive discovered I enjoy a little BDSM. I like to be dominated, praised, tied upthat sort of thing. Ive been seeing someone who I have incredible kinky sex with on and off for two years, but its not romantic, and I dont have any interest in dating him. I do want to date a kinky person, though. I want a partner who can give me the sex this particular man gives me, just with some emotional attachment involvedI want BDSM with someone who actually cares deeply about me. `

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How do I date knowing that I have these sexual needs and interests? How can I vet men that Im interested in to get an idea if theyre open to being dominant? It feels hard to find!

Single and Kinky

Dear Single and Kinky,

Theres no truly foolproof way to accomplish this. The first line of attack would be to dip your toe in your local BDSM scene or use a kink-friendly app or website like Feeld or FetLife, where most people are specifically looking for something kinky. Of course,

choosing a forum primarily concerned with connecting people for play means that relationship stuff is often a (highly unpredictable) byproduct of the kinds of matches facilitated there. You could state, in a profile for a kinky site, that youre looking to date, ideally in the long term, but such a search might amount to looking for a 12-ounce steak on a small plates menu.

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If you choose the more conventional dating route, itll probably be harder to find someone who shares your sexual interests (its not an easy thing to ID on sight), and you might have to wade through a lot of clueless potential suitors. Still, Id recommend being up front if kinkiness is a priority for you. Heres where I wish straight people would take more of a page from gay men, who often announce their interests upfront, filtering out those who dont align on sight. But thats more of a systematic change that would have to take place (and, take my word for it, its not a perfect system as it stands among gay men), and its unreasonable to expect you to take that on yourself.

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What youre looking forsomeone who ticks multiple boxesis what the process of dating is about. Its tedious and full of dead ends, but its often over time that you can truly get to know someone and whether their interests align with yours. It sounds like sex is important to you, so dont wait forever to have it. You can, via innuendo, suggest where your interests lie early to see if you have a taker. A bit later on, when you find someone who you truly like, its more than reasonable (practically essential) to have a conversation about sex before (and/or during) about what youre into and what youd like to experience with your guy. You can directly ask about their desires and experiences, and whether they have any experience with BDSM. Questions like, What does domination mean to you? or, What makes you feel dominant?, could help you determine whether you have a potential match. It may seem difficult to find what youre looking forand that seems fair to saybut youll make it at least easier for yourself by asserting what you want tactfully.

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Did you write this or another letter we answered? Tell us what happened at howtodoit@slate.com.

Dear How to Do It,

My wife and I are in our early 40s, and weve been married for 19 years. We met in our 20s and had great sexual chemistry for most of our relationship. But for the last 5 years, weve only had sex about twice a year. We have two kids. She gained a lot of weight when she had them. She went from 115 pounds to 200, and is only 52. Ive conveyed to her that it doesnt make her less attractive, but she feels that her weight makes her less sexy, and shes almost completely lost her drive. Weve gone through the requisite therapy and medical problem clearances. We talk and talk, but nothing changes. Months of this have turned into years.

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One sticking point is that we had a sleep divorce a couple of years ago when the snoring got too much for me to handle. It was so loud that I couldnt get a good nights sleep. I now sleep in another room and she feels because of that, its hard to be intimate. I dont watch porn to cope. I get off on erotic stories or just memories of when we were younger and the going was great. I masturbate 8-12 times a week. It is what it is.

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I often read your column, and am struck by the stories of great sex and touch how good it is for the psyche. This makes me wonder: Is it OK that Im never going to have that? Im not asking for permission to have an affair or wander. Thats not what I desire. Its more just that, before I started reading this column, I really didnt think about how sex could be a fulfilling existence. I thought of it in more simple terms like, OK, wife doesnt want it, lets try fixing it, nothing changes  masturbate and move on.

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Clearly, Im sexually frustrated, but you cant have everything, right? What do you think the consequences of continuing as such are?

OK to Continue Not Getting It?

Dear OK to Not Continue Getting It,

There are people who never have sex and nonetheless enjoy fulfilling lives. Theres also a whole spectrum of asexuality that includes healthy, self-aware, thriving individuals. That alone shows us that theres no right relationship to have with sexsome people seem to need it like food, others treat it like a snack, and still others spend their lives fasting without ever getting hungry. If you feel unbothered in your current arrangement, thats greatits actually working for you. You dont feel compelled to engage in unethical behavior like cheating or pressuring your wife. You dont even seem to want sex that much. Whether you will develop a craving that compels proactivity remains to be seen, but if youre not feeling that now, try not to worry about it. Anxiety only complicates things. It could be that when you do have sex again, you realize how starving you were for it (like sometimes how the extent of your hunger only dawns on you upon putting that first bite of food into your mouth). But if youre fineand you sound mostly fine, albeit frustratedthen youre fine. Finding peace with not being able to have everything you want is something I advise many, many people who write in to this column to do.

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One further thing you may want to do is look into sex therapy, if that wasnt part of the requisite therapy you mentioned. Even if it doesnt move the needle on your sex life, it could facilitate deeper communication with your wife on the issue, and it may prompt you to verbalize aspects of your sexuality that you previously did or could not. It could also equip you with new, more creative ways of being intimate with your wife, without actually having penetrative, PIV sex. But it sounds like, as of now, you have a good grip on yourself and your needs.

Rich

More Advice From Slate

Um, I just found out the man Im dating is married with a newborn baby. He also gave me a fake first name. Im absolutely livid. What should I do?
I run a small insurance agency. Last fall some of my staff asked to dress up at Halloween in costumes, but I said no. However, I noticed some tellers at our community bank dressed up. And now my employees have asked again whether they can wear costumes this year on October 31st. Should I allow employees to dress up for Halloween?

 Sue from St. Paul, Minnesota

Sue, that is an excellent question, one that we have heard more often in the past three years.

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There is no right or wrong answer to this one. Whether you should allow employees to dress up for Halloween varies from business to business.

Before you say either yes or no, review these pointers to help you work through the decision.

Positives of Employees Dressing Up for Halloween

No question about it: costumes are no longer just for kids.

Americans will spend over $3 billion on costumes at Halloween. And that number has grown over the past decade per the NRF. In 2018, nearly half of the adults celebrating Halloween were planning to dress up.

Thats why employees increasingly want to dress up for Halloween at work. Here are 3 positives from dressing up in the workplace:

Build Morale

Most of us are looking for something to relieve boredom in our workday. Allowing employees to dress up for Halloween can boost morale.

Everyone seems a little happier. Smiles seem a little brighter. Co-workers get along a little better. Higher morale is contagious!

Increase Customer Satisfaction

Allowing employees to dress up for Halloween can improve customer relations and boost sales:

Costumes in the workplace humanize your business. They help your staff connect better with consumers. Shoppers will remember your brand with a smile.

Grow Sales

A costume can be an icebreaker to get a sales conversation started in retail.

In a creative business such as a marketing agency or public relations firm, or perhaps a bakery or other food business, it could be a competitive differentiator. Fun creativity is highly valued in such businesses. Combine employees in costumes along with other Halloween marketing ideas for a win. For instance, creative pumpkin carving contests are always a good creative outlet.

Here are some ideas to inspire you for your workplace pumpkin carving endeavors:

Guidelines for Employees in Costumes

While there are positives, dont let it be a free for all.

Set employee guidelines for costumes. Communicate in advance what is acceptable and what is not in your office at Halloween. Give examples.

In a small setting, you can also ask employees to clear their costume of choice in advance with you or their direct supervisor.

Here are 5 guidelines for employee costumes at Halloween.

Keep Safety Top of Mind

Do not allow bulky costumes near machinery or in potentially dangerous settings such as a factory. It only takes a small catch on a moving part for an accident to occur. You can see from above how easy it would be to catch something like a pirates poofy sleeve in a moving part!

Avoid Costumes In Poor Taste

Ask employees to avoid any costume that could be perceived as culturally, sexually or racially insensitive (such as dressing up as an American Indian). Remember the uproar over Prince Harry being photographed in a tasteless costume some years back?

But even popular costumes that seem harmless fun could be taken the wrong way. Picture in your mind certain costumes and how they might come across in your business.

For example, according to the National Retail Federation, these were the most common costumes for adults last year:

7.2 million adults planned to dress like a witch,

2.5 million suited up as a vampire,

2.1 million opted to go as a zombie,

1.9 million wanted to dress as a pirate, and

1.3 million chose their favorite Avengers costume such as Iron Man or Black Panther.

As fun as these costumes sound, it could be in poor taste for the receptionist in an urgent care clinic to dress up like a zombie. Or a blood bank worker to dress up like a vampire.

Or a restaurant server to dress up like a rat or cockroach.

Limit Masks and Halloween Makeup

Full face masks are never a good idea in the workplace. Customers and coworkers want to see facial expressions. Masks also impede communication. Besides, they seem creepy.

And what about dramatic Halloween makeup? Some makeup can cover most or all of the face, as the image above shows.

But one persons visual masterpiece is another persons annoying distraction when trying to conduct business.

In businesses such as a bar or nightclubs, dramatic faces could be a real hit. In office and professional settings, ask employees to tone it down.

Light face painting (e.g., whiskers for cats or nose coloring to suggest a scarecrow) may be an acceptable alternative. Some employers choose not to allow any face coverings at all  just costumes.

Minimize Dressing Up by Certain Personnel

In some occupations, costumes seem  well  wrong. Would you want police officers or surgeons to get dressed up for Halloween?

Think about the professionalism your customers and clients expect.

One thing you can do is limit costumes to certain personnel.

For example, in a medical, legal or financial business, dressing up may be okay for personnel such as receptionists or billing clerks. But costumes might undermine client trust if donned by financial planners or attorneys. Nurses wearing bulky costumes or ones that shed could be a health concern.

Be Sensitive to Religious Objections

Back in 2006, Gallup did a survey of Americans and found about 11% of people have religious objections to Halloween. People who object on religious grounds do so because of Halloweens connection to the devil and pagan rituals. They might find costumes like the one pictured above offensive.

The survey is a bit old, but the point is still valid. A small percentage of your employees (and customers) may object to Halloween. Two thoughts around this:

You might prefer to keep costumes and celebrations focused on fun themes like scarecrows, pumpkins and fanciful characters like princesses and robots. Stay away from themes associated with the occult or the devil.

Make sure employees do not feel under peer pressure to dress up. Openly communicate that its optional and an individual choice.

Heres a table of the guidelines that managers can reference when that spooky holiday rolls around:

Guideline Description Keep Safety Top of Mind Avoid bulky or dangerous costumes near machinery or potentially hazardous settings. Safety should always be the primary concern, and it's essential to ensure that costumes do not pose a risk to employees. Avoid Costumes In Poor Taste Ensure costumes are respectful and not perceived as culturally, sexually, or racially insensitive. Even seemingly harmless or popular costumes should be chosen with care, considering how they might come across in the specific business context. Limit Masks and Makeup Full face masks and heavy Halloween makeup should generally be avoided, as they can impede communication and seem unprofessional. Light face painting might be an acceptable alternative, but the appropriateness may vary depending on the business setting. Minimize Dressing Up by Certain Personnel In some professional roles, costumes might seem inappropriate. Limiting costumes to certain personnel like receptionists or billing clerks can help maintain professionalism, while ensuring that costumes don't undermine trust or pose health concerns in certain professions. Be Sensitive to Religious Objections Recognize that some employees might have religious objections to Halloween or specific themes. Keep celebrations focused on fun and non-controversial themes, and make sure employees know that dressing up is optional and an individual choice, free from peer pressure.

Hold an Event Instead

Finally, if you want to do something for employee morale and to celebrate with customers but dont want to allow employees to dress up for Halloween, hold an event instead.

Arrange a customer open house with Halloween treats. Bring in a face painter for the kids. Hold a pet parade. Be more relaxed this day and make it an experience to remember. See more Halloween events.

All answers to reader questions come from the Small Business Trends Editorial Board, with more than 50 years of combined business experience. If you would like to submit a question, please submit it here.
Digital Marketing is not just a buzzword; its a critical component for success in todays online-driven market. Digital Marketing 101: What Small Businesses Need to Know is designed to equip small businesses with the understanding and tools they need to navigate the complex landscape of online advertising, social media, SEO optimization, and more.

With a focus on key concepts tailored for small businesses, this guide will help you develop effective strategies to reach wider audiences, increase sales, and foster lasting customer relationships. Whether youre a novice in the digital world or looking to enhance your existing efforts, this article provides a comprehensive insight into what you truly need to know.

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Digital Marketing 101

In the modern business landscape, small business owners recognize that digital marketing has surpassed traditional print marketing and advertising in both effectiveness and efficiency. A whopping 95% of small businesses plan to increase spending on digital marketing this year, reflecting its growing importance. However, to harness its full potential and achieve the best results, its crucial to have a profound understanding of digital marketing and stay abreast of digital marketing trends.

So, what exactly is digital marketing? Its often misinterpreted as merely online marketing, but it encompasses far more. Digital marketing refers to any marketing strategy that leverages digital channels to connect with prospective customers. Unlike the limited reach of traditional marketing, digital marketing provides various platforms and methods to engage with a broader audience. Heres a breakdown of what it includes:

Mobile Phone Messaging : This includes both SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), allowing businesses to communicate directly with customers via mobile devices.

: This includes both SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), allowing businesses to communicate directly with customers via mobile devices. Email Marketing : A targeted, customizable, and cost-effective way to send personalized messages, promotions, and updates to customers.

A targeted, customizable, and cost-effective way to send personalized messages, promotions, and updates to customers. Social Media Marketing : Utilizes platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to create brand awareness, facilitate community engagement, and drive sales.

Utilizes platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to create brand awareness, facilitate community engagement, and drive sales. Display Advertising : Includes visual ads that appear on websites, apps, or social media platforms, targeting users based on their interests or previous online behavior.

: Includes visual ads that appear on websites, apps, or social media platforms, targeting users based on their interests or previous online behavior. Search Engine Marketing : Employs strategies like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising (such as PPC) to increase visibility on search engine results pages.

: Employs strategies like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid advertising (such as PPC) to increase visibility on search engine results pages. Apps: The use of branded apps to enhance customer experience, offer exclusive deals, and foster loyalty.

This popular tutorial by Hubspot Marketing is a nice companion to this article. Beginners, especially, will find some great tips and ideas in it.

10 Basic Digital Marketing Strategies to Use

1. Your business website

No matter how active you are on social media, it cant replace a business website. Your website is the digital home of your business and its the one place online where you are completely in control of your message. Your website doesnt have to be fancy, but it does need to be mobile-friendly. thats non-negotiable in 2019.

2. Search engine optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to the process of increasing website traffic using the organic (non-paid) search results on search engines. There are many moving parts to SEO, including using the right keywords in your website, your social media presence, references to your website from external sites and much more. The complexity of SEO is one reason only 44% of businesses are currently investing in SEO, according to Clutch. The good news: Being one of that 44% can put you ahead of your competition.

3. Local search engine optimization

Since 2015, more searches have been conducted on mobile devices than desktop computers, according to Google. Many of those searches are done while users are on the go looking for local businesses, so Googles search results now favor websites that are optimized for local search by including location information and location-related keywords. In addition to optimizing your website for local search, claim your business location on local search directories such as Google My Business and make sure that your name, address and phone number (NAP) information is listed exactly the same way on all the local search directories. (No using St. in one listing and Street in another.) If your NAP varies from one listing to another, search engines may not recognize it as the same business, hurting your search results.

4. Email marketing

Nearly seven in 10 businesses use email marketing, making it the third most popular digital marketing method. Almost half (47%) of people across demographics check their email on a mobile device; 81% of those use their smartphones (as opposed to tablets). In addition, the majority (33%) of email opens occur on mobile devices. When you develop your email marketing messages, think mobile-first. Keep emails short; include a clear call to action; design in a single-column format; and use plenty of white space so its easy to click on buttons or links in the email.

5. Social media marketing

Social media is the number-one marketing channel used by businesses, according to Clutch: 83% of companies use it. Theres good reason for that: Statista reports 77% of Americans use social media. Be sure youre keeping up to date on new social media channels, as well as where your target customers are spending time (for instance, are they leaving Facebook for Instagram)?

6. Content marketing

This practice refers to creating content (such as blog posts, ebooks, white papers, infographics, videos, etc.) that you share digitally. The goal is to attract users to view your content and take a desired action. For instance, you might write a blog post on How to Winterize Your House and Save Money and include a call-to-action such as Contact us to get a free estimate on winterizing your home.

7. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

Pay-per-click digital ads appear when users do an internet search for the terms you use in the ad. The name comes from the fact that you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. The most common place for PPC ads is on Google (using Google AdWords) but ads on Facebook and other social media channels are also considered PPC.

8. Marketing automation

Marketing automation software can automate many repetitive aspects of marketing. For instance, it can send automated responses or start a drip marketing campaign when prospects fill out a leads form. It can schedule your social media posts, determine the best time to send email newsletters, and more.

9. Messaging

From SMS and MMS text messages to the use of messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Viber or WeChat, you can market to customers using mobile messaging. Mobile messaging marketing applications can use location-based data to trigger messages at relevant moments, such as when a customer is near your store or restaurant.

10. Online ratings and reviews

You may not think of online review sites as digital marketing, but theyre a major factor in how prospects form an opinion of your business. Some 86% of consumers (and 95% of those age 18 to 34) read reviews for local businesses; 91% of 18-to-34-year-old consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Optimize your listings on review sites the same way you would on Google My Business: Keep them current and add photos, descriptions, directions and offers. Monitor your reviews regularly and respond to negative reviews quickly (and politely).

10 Digital Marketing Trends to Know

Now that youve got a handle on digital marketing, here are 10 digital marketing trends every small business should factor into their plans.

1. Email marketing personalization via marketing automation

Nearly six in 10 marketers say personalization is their most effective email marketing tactic; in fact, emails that have personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened. AI-powered automation tools can help you personalize email messaging by analyzing the data you capture about your email subscribers (such as what they open, click on and buy) and using it to deliver the right message at the right time.

2. Voice search

Voice search currently accounts for one third of all Google searches, and by 2020, is expected to account for one-half. Good general SEO will help you rank high in voice search, according to a recent study. But you can additionally optimize for voice search using keywords and phrases that sound the way people talk (What bakeries are open right now?) rather than the way theyd type into a search engine (bakeries open now). Creating an FAQ page on your website that answers questions people might ask about your product can also help optimize for voice search.

3. Content marketing overload

With so much content out there, are your prospects really paying attention? To keep driving customers to your website, make this the year you focus on creating less, but better, content. Instead of constantly churning out blog posts stuffed with SEO keywords, try crafting one or two really good, longer pieces of content a month. Content that answers prospects or customers questions in a way no one else is doing can really stand out.

4. Google My Business is more important than ever

Google search results prioritize Google My Business listings. As a result, many searchers dont bother paging below these or clicking through to a website. they get all the info they need from GMB. Make sure your Google My Business page makes the cut by regularly adding new photos, posts, offers or videos and keeping your description current. You can now add Posts in Google My Business, too. Think of your GMB result as its own little website and add all the info you can to it.

5. PPC advertising comes of age

The Google search engine results page is getting crowded and fewer people are ignoring the ads at the top. To counter this, Googles algorithm is getting great at delivering relevant ads. However, even being at the top of organic search results wont get you the customers attention if that customer doesnt scroll down. If youre not already doing so, make this the year you incorporate PPC ads into your marketing plan.

6. Omnichannel marketing

Prospects use more than one digital channel to investigate your business. They might do an online search and see your Google My Business listing, click through to your website and read your reviews. Thats why all of your digital marketing efforts need to work together to promote a consistent branding message.

7. Chatbots

You can use conversational AI software (that is, chatbots) to engage with prospects in a variety of ways, from helping them navigate your website or answering common questions to suggesting additional products or even engaging on social media. For instance, you can program Facebook Messenger bots to answer your Facebook messages, saving you time and giving your followers quick responses.

8. Online video

By 2020, video will account for more than 85% of all consumer internet traffic in the U.S. (Already, YouTube is the second most popular website, surpassed only by Google.) Todays up and coming Gen Z, in particular, has grown up watching YouTube videos and its the place they turn to for the answers to everything. Videos that show viewers how to do something, help solve their problems, interview industry experts or provide an insiders look into your business are all popular ways to attract attention. Creating a YouTube channel is free and exposes your videos to a wider audience. Also look into getting online influencers to review your products. it can make a huge difference to your business.

9. Tell your story

Consumers crave authentic interaction with businesses. They want to know your story. Be transparent about your business, your staff and your values. In the digital world, live-action or short-term video content such as Stories on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube creates a feeling of immediacy and intimacy. This type of content can help build a bond with your target market.

10. Social media backlash

Facebook privacy problems, such as the Cambridge Analytica data-sharing scandal, have driven some users from the platform. With the vast majority of its users aged 18 to 34, Instagram is the place to be if youre targeting millennials and younger users. But Instagram isnt immune from backlash either. The platform recently took steps to remove inauthentic likes and fake followers from influencers accounts. Remember, honest interaction is more important than numbers.

Table of Trends to Know

Below is a comparison table that captures the 10 digital marketing trends every small business should be aware of. You can reference it easily while you are implementing your digital marketing strategy:

Trend Description Email Marketing Personalization Utilizes AI-powered automation tools to personalize email messaging, increasing open rates by 26%. Voice Search Accounts for one-third of Google searches; optimize with conversational keywords and FAQ pages. Content Marketing Overload Focus on creating fewer, but higher quality content pieces that stand out among the overload. Google My Business (GMB) Importance Google search prioritizes GMB listings; keep your page up-to-date with fresh content to stay relevant. PPC Advertising Comes of Age With the crowding of Google's results page, PPC ads are gaining attention; consider incorporating them. Omnichannel Marketing Prospects investigate through multiple channels; ensure all digital marketing efforts align for consistent branding. Chatbots Utilize conversational AI software to engage with prospects, answer questions, and suggest products. Online Video Videos will account for 85% of U.S. consumer internet traffic by 2020; consider a YouTube channel and influencer collaboration. Tell Your Story Focus on transparency and authentic interaction, using live-action or short-term video content to create a bond. Social Media Backlash Be mindful of shifts away from platforms like Facebook due to privacy concerns; Instagram is a key platform for users aged 18 to 34, but honest interaction trumps numbers.

What digital marketing tactics do you currently use, and which are you planning to add to your arsenal?
Happy Hanukkah to all of our small business friends! As the holiday season approaches, Hanukkah reminds us to celebrate perseverance and hope. Thats why weve compiled a list of 47 Hanukkah messages for small businesses to use in their holiday marketing efforts. Lets get started!

Hannukah: The Festival of Lights Explained

Hanukkah, also known as the Jewish Festival of Lights, is a holiday that celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over their oppressors in ancient times.

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The happy holiday greeting Hanukkah Sameach, meaning Happy Hanukkah, is commonly exchanged among friends and family during this time.

During Hanukkah, a menorah with nine candle holders is lit each night for eight nights, with one candle lit on the first night, two on the second, and so on.

In addition to lighting Hanukkah candles and giving gifts, traditional foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) are eaten.

With its rich traditions and symbolism, Hanukkah offers a chance for reflection and celebration for those who observe it. The holiday also emphasizes spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the triumphs and struggles of the past year, and ridding yourself of all your worries.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, often falls within or near Hannukah, making it a particularly joyous time in the Jewish community.

READ MORE: 60 Passover Greeting Messages for Small Businesses

What is the Difference Between Hanukkah and Chanukah?

At a first glance, the words Hanukkah and Chanukah might appear to represent two different festivities, but theyre essentially the same holiday named differently.

Hanukkah, a term frequently adopted in English-speaking regions, flows smoothly off the tongues of those not familiar with Hebrew phonetics.

On the other hand, Chanukah, the traditional Hebrew spelling, captures the richness of the language, hinting at its ancient roots.

Both names refer to the Festival of Lights, a poignant celebration remembering the unexpected endurance of a tiny quantity of oil, which miraculously illuminated the Jewish temple for eight continuous nights.

Yet, its worth noting the subtle differences in connotations. Hanukkah is often associated with the broader festive elements, while Chanukah dives deeper, resonating with the profound religious sentiments deeply cherished by devotees of Judaism.

When is Hanukkah Celebrated?

As the years end approaches and winter starts to cast its spell, a special moment arises for the Jewish community. Hanukkah, the luminescent celebration of hope and perseverance, finds its date on the 25th day of Kisleva month in the Hebrew calendar.

This positioning means that on the Gregorian calendar, which most of the world follows, the festival usually alights between the closing days of November and December.

More than just a time of joy and light, Hanukkah stands as a vivid reminder of a pivotal moment in history.

It commemorates the audacious victory of a minoritythe Maccabees, a group of Jewish warriorsagainst their overpowering adversaries, and the subsequent rededication of the sacred temple in Jerusalem, a beacon of their faith.

What are Menorah Candles?

Amidst the wintry nights, when darkness envelops the world a little earlier, the menorah emerges as a symbol of defiant luminance during Hanukkah.

Over a span of eight days and nights, each evening witnesses the kindling of a new candle on the menorah, with the glow gradually expanding until all eight candles radiate their brilliance. This progression isnt merely ceremonial. It encapsulates a story, a narrative of relentless faith and tenacity.

The Menorah, with its candles, becomes more than just a candelabrum; it is a vivid representation of the Jewish spirits unwavering perseverance, their enduring faith against overwhelming odds, and the belief in miracles.

Who You Can Send Your Hanukah Messages To

As the days of Hanukkah unfold, bringing with them an atmosphere filled with gratitude and reflection, it presents an opportune moment for businesses and individuals alike.

This season is perfect for sending out Hanukkah messages and cards, adorned with warm greetings, to a diverse group of recipients.

Whether its the clients whove placed their trust in a business, the hardworking employees who form the backbone of an organization, or the steadfast partners whove been allies in numerous ventureseach deserves a special note of appreciation.

Moreover, amidst the festivities, its an ideal time for businesses to express their gratitude to customers, acknowledging their loyalty and contribution to the years successes.

Meaningful Hanukkah Messages to Give Others

If youre looking to send Hanukkah greetings to others, want to wish a wonderful holiday season, or simply say Chag Sameach, then we have you covered. Heres our list of 47 Hanukkah messages for small businesses

Warm Wishes

Want to send business associates warm wishes on Hanukkah? Fill your cup with your favorite drink and browse through these messages for inspiration

Wishing you a joyous Holiday Season and a smashing New Year.

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday. May you have a blessed Hanukkah and new year!

Wishing you a Hanukkah overflowing with Love and Laughter! 

Warmest Wishes for a Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year.

May you hold the spirit of Hanukkah forever in your heart.

Best wishes from all of us to you and your wonderful family.

Happy Hanukkah Wishes

Here are some Hanukkah messages you can use to send joyous wishes:

Hanukkah Sameach! (meaning, Happy Hanukkah!)

Chag Sameach! (meaning, Happy Holiday!).

Happy Hanukkah to everyone. May this festival bring happiness to all of our life.

May God bless you and give you all the happiness of this world. Have a Happy Hanukkah.

With every wish for a very Happy Hanukkah and the Happiest of New Years.

Faith is the oil that burns endlessly in our hearts. Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah! Hope youre singing the dreidel songs a little louder this time of year.

Happy Hanukkah Quotes and Sayings

Here are some quotes and sayings you can use to wish Happy Hanukkah wishes and create happy moments during this blessed season:

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle, every cubic inch of space is a miracle.  Walt Whitman

Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame. Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.  Hannah Senesh

The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle.  Robert Altinger

Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.  Anne Frank

But I also say this: that light is an invitation to happiness, and that happiness, when its done right, is a kind of holiness, palpable and redemptive.  Mary Oliver

Is not Hanukkah a symbol of Israel, and its light a symbol of his immortality?  Leo Jung

The proper response, as Hanukkah teaches, is not to curse the darkness but to light a candle.  Irving Greenberg

Chanukah Messages That Give Thanks

Wishing others a Happy Chanukah is a precious reminder to give thanks for what we have been given. Here are some messages you can use to express your gratitude this holiday season:

We would like to wish you a Chag Chanukah Sameach! (meaning, Happy Chanukah)

Wishing you all the lights of Chanukah!

May your holiday be filled with family, friends, and blessings.

Happy Chanukah! Wishing you all the happiness your holiday can hold!

Lovely Hanukkah Menorah and Candle Greetings

Here are some messages inspired by the beautiful, bright Hanukkah lights:

May the lights of Menorah candles fill your home this Hanukkah.

Chag Sameach! May your heart be warmed with the glow of Hanukkah candles.

Happy Festival of Lights!

Let the light of the menorah brighten your Hanukkah spirit.

Wishing your family peace and light this holiday season.

Let the menorah candles shine bright in your life.

Fun Hanukkah Messages

Here are some fun messages to spread joy during the happy holidays:

How many potatoes does it take to make potato pancakes? A latke.

Why are there only 8 days of Hanukkah? Because 7 ate 9.

Put on your yarmulke, here comes Hanukkah. So much funukkah, to celebrate Hanukkah!

Spin the dreidel, its time to play. Happy Hanukkah!

Sending holiday hugs during these eight nights of lights, candles, and dreidels. Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah Blessings

Share these Hanukkah blessings during the eight nights of this joyous festival:

May your Hanukkah be filled with unexpected blessings.

Wishing you a warm and happy Hanukkah and a season of peace.

This time of hope reminds us of our resilience. Wishing you blessings in the year ahead.

In a season of blessings, youre one of mine.

Heres hoping that this season of beauty and light fills your home with happiness.

Wishing your family an abundance of love, laughter, and happiness.

May the miracle of Hanukkah bring your family joy and happiness.

READ MORE: 30 Printing Services for Your Small Business Needs

Best Hanukkah Greetings

Last, but not least on our list, are five of the best Hanukkah greetings you can use:

Happy Hanukkah wishes to you and your family. May your holiday season be filled with joy!

Wishing you all the happiness your holiday can hold. Happy Hanukkah!

On this special festival of lights, may your life be filled with happiness and blessings. Chag Chanukah Sameach!

May the glow of the Menorah candles fill your heart and home with happiness. Sending you and your family happy Hanukkah wishes!

All the lights of Hanukkah are in your home. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Hanukkah!

Below, weve drawn parallels between the cherished traditions of Hanukkah and the enduring values of small businesses in a comparative table for clearer insights:

Hanukkah Tradition/Aspect Relevance to Small Business Festival of Lights Lighting the path for customers, illuminating products/services. Miracle of the Oil Making the most of limited resources, maximizing potential. Victory Over Oppressors Overcoming challenges and obstacles in the business world. Menorah Growing step by step; just as one lights one candle more each night, businesses grow steadily. Traditional Foods (Latkes & Sufganiyot) Offering special deals or products during holiday seasons. Spending Time with Loved Ones Valuing customers, employees, and partners  treating them like family. Reflection on Triumphs and Struggles Year-end reviews, learning from challenges and celebrating successes. Hanukkah Greetings Connecting with the community, showing appreciation, and building relationships.
You need vehicles for business use, and you might be weighing your options on how to acquire them. One consideration might be how to lease a car through your business, a method that essentially means your company is officially named as the lessee of the vehicle. Alternatively, you could also opt to buy the vehicle in the companys name. Both leasing and buying have their own advantages, but leasing a car through your business can often provide some unique benefits.

This step-by-step video by Lyfe Accounting titled How To Lease A Car In Your Business Name is a helpful companion to this article. Check it out after reading if youd like:

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Leasing vs. Buying: A Comparison for Your Business

When it comes to acquiring a vehicle for your business, you may be torn between leasing and buying. Heres a closer look at the differences between these two options to help you understand how to lease a car through your business or decide to purchase one instead:

Leasing a Car:

Flexibility : Allows for changing the vehicle at the end of the lease term, providing an opportunity to keep up with new models and technology.

: Allows for changing the vehicle at the end of the lease term, providing an opportunity to keep up with new models and technology. Lower Upfront Costs : Typically requires a smaller down payment, and monthly lease payments are often lower than loan payments for buying.

: Typically requires a smaller down payment, and monthly lease payments are often lower than loan payments for buying. Limited Ownership Responsibilities : The leasing company usually handles maintenance, and theres no need to worry about the long-term depreciation of the vehicle.

: The leasing company usually handles maintenance, and theres no need to worry about the long-term depreciation of the vehicle. Potential Tax Benefits: Lease payments may be deductible as a business expense, subject to specific rules and limitations.

Buying a Car:

Full Ownership : You own the vehicle and can keep it for as long as you like, with no restrictions on mileage or customization.

: You own the vehicle and can keep it for as long as you like, with no restrictions on mileage or customization. Potential Long-Term Cost Savings : Although upfront costs and monthly payments may be higher, owning a vehicle can be more cost-effective in the long run.

: Although upfront costs and monthly payments may be higher, owning a vehicle can be more cost-effective in the long run. Asset for the Business : The vehicle is a tangible asset that may have resale value or be used as collateral.

: The vehicle is a tangible asset that may have resale value or be used as collateral. Depreciation and Tax Incentives: Depreciation of the vehicle may offer tax benefits, and other incentives may be available for purchasing eco-friendly or commercial vehicles.

Overall, the process of buying or leasing a vehicle through your business looks fairly similar to buying or leasing a vehicle as an individual. But you still need to find a dealer. You must also select a model that suits your specific needs and secure financing for it. However, look for some variances when buying.

How to Lease a Car Through Your Business

Take a look at what the process looks like.

Work With a Dealer That Offers Commercial Service

Different manufacturers offer different programs and terminologies for this. But basically you need to find a dealership officially authorized to work with commercial customers. Ford calls this type of dealership a Commercial Vehicle Center. Consider Village Ford in Dearborn, Mich., for example.

Village Ford General Manager Bob Wheat said in a phone interview with Small Business Trends, As a CVC dealer, we have access to different programs than other dealers, we can offer commercial financing and its just a much easier process.

This doesnt necessarily mean the dealership only works with commercial vehicles. Village Ford offers options for both individuals and businesses. But they employ a dedicated commercial salesperson and a few other team members specifically authorized to work with commercial customers.

Consider Customized Solutions

The type of vehicle or vehicles that you choose can vary widely depending on your specific needs. If youre just looking for a simple passenger vehicle, then this part of the process may be fairly similar to buying or leasing a car for personal use. You could simple find an in-stock option and then work with the dealer to fine-tune the details.

However, for businesses that need fleet vehicles, heavy duty options or cars with very specific features, you might instead work with a dealer to create a customized solution. To do this, youll first need to have a very clear idea of what your needs are. You may also have better luck getting the ideal vehicle if you give yourself some time to shop around and work with a dealer on customization options, rather than desperately searching for something that you can drive off the lot in a single day.

Wheat also emphasized the importance of working with a dealer that really understands the needs of commercial customers. They can help to ensure that your vehicle choice is set up to handle your specific hauling needs, size requirements and budgetary concerns.

Choose Between Buying and Leasing

Businesses have the option of either buying or leasing certain commercial vehicles. When you buy, you often make slightly higher payments. But they go toward paying off the vehicle. So once youve paid it off, you own the vehicle outright and it becomes an asset for your business. When you lease, you dont ever actually own the vehicle. You simply make payments through a period, usually of about three years. Then you turn the car in at the end of that period or have the option to purchase it. The payments are often a bit lower for leases, but there are also mileage and availability considerations to make.

One option isnt automatically better than the other, according to Wheat. You will need to evaluate your businesss situation, and your vehicle needs for the best fit.

He says, If you only want a vehicle for about three years and you dont want to take cash out of your business to put a lot of money down, then you should probably think about leasing. It reserves cash and doesnt tie up your credit line. Youre basically opting for planned obsolescence in exchange for a new vehicle. But if youre looking for a highly specialized vehicle for your business and want to drive it until the wheels fall off, those people should think about buying.

Bring Your Businesss Financial Documents

You should have a copy of your latest balance sheet and any other financial documents that can help you demonstrate your creditworthiness. Youll need to establish a relationship with a lending institution. So theyll want to look at your businesss cash flow, revenue, debts and any other elements that could impact your ability to repay your car loan or make lease payments on time.

Be Prepared to Guarantee the Loan Personally

If your business does not have enough credit to qualify for a loan or lease payment plan that fits your needs, you may need to guarantee the loan on a personal level. You can still buy or lease the vehicle or vehicles through your business officially. But you would also be personally responsible if youre not able to make the payments.

Work with your dealerships finance department to come up with the terms that work best for you. This may not be ideal for some business owners. But especially for new or unestablished businesses, its often your only option and may help you start to build some financial history that could help you going forward.

The following table provides an overview of this process, detailing the essential phases from working with a specialized dealer to potentially guaranteeing the loan personally. You can reference it easily as a checklist or post it nearby when you need to look at it.

Step Description Work With a Dealer That Offers Commercial Service Find a dealership authorized for commercial customers (e.g., Ford's Commercial Vehicle Center). Consider options for both individuals and businesses with dealers that specialize in commercial services. Consider Customized Solutions Select vehicles based on specific needs, with options for customization if necessary. Work with a dealer that understands commercial needs for size, hauling capabilities, and budget. Choose Between Buying and Leasing Buying: Higher payments, but own the vehicle as an asset after payoff. Leasing: Lower payments, no ownership, with an option to purchase at the end. Consider business's situation and vehicle needs to choose the best option. Bring Your Business's Financial Documents Provide balance sheet and financial documents for creditworthiness assessment. Establish a relationship with a lending institution, demonstrating cash flow, revenue, debts, etc. Be Prepared to Guarantee the Loan Personally If the business lacks enough credit, personal guarantee may be required. Purchase or lease can still be official through the business, but personal responsibility for payments may apply. This step may help in building financial history for business.
Mothers Day messages play a pivotal role in acknowledging the incredible mothers in our professional world. Its essential for entrepreneurs and business owners to seize the golden opportunity presented as Mothers Day approaches.

By doing so, they can genuinely express their appreciation and gratitude towards co-workers and clients who juggle motherhood alongside their professional commitments.

These heartfelt messages serve not only to strengthen relationships but also play a significant role in uplifting the overall morale within an organization.



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Why should you send Mothers Day messages?

Mothers Day messages hold a special place in professional communication. For business owners and entrepreneurs, taking the time to send these messages to co-workers or clients might seem like a minor detail, but its an action that speaks volumes.

Such gestures highlight the importance of recognizing personal milestones even in a professional setting. The act, though simple, can significantly fortify the bonds of your professional relationships, promoting an environment of mutual respect and appreciation.

Lets delve into five essential reasons why sending Mothers Day messages is beneficial for your organization and its relationships.

Strengthen relationships: A heartfelt message can deepen connections with clients and co-workers, fostering trust and loyalty that benefits your business in the long run.

A heartfelt message can deepen connections with clients and co-workers, fostering trust and loyalty that benefits your business in the long run. Boost morale: Recognizing and celebrating the moms in your organization can significantly uplift their spirits, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity.

Recognizing and celebrating the moms in your organization can significantly uplift their spirits, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity. Humanize your business: Mothers Day messages reveal the compassionate side of your company, helping to break down barriers and create a more relatable image.

Mothers Day messages reveal the compassionate side of your company, helping to break down barriers and create a more relatable image. Encourage work-life balance: By acknowledging the importance of family, you demonstrate that you care about the well-being of your team members, promoting a healthier work-life balance.

By acknowledging the importance of family, you demonstrate that you care about the well-being of your team members, promoting a healthier work-life balance. Stand out from the competition: In a world where businesses often overlook personal milestones, sending Mothers Day messages sets your company apart, creating a positive impression that resonates with clients and employees alike.

By sending Mothers Day messages, you not only celebrate the incredible moms in your professional network, but you also invest in building stronger relationships that can ultimately benefit your business.

So, dont hesitate to make this thoughtful gesture and watch the ripple effects of your appreciation spread throughout your organization.

What should a Mothers Day message include?

The art of crafting a touching and memorable Mothers Day message goes beyond mere wordsits about capturing the essence of gratitude and respect.

For your co-workers and clients, especially those who juggle the demands of motherhood alongside professional responsibilities, a Mothers Day message serves as a heartfelt acknowledgment of their dedication.

But what ingredients make a message genuinely memorable? Heres a detailed roadmap highlighting the key elements that every impactful Mothers Day message should include:

Personalization: Address the recipient by name to create a more meaningful and intimate connection. This simple gesture shows that you took the time to craft a message specifically for them.

Address the recipient by name to create a more meaningful and intimate connection. This simple gesture shows that you took the time to craft a message specifically for them. Acknowledgment: Recognize the recipients role as a mother and express your admiration for their dedication to both their family and their professional life. This acknowledgment highlights their strength and resilience.

Recognize the recipients role as a mother and express your admiration for their dedication to both their family and their professional life. This acknowledgment highlights their strength and resilience. Appreciation: Thank the recipient for their contributions to your organization or business relationship. By expressing gratitude, you foster a sense of value and belonging, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and loyalty.

Thank the recipient for their contributions to your organization or business relationship. By expressing gratitude, you foster a sense of value and belonging, which can lead to increased job satisfaction and loyalty. Warm wishes: Extend your heartfelt wishes for a happy and memorable Mothers Day. This demonstrates that you care about their personal well-being and want them to enjoy this special occasion.

Extend your heartfelt wishes for a happy and memorable Mothers Day. This demonstrates that you care about their personal well-being and want them to enjoy this special occasion. A touch of your companys personality: Infuse your message with your brands unique voice or style to make it more memorable and engaging. This helps to reinforce your companys identity and further humanizes your business.

By incorporating these elements into your Happy Mothers Day messages, you create a heartfelt, memorable, and meaningful note that can brighten the day of the moms in your professional network.

Your thoughtfulness will not only strengthen relationships but also contribute to a positive, supportive work environment.

50 Inspiring Mothers Day Messages Perfect for Any Mom

Here are 25 unique Mothers Day messages that business owners or entrepreneurs can send to their co-workers, clients, and others. These examples can easily be copied and pasted into emails or e-cards or written into a Mothers Day card:

Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! You are such a wonderful mother, and your dedication to your family and our team is truly inspiring. Enjoy your special day! Wishing you a very happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your hard work and commitment to both your family and our success have not gone unnoticed. Have a fantastic day! Dear [Name], congratulations on your first Mothers Day! Your love and dedication as a new mom have already made an impact on both your family and our team. Enjoy this special day! Happy Mothers Day to an amazing mom and professional, [Name]! We hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments with your loved ones. Sending you warm Mothers Day wishes, [Name]! Your strength and dedication as a mother and a team member inspire us all. Have a wonderful day! Wishing you a great Mothers Day, [Name]! Your unwavering commitment to both your family and our team is truly remarkable. Enjoy your well-deserved day! To [Name], a mothers love knows no bounds, and your dedication to your family and our success is proof of that. Have a fantastic Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! You are an amazing mother, and we are grateful for your hard work and commitment to our team. Enjoy your special day! Dear [Name], may your Mothers Day be as amazing as you are! Your dedication to your family and our organization is truly inspiring. Have a wonderful day! Wishing the best mom and team member, [Name], a very happy Mothers Day! Your strength and perseverance are an inspiration to us all. Enjoy your day! To [Name], theres nothing more comforting than a mothers arms. We hope you get to enjoy plenty of warm hugs this Mothers Day. Have a fantastic day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your unwavering love and dedication as a mom and a professional never cease to amaze us. Enjoy your special day! Sending Mothers Day wishes to you, [Name]! Your hard work and commitment to your family and our team are truly appreciated. Have a wonderful day! Wishing you a very happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your love and dedication as a mother and a team member make a significant impact on our success. Enjoy your day! Dear [Name], thank you for being an amazing mother and an invaluable part of our team. Have a fantastic Mothers Day! To the incredible mom and professional, [Name], we hope your Mothers Day is full of appreciation and relaxation. Enjoy your day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your dedication to your family and our team is truly inspiring. We wish you a day filled with love and happiness. Dear [Name], your strength and love as a mother and a professional have made a difference in our organization. Wishing you a fantastic Mothers Day! To [Name], the amazing mother who balances work and family effortlessly, we hope your Mothers Day is as wonderful as you are! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your passion and dedication to both your family and our team inspire us all. Enjoy your well-deserved day! Wishing you a fabulous Mothers Day, [Name]! Your dedication to your family and our team has made a significant impact. Enjoy your well-deserved day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Youre doing a wonderful job as both a mom and a professional, and we truly appreciate your hard work. Have a fantastic day! Dear [Name], may this Mothers Day bring you as much happiness as you bring to your family and our team. Enjoy your special day! To [Name], youre doing such a great job as a mom and a team member. We hope your Mothers Day is as amazing as you are! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Youre like a second mom to our team, and we appreciate your love and dedication. Have a fantastic day! Wishing a wonderful mom and professional, [Name], a very special Mothers Day! Were grateful for your hard work and commitment. Dear [Name], you are the most amazing mom and an invaluable part of our team. We hope your Mothers Day is filled with love and happiness! To [Name], your energy and passion make working with you so much fun! Wishing you a fantastic Mothers Day filled with joy and laughter. Happy Mothers Day to a great mom and team member, [Name]! Your dedication and hard work inspire us all. Enjoy your special day! Wishing you a very special Mothers Day, [Name]! Your love and commitment as a mother and a professional are truly appreciated. To the incredible mother and team member, [Name], we hope your Mothers Day is filled with love, joy, and precious moments with your loved ones. Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Youre not only a wonderful mom but also a best friend to your children. Were lucky to have you on our team! Dear [Name], your dedication to your family and our team is truly inspiring. Wishing you a fabulous Mothers Day filled with love and happiness! To [Name], thank you for doing a wonderful job as both a mom and a professional. We hope your Mothers Day is as amazing as you are! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! May this special day bring you as much happiness and joy as you bring to your family and our team. Wishing you a fantastic Mothers Day, [Name]! Youre doing such a great job balancing your family and work life, and we truly appreciate it. Dear [Name], youre like a second mom to our team, and your love and dedication never go unnoticed. Have an incredible Mothers Day! To the most amazing mom and professional, [Name], we hope your Mothers Day is filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your energy and passion make every day at work so much fun. Enjoy your well-deserved day! Wishing a great mom and team member, [Name], a very special Mothers Day! Your dedication and hard work are truly inspiring. Happy Mothers Day to a wonderful mother-in-law and team member, [Name]! Your love and dedication make a difference in our lives. Enjoy your special day! Wishing you an amazing Mothers Day, [Name]! Your hard work as a mom and a professional truly inspires us all. Have a fantastic day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Youre such a supportive mother and an invaluable part of our team. We hope your day is as amazing as you are! To [Name], only a mother can provide the love, strength, and dedication that you bring to both your family and our team. Have a wonderful Mothers Day! Dear [Name], youre such a good mom and a fantastic team member. We appreciate your hard work and dedication. Happy Mothers Day! Wishing the best mom and professional, [Name], a fantastic Mothers Day! Your love and commitment are truly inspiring. Enjoy your special day! Happy Mothers Day to our favorite mom-to-be, [Name]! We cant wait to meet the newest member of your family. Enjoy your day! Dear [Name], you are such an inspiration as both a mother and a professional. Wishing you a fantastic Mothers Day filled with love and joy! To the wonderful mother-to-be, [Name], we hope your Mothers Day is filled with excitement, love, and anticipation for the new arrival. Enjoy your special day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your love and dedication in your day-to-day life as a mom and a team member make a significant impact on our success. Have a great day! Wishing the sweetest mother and professional, [Name], a fantastic Mothers Day! Your love and hard work inspire us all. Enjoy your special day! Dear [Name], youre such a special person, and were grateful to have you as a mother and a team member. Wishing you a wonderful Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Youre truly a wonder woman, balancing your family and work life with grace and strength. Have an amazing day! To [Name], your dedication as a mom and a professional is inspiring. Happy Mothers Day, and thank you for all you do! Wishing a fantastic Mothers Day to the amazing mom-to-be, [Name]! Your love and excitement are contagious. Enjoy your special day! Dear [Name], we appreciate your love and support as both a mother and a team member. Happy Mothers Day to a truly incredible person! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your dedication as a mom and a professional makes a difference in our lives. Enjoy your well-deserved day! To the sweetest mom and team member, [Name], we hope your Mothers Day is filled with love, laughter, and precious memories. Have a fantastic day! Wishing you a very special Mothers Day, [Name]! Your love and dedication as a mom and a professional are truly inspiring. Enjoy your day! Happy Mothers Day, Mom! Your hard work and love as a mother and a team member have not gone unnoticed. We appreciate you and hope you have a fantastic day!

Funny Mothers Day Messages Examples

Here are 20 funny Mothers Day messages that business owners or entrepreneurs can send to their co-workers, clients, and others:

Happy Mothers Day, Mom! Youve mastered the art of dealing with your own kids no matter what  and you still find time to excel at work. Have a fantastic day! To the perfect mother who can juggle work, kids, and still find time for self-care  lets face it, youre basically a superhero. Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Wishing the sweetest mother-in-law a fantastic Mothers Day! Thanks for not sharing all your embarrassing stories about [Spouses Name] with the entire office! Dear [Name], Ive heard there are a million ways to say I love you, but for today, well stick with Happy Mothers Day! Enjoy your special day! Happy Mothers Day to the mom who has the magical ability to find anything weve lost at work. Youre our very own Sherlock Holmes, [Name]! Hey [Name], if there were an award for the best multitasking mom, youd have a trophy room full of them! Happy Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! We still dont know how you manage to keep your plants alive while handling work and kids, but were in awe! To [Name], a mom whos mastered the art of hiding from her kids during important work calls. Happy Mothers Day! Dear [Name], youve got the patience of a saint to deal with both your kids and us at work. Happy Mothers Day! Hey [Name], heres a secret: we all want to know your coffee recipe that keeps you going as a supermom! Happy Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day, Mom! We appreciate your expert parenting skills and ability to conquer the business world. Can we have your autograph? Wishing you a Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your mom jokes are legendary, and we secretly love them  dont tell anyone, though! Grandma, Happy Mothers Day! Thanks for showing us that wisdom, experience, and laughter are the best ingredients for success! To the mom who can find her childs lost toy while on a conference call  [Name], youre a true superhero! Happy Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day to the mom who always keeps her cool, even when the office kitchen runs out of coffee. Youre a true inspiration, [Name]! Hey [Name], if being a great mom were a sport, youd be a world champion! Happy Mothers Day! Dear [Name], youve taught us that laughter is the best medicine  and the key to surviving parenthood. Happy Mothers Day! Wishing you a Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! May your day be filled with laughter, relaxation, and absolutely no laundry! Happy Mothers Day to the mom who can find humor in even the most challenging situations  youre our role model, [Name]! To [Name], the mom whos always ready with a hilarious meme for any occasion. You keep us laughing and inspired  Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mothers Day Card Messages

Here are 20 Mothers Day messages that are appropriate for writing in a Mothers Day card:

Wishing you a special Mothers Day, [Name]! Your love and care make a world of difference to everyone around you. To write in a mothers card seems too small to express our gratitude for all youve done, [Name]. Have a fantastic Mothers Day! Sending a special Mothers Day message to a wonderful mom, [Name]. Your love and dedication are truly inspiring. Dear Mom, youve taught me everything I need to know to be a great mom someday. Thank you for your love and guidance. Happy Mothers Day! Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Your mothers love endures and continues to inspire us each and every day. Wishing all the moms in our lives, including you, [Name], a fantastic Mothers Day! Your love, patience, and strength are truly appreciated. To a wonderful mother figure, [Name], thank you for always being there and providing love and guidance. Happy Mothers Day! I cant imagine life without your love, support, and kindness, [Name]. Wishing you a very special Mothers Day! To my wonderful aunt, [Name], your love and care make a significant impact on our lives. Wishing you a fantastic Mothers Day! Congratulations on your very first Mothers Day, [Name]! We know youll be an amazing mom, and were so excited to see you embark on this journey. Happy Mothers Day to such an important person in our lives, [Name]. You bring love, warmth, and happiness to everyone around you. To my fabulous mother-in-law, [Name], wishing you a Mothers Day as wonderful as you are! Thank you for everything you do. Sending warm Mothers Day wishes to [Name], a mom who always goes above and beyond. Your love and dedication are truly inspiring. Wishing a very happy Mothers Day to [Name], the woman who taught me the true meaning of love, compassion, and strength. Dear [Name], your love and support make you an amazing mom and an incredible role model. Wishing you a fantastic Mothers Day! Sending love and appreciation to [Name] on this special day. You are a true inspiration and a shining example of what it means to be a mother. Wishing you a Mothers Day filled with love, laughter, and all the joy you bring to others, [Name]. Were so grateful to have you in our lives. To [Name], whose love and warmth have made a world of difference in our lives. Wishing you a Mothers Day filled with joy and appreciation. Happy Mothers Day, [Name]! Youve shown us that being a mom is about more than just love  its about strength, resilience, and patience. To [Name], who always finds a way to make us feel loved and cherished. Wishing you a Mothers Day as special as you are!

What is the best way to say Happy Mothers Day?

The best way to say Happy Mothers Day is to craft a message that reflects genuine warmth, appreciation, and thoughtfulness. Keep in mind that the most impactful messages come from the heart, so dont be afraid to get personal and share your own unique sentiments. Here are a few guidelines to help you create the perfect Mothers Day message, along with three examples of great ways to say Happy Mothers Day:

Make it personal: Use the recipients name and consider mentioning something specific about their motherhood journey that demonstrates your understanding and admiration.

Example: Happy Mothers Day, Jane! Your unwavering dedication to both your family and our team is truly inspiring. Enjoy this special day!

Express appreciation: Show gratitude for the recipients contributions to your organization or business relationship. This will help them feel valued and appreciated.

Example: Wishing you a wonderful Mothers Day, Susan! Your hard work and commitment have made a significant impact on our success, and were grateful to have you on board.

Share heartfelt wishes: Extend warm wishes for a memorable and joyful Mothers Day, letting the recipient know you care about their personal happiness.

Example: Happy Mothers Day, Lisa! May this day be filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable moments with your loved ones.

The essence of a truly impactful Mothers Day message is authenticity. When you craft your message, ensure it reflects genuine appreciation and warmth.

By adhering to the provided guidelines and weaving in your unique sentiments, youre not just sending a message  youre making a meaningful connection.

Through such gestures, you solidify bonds with the mothers in your professional circle, celebrating their dual roles and the immense value they bring.

Choosing the Right Mothers Day Message: A Quick Guide

Selecting the appropriate Mothers Day message is crucial; our comparison table below offers insights on various message types and their advantages to help you make the best choice.



Type of Message Purpose Benefit Personalized Messages Directly addresses the recipient and relates specifically to them. Creates an intimate connection and shows effort and thoughtfulness. Acknowledgment Messages Recognizes the recipient's role as a mother and their dedication. Highlights the recipient's strength, dedication, and resilience. Appreciation Messages Thanks the recipient for their contributions. Fosters a sense of value, belonging, and loyalty. Warm Wishes Sends heartfelt wishes for a special day. Demonstrates care about their personal well-being. Funny Messages Lightens the mood and brings a smile. Offers a break from the usual, fosters joy and lightheartedness. Card Messages Suitable for written cards, often more formal. Leaves a tangible reminder of the sentiment, suitable for a variety of relationships.

As youre sending out these very important messages, consider scheduling other similar messages for important holidays and remembrances in the same season. Consider them part of your spring marketing campaigns:
A food-based business could be a potential path if youre a foodie with an entrepreneurial streak. There are many types of restaurants that you can consider, and each one has something unique that customers could end up loving. If youre unsure about the different types of restaurants and what options are right for you, this article will help you understand whats out there and where your business could fit.

The U.S. Restaurant Industry in 2022

Although it looked like restaurants were having a tough time in the last few years, thats not entirely the case. Restaurants are a resilient type of business as long as theres a good product and customers like it.

Drive Traffic to Your Website Small Business Spotlight Sell Your Business Advertise Your Business Here

The number of fine dining establishments and casual dining restaurants has both gone up in recent years. Another trend that has recently emerged is the uptick in virtual restaurants that use delivery apps to deliver food, using ghost kitchens for prep rather than investing in a brick-and-mortar location.

READ MORE: Small Business Ideas for Beginners

Restaurant Categorization Factors

The basis for categorizing restaurants depends on the restaurant concept and the customer experience.

So what are the categories for places that serve food?

Food: This will largely depend on the type of cuisine offered and its preparation. The food type and the ingredients used will need to be considered.

Formality: The other factor is the restaurants general ambiance and atmosphere. Fast food restaurants have a distinct type of feel compared to upscale restaurants, so think about the dining concept youre offering customers.

Price: The food prices will also determine the type of restaurant. What kind of dining experience do you want them to have? A casual atmosphere or an upscale atmosphere? Do the prices reflect that? Think about the average price points for restaurants in your area and how they categorize themselves. For example, a meal at a fast-casual restaurant will be priced differently than at a formal sit-down restaurant.

Categorization Factor Description Food Categorization is influenced by the type of cuisine and ingredients used in dishes. Cuisine offerings shape the restaurant's identity. Formality Ambiance and atmosphere play a role in categorizing. Distinct feel varies between fast food and upscale restaurants, impacting experience. Price Food prices dictate the dining experience. Casual or upscale atmospheres, reflected in prices, define the restaurant's positioning.

READ MORE: 18 Restaurant Design Tips

8 Different Types of Restaurants

So now that weve gone through the categories, well look at the different types of establishments that serve food. There are many different types you can opt for, so it depends on what youre most interested in and where there is the most demand for local restaurants in the market youre considering.

1. Fine Dining Restaurants

One of the main distinctions that set fine dining restaurants apart from others is the presence of table service and a formal dining room. That means staff members like hosts, servers, and even a formal dress code for patrons.

The type of ingredients used (e.g., fresh, seasonal), availability of alcoholic beverages, and the culinary experience of the chefs will also dictate whether a restaurant is considered fine dining. Food, drink, and service will be more expensive in these types of restaurants.

2. Casual Dining Restaurants

Casual dining restaurants tend to be trendier than their counterparts, with a more playful and exciting menu. A casual dining establishment tends to have a relaxed atmosphere, and there can be full table service as well, but it wont be as formal. Instead, a contemporary casual restaurant will likely have some creative menu item or a signature dish that attracts customers.

3. Fast Food Restaurants

As the name suggests, fast food restaurants provide quick service at low prices. A quick service restaurant like this one will offer counter service where customers order at the counter and take the food to their table. A fast food restaurant is about giving customers a simple, easy, fast food service, with some being open 24/7. There are many popular fast food chains that you can get inspiration from, like McDonalds, Taco Bell, Burger King, and more.

4. Pop-Up Restaurant

Pop-up restaurants are relatively new in the industry but have quickly gained popularity. This type of restaurant tends to be a temporary experience; thats why its considered a pop-up. It will usually be similar to casual dining establishments by renting a space or have outdoor seating in a unique setting.

Pop-ups tend to b centered around specific types of food, such as gourmet hot dogs, donuts, and other fried foods, street food, such as Thai or Indian food, and more. The food items are interesting and unique, and the popup element gives it a. bit more buzz and builds excitement with customers.

5. Fast Casual Restaurants

Fast casual restaurants are somewhere in between casual dining establishments and fast food restaurants. These restaurants generally have counter service, are at a lower fixed price compared to casual dining, and are known as quick service restaurants. For example, Chipotle could be considered a fast-casual dining experience. Business districts tend to be the best market for this type of restaurant since there are many people looking for reasonable and quick lunch options near the office.

6. Family Style Restaurants

Family-style restaurants differ from fine dining restaurants and casual dining restaurants because of the portion sizes served. There is usually table service at a family-style restaurant, but the portions are larger and meant to be shared among the table rather than individual plates. The menus are generally pretty simple, and pricing is moderate, with many food types and side dishes available, so theres something for everyone to enjoy.

7. Contemporary Casual Restaurants

A little bit niche, perhaps, but contemporary casual has become very popular over the last few years. This type of restaurant could include small neighborhood restaurants, ethnic restaurants serving spicy food, or fusion cuisine. These restaurants tend to be a bit more modern and relaxed and serve culinary trends and contemporary menu items.

8. Food Trucks

If youre looking for something that lets you move around rather than committing to a specific location, consider a food truck. Food trucks do not offer any seating space and park in different places depending on the city and whats allowed. Food trucks are usually found in urban and metropolitan areas with heavy foot traffic and park in one place so customers can order. Usually, food trucks are situated near parks or other areas where customers can find a place to sit, but thats not a requirement.

READ MORE: 11 Top Fast Food Franchises to Consider

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some potential paths for food-based entrepreneurs?

A food-based business offers an enticing avenue for entrepreneurial individuals who are passionate about food. There are diverse types of restaurants to consider, each with unique characteristics that can resonate with customers.

How can I understand the different types of restaurants available?

This article is designed to help you navigate the varied landscape of restaurant options. It provides insights into the different categories and types of restaurants, assisting you in finding where your business concept aligns.

How is the U.S. restaurant industry faring in recent times?

Despite challenges, the restaurant industry has demonstrated resilience. Restaurants thrive when offering a quality product that resonates with customers. The industry has seen a rise in both fine dining and casual dining establishments, along with the emergence of virtual restaurants utilizing delivery apps.

What factors categorize restaurants and determine their concept?

Restaurants are categorized based on the concept and customer experience. Key factors include the type of cuisine, ambiance, and atmosphere.

How are restaurants categorized based on food?

Restaurants are often categorized by the type of cuisine they offer and the ingredients used in their dishes.

What role does formality play in categorizing restaurants?

The formality of a restaurants ambiance and atmosphere is another categorization factor. It varies from fast food establishments to upscale restaurants, shaping the overall dining experience.

How do food prices influence restaurant categorization?

The pricing of food plays a significant role in determining the type of restaurant. The average price points reflect whether the dining experience is casual or upscale.

What are the different types of restaurants available?

There are several distinct types of restaurants catering to various preferences. These include fine dining restaurants, casual dining restaurants, fast food restaurants, pop-up restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, family-style restaurants, contemporary casual restaurants, and food trucks.

How is a fine dining restaurant distinguished?

Fine dining restaurants offer formal table service and a refined dining environment. Factors such as quality ingredients, alcoholic beverages, and culinary expertise contribute to their distinction.

What characterizes casual dining restaurants?

Casual dining establishments are trendy and offer playful menus. They provide a relaxed atmosphere and may offer unique signature dishes.

What defines fast food restaurants?

Fast food restaurants prioritize quick service at affordable prices. They usually offer counter service and are known for their convenience and efficiency.

What are pop-up restaurants, and why are they gaining popularity?

Pop-up restaurants are temporary dining experiences often centered around specific food types. They offer unique and interesting dishes, often in distinctive settings.

How do fast casual restaurants differ from others?

Fast casual restaurants blend elements of casual dining and fast food. They offer counter service, affordability, and cater to busy individuals seeking quality options.

What characterizes family style restaurants?

Family style restaurants offer larger portions meant for sharing. They provide table service and a simple menu with a variety of options.

What defines contemporary casual restaurants?

Contemporary casual restaurants are modern and relaxed. They often serve innovative cuisine and cater to culinary trends.

What are food trucks, and where can they be found?

Food trucks offer mobility and flexibility. They park in various locations and serve customers on-the-go, often situated in urban areas with heavy foot traffic.

Which types of restaurants tend to be the most popular with customers?

Restaurants that prioritize food quality and create unique flavor profiles tend to be popular and can become destination spots for customers.

Which restaurant types are typically the most profitable?

Established fast-food chains are often among the most profitable due to their recognized brands and efficient operations. However, profitability can also stem from offering culinary trends and high-quality food in the casual dining space.
Theodore "Ted" Richard Allen, Sr., 83, of Huntingtown, went gently into the night after a long battle with Alzheimer's. He was born on October 14, 1939, at Gallinger Hospital in Washington, D.C. to Forrest Anthony and Agnes Teresa Allen.



He attended school through the eighth grade and entered the workforce at age 14 to help support his family. He served in the National Guard in Washington, D.C. as a Military Policeman, Specialist Third Class, Company B, 163rd Battalion, from June 16, 1955, until he received an early honorable discharge on October 26, 1956. He enlisted in the Navy the very next day, and served from October 27, 1956, on the U.S.S. Iowa, and the U.S.S Waller DD/DDE466, where he spent most of his time until his honorable discharge on October 7, 1960. He served two more years in the Navy Reserve before his final honorable discharge in October of 1962.



Ted began his career at the University of Maryland Physical Plant Department in 1960 as a Plumber's Apprentice. In 1978 he founded Allen & Sons Plumbing while continuing his work at the University, from which he received an Associate Staff Award in 1988 and was honored with the first Physical Plant Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. He retired on April 1, 1992, as Assistant Director, but remained involved as a consultant from 1993 to 2011.



Ted enjoyed his retirement years together with his beloved wife Carol. They spent their summers at their cabin in West Virginia, affectionately referred to as "Granddad's Place," and winters at the home he built in 1974 in Huntingtown, Maryland. They loved fishing, traveling, gambling, and spending time with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, especially taking each of their kids and grandkids on special trips.



Grandad's Place has always been a special place for their family. It was where Ted took his sons and his grandsons for deer hunting season. It was where Ted and Carol took their grandkids to spend their summers fishing in the pond and swimming in the river. The tradition continues as their grandkids and great grandchildren still spend their summers there.



Ted was always excited to learn new things, so much so that he wanted others to learn from him. He could build anything from a complete kid size kitchen set, table, and chairs that he made for his grandkids, to custom cabinets and countertops, and the house his kids grew up in. He had wonderful sense of humor, which he managed to hold on to, even when everything else was gone. He loved to laugh and to make everyone else laugh. He had a heart as big as all outdoors and loved his family very much even when Alzheimer's robbed his mind he spoke often of his love for his family.



Theodore is survived by his wife Carol Allene Allen of Huntingtown, MD; daughter Terri Jeanne Bowen, her husband John of Glen Rock, PA; daughter Tammy Sue Fox, her husband Rob of Florida; daughter in law, Julie Renee Allen, wife of the late Theodore "Chip" Richard Allen, Jr. of Lusby, MD; sister Donna Lee Ellison, her husband Terry of Allentown, PA; grandson Theodore "Ted" Richard Allen, III of Lusby, MD; grandson Nicholas James, his wife Angie of Lusby, MD; grandson John "Jeff" Jeffrey Bowen, Jr. of Street, MD; granddaughter Ashly Marie Gray, her husband Chris of Lusby, MD; granddaughter Kimberly Jeanne Adams, her husband Ryan of Winfield, PA; grandson David Allen Bowen, his wife Dannielle of Red Lion, PA; grandson Andrew Michael Fox of St. Leonard, MD; Allene Elizabeth Fox of Greensboro, NC; grandson Luke Raymond Allen of Huntingtown, MD; Great grandsons Bradley Allen of Lusby, MD; Mikey and Cooper Gray of Lusby, MD; Damien Allen of Lusby, MD. Great granddaughters Chloe and Genevieve Adams of Winfield, PA; Sophie and Maddie Bowen of Red Lion, PA; Natalie Gray of Lusby, MD;



He is preceded in death by his sons Theodore "Chip" Richard Allen, Jr. of Lusby, MD; Timothy Raymond Allen of Huntingtown, MD, as well as his sisters Agnes Lorraine Loftman of MD; Mary Jeanne Smith of Hughesville, MD.


MOSCOW, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments related to the Ukraine crisis:

A Russian naval ship on Sunday stopped a Palau-flagged dry cargo ship en route to the Ukrainian port of Izmail. This action came after firing warning shots in the Black Sea, said Russia's defense ministry.

The Russian combat ship Vasily Bykov fired warning shots from automatic small arms to forcibly stop the dry cargo ship Sukru Okan in the southwestern part of the Black Sea after the cargo ship ignored demands to stop for an inspection of the potential carriage of prohibited goods, said the ministry in a statement.

- - - -

Russian forces repelled a Ukrainian attack, utilizing combined firepower to target enemy troops and military equipment in the Zaporozhye area over the past day, spokesperson of the Russian defense ministry, Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov, said on Sunday.

Units of the Russian battlegroup, backed by artillery, thwarted a Ukrainian army attack to the southwest of the settlement of Uspenovka in the Zaporozhye region, the spokesperson was quoted by Tass News Agency as saying. 
It is with a heavy heart announcing the death of Cristin Sara Wyner, 55, of Lusby, MD, who left this world on the 8th of August after fighting cancer for the last 10 years. She did not lose her battle with cancer, instead she won and triumphed at life.



Cristin was born on April 17th, 1968 to Robert Wyner and the late Cheryl P. May (Clarke) in Long Beach, California. She is survived by her Father Robert Wyner, Husband Kenneth D. Harris, Son Hunter B. Broom, Step-Son Geoffery M. Harris and Wife Erin, Brother Robert May and Wife Kim, and Sister Beth C. Smith (Wyner) and Husband Rick.



Raised in a Navy Family, she eventually moved to Whidbey Island in Washington State, living in Maylor Point, where Cristin attended Oak Harbor High School graduating in 1986. After High School Cristin attended Skagit Valley College, earning an Associate's Degree in Medical Office Systems Management and Technology. After graduation she began her career as a USN Civil Servant working as the Secretary for the Commanding Officer of NAS Whidbey Island. While there at NAS Whidbey Island she met her future husband and eventually moved to the NAS Patuxent River area to raise their family and continue her Civil Service career. She held various administrative positions at Naval Air Systems Command and ended her 30 years of government service as a Human Resource Specialist at Naval Air Warfare Center, Patuxent River, Maryland.



Cristin enjoyed her life and would do anything for her Family, Friends, and anyone needing assistance. Her generous personality was contagious making each and every day spent with Cristin a lovely day that would always be remembered and cherished. Cristin and her Family also want to send their love and gratitude to Dr Ahmed and the TEAM of amazing Doctors and Nurses at Calvert Memorial Hospital that cared for her and gave her 10 more years of life to spend with her Family and Friends. She will be missed but her soul, heart and zest for life will remain in each of us who were lucky enough to have Cristin be part of their lives.







Contributions



Hospice of the Chesapeake



90 Ritchie Highway

Pasadena, MD 21122



410-987-2003



Link:

https://www.hospicechesapeake.org/giving/donate-now/




https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/russian-emergencies-ministry-sends-specialists-to-primorye-amid-floods-1112559031.html

Russian Emergencies Ministry Sends Specialists to Primorye Amid Floods

Russian Emergencies Ministry Sends Specialists to Primorye Amid Floods

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations Has been sent to the Primorsky Territory to combat floods in the area.

2023-08-12T23:24+0000

2023-08-12T23:24+0000

2023-08-12T23:24+0000

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"At the decision of the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, Alexander Kurenkov, an operational group of the central office of the Ministry  was sent to Primorye to coordinate work to eliminate the consequences of floods," the emergencies ministry said on Telegram. On Saturday, authorities in Primorsky Territory announced that over 30 towns and villages were cut off from communications in the region and more than 540 private homes were flooded. A state of emergency was announced in nine municipalities in Primorye on Friday and Saturday amid floods that were caused by a dam burst that occurred in the city of Ussuriysk on August 12.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/air-raid-warning-issued-in-parts-of-ukraine---authorities-1112570485.html

Air Raid Warning Issued in Parts of Ukraine - Authorities

Air Raid Warning Issued in Parts of Ukraine - Authorities

Air raid sirens sounded in Ukraine.

2023-08-13T21:41+0000

2023-08-13T21:41+0000

2023-08-13T22:56+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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Air raid sirens sounded in Ukraines regions of Sumy, Nikolayev, Kirovograd, Dnepropetrovsk, Cherkassy, Kharkov, Odessa and Poltava, as well as Kiev-controlled parts of Kherson region, the ministrys online map showed. Precision strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure have been carried out by Russia since October 10 (two days after the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge). Shortly after midnight, air raid sirens sounded in the Kiev region of Ukraine, as well as the capital city itself. Air raid warnings were also issued in the regions of Chernigov and Ukraine-controlled parts of Zaporozhye region.According to Ukrainian media reports, blasts were heard in Odessa overnight.In February, the head of Ukrainian power grid operator Ukrenergo said that direct damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure caused by Russian strikes may amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, with economic losses ranging in billions.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/does-new-japan-australia-defense-pact-bring-asia-pacific-closer-to-war-1112563049.html

Does New Japan-Australia Defense Pact Bring Asia-Pacific Closer to War?

Does New Japan-Australia Defense Pact Bring Asia-Pacific Closer to War?

The Japan-Australia military cooperation pact took effect on Sunday, facilitating joint drills, quicker deployment of forces, and transportation of weapons and supplies. What does the agreement mean for China?

2023-08-13T10:18+0000

2023-08-13T10:18+0000

2023-08-13T18:54+0000

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The Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) was signed in January 2022 in order to strengthen "deterrence" against the People's Republic of China (PRC) amid growing tensions over Taiwan, as per the Japanese press.According to Siracusa, there are no doubts that the RAA is aimed against the People's Republic along with other initiatives pursued by the US and its NATO allies in the region."China sort of haunts the Australian policymakers," the professor said. "They say China is a coming threat. I do not think China is interested in attacking Australia. All it has to do is just ignore Australia. Even if there were a war. But because Japan and Australia are also part of the Quad which is an informal relationship, and because each of them is tied up to the United States [this] just adds another wrinkle of difficulty for Chinese defense war planners."The Japan-Australia treaty should be viewed as part of a large package of bilateral and multilateral pacts that are being concluded in Asia and the Asia-Pacific space by the US and its allies, according to Igor Istomin, lead research fellow at the Center for Advanced American Studies, MGIMO University. Having both military and economic dimensions all these treaties are related to the task of containing and countering China, whom the United States sees as an adversary and whom Australia, Japan, and South Korea see as a competitor, according to the researcher.To illustrate his point, Istomin referred to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or the Quad, which was formed between Australia, India, Japan and the United States; AUKUS, an acronym for the trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK, and the US for the Asia-Pacific region; as well as the evolving tripartite format of coordination between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo.Remarkably, the Japan-Australia pact plays a similar role to the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement and will simplify procedures for bringing in troops, weapons and ammunition between Japan and Australia. Back in January 2023, Japan inked the RAA with the UK, further expanding Tokyo's network of defense pacts.Why US Allies Sign Bilateral Defense Pacts?Bilateral pacts concluded by Washington's allies  with the White House's blessing  indicate that the US power is fading, per Istomin."Historically, the United States has built its policy in the region on the basis of the so-called wheel and spoke concept. It meant that the United States was a center around which bilateral alliances were built: a separate alliance with Japan, a separate alliance with South Korea, a separate alliance with Australia and New Zealand, and a number of others."In fact, these agreements serve as a hedge as maybe America won't be there in the morning, echoed Siracusa. Still, he believes that without Washington's active participation, any security agreements between Japan and Australia are not particularly viable.Meanwhile, Japan and Australia have become the front-runners of the US-centric network in the Asia-Pacific, according to Istomin. He has drawn attention to the fact that over the recent years Tokyo and Canberra have concluded a plethora of agreements in the economic sphere  including a trilateral format with the United States, as a way to counter and block Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)  as well as cooperation treaties in the field of infrastructure. In particular, Japan and Australia declared programs for third countries in order to engage them into their fold. According to Istomin, all these would be supplemented by military-technical cooperation.Whats China's Response to Asia-Pacific Militarization?The People's Republic obviously understands what the end goal of the US and its allies' regional maneuvers is, the Russian scholar said, adding that for its part Beijing is not rushing to conclude any pacts with its neighbors or other world players.In addition, Beijing has come up with a series of peace initiatives and plays the role of an international peace broker. In February, Beijing released a 12-point proposal that called for the resumption of peace talks between Kiev and Moscow. In March, the People's Republic brokered a historic reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. At the beginning of this year the PRC released its Global Security Initiative Concept that lays out practical measures to address current security challenges. The document emphasized that "the Cold War mentality, unilateralism, bloc confrontation and hegemonism contradict the spirit of the UN Charter and must be resisted and rejected."In stark contrast to Beijing's initiatives, Australia and Japan are building up their military forces and enhancing security ties with the US.In particular, in December 2022, the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas government approved doubling the nation's defense spending within the next five years. In May, Tokyo announced the formation of a NATO liaison office in Japan. On July 28, Japan released the 2023 Defense White Paper, warning about an "advent of a new crisis era" and citing an apparent "threat" posed by China, Russia and North Korea, which prompted Pyongyang to condemn Tokyo's alarmism as nothing else than an attempt to justify the latter's unprecedented military buildup in the Asia-Pacific region.Meanwhile, Australia and the US have been pushing ahead with the nuclear-powered submarine deal under the AUKUS framework, triggering fears of a potential nuclear race among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations. In June, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ASEAN allies raised doubts about AUKUS' compliance with non-proliferation rules and emphasized that ASEAN is a nuclear-weapon-free zone region.For its part, China never misses an opportunity to demonstrate to regional players that while Beijing is standing for peace and inclusiveness, the US and its allies are trying to destabilize the region and pit the nations against each other.Do New Asia-Pacific Pacts Mean War Preparation?The question is whether the US-driven formation of blocs and alliances in the Asia-Pacific region will eventually lead to a full-fledged conflict.The RAA is unlikely to become a trigger for a potential regional conflict but it creates a precedent, according to the Russian scholar. Being limited to movements of troops and weapons during joint drills and disaster relief operations, it nevertheless constitutes a clear departure from Japan's previous largely pacifist security concept, he noted."What America is trying to do is get everybody in this part of the world to choose between Beijing and Washington," said Siracusa. "When it comes to Tokyo and Canberra there's no discussion. There's going to be no discussion. If there were a war Monday morning, they both be in - that's the end of the discussion."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230811/india-japan-us--australia-to-kick-off-malabar-2023-naval-exercise-on-friday-1112523649.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230808/japan-australia-defense-cooperation-treaty-to-take-effect-on-august-13-1112456629.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230806/shift-in-new-zealands-defense-policy-suggests-further-militarization-of-asia-pacific--1112423349.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230607/why-aukus-nuclear-sub-deal-will-stir-up-pacific-into-ocean-of-storms-1110982350.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230222/how-russo-chinese-strategic-cooperation-may-bring-us-forever-wars-to-end-1107713826.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230724/us-will-spoil-its-future-in-asia-pacific-by-dragging-nations-into-its-conflict-with-china-1112114108.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230809/us-senate-candidate-says-nato-dinosaur-of-an-institution-should-be-dissolved-1112477409.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/donbass-operation-80-years-1112564170.html

80 Years Ago: Beginning of Donbass Strategic Offensive

80 Years Ago: Beginning of Donbass Strategic Offensive

80 years ago, Nazi forces were driven out of then-Soviet Ukraines Donbass region as a result of the strategic military operation by the Red Army.

2023-08-13T12:45+0000

2023-08-13T12:45+0000

2023-08-14T05:38+0000

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Sunday marks the 80th anniversary of Red Army troops starting the Donbass Strategic Offensive during the Second World War.The goal was to defeat the Nazi troops' "South" battle group and liberate the territory of the Donbass region in then-Soviet Ukraine, including the cities of Donetsk, Taganrog and Mariupol. The operation ended with a Soviet victory on September 22, 1943.And now, when just like 80 years ago, the Russian Armed Forces are fighting the enemy to de-Nazify Donbass, it is important to see how the land was liberated from the enemy.Scroll through Sputnik's gallery to see images related to the 1943 Donbass Strategic Offensive.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/german-rockets-striking-russia-saxony-governor-warns-against-giving-ukraine-cruise-missiles-1112569590.html

German Missiles Striking Russia? Saxony Head Warns Against Giving Ukraine Cruise Missiles

German Missiles Striking Russia? Saxony Head Warns Against Giving Ukraine Cruise Missiles

Michael Kretschmer, governor of the eastern German state of Saxony, warned Sunday that Germany risked an escalation by supplying Ukraine with long-range Taurus missiles, which can strike into the Russian territory.

2023-08-13T19:12+0000

2023-08-13T19:12+0000

2023-08-14T12:47+0000

military

olaf scholz

germany

saxony

russia

ukraine

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"Germany used to have a responsible, smart and balanced foreign and security strategy. Are we really OK with the prospect that German missiles could strike Russia? I am definitely against deliveries of cruise missiles," he wrote on social media. Speaking to press, Kretschmer said that the federal government had repeatedly crossed its own "red lines" by supplying Kiev with heavier weapons than was originally planned.Kiev has been reportedly pressing Berlin for Taurus missiles. Chancellor Olaf Scholz told ZDF in an interview out Sunday that Berlin was assessing the possibility of granting that wish. Talks are also underway about whether the weapon could be modified to make it impossible for Ukraine to strike inside Russia. Russia has condemned foreign military support of Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the West last year that all weapon shipments to Ukraine would be treated as a legitimate target for Russian forces amid the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/germany-to-give-ukraine-drones-for-aerial-reconnaissance-in-2023--reports-1112562418.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/germany-to-give-ukraine-drones-for-aerial-reconnaissance-in-2023--reports-1112562418.html

Germany to Give Ukraine Drones for Aerial Reconnaissance in 2023  Reports

Germany to Give Ukraine Drones for Aerial Reconnaissance in 2023  Reports

Berlin will supply Ukraine with the Luna NG aerial reconnaissance drones before the end of this year

2023-08-13T09:15+0000

2023-08-13T09:15+0000

2023-08-13T09:16+0000

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The supplies will be carried out by the German defense company Rheinmetall on a government contract, the outlet reported late on Saturday. The package will also include ground control stations for the drones, catapult launchers, as well as military trucks. Luna NG (NG stands for new generation) is an advanced military system that is capable of not only conducting reconnaissance, but also maintaining the LTE network, intercepting or jamming enemy communications, according to the report. The drone has a maximum flight altitude of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and a reconnaissance range of several hundred kilometers. Future versions of the drone will be able to carry weapons, the news outlet said, however, the units that are due to be sent to Ukraine lack this feature. Western countries have been supplying Ukraine with military aid since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The support evolved from light artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. In recent months, Ukraine has been pushing to be supplied with fighter jets. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev, saying they would be regarded as a legitimate military target.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/gadfly-20-russia-launches-production-of-ovod-kamikaze-drones-new-version-1112554964.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/hunter-did-nothing-wrong-joe-biden-defends-his-son-amid-doj-probe---reports-1112560171.html

Hunter Did Nothing Wrong: Joe Biden Defends His Son Amid DOJ Probe - Reports

Hunter Did Nothing Wrong: Joe Biden Defends His Son Amid DOJ Probe - Reports

Since 2018, Hunter Biden has been under a spate of investigations into tax-related crimes, drug use, money laundering and illegal business dealings in foreign countries, including Ukraine and China.

2023-08-13T06:26+0000

2023-08-13T06:26+0000

2023-08-13T08:20+0000

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US President Joe Biden repeatedly argued that his son Hunter did nothing wrong ahead of the appointment of Attorney for Delaware David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, an American broadcaster has reported.According to the broadcaster, the latest such claims by POTUS were made in May, when he was asked in an interview about the ongoing Department of Justice (DOJ)s investigation and how it could affect his presidency.In 2019, then-Democratic hopeful Joe Biden asserted during his partys primary debate that neither he nor his son did anything "wrong" with regard to Hunter's previous work in Ukraine.In a separate development in 2020, he answered in the affirmative when asked by a US news network whether he was confident that his son Hunter did nothing wrong.The US broadcasters report about Joe Bidens Hunter-did-nothing-wrong claims comes a few days after US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer accused the DOJ of trying to coverup the POTUS family by designating Weiss as special counsel.The lawmaker expressed frustration over the DOJs misconduct that allowed the statute of limitations to run on some of Hunter Bidens actions. Comner also noted that the DOJs officials refused to follow evidence that could have led to the US president being involved in the Hunter Biden case.Comers remarks followed him revealing a third batch of financial documents that showed evidence that the Biden family received millions of dollars from foreign businessmen in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan during Joe Bidens vice presidency in 2014.Two previous packages of financial documents were released in March and May. They highlighted Bidens family use of the Robinson Walker LLC bank account to receive money from a certain Chinese entity and dealings in Romania. Joe Biden has repeatedly denied ever discussing foreign business deals with his son.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230811/corruption-case-did-joe-biden-benefit-from-hunters-cash-bonanza-1112543041.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230726/plea-deal-hearings-what-is-hunter-biden-accused-of-1112159104.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/niger-rebel-leader-hints-at-threat-to-nigeria---reports-1112570253.html

Niger Rebel Leader Hints at Threat to Nigeria - Reports

Niger Rebel Leader Hints at Threat to Nigeria - Reports

General Abdourahmane Tchiani says there was an "imminent threat" would have affected both Niger and Nigeria if the military takeover did not take place.

2023-08-13T20:33+0000

2023-08-13T20:33+0000

2023-08-14T03:37+0000

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Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, head of the rebel-run transitional government, told a Nigerian delegation of Islamic religious leaders that the military takeover was well-intended, Daily Trust reported. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, who doubles as chairman of West African regional bloc ECOWAS, condemned the takeover in late July. Nigeria hosted an ECOWAS leaders summit in Abuja this week that agreed to deploy a standby force to Niger to force the military to reinstate the deposed president.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/niger-rebels-ask-west-africas-guinea-for-help---reports-1112567610.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/niger-rebels-ask-west-africas-guinea-for-help---reports-1112567610.html

Niger Rebels Ask West Africa's Guinea for Help - Reports

Niger Rebels Ask West Africa's Guinea for Help - Reports

Rebels running Niger asked Guinea during a trip to its capital Conakry to bolster support for their country as it tracks toward a conflict with the West African regional bloc, media reported Sunday.

2023-08-13T13:56+0000

2023-08-13T13:56+0000

2023-08-13T13:58+0000

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Nigers chief negotiator Moussa Salau Barma thanked the Guinean government for its assistance and urged it to increase support in light of the challenges faced by the putschists, Guinean broadcaster RTG reported.Guinea was the first country to back the Nigerien military after it toppled French-backed President Mohamed Bazoum in late July and appointed a transitional government.Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed at a summit on Thursday to deploy a military force to Niger after the seven-day deadline for the rebels to reinstate Bazoum as president expired last weekend.Following the takeover, ECOWAS suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze rebels' assets and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country, as well as closed all borders.The organization also gave the military leaders one week to reinstate Bazoum and restore order, hinting that it would resort to military intervention otherwise. Its ultimatum expired this past Sunday. On Thursday, the organization, after a second emergency summit, announced the activation of a multinational standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger. France and the United States have expressed support for ECOWAS' decision.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230811/uk-welcomes-ecowas-call-for-peaceful-restoration-of-order-in-niger-1112547245.html

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 12)  The country will resist any attempt by a foreign nation to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Saturday.

Such an attempt may already be considered as "hostile," according to AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar.

"We have rules of engagement in situations like this," he said.

His remarks came after China's coast guard used a water cannon on Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre  a World War II-era ship deliberately grounded in 1999 to serve as the country's outpost in the West Philippine Sea.

"They should not resort to actions that are hostile, that are in violation of international law, that will endanger people's livesAll the consequences that will arise from their singular hostile act will be blamed to them and to those above them," Aguilar said.

READ: PH tells China to stop illegal activities in WPS after water cannon incident

University of the Philippines Director of the Institute for Maritime Law Jay Batongbacal agreed that a foreign country attempting to move the ship would count as a hostile act.

"It is an attempt to exercise an act of coercion. That's why it is a hostile act," he explained.

Batongbacal speculated that China's latest harassment was an attempt to test the country's new leaders, noting that Beijing also did this during the early days of past administrations.

Following the water cannon incident near Ayungin Shoal, China urged the Philippines to tow the BRP Sierra Madre away  claiming Manila had previously agreed to remove the Navy ship.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has made it clear that the BRP Sierra Madre will stay right where it is in Ayungin Shoal.

"And let me go further, if there does exist such an agreement, I rescind that agreement now," the chief executive added.

Beijing asks for peace

Meanwhile, Beijing's state news agency Xinhua reported that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has sought cooperation with Manila to effectively control the situation over the contested waters.

Yi claimed that the situation over the West Philippine Sea has already "achieved overall stability," and accused the United States and other forces of making waves in the region to "stir up troubles between China and the Philippines."
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/rebuilding-hawaii-after-devastating-wildfires-may-cost-almost-6bln---disaster-center-1112561435.html

Rebuilding Hawaii After Devastating Wildfires May Cost Almost $6Bln - Disaster Center

Rebuilding Hawaii After Devastating Wildfires May Cost Almost $6Bln - Disaster Center

Rebuilding Hawaii after the devastating wildfires, which destroyed over 2,000 buildings, may cost almost $6 billion, the United States Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) has said.

2023-08-13T06:43+0000

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A US broadcaster cited Hawaii Governor Josh Green as saying on Saturday that the number of deaths from the wildfires increased to 89. The disaster has officially become deadliest in modern US history, surpassing California's Camp Fire that killed 85 people in 2018.The assessment also indicated that 86% of the damaged or destroyed buildings in Lahaina were residential, which potentially left 4,500 people with no shelter.The wildfires in Hawaii broke out due to dry and hot weather and are exacerbated by strong winds brought by Hurricane Dora. Some fires cover an area of 400 hectares (over 1.5 square mile).The fire destroyed several settlements, including the popular tourist town of Lahaina. The authorities are forced to block roads and suspend public transport. Hundreds of local residents were evacuated from the area.On Thursday, US President Joe Biden officially declared a major disaster in Hawaii, which makes additional federal resources available to help combat ongoing wildfires on the islands.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/death-toll-from-hawaii-wildfires-rises-to-89-1112559886.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/russian-troops-repel-five-ukrainian-attempts-to-attack-1112559464.html

Russian Troops Repel Five Ukrainian Attempts to Attack

Russian Troops Repel Five Ukrainian Attempts to Attack

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces have repelled five attempts by Ukrainian troops to attack in the Krasnolymanskaja direction, a Russian Defense Ministry... 13.08.2023, Sputnik International

2023-08-13T02:17+0000

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2023-08-13T02:17+0000

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"In the Krasnolymanskaja direction  units of the Russian [Tsentr] Group [of Forces] repelled five attempts to attack by the assault groups of the 42nd and 67th mechanized brigades of the armed forces of Ukraine, as well as the fifth brigade of the national guard of Ukraine," the spokesperson said. The defense ministry spokesperson added that more than 80 Ukrainian militants were killed; an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored vehicle, as well as an enemy 120-millimeter mortar were destroyed. In addition, in the Svatovo direction, units of the Russian "Tsentr" Group of Forces repelled two Ukrainian attempts to attack, with enemy losses in manpower amounting to ten military personnel.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/air-defense-activated-over-crimea-as-russian-forces-repel-ukraine-strikes-near-kupyansk-1112549849.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/russias-kalashnikov-designs-short-version-of-ak-19-rifle-for-nato-cartridge-1112566300.html

Russia's Kalashnikov Designs Short Version of AK-19 Rifle for NATO Cartridge

Russia's Kalashnikov Designs Short Version of AK-19 Rifle for NATO Cartridge

Russian defense manufacturer Kalashnikov has developed a shortened version of the AK-19 assault rifle chambered for NATO cartridges

2023-08-13T12:27+0000

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2023-08-13T12:27+0000

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The compact version is presented at the company's expo center. It can fire 5.5645mm rounds, which are adopted as a standard cartridge for rifle weapons in NATO countries.Kalashnikov designed AK-19, an export variant of the AK-12 assault rifle, which fires NATO cartridges in 2020. In 2021, Russia signed first export contracts for the supplies of these rifles. Last year, the weapon was put into series production.The new design was unveiled at the ARMY-2023 forum, with the main event scheduled to open on Monday, August 14 and last until August 20.The ARMY-2023 International Military-Technical Forum is taking place across three locations in Moscow region: the Patriot Expo Center, Kubinka Air Base and the Alabino training grounds. The annual event is organized by Russia's Defense Ministry, and features weapons exhibits, seminars, symposiums and workshops related to military affairs.ARMY-2023 features nearly 1,500 exhibitors, and is being attended by 85 official delegations, with over 350 pieces of military hardware put on display.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230306/russias-kalashnikov-plans-to-roll-out-advanced-fire-control-system-for-small-arms--1108081624.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/serbian-president-vucic-refuses-to-legalize-non-binary-genders-same-sex-marriage-1112568197.html

Serbian President Vucic Refuses to Legalize 'Non-Binary Genders', Same-Sex Marriage

Serbian President Vucic Refuses to Legalize 'Non-Binary Genders', Same-Sex Marriage

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday that he will not sign any laws on marriages for same-sex couples or non-binary genders... 13.08.2023, Sputnik International

2023-08-13T15:47+0000

2023-08-13T15:47+0000

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He also said that Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic supported such ideas, including legalization of marriages for same-sex couples. Serbia has been criticized by the European Union for its conservative position, Vucic said, and suggested that he was to blame for that. In earlier comments on the matter, Brnabic, Serbia's first female and openly gay prime minister, said that she would never share the view that the LGBT community was against the "traditions and values" of Serbian society.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/taiwans-vice-president-leaves-for-paraguay-with-planned-stops-in-us-1112559316.html

Taiwans Vice President Leaves for Paraguay With Planned Stops in US

Taiwans Vice President Leaves for Paraguay With Planned Stops in US

Taiwan's Vice President and current candidate for President of the Democratic Progressive Party will stop in the US on his way to Paraguay.

2023-08-13T01:36+0000

2023-08-13T01:36+0000

2023-08-13T07:58+0000

asia

paraguay

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Taiwanese deputy foreign minister Yui Tah-ray said at the start of August that Lai Ching-te was going to make transit stops in New York and San Francisco on his way to and back from Paraguay, where Lai was going to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan president-elect Santiago Pena from August 12-18. On July 20, Taiwan's CNA news agency reported that China considers preventing Lai's transit stopovers in the US a "top priority," as "this is a very dangerous path they [Taiwan] are taking." In April, Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party officially nominated Lai, who also serves as its chairman, as its candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Current Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen cannot run for the office again as she has already served two consecutive presidential terms. Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan - a territory with its own elected government - maintains that it is an autonomous country, but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. Taiwan currently has only a few official diplomatic allies, including Paraguay.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230813/uk-foreign-office-warns-brits-of-possible-terrorist-attacks-in-sweden-1112568699.html

UK Foreign Office Warns Brits of Possible Terrorist Attacks in Sweden

UK Foreign Office Warns Brits of Possible Terrorist Attacks in Sweden

The UK Foreign Office on Sunday warned UK citizens of a growing threat of terrorist attacks in Sweden and noted that such attacks could happen in places that are frequently visited by foreigners.

2023-08-13T17:20+0000

2023-08-13T17:20+0000

2023-08-13T17:20+0000

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"Terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in Sweden. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners," the ministry said. Swedish National Security Advisor Henrik Landerholm said the Swedish government and law enforcement bodies were monitoring the events and working with international partners to counter the spread of hate messages about Sweden. On Thursday, Swedish police's chief of counterterrorism, Magnus Sjoberg, said that Sweden, along with Denmark and the Netherlands, has become a target of terrorist groups after it allowed demonstrations in its territory involving the burning of the Quran. Several Quran-burning demonstrations have taken place in Denmark and Sweden in recent months. Most Muslim countries have condemned the demonstrations, and some have summoned the Swedish and Danish ambassadors to issue letters of protest.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230812/majority-of-danes-support-ban-on-quran-burning---poll-1112557911.html

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A stout Saturday night (Aug. 12) card at Batavia Downs was highlighted by a pair of $15,000 Open Handicap races that were divided by gait, and the winner of each needed a seasons best effort to get the job done.

In the top trot, Lougazi started slow but finished fast to take the winners share of the purse.

Lougazi (Ray Fisher Jr.) got away sixth while Johnny Boy (Kevin Cummings) wrestled with Dewanslittlelorie (Joe Chindano Jr.) for a good portion of the mile. While Mr Contestant (Keith Kash Jr.) watched the mayhem from the pocket, Lougazi and Dewanslittlelorie matched strides through quarters of :27.4, :57 and 1:26.1 with no one cutting any slack. At that three-quarter mark, Lougazi was out and rolling fourth, while also going three-deep around the fading Dewanslittlelorie. As they made their way around the last turn, Johnny Boy continued to trot in command, but his lead was diminishing as they reached the top of the stretch. Johnny Boy had Mr Contestant closed along the pylons, but Lougazi was also trotting up a storm in the middle of the track and blew past them both to win by one-half length in 1:56.4.

It was the 55th lifetime win for Lougazi ($6.10), who is owned by Mary Warriner and trained by Ryan Swift.

Fisher led all drivers on Saturday with three wins while Swift was the top trainer after claiming two victories of her own.

Then in the premier pace, Villiam got his second straight win after a hard fought battle.

Villiam (Joe Chindano Jr.) tucked away fourth as Sporty Deal (Keith Kash Jr.) parked out Soul Assassin (Jim Morrill Jr.) right off the bat. In a heated duel, Sporty Deal and Assassin went at it in :28, :56.3 and 1:25.1 before Villiam went three-deep around them, and The Longest Yard (Kevin Cummings) went four-wide around Villiam. While pacing through the fourth bend, Villiam and The Longest Yard overtook the top two positions and broke away from the pack before Villiam gave The Longest Yard the slip at the top of the stretch. Then under a highly animated drive by Chindano, Villiam paced away to a 1-1/2 length victory in 1:53.3.

Villiam ($17.40) got his sixth win of the year for owner Anthony Evgenikos. Chindano also trains the winner.

Chindano had two driving wins during the proceedings on Saturday along with Jim McNeight Jr. and Jim Morrill Jr.

When live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Aug. 16) at 6 p.m., there will be a $3,385 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta in the 15th race. Also on Wednesday, two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes three-year-old filly pacers will be on hand to compete for a total purse of $114,000.

(Batavia Downs)
Sweet Amira refused to relinquish the early lead, endured the ensuing :26.1 opening panel and still had enough to score in Saturdays (Aug. 12) $144,064 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. Southwind Icenfire captured the other division in the event, known as the Romola Hanover, for sophomore filly pacers.

Sweet Amira had something in common with top Canadian driver Louis-Philippe Roy, trainer Chantal Mitchell and owners Lindsey Rankin and Connie Rankin  none had ever raced before at The Meadows. They may return regularly after the 1:50.3 victory by the daughter of Sweet Lou-Bolt Of Thunder, but that win didnt come easily.

Roy had a chance to release C Is For Cookie and chase from the pocket, but that wasnt where he preferred to be.

Shes had bad trips more often than anybody else this year, especially in the Fan Hanover elimination, said Roy. So I think shes a little better than what she shows. I wanted to give her a good shot, and leaving the gate, it felt like the best way to do that was to control the race.

Sweet Amira held off the rallying Odds On Hail Mary by a half-length, with 3-5 favourite Beach Cowgirl third.

Sweet Amira, who is eligible to a number of rich late-season stakes, extended her career bankroll to $167,985.

Southwind Icenfire made the decisive move with a quick backside burst from third for Yannick Gingras that surprised even Kevin Lare, who conditions the daughter of Betting Line-Southwind Inertia for Frank Chick.

I was expecting her to give a good burst. I dont know that I was expecting her to run by the bunch of horses that she did, said Lare. Weve been taking her off the gait, trying to prep her for this race, and it worked out really perfect.

She triumphed in a career-best 1:50.3 to lift her lifetime bankroll to $144,164.

Daffled Hanover was second, beaten a length, with early leader Knights Tale third.

$60,000 PA Stallion Series  Three-Year-Old Filly Pacers

How Sweet Is That, Racin Hungry and Hello Yes Hi each took a division in Saturdays sub-feature.

How Sweet Is That followed first-up cover to a 1:52.1 victory, although winning driver Dave Palone said that trip was Plan B.

Plan A was to cross her over and wait on one or just get around there on her own fractions, said Palone. But everybody had the same intentions, so I just took her back. We followed cover and she took care of the rest.

The daughter of Sweet Lou-Dreams On Me prevailed by a length for trainer Robert Cleary and owners Oompas Farm, Inc., Robert Mondillo, Craig Henderson and Richard Gutnick. Romantic Evening was third-placed second, with Always Be City fourth-placed third.

Ronnie Wrenn Jr. collected four wins on the 13-race card, including three for trainer Ron Burke. Aaron Merriman and trainer Dana Kahrig teamed for a pair of wins, as did Brady Brown and trainer Justin Lloyd.

Great Lakes Amateur Driving Association

Stephen Youre Never Too Oldford and A Royal Line proved that youre never too far back-ford, either, as they made up five lengths in the stretch and pulled off a 77-1 shocker in Saturdays $10,000 leg of the Great Lakes Amateur Driving Association (GLADA) amateur trot.

Tom Mayhem Svrcek driving Just Like Magic cut the fractions and appeared to have an insurmountable lead. But when Oldford angled A Royal Line off the cones out of the final turn, the seven-year-old Royalty For Life-Direct Dial gelding responded willingly. He downed Svrcek by a head in 1:57.1, with Nikki Barista Harvey in rein to Never Say Uncle and Joelene The Jewel Christman aboard Forever Jesse completing the ticket.

Oldford credited the victory to advice he got from Scott Zeron, who won this years Hambletonian with Tactical Approach at 12-1 by brushing inside through the lane. Zeron was at The Meadows Saturday for sires stakes racing.

When he saw my odds, Scottie said, Just sit, sit, sit. It treated me well. I said, I know. Ive watched your win about 10 times, so thats what well do. I didnt think I had any shot," said Oldford. "I thought, okay, well finish this race up, get a cheque and well call it a day. But the guys in the front beat the daylights out of each other, just like with Scottie in the Hambo.

Terry Deters trains A Royal Line, who now boasts a career bankroll of $196,136, for Oldford Racing, LLC.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes on Wednesday (Aug. 16), with first post at 12:45 p.m.

(Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)
While the top three-year-old pacers in the country were on display Saturday night (Aug.12) at MGM Northfield Park, the best of Ohios freshman colt pacers and sophomore colt trotters were also featured in Ohio Sires Stakes action with two $55,000 divisions of two-year-old pacers were contested along with one $100,000 division of two-year-old colt trotters.

In the first division for the two-year-olds, Clever Cody took the lead heading to the first quarter and never looked back, winning by a length in 1:51.2. Janelle Granny finished second with Pariss Dragon third.

Trained by Dr. Ian Moore and owned by Clever Cody Stables, Clever Cody has earned $127,300 this year and it was the fourth straight win, three of them in Sires Stakes action, for the son of The Panderosa.

In the second division, Denial with Brett Miller sat fifth heading to the half-mile pole. Heading up the backstretch, the gelded son of Lather Up went three-wide and closed in on the leader, Hundred Dollar Man around the final turn. As the two hit the top of the stretch, Denial grabbed the lead and hit the wire first in 1:52.2 to win by three-quarters of a length. High On The Hill was second with Hundred Dollar Man third.

Trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and owned by Never 2 Lates Stable, Joe Sbrocco and John Fodera, Denial has earned $35,500 this year and it was the first win in six starts for the 20-1 longshot.

In the lone division for sophomore trotters, John Dutton and Chris Page went gate-to-wire, winning by nearly two lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2, equalling the track record set by Jet Hill. Black Magic was second with Jet Hill third.

Trained by Ron Burke and owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Johnny Yoder and RAS Racing, John Dutton has earned $181,541 this year and it was the eighth win in 13 starts this year for the son of What The Hill.

Ohio Sires Stakes action resumes on Friday (Aug. 18) when three-year-old filly pacers open action in the fifth leg.

(With files from Ohio Harness Horsemen's Association)
KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C.A teenager and two adults thought to be vacationing in North Carolina's Outer Banks died early Friday morning in a fatal house fire, city officials said Friday.

The fire also injured three other people and decimated the waterfront home in Kill Devil Hills.

The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire at 2:25 a.m. Friday. Crews contained and extinguished the blaze, which had fully engulfed a rental home along North Virginia Dare Trail and damaged two neighboring properties. Authorities have not publicly identified the victims, as their next of kin have yet to be notified, said Rachel Tackett, the citys public information officer.

As far as we know, they were on vacation, Tackett told The Associated Press in an interview. The cars in the driveway had tags from Maryland on them.

Two other adults found in the house were flown to a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, to receive medical treatment for their injuries. First responders treated and released an injured teenager on site, Tackett said.

Crews evacuated and safely relocated all occupants of a nearby home that sustained some fire damage, she said. The property has been posted as unsafe for occupancy.

The Kill Devil Hills Fire Marshal, the Dare County Fire Marshal and the State Bureau of Investigation are investigating to determine the cause of the fire.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 12)  The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) warned Filipinos against falling for fake news and misinformation on the situation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), something the agency said may have swayed Filipinos towards China.

"I'm calling all Filipino na mahilig mag-Facebook, mahilig gumamit ng social media, kung may makakakita kayo ng fake news na lumalabas sa feed ninyo [who are fond of Facebook and social media, if you see fake news on your feed], at least, learn to comment, share the right information," PCG spokesperson on the WPS Jay Tarriela said Saturday.

READ: PCG official: Don't use free speech to justify unpatriotic behavior

"Huwag natin hayaan na mag proliferate ito. Otherwise, sa laban natin sa West Philippine Sea, matatalo tayo," he added.

[Translation: Let's not allow this to proliferate. Otherwise, we will lose our battle for the West Philippine Sea.]

This comes just a week after the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) used a water cannon on Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

READ: Chinese coast guard fired water cannons at PH vessels en route to Ayungin Shoal  PCG

Some false claims include one debunked by Vera Files in May, which alleged that the PCG fired a water cannon at a Chinese fishing vessel in the West Philippine Sea.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration proposed tailpipe emissions standards that would require up to two-thirds of new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. to be electric vehicles in just eight years. These standards threaten the availability of gas-powered vehicles needed in agriculture. They also dont consider how less densely populated states like Nebraska lack the infrastructure for electric vehicles. I condemned these detached-from-reality EPA mandates when they were first announced. Last week, I introduced the Flex Fuel Fairness Act to counter the negative impacts of Bidens mandate. This legislation will encourage private sector innovation and level the playing field for a proven Nebraska solution: ethanol.

As written, the Biden EPAs standards would tilt the scales in favor of electric vehicles (EVs). Big government mandates like this stifle private sector innovation. They also limit the potential of market-led solutions. Government bureaucrats have no business picking winners and losers like this. President Bidens focus on expensive, burdensome EV mandates is a mistake that disregards the proven benefits of flex fuel vehicles (FFVs). FFVs are cars and trucks designed to accommodate higher ethanol blends like E30 and E85, which have 30% and 85% ethanol, respectively, in the fuel used to fill up the vehicle.

The Flex Fuel Fairness Act I introduced with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) would level the playing field for FFVs. The bill adjusts the formula Bidens EPA is using to mandate auto manufacturers move almost exclusively toward EVs. The bill instead encourages manufacturers also build more FFVs. Providing a meaningful incentive to encourage the manufacturing of FFVs would support the increased use of E30 and E85 across the country.

Biofuels like ethanol are a proven Nebraska solution that more states would benefit from embracing. The higher-blend ethanol gas that FFVs run on saves consumers money at the pump. It reduces our dependence on foreign oil and creates good jobs right here in America. Its also good for the Nebraska farmers and ranchers who produce ethanol.

More FFVs would go a long way in combatting the worst impacts of the EPAs regulation while still benefitting our environment. Department of Energy studies have shown that FFVs running E85 reduce lifecycle emissions by 31% compared to gasoline. Our bill would give auto manufactures who make FFVs the credit they deserve for doing that. More FFVs would also provide a different choice for consumers who dont want to be forced into EVs. Additionally, instead of increasing dependence on foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party who mine the minerals needed for EV batteries, FFVs increase the need for American-made biofuels.

There are a lot of ways to fight Bidens overregulation nightmare. Ive joined with Republicans in the House and Senate repeatedly to use Congressional Review Act legislation to attempt to overturn Bidens mandates. Im also proud to have worked with our Attorney General when I was Governor to fight them in the courts. The third option to attack these mandates is through legislation that changes the very rules Biden is using to enforce them. The Flex Fuel Fairness Act is one such effort.

In Nebraska, we let market-driven solutions dictate how we address challenges. Consumers make choices that work best for them and their families. The private sector innovates in response to consumers preferences. Government shouldnt be dictating either. I continue to oppose these burdensome regulations and will use any method to fight them. The Flex Fuel Fairness Act is one way to do this and push back on the Biden administrations top-down government approach.

Along with Senator Fischer and the rest of my colleagues in the Nebraska delegation, my team and I are here to serve you. Contact my team and I anytime by phone at 202-224-4224 or on my website at www.ricketts.senate.gov/contact. I am honored to serve our great state and will continue to work to protect the Good Life from Washington overreach.
LINCOLN  A Lancaster County District Court judge on Friday granted a motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a new law that increases restrictions on abortions and gender-affirming care for minors, but an appeal is likely on the horizon.

Judge Lori Maret filed her decision Friday after hearing arguments from lawyers for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office last month. The lawsuit claimed the law, enacted through Legislative Bill 574, violated the State Constitutions single-subject rule.

In her decision, Maret sided with the states arguments that all regulations within LB 574 fell under the category of health care.

We are thankful for the courts thoughtful analysis and recognition of the Legislatures prerogatives and processes, Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in an email. As a result of todays order, LB 574 remains law in Nebraska.

Planned Parenthood sought a temporary injunction through the challenge to halt the enforcement of the 12-week gestational ban on abortions, which took effect immediately, while the gender-affirming care restrictions wont begin until October. Marets decision keeps the abortion restrictions in place.

In response to the decision, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska  which supplied most of the lawyers representing Planned Parenthood  immediately stated their intent to appeal the decision.

Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, in an email statement described the decision as a devastating blow to Nebraskans rights. She said LB 574s abortion restrictions will primarily hurt people of color, rural residents and low-income households.

We will never stop fighting for the freedom, bodily autonomy and health of our communities, Richardson said.

The final version of LB 574 that was signed into law in May immediately banned abortions after 12 weeks based on gestational age, and will restrict hormone therapy and puberty blockers for individuals under 19 starting Oct. 1, while also banning gender-affirming surgeries for the same age group.

The bill started out as an attempt solely to ban gender-affirming care for people under 19, while a separate bill sought to ban abortions after embryonic cardiac activity could be detected, at about the six-week mark. But the abortion measure, LB 626, was blocked when supporters failed to get enough votes to cut off a filibuster.

Supporters then combined the two topics into an amendment that replaced the original language of LB 574.

Gov. Jim Pillen called the resulting bill an important law and said he was grateful for Fridays decision.

I was proud to sign into law a measure that protects kids and defends the unborn, and I am pleased that it has been upheld, he said.

Opponents had a different view.

We strongly disagree with the courts conclusion, said Mindy Rush Chipman, executive director of the ACLU of Nebraska. State senators combined unrelated restrictions into a single bill in their rush to take away Nebraskans rights.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2023
South Florida native Andrew Trudeau found his calling when his father bought a farm in Rural Retreat ripe with wild berries.

Trudeau saw the opportunity for a business and created Blue Ridge Berries now available at the Wytheville Farmers Market and online.

My father bought the farm two years ago as his retirement, said Trudeau. Hes just relaxing on the farm so I decided to make a business out of it for him to help with his retirement. We have probably between 50 and 80 acres of wild berries growing on the property, blackberries and black raspberries, so I saw an opportunity, because Im a healthy eater myself, so I know the wild berries are healthier than the cultivated berries. Ive always wanted to be a farmer and once my dad bought the farm I took a short cut and moved out this way.

Trudeau said that his family is from South Florida originally. They grew up close to the beach and he said that in retirement his father wanted to get closer to the mountains.

He just wanted to get closer to nature and I love the farm life as well, he said.

Trudeau is a realtor who now has a home and real estate license in Raleigh and is spending the summers on the farm. He and his fiancee are planning a wedding and he has a brother who helps occasionally on the farm.

He said he was scouring the region for farmland at a reasonable cost and looking in Southwest Virginia found the land in Rural Retreat. The property of about 128 acres had been owned by a town doctor and after his death the timber on the property was cleared making room for the berries to grow back. No one cleared the land for pasture so the berries continued to thrive and when the Trudeaus bought the land Andrew saw the business potential.

Most farmers look at that and say thats a headache, but I saw the opportunity, he said, because I come from a city where we value the wild berries a lot.

I love berries, Trudeau said. The berries have always been a staple of my life. And you know berries are everyones favorite. The wild is what makes them so valuable. Theyre wild berries which means we didnt plant them and Mother Nature takes care of everything for us. Blueberries are my favorite, so were planting blueberries so well have cultivated blueberries.

This is his first year in business with the berries and first year at the farmers market. He takes orders online and can sell his berries anywhere but cant sell jams over the state line until he gets his commercial kitchen approved.

This first year Trudeau is doing everything from harvesting to making jams to selling. Harvest season is early June to late August. He plans to continue to grow the business and hopes to become one of the leading jam brands on the East Coast. He is concentrating now on creating the brand and getting it known.

Everythings been awesome, he said of the farmers market. Great customers, plenty of renewed customers. Everyone loves the jams. Its nice to hear what everyone does with the berries. Ill have people come up and say they put them on their ice cream, cereal, cobblers. And they sometimes mix the jam with jalapeno peppers and other things and buy the berries to make their own jam, he said.

Trudeau offers berries and jams at the Wytheville Farmers Market and online. You can get more information at contact@blueridgeberries.com, www.BlueRidgeBerries.com or on Facebook at Blue Ridge Berries. Or call 954-609-6299.
Israeli shelling led to fires breaking out at several locations around Damascus, according to Baladi News.

Explosions rocked the Dummar and Qudsaya districts of Damascus, the capital city of Syria, during the early hours of Sunday. As of the time of this report, official media sources have not yet disclosed the causes behind these successive explosions.

The Syrian state news agency, SANA, acknowledged the sounds of explosions that occurred in Damascus during dawn on Sunday, but these reports are still in the process of verification.

Contrary to the regimes media outlets, various sources reported not only the sounds of explosions but also attributed them to Israeli involvement. The Russian news agency Sputnik quoted an unnamed high-ranking security source who claimed that Israeli aircraft had launched a barrage of missiles from occupied territories toward the outskirts of Damascus.

The report mentioned that the majority of the incoming enemy missiles were intercepted by Syrias Air Defense Force, thereby preventing their intended targets from being hit. Technical and engineering teams within the Syrian army were dispatched to evaluate the extent of damage caused by the attack, with an official announcement expected to follow.

Israeli media, relying on references to official Syrian media, solely reported the explosions in Damascus without delving into the underlying causes.

Reports from the local news website Sawt al-Asima indicated that the Israeli shelling led to fires breaking out at several locations around Damascus.

The SAM account, specializing in monitoring military activities in Syria, posted on Tijlram that expectations of such shelling had been present for four days prior, though specific reasons for the explosions were not detailed.

Its noteworthy that Israel typically refrains from publicly acknowledging its responsibility for the recurrent bombardment of Syrian territory, with the information often limited to state media aligned with the Syrian regime.

At the time of writing, regime-controlled media had not disclosed the extent of damage resulting from the explosions.

Notably, on August 7th, a prior incident occurred where Syrian regime forces suffered casualtiesfour soldiers killed and four woundeddue to Israeli strikes on military installations near Damascus. The regimes Ministry of Defense attributed these casualties and material losses to an Israeli air aggression targeting points around the capital.

In a rare acknowledgment toward the end of 2022, Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi confirmed that during that period, Israel had targeted an arms shipment on the Syrian-Iraqi border, asserting that the shipment contained anti-aircraft missiles.

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.
Turkey believes resolving housing and employment challenges is essential for the repatriation of Syrians, Syria TV writes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued directives to facilitate the repatriation of Syrian refugees to their home country using a three-stage approach, inspired by the Aleppo model, as reported by the Turkish newspaper Sabah.

A collaborative mechanism has been established involving the AKP, migration groups, and the Ministry of Interior to manage the return of asylum seekers and address irregular migration. This mechanism is expected to expedite both practical and legal measures.

The new model for Syrian refugees and unauthorized immigrants is outlined as follows:

Employment Opportunities:

Resolving housing and employment challenges is essential for the repatriation of Syrians. To address this, joint housing initiatives will be undertaken with Qatars support. Moreover, businesses in border provinces like Gaziantep will be permitted to establish workplaces in secure areas to boost economic activity and generate jobs.

Aleppo Model Implementation:

The primary objective, as highlighted in the newspaper, is to replicate a functioning governance structure in secure regions within Aleppo. Turkey is engaged in discussions with both Russia and the Syrian regime to bring about these changes.

This effort aims not only to enhance socio-economic conditions but also to focus on Aleppos revitalization. The anticipated outcome is that the restoration of Aleppo would encourage hundreds of thousands of Syrian residents in Turkey to return to their homeland.

Parallel Initiatives:

Concomitant steps will be taken in relation to unauthorized immigrants. Turkey intends to establish stronger relationships with countries, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan, to address the issue of illegal immigration.

EU Visa Approach:

A visa system resembling the European Unions will be adopted for individuals entering Turkey on 90-day visas, with the possibility of extension. These individuals will be required to furnish detailed information about their financial situation, including bank accounts, income sources, and documentation such as property deeds and health insurance. Failure to provide these documents will result in the denial of a visa or an extension of the residence permit.

These proposed measures represent President Erdogans strategy to facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland while also addressing the challenges posed by irregular migration. The overarching goal is to establish sustainable solutions that contribute to the socio-economic development of both Syria and Turkey.

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 Minister of Defense reiterated Turkey's sincere aspiration for peace with Syria, according to al-Souria Net.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler emphasized his countrys desire for peace in Syria while also acknowledging concerns related to border security. Guler was appointed as defence minister by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following his election victory, succeeding Hulusi Akar. In an interview with Sabah newspaper, Guler discussed the ongoing negotiations initiated by Ankara with the Syrian regime, which initially involved Hulusi Akar and former intelligence chief Hakan Fidan. The talks progressed from defence minister and intelligence chief levels to deputy foreign minister and foreign minister levels.

Guler expressed Turkeys sincere aspiration for peace while underscoring the necessity of addressing its border security and safeguarding its citizens. He indicated that Turkey believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would take a more rational stance on the matter. The key stage for achieving peace in Syria, according to Guler, is the formulation and adoption of a new constitution.

Gulers comments followed Syrian President Bashar al-Assads recent statement rejecting a meeting with Erdogan based on certain terms. Assad criticized the notion of a meeting without preconditions, highlighting the importance of a clear agenda and preparation to yield meaningful results. He stated that while he aims for Turkish troops withdrawal from Syria, Erdogan aims to legitimize Turkeys occupation of Syrian territory.

Assad attributed the terrorism in Syria to Turkey, disputing Erdogans claims that the Turkish presence is necessary to counter-terrorism. The Assad regime insists on the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syria prior to engaging in talks with Turkey. However, Ankara maintains its presence in Syria to counter potential terrorist threats along its southern border.

The process of establishing a dialogue between Turkey and the Assad regime, supported initially by Moscow and later by Iran, faces challenges due to the opposing stances of the two parties. The path forward for this dialogue remains unclear as both sides grapple with their differing positions.

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 co-chairman of the PYD highlighted the ongoing conflict among major powers in Syria, according to Damas Post.

Saleh Muslim, the co-chairman of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), a prominent party within Syrias Autonomous Administration, emphasized that the current Damascus government lacks the strength and capacity to expel Turkey from Syrian territory unilaterally.

Muslim highlighted the ongoing conflict among major powers in Syria, noting their lack of consensus on Turkeys withdrawal from the region. He elaborated that Tehran maintains certain interests with Ankara, hindering its support for Turkeys departure, whereas Russia aims to advance its strategic plans in collaboration with Turkey.

Muslim further pointed out that the international coalition is cautious not to antagonize Turkey, a NATO ally, even though their objectives are not aligned with Turkeys stance. He previously reported that despite being led by the United States, the international coalition has been unable to prevent Turkeys incursions into areas controlled by the Autonomous Administration in northeastern Syria.

Saleh Muslim emphasized that the reticence of concerned parties is a recurring issue. He underlined their lack of insight into closed-door discussions and denied any engagement with Damascus or Moscow on this matter.

Megan Bodette, the director of research at the Kurdish Peace Institute, shared her perspective that the United States tends to focus on northern and eastern Syria and the Kurdish question solely during crises. She emphasized the necessity for a proactive approach from Washington to foster peace between Turkey and the regions of northern and eastern Syria.

The Autonomous Administration of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expressed discontent with the silence exhibited by its allies in the international coalition, as well as the guarantor states (Russia and the United States), regarding the persistent Turkish assaults on northeastern Syria. They viewed these attacks as contradictory to efforts aimed at stability promotion and counter-terrorism endeavours.

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.
Asma al-Assad expounded on the notion that a nation's children hold paramount importance in safeguarding its future, according to al-Watan.

The First Lady, Mrs. Asma al-Assad, emphasized the feasibility of early detection and effective treatment for hearing impairment in newborns, provided timely intervention is pursued, during her address at the launch of the National Program for Early Detection and Intervention of Newborns Hearing Deficiency in Damascus on Saturday.

Mrs. al-Assad underscored that the responsibility to ensure early detection and intervention for neonatal hearing loss is a shared endeavour, embodying the core essence of the national initiative.

Highlighting healthcare as a pivotal criterion for societal progress and advancement, Mrs. al-Assad accentuated its humanistic, productive, and developmental dimensions. She emphasized that nurturing a healthy populace is both a moral and humanitarian duty, as individuals are the cornerstone of humanitarian and medical endeavours, with children being the primary beneficiaries of such services.

Mrs. al-Assad expounded on the notion that a nations children hold paramount importance in safeguarding its future. The well-being of children reflects the safety and security of society at large, ultimately shaping the course of generations to come.

While acknowledging the comprehensive nature of the national program as a significant stride in healthcare, Mrs. al-Assad lauded it as a tangible manifestation of Syrias swift adoption of robust public health policies.

With a candid assessment of the formidable and diverse challenges at the national level, Mrs. al-Assad emphasized that these hindrances must not impede progress across various domains.

Concluding her address, Mrs. al-Assad rallied all segments of society, including families, communities, and institutions, to fulfill their collective responsibility in enabling each child to have a voice that deserves to be heard.
The interview's platform allowed Assad to broadcast his deceptive rhetoric, says al-Souria Net.

In a deeply critical assessment, it is evident that the recent interview with Bashar al-Assad conducted by Sky News Arabia merely served as an attempt to whitewash and restore the image of a ruthless criminal leader, cloaked under the facade of a ruling regime. The interview, seemingly designed to appear professional and impartial, instead provided a platform for Assad to spin his narrative, all while avoiding challenging questions and meaningful follow-ups.

Observers who analyze the interviews tone and line of questioning will detect an unsettlingly casual approach toward discussing the accusations levelled against Assad and his regime. Astonishingly, he was permitted to justify his actions without significant scrutiny, giving him the space to manipulate and distort historical events, fabricate falsehoods, and reshape the ongoing reality  all with audacity and arrogance.

Far from acknowledging his role in Syrias tragic state of affairs, Assad took the opportunity to exacerbate it by rewriting a history that remains vividly documented through audio and video records. Despite nearly 13 years having passed since the inception of the Syrian revolution, Assad continues to rebrand his regimes sectarian crimes as acts of defending Syrian national interests. His narrative dismisses the legitimate grievances of the Syrian people as a conspiracy aimed at both the country and the so-called axis of resistance. Astonishingly, he contends that the demonstrators who rose against his rule did not exceed a mere one hundred and odd thousand. In this distorted perspective, anyone opposing his oppressive regime is automatically branded a terrorist, while his continued leadership is framed as a triumph for Syria and a setback for its adversaries.

Astoundingly, Assads narrative finds a way to rationalize the hundreds of thousands of lives lost, the widespread destruction, the displacement of millions, and the dire conditions faced by Syrians. In his distorted view, these atrocities are warranted consequences, justifiable prices to pay for his twisted vision.

The televised interview stands as a testament to the collusion among authoritarian Arab regimes, united in their disregard for their peoples aspirations for freedom, democracy, and dignity. These regimes, normally divided by their interests and alliances, conveniently converge to smother any prospect of genuine change. The interview demonstrates that alliances shift according to convenience; al-Assad, for instance, depicts Russians and Iranians as allies despite their undeniable involvement in the Syrian conflict. Similarly, other Arab regimes find alignment with Western powers, despite the latters history of neglecting their atrocities against the Arab population.

During the interview, Assad dared to address the League of Arab States shortcomings and discuss combating the drug trade. Its worth noting that international reports have linked his regime to the production and distribution of drugs regionally and globally. Al-Assads counterparts in oppressive Arab regimes, for whom suppressing their own people remains paramount, eagerly lent an ear to his words. The unity in their suppression of their people overrides differences in loyalties and calculations.

Ultimately, the interviews platform allowed Assad to broadcast his deceptive rhetoric, absurdities, and falsehoods. This stage was gifted to him by the very regimes that share in his distorted narrative, revealing a disturbing unity in perpetuating repression and manipulation.

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 morning, the sounds of explosions reverberated near the Syrian capital, Damascus. Initially, the cause of these blasts was uncertain, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Simultaneously, leaked documents originating from Irans Foreign Ministry shed light on significant financial debt. Syria reportedly owes Iran a substantial sum of $50 billion, a sum accumulated over the last decade. These funds were utilized to provide comprehensive support to President Bashar al-Assads regime, encompassing both military and civilian assistance.

Explosions heard in Syrian capital Damascus  state media

Explosions were heard in the vicinity of the Syrian capital Damascus early on Sunday, state media said, adding that the cause was not known, Reuters reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said the explosions hit and damaged warehouses storing rockets belonging to Iran-aligned groups. It said there were no confirmed deaths or injuries, adding the cause of the blasts was not known.

Iran has been a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the countrys 12-year conflict. Irans proxy militias, including the Lebanese group Hezbollah and pro-Tehran Iraqi groups, hold sway in swathes of eastern, southern and northern Syria and in suburbs around the capital.

Israel has for years carried out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets but rarely comments on the specifics of a strike in its immediate aftermath.

Reporting By Moaz Abd-Alaziz Writing by Maya Gebeily Editing by William Mallard and Frances Kerry

Arms Proliferation Amid Insecurity: The Rise of Gun Ownership in Northwest Syria

In the aftermath of a decade of war, the opposition-held northwest region of Syria has seen a surge in civilian gun ownership, fueled by an informal and illicit arms trade. This phenomenon is rooted in a longstanding security vacuum, which has created an environment ripe for such a proliferation.

According to an analysis by New Arab, both the regions controlled by the Salvation Government affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the areas governed by the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) aligned with Turkey-backed opposition factions have been affected. The deterioration of the rule of law and a lack of accountability have created conditions conducive to the illicit arms trade.

The proliferation of weapons is driven by the notion of self-defense, as cases of theft, kidnappings, and killings have surged. However, this has led to a vicious cycle: the availability of arms and arms dealers has contributed to an overall lack of safety and security in northwest Syria.

According to Fares Shawaf, a former officer from the regime army and now a member of an opposition faction, the majority of the circulating weapons in the region were originally looted from defeated Assad army forces, with many being of Russian and Iranian origin.

The articles add that the situation intensified after a period of relative calm, during which commanders began selling small arms like pistols and rifles to traders, who then sold them to civilians. Shawaf acknowledges that there are also weapons imported from various countries, but the seized weapons from regime forces are far more significant.

While the proliferation of weapons is linked to self-defense in an unstable security environment, unintended consequences have emerged. Arguments among civilians often escalate into gun displays, even in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Accidental deaths have also increased due to a lack of awareness about firearm safety, especially among children and teenagers.

The absence of effective governance and regulation has led to a surge in accidental shootings, kidnappings, and thefts carried out by armed gangs operating with impunity. Kidnapping victims are often subjected to torture, leading to ransom payments and a cycle of indebtedness for their families. Many civilians feel the need to arm themselves to protect against such threats.

According to the outlet, attempts to address this issue, such as HTS decision to close weapons stores, have been largely ineffective. The trade has moved online, with social media platforms becoming hubs for small-arms dealers. Numerous Facebook groups openly advertise a variety of weapons for sale, ranging from handguns to machine guns, grenades, and military clothing.

The proliferation of weapons has had serious consequences, leading to a rising death toll, human rights violations, and an exacerbation of the overall security vacuum. While civilian gun ownership is often justified as a means of personal safety, its widespread adoption has perpetuated a cycle of insecurity. In the absence of effective regulations and monitoring, the illicit arms trade continues to flourish, contributing to the overall instability of the region.

ISIS Claims Responsibility for an Attack That Killed 20 Syrian Soldiers, Vows to Keep Fighting

The ISIS group has claimed responsibility for an ambush in eastern Syria that killed at least 20 government soldiers and wounded others, warning that such attacks will continue, Asharq al-Awsat reported.

ISIS sleeper cells still carry deadly attacks despite their defeat in Syria in 2019. The group once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq where they declared a so-called caliphate in 2014.

The Friday night statement said ISIS fighters ambushed two army trucks in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor using different kinds of weapons. ISIS claimed that 40 members of the Syrian military were killed and 10 were wounded.

Syrian opposition activists said the Thursday night attack on a bus carrying soldiers near the town of Mayadeen killed at least 20 soldiers and wounded others. State media said several soldiers were killed and wounded, without giving a breakdown.

Let the whole world know that our allegiance to our leaders is practiced with deeds and not words, ISIS said, vowing that their fight will continue until Doomsday.

Last week, ISIS announced the death in Syria of its little-known leader, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurayshi  who had headed the extremist organization since November  and named his successor. He was the fourth leader to be killed since its founder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in 2019 by US troops in northwest Syria.

Leaked documents reveals size of Syrias debts to Iran

Documents leaked from Irans Foreign Ministry revealed that Syria owes Iran $50 billion in funds spent to support the regime of President Bashar al-Assad over the past ten years in the forms of both military and civilian support, The Al-Monitor reported.

The documents were leaked by the hacktivist group Uprising till Overthrow, affiliated with the Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK) opposition group.

According to the documents, the agreements concluded with the Syrian regime to restore the debts only cover $18 billion of the $50 billion, which Tehran wants to recover in the form of investments and the transfer of phosphates, oil and other resources from Syria.

The documents include a scheduled report entitled Determining Irans Investment Commitment in Syria and Payment of Debts, prepared by the First Vice President for Economic Coordination and Infrastructure Affairs in February 2023.

The report states that Syrias debts to Iran are divided into two categories; military and civilian.

Under the civil claims section, it was stated that during the 10-year war in Syria, in addition to oil exports, Iran has paid lines of credit and other payments to Damascus as well as cash to the Syrian government.

The agreement signed by the Syrian minister of economy and trade with the former Iranian minister of roads and urban development in September 2022, stipulates the recovery of $18 billion from Syria within the next 50 years, according to the same source.

Iran did not comment on the leaked documents, however, most of the projects and agreements included in the documents have been covered by the Iranian media over the years.

Iran has played a significant role in supporting the Syrian regime politically and militarily throughout the civil war, with the aim of preserving its regional interests and influence.

Syria accuses US of supporting terrorists

The United States is responsible for the military escalation in eastern Syria, where terror groups such as Daesh intensified their activities recently, the Syrian Foreign Ministry has announced.

US forces are sponsoring terrorists, who are responsible for the August 10 ambush on Syrian servicemen in the Deir ez-Zor governorate, the ministry said in a statement, published by the SANA news agency on Sunday.

This criminal act was committed by those whom the United States uses as a tool for implementing its schemes in Syria and the entire region, it added.

The Syrian ministry underscored that the illegal US military presence on the territory of the country is accompanied by the plundering of its oil reserves and growing economic pressure on the people of Syria.

The Americans blatantly violate Syrias sovereignty and destabilize the situation in order to continue their occupation, the ministry underlined.

Damascus pledged to continue its operations against terrorists until the threat is fully eliminated.

Syria also confirms its readiness to free its lands from US, Israeli and Turkish forces, in accordance with the international law, the document noted.

At least 33 Syrian servicemen were killed on August 10 when a bus they were travelling in was ambushed near the city of Al Mayadin some 368 km away from the capital of Damascus. Medical sources said later that the death toll may grow, because 11 wounded servicemen were admitted to hospital in serious condition.

According to Al Hadath television, terrorists carried out over 40 armed assaults in eastern Syria since the start of 2023, killing 67 servicemen and militiamen.

Human trafficking gang who smuggled over 550 Syrian migrants into the EU dismantled

A people trafficking gang alleged to have charged up to $22,000 to smuggle migrants from Syria to Europe have been arrested.

Spanish police have detained 16 Syrians and three Moroccans who are believed to be part of a larger criminal network that charged for what has been described as a VIP service.

This network, according to The National, smuggled Syrians from their country to Sudan, Libya and Algeria and then across the Mediterranean to Spain before they were taken to northern Europe, mainly Norway and Germany.

The arrests were made as part of an operation by the Spanish National Police and German Federal Police, said Europol, the EUs law enforcement agency.

The criminal network is suspected of organizing over 68 illegal transfers, and the consequent smuggling of more than 550 Syrian migrants into the EU, said Europol.

Five vehicles, smartphones, computers and memory sticks along with about 10,000 ($11,000) in cash and various documents were seized.

According to Europol, the apprehended gang was closely connected to other traffickers smuggling people from Asia and Africa toward Europe.

The close-knit network would transfer migrants between traffickers from one country to another and also arrange the collection and distribution of criminal profits using the Hawala banking system.

The total price for the journey from Syria to the final European destination totalled more than 20,000 ($22,000), says Europol.

The agency said migrants paid 4,000 ($4,400) to travel by air from Beirut to Egypt and 3500 ($3850) to get from there to Algeria via Libya and Tunis overland.

They were then charged 10,000 ($11,000) to be taken from the Algerian to Almeria and Murcia in Spain by and then via land to the cities Madrid, Cuenca and Toledo.

This was described as a VIP service by Europol that included a transfer from the arrival point on the Spanish mainland, as well as accommodation there, and took an unusually long and expensive route.
Two months after the six-story Monticello Hotel opened in July 1923, as the centerpiece around R.A. Longs planned city, one of the first reported crimes hit the growing town  a theft at a bookstore.

According to the Sept. 13, 1923, issue of The Daily News, what is believed to be Longviews first act of lawlessness occurred the night before when thieves broke into Judds Book Store located in the Hemlock building and made off with considerable stock.

The article says 71 Waterman fountain pens, $2 worth of silver and $1.25 in pennies were stolen.

Bill Watson, the Cowlitz County Historical Museum curator, said Judds was likely the only bookstore in town, with a population of about 3,000 residents and no mayor, and sold schoolbooks, office supplies, magazines and cards.

The wife of bookstore owner Ira Judd told The Daily News in 1948 the business was the citys first lease for an independent store and the agreement was signed on July 31, 1923. The article states the bookstore was a fixture of the Longview business district at 1309 Hudson St., the site that most recently held Teagues Interiors. For three months, the bookstore was temporarily located on 12th Avenue to serve the school children while the Hudson Street location was being completed, the article states.

In 1947, the bookstore moved to near the current location of The Broadway Gallery on Commerce Avenue. Judds was also located on Washington, then Vandercook ways, expanded to sell furniture and janitor supplies, and was later ran by Ira Judds son Wendell, according to a 1957 article.

Watson said thefts, like the one at Judds in 1923, were common, and since Longview wasnt officially incorporated until February of 1924, arrestees were sent to the jail in neighboring Kelso.

Authorities suspected either a grown man or a pack of young boys committed the theft, according to the 1923 article, and a large footprint was found near the building  the only clue for the city marshal.

A city marshal was most likely hired by either the Long-Bell Lumber Company or another contractor since Longview was still a company town at the time, Watson said.

Kelso crime

While Longview saw more petty crimes in the 20s, the rowdier Kelso  home to brothels and saloons  saw more serious crimes, including an assault and an attempted mugging on a woman seven months prior to the bookstore theft.

According to the Feb. 9, 1923, issue of The Longview News  the original name of The Daily News  Marie Foss, a waitress at the Lotus Cafe, was attacked three days prior to the report.

The article does not indicate whether the attack was in Kelso or Longview, but according to The Daily News archives, The Longview Lotus Cafe didnt open until 1925.

Watson said the Lotus Cafe in Kelso was located close to Pacific Avenue and Allen Street and demolished in the spring of 1923 to make way for a replacement bridge following Allen Street Bridge collapse on Jan. 3, 1923, which resulted in the loss of dozens of lives.

The 1923 articles states Foss noticed she was being followed after leaving work for home. She tried to quickly walk away, but the assailant grabbed her by the shoulder and struck her with such force that she was knocked down, according to the report. She was carrying a purse with her weekly salary, which officials suspected was the motive for the attack.

Still, Foss made it to her next shift.

The plucky little woman resumed work the next morning with a calmness that is indeed rare, states the 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:

The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays output from ChatGPT, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Boston. White House officials concerned about AI chatbots' potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday, Aug. 13, at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas. Some 3,500 competitors have tapped on laptops seeking to expose vulnerabilities in eight leading large-language models representative of technologys next big thing. Credit: AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

White House officials concerned by AI chatbots' potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas.

Some 2,200 competitors tapped on laptops seeking to expose flaws in eight leading large-language models representative of technology's next big thing. But don't expect quick results from this first-ever independent "red-teaming" of multiple models.

Findings won't be made public until about February. And even then, fixing flaws in these digital constructswhose inner workings are neither wholly trustworthy nor fully fathomed even by their creatorswill take time and millions of dollars.

Current AI models are simply too unwieldy, brittle and malleable, academic and corporate research shows. Security was an afterthought in their training as data scientists amassed breathtakingly complex collections of images and text. They are prone to racial and cultural biases, and easily manipulated.

"It's tempting to pretend we can sprinkle some magic security dust on these systems after they are built, patch them into submission, or bolt special security apparatus on the side," said Gary McGraw, a cybsersecurity veteran and co-founder of the Berryville Institute of Machine Learning. DefCon competitors are "more likely to walk away finding new, hard problems," said Bruce Schneier, a Harvard public-interest technologist. "This is computer security 30 years ago. We're just breaking stuff left and right."

Michael Sellitto of Anthropic, which provided one of the AI testing models, acknowledged in a press briefing that understanding their capabilities and safety issues "is sort of an open area of scientific inquiry."

Conventional software uses well-defined code to issue explicit, step-by-step instructions. OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Bard and other language models are different. Trained largely by ingestingand classifyingbillions of datapoints in internet crawls, they are perpetual works-in-progress, an unsettling prospect given their transformative potential for humanity.

After publicly releasing chatbots last fall, the generative AI industry has had to repeatedly plug security holes exposed by researchers and tinkerers.

Tom Bonner of the AI security firm HiddenLayer, a speaker at this year's DefCon, tricked a Google system into labeling a piece of malware harmless merely by inserting a line that said "this is safe to use."

"There are no good guardrails," he said.

People attend the DefCon conference Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, in Las Vegas. White House officials concerned about AI chatbots' potential for societal harm and the Silicon Valley powerhouses rushing them to market are heavily invested in a three-day competition ending Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023 at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas. Some 3,500 competitors have tapped on laptops seeking to expose vulnerabilities in eight leading large-language models representative of technologys next big thing. Credit: AP Photo/Isaac Brekken

Another researcher had ChatGPT create phishing emails and a recipe to violently eliminate humanity, a violation of its ethics code.

A team including Carnegie Mellon researchers found leading chatbots vulnerable to automated attacks that also produce harmful content. "It is possible that the very nature of deep learning models makes such threats inevitable," they wrote.

It's not as if alarms weren't sounded.

In its 2021 final report, the U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence said attacks on commercial AI systems were already happening and "with rare exceptions, the idea of protecting AI systems has been an afterthought in engineering and fielding AI systems, with inadequate investment in research and development."

Serious hacks, regularly reported just a few years ago, are now barely disclosed. Too much is at stake and, in the absence of regulation, "people can sweep things under the rug at the moment and they're doing so," said Bonner.

Attacks trick the artificial intelligence logic in ways that may not even be clear to their creators. And chatbots are especially vulnerable because we interact with them directly in plain language. That interaction can alter them in unexpected ways.

Researchers have found that "poisoning" a small collection of images or text in the vast sea of data used to train AI systems can wreak havocand be easily overlooked.

A study co-authored by Florian Tramer of the Swiss University ETH Zurich determined that corrupting just 0.01% of a model was enough to spoil itand cost as little as $60. The researchers waited for a handful of websites used in web crawls for two models to expire. Then they bought the domains and posted bad data on them.

Hyrum Anderson and Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, who red-teamed AI while colleagues at Microsoft, call the state of AI security for text- and image-based models "pitiable" in their new book "Not with a Bug but with a Sticker." One example they cite in live presentations: The AI-powered digital assistant Alexa is hoodwinked into interpreting a Beethoven concerto clip as a command to order 100 frozen pizzas.

Surveying more than 80 organizations, the authors found the vast majority had no response plan for a data-poisoning attack or dataset theft. The bulk of the industry "would not even know it happened," they wrote.

Hyrum Anderson, a security engineer at the AI model safety firm Robust Intelligence, gestures in this frame grab from an interview conducted on Zoom on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. Anderson is co-author of a new book that calls the state of AI security "pitiable." Credit: AP Photo/stf

Andrew W. Moore, a former Google executive and Carnegie Mellon dean, says he dealt with attacks on Google search software more than a decade ago. And between late 2017 and early 2018, spammers gamed Gmail's AI-powered detection service four times.

The big AI players say security and safety are top priorities and made voluntary commitments to the White House last month to submit their modelslargely "black boxes' whose contents are closely heldto outside scrutiny.

But there is worry the companies won't do enough.

Tramer expects search engines and social media platforms to be gamed for financial gain and disinformation by exploiting AI system weaknesses. A savvy job applicant might, for example, figure out how to convince a system they are the only correct candidate.

Ross Anderson, a Cambridge University computer scientist, worries AI bots will erode privacy as people engage them to interact with hospitals, banks and employers and malicious actors leverage them to coax financial, employment or health data out of supposedly closed systems.

AI language models can also pollute themselves by retraining themselves from junk data, research shows.

Another concern is company secrets being ingested and spit out by AI systems. After a Korean business news outlet reported on such an incident at Samsung, corporations including Verizon and JPMorgan barred most employees from using ChatGPT at work.

While the major AI players have security staff, many smaller competitors likely won't, meaning poorly secured plug-ins and digital agents could multiply. Startups are expected to launch hundreds of offerings built on licensed pre-trained models in coming months.

Don't be surprised, researchers say, if one runs away with your address book.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV  Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the seven research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $7.93.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Benchmark restated a buy rating and issued a $12.00 price objective on shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a research note on Monday, July 24th. TheStreet upgraded Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday, June 12th. StockNews.com cut Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. They set a buy rating and a $6.10 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group cut Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the company from $8.80 to $6.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th.

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Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Trading Down 1.6 %

Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Increases Dividend

NYSE TV opened at $4.78 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.14, a PEG ratio of 10.01 and a beta of 1.42. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. has a one year low of $4.38 and a one year high of $7.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.74. The businesss fifty day moving average is $5.03 and its 200-day moving average is $5.13.

The business also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th were issued a $0.0985 dividend. This is a positive change from Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.s previous annual dividend of $0.09. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 26th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.6%. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.s dividend payout ratio is presently -9.68%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 681.6% in the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 5,565 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 4,853 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 181.1% in the 2nd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,409 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 4,129 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. bought a new stake in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in the 1st quarter worth $111,000. Finally, Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in the 1st quarter worth $117,000. Institutional investors own 38.11% of the companys stock.

About Grupo Televisa, S.A.B.

(Get Free Report

Grupo Televisa, SAB. operates as a media company in the Spanish-speaking Mexico and internationally. It operates through three segments: Cable, Sky, and Other Businesses. The Cable segment operates cable multiple system that provides basic and premium television subscription, pay-per-view, installation, Internet subscription, and telephone and mobile services subscription services, as well as sales local and national advertising services; and telecommunication facilities, which offers data and long-distance services solutions to carriers and other telecommunications service providers through its fiber-optic network.

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Voice Assist (OTCMKTS:VSST  Get Free Report) is one of 306 publicly-traded companies in the SoftwareApplication industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare Voice Assist to similar businesses based on the strength of its profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, risk and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Voice Assist and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Voice Assist N/A N/A N/A Voice Assist Competitors -27.18% -233.97% -5.73%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

4.3% of Voice Assist shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 34.3% of shares of all SoftwareApplication companies are owned by institutional investors. 32.2% of Voice Assist shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 29.6% of shares of all SoftwareApplication companies 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

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Voice Assist 0 0 0 0 N/A Voice Assist Competitors 404 1808 4413 37 2.61

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Voice Assist and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.

As a group, SoftwareApplication companies have a potential upside of 31.58%. Given Voice Assists competitors higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Voice Assist has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Voice Assist and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Voice Assist N/A N/A -0.13 Voice Assist Competitors $643.99 million -$57.14 million 685.56

Voice Assists competitors have higher revenue, but lower earnings than Voice Assist. Voice Assist is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

About Voice Assist

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Voice Assist, Inc. builds mobile apps and provides cloud based services in the United States. It offers iPhone, Android, and Virtual Office apps, as well as cloud based subscriptions that help people use voice commands while driving. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Irvine, California.

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Bank of China Limited (OTCMKTS:BACHY  Get Free Report)s stock price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $9.59 and traded as low as $8.70. Bank of China shares last traded at $8.74, with a volume of 81,539 shares.

Bank of China Trading Down 1.0 %

The stock has a market cap of $102.92 billion, a PE ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 0.27. The companys fifty day moving average is $9.37 and its 200-day moving average is $9.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

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Bank of China Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.7093 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 5th. Bank of Chinas payout ratio is currently 25.48%.

About Bank of China

Bank of China Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking and financial services in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and internationally. It operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, Treasury Operations, Investment Banking, Insurance, and Other segments. The Corporate Banking segment provides current accounts, deposits, overdrafts, loans, payments and settlements, trade-related products, and other credit facilities, as well as foreign currency, derivative, and wealth management products for corporate customers, government authorities, and financial institutions.

Further Reading

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Thornburg Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ  Free Report) by 1.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 215,715 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,091 shares during the period. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. owned about 0.16% of BJs Wholesale Club worth $16,409,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in BJs Wholesale Club during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. acquired a new position in BJs Wholesale Club during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in BJs Wholesale Club by 1,364.0% during the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 366 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in BJs Wholesale Club by 45.6% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,222 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 383 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CoreCap Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in BJs Wholesale Club in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.02% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BJ shares. Citigroup reduced their price target on BJs Wholesale Club from $83.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on BJs Wholesale Club from $90.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Bank of America reduced their price target on BJs Wholesale Club from $87.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on BJs Wholesale Club from $89.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on BJs Wholesale Club from $77.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $74.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other BJs Wholesale Club news, EVP Monica Schwartz sold 15,168 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.85, for a total transaction of $938,140.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,962 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,605,749.70. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

BJs Wholesale Club Stock Performance

NYSE:BJ traded up $0.60 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $69.75. 1,215,407 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,651,920. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $64.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $69.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $60.33 and a 1 year high of $80.41.

BJs Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 23rd. The company reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.01. BJs Wholesale Club had a return on equity of 53.66% and a net margin of 2.64%. The company had revenue of $4.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.81 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.87 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

BJs Wholesale Club Company Profile

(Free Report)

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides perishable, general merchandise, gasoline, coupon books, promotions, and other ancillary services. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ  Free Report).

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Franco-Nevada (TSE:FNV  Free Report) (NYSE:FNV) had its price objective reduced by BMO Capital Markets from C$233.00 to C$232.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the company. Raymond James cut their price objective on Franco-Nevada from C$175.00 to C$174.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 17th. National Bank Financial upped their price objective on Franco-Nevada from C$200.00 to C$210.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$204.00 to C$222.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$245.00 to C$258.00 in a research report on Friday, July 14th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on shares of Franco-Nevada from C$223.00 to C$217.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th.

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Franco-Nevada Stock Up 2.2 %

Franco-Nevada Cuts Dividend

Franco-Nevada stock opened at C$192.02 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of C$189.66 and a 200-day moving average price of C$194.10. Franco-Nevada has a 1-year low of C$151.08 and a 1-year high of C$217.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 28.75 and a quick ratio of 23.26. The stock has a market capitalization of C$36.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.38, a PEG ratio of 5.00 and a beta of 0.61.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 13th. Franco-Nevadas dividend payout ratio is presently 38.79%.

About Franco-Nevada

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Franco-Nevada Corporation operates as a gold-focused royalty and streaming company in Latin America, the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Mining and Energy segments. The company manages its portfolio with a focus on precious metals, such as gold, silver, and platinum group metals; and engages in the sale of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.

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Finning International (OTCMKTS:FINGF  Free Report) had its price target lifted by BMO Capital Markets from C$48.00 to C$50.00 in a research note released on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Finning International from C$44.00 to C$51.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. TD Securities boosted their target price on Finning International from C$39.00 to C$46.00 in a research report on Thursday. National Bank Financial upgraded Finning International from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Finning International from C$50.00 to C$54.00 in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James boosted their target price on Finning International from C$42.00 to C$43.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th.

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Finning International Trading Down 1.3 %

Finning International Increases Dividend

Shares of OTCMKTS FINGF opened at $32.59 on Thursday. Finning International has a fifty-two week low of $17.00 and a fifty-two week high of $34.93. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $31.44 and a 200-day moving average of $27.94.

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 25th were issued a $0.1866 dividend. This is a boost from Finning Internationals previous dividend of $0.18. This represents a dividend yield of 2.75%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 24th. Finning Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 37.53%.

About Finning International

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Finning International Inc sells, services, and rents heavy equipment, engines, and related products in Canada, Chile, Bolivia, the United Kingdom, Argentina, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers articulated trucks, asphalt pavers, backhoe loaders, cold planers, compactors, dozers, draglines, electric rope shovels, excavators, hydraulic mining shovels, material handlers, motor graders, off-highway trucks, pipelayers, road reclaimers, skid steer and compact track loaders, track loaders, underground-hard rock, wheel loaders, and wheel tractor-scrapers.

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Datang International Power Generation (OTCMKTS:DIPGY  Get Free Report) and Brookfield Renewable Partners (NYSE:BEP  Get Free Report) are both mid-cap utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends and profitability.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Datang International Power Generation and Brookfield Renewable Partners, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Datang International Power Generation 0 0 0 0 N/A Brookfield Renewable Partners 0 1 6 0 2.86

Brookfield Renewable Partners has a consensus target price of $35.17, indicating a potential upside of 32.85%. Given Brookfield Renewable Partners higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Brookfield Renewable Partners is more favorable than Datang International Power Generation.

Dividends

Risk & Volatility

Datang International Power Generation pays an annual dividend of $0.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.4%. Brookfield Renewable Partners pays an annual dividend of $1.35 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.1%. Brookfield Renewable Partners pays out -225.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Brookfield Renewable Partners has increased its dividend for 2 consecutive years.

Datang International Power Generation has a beta of 0.77, suggesting that its share price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Brookfield Renewable Partners has a beta of 0.79, suggesting that its share price is 21% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Datang International Power Generation and Brookfield Renewable Partners net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Datang International Power Generation N/A N/A N/A Brookfield Renewable Partners 6.43% 1.24% 0.49%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

56.1% of Brookfield Renewable Partners shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Datang International Power Generation and Brookfield Renewable Partners revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Datang International Power Generation $14.10 billion 0.20 $142.63 million N/A N/A Brookfield Renewable Partners $4.71 billion 1.62 -$93.00 million ($0.60) -44.12

Datang International Power Generation has higher revenue and earnings than Brookfield Renewable Partners.

Summary

Brookfield Renewable Partners beats Datang International Power Generation on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Datang International Power Generation

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Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in power generation and power plant development activities in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Power and heat generation, Coal, and Other segments. It generates electricity through various sources, such as coal-fired, thermal, hydro, wind, nuclear, biomass, and solar. As of December 31, 2019, the company managed an installed capacity of approximately 68,278.10 MW. It also engages in heat supply; the import of power related fuel; coal mining and trading; silicon and aluminum smelting; production and sale of alumina; cargo shipping; sale of coal ash and integrated application of solid waste; power plant construction and operation; repair and testing of power equipment; research and development activities; and provision of power related technical services. The company was formerly known as Beijing Datang Power Generation Co., Ltd and changed its name to Datang International Power Generation Co, Ltd. in April 2004. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Datang International Power Generation Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of China Datang Corporation Limited.

About Brookfield Renewable Partners

(Get Free Report)

Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. owns a portfolio of renewable power generating facilities primarily in North America, Colombia, Brazil, Europe, and Asia. The company generates electricity through hydroelectric, wind, solar, distributed generation, pumped storage, cogeneration, and biomass sources. Brookfield Renewable Partners Limited operates as the general partner of Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. The company was formerly known as Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners L.P. and changed its name to Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. in May 2016. Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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CK Hutchison Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:CKHUY  Get Free Report) crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $6.01 and traded as low as $5.38. CK Hutchison shares last traded at $5.39, with a volume of 121,613 shares traded.

CK Hutchison Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $6.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.27.

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CK Hutchison Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 5th will be given a $0.0775 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 1st.

About CK Hutchison

CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, operates in ports and related services, retail, infrastructure, and telecommunications businesses in Hong Kong and internationally. The company invests in, develops, and operates ports, which operate 293 berths in 51 ports spanning 25 countries; and provides logistics and transportation-related services, such as cruise ship terminals, distribution centers, river trade, and ship repair facilities.

Further Reading

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Comba Telecom Systems (OTCMKTS:COBJF  Get Free Report) is one of 75 public companies in the Communication Equipment industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Comba Telecom Systems to related businesses based on the strength of its profitability, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk and earnings.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Comba Telecom Systems and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Comba Telecom Systems N/A N/A -17.40 Comba Telecom Systems Competitors $346.90 million $4.75 million 131.70

Comba Telecom Systems peers have higher revenue and earnings than Comba Telecom Systems. Comba Telecom Systems is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Comba Telecom Systems 0 0 1 0 3.00 Comba Telecom Systems Competitors 77 752 1328 17 2.59

This is a summary of current recommendations for Comba Telecom Systems and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

Comba Telecom Systems currently has a consensus target price of $1.90, suggesting a potential upside of 927.03%. As a group, Communication Equipment companies have a potential upside of 91.46%. Given Comba Telecom Systems stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Comba Telecom Systems is more favorable than its peers.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

11.0% of Comba Telecom Systems shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 29.2% of shares of all Communication Equipment companies are owned by institutional investors. 25.9% of shares of all Communication Equipment 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.

Profitability

This table compares Comba Telecom Systems and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Comba Telecom Systems N/A N/A N/A Comba Telecom Systems Competitors -21.51% -45.45% -5.42%

Summary

Comba Telecom Systems beats its peers on 6 of the 11 factors compared.

Comba Telecom Systems Company Profile

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Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited, an investment holding company, engages in research, development, manufacture, and sale of wireless telecommunications network system equipment and related engineering services. It operates through two segments, Wireless Telecommunications Network System Equipment and Services, and Operator Telecommunication Services. The company provides base station antennas and subsystems; network system products, and open RAN products, as well as in-depth coverage solutions; and technical support, value-added, and repairing services. It also engages in the trading and marketing of wireless telecommunications network system equipment; manufacture and sale of intelligent machinery; research and development, and trading of digital microwave system equipment; and provision of hardware and software solutions and services. The company serves the airport, education, government and public safety, healthcare, hospitality, retail, stadium, and transportation industries. It operates in Mainland China, rest of Asia Pacific, the Americas, the European Union, the Middle East, and internationally. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Tai Po, Hong Kong.

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Raymond James upgraded shares of Conifex Timber (OTCMKTS:CFXTF  Free Report) from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note released on Thursday, FlyOnTheWall reports.

Separately, CIBC decreased their price target on shares of Conifex Timber from C$1.50 to C$1.25 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th.

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Conifex Timber Price Performance

About Conifex Timber

CFXTF stock opened at $0.87 on Thursday. Conifex Timber has a 1 year low of $0.87 and a 1 year high of $1.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $0.90 and a 200 day moving average of $1.04.

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Conifex Timber Inc primarily manufactures and sells lumber products in the United States, Canada, Japan, and internationally. It is involved in the timber harvesting, reforestation, and forest management activities; manufacture of finished softwood lumber from spruce, pine, and fir logs; manufacture, sale, and distribution of dimension lumber; processing logs into lumber and wood chips, as well as residual products, such as wood chips, trim blocks, sawdust, shavings, and barks; and providing value added lumber finishing services.

Further Reading

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Global Business Travel Group (NYSE:GBTG  Get Free Report) had its price target increased by analysts at Credit Suisse Group from $10.00 to $12.00 in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage presently has an outperform rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Groups price objective suggests a potential upside of 70.21% from the stocks current price.

Global Business Travel Group Trading Up 2.9 %

Shares of Global Business Travel Group stock opened at $7.05 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $7.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.88. Global Business Travel Group has a 1 year low of $4.26 and a 1 year high of $8.40. The company has a market capitalization of $3.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.29 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.64.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Global Business Travel Group

In other Global Business Travel Group news, CEO Paul G. Abbott purchased 8,147 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $6.25 per share, with a total value of $50,918.75. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,537,225 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,857,656.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 5.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Global Business Travel Group

About Global Business Travel Group

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GBTG. Barclays PLC bought a new position in Global Business Travel Group during the 2nd quarter worth $47,000. Credit Suisse AG bought a new position in Global Business Travel Group during the 2nd quarter worth $69,000. Citigroup Inc. bought a new position in Global Business Travel Group during the 2nd quarter worth $69,000. Cowen AND Company LLC bought a new position in Global Business Travel Group during the 4th quarter worth $77,000. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Global Business Travel Group during the 2nd quarter worth $80,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 12.65% of the companys stock.

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Global Business Travel Group, Inc provides business-to-business (B2B) travel platform in the United States and internationally. The company's platform offers a suite of technology-enabled solutions to business travelers and clients; travel content suppliers including airlines, hotels, ground transportation, and aggregators; and third-party travel agencies.

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Hill & Smith (LON:HILS  Free Report) had its price target lifted by Berenberg Bank from GBX 1,625 ($20.77) to GBX 2,000 ($25.56) in a research report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Numis Securities boosted their price target on shares of Hill & Smith from GBX 1,600 ($20.45) to GBX 1,700 ($21.73) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Shore Capital reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Hill & Smith in a research report on Thursday, May 25th.

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Read Our Latest Stock Report on HILS

Hill & Smith Stock Performance

Insider Transactions at Hill & Smith

Shares of LON HILS opened at GBX 1,714 ($21.90) on Wednesday. Hill & Smith has a 12-month low of GBX 859 ($10.98) and a 12-month high of GBX 1,764 ($22.54). The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 1,536.36 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 1,418.29. The company has a current ratio of 2.01, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 36.58. The firm has a market capitalization of 1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,596.97 and a beta of 1.23.

In other news, insider Alan Giddins bought 6,000 shares of Hill & Smith stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 9th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 1,670 ($21.34) per share, with a total value of 100,200 ($128,051.12). Insiders own 2.39% of the companys stock.

About Hill & Smith

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Hill & Smith PLC manufactures and supplies infrastructure products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, North America, the Middle East, rest of Asia, and internationally. It operates through Roads & Security; Utilities; and Galvanizing Services segments. The Roads & Security segment supplies products and services to support road and highway infrastructure, including temporary and permanent road safety barriers; renewable energy lighting and power solutions; intelligent traffic solutions; street lighting columns; and bridge parapets, as well as offres security products that includes hostile vehicle mitigation solutions, high security fencing, and automated gate solutions.

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Gooch & Housego PLC (LON:GHH  Get Free Report) insider Susan Searle acquired 1,000 shares of Gooch & Housego stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 557 ($7.12) per share, with a total value of 5,570 ($7,118.21).

Susan Searle also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, June 21st, Susan Searle acquired 1,700 shares of Gooch & Housego stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 639 ($8.17) per share, with a total value of 10,863 ($13,882.43).

Gooch & Housego Stock Performance

GHH opened at GBX 559 ($7.14) on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of 141.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -13,975.00 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 22.12, a current ratio of 3.53 and a quick ratio of 1.66. Gooch & Housego PLC has a 1-year low of GBX 388 ($4.96) and a 1-year high of GBX 868 ($11.09). The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 598.84 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 549.68.

Gooch & Housego Cuts Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 22nd were given a dividend of GBX 4.80 ($0.06) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 0.86%. Gooch & Housegos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -32,500.00%.

Separately, Peel Hunt reiterated a buy rating and set a GBX 750 ($9.58) price objective on shares of Gooch & Housego in a research report on Tuesday, June 6th.

View Our Latest Stock Report on Gooch & Housego

About Gooch & Housego

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Gooch & Housego PLC engages in the manufacture and sale of acousto-optics, electro-optics, fiber optics, and precision optics and systems in the United Kingdom, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Aerospace and Defence, Life Sciences/Biophotonics, and Industrial.

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(CNN)  Better cancer treatments, advances in longevity, groundbreaking medicines and vaccines: these are just some of the potential prizes on offer in an emerging global race to advance the biosciences.

And China has been pouring billions of dollars into its efforts to become the preeminent force, with experts claiming its massive population of 1.4 billion people can provide a treasure trove of data.

Vast amounts of this data already exists in biobanks and research centers around the country  but the government is now launching a national genetic survey to collect information about and assert more oversight over these resources, say experts.

In recent years, authorities have also been tightening controls around foreign access to this data  in contrast to the many Western nations that have pledged to open up information for global sharing.

The national survey and restrictions on foreign access are part of new regulations on Chinas genetic resources, which came into effect in July.

However, some experts have warned that this genetic hoarding could make global research cooperation more difficult  and potentially backfire on China.

The government wants to have a very tight hand in this area as they realize this has a huge economic potential, but  China needs international collaboration to realize that potential, said Joy Y. Zhang, director of the Centre for Global Science and Epistemic Justice. Zhang attended consultation meetings during the drafting of the new regulations.

Currently youre just having a gold mine right at your door, but you actually dont know how to mine it, she said.

The biosciences boom

Theres a lot at stake: the genetic building blocks that make up our bodies could unlock discoveries with wide-ranging effects, from health care and the economy to national defense and biosafety.

In recent years, Chinese scientists and authorities have emphasized how genetic material could be useful in studying and treating diseases; developing pharmaceuticals and medical devices; and in better understanding how birth defects are formed or how genes contribute to a persons longevity  particularly important given Chinas looming demographic crisis as its birth rate falls and workforce ages.

And the countrys genetics could offer a strategic resource and a treasure trove, thanks to the sheer number of people and its healthy and long-lived populations, officials have claimed  though scientists caveat that each countrys genetic population is valuable in its own way.

Reflecting this heightened focus, new research centers have popped up in various parts of China, with publicly listed biopharma companies worth hundreds of billions of dollars. In 2015, the government said its database was the worlds largest, with some 44 million entries, according to Chinese academics.

The ruling Communist Party has thrown its support behind the boom, identifying biotechnology as one of the strategic emerging industries the country will focus on developing in the governments latest five-year policy plan.

China has amassed the largest genomic holdings of anywhere in the world, Anna Puglisi, director of biotechnology programs at Georgetowns Center for Security and Emerging Technology, told a US Senate hearing on national security in 2021.

Understanding what genes do is one of the most important questions in the next generation of both medicine and also biological research, Puglisi added. Access to that kind of data, both their own and from other places in the world, gives them an advantage in figuring out some of those problems.

There are signs the United States  Chinas longstanding rival in technology, regional influence, military might and economic power  is feeling the pressure. Several reports from think tanks and research groups warn that the US risks losing its competitive advantage.

But others say it could take years yet for that gap to close. And, Zhang said, the disorganized, scattered nature of Chinas existing databases poses a challenge  one the government is now attempting to tackle.

The national genetic survey

Biobanking in China  meaning the collection of biological samples  is still very fragmented, and in an embryonic stage, said Zhang.

For starters, its difficult to share data even domestically, such as trying to access data banks in different provinces with separate jurisdictions, she said. Furthermore, many smaller institutions dont have the proper infrastructure to curate, identify and store genetic material in a way that makes it usable in scientific research.

Running a biobank costs a lot of money, and not being able to use the data or material thats been collected is a waste of resource, she said.

China is hoping to take better stock of this data with the recently enacted rules, which expand upon a previous set of regulations introduced in 2019. One of the biggest developments includes the outlining of a national survey of human genetic resources, which aims to centralize and standardize existing data, from institutes and research centers, said Zhang.

The survey will be held every five years, with provincial authorities compiling information in their regions then submitting it to the national science ministry, according to the new rules. The rules place emphasis on important genetic families and residents of specific regions, such as people with hereditary diseases or special physical characteristics or adaptive traits.

But the rules published are vague, with few specifics on the scope or methodology of this survey, including what kinds of institutions or data will be included.

Katherine Wang, a partner at global law firm Ropes & Gray who focus on life sciences, said the science ministry hadnt yet specified the contents or areas of focus of this exercise.

However, she said, the survey would likely involve analysis of data already captured by the (ministry), such as information on important genetic pedigrees submitted by organizations and individuals  as well as newly collected data.

The ministry will likely create a catalogue of important genetic pedigrees and conduct security reviews of the outbound transfer of relevant data, Wang added.

The passing of the rules come alongside questions how to protect individuals privacy in the age of biodata, especially in a country with heavy digital surveillance.

The regulations assert that the collection of genetic resources in China will respect the privacy rights of their donors, come with written informed consent, and comply with an ethical review.

But several recent incidents have highlighted the risk of data breaches.

For instance, a massive online database with the personal information of up to one billion Chinese citizens was left unsecured and publicly accessible for more than a year  until an anonymous user offered to sell the data in 2022.

There have also been longstanding concerns from the international community about Chinas use of genetic data in policing  especially after reports that authorities were collecting DNA samples and other biometric data from millions of residents in the far-west region of Xinijang, home to the Muslim Uyghur community and other ethnic minorities. China has long faced accusations of human rights violations in Xinjiang, which it has repeatedly denied.

But these concerns arent new  and the national genetic survey seems to be geared more toward scientific research than other purposes, several experts agreed.

The government has always had the intention to have better visibility over important genetic pedigrees and important genetic resources concerning minority races, said Wang. So in this context, I think the survey is trying to provide a tool or means for the government to establish that visibility.

CNN has reached out to the Ministry of Science and Technology for comment on its privacy protection measures.

Cracking down on foreign usage

With DNA increasingly seen as a valuable natural resource like oil or land, China is keen to protect its peoples genes  to the alarm of some scientists who fear the loss of international collaboration.

The initial 2019 regulations forbade foreign entities from collecting Chinese genetic material or providing that material abroad, largely to prevent them from using it for typical commercial purposes such as genomic sequencing services, Wang said.

Though research collaborations like clinical studies are still allowed, they face much tighter scrutiny, with foreign parties and their Chinese partners required to notify the authorities and receive governmental approval  with the new regulations including additional details on this process and stipulations for mandatory security reviews in certain circumstances.

The changes come alongside an increasing emphasis on national security under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with Beijing ramping up laws across a range of priority concerns from counter-espionage to biosecurity.

The approach on human genetic resources is so stringent it basically grants exclusive access to Chinese nationals based in China to conduct this research, said Zhang, the global science center director.

There are a few reasons for this approach.

Officials have said tighter restrictions are necessary to prevent the illegal outflow of Chinese genetic material  perhaps reflecting the lingering impact of an infamous case near the turn of the century, when a Harvard scientist was accused of collecting genetic samples from poor Chinese farmers without proper informed consent, Zhang said.

Other unethical examples cited by Chinese authorities include He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who was widely condemned after creating the worlds first gene-edited babies in China in 2018.

But China has another motive, too: establishing what some experts call genomic sovereignty, meaning full control of the genetic material within their country.

While many other countries also have laws regulating the use and transfer of their populations genetic material, few are as strict as Chinas.

For instance, the UK Biobank, a database supported by the governments National Health Service, provides anonymized genetic data from UK residents to researchers around the world who use it to make new scientific discoveries, according to the biobanks site.

Similarly in the US, the government agency National Institutes of Health (NIH) runs a database of genomic information generated by NIH-funded research  which eligible scientists around the world can apply to access. The NIH website calls genomic data a critical shared resource, adding that the timely sharing of research results can accelerate discoveries benefiting the wider scientific community.

By contrast, Zhang said, China seems to have adopted the exact opposite approach  China is closing things down, it just wants to keep everything domestic and looking inward.

CNN has reached out to the Ministry of Science and Technology for comment on these data-sharing concerns.

This could have broader implications for scientists ability to work with international peers  with US-China collaborations already plummeting thanks to worsening political tensions, and Chinese researchers isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. All this could ultimately hinder Chinas own hopes to break boundaries and rise above the competition.

Chinese life sciences is a major power in the world, but is not yet a superpower. In a lot of cutting edge areas it still relies on international collaborations, Zhang said.

Scientific advancement today looks very different from just a few decades ago, she added: Nowadays were talking about big data, were talking about mining the data. And in this context, restricting access will only be harmful to China.

This story was first shared on CNN.com, "Chinas sitting on a goldmine of genetic data  and it doesnt want to share."
KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (NYSEARCA:KWEB  Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Traders acquired 98,941 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 33% compared to the average volume of 74,375 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted its position in KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF by 41.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 9,313,681 shares of the companys stock worth $281,273,000 after purchasing an additional 2,736,943 shares in the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich boosted its position in KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF by 98,060.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 5,889,626 shares of the companys stock worth $158,608,000 after purchasing an additional 5,883,626 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its position in KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF by 16.2% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 5,608,778 shares of the companys stock worth $174,938,000 after purchasing an additional 784,010 shares in the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp purchased a new position in shares of KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $125,656,000. Finally, Moore Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $59,777,000.

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KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF Stock Down 4.1 %

NYSEARCA:KWEB opened at $28.80 on Friday. KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF has a 1-year low of $17.22 and a 1-year high of $36.19. The company has a 50-day moving average of $28.64 and a 200 day moving average of $29.29.

KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF Company Profile

The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the CSI Overseas China Internet index. The fund tracks a market cap-weighted index composed of overseas-listed Chinese Internet companies. KWEB was launched on Jul 31, 2013 and is managed by KraneShares.

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McKesson (NYSE:MCK  Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Credit Suisse Group from $450.00 to $485.00 in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has an outperform rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Groups price objective suggests a potential upside of 10.21% from the companys previous close.

MCK has been the subject of a number of other reports. SpectralCast reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of McKesson in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. Bank of America raised their price objective on McKesson from $470.00 to $485.00 in a research note on Monday, July 17th. Argus raised their price objective on McKesson from $430.00 to $450.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on McKesson from $491.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, August 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on McKesson from $426.00 to $459.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, August 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McKesson currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $452.33.

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McKesson Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MCK opened at $440.06 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $411.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $381.43. McKesson has a 52 week low of $331.75 and a 52 week high of $441.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.36 billion, a PE ratio of 16.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.60.

McKesson (NYSE:MCK  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $7.27 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.85 by $1.42. McKesson had a negative return on equity of 252.54% and a net margin of 1.32%. The firm had revenue of $74.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $70.28 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.83 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that McKesson will post 27.21 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at McKesson

In other McKesson news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 3,938 shares of McKesson stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $419.01, for a total transaction of $1,650,061.38. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 125,776 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $52,701,401.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other McKesson news, CEO Brian S. Tyler sold 3,938 shares of McKesson stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $419.01, for a total transaction of $1,650,061.38. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 125,776 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $52,701,401.76. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Nancy Avila sold 491 shares of McKesson stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $394.38, for a total value of $193,640.58. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,720 shares in the company, valued at $4,622,133.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 21,472 shares of company stock valued at $8,737,964 in the last 90 days. 0.21% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Park Place Capital Corp lifted its stake in shares of McKesson by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 230 shares of the companys stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Capital Advisors Inc. OK lifted its stake in shares of McKesson by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Advisors Inc. OK now owns 1,496 shares of the companys stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Key Financial Inc lifted its stake in shares of McKesson by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. Key Financial Inc now owns 218 shares of the companys stock valued at $93,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of McKesson by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. now owns 3,726 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,327,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC lifted its stake in shares of McKesson by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC now owns 1,005 shares of the companys stock valued at $358,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. 83.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About McKesson

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McKesson Corporation provides healthcare services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Pharmaceutical, Prescription Technology Solutions (RxTS), Medical-Surgical Solutions, and International. The U.S. Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded, generic, specialty, biosimilar and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs, and other healthcare-related products.

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Mitsubishi Electric Co. (OTCMKTS:MIELY  Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 48,000 shares, an increase of 650.0% from the July 15th total of 6,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 70,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.7 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on MIELY shares. Mizuho downgraded Mitsubishi Electric from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, May 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Mitsubishi Electric from a sell rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 29th. Three 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, Mitsubishi Electric currently has an average rating of Hold.

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Mitsubishi Electric Stock Down 0.1 %

Mitsubishi Electric Company Profile

Mitsubishi Electric stock traded down $0.02 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $25.81. The stock had a trading volume of 20,552 shares, compared to its average volume of 45,238. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $28.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.34. Mitsubishi Electric has a 12 month low of $17.23 and a 12 month high of $30.00.

(Get Free Report)

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. engages in the manufacture, development, and sale of electric and electronic equipment. It operates in the following business segments: Energy and Electric Systems, Industrial Automation Systems, Information and Communication Systems, Electronic Devices, Home Appliances, and Others.

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Shares of MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM  Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the six analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $96.17.

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. KeyCorp lifted their target price on MSC Industrial Direct from $97.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on MSC Industrial Direct from $86.00 to $89.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, June 30th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on MSC Industrial Direct from $104.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, June 30th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company.

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MSC Industrial Direct Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:MSM opened at $102.88 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $97.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $90.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a market capitalization of $5.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.05 and a beta of 1.03. MSC Industrial Direct has a 12-month low of $71.32 and a 12-month high of $103.95.

MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM  Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, June 29th. The industrial products company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 9.00% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The businesss revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.82 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that MSC Industrial Direct will post 6.29 EPS for the current year.

MSC Industrial Direct Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 11th were paid a dividend of $0.79 per share. This represents a $3.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 10th. MSC Industrial Directs payout ratio is 49.30%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other MSC Industrial Direct news, SVP Elizabeth Bledsoe sold 3,094 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.90, for a total value of $309,090.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 3,398 shares in the company, valued at $339,460.20. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 28.39% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MSC Industrial Direct

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MSM. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 465.4% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 19,687 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,678,000 after acquiring an additional 16,205 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 3.4% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 13,636 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,162,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 115.7% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,514 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $128,000 after purchasing an additional 812 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 14.1% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 24,042 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,049,000 after purchasing an additional 2,974 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its position in MSC Industrial Direct by 34.2% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 30,438 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,594,000 after purchasing an additional 7,749 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.78% of the companys stock.

About MSC Industrial Direct

(Get Free Report

MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Its MRO products include cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking products, fasteners, flat stock products, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies.

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Savers Value Village (NYSE:SVV  Get Free Report) had its price target upped by analysts at Robert W. Baird from $27.00 to $28.00 in a research note issued on Friday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Robert W. Bairds target price indicates a potential upside of 8.82% from the stocks current price.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Savers Value Village in a research report on Monday, July 24th. They set a buy rating and a $29.00 price target on the stock. CIBC started coverage on Savers Value Village in a research report on Tuesday, July 25th. They issued an outperform rating and a $27.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler started coverage on Savers Value Village in a research report on Monday, July 24th. They issued an overweight rating and a $30.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim started coverage on Savers Value Village in a research report on Monday, July 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $28.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group started coverage on Savers Value Village in a research report on Monday, July 24th. They issued a buy rating and a $29.00 target price on the stock. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $28.43.

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Savers Value Village Stock Up 9.0 %

Shares of NYSE:SVV opened at $25.73 on Friday. Savers Value Village has a 1 year low of $21.50 and a 1 year high of $26.43.

Savers Value Village (NYSE:SVV  Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 10th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $379.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $375.11 million. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Savers Value Village will post 0.58 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Ares Management Llc sold 6,885,415 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.79, for a total value of $115,606,117.85. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 134,659,188 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,260,927,766.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new position in Savers Value Village during the 2nd quarter worth $118,500,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new position in Savers Value Village during the 2nd quarter worth $33,147,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Savers Value Village during the 2nd quarter worth $18,961,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Savers Value Village during the 2nd quarter worth $11,850,000. Finally, Ophir Asset Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in Savers Value Village during the 2nd quarter worth $9,480,000.

Savers Value Village Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Savers Value Village, Inc sells second-hand merchandise in retail stores in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It operates stores under the Savers, Value Village, Village des Valeurs, Unique, and 2nd Avenue banners. The company purchases secondhand textiles, including clothing, bedding, and bath items; shoes; accessories; housewares; books; and other goods from non-profit partners, then processes, selects, prices, merchandises, and sells them in its stores.

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Suncor Energy (TSE:SU  Get Free Report) (NYSE:SU) will be issuing its quarterly earnings data after the market closes on Monday, August 14th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of C$0.85 per share for the quarter.

Suncor Energy Stock Performance

Shares of TSE:SU opened at C$42.66 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$39.60 and a 200-day moving average of C$41.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 42.16, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market cap of C$55.88 billion, a PE ratio of 7.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 1.66. Suncor Energy has a twelve month low of C$36.38 and a twelve month high of C$50.37.

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Suncor Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 26th were paid a $0.52 dividend. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 2nd. Suncor Energys payout ratio is 34.61%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

SU has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Suncor Energy from C$51.00 to C$49.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 12th. CIBC dropped their price objective on Suncor Energy from C$62.00 to C$61.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. National Bankshares dropped their price objective on Suncor Energy from C$60.00 to C$57.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 29th. TD Securities dropped their target price on Suncor Energy from C$52.00 to C$49.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, UBS Group set a C$48.00 target price on Suncor Energy and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 12th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Suncor Energy has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$51.94.

View Our Latest Analysis on Suncor Energy

Suncor Energy Company Profile

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Suncor Energy Inc operates as an integrated energy company in Canada and internationally. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment explores, develops, and produces bitumen, synthetic crude oil, and related products. This segment also engages in syncrude oil sands mining and upgrading operations; and marketing, supply, transportation, and risk management of crude oil, natural gas, power, and byproducts.

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Toyota Industries Co. (OTCMKTS:TYIDY  Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totalling 700 shares, a decline of 61.1% from the July 15th total of 1,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 9,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

Toyota Industries Trading Down 0.0 %

TYIDY opened at $70.79 on Friday. Toyota Industries has a fifty-two week low of $46.83 and a fifty-two week high of $75.02. The firms fifty day moving average price is $71.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $62.42.

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Toyota Industries Company Profile

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Toyota Industries Corporation manufactures and sells textile machinery, materials handling equipment, automobiles, and automobile parts in Japan and internationally. The company operates through Automobile, Materials Handling Equipment, and Textile Machinery segments. It provides vehicles; gasoline and diesel engines for automobiles and industrial equipment; turbochargers and foundry parts; car air-conditioning compressors; car electronics comprising DC-DC converters, rear inverters, on-board chargers, DC-AC inverters, and charging and discharging systems; batteries; and stamping dies, including automotive and lift truck stamping dies.

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Shares of Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais S.A. (OTCMKTS:USNZY  Get Free Report) crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $1.54 and traded as low as $1.45. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais shares last traded at $1.45, with a volume of 32,099 shares traded.

Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais Stock Down 4.3 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $1.54 and a 200-day moving average of $1.49.

About Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais

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Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA manufactures and markets flat steel products in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Mining and Logistics, Steel Metallurgy, and Steel Transformation. It extracts and process iron ore, such as pellet and sinter feed and, granulated iron ore; provides storage, handling, and road cargo transportation services; and operates highway and railway cargo terminals.

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Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (OTCMKTS:WDOFF  Get Free Report)s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.43 and traded as high as $5.65. Wesdome Gold Mines shares last traded at $5.65, with a volume of 148,161 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WDOFF has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Desjardins cut their price objective on shares of Wesdome Gold Mines from C$8.25 to C$8.00 in a report on Friday, May 12th. National Bank Financial upped their price objective on shares of Wesdome Gold Mines from C$8.75 to C$11.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th.

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Wesdome Gold Mines Price Performance

About Wesdome Gold Mines

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $5.26 and a 200 day moving average of $5.43.

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Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. explores and develops of gold deposits in Canada. The company produces gold in the form of dore bars, as well as silver as a by-product. It holds interest in the Eagle River Mine and the Mishi Mine in Ontario; and the Kiena Mine in Quebec. The company was formerly known as River Gold Mines Ltd.

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The award-winning products from Wahoo Locker are now available at Wine, Beer and Spirits at 1111 Allen Drive in Grand Island.

Wahoo Locker, known for its various award-winning meats and as the home of the Wahoo Wiener, has gained a reputation for excellence.

Charlie and Kristi Emswiler took ownership of Wahoo Locker in November 1998 and have since continued the tradition of sausage-making in Wahoo, resulting in significant growth and expansion over the years.

Now, Wahoo Lockers products can be purchased at all WBS stores. These include fresh and frozen USDA choice meats such as steaks, burgers and chicken; the famous Wahoo Weiner available in more than 10 flavors; a variety of cured meats including jerky, sticks, and summer sausage in more than 20 flavors; gourmet sauces, spices, snacks, seasonal gift sets and more.

Beau Starkel, CEO of Wine, Beer and Spirits, expressed excitement about adding Wahoo Locker products to their stores.

He said WBS has established a strong presence in key markets in Nebraska and believes that partnering with WBS will expand Wahoo Lockers reach and accessibility to a larger portion of Nebraskas population.

Established in the 1950s in Wahoo, Wahoo Locker has earned numerous state and national recognitions through countless competitions.

As a family-owned meat processing business, they opened a much larger retail location in 2013, with the second generation now learning the trade.

Wahoo Locker offers a full lineup of USDA-inspected choice meats, as well as a variety of cured meats, gourmet sauces, spices, snacks, kitchenware and catering services.

It was just a great opportunity that I couldnt turn down, Charlie Emswiler said. I wasnt really looking to do all this, but sometimes you just get dealt what you get dealt. You dont really want to just turn it down.

He said the expansion to Wine, Beer and Spirit stores will help his family business.

Its definitely going to build our brand, Emswiler said. Itll get our products out to probably close to 65% of the population of Nebraska by hitting all these bigger towns.

Creating variety has also helped expand the brand name.

We developed the majority of the recipes and all the different flavor profiles that we have developed them over the years, Emswiler said. Ive tweaked them and changed them, and now I feel Ive perfected them.

He said they continue to diversify their line of meat products, spices and rubs.

We brand our own stuff, Emswiler said. Were family-owned. Its all locally made. Its good quality stuff.

The Wahoo Wiener recipe was developed from a recipe given to him by an old-timer back in the 90s.

It was his fathers and his fathers father that came from the old country when they came here from Germany, he said. He gave me that recipe that no one else had. It turned out to be a winner that put Wahoo Wieners back on the map.

Companies like Wahoo Locker promote value-added agriculture in Nebraska as much of the source materials come from state producers and local processors.

Just give us a try, he said. If you havent tried it, try it. The quality is very, very good. We use very good ingredients. We have a huge variety. Just give us a try.

For more information, visit Wahoo Locker online at www.wahoolocker.com.
(CNN)  Ecuador has dispatched 4,000 personnel from its armed forces and police to the Zonal 8 Detention Center in Guayas province  two days after declaring a state of emergency in the wake of the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

The deployment is intended to establish control over weapons, ammunition and explosives within the prison, the Ecuadorian Army Command said in a statement.

The deployment comprises of 2,000 military members and 2,000 police officers, it said.

Among the people currently incarcerated in the prison is Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, more popularly known by his alias Fito, who was jailed after being convicted of drug trafficking. Images released by the armed forces on Saturday showed Macias being restrained and searched inside the facility.

In the lead-up to his assassination, Villavicencio  a former journalist  had said in a televised interview on July 31 that he had been threatened by Macias and been warned against continuing with his campaign for the leadership.

Villavicencio, an anti-corruption campaigner and lawmaker, had previously been outspoken about gang violence caused by drug trafficking in Ecuador.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso announced Saturday that Macias would be relocated to the La Roca maximum security prison after drugs, weapons, ammunition and explosives were found.

The Prosecutors Office said in a statement that it had opened an investigation and other dangerous prisoners will be transferred..

Authorities have not yet announced any confirmed links between Macias or his gangs to Villavicencios assassination. Macias and his gang members have not yet publicly commented on the assassination.

Villavicencios widow: The state did not protect him

Villavicencios assassination prompted an outpouring of condemnation from inside Ecuador and around the world. It came just 10 days before the first round of the presidential election was set to take place.

Authorities on Thursday said they had arrested six suspects, all Colombian nationals and gang members, in connection with Villavicencios assassination.

The 59-year-old was laid to rest in a private ceremony which took place at the Monteolivo cemetery in northern Quito on Friday, his campaign team confirmed to CNN affiliate CNN en Espanol.

His widow Veronica Sarauz has blamed the state for her husbands murder and demanded answers as to why it happened.

They did not protect him as they should have protected him, Sarauz told a news conference on Saturday.

The state was in charge of Fernandos security. The state is directly responsible for the murder of my husband.

The state still has to give many answers about everything that happened. His personal guards did not do their job, she said.

She also expressed disagreement with his Movimiento Construye Partys decision to nominate Villavicencios former running mate Andrea Gonzalez Nader as its new presidential candidate.

Nader was seen wearing a bulletproof vest at a candidacy acceptance ceremony in the capital on Friday.

The party announced Nader as its new candidate in a message on X, previously known as Twitter, on Saturday.

Nader was chosen by Fernando Villavicencio and the Movimiento Construye as the designated successor to step in as president in the event of his absence, it said in a statement.

The party also said it would announce its new vice-presidential candidate shortly. It said that person would be selected from among the most trusted people who shared the struggles of our comrade Fernando Villavicencio.

The first round of Ecuadors presidential elections is scheduled to be held on August 20.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Ecuador deploys 4,000 troops and police to prison as Villavicencios widow blames state for his death"
Five Vietnamese restaurants achieve international renown

By Hoang Minh Sun, August 13, 2023 | 7:05 am GTM+7

The growing appeal of Vietnamese cuisine around the world has trained the spotlight on the eateries that serve it. Here are five Vietnamese restaurants that have recently captured international attention.

Anan Saigon

Located in a 6-storey house at an old market on Ton That Dam street that hosts many apartments built in late 19th century, Anan Saigon is one of four Vietnamese restaurants awarded a one-star rating by French food guide Michelin last June.

The restaurant, not far from the popular Nguyen Hue walking street, has been serving street food-inspired dishes created by its owner and chef Peter Cuong Franklin since 2017.

It has become a familiar place for locals, business travellers and foreign tourists.

The restaurant's popularity received a boost after chef Franklin created the $100 banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) that has French foie gras, truffle, sliced cucumbers, cilantro and mint; and is served with a side of fried sweet potatoes and caviar.

Another must-try dish of the restaurant is banh xeo taco, which takes a central Vietnamese region-style banh xeo (Vietnamese pancake) and folds into the shape of a Mexican taco with shrimp and pork, Hanoi-style grilled catfish or beef stew as its filling.

Prices start from VND185,000 ($7.93).

The restaurants address is: 89 Ton That Dam street, District 1, HCMC.

Hibana by Koki

Another Michelin star recipient last June was Hibana by Koki, which put the restaurant on the global tourism map.

Last month, CNN named Hibana by Koki as one of 20 best eateries in the world.

Located inside the Capella Hotel on Le Phung Hieu street in Hanois Old Quarter, the restaurant offers secluded dining spaces including four private dining rooms that can accommodate up to eight guests and five others that can host 16.

The restaurant specializes in the art of Teppanyaki, a style of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook.

Due to limited space, guests are required to make advance reservations and the cost of a meal ranges from VND5.5 million to VND8.5 million (about $235 to $360).

Hibana by Koki offers an array of signature dishes, including the Yaeyama Kyori beef soup, spiny lobster (pictured) and crispy roast beef.

The restaurant is located at Capella Hotel, 11 Le Phung Hieu street, Hanoi.

La Maison 1888

La Maison 1888, part of the InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort in Da Nang, was recently honored as "World's Best Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant" at the annual World Culinary Awards.

Nestled on a hill surrounded by green trees, the restaurant overlooks the Son Tra Peninsula which acts as a natural shield for the central city, known for its long, sandy beaches.

It is Vietnam's first restaurant to feature a Michelin-starred chef: Pierre Gagnaire.

Its setting resembles the vast dining room of a villa or mansion that would have been occupied by a noble French family overseeing a sprawling estate during the colonial period.

The restaurant serves foreign specialties like wagyu beef and pate-croute with a touch of Vietnamese flavor created by using local Asian ingredients.

A meal at La Maison 1888 costs around VND4 million ($168) per person.

The restaurants address is: InterContinental Sun Peninsula Resort, Da Nang city.

Kabin Restaurant

Located on the second floor of the Renaissance Riverside Hotel, the Kabin Restaurant was voted as the best restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City by readers of U.S. travel site Tripadvisor.

It had already been known as one of the best Cantonese restaurants in the southern metropolis with a long standing tradition of serving perfectly prepared Cantonese dishes, from signature dim sums to premium seafood woks.

Some of the popular dishes on its menu include steamed fresh prawn dumpling, deep fried prawns with salty egg yolk and Peking duck with prices starting at VND250,000 ($10.47).

The hotel is located at 25 Ton Duc Thang street, District 1, HCMC.

Shri Restaurant & Lounge

Meanwhile, U.K. travel website Culture Trip has selected Shri Restaurant & Lounge as the best in HCMC.

Situated on the 23rd floor of the Centec Tower in District 1, the restaurant opened its doors in 2010 and has become one of the most popular open-air rooftop restaurants in the southern metropolis.

With ceiling-to-floor windows, it offers diners panoramic views of Vietnams economic hub.

Frangipani trees, water features and the general open-air feel make for a perfect place to unwind after a long day exploring the city. The objective of Shri Restaurant & Lounge is simple: beautiful home-cooked European food in a relaxed and ambient setting, the site wrote.

Located at 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street, HCMC, the restaurant is open from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Q2 profits of Vietnams listed companies drop 13%

By Trang Nguyen Sun, August 13, 2023 | 7:00 am GTM+7

The Q2 after-tax profits of companies listed on Vietnams three exchanges HoSE, HNX, UPCoM went down 12.9% year-on-year, according to leading broker VNDirect.

But the companies have been doing well in successive quarters of late, VNDirect said, noting that the Q2 gross profit margin of listed firms (excluding banks) rose to 16.5% from 15.4% in Q1.

Vietnam stock markets listed firms (excluding banks) saw Q2 gross profit margin improve to 16.5% from 15.4% in Q1. Photo by The Investor/Trong Hieu.

Thirteen firms in the VN30 basket recorded post-tax profit growth in Q2, led by tickers Vinhomes JSC - VHM (+1,348% year-on-year), Sacombank - STB (+139%) and SSI Securities - SSI (+64%).

In contrast, after-tax profits of Mobile World Investment Corporation (MWG) and Masan Group (MSN) dropped sharply by 98% and 89% compared to the same period last year, respectively.

Steelmaker Hoa Phat Group's (HPG) profit went down 64% year-on-year, while Novaland (NVL) recorded a Q2 loss of VND153 billion ($6.44 million).

Regarding sector or industry-wise business results, VNDirect says that real estate and financial services have led the market's profit growth. Accordingly, after Q1 profits fell year-on-year, financial services rebounded with strong growth in Q2 with an increase of 943% year-on-year.

The real estate industry recorded a 41% year-on-year increase in after-tax profits. This group contributed 3.8 percentage points to the profit growth of the whole market, mainly on the back of VHM's profit of VND9.63 trillion ($405.4 million).

In the opposite direction, gasoline, chemicals, metals and retail slowed the markets profit growth. After-tax profits of the gasoline group decreased by 74% year-on-year, particularly with the BSR ticker of Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical JSC seeing after-tax profits plunge 87% year-on-year. Chemical businesses also saw a sharp drop in profits with phosphorus and fertilizer prices remaining low.

Meanwhile, after-tax profits of the metal group fell 88% year-on-year in Q2 due to weak demand and significantly lower steel prices compared to one year ago.

Notably, although stocks rallied strongly in general, retail was one of the sectors that saw a big drop in net profit due to weak demand and fierce price competition among the leading enterprises.

Despite this, VNDirect estimates that the market's gross profit margin in Q2 (excluding banks) improved to 16.5% from 15.4% in Q1. Contributors included the real estate industry which saw its gross profit margin increase to 31% from 21.6% in the previous quarter, mainly thanks to VHM's handover of the Vinhomes Ocean Park 2 projects.

Other sectors that saw gross profit margin improvements included supporting services (+4.8 % percentage points), industrial metals (+1.8% percentage points) and food production (+1.9 percentage points).
US logistics firm looks to expand Asia-Pacific footprint through Vietnam

By Truong Van Sun, August 13, 2023 | 7:00 am GTM+7

Michigan-headquartered Lineage Logistics, an international warehousing and logistics company, said Saturday it has partially closed a joint venture arrangement with Hanoi-based cold storage warehouse operator SK Logistics.

Vietnam is an important market for Lineage and partnering with a reliable and proven operator like SK Logistics will help us continue delivering excellence in supply chain solutions in the Asia Pacific region, Brooke Miller, Lineages Asia Pacific president said in a release.

She said expanding Lineages footprint in the Asia Pacific through Vietnam, which is a significant economic contributor in the region, continues to be a long-term strategic goal for her company.

Partnering with SK Logistics is a remarkable opportunity for us to continue delivering world class cold storage solutions in the region alongside a proud and thriving family business.

These facilities serve a wide range of customers, including supermarket chains that provide food for families across the region, she noted.

The U.S. company, also an industrial real estate investment trust (REIT), did not disclose financial terms of the transaction.

A cold storage warehouse operated by SK Logistics in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. Photo courtesy of SK Logistics.

Vietnamese company SK Logistics operates three cold storage warehouses  two in Hanoi and one in nearby Hung Yen province, according to its website. These facilities offer storage, distribution, stamping, weighing, classification, packing and picking services.

Lineage now has integrated assets and supply chain solutions in both the northern and southern ends of Vietnam, with facilities in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The company says its global network has over 400 strategically located facilities, totalling nearly 2 billion cubic feet of capacity across countries in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific.

Meanwhile, in the southern province of Long An near HCMC, Japanese refrigerated warehousing business Yokorei is constructing a $52 million refrigerated warehouse on a 4.5-hectare site as its first investment in Vietnam.

Yokorei received its investment certificate late last month. The project expects to start a trial run in next years third quarter and open for commercial operations by March 2025.

According to global property services company Cushman & Wakefield, Vietnam's cold storage logistics industry is poised to achieve a market value over $440 million by 2025. It also says that despite the rapid expansion potential, the cold storage sector remains far below its full potential.
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CARBONDALE  A group in town has committed themselves to eliminating the reasons for gun violence in Southern Illinois communities. Carbondale United has set goals of ending the reasons for gun violence like poverty, lack of education, employment and other factors, according to Nancy Maxwell, director of Carbondale United.

One of the methods the group is using is "violence interrupters."

The goal is for us to get to an event before violence occurs to interrupt the transmission of violence, Maxwell said.

Carbondale United has three violence interrupters: Michael Valliant, Van Ikner and Michael Palmer.

We want community members to call us and tell us about situations that could lead to violence, Maxwell said.

The Carbondale United organization is proactive in the community, Valliant said. To my knowledge, CU is the first organization to try to interrupt gun violence.

Currently, they get calls from the police after a shooting has happened. They have been able to go in and prevent retaliatory violence.

We give information and services fighting to interrupt reasons for gun violence, Valliant said.

He said they have helped people find a place to live or helped someone access mental health services.

Were every day boots on the ground, Valliant said.

Valliant talked to a young man who was released from jail on firearm charges. Valliant talked to him about why he felt he needed a gun. He also drove him around to get appointments.

Palmer said he grew up in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. There were a lot of gangs, gun violence and drugs. A lot of youth in Carbondale are in the same situation.

If they dont say anything, we wont be able to help, Palmer said.

He explained they are currently only hearing from police or legislators, which means they get calls after violence occurs. That doesnt solve the problem of gun violence. They need to get to a community-based level, so they can help prevent that first gunshot.

If we dont start getting each other involved, nothing will change, Valliant said.

The men say there is an African proverb stating: If a child doesnt feel the love of the community, the child will burn it down to feel its warmth.

At one time I was part of the problem. I was motivated by the pain I felt and the pain I caused, Valliant said.

Maxwell said they have hired people who have been impacted by the things they are fighting.

Who would you listen to other than people who have been there themselves? Maxwell said.

Maxwells stepson was killed during the pandemic. She asked if you can imagine the anger of family members and friends and their emotions in that situation. It makes violence interrupters needed.

Ikner said he misses the code that came from within a community. Everybody knew their neighbors. If you misbehaved, someone would ask what you were doing.

Weve become less connected because weve forgotten how to be a community, Ikner said.

Part of what violence interrupters do is fill in for that community. On Thursday, Ikner talked with a man and went with him to another town. Sometimes, they will take someone to lunch just to talk to them.

People call on our organization and have regular, ordinary people to talk with. Young men need to get with another man, Ikner said.

Members of Carbondale United said there are several ways to help.

First, dont be afraid to call Carbondale United with information about situations that could lead to gun violence, so violence interrupters can get involved. Violence interrupters are not members of law enforcement. Calling them is different than calling a police organization.

Also, the Carbondale United always accepts donations and works with other organizations.

For more information, visit carbondale-united.org.
McBEE  Several years ago, a newspaper writer named John Davis searched for the words to describe how toxic and hard-fought the politics in this town had become.

It was 2009, and McBee had been fighting for the better part of a decade over who should control the wells that supplied its water. Davis wrote that he saw real-world effects in the squabble; McBees rivalries were derailing plans for a sewer project that he thought could shake rural Chesterfield County from its economic doldrums.

To describe what was happening in McBee, a crossroads town midway between Charlotte and Florence, he landed on these words:

Blood feud.

McBee is a case study of how distrust spreads: how communities lose faith in institutions and how their public life frays once they do. Its a story of how festering suspicions tear holes in their social fabric and promote the chilling effect of fear, until a towns residents are left to do most of their talking in court. It plays out over thousands of pages of depositions, investigative files, meeting minutes and court records. The Post and Courier reviewed them as part of Uncovered, its initiative to shine light on questionable government conduct in areas that have gone unscrutinized.

The infighting Davis described in the Pageland Progressive-Journal would prove tepid compared to what came next: a saga spanning no fewer than 16 lawsuits and investigations by at least three state agencies, an inspector general and a federal grand jury. Contested elections for town council and mayor have been decided by the state Supreme Court  twice. In this town of some 760 residents, the courts and law enforcement have been asked to weigh allegations of corruption and diverted money, of election tampering, of slander and retribution.

Its not always obvious why McBees disputes spiraled as far as they did, or even where the animosity began. Some observers joke that the feuding, which has now consumed more than a tenth of the towns history, must have started with a childhood slight.

But read the long paper trail of McBees discontent and youll quickly be led to a common theme: the abundant supply of water beneath it.

The town sits on the headwaters of South Carolinas two largest aquifers, which serve major users like Mount Pleasants water system and Googles data center in Berkeley County. The water takes thousands of years to reach the coast, but in McBee, the aquifers refill in a matter of years. Its such an enticing resource that in 2016 Nestle spent $40 million to build a bottled water factory just outside town limits.

At the center of the fighting is a man synonymous with McBees water. Glenn Odom grew a small water company into a countywide force pumping a billion gallons a year. He has attracted suspicion ever since his utility got control of McBees wells all those years before.

And he has long inspired distrust and reticence.

Chesterfield Countys elected officials made a habit of asking to talk about Odom off-the-record, Davis noted in a column. Other times, they aired their thoughts cryptically and tried not to speak his name.

In the countys public life, Davis wrote, Odom was becoming the mysterious he. 

Chapter 1: Headwaters

Every town began with a reason for being: fertile land or a safe harbor, gold rushes or land prospectors. In McBee (pronounced MAK-bee), it was a rail line.

Before there was a town there was a cotton platform on a new railroad at the turn of the 20th century, a stop in the pine trees between Columbia and Cheraw. Soon, people settled around it. In 1901, they incorporated a town, and they named it for a railroad promoter who died decades before the first rail was laid.

The town has been defined ever since by the infrastructure that flows through it.

It developed its most distinctive industry, peaches, because railroad officials were eager to boost cargo. A handful of factories popped up along the rail line, creating a corridor of industry.

Later, McBee became a crossroads of two busy thoroughfares. In one direction, on U.S. Highway 1, it has the only stoplight for miles. In the other, it was once a notorious speed trap between Charlotte and Myrtle Beach.

Most recently, it has become a nexus of water pipelines that reach out in a web across Chesterfield County. This new chapter has been written in large part by Odom, who, like McBee itself, owes his arrival to the railroad. As a teenager in the early 1960s, he moved there from Columbia because his father got a job at the local train station.

Two decades later, Odom had set roots in the sandhills, and he began to forge links to a utility that became known as Alligator Rural Water & Sewer. When the utility was still an idea, he went door-to-door to sign up homeowners.

When Alligator was organized in 1987, Odom was elected its first board president. It had two wells and just 150 customers. When it grew big enough to need a full-time manager in the 2000s, Odom was the pick.

Alligator quickly marched across Chesterfield County because of an accident of geology.

Chesterfield County is where South Carolinas terrain transitions, where rolling sandhills spill onto the flat coastal plain. Its biggest towns are built on its northern edge, where a layer of bedrock makes groundwater hard to come by.

But on the south end, the sandy soil absorbs the rain like a giant sponge. Below McBee, a reservoir of water replenishes itself with every storm.

In the early 2000s, a bad drought depleted the rivers that supplied the northern towns drinking water. Alligator stepped in. Soon, it was pumping water across the county. By 2021, it provided 86 percent of the countys drinking water, financial disclosures show.

But in McBee, questions were swirling about how Alligator achieved that growth.

McBee itself had voted to buy water from Alligator in 1999 because the town had trouble passing state inspections. It also agreed to let Alligator control its wells. Alligators critics later took issue with the vote: Under a new administration, McBee alleged in a court filing that half the town council worked for the utility.

Then Odom became mayor. And in 2001, McBee applied for $850,000 in grant money from the state to help another utility build a water line to the north of the county. There, the limited water supply threatened to shutter a textile factory. Alligator agreed to supply more water. After receiving the grant money, Odom and the town clerk signed the check handing over the funds.

As years passed, concerns emerged about the ties between McBee and Alligator. The utility was one of the towns biggest contractors, yet its employees were serving on town council. That didnt sit right with a textile factory owner named John Campolong, so he ran for mayor.

The core of his mission was simple: If elected, he was going to try to take the water back.

He won.

Chapter 2: Action and reaction

In office, Campolong often talked about the value of McBees water. To control the water, he would say, is to control the towns destiny. He has called the aquifer a blessing from God.

Campolong pushed to take back control of the water system against all obstacles. He pressed forward despite the towns 40-year contract with Alligator. He was not deterred when state regulators critiqued its plan as "overly optimistic."

And the new mayor did not shy away from criticizing Odom. Two patterns emerged early in Campolongs administration: He and his allies were willing to raise serious questions about Odom in the towns name. And they came to believe that Odom was finding ways to retaliate against them.

In 2009, his first year in office, Campolong wrote a letter to the state attorney general and the State Law Enforcement Division detailing several issues about Alligator he found troubling.

Among other things, he wanted to know if Odom had made money from the 2001 textile plant grant, since it hadnt benefited McBee in Campolong's view. And he asked if the town councilmen who hired Alligator to run McBees water system had been given jobs improperly.

Its unclear whether the agencies acted on the letter. The Attorney General's Office has no record of it, and SLED did not respond to requests for comment.

Months after it was sent, Alligator notified Campolong that it planned to build water and sewer lines on his familys land. It threatened to use eminent domain to gash a straight line through their property. Alligators engineer said it needed to build a new line to prevent a countywide water shortage.

Uncovered The Post and Courier of Charleston in 2021 launched Uncovered, a project to cast new light on questionable government conduct, especially in

Campolong didnt buy it, and his family sued Alligator to stop the seizure. He accused Alligator of political retribution: I believe much of Alligator's actions against me are meant as harassment to hinder my work in protecting the best interests of the citizens of McBee, he wrote in an affidavit.

While his familys legal battle played out, Campolong and the town council sent the Attorney Generals Office another letter. They asked again for an investigation. This time, records show, SLED opened one.

After a four-month investigation, local prosecutors decided not to bring charges. But McBees factions were no closer to making amends.

***

The growing tension between Odom and Campolong had consequences beyond either man. It soon pitted McBee and Alligator against each other.

The utility had spent $1.1 million to update McBees infrastructure and link their systems, Odom said in court papers. When Campolong became mayor, Alligator was still paying off the debt it took on to finance the project.

And as Campolong pushed to take back McBees water system, Alligator played hardball to shut him down.

The utility told regulators concerned about McBees ability to supply water on its own that Alligator was unwilling to be the town's backup. It said it would dig up the pipes connecting their systems if McBee went out on its own.

This was alarming to McBees biggest customer, a company called A.O. Smith with a factory north of town. It had been unhappy with the towns service, and now it doubted an independent McBee could supply all the water it needed, court records show.

It found an ally in Alligator, and the two made a deal: Alligator would build a new line to A.O. Smith, cutting out McBee entirely.

Losing A.O. Smith, one of North Americas largest makers of water heaters, would be a serious problem for McBee. The factory accounted for more water sales than all its residents combined, the town said. At one point, McBee said it might have to shut down its water system if the factory cut ties.

But the town didnt know about this agreement right away. It stayed in the dark until the plan was in motion. Then, one Sunday in June 2015, someone noticed crews laying pipes to the factory.

The town filed a lawsuit before the week was out.

***

McBee filed its case on a Wednesday. The next afternoon, one of McBees water mains started gushing.

The break was a mystery. There was no obvious cause like construction work in the area. There was just a round puncture in a pipe.

The break also became a sort of Rorschach test for McBee politics. Odoms critics saw hints of something nefarious. His supporters saw coincidences.

For example, Odom was already taking pictures of the scene when the towns contractor, Joey Oliver, arrived. But then, Odom usually showed up to line breaks, Oliver testified.

Alligator employees told Oliver they'd be fired if they lent a hand, he said in an affidavit. Odom denied making threats and said Alligator had previously been instructed by Campolong to stay away from the towns system.

McBee struggled to fix the leak. Crews could not find the pipes shutoff valve. They didnt have the right part to patch the line and couldnt get it until the next morning. Water spilled out overnight, and Odom drove by repeatedly, the contractor said. A.O. Smith called town hall complaining of low water pressure.

McBees leaders made no secret that they thought Alligator had exacted revenge. Their distrust of Odom was about to become official town policy.

In a 2016 lawsuit, the town said it believed the line was deliberately sabotaged, and it blamed Alligator.

And the town didnt stop there: It aired a laundry list of suspicions dating to the beginning of the water feud. It accused Odom and Alligator of diverting the towns grant money, acting deceptively in taking over its water system and pursuing a corrupt business model to enrich Odom.

McBees claims were lambasted in court records as conspiracy theories with zero factual support, and the town later dropped them.

But the towns feud was now heating up.

Chapter 3: Odom and Alligator

Alligator shares some similarities to the cooperatives that provide electricity across rural South Carolina. Its customers technically own the utility, and they pick its board.

But court records describe a utility that keeps its members at arms length.

In a 2020 deposition, Odom said members cannot attend board meetings without permission. They can only come if they fill out a form and state what (their) business is, he said. And unlike co-op members, they dont get a share of the utilitys profits.

Do they get anything for being owners? an attorney asked Odom at his deposition.

Water, Odom answered.

Like co-ops, Alligator answers only to the board its members elect, not to state regulators. But critics are suspicious of the elections, court records show. A factory owner once sued to get on the ballot, alleging Alligator changed the rules to disqualify him from running. In an affidavit, Campolong alleged that only candidates who support the current leadership actually win.

***

Meanwhile, Odom has had a particularly close relationship with Alligator. His fortunes have long been tied to the utilitys.

His salary as general manager, for instance, fluctuated depending on what the utility could afford. It fell as low as $12,000 a year in lean times only to spike in more prosperous years. Court records show it reached as high as $428,000 after Alligator signed a contract to supply Nestle, its biggest customer.

And Odom was not only an employee of Alligator before he retired in 2021, he also owned the company that Alligator hired to handle its day-to-day operations. Their ties were so close that in a deposition he sometimes used the first person to describe Alligator.

According to its contract, Odom's company would be responsible for hiring employees, taking samples of the water and reading the meters.

In return, Odom's company could get a cut of Alligator's revenue if the utility grew large enough. Financial disclosures show that in 2022 the company was paid $1.9 million.

That fee covers many of the utilitys operating costs, but Odom has acknowledged getting hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from the management fee.

But Alligator hasnt always been able to afford the fee, so it racked up debt. In 2018, Alligator paid off part of it by signing over more than 400 acres of land to Odoms company, property records show. The company, in turn, has made money harvesting pine straw from the property, according to court records.

The arrangement can make it hard to tell where Alligator ends and Odom's company begins.

In a 2020 deposition, Odom said Alligators vehicles were used for utility work 95 percent of the time. But at times they were used to haul trash for him, he said.

To avoid the appearance of impropriety, he said, he supplied the gasoline.

Chapter 4: Counterattack

The suspicion surrounding Odom and Alligator caused them legal problems that went well beyond McBee's lawsuit in 2016.

Odom has said that in addition to three SLED investigations, he has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury. (A spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys Office for South Carolina confirmed it opened an investigation related to Alligator in 2015.) He said he and Alligator have twice been investigated by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which lends money to the utility.

Odom has said that none of the investigations found any wrongdoing.

Alligator office The Alligator Rural Water & Sewer offices in McBee on Thursday, July 27, 2023.

The S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority also investigated Odom personally. Court records show that it received an anonymous package about him in 2017. As a result, the agency denied him a state pension that his attorneys contend would have been worth at least $100,000 a year.

At a trial contesting that decision, Odom complained of 10 years of this constant harassment by critics. He has said that all the investigations took a toll. Beyond his legal bills, he said he started taking medicine to stay grounded.

You get a subpoena to go to the grand jury of the federal government, you dont sleep well, Odom said in a deposition. I mean, when youre being investigated by the federal government, it was a lot of 3 in the mornings that you dont sleep. And that went on for years and years and years.

So Odom went on the offensive.

***

In 2018, Odom enlisted one of South Carolinas top defamation lawyers, Johnny Parker, to sue two of his detractors. He alleged that theyd tarnished his reputation.

Odom brought the lawsuit against Campolong and Kemp McLeod, a fourth-generation farmer. His family is best known for growing Macs Pride peaches on hundreds of acres that explode with pink blossoms each spring.

Odom and McLeod, then a town councilman, had clashed before. Alligator sued McLeod Farms, claiming that pesticides it used until the 1970s was polluting McBees water. The case was eventually settled.

Now, Odom claimed the mayor and the councilman had spread lies about him. He alleged they told people he had stolen McBees grant money all those years earlier and that hed punctured the water line. In a deposition, he said those allegations cost him opportunities to hold public office, and they drove away regulars at the Huddle House restaurant he owned.

In a deposition, he said he wanted millions of dollars in damages because your name is irreplaceable.

What followed was an excruciatingly detailed examination of McBees public life. One by one, the towns elected officials and Odoms critics were brought in for depositions. Many were held back-to-back at town hall.

They were questioned about how they knew each other. (Im from McBee was a common refrain.) And they were pressed on the contents of their campaign flyers, personal conversations and town council discussions.

One former town councilman, Marion Stephens III, said that whenever water came up at town council, talk of Odom followed.

It starts going back to whenever Alligator Water took over the water for the town.  And it goes from that to, you know, hes a crook, Stephens said in a deposition.

Years later, the case is still pending, even after a judge concluded that Campolong and McLeod couldnt be held responsible for what they said at town hall.

Now, if the case goes to trial, it will center on just two conversations McLeod had years ago.

Jurors would be asked to consider whether he harmed Odoms reputation when he allegedly asked a customer at his peach stand why she supported a man who stole money from McBee, court records show. And the jury would evaluate whether he defamed Odom when he and a friend talked about the grant money over breakfast at Huddle House.

McLeods attorneys have argued those conversations should be exempted, too. By then, they argue, Odom had thrown himself into town politics, and McLeod had every right to say his opinion.

However distasteful Mr. Odom may find the opinions of the citizens of McBee about his actions, the attorneys wrote, his remedy is at the ballot box  not in the courts.

But as with so many McBee controversies, the ballot box led straight back to the courts.

Chapter 5: Disputed elections

McLeods peach stand conversation happened during a particularly tense moment in McBee.

It was 2016, and as American politics spiraled toward acrimony and tribalism, the town was preparing for its own divisive election: Odom was running for mayor again.

In the same year that the town accused Alligator of sabotage, Campolong printed flyers that accused Odom of depleting McBees bank accounts and using its grant money without any benefit to our town.

The flyer alleged Odom was suing to keep McBee from producing its own water and to take away its biggest customer. It said Campolong was fighting for the water so our citizens, not Alligator, will control our destiny.

But Odoms supporters were mobilizing, according to an attorney for Campolong and other candidates. At an election commission hearing, the attorney said an Alligator employee named Sydney Baker gathered absentee ballots and turned them in.

Odom beat Campolong by eight votes, 200-192.

But as was often the case in McBee, the real fight was just beginning. The case was bound for review by the towns Municipal Election Commission and, later, the courts.

After a hearing, the commission decided it was uncomfortable with the way the election was conducted. Nearly a third of the ballots were cast absentee, and Odom carried 88 percent of them, it said in a written order.

The Commission is convinced that  Odom manipulated and abused the political process in McBee, its members wrote in September 2016.

The commission ordered a new election. This time, Campolong won.

In 2018, Odom ran for office again. The initial results showed he lost by one vote, 209-208. This time, Odom pushed back, arguing that some of his supporters ballots were incorrectly rejected.

Some of the disputed ballots came from residents of Odoms 40-odd rental properties. They had moved into Odoms properties weeks before the election, which fed his opponents suspicions. At an election hearing, the voters were questioned about whether they actually paid rent and whether their new homes were even livable.

The fight went to the courts. Finally, the state Supreme Court sided with Odom, clearing the way for his return to office.

***

McBees election commission is staffed by part-time volunteers who have limited legal training and a fraught job: They preside over cases that bring the towns tensions to the surface.

The panels former chairwoman, Linda Sterling, wrote to town council in 2019 that shed been harassed around the time of the hearings. Rocks were thrown at her windows, her car was scratched and bottles were smashed in her driveway. At times, commissioners were escorted into town hall by a sheriffs deputy, she said in an interview.

McBees election commission was asked to adjudicate challenges to every election between 2014 and 2020, and a legal arms race followed.

Candidates for town office have secured heavy-hitting lawyers to try cases before the commission, including an attorney who was hired to defend President Donald Trump against impeachment. They have hired a private investigator to check voters residency and a handwriting expert to analyze their signatures.

Meanwhile, the constant disputes created instability in town government.

Commissioners voted to overturn results in four straight election cycles. On three occasions, courts reversed their rulings. Twice, the disputes reached the state Supreme Court.

The appeals left the town in limbo for months at a time.

Consider the 2020 election, when Odom again ran for mayor. Baker helped residents request mail-in ballots, going door-to-door with an iPad and a printer. Odom again won the absentee vote overwhelmingly. And as it had before, the election commission took issue with the disparity, accusing Odom and Baker of blatant violations of state election laws.

The issue reached the Supreme Court, which didnt hear the case for a year and took nearly as long to render a decision once it did.

As McBee waited, the existing administration stayed in place. Campolong, who was in his 90s and had not run for reelection, continued on as mayor.

The town council was stuck, too, and frustration mounted, town records show. One member, Beulah Bolton, railed against the appeals as a waste of time. She called it a child-like game and a waste of time. She said the losing candidates must not care about the town.

Bolton had been a voice of conciliation in the past. When she sat for a deposition in Odoms defamation case, she said she did so reluctantly. She didnt want anyone to think she was taking sides.

After all, she said shed heard people talk about how Odom and McLeod had both helped them out and how they wished theyd just get along.

Maybe we could have a better town. Ive heard that comment a lot, Bolton said at the deposition.

But the fight was dragging on all the same. The wait was so long that one candidate caught up in the appeal ran for and won a different seat before the first one was decided.

Finally, in February, the Supreme Court confirmed the result: Odom was the new mayor. He took office almost two and a half years into a four-year term.

The justices were split 3-2. McBees feud had divided the Supreme Court, too.
(TBTCO) - Hoi: Chung toi la doanh nghiep (DN) uoc phep phan phoi duoc, ban thuoc cho cac DN ban le. Cac DN nay eu co "Giay chung nhan u ieu kien ban le thuoc" va "Thuc hanh tot co so ban le thuoc", nhung thong tin tren cac giay phep lai khong mang ten cong ty ma mang ten quay thuoc (mot thuong hieu quay thuoc cua cong ty). Vay khi xuat hoa on, chung toi se phai xuat cho Cong ty TNHH Dich vu y te X (chu the so huu quay thuoc) hay xuat cho Quay thuoc tu nhan dich vu y te X (chu the co ten tren giay phep nhung lai khong co tu cach phap nhan hay ma so thue)?
Editor:

I recently found out that the Miami police department has donated 101 small arms to the Ukrainian military that had previously been confiscated. 148,000 rounds of ammunition was also added to the donation by another contributor. Multiple news agencies have covered this story, and it is easily looked up online.

This sounds like an excellent idea to me, because every little bit helps in Ukraines fight for freedom.

Many police departments, no doubt, sell their confiscated arms to the dealers that they receive arms and ammunition from. This is a very cost-effective choice. However, if there is the possibility that a donation can be done, affordably, especially in a group donation by multiple police departments, then I think this option should be pursued.

The arms selected for this can be hand-picked for good condition and being able to fit the standard ammunition the Ukrainian military has in use.

When I first heard about this, I also saw that other people were promising to reach out to their own police departments. I proceeded to do the same, and reached out to city, county, and state level authorities.

As a resident of Cheyenne, I would like our various police departments to contribute what they are able to such an important cause. I further want this to become a trend, and for police departments across the country to donate what they can. Anyone reading this letter who agrees with me, please reach out to the same authorities and those in your area. Every little bit helps when so much is needed, even with the aid that has been promised.
GUARDIAN Holdings Ltd is not just sold as a rock, it is as solid as bedrock, its chief executive officer Ian Chinapoo has said, as he assured that the group, even in the face of recent concerns, remains both stable and reliable.

At the end of the day we know who we are, we know we are very, very, very strong, we know our investments are all over the world, we know that we are well diversified, we know that we have a business that has honoured every single claim, Chinapoo told the Express during a sit-down interview at his Westmoorings office.
Afraz and Dilly Ann Karmally have taken their shared love for rock music to fashion a literal Metal Maze.

The married couple, owners of the Inten Artist Consultants firm, have created the annual Metal Maze with the aim of redefining the Caribbean metal festival experience.
Several Government and Opposition MPs listed their lands and properties on Form B of their declaration forms to the Integrity Commission, a search by the Sunday Express has found.

There has been controversy over Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowleys non-declaration of his Inez Gate, Tobago, townhouse on Form B of his declaration filed for 2019 to the Integrity Commission.
So, I love tasting and, in fact, it is my truest form of eating. I am the kind of person who would be the first to try when something new comes out.

A new twist of an existing product, a new type of snack, a new-flavour Shandy or mixed drink, a new fruit, a new meal combination. I have even tasted baby food, which I actually like, either at home before giving to said babies or when I see a new flavour combination. The fruit ones are usually great. The actual food ones are bland, and the ones where bananas are mixed in overwhelm everything and there is only the taste of banana.
Did you know?

If you are age 70 or older and have savings in an IRA, you may be able to give directly from your IRA and save even more on your federal and Arizona taxes. If your custodian sends a payment directly from your IRA to the Arizona Daily Star Sportsmens Fund, you may be able to deduct it as a Qualifying Charitable Distribution on your tax return even if you claim the standard deduction. Consult your tax adviser for more information about how this applies to you.

 Mikala Jansen, CPA, and Sportsmens Fund director
For reasons that will become clear at the end of this column, I am updating another column I wrote about four years ago.

I am going to give you a series of names. I would give any reader a hundred bucks if he or she could tell me who they are and what they all have in common. Here are the names. Stanford Ross. William Driver. John Svahn. Martha McSteen. Dorcas Hardy. Gwendolyn King. Shirley Chater. Kenneth Apfel. Michael Astrue. Kilolo Kijakazi.

So, who are they? They are 10 of the past 30 commissioners of Social Security. The Commissioner of Social Security is the top spot within the Social Security Administration. He or she is responsible for running one of the largest agencies in the federal government, in charge of maintaining Social Security number and earnings records for nearly every working American, and for paying retirement, disability and survivor benefits to about 70 million people every month.

Yet, almost no one knows who these people are. Most folks can probably name the FBI director or the head of the CIA. But SSA is one of the many federal agencies whose top dog might as well be named Underdog. Who heads the VA? Who is the Commissioner of the IRS? Who runs the Federal Highway Administration? How about the Bureau of Labor Statistics? The heads of these and so many other federal agencies are almost always nameless political appointees. And therein lies a story Id like to tell.

For part of my career with the SSA, I worked for several Social Security commissioners. Usually in the role of a speechwriter. Sometimes as the agencys deputy press officer. By no means was I a major player on any commissioners staff. But I used to say that at least I was in the room. In other words, if the commissioner had a meeting with his or her top staff, I might be sitting in a chair in the corner of the room  usually taking notes.

So I got to know a lot about the inner workings of the agency. I learned what the head of a big agency like the SSA really does. One of the commissioners I worked for (I wont name names) was former President Ronald Reagans pick to head Social Security. And one time, soon after she was appointed, she told me that Reagan told her this: You really have only one job. Make sure those damn checks go out on time every month.

But lets be honest about that. The issuance of Social Security checks is pretty institutionalized. Its built into the nature of the bureaucracy. Social Security checks have gone out on time every month for about 88 years now. Donald Duck could be the Commissioner of Social Security and the checks still would go out like clockwork each month. After all, commissioners come and go. Its the dedicated civil servants who have been with the agency for decades who really keep the place humming along and make sure those checks always go out in a timely manner.

So what the commissioner really does, what the head of any large organization really does, is set the tone for how services will be provided and how staff will be allocated to provide those services.

And for many recent years, the Commissioner of Social Security has had to deal with the problem of ballooning workloads (10,000 baby boomers retiring every day) and dwindling resources.

This is an issue that has always puzzled me. I mean, if any private business was growing by 10,000 new customers every day, they would be hiring lots of new staff to deal with the increased workloads.

But sadly, thats not the way the public sector works. Because so many Americans keep clamoring for less government  well, theyre getting it. The SSAs administrative budget (along with the budgets of most federal agencies) frequently comes under the knife  leading to severe staff shortages. So there is a reason why you have to wait on hold for a couple hours when you call the SSAs 800 number. Or why there are huge backlogs in disability claim appeals.

So, Im sure the SSAs newest commissioner (more about that in a minute) will be looking at these problems and trying to reallocate staff to improve service to the public.

Before I get to the new big boss at the SSA, I must make this point. A long time ago, a chief of staff for one of the Social Security commissioners told me this. Tom, when a Democrat is president, you will get a good commissioner of Social Security. When a Republican is president, you will get an ineffective commissioner of Social Security. This seemingly biased analysis carried a bit of weight with me because the chief of staff who told me this was himself a Republican political appointee.

His reasoning went like this. For years, Social Security has been known as a favorite of the Democratic party. So, if a Democrat is president, and you are a potential Democratic political appointee, you would be pleased and honored to be named the Commissioner of Social Security. Some of the best and brightest people available got the job. On the other hand, if a Republican is president, and you are a potential Republican political appointee, almost the last job you want is to be the head of Social Security. More desirable jobs were filled by the top people, and SSA got someone from near the bottom of the Republican political appointee barrel. (And again, remember, these sentiments were those of a Republican politico.)

Sadly, this proved true when Donald Trump was president. He named as his commissioner of Social Security a guy named Andrew Saul. His critics charged that he was previously associated with some right-wing groups that advocated deep cuts in Social Security benefits. And surprise, surprise, his tenure at the agency didnt go well. According to at least one government report, SSA employees job satisfaction declined during his reign  citing lack of confidence in agency leadership as the main reason.

Now, President Joe Biden has nominated Martin OMalley as the next Social Security commissioner. As a former mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland, at least he comes into the job with some administrative experience running large governmental organizations. And Im going to hope that what my former Republican colleague told me is true: because he was appointed by a Democratic president, I hope he will be an effective leader and turn the SSA back into the proud and service-oriented agency it used to be.
PHOENIX  Saying any delays in the case are his own fault, lawyers for Kris Mayes are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to rebuff a bid by Abe Hamadeh to now jump in the middle of his bid for a new trial in his effort to overturn the race for attorney general.

In a new legal filing, Alexis Danneman told the justices that the original trial came to an end more than seven months ago. At that time, she said, Hamadehs legal team acknowledged that it did not have enough evidence to prove their claim that he had gotten more votes.

But also, they took no new steps to expedite review of various rulings about which they now complain, Danneman said.

In fact, she said, Hamadehs lawyers have yet to ask Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen for a final judgment. That would allow them to seek Court of Appeals review of his decision using the regular process.

On top of that, Danneman argued to the justices that there is nothing that requires their immediate intervention.

Attorney General Mayes was sworn into office on Jan. 2, 2023, over seven months ago, she told the court.

But Danneman is asking the high court to do more than simply spurn Hamadehs request for the immediate intervention. She also wants an order for the GOP contender to pay Mayes legal fees for having to fight his latest bid.

Even if the justices agree with Mayes and refused to intercede at this point, that doesnt end the fight over who was elected as attorney general.

Hamadeh still would retain the option of going through the normal appellate process. But that would only further delay a final ruling on who gets to serve in the office through the end of 2026.

In seeking Supreme Court intervention, Hamadeh and his allies at the Republican National Committee, who also sued, claimed he was not given enough time to prepare his arguments that he outpolled Mayes.

One issue is that some people who turned out on Election Day were given provisional ballots because they were not listed as registered, ballots that were never included in the final tally. Hamadeh contends that was in error, that those Election Day ballots would have skewed in his favor, and he wants time to investigate further.

He also wanted to examine more than the 2,300 ballots from three counties that his team was allowed to see if some votes were not properly tabulated.

That, his legal team said, gained credibility when a court-ordered recount of the race after the initial trial  required by a finding there was only a 511-vote difference statewide  turned up additional uncounted votes in Pinal County due to human errors. That closed the margin to just 280 votes statewide, a figure not available until after his original December trial.

But Jantzen refused to give him a new trial, including the opportunity to examine about 68,000 ballots statewide where there was an undervote, meaning the voter made choices in some races, but the machine tally showed no selection in the race for attorney general. Hamadeh wanted to see if there was evidence that the voters actually made a choice but the machines failed to recognize it.

The judge said much of the evidence he now wants to examine actually was available to him before his original December trial.

If there is an allegation of problems with provisional ballots made in the complaint, they must be asserted in some detail at the trial not not investigated later, he said.

Danneman told the justices that even if Hamadeh has some valid legal theories  something she is not conceding  that is no reason for them to jump into the case now, even before the case is reviewed by the state Court of Appeals.

Petitioners do not even try to explain why they lack and equally plain, speedy, and adequate remedy by appeal, she wrote.

Their silence is no surprise, Danneman continued. All the relief they request here  other than an order directing entry of a judgment  would be available to request by appeal.

And then theres the fact that, after the trial, Jantzen asked Hamadehs lawyers whether they needed a written order. They responded that they did not, at least not now.

Even later, Danneman said, when Hamadehs lawyers proposed an order, they said it is not a final order. She said there still is no request by Hamadeh for the trial judge to issue a final judgment, something that would allow him to seek expedited review by the Court of Appeals.

Instead, Danneman said, he and the GOP want to bypass all that and go directly to the Supreme Court.

Petitioners should not be rewarded for their deliberate failure to take the requisite actions for advancing their appeal, she said.

On the other side of the equation, Danneman said that Hamadehs delay in pursuing an appeal and now asking for high court intervention is unfair to the justices, placing the court in a position of having to steamroll through the delicate legal issues.

And, she said, its also unfair to Mayes as her client.

She is now the attorney general, Danneman said.

She had hired attorneys and staff, her lawyer continued. She is doing her job and has been since January.

Then theres Mayes request for Hamadeh and the Republican National Committee to pay her new legal fees for having to defend against his effort to get the Supreme Court to take the case.

Through their petition, petitioners have (not for the first time) forced defendants to divert time and resources away from carrying out the functions of state government and to responding to frivolous, lengthy filings instead, Danneman said. Ms. Mayes respectfully asks this court to impose appropriate sanctions for such conducts.

And if nothing else, Danneman told the justices theres another reason to punish Hamadeh financially, arguing there are at least two misrepresentations in this petition that are integral to the extraordinary relief they seek and that are unequivocally false. And those, she said, relate to claims by Hamadeh had asked Jantzen for a final judgment.

Petitioners explicitly asked that any entry of judgment be stayed pursuant to (court rule) until a new trial is held and the case decided. 

Not true, said Danneman.

Ms. Mayes was the one who asked for final judgment in response to petitioners request, she wrote.

The justices have not said when they will consider Hamadehs request.
The patriarch of South Tucsons restaurant row, Crossroads Restaurant Drive In, was severely damaged by fire early Sunday morning.

Emergency calls to the historic eatery thats been serving Mexican food at the corner of South Fourth Avenue and East 36th Street since 1936 began about 1:30 a.m., said Capt. Andrew Luna of the South Tucson Fire Department.

The fire grew so big that numerous crews from both South Tucson and the Tucson Fire departments were called on to help fight the fire, Luna said. Crews fought the blaze until about 4:00 a.m., he said.

At one point two ladder trucks were blaring down water from the top, so thats a lot of pressure. If that hits a window, if it hits a wall, a door, those things are going to be blown out at times, Luna said.

No cause had been immediately determined Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately, when we have fires like this in the middle of the night ... its very hard to determine (cause), Luna said.

A portion of the roof had collapsed, and several portions of the exterior walls were charred. Workers had boarded up the windows by early Sunday afternoon.

There were no injuries.

The family-owned restaurant is a fixture in South Tucson, sitting at a corner across the street of the former greyhound racing track.

It used to serve diners in their cars, who would drink pitchers of beer and eat a meal under its covered parking.

Later the restaurant expanded its seafood menu and often had live music.

Attempts to reach the owners of the restaurant Sunday afternoon were not immediately successful.
Two new studies drive home the dramatic loss of water suffered by the Colorado River Basin this century, in which enough water disappeared from the river system to fill Lake Mead.

One study, written by UCLA scientists, found that the impact of climate change on the river was severe enough that without it, the mandatory federal cutbacks in water deliveries that befell the Southwest in 2022 and 2023 wouldnt have been needed. Those cutbacks particularly affected Arizona, depriving the Central Arizona Project canal system serving Tucson and Phoenix of more than 20% of its supply last year and about one-third this year.

From 2000-21, the entire river system, spanning seven states and serving 40 million people, lost 32.5 million acre-feet of water due to climate change, the UCLA study said.

Thats the amount of water that would normally have flowed down the river over a similar period but didnt this century due to climate change, the researchers said. Its a bit more water than Lake Meads total storage capacity of 32.24 million acre-feet.

The second study, led by a Utah State University water researcher, concluded that by themselves, lakes Mead and Powell lost a bit more than that  about 33 million acre-feet  in the same period.

That much water would quench the thirst of all of Arizonas CAP customers for more than 20 years. It also amounts to enough river water to fulfill the city of Tucsons annual CAP allocation for well over 220 years.

But while the second study didnt try to pinpoint the impacts of human-caused climate change on the river, it did lay out a path by which the people running the rivers water delivery system could at least stabilize its reservoirs. They are supposed to store water accumulated during wetter years for use during drier years, but continued overuse of river water by people has made our ability to do that increasingly problematic, the second study found.

That study concluded that a cut in total river water use by about 1.5 million acre-feet, or by a range of 13% to 20% annually from current uses, would stabilize the reservoirs current low water levels. But if the West experienced another extreme dry period similar to what occurred from 2018-22, for instance, more cuts would likely be needed to protect existing reservoir levels, said retired Utah State University water researcher Jack Schmidt, the studys lead author.

Actually raising reservoirs to levels significantly higher than today would require deeper cuts of about another 1 million acre-feet a year, the study said.

While this years runoff was way above average due to an unusually snowy winter, Today, the system remains in a vulnerable state, and the 2023 runoff year did not eliminate the jeopardy that we remain in, Schmidt said.

If 2024 were to begin another extremely dry spell such as occurred between 2020 and 2022, the reservoir supply would be greatly stressed and there would have to be another round of significant reductions to get through that stress.

The rivers most immediate problem is societys inability to adaptively respond to declining runoff that has been occurring for more than 20 years, the second study said.

There is no longer an opportunity to sustain overconsumption by drawing down the reservoirs because the reservoirs are nearly empty, it said.

A wakeup call

Its been long known that the river is overallocated, and several other studies have also tied its decline since 2000 to global warming triggered by human activities.

In 2019, the three Lower River Basin states  Arizona, California and Nevada  reached an agreement to reduce water use by up to 1.2 million acre-feet a year, depending on how quickly the reservoirs kept falling.

When that agreement, known as the drought contingency plan, proved inadequate, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation told the basin states a little more than a year ago to cut their water use by up to 28%  2 million to 4 million acre-feet a year  to prevent the reservoirs from falling so low they would be unable to generate electricity or would fall to dead pool, so low they couldnt deliver water anymore.

This year, the three states approved a scaled-back plan to reduce their use by 13%, after a very wet and snowy winter blessed the river with its highest spring-summer runoff since 2011. But most water experts have agreed the one good winter wasnt enough to reverse 21 previous years of decline. The states and feds may well approve deeper cuts by 2026, when the rivers current operating guidelines expire.

Underlying the water level declines has been what earlier studies have termed the rivers worst drought in the historical record and perhaps its worst drought since about 1200. The new UCLA study noted that earlier studies have found the years 2020 and 2021 contained the driest 20-month period of precipitation since 1895 and the lowest two years of natural flow from the rivers Upper Basin to the Lower Basin since at least 1906. The study was published in Water Resources Research, a journal run by the American Geophysical Union.

While the lower rainfall since 2000 is primarily caused by natural variability, human-caused warming has aggravated its impact on the river by reducing snowpack, soil moisture and water vapor pressure, the study noted.

Overall, global warming and long-term climate change in general have reduced runoff in the river by nearly 10% since the beginning of this century, the UCLA study found. Looking only at the very severe drought years of 2021 and 2022, runoff then was 38% lower than normal due to climate change, that study concluded.

Using computer-based simulations and historical river and climate data, the UCLA researchers concluded that without the influence of warming and carbon dioxide since the pre-industrial era, annual runoff since 1954 would actually have increased by 4.6%, or nearly 750,000 acre-feet. Instead, the river has lost about 1.7 million acre-feet annually, the researchers said.

Also using computer simulations, the researchers found that the impacts of human-caused warming on the Colorado River Basin have almost been twice as bad as on other Western river basins, including the Columbia River Basin in the Northwest and the Sierra Nevada Basin in California.

In the extreme drought years of 2020 and 2021, the losses in river flows due to warming weather were three times greater than they would have been otherwise, the researchers found. Thats a key reason they concluded the river water shortages of 2022 wouldnt have happened without human-caused warming.

The UCLA researchers also used computer models to analyze the countervailing effect that plants have had on flows, by taking in some of the carbon dioxide that could have otherwise aggravated temperature increases and river flow reductions. Without vegetation present, runoff would have dropped in those years by well over 13%, the study said.

Finally, the researchers concluded that areas of the entire river basin that have heavier snowpack were affected far more by warming temperatures than those that dont.

This is of immediate concern for water managers because snowpack makes an outsize contribution to the basins water supply, providing two-thirds of the rivers annual runoff even though snowpack areas cover only 30% of the basins land, said the American Geophysical Union in announcing the studys results.

The rapid water loss in snowpack regions is a sign the Rocky Mountain West is transitioning to a more arid climate rather than simply undergoing periodic droughts, said Benjamin Bass, the UCLA studys lead author, in a news release about the new study.

The fact that warming removed as much water from the basin as the size of Lake Mead itself during the recent megadrought is a wakeup call to the climate change impacts we are living today, Bass was quoted as saying.

Use has to equal supply

The study led by Utah States Schmidt framed the rivers problems differently.

It said, The present water crisis has arisen because average basin-wide consumptive uses exceeded the natural supply throughout this century.

From 2000-20, water use and losses on the river totaled about 15.1 million acre-feet a year, about 1.5 million acre-feet more than the rivers average supply in those years, the study said.

Most of the draining of lakes Powell and Mead in this century occurred in two periods, the study said  first from 2000-07, then from 2020-22.

Less than half the rivers total water use occurs in the four Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, and Californias 4.4 million acre-feet of annual river water use almost matches the entire Upper Basins consumption, the study said.

In an email, Schmidt noted that today, Powell and Mead hold about 17.8 million acre-feet total, and that all the rivers reservoirs hold 29.5 million.

At the pace the basin states and evaporation took water out of the river from 2016 through 2020, the total system has only two years of supply left at that point, the researcher told the Star.

If not a drop of water flowed into Powell and Mead (in the next two years), and if we didnt reduce our use, then we would drain the system to dead pool in less than two years, Schmidt said in a phone interview last week.

This is not rocket science. Its checkbook accounting. Use has to equal supply. We would have a buffer if reservoirs were full but the reservoirs are still very low.






Two more deadly sins

Re: the Aug. 4 article Seven deadly sins were never more relevant.

Albrecht Classen was correct in his opinion column when he said the seven deadly sins described by early theologians (envy, gluttony, greed, sloth, lust, anger, and pride) are at the root of the problems in our contemporary society. Actually, the early Fathers of the Church, the desert mystics, taught about nine deadly sins. Eventually two of them were dropped from the Churchs list in the western world. We tend to not be able to see our own sin.

These two are fear and deceit. Fear is a sin because it underlies hate and prejudice. People fear what they dont understand. Racial tensions and discrimination of all kinds are born of fear. Deceit is the fallback position of people who think success matters more than anything. They cant allow anyone to see them fail. The Big Lie about a stolen election, perpetuated by someone who cannot bear being seen as a loser, is what is dividing our country now.

Sister Karen Berry, OSF

Midtown

Climate change and young citizens

I am surprised the younger electoral are not more concerned about climate change. I remember during the Vietnam War there was a very strong driving narrative for protests. Here we have lots of young people who are either uncaring or adamant about this striking change in our living conditions and food sources. Where are the young people to demand change? I am so sad that our young people are not DEMANDING change. I feel very sorry for my grandchildren all because of oil companies profits. And heads in the sand  not in my backyard. Yeah.

Mary Beth Schneider

East side

Vote out climate change deniers

In 2015, Senator Jim Inhofe, from Oklahoma, brought a snowball to the Senate floor and asked his colleagues Do you know what this is? He then said, Mr. President, catch this, and threw it. This was his way of proving climate change was a hoax. Most Republican Senators shared the same view. After seeing this stunt on TV, I sent him an email, asking him to throw snowballs to Tucson. At the time, Inhofe was the chairman of the Senate Environment Committee. He was one of the most vocal deniers of climate change.

Inhofes childish stunt took place eight years ago. Scientists have been warning us about climate change for decades. However, many of our Republicans in Congress have refused to accept the overwhelming evidence that Earth is getting warming. Today, almost all climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change.

Lets vote out all the ignorant ones in Congress and vote in real leaders that will actually address climate change as top priority.

Robert Ferguson

Sahuarita

Barry Jones

Re: the Aug. 4 article Backers raise funds for man freed from death row in Tucson girls killing.

As a life long and proud Democrat, I never thought Id write this but I hope the GOP has a candidate for County Attorney. Her response to the Barry Jones released is sickening and the response is equally absurd. To portray him as a victim is unbelievable, he was responsible for the death of a innocent child. We need a County Attorney that punishes criminals and mostly not one that was a defense attorney.

Lupe Robles

South Tucson

Racism

Disgusted!

This past week President Biden signed a bill establishing a national monument honoring Emmett Till whose abduction, torture and murder in Mississippi in 1955 helped propel the Civil Rights Movement. This should be a step forward in taking responsibility for the complicated history of our country. But at the same time, guided by the Republican governor, Florida adopted new educational standards that whitewash history by teaching students that some Black slaves benefited from slavery because they learned useful skills. Further, the Alabama Republicans are refusing to draw a second Black congressional district in defiance of the Supreme Court. I find the actions of the Alabama and Florida Republicans disgusting and they should be condemned for their blatant racist actions.

Jerry Fay

SaddleBrooke

Biden money questions

How does a Senator from one of the smaller states in the US become a Multimillionaire while earning six digit salary? How does his family become fabulously rich? Why does he say he thought he would be able to make decisions? Follow the money.

How does a community organizer from Illinois become Senator on a six digit salary become President twice? Then on to becoming a multi-multimillionaire, running with some of the richest people on earth? And still continues to pull the puppet strings? Follow the money.

How does a Prosecutor who was overruled by the Supreme Court for misconduct chosen to prosecute a political opponent?

Why is he trying to switch the venue from Florida to DC?

Lawyers with any knowledge of the law should be asking the same questions as a lowly person in trouble with a skewed prosecutorial system.

How can I get Justice against the unlimited resources of the Government which I pay for? Follow the money.

Richard Barnes

East side

Conduct unbecoming for a President

What does the American public want from its elected (or previously elected) officials? The answer: respectful decorum.

A former president, and a contender for the 2024 presidential race, continues to spew, ad nauseam, about how he is being wrongly targeted because of many indictments. Will this former presidents behavior ever change? Probably not. But in the elegant words of Chris Christie, regarding this person (August 8, 2023) Is this the kind of conduct that the Republican Party or the American people want from someone who could be president? I hope that the answer to this question would be a resounding NO!

Mary Jo Swartzberg

SaddleBrooke

Abortion rights voter initiative

I support the new abortion rights initiative and will sign the petition to add this to the 2024 ballot. The initiative essentially codifies Roe: legal abortion to the point of fetal viability and after, if the physician makes a good faith professional judgment that the patients life or health is at risk.

To the surprise of nobody, Cathi Herrod opposes this, saying its too broad and predictably launches into the misogynistic myth that perfectly healthy women with perfectly healthy full-term fetuses are lining up around the block to get abortions.

If Herrod doesnt think the patients physicians are qualified to make the determination of medical risk in a crisis pregnancy, who should make that call? The GOP state legislature? The church? Herself?

One needs only read the heartbreaking testimony of the women in Texas who were denied medically needed abortion care to see the damaged caused by non-clinical ideologues dictating medical practice. Its time to stop letting politicians practice medicine without a license.

Jennifer Larson

Northwest side

Kudos for Op Ed

Re: the Aug. 9 article Making politics miserable for the rest of us.

Editor the Star:

Kudos to David Hoefferle for his unerring Op Ed. We do not have to put up with this misery, and he explains how, in honest and simple ways, we can turn the tide and reinstate civility in our discourse and actions.

John Barringer

East side

How many extreme weather summers will it take?

Re: the Aug. 6 article Do we really need the Regional Transportation Authority?

Thanks Curt Lueck for your comprehensive assessment of the Regional Transportation Authority. Your suggestion that a Regional Transit Authority would be more appropriate aligns with our two urgent challenges of building climate-friendly mobility and electric power infrastructure within this decade.

We here in Pima County have two primary ways of taking responsibility for our climate changing emissions 1. replacing our fossil fuel-based electric power generation with renewable sources and 2. creating a comprehensive regional transit and mobility system powered by microgrids of distributed solar energy and local storage. This challenge is paramount as we work toward successful local and regional elections.

How many more extreme weather summers will it take before we realize that absent this level of climate commitment, we will be left vulnerable to the inexorable heating of the planet with no end in sight.

Robert Cook, Past-Chair, Tucson-Pima Metropolitan Energy Commission
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A vote next month among thousands of people wont have anything to do with choosing public leaders, state questions or bond issues.

But it will have an impact to the tune of many billions of dollars and thousands of employees involving two Tulsa-based companies.

In what is believed to be the largest private transaction in state history, investors will vote on ONEOKs proposed $18.8 billion buyout of Magellan Midstream Partners.

Investors of ONEOK and Magellan will decide in separate virtual meetings an hour apart on Sept. 21 on the proposed buyout, which already has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

Investors will be voting now all the way through Sept. 21, said Aaron Milford, Magellans president and CEO.

Some investors will vote early; a lot of investors will wait until the very last minute to vote.

It is exciting ... when I think about the strength of this combined company after this combination, its really exciting. Obviously the day (Sept. 21) is exciting in some respects because thats the next milestone we need to cross in order to make that stronger company happen, he said.

We think were going to do that. Were confident were going to get that vote. ...

You start looking at what this combined company can accomplish  its size, its scale  the fact that its right here in Tulsa ... its good for the city and its good for the state. That is exciting.

The combined company would have a total value of $60 billion, will benefit investors from a tax perspective, and through its diversification provide significant potential for enhanced customer product offerings and increased international export opportunities, ONEOK said.

ONEOK is a leading midstream energy services provider with an approximately 40,000-mile network of natural gas liquids and natural gas pipelines.

Magellan primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil.

It owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nations refining capacity, and can store more than 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil.

The combined company will own thousands of miles of liquids-oriented pipelines, with significant assets and operational expertise at the Gulf Coast and Midcontinent market hubs, ONEOK said.

A simple majority of ONEOK shareholders who vote is needed to approve the buyout. But a simple majority of all Magellan unitholders is required for approval, meaning any Magellan unitholder who does not vote essentially will be considered an against vote.

That means Milford  who has been with Magellan since 2004, earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Tulsa and grew up in Owasso  has a selling job to do.

Last week, he held an interview with the Tulsa World to discuss the buyout, along with at least one local TV station, and planned to be in New York for other media interviews and talks with investors.

In addition, Magellan publicly launched a new website recently for investors to Vote FOR the ONEOK-Magellan Merger Today at maximizingvalueformmpunitholders.com.

Magellan also has been contacting investors by email, phone calls, an internal website and physical letters informing them of what the buyout means and to vote for it.

While expressing confidence that investors will approve the transaction, Milford said, Were not crossing any of those bridges, to be honest with you, in case the transaction is not approved.

This is a really good deal, he said. We think the merits speak for themselves. We need to communicate that really, really well, and we think if we do that were going to be successful.

And if for some reason were wrong, were still going to have a really good company.

If investors dont approve, he said, Well cross that bridge when we get there, if we get there. We dont expect to get there.

As of February, Magellan had 203,293,822 common units outstanding that were owned by about 170,000 record and beneficial owners, the company said.

ONEOK has more than 1,700 institutional owners (other companies) and shareholders that have filed forms with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with at least 335,691,600 shares.

Magellan has about 1,700 employees (roughly 800 in Tulsa); ONEOK has about 2,840 employees.

Milford said last week there could be some effect on the number of employees, but that I expect it to minimal.

Tulsa Regional Chamber President and CEO Mike Neal noted the companies lengthy histories in Tulsa  ONEOK dating back more than a century and Magellan about two decades.

This kind of local legacy, which will continue under this acquisition, is something the Tulsa Regional Chamber holds dear, Neal said in a prepared statement when the transaction was announced on Mothers Day. Both energy infrastructure businesses value community involvement, and we are grateful this combined company will stay in our city.

If the buyout is approved, Pierce H. Norton II, ONEOK president and chief executive officer, will continue to serve as CEO of the combined company. ONEOK intends to seek and nominate one or two director(s) serving on the board of Magellans general partner.

Magellan would be a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, meaning there would not be a name change with the combined companies, a ONEOK spokesman said last week.

Milford said his role in the combined company has not yet been determined.

Another aspect of the transaction  where the combined companys offices would be physically located  also has yet to be determined.

Currently, Magellans offices are located on several floors in the 52-story BOK Tower downtown; ONEOK is located in its 17-story building at 100 W. Fifth St., about six blocks southwest.

A spokeswoman at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce said researchers at the agency believe the buyout is the largest private transaction in state history  slightly more than the $18.355 billion purchase of Kerr-McGee by Anadarko Petroleum in 2006.

However, that transaction would be valued at more than $27.53 billion in todays dollars.

The results of the Magellan vote will be disclosed after its meeting, the company said. It was not immediately clear when the results of the ONEOK vote would be available, but Milford indicated it would be very soon after the vote is final.

Its big deal, Milford said. And its a big deal in the midstream energy space. Both ONEOK and Magellan, independently, are significant players in that space. So were coming together to make an even stronger company that will have an even bigger presence within the energy infrastructure space.

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New suspended artwork planned for Tulsa airport

A new $225,000 rotating, ceiling artwork is planned inside Tulsa International Airport.

Shane Darwent will create for the terminal a one-of-a-kind suspended art installation, which is expected to be completed by summer 2024, Tulsa International Airport said in a news release.

The public art project will be the largest investment the airport has funded for its collection, the airport said.

The new piece, titled Sunrising, will hang over the entrance to the TSA checkpoint and will feature a series of 40 suspended colored-resin panels that shift through the color gradation of a sky from sunrise to sunset.

Each panel will be individually mounted to a motor hidden in the ceiling above, and the entire installation will slowly rotate, creating a wavelike movement from side to side across a 140-foot span.

The slow movement of colored panels hovering above will serve as a point of reflection for passengers and the trips they just made, or the journeys they are about to embark on, the airport said in a news release.

When I catch the drama of the Tulsa sky at sunrise or sunset, it carries hints of nostalgia but seems to glow with the rich promise of tomorrow, said Darwent, a Tulsa resident artist.

I would love for my installation to inspire reflection in fellow travelers  an opportunity to slow down in our rush from here to there and take time to consider yesterdays sunsets, and the potential of tomorrows sunrise.

The airport posted a call for artists in April and received more than 140 submissions from artists nationally and internationally.

A selection committee comprised of a group of residents representing the local arts community and airport staff reviewed each entry and narrowed down the applications to the top five choices.

The artwork is being paid for by the airport, without city nor taxpayer dollars, an airport spokeswoman said.

Tulsa-based firm partners with Oklahoma tribe on projects

Tulsa-based Direct 2 Completion (D2C), a construction program management and owners representative firm, announced a partnership with the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma that it said will transform tribal health care and child development.

The project involves the development of the Perkins Family Clinic and ITO Childcare After-School Program.

Both projects are near Perkins, about 15 miles south of Stillwater. The two projects are being built under the guidance and supervision of D2C to revolutionize health care and childcare services in the region.

D2C, in coordination with the tribe, will develop project objectives, priorities, and controls to improve project delivery time and control costs of the new clinic.

The sprawling 10-acre site will consist of two newly constructed standalone facilities with a shared common space, parking and site utilities.

The Perkins Family Clinic plans call for a state-of-the-art medical building offering a wide range of primary and preventative health services, rooted in Native values.

The facility will feature outpatient medical suites, dental services, pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, behavioral health services, public health nursing services, pediatrics, and more. Many of these services are new to the Perkins Family Clinic, which provides comprehensive health care to Native American families and non-natives in the area.

Tulsa County clerk launches online record notification service

County Clerk Michael Willis announced the launch of a new notification service for recorded real estate documents.

The application is web-based and is accessible through the Tulsa County Clerk website. It is free to the public.

The system is designed to notify interested parties regarding deeds, mortgages, liens and other real estate documents that are filed referencing names, legal descriptions and parcel numbers.

We get a lot of calls in our office from people concerned with property or title fraud, Willis said. Im excited to add this service for our property owners, and while we cant prevent fraud from occurring, using this service can ensure that people are notified early on if a strange or fraudulent document is recorded.

Title or deed fraud is on the rise across the U.S. In 2021, more than 11,000 cases were reported with damages totaling $350 million, he said.

With this in mind, it is important that landowners have options for notification without buying a subscription or private notification service, his office said in a news release.

To view it, go to www.countyclerk.tulsacounty.org and click the Recording Notification Service icon on the top of the website. There are instructions and frequently asked questions also available.

This system is easy to use. I encourage all Tulsa County property owners to sign up, Willis said in the release.

 From Staff Reports

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Related content Coverage of State Superintendent Ryan Walters

At a time when many of the citys largest businesses, foundations and other stakeholders are not commenting publicly on the drama unfolding with Tulsa Public Schools, Michael DuPont is a rare exception.

I find this whole situation very shocking and unfortunate, said DuPont, director of Tulsa grantmaking at the Schusterman Family Philanthropies. Any educator would tell you that you cannot expect progress or improvement in a chaotic environment.

TPS students head back to school Thursday for the fall semester. A week later, on Aug. 24, State Superintendent Ryan Walters will make his recommendation to the State Board of Education regarding the districts accreditation.

The state accreditation office has recommended that TPS as a whole be accredited with two deficiencies for the 2023-24 school year.

Walters has made clear that he is considering other options, including nonaccreditation or a takeover of the district by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

DuPont, speaking as a parent of TPS students and as a representative of Schusterman Family Philanthropies, said those arent solutions to the challenges the school district is facing.

Thirty-four thousand students and their families plus 5,500 TPS employees rely on the district, DuPont said. So the consequences of either of those decisions, we feel, would be disastrous for student learning, for parents and caregivers who need to know where their kids will be going to school, for businesses that employ people who have kids at TPS schools, for our efforts to attract and retain businesses, and home values.

There are so many reasons either decision would be damaging for the whole city.

Schusterman Family Philanthropies has for years been providing grant funding to organizations to support education and youth programming.

Our main reason is because we want every TPS student to receive the resources and support they need to be successful, DuPont said. Its pretty simple.

DuPont said Schusterman Family Philanthropies is 100% behind the district.

These decisions are being considered in a way that ignores local control by bypassing our locally elected school board and without any engagement with the people who would be affected, he said. Any decision like this should account for local community perspectives through town halls, community listening sessions, school visits, and conversations with students, families and community leaders.

The bottom line here is that districts across the state are preparing to start the school year. Rather than distractions, lets try to be helpful and offer support.

Schusterman Family Philanthropies was one of several large local employers, higher education institutions and foundations the Tulsa World contacted to ask about the situation at TPS and the possible implications a loss of accreditation or a state takeover of the district could have on the community.

The George Kaiser Family Foundation, Williams, QuikTrip, the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Community College declined to comment for this story. Magellan Midstream Partners referred questions to the Tulsa Regional Chamber.

The World asked similar questions of the chamber, which said it was uniquely positioned to act as a convener and collaborator but provided few details.

In these capacities, the Chamber is working to facilitate dialogue with  and among  all concerned parties, including state and local school officials. Through these dialogues, we will continue to do all we can to support our educators and our education systems, Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Chamber, said in an email.

Some smaller businesses, including Magic City Books, have taken up the cause. The independent bookstore has used its Instagram page to poke fun at Walters and to sell T-shirts with the Mark Twain quote: Out of public schools grows the greatness of a nation.

Jeff Martin, president and co-founder of Magic City Books and the Tulsa Literary Coalition, said the bookstore teamed with Mythic Press to create the T-shirts. All proceeds go to the Foundation for Tulsa Schools.

We have sold 500-plus of those, and that kind of just keeps ramping up, Martin said. So we are going to keep doing whatever we can, whether it is speaking up on social media, anything we can do action-based like this T-shirt fundraiser to just kind of keep the issue at the center of what we are doing.

Tulsa School Board President Stacey Woolley said she has received significant support from parents and families with students in the district or who have had students in the district.

Support has also come from local state representatives, several city councilors and the faith community, Woolley said.

I feel most supported by what I would say is a true grassroots movement of parents (who are) directly affected, the consumers, the customers of the Tulsa Public Schools system, Woolley said. That makes me feel great because those are the people most directly connected to our schools.

Calling it a mixed response, Woolley said she thinks TPS students would feel better if businesses, the chamber, the full City Council, the mayor and anyone else who represents Tulsa Public Schools would speak up in support of the district.

I feel like public schools are so critical to every city and town in Oklahoma and the country, and until every single person who has a voice uses that voice, then we are not hearing from enough people, Woolley said.

Gathering those voices and amplifying them are among the objectives of ProtectTPS, a grassroots effort to educate Tulsans about whats at stake on Aug. 24.

The group, which includes TPS parent Ashley Daly, has posted an online petition demanding that Walters and the State Board of Education end their attempted takeover of the district and join Tulsa in working to improve the district rather than consistently attacking and distracting us and our district leaders from critical work at hand.

Daly said that as of Friday that nearly 3,500 people had signed the petition.

We just want to show elected leaders  how many people really are concerned and care and dont want our local control taken away from us, Daly said.



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Video: TPS superintendent Deborah Gist speaks after Aug. 7 school board meeting
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Karen Keith has been a 4-H member, a TV news reporter, a longtime Tulsa County commissioner and a world traveler.

Now she wants to be mayor of Tulsa. Keith, 69, will announce her candidacy Sunday.

I love Tulsa, and we have made monumental strides to become a more dynamic city, but we must keep the momentum. The next mayor will craft the vision beyond 2025, Keith said, a reference to the Vision 2025 sales tax package that is credited with helping spark Tulsas revival. I have demonstrated that I am an independent thinker and the most experienced and proven leader to do just that.

Keith said shes heard Tulsans concerns about infrastructure, public safety, parks and education and that as mayor she would continue the work of tackling those challenges.

But we need a vision for people  to inspire youth, to keep seniors safe and engaged, to keep our workers employed and absolutely address homelessness, she said. We need to partner with our schools, tribes, law enforcement, business community, nonprofits, churches and neighborhoods to create a vision and implement a plan that unifies our community for our future.

Keith joins another Democrat, state Rep. Monroe Nichols, as the only declared candidates in the race to succeed Mayor G.T. Bynum, who is not seeking a third term. City Councilor Jayme Fowler, a Republican, is expected to announce his intention to run soon.

Tulsas nonpartisan election for mayor isnt until August 2024. A runoff election, if necessary, would be held that November.

Keith said two of her top priorities would be homelessness and education.

Tulsans last week approved $75 million for housing to assist homelessness as part of the citys $814 million Improve Our Tulsa 3 capital improvements package  an investment Keith applauds. And a task force created by Bynum has issued nine short-term recommendations to help address the problem.

As mayor, Keith said she would work with businesses, churches and other community stakeholders to create solutions that would put Tulsa ahead of the curve in addressing the problem.

We have to have more low- to moderate-income housing available for people to go into, Keith said. We just dont have enough. And weve got to work with our City Council, the police, the DA. Its also going to require mental health providers.  There is nothing easy about solving this issue.

Education is super important to the citys future, Keith said, and the mayor and city government have to be involved, care and support our public schools as best they can.

Oklahoma City provides funding for some-after school programming in some of the poorest parts of their community, Keith said. So there are things that a city can do. And so we really need to be looking at all of it.

When it comes to reparations for those harmed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and their descendants, as well as Police Department oversight  topics that have surfaced repeatedly during Bynums nearly seven years in office  Keith is open to having the discussions but acknowledges that she doesnt have all the answers.

I think police oversight should prioritize accountability and transparency, she said. Thats how you build trust in your community.

Keith, like Bynum, talks investment first when talking about reparations.

I think theres no question we should be investing more into north Tulsa, concentrating on issues on housing, streets and public safety, she said. Any actions taken must involve thorough community engagement and consultation to find a fair and just solution.

I personally have a lot of sympathy and compassion for all those impacted by the race massacre, and its important that we never forget.

Keith was born in Miami, Oklahoma, and raised in Muskogee, where she was a long-time 4-H member.

She graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1976 with a degree in radio, TV, news and public affairs, but not before spending a semester at sea studying in Kenya, Morocco, India, Hong Kong and other far-off countries.

It changed my life in every way, shape and form, Keith said.

For 26 years, Keith was a local television reporter; she traveled to Israel, Russia, Germany and communities across the state telling stories.

Its a chapter in her life she believes paid off down the road.

Ive met so many different people, and its allowed me to be comfortable around people of different cultures and backgrounds, she said. I love finding out what they think about things, and I think that has served me well as a public servant.

She caught the bug for government service in the early 2000s when she went to work for Mayor Bill LaFortune, where she played a key role in formulating and implementing the countywide Vision 2025 sales tax package.

It was a fantastic experience. I loved it, Keith said. And thats when I knew I wanted to run for County Commission. She was elected in 2008 to represent Tulsa County District 2.

Her biggest and most celebrated achievements as county commissioner are passage of the 2014 jail tax that funded construction of the Family Center for Juvenile Justice and, after years of arm-twisting and pleading, securing federal funding to repair the levee system that stretches from Sand Springs into Tulsa.

Keith takes pride in the fact that each required collaborating and compromising with elected officials across the political spectrum.

Its one reason she thinks she would be an effective mayor.

You have to work across party lines or nothing happens. We never could have fixed the levees without working across partisan lines, Keith said. I mean, Sen. (Jim) Inhofe collaborated with me from Day 1.

If you really want to get things done, leave that stuff aside  especially in local government.

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SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif.  A new pack of gray wolves showed up in Californias Sierra Nevada, several hundred miles away from any other known population of the endangered species, wildlife officials announced Friday.

Its a discovery to make researchers howl with delight, given that the native species was hunted to extinction in California in the 1920s. Only in the past decade or so have a few gray wolves wandered back into the state from out-of-state packs.

A report of a wolf seen last month in Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County led researchers to spot tracks and collect DNA samples from fur and droppings, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Researchers concluded there is a new pack of at least five wolves that werent previously known to live in California: an adult female and her four offspring.

The pack is at least 200 miles from the next nearest pack, which is in Lassen Park in northeastern California, wildlife officials said. A third pack is based in Northern California.

Gray wolves are protected by both state and federal law under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to hurt or kill the animals.

DNA testing found that the adult female in the new pack is a direct descendant of a wolf known as OR7 that in 2011 crossed the state line from Oregon  the first wolf in nearly a century to make California part of its range, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said.

That wolf later returned to Oregon and is believed to have died there, officials said.

Researchers didnt find any trace of an adult male in the new pack but genetic profiles of the offspring suggest they are descended from the Lassen Pack, wildlife officials said.

25 endangered animals that live only in America Salt marsh harvest mouse Utah prairie dog Red wolf Kauai cave wolf spider Laysan duck Yosemite toad Gunnison sage-grouse Devils Hole pupfish Fanshell Giant kangaroo rat Delta green ground beetle Jollyville Plateau salamander California condor American burying beetle Squirrel Chimney Cave shrimp Crested honeycreeper (Akohekohe) Red Hills salamander Louisiana pine snake Woundfin Alabama red-bellied turtle Bruneau Hot springsnail Mountain yellow-legged frog Flattened musk turtle Coachella Valley fringe-toed lizard Northern Idaho ground squirrel
Barbara Hoberock Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Barbara Hoberock 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

OKLAHOMA CITY  The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has cut ties with a national organization and its partner, saying they are driving a wedge between death-row inmates and their attorneys.

In July, death-row inmate Anthony C. Sanchez, in a highly unusual move, said he would forego a clemency hearing because the process is unfair.

Sanchez faces a Sept. 21 execution for the 1996 murder of University of Oklahoma dance student and ballerina Juli Busken, 21.

Sanchez asked a judge to fire his attorneys and let him proceed by himself. The request was denied.

His spiritual advisor is the Rev. Jeff Hood, who is based in Arkansas and is a close partner with Death Penalty Action, a nonprofit incorporated in New York.

The Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty accused Hood of persuading Sanchez to waive his right to a clemency hearing and to represent himself in further legal action.

The Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty said DPA and Hood use tactics that drive a wedge between clients facing imminent execution and their legal teams.

Hood said the attorneys and the coalition are responsible for the slaughter of death-row inmates in Oklahoma.

He said the statement put out by the local group is nothing more than a fart in a whirlwind, adding that he and DPA have no plans to change their tactics.

The coalition said attorneys in the Capital Habeas Unit of the Federal Public Defenders Office are the inmates best hope for avoiding execution.

I have attended all clemency hearings before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board since the moratorium on executions was lifted two years ago, said the Rev. Don Heath, Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty chairman. I have been impressed with the thoughtfulness and subtlety of the presentations by all of the habeas attorneys. They made better arguments than I would have thought possible.

The organization works with the attorneys to coordinate press conferences and strategy to tell each inmates story in upcoming clemency hearings.

Health said his organization has worked with Death Penalty Action since about 2016 but hasnt been able to work with them in the last six months because of actions the national group has taken.

He (Hood) tries to separate every inmate he counsels from their attorneys, Heath said. He thinks he knows the case better or can find an attorney that will do a better job. That is just not true.

Hood was the spiritual advisor for Creek County killer Scott Eizember, who was put to death in January for the 2003 killing of A.J. Cantrell. Eizember, who also killed Cantrells wife, Patsy Cantrell, was subject to one of the largest manhunts in state history.

We are part of a broad social justice movement, and sometimes we dont all agree on tactics, said Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action executive director. Thats OK. They raise money for funerals. We are focused on stopping executions.

Hood has worked with at least five Oklahoma prisoners, some of whom are fine with their legal counsel, but others ask Hood if he can help them find new attorneys, Bonowitz said.

Hes like Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers, and thats upset some people and challenged the status quo, Bonowitz said. Jeff has done nothing illegal, immoral or unethical, and if he did we would not be standing with him.

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TAHLEQUAH  Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner begin their second terms leading the Cherokee Nation on Monday with an inauguration ceremony in Tahlequah.

Eight tribal council members will also be sworn in during the 10 a.m. event at the Chota Conference Center, 3307 Seven Clans Ave.

The new term will bring several changes to the administration and a new tribal supreme court member.

Among the changes, Hoskin has nominated Chad Harsha to replace Sara Hill as attorney general. Hill is leaving for private practice.

Harsha has been the Cherokee secretary of natural resources.

Cherokee Secretary of State Tina Glory-Jordan has been nominated for a supreme court position vacated by the resignation of Justice Lee Paden.

Besides Harsha, first-time cabinet nominees are Secretary of State Shella Bowlin and Secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice. Bowlin has been with Cherokee Nation Businesses since 2004, the same year Justice began at the Cherokee Nation.

Bowlin has been CNBs vice president of corporate strategy and analytics and will replace Glory-Jordan if confirmed. Justice has been Harshas director of operations at Natural Resources.

Continuing from Hoskins first term are Secretary of Veterans Affairs S. Joe Crittenden, Treasurer Janees Taylor, Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee and Marshal Shannon Buhl.

All except Buhl, who is not yet subject to the renomination process, will be considered by the Cherokee Tribal Council on Aug. 31.

Deputy Chief Warner and I were so fortunate to work with so many great cabinet members during our first term, Hoskin said in a written statement. They helped lead our nation through some of the most challenging times in Cherokee history and helped us seize so many great opportunities for the Cherokee people.

Deputy Chief Warner and I are also grateful that cabinet members who have or will soon depart are doing so to pursue other wonderful opportunities to serve Cherokee Nation and Indian Country, he said.

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State Superintendent Ryan Walters threat of a hostile state takeover of Tulsa Public Schools is political posturing, but it has the potential to cause great harm to the metro area and more than 33,000 students.

Tulsans cannot sit on the sidelines. The danger of losing local control of our schools is real and long-lasting.

Walters is using a national right-wing playbook by taking power over schools they dont like. Texas Gov. Rick Abbott took over Houston schools in March, and Florida Gov. Rick DeSantis assumed control of a college oversight board.

Its obvious that Walters wants a piece of this national attention. He continuously ups the ante on rhetoric, a not-so-sly distraction from his own problems, which include audits of his mismanagement of $8 million in federal pandemic funds and growing resignations in his state agency.

He has stepped outside precedent to ignore his agencys recommendation to approve TPS for accreditation. Instead, he is looking to pull accreditation or put the district on probation based on dubious legal reasoning and distorted facts.

Depending on the option, he could fire TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist and install his own choice, who would be responsible to him, not to the elected school board. He could dismantle the local board. This means Tulsans would have no recourse if they disagreed with choices that hand-picked superintendent made.

This is about as anti-American as it gets. Walters is ignoring the will of Tulsa voters for personal gain. It goes against our shared democratic principles.

Information Walters presented at a press conference last week was full of misinformation, easily dismissed by available public records. He also threatened to eject reporters who gave public advance notice of the event, which was held at the Tulsa County Republican Party headquarters. That isnt the behavior of a transparent leader.

Walters has not answered questions about what would happen to magnet programs, North Tulsa Education Task Force efforts, open transfer polices, charter school sponsorships, workforce programs, curriculum, teacher pay and benefits, recruiting efforts, and partnerships with Tulsa Community College, CareerTech and emerging business apprenticeship programs.

No evidence indicates that state bureaucrats are better at running local schools than local superintendents and school boards are. Researchers at Brown University and the University of Virginias 2021 analysis of 35 state takeovers of schools found on average no evidence that takeover generates academic benefits.

Legislators ought to be taking notice. The State Education Board used to be a good check on the state superintendent. But under Gov. Mary Fallin and State Superintendent Janet Barresi, lawmakers ceded all board appointments to the executive branch.

Now the State Education Board has shown no independence, with all members voting the way Walters  and by extension Gov. Kevin Stitt  wants. Lawmakers need to take back their power.

Walters move falls in line with the recent trend of centralizing power at the state level at the expense of local governments in regulations of public health, energy, minimum wage, housing and guns.

In the meantime, conservative lawmakers must speak up. TPS has challenges reflective of community challenges, but these are best served with local solutions.

If Walters truly wants to help, he can start by offering state resources, meeting with all TPS board members and cutting out the theater. If not, then this is just another of his attention-seeking power plays.

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The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade held a conference on Friday afternoon, in which global retail giants such as Uniqlo, Aeon, and Amazon put forward a host of recommendations to help Vietnamese exporters engage more deeply in global production and supply chains.

The conference is part of the upcoming Vietnam International Sourcing 2023, scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City between September 13 and 15.

Speaking at the conference, Ta Hoang Linh, director of the ministrys Europe - American Market Department, underlined the need to effectively connect local exporters with foreign corporations to support the former in finding suppliers amid an economic downturn.

Many foreign procurement firms at the event mentioned their requirements on goods imports.

Japans Fast Retailing Group, the parent firm of the fashion brand Uniqlo, affirmed that Vietnam had built a sound foundation in producing textile products and improving supply chains. Hence, Uniqlo prioritizes procuring products from this Southeast Asian market.

The Japanese fast-fashion retail brand said that it is no longer appropriate to focus only on final production in the textile-garment industry.

The Fast Retailing Group needs the connectivity between the input and output to have more domestic raw materials and auxiliary factories.

"We have developed many innovations for the supply chain in Vietnam, which can further strengthen our presence through cooperation programs," said the Uniqlo brand owner.

Shiotani Yuichiro, general director of Aeon TopValu Vietnam, a subsidiary of the Japanese retailer Aeon, said Aeon pays much attention to smart clothing products, such as UV protection, waterproofing clothes.

In recent years, consumers awareness about sustainable development goals has gradually increased in Japan.

Therefore, the Aeon TopValu Vietnam leader suggested Vietnamese exporters should make huge efforts to switch to an integrated production model to optimize their business performance and increase production effectiveness.

The TopValu Vietnam leader added that Vietnam needs to enhance its fabric production capacity in order to be on a par with global standards and take deeper participation in global supply chains.

Until now, most Vietnamese textile-garment exporters still have to import fabrics and are in charge of the CMT (cut - make - trim) process only.

The cost of fabrics accounts for some 80 percent of the finished product price, so labor cost is no longer a competitive edge of Vietnam, given the countrys limited productivity.

The TopValu representative anticipated that local businesses could face more competition if they have to import fabrics and carry out the simple steps as contract manufacturers in the upcoming period.

He suggested these businesses should take measures to become more self-sufficient in fabric production so as to enhance their competitiveness.

According to an Amazon Global Selling representative, to approach the international market through the e-commerce channel, Vietnamese businesses need to gain deeper insights about their foreign clients by making the best use of digital technologies, improving the quality of products and services as well as marketing strategies.

Also, they need to facilitate product innovation by listening to feedback from customers, in addition to building brands and learning how to promote brand storytelling skills.

The Amazon Global Selling representative added that Vietnam's e-commerce export revenue reached US$3.5 billion last year and is expected to hit $13 billion by 2027. Thousands of Vietnamese businesses have offered their products and services on the Amazon platform up to now.

Regarding the upcoming Vietnam International Sourcing 2023, it will include a series of activities, including conference, trade exchange programs and the Vietnam International Sourcing Expo 2023, which could gather 300 businesses from different areas in the global supply chain.

This year, the event is expected to welcome 8,000 visitors and 150 delegations from 30 countries and territories, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

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The United States Department of Agricultures Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced that the U.S. started opening its door for the import of fresh husked coconuts from Vietnam, the Plant Protection Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday.

The APHIS finished updating the online database of agricultural goods import requirements on Monday to approve the import of fresh coconuts from Vietnam.

The move resulted from the close cooperation between the APHIS and the Vietnamese Plant Protection Department in analyzing a risk of plant pests to husked coconuts imported from Vietnam into the U.S..

Accordingly, Vietnamese husked coconuts meet the phytosanitary criteria set by the U.S..

Vietnams coconuts with their husks removed completely or 75 percent of their coir removed are eligible for shipment to the American market.

Vietnamese coconuts will undergo phytosanitary processes at U.S. border points of entry.

A representative of the Plant Protection Department said that Chinas General Administration of Customs will conduct on-site checks on some coconut growing areas and packaging facilities in Vietnam in late August to issue export codes, helping ramp up Vietnams coconut exports.

In 2022, Vietnam earned US$900 million from coconut exports.

The countrys coconut industry has nearly 90 products offered in the market, while there are some 200 food products using coconut ingredients, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

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MOSCOW -- Russia launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years on Friday amid a race by major powers including the United States, China and India to discover more about the elements held on the earth's only natural satellite.

Russia said that it would launch further lunar missions and then explore the possibility of a joint Russian-China crewed mission and even a lunar base. NASA has spoken about a "lunar gold rush" and explored the potential of moon mining.

Why are major powers so interested in what is up there?

The moon

The moon, which is 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from our planet, moderates the earth's wobble on its axis which ensures a more stable climate. It also causes tides in the world's oceans.

Current thinking is that it was formed when a massive thing collided with earth about 4.5 billion years ago. The debris from the collision came together to form the moon.

Temperatures vary: in full Sun, they rise to 127 degrees Celsius while in darkness they plummet to about minus 173 degrees Celsius. The moon's exosphere does not give protection against radiation from the Sun.

Water

The first definitive discovery of water on the moon was made in 2008 by the Indian mission Chandrayaan-1, which detected hydroxyl molecules spread across the lunar surface and concentrated at the poles, according to NASA.

Water is crucial for human life and also can be a source of hydrogen and oxygen - and these can be used for rocket fuel.

Helium-3

Helium-3 is an isotope of helium that is rare on earth, but NASA says there are estimates of a million tonnes of it on the moon.

This isotope could provide nuclear energy in a fusion reactor but since it is not radioactive it would not produce dangerous waste, according to the European Space Agency.

Rare earth metals

Rare earth metals - used in smartphones, computers and advanced technologies - are present on the moon, including scandium, yttrium and the 15 lanthanides, according to research by Boeing.

How would moon mining work?

It is not entirely clear.

Some sort of infrastructure would have to be established on the moon. The conditions of the moon mean robots would have to do most of the hard work, though water on the moon would allow for long-term human presence.

What is the law?

The law is unclear and full of gaps.

The United Nations 1966 Outer Space Treaty says that no nation can claim sovereignty over the moon - or other celestial bodies - and that the exploration of space should be carried out for the benefit of all countries.

But lawyers say it is unclear whether or not a private entity could claim sovereignty over a part of the moon.

"Space mining is subject to relatively little existing policy or governance, despite these potentially high stakes," The RAND Corporation said in a blog last year.

The 1979 The Moon Agreement states that no part of the moon "shall become property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity or of any natural person."

It has not been ratified by any major space power.

The United States in 2020 announced the Artemis Accords, named after NASAs Artemis moon program, to seek to build on existing international space law by establishing safety zones" on the moon. Russia and China have not joined the accords.
Hundreds of South Korean activists gathered in central Seoul on Saturday to protest against Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun daily reported earlier this week that the country plans to start releasing the water into the ocean as early as late August, citing unidentified government sources.

"If it is discarded, radioactive substances contained in the contaminated water will eventually destroy the marine ecosystem," said Choi Kyoungsook of Korea Radiation Watch, an activist group that organised the protest.

"We are opposed... because we believe the sea is not just for the Japanese government, but for all of us and for mankind."

Hundreds of protesters held up signs saying "Keep It Inland" and "Protect the Pacific Ocean!" while singing songs and listening to rally organisers.

South Korean activists take part in a protest against Japan's plan to release treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, in central Seoul, South Korea, August 12, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Japan's nuclear regulator last month granted approval for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power to start releasing the water, which Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency said is safe but nearby countries fear may contaminate food.

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit on Aug. 18.

"There is talk that the dumping of contaminated water is on the summit agenda. The governments of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan should view it an environmental disaster, rather than a political issue, and agree to block it... for future generations," Choi said.

South Korean activists take part in a protest against Japan's plan to release treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, in central Seoul, South Korea, August 12, 2023. Photo: Reuters

South Korean activists take part in a protest against Japan's plan to release treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, in central Seoul, South Korea, August 12, 2023. Photo: Reuters
All 184 official members of the Vietnamese Engineering Unit Rotation 2 have arrived in the Abyei area, located in Africa for the UN peacekeeping mission, after flying over 11,000km for more than 60 hours.

Upon their arrival, the unit was taken to barracks in Highway Base, some three kilometers from the headquarters of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, head of the Engineering Unit Rotation 2, confirmed that all the unit members safely moved to Highway Base.

Besides receiving tasks handed over from Vietnams Engineering Unit Rotation 1, the Engineering Unit Rotation 2 will repair and reinforce barracks to soon ensure stable accommodations for all members.

They will also receive and repair equipment and vehicles, as well as conduct tasks assigned by the UNISFA.

The unit receives a warm welcome upon their arrival in the Abyei area. Photo: Nguyen Vu / Tuoi Tre

Previously, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense held a ceremony at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on August 8 to deploy the Engineering Unit Rotation 2 to the UNISFA in the Abyei region.

Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam Peoples Army and deputy head of the defense ministrys steering committee for the participation in UN peacekeeping operations, asked all the members to stay united, overcome all obstacles, and accomplish their assigned tasks.

They were told to uphold and promote the great traditions and image of the Vietnam People's Army to international friends, contribute to the effective implementation of the Vietnamese Party and states foreign policy, and enhance the position of Vietnam and its army in the global arena, Tan said.

They must strictly comply with the regulations of the UN and the UNISFA, the law of the host country, as well as the law of Vietnam and its militarys disciplines.

The Engineering Unit Rotation 2 members attend their first meeting at a barrack in the Abyei region. Photo: Nguyen Vu / Tuoi Tre

The Ministry of National Defense on November 20 last year passed a decision to establish the Engineering Unit Rotation 2, composed of 203 officers with 19 being female. Of the total, 184 are official members and 19 are the reserves.

The Vietnamese Engineering Unit Rotation 1 was deployed to the UN mission in the Abyei region in 2022, marking the first time this Southeast Asian nation had sent an engineering team to a UN peacekeeping mission.

It also had the biggest number of staff members among the Vietnamese units sent to UN peacekeeping missions, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

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Authorities have come up with three main remedies to tackle a huge amount of trash that turned a salt lagoon in Duc Pho Town, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam into a floating garbage dump and seriously affected the surrounding areas, said a local official.

To prevent trash from being thrown further into the Sa Huynh salt lagoon, authorities will send garbage trucks to the affected area to transport domestic waste to a makeshift landfill for incineration, Do Tam Hien, chairman of the Duc Pho administration, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday.

Waste that can be pressed will be taken to a landfill in the town.

Surveillance cameras will be installed at locations where local people often throw away garbage.

We will put trash bins at these locations and arrange trash trucks to collect the garbage to prevent the locals from throwing it into the lagoon as they often do, Hien said.

Besides, local authorities will put together a team to clean up garbage blanketing the lagoon.

The team, composed mainly of members of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in the town, will use boats and coracles to pick up trash in the lagoon over the weekend.

In the long run, the town is working on a project to build a garbage treatment complex in its Pho Nhon Commune.

The project, whose environmental impact assessment is underway, is expected to be put into service by the end of this year and help address the existing environmental pollution in the town.

The local official added that the north and center of the province all have waste treatment plants developed by the provincial administration and private investors.

Meanwhile, no waste treatment facilities are available in the southern part, where Duc Pho Town is located.

The coastal town has to tap its own budget to implement the above-mentioned waste treatment project, he elaborated.

A waste dump lies in front of local houses, turning their lives upside down in Duc Pho Town, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

During a recent meeting between authorities and local residents, Bay Hiep, a native of Duc Pho, said he could not stand the pollution in the lagoon area.

Since there is no landfill in the town, some people decided to throw their garbage directly into rivers and the lagoon," Hiep said.

If they keep doing so, the pollution will get worse.

Authorities should adopt solutions to this problem."

A coracle gets stuck in a large amount of trash in the Sa Huynh salt lagoon in Duc Pho Town, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Local residents said that this floating garbage dump has remained since 2018. The garbage then began piling up and covering most parts of the lagoon.

The current heatwave in the province has made the stench of the floating dumpsite more intense, the locals complained.

Given the worsening pollution, people living near the lagoon no longer use water taken from the wells there.

Instead, they have had to buy water from other localities for daily activities.

Garbage is seen along a road in the lagoon area in Duc Pho Town, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

A waste dump lies in front of a residential area in Duc Pho Town, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

Garbage blankets part of the lagoon in Duc Pho Town, Quang Ngai Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Tran Mai / Tuoi Tre

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Society

-- The Peoples Procuracy of southern An Giang Province on Saturday proposed sentencing Nguyen Thi Kim Hanh, also known as Muoi Tuong, to 23-27 years behind bars for her alleged involvement in the smuggling of 51 kilograms of gold from Cambodia into Vietnam in 2020.

-- A large bonsai tree fell from a tractor-trailer to a tricycle running in the same direction on a road in the Mekong Delta province of Long An on Saturday, killing the driver of the tricycle on the spot.

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday said that they had arrested a 36-year-old woman for selling newborn babies taken from women who have unintended pregnancies.

-- The Ministry of Transport has urged the development of 36 rest stops on the underway North-South Expressway stretching from northern Lang Son Province to southern Ca Mau Province. The ministry passed a plan to develop the 36 rest stops early this month.

-- Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi ranks 11th among the 20 best airports in the world for queueing times, according to Casago, a vacation rental and property management company.

-- The planning for Vietnams north-central and central coastal region includes the establishment of international sea tourism service centers in Da Nang City and Khanh Hoa Province, said delegates at a conference in Khanh Hoa on Saturday.

-- Vietnams state-run lottery company Vietlott announced on Saturday the winner of the American-style Mega 6/55 jackpot, which is worth nearly VND257 billion (US$10.8 million), the second highest-ever jackpot prize in Vietnam.

Lifestyle

-- Khanh Hoa Province in south-central Vietnam will host the Arena Oceanman Cam Ranh Vietnam 2023, an international open water swimming competition, from September 8 to 10 this year.

World News

-- The scale of the Maui wildfires' destruction came into sharper focus on Saturday, as officials warned the death toll of 80 would likely rise and search teams with cadaver dogs sifted through the charred ruins of Lahaina looking for more victims, Reuters reported.

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Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi ranks 11th among the 20 best airports in the world for queuing times, according to Casago, a vacation rental and property management company.

To discover which airports are the best and worst for queuing times, Casago analyzed passenger reviews from airlinequality.com, where each review gave queuing times a rating between one and five stars.

Noi Bai International Airport, with 63.33 percent of the passengers rating the queuing times either four or five stars, ranks higher than Narita Airport in Japan and Incheon Airport in South Korea.

Noi Bai is the largest international airport in northern Vietnam and is some 35 kilometers from the center of Hanoi.

Changi Airport in Singapore is the worlds best airport for queuing times, followed by Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia.

The worlds worst airport for queuing is Grenoble Alpes Isere Airport in France with just 1.59 percent of the reviews giving a four- or five-star rating.

Casago also revealed that Vietnamese passengers are among those leaving the most positive ratings about airport queuing times with 54.39 percent of their reviews being either four or five stars.

Passengers from Malta leave the fewest positive reviews with just 21.21 percent rating four or five stars.

On the other hand, passengers from Estonia are the least likely to complain about queues, leaving positive ratings about airport queuing 55.17 percent of the time.

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The Ba Son Bridge, also known as Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, connecting District 1 and Thu Duc City in Ho Chi Minh City has been vandalized with spray paint and graffiti again.

Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters on Sunday found that piers and stay cables of the bridge were covered with paint and graffiti.

Vandals sprayed black, red, and white paints across the bridge.

They even drew a large human face on a pier next to the steps leading to the bridge, together with many hard-to-understand tags.

The vandalism has repeated many times over the past few years.

However, it is impossible to identify the vandals as they sprayed paint in the dead zones of cameras, according to a representative of the Ba Son Bridge management unit.

The unit will review and seek solutions to the problem, the representative added.

Couples taking wedding photos on the Ba Son Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City must avoid vandalizing paint.

The Ba Son Bridge, officially opened to traffic on April 28, was smeared with paint and graffiti once in August last year.

In order to restore the bridge to its original state, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport used 14 types of solvent to remove the paint and graffiti.

The vandalism of walls, fences, bridge piers, and buildings in Ho Chi Minh City with paint has been rife for years.

Besides the Ba Son Bridge, vandals sprayed railcars of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No. 1 at Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City with paint and graffiti on April 30 this year and June 11, 2022.

The Ba Son Bridge spans the Saigon River and connects District 1 and Thu Duc City in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vandalizing paint is also seen on a fence next to the Ba Son Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City.

A pedestrian stairway of the Ba Son Bridge is covered with paint.

This position is next to the stairway and within the dead zones of cameras.

Piers of the bridge face the same fate.

Vandalizing paint and graffiti fill a wall under the bridge.

Vandals also smear a fence at the foot of the bridge with graffiti.

A view of the Ba Son Bridge.

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Vietnams state-run lottery company Vietlott announced on Saturday the winner of the American-style Power 6/55 jackpot, which is worth nearly VND257 billion (US$10.8 million), the second highest-ever jackpot prize in Vietnam.

The winner is a Mobifone mobile network user, who owns the fortunate ticket bearing the series 13-24-39-43-45-52.

The winner will receive more than VND231 billion ($9.7 million) after paying VND25.9 billion ($1.1 million) in personal income tax in accordance with regulations.

Vietlott has earned some VND33 trillion ($1.4 billion) in revenue and paid over VND18 trillion ($757.7 million) to winners over seven years of operation, Pham Ngoc Tu, deputy general director of the company, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

There have been 402 winners of jackpot prizes with the highest-ever prize of about VND303 billion ($12.8 million) given to a man in Hanoi in 2018.

Besides nearly 6,000 ticket selling points in all 63 localities, Vietlott has offered tickets via the Vietlott SMS app.

After only two years, the app has seen nearly one million users in Vietnam.

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Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong expects Vietnam to keep cooperating with local and international scientists to develop science and technology in the Southeast Asian nation.

Speaking at a reception for a group of Vietnamese and foreign scientists on Saturday afternoon, President Thuong said that the country attaches great importance to attracting talent and working with scientists.

Apart from facing several challenges, Vietnam is seeing multiple opportunities to speed up its socio-economic growth during this period, he said.

Vietnam realizes that to achieve breakthroughs, a nation needs to develop science and education.

As such, the Vietnamese Party Central Committee and the government always consider the two fields the first priority.

Vietnamese always respect talents and cherish intellectuals as talented and moral people are the core of the nation, he underlined.

Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

The country sees intellectuals as its key innovative workforce to spur industrialization, modernization, and global integration.

The Vietnamese state president hopes international and Vietnamese scientists will continue to help the nation implement many scientific projects, and train young Vietnamese scientists.

The top Vietnamese official highly valued the Rencontres du Vietnam, or Meet Vietnam, an association that serves as a bridge between Vietnamese academics and their international counterparts, while praising Professors Tran Thanh Van and Le Kim Ngoc as well as other members of the association for their contributions to Vietnams science and education development over the past 30 years.

President Thuong said that he was impressed by the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE), where hundreds of international scientific conferences have been held, while he was visiting the unique science and education institute in the south-central province of Binh Dinh in July last year.

The group of scientists sat in on an international scientific conference titled Windows on the Universe at the ICISE on Monday to mark the 30th anniversary of the Rencontres du Vietnam, and the 10-year anniversary of the ICISE.

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A new cast for The Real Housewives of Sydney, coming to Binge and Foxtel, has been announced.

The 10-part series produced by Matchbox Pictures, has been filmed in Sydney with one overseas jaunt.

Binge Executive Director Alison Hurbert-Burns said: Australia meet your new housewives. These seven women bring their own style, glamour and candor to the re-imagined series that puts Sydney in the spotlight. We cant wait to follow their friendships and epic social lives when the show lands on Binge later this year. Buckle up, its coming very soon

Alastair McKinnon, Matchbox Pictures Managing Director, said, The Real Housewives of Sydney is back! This incredible new cast of housewives are sophisticated, chic and fiercely intelligent women who perfectly showcase the glitz and glamour of Sydneys high life. I know audiences are going to fall in love with these ladies as they take us on a wild ride full of humour, heart, friendship and all the drama you could hope for.

Season One, which screened on Foxtel in 2017, featured a previous cast.

The new cast, which includes a TV presenter Sally Obermeder, are:

Dr Kate Adams  Kate is a trailblazer with an inspiring professional track record. Entirely self-made, Kate is a savvy entrepreneur who ventured into start-ups before selling to focus on her globally famous practice, Bondi Vet Hospital.

Terry Biviano  Hailing from a big, Italian, close-knit family, Terrys love of fashion and business led her to build an internationally successful shoe empire. A true socialite, exuding infectious energy and a natural connector of friends, Terry is effortlessly charming and always the life of the party.

Caroline Gaultier  Born in Prague, Caroline has called Tokyo, Byron Bay and now Sydneys Bondi Beach her home. A forward-thinking and kind-hearted soul, Caroline readily admits that vanity is her driving force in life and that shes focused on looking and feeling the best version of herself.

Victoria Montano  The owner of luxury-sport brand, Sport Luxe, Victoria is a passionate fashionista, personal stylist, amateur show-jumper, wife, and mother of two. Victoria is a modern woman: driven, stylish and adventurous, she keeps everyone on their toes with her dry wit and clever one-liners.

Sally Obermeder  A former TV host  the wife and mother of two young girls returns to our screens. Juggling the daily commitments of family and work, as co-owner of wellness brand, Swiish, Sally has bounced back with purpose after life took an unexpected turn and she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Krissy Marsh  No stranger to The Real Housewives, Krissy is back for her second season. With a diverse career that spans the catwalk, business and charity, the fun yet fierce mother of three always brings the energy. The statuesque beauty is confident and captivating in any situation; Krissy always leaves a lasting impression.

Nicole ONeil  Nicole, also a returning Housewife, embodies culture and classic beauty. With a captivating blend of Swedish and Lebanese heritage, Nicoles poise and good manners reflect a diverse and privileged upbringing. The former Miss Australia has lived around the globe, but now her two daughters are her world.

The Real Housewives franchise is distributed by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
While the success of any drama is measured in ratings, reviews, international sales and word of mouth, its heartening indeed to get the thumbs up from those it dramatises, in the case of a series inspired by real life.

Justine Clarke notes that Seven drama RFDS has won high praise from the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the people of Broken Hill, where the series is shot, for its authenticity.

Its great to actually be in a remote area and get feedback from people who live amongst it and how much it resonates for them, she tells TV Tonight.

Speaking from Broken Hill she explains, I met a woman on the flight coming in, shes an educator in Broken Hill and she said, In that episode, thats exactly what happened to me. She was on the Tibooburra road, there was a car accident, there were injuries and a fatality and she was the first on the scene and all she had was her First Aid training.

Theyre the kind of stories that you hear. I know the other cast members have said the same.

We know that Ian (Meadows), our showrunner and writer, has always drawn as much from real life stories as possible. But when you hear those stories, you realise how closely were trying to tell this story. You dont have to make anything up. Thats the beauty of this show. The stories are so extraordinary.

Clarke returns to the outback medical procedural along with Stephen Peacocke, Rob Collins, Emma Hamilton, Ash Ricardo, Thomas Weatherall, Rodney Afif, Sofia Nolan. Ash Hodgkinson and Jack Scott.

Season Two begins without Dr. Eliza Harrod (Hamilton) but fans will be pleased to hear she will return.

In Season Two Elizas not there so youre kind of dropped into the middle of the drama by way of a distinct lack of doctors. Which I think is probably pretty reflective of medical services generally, but particularly medical services in outback and rural Australia. To get a fly in / fly out doctor is easier, but to get any permanent doctors is hard, Clarke explains.

Were dropped into a situation where Wayne (Collins) is now the senior medical officer but he doesnt have a backup doctor. Theyre always getting just fill-ins and so sometimes hes working more than one shift. So hes under enormous pressure.

This season is much more about the frontline aspects

Theres a very big accident at the White Cliffs rodeo and thats how we sort of end up with the procedural part of the show but were very much feeling the loss of Eliza.

I think this season is much more about the frontline aspects of it and perhaps what the ramifications are of that for people who of course want to do the right thing.

Her own character, base manager Leonie Smith, is now managing two sites and having to travel between both. But Leonie also faces personal challenges.

Leonie has received some devastating news on the phone while shes trying to organise a doctor to replace one that hasnt shown up. In the process, there is some lack of communication and that causes a roll-on effect of all these things that go wrong from there, for other members of the team, she reveals.

Shes seeing somebody, which is kind of new territory for Leonie because I think shes been single for quite a while. Shes seeing a specialist in Dubbo. We dont ever meet him but we know shes started this relationship.

Shes knocked for six in the first episode

But shes knocked for six in the first episode and that causes the beginnings of a chain of events that play out throughout the whole season.

Also joining the series is Emma Harvie (Colin from Accounts, Frayed) in the role of Chaya, a charismatic mental health nurse.

Weve also got a new Director of Photography so its got a different feel to it, which is great. Its given it this sort of immediacy, because we know the characters now we want to get in there close up with them and see what theyre thinking.

Season two is written by Ian Meadows, with Claire Phillips (Offspring), Magda Wozniak (Bad Behaviour), Kodie Bedford (Mystery Road) and Adrian Russell Wills. Directing are Jeremy Sims (Last Cab To Darwin), Rachel Ward (Rake) and Adrian Russell Wills (The Warriors).

Its genuinely trying to reflect what is true of Broken Hill

Clarke is also effusive about the diversity embedded into the show, which she believes reflects the world of Broken Hill itself.

Its not trying to tick diversity boxes, its genuinely trying to reflect what is true of Broken Hill. Its a little snapshot of Australia.

They have the Broken Heel festival, they have Drag Bingo here once a week, drag performers out here, a Jazz bar opening up -its own got its own culture, she observes.

This show is very much about this team of people who are just trying to do the right thing. Trying to take care of themselves and take care of the people around them. Even thats difficult to do without people having to be sort of morally bankrupt.

I think theres so many shows where characters have ambiguous morals or motives. Whats nice is these people treat each other like a family. And thats true of so many people out here who arent from here. So they do end up kind of creating their own family, especially if they get working at the RFDS.

RFDS returns 9:15pm Tuesday on Seven.
The death toll from the devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui has reached at least 93 as a new blaze triggered more evacuations.

About 1,500 people are still missing and officials believe the wildfires could end up being the deadliest disaster in the states history.

Governor Josh Green told reporters it had been an impossible day and warned that the death toll could rise further.

Sniffer dogs were used to search for the dead as residents were evacuated from the western area of Kaanapali as the flames swept closer.

The order to leave came on Friday night, just hours after residents of nearby Lahaina were allowed to briefly return to take stock of the devastation.

Search-and-rescue operations continued on Saturday and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr warned that the death toll was likely to rise further.

Many fire survivors said they did not hear sirens or receive a warning giving them enough time to prepare, only realising they were in danger when they saw flames or heard explosions.

Officials sent alerts to mobile phones, televisions and radio stations, but widespread power and cellular outages may have limited their reach.

Health officials are warning the burning areas are highly toxic and to wear masks and gloves.

They are also asking people to just text rather than call when using their mobile phones to protect the network.

The death toll made the inferno, which erupted on Tuesday, Hawaiis worst natural disaster, surpassing a tsunami that killed 61 people in 1960, a year after Hawaii became a US state.

The latest figure exceeded the 85 people who perished in a 2018 fire in the town of Paradise, California, and was the highest toll from a wildfire since 1918, when the Cloquet fire in Minnesota and Wisconsin claimed 453 lives.
The more toxic TikTok app version in the U.K. concerns many campaigners.

Because of this issue, they are asking the social media giant to expand its optional personalized algorithm feature.

More Toxic TikTok Version in UK Concerns Campaigners

According to The Guardian's latest report, TikTok decided to make its personalized algorithm across Europe option.

In August, the social media giant allowed users in 30 countries across the European Economic Area to opt out of the app's personalized algorithm.

However, there's one problem. The United Kingdom still hasn't received this enhancement. Experts said this leaves the U.K. with a more toxic and less safe app version.

Since this could negatively affect users, U.K.-based campaigners are now asking TikTok to make its new feature widely available.

Recently, a TikTok spokesperson explained that the feature allowing users to opt out of the app's personalized content recommendations was released to comply with the EU's new Digital Services Act.

The official added that the requirements under the Digital Services Act don't apply in the United Kingdom.

Since the U.K. is a special case, the social media company said that it doesn't have any plan to provide the new functionality to users in the country.

As of writing, the best thing that U.K. users can do is wait for further announcements from TikTok.

Read Also: TikTok Rolled-Up $1 Bill Going Viral, Again; Here's Why You Shouldn't Pick It Up

Problem With TikTok's Personalized Algorithm

Center for Countering Digital Hate Chief Executive Imran Ahmed explained that TikTok's personalized algorithm shows users harmful content.

These include videos about self-harm as well as eating disorders. Since a feature already makes personalized content recommendations options, Ahmed said the company should extend it to other parts of the world.

"Given they have already built the functionality, it would be frankly ridiculous if they did not," he explained.

One situation that shows the adverse effects of TikTok's personalized algorithm is the riots happening in the U.K.

Police authorities warned that numerous TikTok videos encouraging people to loot shops are spreading, as reported by LatestLy.

They specifically issued a warning for businesses in Broadway Shopping Center in Bexleyheath.

If you want to learn more about the riots triggered by TikTok, you can click this link.

Related Article: TikTok Ban Could Be a Sign of Things to Come for WeChat in Australia

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Army officers toppled Niger's elected leader Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 (-)

Niger's military regime vowed late Sunday to prosecute ousted president Mohamed Bazoum for "high treason" and slammed West African leaders for imposing sanctions on the country.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Niger in response to the coup and has not ruled out using force against the army officers who toppled the democratically elected Bazoum on July 26.

The West African bloc has approved the deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger as soon as possible but remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Niger's military leaders said they would prosecute Bazoum "for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger", according to a statement read out by Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane on national television.

Bazoum, 63, and his family have been held at the president's official Niamey residence since the coup, with international concern mounting over his conditions in detention.

A member of his entourage said he saw his doctor on Saturday.

"After this visit, the doctor raised no problems regarding the state of health of the deposed president and members of his family," the military said.

They also said sanctions imposed on Niger had made it difficult for people to access medicines, food and electricity, and were "illegal, inhumane and humiliating".

- 'Open to diplomacy' -

The comments came just hours after religious mediators met with coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, who indicated his regime was open to a diplomatic breakthrough.

Tiani "said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter", said Sheikh Bala Lau, a day after his Nigerian Muslim delegation held talks in the capital Niamey.

Tiani "claimed the coup was well intended" and that the plotters "struck to stave off an imminent threat that would have affected" Nigeria as well as Niger, according to Lau's statement.

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But Tiani said it was "painful" that ECOWAS had issued an ultimatum to restore Bazoum without hearing "their side of the matter", the statement added.

The Muslim leaders visited Niamey with the blessing of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also head of ECOWAS.

Tinubu has adopted a firm stance against the coup, the sixth to hit an ECOWAS member state since 2020.

The bloc has severed financial transactions and electricity supplies and closed borders with landlocked Niger, blocking much-needed imports to one of the world's poorest countries.

On July 30, it issued a seven-day ultimatum to restore Bazoum or face the potential use of force, but the deadline expired without the new rulers backing down.

The bloc scrapped a Saturday crisis meeting on the coup due to be held in Ghana's capital Accra for "technical reasons".

Demonstrations in favour of the new military rulers have become a common sight in Niamey.

Thousands of people attended concerts on Sunday at the Seyni Kountche Stadium in support of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), the generals who have taken power.The crowd, mainly made up of young people, brandished the flags of Niger as well as those of Burkina Faso, Mali and Russia.

The prospect of a military intervention to reinstate Bazoum has divided ECOWAS members and drawn warnings from foreign powers including Russia and Algeria.

Niger's neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by military governments who seized power in coups, have said an intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war on them.

bur-bam/mca/mtp
Prince Harry has been playing polo in Singapore credit:Bang Showbiz

Prince Harry has missed his family "very much" while playing polo in Singapore.

The Duke of Sussex travelled without wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and their children Prince Archie, four, and two-year-old Princess Lilibet to take part in a charity tournament to raise money for his charity Sentebale, and his friend and fellow player Nacho Figueras admitted they hadn't found it easy leaving their loved ones behind in California.

Nacho told reporters: "We miss our wives very much. This was a very short trip, although its a few days, its a lot of travelling for 24 hours in Japan and a few hours here, but we miss them. We wish they were here.

But while they missed their families, 46-year-old Nacho - who has four children with wife Delfina Blaquier - admitted he'd relished being able to spend some quality time for his pals.

He said of Harry: Hes very committed. Thats what he is. Its in his DNA and thats why I like him so much. Being able to spend so much time together has been a wonderful thing.

I always say that the first thing that [struck] me about Sentebale before I knew anything about it was his commitment to the charity, how much he cares about doing good.

I could see that first-hand when I went to Lesotho with him, we have been there two or three times. Hes the first person to point out that theres something that can be better. Its very inspiring.

The annual Sentebale Polo Cup game ended in a 7-7 draw, with both Harry and Nacho - who played for the Royal Salute Sentebale team and the Singapore Polo Club respectively - scoring impressive goals.

Despite the score, a relaxed Harry jokingly pretended to steal the match trophy during the presentation ceremony.

To date, the tournament has raised over 11 million for the charity, which Harry established with Prince Seeiso of Lethoso in 2006.

The 38-year-old royal said in a statement: Sentebale has remained a pillar of support in communities across southern Africa for almost two decades. Our work has remained rooted in our mission, and in honour of our late mothers, we wish to ensure all children and young people in southern Africa are empowered, healthy and able to pursue their ambitions and dreams.
Rep. Dean Phillips and his dog Henry walk down the House steps of the Capitol after the last vote of the week on Friday, June 25, 2021. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips is open about his desire for a Democratic candidate that isn't Joe Biden.

Phillips said on "Meet the Press" that Americans want to "turn the page" from the last Biden-Trump face-off.

A "moderate governor, hopefully from the heartland" would be a better, more unifying choice, Phillips said.

Minnesota's Rep. Dean Phillips is one of few congressional Democrats openly calling for 2024 challengers to President Joe Biden.

Is it because Phillips himself wants a shot at the Oval Office? Not likely  at least not this election, unless Biden's health or polling numbers get dangerously worse, sources told Politico in late July.

"I'm a representative, and I'm representing what I believe to be the majority of the country that wants to turn the page," Phillips, who is in his third term representing Minnesota's 3rd congressional district, told MSNBC's Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

Some Democratic lawmakers and strategists have wrung their hands over Biden's age, health, and favor in the polls leading up to the 2024 election.

"Tired of the meanness and the fear-mongering of Donald Trump, I would like to see Joe Biden, a wonderful and remarkable man, pass the torch, and cement this extraordinary legacy," Phillips said Sunday. "I believe what's in the best interest of the country  and by the way, this is not how everybody thinks, but I do believe the majority wants to move on."

While several names of younger, fresher potential candidates have been tossed about, just two Democrats have formally entered the race to primary Biden: attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.

"As a Democrat, I adore Joe Biden. He saved this country. He can cement his legacy," Phillips said. "My real call to action right now is not about me. The call to action is to ask the president to pass the torch. There is an extraordinary bench of people ready to go.

Phillips said he hopes a "moderate governor, hopefully from the heartland" would throw their hat in the ring and pick up voters where Biden is currently lacking them. He and Todd tossed out names like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
More than 100,000 people have now made the journey across the Channel since 2018. Picture: AFP via Getty Images

The Refugee Council urged the Government to respond to the incident with compassion while Freedom from Torture accused ministers of hostile attitudes towards refugees.

Opposition MPs said the tragedy highlighted the need for action to prevent dangerous crossings being made.

The French coast guard said the vessel got into difficulty in the Channel near Calais in the early hours of Saturday.

Officials said 59 people, many of them Afghans, were rescued but six were pronounced dead.

Volunteer rescuers told the Reuters news agency that the vessel was overloaded as there were too many people on board and some of them were children from Afghanistan and Sudan.

When the French lifeboat arrived, they found people screaming for help in the water and some people on the sinking boat were using their shoes to bail water out.

Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais, said: it was an appalling and preventable tragedy.

Those who died were not just statistics, but individual people: someones children, someones siblings, and possibly someones parents, he said.

"We send our deepest sympathies to their friends and families.

This terrible loss of life demonstrates yet again the need for a system of safe passage to the UK for refugees.

This would enable them to apply for asylum while in France, and then to travel safely to the UK without risking their lives in small boats.

It would put the people smugglers out of business overnight.

Kolbassia Haoussou, from Freedom from Torture, said: The UK Government has used the demonisation of refugees as a tactic to distract us from their failings, which have left us with a cost-of-living crisis, the NHS on its knees, and public sector strikes.

If this Government fails to humanely address this issue, then innocent lives will continue to be lost.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said the incident underscores the need for meaningful action to reduce dangerous crossings, and urged the Government to focus on creating an orderly and humane asylum system.

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He accused the Government of focusing on passing expensive and unworkable legislation and shutting down existing safe ways to get to the UK.

There are constructive alternatives we have set out that would create an orderly and humane asylum system, he added.

Labours Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said it is desperately necessary to stop dangerous crossings and the terrible criminal smuggling gangs who profit while lives are lost.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tragic loss of life in the Channel.

I have spoken with our Border Force teams this morning who have been supporting the French authorities in response to this incident.

A UK Government spokesman said: HM Coastguard are working on a co-ordinated response and further information will be provided in due course.
Genres : Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Starring : Brigitte Lahaie, Vincent Gardere, Dominique Journet, Bernard Papineau, Rachel Mhas, Christiane Farina

Director : Jean Rollin

Plot Synopsis

One of Jean Rollin's least-seen and most underrated works, The Night of the Hunted (La Nuit des traquees) finds the director moving away from his trademark tales of vampirism to explore a nightmarish, dystopian world.

In the dead of night, Elisabeth is rescued from unknown pursuers by Robert and taken to safety. But, after she is kidnapped and taken to an austere clinic whose distressed and abused patients are suffering from progressive memory loss, Robert sets out to find her and discover what is taking place in the clinic.

Shot at night on a shoestring budget, with a cast mostly drawn from France's adult film industry, The Night of the Hunted stars Rollin regulars Brigitte Lahaie (Fascination) and Natalie Perrey (Lips of Blood), and offers a stark and melancholic take on contemporary society.
China called Taiwan Vice President William Lai as he continued visiting the United States.

The Chinese government vowed vigorous measures to protect the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

China Calls Taiwan VP 'Troublemaker' For His US Visit

According to Reuters' latest report, China criticized the U.S. visit of Lai. The Chinese government said the official was a "troublemaker through and through."

China even described him as a separatist, saying they will take strong measures to protect the Asian nation's sovereignty.

For the past years, the Chinese government has claimed that it democratically governs Taiwan as its own territory.

Since China was not on good terms with the United States, Beijing repeatedly denounced the trip of William Lai.

But, despite the criticism, the Taiwanese official continued his plan to visit the U.S.

"Lai stubbornly adheres to the separatist position of Taiwan independence and is a troublemaker through and through," said the Chinese ministry via The Guardian.

"China is closely following developments and will take resolute and vigorous measures to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," it added.

Rumors claimed that China would likely conduct military drills near Taiwan during the U.S. visit of the Taiwanese vice president.

They explained that these activities are expected to intimidate voters ahead of the Taiwan election 2024.

Read Also: Joe Biden Fears China is 'Ticking Time Bomb' Amid Economic Woes

Taiwan VP's US Visit

CNN World reported that William Lai arrived in New York on Saturday, Aug. 12. His next stop is Paraguay, where he will attend Paraguayan President Santiago Pena's inauguration on Aug. 15.

Lai openly said he was happy to visit New York, considered an icon of liberty, democracy, and opportunities.

When Lai arrived at his New York hotel, the Taiwanese official was greeted by his supporters by waving flags.

He said that he was looking forward to seeing friends and attending transit programs in New York.

Before his next trip, people familiar with Lai's activities said that the Taiwanese vice president would join receptions with overseas Taiwanese in New York.

During this stopover, the official will make a speech.

Sources clarified that William Lai would not meet with U.S. lawmakers, claiming that Taiwan's VP will keep his visit low-key.

Related Article: China-Philippine Water Cannon Dispute Update: Beijing Urges PH Officials to Calm Down, SoKor Condemns Chinese Coast Guard

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
HA NOI  Businesses should carefully study their partners, following a range of trade frauds in Latin America in which Vietnamese firms were victimised, a senior official has said.

Trade Counselor in Mexico and Panama Luu Van Khang said language barriers made Vietnamese businesses more vulnerable to scams, adding that most of the criminals used bank accounts in a third country to hinder investigations by competent agencies so many Vietnamese companies had lost their deposit or goods while conducting business transactions.

Khang advised Vietnamese enterprises to sign contracts with legally authorised representatives of their partners and use the L/C (letter of credit) payment method instead of T/T (telegraphic transfer).

If they had no choice except to use the T/T method, they should not transfer money to bank accounts in a third country or personal accounts, he suggested.

In addition to coordinating with the Vietnamese Trade Office in information verification, the firms should cooperate with law firms and business associations in Mexico and Latin America as well to diversify the sources of information, Khang said.

The Latin American region has for years been a potential market for Viet Nam, according to trade experts.

In terms of Viet Nams trade exchange, the region has always been among the markets with the highest growth. Not only a potential export market for Viet Nam's key products such as garment and textile, footwear, and agricultural and aquatic products, Latin America is also an important source of raw materials for the Vietnamese processing industry with such products as corn, soybean, and animal feed, experts said.

In the bloc, Mexico is Viet Nams second-largest trading partner. As members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Viet Nam and Mexico have great opportunities to boost bilateral trade.

Mexico has committed to eliminating 77 per cent of tariff lines from January 14, 2018, and 98 per cent after a decade since the coming into force of the agreement. As a result, Viet Nam's exports such as seafood, coffee, rubber, phones, and auto components to Mexico have recently experienced significant growth, ranging from 27 per cent to 65 per cent.

Mexico has also gradually increased its export of beef, pork, agricultural products, and beverages to the Southeast Asian nation.

Viet Nam posted export turnover of US$4.53 billion with Mexico in 2022, bringing two-way trade revenue to over $5.42 billion, up 7 per cent year-on-year, according to the General Department of Customs.  VNS
NINH BINH Cuc Phuong National Park, a famous tourist destination in the northern province of Ninh Binh, has been named Asias Leading National Park by the World Travel Awards for the fifth consecutive year.

The national park has surpassed many major rivals like Chitwan National Park in Nepal, Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park in Japan and Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia to win the prestigious title.

It will receive the prize at the 30th World Travel Award (WTA) Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony, which will be held on September 6 in HCM City.

Situated 120 kilometres from Ha Noi, Cuc Phuong is Viet Nams first national park, founded on July 7, 1962.

Covering 22,000 hectares of land in 14 communes of four districts under the three provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa, the national park boasts enchanting scenery and offers a stunning range of biodiversity.

As a jewel of the world's forest ecology, the park's dense forests form the habitat for some of Asia's rarest animal and plant species.

It has maintained its attractiveness of ecotourism, one of Viet Nams key tourism segments, according to the organiser of the WTA.

Visiting the famous destination, both domestic and international tourists will be astonished by its vastness and mysterious atmosphere. Many visitors call it a labyrinth of wonder.

The tourist destination typically welcomes more than 10,000 visitors annually, with the majority foreigners.

The WTA was launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry. The annual event has been dubbed as the Oscars of global tourism. VNS
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuong met with 56 international and Vietnamese scientists attending the international scientific conference "Windows on the Universe" that recently took place in Quy Nhon City, the south-central province of Binh inh.

At the meeting in Ha Noi on Saturday, many scientists expressed their willingness to cooperate and work with Viet Nam.

They said Viet Nam needs to take advantage of its strengths to develop science and technology, while creating conditions for international scientists to live and work in Viet Nam.

President Thuong highly appreciated the contributions to the development of science and education in Viet Nam over the past 30 years at the "Rencontres du Vietnam" Association (Meeting Viet Nam), especially Prof. Tran Thanh Van, Prof. Le Kim Ngoc as well as scientists from the Association.

On the path of renewal, international integration, and national construction and development, the Party and State of Viet Nam always consider science-technology and education-training the top national policy, he said.

Viet Nam identifies intellectuals as a particularly important labour force in the countrys industrialisation and modernisation process and international integration, he said.

The country always focuses on attracting and using talents, developing high-quality human resources and building a strong contingent of intellectuals for sustainable national development, he added.

The President said he hopes that Viet Nam will continue receiving cooperation and support from international scientists and Vietnamese scientists abroad.

He asked competent agencies and localities, including Binh inh Province, to continue supporting the "Rencontres du Vietnam" Association in the realisation of its projects for science and education.

Besides, it is necessary to build and improve suitable mechanisms and policies to create more favourable conditions for scientists, he said.

The international scienfitic conference that opened on August 7 in Binh inh Province is an academic forum for domestic and international scientists to collaborate, exchange ideas, and discuss the latest discoveries in the fields of particle physics, high energy physics, and astronomy.

It was organised by Viet Nam's International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), the "Rencontres du Vietnam" Assocation, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Binh inh Provincial People's Committee.  VNS
Vietnamese-French author Tran Hai Anh, featured on Forbes Under 30 list, captivated readers with her debut book Song (Live), a powerful graphic novel chronicling her mother's experiences in the Viet Nam War. Truong Khanh Linh dives deeper into her personal life and career

Inner Sanctum: Can you tell us about your background and upbringing as a Vietnamese woman raised in France?

I grew up in France in a family deeply connected to our Vietnamese roots. At home, my parents exclusively spoke Vietnamese, so starting kindergarten without knowing a word of French was a bit traumatising, yet it was a common experience for many second-generation immigrants. However, it only took a few weeks at school until I became more fluent in French than in Vietnamese.

Prior to moving to Ho Chi Minh City, I had spent my entire life in Paris, yet I have always maintained a strong bond with Vietnamese culture. At home, we would watch Cai luong (Reformed theatre) and Paris by Night DVDs, and in the car, we would listen to Trinh Cong Son CDs.

Our lives were the celebrations of Tet (Lunar New Year festival), Vu lan (Parents' Day), summers in Viet Nam, and Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn festival). One of my fondest childhood memories was the annual holiday camp I attended exclusively for Vietnamese-French teenagers. Connecting early on with other young overseas Vietnamese who shared similar experiences was truly transformative.

Inner Sanctum: How do you feel when your name appeared on the list of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia?

Receiving the news came as a genuine surprise to me, since I knew very little about the Forbes Under 30 list and assumed it essentially focused on entrepreneurs. Little did I know that Forbes had a list dedicated to the entire Asian continent, celebrating 300 influential individuals across various fields. When I realised what it meant for Song and the art of comics in Viet Nam, it was very touching. Moreover, being associated with Viet Nam instead of France truly warmed my heart.

Inner Sanctum: Can you give me a brief intro of 'Song', and how you came up with the name of the book?

Song tells the story of my mother, Viet Linh, a renowned Vietnamese filmmaker who, at the age of 16, courageously joined the resistance during the anti-American war in Viet Nam.

The book chronicles the daily experiences of this young teenager, her initiation into the resistance life, and her exploration of the art of cinema, while delving into the profound influence those years had on our mother-daughter relationship.

Even though the comic book [published by Ankama with dialogue written in French] was intended for a French audience, it was important for me to choose a Vietnamese title because it keeps me connected to my mom and my roots. Song, which means to be alive, to live, came very naturally to me as I love the meaning and the sound of it. I wanted to move away from the notion of mere surviving and emphasise that her life was as fulfilling and rich as anyone elses.

Inner Sanctum: What led you to write 'Song'?

It was a blend of my love for my mother and a deep passion for comics that fuelled my desire to share her story. I would often hear her recount memories repeatedly at dinner parties, captivating the guests with her words. Although I was studying cinema at the time, the idea of making a film felt overwhelming, especially since war movies held little appeal to me.

The idea remained dormant until one day, when I read Art Spiegelman's Maus, and it struck me profoundly. The author's connection with his father resonated deeply within me. As soon as I finished the book, I reached out to Pauline [Guitton], my illustrator partner and best friend, to discuss the possibility of collaborating on a comic book project about my mother's incredible life. Pauline was immediately captivated by the idea, and then convincing my mother to embark on this journey which didn't take long. Looking back, it all makes perfect sense now.

Inner Sanctum: Why do you choose comics as a way to tell your story?

I find it amusing to be asked this question. If I had opted to write a film or a book without illustrations, I don't believe it would have come as a surprise to anyone. It highlights the unfortunate reality that the art of comics is not yet fully appreciated as it deserves. However, it further reaffirms my conviction that I made the right decision to write one.

As I mentioned earlier, both Pauline and I immediately envisioned Song as a comic book, despite our backgrounds in the film industry. The simple truth is that we both have a deep love for reading comic books.

In this story, the concept of time and chronology becomes hazy within the daily life of the jungle, which led me to choose a thematic narrative rather than a strictly chronological one.

This approach aligns well with the form of a graphic novel. Besides that, we strongly believed that illustrations would convey a greater sense of tenderness and poetry, given how heavy the story is.

Inner Sanctum: How does this book distinguish itself from others on the subject of the anti-American war in Viet Nam?

There are still sadly few personal accounts of the anti-American war in Viet Nam from the Vietnamese perspective available in English and French. Consequently, each published book naturally stands out as a rare testament to this period of history. These stories shed light on how little is known about our country. Having read numerous books by the Vietnamese diaspora in the US and in France, I found them to be a great source of inspiration, as they gave me the courage to write.

It also made me realise that my mother's story was absent from the literary landscape. There had never been a narrative told from the viewpoint of a 16-year-old Vietnamese girl who joined the resistance and discovered the world of cinema during the Viet Nam War  an extraordinary and unheard-of perspective.

Inner Sanctum: How do you think your comic book resonates with both Vietnamese and French audiences?

Song was published in January 2023 and is currently only available in French. Consequently, I have received feedback exclusively from French-speaking readers thus far. Some readers have picked up the book with the intention of delving deeper into this historical period, while others are drawn to Viet Nam, the dual cultural aspects, or the complexity of parent-child relationships.

Together with Pauline, we went on bookshop and book festivals tours across various cities since its release, and the experience of meeting (future) readers has been truly magical. Each person approaches Song with a unique and personal motive, and it is incredibly touching to witness their individual connections to the book.

Inner Sanctum: During the process of working on this story, were there any interesting stories that you want to share?

What made the writing process fascinating was that I conducted the interviews along the way, which meant I had no predetermined path or knowledge of where the story was heading, including its ending. I had little understanding of the depth of my mother's experiences until I embarked on this journey.

I certainly did not anticipate that I would move to Viet Nam in the midst of a global pandemic in 2020. Without revealing too much, all of this made the writing process very uncertain. As someone who typically enjoys planning and knowing what comes next, allowing myself to be carried along without a clear destination allowed me to delve deeper into the story and appreciate the lengthy writing process. VNS
by Nguyen My Ha

Summer has always been a great time of year when overseas students come home looking for internships. Senior students may stay in their host countries looking for summer work, but most freshmen, if they can afford the airfare and cut costs on accommodation, will jump on a plane and head home after the finals.

After the pandemic, this year has seen the number of students heading elsewhere in the world to study steadily on the rise. According to Times Higher Education, the number of Vietnamese students studying in South Korea tops the list of international students in the Northeastern Asian country. Viet Nam has more than 70,000 students in South Korean schools and colleges, followed by China with 64,000.

The list of countries Vietnamese students have enrolled for college education can be listed as follows: Australia, 30,000 students; the US, 29,000; Canada, 21,000; the UK, 12,000; and China, 11,000.

With the flow of young students leaving the "bamboo bushes" at home to pursue knowledge and job training elsewhere, parents and the education officials hope they will come back armed with not only a chosen career, but a new attitude, with more critical thinking and a youthful approach to problem-solving.

"I can't believe how my son has changed for the better," said Tran Nhu, a mother of two, who sent both of her sons for college in Australia.

"In no time, he has stopped playing games online, found himself a job in a local supermarket, bought some food with an ingredient he would refuse to eat while at home."

When his mother asked if he threw away the food he didn't like, "No way," was his answer. "Even if it didn't taste good as your food, Mum, I'd just eat it up."

While the number of graduates coming back to work in Viet Nam has been hard to nail down, we all know for sure that of all graduates who got to study in Australia, few came back. But that doesn't reflect the whole picture. Those who studied on their parents' savings, or on host institutions fellowships, were not counted. Before they ended up settling down in the west, the students still went home and established some connections in the workplace.

Work places get a new injection of youth and positive energy, while their parents beam with delight to have their kids home for a while.

Studying abroad has been a trend to send bright students away for decades. But many went ill-prepared and faced mounting difficulties in terms of integrating into a new life, with a new way of living and studying. It's not easy to cope with everything all at once, especially while away from home and alone in a foreign country.

But thanks to the student associations, the local hosts and the school's students affairs office, they soon get themselves up and running, especially with new and fascinating things to learn.

There can be rainy days, sick days or broke days when you have little or no money left for food. There could be bad days when they tried their best, but still couldn't pass their exams.

But challenges temper the will and today it is one of the best choices for excellent students who wish to study well. Domestic colleges and institutions have connected with counterparts in 500 exchange programmes in more than 30 countries. If you really want to study, enrolling in colleges in Viet Nam can also lead you to an exchange programme abroad.

"Being merely 18 or 19 and heading on your own to a new country, speaking a new language, living a new life can be a bit much for a young person to adapt to," said Nguyen Huong, 51, also a mother of two.

"I've studied abroad, I knew there were appeals but also traps for students quitting their studies, gambling online, getting involved in drugs or alcohol, and totally derailing long before their parents knew. I'd rather wait for a couple of years, and let them study for a year or two in college at home, when they become more mature, they will be ready to go charter new waters."

In domestic colleges, the youth do not just focus on studying anyway. They have to spend a few weeks in a real military barrack, studying basic army duties. They learn to survive on minimal resources, sleep on hard wood panel beds, put on an army uniform and make their blanket and mosquito net perfectly square, like a solid piece of brick.

They also learn how to be a member of a working unit, to follow rules, and help out each other. At night, music, dance and songs fill the air.

"My son plays keyboards and guitar well," Huong said. "So, every night, he would play for the fellow campers, accompany them and have an enthusiastic nightly audience of more than 1,000 people."

After the military camp time, the students came home all ravishing and renewed, and some fell in love before going back to school.

Whether at home or abroad, Vietnamese youth face challenges, but each must do his or her bit to help build their country. In them, we trust. VNS
In the summer months, visitors to Moc Chau can admire farmers' and farm workers' bustling tea harvest scene.

Also read: Explore Moc Chau Love Glass Bridge  A sweet and memorable tourist destination

Moc Chau Plateau is a district in Son La province with an average altitude of 1050m; it is an attractive tourist destination in the North of Vietnam, famous for its cool temperate climate and fertile soil. Surrounded by mountains, Moc Chau Plateau has a very unique climate. It is cool in summer, cold in autumn, cold in winter, and warm in spring. Therefore, Moc Chau always attracts people to explore at all times of the year.

Read more: The hill of white flowers blooms in Moc Chau

New tourist destination in Moc Chau  Chieng Khoa waterfall

Moc Chau is a beautiful and large steppe region in the northern mountainous region. This place is famous for its 1,600-hectare grasslands with favorable climate and soil conditions for the development of agriculture, forestry, fishery, and tourism. Not only charming nature, the Moc Chau plateau is also a land of cultural diversity with delicious food and many interesting festivals to experience.

The vivid green of tea hills usually encircles Moc Chau (Son La) at any time of the year. Over 60 years of "seeding and taking root" on the plateau land, through many ups and downs, tea trees are not only a specialty to help people develop their economy but also attract tourists from all over the world to enjoy, check in and contribute to building the image of Moc Chau tourism.

Visitors can ride motorbikes around and navigate serpentine curves to travel from hill to valley and marvel at how spectacular natural scenery has been transformed. The scent of tea wafted in the air.

Moc Chau has the 4 most beautiful tea hills for tourists who want to visit: Tan Lap 1, 2, 3 Tea Hills and heart tea hill. Each location has its beauty, attracting photography enthusiasts and tourists alike.

In the middle of July, photographer Hoang Duong (Hanoi) went to Moc Chau to compose a set of photos of tea harvesting. Mr. Duong chose the Sugar Sub-Region - Heart Tea Hill, about 7km from the town center.

"Different from the hustle and bustle in the district center, this place has a peaceful, gentle and romantic beauty. I've been to Moc Chau often, but this is the busiest I've ever seen the tea pickers," remarked Duong. The typical start time for local farmers or tea farm laborers is 7 am.

Their hands are rhythmic and quick. On average, each kg of tea will receive 3,000 dong. Quick pickers will get 300,000 VND/day.

Every year, mid-March to mid-April and mid-July to mid-August are the two best times to take pictures of tea hills because these are the times when the young buds sprout, changing the color of the hill and giving it new life.

Mr. Duong spent 3 days walking around following tea pickers to "hunt" many impressive moments. The "giant" tea hill is typically viewed from high camera angles and is big, hidden, and populated.

Visiting the tea hill, visitors can borrow farmers' baskets to take pictures, learn about their tea picking or participate in agricultural experience activities.

After picking, tea will be put into baskets, cleaned, dried and packaged.

When the weather is cold and comfortable, and the scenery is most lyrical, visitors should visit the tea hill in the early morning or late afternoon.

Moc Chau Plateau is a land favored by nature with very suitable soil and climate conditions for tea plants to grow. Currently, the Moc Chau district has over 2,100 hectares of tea; fresh buds' annual output is over 25,000 tons. Additionally, over 10 companies, enterprises and factories are processing fresh bud tea, with a capacity of about 300 tons/day, creating jobs for over 3,000 households in raw material areas and about 600 regular workers in companies and enterprises.

Moc Chau has created a plan to protect grasslands and tea slopes to promote tourism.
Local firefighters responded Saturday to a fire near Lorena off Box Ranch Road.

A water scooper airplane could be seen Saturday afternoon collecting water from Lake Waco and flying to help douse the fire.

The Lorena Fire Department reported on Facebook at 7:22 p.m. that "forward progress of the fire is stopped," also noting that there was no danger to homes at the time.

As of 10 a.m. Sunday, the 115-acre fire was 100% contained, according to a follow-up post by the department.

"Crews have remained out all night patrolling the fire lines to ensure that there were no losses in fire containment," the post said. "Additionally, crews are out today finishing mop up and addressing areas of concern.

"This would have been much worse without the quick actions of all the men and women that worked tirelessly to bring this fire under control," the post noted.
Recent research shows that temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit are dangerous to human health. Beyond this barrier, the body cannot release heat to the environment to maintain its core temperature. A study estimates that the top limit for normal human body functioning is 122F.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, over the past eight years, our planet has experienced an unprecedented temperature surge, reaching levels that have never before been witnessed in recorded history. Furthermore, July 2023 has been identified as the warmest month ever documented, with July 6 specifically standing out as the hottest day. Temperature records were broken worldwide, including in Siberia, where the thermometer recorded a temperature of 100 degrees.

According to a report by CBS News, the town of Verkhoyansk in Siberia experienced an unprecedented rise in temperatures, reaching a staggering 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. This alarming figure represents a deviation of 32 degrees above the region's usual climatic conditions. Satellite imagery reveals that on the same day, a series of widespread fires raged fiercely to the east of Verkhoyansk. In the vicinity of the town, situated on the East Siberian Sea, the captured imagery revealed the presence of unfrozen water as opposed to the anticipated ice formation.

Located approximately 3,000 miles east of Moscow, Russia, the Siberian town holds a significant place in history as one of the most frigid regions on our planet. In November, temperatures experienced a significant decline, reaching nearly -60 degrees Fahrenheit.

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In recent months, Siberian temperatures have shattered previous records, with last winter being identified as the warmest in Siberia since the commencement of weather records 130 years ago, as stated by Marina Makarova, the chief meteorologist at Russia's Rosgidromet weather service, in an interview with The Guardian.

During the scorching month of July, a substantial segment of the population residing in the United States found themselves on the receiving end of dire heat warnings. In the sun-scorched city of Phoenix, Arizona, an unprecedented heatwave has descended upon the arid landscape, leaving in its wake a trail of shattered records. Among these remarkable feats, one stands out with resolute determination - the endurance of 31 consecutive days, spanning from June 30 to July 30, where the mercury soared to 110 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This remarkable achievement has etched its mark in the annals of weather history, forever etching the name of Phoenix into the collective consciousness as a bastion of scorching heat and unyielding resilience.

Nine of the ten warmest years on record have occurred within the past decade. The high temperatures have considerably impacted our overall health, leading to unfavorable outcomes. Based on the data, it has been determined that the European heat wave in 2003 led to approximately 70,000 fatalities. In 2022, a heat wave in the region led to an estimated 62,000 fatalities. A considerable number of additional deaths have been documented in various cases of extreme heat, accompanied by a significantly higher incidence of heat-related illnesses or physical injuries among individuals.

Researchers have successfully identified the precise threshold at which the human body can withstand the most extreme combination of heat and humidity in a stunning achievement of scientific study. This ground-breaking discovery made possible via painstaking research and analysis, sheds light on the limits of human resilience in the face of adversity in the environment. Scientists subjected brave volunteers to increasing levels of heat and humidity in a series of rigorous studies, analyzing their physiological responses. The goal was to pinpoint the precise point at which the delicate balance between the body's thermoregulatory processes and external variables is jeopardized, potentially leading to life-threatening consequences. This study's findings have shown a key threshold beyond which the human body's

Even the most vigorous and youthful individuals are not immune to the unrelenting forces of Nature in the arena of human endurance. Just six hours of exposure to a sweltering 95-degree Fahrenheit temperature mixed with the heavy weight of 100 percent humidity can be lethal. Recent scientific investigations, however, have revealed a troubling revelation: this perilous threshold may be significantly more treacherous than previously thought.

Severe heat remains one of the most dangerous natural hazards, with tens of thousands of deaths in the century's deadliest catastrophes. Heat and humidity have cumulative effects that go beyond direct health outcomes to include decreased individual performance in various tasks and large-scale economic impacts. Heat-humidity interactions have sparked decades of research in military, sports, and occupational settings. However, wet-bulb temperature (TW) has only lately been considered from the perspectives of climatology and meteorology.

At this vital point, sweat, the body's principal method for controlling internal temperature, evaporates from the skin's surface, resulting in heatstroke, organ dysfunction, and, finally, death.

The elusive threshold, known as the "wet bulb temperature," has only been exceeded on a few occasions, primarily in South Asia and the Persian Gulf, according to Colin Raymond, a researcher from NASA's prestigious Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in an interview with AFP.

According to Raymond, the leader of a landmark study on the subject, none of these incidents have lasted more than two hours. As a result, it is safe to say that no "mass mortality events" have ever been linked to this limit of human endurance.

However, the dangers of high temperatures do not have to reach such astronomical levels to cost human lives. According to respected specialists, each individual has a different threshold based on age, health, and many socioeconomic factors.

The continent of Europe paid a stunning price during the sweltering summer of yesteryear. It is estimated that 61,000 people died due to the cruel grip of the searing heat. Such a devastating loss of life in a place where the arid climate rarely produces perilous wet bulb temperatures is a somber tribute to the exceptional circumstances that occurred.

With the persistent rise in global temperatures, a troubling revelation came on Tuesday: the previous month has officially established itself as the warmest in recorded history. Unfortunately, this is not the only cause for alarm. Along with this concerning trend, experts have warned that dangerous wet bulb events are on the rise.

According to Raymond, the prevalence of such incidents has increased by at least double during the last four decades. He adds that this increase is a serious threat directly related to climate change caused by human activity.

Raymond's research yielded a fascinating prediction, depicting a troubling reality that awaits us in the not-too-distant future. Should our planet continue to rise at a rate of 2.5C beyond pre-industrial levels, a troubling event is on the horizon. Wet bulb temperatures, a critical parameter in estimating the impact of heat and humidity on our world, are expected to exceed the warning threshold of 35C or 95F regularly. This distressing revelation foreshadows a serious problem that will confront many locations worldwide in the next decades.

In meteorology, the estimation of wet bulb temperature, originally performed using a soaked fabric draped over a thermometer, has evolved to rely mostly on the thorough assessment of heat and humidity levels.

The apparatus was built in a stunning stroke of inventiveness to meticulously quantify the rate at which water drained from the fabric, matching the evaporation process of perspiration from the human epidermis.

A much-debated barrier develops in human endurance: the potential limit of human existence at a wet bulb temperature of 95F. This incredible record includes blazing dry heat at 95F and suffocating humidity at a whopping 100 percent. In other words, when the humidity level is dropped to 50%, this translates to an incredible 114.8F.

A team of committed researchers from the famous Pennsylvania State University embarked on a ground-breaking experiment to test the boundaries of human endurance. What is their mission? To solve the riddles of the human body's resistance to extreme heat. These students set out with unshakable dedication to measuring the core temperatures of a group of vibrant young people within the confines of a perfectly crafted heat chamber.

Researchers have made a startling discovery on the human body's response to harsh climatic circumstances. They discovered that humans approach a crucial barrier, known as the "critical environmental limit," when their physiological processes fail to stop the persistent rising of their core temperature. Surprisingly, this limit has been established at a wet bulb temperature of 87.1.F, substantially lower than the previously proposed threshold of 95F. This ground-breaking discovery has far-reaching consequences for our understanding of human thermoregulation and the potential dangers of rising temperatures.

According to Daniel Vecellio, a researcher involved in the study, the team's estimates indicated that it would take around five to seven hours for the current circumstances to deteriorate to a dangerous level of core temperatures. This informative revelation was shared with AFP, highlighting the team's painstaking efforts.

Joy Monteiro is a researcher who has made significant contributions to India's expansive and ever-evolving region. Monteiro has recently been featured in the scientific publication Nature, demonstrating a strong passion for unraveling the enigmas of our natural world. Monteiro conducted a comprehensive study on wet bulb temperatures, specifically focusing on the captivating South Asia region. A remarkable conclusion emerged as Monteiro's comprehensive investigation results were unveiled in the esteemed scientific journal Nature. Contrary to prevailing beliefs, the most severe heatwaves experienced in South Asia did not surpass the critical threshold of 95F wet bulb temperature.

The revelation of this fact, brought to light by the insightful Monteiro, has profoundly impacted the scientific community, igniting a fervent pursuit of further understanding. Monteiro's research has provided valuable insights into the intricate Nature of these deadly heatwaves, which have been a persistent issue in the region for a considerable period. Monteiro conducted a thorough analysis of the material, demonstrating unwavering focus and a meticulous approach to uncovering the truth. Monteiro's investigation and keen attention led to the discovery of a fundamental insight that had eluded many individuals. The findings of Monteiro have significant implications that challenge prevailing notions regarding the severity of heat waves in South Asia. Through the revelation of these catastrophic occurrences falling significantly below the universally acknowledged wet-bulb threshold, Monteiro has initiated a fundamental shift in our comprehension of the climatic difficulties faced by the region. The acquisition of this newfound knowledge presents an opportunity for further investigation and a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between temperature and humidity.

Regarding the younger generation, we must acknowledge that human beings do not exist in isolation, stated Ayesha Kadir, a pediatrician from the United Kingdom and respected health advisor affiliated with the prestigious organization Save the Children.

According to her, young children have a diminished capacity to effectively regulate their body temperature, rendering them more susceptible to potential risks.

In human physiology, it is well-established that individuals of advanced age, endowed with a diminished quantity of sweat glands, find themselves in a state of heightened vulnerability. During the scorching summer that swept across Europe, a staggering revelation emerged from the depths of the statistics: an overwhelming majority of the tragic fatalities caused by the relentless heat were individuals who had surpassed the age of 65. This disheartening truth sheds light on the vulnerability of our elderly population in the face of extreme weather conditions.

Individuals who find themselves compelled to toil under the scorching sun are particularly susceptible to the perils accompanying such extreme heat.

The ability of individuals to occasionally lower their body temperature, such as by seeking refuge in air-conditioned environments, is a significant determinant as well.

Monteiro makes a profound observation about the plight of people who lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. Without access to a lavatory, these individuals are compelled to consume less water, eventually succumbing to dehydration.

Similar to the numerous consequences of climate change, Raymond stated that those with the fewest resources to protect themselves from these relentless extremes will endure the most anguish.

It has been unequivocally demonstrated through extensive research and analysis that the El Nino weather phenomena, with its power and influence, has profoundly impacted the wet bulb temperatures of our planet's delicate climate system. The painstakingly gathered and scrutinized empirical evidence leaves no room for doubt - El Nino has elevated the wet bulb temperatures in times gone by. After a prolonged hiatus, the much-anticipated arrival of the first El Nino phenomenon in four years is poised to reach its peak towards the culmination of this calendar year.

According to Raymond, the correlation between wet bulb temperatures and ocean surface temperatures is remarkably strong.

In a remarkable turn of events, the European Union's climate observatory has recently unveiled a startling revelation: the Earth's vast and majestic oceans have reached an unprecedented pinnacle of heat. Surpassing the previous record set in 2016, this momentous occurrence has sent shockwaves throughout the scientific community and beyond. The essence of our planet's aquatic realms has been irrevocably altered as the relentless march of rising temperatures continues to reshape our world.

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Scientists Identify The Maximum Heat Limit The Human Body Can Take
ChatGPT's efficiency is now questioned by experts after discovering that the AI chatbot incorrectly answered 52% of software engineering questions.

ChatGPT 52% Inaccurate When Answering Software Engineering Questions

The AI chatbot quickly gained popularity when OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public.

But, researchers from Purdue University in the U.S. said that although the ChatGPT is popular, there's a lack of thorough investigation into its quality and usability when it comes to answering software engineering questions.

Because of this, they decided to conduct a new study to check the answers of ChatGPT to 517 questions from Stack Overflow (SO).

"Our examination revealed that 52% of ChatGPT's answers contain inaccuracies and 77% are verbose," involved researchers said via News 18.

But, what alarms them the most is that ChatGPT answered 54% of the questions incorrectly because it didn't understand the concept of the queries.

Purdue University researchers said that although there are some instances when ChatGPT understands the questions, the AI model failed to show proper solutions.

These issues in the AI chatbot led to many conceptual errors.

Read Also: Microsoft Called Out for 'Negligent' Cybersecurity Policies; US Senator Seeking Probe

Other Issues in ChatGPT

Researchers discovered other issues in ChatGPT. One of them is the limited ability of the AI chatbot to provide reasoning.

They explained that ChatGPT provided solutions, codes, and formulas in many cases. However, artificial intelligence didn't think about the outcome.

Aside from this, the new analysis showed that ChatGPT also suffers from other quality problems. These include inconsistency, verbosity, etc.

ZDNet reported that this could cause major issues among issues.

Purdue University experts explained that many people tend to overlook incorrect information provided by ChatGPT because these responses are well-articulated.

Researchers explained that since ChatGPT's answers are well-articulated, comprehensive, and provide humanoid insights, users cannot identify incorrect information in the AI's responses.

They claimed that this happens more than 39% of the time. These common efficiency issues in AI-powered chatbots are a significant problem because they can contribute to the spread of misinformation.

Because of this, experts warned that people should reconsider using OpenAI's generative artificial intelligence when it comes to complicated queries.

To learn more about the new study showing the efficiency issue in ChatGPT, you can click here.

Related Article: ChatGPT AI Outperforms Undergraduates at Solving SAT Reasoning Problems, UCLA Study Finds

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WATERLOO  A Waterloo man who shot at his neighbors house has been sentenced to prison for weapons charges.

Judge C.J. Williams sentenced 20-year-old Montrell Anderson to three years and 10 months in prison on a charge of drug user in possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids.

The prison time will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Authorities allege Anderson fired a gun at a Conger Street home while the resident and his girlfriend were inside on April 24, 2022. Officers searched Andersons home and found a stolen 9 mm Smith and Wesson Shield pistol and a 9 mm Heckler and Koch VP9 SK handgun.

There was also a 50-round drum magazine for one of the weapons.

In addition, officers found marijuana and associated items in the residence.

Months later, on Sept. 19, 2022, Anderson was shot in the arm during a shooting at his home. Officers again searched the house, this time finding a 9 mm Stoeger STR9 handgun and a stolen 9 mm Beretta pistol, according to court records.
CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Falls Utilities board of trustees has set an Oct. 11 hearing for an estimated $250,000 remodeling project.

Trustees will consider bids for construction and any objections from the public to the plans after the hearing.

I&S Group of Waterloo was paid $29,500 to redesign the future water department space to address a less-than-ideal work setting. The project will require demolition, as well.

Hesitation had been voiced about moving forward until a better feel is ascertained for how the project could impact borrowing and paying for its proposed reciprocating engine electric generating plant, costing upwards of $64 million and requiring the selling of bonds for the first time since 2015.

If we want to get the bids back and say the bids are high, we still have the opportunity to back up and say this isnt appropriate, Dick McAlister, board chairman said at the meeting Wednesday. Im still troubled by the timing of it, and Im not saying the project is bad, but were hoping we will be able to do this kind of project after we have our full financial plan for our larger $50 million  now $60 million  reciprocating project.

Trustees already had delayed approving plans for repaving the deteriorating back parking lot between the CFU main building and warehouse with an estimated cost of $232,018.

In other business, the board approved:

Naming McAlister, Jeff Engel and MaraBeth Soneson as board chair, vice chair and secretary, respectively, effective Sept. 1.

Entered into a memorandum of understanding with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3576 to amend residency and response time requirements as part of the five-year collective bargaining agreement with the board.

A new lease agreement with Cedar Falls-based cryptocurrency company Simple Mining LLC spanning Oct. 15, 2021, until Oct. 14, 2024. The company will be utilizing additional property near the Streeter Station Power Plant for structures related to operating, increasing from 11,100 to 16,905 square feet. The company will continue to rent at a rate of $1 per square foot per year, and paying a pro-rated amount for that additional space for the rest of the second year, and then the full amount in the final year.
GUAJARA-MIRIM, Brazil  On the banks of the Komi Memem River, the activity never ceases: women go down the embankment from Laje Velho village carrying basins to wash clothing, while men embark in small canoes on hunting and fishing expeditions. At days end, its the childrens turn to dive into its tea-colored waters.

The river, named Laje in non-Indigenous maps, is vital to the Oro Waram, one of the six subgroups of the Wari people, who have inhabited the Western Amazon for centuries. However, this immemorial relationship is under increasing threat. The relentless expansion of soybeans and pastures encroaches on their land, while land-robbers promote illegal deforestation.

To protect themselves, the Wari people are resorting to a new strategy: the white mans law. In June, the municipality of Guajara-Mirim passed a groundbreaking law proposed by an Indigenous councilman that designates the Komi Memem and its tributaries as living entities with rights, ranging from maintaining their natural flow to having the forest around them protected.

The law comes as representatives of eight South American governments gather Tuesday and Wednesday in Brazil to discuss ways to preserve the Amazon rainforest to help stave off climate change and protect its Indigenous peoples.

The Komi Memem, a tributary of a larger river that's unprotected, is now the first among hundreds of rivers in the Brazilian Amazon to have a law that grants it personhood status. This is part of a new legislative approach to protect nature that has made inroads in many parts of the world, from New Zealand to Chile.

We are further organizing ourselves to fend off invaders, councilman Francisco Oro Waram, the laws proponent, told The Associated Press. We cant fight with arrows; we have to use the laws.

A teacher by profession, Oro Waram lives with his family in Laje Velho village, a 40-minute drive from downtown Guajara-Mirim, mostly on paved highway surrounded by pasture. Right before the village entrance, heavy machinery was preparing soil for soybean crops, which are fast replacing cattle ranching throughout this part of the Amazon in Rondonia state.

There are many generations to come, so the elders protect the water, Oro Waram said of the river. We dont pollute it or cut the trees that surround it. It is a living being for us.

Satellite images show the encirclement of the Indigenous Land Igarape Lage, a green rectangle amid deforestation. This is where Laje Velho is located. In the past decades, the federal government has created six non-continuous Indigenous territories. One, Rio Negro Ocaia, has been awaiting the federal governments approval of the expanded boundaries established by an anthropological study 15 years ago.

The Wari people lived independently until the late 1950s and early 1960s and are the largest group of Chapakuran speakers, an isolated language family. In the initial years after contact with outsiders, three out of five Wari died from introduced diseases, dwindling to as low as 400 people. The population has increased tenfold since then, but they now occupy less than one-third of their original territory, according to anthropologist Beth Conklin from Vanderbilt University, who has worked with them for nearly four decades.

The Wari value their cosmology and rituals. And all of it centers around promoting human thriving in relationships with the non-human, with the larger world, and the well-being of your people," Conklin told the AP. So this law is a 21st century update of these very traditional social, biological, ecological values that are at the center of Wari culture.

The expansion of soy, with heavily pesticide-dependent crops, poses a significant threat to the Komi Memem River. But it is not the only one. Upriver from Laje Velho, an invasion by land-robbers has blocked the Wari people from accessing their essential fishing grounds.

Moreover, the rivers headwaters are located near Guajara-Mirim State Park, a former Wari territory. Despite being a protected area, it has been extensively invaded and deforested by land-robbers in the past few years.

Instead of evicting them, the state governor, Marcos Rocha, an ally of the far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, signed a law in 2021 reducing the parks boundaries to legalize the land-grabbing. A judicial order subsequently overruled that law, but the invasion and deforestation have not stopped.

Last February, the river's tea-colored water turned muddy red, scaring Oro Waram. I had never seen it in my lifetime, said the 48-year-old, who blames the episode on rampant illegal deforestation.

The councilman says that due to pollution from cattle farms and soybean crops, his village no longer drinks water directly from the river, as their ancestors did. Instead, they rely on artesian wells.

Sometimes the threat is very direct. On June 6, about 60 armed men invaded Linha 26 village, expelling its inhabitants. They only returned after the Federal Police went to the locale and retook it, according to the Wari umbrella organization.

The loggers entered and divided up the Indigenous land, Gilmar Oro Nao, vice president of the Oro Wari' association, told the AP. They threaten food security. Our relatives have nowhere to fish, the Brazil nut trees were cut down. Today, they have nowhere to draw their survival from.

Oro Nao said that the Wari dont trust the National Indian Foundation's local employees. He said there is widespread suspicion that they collaborate with illegal loggers and land-robbers.

The AP sent emails to the Indian Foundation, but received no response. The Federal Prosecutors Office, whose responsibility includes overseeing Indigenous rights, said it has opened an investigation on the invasions and has been monitoring the situation.

Photos: New approach to preserving the Amazon
Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (12 August 2023)

On 11 August, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has launched a group strike with long-range air-based precision weapons against a military airfield near Kolomyia in Ivano-Frankovsk region.

The goal of the attack has been reached. All the assigned targets have been neutralised.

In Kupyansk direction, in the course of conducting offensive operations, assault detachments of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line.

Eight attacks and counterattacks by units of 95th airborne assault, 14th and 32nd mechanised brigades of the AFU have been successfully repelled close to Novosyolovskoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Pershotravnyovoye, Sinkovka, and Mankovka (Kharkov region).

The enemy losses were up to 70 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in close cooperation with aviation and artillery, have successfully repelled seven attacks by AFU assault groups close to Kleshcheevka, Yakovlevka, Vodyanoye, Krasnogorovka and Nevelskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

One ammunition depot of the AFU 59th Mechanised Brigade has been destroyed near Pervomaiskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 110 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk direction, as a result of actions by aviation, artillery, heavy flamethrower systems, and units of the Vostok Group of Forces, two attacks by AFU assault groups have been repelled near Urozhainoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

The enemy losses were up to 130 Ukrainian servicemen, one tank, three armoured fighting vehicles, and one U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station.

In Zaporozhye direction, as a results of actions by units of the Russian grouping of troops, aviation and artillery, three attacks by the 46th AFU Airmobile Brigade have been repelled close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

The enemy losses were up to 40 Ukrainian servicemen, five tanks, two armoured fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, and one Msta-B howitzer.

In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of coordinated actions by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, Army Aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems, three attacks by assault detachments of 63rd and 66th mechanised brigades of the AFU have been repelled near Sergeevka (Lugansk Peoples Republic) and Serebryansky forestry.

The enemy losses were up to 90 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, and one D-20 howitzer.

In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 35 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and one U.S.-manufactured AN/TPQ-36 counter-battery radar station.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 126 areas.

In addition, one advanced command post of the 10th Army Corps of the AFU has been hit near Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

Depots of the AFU rocket and artillery weapons and logistics have been destroyed in the districts of Zaporozhye and Malaya Tokmachka (Zaporozhye region).

In addition, 29 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down close to Ploshchanka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Belogorovka, Pokrovskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Ulyanovka, Ocherevatoye (Zaporozhye region), Pokrovskoye (Kherson region), as well as over the waters of the Black Sea.

In total, 458 airplanes, 245 helicopters, 5,683 unmanned aerial vehicles, 429 air defence missile systems, 11,249 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,144 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 5,853 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 12,189 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.

WtR
JIM MILLER

Dear Savvy Senior,

How does Medicare cover preventive health screenings? Im due to get a physical and a colonoscopy this year, but I want to find out what Ill have to pay for before I go in.

Just Turned 65

Dear Just Turned,

Youll be happy to know that Medicare covers a wide array of preventive and screening services to help you stay healthy, but not all services are completely covered. Heres what you should know.

Free preventive benefits

Most of Medicares preventive services are available to all beneficiaries  through Part B  completely free with no copays or deductibles, as long as you meet basic eligibility standards. Mammograms; colonoscopies; shots against flu, pneumonia, COVID-19 and hepatitis B; screenings for diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, HIV, various cancers and cardiovascular disease; and counseling to combat obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking are just some of Medicares lengthy list of covered services. But to get these services for free, you need to go to a doctor who accepts Medicare on assignment, which means he or she has agreed to accept the Medicare approved rate as full payment.

Also, the tests are free only if theyre used at specified intervals. For example, cardiovascular screening blood tests once every five years; or colonoscopy, once every 10 years, or every two years if youre at high risk.

Medicare also offers a free Welcome to Medicare exam with your doctor in your first year, along with annual Wellness visits thereafter. But dont confuse these with full physical examinations. These are prevention-focused visits that provide only an overview of your health and medical risk factors and serve as a baseline for future care.

Cost sharing services

There are, however, a few Medicare preventive services that do require some out-of-pocket cost sharing. With these tests, youll have to pay 20% of the cost of the service after youve met your $226 Part B yearly deductible. The services that fall under this category include glaucoma tests, diabetes self-management trainings, barium enemas to detect colon cancer, and digital rectal exams to detect prostate cancer.

For a complete list of services along with their eligibility requirements, visit medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-screening-services.

If youre enrolled in a Medicare Advantage  Part C  plan, your plan is also required to cover the same preventive services as original Medicare as long as you see in-network providers.

Hidden costs

You also need to know that while most of the previously listed Medicare services are free, you can be charged for certain diagnostic services or additional tests or procedures related to the preventive service. For example, if your doctor finds and removes a polyp during your preventive care colonoscopy screening, you will pay 15% of the doctors service fee. Or, if during your annual wellness visit, your doctor needs to investigate or treat a new or existing problem, you will probably be charged here too.

You may also have to pay a facility fee depending on where you receive the service. Certain hospitals, for example, will often charge separate facilities fees when you are receiving a preventive service. And you can also be charged for a doctors visit if you meet with a physician before or after the service.

To eliminate billing surprises, talk to your doctor before any preventive service procedure to find out if you may be subject to a charge and what it would be.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of The Savvy Senior book.
Weather Alert

.Tropical Storm Hilary will continue to weaken and rapidly move into Southern California and Central Nevada today. Deep tropical moisture out ahead of Hilary will result in steady light to moderate rainfall across western Nevada and portions of eastern California. The heaviest rainfall and associated flash flooding threat will be from Sunday evening through the early Monday morning hours. ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT... * WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...A portion of western Nevada, including the following area, Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area. * WHEN...Through late Monday night. * IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Storm drains and ditches may become clogged with debris. Never drive through a flooded roadway. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - 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. &&

...Widespread rains and cooler conditions with an increased risk of flooding for parts of western NV and the eastern Sierra through late Monday... * Hurricane Hilary in the eastern Pacific is forecast to make landfall today near the northwestern portion of Baja of California. While this system will rapidly weaken by the time it arrives in Nevada, significant amounts of moisture will bring periods of heavy rainfall to the region this afternoon through Monday. The greatest threat for flooding is across the Basin & Range and the eastern Sierra. However, isolated flooding cannot be ruled out elsewhere across western Nevada and northeast California. Have multiple ways to receive alerts in case flood warnings are issued, and never drive through flooded roadways. * Abundant cloud cover and rainfall will keep afternoon high temperatures 10 to 20 degrees below normal today through Tuesday, with Monday likely being the coolest day. * Stay tuned to the National Hurricane Center by visiting www.hurricanes.gov for the latest on Hilary.
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The 31-year-old announces the merch via Instagram and it includes some black and white T-shirts and hoodies that have photos of the emcee with a message that reads, 'Free Tory'.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Tory Lanez has dropped a "Free Tory Merch" after being sentenced to 10 years in prison in Megan Thee Stallion's shooting case. However, instead of making people interested to buy it, the emcee found himself being ridiculed online.

The 31-year-old announced the merch via Instagram on Friday, August 11. There were some black and white T-shirts and hoodies that featured photos of the emcee with a message that read, "Free Tory". In the caption, he wrote, "Free Tory  Till It's Backwards  Live Now @ ForeverUmbrella.Com."

Many have since reacted to the post. "Marketing from prison is insane ahahaha," one person wrote. "i can't keep defending u, this is ridiculous," another argued. "Nobody buying this," a third commented.

Twitter users also offered their two cents. One in particular wrote, "Tory Lanez making 'Free Tory' shirts explains why he needed 20 years instead of 10." Someone else added, "Tory lanez is selling free tory shirts he's literally a parody what a loser."

Tory received the 10-year prison sentence on Tuesday after being found guilty in December 2022 of three felony counts including assault with a semiautomatic firearm, carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle and discharging a firearm with gross negligence in connection with the July 2020 incident. He will spend 9 years in prison after being credited with time served.

Despite his guilty verdict, the "It Doesn't Matter" emcee maintained his innocence. In a statement posted on his Instagram page and addressed to his fans, collectively known as The Umbrellas, he declared, "I have never let a hard time intimidate me. I will never never let no jail time eliminate me. Regardless of how they try to spin my words, I have always maintained my innocence and I always will."

"This week in court I took responsibility for all verbal and intimate moments that I shared with the parties involved.... That's it," the Canadian rapper continued. "In no way shape or form was I apologizing for the charges I'm being wrongfully convicted of. I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do."

"I've faced adversity my whole life and every time it looked like I would lose, I came out on top," he further emphasized. "This is nothing but another moment where my back is against the wall and I refuse to stop fighting till I come out victorious."

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CNN reported that military officials in Kyiv have announced they claimed partial success on the outskirts of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region. Social media videos and images have been shared, which featured Ukrainian troops entering the village.

In response to the newest updates, the Institute for the Study of War [ISW] said even marginal gains by Ukraine in this area are significant as Russian forces have dedicated significant effort, time, and resources to defend.

Read Also: Ukraine Axes Military Recruiters Accused of Taking Bribes

Russian Action

On the other hand, Russian troops are attacking near Kupiansk, a village in the Ukrainian border region of Kharkiv. It was said the area had seen significant shelling and the first Ukrainian evacuation in months.

The Russians have also made unsuccessful attempts to regain lost ground near the village of Urozhaine in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian military officials added after they earlier claimed partial success in gaining positions in the area Thursday (Aug. 10).

Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Eastern Military Group for Strategic Communications Serhii Cherevatyi also said Saturday (Aug. 12) Russian forces are also trying to leverage an effort to relocate Ukrainian troops from other areas of the frontlines, detailing the Russians were attempting to lure the Ukrainians at the Lyman-Kupiansk direction in Kharkiv.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 13 August 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/kqqs8BQtnU



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/SWEsdzEGl2  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) August 13, 2023

UK Defense Ministry: Belarus Pays Wagner After Failed Mutiny

With the Wagner Group falling out of Russian favor after Yevgeny Prigozhin's mutiny last June, the British Ministry of Defense (MOD) speculated Belarus was now the mercenary group's second most plausible paymasters.

In its latest intelligence update, the MOD stated the Russian government has acted against Prigozhin's other business interests and that they were no longer funding the military contractors.

Related Article: Vladimir Putin Faces Second Coup as Kremlin Loses Grip on Power

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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In a video circulating online on Friday, August 11, the Memphis rapper could be seen taking the stage with his little one and they repeatedly spit raunchy bars together.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Finesse2tymes has landed in hot water over her son's appearance at his recent show. The "Back End" rapper has been slammed by social media users for allowing 10-year-old FNG King to perform NSFW songs onstage with him.

In a video circulating online on Friday, August 11, the Memphis rapper could be seen taking the stage with his little one. "Take this d**k, b**ch, stop pushing me," the father-and-son duo repeatedly shouted as the crowd cheered them on.

While concertgoers were seemingly enjoying the moment, people on the Internet were unhappy with it. "That's completely inappropriate to be telling that child to do that and he rapping that mess at the same time smh," one person vented on Twitter, which is now rebranded as X.

"Kids have to be protected and exposing them to certain things at this age is so negligent. And honestly predatory," another upset user wrote. Someone else added, "It's 'mind your own business' when it comes to this but let a child say that they're LGBT, they should wait until they're 18 to decide. Okay," seemingly referencing the recent debate sparked by Ne-Yo's opinion on transgender children.

Finesse2Tymes and his son's performance took place a few weeks after the rapper was cleared in the rental car theft case. On July 21, prosecutors dropped charges against him due to insufficient evidence.

Houston police initially issued an arrest warrant for Finesse2Tymes. He was accused of stealing a car that was supposed to be returned to Enterprise Holdings in March.

A man named Ronald Bell rented an Infiniti QX80 SUV valued at $72,000 in Houston in February. Ronald then told an Enterprise employee that the MC was the person in possession of the vehicle in April.

Finesse2Tymes reportedly spoke with the employee, telling them that he was in Atlanta. Though he said he would return the vehicle to an Enterprise location in the city, the rap star allegedly never did so.

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The 'Astroworld' hitmaker confirms he will be touring across North America following his show at the historic Circus Maximus in Italy to promote new album 'Utopia'.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Travis Scott has hinted at his first tour since the 2021 Astroworld tragedy that saw 10 attendees lose their lives. The hip-hop star confirms the "Utopia: Circus Maximus tour" will be heading to the US and Europe.

"UTOPIA TOUR SOON US AND EURO DATES SOON TO BE ANNOUNCE I MISS THE ROAD I MISSS YALLLL (sic)," he wrote on Instagram.

It will mark his first jaunt since eight people were killed during the crowd crush at the concert while two others died in the hospital in the following days. The cause of death for the concertgoers was ruled as "compressive asphyxiation" causing suffocation due to external pressure.

No dates have been released at this time.

The news comes after Travis held a concert for 60,000 fans at the historic Circus Maximus in Rome, on Monday, August 7, which saw him bring out fellow rapper Kanye West. The shows are in support of Travis' latest LP "Utopia", which is the biggest hip-hop release of 2023 so far, with 500,000 album units sold in its first week and more than 650 million streams globally.

Apple Music recorded the biggest first-day streams of an album in 2023, and Spotify named it the most streamed record in 2023 on its first day with 128 million streams, and 79 million on its second day, which is bigger than the first day of any other rap record released this year.

Just days ago, Travis' team hit back after an Astroworld victim's attorney called him "stunningly tone-deaf." After they accused law enforcement of trying to "sabotage" his new album with the release of their investigation into the deaths of the fans at Astroworld, attorney Bob Hilliard, who is representing the family of 10-year-old victim Ezra Blount, hit out.

Bob told TMZ, "For an artist making his living with music, these are stunningly tone-deaf comments about this preventable tragedy that took so many lives and injured so many. Of course they would only focus on how the report's release date hurts their album sales instead of the facts contained inside of the report."

"For Mr. Scott to allow his lawyers and spokespeople to make the reckless and untrue statement that just because he was not indicted means he's blame-free is arrogant and insulting to the memory of 10-year-old Ezra as well as the other victims of this terrible night."

However, Ted Anastasiou, a representative for Travis, 32, told TMZ, "As we've said before, the Houston police report confirmed Travis' concern for his fans' safety. The report contains the same exact evidence that was presented to the Houston grand jury that decided there was no basis for charges against Travis. To use that report to try to blame Travis for the Astroworld tragedy doesn't just defy logic, but can be seen as nothing but a cynical attempt to exploit the victims and gaslight the public."

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The 'Sausage Party' actor explains it's difficult to get movie studios and streaming giants on the same page and bring a unified proposal to end the ongoing writers' and actors' strike.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Seth Rogen thinks there's still "a great distance to go" to resolve the Hollywood writers' strike. The 41-year-old actor has alleged that film studios and streaming giants are unable to resolve their issues because they "hate each other."

"The studios haven't even spoken to each other, is what I've heard. So not only does it seem as though the writers and actors have a great distance to go when it comes to the studios, I think the studios have a great distance to go, probably a greater one, when it goes to them getting on the same page," Seth - who is an actor, writer and executive producer - told Sky News.

"These are people who hate each other. To think that Universal has the same priorities as Netflix is insane. What concerns me is that they will be completely unable to bring forth a coherent and unified proposal because of their own infighting and divergent priorities."

Earlier this year, meanwhile, Jessica Biel voiced her support for the writers' strike. The 41-year-old actress revealed that she supports the strike action, describing the writers as the people who make the industry "go around." She told PEOPLE, "They are the idea makers. They make this industry go around. We help their stories get told."

The movie star noted that the landscape of the industry is changing, amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Jessica - who is married to pop star Justin Timberlake - said, "Everything has changed so drastically with the platforms and the streamers and now, you know, the AI conversation and we support our writers immensely."

Jessica also stressed the need to protect the jobs of people who work behind the camera. She said, "We support all of our guild and want everyone to be taken care of properly. So we're here for it. And that's it."

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The 'Last of Us' actor was taken by his friend to an art exhibition inspired by himself but he hasn't had much luck because he was unable to enter the gallery.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Pedro Pascal dropped by an art exhibition themed on himself - and found he was locked out. Heidi Gentle Burrell, 45, is holding show "ADHD Hyper Fixation and Why It Looks Like I Love Pedro Pascal" at the Rhodes Gallery, Margate, which shows "The Last of Us" actor, 48, in various mediums including painting, mirror imaging and Photoshop.

However, on Sunday, August 6 when he turned up with Brit actor Russell Tovey and Robert Diament, his pals who host the "Talk Art" podcast, they found the gallery was shut.

Heidi told The Sun, "I'm gutted they showed up when the gallery was closed. I'd love for Robert to bring him when we're open." She said Robert has attended her preview and joked of telling Pedro. Heidi added, "I can imagine Pedro's slightly embarrassed, with all the art being about him!"

Pedro recently admitted he hasn't had much luck with fans either as he got an eye infection by letting "Game of Thrones" fans jam their thumbs in his eye.

The actor found global fame playing Oberyn Martell in the hit HBO show around 10 years ago, and said viewers became obsessed with recreating his character's violent death - that saw him have his eyes gouged out by Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane - when they met him and asked for selfies.

He told The Hollywood Reporter's "Drama Actors Roundtable", "I remember, earlier on, because of 'Game of Thrones' and the way my character died people were super into taking selfies with their thumbs in my eyes. At first, I was so earnest and happy about the success of the character in the show, I'd let them! And then I remember getting a bit of an eye infection."

Pedro appeared on the round table with Jeff Bridges, Kieran Culkin, Damson Idris, Michael Imperioli, and Evan Peters. His tale prompted Kieran to say, "Wow, that's a lot of trust."

Pedro went on to play Din Djarin on "The Mandalorian" and Joel on "The Last of Us" after "Game of Thrones".

His character's death came in episode eight - "The Mountain and the Viper" - of season for of the show. Pascal has said despite the dramatic horror of his death scene with actor and Icelandic strongman Hafor Julius Bjornsson, 34, he fell asleep while it was being shot.

He said on YouTuber Sean Evans' "Hot Ones" show, "It was so hot when we were shooting that scene. He's over me and he puts his thumbs into my eyes and they've got tubing through his body into his forearms to his thumbs just pumping this cool blood."

Pascal added Hafor was the "gentlest guy ever" and said the fake blood used in the scene was "so cooling" during the sweltering day it was show "I went into the deepest sleep I'd been in."

He said, "I realise now, because I'm not a very good sleeper, I need to be laid out with pieces of flesh - gelatinous, cool-to-the-touch face meat - and pooling blood, and maybe I'll finally get a good f****** night's sleep."

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The 'Two Weeks Notice' actress never publicly mentioned her partner's health struggle but she actually took a step back from Hollywood to focus on taking care of him.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Sandra Bullock reportedly has put her Hollywood career on hold for a year to care for her critically ill boyfriend Bryan Randall. The "Speed" actress, 59, was heartbroken when her long-term photographer partner died aged 57 over the weekend after a three-year battle with fatal motor neuron disease ALS, and sources have now opened up about the huge amount of time she spent nursing him in his final months.

"I don't think people knew that Sandra actually took off to care for Bryan. I'm gutted for her," a top Hollywood producer source told Page Six, which said Sandra halted all her work for a year to care for Bryan.

One of the last times Sandra did give up time for work in the past year was when she stepped onto the red carpet alongside co-star Channing Tatum at the premiere of their movie "The Lost City" in March 2022, with few people knowing Bryan's absence was due to his illness. Since then, Sandra was seen only a handful of times in public.

While promoting comedy "The Lost City", the actress, who called Bryan "the love of my life," revealed she was going to take time off, but didn't mention his condition.

She told CBS Sunday Morning, "I want to be at home. I'm not doing anyone any favours who's investing in a project if I'm saying, 'I just want to be at home.' 'Cause I was always running, I was always running to the next thing. I just want to be present and responsible for one thing. And I don't know what 'a while' is. I don't know what that is."

Sandra was last seen in public in April, as she joined her long-time agent Kevin Huvane from CAA for dinner at Blue Ribbon in Soho. A CAA source told Page Six, "I know that her agents have been extremely protective of her. No one said a word."

Sandra first met Randall after hiring him to take photographs at a birthday party for her son Louis, now 13, in 2015. They went public as a couple in October of that year at the premiere of her movie "Our Brand Is Crisis".

The actress had not been in a serious relationship since her bitter split from her cheating ex-husband, Jesse James, in 2010, which was the same year she adopted Louis. Sources told the Daily Mail Louis, as well as Sandra's daughter Laila, 11, who she adopted in 2015, called Bryan "dad."

The couple tied the knot in an unofficial ceremony in December 2017 at French financier Arpaud Busson's Three Bees Villa on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. It's been reported Bryan was mainly cared for at Sandra's home in Beverly Hills where a team of nurses is said to have worked.

An insider added to the Mail, "The relationship was absolutely strained by it, and it was really hard for the children. (During Covid lockdowns) she just stopped letting people in the house."

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The 'Yellowstone' actor is frustrated by his ongoing divorce battle with Christine Baumgartner, accusing his soon-to-be-ex-wife of deliberately dragging out the proceedings.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kevin Costner has alleged his estranged wife deliberately prolong their divorce proceedings. The "Yellowstone" actor called it quits with Christine Baumgartner in May after 19 years of marriage and, despite having a prenuptial agreement in place, they have been locked in dispute over issues including finances, child support for their kids Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and Grace, 13, and their family home, and now the 68-year-old star has claimed the handbag designer has been doing her best to "delay" the process.

"Christine has only thrown roadblock after roadblock up in an unjustified effort to avoid answering this discovery," he wrote in court documents obtained by Us Weekly magazine.

Kevin is seeking financial sanctions against Christine for allegedly failing to respond to the discovery requests he sent in May, which he explained were designed to "elicit her contentions as to the validity" of their pre-nuptial agreement.

He insisted he and his legal team were looking for a "very basic discovery" in regard to the "facts, documents and witnesses supporting her contentions" of their divorce but argued Christine was indulging in "gamesmanship" after she "steadfastly refused" to reveal her contentions and alleged she "cannot admit or deny that she understood" their pre-nup.

The documents read, "Christine asserts she cannot admit or deny that she understood the Premarital Agreement because she (and apparently all of her attorneys) do not understand the word 'understood.' This is gamesmanship of the worst sort."

" 'Understood' is not a technical or arcane word. It is not ground for objection that a request is ambiguous, unless it is so ambiguous that the responding party cannot in good faith frame an intelligent reply."

"The notion that Christine and the multiple seasoned lawyers representing her do not understand the word 'understood' and cannot reply to this simple, straightforward [request for admission] is frivolous. Clearly, this vagueness objection was interposed only for the purpose of delay."

A judge previously ruled in July that Christine - who is temporarily living in staff accommodation on the grounds of her former marital home - must confer with Kevin before taking any property from the estate.

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The Duke of Sussex misses his loved ones, who stay in California, while he joins his pal on a trip to Japan and Singapore to raise funds for his charity.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry wishes his family were with him while playing polo in Singapore. The Duke of Sussex went overseas without wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and their children Prince Archie, four, and two-year-old Princess Lilibet to take part in a charity tournament to raise money for his charity Sentebale, and his friend and fellow player Nacho Figueras admitted they hadn't found it easy leaving their loved ones behind in California.

"We miss our wives very much. This was a very short trip, although it's a few days, it's a lot of travelling for 24 hours in Japan and a few hours here, but we miss them. We wish they were here," Nacho told reporters.

But while they missed their families, 46-year-old Nacho - who has four children with wife Delfina Blaquier - admitted he'd relished being able to spend some quality time for his pals. He said of Harry, "He's very committed. That's what he is. It's in his DNA and that's why I like him so much. Being able to spend so much time together has been a wonderful thing."

"I always say that the first thing that [struck] me about Sentebale before I knew anything about it was his commitment to the charity, how much he cares about doing good. I could see that first-hand when I went to Lesotho with him, we have been there two or three times. He's the first person to point out that there's something that can be better. It's very inspiring."

The annual Sentebale Polo Cup game ended in a 7-7 draw, with both Harry and Nacho - who played for the Royal Salute Sentebale team and the Singapore Polo Club respectively - scoring impressive goals. Despite the score, a relaxed Harry jokingly pretended to steal the match trophy during the presentation ceremony.

To date, the tournament has raised over 11 million for the charity, which Harry established with Prince Seeiso of Lethoso in 2006. The 38-year-old royal said in a statement, "Sentebale has remained a pillar of support in communities across southern Africa for almost two decades. Our work has remained rooted in our mission, and in honour of our late mothers, we wish to ensure all children and young people in southern Africa are empowered, healthy and able to pursue their ambitions and dreams."

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The 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' actress is praised for her 'energy' and 'chemistry' with Lindsay Lohan that ended up adding a huge boost to the 2003 Disney comedy.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jamie Lee Curtis helped save "Freaky Friday" because of her "chemistry" with Lindsay Lohan. The 64-year-old actress was cast in the 2003 Disney comedy to play a mother who switches bodies with her teenage daughter just days before filming began and now director Mark Waters has recalled how the two stars were "not scared" to approach the movie with an "aggressive energy."

"[Curtis' casting] ended up, I think, saving the movie because her energy and also her chemistry with Lindsay  the two of them have a lot of like aggressive energy, and aggression is funny. If you're kind of playing comedy in a way that's shy and non-confrontational, it's never that good. But the two of them were not scared to get into it with each other, and that made it really work well," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

The comedy - which was a remake of the 1978 Disney classic starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris - marked Lindsay's second big-screen appearance after "The Parent Trap" and Mark went on to add that while she didn't necessarily give the "best audition", she had something in terms of "star presence" as he reflected on the movie's legacy upon its 20th anniversary.

He added, "Lindsay was another one that was interesting. We tested all these great young actors, and people did a decent job playing kind of the mom part. I wouldn't even say Lindsay was our best audition, but Lindsay just had star presence."

"There's always a generation of daughters and mothers that seems to keep renewing itself. I went from people who are my peers to people who are like five to 10 years younger than me to people who are brand new mothers right now, who come to me and say, 'Oh my god, I just watched that movie with my daughter.' I think that's an amazing thing that we pulled that off."

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The 'Step Up' actress talks about raising her daughter Everly whom she shares with ex-husband Channing Tatum and admits she is scared of the girl's imminent teenage years.

Aug 14, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jenna Dewan wants to enjoy some "sweet" moments with her daughter before she hits her teenage years. The 42-year-old actress shares Everly, ten, with her ex-husband Channing Tatum, and Jenna is keen to make the most of her time with her daughter before the dynamic of their relationship changes.

"Teenage years, in general, [scare me]. Because she's so sweet [now] and she loves to hang out with me. She enjoys my company," the Hollywood star - who was married to Channing between 2009 and 2019 - told Us Weekly.

Jenna expects that, at some stage, Everly will prefer to spend time with her own friends rather than her mom - and the actress admits that she's already dreading the moment. She said, "I'm sure that will happen, where she's like, 'Ugh, mom!' I'm gonna have a hard time with that."

Meanwhile, Jenna previously admitted that she's struggled to balance her parental responsibilities with her career. The movie star admitted that she has a lot of sympathy for other working parents.

During an appearance on the "Dear Gabby" podcast, Jenna - who also has Callum, three, with Steve Kazee - shared, "I feel every working parent out there because it is a real balancing act."

"I had to travel with her and at the time, Chan wasn't available to be with us for most of the parts. So, it was me, my doula, and Evie all by ourselves travelling at six, seven weeks to Vancouver. And I went right back to work thinking, you know, it's this sort of ignorance is bliss. I thought, okay. I think I can do that. You know, it'll be like two months after and I'll be able to have her on set."

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The 'Magic Mike' actor, who filed for divorce from the 'Modern Family' alum after seven years of marriage, is seen carrying their dog Bubbles while running errands in Los Angeles.

Aug 13, 2023

AceShowbiz - Joe Manganiello finally resurfaced in public for the first time since calling it quits with Sofia Vergara. A few weeks after filing for divorce from the "Modern Family" alum, the "Magic Mike" actor was photographed running errands after a workout.

On Saturday, August 12, the 46-year-old was seen carrying his and his now-ex's dog Bubbles during the Los Angeles stroll. Noticeably missing in photos published by PEOPLE was the wedding ring on his finger.

Joe submitted the divorce paper to Los Angeles County Superior Court on July 19. In the legal documents, his lawyer Laura Wasser, per reported by TMZ, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their separation.

The filing uncovered that Joe and Sofia had a prenup, and the actress was not interested in contesting the prenup. As also seen in the documents, Joe urged the court to clearly state that he and Sofia will each keep the assets they have accumulated throughout their 7-year marriage, including jewelry and earnings. He additionally requested that each party pay the fees of their attorney.

Following the split, Sofia agreed that Joe is the one who'll take care of their dog Bubbles. "Not in a million years would Joe part ways with his dog Bubbles and Sofia is well aware of this," a source told the Daily Mail. "Neither one of them is bitter or out for revenge, and Sofia loves Bubbles and wants her to be happy which is precisely why she's letting Joe have custody."

The insider added that the "Amercia's Got Talent" judge was instead "gracious" about her estranged husband keeping the 10-year-old Chihuahua-Pomerainian mix after their separation. "[Joe] said Sofia has the biggest heart and would never do anything to intentionally hurt him or Bubbles," the source continued.

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The U.K. government decided to start a major crackdown on neutral-gender toilets.

Officials will do this in all new non-residential buildings in order to protect single-sex spaces.

UK Gender-Neutral Toilet Crackdown

According to The Evening Standard, the gender-neutral toilet crackdown was proposed as a move to protect dignity and privacy when using public facilities.

The clampdown also includes buildings that are doing refurbishments. Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch explained that ensuring people's privacy and dignity in public areas is important.

She said that the movement to increase gender-neutral toilets makes it difficult to achieve this as they remove the fundamental right for girls and women.

The new regulations proposed by the U.K. government will require that non-residential establishments and buildings under major refurbishment make single-sex toilets default and minimum.

"These proposals will ensure every new building in England is required to provide separate male and female or unisex facilities and publish guidance to explain the difference," said Badenoch via Sky News.

She explained that this will ensure that the dignity, privacy, and safety of all people are protected.

Read Also: More Toxic TikTok Version in UK Concerns Campaigners; Optional Personalized Algorithm Feature Now Needed

What to Know About Gender-Neutral Toilet Crackdown

The new gender-neutral crackdown will not affect all toilets in the United Kingdom.

The government clarified that restrooms for disabled people are not included in the proposed changes.

Aside from this, toilets that are used by only one person at a time are also an exception. The U.K. government said that the recent call for evidence on increasing the accessibility of restrooms for women and men acquired over 17,000 responses.

Officials said that these responses are commonly asking for greater consideration to preserve access, privacy, dignity, and equality in public toilets.

Baroness Scott, the Parliamentary undersecretary of state for faith and communities, explained how important it is for ladies to feel comfortable when using public facilities.

She added this is the reason why the government decided to start the major gender-neutral crackdown, with restoring dignity and privacy at the center of all future provisions.

"These proposals will mean separate toilets for men and women, as well as self-contained toilets for those that need them, become a requirement for every new building across England," further explained Baroness.

Related Article: UK: Labour Party to House Asylum Seekers on Barges While Clearing Backlog

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Three federal judges who ruled last year that Alabamas congressional district map most likely violated the Voting Rights Act will decide whether a new map approved by the Legislature in July fixes the discrimination against Black voters.

Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus and District Judges Anna M. Manasco and Terry F. Moorer will hear arguments at the Hugo L. Black U.S. Courthouse in Birmingham on Monday.

The judges ruled last year that Alabamas map, with one majority Black district out of seven in a state where one-fourth of residents are Black, gave Black voters less of an opportunity than other Alabamians to elect a candidate of their choice.

The new map makes substantial changes, with about a dozen counties changing districts, but does not add a second majority Black district.

The organizations and Black voters who challenged the old map say the new one disregards last years ruling, which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in June.

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, attorney Deuel Ross of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and others representing the plaintiffs wrote in their objection to the new map.

In response, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and the states lawyers wrote that the Voting Rights Act does not require proportional representation for minorities. They say the new map more closely follows traditional map-drawing principles because districts are compact and because what they define as communities of interest, including Mobile and Baldwin counties, the Black Belt, and the Wiregrass, are intact to the extent possible.

There are many ways for a State to satisfy (the Voting Rights Acts) demand of equally open districts, the states lawyers wrote. The 2023 Plans fair application of the neutral principles of compactness, county lines, and communities of interest is one such way, even if it does not create proportional representation.

The stakes are high. If the judges uphold the new map, Republicans are all but certain to keep their hold on six of Alabamas seven congressional seats. If the court rejects the map, a special master and cartographer appointed by the court will draw a new map to be used in next years elections.

The Congressional Black Caucus and Congresswoman Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, filed a brief in support of the plaintiffs, as did Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and other Black elected officials. The National Republican Redistricting Trust has weighed in with a brief in support of the state. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a statement with the court asserting its substantial interest in the proper application of the Voting Rights Act.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen told the court the state needs a map in place by Oct. 1 to prepare for next years elections.

The litigation started almost two years ago. In October 2021, the Legislature approved a congressional map, as required after every census. Several groups of plaintiffs challenged it in court. The combined case the judges will hear on Monday is called the Milligan and Caster case, named after two of the individual Black voters who sued.

Last year, the three-judge panel held a seven-day hearing and ruled that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their Voting Rights Act claim and that the appropriate remedy is a congressional redistricting plan that includes either an additional majority-Black congressional district, or an additional district in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice.

The judges said the plaintiffs claims passed key legal standards for Voting Rights Act cases, including that Alabamas Black population was large enough and geographically compact enough to form a reasonably drawn second majority Black district, and that voting in Alabama is racially polarized.

The appropriate remedy is a congressional redistricting plan that includes either an additional majority-Black congressional district, or an additional district in which Black voters otherwise have an opportunity to elect a representative of their choice, the judges wrote.

The Supreme Court put a hold on the ruling last year to allow the map to be used for the 2022 elections but did not rule on the merits of the case at that time. The justices heard oral arguments in October. In June, they affirmed the likely Voting Rights Act violation.

That sent the case back to the three-judge court, which gave the Legislature a chance to fix the problem. The disagreement now is over whether the plan passed by the Legislature on July 21 was an appropriate remedy.

The new map leaves District 7 in west Alabama as the only majority Black district, with a Black voting age population of 51%, which is down from 55% on the old map.

District 2, which covers southeast Alabama, has the second highest proportion of Black voting age population, at 40%, up from 30% on the old map. The other five districts range from 7% to 25% Black.

The Republican majority in the Legislature, who passed the map on a party-line vote, said it makes District 2 the second opportunity district for Black voters that the court called for.

The Legislature enjoys broad discretion and may consider a wide range of remedial plans, the judges wrote. As the Legislature considers such plans, it should be mindful of the practical reality, based on the ample evidence of intensely racially polarized voting adduced during the preliminary injunction proceedings, that any remedial plan will need to include two districts in which Black voters either comprise a voting-age majority or something quite close to it.

The plaintiffs say recent election results in the new District 2 show that Black-preferred candidates, or Democrats, would have little or no chance. In 16 of 17 statewide races since 2016, Democrats received fewer votes in the new District 2 than Republicans, with the outlier being Doug Jones win over Roy Moore in the 2017 special election for the U.S. Senate.

In all 11 statewide races pitting Black vs. white candidates since 2014, the Black candidate received fewer votes in the new District 2, an average of 42%.

In this regard, the new CD2 (Congressional District 2) offers no more opportunity than did the old CD2, the plaintiffs wrote in their objection. In both plans, Black voters are unable to elect their preferred candidates. SB5 (the new map) continues to violate this Courts order because nothing about the new CD2 meaningfully increases Black voters electoral opportunities, nor decreases the dilution of their vote.

Alabama's 2021 congressional district map, with the new 2023 map superimposed with red lines. The Supreme Court ruled the 2021 map likely violated the Voting Rights Act. A three-judge court will decide whether the 2023 map fixed the problem. (Image is from court brief by lawyers for the state).

The Department of Justice, in its statement of interest filed with the court, said historical election patterns are an important fact to consider whether the redrawn District 2 with a 40% Black voting age population would give Black voters a realistic chance to elect a candidate of their choice.

Woodfin, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, and other Black elected officials filed a brief in support of the plaintiffs on Friday. They said the new map does not follow the courts orders.

Instead, the Legislature has flouted its obligations in an effort to entrench power and to continue to undermine Black voters throughout the State, they said. We urge this Court to continue to press the State to fulfill its obligations under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The brief was signed by Sens. Merika Coleman of Pleasant Grove and Linda Coleman-Madison of Birmingham, Reps. Napoleon Bracy of Mobile and Patrick Sellers of Birmingham, Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, and Jason Ward, mayor of Lisman, a town in Choctaw County.

The National Republican Redistricting Trust, which filed a brief in support of the state, said the Voting Rights Act does not require or even allow forcing proportional representation while violating traditional redistricting principals.

For that reason, any suggestion that the State is defying the Supreme Courts opinion in Allen by passing a law that follows traditional districting principles rather than racial proportionality makes no sense, the organization said in its brief. Here, given the nature of Alabamas population and geographic dispersion  only 11 of 67 counties are majority black  it would be surprising to see proportional representation without a violation of traditional districting principles.

But the Milligan plaintiffs, in their objection to the new map filed on July 28, said the Supreme Court has already found that maps proposed by the plaintiffs with two majority Black districts do not violate traditional principals.

First, and most importantly, the Supreme Court agreed with this Court (the three-judge court) that politically cohesive Black voters could form majorities in two reasonably configured districts, yet (the new map) continues to permit the white majority voting as a bloc in the new CD2 to easily and consistently defeat Black-preferred candidates, they wrote. A remedy where the majority votes sufficiently as a bloc to enable it usually to defeat the minoritys preferred candidate is no remedy at all.

Both sides have indicated they do not intend to call witnesses at Mondays hearing.

Marcus has been a federal judge since 1997 and was appointed by President Clinton. Moorer was appointed by President Trump and was confirmed by the Senate in 2018. Manasco was appointed by Trump and confirmed by the Senate in 2020.

Read more: Johnson: Plaintiff in historic SCOTUS redistricting case shed tears for late father after ruling

Archibald: The remarkable life of Shalela Dowdy  West Pointer, beauty queen, Supreme Court plaintiff

Archibald: Alabama woman lives the power of belief
Donaldson Correctional Facility in western Jefferson County was put on lockdown on Sunday morning after an incident that involved a convicted killer and at least one corrections officer.

ADOCs Law Enforcement Services Division (LESD) can confirm it is investigating a security incident that took place at Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama, said a statement released by the Department of Corrections on Sunday morning. Currently, the facility is on lockdown for the safety of the staff and the inmates, but there is no threat to the public. LESD is being assisted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office.

Soon after that statement, ADOCs Law Enforcement Services Division announced it had arrested inmate Derrol Shaw and is working with the West Jefferson County District Attorneys Office to expedite charges.

Shaw, 35, is already serving a sentence of life without parole for murder and robbery I out of Jefferson County.

In 2008, Shaw, then 20, agreed to plead guilty to four Birmingham murders.

Shaw was charged in the June 13, 2006, shooting deaths of John and Evelyn Martin, 84 and 82, and their 19-year-old grandson, Ryan Evans. He was also charged in the June 9, 2006, shooting death of Walter Hill, a 91-year-old church deacon. Shaw decided to plead guilty in all four murders to avoid a potential death sentence.

See also: Derrol Shaw, killer of 4 involved in Alabama prison security incident, appeared in video: We die all the time

Derrol Shaw used gun to threaten Alabama prison staff during Donaldson escape attempt, warrants state
The National Weather Service is warning that dangerous heat will be felt across all of Alabama on Sunday, and most of the state will be under excessive heat warnings.

Air temperatures are expected to top out in the mid- to upper 90s statewide (maybe even a few 100s), and those combined with high humidity levels will make it feel much hotter.

The heat index, or feels like temperature, could climb as high as 115 in some areas this afternoon, according to the weather service.

Here is the high temperature forecast for Sunday:

Highs on Sunday will reach the mid- to upper 90s, with a few spots possibly hitting 100 degrees.

Highs on Monday could be similar:

Here are the forecast high temperatures for Monday.

But hang in there, a break is coming for parts of Alabama. Take a look at the forecast highs for Tuesday:

Yes, that is a forecast for a high temperature in the 70s in north Alabama on Tuesday. South Alabama will stay oppressively hot, however.

And Wednesday:

More of Alabama will cool off a bit on Wednesday.

Here is a look at the heat warnings and advisories for Alabama on Sunday:

NORTH ALABAMA

TODAY:  Dangerous heat is expected across the Tennessee Valley w/max heat indices of 100-112F. There is also a chance of a few strong-severe thunderstorms this afternoon/tonight. Primary hazards are damaging winds, hail & frequent lightning. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/odXUlZUCpO  NWS Huntsville (@NWSHuntsville) August 13, 2023

* Excessive heat warning from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday for Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan, Marshall and Cullman counties.

Heat index values up to 112 expected.

* Heat advisory from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Sunday for Jackson and DeKalb counties.

Heat index values up to 107 expected.

CENTRAL ALABAMA

Heat will be dangerously high today with heat indices around 115 degrees. An Excessive Heat Warning and a Heat Advisory are in effect for the entire area. Don't leave people and pets outside, drink a lot of water (even if you're not outside), and check on family and friends! pic.twitter.com/VO0gZPxb40  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) August 13, 2023

* Excessive heat warning until 9 p.m. Sunday for Lamar, Fayette, Walker, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Jefferson, Shelby, Sumter, Greene, Hale, Perry, Bibb, Chilton, Coosa, Tallapoosa, Marengo, Dallas, Autauga, Lowndes, Elmore, Montgomery, Macon, Bullock, Lee, Russell, Pike, Barbour, Marion, Winston, Blount, St. Clair, Talladega and Clay counties.

Heat index values up to 115 expected.

* Heat advisory until 9 p.m. Sunday for Etowah, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Randolph and Chambers counties.

Heat index values up to 109 expected.

SOUTH ALABAMA

Very hot conditions continue today. Air temperatures are expected to climb to around 100 with heat index values soaring up to 115.



Some showers and storms will also develop later this afternoon and early evening, with the best chance being over eastern parts of the area. pic.twitter.com/6IdodLrHtQ  NWS Mobile (@NWSMobile) August 13, 2023

* Excessive heat warning from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday for Choctaw, Washington, Clarke, Wilcox, Monroe, Conecuh, Butler, Crenshaw, Escambia, Covington, Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Heat index values up to 115 expected.

* Excessive heat warning from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. CDT Sunday for Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry and Houston counties.

Heat index values up to 115 expected.
A 63-year-old Mississippi man was killed early Saturday morning in a crash on Pickwick Lake near Waterloo in Lauderdale County, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

The aluminum fishing vessel he was operating hit a support column on the Second Creek Bridge. He was ejected from the vessel and died at the scene, ALEA Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett said in a news release.

The victim has been identified as Ricky D. Rodgers of Iuka.

The Marine Patrol Division of ALEA is investigating the crash.
The Greenville Police Department is seeking help identifying the person wanted for a robbery that took place Saturday morning at One Stop Cash in the Alabama city.

The unknown male suspect was wearing a black hoodie, black hat with green bill, black pants and white shoes when he entered the Greenville One Stop Cash.

According to police, he was seen on surveillance video brandishing a small black pistol in his right hand when he then demanded money from the store clerk. After the suspect got the cash, he walked behind the counter to attempt to access the safe. Because the clerk did not know the combination, the suspect left the business and walked away on foot.

There are no known vehicles to have been used at this time.

Central Alabama CrimeStoppers is offering a cash reward for information leading to the identification of the suspect.

Those who have any information regarding the identity of the suspect or his whereabouts are asked to call the police or CrimeStoppers using its 24-hour tip line at 334-215-STOP (7867) or 1-833-AL1-STOP (251-7867).
This is an opinion column.

Property was supposed to be sacred.

A persons home is their castle, right? I mean, youre pretty much free to shoot somebody if they barge through your door and try to take something.

Depends on who it is, I guess. And how they do it.

It is always heartbreaking to see family land taken for highways or by public officials, by eminent domain no matter the cause. It should be rare and well considered, reserved for moments clearly in the interest of the common good. It ought to be a last resort.

So its frightening to see whats happening in and around Steele, in St. Clair and Etowah counties, along Chandler Mountain. Landowners have told AL.coms Dennis Pillion they fear their property has already been devalued by an Alabama Power Co. plan to build two reservoirs above and below Chandler Mountain.

They cant plan their own futures while the utility and the federal government decide their fates.

I feel for them, and for this place. Ive spent enough time in those woods to know it is special.

Chandler Mountain is as Alabama as it gets, with hills and hollers, sheer cliffs and striking rock formations. With a cross on top overlooking a Methodist camp. With people wholl gladly give you shirts off their backs if you dont seem too nosy.

Its home to the best tomatoes you can find for a summer sandwich, and for the kind of stories that are just wild enough to be true. Of Native American burial grounds, historic conflicts and outlaws.

It is said the infamous train robber Rube Burrow hid out there for a time. And a story has been handed down about a Confederate deserter who hid beneath the cliffs near Steele and survived with help from a local widow who was kind enough to bring him food. That story has a happy ending, at least from this countys point of view. That runaway repented for his treatious (sic) ways and rejoined the Confederate army. He and the widow married and presumably lived happily ever after.

But it is not just a place of colorful history, and characters. It is a place where regular people staked out lives on land handed down through generations. A place where others, drawn to its beauty and serenity, more recently built homes they planned to pass to their children.

SEE MORE: Whos going to buy my house now? Alabama Power reservoir plan draws ire

This will destroy our town Residents fight Alabama Power on dams, reservoirs

Chandler Mountain Project: What we know so far about plan that could displace a town

A map included in the pre-application paperwork for the project shows the general locations for the two reservoirs included in the project.FERC

We dont know all the details of this project, which is disconcerting. We dont know how many people will be affected directly or indirectly from noise or industry or inconvenience or simply a forced change of their geography and community. We dont know if FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, will approve those plans, a decision that would allow the power company to acquire land by eminent domain.

We dont even know if Alabama Power is fully committed to carrying it out.

The company has been quick to say that the decision has not been finalized.

We do know a few things.

If FERC gives Alabama Power the green light to build two reservoirs on more than 1,500 acres it will forever change the nature of this unique and lovely land. And its people.



Alabama Power Co., within this state, gets what it wants, from the mewling Public Service Commission and public officials too cowed or coddled to question. Oversight within the borders is a joke.





And Alabama Power  with an uncommonly high rate of return on equity , thanks in part to the above  will do what is most profitable for Alabama Power.

Taking someones land should never be done lightly. It should always be without corporate profit incentive, in the light of day and with complete accountability.

If the federal government gives Alabama Power the ability to seize this land, there is but one thing to do.

Grieve for this land and these people. And their stolen dreams.

John Archibald is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize.
A man who family members had been looking for since Saturday was found slain Sunday morning in western Birmingham.

Birmingham police identified the victim as Robert Alexander Brown. He was 22 and lived in Bessemer.

Birmingham police were dispatched just after 10 a.m. Sunday to Dolomite Westfield Park on Tin Mill Road on a report of a person shot.

Sgt. LaQuitta Wade said officers arrived to find the victim inside a vehicle. Birmingham Fire and Rescue and Rescue Service pronounced him dead on the scene from at least one gunshot wound.

Multiple family members of Brown were visibly distraught at the crime scene.

Wade said the family had been looking for him since about noon Saturday to no avail. They were searching the Dolomite area Sunday morning when they found his SUV in the parking lot of the park.

Once they saw him inside, they called 911.

No arrests have been made.

Brown is the citys 86th homicide victim this year. Of those, one was an officer involved shooting by an outside law enforcement agency and seven others have been ruled justified and therefore arent deemed criminal.

In all of Jefferson County, there have been 119 homicides including the 86 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.